X550/9/1/1706

WAR DIARY FOR JUNE 1917 1 Jun 1917 - Fouquieres-les-Bethune In billets. Battalion carried out a Contact Aeroplane scheme in conjunction with 'C' Flight No.2 Squadron R.F.C. Observer plotted position of lighted flares on skecth map, both original position and advanced parts and messages were sent successfully by signalling panel to the aeroplane. In the evening Major-General Comdg 6th Division lectured officers & NCOs on work done and to be done. 2 Jun 1917 In billets. Coys Route Marching during the forenoon. Afternoon spent on long range firing application & Rapid practice. 3 Jun 1917 - Mazingarbe In billets. Open air church service. Marched to MAZINGARBE in the evening and came into Brigade Support. 4 Jun 1917 - G.17.b.80.10 (Ref Map 36c.XI.W) In billets. Coys cleaning up and resting during the day. Relieved 1/K.S.L.I. in left sebsection 16 I.B. sector. Quiet relief - no casualties. D Coy in front line, A, B & C Coys in RESERVE TR. 5 Jun 1917 Trenches. Quiet day and no unusual occurrences. Coys working on own trenches. 6 Jun 1917 Trenches. Wire cutting opposite our front by 4.5" Hows. and T.M.s at 5.0 pm. Enemy retaliation negligible. 7 Jun 1917 12.15 am Trenches. Dummy Raid by ST.ELIE group Artillery on our left in conjunction with a Raid by 18 I.B. on our right; certain amount of enemy retaliation on our lines. 2/Lt J.D.Northcroft & 1 OR slightly wounded. Quiet day; heavy thunder storm about 5.0 pm. 8 Jun 1917 Trenches. Artillery Bombardment, assisted by M.T.M.s & Stokes of enemy front line at 12 noon. In order to assist operations undertaken by 46th Div. on our right, enemy line in front of us was bombarded by artillery & T.M's from 8.30-9.15 pm. At 8.30 also we loosed a Smoke screen between Cardiff Sap and the Craters lasting about 35 minutes. Enemy retaliation fairly heavy. No casualties. Patrol of 1 off. & 6 O.R. from A Coy attempted to enter enemy line near Cardiff Sap between 10.30 & 11.30pm, but were seen, so had to retire. 9 Jun 1917 Trenches. Brig. on our left projected gas at 2.0 am. Enemy retaliation on us practically nil. Smoke barrage shot[?] on enemy front line by left brigade from 9.45 - 9.55 pm. 10 Jun 1917 Quiet day, with nothing unusual. 11 Jun 1917 12.30 am Trenches. Shoot & smoke barrage on enemy front & support line in conjunction with raid by 71st I.Brigade on right. Enemy retaliated on our front and support line. Quiet day otherwise: Casualties 1 O.R. wounded. 12 Jun 1917 Trenches. Spasmodic shelling of RESERVE line during the early morning. Bombardment of enemys front & support line with Stokes & T.M. at 6.0 am in conjunction with a raid by the 18th I.B. on our right. Quiet day. Relieved by 2 Y&L Regt. during night 12/13 & proceeded to MAZINGARBE where Battn came into Bde Support. Very late relief - complete 3.25 am. Casualties 2 OR wounded. 13 Jun 1917 - Mazingarbe In billets. Companies bathing. 2 Working parties one of 1 NCO & 12 men & one of 2 NCOs & 25 men found for pumping trenches. Draft of 23 O.R. arrived from the Base. 14 Jun 1917 In billets. Companies cleaning up & inspections. Same Working Parties as yesterday. 15 Jun 1917 In billets. Coys parading under Coy Commanders. Working Party of 4 officers & 200 O.R. found at night for clering Support Line in 16 I.B. Sector. Capt.Body and 1 O.R. wounded. Major R.le Huquet took over command of the Battalion. 16 Jun 1917 Hulluch trenches Billets. Companies resting & packing up during the day. Relieved 1/K.S.L.I. in Right Sector 16 I.B. front C, A & 'B' Coys in front line, D Coy in support. Casualties 2 OR wounded. 17 Jun 1917 Trenches. Quiet day with nothing unusual. 2Lt[?] T.P.Jones joined the Batt. from the base. Casualties 2 O.R. killed, 2 O.R. wounded. 18 Jun 1917 Trenches. Quiet day. Battalion sidestepped one Coy. front to the right, "C" Coy relieving a Coy. of 1st W.Yorks Regt. and becoming right front Coy. "D" Coy. relieved a Coy of same Regt in Reserve Line. "A" Coy 1/K.S.L.I. relieved our D Coy & came under the command of our C.O. Casualties - 1 O.R. killed, 2 O.R. wounded. 