13th May 1917 Sunday

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“On the 13th May I went up to an Advanced Dressing Station (A.D.S) on the canal bank for a spell of duty with Captain Burke, my Irish friend. I took an ambulance car as far as Brielen Village – or all that is left of it, and then walked up the road to the A.D.S at Sussex Farm on the canal bank. The Huns were busy shelling some of our batteries near Ypres, with heavy stuff, but nothing dropped near me. ‘Billie’ Burke and all the 13th Royal Welsh Fusiliers crowd welcomed me back to the good old Salient (I don’t think!) . That night the enemy attempted to raid our trenches, but failed. Many Huns were killed and wounded, and one wounded Hun captured. Our casualties were five men slightly wounded. This occurred at 3am and the bombardment was terrific.”

The day after arriving back at his old unit, Douglas is sent up to the Advanced Dressing Station at Sussex Farm on the Yser Canal very close to Essex Farm just to the north of Ypres. His old pal Captain “Billie” Burke had been at Sussex Farm since the beginning of the month, but Douglas was to relieve Lt. Hogg of the RAMC.

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