X550/3/WD/1502

War Diary for February 1915 1-3 Feb 1915 - Fleurbaix Relieved. In billets FLEURBAIX. 4-6 Feb 1915 - in trenches In trenches. 7-9 Feb 1915 - Pont-de-la-Justice Relieved. Billets PONT de la JUSTICE. Rain. 10-11 Feb 1915 - in trenches Trenches. 12 Feb 1915 Communication with C.Company Captain SHEARMAN established. Now possible to move all along Battalion trenches by day. 13-15 Feb 1915 - Fleurbaix Relieved. Billeted in FLEURBAIX 16-18 Feb 1915 - in trenches Trenches 19-21 Feb 1915 - Pont-de-la-Justice Billeted. PT. de LA JUSTICE 8 p.m. 22-24 Feb 1915 - in trenches Trenches. 25-27 Feb 1915 - Fleurbaix Billeted FLEURBAIX. 28 Feb 1915 - in trenches Met officers of 7th & 5th Regiments Canadian Division, showed them round billets. 4 officers (1 per company) came into the trenches with Battn. In trenches 7.15 pm. Officer Commanding, 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt. (1) The attached Copy of orders for a practice attack on an entrenched line, are forwarded for perusal. Each Battalion when it next comes into Brigade Reserve will carry out this practice. (2) On the afternoon of the day after it comes out of the trenches, each Company will practice the attack in conjunction with Bombthrowers. The Officer Commanding Grenade Company will place two Sections of Bombthrowers at the disposal of the Officer Commanding Battalion for this purpose. (3) On the following day the Battalion attack will be carried out at a time which will be notified from Brigade Head Quarters. (4) Officer Commanding Battalion will forward to Brigade Head Quarters on the evening of the day before the attack takes place a detail of the arrangements made with regard to the special parties referred to in para. 7(a) and (b) of The Instructions. The Officers Commanding 2nd Highland Company R.E. Grenade Company, Signal Section and Brigade Machine Gun Officer will also forward a detail of the instructions issued by them with regard to R.E. Bombthrowers, Signal Parties and Machine Guns respectively. W.DRYSDALE, Captain. Brigade Major 21st Infantry Brigade. FLEURBAIX. 14th Feb.1915. 21st INFANTRY BRIGADE OPERATION ORDER No. 100. FLEURBAIX. 14.9.1915. SITUATION. (1) The Germans are holding a line of trenches marked on the map in red, and facing South East. The 21st Infantry Brigade is holding a line facing them, along the line of the RUE DU BOIS with 2 Battalions in the trenches and 2 in reserve. INTENTION. (2) It is intended to attack that portion of the enemy's line marked "A-B" tomorrow at ARTILLERY. (3) The Artillery of the Division will bombard this part of the trenches, commencing at to prepare for the attack (4) The following troops will carry out the attack: - Commander. 2nd Bn. 2 Sections 2nd Highland Coy. R.E. 6 Sections Grenade Company. 2 Machine Guns. This column will be deployed ready to attack at at which hour the Commander will join the Brigadier at CROIX BLANCHE. ASSAULT. (5) The column will advance to attack at an hour which will be specified to the Commander by the Brigadier, on the spot. Special instructions for the Conduct of the attack are issued herewith. AMMUNITION. (6) 300 rounds S.A.A. will be carried on the man, and arrangements have been made for the establishment of a Reserve of 100 rounds a man, 1,000 Hand Grenades at CROIX BLANCHE. PACKS. (7) Packs and great-coats will not be carried. They will be collected in one place in billets, and arrangements made for them to be brought up when required. TOOLS & SANDBAGS. (8) each man will carry 4 sandbags rolled up and attached to his belt. Every third man will carry a shovel. RATIONS. (9) An extra day's ration will be carried by each man. FIELD AMBULANCE. (10) The 21st Field Ambulance will send forward one Bearer Sub Division to CROIX BLANCHE. COMMUNICATION (11) The Officer Commanding Brigade Signal Section will arrange for telephone communication to be established with Brigade Headquarters from the trench "A-B" as soon as it is captured, and also for visual signalling and orderlies in case telephones are cut. TRANSPORT. (12) All transport will remain in its present position. BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS. (13) Brigade Headquarters will be at CROIX BLANCHE after Captain Brigade Major 21st Infantry Brigade. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE ATTACK. ARTILLERY COOPERATION. (1). Artillery of the Division have instructions to prepare for the attack by keeping down hostile Artillery fire bombarding the enemy's trenches and machine gun emplacement and cutting gaps in his wire. These gaps are to be at about 25 yards interval. INFANTRY SUPPORT. (2). The Companies occupying our trench on the flanks of the attack will support it by bringing a heavy rifle and machine gun fire to bear on the enemy's trench and machine gun emplacements opposite them. RECONNAISSANCE. (3). Reconnaissance has ascertained that the ground between us and the enemy's trench is flat and heavy going. There is one Stream to be crossed which is shown on the map. It is from 6-8 feet wide and will require bridging. There is a wire obstacle about 30 yards from the enemy's trench 3 yards wide. PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENTS. (4). No.2 