JACK Halstead was Royston born and bred. His diary was kept during the First World War while he was serving on the Western Front. Copies of the diary – Jack s War – are available from Royston & District Museum, and by taking this article to the museum it

JACK Halstead was Royston born and bred. His diary was kept during the First World War while he was serving on the Western Front.

Copies of the diary - Jack's War - are available from Royston & District Museum, and by taking this article to the museum it is on sale at the reduced purchase price of £15.

- Up at 4am. Cleaned bores of guns. The officers arrived and started firing at 6am. We turned into bed again and slept until noon. Packed up and returned to Vaux.

- June 18, 1917

- A hot day. Thunderstorm in the morning. Warned for another inspection. Left for a position to right of Vignacourt, a much better spot.

Our trench sheet we tied on the trees, making a good shelter. Morris on these stunts acted as our cook, a fellow with a huge imagination. Commenced to rain again so we turned in early.

- June 19, 1917.

- Visited cemetery. Graves of quite a number of trench mortar gunners who had been killed accidentally.

- June 21, 1917.