X550/9/1/1704

WAR DIARY FOR APRIL 1917 1 Apr 1917 - Loos-en-Gohelle left subsection Relieved 1/The Buffs in LOOS left subsection at night. A, C & D Coys front line, B Coy in support. 2 Apr 1917 In trenches. Enemy activity normal. Considerable number of hostile aircraft present whole day and observation balloons up. Casualties 1 O.R. killed. 3 Apr 1917 In trenches. Enemy activity normal. Intense bombardment of our front line for 10 min. about 10.0 p.m., but nothing followed. Machine guns move active afterwards during night. Lt. Col. Lord Ampthill joined the battalion. Casualties 1 O.R. killed & 13 O.R. wounded. 4 Apr 1917 In trenches. Colonel Lord Henry Scott left to proceed to G.H.Q. Lt.Col.Lord Ampthill assumed command of the battalion. Enemy active with aerial darts especially at night. Casualties 1 Officer wounded (2LT CLARK), 1 O.R. killed 3 O.R. wounded 5 Apr 1917 In trenches. Enemy activity normal, machine guns active at night. Enemy used gas shells. Casualties 2 O.R. killed, 3 O.R. wounded. 6 Apr 1917 In trenches. Enemy field guns more active. Machine guns quieter at night. Casualties 1 O.R. killed. 7 Apr 1917 - les Brebis and Maroc In trenches. Enemy activity normal, slight shelling of back areas after dark. Relieved at night by 1/The Buffs. H.Q. A.C.& D.Coys to LES BREBIS B Coy to MAROC. 8 Apr 1917 In billets. Cleaning & inspection of arms, equipt & clothing. H.Q. & Coy Commanders reconnoitring best route to support 18th & 71st Infy Bdes, also our own brigade. 9 Apr 1917 In billets. Coys. at drill & rifle exercises. Comdg officer's conference of Coy Commanders. 10 Apr 1917 In billets. Coys training in the attack as laid down In SS143. Casualties 2 O.R. wounded. 11 Apr 1917 In billets. Coys close order drill and rifle exercises. Too wet for attack practice. 12 Apr 1917 In billets. Coys close order drill and rifle exercises. Too wet for attack practice. 13 Apr 1917 In billets. Coys practising new formations for attack (S.S.143). Enemy reported retiring from trenches near DOUBLE CRASSIER. battn ordered to move to reserve line. 14 Apr 1917 - trenches between Vermelles and Grenay In trenches between VERMELLES - GRENAY in Bde Reserve. 15 Apr 1917 In trenches between VERMELLES - GRENAY in Bde Reserve. At noon orders issued for battn to attack in conjunction with 1/The Buffs. Battn moved up to south of LOOS under heavy hostile barrage and finally occupied position in prolongation south of LOOS CRASSIER. C & A Coy firing line, B & D in Support. Casualties 28 O.R. wounded. 16 Apr 1917 - After artillery bombardment C & A Coy bombed their way to first objective & consolidated. Bn on our left failed to reach this and retired on former position. Both C & A Coys flank were in the air, but despite this and enemy bombing attacks they maintained all ground gained. Casualties 2 OR killed & 17 wounded. 17 Apr 1917 At 5 a.m. after artillery bombardment forward movement continued by bombing down trenches. A Coy was held up by strong point in front of brigade on right. C Coy again took their objectives, captured 27 prisoners and a machine gun with trench mounting. Capt.G.D.Brewster & 2Lt.W.T.Lyons doing splendid work. Remainder of day enemy bombarded newly won ground and back areas with heavy howitzers, but despite casualties and difficulties met with in getting up supplies the ground taken towards Hill 70 was held. In this attack the 1/K.S.L.I. were on our left and also gained their objective. The battalion was congratulated for their good work by the Brigadier and G.O.C. 6th Division Casualties 3 O.R. killed & 17 wounded. 18 Apr 1917 At 5.0 am an attack from three points was made by D Coy on the strong point mentioned above which threatened our right flank (During the night B had relieved C in the front line and D Coy had relieved A Coy). This failed through the devastating fire poured on to them from concrete emplacements by hostile machine guns. B Coy bombed down to their right to connect with D Coy but as strong point was not taken this was not effected. Hostile artillery active the whole day and at periods became intense. Three more prisoners taken during the day. Casualties Lt J.C.ASH wounded. 