X550/6/8/1807

War Diary for July 1918 1 Jul 1918 - Kantara Reveille 0430. Pt & Bayonet Fighting 0500-0545. Battn Parade 0700. Musketry & Close Order Drill till 1000. 2 Jul 1918 Training as usual. System of relay runners established between unit & Bde H.Q. 3 Jul 1918 Battn. paraded by Coys at Bde Gas School for fitting & testing of SBR. Other training as usual. 54th Division returns to command of XXIst Corps. Marching out states for move from Kantara to Ludd to be rendered to Bde HQ by 0900 on 4th. 4 Jul 1918 Battn Route March 0600-0900. drew 25 pack animals from remounts. Return rendered to Bde HQ of tonnage for which extra transport will be wanted to move to Kantara station. 5 Jul 1918 Entrainment orders received 2100 A Coy & transport with part of baggage entrained for Ludd. 6 Jul 1918 Baggage moved 0800. Battn parade 1015. Entrained 1200. Halt of 30 minutes at El Arish. Tea made with boiling water provided. A Coy arrived Ludd about 1600. 7 Jul 1918 - Surafend Battn arrived Ludd 0330. Tea made at station. Marched to Surafend arriving 0600. 8 Jul 1918 Battn parade full strength 0700. CO spoke about discipline on move. Training as at Kantara. 9 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Bivouac area enlarged by moving out C & D Coys. Lena Ashwell party gave concert near Div HQ. 10 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Greatcoats and cardigans dumped at Wilhelma 11 Jul 1918 Route March 0600 to 0900 to Kh Surafend and back. Coys ordered to recommend 5 men per Coy for leave to UK. Divl Band played 1900-1945. 12 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Route march for details. 13 Jul 1918 Battn moved to Red House Wood O.34.d. Coys at 15 minute intervals starting at 1530. Move complete 1830. 25 tents drawn from DPLS. 14 Jul 1918 Church Parade 0730 with 11th London. CO interviewed all men recommended for UK leave. A few shells heard north of wood about 1230 & 1900. 15 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Training areas, ranges etc allotted by 162 Bde. 16 Jul 1918 Veterinary officers inspected transport. Training as usual. Musketry equipment drawn from DPLS. 17 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Rifle range allotted to Coys 2hrs each. 18 Jul 1918 Training as usual. 1 officer & 8 OR went on 2 days leave to Jerusalem. 19 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Battn 1300, rehearsal for GOC's inspection. 20 Jul 1918 GOC 54th Division inspected Battn in mass and at training 21 Jul 1918 Church Parade with MG Battn 0730. 14 OR left on leave to UK. Lecture by Mr.Charles Whitelaw "Why America was late coming into the War" 22 Jul 1918 Training as usual. 2 officers went on leave to Jerusalem. 1 officer & 8 OR to Rest Camp El Arish. 23 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Divisional Gas Officer inspected Battn during afternoon 24 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Party for bathing at Wilhelma. Concert near Bde HQ by "Barnstormers" 60th Div Concert Party. 25 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Concert by 484 Fld Coy RE 26 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Route march for specialist classes. Coys marched independently during the week 27 Jul 1918 Training as usual. Concert by 1/4th Northants. 28 Jul 1918 Church Parade with MG Batty 0730. 2 offcicers & 4 OR left on short leave in Egypt. 29 Jul 1918 - Mezeirah Breakfast 0700. No parades. Battn left for Mezeirah by Coys between 2000 & 2100. Move complete 2330. 30 Jul 1918 Battn worked on road making near Kuleh 31 Jul 1918 Battn relieved 1st Battn Manchester Regt in left Subsection Right Section, Centre Section Left bivouac area 2015. relief complete 0030. A Coy Right Front D Coy Left Front C Coy Right Support B Coy Left Support. One Coy 10th London Regt in works D1 2 3 & 4. 2 Platoons same Regt in CS 13, 14, 15 & 16. 1/5th Bedfordshire Regiment Order No.34 Ref. Map FEJJA C.3. 1/40,000 29th. July. 1918 1. On the night 29/30th. July. 162nd. Inf. Bde. will move to MEZEIRAH. 2. On night 29/30th. July. Companies will move independently to MEZEIRAH. They will cross the North and South line through O.30.CEntral and O.36.central at the following times: - B & H.Q.Coy 2030 A Coy 2035 D Coy 2040 C Coy & 1st Line Transport 2045 3. On the 30th. this unit will find working parties in the MEZEIRAH Area, instructions for which have been issued verbally to Coy. Comdrs. 4. Administrative instructions will be issued separately. 5. 162nd.Inf.Bde. wil lclose at RED HOUSE WOOD at 1830 on 29th. and open at P.30.a.5.5. at the same hour. 6. Bn. H.Q. will close at present bivouac raea [sic] at 2030 and open at P.29.b.3.3. at the same hour. 7. ACKNOWLEDGE 1/5th BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT ORDER No.35 Ref.Map. FEJJA C.3. 1,40,000 31 July. 1918 1. The 162nd Inf. Bde. less 162nd L.T.M.B. will relieve the 8th. Ind. Inf. Bde. in the Right Section, Centre Sector, on night 31/1st. 2. 1/5th. Bedfordshire Regiment will relieve 1st. Manchester Regiment in the Left Sub-Section. 2 Coys less 2 Platoons 1/10th. London Regt. are relieving 1 Coy. 91st Punjabis in works D.1, 2, 3 & 4 and will come under orders of O.C. Left Sub-Section. 1 Section 162.M.G.Coy and 1 Section 162. L.T.M.B. are relieving corresponding Sections of the 8th. Ind. Inf. Bde. in the Left Sub-Section on the night 1/2nd. Aug. 3. Details of relief will be arranged mutually between Coy. Commdrs. concerned, who will make their own arrangements for sending on advance parties. 4. Starting Point will be on road level with North end of Transport Lines. Coys will pass this point as follows: - A Coy 2015 D Coy 2018 C Coy 2021 B Coy 2024 H.Q.Coy 2027 The orders for Transport will be issued separately 5. Attention is called to BattN. Order N.1143. Bivouacs will not be struck and Transport will not harness up before dark. 6. Area and Trench Stores will be taken over by Coys. receipts will be given and copies in duplicate sent to O.Room by 0800, 1st. 7. All refuse will be burnt, if necessary being carried back under cover for this purpose. 8. Completion of reliefs will be wired priority to Bn. H.Q. using the Code Word "WADI". 9. Battn. H.Q. will close at present location at 2000 and open at P.6.d.6.5. at the same hour. 10. ACKNOWLEDGE July. 1918 Other Ranks Killed. Nil. Wounded. Nil. Sick Admitted. 106 Drafts. Nil Rejoined from Hospital. 38.

1-31 Jul 1918

From: 1918 To: 1918

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Ashwell, Lena,
Whitelaw, Charles

1st/5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 54th (East Anglian) Division, 162nd Infantry Brigade, XXI Corps, Kantara Station, Lena Ashwell Concert Party, bands, 60th (2nd/2nd London) Division, church services, Northamptonshire, 484th Field Company Royal Engineers, 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment, 162nd Light Trench Mortar Battery, 8th Indian Infantry Brigade, 1st/10th (Hackney) Battalion London Regiment, 162nd Machine Gun Company, Ludd, Kantara, el Arish, Wilhelma, Surafend, Red House Wood [Gaza], USA, Jerusalem, Egypt, Kuleh, Mezeirah