X550/9/1/1601

WAR DIARY FOR JANUARY 1916 1 Jan 1916 - Poperinge Hd.QRs. "A" & "D" Coys in billets B & C Coys Canal Bank wet day 2 Jan 1916 Raining 6th Div. Baths allotted 3 Jan 1916 - Vlamertinge Moved by train at 4.30pm to VLAMERTINGHE to relieve 1/Buffs in FORWARD COTTAGE line of trenches reief complete at 9.30pm trenches very muddy & wet 4 Jan 1916 - Forward Cottage trenches Raining & blowing very hard 5 Jan 1916 S.14 heavily shelled asked for intense retaliation which was satisfactory 6 Jan 1916 Usual shelling ground & trenches very muddy 7 Jan 1916 Raining 8 Jan 1916 - Poperinge and Camp B Relieved by 2nd York & Lancaster Regt. relief complete at 9.30pm raining train to POPERINGHE A&D Coys Camp B Wood A.30. H.Q. & 'B' & 'C' Coys in Billets POPERINGHE train arrived 1 am 9 Jan 1916 In Billets parades under Coy Commanders 10 Jan 1916 In billets 11 Jan 1916 In billets 12 Jan 1916 In billets 13 Jan 1916 - Camp C In billets. Moved to Camp C, Wood A30. in afternoon. 14 Jan 1916 - wood at A.30 Battalion in rest in wood A.30. Major H.C.Jackson, Bedfordshire Regt. from G.S.O.II Fourth Corps assumed command. 15 Jan 1916 Battalion in rest. 16 Jan 1916 Battalion in rest. 17 Jan 1916 Battalion in rest. 18 Jan 1916 - Burgomaster Farm and Canal Bank Battalion moved at 4.30 pm from wood A.30 - Headquarters and two companies to BURGOMASTER FARM - remainder to Canal Bank. Transport remaining in POPERINGHE. 19 Jan 1916 Headquarters and A-D companies at BURGOMASTER FARM C&B companies companies on CANAL BANK. Whole Battalion employed from 5.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. on work on front & x lines & carrying parties 20 Jan 1916 As on 19th. Four men wounded. 21 Jan 1916 As on 20th. 22 Jan 1916 As on 20th. 23 Jan 1916 - Wilsons Farm, la Brique, Tower's Post and Canal Bank Relieved 1st Shropshire Light Infantry in trenches B.13, B.14 & B.15 without incident. Distribution of Battalion as follows A Coy WILSONS FARM, LA BRIQUE defences, and X.9, B Company B.15, Tower's Post and LA BRIQUE, C Coy, B.14 and S.14, D Coy. B.13 & S.13, Headquarters 16th I.B. Headquarters on CANAL BANK. No casualties. 24 Jan 1916 In trenches as above. A quiet day. 25 Jan 1916 In trenches as above. A quiet day. 26 Jan 1916 In trenches as above. A quiet day. 27 Jan 1916 A party of 32 men under Captain Pares, Lieutenant Kennedy & 2 Lieutenants Heston and [?] occupied the eight Canadian dug-outs opposite B.14 from 5.30 pm on 27.1.16 to 5.15 AM on 28.1.16. One patrol of Germand was seen and fired at, but without result. 28 Jan 1916 - Poperinge and Wood at A.30 Relieved in trenches B.13, B.14 & B.15 by 2nd York & Lancaster Regt. Headquarters, A & D coys to billets in POPERINGHE. B & C coys to Wood A.30. 29 Jan 1916 Relieved in trenches B.13, B.14 & B.15 by 2nd York & Lancaster Regt. Headquarters, A & D coys to billets in POPERINGHE. B & C coys to Wood A.30. 30 Jan 1916 Headquarters and two companies resting in POPERINGHE, and two companies in Wood A.30. A copy of letter received from G.b.r. 16th I.B. with reference to the occupation of the Canadian dug-outs on 27th instant is attached. 31 Jan 1916 As on 30. The following appendices are attached (1) Sketch map of trenches held during the month [this is crossed out] (2) Copy of Field State (3) List of Casualties during the month (4) Sick during the month (5) Nominal Roll of officers serving 8th Bedfordshire Regt Field state of Batt @ Jany 31. 1916 Total Casualties: 7 O.R. killed; 1 Offr. 11 O.R. wounded Total Wastage: Sick 2 Offrs 66 ORs Strength Available 21 Offrs 4 W.Os 24 Sgts 34 Cpls 66 L/Cpls 426 O.Rs. - Total 21 Offrs 554 O.Rs In Hospital 4 Offrs 1 Sgt 4 L/Cpl 38 O.Rs - Total 4 Offrs 43 O.Rs On leave 2 Offrs 2 Sgts 1 Cpl 5 L/Cpl 19 O.Rs - Total 2 Offrs 27 O.Rs On Command 1 Offr 2 Sgts 1 Cpl 7 L/Cpl 38 O.Rs - Total 1 Offr 48 O.Rs Transport 1 Offr 1 Sgt 3 Cpls 2 L/Cpls 43 O.Rs - Total 1 Offr 49 O.Rs Machine Gunners 1 Offr 1 Sgt 2 Cpls 4 L/Cpls 64 O.Rs - Total 1 Offr 71 O.Rs Total 30 Offrs 4 W.Os 31 Sgts 41 Cpls 88 L/Cpls 628 O.Rs - Total 30 Offrs 792 O.Rs Nominal Roll of Officers serving with Battalion Lt-Col Jackson H.C. Commanding Bn. Major Siddell J.S. 2nd in Command of Bn. Capt Hatch R.B.L. Commanding C Coy Capt Hawkins D.M. Capt Pares W.T. Commanding A Coy. Capt Quillin R.M. Commanding B Coy. Capt Simeons E.E. Commanding D Coy. Lieut Jessopp A.J. Lieut Mitchell S.N. Lieut Airth Lieut Kennedy S.N.S. 2/Lt Body F.L. Transport Officer 2/Lt Weston H.C. 2/Lt Draisley E.R.W. Officer i/c Machine Guns 2/Lt McMichael D.W. Officer i/c Bombers 2/Lt Vipond S.J. 2/Lt Fleming A.M. Officer i/c Signals 2/Lt Hart S.L. 2/Lt Player H. 2/lt Hague E.U. 2/Lt Martin R.R. 2/Lt Cartwright C. 2/Lt Blackburn R.H. 2/Lt Hislop J. 2/Lt Stevens H.F. Adjutant Attached Lieut O'Connor A.A. Medical Officer

