WAR
DIARY FOR OCTOBER 1917
1
Oct 1917 - Bois Carre Battn resting. 2nd Lt.F.J.BLAKE
and 2 O.Rs reinforcements arrived.
2
Oct 1917 21, OR's reinforcements arrived, Officers reconnoitred
routes to trenches.
3
Oct 1917 Battn. still resting, warning orders received;
two O.R's wounded attached RE's.
4
Oct 1917 - trenches near Mount Sorrell Battn. to trenches
at 2.0 p.m. Capt & Adjt H.J.CUNNINGHAM killed,
2nd Lt.C.C. CLIFFORD wounded. 2 OR's wounded. Battn.
lent to 63rd and 111th Bdes. spent the night in trenches
near Mt.SORRELL
5
Oct 1917 - trenches A, C coys moved up to support 111th.
Bde S. of MENIN-YPRES road; guides sent to reconnoitre Route
to HQrs of 10th YORK & LANCS. REGT., 4th MIDDLESEX &
8th LINCOLNS. Battn relieved these three REGTS with front
line from J.26.b.60.10 to J.26.b.90.75, rather heavy shelling
round the support coy's trenches and Battn. Headquarters.
2nd Lt A.R.JONES, 2nd Lt W.B.COLLINS wounded. 2 O.R's
killed, 8 O.R's wounded. This relief was extremely difficult,
and was much impeded by practice barrages.
6
Oct 1917 Rear positions again shelled fairly heavily; front
line pretty quiet, Lt/Col.CAMPION, who was left behind
by order of the Brigade comes up to command Battn. Lieut
HOBSON reported from transport lines as A/Adjutant.
1 O.R. wounded.
12012
Pte DICKINSON,
10414
L/Cpl GREEN awarded the Military Medal.
7
Oct 1917 Heavy artillery bombarded the GERMAN front line
throughout the day with success. Our front line coys pushed
forward patrols to ascertain if the ENEMY was still holding
his same position. He was! Inter-coy relief took place between
D & A coys - "B" would have relieved "C" coy but got
badly shelled and was unable to do so. 10 O.R's killed 15
O.R's wounded.
8
Oct 1917 A very quiet day indeed in the front line; but
some shelling round Battn Headquarters, 1 O.R. killed, 11
O.R's wounded. 4 O.R. missing, 2 O.R's killed 12 O.R's wounded.
9
Oct 1917 General attack on army front. Bn.
ordered to be prepared to advance if ENEMY made a voluntary
retirement which he did not make. Very severe shelling generally.
1 O.R. killed 11 ORs wounded. 2 ORs missing. The weather
broke, trenches very wet and cold, men suffering from the
exposure.
10
Oct 1917 - Little Kemmel Camp A quiet day except for practice
barrages. 2nd Lt CRAVEN wounded. 1 OR killed, 2nd
Lt ROBINSON to England for 6 months tour of duty. The
Battn relieved by the 8th S.L.I. (63rd Bde). Very heavy
shelling in the back areas but we suffer very slightly.
Buses from SPOILBANK to Little KEMMEL CAMP. Battn. under
bivouacs suffering very badly from Trench foot.
11
Oct 1917 Resting at LITTLE KEMMEL.
12
Oct 1917 Resting. Lt.Col.CAMPION to ENGLAND on 6
months leave.
13
Oct 1917 - Epsom Camp, Westouter Battn to EPSOM CAMP near
WEST OUTRE [sic]. 1.O.R. wounded attached R.E's.
14
Oct 1917 Battn. resting, 2nd Lt.J.BLANKSBY reinforcement.
15
Oct 1917 - Westouter and Ieper 8 officers, 250 O.R's to
YPRES for work on roads in ANZAC CORPS area. H.Q.S remained
at EPSOM CAMP. 250 OR's under command of the 11th R.WARWICKSHIRE
REGT.
16
Oct 1917 Lt.E.S.DYER and 90 reinforcements arrive.
Details left at EPSOM CAMP start training.
17
Oct 1917 ENEMY bomb camp N.E. of YPRES where the working
party stops, no casualties.
18
Oct 1917 2nd Lt.S.VAN der LINDE killed, 2nd Lt
A.FOLL and 3 OR's wounded by bomb dropped by E.A. N.E.
of Ypres, training carried on in EPSOM CAMP as usual.
19
Oct 1917 - Westouter Battn. HQrs and details at EPSOM CAMP.
200 ORs at YPRES. 28 ORs reinforcements.
20
Oct 1917 ditto. two officers sent up to replace casualties
at YPRES.
