Diary Entry - 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th August, 1917

There is one day I can't place. Saturday: Come away from guns at ten thirty a.m. on Ginger and arrive in time for stables. Claudet comes down at one p.m and we lunch at the Officers' Club and afterwards we purchase from Vienne of the glass shop - a huge lady with alluring brown orbs, a perfect saleswoman's smile at the right time - some odd things for the Mess. We vist the EFC for tobacco and, after standing at one counter for twenty minutes to be served, are informed that it is the wrong counter - the speaker escaped with his life barely - and we obtained our purchases at a counter on the other side of the shop. Sunday: Church parade at eleven in Bouverie at the Cinema Hall, the Padre had secured the divisional band and the service went with a good swing, about 120 men being there. Charles Armytage, Siggers and I stayed for Communion and about eight other men of the ranks. McKinty came down to stables and an RE officer rolled up to see what material we required to put on the standings and stables in general. We bled him for a lot of stuff but still require a great deal more. Monday. It rained during the night and continued showery throughout the day. Wright comes down from the guns and, after lunch, we go into the baths on bicycles, I having first ridden down to the RE dump about a box drain. It blew a hurricane all day from the south and quite a number of trees were knocked down on the road to the town. We had a good bath. Wright stayed to dinner