X550/5/3/1803

WAR DIARY FOR MARCH 1918 1-4 Mar 1918 - front line near Ribecourt-la-Tour Batt. in the Front Line. 2.Lt.Hinchliffe wounded on the 3rd inst. 1 prisoner captured by 2.Lt. D.H.Macklin. 5-8 Mar 1918 - West Wood Camp, Havrincourt Camp improvements. A/Capt. P.F.Watts M.C. struck off strength sick to England. 9-12 Mar 1918 - support line near Ribecourt-la-Tour Support line. 2/Lt. C.W.Mallinson struck off strength sick to England. Capt. Ogilvie joined. 13 Mar 1918 - front line near Ribecourt-la-Tour Batt. heavily shelled with mustard gas. Capt. Moyse, 2.Lts.Smith, Shott, Kinkhead, Bradfield and 264 O.Rs. were evacuated from effects of same. 14 Mar 1918 2.Lt. Cothill joined. 16 Mar 1918 Shell in front line, improvements carried out. 17 Mar 1918 - West Wood Camp, Havrincourt Big wiring parties. 19 Mar 1918 Capt. Edwards struck off strength sick to England. Capt. Nixon & 2.Lt.Bland joined. 20 Mar 1918 - support line near Ribecourt-la-Tour Took over support line at night. 21 Mar 1918 - 2nd line defences near Ribecourt-la-Tour Enemy attacked and captured front line posts. Brigade were withdrawn to 2nd line defence. 22 Mar 1918 - Havrincourt Wood Withdrawal to Havrincourt Wood. 23 Mar 1918 - Ytres At noon, the Batt. retired again through NEUVILLE to YTRES. Lieut. W.S. Davis killed. 2.Lt. M.A.Kruger came up with rations, since been missing; probably prisoner. 24 Mar 1918 - Courcelette Overnight the Batt. having withdrawn to R.E. dump N. of YTRES, retired under heavy M.G. Fire through BARAST [sic] - to BOULENCOURT [sic] where they remained for 2 hrs. and after firing all but withdrew as a rearguard, provided by A Coy. to BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT and then to COURCELETTE, where the Batt. stopped overnight. Lt. Girling wounded. 2/Lt. Cowell missing, Capt.Nixon, 2/Lts.Vincent, Green, missing. 25 Mar 1918 - Thiepval Batt. advanced on HIGH WOOD and formed a defensive flank, when all ammunition had been expended and fighting to the last, they retired to THIEPVAL and took up a position on the ridge. 2/Lts.R.C.FYNN, A.HAYES were killed. 2/Lt.A.Bland wounded. 26 Mar 1918 - Bouzincourt Batt. marched to AVELUY WOOD where they were informed they were relieved by 12 Division and were marched to and billeted in a wood W of ENGLEBELMER. At 6.30 p.m. orders were received to move as an advance guard to BOUZINCOURT. 27 Mar 1918 - west of Albert Batt. was moved south to a position W of ALBERT where they attacked the Railway at 7.30 a.m. Lt.Col. J.S.COLLINGS-WELLS, D.S.O. MAJOR G.P. NUNNELEY, 2/Lt. D.H.MACKLIN, 2.Lt. O.J.SOAMES killed, Lts.C.KEITH-JOHNSTON M.C. J.B. PRIMROSE-WELLS. 2.Lts. L.HAMBLING & W.BROUGHTON wounded. Capt.L.G.PLUMBLY M.C. took over command of the Batt. temporarily from this date. 28 Mar 1918 - Forceville Batt. was relieved at 3.30 a.m. and marched to SENLIS, billetted there until 11 a.m. and then marched to MAILLY-MAILLET wood, then on to billets in FORCEVILLE. Casualties from 20th inst. killed 21, wounded 88, 124 missing. 29 Mar 1918 23008 Pte. SLOUGH awarded M.M. 30 Mar 1918 Billets at FORCEVILLE reorganising.

1-30 Mar 1918

From: 1918 To: 1918

item

Hinchliffe,
Macklin, David Harold,
Watts, P.F.,
Mallinson, C.W.,
Ogilvie, F W,
Moyse, R.E.,
Shott, P.,
Kinkead, E.,
Bradfield, J.W.,
Smith, W.D.F.,
Bland, R.,
Nixon, Noel Charles Frederick,
Cothill,
Davis, William Stanley,
Kruger, M.A.,
Girling, F.A.,
Cowell, R.C.,
Vincent, Leslie Arthur Walter,
Green, E.M.L.,
Fynn, Robert Charles,
Hayes, Arthur,
Bland, A.,
Collings-Wells, John Stanhope,
Nunneley, George Paterson,
Soames, Oliver Jack,
Keith-Johnson, C.,
Primrose-Wells, James Bowen,
Hambling, L.,
Broughton, W.G.,
Plumbly, L.G.,
Slough

prisoners of war, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, deaths, land weaponry, 190th Infantry Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division, Ribecourt-la-Tour, West Wood Camp [Arras], Havrincourt, Havrincourt Wood [Arras], Neuville-Bourjonval, Ytres, Courcelette, Bazentin-le-Petit, Thiepval, High Wood [Somme], Bouzincourt, Aveluy Wood [Somme], Englebelmer, Albert, Forceville, Senlis, Mailly-Maillet, Maillet Wood (Somme), Barastre, Bealencourt