X550/2/5/1702

War Diary for February 1917 1 Feb 1917 - le Touret Battalion moved to Billets in LE TOURET & acted as Bde Reserve to FERME du BOIS sector. Very cold weather & very cold billets for the men (O.O. No.47 dated 31/1/17) 2 Feb 1917 In billets. Officers reconnoitred the line. 3 Feb 1917 Ditto 4 Feb 1917 Ditto Military Cross ribbons were presented by Sir R.B.Haking C.,B. cmdg XI Corps to Capt H.Willans M.C. Capt O.A.R.Beale M.C. and 2/Lt H.S.Everett M.C. in the Theatre at BETHUNE. 5 Feb 1917 - Front Line Ferme du Bois Right Subsection Relieved the 16th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Reg in the Right Sub-section of the FERME du BOIS Sub-sector relief passed off quietly in Daylight. A&B Coys in Firing line 'C' Coy in RICHMOND TERRACE D Coy in O.B.L. (O.O.50 dated 4/2/17). Trenches in fair condition, but were very weak & damaged. 6-8 Feb 1917 Very quiet nothing of note to record. 9 Feb 1917.- le Touret Bn was relieved by the 16/R.War R. & withdrew to Billets in LE TOURET see O.O. 51 dated 8/2/17 10 Feb 1917 In Billets. Training was carried on in Coys. Capt H.Willans M.C. appointed Staff Captain 15 Inf Bde. A/Capt O.A.R.Beale M.C. appointed Adjutant to 1/Bedfordshire Regt. (Authority XI Corps No.A6/316 dated 19/2/17) 11-12 Feb 1917 In Billets. Very cold. 13 Feb 1917 Inspected by Sir Douglas Haig C-in-C British Armies in FRANCE. See attached App IV [not attached] 14 Feb 1917 - Front Line Ferme du Bois Right Subsection Relieved 16/R.War.R. in trenches see O.O.52 dated 13.2.17. The trenches were held with 3 Coys & one coy in Billets Rue de L'EPPINETTE. This coy supplied wiring parties for coy. in Front line. 15 Feb 1917 Nothing to record in trenches 16 Feb 1917 Inter - Coy relief passed off quietly see O.O. 53 dated 15.2.17 attached [not attached] 17 Feb 1917 About 4.45 a.m. Enemy raided our trenches see attached report dated 17th [not attached] 18 Feb 1917 - le Touret Relieved by 16/R.War.R. & withdrew to Billets in LE TOURET see O.O. No.54 dated 17/2/17 19-20 Feb 1917 Bn. was re-organised according to instructions received from G.H.Q. Bn HQ including Transport & Quarter Masters employ was reduced to 150 strong plus 16 snipers & 16 Drums. Coys were re-organised as follows: Coy H.Q. 14 including officers. 4 Platoons each consisting of 4 sections as under No.1 section Riflemen & Rifle Grenadiers No.2 section Lewis Gunners & Snipers No.3 section Bombers No.4 section Riflemen & Rifle Grenadiers 21 Feb 1917 - Front Line Ferme du Bois Right Subsection Relieved 16/R.War.R. in the line see O.O. No.55 dated 20.2.17 22 Feb 1917 In trenches nothing to report 23 Feb 1917 Inter-Coy relief see O.O. No.56 24 Feb 1917 In trenches 25 Feb 1917 - le Touret Relieved by 16/R.War.R. see O.O. No.57 26 Feb 1917 In Billets at LE TOURET. Several officers of Russian Mission passed our billets & called in at the officers Mess. 27 Feb 1917 - Beuvry Bn. moved to Billets in BEUVRY. Mostly good billets but rather crowded. See O.O. No.58 28 Feb 1917 In Billets at BEUVRY. Good training grounds. Special attention paid to training Lewis Gunners, Rifle Grenadiers & Bombers.

1-28 Feb 1917

From: 1917 To: 1917

item

Haking, Richard Cyril Bryne,
Willans, Harry,
Beale, O.A.R.,
Everett, H.J.,
Haig, Douglas [1st Earl]

1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, la Couture Ferme du Bois, XI Corps, theatres, 16th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 15th Infantry Brigade, land weaponry, Russians, le Touret, Bethune, Richmond Terrace [la Couture], Rue l'Epinette [Festubert]