Before the war Thomas Griffiths of Bangor (born 1881) worked as a stonemason. He attested for military duty in November 1915 and was called up on 13 November 1916. He served with the 250th Railway Company of the Royal Engineers until he was demobbed on 2 May 1919, seeing action in France. His diary for 1917 takes the form of an extended letter to his wife, Margaret. Here are the pages from June. Transcript: Tuesday 5.6.17 A quiet night. Boiled bacon 6.00. parade 6.25. Mid-day meal 11.00 - 12.30. Duty painting tents. Dinner 5.30, roast beef, potatoes. I won't or need not mention rations same daily. Goodnight dearest one. Wednesday 6.6.17 Airplanes over in the night. Bacon & tea at 6.00am. Parade usual time. Dinner 5.00 pm, roast beef, potatoes & peas. New suit of khaki. Today's rations same again. Goodnight love. Thursday 7.6.17 Green E No. 6 A quiet night. Boiled bacon 6.00am. Work with platelayers at Warlingcourt. Day oer 4.30pm. Dinner 5.30pm, roast beef, potatoes, rice & lemonade. Shall try and get a bath now. Goodnight lovie. Friday 8.6.17 32nd. Terrible gun firing all night and day. Bacon and tea 6.00am. Parade 6.25. Working with platelayers at Warlingcourt. Very hot again. Rations are down to ⅓ of a loaf tomorrow. Our day was over 4.30pm. Goodnight dearest one. Saturday 9.6.17 Heavy firing throughout the night. Breakfast 6.00am, boiled bacon. Work on platelaying in Warlingcourt. Weather very hot. Bully stew dinner 5.00pm. received loving lines from you. Goodnight dearie. Sunday 10.6.17 Pay 15francs. 33rd Heavy firing all night and all through today. Breakfast 7.00am Bathing parade 8.00am. Plenty of hot water today. Dinner 12.00, roast beef and peas, lemonade. Very hot today. Off duty all day. Goodnight dearest one. Monday 11.6.17 A terrible night of thunderstorms and rain. Our bloods were flooded amid all the cannons roar through all. Bacon & tea 6.ooam. No parade till 1230pm. Afternoon we spent with platelayers at Warlingcourt. Dinner 5.00pm, roast beef very tough and peas, rice & tea. 6.00 medical inspection. Stripped naked, some fellows are scabby. Goodnight lovie. Tuesday 12.6.17 No. 3 Reg. Letter 10shillings 34th Heavy guns firing throughout night and day. Bacon & tea 6.30am. Work sinking holes. Dinner 5.00pm, roast beef, no potatoes & peas, tea. Goodnight love, nothing to report. Wednesday 13.6.17 Guns going all night and day. Boiled bacon & tea 6.00am. In work in camp. Dinner 5.30pm, stew beef too high to eat. Our bread rations are fair now. Goodnight dearest one. Thursday 14.6.17 35th Guns going all night. Bacon & tea 6.00am. Work on drain. Very hot today. Dinner 5.00pm. Roast beef, potatoes & tea. Our bread rations are fair these days. Goodnight dearest one. Friday 15.6.17 Quiet night. Boiled bacon & tea 6.00am. Work sinking underground pantry for officers. Very hot today. Dinner 4.30pm, beef roast, potatoes & lemonade. Rations down today. Goodnight love. Saturday 16.6.17 Terrible gun firing throughout night. Boiled bacon & tea 6.00am. Work sinking pantry underground. Boiling hot today. Dinner 5.00pm, roast beef & onions, tea. 1/2 loaf tomorrow. Goodnight darling one. Sunday 17.6.17 Quiet night. Cold water bath 5.30am. Bacon & tea 7.30am., then did my washing. Church parade 11.30am, dinner 12noon, roast beef, no vegetables, rice and tea. Nap in afternoon. Tea at 4.00pm then a ramble and wrote to my love. Goodnight darling Monday 18.6.17 Quiet night. Boiled bacon 6.00am. Work on officer's bath. Very hot today. Dinner at 5,00pm, roast mutton. Peas & rice. Nothing to report these days. Goodnight my love. Tuesday 19.6.17 No firing. Bacon & tea 6.00am then on parade. There was an awful thunderstorm. Work on officers' bath. Dinner at 5.00pm, bully beef. Bread rations down again tonight. Goodnight dearest one. Wednesday 20.6.17 Quiet night. Boiled bacon 6.00am. Work with platelayers at Mourincourt. Lovely day. Ruddle returns today. Dinner at 5.00pm, roast beef, potatoes, rice & tea. Our bread rations are down again. It's raining now. Goodnight sweet one. Thursday 21.6.17 No firing. Breakfast 6.00am. Work with platelayers at Warlingcourt. Dinner 5am, roast beef, peas, rice & tea. Rations same tomorrow. Goodnight lovie. Friday 22.6.17 Quiet night. Bacon & tea 6.30am. Work on officers' pantry. Dinner 5.00pm, bully stew and tea. Thousands of troops moving today. Rations tomorrow are 1/5 of a loaf & iron biscuits. Goodnight lovie. Saturday 23.6.17 Night quiet. Breakfast 6.00am. Work with platelayers at Mondicourt. Dinner 5.00pm, roast beef, potatoes, peas &tea. Rations tomorrow iron ones. Goodnight sweet heart. Sunday 24.6.17 Pay 15francs. 40th Quiet night. Bacon & tea 7.00am. No duty. Bath parade 10.00am. Church parade 11.05am. Dinner at 12noon, bully stew & tea. Rations are very bad these days. Goodnight lovie. Monday 25.6.17 Quiet night and breakfast 6.00am, boiled bacon & quarter of a loaf no biscuits. Work at Mondicourt. No dinner, tin of bully & biscuits, tea. Tomorrow ⅓ of a loaf, rations very low now. Goodnight lovie. Tuesday 26.6.17 Quiet night, breakfast 6.00am, bacon & tea. Work at Mondicourt. Dinner 5.00pm, bully stew, tea. Rations tomorrow 1/5 of aloaf & biscuits, cheese & jam. Goodnight lovie. Wednesday 27.6.17 Quiet night again, hungry going to bed and same getting up. Bacon, Tea and what little bread there was at 6.00am. Work at Mondicourt. Had to fare on a biscuit all day till 5.00pm. Dinner roast beef, potatoes, tea. Rations tomorrow ⅓ of a loaf and jam. Very hungry these days. Goodnight little one. Thursday 28.6.17 Still hell on the front heavy thunderstorm in the morn bacon and tea 6am work as Mondicourt dinner 5.0 bully stew 1/3 loaf, biscuit. Rain and thunder again. Goodnight love Friday 29.6.17 Quiet night- bacon & tea 6.0 work at Mondicourt dinner 5.0 bully stew, tea. Lovely day and washing tonight - goodnight dearie. Saturday 30/6/17 Shell flying tonight - Bacon boiled 6.0 tea. Work Mondicourt raining nearly all day back in camp 3.45 wet through. Dinner 4.30 bully stew. Had an awful headache today. Rations 1/3 loaf jam. Goodnight dearie. Sunday 1/7/17 Am better this morn. Heavy guns firing all night, bacon & tea 7.30, day off duty. Church parade 11.30 dinner at 12.0 roast beef potatoes peas rice tea. Tea at 4.0 rations 1/3 loafcheese jam. Guns are still shooting away now. Goodnight lovie. Monday 2/7/17 Heavy firing all night. Bacon & tea 6.0. Work Mondicourt lovely day 5.0 bully stew, rations 1/3 loaf biscuit sardines. Goodnight lovie Tuesday 3/7/17 Heavy firing. Boiled bacon & tea 6.0 & work Mondicourt, weather very hot today. Dinner 5.0 roast beef potatoes and peas, tea. Rations down 1/4 loaf cheese & jam. Tata love Wednesday 4/7/17 44th Heavy firing again, bacon at 6.0 work at Mondicourt. Very hot in the morn dinner at 5.0 bully stew tea, rations 1/4 loaf & jam. Goodnight lovie Thursday 5/7/17 Quiet night, boiled bacon tea 6.0am.Work Mondicourt, dinner 5.0, roast beef, potatoes tea. We are shifted to another hut tonight. Rations for tomorrow are very little. Goodnight sweet one.