War Diaries Talk
4 #Lewis_guns drawn.
#Draft of 1 sgt and 30 ORs arrived.
#Raiding operation described.
#Draft of 90 joined of which 64 are Rhodesians.
#orders for #relief of 2nd Infantry Brigade by 1st Infantry Brigade on 14/15 December 1915.
Major Heseltine was appointed to command 9/KRRC, but "got out of it" and was appointed ADC to Sir Douglas Haig.
50 ORs joined
Ration strength 835.
#carrying_party
#carrying_Party
#communications
8th R Innis. Fus. will act as carrying parties to 2nd R Irish Regt.
Note of 02/06/17 from Brigadier-General Philip Leveson Gower o/c 49 Bde. to o/c 8th R. Inniskilling Fus. about numbers for a raiding party.
#Attack planned on Wytschaete Ridge.
#map for IX Corps, 22/05/2017.
#map shows #Wytschaete
#map shows #Locre and #Kemmel
Issued for #Instructional Purposes only
33 ORs joined the battalion in August 1917.
22/23 August 1917 - 8th R. Innis. Fus. transferred to VI Corps, III Army and amalgamated with 7th R. Innis. Fus.
16 August 1917 - Z Day
15 August 1917 - "final orders to attack are attached".
14 August 1917 - X Day 15 August 1917 - Y Day
enemy #aircraft active, ours inactive.
29 enemy #aeroplanes at I.4.b.1.0, 7.30 pm on 4 August 1917.
261 ORs joined the battalion in the month of July 1917.
39 ORs joined during the month of June 1917.
The attack on Wytschaete Ridge on 7 June 1917 is described in Appendix Z.
A large #raid is described in Appendix Y attached.
20 OR of B Coy led by 2nd Lt. Paterson raided the enemy's front line; the trench was non existent and unoccupied. No casualties.
Pte. Mark McDonnell was one of 61 officers and ORs gazetted on 21 April 1917 in recognition of services during operations in Serbia in 1915.
33 ORs of London Regt. dispatched to Base Depot, Havre.
177 ORs joined the battalion during the month of May 1917.
70 ORs joined the battalion during April 1917.
Battalion #field_day
Re-organisation required following recent large #draft and to introduce new methods of warfare.
246 ORs joined the Bn.
12 ORs joined the Bn. during February 1917.
12 ORs joined.
2nd page to Brigade HQ of remarks on a recent operation.
Undated report, ref. B/X/468, to HQ 49th Inf. Bde. remarking on a previous operation, under B.M.C. IX/2394.
O.O. 46 says that London Regt. will relieve 8RIF, yet this order to D Coy. says it will be 6th R. Irish Regt.
#Relief by 12th London Regt.
Seaforth #crater not occupied by enemy.
#report re #breaches in wire
Original report dated 25 May 1916, but addendum dated 25 June 1916.
22 ORs joined the battalion from I B D.
77 ORs #joined from 16th Base Depot during November 1916.
43 ORs #joined the battalion from 16th Inf. Base Depot during October 1916.
page #out_of_order
5,000 rounds fired at enemy #aircraft
more than 143 pages!
last page of this diary is 16 February 1918.
we fired 2000 rounds at an enemy #aircraft.
24-31 January 1918 #missing
15-20 January 1918 #missing.
#SAA dumps built of #baby_elephants.
List of locations of MG batteries and their targets, with range and bearings.
MG batteries located at U.13.c.55.85, U.13.c.15.95 and T.6.b.15.90.
49th MG Corps, with others, will support 16th Divn. attack on TUNNEL TRENCH and TUNNEL SUPPORT.
#barrage in support of attack.
16-19 November #missing.
#gas bombardment from British side.
17-21 October page missing.
enemy #aircraft fired on.
enemy #aeroplane engaged (twice).
#AA_gun fired at hostile #aircraft
1000 #gas drums fired over on to German lines.
#chemical_shell bombardment.
4 complete guns destroyed.
report of an #operation, during which MGs fired 160000 rounds.
enemy #aircraft active.
presentation of #parchments
SAA dump established at O.13.c.50.0.
MGs placed on MAUVE LINE at O.20.b.60.50 to support attack of 33rd Inf. Bde.
#HQ established in UNNAMED WOOD at O.13.c.15.40.
SAA dump at O.13.c.50.0
5 MGs in line O.13.c.80.10 to O.13.c.??.50.
#HQ established in UNAMED WOOD at O.13.b.15.40
MGs placed at O.19.a.60.90 to O.13.c.60.40 on HOSPICE RIDGE.
page 2 of report by i/c 2 MGs attached to 2nd R Irish Regt.
#report of i/c 2 MGs attached to 2nd R Irish Regt. at HORLEY.
#Report on operations of MGs at MAUVE LINE from the time of leaving THE HOSPICE till being relieved by the 33rd MG Coy.
The 56 guns of the three divisional MG coys (and 33rd) were pooled to give 44 for barrage and 12 proceeded with infantry.
Author (not yet known) gives his positive impressions on the distribution of guns and the method of applying fire.
#timetable for #training, 24 to 30 June 2016, overwritten "cancelled, move to Tilques".
#preparations made for an operation.
For two wks coy prepared for offensive on Wytschaete Ridge - setting up belt filling depots and stocking SAA dumps for 33, 47, 48, 49 coys.
end February and early March pages #missing.
#missing diary for January 1916.
21-27 December 1916: at Kemmel, firing at night.
13-20 December 1916: at Kemmel, firing each night.
#rearrangement of guns - 8 in battle positions, 6 in reserve an 2 at coy HQ.
7-12 December 1916 - at Kemmel, firing each night.
1-6 December 1916 - at Kemmel, firing at night.
24-30 November 1916 - at Kemmel, firing each night.
17-23 November 1916 - at Kemmel, firing each night.
10 #machine_guns in the line with 6 in reserve at coy. HQ.
10 #machine_guns in the line, 6 in reserve.
#Casualties: 2/lt. Saddleton and two ORs wounded.
Grid T.19.c.2.3 and T.19.d.7.3
Disposition of #machine_guns with battalions.
14 #machine_guns in the line and 2 in reserve.
#reinforcements - 14 ORs.
#cleaning guns, limbers and equipment.
#reinforcements - 66 ORs.
#reinforcements - 2 officers and 32 ORs.
#billets spacious and very clean (!!)
#gas
increase in #aeroplane activity
1 man returned to UK as #under_age.
3,400 rounds fired in 9 minutes from two MGs.
no diary pages for 20-31 July 2016.
British #mine sprung.
One of our #aeroplanes fell on enemy's front line in flames.
testing enemy's "sore spots" and observing daytime movement.
So much #artillery activity that it is impossible to tell results of MG firing.
#parchments distributed
Battn. is broken up; sections marched off to join other units.
#aeroplane reported enemy supports to be crowded; #artillery fired on these areas.
#reorganisation - 7th Leinster Regt. to be broken up.
#relief by 6th R Irish Regt.
#relief of 1st R Dublin Fus.
#parades #training #sports
Capt. Fish of the RFC will give a #lecture with lantern slides on types of aircraft and the RFC's activities.
#illegible
#conference of officers to study #order 171 for an #offensive_action.
#relief by unnamed unit.
grid 51.b.U.20.b
document #circulation_list
#awards for operations E. of Ypres.
#aeroplane
Also #killed were Ptes. Baston and Gardner.
The Div. General explained the future role of the Brigade at a #pow-wow.
Awards to (listed) 34 officers and ORs who took part in the battle of #Wyschaete.
#16th_Division chosen to be #storm_troops.
Men congratulated on their share in the #Messines_Ridge victory.
Anniversary #dinner for 55 NCOs & men who took part in the raid at #Loos in 1 July 1916.
untitled #map
#humour - "Spud Always", "Mack of the 'orses" and "J.M. Roche, Vagrant".
Roll of Officers at Battalion Dinner continued. 17 more names, making 46 in all.
Roll of Officers present at Battalion Dinner given at Locre on 4 June 1917. Contains 29 names.
#camouflet
... W.J.P. Morgan (1655), G.H. Tilcock (5758) and T. Walker (5269).
ORs killed on 8 March: P. Conlon (5016), P. Daly (5247), P. Gormley (5175), M. Hennebry (4946), M Hickey (5147), S.H. Lee (5423), ...
text indistinct
enemy #aeroplanes
#wind dangerous
Capt. T O Purdon's award was posthumous; he was killed on 9 September.
In addition 7 ORs of Leinster Regt. died on 9 September.
CWGC spell his name 'Ahern'.
Lt. Ahearne not recorded by CWGC.
#wiring
enemy #mine blown
Major Monro (who had presumably returned from leave) appointed o/c Craters - judged a success.
#practice_alarm
#John_Redmond was a leading Irish Nationalist MP.
Difficult to assign marks to days as writing so crooked.
Battn. split up again - A Coy attached to 20th R Fus., B to 19th R Fus., C to 1st Cameronians, D to 5th Scot. Rifles.
Battalion under orders of 33rd Div.
The battalion seems in reserve a very long way from the trenches; they left on Sunday and had not arrived by Wednesday.
#reinforcements from Dublins and Munsters arrived; later handed over to 8/KRRC.
According to CWGC 157 officers and men of the RI Regt. killed on 21 March.
Note that the #South_Irish_Horse was reformed as this 7th RI Regt. in September 1917.
one #horse_casualty
#reorganisation - 6 officers and 317 ORs #joined from 6th RI Regt.
#medal_ribbons presented by #GOC
#listening_post
#flooding
4 ORs receive parchment certificates from #GOC Divn.
pro forma #wire report
7 #Germans of 470th Regt. #surrendered; 2 badly #wounded.
CO transferred to #tanks.
1st RI Rifles returns to England,
#demobilisation of 7 ORs
10 ORs visited Ostend and Zeebruge
10 ORs visited Brussels
10 ORs visited Ghent.
#demobilisation of 30 ORs.
16 ORs #transferred to 36th MG Corps
#demobilisation of 19 mules and 2 horses.
4 officers, 30 ORs, 2 horses and 13 mules #joined from 2nd RI Rifles.
#demobilisation of 33 ORs.
Lieut. Farrell, demobilised on 10 February, died of #influenza in Belfast on 24 February.
#demobilisation of 2 ORs, 12 #horses and one #mule.
10 #horses sent away
#demobilisation of 69 ORs.
#demobilisation of 183 ORs [disagrees with given Battn. strength].]
#day_trips to Lille
#demobilisation of 119 ORs
Unofficial visit of HRH The #Prince_of_Wales
#demobilisation of 13 ORs
#demobilisation of 8 ORs
#demobilisation of 37 ORs
#demobilisation of 4 ORs
#demobilisation of 20 ORs
Awards of Belgian #Croix_de_Guerre
#photograph taken
French #Croix_de_Guerre awarded
HM The #King
#medal ribbons presented
#ARMISTICE
#congratulations from Marshal Foch and Lt-Gen. Jacobs read out
#aerial activity
#ribbons presented by the #GOC.
#awards for gallantry on 21/22 August announced.
Sorry, got my months confused.
reported #casualties do not add up.
line #advanced 500 yds across width of 2,000 yds.
No #Place names entered for some weeks!
2 #REs #wounded when Bn. HQ shelled.
#pigeons observed flying towards the enemy lines.
two #pigeons flew from Battn. HQ.
enemy #aeroplane driven back by #Lewis_gunners
#railway accident, 14 casualties.
Corps Commander's #inspection cancelled due to rain.
#internal_economy
#aerial activity.
enemy #aircraft brought down 5 observation #balloons.
#scouts left in #No_Man's_Land observe enemy activity.
#bomb dropped by British plane.
#balloon and #aerial reconnaissance
Two armed Germans taken #prisoner by two ORs of 'A' Coy.
1/84th Landwehr Infantry Regt. (LIR) had relieved 4/84th LIR on night of 5/6 May.
A second unarmed German taken #prisoner.
Unarmed German carrying camp kettle taken #prisoner
On 2 March Major McCallum DSO of 21st Entrenching Bat. appointed command of 15th R I Rifles; on % March Major McCallum o/c 1st Batt. in line
#GOC 60th Brigade
This page deals with the remnants of the 15th Battalion.
The 36th Division bore the brunt of ST QUENTIN, the German Spring Offensive from 31 March 1918.
15 days in March 1918 missing.
#enemy raiding parted attempted to enter a #sap. One German left dead, R/Cpl of 5th #Grenadier Regt. 26th Div. with #iron_cross.
#enemy raiding party attempted to enter No. 2 #sap.
two escaping German #prisoners recaptured
Battn. works to clear #snow from roads.
under #canvas, heavy #snow
enemy #aircraft
Narrative covering Ops. 20/11/1917 to 27/11/1917 (page 3).
12 enemy #prisoners
#tanks
Narrative covering Ops. 20/11/1917 to 27/11/1917 (page 2).
Narrative covering Ops. 20/11/1917 to 27/11/1917.
Hindenburg support trenches to be attacked by 1st Batt., supported by 15th and 10th Batts. R I Rifles.
Battalion to be #relieved by 1st Battn.
20/11/1917 to 27/11/1917 covered by Narrative and operation orders attached.
#HQ dug-out very comfortable now.
#enemy officer #killed
#gas_projector shoot by brigade on left.
#medals presented
#horsecasualties
German #aeroplane brought down two 'sausages' (#barrage_balloons)
guns, listening and telephone sets and #prisoners #captured.
Battle of #Messines
work on #railway
#bivouacs East of Bailleul
#railway work
#summer_time started at 11PM on Sunday 25 March
#RA active
Interview with #GOC #2nd_army. #Plumer
took over #catacombes in R subsector.
