Diary Entry - 26th December, 1915

Bates called me at five ten and at six, after a cup of tea, I went out to see that everything was in order. We had a programme, with about six different targets to be fired on at intervals in the hour and, when I had got those off, I went up to the O.B. for the day. Bee was up at the O.B. from the 15th, and we discussed things in general. There was not much to do and, as we had already fired 230 rounds the night before, I kept fairly quiet. At eleven, the Bosch puts some 4.2s near the little house to the south of the La Bassée road, which is about 200 yards to the east of the O.B. The Major came up in the afternoon and had a look round as, for about an hour, the light was excellent, and I saw things that I have never seen before. While he was there, the Colonel came along with some old fossil of a major who he had brought up to show the front to and the former, with a wink, said "Suttie will point you out everything of interest," and so there was no escape for him. About four, the Bosch pitched some five nines onto the crest in front of the battery, but they were a good 300 yards short. On returning to tea, I found the two attachés had gone and one Ormonde had come back to us again. He is a bumptious little devil and is cordially disliked in the Mess.