Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X550/6/8/1809
  • Title
    War Diary for September 1918 1 Sep 1918 - Beit Nabala Church Parade 0800 300yds W of Bde HQ. A, B & C Coys each sent 100 men for bathing and fumigation at Jindas. CO returned from leave in Jerusalem. 2 Sep 1918 0700 Heats for Bombing and LG Competitions in Bde Tournament were run off 1630 Heats for 100yds, 440yds and high jump. 3 Sep 1918 CO started a new course of lectures to newly joined officers. The Battn paraded at full strength at 1015 for a lecture on Venereal Diseases by Lieut.Col.Pooles RAMC. CO held a technical exercise for all offciers WO's and sergeants at 1600. 4 Sep 1918 A & D Coys on A range, B & C went on a short route march. All Coys practising for tournament. 5 Sep 1918 B & C Coys on A range. Remainder on route march. Heats for Reserve LG Competition & Assault Competition 1630. Draft of 4 officers and 32 OR arrived. 6 Sep 1918 A & D Coys on B range. All teams practising for tournament. Working party of 100 supplied for sports ground morning and evening. 7 Sep 1918 Heats for tournament 0700-1200. Tournament started 1400 Challenge Cup for Battn getting most points won by 11th London; this Battn second, Won Tug of War, Coy Cross Country, Relay Rece & Officers Jumping 8 Sep 1918 - Mejdel Yaba CO and Coy commanders left at 0730 for the line and stayed there all day taking over from 1/5th Essex. Church parade 300 yds W of Bde HQ at 0800. battn passed staring point 1905 arriving in the line at 2330 and taking over Right Subsection, Left Section, Right Centre Section. 9 Sep 1918 Relief complete 0130. 0200 5 min bombardment of BUREID RIDGE by our guns. Patrol to BUREID RIDGE heavily fired on from about M.21.a.2.2. 1 officer Lieut D.SPURGEON killed. 1 OR Sgt P.BROWN wounded. A second patrol went out at 1130 and remained out till dawn but could not find officer's body. 10 Sep 1918 Quiet day. 2200 Bombardment of BUREID RIDGE & KH UM EL BUREID. 3 fighting patrols total 3 officers and 50 OR raided sangars in M.21.a and pushed a small patrol to KH UM EL BUREID which was found to be still occupied. At about 2210 enemy put down fairly heavy barrage of 77's, 4.2's& 5.9's on our front line and support areas, which continued intermittently throughout the night. 11 Sep 1918 At 0100 the enemy barraged wadis MIYEH & HARAM and at 0130 delivered counterattack on BUREID RIDGE from 3 sides. Estimated strength 150 men. This attack was repulsed. At 0210 enemy bombarded BUREID RIDGE with all guns and counter attacked with about 300 men. Our party was obliged to fight its way out to avoid being surrounded, reaching our line about 0330. Casualties 1 officer 2nd Lt HOPE wounded. 2 OR missing believed killed, 22 OR wounded of which 11 remained at duty. 15 dead Turks were counted but enemy casualties were considerably more than this figure. All day quiet. Patrol to BUREID RIDGE reported enemy in position as usual. 12 Sep 1918 Quiet day. Patrol to about M.20.a.8.4. fired on from BUREID RIDGE. An enemy patrol was encountered, but on our patrol trying to surround it, it withdrew. 13 Sep 1918 Bde conference. CO's and adjutants. Patrol to M.21.c.5.3 sent small parties to junctions of wadis MIYEH & IKBA and to head of wadi MIYEH, also reconnoitred wasi IKBA for 300-400 yds from junction and found passable for limbers. No enemy seen. 14 Sep 1918 Quiet day. Standing patrol established as on 14th. 2350 Enemy fired 8 single rounds 4.2. One towards Battn on right, two towards Batt on left remainder near A.27.a.9.9. 