X550/9/1/1707

WAR DIARY FOR JULY 1917 1 Jul 1917 - Fouquieres-les-Bethune In billets. Church parade in Church Army Hut. A & D Coys baths. 2 Jul 1917 In billets. A & D Coys training on ranges and rifles, Lewis Guns & bombs. B & C Coys Disinfection of S.D.Clothing & Inspection of Arms by Bde Armr. Sgt. in morning & bayonet fighting & drill during afternoon. battalion concert at night 3 Jul 1917 In billets. B & C carried out A & D coys programme for previous day & vice versa. 4 Jul 1917 In billets. Rained hard the whole day. Coys training in billets and lectures. 5 Jul 1917 In billets. Battalion Contact Aeroplane Scheme with No.2 Squadron, R.F.C. - Scheme very successful. Aeroplane plotted position of flares accurately & received our messages sent by ground panel & lamp. Afternoon - Battalion Sports, Very enjoyable afternoon following [sic] by variety concert given by Divisional "Fancies". 6 Jul 1917 - Mazingarbe In billets. Coys training under Coy Commanders. Marched to MAZINGARBE in the evening and relieved 2/York Lancaster Rgt. 7 Jul 1917 - trenches in Hulluch Left Subsection In billets. Coys at training during forenoon. Working parties in afternoon & packing up. At night 1/K.S.L.I. in left subsection of Bde front opposite HULLUCH. 'A' & 'D' Coys front line, 'B' & 'C' in support. relief complete 1.5 am, 8th inst. 8 Jul 1917 In trenches. Enemy activity normal during day. At midnight short heavy hostile bombardment on Bde front on our right. At 1.0 am, 9th inst, we released gas from cylinders and fired projectors into HULLUCH and PUITS 14 BIS. - Practically no retaliation by enemy. He used varied coloured lights for his alarms. Casualties nil. 9 Jul 1917 In trenches. Enemy quiet both day & night. Our patrols had No Mans Land to themselves. Casualties - Capt P.Steyn D.S.O. wounded. 7 O.R. wounded. 10 Jul 1917 In trenches. Enemy quiet all day. machine Guns & snipers active at night. No patrols met in No Man's Land. Casualties - nil. 11 Jul 1917 In trenches. Enemy aircraft activity increased. Enemy put down barrage for one minute on two occasions on our front & support line at night. Probably testing sight lines of new batteries. casualties 1 O.R. killed 3 O.R. wounded. 12 Jul 1917 In trenches. Quiet day except for aircraft activity. At night at 11.30pm 3 fighting patrols of 12 O.R. crossed NO MANS LAND under cover of artillery, mortar and machine Gun barrage. Two to enter German front line and one to cut out enemy post in an advanced sap. A, C, & D Coy furnished these patrols. A Coy's patrol got into the German front line, killed several Germans, brought one back, and destroyed entrance to 2 Dugouts. C Coys patrol failed to get in owing to opposition of 3 hostile M. Guns. D Coy's patrol rushed the sap but found it unoccupied. Enemy apparently clearing when our barrage opened. Casualties 6 O.R. wounded, 4 O.R. missing. 13 Jul 1917 In trenches. Quiet day, much rain visibility poor. Casualties nil. 14 Jul 1917 In trenches. Enemy aircraft active working in patrols of six to ten machines. Very little movement observed by day, but enemy heard by patrols to be busy working on his front line. Casualties nil. 15 Jul 1917 In trenches. Enemy non-aggressive. Much rain at intervals making our trenches difficult in many places. Casualties 1 O.R. wounded. 16 Jul 1917 - Mazingarbe and Reserve Trench In trenches. Except for occasional shelling on back areas the day was quiet. At night enemy harrassed our roads & tracks with intermittent bursts of shells. H.Q. & A & D Coys relieved by 2/York & Lancaster Regt and moved back to billets in MAZINGARBE 17 Jul 1917 In billets. Cleaning up, kit & equipment inspection and baths. B & C Coys remained in RESERVE TRENCH under command of O.C. 2/York & Lancaster Rgt. 18 Jul 1917 In billets. Drill & bayonet fighting for A & D Coys. B & C in trenches as for 17th inst. 19 Jul 1917 - trenches opposite Hulluch In billets. Drill & training. B & C Coys moved to right subsector in RESERVE TRENCH in relief of 2 Coys, 1/Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. H.Qrs & A & D Coys moved up & relieved H.Q. & 2 Coys 1/K.S.L.I. at night. Casualties Lt. B.H.B. Lethbridge & 2/Lt. H.C.Moxon died of wounds, 2 O.R. wounded. 20 Jul 1917 In trenches. Day quiet except or [sic] much aircraft activity. Night raid on our left by 2/York & Lancaster did not produce any identification. Enemy retaliation for our barrage much heavier than on previous raids of late. Casualties 1 OR killed & 6 O.R. wounded. 21 Jul 1917 In trenches. Day misty & quiet, aircraft active towards evening. Casualties 1 OR killed. 22 Jul 1917 - Mazingarbe In trenches. Hostile artillery non active also aircraft due to good visibility. Relieved at night by 5/Lincolnshire Regt. Marched back to MAZINGARBE 23 Jul 1917 - Bailleul-aux-Cornailles Enbused at 3.30 am at MAZINGARBE. Reached BAILLEUL-AUX-CORNAILLES at 7.30 a.m. and went into billets. 24 Jul 1917 In billets. Cleaning and improvement of billets. Inspection of kit, equipment, and arms. 25 Jul 1917 In billets. D Coy commenced musketry - A, B, & C Coy at Drill, bayonet fighting & open warfare training. Battalion drill half an hour. Specialists training & lectures during afternoon. 26 Jul 1917 In billets. D Coy musketry - A, B, C, Coy practising artillery formation & extension on Brigade Training Area during morning. Afternoon Specialist training. 27 Jul 1917 In billets. D Coy musketry, remainder training near billets 28 Jul 1917 In billets. D Coy musketry on long range. A Coy commenced preliminary musketry training. B & C training near billets. 29 Jul 1917 In billets. D Coy musketry on long range. Remainder Church Parade which was cancelled owing to rain 30 Jul 1917 In billets. D Coy musketry, only half day owing to rain, which upset training of remainder 31 Jul 1917 In billets. D Coy. musketry on long range. A Coy preliminary musketry training, remainder training near billets. 8th Bedfordshire Regts Field State Killed 2 Off 4 O.R Wounded 1 Off 27 O.R Missing 4 O.R Sick to Hospital 44 Sick from Hospital 49 Strength of A Company 16 Officers 184 Other Ranks Strength of B Company 6 Officers 191 Other Ranks Strength of C Company 5 Officers 187 Other Ranks Strength of D Company 6 Officers 186 Other Ranks Total 33 Officers 748 Other Ranks

1-31 Jul 1917

From: 1917 To: 1917

item

Steyn, P.,
Lethbridge, Brian Hugh Bridgeman,
Moxon, Hugh Cecil

church services, Church Army, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, land weaponry, clothing, military aircraft, 2 Squadron RFC, 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment, 1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry, deaths, Germans, prisoners of war, weather, baths, 1st/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, 16th Infantry Brigade, Fouquieres-les-Bethune, Mazingarbe, Hulluch, Bailleul-les-Cornailles