The War Diary of George Culpitt, Royal Welch Fusiliers
Fighting
My Grandfather saw quite a bit of actual fighting and was really very lucky to have survived the war.
Aerial Encounters
Aerial warfare was just beginning by the time it first gets a mention in the diary. Mid 1916 was the stage at which aerial encounters had graduated on from the gentlemanly potshot taken between opposing aircraft. It would take another few years before aircraft and tactics had developed sufficiently for the big dogfights to occur.
The Somme
Whilst he didn't go 'over the top' he was called in to help with the wounded on July 1st the notorious first day of the battle of the Somme. This is one of the most powerful passages of his diary and you must bear in mind he was only 18 years old when he had this experience.
Delville Wood
Grandads turn to fight came about July 15th at one of the Somme's hotspots, Delville Wood. Most of the fighting was done by South Africans and it was particularly nasty costing thousands of lives.
Shelling
I don't know whether it was his religions faith or the attitude of the time but Grandad was remarkably sanguine about being on the receiving end of a shelling attack. Judge for yourselves