X550/6/8/1609

War Diary for September 1916 1 Sep 1916 - el Shatt Training. 1700 Details arrived from KUBRI under Lt.L.P.NEW. Pte. Ashpole escaped from Hospital and Swam across the Canal. Evidently quite insane. 2 Sep 1916 0500 Pte Ashpole caught and sent to Hospital 0530 Battalion Drill. 0630 Battalion Route March of 10 miles 1700 Battalion gave concert in recreation Hut. Great success. 1830 Parties proceeded to ZEITOUN 3 Sep 1916 0900 Inspection of lines & buildings by Brig. General WATSON. 1030 Church Parade. Major G.M.de L.DAYRELL arrived to take over duties as 2nd in command of Batt. Orders received that BIR MABEUIK moveavle column would move out on 7th & return 8th September. 4 Sep 1916 Usual training. Notified that ALWAR Infantry would take over all Northern Battalion duties at retreat 6th inst. 5 Sep 1916 0800 G.O.C. 162 Bde inspected Batt. at training. Lectured to all officers and N.C.O's at 1000 on Fire Control. 1700 Further orders received re BIR MABEUIK. Lt. Col. E.W.BRIGHTEN to command the Column 2200 London's Patrol reported 6 horsemen in front. All posts warned. Nothing seen by our patrols. 6 Sep 1916 Usual Training. CO lectured to all N.C.O's. 1800 Band played outside club at PORT TEWFIK. Lieut. Col. E.W.BRIGHTEN proceeded on leave to ALEXANDRIA. Major G.M.de L.DAYRELL took over command of battalion. 7 Sep 1916 - Bir Mabeuik Usual Parades. 1700 Battalion fell in ready to move off for BIR MABEUIK. 1715 Advance guard moved. 1725 Main body moved. 1735 Rear Guard moved. Capt C.H.MISKIN took over command of details. 2000 Concentrated at Pt.309 2330 Arrived bivouac. Going good & men marched well but were very tired. Settled down and waited for camels for blankets. Camels arrived 0300 8th. Stand to 0415 8 Sep 1916 - el Shatt Railhead Major G.M.de L.DAYRELL and 2nd Lt.N.R.TAITT proceeded with Brig.General WATSON to entrance of RAWA PASS fpr reconnaissance. 1615 Column moved. 'A' Coy. 1/5th BEDFORDS - Advance Guard. Artillery. 'B', 'D' & 'C' Coys. 1/5th BEDFORDS. Rear Guard of one Platoon furnished from 'B' Coy 2000 Arrived at EL SHATT RAILHEAD 2130 Battalion concentrated there by that time. Only eight casualties although going very bad at times. These were brought in on an ambulance. 9 Sep 1916 Whole holiday. 10 Sep 1916 1030 Church Parade. Received Orders re KUBRI Column. 11 Sep 1916 Parades as usual. Further orders re KUBRI column received. B & D Coys to go. A & C Coys to remain at EL SHATT. 12 Sep 1916 Parades as usual. 13 Sep 1916 Parades as usual in morning. Orders received from 'C' Subsection that 5 1/11th LONDON officers would come here also that only 12 offucers were to go on column and that 1/11th LONDON officers would take their place. 0930 1/4th Northants under Lt.FAY arrived. Battalion less 2 Coys, left under Major G.M.deL.DAYRELL proceeded by train to RAILHEAD thence march to KUBRI RAILHEAD. 14 Sep 1916 Parades as usual. 1830 Lt & Quartermaster G.O.LYDEKKER arrived from leave. Lt.Col. E.W.BRIGHTEN returned from ALEXANDRIA 15 Sep 1916 0515 The C.O. proceeded to join Column Parades as usual 16 Sep 1916 Parades as usual 17 Sep 1916 0945 Church Parade. 1800 Party of 2 officers & 100 O.R.'s 1/5th BEDF.R. & one officer & 50 O.R.'s 1/5th NORTHANTS.R. attached to 1/5th BEDF.R. proceeded to SIDI BISHR REST CAMP. 18 Sep 1916 3 offciers & 155 O.R's 1/4th NORTHANTS R. from KUBRI joined the Batt. arriving in two detachments, 2 officers & 120 OR's at 0850 one officer & 35 OR's at 1050. 