X550/3/WD/1501

War Diary for January 1915 1 Jan 1915 - in trenches near Fleurbaix In trenches. 2 Jan 1915 - Pont-de-la-Justice Relieved by 1/Wiltshires. To Billets at PONT de la JUSTICE. 3 Jan 1915 Lieut.H.O.Wilkins & 76 other ranks joined 2/Lieut.H.de Buriatte sick. 4 Jan 1915 Billets. 5-7 Jan 1915 - in trenches Trenches. Wet rain all night. Rain all day. 8 Jan 1915 - Fleurbaix Relieved. Billeted at FLEURBAIX. 9 Jan 1915 FLEURBAIX shelled no damage. 10 Jan 1915 11 Jan 1915 - in trenches In trenches. Wet night. 4 semi rotary pumps received 2 French pattern. 12 Jan 1915 Captain J.S.Collings WELLS wounded. Major C.C.ONSLOW arrived & took over command from Major W.H.DENNE. 13 Jan 1915 Rain. 14 Jan 1915 - Pont-de-la-Justice Billets. PONT de la JUSTICE 8.30 p.m. 15 Jan 1915 Billets. PONT de la JUSTICE 16 Jan 1915 Billets. PONT de la JUSTICE 17-19 Jan 1915 - in trenches Snow & sleet In trenches. Very dark night. 20 Jan 1915 - Fleurbaix Relieved. In billets FLEURBAIX 21 Jan 1915 22 Jan 1915 23-25 Jan 1915 - in trenches Trenches 26 Jan 1915 - Pont-de-la-Justice 5 high explosive shells fell near junction of B and A Companies. 1 man wounded in shoulder. Relieved. Billets at PT de la JUSTICE 8.30 p.m. 27 Jan 1915 28 Jan 1915 Test parade, on parade 721 - Transport 58. 29 Jan 1915 - in trenches In trenches 30 Jan 1915 31 Jan 1915 Lieut.L.F.SHAPTER 3 Suffolk Rgt. killed. MESSAGES AND SIGNALS Sender's Number Day of Month Bd. 61 28 Jan 15 Report re test parade of Battalion in Divisional reserve. 1. Exact hour message received 9.55 AM. 2. Orders issued 10.3 AM. 3. Battalion ready to move off 10.50 A.M. Transport ready to move off with rations for 29th 11.50 A.M. 4. Rations carried Remainder of days ration & iron rations except men of last draft. Ammunition carried 200 rounds Report made to Lt.Colonel Daly personally. C.C.ONSLOW, Major, Comdg. 2 Bedf.R. Officer Commanding, 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt. The Battalions in Divisional Reserve will fall in at once ready for action as a test parade. Report when ready to march off. It should be stated also: - (1) The exact hour at which this message is received. (2) When orders were issued. (3) When the Battalion was ready to move off. (4) What rations and ammunition are carried. The G.O.C. wants a careful record made of above. A.C.DALY, Lt.Colonel A.A.& Q.M.G., 7th Division. 28/1/1915. January 31st 1915. My dear. I think it is possible or even probable that you hold the idea (which I fear is rather prevalent out of England) that the New Armies are a sort of ridiculous joke which cannot for a very long time be considered seriously. And as I think that it causes a lot of mischief that such an idea should be in existence I am proposing to give you my idea of what they are worth as far as my knowledge of them goes. And although I daresay you won't think that is worth much, it is just as well that every part of our forces should consider the views of other portions. The Division was formed on about September 15th and was an off-shoot of the Division, so that we have now had about 4 months training. I have been with it since its birth, first as D.A.A. & Q.M.G.; then I was changed over to G.S.O.2. I will sketch the history and progress of this Division as far as I can and I believe it is not very different to other divisions. I see frequently and know pretty well the General Officers Commanding and Staff of the other divisions at Aldershot which are four in number, and as far as I can make out they are in much the same state as we are. The infantry of the Division consists of x x x. These have all reached the same stage of training, viz: - They completed some 10 weeks recruit training, 6 weeks company training, a recruits course of musketry, and are now in the middle of battalion training. All the training has been carried out under pretty peculiar conditions. For instance, we have had no rifles (except very old D.P. ones unfit to fire) till the end of December, no uniform except the convict blue, a scarcity of boots, no hats, no equipment, no transport; in fact devilish little anything. In spite of that the progress made has been remarkable. During the last few weeks things have begun to come in and we have now a proportion of service rifles, service dress and greatcoats and decent boots for all. Horses, wagons - so far no web equipment (and I cannot hear when it is coming); there is a certain amount of the old buff pattern. Of course battalions vary to a certain extent but every battalion in the division can do a route march of 16 to 18 miles and one hears the battalion commander discussing the reason for one man falling out. Not having equipment, they cannot go out in marching order but it shows that they are fairly fit and that their march discipline is good, that they can plug along for 16 or 18 miles without feet casualties. The thing that strikes one more than anything is the extreme anxiety of all ranks to learn. If one goes up to a battalion doing, say, outposts and questions an individual man who is doing sentry or something he on his own he will probably finish up the conversation by saying "Thank you very much for telling me"!! This may sound peculiar to you, but I can assure you that the discipline, which is what we have gone for most of all during the whole time, is excellent. For instance, there