Diary Entry - 25th June, 1916

There was the same programme in the morning. The front of No. 2 gunpit had to be strengthened as the blast of the gun on the previous day had pushed the front forward, some of the girders supporting the roof had also broken away from their supports. Suttie and Kellagher did the shooting, observing ech day from the 71's OP, as the wire we cut was on the left of our sector. I went up to the OP in the evening and just saw the last of the rounds. There was a lot of shooting the second day. Everyone seemed to be loosing off, especially in the evening. Just as it was getting dusk, I took a signaler out and we looted a water pump on wheels from beside an old observing station, which did not seem to be inhabited by anyone. We eventually hauled it to our trench and then two signallers hauled it down to the battery in the evening. All day long and in fact for the last four days a continual rumble has been coming from the south and today has grown into a roar but could not get any news as to what it was all about. I think it must be our offensive on the Somme.