Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X550/9/1/1709
  • Title
    WAR DIARY FOR SEPTEMBER 1917 1 Sep 1917 - trenches at Hill 70, Loos-en-Gohelle In trenches on HILL 70. Relief was complete by 11.40 pm, 31st Aug. Day quiet & fine drying up trenches considerably and assisting in consolidation. Casualties nil. 2 Sep 1917 In trenches on HILL 70. Day fine, much aerial activity on both sides especially towards evening. Except for an occasional burst on CHALK PIT WOOD hostile artillery did not trouble our line, but carried out considerable counter-battery work and dropped very heavy shells into LOOS. Casualties 2 O.R. wounded. 3 Sep 1917 In trenches on HILL 70. Fine day. Aircraft active. At 1.0 am Capt G.D.Brewster & 2Lt T.A. Jones whilst in No Man's Land with a patrol were unfortunately wounded by a HUN bomb. Valuable information obtained. Artillery more active during day. Between 12 midnight & 2.0 am night 3/4 Sept. he used intense barrages but did not leave his trenches. Casualties 2 officers wounded (as above). 4 Sep 1917 In trenches on HILL 70. Day quiet. Hostile artillery less active. Usual machine gun activity at night. Casualties 1 O.R. wounded. 5 Sep 1917 - Support trenches In trenches on HILL 70. At 12 midnight 4/5 Sept. Enemy put down an intense gas shell barrage in vicinity of LOOS CRASSIER. Bombardment practically continuous until 2.0 am. Battalion suffered no casualties owing to direction of wind. No infantry attack followed. Relieved at night by 1st The Buffs. Relief complete at 9.55 pm. Casualties 2 O.R. wounded. 6 Sep 1917 In trenches. In Bde Support. Furnished working & carrying parties at night. Casualties 5 O.R. wounded. 7 Sep 1917 In trenches. In Bde Support. Furnished working & carrying parties at night. Casualties nil. 8 Sep 1917 In trenches. In Bde Support. Furnished working & carrying parties at night. Casualties. Casualties nil. 9 Sep 1917 In trenches. B Coy under Capt Fleming to MAZINGARBE to train for raid. Casualties 3 O.R. wounded. 10 Sep 1917 - right subsector left of Hill 70 In trenches. B Coy under Capt Fleming to MAZINGARBE to train for raid. At night battalion, less 'B' Coy, relieved 3 Coys, 1/The Buffs, in right subsector on left of HILL 70. 11 Sep 1917 In trenches. Day moderately quiet. At night hostile artillery active on dumps & cross country routes. Our machine guns & artillery also used harassing fire. Casualties 3 O.R. wounded. 12 Sep 1917 In trenches. Day quiet, aircraft active. At night B Coy rejoined & took up position in trenches opposite enemy line to be raided on night 13/14th Sept. Usual night firing. Casualties 3 O.R. killed, 6 O.R. wounded. 13 Sep 1917 In trenches. Day dull & quiet. ZERO HOUR for raid 1.10 am, 14th inst. At 11.40 pm 13th inst, 2Lt Webb reported Bangalore Torpedoes in position under enemy wire & connected up to explode by leads. At 1.0 am raiding party (2 officers & 85 O.Ranks) formed up outside our wire. At 1.8 1/2 a.m. torpedoes successfully fired. At 1.9 am our artillery, machine guns & mortar barrage opened intense fire until ZERO. Raiding Party advanced under cover of barrage. Wire was found to have been cut but enemy lert and standing to arms shoulder to shoulder. Several attempts were made by us to force our way into enemy trench, but only a few got in. Hastily erected blocks & obstacles has been made which had not previously been noted by our reconnoitring patrols, causing confusion. The enemy's closely packed trench was heavily bombed by our raiders causing them considerable casualties. All bombs having been used the raiders withdrew to our trench at ZERO plus 30 being guided by a vertical beam from a searchlight in rear. Our casualties were light. 2 O.R. killed and 10 O.R. wounded. No one missing & all killed & wounded brought in. the night was pitch dark and the enemy found in much greater strength than expected, so although we did not obtain an identification our brush with the enemy was not altogether a failure. Enemy position raided is trench running through BOIS HUGO from H.26.c.42.72 to H.26.c.65.55. (Ref Map - LOOS, 1/10,000). Enemy's barrage chiefly mortars and 77 m.m. guns. Had he used his rifles instead of relying wholely on bombs for defense our casualties would have been much increased. 14 Sep 1917 In trenches. Day quiet, hostile aircraft activity increased. Night quiet exceot for usual machine gun fire. Casualties 2 O.R. killed 11 OR wounded. 15 Sep 1917 - les Brebis In trenches. Day, slight shelling on HUMBUG ALLEY & HULL ALLEY. Relieved at night by 9th Norfolks and moved back to billets in LES BREBIS. Casualties 4 O.R. wounded. 16 Sep 1917 - Noeux-les-Mines In billets. Marched to NEOUX-LES-MINES [sic] during afternoon and billetted. 17 Sep 1917 In billets. Battalion cleaning up, Inspection of kits, arms, equipment. 18 Sep 1917 In billets. Baths for half battalion. Remainder training drill, bayonet fighting & physical training. 19 Sep 1917 In billets. Baths for remainder of battalion and training. Town shelled by H.V. Gun. No casualties. 20 Sep 1917 In billets. Training. Town again shelled by 3 H.V.Guns, one of large calibre about 9 inch. No casualties. 21 Sep 1917 In billets. Training & checking of fighting equipt & dress previous to move next day. 22 Sep 1917 - Cite St.Pierre In billets. Transport & QM Stores to LES BREBIS in morning & kit in excess of that for Fighting Order. Bn. marched off by platoon at 5.0 pm. Occupation of cellars in CITE ST. PIERRE complete at 11.10 p.m. night quiet. 23 Sep 1917 In cellars. day quiet. Heavy hostile bombardment commenced at 5.10 pm on front of Bde on our right lasting till 8.30 p.m. Germans said to have raided but no identifications were obtained. 24 Sep 1917 In cellars. Day quiet except for aircraft activity. Night furnished carrying & working parties for front line system. 2Lt. STUBBINGS wounded. 1 O.R. wounded. 25 Sep 1917 In cellars. Except for aerial activity day was quiet. Night furnished working parties in front line system. 26 Sep 1917 In cellars. Day quiet. Night enemy used harassing fire on roads. Working parties furnished. 27 Sep 1917 In cellars. day quiet. Night furnished working parties on Bde. front system. 28 Sep 1917 In cellars. Day quiet. Furnished working parties at night. Casualties 1 O.R. wounded Hostile raid on 2/York & Lancasters front driven off 1 prisoner captured. 29 Sep 1917 In cellars. Day quiet. Night working parties. 30 Sep 1917 In cellars. Day quiet enemy aircraft very active flying low over our line despite our rifle & Lewis Gun fire. Relieved 1/K.S.L.I. in right subsection of front line at night, just south of CITE ST EDOUARD. 8th Bedfordshire Regt. Field State C.338 Killed 5 O.R. Wounded 3 Off. 44 O.R. Hospital To 25 Hospital From 24 Strength of A Coy. 21 Officers 210 Other Ranks Strength of B Coy. 8 Officers 206 Other Ranks Strength of C Coy. 7 Officers 217 Other Ranks Strength of D Coy. 8 Officers 210 Other Ranks Total 44 Officers 843 Other Ranks
  • Date free text
    1-30 Sep 1917
  • Production date
    From: 1917 To: 1917
  • Level of description
    item
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