1-31 Jan 1916

From: 1916 To: 1916

item

Jackson, H.C.,
Siddell, J.S.,
Hatch, R.B.L.,
Hawkins, D.M.,
Pares, W.T.,
Quilter, Roy Molyneux,
Simeons, Edward Emil,
Jessopp, A.J.,
Airth, Rennie Alexander,
Kennedy, S.N.S.,
Mitchell, Edward Noel,
Body, Frank Lydford,
Draisey, Edwin Rowland Watts,
McMichael, Douglas William,
Weston, H.C.,
Vipond, Sidney James,
Fleming, A M,
Hart, S.L.,
Player, H.,
Hague, E.U.,
Martin, R.R.,
Cartwright, Charles,
Blackburn, Reginald Herbert,
Hislop, John,
Stevens, H.F.,
O'Connor, A.A.

8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, weather, 6th Division, baths, 1st Battalion Buffs, local flooding, land weaponry, trains, II Corps, 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment, 1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry, Canadians, 16th Infantry Brigade, deaths, Poperinge, Canal Bank (Ypres), Vlamertinge, Forward Cottage [Ypres], Camp B [Ypres], Camp C [Ypres], Burgomaster Farm [Ypres], Wilson's Farm [Ypres], la Brique [Ypres], Tower's Post [Ypres]