X550/3/WD/1509C

Sender's Number: B.O.77. Day of Month: 13.9.15 Ref: BETHUNE 1/40,000 1. The Battalion will march by companies into billets at FOUQUEREUIL E.14.C. to-day. ORDER OF MARCH 2. D.A.B.C.Coys. M.G.Sect. STARTING POINT 3. Cross-roads L.10.b.10.1. The head of D.Coy. to pass this point at 11 a.m. Interval of 5 minutes between companies. ROUTE. 4. SAILLY LABOURSE - VERQUIGNEUL L.1.a. - VERQUIN K.5.a. - VAUDRICOURT K.4.a.b. - cross-roads E.27 - Bridge E.21.a.28. - Bridge E.14.d.2.2. KITS. 5. Officers Kits to be ready by 10.30 a.m. TRANSPORT. 6. Transport will move independently. J.W.HURRELL, Capt., Adjt. 2/Bedf.R. Officer Commanding Right Subsection Y.2.d. Left Subsection Y.2.b. Battn. in VERMELLES. Battn. in NOYELLES. From receipt of this order a maintenance party will be detailed for each of the following named lines of Communication. 1. CHAPEL ALLEY (including FOSSE WAY) 1 N.C.O. and 4 men from the Battalion in Y.2.a. 2. HULLUCH ALLEY as far as the Junction with GORDON ALLEY, STANSFELD ROAD, LEEWAY, QUEENS LANE, 1 N.C.O. and 4 men from the Battalion in Y.2.b. 3. GORDON ALLEY and its continuation of HULLOCH ALLEY. 1 N.C.O. and 4 men from the Battalion in Y.2.b. These parties will not be struck off permanently for this work, but will take their turn in the ordinary trench routine. They will be responsible for the maintenance of these Trenches and the removal of loose stones and sandbags. The Battalions in occupation of the line will be responsible for all other communications and trenches in their areas. All previous orders on this subject are hereby cancelled. E.G.L.THURLOW, Major, Brigade Major, 22nd Infantry Brigade. 13.9.15. Officer Commanding [Unit - From - To - Remarks] 1. The following moves will take place Thursday September 16th. 2nd Bn.Queens - Right Sub-section - Bivouac in VERQUIN area - Complete relief by 5 p.m. 2nd Bedfords - VERQUIN area - Right sub-section - Complete relief by 5 p.m. 1st R.W.Fusrs. - NOYELLES - LABOURSE - NOYELLES to be clear by 9 a.m.* 2nd R.S.Fusrs. - LABOURSE - NOYELLES - LABOURSE to be clear by 9 a.m.* Guides from the 2nd Bn. Queens will be at the cross roads G.8.c.3.10 at 2 p.m. Leading platoon 2nd Bedfords to reach above cross roads at 2 p.m. Friday September 17th 2nd Border Regt - Left sub-section - LABOURSE - Complete relief by 5 p.m. 4th Cameron Hrs - VERQUIN area - Left Sub-section - Complete relief by 5 p.m. 2nd Wilts Rgt - VERQUIN area - VERMELLES - In relief of 8th Devons 8th Devon Rgt - VERMELLES - VERQUIN area - VERMELLES to be clear by 9 a.m.* 2nd Gordons - NOYELLES - VERQUIN area - NOYELLES to be clear by 9 a.m.* 2nd Yorks Rgt - VERQUIN area - NOYELLES - in relief of 2nd Gordons 2nd Queens - Bivouac VERQUIN area - BUSNETTES - VERQUIN area to be clear by 9 a.m. 1st R.W.Fusrs - LABOURSE - GONNEHEM - LABOURSE to be clear by 9 a.m. Guides from the 2nd Borders will be at the cross roads VERMELLES G.8.c.3.10. at 2 p.m. Leading platoon 4th Camerons to reach the above cross roads at 2 p.m. * These remarks refer to clearance of areas by impedimenta etc. and not to working parties, which, after completion of their day's work will withdraw to their new billets. 2. All movements to be by Companies between LABOURSE and NOYELLES and by platoons East of NOYELLES. Troops moving between NOYELLES and VERMELLES will proceed by the cross roads L.18.a. 3. All Units in the leading Brigade area will hand over defence schemes and any other instructions in their possession. 4. Completion of reliefs in leading Brigade area to be reported to Brigade Headquarters CHATEAU NOYELLES. 22nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters will close at CHATEAU NOYELLES at 11 a.m. September 17th. and open at GONNEHEM at the same hour. 21st Infantry Brigade will take over Command of the troops in the leading Brigade area at 11 a.m. September 17th. E.G.L.THURLOW, Major. Brigade Major 22nd Infantry Brigade. 14th Sept. To: - QUEENS. Sender's Number. S.C.204. Day of Month. 