Canadian and Australian troops and so far has captured over 40,000 prisoners and 500 guns. In some places the German retreat seems to be almost a rout but in others they are putting up a stiff fight. Fairly hot to-day but feels clearer and fresher. Nice breeze.

Tuesday August 13th

We finished cutting the oats by one o'clock new time and put the binder back in its winter quarters in the wood shed after dinner. We then hauled the barley & oats from the strip along the side-road in three loads, they seem to be very heavy and dry. Very hot, but strong wind.

Wednesday August 14th

It was a very hot night but before morning the wind went around to the north and it has been nice and cool all day. It looked very rainy this morning in fact it did rain a little but soon cleared off. Dad. and I went back this morning to the back field and put on a load of oats and as it was nearly 12 o'clock when we got it off we didn't go back again before dinner. but Dad went back and turned out a couple of loads while Frank and I started to put a brace on the old cracked arm of the rack. We had an awful time trying to bore the holes through it, we blamed it to the bit being dull but after Frank had gone over to Quanbury's and borrowed another, he discovered we were trying to bore through nails. After dinner I went over and borrowed a waggon from Jack Martin while Dad. and Frank finished fixing the rack and we hauled in with two wag gons and got four loads up by working till eight o'clock but didn't unload the last two. We turned out all the shocks before we hauled them as some of them were pretty damp. Alan Law was in to-night to see if he could get one of us to help thresh in the morning but said as we were so busy he would try to get some one else; and I guess he did.

Thursday August 15th

We didn't get on as fast to-day as we had hoped to as we only got up four more loads from the back field and left at least three back there. We had to pitch off the two that we brought up last night and every load now gets harder to pitch as the mow gets fuller. There should by rights be another man in the mow as it is too far to pitch across the two {?}. Dad. and I turned out all the shocks in the field this morning so that delayed us. Cool.

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