Up at 6.30. Marched off at 7.30. Arrived at the job about 9 o’clock. Our work is to dig out a dugout which is behind the old German second line and mine craters¹. Worked until after 4 o’clock. Very hot work. Fritz² shelled there a good bit on the sides. Walked over to the Ridge Wood Y M but were too late for the service.

1. Presumably the Messines craters. ↩

2. Fritz: a name given to German troops by the British and others in the First and Second World Wars. ↩