X550/9/1/1701

War Diary for January 1917

1-31 Jan 1917

From: 1916 To: 1916

1 Jan 1917 - Hohenzollern Left Sector Battalion relieved 2nd York & Lancaster Regt in HOHENZOLLERN LEFT SECTOR. Relief was complete by 4 PM no casualties. Trenches in very bad state no working parties required other than improving our trenches. 2 Jan 1917 Situation quiet with exception of a few inclusive[?] trench mortars casualties nil. 3 Jan 1917 Situation quiet one casualty (slightly wounded in carrying rations to front Coy) Patrolling work done by front Coys but nothing important observed 4 Jan 1917 Situation quiet casualties nil RSM awarded DCM in New Years Honours and CO Capts Steyn Pares & 2 Lt Smith mentioned in despatches 5 Jan 1917 - support trenches Relieved by 2nd York & Lancaster Regt. & went into support line trenches in fine conditions casualties nil 6 Jan 1917 Baths alloted to Battalion at VERMELLES also had to supply about 200 men for working parties. New draft of 1 off & 174 OR arrived a very good lot of men 7 Jan 1917 Working parties supplied . Casualties nil a further draft of 98 OR arrived very good but mostly specialists. CO inspected draft of 174 O R 8 Jan 1917 Working parties supplied casualties nil CO inspected draft of 98 O R 9 Jan 1917 - Hohenzollern Left Sector Moved up the line again & relieved 2nd York Lancaster trenches still in a bad state but showed sign of slight improvement Casualties nil 10 Jan 1917 Supplied 30 men to R.E's to make new dug outs in support line enemy fire about 200 light trench mortars over our front line casualties nil he received good retaliation from our artillery otherwise enemy quiet 11 Jan 1917 Companies all working on improvement of trenches situation quiet our artillery slightly active casualties nil. 12 Jan 1917 Weather bad, but very little sickness in spite of condition of trenches situation quiet 13 Jan 1917 - Noyelles-les-Vermelles and Lancashire Trench Battalion relieved by 2nd York Lancs Regt & proceeded to huts in NOYELLES for short rest. Weather very bad. 1 Coy remained in LANCASHIRE TRENCH 14 Jan 1917 Baths allotted to Battalion. 30 men per Coy attended Church Parade. 2 new drafts were allocated & joined their respective Coys 15 Jan 1917 Companies trained at 10.30 pm Battalion ordered to stand to and sent 1 Coy up to support an attack & as expected this did not take place & Coy returned next day. 16 Jan 1917 Companies continued training 75 men under 2Lt Batt proceeded to Divisional training school for further training also the Battalion started an 8 day course at transport for purpose of training Lewis Gunners 17 Jan 1917 - Hohenzollern Left Sector Battalion moved up line again & relieved 2nd York & Lancasters weather very bad heavy snow fall relieve [sic] completed by 12.50 PM enemy quiet casualties nil 18 Jan 1917 Enemy quiet. At 3 pm our .. trench mortars carried out a shoot on enemy's front & support line no retaliation casualties nil 19 Jan 1917 Enemy quiet our artillery carried out a shoot opposite our front. Good results were observed. Casualties nil. We sent out patrols at night. Casualties nil. 20 Jan 1917 Enemy quiet our artillery fairly active cutting wire etc. At 11 pm 2Lt MATTEY & Sgt HUNTER went out on patrol & did not return. It is feared they were taken prisoner. At 3 A M LT FLEMING with an NCO went out to look for them, but could find no sign 21 Jan 1917 The battalion was relieved by 2nd Y&L. It proceeded to Support Lines. Enemy quiet our artillery & T M's fairly active still wire cutting also our heavies fired a number of rounds behind enemies lines. Working parties were supplied by battalion. Casualties nil. C Company went back to huts NOYELLES in order to train for projected raid under Capt G D BREWSTER Eighty of these men were sent to DIVISIONAL GRENADE SCHOOL for instruction 22 Jan 1917 Working parties supplied by battalion also baths for men. Casualties nil 23 Jan 1917 Working parties supplied by battalion also baths for men. Casualties nil 24 Jan 1917 Our artillery again active as before our trenches selected for prospective raid. Working parties supplied. Casualties nil 25 Jan 1917 - Hohenzollern Left Sector Battalion moved into line again relieving 2nd Y&L enemy quiet. Patrols sent out . Our snipers active & claimed at least two hits. casualties nil. Successful raid carried out by Brigade on our left. Enemy retaliated slightly on us, but no damage done 26 Jan 1917 Enemy quiet. Our artillery again fairly active. Casualties nil. Another small raid by left Brigade at 11 pm. Enemy hardly retaliated. 27 Jan 1917 Our Artillery active also TM cutting wire [unreadable] our left front in preparation for prospective raid by Battalion. Casualties nil 28 Jan 1917 Artillery & TM completed cutting wire also shelled enemies support lines. Sgt Jarvis of D Coy accidentally wounded by Pte Fall [?] who discharged his rifle whilst cleaning. C Coy at 11 pm moved from NOYELLES to LEFT FRONT SECTOR preparatory to raid enemies trenches at 3.30 AM 29th inst. No casualties 29 Jan 1917 - Noyelles-les-Vermelles and Lancashire Trench A raid was made on enemy trenches called LITTLE WILLIE & HINDENBURG Trench. The guns started at 3.30 am. Raiders 150 man party from C Coy under Capt Brewster started at 3.37 under cover of our artillery barrage. Enemy's front line was quickly taken but as the raid was limited to 35 mins the raiders did not have time to enter 2nd Line. 2 prisoners were taken (very important identifications) several Germans killed also six dug outs were bombed with mobile charges. Casualties 1 officer very slightly wounded. 1 OR killed 1 severely wounded 3 liightly wounded.. Enemy put up very poor resistance. Battalion returned to reserve billets later in the forenoon 1 Coy to Lancashire Trench. 30 Jan 1917 Routine work in billets. 31 Jan 1917 Routine work in billets. 8th Bedfordshire Regt. Field State January 31st 1917 Killed 1 Missing 2 Wounded 7 Sick to Hospital 88* Sick from Hospital 52 Evacuated from FA 47 Strength of A Coy 12 Officers 273 Other Ranks Strength of B Coy 5 Officers 290 Other Ranks Strength of C Coy 7 Officers 268 Other Ranks Strength of D Coy 5 Officers 275 Other Ranks Total 29 Officers 1106 Other Ranks * The majority of the sick are men recently out from England

English

item

Pares,
Hatch,
Smith,
Batt,
Mattey, Charles Percival,
Hunter,
Fleming, Harold Winning,
Jarvis,
Fall,
Brewster, G.D.

8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, York & Lancaster Regiment, Royal Engineers, weaponry, weather, church services, prisoners of war, baths, 16th Infantry Brigade, deaths, Germans, Loos Hohenzollern Sector, Noyelles-les-Vermelles, Hulluch, World War One, First World War, war diary