Wednesday February 20^th, 1918

Still cold and keen winds. Sent into trenches to join 6 Platoon. Stand to 6:15pm. AB14 post, 2^nd relief, 12 till 5:30. Only 80 yards from Johnny’s post. Very hard getting to and no movement must be made. Stood in one foot of water (ice). Awful cold only three hours sleep. Work after dinner “rotten”.

AB14 Post

Frank is right on the front line, less than a 100 yard sprint from Johnny.  The following extract from a sketch of the Enemy Trenches* will help you to figure out where Frank is. (Look to lower right, below Wylye Valley and above other blue line which is Jumeaux Ravine.)  The red lines depict the enemy trenches and the lines of small blue crosses, their barbed wire defences. You might want to also look again at the sketch from post two days ago that showed AB14. The Enemy Trench map will also help you to interpret today’s War Battalion entry.

13^th (Service) Battalion War Diary – 20^th February 1918 – No 1 Sector, Minden Camp 

Slight artillery activity on both sides. Enemy fired 11 Trench Mortar shells on B2 and B4.  Sniper in O1 fired a few shots during the night, we retaliated from B2. Blasting by day took place on Piton Chauve and Grand Couronne.  A small working party was seen on the Hilt, one man jumped onto the parados & shovelled snow away for 5 minutes, two others were seen in the trench in dark uniforms with round caps. Tracks used since recent fall of snow. 1. Mansion to Casque Ravine. 2. Deep Ravine to junction of Z25 &Y7 and to Y? and to Z24. 3. Track west of Red Scar Hill. All screens in the sector have been greatly damaged by weight of snow and can only be re-made when all snow is clear again. All screens that have collapsed or suffered in any way by the recent fall of snow will be strengthened and rebuilt tonight without fail.

References & Further Reading

* ‘Sketch of Enemy Trenches, South of Doiran‘, Digital Archive, McMasters University