21
Oct 1917 2nd Lt A.STONE M.C. 2nd Lt.F.J.SMITH and
14 OR's reinforcements.
22
Oct 1917 250 ORs returned from YPRES; inspection of all
drafts by C.O.
23
Oct 1917 All men returned from YPRES resting, remainder
paraded from 9.0 AM to 12.30 pm.
24
Oct 1917 - Berthen Battn. moves to billets in BERTHEN. 350
in billets, remainder in barns; 50 men carried on buses,
suffering with Trench foot.
25
Oct 1917 Training begins, range for two companies
12779
L/Cpl.L.ORPIN,
12051
L/Cpl F.LEE,
32120
L/Cpl R.GRUBB,
16434
L/Cp W.WRIGHT,
43225
Pte.B.SMITH
awarded
the Military Medal.
26
Oct 1917 Lt.Col.G.W.COURTNEY arrived to take command
of the Battn.
27
Oct 1917 - Doncaster Huts, Loker Battn. marched to DONCASTER
HUTS in LOCRE
28
Oct 1917 Training carried on.
29
Oct 1917 2nd Lt B.W.WRIGHT, 2nd Lt.A.WALLER, 2nd Lt ARTABOR,
2nd Lt.J.BLANKSBY wounded, 1 O.R. killed, 4 O.R's wounded
(two at duty) by bomb (E.A) which exploded inside "B" Coy
officers MESS. Training carried on.
30
Oct 1917 Inter-Battn. Transport competition. The Battn took
first place. Training carried on.
31
Oct 1917 Inter Battn. Drum competition. The Battn. took
second place. 2nd Lt E.E.Ashby awarded the
Military Cross
DIARY
FOR NOVEMBER 1917
1
Nov 1917 - Loker Battn. resting at LOCRE. Training carried
on.
2
Nov 1917 Battn. resting at LOCRE. Training carried on.
3
Nov 1917 Battn. resting at LOCRE. Training carried on. 2
O.R's reinforcements arrive. Brigade memorial service
for all those who fell in the fighting from 5/10/17 to 11/10/17.
The BRIGADE commander congratulated the Brigade on the fine
bearing and turnout of all Battns. Brigade Rugby XV play
42nd Squadron, lose 12-Nil.
4
Nov 1917 Battn. resting and training carried on. Warning
order to proceed up the line on 8th.
5
Nov 1917 Battn. resting and training carried on. C.O. visited
the line that Battn. has orders to hold on 8th.
6
Nov 1917 Battn. training. 6 O.R's reinforcements arrive.
7
Nov 1917 Battn. prepares to move up the line on 8/11/17.
Inter Brigade transport competition, 6th
Bedfords represent 112th Inf.Bde. 112th Bde win the competition
and receive 500 francs as prize for same.
8
Nov 1917 - Bois Confluent Battn. moves to BOIS CONFLUENT.
Advance parties reconnoitre the line and stay the night
in the line.
9
Nov 1917 - trenches Battn. to line relieved the 10th R.WARWICKS
of 57th Bde holding trenches from P.1.a.90.31 J.26.b.27.28
HOLLEBEKE sheet 1/10,000; the sector very much quieter than
any trenches previously held by the Battn. this year. 1
O.R. killed, 3 ORs wounded.
10
Nov 1917 A quiet day, great difficulty experienced in taking
up rations, material etc. but great deal of work done; The
southern sector very wet indeed. All 4 companies in the
line. 1 O.R. wounded.
11
Nov 1917 The two southern coys relieved by 8th E.Lancs.regt.
Battn. sector now runs from J.32.a.85.80 to J.26.b.27.28.
the left coy very well off, with pill boxes, right coy not
good, several cases of trench foot, quite unavoidable.
12
Nov 1917 'A' coy do a great deal of damage sniping Bosches.
Kill two (one officer) obtain identifications.
13
Nov 1917 'B' coy relieved by 'D' coy in the right coy sector,
very quiet all day.
14
Nov 1917 Very quiet day, a certain amount of sniping, artillery
fire very little.
15
Nov 1917 'D' coy relieved by 'C' coy in the right sector.
'A' coy on the left remains in front the whole 8 days.
16
Nov 1917 'A' coy heavily shelled by our own heavies, no
casualties inflicted. A great deal of salvage work done
by reserve coy at CORNER HOUSE. 13th R.B. send reconnoitring
party up the line, with a view to relieving the Battn. in
the line on the night 17/18 November.
17
Nov 1917 Battn. in trenches & relieved by the 13th R.B.
very bad relief, chiefly owing to the bad state of the ground,
completed 5.0 AM 18/11/17
18
Nov 1917 - Bois Confluent Battn. to BOIS CONFLUENT. 100
ORs and 2 officers for fatigue.