15 Sep 1918 Quiet day. CofE, RC & Nonconformist services at Bn HQ. CO's of division met CinC and [sic] Wilhelma 1115. Standing patrol as for 14th. No enemy seen. 16 Sep 1918 Cleaning of surplus kit to dumps at Wilhelma completed. Second water bottle issued. Standing patrol as for 15th, no enemy seen. 17 Sep 1918 Quiet day. Standing patrol as for 16th. No enemy seen. 2 4.2 hows arrived and went into position behind A Coy. 1 gun from each battery of Mountain Bde took up positions near C Coy. 18 Sep 1918 Z-1 day. Baggage wagons loaded and sent to Div Train. Limbers loaded and parked at Battn HQ. Standing patrol as for 17th. Enemy shelled C Coy area about 2000 with 77's. May have heard mountain brigade coming into action. 1 OR severely & 1 OR slightly wounded. 19 Sep 1918 - Wadi Kanah Z day. Enemy again shelled C Coy area about 0330. No damage. 161 Bde deployed along line M.26.central - M.27.central and patrol withdrew through them. 0430 bombardment started all along the line and 161 Bde advanced. Enemy artillery replied and considerable number 77's fell in our area. Major F.G.Owens slightly wounded 0600 Battn advaced by Coys, A Coy leading. Halted for a short time about M.27.a as enemy were shelling wadi RABAH with 5.9's. While going down Wadi IKBA heavil yshelled by 4.2's & 77's. About 12 casualties. Arrived area of concentration M.9.c 0845. Code word for move east received about 1000. battn moved to about M.9.a.9.1 to try and get touch with 4th Northants. About 1200 Battn moved into KASIM WOOD and Northants were found to be moving east past SIVRI WOOD. About 1245 A & D Coys advanced due east i nartillery formation, coming immediately under heavy fire from 5.9's, 4.2's & 77's and having about 20 casualties. They halted in shelter of wadi running NW & SE through M.4.b. Capt.J.T.Yarde MC was seriously wounded at this point. B, C & HQ Coys moved to about M.3.central, and Battn remained halted till about 1400. Northants then moved on and Battn followed in support. No shelling till we reached K.29.d.1.2 when about 20-30 rds 77mm were fired from close range. No casualties. Final objective reached 1630. Battn HQ established K.30.d.2.8. A Coy moved on to about L.25.c.4.3 with post at well at L.25.b.2.3. Well found to be deep bore well wit hengine damaged. B Coy on hill in K.30.b. C Coy at road junction K.30.d.9.5. D Coy in reserve at Battn HQ. About 1830 C Coy sent to Bde HQ as escort. Men considerably exhausted and suffering from thirst, as day had been very hot and ground difficult. 1st Line Wheeled Transport arrived about 1900, camels about midnight. Large quantities of stores and material found left behind by Turks. 20 Sep 1918 Battn moved to road junction in L.21.c. A Coy found 2 5.9 hows. Bivouacs pitched and men allowed to take off boots. Everything quiet. Drinking water drawn from RAS EL AIN. Animals watered in evening at Ey ZAKUR. 21 Sep 1918 Battn moved to L.25.d for salbvage work in vicinity. Coys began work about 1000, 1 officer & 50 OR went to KEFR KASIM & WADI IKBA to look for dead. 22 Sep 1918 Salvage work continued. large dumps of ammunition etc found and salved. 1 officer & 20 OR proceeded to wadi IKBA to bury dead. 23 Sep 1918 - Hableh 0530 Battn moved to HABLEH area K.7.b. Bde concentrated in this area. 24 Sep 1918 Coys at disposal of Coy Commanders. Washing water drawn. All men bathed and washed clothes. Vickers party rejoined. 25 Sep 1918 Route march and tactical exercise E of HABLEH. Blankets, haversacks & SD caps fetched from dump. Told to be ready to move at very short notice. 26 Sep 1918 Coys at disposal of Coy Commanders for bathing and washing. 1100 Thunderstorm with heavy rain lasting about half an hour. 27 Sep 1918 - Kakon Close order drill of Coys. Orders to stand by. Left bivouac 1515 and marched to KAKON about 15 miles, arriving 2105. 28 Sep 1918 - Kerkur Moved off 0615 and marched to KERKUR arriving 0945. ABout 10 miles. Very hot day, and large number of men fell out. 29 Sep 1918 - Zimmarin Left 0600 and marched to ZIMMARIN arriving 0915. About 8 1/2 miles. Easy march 30 Sep 1918 - Athlit Moved off 0535 and marched to ATHLIT arriving 1040. About 13 miles very hot. Bivouac close to sea and all men bathed. 