#thaw
#bayonet competition
The 8th Battn., whose diaries I did last week, report a lot of inter-unit football matches. These are very dry.
it is frustrating that he reports new drafts, but not the total manpower.
short of #ammunition
#gas alarm
blew-up enemy wire with #amanal_torpedo ?
new #draft arrived of 76 ORs
'We used #gas'
9th RIR capture one #prisoner on #raid.
#gas_alarm
#gas from brigade on right
#Stokes_mortar battery #casualties: 1 officer and 1 man killed.
#GOC came up
Two officers of 10th RI Rifles #killed, one #wounded.
From one Company only one of fourteen #runners got through.
Heavy #casualties of 11th R I Rifles.
#Fire in #Thiepval wood.
Brigade #conference
Capt. Buchanan #sniped
#Lewis_gun knocked out.
German officer shot at close range but got away.
Enemy #Raiding_party est. 60, but only five reached the trench.
#cutting_out expedition
#conference at 109th Bde. HQ.
#practice_trenches
#gas demonstration
twice 6 officers & 20 NCOs reported for instruction.
enemy exploded #mine which blew in their own gallery.
#interior_economy
Brigade attack #scheme
#gymkhana postponed due to bad weather.
#night_march
#route_march
#Hectorgraph Message Forms
Bad #relief
No. 3 #concentration_area
details of operation attached as #narrative
#musketry training
2nd Army #Training_Area
excellent #march discipline
#artillery activity
1 OR #killed 21 ORs #wounded
#orderofdanilo, London Gazette says Augustine Patrick Thornton was a 2nd Lt, (temp. Lieutenant).
#Tea was served by 110th Field Ambulance.
D Line entered at Point D.9
Billet no. 20 Le Quesnoy disinfected after diphtheria
Civilian home disinfected after death from Cerebro-spinal meningitis.
Greenbanks bleaching powder found far superior to Adcocks.
Summary of work completed in Locon.
Many unburied bodies, both English and German, found in trenches
a count of the latrines in each of four villages.
#horsecasualty
Foden Steam Lorry Disinfector arrived
#prisoners
#horseburial
#measles
#typhoid
25 lbs lice killing jelly supplied to both DCLIs and 12th Gloucesters
#incineration
#salvage
#map
#upsidedown
GOC 76th Inf. Bde. remarked on bad state of shelters.
7 ORs departed on leave, 2 returned.
6 ORs joined
2 ORs rejoined from UK leave
3 ORs from UK leave
1 OR on leave to UK
2 ORs departed and 2 ORs returned on leave to UK.
2 ORs departed on leave.
4 ORs returned form Small Arms School, 3 ORs departed on leave, 1 OR returned from leave.
6 ORs to UK, 1 OR from UK - onleave
Adjutant has a new pencil 😃
#faint
Enemy achieved a direct hit on No. 28(1) position, no casualties reported.
3 ORs joined
#aeroplanes
4 ORs joined.
25 ORs joined.
This report of operations completes the War Diary for the period, which is otherwise empty.
Orders for the move, by train, of the company to Belgium.
#mulecasualty
13 ORs joined
8 ORs joined
#lachrymatoryshells
month May 1917
month unknown
month unknown.
Page covers 9-22 of unknown month in 1917.
#outoforder
22 ORs joined from 52nd Bn Cheshire Regt.
33 ORs joined
two weeks MISSING, 18-31 March 1919.
Week MISSING - 28 February to 7 March 1919
JUMP from 24 April 1918 to 1 February 1919
20 ORs rejoined
20 ORs proceeded to no. 18 CCS for temporary duty.
#militarymedal
72 NCOs and ORs rejoined from temporary duty with No. 1 FA.
13 ORs joined for temporary duty from No. 1 FA.
GOC personally expresses his satisfaction with the conduct of 2nd Bde.
#duplicate
7 officers wounded, 1 suffering from #gas.
Communications for the attack (contd.)
Communications for the attack
Instruction for the attack (contd.)
Instruction for the attack
General principles for the attack (contd.)
General principles for the attack
"the gist of the whole thing is to bang in and keep moving".
A detailed plan for an operation
#musterlist
#enemymineexploded
40 ORs joined
#king
Maj.-Gen. Doran's address to the men.
Paper chase organised in which whole battalion took part. 40 prizes given.
Lt.-Gen Fergusson's address to the men.
100 ORs joined
Maj.-Gen Haldane's remarks to the men.
Maj.-Gen. Haldane's remarks to the men.
Maj.-Gen. Haldane addressed the men, saying that the battalion will be leaving the 3rd Division.
400 special waterproof covers for rifles received.
55 ORs joined
Address by Gen. Allenby. Action was not a failure, it allowed a successful advance further south.
All the officers and sergeants of B Coy were casualties.
A summary of the attack on the German lines.
A summary of the attack on German lines.
CSM Shone recommended for a commission. He showed conspicuous conduct when two officers were killed on 14 September.
A working party was employed to construct a "special 'switch trench'".
Leave suspended
1 Sgt. & 20 men detailed for mining duties.
19 ORs joined
Two 2/Lts listed on strength 31 August, joined Battn on 5eptember.
1 officer & 1 NCO attended demonstration of bomb throwing and manipulating the "Newton-Pippin" bomb and a new incendiary bomb.
New pattern "Tube" smoke helmets issued.
A complete enemy machine gun captured.
2/Lt. JS Boast sent for examination by "X Rays".
#telephones
70 ORs joined
Shells fired by our guns fell almost in our trenches without exploding.
The enemy's trench was damaged by one of his own mines.
40-50 enemy shells pitched into practically one spot in our trench.
#aerialtorpedo
2/Lt. Jebens and 21 ORs joined 'Brigade' miners.
An enemy working party and covering party were dispersed by artillery.
#shellshock
30 ORs joined
Party left Ypres about 9pm and arrived at bivouac 1.30am having marched almost 11 miles "in excellent order".
A deserter arrested in St Helen's arrived from England escorted.
#telephone
132 ORs joined
Suspected spy dressed as French NCO arrested by Division Police.
Two men tried by FGCM for a serious offence.
#listofficers
Pte. Gurney shot a sniper and two other enemy who came to his assistance.
2 South Lancs commended for excellent work done whilst it was Division's Pioneer Unit.
An enemy sniper 600 yards away was hit by Pte. Peel and was seen to fall.
#gashelmets
120 ORs joined
An experiment with chlorine gas was carried out. Officers and men wearing gas helmets were able to move about in a trench filled with gas.
29 ORs joined
#smokehoods
2 South Lancashires will come under command of 7th Bde.
#misfiled
25 ORs joined
Great satisfaction at the work of the battalion expressed by the Division Commander, Brigadier General and Commander Royal Engineers.
Battalion selected to carry out "certain special improvements in the line", thanks to excellent reports of their work
#Bishop_of_Pretoria
The faces of dead gassed soldiers "were quite black and all metalwork of their equipment was covered by a heavy green substance".
GOC 13th Inf. Bde: "your men have worked like Trojans and you have a top hole Battalion"
#enemy_mine
#gasprecautions
Germans had suffered effects of their own gas, and had been shot trying to return to their own trenches.
Whole sector strewn with dead soldiers - both British and German - which were buried.
misfiled
#doublepage
80 NCOs and ORs joined
One OR joined.
One sgt. and 24 ORs joined.
#airship
#militarycross
1 private joined.
16 ORs joined.
2/Lieut. Thompson displayed coolness in throwing two unexploded bombs clear of the trench.
80 ORs joined.
51 NCOs and ORs joined.
92 ORs joined.
105 ORs joined
#muster
The body of a French soldier, found during trench improvement, was buried, and his papers forwarded to HQ.
120 ORs joined.
Description of incident on 26 Oct. 1914 which led to award of DCM to Cpl. Windle.
#horsesinfection
60 ORs joined.
Capt. Hume joined the battalion with his horse and groom.
#nominalroll
Composition of 7th Infantry Bde. listed.
#refitting
#frostbite
#christmas
2 NCOs and 38 ORs joined (previous page)
Conclusion of address by Sir Horace Smith-Dorien.
Continuation of Gen. Sir Horace Smith-Dorien's address
Text of address to battalion following reorganisation by Gen. Sir Horace Smith-Dorien.
Battalion contains 779 Lancashire men and 200 from elsewhere.
#reorganisation
45 ORs joined.
500 ORs joined, including many old time experienced soldiers who had specially enlisted.
129 ORs joined; including regular NCOs and old soldiers who have re-enlisted.
Reinforcement of 99 ORs joined
#horsescasualties
#casualtylist
Lieut. ST Boast, author of this diary and the only officer of this battn. now serving in the field, commended for "keeping things going".
65 ORs joined.
#mustered
140 ORs joined
152 ORs joined the battn.
The Germans who made signs of surrender were a trap; 1 officer wounded, three ORs captured.
A few Germans made signs of surrender
3 other (unnamed) officers joined the battn.
95 ORs joined the battn.
about 90 ORs joined the battn.
85 ORs and 140 'stragglers etc.' joined the battalion.
23 August 1914: First contact with enemy.
#civilians
#embarkation
#mobilization
Classes begin in the Brigade for French
#ChristmasDay
the guns of the 54th Bty. were inspected by a representative from Messrs. Vickers.
#horseinspection
3 enemy field guns salved and delivered to Captured Gun Park at Vaux-Andigny.
Officers killed on 29 and 30 October 1918 interred at Vallee Mulatre Cemetery on 31 October.
Batteries visited by GOC 1st Div. who congratulated them on splendid work.
#advancing
39th Bde. fired in support of French attacks.
298 AFA Bde. combined with 39th RFA Bde. to form Left Artillery Group.
Several enemy 77mm guns and Minenwerfer captured and salved for own use.
#Horsescasualties
52nd AFA Bde. attached to 39th Bde RFA for 24 hours forming Right Artillery Group.
New 18 pounder QF guns arrived and were calibrated.
#humour 2/Lt. Hunt will "attempt to carry on" during the absence of the adjutant Capt. Umfreville who left hopefully for 10 days Paris leave
a Projector demonstration was carried out. 50 projectors were fired.
a Projector demonstration was held.
This is the second page containing a complete list of officers and NCOs of 39 Bde. RFA.
#wireless_masts
Extensive preparations were made for a major German attack. The attack did not come off!!!
All 36 officers of 39 Bde. RFA listed.
#wireless
Details of new dispositions of HQ, four batteries , OP, and Infantry Bde and Battn. HQs.
92nd Bty RFA temporarily attached to 39th Bde.
Batteries moved - new dispositions and locations listed.
115th Battery comes under command of 39th Brigade RFA.
Corporal of 30th Battery killed on 29 March likely to be Henry Skilbeck, 755327.
"VITMB" = V.1 Trench Mortar Battery
"Y.I.T.M.B." [?] 1 OR wounded.
Bde. HQ moved from Charpentier to wagon lines at Woesten.
From 10 am 29 Jan 1918, Nos. 1 and 2 Groups come under command of 32nd DA.
Bde HQ moved from Negro Farm to Charpentier
Hostile aircraft very active.
A large number of 4.2" air bursts were fired over the 52nd battery.
Enemy sends up four red rockets - apparently his SOS signal.
Four green signal rockets indicate the start of a barrage. Batteries fire at 3 rounds h.g.p.m. for 20 minutes in support of raiding party.
The RE coy. with infantry construct the second line.
17 Field Coy. RE attached to 84th Infantry Bde' then re-attached to 14th Bde.
RE officers provided instruction to 84th Infantry bde. in field works.
#huts #instruction
#huts #revetting #parados #instruction
From 7 pm to 4.30 am Lt. Pottinger operated searchlight to prevent Germans repairing trench shelled.
#wiring #revetting #rifle_range #huts #saps
#listening_post #huts #rifle_range #saps #revetting
#breastwork #revetting
#revetting #draining #parados
Junction of supporting line between 4th and 5th Divisions agreed by R.E. representatives.
First support point spittocked.
#draining #revetting #howitzer_emplacement #road_building #fire_trench
#harness_room #machine_gun_emplacement #revetting #howitzer_emplacement #stable #fire_trench #draining
#paths #shed #howitzer #revetting #fire_trench #pickets
Capt. Lees appointed adjutant 5th Division R.E.
#stables
9.2" howitzer platforms completed; digging by Belgians.
#pickets #magazine #general_duties #platform #parapet #road
lieut. Pottinger down to stream twice, but unable to find reported German sap.
Model sap and trench dug. Specimen boxes for rifle and hand grenades in trenches made.
#pickets #model_sap #model_trench #general_duties #barbed_wire #pumping #road #rifle_grenades #hand_grenades #revetting #sandbags #parapets
Tests of double-sized bombs for trench mortars very succesful
#model_trench #genral_duties
New double cylinder hand grenades tested; cylindrical shape makes direction difficult to control. Difficulties in operation foreseen.
#barbed_wire #sump_pits #laundry #stables #rifle_grenades #hand_grenades #revetting #paths #sandbags
Bottle trap fixed across La Douve.
Heavy rain causes cancellation of night-time working parties sweeps away paths.
#pickets #stables #paths #revetting #drainage #paths #sump_pump #stables #barbed_wire #hurdles #gabions #brushwood
Trench mortar (home pattern) tried and found very difficult to range with satisfactorily owing to windage(?).
Hut 1 dismantled and used to build stables.
Wood from hut 2 ear-marked for stables found to have been used for roofing trenches.
Use of hut materials to build stables approved and foundations dug.
Double-sized bomb tried in trench mortar and found a success.
Heavy rain led to trenches filling with water; surrounding ground knee-deep in mud.
#hurdles #breastwork #general_inspection #wiring #draining #revetting
RE officers inspect trenches and advise on improvements.
Every day: work on frames for overhead cover and hurdles; infantry classes on trench mortars and hand grenades.
