Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X550/2/5/1512
  • Title
    War Diary for December 1915 1-2 Dec 1915 - Bray-sur-Somme and Etinehem In Rest Billets. Lts. Thomson, Wilson, Saunders & Whittemore joined Bttn. for duty. 2 men killed & 2 injured in mine explosion where they were working with Bde. Tunnelling Coy, in 73 Trench. 3 Dec 1915 - trenches near Fricourt Relieved 1/Dorsets in C.1. subsector. 4-5 Dec 1915 In Trenches. Lt.Marshall joined for duty. Weather very wet & trenches bad. Large amount of work required to keep in repair. 6 Dec 1915 Lt.-Col.B.R.Roche took over command of Bttn. vice Lt.-Col.C.R.J.Griffith C.M.G. D.S.O. appointed to command of 108th Bde. quiet day one man wounded. [on reverse Lt.Col.C.R.J.GRIFFITH C.M.G. D.S.O. left the Bn. on 3rd Decr.1915 to command 108th Brigade. Capt.W.H.L.BARNETT, 4th Bn. Bedfordshire Att 1st Bn. commanded Bn, until arrival of Capt.F.H.EDWARDS 1st Bn. on 4th Dec] 7 Dec 1915 Quiet day, wet evening, two men wounded. 8 Dec 1915 at 2 am Bombing parties from Dorsets crept towards German trenches opposite 65 trench found it impossible to get through wire threw bombs and got back with a few slight casuakties. rest of day quiet. trenches very bad in places owing to rain. 9 Dec 1915 - Bray-sur-Somme Relieved by the Dorsets and returned to billets arriving about 9.30 pm very wet night. 9-13 Dec 1915 In billets at Bray one man killed on mining fatigue on 10th. relieved 1st Dorsets in C.1. subsector relief complete at 7.45.p.m. trenches very wet and communication trenches very difficult one man wounded during relief. 14 Dec 1915 - trenches near Fricourt Trenches required a lot of work owing to rain. 69 trench very bad. Germans seen getting out of their communication trench near MAMETZ and fired on. One man wounded. 15 Dec 1915 A few whizbangs about noon near 69 trench no damage done. Quiet day. 3 offrs & 8 N.C.Os 16 Btn Royal Warwicks arrived for instruction 16 Dec 1915 About 5 am a German Deserter surrendered to 67 trench he was wounded by a bomb bu his own people in escaping. About 5.30 am enemy made a feeble attempt to bomb the Mound (a salient from 62 trench) bombs fell short enemy hastily retreated no damage done. Misty weather little improvement in state of trenches. Quiet day. 4 more officers & 1 compy 16th Warwicks arrived for instruction. 17 Dec 1915 Rain made trenches worse, quiet day, 5 or 6 whizbangs about RAT HOLE about 12.30 pm 3 or 4 whizbangs about 69 trench about 9 pm no damage. The compy 16th R.Warwicks took over 65, 66 & 67 trenches about 5 pm. 18 Dec 1915 - Bray-sur-Somme Quiet day was relieved by 1st Dorsets and returned to BRAY. relief complete 7.15 PM 19-22 Dec 1915 In Billets in BRAY. 22 Dec 1915 - trenches near Fricourt Relieved 1st Dorsets in C.1. subsector relief complete 7.5 pm. Trenches very wet. Trench mortar bombs near 62 trench about 9 pm & whiz bangs about RAT HOLE at 11 p.m. midnight & 1 a.m. no damage. 23 Dec 1915 Quiet day, approach to MINDEN POST shelled at 7.30 p.m. no damage 24 Dec 1915 Some shelling about noon 68 & 69 trenches one man wounded, one man wounded about 9 pm when working on top of dug out. Night quiet. 25 Dec 1915 A quiet day some rifle fire and our guns opened fire at noon on German trenches no reply. 26 Dec 1915 - Bray-sur-Somme Heavy rain in early morning quiet day in C1. FRICOURT shelled about noon. Relieved by 1st Dorsets relief complete 8.20 p.m. returned to BRAY. 27-29 Dec 1915 - Bray, Etinehem and Chipilly Billets at Bray at 4.30 pm 29th the battalion moved 2 coys and Hq Qrs to Etinehem and 2 coys to Chipilly 30-31 Dec 1915 In billets at Etinehem & Chipilly returned to Bray at 4.45 pm 31st Dec.
  • Date free text
    1-31 Dec 1915
  • Production date
    From: 1915 To: 1915
  • Level of description
    item
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