We remained all that day in the bivouac, and next day we moved up into the reserve trenches, and we have been there ever since. Shells and shrapnel are flying over us continually, and we have all had some narrow escapes. My company ('B') has come in for all the hard work, and all the casualties so far have been in our company. Butterworth, the officer in charge of the next platoon to mine, was shot in the leg last Thursday. We were all sat in a ring playing cards, when a spent bullet came and hit him in the leg. He has gone back, and is on board a transportation ship. You will be sorry to hear that the first man in the battalion to be killed was in my platoon Andrey Gee. I had to go out with six men about 7 a.m., on Thursday morning and help to bury him - a very sad job - and the enemy were firing all the time. We have had, besides this, about six wounded, but still only slightly.

I had a rather dangerous job on Friday night. I had to go out with 50 men from seven p.m. to seven a.m., to help to dig a covered road (a wide trench, really 4ft. 6in.) from our reserve trenches to the second line of trenches. There was plenty of shooting all night - most of the heavy firing is done here at night, - but I managed to get back without any casualties.

I have got a fine 'dug-out,' a trench about five feet deep, 5 feet wide, and 10 feet long, covered over the top with big branches from trees, and sacking and sand over the top. I am sharing it with Parker (another officer in 'B' Company); he is a great friend of Willie Crossley's. We have got our valises with us, and yesterday I had my first shave for six days. All my other baggage I have left at Cox's shipping agency, at Port Said.

Connery is quite well. By the way, I had forgotten to tell you Robson is not with us; he was left at Alexandria, as officer in charge of the 'Base.' He is well out of it. I have had my hair cropped close - like a 'convict's' style. It keeps cleaner, and also saves brushing.