X550/6/8/1703

War Diary for March 1917 1 Mar 1917 - el Arish Coys at disposal of Coy Commanders. C.O. made reconnaissance before issuing ALARM ORDER No.1. C.O., 2nd i/c & 4 O.C. Coys attended Div gas lecture 2 Mar 1917 Practice of Alarm Order No.1 3 Mar 1917 CO's inspection, lecture, guard mounting & fatigues 4 Mar 1917 Church Parade 0900 HOLY COMMUNION 1000 5 Mar 1917 Digging trenches (part of the defence scheme) near hill 7. Half Battalion went for 4 1/2 hours route march 6 Mar 1917 Battalion, less specialists continued digging. Specialists trained 7 Mar 1917 Striking camp, getting train echelon to station & fatigues 8 Mar 1917 - el Burj Marched to EL BURJ with 162 Bde group & bivouacked 9 Mar 1917 Batt started being inoculated against cholera. fatigues under Bde orders & dugouts were constructed in case of Hostile aircraft - Appendix B - The usual pattern for a platoon was 10 dugouts 5 in front & 5 in rear each to holf 3 men - Specialists were apart from their platoons - each dugout was a square hole about 6ft 6in x 5ft 6in x 3ft between each hole a traverse of 4ft was left & between each platoon 10ft 10 Mar 1917 Battalion finished inoculation & digging in. CO's lecture to NCOs. Sandstorm during afternoon & early in the morning 11 Mar 1917 HOLY COMMUNION 0730 & 0900. NO CHURCH PARADE owing to very severe dust storm 12 Mar 1917 Severe dust storm, heavy rain during morning. Specialist training 13 Mar 1917 Weather fine. C & D coys went for 4 hour route march A & B cleared up camp 14 Mar 1917 A & B coys went for 4 hour route march C & D cleared up camp. Tactical exercise for Lewis Guns, snipers & scouts 15 Mar 1917 Dust storm, cleaning batt area. Specialist & Coy training 16 Mar 1917 Fine weather, cleaning camp area, field firing by new draft & snipers & Lewis Guns 17 Mar 1917 4 hours Route March for all those who have not previously been in the week.Completion of cleaning up camp area: C.O. & mounted officers went for a "staff ride" to prepare for a bde outpost scheme 18 Mar 1917 HOLY COMMUNION 0730 & 0945. Church Parade 0900 & 2100 19 Mar 1917 Batt went on Bde outpost scheme at 0730: received orders to return to Camp tomorrow 20 Mar 1917 - Sheikh Zowaid Batt with 162 Bde group moved to SHEIK ZOWAID. Left 1700 arrived 2000 21 Mar 1917 Fatigues & bathing in the sea 22 Mar 1917 Bathing parades. Gas drill 23 Mar 1917 Bathing parades. Gas drill 24 Mar 1917 - Rafa Moved with Bde to RAFA: left 0812 arrived 1305. the battalion with 1/11th London & section 162 MG Coy found Div outposts at 1700 25 Mar 1917 - Beni Sela and Inseirat Batt moved with Bde group at 0455 to BENI SELA, arriving 0740, moved at 1622 to INSEIRAT with water & cooking camels only. remainder of camels had gone on during the moving to INSEIRAT to dump their load & draw extra rations. Batt arrived at INSEIRAT at 2130 26 Mar 1917 - Sharta Moved [unreadable] SHARTA [unreadable] arriving 1045 2015 Batt with 1/11th LONDON moved along track leading towards GAZA 1 mile and took up an outpost line in extension of the right flank & to the SOUTH of the 53rd Div both the outposts connecting up with ESSEX BDE who had been lent to 53rd Div during the afternoon's fighting. In position 2155 (approx), quiet night 27 Mar 1917 Moved into Day position at 0445. At about 0645 orders were issued in accordance with 162 Bde orders for Batt to concentrate, this was completed partly under shell fire, about noon at a point bearing 220 degrees true from TEL EL ARMAR. 2150 Batt marched in Bde to INSEIRAT bivouacked 0025. Passed Bde starting point at 2200 owing to camels being away & animals at watering. Reserve SAA & Medical Panniers were buried lewis gun & signal equipment carried on man. During day iron rations were consumed 28 Mar 1917 Rested in bivouack till 1700 when the battalion took over a section of the outpost line to the camp; all quiet 29 Mar 1917 D Coy on outpost on readjustment of line were relieved at 1700 & batt moved to bivouack area 30 Mar 1917 Digging part of general defence line, gas lectures & drill. Bathing. A Coy on outposts 31 Mar 1917 Gas lectures & drill, bathing. A Coy relieved 1700 from outposts 1/5 Bedfordshire Regiment ALARM ORDERS No.I 1 Mch 17 Ref. Map Survey of Egypt, 3rd Feb., 17: 1/40,000 1. In certain contingencies the 162nd Inf. Brigade may be ordered to occupy a Sub-section of the defences of EL ARISH on CARP CREST and CAUSEWAY RIDGE. 2. 