1/5th BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT ORDER No.38 Ref.Maps BIDIEH & FEJJA Sheets 1/40,000 7th. September 1918 1. On night 8/9th. sept. the Bn. will relieve 1/5th. Essex Regt. in the old Left Centre Subsection of the Right Centre Sector. The Subsection will then be renamed the Right Subsection of the Left Section. 2. An Advance Party as under will leave the present Bivouac, mounted with the C.O. at 0730. Adjutant, I.O. & L.G.O., Q.M., T.O., 4 Officers Comdg. Coys. and Signal Sergt. These Officers may arrange for such additional personel as they require in advance, to march up during the day, provided it is done in small parties not exceeding 6 in number. 3. The Bn. will parade and march off under the 2nd. in Command, as under Starting Point - Eastern End, 162nd L.T.M.Bty. 1905 H.Q. Coy. A. Coy. C. Coy. B. Coy. D. Coy. Stretcher Bearer Section. Trabsport. Coys. will not parade for marching off, nor will transport begin harnessing up before 1830. 4. Coys. will relieve Coys. of the 1/5th. Essex Regt. to be pointed out by the C.O. to Coy. Commanders on the ground, after which all arrangements will be made mutually between Coy. Commanders concerned. 5. All Signallers of "B" and "C" Classes will be attached to 1/11th. London Regt. from the night 8/9 Sept. They will march separately in rear of the Battalion under the Senior N.C.O. "A" Class will be discontinued from the 8th. Sept. inclusive. 6. Adminsitrative and Transport arrangements will be issued by the Q.M. and T.O. respectively. 7. Completion of all reliefs will be wired priority to new Bn. H.Q. by the Code word "RIFLE". 8. Bn. H.Q. will close at present sight [sic] at 1900 and reopen at U.3.c.3.3 on arrival. 9. ACKNOWLEDGE. 1/5th BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT ORDER No. 1 Ref. Map. FEJJA C3 BIDIEH C4. 1/40,000 17 September 1918 1. Certain operations will take place on Z day at Zero hour to be notified later. 2. At Zero + 90 this Unit will leave its present position and concentrate at M.9.c. 3. Coys will move independently in rough Artillery Formation by the shortest and most convenient route keeping touch with Bn. H.Q. during the move. 4. It is expected that when this move takes place the enemy line from Three Bushes, Scurry Hill, Kefr Kasim, and Jevis Tepe will be in our hands. 1st LINE TRANSPORT 5. (a) Company Echelon will be sent to Coys to arrive at Zero + 60 and will move with Coys. (b) Battalion Echelon will move under the Transport Officer as the tactical situation permits. Escort; - Cpl. Buckle, 8 Drummers also Coy Cooks. These will be available as runners and Ammunition Carriers. (c) Camel Echelon will move under the Q.M. Escort; - Sgt. W.C.Allen, Pioneers and Q.M.s party. 2nd LINE TRANSPORT 6. Baggage Wagons will be loaded on the evening of Z - 1 day and move under the orders of O.C. Divnl. Train. Escort; - Cpl. Pooley and 3 O'Ranks. MEDICAL 7. Stretcher Bearer Section will follows the Bn. Advanced Dressing Station in the first instance is at the LIME KILN, MEJDEL YABA, moving as the situation developes [sic] to M.13.c. WATCHES 8. The Signal Officer will attend at Bde. H.Q. at 1700 on Z - 1 day to synchronise watches. he will be responsible for synchronising all watches in the Bn. afterwards. REPORTS. 9. Reports to present Bn. H.Q. up to Zero + 90 after which H.Q. Coy will move via Post C.11, M.27.a.central, WADI IKBA, and shortest route to M.9.c. 10. ACKNOWLEDGE.
  • Date free text
    1-30 Sep 1918
  • Production date
    From: 1918 To: 1918
  • Level of description
    item
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