Keep Smiling

Entry # 24 February 28 th 1916

We left for trenches at Auchonvillers, near Mailly-Millet. This was a fairly quiet spot, and only thing that annoyed us was the state of the trenches. The previous weeks rain left them in a frightful state. And when we took them over form the 10th Battalion we were up to our waist in rain and mud. It was unsafe to walk down the trenches at night unless one could swim. And as soon as it was dark both officers and men preferred walking along the parapet. When our chaps took over not one of them had gum boots on, so they had to plough through the water, and as some of the sump-boards were floating about consequently some of the foot chaps got a bad wetting.They had to go on guard with their wet clothing and it was here we had 6 cases of trench feet. But this state of affairs did not last long, and before we left that part of the line we had trenches as dry as Royal Avenue. We left here, having no causalities, on March 3 rd.