6 ORs 1/5th BEDF.R. who fell out on the column reported with first party of NORTHANTS. 1730 3 O.R's reported from column. 1900 Received wire from A/Adj. Column that Pte.FOX of 'B' Coy. killed and Pte.MEEKS, P. 'D' Coy wounded. Parades as usual 19 Sep 1916 Parades as usual 1600 3 O.R.'s arrived who fell out from column. 20 Sep 1916 Usual Routine. 0430 Pte. A.E.COLLINS 1/4 NORTHANTS R. found by 2/Lt.R.T.BOYD sleeping at his post. Remanded for summary of evidence to be reduced to writing by Capt.C.R.JAMES. 21 Sep 1916 Summary of Evidence re Pte.COLLINS forwarded to 162 Bgde. together with application for F.G.C.M. 6 officers, 2 W.O's & 22 OR's paraded at 0700 for instruction in loading camels vide 'B' Subsection Order No.405 dated 17/9/16. 1100 C.O. A/Adj. & M.O. arrived from KUBRI column. Parades as usual. 22 Sep 1916 1000 Lt. & Adj. F.W.H.NICHOLAS returned from 162 Bgde. for duty. 0830 Major G.M.de L.DAYRELL and KUBRI Column arrived. 0630 3 officers & 261 O.R.'s 1/4th NORTHANTS.R. under Lt.FAY marched out for KUBRI to join their own unit. 24 Sep 1916 0945 Church Parade 23 Sep 1916 Those who were on the Column Half Holiday. remainder parades as usual. 25 Sep 1916 Usual Routine. 26 Sep 1916 0530 10 officers & 300 O.R's under Capt. E.T.MAIER proceeded to the FRESH AIR CAMP Sidi BISHR. 0850 2 offciers & 100 OR's under 2/Lt. N.R.TAITT arrived from SIDI BISHR 0545 G.O.C. 'B' Subsection inspected the Battalion at its alarm Posts. After this usual Routine. 1700 Orders received to take over all duties of first. 27 Sep 1916 Usual Routine. 2/Lt.H.F.JOLOWICZ & 27 O.R's took 6 prisoners to Prisoners of War Camp. 28 Sep 1916 Usual Routine. 50 dispatched to the LORD KITCHENER MEMORIAL FUND collected from officers & O.R's and made up to the above out of the Battalion Private account. 1015 2/Lt.R.T.BOYD proceeded to MOASCAR as R.T.O. 29 Sep 1916 1500 5 officers & 210 O.R's under Lt.F.B.HOBBS proceeded to TEWFIK on special duty. Their movements beyond there secret. Staff Officer to meet them at SUEZ DOCKS and direct them to bivouac. Remain there the night. 1700 Transport for Coy under 2/Lt B.W.SMYTHE proceeded by road to KUBRI with orders to stop there for the night and cross the bridge at 0430 next morning to arrive at bivouac by 0800. Usual Routine. 30 Sep 1916 0650 2 O.R.'s left battalion to join coy at SUEZ. 1200 2/Lt.E.R.CAMPBELL proceeded to SERAPEUM as temporary R.T.O. 1800 Party under 2/Lt.H.S.ARMSTRONG proceeded to TEWFIK in order to catch 0645 train from SUEZ DOCKS Oct 1st 1916.

1-30 Sep 1916

From: 1916 To: 1916

item

New, L.P.,
Ashpole,
Watson, Harry Davis,
Dayrell, G.M.de L.,
Brighten, Edgar William,
Miskin, C.H.,
Taitt, N.R.,
Fay,
Lydekker, Gerard Owen,
Fox, William Henry,
Meeks, P.,
Collins, A.E.,
Boyd, R.T.,
James, C.R.,
Nicholas, F.W.H.,
Maier, E.T.,
Jolowicz, H.F.,
Hobbs, F.B.,
Smythe, B.W.,
Campbell, E.R.,
Armstrong, H.S.

deaths, 1st/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, general courts, mental illness, Suez Canal, concerts, bands, church services, prisoners of war, camels, el Shatt Railhead, ambulances, 1st/11th (Finsbury Rifles) Battalion London Regiment, 1st/4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, el Kubri Railhead, 162nd Infantry Brigade, national charities, trains, Suez, el Shatt, Zeitoun, Bir Mabeuik, Port Tewfik, Alexandria, el Kubri, Sidi Bishr, Sidi Bishr Fresh Air Camp, Moascar, Saqqara Serapeum, Rawa Pass, Sidi Bishr Rest Camp, Sakkara