X550/6/8/1806

War Diary for June 1918 1 Jun 1918 - F.12.a.8.2 Major CR James rejoins unit from 1/10 London Regt and assumed duty as 2nd in command. 1930 Enemy signalling as usual. 2 Jun 1918 1 deserter gave himself up in our lines. Usual hostile aerial activity. 13 shells on RAS EL AIN. 3 Jun 1918 Patrol reached D.10.c.2.8 having located a picquet with two sentries which they saw in D.15.A. The barbed wire reported as being in D.10.c.2.2 was not seen 1900 2 Lieut.LINCOLN and 76 OR's join and rejoin the regiment for duty. 2nd Lieut LINCOLN posted at "A" Coy. 1930 Enemy signalling as usual. 1900 Patrol 1 officer and 10 OR's left D13 post and another of 1 officer 7 O.Rs left D11 at the same time. 4 Jun 1918 First patrol last night reached D.17.A.3.6 seeing 1 enemy sentry at D.17.D.9.6. Second patrol reached D.10.C seeing no enemy and returned without incident. 0400 usual enemy aircraft activity. A falling bullet struck 1 OR in the head and he died 2 hours later. 1900 usual enemy signalling. Two patrols left D13 post. Strength 1 officer 16 OR's and 1 officer 13 OR's respectively. 5 Jun 1916 First patrol last night reached D.10.A.8.6 seeing enemy picquets at D.15.B.5.3 and D.15.B.3.5 strength about 18 rifles and one automatic rifle in all. second patrol reached D.17.C.5.5 seeing enemy picquet estimated 5 strong at D.16.D. Left subsection defence scheme issued. Order No.30 regarding relief of this unit by 1/5 Essex Regt published to all concerned. 6 Jun 1918 - F.17.b.9.3 1200 Advance party leaves CAT HOUSE for new area. 2030 Relief complete by 1/5 Essex Regt. Battn moves to new area. 2130 Battn. arrives F.17.b.9.3. 7 Jun 1918 Working parties for tomorrow organised and orders issued regarding them. 8 Jun 1918 Every available man working on WADI ISHKAR from 0400-1200 otherwise nothing of note. 9 Jun 1918 Capt.H.Wilkin M.C. leaves Battn, for duty with XXI Corps. Working parties as for yesterday. Notification of awards of M.C.'s to 2nd Lieuts Gooderham and Mayers for good patrol work. 10 Jun 1918 Working parties as for yesterday. Usual aerial activity. 11 Jun 1918 The C.O. leaves battn. for tour of inspection of Schools of Instruction. Major CR James MC assumes command. 1800 Presentation of Military Cross ribbons to 2nd Lieuts Gooderham and Mayers and M.M. to Pte Pennycock by G.O.C. 54th Divn. Usual anti-mosquito work. 12 Jun 1918 Routine and working parties as usual 13 Jun 1918 Orders received for Bn. to move to O34D and O34C tomorrow. Anti mosquito work completed. 14 Jun 1918 - Q.4.b.8.9. 0600 Coys. start to move off to new area independently. battn.H.Q. established in Q.4.b.8.9. Remainder of battn in Q.5.A, O.34.D, O.35.C in sector reserve. 15 Jun 1918 Day passed quietly. Coys at disposal of company commanders. Nothing happened worthy of note. 16 Jun 1918 Routine as for yesterday. Very quiet. 17 Jun 1918 Vicinity of WILHELMA STATION shelled. Little damage. 18 Jun 1918 Nothing to note. 19 Jun 1918 Order No.66 received from Bde regarding relief of 5th Norfolks by this unit. Bn. Order no.33 regarding same issued to all concerned. 20 Jun 1918 0600 Advance party to MEJDEL YABA. 1930 Bn. moves off arriving MEJDEL YABA 2130. Relief of Left subsection reported complete at 23.45. A and D coys in front line and B and C in support posts. Colonel Brighten assumes duties of Brigade Commander on return from ZEITOUN. 21 Jun 1918 Slight enemy shelling during the day. No damage. Day passed uneventfully. 22 Jun 1918 1200-1500 Slight shelling in vicinity of MEJDEL CASTLE and near Bn. H.Q. 1800 British observation balloon downed by enemy 'plane. Orders received for return of all extra regimentally employed. Information received that 162 Bde will be relieved by 9th Indian Bde on night 23/24. 23 Jun 1918 - O.34.b. Arrangements for relief arranged between officers of this unit and of 2nd Dorsets. 