19
Nov 1917 230 ORs and 7 officers on fatigue. 1 O.R. wounded.
20
Nov 1917 Capt Hitch to 11.R.Warwickshire Regt as
2nd in command. 240 ORs and 7 officers for fatigue - taking
every man.
21
Nov 1917 Fatigues as above - great difficulty in finding
men.
22
Nov 1917 5 ORs sent as furlough men to England, fatigues
as above.
23
Nov 1917 Fatigues as above. ENEMY bombed Moated Grange,
dropped about 50 bombs, no damage.
24
Nov 1917 Fatigues as usual.
25
Nov 1917 - Tournai Camp Battn. to TOURNAI CAMP near VIERSTRAAT.
Very comfortable camp, not quite finished. Fatigues found
as usual.
26
Nov 1917 Battn. have baths and clean up. No work done.
No.41034
Pte.NEWBY awarded the Military Medal.
2nd Lt.C.C.CLIFFORD, 2nd Lt.H.A.BALLS,
2nd Lt.S.E.CLINE report for duty.
27
Nov 1917 2nd Lt.F.C.COOK to R.F.C. on probation as
an observer. 6 reinforcements arrive.
28
Nov 1917 2nd Lt.PLASOM to hospital with apendicitis
[sic]. Whole Battn. out on salvage, an enormous quantity
of material salved.
29
Nov 1917 Battn. on salvage work. Inter platoon football
competition.
30
Nov 1917 Battn. out on fatigue for R.E's round the camp.
No training possible; inter platoon football competition.
WAR
DIARY FOR DECEMBER 1917
1
Dec 1917 - Tournai Camp Battn. in reserve at TOURNAI CAMP.
Working parties.
2
Dec 1917 Battn. in reserve; training. Dinners given to transport
in celebration of winning the Divisional Competition.
3
Dec 1917 Working parties & great difficulty in finding
sufficient number of men.
4
Dec 1917 Training at TOURNAI CAMP. 5 O.R's reinforcements
arrive.
5
Dec 1917 - trenches Battn. to Trenches. Very quiet relief,
completed 9.0 pm owing to hard state of ground.
6
Dec 1917 Very quiet day. 2 Prisoners captured, one wounded
by a 'D' Coy sentry, not having answered the challenge.
7
Dec 1917 Front line shelled a little, otherwise very quiet.
8
Dec 1917 Very quiet day. Ground became very bad owing to
thaw.
9
Dec 1917 Great difficulty experienced by carrying parties
owing to bad state of the ground.
10
Dec 1917 Very quiet indeed; an enemy party fired on by LEWIS
GUNS, several seen to fall.
11
Dec 1917 Weather very bad, creating difficulties for working
parties; Enemy very quiet.
12
Dec 1917 Very quiet day.
13
Dec 1917 - Spoilbank Battn. moves to dug outs in SPOILBANK.
Forward Battn. of support Brigade.
14
Dec 1917 Resting.
15
Dec 1917 Whole Battn. on working parties. Lts.D.J.GREIG,
T.J.PEMBERTON and 2nd Lts.H.SKIPP, W.A.S.OGDEN, A.B.WARNECKE
joined the Battn. for duty.
16
Dec 1917 Working parties. 1 O.R. killed. 1 O.R. died of
wounds. 2 O.R's wounded.
17
Dec 1917 Working parties.
18
Dec 1917 Working parties.
19
Dec 1917 Working parties. 12 OR's reinforcements arrive.
1 O.R. wounded.
20
Dec 1917 Working parties. 83 OR's reinforcements arrive.
21
Dec 1917 - Curragh Camp, Loker Battn. to CURRAGH CAMP near
LOCRE into reserve. 3 O.Rs wounded on working parties.
22
Dec 1917 Major F.H.EDWARDS M.C. arrived and takes
over command of Battn.
23
Dec 1917 Working parties.
24
Dec 1917 Battn. training.
25
Dec 1917 Resting. Christmas dinner for men, great success.
26
Dec 1917 Battn. training.
27
Dec 1917 Working parties, a case dysentery diagnosed. Officers
reconnoitre near sector of line.
28
Dec 1917 17 OR's reinforcements arrive. Battn. on working
parties.
29
Dec 1917 - trenches near Hollebeke Battn. to trenches. Take
over right sector of Divisional front from CANAL BANK to
HOLLEBEKE (exclusive), relief difficult owing to clear night
& snow on the ground.
30
Dec 1917 2 OR's killed, 3 OR's wounded, slight shelling.
31
Dec 1917 Quiet day.