7 OR killed & 33 wounded. 19 Apr 1917 - Maroc All ground previously gained was held despite many bombing attacks by the enemy and a very heavy hostile barrage. At night battalion was relieved by 14th Durham Light Infantry. Relief was not completed until 6.30 am, 20 inst. Battalion moved back to MAROC. Casualties Capt J.E.BLACK, RAMC & 2/Lt TAYLOR killed. 2/Lt Balls, Betts, Hendric & Wright wounded 17 O.R. killed & 91 wounded. 20 Apr 1917 - Philosophe Battn marched to PHILOSOPHE and placed under orders of 71st Bde. Men had baths and change of underclothing. Casualties 3 killed & 7 wounded (O.R.) 21 Apr 1917 - Cite St-Elie Sector Battn cleaning up and resting. At night moved up in relief of 1/Leicestershire Regt in right subsection of ST. ELIE SECTOR. Night quiet. Enemy used gas shells on back areas. Casualties 1 O.R. killed & 1 wounded. 22 Apr 1917 In trenches as above. Enemy quiet on our front. Heavy artillery whole day on our right near LOOS. Casualties 2 O.R. wounded 23 Apr 1917 In trenches as above. Enemy quiet though much movement observed in his back areas. Casualties 6 O.R. wounded. 24 Apr 1917 In trenches as above. Enemy active with his artillery, shelled our reserve & village lines almost continuously the whole day. His aircraft also much in evidence Casualties 1 O.R. killed and 3 O.R. wounded. 25 Apr 1917 In trenches as above. Enemy again actiive with artillery. Shelled reserve support & front lines with 5.9 & 4.2 howitzers from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm. At 11.0pm a hostile patrol slipped through a large gap on our front immediately after the place had been patrolled. They bombed one of our posts causing several casualties and took away one man as a prisoner. Casualties 1 O.R. killed, 6 wounded, and 1 prisoner of war. 26 Apr 1917 - Cite St-Elie reserve line In trenches as above. Enemy artillery less active than on previous two days. relieved at night by 2/York & Lancaster Regt and omved back to Brigade Reserve in Reserve Line. 27 Apr 1917 In Reserve trenches. Quiet day except for slight occasional shelling. Draft of 6 O.R. joined. 28 Apr 1917 In Reserve trenches. Enemy shelled back areas during day & at times portion of our trenches. Draft of 100 O.R. joined, but kept back for further training at Divl Training Coy. 29 Apr 1917 In Reserve trenches. Quiet day, 3 small working parties furnished for T.M. Batteries. Casualties 1 O.R. wounded. 30 Apr 1917 - St.Elie Centre Subsection In Reserve trenches. Day quiet. Relieved 2/8th Manchester Regt in Centre Subsection at night. 8th Bedfordshire Regt Field State April 1917 Killed 2 Off 50 O.R. Wounded 6 Off 218 O.R. Missing 8 O.R. Sick to Hospital 129 Sick from Hospital 36 A Company Strength 14 Off 180 O.R B Company Strength 6 Off 158 O.R C Company Strength 5 Off 163 O.R D Company Strength 7 Off 155 O.R Total 32 Off 656 O.R A draft of 100 at Div. Training Coy. not posted to Coys

1-30 Apr 1917

From: 1917 To: 1917

item

Ampthill, Arthur Oliver Villiers Russell, 2nd Baron,
Scott, Henry [Lord],
Brewster, G.D.,
Lyons, W.T.,
Ash, John Cuxton,
Black, J.E.,
Taylor

8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion Buffs, military aircraft, military balloons, land weaponry, 18th Infantry Brigade, 71st Infantry Brigade, maps, weather, 16th Infantry Brigade, deaths, prisoners of war, 1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 6th Division, baths, 14th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, Royal Army Medical Corps, 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment, 2nd/8th Battalion Manchester Regiment, Loos-en-Gohelle, les Brebis, Maroc, Double Crassier [Loos], Vermelles, Grenay, Loos Crassier, Hill 70 [Loos], Philosophe, Cite St-Elie [Loos]