15 men (incl. 11 carpenters) away from the coy. at workshops in Bailleul.
work on laundry completed.
Wood earmarked for huts had been taken by infantry for dug-out roofs.
Work on reserve trenches not carried out because there were no tools.
GOC 5th Div. dug-out finished.
Progress made on GOC's dug-out.
Roof of No. 2 hut collapsed/
Overhead cover made from frames 6'x6' and 6'x3' covered with wire netting and sandbags.
Infantry report pumps sent two days ago are useless.
infantry instructed on use of trench mortars
Problems with dug-out for GOC 5th Division continue. Decided to return to original site.
Class (for) infantry officers - trench mortars and hand grenades
#fascines #pumps #laundry #barbed_wire
#dug-out #revetments
#laundry #cesspool_pumps #carpenters #blacksmiths #huts #laundry #fascines
Coy ordered to make 6 10' torpedoes, mats and plank bridges for crossing trenches. One torpedo made, order then countermanded.
#bathhouse #huts #laundry #fascines
Dug out for GOC 14th Infantry Bde east of Neuve Eglise under construction with difficulty.
New dug-out for GOC falling in as it's in pocket of clay; flooded by heavy rain.
#fascines #barbed_wire #hut #bathhouse #charcoal #plumbers #fitters
Coy worked on dug-out for GOC 5th Div.; GOC subsequently changed the site of his dug-out 150 yds.
No. 1 bathhouse handed over to Bde.; No. 2 bathhouse started
#carpenters #plumbers #fitters #bathhouse #charcoal #fascines
No. 1 hut finished except for felt roof; No. 2 hut started
Brewery at Neuve Eglise converted to No. 1 bathhouse.
#bath_house #charcoal #fascines
#fascines #charcoal #barbed_wire #erecting_huts #bathing
#barbed_wire
Men cutting wood and making charcoal (presumably for Japanese footwarmers?)
#barbed wire
#trench_drainage #Japanese_footwarmers
#road_inspection
Pontoon and trestle wagons to divisional train.
#civilian_labour
Bde. retired to 2nd line and R.E. assisted regiments to make their new positions secure.
Civilian labour employed to lay out 2nd line of defence, but numbers rapidly decreased, and could not be indued to return.
Sections 1 & 2 buried Dorset dead before moving.
#Barbed_wire
Capt. Herring RE superintending 2nd line of defence
#barbed_wire #advanced
100 civilian labourers under Capt. Lees RE commenced entrenching a second line of defence 1 1/4 miles west of Festubert.
Section 1 & 2 with right attack, 3 & 4 with left attack.
Capt. Herring attempted to extricate ammunition wagon out of canal; tackle parted and darkness prevented further attempt.
#barge_bridge
#fire_trenches
Coy moves on foot and by train from Rappeux Farm to Bellancourt.
Working Parties under Capt. Herring RE, were detailed to make the track between Nampteuil and Serches fit for heavy motor transport.
In the fortnight since the coy occupied billets at Rappeux, the Medical Officer of 5th Div. has paid only one visit.
#explosives_laid
#pontoons #footbridges
Reconnaissance showed that no forward position covering crossings of R. Aisne had been taken up by IV Divisions.
#fieldoffire
River Aisne rose rapidly; precautions taken to safeguard pontoon bridges.
Lieut. Adams arrived with 15 pontoons.
#trestlebridge
Pontoon ferry floated down the River Aisne from Moulin des Roches to Missy, where Germans had destroyed the bridge.
Coy construct and operate a ferry across the R. Aisne at Moulins des Roches for the 14th Bde.
#pontoonferry
#roadrepairs
Boats, barges, floats etc. destroyed on river Marne.
#rearguard
Battn. allowed to send 2 men on leave; hope to send 2 each day to get through all who have been out the whole time (i.e. since 13 Aug 1914).
Bombing officer, Nash, had all bombers practising with dummy bombs with live fuses. Live bombs unobtainable.
2/KRRC now belong to 4th Corps.
Trench strength 19 officers and 733 ORs. Battn. strength 839 ORs. Coys - HQ:170, A:172, B:177, C:169, D:151.
Billets are the worst for some time, and not much chance of improvement.
2/Lieut. Palmer and 50 men left at Cambrin for fatigues.
All coys. at 1/2 hour intervals used the bombing trench under instruction of 2/Lieut. Nash. 32 bombers per coy. 80 bombs available.
GOC 1st Divn. inspects battn. and remarks that this is the best battn. he has seen in the divn.
Billets very dirty and most men have bivouaced out.
One hyproscope was issued to the battn.
2 bombs thrown into Vesuvius and some liquid, with no smell, appeared.
A Coy. under Capt. Doxat VC formed a guard of honour for a French General presenting medals to Hospital Sisters and gendarmes.
Two officers and 1 man per coy. went for instruction in bomb throwing.
The A.D.M.S. (Assistant Director of Medical Services) inspected sanitary arrangements; they were the best he had seen during the campaign.
Two officers and 1 per coy. went for instruction in bomb throwing.
A lack of bombs makes bomb practice difficult.
Men looking most respectable having got equipment clean and certain number of new service dress.
The Col., doctor and P?? with two NCOs were experimented on with gas. Veil mask found impracticable owing to lack of protection to eyes.
Q.M. drew 50 Bomb Bandoliers and 36 periscope mirrors.
The bakery is a vsndir?
Coys. used a swimming bath. Clothing was exchanged. Shorts are forbidden. Some men have cut down their trousers into shorts.
Battalion bakery still producing excellent bread.
Hospital admissions 2-3 per day, and one returns.
CO attended Bde. conference and 2/KRRC are to ??? bde. snipers as the battn. can produce more snipers than others.
22 joined
All the battn. now equipped with respirators.
The snipers [British?] accounted for 1 officer, 1 OR and possibly several others.
B coy. discovered a (German) working party about 500 (yds) in front of their trenches. 46 Bayyery fired on them.
Rifleman Marruin crept through the wire at night during a thunderstorm and threw two bombs at an enemy machine gun post.
The Battn. have started a bakery in the village and the first batch of loaves proved a great success.
124 NCOs and men joined.
The CO arranged the promotion of NCOs.
The CO went round the billets and the GOC came to tea.
G.O.C. 2nd Bde. inspected battn. and complimented the battn.
50 NCOs and riflemen joined.
2/Lieut. Collins and volunteers stayed a front searching for wounded.
2/Lieut. Collins and his team also brought in pay books of some 20 dead.
Many casualties due to heavy shelling. During the night 2/Lieut. Collins led team which recovered 28 wounded.
A second assault, by 1st Brigade, failed. B & D coys, sent to occupy the front trench, rejoined battn. at 6.30.
Withdrawal ordered. By 11.20 whole battn. had reached support trenches.
Advance held up as enemy's wire not cut, Northants in front held up by machine gun fire and enemy shelling very heavy.
CORRECTION: bombardment commenced at 5.30.
Battn. began advance at 5.25 am, under intense bombardment which ceased at 5.30. A Coy on right, C on left, B and D in reserve.
Time spent cleaning up billets, Washing of selves, clothing, equipment and arms.
Lecture on Attack by Maj.-Gen. H.C.B. Haking, C.B., Commanding 1st Division.
250 wire masks covered with stuff issued against asphyxiating gas.
20 men (all returned from sick or wounded) and one officer joined from 6/ KRRC.
20 men joined under 2/Lieut. Glegg.
Band played at Divine Service under Cpl. Whittington.
Hospital admissions averaging one per day.
Some 40 rifles, several sacks of equipment and 25,000 rounds of small arms ammunition collected since arrival and sent in.
Working parties of 200-300 under R.E. go out at night to work on redoubts. The Germans opposite do not seem particularly aggressive.
The amount of s.a.a. (small arms ammunition?) to be found lying about in this campaign is very large.
Warm clothing (fur waistcoats, gumboots etc.) handed in; light parchment-like waders issued.
a 12-man Mortar Section formed under command of Lieut. Green (Sussex Regt.) to deal with mortars, bombs, grenades etc.
Hedges were kept back by cold weather but becoming greener, and able to screen objects from view more than during winter.
Maj.-Gen. E. Stuart-Wortley congratulated battn. on its record and good standard of health.
Experiments on different forms of periscope, trench-mortars, catapults, rifle-rests for grenade or night firing etc.
3 officers and 3 NCOs of 2nd London Territorial Division attached 2/KRRC for 24 hours at a time.
Our snipers busy daily and hope to have hit two or three Germans.
Line consists of breastworks; dug-outs and parapet poor; hardly wired (German line heavily wired).
Admissions to hospital down to about one per day.
Order for all civilians to be cleared out behind lines.
Patrols came up to watch for suspicious signals at night.
Trenches are all breastworks and need building up.
2 officers & 2 NCOs from 9 King's Liverpool Regt. joined for instruction under Major Jelf.
Battn. prepared for relief, but not used.
Draft of 40 men and one officer arrived.
Draft of 55 NCOs and men arrived
Battn. held in reserve for a forward move. Received orders to march to a position of readiness. Special Order by Gen. Haig to 1st Army.
Battn exchanged dirty underclothing for clean.
5 cpls and 73 riflemen arrived from base.
Feb 21 - 28 needs to be rotated.
Leave train to England resumed.
Blankets and clothes boiled to destroy vermin. Health of Battn. good, 2-3 to hospital each day.
R.A.M.C. cpl. and 6 men told off as Battn. Sanitary Detachment under M.O.; men unfit for trench work.
German blockade commenced. Folkestone packet does not run.
Two cases diagnosed as cerebro-spinal meningitis and German measles.
CORRECTION: Draft of 2 sergeants and 41 men arrived.
Draft of 2 sergeants and 21 men arrived.
One case of measles, one of suspected enteric.
Bandmaster Dunn returned from England with instruments. Bans played at church, in a concert and in mess.
1 L/S and 5 men arrived ahead of expected draft.
Bandmaster Dunn left on 5 days leave to England to fetch band instruments.
5 day leave to England granted to men, usually 2 per Battn. Officers may be recommended.
Coys at disposal of OC Coys. Training of snipers, machine gunners and signallers began.
Draft of 188 NCOs and ORs arrived, with 3 officers.
The report summarises the position and role of each machine gun crew in the forthcoming operation.
Almost illegible.
The Observation Post was held by Capt. G.H.B. Hankey and 56 NCOs and men. Sgt. Curzon took charge when Hankey wounded. Held till 8 left.
2/Lieut. C.H. Dowden commended for reconnoitering the enemy positions the previous day, sometime up to his thighs in water.
3 officers killed, 3 wounded. 21 ORs killed, 57 wounded, 11 missing.
Report on operation on 10 Jan 1915.
Semi-illegible second copy.
illegible second copy?
Order originally for 2/ R. Sussex, but this changed to 2/ KRRC.
Orders to recapture machine gun post and observation post on the railway captured on 1 Jan.
Sussex and Northants specially commended for defence of Keep.
Billetted in College des Jeunes Filles, Bethune
KRRC snipers had excellent opportunities and L/C Anderson accounted for 5 in one place.
Sussex and Northants beat off German attack with heavy losses.
Battn. stood to arms, ready to support repulse of enemy attack by Sussex and Northants, and French.
Saps started from Brickstack Keep - La Bassee reoad trench
90 NCOs and riflemen joined, mostly Kitchener's Army, with some returning wounded.
Exchange with London Scottish 2 new Maxim guns for one Vickers gun. 2/KRRC now has 3 and expects a 4th. They already have 8 mules transport.
Presents from Queen Alexandra distributed to officers, NCOs and men.
Admissions and returns from hospital running at 4 each per day.
Two riflemen went to England on 7 days leave. NCOs and men allowed to leave billets between 4-8 pm while in Bethune.
Major-General Harding?, GOC 1st Division, inspected battalion in billets at Bethune. He remarked on cheerfulness and healthy appearance.
2nd Bde relieved by 1st Bde.
Lard and Vaseline used on the men's feet and legs to keep them warm and alleviate swelling.
Draft from 5/KRR arrived - 70 NCOs and men, about one-third 'Kitchener's Army' men.
106 men joined - about half being 'Kitchener's Army' men, the rest those rejoining from hospital etc.
Observation post re-occupied by Germans.
Attack on observation post and machine gun post. Observation post held and reinforced.
7 January - found
Admissions to hospital - 45 on 7th and 12 on 8th.
Notes on conditions of trench life generally - rifles, fatigues, saps, parapets, rations and water, boots.
7 January - no report
Lt Rattray given charge of a dozen selected men (chiefly S. Africans) as a corps of snipers.
Small Minenwerfer located opposite D Coy and successfully shelled.
Embankment untenable for Germans owing to our artillery fire.
Two pages side-by-side - entry of date-divisions may confuse!
War diary apparently missing 18/11/1914 - 31/12/1914.
"Report on Operation 10th Jan 1915" follows Diary to mid-November 1914.
Rifleman Curzon carried out some useful reconnaissance.
Battn. counter-attack, with others, stopped enemy after heavy firing, but failed to regain original trenches.
5 officers and 105 ORs joined.
Lt. Col. Eric Pearce-Serocold (my grandfather) of 2/KRRC was wounded on 31/10/1914 by a direct shell hit on Div. HQ at Herenthage Chateau.
Proposed scheme for winter to pay cash for billets in Belgium.
Enemy were driven out of trenches which they had occupied.
1 corporal and 3 riflemen rejoined.
Battalion moved from Troyon, NW of Rheims, to Elverdinge, NW of Ypres, via Amiens, Boulogne and Calais.
Departure by train from Wimereux delayed by bad accident to Belgian refugee train ahead.
About 4 French killed and about 50 wounded by two German shells (the first for some time).
