The Diary of Private Sidney Dore, number 3895, 14th Section, 8th Platoon, B Company, 1/7th Notts & Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment for the Year 1916.
March
1.
On fatigue all day. Fine all day.
2. Route march without packs. Weather dull.
3. Route march full marching order. Very bad roads.
4. Snowing all day. No parades. Record week - received 2 parcels and
2 postal orders.
5. Voluntary Divine Service. Nice weather. Sunshine all day.
6. Left Beauval 8 a.m. Arrived Beaudricourt 5 o'clock. Absolutely exhausted.
[Beaudricourt north-east of Doullens]
7. Reported sick with feet. Days light duty.
8. Left Beaudricourt 9.15. Arrived at Acq 5 p.m. Tired. [Acq north-west
of Arras]
9. Left Acq 5.30 for the trenches north of Arras.
10. In the reserve trenches. Ration fatigue at night.
11. Clearing the trenches. Artillery actions. French 75's in action.
First time in the trenches. 3 casualties, 1 killed, 2 injured. Hit in
the back by a piece of shrapnel.
12. Still in the trenches. Heavy bombardment all day. Went up to the
firing line.
13. Still in the trenches on fatigue work. Went up to the second and
third trenches.
14. On guard all day. French airman brought down. Weather very fine.
Sun shining all day.
15. Still in the trenches. Digging in the communication trench.
16. In the trenches. 12 o'clock, bombardment began. 7 p.m. sand-bagging
in the second line of trenches.
17. Still in the trenches. Digging fatigue all night. All night guard
7 to 7. Bombardment on while on guard. Reinforcements come up to us.
18. Still in the trenches. We go in the firing line 6.30 at night.
19. Still in the trenches. Relieved at night by the 8th. Arrived at
St. Eloi 1 p.m.
20. General clear up. Ammunition inspection. Weather fine all day.
21. At rest. Rifle inspection and Great Coat inspection.
22. Still resting. Bombing all morning. Raining all day.
23. Still resting. Bombing all morning. Very cold all day.
24. No parades. Snowing all day. Had a tooth out.
25. General all round inspection. Relieved the 8th at night. A week
of rest. Nothing to report. Bombing most days.
26. In the trenches again. On a listening post all day. Snowing and
raining.
27. Sleeping. Weather fine and cold. In a listening post all night.
Very cold.
28. Still in the trenches. In a listening post all night again. Very
quiet. Awfully cold (raining).
29. Resting all ay. Sunshine in the morning. Listening post all night
again.
30. Still in the trenches in the listening post again. Weather very
bad, raining.
31. Listening post all day. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Weather fine. Relieved
by the 8th. In the listening post all six days only ten or twelve yards
from the Germans.