April 22 - Our artillery started to bombard the German front line and it was just like Hell let loose. Shells bursting round me. I was nervous for a while but I came round.
April 30 - Today I received my holy communion under fire. A lengthy German bombardment into the early hours. Our Company Sergeant was killed.
May 7- We all had to man the trench and commence rapid fire. The shells were flying every way. It was that heavy that you could not have heard yourself speak.
June 26 - Had to retire twice under very heavy shell fire. All having very narrow escapes.
July 1- Left for trenches at 2am.
This would be the last diary entry of Pvt. Thomas Chambers, who would be subsequently killed a few hours after alongside 20,000 others who participated in the initial assault wave at the Somme in 1916.
He was only 16 years old. Carry on.
#ww1 #reality #zerofoxtrot #stayzero