Patrols sent out above Moulins to search for spies.
List of Legion of Honour awards, including Medaille Militaire to S.M. Hoare.
Six officers and four servants joined.
Impression that not much German infantry in front of us now.
Enemy aeroplanes often come over. Usually more French aeroplanes than British are seen here.
Lt. Purcell's horse destroyed.
Rifle grenades tried, appear satisfactory.
Enemy firing new kind of bomb like heavy howitzer shell? No noise of gun: perhaps pneumatic?
Casualties caused by our artillery firing short at times.
Germans reported sapping up to our trenches.
Cold night. Comet seen.
Congratulations from G.O.C. 1st Army Corps to 2/Bde.
3rd reinforcements of 256 men and three officers arrived.
1st Div. commanded by Col. Serocold - grandfather of Arthur494 !!!
89 reinforcements joined under Capt. Leith and Lt. Forsyth-Forest
91 reinforcements joined under Lt. Ellison.
With Northants providing rearguard to column retreating southwards.
period: 27/08/1914 to 17/11/1914, but last page was 31/12/1914. Out of order?
Enemy occupied our observation and machine gun posts on embankment; 140 N. Lancs and Sussex failed to retake them.
Of 23 men sent up to front line, only 20 arrived. One went sick and two lost their boots in the mud.
Enemy sap reported to be only 9 yards away.
50 NCOs and riflemen arrived.
Two officers accidentally wounded by one of our sentries.
On Xmas Day everyone given card from King & Queen, and Princess Mary's Xmas present.
Training in bomb making and throwing; demo of firing grenades from a rifle; use of machine guns; trench making.
Training in attack formations, machine gun firing, trench digging.
Companies re-organized into platoons and sections. Conference of COs.
Battn. joined 25th Div. 2nd Corps.
Maj. Gen. Haldane made a farewell address to the Regiment on its leaving the 3rd Division.
Sgt. W. Mansell presented with Russian Order of St George (3rd Class) by Maj. Gen. J.A.L. Haldane CB DSO.
17-27 August missing (or out of order).
German mines exploded on three successive days.
PROGRAM ERROR - entries for previous page superimposed on this page. No entries made on this page (20-30 June 1916).
9th Inf. Bde, supported by 7th Inf. Bde ordered to attack N. of Hooghe.
Last page ended 31 March, this starts 24 April.
Al the officers of A coy were killed.
Battn. assembled for assault which could not take place as effects of artillery support shrouded in fog. Enemy shelled them.
February 1915 - 10 killed, 35 wounded.
B coy, 1/ King's Own win Brigade Cooking Competition
Each Saturday observed as a holiday.
cover page for April 1918 - out of sequence?
Extract from Lancashire Daily Post, 13 Dec 1918 - the colours of the 1st Battalion, King's Own Regiment were conveyed to Valenciennes.
King's Own won five out of seven events in brigade boxing tournament.
Escort and Colours arrived from England.
General clean-up of area and of equipment; a salvage dump formed; education scheme commenced; parades and organised games.
Many refugees returned to the village; 1 coy each day cleaned up village; slaters and tilers helped to reroof homes.
11/11/1918: Brigade Ceremonial Parade. Inspection by BG. Address by mayor thanking troops for freeing them of the enemy.
During attack met little hostile resistance. Enemy surrendered freely except in isolated instances. Long range MG fire.
Illegible
Battn. took 300 prisoners
24/08/1918 - congratulatory message from Lieut-General Sir T.L.N. Morland as the King's Own leave the XIII Corps.
24/08/1918 - congratulatory message from General Sir W. Birdwood as the King's Own leave the Fifth Army.
Enemy aircraft dropped 10 light bombs
The Skeleton Scheme for manning the Brigade Reserve System was carried out.
A hostile kite balloon was observed to be brought down.
A direct hit on 'Blackfriars Bridge' breaking the main girder; l'Ecleme Bridge used instead.
Our aircraft were very active over enemy's lines. Enemy sent up many observation balloons.
2 prisoners were claimed, one killed by enemy MG fire. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy.
[illegible] officers and 19 ORs of B coy carried out a daylight raid with the purpose of inflicting significant casualties on the enemy.
A small enemy raid on D coy was repulsed.
Handwritten comment - "This diary is valueless and inaccurate. See 12 Bde diary".
29 ORs joined as reinforcements
Two officers and 100 OR assaulted Riez-du-Vinage and regained the original line, capturing a machine gun and 19 prisoners,
B coy fell back as CO believed his left flank exposed. But C coy in fact held line throughout.
Two orderlies from B coy sent to C coy but passed through C coy's lines and encountered Germans. They returned to report enemy broken thru.
D coy's centre platoon inflicted severe casualties on enemy, but their withdrawal hampered by demolition of bridge over canal.
Germans broke through between B and D coys; turning NW they attacked the rear of D coy, capturing left platoon.
200 enemy raided front line, but were ejected, leaving 7 dead, 2 wounded. One officer King's Own killed, 50 ORs wounded.
The GOC commends all ranks for 'the splendid way they have worked'. All worked magnificently to repair trenches damaged by the thaw.
1/3/18 to 11/3/18 obscured by cover note.
Hostile plane fell behind Monchy. Observer (officer) got out, but pilot (NCO) had to be lifted out as he had cork leg. Camera intact.
gas killed 12, 30 to hospital
Enemy shelled our trenches with lethal gas shells.
No. 241475 Pte Halton awarded Victoria Cross for action in Flanders in October.
Lieut. Hart and 6 ORs missing; believed they had not realised they had reached the front trench.
Sgt. Greenleaf claimed to have killed 3 Germans.
Party of 2 officers and 25 ORs of C coy raided enemy trenches. Captured 2 prisoners of 179th Regt., 24 Saxon Div.
Enemy sent gas shells over.
'1 prisoner 24th Saxon Rgt. came into our lines'.
no casualties reported.
115 draft of Middx Regt joined.
King's Own spent five days and five nights in the shelled area and in the worst possible conditions of ground and weather.
55+24=79 ORs joined
5+5+4=14 ORs joined
21+4=25 ORs joined
53 moved back to Bde support. 55 moved back to Divl. Res.
25+3+7 ORs joined
5 ORs joined
Casualties - Officers: nil, ORs: 2 killed, 1 missing, 22 wounded.
6 officers and 224 ORs.
3 May 1917 - 19 Officers and 307 ORs.
List of officers and strength of battn on 3 May 1917.
8+15+29+4+26=82 ORs joined.
Lt Lowe took 10 men forward and captures 28 prisoners
Battn reorganised into two coys.
The Battn took 50 prisoners
Party led by Lieut Myers pinned down an enemy barrage; 2/Lt Schama reached party and brought back news; Lieut Myers followed.
Because the advance was too fast and mopping up insufficiently strong, enemy opened up with rifle and machine gun fire.
Battn commenced attack in accordance with 12th Inf. Bde. O.O. No. 38 and Battn O.O. No. 2 and with remainder 12th Inf. Bde.
Battn moved up into assembly trenches in H.18.a, Battn HQ Railway Bridges. H18.a.2.1.
Battn in trenches in 4th German System H.16.b in accordance with 12th Inf. Bde. O.O. No. 37.
Battn moved from BLUE line to BLACK line, then to dug outs in original British front line.
Right flank of bttn exposed and with back to marshy land and river; withdrawal to connect with 15th div.
Battn took up defensive line with Lewis gun which did 'good execution' as the enemy exposed himself.
Plans for an infantry attack on the station buildings were abandoned when enemy battn seen in occupation.
Men spent rough night in snow without great coats.
Infantry advance covered by two machine guns and all available Lewis guns from the embankment.
Movement was slow due to the marshy ground and the battn had to cross the railway embankment.
Battn. ordered to take Roeux and then Delver Wood. Progress was slow and creeping barrage thin.
Plans to advance with Cavalry stopped by snow, darkness and enemy counter-attack.
Battn. HQ moved to the HQ of the Duke's regt. in Fampoux.
Battalion ordered to attack Roeux village, and to seize the railway bridge at H24a. Owing to machine gun fire they were unable to advance.
the whole operation worked like clockwork, but the barrage from Athies was very light and the wire was uncut.
The battalion advanced in formation
Captured 60-70 German prisoners, killed about 12 enemy, captured six howitzers.
The battalion's morale was boosted by seeing large and increasing numbers of German prisoners in the cage.
The Battle of Arras
2nd Lt. R.L. Brown saved the lives of several men, and lost his right hand when he seized a rifle grenade that had not left the rifle.
11 ORs joined
KOR's casualties: 1 officer died of wounds, 6 ORs killed, 7 ORs wounded. Other casualties: 5 killed and 8 wounded from shell fire.
Enemy left 3 killed, 1 Wounded and 4 lying between the lines.
1+5=6 ORs joined
46 ORs joined.
8 ORs killed.
German attempt to raid trench failed; one German prisoner and six dead.
Presentation of medal ribbons by XV Corps commander to Captain J.H. Hardy, Military Cross.
38 ORs joined.
44 ORs joined.
113 ORs joined.
4th Division celebrated Christmas Day on 7 January.
Men employed in unloading railway trucks and loading motor lorries.
All available men used for railway unloading party.
No materiel available for improvement of trenches.
Trenches in very bad state, no communications possible.
4 ORs wounded
8 ORs wounded
104 ORs joined.
22 ORs joined.
30 ORs joined from 23rd I.B.D.
the assault was delayed by heavy fog.
Battn made steps and deepened the assembly trenches, and were ready for attack at 5 am 23/10/1916.
19 ORs arrived; 370 ORs from Lincoln Regt. arrived.
first report of unit strength since August 1914.
11 days spent by 1/2 Battn burying cable.
Gas alarm sounded, but was a mistake.
lecture by Gen. Crosbie on Crater Snatching.
.... before or after. There is little information on unit strength before or afterwards. Only officers are listed as casualties.
The author of the appraisal of the opening day of the Battle of the Somme is not recorded, but the handwriting is not the same as that ....
"Memo sent 11/6/16 to 12th Brigade re. above diagram"
Critique continued
Critique of Scheme and Time Table for the Attack
Capt. (Chaplain) Burrell and 2/Lt. MacWalters built models of trenches which were used for training.
News of fall of Chernovitz?
Time at 11pm on 14 June advanced to midnight
33 ORs arrived
14 ORs arrived
The new Brigadier was present but not named.
9 ORs arrived
Captain (he was Lt-Col in April?) J.N. Bromilow joined and took command from Capt. R.C.Matthews.
Two pigeons seen to fly over our trenches in direction of Adinfer Wood
6 ORs joined battn. from N&6 {?} Entrenching Battn.
A draft of 69 ORs joined the battn. from NLI Entrenching Battn.
detailed distribution of companies along the line.
trenches in very bad state due to rain and snow.
Map of front line
Body of German WO brought in.
Patrol found section of German trench unoccupied; challenged and fired upon at 10 yds range; retired under fire.
illegible
12th Bde rejoined 4th Division
Draft of 50 joined bttn. Bttn. attached to 48th Division.
50 ORs arrived on Christmas Day
smoke helmet drills and inspection
12th Bde. joins 36th Division.
12th Bde. split up - Esex Regt. to 109th Bde., Lancashire Fusiliers to 108th Bde. King's Own & 1/5/ South Lancashires remain in 12th Bde.
Orders received for attachment of 12th Bde. to join 36th (Ulster) division for instruction.
difficult to read
Funeral with full military honours for German officer and mechanic killed in aeroplane shot down previous day.
A coy. of E. Lancs joined for instruction
refers to map showing positions in trench
Sir John French, c-in-c, wrote that he appreciated work done by The King's Own Regiment at Ypres.
officers inspected trenches that Battn. were to take over and found them clean and well constructed.
Gen. Plumer informed Brigade that it was to be transferred to 3rd Army, 7th Corps.
71 men, no officers, arrived.
map of La Brique
I assume S. Lancs are different from 'us', K.O.R.Lancs. But it is always the former whose activities are reported in third person.
this page describes activities by other units.
enemy exploded mine
Germans encountered in mine
Exchange of fire in mine gallery
Flashes seen in mine
Diaries for February and March 1915 missing
Sketch map of trenches
Explanation of sketch map of trenches
4 #Lewis_guns drawn.
#Draft of 1 sgt and 30 ORs arrived.
#Raiding operation described.
#Draft of 90 joined of which 64 are Rhodesians.
#orders for #relief of 2nd Infantry Brigade by 1st Infantry Brigade on 14/15 December 1915.
Major Heseltine was appointed to command 9/KRRC, but "got out of it" and was appointed ADC to Sir Douglas Haig.
50 ORs joined
Ration strength 835.
#carrying_party
#carrying_Party
#communications
8th R Innis. Fus. will act as carrying parties to 2nd R Irish Regt.
Note of 02/06/17 from Brigadier-General Philip Leveson Gower o/c 49 Bde. to o/c 8th R. Inniskilling Fus. about numbers for a raiding party.
#Attack planned on Wytschaete Ridge.
#map for IX Corps, 22/05/2017.
#map shows #Wytschaete
#map shows #Locre and #Kemmel
#map shows #Locre and #Kemmel
Issued for #Instructional Purposes only
33 ORs joined the battalion in August 1917.
22/23 August 1917 - 8th R. Innis. Fus. transferred to VI Corps, III Army and amalgamated with 7th R. Innis. Fus.
16 August 1917 - Z Day
15 August 1917 - "final orders to attack are attached".
14 August 1917 - X Day
15 August 1917 - Y Day
enemy #aircraft active, ours inactive.
29 enemy #aeroplanes at I.4.b.1.0, 7.30 pm on 4 August 1917.