are now quartered at Aldershot between 130,000 and 140,000 men, Up till Xmas there had been a total of 43 deserters, which is pretty good considering they are all newly enlisted men. As regards artillery, we have been very badly hampered by lack of guns. Our divisional artillery has only had old S.African 15-prs. and old French guns to train with. I'm thankful to say that our first instalment of new guns came in today. Harness has been non-existent, but I daresay you know about that. It is all right now and I suppose you know where it has come from. However, in spite of all that the training has gone ahead well, and our C.R.A., who is a first rate man, is most sanguine. The officers have nearly all gone through a short course at Shoeburyness and also a course at Farnboro' in air service and artillery co-operation and we have taught most of the men to ride and drive decently and about 5% have been through a telephone and buzzer course. The R.E. are first class. I should say they are as good in practice as most of the old regulars. We have a very good C.R.E. and he has a good proportion of regular officers and some excellent civil engineers under him. Then we have the Signal Company, which is excellent. Cyclist Company - not long formed - but coming along well. Divisional Train rather behindhand owing to lack of harness and vehicles, but under a really good regular officer. R.A.M.C. being separately trained. Cavalry - nil. I suppose they will make the Cyclist Cos. act as our Divisional cavalry; it is stronger than the old establishment, viz: -7 platoons. But we are told that we may possibly be given a squadron of yeomanry or Reserve Cavalry as well. It doesn't appear, though, as if cavalry was much good to one at present, tho' of course it will be if we ever get a move on. The general question of officers is a difficult one, but taking them all round they are a first rate lot. Of course there are a few rather ancient warriors, but I am glad to say we have got rid of most of them. Then all units have an excellent lot of O.T.C. boys who are really first class subalterns. Our greatest difficulty at present is the training of specialists, especially machine gun sections. We have got no machine guns and all we can do is to get the officers and N.C.O's put through courses and get together the personnel of the sections and lecture them. I believe, however, that guns will be to hand shortly. Transport sections, sanitary squads, stretcher bearers, are now being trained all right. Re signallers; we had an order early on in the proceedings to only train men in semaphore. We ignored this, however, and as far as our Division is concerned, have made them train a minimum of 16 and maximum of 32 per battalion in Morse, the idea being, not that they will use flag, lamp or helio much, but that they will be indispensable for supplementing the signal service in reading and sending on the buzzer. I should be glad of a tip from you as to whether you think this is sound or waste of time. It is entirely my own idea and a good many people oppose it. The keenness of all is quite marvellous. It is unfashionable to grumble. I head [sic] of a case where one man got fed up and said he wouldn't do any more. He got 14 days field imprisonment and when he came out was very nearly killed by his platoon for having disgraced them! I fear I have sat up late and rather let my pen run away with my favourite hobby. But I'm keener about this show than anything I've ever had to do with in my life so you must forgive me. There is nothing that can kill it except ridicule and if it is in your power to put in a word with anyone you hear throwing cold water on the New Army I wish you would use it. Just one more thing. In musketry our whole Division averaged higher in the Territorial Standard Test (which was part of our recruits course) than my old Terriers in London, and they were the best shooting battalion of Territorials in the London District, and remember all their musketry had to be taught them with obsolete drill pattern rifles. I think all the lessons and tips contained in the various little pamphlets, "Notes from the Front", etc. issued by the General Staff, have been valuable and that all have done their best to put to a good use the lessons contained therein. Of course we don't know at present how we are going to be used. I hope, however, that as far as possible they will keep our existing formation intact. As soon as we are complete in everything it would be good work if we came over and completed our training in France. What would be really of priceless value would be the taking over to Flanders for a few days at a time small parties of Staffs and Commanding Officers, who would then pick up a lot of useful tips. So far only one small party of about 6 have gone over from Aldershot.

1-31 Jan 1915

From: 1915 To: 1915

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Wilkins, H.O.D.,
de Buriatte, H.,
Collings-Wells, John Stanhope,
Onslow, Cranley Charlton,
Denne, William Henry,
Shapter, L.H.,
Daly, Arthur Crawford

2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment, weather, 3rd Battalion Suffolk Regiment, deaths, 7th Division, land weaponry, Christmas, WW1 deserters, Royal Engineers, Royal Army Medical Corps, Officer Training Corps, telegraph, Fleurbaix, Pont-de-la-Justice