X550/2/5/1503

War Diary for March 1915 1-2 Mar 1915 - Bailleul Battn remained in billets at Bailleul. Draft of 25 men joined Battn. 27th ult. 3 Mar 1915 - Ouderdom Battn. proceeded with remainder of 15th Bde by march route to OUDERDOM to form part of new composite 28th Division in relief of 28th Div. S.E. of Ypres Battn camped in newly constructed huts. 4 Mar 1915 Battn marched at night to take over position in support from R.Scots Fusiliers 6 Mar 1915 - canal bank south of Ieper Battn took over sector of trenches North of Canal, relieving 9th Brigade 1/Cheshire Regt. took over section S. of Canal. K.O.Y.L.I. on our left. Casualties in going up to trenches 3 wounded 7 Mar 1915 Head Quarters shelled, 1 man killed. Sniping very considerable, total casualties 3 killed 1 wounded. 8 Mar 1915 A certain amount of shelling & sniping during day. Battn. relieved by Dorset Regt. at night & returned to support. Casualties Capt Andrews wounded: 2 killed & 9 others wounded 9 Mar 1915 Battn in support 10 Mar 1915 Battn relieved Dorset Regt in trenches at about 6.30 pm. 11 Mar 1915 Situation in 32 (a) trench unpleasant. Germans hold one end of it & also have trench parallel to it about 40 yards away & partly enveloping it at the end they hold. Impossible to show a periscope for more than a few seconds without getting a bullet through it; & quite impossible to see where firing comes from as no heads (enemy's) show above their parapets & no rifles can be seen at loopholes. Capt.Ogden wounded & five other ranks. Enemy bombed junction of 32(a) trench & 33 trench (held by 5th Fusiliers [sic 3rd Royal Fusiliers?]) with heavy trench howitzer. About 20 yards of parapet blown in, killing or burying about 16 of 5th Fusiliers. 12 Mar 1915 Enemy continued to drop bombs in same place, thus partly isolating garrison of 32(a) trench. [diagram in original] 2nd Lt.J.H.Moxley [sic] killed 2 N.C.O. killed, 1 man wounded. Battn. relieved by Dorset Regt. at 8 pm. Draft of 20 men arrived. 13 Mar 1915 Battn in support. 2 officers & 9 men wounded by shell fire; 1 man killed. 14 Mar 1915 Headquarters shelled with shrapnel for about 20 minutes. Battn relieved 1st Dorset Regt. in trenches About 5.25 pm. Enemy opened very heavy bombardment on section to our right, near St.ELOI heavy artillery fire opened again also on Batt.Headquarters & on Chateau buildings where 'B' Company was billeted. Casualties - 2 wounded. 15 Mar 1915 Battn in trenches. Casualties 2 killed 4 wounded. Draft of 45 arrived. 16 Mar 1915 - Ieper Battn. relieved at night by 13th Brigade (Manchester Regt.) 32(a) trench heavily bombed & sniped. casualties 3 killed and 11 wounded. Battn. returned to YPRES about midnight 17 Mar 1915 - south of Vlamertinge Battn. left YPRES and returned to billets in newly erected huts S. of VLAMERTINGE. Brigade being in reserve. 18-20 Mar 1915 Battn. remained resting in billets. 21-22 Mar 1915 - Ieper Brigade returned to trenches. The Battn. remained in support at YPRES. 23 Mar 1915 - canal bank south of Ieper The Battn relieved 1/Cheshire Regt. in 'D' Sector trenches; our left being in touch with the French. 1 man wounded during the relief. 24 Mar 1915 Quiet day - 2 casualties. Trenches very zig-zag & confusing, as they face in three directions. Considerable work required to make them satisfactory 25 Mar 1915 - Ieper Lieut Tabor slightly wounded in head. 1 man killed and 4 wounded. Battn relieved (except 2 platoons) at 9 pm. & returned to support at Ypres. 2nd Lts James, Harvey, Knight & Scott joined for duty 26-27 Mar 1915 Battalion remained in support. 1 casualty (wounded whilst with working party) 2nd Lt.Webb (4th N.Staffords) joined for duty. 28 Mar 1915 Battn relieved 1st Cheshire Regt. in trenches. 2nd Lts Morris, Pulleine & 119 men joined for duty. 29 Mar 1915 Quiet day. Much work done in improving trenches, making sniping posts etc. 30 Mar 1915 Do. Do. Constant duel between number 50 trench & opposing German trench with rifle grenades. Usual difficulty in obtaining various component parts of rifle-grenades, which are issued separately . On this occasion no blank rounds available, & shortage of detonators. 31 Mar 1915 - Ieper Good work done from newly constructed concealed sniping-posts. battn relieved by West Riding Regt. (13th Bde) at 9 pm & returned to Divisional Reserve W. of YPRES. Casualties during past 3 days - 2 killed & eleven wounded.

1-31 Mar 1915

From: 1915 To: 1915

item

Andrews,
Ogden,
Moxly, John Hewitt Sutton,
Tabor, Sidney,
Harvey, Herbert Alexander,
Knight,
Scott,
Webb,
Morris,
Pulleine

1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 28th Division, Royal Scots Fusiliers, canals, 9th Infantry Brigade, 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 1st Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1st Battalion Dorset Regiment, Germans, deaths, 3rd Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment, 84th Infantry Brigade, French, 4th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment, Bailleul, Ouderdom, Ypres, St-Eloi, Vlamertinge, Ypres