261 ORs joined the battalion in the month of July 1917.
39 ORs joined during the month of June 1917.
The attack on Wytschaete Ridge on 7 June 1917 is described in Appendix Z.
A large #raid is described in Appendix Y attached.
20 OR of B Coy led by 2nd Lt. Paterson raided the enemy's front line; the trench was non existent and unoccupied. No casualties.
Pte. Mark McDonnell was one of 61 officers and ORs gazetted on 21 April 1917 in recognition of services during operations in Serbia in 1915.
33 ORs of London Regt. dispatched to Base Depot, Havre.
177 ORs joined the battalion during the month of May 1917.
70 ORs joined the battalion during April 1917.
Battalion #field_day
Re-organisation required following recent large #draft and to introduce new methods of warfare.
246 ORs joined the Bn.
12 ORs joined the Bn. during February 1917.
12 ORs joined.
2nd page to Brigade HQ of remarks on a recent operation.
Undated report, ref. B/X/468, to HQ 49th Inf. Bde. remarking on a previous operation, under B.M.C. IX/2394.
O.O. 46 says that London Regt. will relieve 8RIF, yet this order to D Coy. says it will be 6th R. Irish Regt.
#Relief by 12th London Regt.
Seaforth #crater not occupied by enemy.
#report re #breaches in wire
Original report dated 25 May 1916, but addendum dated 25 June 1916.
22 ORs joined the battalion from I B D.
77 ORs #joined from 16th Base Depot during November 1916.
43 ORs #joined the battalion from 16th Inf. Base Depot during October 1916.
page #out_of_order
5,000 rounds fired at enemy #aircraft
page #out_of_order
more than 143 pages!
last page of this diary is 16 February 1918.
we fired 2000 rounds at an enemy #aircraft.
24-31 January 1918 #missing
15-20 January 1918 #missing.
#SAA dumps built of #baby_elephants.
List of locations of MG batteries and their targets, with range and bearings.
MG batteries located at U.13.c.55.85, U.13.c.15.95 and T.6.b.15.90.
49th MG Corps, with others, will support 16th Divn. attack on TUNNEL TRENCH and TUNNEL SUPPORT.
#barrage in support of attack.
16-19 November #missing.
#gas bombardment from British side.
17-21 October page missing.
enemy #aircraft fired on.
enemy #aeroplane engaged (twice).
#AA_gun fired at hostile #aircraft
1000 #gas drums fired over on to German lines.
#chemical_shell bombardment.
4 complete guns destroyed.
report of an #operation, during which MGs fired 160000 rounds.
enemy #aircraft active.
presentation of #parchments
SAA dump established at O.13.c.50.0.
MGs placed on MAUVE LINE at O.20.b.60.50 to support attack of 33rd Inf. Bde.
#HQ established in UNNAMED WOOD at O.13.c.15.40.
SAA dump at O.13.c.50.0
5 MGs in line O.13.c.80.10 to O.13.c.??.50.
#HQ established in UNAMED WOOD at O.13.b.15.40
MGs placed at O.19.a.60.90 to O.13.c.60.40 on HOSPICE RIDGE.
page 2 of report by i/c 2 MGs attached to 2nd R Irish Regt.
#report of i/c 2 MGs attached to 2nd R Irish Regt. at HORLEY.
#Report on operations of MGs at MAUVE LINE from the time of leaving THE HOSPICE till being relieved by the 33rd MG Coy.
#Report on operations of MGs at MAUVE LINE from the time of leaving THE HOSPICE till being relieved by the 33rd MG Coy.
The 56 guns of the three divisional MG coys (and 33rd) were pooled to give 44 for barrage and 12 proceeded with infantry.
Author (not yet known) gives his positive impressions on the distribution of guns and the method of applying fire.
#timetable for #training, 24 to 30 June 2016, overwritten "cancelled, move to Tilques".
#preparations made for an operation.
For two wks coy prepared for offensive on Wytschaete Ridge - setting up belt filling depots and stocking SAA dumps for 33, 47, 48, 49 coys.
end February and early March pages #missing.
#missing diary for January 1916.
21-27 December 1916: at Kemmel, firing at night.
13-20 December 1916: at Kemmel, firing each night.
#rearrangement of guns - 8 in battle positions, 6 in reserve an 2 at coy HQ.
7-12 December 1916 - at Kemmel, firing each night.
1-6 December 1916 - at Kemmel, firing at night.
24-30 November 1916 - at Kemmel, firing each night.
17-23 November 1916 - at Kemmel, firing each night.
10 #machine_guns in the line with 6 in reserve at coy. HQ.
10 #machine_guns in the line, 6 in reserve.
#Casualties: 2/lt. Saddleton and two ORs wounded.
Grid T.19.c.2.3 and T.19.d.7.3
Disposition of #machine_guns with battalions.
14 #machine_guns in the line and 2 in reserve.
#reinforcements - 14 ORs.
#cleaning guns, limbers and equipment.
#reinforcements - 66 ORs.
#reinforcements - 2 officers and 32 ORs.
#billets spacious and very clean (!!)
#gas
increase in #aeroplane activity
1 man returned to UK as #under_age.
3,400 rounds fired in 9 minutes from two MGs.
no diary pages for 20-31 July 2016.
British #mine sprung.
One of our #aeroplanes fell on enemy's front line in flames.
testing enemy's "sore spots" and observing daytime movement.
So much #artillery activity that it is impossible to tell results of MG firing.
#parchments distributed
Battn. is broken up; sections marched off to join other units.
#aeroplane reported enemy supports to be crowded; #artillery fired on these areas.
#reorganisation - 7th Leinster Regt. to be broken up.
#relief by 6th R Irish Regt.
#relief of 1st R Dublin Fus.
#parades #training #sports
Capt. Fish of the RFC will give a #lecture with lantern slides on types of aircraft and the RFC's activities.
#illegible
#illegible
#conference of officers to study #order 171 for an #offensive_action.
#relief by unnamed unit.
grid 51.b.U.20.b
document #circulation_list
#illegible
#illegible
#awards for operations E. of Ypres.
#illegible
#aeroplane
Also #killed were Ptes. Baston and Gardner.
#illegible
#illegible
#illegible
The Div. General explained the future role of the Brigade at a #pow-wow.
Awards to (listed) 34 officers and ORs who took part in the battle of #Wyschaete.
#16th_Division chosen to be #storm_troops.
Men congratulated on their share in the #Messines_Ridge victory.
Anniversary #dinner for 55 NCOs & men who took part in the raid at #Loos in 1 July 1916.
untitled #map
#humour - "Spud Always", "Mack of the 'orses" and "J.M. Roche, Vagrant".
Roll of Officers at Battalion Dinner continued. 17 more names, making 46 in all.
Roll of Officers present at Battalion Dinner given at Locre on 4 June 1917. Contains 29 names.
#illegible
#illegible
#illegible
#illegible
#illegible
#camouflet
... W.J.P. Morgan (1655), G.H. Tilcock (5758) and T. Walker (5269).
ORs killed on 8 March: P. Conlon (5016), P. Daly (5247), P. Gormley (5175), M. Hennebry (4946), M Hickey (5147), S.H. Lee (5423), ...
#camouflet
#illegible
#illegible
text indistinct
enemy #aeroplanes
#wind dangerous
Capt. T O Purdon's award was posthumous; he was killed on 9 September.
In addition 7 ORs of Leinster Regt. died on 9 September.
CWGC spell his name 'Ahern'.
Lt. Ahearne not recorded by CWGC.
#wiring
#wiring
#gas
enemy #mine blown
Major Monro (who had presumably returned from leave) appointed o/c Craters - judged a success.
#practice_alarm
#John_Redmond was a leading Irish Nationalist MP.
Difficult to assign marks to days as writing so crooked.
#wiring
Battn. split up again - A Coy attached to 20th R Fus., B to 19th R Fus., C to 1st Cameronians, D to 5th Scot. Rifles.
Battalion under orders of 33rd Div.
The battalion seems in reserve a very long way from the trenches; they left on Sunday and had not arrived by Wednesday.
#reinforcements from Dublins and Munsters arrived; later handed over to 8/KRRC.
According to CWGC 157 officers and men of the RI Regt. killed on 21 March.
Note that the #South_Irish_Horse was reformed as this 7th RI Regt. in September 1917.
one #horse_casualty
#reorganisation - 6 officers and 317 ORs #joined from 6th RI Regt.
#wiring
#medal_ribbons presented by #GOC
#wiring
#listening_post
#wiring
#flooding
4 ORs receive parchment certificates from #GOC Divn.
pro forma #wire report
7 #Germans of 470th Regt. #surrendered; 2 badly #wounded.
CO transferred to #tanks.
1st RI Rifles returns to England,
#demobilisation of 7 ORs
10 ORs visited Ostend and Zeebruge
10 ORs visited Brussels
10 ORs visited Ghent.
#demobilisation of 30 ORs.
16 ORs #transferred to 36th MG Corps
#demobilisation of 19 mules and 2 horses.
4 officers, 30 ORs, 2 horses and 13 mules #joined from 2nd RI Rifles.
#demobilisation of 33 ORs.
Lieut. Farrell, demobilised on 10 February, died of #influenza in Belfast on 24 February.
#demobilisation of 2 ORs, 12 #horses and one #mule.
10 #horses sent away
#demobilisation of 69 ORs.
#demobilisation of 183 ORs [disagrees with given Battn. strength].]
#day_trips to Lille
#demobilisation of 119 ORs
Unofficial visit of HRH The #Prince_of_Wales
#demobilisation of 13 ORs
#demobilisation of 8 ORs
#demobilisation of 37 ORs
#demobilisation of 4 ORs
#demobilisation of 20 ORs
Awards of Belgian #Croix_de_Guerre
#demobilisation of 13 ORs
#photograph taken
French #Croix_de_Guerre awarded
HM The #King
#medal ribbons presented
#ARMISTICE
#congratulations from Marshal Foch and Lt-Gen. Jacobs read out
#gas
#gas
#aerial activity
#ribbons presented by the #GOC.
#gas
#awards for gallantry on 21/22 August announced.
Sorry, got my months confused.
reported #casualties do not add up.
line #advanced 500 yds across width of 2,000 yds.
No #Place names entered for some weeks!
#gas
#gas
2 #REs #wounded when Bn. HQ shelled.
#wiring
#pigeons observed flying towards the enemy lines.
two #pigeons flew from Battn. HQ.
enemy #aeroplane driven back by #Lewis_gunners
#railway accident, 14 casualties.
Corps Commander's #inspection cancelled due to rain.
#internal_economy
#aerial activity.
enemy #aircraft brought down 5 observation #balloons.
#scouts left in #No_Man's_Land observe enemy activity.
#bomb dropped by British plane.
#balloon and #aerial reconnaissance
Two armed Germans taken #prisoner by two ORs of 'A' Coy.
1/84th Landwehr Infantry Regt. (LIR) had relieved 4/84th LIR on night of 5/6 May.
A second unarmed German taken #prisoner.
Unarmed German carrying camp kettle taken #prisoner
On 2 March Major McCallum DSO of 21st Entrenching Bat. appointed command of 15th R I Rifles; on % March Major McCallum o/c 1st Batt. in line
#GOC 60th Brigade
This page deals with the remnants of the 15th Battalion.
The 36th Division bore the brunt of ST QUENTIN, the German Spring Offensive from 31 March 1918.
15 days in March 1918 missing.
#enemy raiding parted attempted to enter a #sap. One German left dead, R/Cpl of 5th #Grenadier Regt. 26th Div. with #iron_cross.
#enemy raiding party attempted to enter No. 2 #sap.
#aerial activity
two escaping German #prisoners recaptured
Battn. works to clear #snow from roads.
under #canvas, heavy #snow
enemy #aircraft
Narrative covering Ops. 20/11/1917 to 27/11/1917 (page 3).
12 enemy #prisoners
#tanks
Narrative covering Ops. 20/11/1917 to 27/11/1917 (page 2).
Narrative covering Ops. 20/11/1917 to 27/11/1917.
Hindenburg support trenches to be attacked by 1st Batt., supported by 15th and 10th Batts. R I Rifles.
Battalion to be #relieved by 1st Battn.
20/11/1917 to 27/11/1917 covered by Narrative and operation orders attached.
#HQ dug-out very comfortable now.
#enemy officer #killed
#gas_projector shoot by brigade on left.
#aerial activity
#medals presented
#horsecasualties
German #aeroplane brought down two 'sausages' (#barrage_balloons)
guns, listening and telephone sets and #prisoners #captured.
Battle of #Messines
work on #railway
#bivouacs East of Bailleul
#railway work
#summer_time started at 11PM on Sunday 25 March
#RA active
Interview with #GOC #2nd_army. #Plumer
took over #catacombes in R subsector.
#thaw
#bayonet competition
The 8th Battn., whose diaries I did last week, report a lot of inter-unit football matches. These are very dry.
it is frustrating that he reports new drafts, but not the total manpower.
short of #ammunition
#gas alarm
blew-up enemy wire with #amanal_torpedo ?
new #draft arrived of 76 ORs
#flooding
#flooding
'We used #gas'
9th RIR capture one #prisoner on #raid.
#gas_alarm
#gas from brigade on right
#Stokes_mortar battery #casualties: 1 officer and 1 man killed.
#GOC came up
Two officers of 10th RI Rifles #killed, one #wounded.
From one Company only one of fourteen #runners got through.
Heavy #casualties of 11th R I Rifles.
#Fire in #Thiepval wood.
Brigade #conference
Capt. Buchanan #sniped
#Lewis_gun knocked out.
German officer shot at close range but got away.
Enemy #Raiding_party est. 60, but only five reached the trench.
#cutting_out expedition
#conference at 109th Bde. HQ.
