X550/6/8/1612

War Diary for December 1916 1 Dec 1916 - Geneffe Railhead, Oldham Post and Kabrit Musketry and field firing with LEWIS GUNS 2 Dec 1916 Musketry and field firing with LEWIS GUNS, parties digging latrines for 162 Brigade bivouac 3 Dec 1916 Church parade CofE 0900. Bathing train for 113 GENEFFE RAILHEAD at 1215 4 Dec 1916 Bathing train as on 3rd. Musketry as on 2nd. Bombing, Signalling & LEWIS GUN classes. 5 Dec 1916 Batt route march 13 miles over sand & road - by posts. ADS&T inspected 1st line transport. Musketry in afternoon. LEWIS GUNS firing. Post routine 6 Dec 1916 Post routine. Musketry & Lewis Gun firing. Bombing at OLDHAM live bombs. 7 Dec 1916 Post routine, field firing with rifles & Lewis Guns 8 Dec 1916 Batt route march by posts as on 4th for those who did not go on 4th. Musketry. 9 Dec 1916 Post routine 10 Dec 1916 Church parade CofE 0900. Holy Communion 0935. Nonconformist parade 0815. Bathing train 11 Dec 1916 Fatigues, Musketry & Routine connected with arrival of camels for a column being got together. Bathing train. 12 Dec 1916 Long route march by posts. Post routine & rifle & Lewis gun fire, loaded & despatched 2 camel convoys to the mobile column working towards MOIYA HARAB 13 Dec 1916 Loaded & despatched camel convoy. Rifle & Lewis Gun practice. Post Routine 14 Dec 1916 4 Batt Lewis gun sections inspected with new pack saddlery by Brigadier General A.MUDGE. 15 Dec 1916 Long Route march by posts (12 1/2 miles over sand). Post Routine 16 Dec 1916 Column returned. Post routine & fatigues in connection with Column 17 Dec 1916 Church parades CofE. HOLY COMMUNION at OLDHAM. Bathing train from RAILHEAD 18 Dec 1916 Post Routine. Range practice.Bathing train from RAILHEAD. 19 Dec 1916 Route march 14 miles over sand by posts. Post Routine 20 Dec 1916 Post routine. Range practice. 21 Dec 1916 Post routine. At 1500 verbal instructions, which were confirmed at 1645 by wire, were received from 162 Bde to send one coy from OLDHAM to GENEFFE & one Coy from GENEFFE RAILHEAD to SHALLUFA, to relieve 2 coys of the 1/10th LONDON Regt. B & D coys were moved to the respective posts. Hdqrs at RAILHEAD still 22 Dec 1916 Route march for half troops at RAILHEAD, OLDHAM & KABRIT as on 19th. POST ROUTINE 23 Dec 1916 Post Routine 24 Dec 1916 Church parade CofE 25 mins march E of RAILHEAD at which RAILHEAD & OLDHAM troops were present 25 Dec 1916 Whole holiday. HOLY COMMUNION at 0930. Sports mounted & dismounted. Men's special Xmas dinner. 26 Dec 1916 Whole holiday. Sports finals. After looking very black all the afternoon at RAILHEAD a few spots of rain fell about 1730 & by 1750 heavy rain was falling. Rain fell heavily at intervals during night. B & D coys were moved to OLDHAm in the evening at 2030 27 Dec 1916 Heavy rain in early morning. By 0800 rain had stopped & did not come on again. Starting to-day A & C Coys exchanged posts. A going to KABRIT & C to RAILHEAD 28 Dec 1916 Route march 10 miles over sand. Post routine 29 Dec 1916 Route march 10 miles over sand. Post routine. Emendations to RAILHEAD defence orders 30 Dec 1916 Post routine.D coy Lewis Gun Class inspected 31 Dec 1916 Church Parade at OLDHAM SALFORD & Roads. Coy Comdrs conference 1/5th Bedfordshire Regiment Move Order No. 1 31-Dec-16 1. The undermentioned moves and reliefs will take place this week, the ultimate order of things being Headquarters, "A" & "B" Coys. & Divl. Band at SHALLUFA, Major G.H. de L.Dayrell, "C" & "D" Coys at GENEFFE. 