Artillery fire. Very wet but quite warm Dec 8th Visit the Artillery observation post from where one gets a good view of the enemies trenches; this house was heavily shelled an hour or so after & knocked to pieces. The Germans must have seen some men hanging round the house - luckily there were no casualties. The Divisional General orders us to affect a lodgement in the small wood* in front of the [in pencil in margin: * Petit Bois] Lincoln trenches. Commanding Officers are summoned at once to arrange details & Colonel Smith of the Lincolns to carry out the attack at about 9pm heavy firing breaks out due to our men having reached the enemy's barbed wire entanglement, & being heard