19 Jun 1917 Trenches. relief complete 1.50 am. Quiet day. Casualties - nil. 20 Jun 1917 Trenches. Enemy activity normal. Hostile artillery activity in afternoon and machine gun & rifle fire at night. Our attempt to lay & fire Bangalore torpedoes under enemy wire failed owinf to alertness of enemy and entanglement of leads. Casualties nil. 21 Jun 1917 Trenches. Enemy activity mormal. At 3.0 am, 22nd inst enemy opened up with concentrated intense mortar fire on B & C Coys front. At 3.10 am 'S.O.S.' signal was observed to go up from our front line which was repeated at Bn. H.Q. and sent through our Bde. by telephone to the artillery. A small party of 1 offr & 15 Germans managed to enter our front line between two of our posts under cover of smoke & darkness. They surprised and believed to have captured nine of our men. Also a patrol of 1 NCO & 2 men who were in No man's land when the bombardment commenced are missing. Enemy only managed to enter our front line for a few minutes although he kept his intense barrage on till 3.45 am. 22 Jun 1917 In trenches. Enemy made much use of his trench mortars on right coy. His aircraft active but none crossed our line. Casualties 5 O.R. killed, 7 O.R. wounded, 12 O.R. missing. 2/Lt H.J.Weller wounded. 23 Jun 1917 In trenches. Enemy much less aggressive. Much movement observed in his back areas. Casualties 1 O.R. killed, 7 O.R. wounded. 24 Jun 1917 In trenches. Enemy quiet. At 9.0 pm 1/The Buffs on our left raided the enemy trenches remaining in their line for 2 1/2 hrs. The battalion cooperated by putting up a smoke barrage and exposing dummy figures representing troops leaving our trenches, which drew the enemy's fire. The Bdes on our right & left (18th & 147th) also assisted with a smoke barrage. 15 prisoners & 2 serial dart machines were captured many dugouts blown in & enemy killed. Casualties 2 O.R. killed, 2 O.R. wounded. 25 Jun 1917 - reserve trenches and Mazingarbe In trenches. Enemy quiet except for occasional burst of artillery fire on our dumps & trenches. Our artillery frequently retaliated during the night on enemy dumps. Battalion relieved at 3.10 am, 26th inst by 2/York & Lancaster Regt A & D Coys moved into Reserve Trench. Bn. H.Q. & B & C Coys to MAZINGARBE. Casualties 2 O.R. killed, 8 O.R. wounded. 26 Jun 1917 In billets. Relief of battalion completed at 2.50 am. A & D Coys remained in the line under command of O.C. 2/York & Lancaster Rgt and O.C. 1/The Buffs respectively. B & C Coys cleaning up equipt & clothing & overhauling casualties - 2/Lt F.J.Smith & 7 O.R. wounded. 27 Jun 1917 In billets. Coys drilling & training. Furnished small working parties at night. Casualties 2Lt.H.N.F.Forge wounded. 28 Jun 1917 - Fouquieres-les-Bethune In billets. Coys training. At 8.opm Bn. H.Q. & B and C Coys relieved by 1/K.S.L.I. and marched to FOUQUIERES. Rained in torrents the whole way & in several places roads knee deep in water. Casualties 9 O.R. killed, 7 O.R. wounded. 29 Jun 1917 In billets. Drying of men's clothing. Drill & bayonet fighting afterwards. A & D Coys relieved in the line by 1/K.S.L.I. and marched to MAZINGARBE. 30 Jun 1917 In billets. B & C Coys on training ground working on short ranges & assault courses. A & D Coy marched to FOUQUIERES at 5.0 pm. 8th Bedfordshire Regt. Field State June 1917 Killed 22 O.R. Wounded 5 Off. 53 O.R. Missing 12 O.R. Sick to Hospital 69 Sick from Hospital 47 Strength of A Company 13 Officers 185 Other Ranks Strength of B Company 4 Officers 199 Other Ranks Strength of C Company 3 Officers 180 Other Ranks Strength of D Company 6 Officers 204 Other Ranks Total 26 Officers 768 Other Ranks

1-30 Jun 1917

From: 1917 To: 1917

item

Northcroft, J.D.,
le Huquet, R.,
Body, Frank Lydford,
Weller, H J,
Smith, F.J.,
Forge, Henry Noel Francis

8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, Royal Flying Corps, military aircraft, 6th Division, church services, 16th Infantry Brigade, maps, 1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry, land weaponry, 18th Infantry Brigade, weather, 71st Infantry Brigade, 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment, baths, deaths, 1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment, Germans, 1st Battalion Buffs, clothing, Fouquieres-les-Bethune, Mazingarbe, Cardiff Sap [Loos]