Diary Entry - 16th December, 1915

My day at the guns. Absolutely nothing doing in the morning, as there is a slight fog hanging over the front. The brigade unfortunately relieve us of their two switchboards, one of which proved itself to be very useful. On running across the wheeler commonly known as Spoke, I ask him to knock me together a bed; it might be as well to add that the bed consists of a wood framework with sandbags stretched across it. All is silent in the morning in the dugout and, on coming to lunch at one, I find the Captain and Hoyland have had theirs and gone up to the trenches to register wire. At two, Kellagher reports that the O.B. is being shelled and that they have all retired to the cellar. However, they venture forth again in about ten minutes. At about two thirty, we are told to be ready for the Major, who ought to be at his O.B. by now but, on trying to get through to the Infantry, we find that there is no reply and we hear Kellagher trying to get the 47th, whose wire we are using. At three, battery action on Auchy comes down - three rounds H.E. guns fire, then about six more rounds on odd targets - and we presume the O.B. is getting it again. After sitting about till four, I finally decide that it is no good waiting, as it will be too dark to see, and I retire. At four thirty, Kellagher comes in and seems to be very quiet, so I ask him, in a joking manner, whether they hit the O.B., and he says they got five direct hits in with a 10 cm (4 inch, 35 pound) shell and made a big hole in the Mess room below the observatory. The ruin was also hit, and the 47^th had a hole plugged through, a few feet below the observing officer. Sixty shells were dropped in all and luckily no-one was touched, although one man on guard behind the barrier just ducked in time as one came clean through the parapet just above his head. The sentry just in front of the ruin had his box carried away while he was standing behind the wall. The Bosch is only trying to get some of his own back, and we must expect it, although it is truly uncomfortable for the man in the O.B. We reckon the shells are coming from guns behind the Dump.

 I forgot to add that the reason for having a new bed is because Todd, the medical officer, is using mine in Suttie's room, while I use Siggers's.