Diary Entry - 8th January, 1916

A rather thrilling day on the whole, as we were shelled by 5.9 inches and 4.2 hows for over three hours. (300 shells about). They began at eight fifteen and stopped shortly after eleven thirty. Needless to say, we spent our time in the cellar, but there was one man from the 47th Battalion (4.5 how) who had lost communication, so I told him to have a try for his battery through our wire. Well, he got through and began shooting, going up to our room. He stayed there and was getting his hair well combed until they dropped a short one and he got a splinter of tile on the head. He came down the stairs pretty quick, but not half as quickly as the time we did when they dropped one short. They got one dudd into the sandbags, but otherwise they scored no direct hits. In the evening, I called in at the 56th and had tea with Pat, but I did not see Shipley. Their gun position, as far as I could see in the dark, is a revelation and battery is very well-placed, being only 1500 yards from our front line trench, placed in an orchard.