#practice_trenches
#gas demonstration
twice 6 officers & 20 NCOs reported for instruction.
enemy exploded #mine which blew in their own gallery.
#wiring
#wiring
#interior_economy
#interior_economy
Brigade attack #scheme
#interior_economy
#gymkhana postponed due to bad weather.
#night_march
#route_march
#Hectorgraph Message Forms
#interior_economy
Bad #relief
#interior_economy
No. 3 #concentration_area
details of operation attached as #narrative
#musketry training
#interior_economy
2nd Army #Training_Area
excellent #march discipline
#artillery activity
1 OR #killed
21 ORs #wounded
#interior_economy
#interior_economy
#orderofdanilo, London Gazette says Augustine Patrick Thornton was a 2nd Lt, (temp. Lieutenant).
#Tea was served by 110th Field Ambulance.
D Line entered at Point D.9
Billet no. 20 Le Quesnoy disinfected after diphtheria
Civilian home disinfected after death from Cerebro-spinal meningitis.
Greenbanks bleaching powder found far superior to Adcocks.
Summary of work completed in Locon.
Many unburied bodies, both English and German, found in trenches
a count of the latrines in each of four villages.
#horsecasualty
Foden Steam Lorry Disinfector arrived
#prisoners
#horseburial
#measles
#typhoid
25 lbs lice killing jelly supplied to both DCLIs and 12th Gloucesters
#incineration
#salvage
#gas
#map
#upsidedown
GOC 76th Inf. Bde. remarked on bad state of shelters.
7 ORs departed on leave, 2 returned.
6 ORs joined
2 ORs rejoined from UK leave
#aeroplane
3 ORs from UK leave
1 OR on leave to UK
#prisoners
2 ORs departed and 2 ORs returned on leave to UK.
#aeroplane
2 ORs departed on leave.
#aeroplane
4 ORs returned form Small Arms School, 3 ORs departed on leave, 1 OR returned from leave.
#aeroplane
6 ORs to UK, 1 OR from UK - onleave
#aeroplane
Adjutant has a new pencil 😃
#faint
#faint
Enemy achieved a direct hit on No. 28(1) position, no casualties reported.
3 ORs joined
#aeroplanes
4 ORs joined.
25 ORs joined.
#faint
#faint
This report of operations completes the War Diary for the period, which is otherwise empty.
#faint
Orders for the move, by train, of the company to Belgium.
#mulecasualty
#faint
#faint
#aeroplane
#faint
#faint
#faint
13 ORs joined
8 ORs joined
#aeroplane
#lachrymatoryshells
month May 1917
month unknown
#faint
month unknown.
#faint
Page covers 9-22 of unknown month in 1917.
#outoforder
22 ORs joined from 52nd Bn Cheshire Regt.
33 ORs joined
two weeks MISSING, 18-31 March 1919.
Week MISSING - 28 February to 7 March 1919
JUMP from 24 April 1918 to 1 February 1919
20 ORs rejoined
20 ORs proceeded to no. 18 CCS for temporary duty.
#militarymedal
72 NCOs and ORs rejoined from temporary duty with No. 1 FA.
13 ORs joined for temporary duty from No. 1 FA.
GOC personally expresses his satisfaction with the conduct of 2nd Bde.
#duplicate
7 officers wounded, 1 suffering from #gas.
#illegible
Communications for the attack (contd.)
Communications for the attack (contd.)
Communications for the attack
Instruction for the attack (contd.)
Instruction for the attack (contd.)
Instruction for the attack (contd.)
Instruction for the attack
General principles for the attack (contd.)
General principles for the attack (contd.)
General principles for the attack
"the gist of the whole thing is to bang in and keep moving".
A detailed plan for an operation
#musterlist
#musterlist
#enemymineexploded
40 ORs joined
#king
Maj.-Gen. Doran's address to the men.
Maj.-Gen. Doran's address to the men.
Paper chase organised in which whole battalion took part. 40 prizes given.
Lt.-Gen Fergusson's address to the men.
Lt.-Gen Fergusson's address to the men.
Lt.-Gen Fergusson's address to the men.
100 ORs joined
Maj.-Gen Haldane's remarks to the men.
Maj.-Gen. Haldane's remarks to the men.
Maj.-Gen. Haldane's remarks to the men.
Maj.-Gen. Haldane addressed the men, saying that the battalion will be leaving the 3rd Division.
#horsecasualty
400 special waterproof covers for rifles received.
55 ORs joined
#musterlist
#musterlist
#aeroplane
Address by Gen. Allenby. Action was not a failure, it allowed a successful advance further south.
All the officers and sergeants of B Coy were casualties.
A summary of the attack on the German lines.
A summary of the attack on German lines.
CSM Shone recommended for a commission. He showed conspicuous conduct when two officers were killed on 14 September.
A working party was employed to construct a "special 'switch trench'".
#aeroplane
Leave suspended
1 Sgt. & 20 men detailed for mining duties.
#aeroplanes
#aeroplane
19 ORs joined
Two 2/Lts listed on strength 31 August, joined Battn on 5eptember.
#musterlist
#musterlist
1 officer & 1 NCO attended demonstration of bomb throwing and manipulating the "Newton-Pippin" bomb and a new incendiary bomb.
New pattern "Tube" smoke helmets issued.
#aeroplane
A complete enemy machine gun captured.
#aeroplane
#aeroplane
#aeroplane
2/Lt. JS Boast sent for examination by "X Rays".
#telephones
50 ORs joined
70 ORs joined
Shells fired by our guns fell almost in our trenches without exploding.
50 ORs joined
The enemy's trench was damaged by one of his own mines.
40-50 enemy shells pitched into practically one spot in our trench.
#aerialtorpedo
#enemymineexploded
#musterlist
#enemymineexploded
2/Lt. Jebens and 21 ORs joined 'Brigade' miners.
An enemy working party and covering party were dispersed by artillery.
#enemymineexploded
#shellshock
#enemymineexploded
#aeroplane
30 ORs joined
Party left Ypres about 9pm and arrived at bivouac 1.30am having marched almost 11 miles "in excellent order".
#aeroplane
A deserter arrested in St Helen's arrived from England escorted.
#aeroplane
#telephone
#gas
#gas
#telephone
#telephone
#telephone
132 ORs joined
#telephone
Suspected spy dressed as French NCO arrested by Division Police.
Two men tried by FGCM for a serious offence.
#gas
#telephone
#aeroplane
#telephone
#listofficers
Pte. Gurney shot a sniper and two other enemy who came to his assistance.
#horsecasualty
2 South Lancs commended for excellent work done whilst it was Division's Pioneer Unit.
An enemy sniper 600 yards away was hit by Pte. Peel and was seen to fall.
#gas
#prisoners
#gashelmets
#gashelmets
120 ORs joined
#horsecasualties
#gashelmets
An experiment with chlorine gas was carried out. Officers and men wearing gas helmets were able to move about in a trench filled with gas.
29 ORs joined
#smokehoods
#aeroplane
#smokehoods
2 South Lancashires will come under command of 7th Bde.
#misfiled
#misfiled
#musterlist
#misfiled
25 ORs joined
#misfiled
#misfiled
#aeroplane
Great satisfaction at the work of the battalion expressed by the Division Commander, Brigadier General and Commander Royal Engineers.
#misfiled
#gas
#misfiled
#misfiled
#misfiled
Battalion selected to carry out "certain special improvements in the line", thanks to excellent reports of their work
#Bishop_of_Pretoria
#misfiled
The faces of dead gassed soldiers "were quite black and all metalwork of their equipment was covered by a heavy green substance".
GOC 13th Inf. Bde: "your men have worked like Trojans and you have a top hole Battalion"
#misfiled
#enemy_mine
#misfiled
#misfiled
#gasprecautions
Germans had suffered effects of their own gas, and had been shot trying to return to their own trenches.
Whole sector strewn with dead soldiers - both British and German - which were buried.
#misfiled
misfiled
#misfiled
#doublepage
#misfiled
#gas
#doublepage
80 NCOs and ORs joined
#gas
#aeroplane
#aeroplane
One OR joined.
One sgt. and 24 ORs joined.
#airship
#militarycross
1 private joined.
16 ORs joined.
#aeroplanes
2/Lieut. Thompson displayed coolness in throwing two unexploded bombs clear of the trench.
80 ORs joined.
51 NCOs and ORs joined.
#musterlist
92 ORs joined.
#aeroplane
105 ORs joined
#aeroplane
50 ORs joined
#muster
The body of a French soldier, found during trench improvement, was buried, and his papers forwarded to HQ.
#aeroplane
120 ORs joined.
Description of incident on 26 Oct. 1914 which led to award of DCM to Cpl. Windle.
#horsesinfection
#aeroplane
60 ORs joined.
#militarycross
33 ORs joined
Capt. Hume joined the battalion with his horse and groom.
#nominalroll
Composition of 7th Infantry Bde. listed.
#nominalroll
#refitting
#frostbite
#christmas
2 NCOs and 38 ORs joined (previous page)
Conclusion of address by Sir Horace Smith-Dorien.
Continuation of Gen. Sir Horace Smith-Dorien's address
Text of address to battalion following reorganisation by Gen. Sir Horace Smith-Dorien.
Battalion contains 779 Lancashire men and 200 from elsewhere.
#reorganisation
45 ORs joined.
#reorganisation
500 ORs joined, including many old time experienced soldiers who had specially enlisted.
129 ORs joined; including regular NCOs and old soldiers who have re-enlisted.
Reinforcement of 99 ORs joined
#horsescasualties
#casualtylist
#casualtylist
Lieut. ST Boast, author of this diary and the only officer of this battn. now serving in the field, commended for "keeping things going".
65 ORs joined.
#mustered
140 ORs joined
#nominalroll
152 ORs joined the battn.
The Germans who made signs of surrender were a trap; 1 officer wounded, three ORs captured.
A few Germans made signs of surrender
3 other (unnamed) officers joined the battn.
95 ORs joined the battn.
about 90 ORs joined the battn.
85 ORs and 140 'stragglers etc.' joined the battalion.
23 August 1914: First contact with enemy.
#civilians
#embarkation
#mobilization
Classes begin in the Brigade for French
#ChristmasDay
the guns of the 54th Bty. were inspected by a representative from Messrs. Vickers.
#horseinspection
3 enemy field guns salved and delivered to Captured Gun Park at Vaux-Andigny.
#aeroplanes
Officers killed on 29 and 30 October 1918 interred at Vallee Mulatre Cemetery on 31 October.
Batteries visited by GOC 1st Div. who congratulated them on splendid work.
#advancing
#horsecasualties
39th Bde. fired in support of French attacks.
#prisoners
298 AFA Bde. combined with 39th RFA Bde. to form Left Artillery Group.
Several enemy 77mm guns and Minenwerfer captured and salved for own use.
#Horsescasualties
52nd AFA Bde. attached to 39th Bde RFA for 24 hours forming Right Artillery Group.
#prisoners
#aeroplane
New 18 pounder QF guns arrived and were calibrated.
#aeroplane
#prisoners
#aeroplane
#humour 2/Lt. Hunt will "attempt to carry on" during the absence of the adjutant Capt. Umfreville who left hopefully for 10 days Paris leave
a Projector demonstration was carried out. 50 projectors were fired.
a Projector demonstration was held.
This is the second page containing a complete list of officers and NCOs of 39 Bde. RFA.
#prisoners
#aeroplane
#wireless_masts
Extensive preparations were made for a major German attack. The attack did not come off!!!
All 36 officers of 39 Bde. RFA listed.
#wireless
Details of new dispositions of HQ, four batteries , OP, and Infantry Bde and Battn. HQs.
#prisoners
92nd Bty RFA temporarily attached to 39th Bde.
Batteries moved - new dispositions and locations listed.
115th Battery comes under command of 39th Brigade RFA.
Corporal of 30th Battery killed on 29 March likely to be Henry Skilbeck, 755327.
"VITMB" = V.1 Trench Mortar Battery
"Y.I.T.M.B." [?] 1 OR wounded.
Bde. HQ moved from Charpentier to wagon lines at Woesten.
From 10 am 29 Jan 1918, Nos. 1 and 2 Groups come under command of 32nd DA.
Bde HQ moved from Negro Farm to Charpentier
Hostile aircraft very active.
A large number of 4.2" air bursts were fired over the 52nd battery.
Enemy sends up four red rockets - apparently his SOS signal.
Four green signal rockets indicate the start of a barrage. Batteries fire at 3 rounds h.g.p.m. for 20 minutes in support of raiding party.
The RE coy. with infantry construct the second line.
#route_march
17 Field Coy. RE attached to 84th Infantry Bde' then re-attached to 14th Bde.
RE officers provided instruction to 84th Infantry bde. in field works.
#huts #instruction
#huts #revetting #parados #instruction
From 7 pm to 4.30 am Lt. Pottinger operated searchlight to prevent Germans repairing trench shelled.
#wiring #revetting #rifle_range #huts #saps
#listening_post #huts #rifle_range #saps #revetting
#breastwork #revetting
#revetting #draining #parados
Junction of supporting line between 4th and 5th Divisions agreed by R.E. representatives.
First support point spittocked.
#draining #revetting #howitzer_emplacement #road_building #fire_trench
#harness_room #machine_gun_emplacement #revetting #howitzer_emplacement #stable #fire_trench #draining
#paths #shed #howitzer #revetting #fire_trench #pickets
Capt. Lees appointed adjutant 5th Division R.E.
#stables
9.2" howitzer platforms completed; digging by Belgians.
#pickets #magazine #general_duties #platform #parapet #road
lieut. Pottinger down to stream twice, but unable to find reported German sap.
Model sap and trench dug. Specimen boxes for rifle and hand grenades in trenches made.