2. RAILHEAD Comdr. Capt.H.W.CRonin 1 Off.30 ORs "A" Coy. 1 Off.70 ORs "C" Coy. OLDHAM Comdr. Lt. Sperling 1 Off.70 ORs "B" Coy. 1 Off.30 ORs "D" Coy. KABRIT Comdr. Lt. New. 2 Offs.100 ORs "A" Coy. On Thursday Jan 4. the Battalion less garrisons (mentioned in margin) will march from GENEFFE RAILHEAD at 0900 to SHALLUFA, where it will bivouac for the night. All ranks not detailed for garrison at OLDHAM wil lconcentrate at GENEFFE RAILHEAD by the evening of Wednesday Jan.3. The Q.M. will arrange for bivouac at SHALLUFA. Dress:- Marching.Order (2 blankets per man and Packs and Rifles of Drums on Transport.) 3. On Friday Jan 5. the Battalion will march at 0900 to HALFWAY HOUSE, where it will be employed on work in connection with the Defences. 4. SHALLUFA Comdr. Lt. Sperling 1 Off.30 ORs "A" Coy. 1 Off.70 ORs "B" Coy. GENEFFE Comdr. Capt. Cronin. 1 Off.70 ORs "C" Coy. 1 Off.30 ORs "D" Coy. On Saturday Jan 6. the 4th Northants Regt. will take over GENEFFE RAILHEAD and OLDHAM, and the garrisons of these Posts will take over SHALLUFA and GENEFFE (as per margin). These parties will be responsible for the transfer of the Base Kits of the Battalion to the new Posts. 5. On Saturday Jan 7. the 4th Northants Regt. will take over KABRIT. When relieved the garrison will proceed by water to SHALLUFA under arrangements which will be made by Subsection Headquarters. This party wil ldump their Base Kits at SHALLUFA and proceed next day by march route to join the Battalion at HALFWAY HOUSE. 6. All tents, reserve ammunition, trench stores, Unit equipment of grenades and reserve supplies will be left at Posts and receipts taken (except HALFWAY HOUSE). 7. This Battalion will take over the tents of the 10th London Regt at SHALLUFA and GENEFFE. The Q.M. wil larrange for those required by the Battalion at HALFWAY HOUSE to be taken from SHALLUFA and/or GENEFFE. The move of the Battalion to HALFWAY HOUSE will be under Field Service conditions, and Base Kits will be dumped at SHALLUFA and GENEFFE. 8. The Q.M. has already requisitioned for carriage of baggage. Further instructions as to trains and lighters for baggage will be issued later. 9. Battalion Report Centre will close at GENEFFE RAILHEAD at 0845 on Jan 4. and move at Head of Battalion via GENEFFE to SHALLUFA, opening at SHALLUFA on arrival. On 5 Jan. Report Centre will close at SHALLUFA at 0845 and move at Head of Battalion via MANCHESTER and KUBRI RAILHEAD to HALFWAY HOUSE, opening at HALFWAY HOUSE on arrival. NOTE Distinguishing flags will be used by H.Q. and Coys. on this and on all future occasions without further orders being issued about it.

1-31 Dec 1916

From: 1916 To: 1916

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Mudge, Arthur,
Cronin, H.W.,
Sperling,
New, L.P.

land weaponry, Geneifa Railhead, Christmas, church services, baths, camels, 162nd Infantry Brigade, trains, weather, 1st/10th (Hackney) Battalion London Regiment, 1st/4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, lighters, Geneifa, Oldham Post (Egypt), Salford Post (Egypt), Moiya Harab, Shallufa, Kabrit, Manchester Post (Egypt), Halfway House (Egypt)