14th. Please ensure that there is a sentry over every water and ration store in your section are AAA Any water tins that have been interfered with are to be refilled at once AAA On no account are the water or ration depots to be interfered with AAA I understand that in various sidings of CHAPEL ALLEY and FOSSE WAY boxes and tins have been dumped till the depots have been made AAA These depots are now ready and the stuff should be stored into them at once. 22nd Inf.Bde. Operation Order 31. Ref. Map. BETHUNE 1/40000 15th Sept.15. OPERATION 1. The battalion will relieve the Queens in Y.2.A. tomorrow. Relief to be completed by 5 p.m. ORDER OF MARCH. 2. Hd.Qrs. A.C.B.D. Coys. STARTING POINT. 3. BRIDGE E.14.d.2.1. the head of "A" Coy. will pass the starting point at 10.30 a.m. ROUTE. 4. BRIDGE E.21.a.1.8. - VAUDRICOURT - VERQUIGNEUL - road junction L.2.a.7.5. - road junction L.2.d.7.6. SAILLY-LABOURSE - road junction G.20.a.2.8. - BREWERY VERMELLES G.8.c.3.10. Between LABOURSE and NOYELLES the battalion will move by companies. Between NOYELLES and VERMELLES by platoons. the leading platoon to be at the BREWERY at 2 p.m. where guides will meet them. TAKING OVER. 5. "A" Coy. will take over from the right right [sic] flank Coy. "C" Coy. from the Left. "B" and "D" Coys. in support. One Officer per Coy. the Bn.Sergt.Major and Bn.Signallers will be at the BREWERY VERMELLES at noon, where guides will meet them. OFFICERS KITS. 6. Officers kits will be ready by 9 a.m. Trench kits will be kept separate and collected at the same time. TRANSPORT. 7. Transport will march independently. MACHINE GUN SECT. 8. Special instructions will be issued. J.W.HURRELL, Capt., Adjt. 2 Bedf.R. SECRET Officer Commanding 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt. The following moves will take place as under: On September 16th. The Queens will be relieved in Y.2.A. by the 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment. Relief will be complete by 5 p.m. All details will be arranged direct between Commanding Officers concerned. On relief the 2nd Queens will move to Bivouac in VERQUIN Area. Locality will be communicated later. The 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers will move to LABOURSE exchanging billets with the 2nd Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers who will move to NOYELLES Lines. Battalions will be clear of their respective areas by 9 a.m. On September 17th. The 2nd Border Regiment will be relieved in Y.2.B. by the 1/4th Cameron Highlanders and will move to billets in LABOURSE. Relief to be complete by 5 p.m. All details of the relief to be arranged direct between Commanding Officers concerned. M.G. will be relieved by the M.G. of the 2nd Bn. Wiltshire Regiment. The 2nd Bn. Wiltshire Regiment will move from VERQUIN to VERMELLES and will take over billets from 8th Devonshire Regiment who will move to VERQUIN. Battalions will be clear of their respective areas by 9 a.m. The 2nd Bn. Gordon Highlanders will move to VERQUIGNEUL and relieve the 2nd Bn. Yorkshire Regiment who will move to billets in NOYELLES. Battalions to be clear of their respective areas by 8.30 a.m. The 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers will move from LABOURSE to GONNEHEM and take over billets from 9th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. LABOURSE to be clear by 9 a.m. 1. All movements between LABOURSE and NOYELLES will be by Companies and between NOYELLES and VERMELLES by platoons. 2. Clearance of areas refers to impedimenta etc. and not to working parties which after completion of their day's work will withdrew to their new billets. GEORGE CROSSMAN, Major, Brigade Major 21st Infantry Brigade 15th September 1915 Officer Commanding Bedfordshire Regt. The A.D.M.S., 7th Division reports that the sanitary conditions of VERMELLES and NOYELLES, is such, that unless immediate action is taken, these places, will soon become uninhabitable. The following points need immediate attention: - 1. There are no arrangements for the men washing, and in consequence this is being done at the pumps and the dirty water is percolating into the wells and fouling the supply. Special ablution arrangements are urgently required. 