Allsop Diary

[top left] 1916 31 Days [top right] July

[centred] 13 Thursday

On Piquet all day in charge of Gas Gong. Three of us called to private house to lift patient while bed was made. Mail received. London Rifle Brigade arrived from Ypres, also Shropshires. Aeroplanes being bombarded in the air. Some of our Division came out of Trenches. Replaced by Tommies [centred] 14 Friday

Guns silent for five nights. R.G.A. with 60 pounders leaving through the night and this morning. More arriving same night. Rifle Brig & Shropshires arrive.

[centred] 15 Saturday More Guns arriving. Wounded coming in some in bad state. Two dead when lifted onto waggon [sic]. Weird.

[centred] 16 Sunday - 4th after Trinity Working in Operating Theatre, making it gas proof. Later in afternoon making 2 operating tables as fast as we could. Mail arrived.

[Top Left] July [Top Right] 7th Month 1916

[Centred] 17 Monday

Offensive should commence today but orders say it has been postponed till Wednesday Large number of planes up

[Centre] 18 Tuesday

Assisting to [construct] letter boxes for O.C. Commenced making dug-out Gas proof Aeroplanes busy in large numbers. Danube in Sight

[Centred] 19 Wednesday

Working hard at dug out and finished it in afternoon 12 aeroplanes up. On Piquet at night. Bombardment something awful

[Top Left] 1961 31 Days [Top Right] July [Top Centred] Composure of wounded a feature never to be forgotten

[Centre] 20 Thursday

Roused out at 1 am and marched to Rne du Bois, straight into the fierce battle, firing trench collecting wounded. Shells [frightening] [Inserted Right Margin] Aeroplanes numerous [Illegible] especially coal boxes. V.C. Farm & V.C. avenue. [Illegible] corner Complimented by doctors. Thousands casulties and awful sight. Fired out. Hit by bullet Pleased to get relief [out] I am when casualtity cleared. Some of our men rambled out into No Mans Land after wounded. - Our Brewery bombarded shells into yard. Ordered down to action again and were to have camped there in a far house which had been battered about in afternoon but returned fter nidnight. Big fire fearful sight - 140 prisoners [Centre] 22 Saturday Recd. letter of congratulations from A.D.M.S. highly praising our work Put up a recordof clearing 3,875 from 2 am till 6 pm on Thursday. Sherring in hospital. Unlucky again sent in party of 6 to Farm n rat infested dug out [Domain] R.B. funny [Centre] 23 Sunday - 6th after Trinity This is the exact place where B & S [Illegible] talked together last Xmas. Few wounded last night. Farms burnt. [Amusing] report in [Illegible] re battle. It records a raid. We have to keep well under cover. 2000 caslalties. Went for rations - missed a bullet. Rats at night

[Top Left] July [Top Right] 7th Month 1916

[Centre] 4 Monday Slept in till 10 O'clock. A few bad cases during the night - not much hope for men. Mid-day sent out to assist at RAP. Now in dirty little dug-out. Rats numerous. Shells & bulletsflying about. Bought down a few cases

[Centre] 25 Tuesday

Practially no sleep during night. Germans started shelling heavily - 50 high explosives into front parapet killing numbers and wounding a few over 20 casualties Shell more cap dropped near our dug out. In afternoon changed over to new dug out. [Centre] 26 Wednesday

Only one case to carry down today a couple shot through the head died later. At 6 pm returned to Farm Aid Post. Another lively trip for rations. Machine guns sweeping the roads and making thm dangerous Shells flying on all sides of us. Glad to get to bed.

[Top Left] 1916 31 Days [Top Right] July [Centre] 27 Thursday

Out of bed at about 10 am. Mostly Artillery firing but shells battered the trenches about a bit. Machine guns and snipers still very dangerous at night.

[Centre] 28 Friday Beautiful Day Had to get up early this morning about 6 am to prepare for Gen. Mc Kay's inspection but he didn't come. Instructions referred to the 2 Generals as Lance Corporals. French 75's active also our artillery German's shelling Fleurbain & roads behind us. 11 aeroplanes up - Germans fired thousands of rounds no answers One of our airmen performing wonderfully Artillery knocked train off line. Another lovely day. Men went for rations. Great day for observation & aeroplanes making best of it. Restless sleep in night. Anti-aircraft guns busy. Hit 1 of our planes again crossed. Second trip to old post. [Centre] 30 Sunday - 6th after Trinity Up about 10 o'clock. Only 2 cases to take down. Artillery battered the parapets about. Surprised at not getting a bombardment in return Aircraft about