2400 Relief complete. Bn. moved off arraiving O.34.B at 0400. 24th Jun 24 Jun 1918 - Surafend Orders received for Bn. to move to SURAFEND. 1830 Bn. left O.34.B marching at head of brigade 2200 Arrived SURAFEND 25 Jun 1918 - Ludd 0700 Orders received for Bn. to entrain at LUDD. 0830 BN. moved off for LUDD. 1030 Entrainment commenced. 1215 Entrainment completed and journey started 26 Jun 1918 - Kantara 0400 Train arrives KANTARA and Bn. marches into camp at KILO 4. day spent shifting baggage. Orders received to entrain for Alexandria tomorrow 27 Jun 1918 0500 All baggage moved to station. Orders issued for Bn to be ready to move at 1535. 1100 All orders re move suspended. 1200-1500 All baggage brought back from station. 28 Jun 1918 50% of officers granted leave to PORT SAID or ISMAILIA. Quiet day, coys at disposal of coy commanders. 29 Jun 1918 Limbers and other vehicles sent back from Alexandria, arrived in camp area about 1300. Classes for signalling and Lewis Gun arranged. 30 Jun 1918 Church parade in the morning. 2nd Lieut MAYERS assumes duty as a/adjutant vice 2nd Lt DAMON to duty. 1/5th. BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT ORDER No. 32 Ref. Map FEJJA C.3 1/40,000 19 June 1918 1. The 162nd. Inf. Bde. will relieve the 163rd. Inf. Bde. in the Right Section, 54th. Divisional Sector, on the night 20/21st. June. 2. 1/5th. Bedford Regt. will relieve 1/5th. Norfolk Regt. in the Left Subsection. 1/4th. Northampton Regt. will relieve 1/8th. Hants Regt. in the Centre Subsection. 3. "A" Coy. will relieve the Right Coy. in the line. "D" Coy. will relieve the Left Coy. in the line. "C" Coy. will relieve the Right Reserve Coy. "B" Coy. will relieve the Left Reserve Coy. Details of relief will be arranged between Coy. Comdrs. 4. Coys.will not leave present bivouac area before 1930 on 20th. inst. 5. Signal lines will be taken over by the Singal Office 6. Copies of receipts for all Area stores handed over and taken over, will be sent to this office. Reserve rations will be taken over and receipts forwarded to this office. 7. Trench Log Books will be taken over for each O.P. and work in 1st. Line System. 8. On and after 21st. inst. the 162nd. Inf. Bde will draw rations and forage daily from Brigade Refilling Point at P.17.c.6.2 at 1600 Supply personnel moving to new refilling point relieving the supply personnel 163rd. Bde. at 1700 on 20th. the Field Post Office moves with the supply peorsnnel. 9. The new Watering Area will be at P.17.d.3.8. Time tables will be issued later. 10. Sick will be evacuated to 1/3rd E.A. Field Amb. P.22.b. 11. Completion of relief will be wired "Priority" to Bn. H.Q. 12. Bde. H.Q. will close at WILHELMA at 1630 and reopen at the same hour in U.7.d.2.2. Bn. H.Q. will close at present Bivouac Area at 1930 and reopen at the same hour at the LIME KILN. 13. ACKNOWLEDGE.

1-30 Jun 1918

From: 1918 To: 1918

item

James, C.R.,
Wilkin, H.,
Gooderham, F.,
Mayers, W.H.,
Lincoln, A.W.,
Pennycock, T.,
Hare, Steuart Welwood,
Brighten, Edgar William,
Damon, C.A.I.

1st/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 1st/10th (Hackney) Battalion London Regiment, aerial action overseas, deaths, 1st/5th Battalion Essex Regiment, XXI Corps, Wilhelma Station, 162nd Infantry Brigade, 1st/5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, military balloons, 9th Indian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Battalion Dorset Regiment, 163rd Infantry Brigade, 54th (East Anglian) Division, 1st/4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, 1st/8th (Isle of Wight) Battalion Hampshire Regiment, mosquitos, Ras el Ain, Cat House [Gaza], Wadi Ishkar, Wilhelma, Alexandria, Port Said, Ismailia, Surafend, Mejdel Yaba, Mejdel Castle [Gaza], Kantara, Ludd