1/5 Bedford R. and one Section, 162 M.G.Coy. will occupy Posts 6 and 7 on CARP CREST (1/10th London R. will be on its R. occupying Post 5 and Work H. at BUTTON HILL.) 3. "A" Company (a) No.1 Coy. will occupy the line of unfinished trenches fro ma point due S. of Notice Board No.9 to the entrance of the incomplete communication trench due S. of Notice Board No.6. "B" Company (b) No.2 Coy. will occupy the trenches thence to the E., including the small isolated trench between Posts 6 and 7, and the large trench on the R. of Post 7 (inclusive). "C" Company (c) No.3 Coy. will occupy the trenches thence to the E. yo the entrance of the incomplete communication trench due S. of Notice Board No.7. "D" Company (d) No.4 Coy. will occupy the remainder of the trenches of Post 7, including the small isolated trench in the WADI, N.E. of Notice Board No.7. Section M.G.Coy. (e) Two guns will occupy emplacements W. and E. in Post 6, to cover the dead ground S. of the trenches on Post 6. Two guns will occupy the two most Easterly emplacements of Post 7, to cover the re-entrant S. of CARP CREST in both directions. Batt.Scouts, Signallers (not on Singal duty), Q.M.Storemen & Regtl.Police (f) Local Reserve in hollow immediately N. of the small trench between Posts 6 and 7. Transport 4. Transport will saddle up and remain in present lines. Aid Post. 5. In hollow close to Wire Road immediately N. of Notice Board No.6. Dress 6. Troops will parade in Marching Order (Great Coat and 1 Blanket) with unexpended portion of day's ration. Supplies 7. Quartermaster and Transport Officer will reconnoitre and make arrangements for the bringing up of all necessary ammunition, bombs, water and rations at night. Report Centre 8. Battalion Battle Headqrs will be with the Local Reserves 1/5th BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT OUTPOST ORDER No.1 19 Mch 17 1. Our Main Force arrived at EL BURJ this morning. There are no British troops E or S of EL BURJ. The Railway, Pipe Line and Wire Road does not exist. Our force is in contact with large hostile forces. 2. The 162nd Brigade has been ordered to find Outposts to the Main Force on the arc of a circle about 3 miles from the camp, its right resting on a point approximately S.W. of the camp, and its left at the sea to the N.E. of the camp. 3. 1/5th Bedford Rgt and 1 Section 162nd M.G.Coy will occupy No.2 Section of the Outpost line, its right resting on a CLUMP TREES on a bearing of 136 degrees (true) from the camp, and its left in the Telegraph line running to RAFA. No.1 Section on the right is held by 4th Northants Rgt, No.3 Section on the left is held by 10th London Rgt. A COY. 4 No.1 Outpost Coy. will be from the CLUMP TREES on a bearing of 136 degrees (true) from camp to a point bearing 120 degrees (true) from the camp B COY AND 1 SUB SECT. M.G. Coy. No.2 Outpost Coy from a point bearing 120 degrees (true) from the camp, to a point bearing 104 degrees (true) from the camp. C.COY & 1 M.G. No.3 Outpost Coy. from a point bearing 104 degrees (true) from the camp to a point bearing 87 degrees (true) from the camp. D COY & 1 M.G. No.4. Outpost Coy. from a point bearing 87 degrees (true) from the camp to the Telegraph line running to RAFA. BATT. SCOUTS & H.Q. DETAILS Local Reserve near THREE FIG TREES about 2 miles from the camp on a bearing of 104 degrees (true) STRETCHER BEARER SECTION 5. Aid Post will be established about 200 yds N.W. of the THREE FIG TREES. TRANSPORT 6. Horses and Mules about 400 yds N.W. of the THREE FIG TREES. Caamels about 1000 yds N.W. of the THREE FIG TREES Q.M. STORES 7. Q.M's Dump will be established at the camel lines. 8. The line of resistence is the Picuet Line which will be held at all costs. 9. Fires may be lit and smoking allowed in all hollows screened from the enemy, up to 2100. 10. Batt. Report Centre near the THREE FIG TREES.

1-31 Mar 1917

From: 1917 To: 1917

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church services, 162nd Infantry Brigade, 54th (East Anglian) Division, 1st/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, weather, land weaponry, baths, 1st/10th (Hackney) Battalion London Regiment, 1st/11th (Finsbury Rifles) Battalion London Regiment, 1st/4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, 163rd Infantry Brigade, 161st Infantry Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division, horses, camels, mules, el Arish, Rafah, Gaza, el Burj, Sheikh Zowaid, Inseirat, Beni Sela, Tel el Armar, Carp Crest (Gaza), Causeway Ridge (Gaza), Button Hill (Gaza)