Diary Entry - 12th December

After getting a cup of tea in the kitchen, the time being six fifty-five, I proceed to carry out Suttie's orders at the guns. It is so dark that the lamp has to be turned on in order that the guns can get their line. The guns fixed, the O.B. is headed for and, before settling down, the notice outside 'the Ruin' is moved inside and placed at the bottom of the staircase. A keen lookout is kept between the lights and, about eight am, two Bosches are seen to come out of the houses below Auchy clocktower and walk along the top of Dook Alley. I have a go at them, but, as I am not used to judging range at a distance, I only frighten them under cover - but it adds some excitement to the day to think that you might be able to catch a bird on the wing. At eleven, Suttie comes up and does some shooting, registering Pekin Alley and several other targets. By twelve, the light is very good, and the Colonel and Adjutant arrive. They evidently have been in the trenches, from the mud that they carry on them. They stop for an hour. Then, on their departure, Suttie and I lunch downstairs. For an hour after dinner, I watched some interesting shooting, done by the Major on a dugout near 'Les Briques', on which we obtain several direct hits with H.E. and make some nice holes in it – and also on what we presume to be a Bosch O.B. in Auchy, about 800 yards inside the fringe of houses, (but we don't meet with much success here, as it is very difficult to observe where your shells are bursting.) At two, Suttie takes Bombardier Charles (chief telephonist) down to the trenches with him, to do some registering. At three, the Bosch gets a spasm and plugs about 300 shells into our line south of Vermelles road, but they are well out of our zone. However, our batteries reply with interest. About half an hour before dusk, I see two more Bosch sprinting from one trench to another behind Lone Farm (from Mad Alley into Pekin Alley). I lay No.1 onto the latter alley, just in case any more show themselves, but have no luck. I keep a very keen lookout for the wily Bosch at dusk, but I think he is a bit nervous now, as the last two nights he has been driven to shelter rather hastily. Thus another day of strife is ended, and at four thirty I retire to the Mess for tea.