X550/9/1/1705

WAR DIARY FOR MAY 1917 1 May 1917 - trenches opposite Cite St-Elie In trenches opposite ST.ELIE astride HULLUCH - VERMELLES ROAD - A, B & C Coy in front line, D Coy in support. Casualties 1 O.R. wounded. Enemy machine guns active at night. Hostile artillery shelled portion of our line during the day. 2 May 1917 In trenches as above. Enemy artillery non active. Casualties 3 OR Killed, 5 OR wounded 3 May 1917 - trenches in Hulluch Left Subsection In trenches as above. Day quiet & uneventful. At night relieved by 9/Suffolk Regt and thenmoved to left subsection HULLUCH SECTOR. Bn. N. boundary HULLUCH ROAD, S. boundary 7A2 BOYAU and down VENDIN ALLEY. C Coy in front line at HULLUCH TUNNELS; A, B & D Coys in close support in RESERVE TRENCH. Casualties 1 OR wounded. 4 May 1917 In trenches as for 3rd. Hostile machine gun activity at night. Artillery mainly aggressive on back areas and batteries during day. At midnight we fired gas shells into enemy lines from projectors. These were fired simultaneously by electric current, followed after 20 minutes interval by shrapnel and H.E. barrage. Casualties 2 OR wounded 5 May 1917 In trenches as for 3rd. Much movement observed in enemy back areas presumed to be a relief. Enemy aggression normal. At midnight enemy patrol about 15 strong entered our lines between 75 & 76 BOYAU. He was immediately bombed out by four men of C Coy. Enemy left 2 dead behind which were brought in. We suffered no casualties during this affray. Identification was normal (72nd R.I.R.) Casualties nil 6 May 1917 In trenches as for 3rd. Considerable aircraft activity on both sides both by day and night. An enemy machine shot down by our 'planes at 6.30 pm. Enemy machine guns active at night. Back areas shelled during day with occasional bursts on our trenches. Casualties 2/Lt. TW Symes & 3 OR wounded. 7 May 1917 In trenches as for 3rd. Quiet day except for occasional hostile shelling. Aircraft on both sides active. The superior flying abilities of our new triplanes observed in an air fight about 6.30 pm. Relief at night by 1/The Buffs. Relief complete at 1.20 am, 8th inst. Battalion marched back to MAZINGARBE and billeted. Casualties nil. 8 May 1917 - Mazingarbe In billets. Men resting. Draft of 6 O.R. (sick & wounded rejoined) from Base. 9 May 1917 In billets. Coys inspection of clothing, arms & equipment. Draft of 18 O.R. arrived sick and wounded from Base. 10 May 1917 In billets. Coys at drill, bayonet fighting and physical training - 53 O.R. joined battn. from Divisional Training Coy. mainly composed of men transferred from A.S.C. and A.P.C. 11 May 1917 - trenches in Hulluch Left Subsection In billets. Coys at drill & bayonet fighting. Leather Jerkins & Woollen Vests withdrawn from the men & returned to A.D.D. At night moved up in relief of 1/The Buffs in left subsection of HULLUCH SECTOR. B Coy front line, A, C & D Coys in support. 12 May 1917 In trenches as for 11th. Enemy non aggressive during day except for trench mortars. At night machine guns active. Casualties 1 OR. wounded. 13 May 1917 In trenches as for 11th. Enemy quiet. Hostile shelling chiefly on back areas. Aircraft active whole day. During night a patrol under 2/Lt H.T. KENT was caught by our own fire. Casualties 2Lt. H.T.KENT wounded 1 OR killed, 9 OR wounded. 14 May 1917 In trenches as for 11th. Enemy extremely quiet. At night gas was released from the Brigade front and gas bombs fired from projectors followed by a barrage on communications by our artillery and machine guns. Enemy's reply was feble. Casualties nil. 15 May 1917 - Mazingarbe In billets as for 11th. Enemy quiet except for trench mortars which were speedily silenced. Casualties 1 OR. wounded. relieved at night by 1/K.S.L.I. and moved back to MAZINGARBE in Brigade Support. 16 May 1917 In billets. Cleaning up and inspection of kit and equipt. 17 May 1917 In billets. Baths and changes of clothing and inspection of rifles, Lewis Guns & revolvers 18 May 1917 In billets. Coys training in drill, bayonet fighting and physical exercise. 19 May 1917 - trenches opposite Hulluch In billets. Coys training in drill, bayonet fighting and physical exercise. Lieut Colonel Lord Ampthill G.C.S.I. G.C.I.E. left the battalion and proceeded to G.H.Q. for employment under the Director of Labour. At night battalion moved up in relief of 2/York & Lancaster Regt opposite HULLUCH - A,B, & D Coy in first line. C Coy in support. Major H.R.McCullagh commanding battalion. 20 May 1917 In trenches as above. Enemy quiet except for aerial activity. Casualties 4 O.R. wounded. 21 May 1917 In trenches as above. Enemy mortars and aerial darts were active. At night a combined machine gun shoot carried out on Bde. front. Enemy retaliation feeble. Casualties 1 O.R. killed, 9 OR wounded. 22 May 1917 In trenches as above. Dull day and enemy movement above ground increased. 1/Leicestershire Regt made a raid with one Coy. at 12 noon using smoke barrage. Barrages, both artillery & smoke appeared good. Casualties nil. 23 May 1917 - Mazingarbe In trenches as above. Weather warm & clear. Very little enemy movement observed. Hostile shelling increased probably due to our annoying him by cutting wire opposite HULLUCH. Relieved at night by 2/York & Lancaster Regiment & moved back. Bde Support at MAZINGARBE. 24 May 1917 In billets. Coys cleaning up and inspection of kits. 25 May 1917 In billets. Coys training during day and furnished small working parties at night. 26 May 1917 In billets. Coys at baths & training. Small working parties at night. 27 May 1917 - Fouquieres-les-Bethune In billets. Church service near Brewery. Battalion marched off at 8.0pm to FOUQUIERES fot training and became Divisional Reserve. 28 May 1917 In billets. Coys at drill, bayonet fighting, and physical training. 29 May 1917 In billets. Coys at drill, bayonet fighting, and physical training. Also musketry and live bomb practice 30 May 1917 In billets. Coys at drill, bayonet fighting, and physical training. Major Jones attached as Second in Command from 2/Durham Light Infantry. 31 May 1917 In billets. Coys training. Musketry on short ranges & live bomb practice. 8th Bedfordshire Regt Field State May 1917 Killed 7 O.R. Wounded 2 Off. 37 O.R. Sick to Hospital 77 Sick from Hospital 47 Strength of A Coy 13 Officers 189 O.Ranks Strength of B Coy 4 Officers 187 O.Ranks Strength of C Coy 5 Officers 192 O.Ranks Strength of D Coy 7 Officers 171 O.Ranks Total 29 Officers 739 O.Ranks

1-31 May 1917

From: 1917 To: 1917

item

Symes, T.W.,
Kent, H.T.,
Ampthill, Arthur Oliver Villiers Russell, 2nd Baron,
McCullagh, H R,
Jones

8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, town & local roads, land weaponry, deaths, 9th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, 72nd Reserve Infantry Regiment, military aircraft, aerial action overseas, 1st Battalion Buffs, Army Service Corps, Army Pay Corps, clothing, 16th Infantry Brigade, 1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment, 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, weather, Mazingarbe Brewery, church services, 6th Division, 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry, Cite St-Elie [Loos], Hulluch, Vendin Alley [Loos], Hulluch Tunnels [Loos], Mazingarbe, Fouquieres-les-Bethune