#pickets #model_sap #model_trench #general_duties #barbed_wire #pumping #road #rifle_grenades #hand_grenades #revetting #sandbags #parapets
Tests of double-sized bombs for trench mortars very succesful
#model_trench #genral_duties
New double cylinder hand grenades tested; cylindrical shape makes direction difficult to control. Difficulties in operation foreseen.
#barbed_wire #sump_pits #laundry #stables #rifle_grenades #hand_grenades #revetting #paths #sandbags
Bottle trap fixed across La Douve.
Heavy rain causes cancellation of night-time working parties sweeps away paths.
#pickets #stables #paths #revetting #drainage #paths #sump_pump #stables #barbed_wire #hurdles #gabions #brushwood
Trench mortar (home pattern) tried and found very difficult to range with satisfactorily owing to windage(?).
Hut 1 dismantled and used to build stables.
Wood from hut 2 ear-marked for stables found to have been used for roofing trenches.
Use of hut materials to build stables approved and foundations dug.
Double-sized bomb tried in trench mortar and found a success.
Heavy rain led to trenches filling with water; surrounding ground knee-deep in mud.
#hurdles #breastwork #general_inspection #wiring #draining #revetting
RE officers inspect trenches and advise on improvements.
Every day: work on frames for overhead cover and hurdles; infantry classes on trench mortars and hand grenades.
15 men (incl. 11 carpenters) away from the coy. at workshops in Bailleul.
work on laundry completed.
Wood earmarked for huts had been taken by infantry for dug-out roofs.
Work on reserve trenches not carried out because there were no tools.
GOC 5th Div. dug-out finished.
Progress made on GOC's dug-out.
Roof of No. 2 hut collapsed/
Overhead cover made from frames 6'x6' and 6'x3' covered with wire netting and sandbags.
Infantry report pumps sent two days ago are useless.
infantry instructed on use of trench mortars
Problems with dug-out for GOC 5th Division continue. Decided to return to original site.
Class (for) infantry officers - trench mortars and hand grenades
#fascines #pumps #laundry #barbed_wire
#dug-out #revetments
#laundry #cesspool_pumps #carpenters #blacksmiths #huts #laundry #fascines
Coy ordered to make 6 10' torpedoes, mats and plank bridges for crossing trenches. One torpedo made, order then countermanded.
#bathhouse #huts #laundry #fascines
Dug out for GOC 14th Infantry Bde east of Neuve Eglise under construction with difficulty.
New dug-out for GOC falling in as it's in pocket of clay; flooded by heavy rain.
#fascines #barbed_wire #hut #bathhouse #charcoal #plumbers #fitters
Coy worked on dug-out for GOC 5th Div.; GOC subsequently changed the site of his dug-out 150 yds.
No. 1 bathhouse handed over to Bde.; No. 2 bathhouse started
#carpenters #plumbers #fitters #bathhouse #charcoal #fascines
No. 1 hut finished except for felt roof; No. 2 hut started
Brewery at Neuve Eglise converted to No. 1 bathhouse.
#bath_house #charcoal #fascines
#fascines #charcoal #barbed_wire #erecting_huts #bathing
#barbed_wire
Men cutting wood and making charcoal (presumably for Japanese footwarmers?)
#barbed wire
#trench_drainage #Japanese_footwarmers
#barbed_wire
#road_inspection
#barbed_wire
Pontoon and trestle wagons to divisional train.
#civilian_labour
#barbed_wire
Bde. retired to 2nd line and R.E. assisted regiments to make their new positions secure.
Civilian labour employed to lay out 2nd line of defence, but numbers rapidly decreased, and could not be indued to return.
#civilian_labour
Sections 1 & 2 buried Dorset dead before moving.
#Barbed_wire
Capt. Herring RE superintending 2nd line of defence
#barbed_wire #advanced
100 civilian labourers under Capt. Lees RE commenced entrenching a second line of defence 1 1/4 miles west of Festubert.
Section 1 & 2 with right attack, 3 & 4 with left attack.
Capt. Herring attempted to extricate ammunition wagon out of canal; tackle parted and darkness prevented further attempt.
#barge_bridge
#fire_trenches
#fire_trenches
Coy moves on foot and by train from Rappeux Farm to Bellancourt.
#fire_trenches
Working Parties under Capt. Herring RE, were detailed to make the track between Nampteuil and Serches fit for heavy motor transport.
In the fortnight since the coy occupied billets at Rappeux, the Medical Officer of 5th Div. has paid only one visit.
#explosives_laid
#pontoons
#footbridges
Reconnaissance showed that no forward position covering crossings of R. Aisne had been taken up by IV Divisions.
#fieldoffire
River Aisne rose rapidly; precautions taken to safeguard pontoon bridges.
Lieut. Adams arrived with 15 pontoons.
#trestlebridge
Pontoon ferry floated down the River Aisne from Moulin des Roches to Missy, where Germans had destroyed the bridge.
Coy construct and operate a ferry across the R. Aisne at Moulins des Roches for the 14th Bde.
#pontoonferry
#roadrepairs
Boats, barges, floats etc. destroyed on river Marne.
#rearguard
Battn. allowed to send 2 men on leave; hope to send 2 each day to get through all who have been out the whole time (i.e. since 13 Aug 1914).
Bombing officer, Nash, had all bombers practising with dummy bombs with live fuses. Live bombs unobtainable.
2/KRRC now belong to 4th Corps.
Trench strength 19 officers and 733 ORs. Battn. strength 839 ORs. Coys - HQ:170, A:172, B:177, C:169, D:151.
Billets are the worst for some time, and not much chance of improvement.
2/Lieut. Palmer and 50 men left at Cambrin for fatigues.
All coys. at 1/2 hour intervals used the bombing trench under instruction of 2/Lieut. Nash. 32 bombers per coy. 80 bombs available.
GOC 1st Divn. inspects battn. and remarks that this is the best battn. he has seen in the divn.
Billets very dirty and most men have bivouaced out.
One hyproscope was issued to the battn.
2 bombs thrown into Vesuvius and some liquid, with no smell, appeared.
A Coy. under Capt. Doxat VC formed a guard of honour for a French General presenting medals to Hospital Sisters and gendarmes.
Two officers and 1 man per coy. went for instruction in bomb throwing.
The A.D.M.S. (Assistant Director of Medical Services) inspected sanitary arrangements; they were the best he had seen during the campaign.
Two officers and 1 per coy. went for instruction in bomb throwing.
A lack of bombs makes bomb practice difficult.
Men looking most respectable having got equipment clean and certain number of new service dress.
The Col., doctor and P?? with two NCOs were experimented on with gas. Veil mask found impracticable owing to lack of protection to eyes.
Q.M. drew 50 Bomb Bandoliers and 36 periscope mirrors.
The bakery is a vsndir?
Coys. used a swimming bath. Clothing was exchanged. Shorts are forbidden. Some men have cut down their trousers into shorts.
Battalion bakery still producing excellent bread.
Hospital admissions 2-3 per day, and one returns.
CO attended Bde. conference and 2/KRRC are to ??? bde. snipers as the battn. can produce more snipers than others.
22 joined
All the battn. now equipped with respirators.
The snipers [British?] accounted for 1 officer, 1 OR and possibly several others.
B coy. discovered a (German) working party about 500 (yds) in front of their trenches. 46 Bayyery fired on them.
Rifleman Marruin crept through the wire at night during a thunderstorm and threw two bombs at an enemy machine gun post.
The Battn. have started a bakery in the village and the first batch of loaves proved a great success.
124 NCOs and men joined.
The CO arranged the promotion of NCOs.
The CO went round the billets and the GOC came to tea.
G.O.C. 2nd Bde. inspected battn. and complimented the battn.
50 NCOs and riflemen joined.
2/Lieut. Collins and volunteers stayed a front searching for wounded.
2/Lieut. Collins and his team also brought in pay books of some 20 dead.
Many casualties due to heavy shelling. During the night 2/Lieut. Collins led team which recovered 28 wounded.
A second assault, by 1st Brigade, failed. B & D coys, sent to occupy the front trench, rejoined battn. at 6.30.
Withdrawal ordered. By 11.20 whole battn. had reached support trenches.
Advance held up as enemy's wire not cut, Northants in front held up by machine gun fire and enemy shelling very heavy.
CORRECTION: bombardment commenced at 5.30.
Battn. began advance at 5.25 am, under intense bombardment which ceased at 5.30. A Coy on right, C on left, B and D in reserve.
Time spent cleaning up billets, Washing of selves, clothing, equipment and arms.
Lecture on Attack by Maj.-Gen. H.C.B. Haking, C.B., Commanding 1st Division.
250 wire masks covered with stuff issued against asphyxiating gas.
20 men (all returned from sick or wounded) and one officer joined from 6/ KRRC.
20 men joined under 2/Lieut. Glegg.
Band played at Divine Service under Cpl. Whittington.
Hospital admissions averaging one per day.
Some 40 rifles, several sacks of equipment and 25,000 rounds of small arms ammunition collected since arrival and sent in.
Working parties of 200-300 under R.E. go out at night to work on redoubts. The Germans opposite do not seem particularly aggressive.
The amount of s.a.a. (small arms ammunition?) to be found lying about in this campaign is very large.
Warm clothing (fur waistcoats, gumboots etc.) handed in; light parchment-like waders issued.
a 12-man Mortar Section formed under command of Lieut. Green (Sussex Regt.) to deal with mortars, bombs, grenades etc.
Hedges were kept back by cold weather but becoming greener, and able to screen objects from view more than during winter.
Maj.-Gen. E. Stuart-Wortley congratulated battn. on its record and good standard of health.
Experiments on different forms of periscope, trench-mortars, catapults, rifle-rests for grenade or night firing etc.
3 officers and 3 NCOs of 2nd London Territorial Division attached 2/KRRC for 24 hours at a time.
Our snipers busy daily and hope to have hit two or three Germans.
Line consists of breastworks; dug-outs and parapet poor; hardly wired (German line heavily wired).
Admissions to hospital down to about one per day.
Order for all civilians to be cleared out behind lines.
Patrols came up to watch for suspicious signals at night.
Trenches are all breastworks and need building up.
2 officers & 2 NCOs from 9 King's Liverpool Regt. joined for instruction under Major Jelf.
Battn. prepared for relief, but not used.
Draft of 40 men and one officer arrived.
Draft of 55 NCOs and men arrived
Battn. held in reserve for a forward move. Received orders to march to a position of readiness. Special Order by Gen. Haig to 1st Army.
Battn exchanged dirty underclothing for clean.
5 cpls and 73 riflemen arrived from base.
Feb 21 - 28 needs to be rotated.
Leave train to England resumed.
Blankets and clothes boiled to destroy vermin. Health of Battn. good, 2-3 to hospital each day.
R.A.M.C. cpl. and 6 men told off as Battn. Sanitary Detachment under M.O.; men unfit for trench work.
German blockade commenced. Folkestone packet does not run.
Two cases diagnosed as cerebro-spinal meningitis and German measles.
CORRECTION: Draft of 2 sergeants and 41 men arrived.
Draft of 2 sergeants and 21 men arrived.
One case of measles, one of suspected enteric.
Bandmaster Dunn returned from England with instruments. Bans played at church, in a concert and in mess.
1 L/S and 5 men arrived ahead of expected draft.
Bandmaster Dunn left on 5 days leave to England to fetch band instruments.
5 day leave to England granted to men, usually 2 per Battn. Officers may be recommended.
Coys at disposal of OC Coys. Training of snipers, machine gunners and signallers began.
Draft of 188 NCOs and ORs arrived, with 3 officers.
The report summarises the position and role of each machine gun crew in the forthcoming operation.
Almost illegible.
The Observation Post was held by Capt. G.H.B. Hankey and 56 NCOs and men. Sgt. Curzon took charge when Hankey wounded. Held till 8 left.
2/Lieut. C.H. Dowden commended for reconnoitering the enemy positions the previous day, sometime up to his thighs in water.
3 officers killed, 3 wounded. 21 ORs killed, 57 wounded, 11 missing.
Report on operation on 10 Jan 1915.
Semi-illegible second copy.
illegible second copy?
Order originally for 2/ R. Sussex, but this changed to 2/ KRRC.
Orders to recapture machine gun post and observation post on the railway captured on 1 Jan.
Sussex and Northants specially commended for defence of Keep.
Billetted in College des Jeunes Filles, Bethune
KRRC snipers had excellent opportunities and L/C Anderson accounted for 5 in one place.
Sussex and Northants beat off German attack with heavy losses.
Battn. stood to arms, ready to support repulse of enemy attack by Sussex and Northants, and French.
Saps started from Brickstack Keep - La Bassee reoad trench
90 NCOs and riflemen joined, mostly Kitchener's Army, with some returning wounded.
Exchange with London Scottish 2 new Maxim guns for one Vickers gun. 2/KRRC now has 3 and expects a 4th. They already have 8 mules transport.
Presents from Queen Alexandra distributed to officers, NCOs and men.
Admissions and returns from hospital running at 4 each per day.
Two riflemen went to England on 7 days leave. NCOs and men allowed to leave billets between 4-8 pm while in Bethune.
Major-General Harding?, GOC 1st Division, inspected battalion in billets at Bethune. He remarked on cheerfulness and healthy appearance.
2nd Bde relieved by 1st Bde.
Lard and Vaseline used on the men's feet and legs to keep them warm and alleviate swelling.
Draft from 5/KRR arrived - 70 NCOs and men, about one-third 'Kitchener's Army' men.
106 men joined - about half being 'Kitchener's Army' men, the rest those rejoining from hospital etc.
Observation post re-occupied by Germans.
Attack on observation post and machine gun post. Observation post held and reinforced.
7 January - found
Admissions to hospital - 45 on 7th and 12 on 8th.
