This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Marched off at about 2 o’clock and back to Albert. First went to main dressing station and then taken to lie down by a wall on the ground. Paddy Graham and I lay together and shared a ground sheet. Took nothing off – not even boots – too tired. Immediately commenced to rain heavily. Wet through. Capt. Johnson came and took us to a stable full of vehicles which had not been in use from the start of the war. Everything filthy. I found a two wheeled trap leaning forward on its shafts and sat on the seat with my legs out in front. Went to sleep for hours. Woke up stiff and filthy with cobwebs. Had good feed of biscuits. Sent field postcard home. Received parcel with cakes in it. Rained heavily. Lot of men had German helmets. A rat ran up my shirt sleeve as I leaned out of barn window writing up diary. Wash and shave; first since Friday. Heard that 10,000 walking cases and 1,000 stretcher cases had been treated by our main dressing station in Albert. Went to sleep in badly damaged estaminet on red tiled floor. One man slept on billiard table and said cloth made it softer.