Sunday 30 April 1916 – hot

Awakened suddenly at 1:30 AM by a gas alarm a terrific bombardment is going on at this hour & continues until 6 AM. We stand to. Extent of bombardment 8 miles scores of aeroplanes fight.
Leave Ouderdom for trenches arr. railway dugouts (Bn & Bd HQrt) at 5:30 PM. Heavy shelling along my line of the route. Go to Zillebeke & to Maple Copse to give our intelligence officers some blueprints which I have sketched. The enemy rake Maple Copse with machine gun fire. Very close & uncomfortable. I stay the night @ Zillebeke with L/C Rowley & Pte. Mackenzie. Many shells are sent into Zillebeke.