Notes on conditions of trench life generally - rifles, fatigues, saps, parapets, rations and water, boots.
7 January - no report
Lt Rattray given charge of a dozen selected men (chiefly S. Africans) as a corps of snipers.
Small Minenwerfer located opposite D Coy and successfully shelled.
Embankment untenable for Germans owing to our artillery fire.
Two pages side-by-side - entry of date-divisions may confuse!
War diary apparently missing 18/11/1914 - 31/12/1914.
"Report on Operation 10th Jan 1915" follows Diary to mid-November 1914.
Rifleman Curzon carried out some useful reconnaissance.
Battn. counter-attack, with others, stopped enemy after heavy firing, but failed to regain original trenches.
5 officers and 105 ORs joined.
Lt. Col. Eric Pearce-Serocold (my grandfather) of 2/KRRC was wounded on 31/10/1914 by a direct shell hit on Div. HQ at Herenthage Chateau.
Proposed scheme for winter to pay cash for billets in Belgium.
Enemy were driven out of trenches which they had occupied.
1 corporal and 3 riflemen rejoined.
Battalion moved from Troyon, NW of Rheims, to Elverdinge, NW of Ypres, via Amiens, Boulogne and Calais.
Departure by train from Wimereux delayed by bad accident to Belgian refugee train ahead.
About 4 French killed and about 50 wounded by two German shells (the first for some time).
Patrols sent out above Moulins to search for spies.
List of Legion of Honour awards, including Medaille Militaire to S.M. Hoare.
Six officers and four servants joined.
Impression that not much German infantry in front of us now.
Enemy aeroplanes often come over. Usually more French aeroplanes than British are seen here.
Lt. Purcell's horse destroyed.
Rifle grenades tried, appear satisfactory.
Enemy firing new kind of bomb like heavy howitzer shell? No noise of gun: perhaps pneumatic?
Casualties caused by our artillery firing short at times.
Germans reported sapping up to our trenches.
Cold night. Comet seen.
Congratulations from G.O.C. 1st Army Corps to 2/Bde.
3rd reinforcements of 256 men and three officers arrived.
1st Div. commanded by Col. Serocold - grandfather of Arthur494 !!!
89 reinforcements joined under Capt. Leith and Lt. Forsyth-Forest
91 reinforcements joined under Lt. Ellison.
With Northants providing rearguard to column retreating southwards.
period: 27/08/1914 to 17/11/1914, but last page was 31/12/1914. Out of order?
Enemy occupied our observation and machine gun posts on embankment; 140 N. Lancs and Sussex failed to retake them.
Of 23 men sent up to front line, only 20 arrived. One went sick and two lost their boots in the mud.
Enemy sap reported to be only 9 yards away.
50 NCOs and riflemen arrived.
Two officers accidentally wounded by one of our sentries.
On Xmas Day everyone given card from King & Queen, and Princess Mary's Xmas present.
Training in bomb making and throwing; demo of firing grenades from a rifle; use of machine guns; trench making.
Training in attack formations, machine gun firing, trench digging.
Companies re-organized into platoons and sections. Conference of COs.
Battn. joined 25th Div. 2nd Corps.
Maj. Gen. Haldane made a farewell address to the Regiment on its leaving the 3rd Division.
Sgt. W. Mansell presented with Russian Order of St George (3rd Class) by Maj. Gen. J.A.L. Haldane CB DSO.
17-27 August missing (or out of order).
German mines exploded on three successive days.
PROGRAM ERROR - entries for previous page superimposed on this page. No entries made on this page (20-30 June 1916).
9th Inf. Bde, supported by 7th Inf. Bde ordered to attack N. of Hooghe.
Last page ended 31 March, this starts 24 April.
Al the officers of A coy were killed.
Battn. assembled for assault which could not take place as effects of artillery support shrouded in fog. Enemy shelled them.
February 1915 - 10 killed, 35 wounded.
B coy, 1/ King's Own win Brigade Cooking Competition
Each Saturday observed as a holiday.
cover page for April 1918 - out of sequence?
Extract from Lancashire Daily Post, 13 Dec 1918 - the colours of the 1st Battalion, King's Own Regiment were conveyed to Valenciennes.
King's Own won five out of seven events in brigade boxing tournament.
Escort and Colours arrived from England.
General clean-up of area and of equipment; a salvage dump formed; education scheme commenced; parades and organised games.
Many refugees returned to the village; 1 coy each day cleaned up village; slaters and tilers helped to reroof homes.
11/11/1918: Brigade Ceremonial Parade. Inspection by BG. Address by mayor thanking troops for freeing them of the enemy.
During attack met little hostile resistance. Enemy surrendered freely except in isolated instances. Long range MG fire.
Illegible
Battn. took 300 prisoners
24/08/1918 - congratulatory message from Lieut-General Sir T.L.N. Morland as the King's Own leave the XIII Corps.
24/08/1918 - congratulatory message from General Sir W. Birdwood as the King's Own leave the Fifth Army.
Enemy aircraft dropped 10 light bombs
The Skeleton Scheme for manning the Brigade Reserve System was carried out.
A hostile kite balloon was observed to be brought down.
A direct hit on 'Blackfriars Bridge' breaking the main girder; l'Ecleme Bridge used instead.
Our aircraft were very active over enemy's lines. Enemy sent up many observation balloons.
2 prisoners were claimed, one killed by enemy MG fire. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy.
[illegible] officers and 19 ORs of B coy carried out a daylight raid with the purpose of inflicting significant casualties on the enemy.
A small enemy raid on D coy was repulsed.
Handwritten comment - "This diary is valueless and inaccurate. See 12 Bde diary".
29 ORs joined as reinforcements
Two officers and 100 OR assaulted Riez-du-Vinage and regained the original line, capturing a machine gun and 19 prisoners,
B coy fell back as CO believed his left flank exposed. But C coy in fact held line throughout.
Two orderlies from B coy sent to C coy but passed through C coy's lines and encountered Germans. They returned to report enemy broken thru.
D coy's centre platoon inflicted severe casualties on enemy, but their withdrawal hampered by demolition of bridge over canal.
Germans broke through between B and D coys; turning NW they attacked the rear of D coy, capturing left platoon.
200 enemy raided front line, but were ejected, leaving 7 dead, 2 wounded. One officer King's Own killed, 50 ORs wounded.
The GOC commends all ranks for 'the splendid way they have worked'. All worked magnificently to repair trenches damaged by the thaw.
1/3/18 to 11/3/18 obscured by cover note.
Hostile plane fell behind Monchy. Observer (officer) got out, but pilot (NCO) had to be lifted out as he had cork leg. Camera intact.
gas killed 12, 30 to hospital
Enemy shelled our trenches with lethal gas shells.
No. 241475 Pte Halton awarded Victoria Cross for action in Flanders in October.
Lieut. Hart and 6 ORs missing; believed they had not realised they had reached the front trench.
Sgt. Greenleaf claimed to have killed 3 Germans.
Party of 2 officers and 25 ORs of C coy raided enemy trenches. Captured 2 prisoners of 179th Regt., 24 Saxon Div.
Enemy sent gas shells over.
'1 prisoner 24th Saxon Rgt. came into our lines'.
no casualties reported.
115 draft of Middx Regt joined.
King's Own spent five days and five nights in the shelled area and in the worst possible conditions of ground and weather.
55+24=79 ORs joined
5+5+4=14 ORs joined
21+4=25 ORs joined
53 moved back to Bde support. 55 moved back to Divl. Res.
25+3+7 ORs joined
5 ORs joined
Casualties - Officers: nil, ORs: 2 killed, 1 missing, 22 wounded.
6 officers and 224 ORs.
3 May 1917 - 19 Officers and 307 ORs.
List of officers and strength of battn on 3 May 1917.
8+15+29+4+26=82 ORs joined.
Lt Lowe took 10 men forward and captures 28 prisoners
Battn reorganised into two coys.
The Battn took 50 prisoners
Party led by Lieut Myers pinned down an enemy barrage; 2/Lt Schama reached party and brought back news; Lieut Myers followed.
Because the advance was too fast and mopping up insufficiently strong, enemy opened up with rifle and machine gun fire.
Battn commenced attack in accordance with 12th Inf. Bde. O.O. No. 38 and Battn O.O. No. 2 and with remainder 12th Inf. Bde.
Battn moved up into assembly trenches in H.18.a, Battn HQ Railway Bridges. H18.a.2.1.
Battn in trenches in 4th German System H.16.b in accordance with 12th Inf. Bde. O.O. No. 37.
70 ORs joined
Battn moved from BLUE line to BLACK line, then to dug outs in original British front line.
Right flank of bttn exposed and with back to marshy land and river; withdrawal to connect with 15th div.
Battn took up defensive line with Lewis gun which did 'good execution' as the enemy exposed himself.
Plans for an infantry attack on the station buildings were abandoned when enemy battn seen in occupation.
Men spent rough night in snow without great coats.
Infantry advance covered by two machine guns and all available Lewis guns from the embankment.
Movement was slow due to the marshy ground and the battn had to cross the railway embankment.
Battn. ordered to take Roeux and then Delver Wood. Progress was slow and creeping barrage thin.
Plans to advance with Cavalry stopped by snow, darkness and enemy counter-attack.
Battn. HQ moved to the HQ of the Duke's regt. in Fampoux.
Battalion ordered to attack Roeux village, and to seize the railway bridge at H24a. Owing to machine gun fire they were unable to advance.
the whole operation worked like clockwork, but the barrage from Athies was very light and the wire was uncut.
The battalion advanced in formation
Captured 60-70 German prisoners, killed about 12 enemy, captured six howitzers.
The battalion's morale was boosted by seeing large and increasing numbers of German prisoners in the cage.
The Battle of Arras
12 ORs joined.
2nd Lt. R.L. Brown saved the lives of several men, and lost his right hand when he seized a rifle grenade that had not left the rifle.
140 ORs joined
29 ORs joined
11 ORs joined
KOR's casualties: 1 officer died of wounds, 6 ORs killed, 7 ORs wounded. Other casualties: 5 killed and 8 wounded from shell fire.
Enemy left 3 killed, 1 Wounded and 4 lying between the lines.
1+5=6 ORs joined
4 ORs joined.
46 ORs joined.
8 ORs killed.
German attempt to raid trench failed; one German prisoner and six dead.
Presentation of medal ribbons by XV Corps commander to Captain J.H. Hardy, Military Cross.
38 ORs joined.
44 ORs joined.
113 ORs joined.
4th Division celebrated Christmas Day on 7 January.
Men employed in unloading railway trucks and loading motor lorries.
All available men used for railway unloading party.
No materiel available for improvement of trenches.
Trenches in very bad state, no communications possible.
4 ORs wounded
8 ORs wounded
104 ORs joined.
22 ORs joined.
44 ORs joined.
30 ORs joined from 23rd I.B.D.
the assault was delayed by heavy fog.
Battn made steps and deepened the assembly trenches, and were ready for attack at 5 am 23/10/1916.
19 ORs arrived; 370 ORs from Lincoln Regt. arrived.
first report of unit strength since August 1914.
11 days spent by 1/2 Battn burying cable.
Gas alarm sounded, but was a mistake.
lecture by Gen. Crosbie on Crater Snatching.
.... before or after. There is little information on unit strength before or afterwards. Only officers are listed as casualties.
The author of the appraisal of the opening day of the Battle of the Somme is not recorded, but the handwriting is not the same as that ....
"Memo sent 11/6/16 to 12th Brigade re. above diagram"
Critique continued
Critique of Scheme and Time Table for the Attack
Capt. (Chaplain) Burrell and 2/Lt. MacWalters built models of trenches which were used for training.
News of fall of Chernovitz?
Time at 11pm on 14 June advanced to midnight
33 ORs arrived
14 ORs arrived
The new Brigadier was present but not named.
9 ORs arrived
Captain (he was Lt-Col in April?) J.N. Bromilow joined and took command from Capt. R.C.Matthews.
Two pigeons seen to fly over our trenches in direction of Adinfer Wood
6 ORs joined battn. from N&6 {?} Entrenching Battn.
A draft of 69 ORs joined the battn. from NLI Entrenching Battn.
30 ORs joined
detailed distribution of companies along the line.
trenches in very bad state due to rain and snow.
Map of front line
Body of German WO brought in.
Patrol found section of German trench unoccupied; challenged and fired upon at 10 yds range; retired under fire.
illegible
12th Bde rejoined 4th Division
Draft of 50 joined bttn. Bttn. attached to 48th Division.
50 ORs arrived on Christmas Day
smoke helmet drills and inspection
12th Bde. joins 36th Division.
12th Bde. split up - Esex Regt. to 109th Bde., Lancashire Fusiliers to 108th Bde. King's Own & 1/5/ South Lancashires remain in 12th Bde.
Orders received for attachment of 12th Bde. to join 36th (Ulster) division for instruction.
difficult to read
Funeral with full military honours for German officer and mechanic killed in aeroplane shot down previous day.
A coy. of E. Lancs joined for instruction
refers to map showing positions in trench
Sir John French, c-in-c, wrote that he appreciated work done by The King's Own Regiment at Ypres.
officers inspected trenches that Battn. were to take over and found them clean and well constructed.
Gen. Plumer informed Brigade that it was to be transferred to 3rd Army, 7th Corps.
71 men, no officers, arrived.
map of La Brique
I assume S. Lancs are different from 'us', K.O.R.Lancs. But it is always the former whose activities are reported in third person.
this page describes activities by other units.
enemy exploded mine
Germans encountered in mine
Exchange of fire in mine gallery
Flashes seen in mine
Diaries for February and March 1915 missing
Sketch map of trenches
Explanation of sketch map of trenches