Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X550/6/8/1712
  • Title
    War Diary for December 1917 1 Dec 1917 - el Yehudiyeh and Kefr Ana Quiet day. At about 1900 PINNACLE HILL and NABALA HILL were relieved by 1/8th Hants Rgt. ZEIFY HILL and Battn H.Q. relieved by 1/4th Norfolk Rgt. Battalion moved by Coys to EL YEHUDIYEH Section, and relieved 1/5th Suffolk Rgt. B Coy in Front Line at O.36.B., A Coy in Support, O.36.D., D Coy in Reserve with Bn.H.Q. at O.35.D.3.0. C Coy in 2nd Line at KEFR ANA. 2 Dec 1917 Quiet day. Fresh trenches marked out in Front Line and 2nd Line. 3 Dec 1917 Front Line Coy shelled in morning. Casualties 2 O'Ranks Killed 7 O'Ranks Wounded. Consolidation proceeded with. 4 Dec 1917 A new Post marked and pegged out at O.85.P.326. The Support Coy was made responsible for this Post garrisoning it with 2 Platoons at night, 1 L.G. by day. Quiet day. Consolidation continued. 5 Dec 1917 H.Q. Bivouac shelled with small shrapnel. Work as usual. C Coy. moved into Reserve at Bn.Q. 6 Dec 1917 Heavy rains. A patrol proceeded to P.8.Central and got touch with the enemy at P.19.B. 7 Dec 1917 Heavy rain. Inhabitants of YEHUDIYEH and KEFR ANA were removed according to orders received. Work on Front line continued. 8 Dec 1917 Heavy Rains. Front line shelled during the afternoon. A patrol went to O.18.B. Work on Posts continued 9 Dec 1917 Rain. Work was not possible owing to wind and wet. A Coy moved their bivouac to SH.ABBAS. 10 Dec 1917 Fine day. Line extended and Battn took over Nos 1, 2 & 3 Posts from New Zealand Mtd Rifles. Dispositions of Coys now being A Coy, 2 Platoons at JUNCTION Post P.32.C. Central. Remainder of Coy at FORK Post O.36.D. C Coy 2 Platoons at OLIVE TREE Post O.39.C. Remainder of Coy at ROAD Post O.29.B. D Coy 1 Platoon at HEDGE Post O.26.C. Remainder of Coy at RED HILL Post O.23.C. B Coy in Reserve with Bn.H.Q. at O.29.A.1.2. 11 Dec 1917 A small patrol went out in the morning and located about 20 Turks in Trench at YAFA HILL O.24.A. Work was proceeded with on Posts. A patrol went in the direction of NEBY TARI and located an enemy picquet in P.25.D. 12 Dec 1917 Quiet day. Work on posts continued. A patrol to 600 yds N.W. of YAFA HILL where it located a new enemy trench. 13 Dec 1917 Enemy registered on OLIVE TREE Post during the day. A patrol to the E. of YAFA HILL found a trench being dug between YAFA HILL and trench at P.19.A.8.5. Work continued. 14 Dec 1917 Very quiet day. Work continued 15 Dec 1917 Very quiet day. Work on Posts continued 16 Dec 1917 Quiet day. Work as usual 17 Dec 1917 Enemy slightly shelled out front line. Work on posts as usual. 2 Patrols left out line; small enemy picquets & sentry groups located. 18 Dec 1917 Enemy shelled ROAD POST with 4.2 and 77 m/m for over an hour beginning O315 1 casualty. Remainder of day quiet. Work as usual 19 Dec 1917 Usual light shelling. Work as usual. Draft of 2 Officers 144 O'Ranks arrived. 20 Dec 1917 Slight shelling at intervals, otherwise quiet day. Work as usual 21 Dec 1917 Rather more shelling than usual. Enemy were observed to be very restless all day. Our aeroplanes were frequently fired on by all arms 2350 B Coy left our line near No.4 Post and proceeded towards the enemy trench on YAFA HILL 22 Dec 1917 - Hackney Mound and Yafa Hill 0010 B Coy assaulted YAFA HILL without Artillery Support, the bayonet being the only weapon used. The enemy put up a stiff fight but was soon overcome and the whole garrison bolted. Our men having received orders not to advance beyond a certain point dis not pursue. Consolidation of the Post was immediately begun. C Coy acted as carrying party and brought up R.E. material, S.A.A. &c they remained as Working Party withdrawing at dawn 0030 YAFA SUBSECTION till then occupied by 1/10th London Regt was taken over by D & A Coy. By dawn the consolidation of YAFA HILL was sufficiently advanced to render it tenable during day. No shelling was taking place but heavy enemy M.G. fire was experienced. Our casualties were 4 O'Ranks Killed, 1 Officer & 9 O'Ranks wounded. Enemy casualties 5 Yurks buried, 2 Prisoners. Considerable stores were captured. Enemy shelled our line heavily from beginning of operations to about 0300. At dawn an O.P. was established and this at once reported that the enemy was making a general retirement, Guns, Transports & troops could be seen moving N on all routes. C Coy pushed forward and occupied trenches at 018 Central and D Coy trenches at ).17.B.7.9. 1200 A line was occupied running about 1500 yds N.E. of HACKNEY MOUND, A & D Coys occupying a post each and B & C being with Bn.H.Q. at HACKNEY MOUND. 23 Dec 1917 The line was orgainsed into 3 Posts in the front line and 1 Post in the Support line. A, B & D Coys took over the posts in the Front Line C Coy the Post in the Support Line 24 Dec 1917 Work on Posts continued. Turkeys were got up from Railhead 25 Dec 1917 Xmas Day. No work. Heavy rains. 26 Dec 1917 Work as usual 27 Dec 1917 Work continued 28 Dec 1917 - Mulebbis 0400 2 party of enemy were seen approaching our Left Post, strength estimated about 60 or 70. An Officer with a patrol & 1 LG left our Post and got within 600 yds of the enemy party and opened fire with the L.G. The enemy party withdrew. 1200 Relieved by troops of 163rd Bde, our own Bde going into Divl Reserve. Troops of Reserve Bde were to billet in MULEBBIS so far as was possible. The area allocated to this unit was only capable of holding 200 men and was in a very dirty condition. It was therefore decided that the Bn should bivouac as a whole. This was done and the Bn had concentrated in the new area by 2000 29 Dec 1917 General straightening up. Some billets were inspected and chosen for Recreation Rooms & Orderly Rooms 30 Dec 1917 Voluntary Services at 1000 and 1700. 31 Dec 1917 Close Order Drill, Specialists Classes. A Working Party of 2 Officers & 100 O'Ranks found for Road improvement
  • Date free text
    1-31 Dec 1917
  • Production date
    From: 1917 To: 1917
  • Level of description
    item
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