December 8th 1914
My birthday, we go back to the trenches tonight, it is raining hard. I have just had a birthday card from my Sonny and a letter from my wife, one from sister, they came on the right day, we get to the trenches and find them ankle deep in water, the dug out leaks, wake up in the morning our blankets wringing wet, but we hear that one of our platoons are in a much worse state than us, their trenches being knee deep and in some places waist deep in water, we have got to relieve them tonight for 24 hours what a sight…
…the Germans seem to know who we are for they shout “Good Old Warwicks” and our officer always tells us to give them a song back, I think we shall be pals by Christmas.
Diary of Private W Tapp, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, November 1914- January 1915
Imperial war Museum Archives