Lance Corporal Percival Fox 1895-1976, of the 53rd Royal Warwick regiment, Birmingham Battalion, was my grandfather. Born, the son of an ironmonger, in Langley a part of Brimingham known as the "Black Country" Percy joined up with his younger brother Jess to fight in the great war, he was 20 years old at the time. This is his war Diary, illustrated with photographs he took while on active duty on the front, firing line. These photographs have never been published before.

.The Diary has a black soft cover, and the pages are not lined but appear to be graph paper of a poor ,pulp quality . The book measures 11cm by 17cm. and the Diary itself takes up 30 pages. Now over 80 years old ,those 30 pages are difficult to read, the text is written in faded pencil on yellowing paper. Where I have found it impossible to decipher I have left the words, or letters substituted by ----,and where I have guessed I have used "" and,? .

20th November 1915. Left Codford for France with advance party. Marched from Codford to station. Loaded wagon on trucks. On arriving at Southampton unloaded .train and loaded ship. Set sail on transport "Maiden" at 5 pm. Had very calm passage

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21st November 1915 2 am ship stopped outside Harve harbor, landed 9 am. Sunday morning. Spent all day unloading ship, taking us nine hours. Went on top of motor travelled to station and waited for others to arrive. Meantime we raided an apple truck & made good headway with them. Departed in cattle trucks 11:30 pm. ,arrived at point Perrie 8 am. next morning

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22nd November 1915 Proceeded to unload truck, and move to St. Riegues arriving at 2 pm. after unloading we went to our billet in an old farm, and got a little sleep

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23rd November 1915 Battalion arrived having come from Boulogne. Stayed here 5 days. A nice place-fine cathedral 6 km from Arras. 1.5 km from Cerry

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27th November 1915. Left for Kignacost and stayed 5 days. Fairly large village. Motor back tested gas helmet in gas room

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3rd December 1915. Left for point Leyille 17 miles away, stayed the night

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4th December 1915 Marched to Vause-Sue-Somme via Corline. we stayed here a week did drill etc. . Saw for first time aeroplane being shelled.

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December 6th to 8th 1915 Had a bath at Corline in dye vats. The first Battalion in the trenches, and have the first casualty Srg.-----

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11th December 1915. Moved to Arenham and stayed until the 21st. This is a village the troops use for a rest billet from the trenches. We see the 1st Battalion come through after doing 4 days in. They were plastered with mud and everyone's the same who had been up. We are now attached to the 5th Division, 1st Brigade company. Men go to the trenches for instructional purposes with the 1st Cheshires at Mellidon junction. Xmas mail arriving. Moved to Bray-Sur-Somme at night as road is under observation. The mail is still coming

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23rd December 1915. Went into trenches as a Battalion. Arriving there about 5:30. And we did find the trenches in a frightful state. The mud being well up to our knees. I now realize what the old squaddies mean.. We are taken to 75 support line ,with gun. It has not been used for sometime and we find the dugout, and trench in a rotten state. Didn't get jack boots until next day.-Had no sleep.

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24th December 1915 This is Xmas eve. Our dug out has a sump hole in the middle we have to have our feet in. Sit on pack in the mud . It is still raining. Having a lovely time-I don't think.

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25th December 1915 Xmas day, and we do look a picture. Plastered in mud. Food the same. Went down the Dump about 11:00 am. Over the top the Germans see us. and start bombardment. R--- Hit with first shell, blowing his insides out. We jump into trench. When one lands 20 yards away. Sarg Major Morgan hit and died a week later. With about 20 shells I eventually got back from the Dump and we tried to enjoy ourselves as best we could, but it was a rotten Xmas