to General Potter whom I do not know. Simson my staff captain leaves today to take over Brigade Major of the 50th Brigade 7 March 1916 A bitterly cold day snowing & sleeting. The 9th Brigade goes into the line tonight. Colonel McConaghey commanding till my successor arrives. I walked round some of their trenches today & they were in a terrible state after the attack on the Bluff last week. All the trenches are damaged & the dugouts are knocked in. The 8th Brigade buried nearly 200 English & German bodies yesterday. A German officer who was taken prisoner said that they were going to attack the trenches again as soon as the 3rd Division went back. The prisoners say that our trench mortars were