X550/2/5/1805

War Diary for May 1918 1 May 1918 - Camp in Nieppe Forest, H.Q. at l'Epinette Battn. in camp in NIEPPE FOREST Head Quarters at L'EPPINETTE [sic]. 2 May 1918 As above. 3 May 1918 - Support Line and Tannay Battn. moved up to Support position, relieving 12th Gloucester Regt. Party of 2 Offrs. & 128 O.Rs Dumped Personnel moved back to TANNAY. See A327 attached. 4 May 1918 Battn. employed making tracks to front line battn H.Qrs, carrying parties, digging & wiring Support line. 5 May 1918 As above. Casualties 1 killed & 7 wd. 6 May 1918 As above. 7 May 1918 As above. 1 wounded 8 May 1918 As above 9 May 1918 - Left Sector Front Line Battn. relieved 1st. Cheshire Regt. in Front line, left sector Bde. front. 6 O.R's wounded. 10 May 1918 As above. Enemy machine guns very active. 11 May 1918 As above. 3 O.R's wounded 12 May 1918 As above. 6 O.R's wounded. 13 May 1918 As above. 3 O.R's killed. 14-15 May 1918 As above. Work while in front line was carried on, in improving trenches, making front line continuous and wiring the whole front. A new trench was dug by the right Coy. for Support platoon. R.E. put in 2 new small elephant shelters for R. & support Coy. H.Qrs. Bn. H.Qrs. worked on existing huts & bivouacs and new ones built. 16 May 1918 - Villorba Camp As above. 2Lt F.L.Ray & 1 O.R. killed. Bn. relieved by 14th R.W.Regt. & withdrew to VILLORBA CAMP. 17 May 1918 In camp as above. Battn. employed cleaning up, changing khaki etc. 18 May 1918 Battn. employed on Div. line. 2 Coys 9 am to 1 p.m. 2 Coys 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 19 May 1918 - Tannay and Thiennes Work on Div. line as above. Battn. relieved by 1st Norfolk Regt. & withdrew 2 Coys & H.Qrs to TANNAY, 2 Coys to THIENNES & billeted. 20 May 1918 In billets as above. 5.30 a.m. Test alarms sounded & Battn. proceeded by light railway to take up battle positions. Working parties found at THIENNES STN. etc. 21 May 1918 Battn. on Contact patrol scheme. Took up position at 7 p.m. Closed at 10 a.m. & proceeded by Coys to baths. 22 May 1918 - Spresiano Camp As above. Battalion found parties to work on Divisional Line, moved up to SPRESIANO CAMP at night & relieved 1st Battalion the Cheshire Regt. 23 May 1918 In Camp as above, Training carried on under Company arrangements 24 May 1918 In Camp as above. Draft of 5 O.Rs joined. Training carried on under Coy Arrangements Working party found for Bde H.Q. 25 May 1918 As above, training as above working party as above. 26-28 May 1918 As above. Party proceeded to Front Line at night to take over ready for relief next day. Casualties 2 O.Rs wounded 29 May 1918 - Front Line As above. Battalion preparing for move to the Line 9 p.m. Battalion moved up & relieved 1st Battalion the Norfolk Regt in Front Line 30 May 1918 In line as above. Enemy shelled considerably with gas shell. Casualties 1 O.R. wounded. 31 May 1918 In line as above. Enemy Artillery active on roads between Bn H.Q. & Coys Casualties 3 ORs wounded. 2/Lt E.C.Herberg wounded WARNING ORDER A327 1. On the night of the 3rd/4th. the Battalion will relieve the 1st. Bn. East Surreys in support. Headquarters at J.24.d.6.4. 2. Reconnaisance [sic] party consisting of One Officer and one runner per Coy. and one N.C.O. per platoon will proceed to the line to-day, and take over from their opposite letter Companies. These parties will remain with the East Surreys until relieved by the Battalion the following day. 3. Intelligence Officer and 2 Runners from Battalion Headquarters will accompany this party. 4. Parties will report to the Headquarters of the East Surreys at 5 p.m. to-night. 2/5/18 OPERATION ORDER No. 141 1st. Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment. May 8th. 1918. 1. Battalion will relieve the Cheshire Regiment in the left sub-sector to-morrow, May 9th/10th. as under: - Left Front - Bedfords "B" Coy. - Cheshires "C" Coy. - move off at 8.45 p.m. - route via "D" Coy.line - Railway K.14.d.15.40. Centre - Bedfords "D" Coy. - Cheshires "B" Coy. - move off at 8.45 p.m. - same route as "C" Coy. Right - Bedfords "C" Coy. - Cheshires "D" Coy. - move off at 8.45 p.m. - route main track K.13.d.8.2. to enclosure K.20.c. Support - Bedfords "A" Coy. - Cheshires "A" Coy. - move off at 8.45 p.m. - route via railway K.14.d.15.40. H.Q. - move off a 8.45 p.m. - route via Wired Track 2. GUIDES of Cheshires, one per platoon will meet Companies at respective front line at H.Q. 3. PATROLS. Strong standing patrols will at once be sent out as close to the enemy as possible. These patrols will be posted by an Officer and will NOT withdraw until daybreak. NOTE. - Our S.O.S. barrage is 300 yards front of our front line. 4. STAND TO. As it is the first night in a new sector, no Officers or men will sleep until after stand down in the morning. 5. RATIONS For "B", "D" and "A" Coy's. rations will be brought on pack animals as far as ration dump on Railway K.14.d.15.40. These Companies will each send 3 men to draw rations, water and half tea from this dump - not more than three men per Coy. are to be away at the same time. Fighting order to be worn. For "C" Coy. rations etc., will go as far as Coy. H.Q. Rations should be at the above dumps about 9.30 p.m. These dumps must be well reconnoitred to-night. 