2. Jam and beef tins and all kinds of food refuse are being thrown into empty houses and other such places, instead of being burned and immediately buried. 3. Fly proof latrines are not being generally used, but the vicinity is rapidly becoming polluted by the use of open trenches, many of a shallow nature. 4. Horse manure is also being dumped into empty houses instead of being scattered on farm land. Will you please make every endeavour to remedy these unsatisfactory conditions, and employ what men you can to clean the area. It is realised that with such frequent changes, sanitary conditions are not easy to maintain, but it is essential that steps be taken at once to prevent the matter becoming serious. Please hand this letter over to Battalion which relieves you. H.F.CHADS, Captain, Staff captain 21st Infantry Bde. 16th September 1915. To: - QUEENS BORDERS 9th DEVONS Sender's Number B.M.24. Day of Month 16th The brigadier insists that you arrange for a systematic inspection of the trenches at least twice daily to note damage done by enemys fire and to repair the same by night aaa It is of the utmost importance that we do not get behind hand with this work the right subsection will be responsible for STANSFELD ROAD as far back as junction keep, the left subsection from thence to INGLIS KEEP aaa The VERMELLES bn. will be responsible for CROSSWAY aaa Please give this your most carful [sic] attention and pass to relieving bns aaa acknowledge 21st BDE. To: - Bedfords. Sender's Number. S.C.79. Day of Month. 16. There are certain water and ration depots in the trenches over which sentries are to be posted AAA These will be pointed out by outgoing Battns AAA These depots are not to be interfered with and should be visited once daily by an officer AAA Any of the water tins which are found empty are to be at once refilled. 21st Inf.Bde. H.F.CHADS, Capt. S.C. To: - Handed to O.C. BORDER Rt. Work still to be done. Trench from SAP 2 to HULLUCH Rd. to be deepened to 5ft. 6 inches. 2 ft. at bottom: - Wire along whole front. CHAPEL ALLEY to be deepened. All holes in parapets (underneath) to be filled up with sandbags. Officer Commanding Y.2.A. Subsector Although all, or most of, the heavy work has now been completed there remains a great deal of most important maintenance work to be carried out. This must be unceasingly carried out by the Garrison. With this object Subsector Commanders will arrange for every piece of trench in their area to be inspected once during the forenoon and once during the afternoon. Repairs that can be carried out by daylight will be taken in hand immediately reported. Those that can be done by night will be commenced immediately it is dark enough. The utmost care is to be taken that loose earth, sandbags, etc. are not allowed to remain in the bottom of the trenches. The front trench could, with advantage, be deepened in many places, especially between CHAPEL ALLEY and HULLUCH ROAD. This will be carried out in daylight by the troops occupying the trenches. The Battalion billeted in VERMELLES will be responsible for the maintenance of CROSS WAY. This memorandum is to be read in conjunction with 22nd Infantry Brigade letter C/65 of Sept.13th and the Brigadier directs that Commanding Officers give the matter their close personal attention. GEORGE CROSSMAN, Major, Brigade Major, 21st Infantry Brigade. 17th September 1915. Officer Commanding 2nd Bedfordshire Regt. For information and necessary action. When a relief takes place in the trenches the relieving Battalions should be fully informed of this system. GEORGE CROSSMAN, Major, Brigade Major, 21st Infantry Brigade. 