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Date: December 1917
Diary

[Editor's note: Transcription and transcription annotations provided by collection donor; minor formatting changes have been made to layout and to clearly mark transcriber’s annotations.]

DIARY OF CAPTAIN, DOCTOR JORDON MOTT FOWLER 1918
14th BATTERY. CANADIAN FIELD ARTILLERY
61st Battery report - up to Jan./18

December 1st, 1917 -
Battery moved to new waggon lines at Verquigneul, just off the Arras-Bethune Rd. Centre and Left Section went into action.

Dec. 3/17 -
Cold & frosty. Left Section moved to A20 a 30.67 as there was little cover for the personnel. The family in the house within the orchard refuse to leave.

Dec. 4/17 -
Enemy aeroplanes bombed our area late in evening

Dec. 5/17 -
Another bombing. Our OP is in a brick house east of Cambrin. Cold.

Dec. 10/17 -
The Poll was opened at the waggon lines for voting.

Dec. 12/17 -
Material arrived from Bethune to erect wind screens for the horses. Bombs

Dec. 18/17 -
More bombing - really cold.

Dec. 23/17 -
Battery moving to Cite de Bureaux - had to hand over guns to Imperial Battery. Fired rounds to date 13,703. New system to ease exchange of positions - leave your guns to the incoming troops.

Dec. 24/17 -
Had Christmas dinner at the waggon lines - turkeys were purchased from our funds. Action that night at the railway embankment.

Dec. 29/17 -
Weather very cold. Several cases of scabies lately.

Dec. 31/17 -
The batteries all fired salvos at midnight - no reply from ‘Fritz’.