6. Fighting order, plus Great Coats rolled, waterproof sheets and Mess Tins. DRESS. Packs will be dumped near light railway to-morrow by 2 p.m. Q.M. will arrange for the Drums to be at Battalion Headquarters at this time. They will fetch the packs of Coy's. down to Railway on main diagonal road and will see them loaded in the train, and taken back to Transport. T.O. will arrange for accommodation on train. Packs must be clearly marked with the Regimental Number, name and Coy. BLANKETS will be ready same time and proceed by same means. No surplus kit of any kind is to [be] taken to the front line. 7. STORES. All stores, work etc., and explosives and S.O.S. are to be taken over. One N.C.O. and one runner in addition to reconnoitring parties already detailed, will proceed to front line to take over, and remain there until their Coy's. arrive there to-morrow night. 8. TIME will be sent round Coy's. to-morrow at 4 p.m. Relief complete to be reported by wire, using names of C.S.M's. as code word. Also by Runner. These orders will be destroyed before proceeding to front line. OPERATION ORDER No. 142 1st Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment. May 15th. 1918. 1. Battalion will be relieved by TEHE on night of 16/17th. May as follows: - "A" Coy. TEHE will relieve our "C" Coy. Right Coy. "B" Coy. TEHE will relieve our "D" Coy. Centre Coy. "D" Coy. TEHE will relieve our "B" Coy. Left Coy. "C" Coy. TEHE will relieve our "A" Coy. Support Coy. 2. All stores, S.A.A. (except 120 rounds per man) V.P.A., S.O.S., etc., will be handed over. Tools must be collected in platoon dumps. Lists of stores to be handed over must reach Battalion Headquarters at daybreak to-morrow. All work in progress, etc., and action in case of an attack must be explained to relieving Coy's. 3. Detailed work reports with sketch map, shewing wire, posts, etc., and shewing work done during tour must reach Battn. H.Q. by daybreak to-morrow. 4. GUIDES. One guide per platoon will report to I.O. at Battn. H.Q. to-night, where they will remain until relief arrives. I.O. will arrange to meet relieving Unit at K.13.b.3.6. Junction of Infantry Row and VIA ROMA at 9 p.m. Relief complete will be reported by wire using names of C.S.M's. as code, and also by runner. 5. T.O. will arrange necessary Transport for Lewis Guns, H.Q. Cooks kit, Signal and Mess Kit. 6. On completion of relief, Companies will withdraw by platoons to VILLORBA Camp, J.20.b. reporting their arrival to Capt. G. de C.Millais. 7. the Battalion will be at the disposal of the XIIIth. Brigade until further orders. 8. O.C. Coy's. will commit these orders to memory and destroy same immediately after being read. OPERATION ORDER No.143. 1st. Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment. May 28th. 1918. 1. On the night of the 29th/30th. Battalion will follow the 1st. NORFOLKS in Right Sub-Sector. After relief, Coy.s. will be disposed as follows: - "B" on the Right. "D" on the Left. "A" in the centre. "C" in Support. 2. The following alterations were made on the night of the 26th/27th. Right Coy. - No change. Centre Coy. - One platoon withdrawn to occupy position immediately N. of River BOURRE, in old front line, K.15.a.9.2. Left Coy. - One platoon withdrawn to occupy position in our old front line at K.9.d.6.3. Support Coy. - One platoon withdrawn from old front line to trench in rear of SURREY FARM enclosure at K.2.d.0.4. 3. ROUTE. Along VIA ROMA to the HALT, thence direct to Coy. fronts. 4. GUIDES of 1st. NORFOLK Regt. one per platoon will meet Coy's. at the HALT. 5. SKETCH Maps showing exact dispositions, wire, and state of trenches will be sent to Battalion Headquarters, before daybreak on morning of the 30th. 6. Party of one N.C.O. per platoon will be sent on to-night by respective Coy's. to take over stores, work, etc., This party will remain in trenches until arrival of Coy's. 7. WORK. Front line Coy's. will concentrate on wiring their respective fronts. Barricades in the form of Breastworks will be constructed at all places where Roads pass through our front line. The Road at K.9.d.8.5. is inclusive to Left Battalion. 8. Companies will leave Camp in the following order: - 200 yards distance between platoons. "B", - "D", - "A", - "C", - H.Q. Head of column will leave Camp at 9 p.m. 9. RELIEF COMPLETE will be reported by the name of the C.Q.M.Sgt. in each Coy. by wire, also by Runner.

1-31 May 1918

From: 1918 To: 1918

item

Ray, Frederick Lee,
Herberg, E.C.,
Millais, Geoffrey de Carteret

1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 12th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, Royal Engineers, 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, deaths, clothing, 5th Division, 1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment, Thiennes Station, 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 15th Infantry Brigade, 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment, water provision, maps, 13th Infantry Brigade, cook, Bourre, Bourre Bois de Nieppe, l'Epinette, Tannay, Villorba Camp [Bois de Nieppe], Thiennes, Spresiano Camp [Bois de Nieppe], Infantry Row [Bois de Nieppe], Via Roma [Bois de Nieppe], Surrey Farm [Bois de Nieppe], Wired Track [Bois de Nieppe]