18th September 1915 The system of Artillery retaliation is as follows: - 18 pdrs and 4.5" Howitzers can be turned on at once by the F.O.O. attached to the Headquarters of Battalions in front line. 4.5" Howitzer ammunition is valuable and must be economised. If more is needed, a message must be sent to the Headquarters of the Infantry Brigade holding the line. These Headquarters are directly connected with a group of 6" Howitzers (Col.Napier). If more still is needed, the Head Quarters of the Infantry Brigade holding the line must ring up Head Quarters 7th Divnl. Artillery, who can call upon the following: - Heavy Howitzer Group (Col.Tancred). Counter Battery Group against AUCHY (Col.Brake). Counter Battery Group against LOOS (Col.Poole). In order that the right sort of Artillery may be turned on, Infantry Officers asking for retaliation will recognize the importance of including in their message the direction from which the hostile fire is coming, and approximately the calibre of the hostile projectile. Infantry Commanders must also remember the importance of economising Artillery ammunition for serious operations, and must not therefore unnecessarily demand Artillery retaliation. It must also be remembered that the whole of the area of operations is kept under view all day by F.O.O's in many localities, and these are responsible for ordering retaliation on their own initiative if the enemy develops heavy fire against our trenches. 18th September 1915 SECRET Officer Commanding 2nd Bedfordshire Regt. It is of the highest importance that the conversation of men in the leading trenches is not overheard by hostile patrols. For this reason, orders are to be given quietly in these trenches, and voices are not to be raised. There is to be as little talking as possible in front trenches. Our own patrols must keep the ground in front clear of hostile patrols, so that these cannot get up within earshot of our front line. Officers must be active always to see these orders are carried out, especially by night, and by day in places where the ground admits of hostile patrols creeping up. This memorandum is to be passed to relieving Troops. GEORGE CROSSMAN, Major, Brigade Major, 21st Infantry Brigade. 18th September 1915 SECRET Officer Commanding 2nd Bedfordshire Regt. In the event of our coming into possession of towns or villages now held by the enemy it would be advisable to subject to a vigourous examination all persons found in, or known to be connected with houses marked by the enemy "Gute Leute, zu schonen" or "zu schonen: alles Vergeben". ["Good people, to be protected" and "to be protected: pardon everything"] They should on no account be allowed to leave the town or villages unless found to be satisfactory. The cellars of the house should be carefully examined for underground telephone communications. Requisition slips given by the Germans should be collected and sent to the General Staff for identification purpose. GEORGE CROSSMAN, Major. Brigade Major 21st Infantry Brigade. 18th September 1915

13-15 Sep 1915

From: 1915 To: 1915

item

Hurrell, J.W.,
Thurlow, Edward Guy Lethbridge,
Crossman, George Lytton,
Chads, H.F.,
Napier, William John,
Tancred, Ernest Napper,
Brake, Herbert Edward John,
Poole

2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, town & local roads, general bridges, 22nd Infantry Brigade, 2nd Battalion Border Regiment, 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment, 1st/4th Battalion Cameron Highlanders, 8th Battalion Devonshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders, 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, water provision, maps, Vermelles Brewery, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment, 21st Infantry Brigade, 7th Division, general prevention, WELLS, jam, beef, toilets, horses, sewerage, land weaponry, Germans, telephone, Fouquereuil, Verquigneul, Verquin, Vaudricourt, Sailly-Labourse, Noyelles-les-Vermelles, Vermelles, Chapel Alley [Givenchy], Fosse Way [Givenchy], Hulluch Alley [Hulluch], Gordon Alley [Givenchy], Stansfeld Road [Givenchy], Leeway [Givenchy], Queens Lane [Givenchy], Busnettes, Gonnehem, Noyelles Chateau, Inglis Keep [Loos], Crossway [Givenchy], Loos-en-Gohelle, Auchy-les-Mines