Fine. Up at 9 am & breakfast with Mr. Mrs & Tom Draycot. At 10 am to see Edith. Will. comes down to see me. Tom likes my photos. Left Bolton at 1:50 PM. JW, Mrs Draycot & TOM see me off. Arr. L’pool 2:50 PM. To home, many telegrams awaiting me from Betty. Pass rest of evening with family. Harry arrives from Queen’s No. 1 dock from S. S. Elwy @ 8 PM & Jim Boyle at 10 PM. Enjoy evening singing.
Saturday 26 February 1916
Up at 10 AM. Waited for Harry till 3 PM. Take train for Bolton at 4:40 from Tithebarn Stn. Arr. Bolton at 6:30 PM. Met @ Stn by JW Draycot. Splendid greetings by all. Sat up and told of my experiences.
Friday 25 February 1916
Stayed at Cyril & Ede’s all night. Snowed all last night & during morning 6 inches deep. Went into Stafford with C & E & had dinner at restaurant. On to Banks. Mrs. Banks ill, William goes to York tomorrow for hospital work at Quaker Ambulance Society. Leave by 3:17 from Stafford & arr. Liverpool 4:59. Take train to Tim Brook. Call on [?], Craigs and Uptons. Have supper with the latter & later on to Harry’s. Harry not at home. To bed at 11:30 PM.
Thursday 24 February 1916
33 years of age today. Left Derby after calling on Harry Draycot & uncle Tom Mackay at 11 AM. Arr. Stafford 12:45 PM. To doctors Miller & Allan. Had dinner with doctors & Mrs, had bath & afterwards to Mrs Smiths residence with her, stayed till 5 PM then to Stafford stn. [Cyril?], Betty & Eileen had tea at refreshment bar & boarded train for Gnosall Heath. Arr. 9 PM. Two girls conducted me to Ede’s & Cyril’s. Snow 4 inches deep.
Wednesday 23 February 1916
Up @ 7:30 to have breakfast. To Knights at 10 am. Leave Seagrave at 12:30 noon for Rothley with Kathleen. Call on Marsdens, Inglesants & Looms. Arr. Rothley 5 PM, took train for Derby @ Sileby 5:52, arr. Derby 6:30 (change at Trent) met by Nelson MacKay. In evening to Pollard with MacKay family. Most enjoyable time.
Tuesday 22 February 1916 – snow
Snow. Visit John, Mrs. D & Almena Draycot. Leave Leicester for Sileby 7:15 PM, arr. 7:30 PM. Kathleen Knight meets me with pony trap. Go to Draycots @ 9 PM all in good health.
Monday 21 February 1916
Heavy frost
At 2:30 am dress for departure. Await transport in Locre. Leave Locre 4:40 AM, arrive Bailleul 5:15, leave 5:30 AM, arr. Boulogne 10:15 am, leave Boulogne 12:15, arr. Folkestone, 1:30 PM, depart. Folkestone 2 PM, arr. Victoria [station] 5 PM, leave St Pancras [station] 6, arr. Leicester 7:55 go to aunt Louise & stay night.
Sunday 20 February 1916
Company parade 9 am for bathing at hot baths. Get change of clothing. Hun hydro plane returning from invading England drops 6 bombs near our place. Our planes pursue but no luck. Dozens of fights take place this day. Am warned to get ready for leave to England. To pay master 5 PM and draw cheque for 18 [Pounds?] + 25 Francs.
*Hydro planes – An early form of Sea Planes, these aircraft were capable of taking off and landing on water. Both sides of the conflict used hydro planes for reconnaissance and bombing purposes. Hydro planes could also be stored on early aircraft carriers called seaplane tenders. The hydro planes were launched by lowering them onto the sea with a crane.
Saturday 19 February 1916
Drizzly rain in morning. I go sniping with Private Mackenzie & bag 4 Huns, they retaliate when they find me & give me a few close calls. Pte. Colville wounded in hand by snipers & Corp. Milne killed (shot through head). My waterproof is pierced by bullets from snipers. We put up dummie head (turnip) & Huns land shots through. We locate sniper & my hun goes with 6 inch shell. I fire elephant gun with telescopic sight. Leave trenches at 4 PM with advanced party to Locre. Griggs goes on leave.
*Elephant Gun – A large Caliber rifle originally used by big game hunters to kill elephants. During WWI both English and Germans used elephant guns to defend their trenches. The English found them very efficient as a countermeasure against German snipers who would often use large plates of steel as cover. The elephant guns were able to penetrate the steel, killing or incapacitating the sniper in hiding. Elephant guns could also be used as anti-tank weapons as they were often able to penetrate lightly armored tanks.
Friday 18 February 1916
Snipers busy & effective quite a number of Scotchmen [sic] of 42nd Highlanders are lying dead & unburied in front of our trenches just as they fell. Heavy artillery bombs all day
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