Battalion holding this section of our trenches opposite A-B will to-night make the following arrangements: - (a) Cut gaps in our wire at 25 yards interval all along, each gap to be 5 yards wide. (b) Cut notches for steps in their parapets in this section all along at 2 yards apart and drive a picket into the top of the parapet above each step to assist a man to get out quickly. (c) To establish a reserve of 100,000 rounds of S.A.A. and 1000 hand Grenades at CROIX BLANCHE. (d). To detail two platoons to be stationed at CROIX BLANCHE for the purpose of carrying up ammunition and R.E.stores to the trenches as soon as it is captured and secured. METHOD OF ATTACK. (5). The Attack. (a) The attack will be carried out in lines of sections at 25 yards interval and 50 yards distance with 3 Companies in the front line and one in support as shown in the attached diagram X. The 2 Sections R.E. will accompany the support. 3 Sections of Bombthrowers will be with the leading Section of the front line, one section to each Company and 3 Sections will be with the support. (b) Deployment. The Column will deploy with the 2 leading platoons of each Company in the front line in the fire trench. The 2 remaining platoons in the communication trenches and the Support Company and R.E. in the Support trench. As soon as the front trench is vacated by the 2 leading lines the section forming the next 2 lines will move up into it and get into position opposite the gaps ready to advance when the line in front has moved forward 50 yards. the deployment will be completed by and care will be taken that the leading files of each section in the front line are in position opposite the gaps in our wire entanglements at that hour. (c) Advance. The Sections when they advance will move through the gaps in their own wire and straight on the gap in the enemy's wire opposite them. the leading files in each section in the front line will carry 2 planks for use in bridging the Stream. These planks will be found in our trench opposite each gap in the wire. The two leading men in each leading section will carry wire cutters. The planks when placed in position across the stream will be left there for the use of the Sections in rear. As soon as each line has advanced 50 yards the next line will vacate the trench and follow. On reaching the enemy's wire, if the gap is not complete the Bombthrowers will keep down the enemy's fire by throwing bombs into the trenches while the wire cutters clear a passage. SUPPORTS. (6) The Company in support will follow in the same formation with 2 platoons in rear of each flank company in the front line. The leading platoon on each flank in the Support Company will be responsible for the protection of the flanks of the attack and will each have one section of Bombthrowers attached to it. The R.E., Machine Guns and reserve Section Bombthrowers will follow in the rear of the Centre Company. DEFENCE OF THE TRENCH WHEN CAPTURED. (7). (a) Covering Parties. As soon as the trench is captured, men will be sent forward for 40 yards along Communication trenches to the front and to the flanks to form a covering party. As soon as the Support comes up, the leading flank platoon will move along the trenches with their Bombthrowers to clear it and so protect the flanks. (b) Preparation for deferne. Every effort will at once be made to prepare the captured trench for defence from the enemy's side and to block communication trenches and place traverses in trenches to guard the flanks. Special parties should be detailed beforehand for each of these purposes. The R.E. will detail parties to assist the infantry in each task and will also commence at once to dig two Communicating trenches fro meach flank of the captured trench back to our trench line. (c) Machine Guns. Machine Guns should be placed in position as soon as possible so that they can afford protection by fire to cover the infantry and R.E. working on the defences. (d) Wire obstacles should be put up as soon as possible. The R.E. will take wire for this purpose. Captain, Brigade Major 21st Infantry Brigade. FLEURBAIX. 14th February 1915. Officer Commanding 21st I.Bde. Bedf.Regt. 132/G 1. The following points noted by the Brigadier at his inspection of the attack this morning are passed for information. (a) The wire cutters were very slow at cutting the wire. Some of them did not appear to know how to do it. They should practice this as it is most important that the wire should be cut quickly. (b) A good many of the bombs were thrown short of the trench. There is room for much improvement in this. Very few of the bombs went into the trench. (c) Several different ways of carrying the shovel were adopted. The best way appears to be to fix the shovel vertically behind the centre of the back underneath the equipment straps with the blade up. (d) The quickest way to get the planks laid across the ditch is to put them up on end on the near side and let them drop into position across the ditch (e) Infantry parties should be detailed to help the R.E. dig Communication trenches back from the captured trench (f) The wiring party did their work well and quickly. It is a great advantage to a Battalion to have a party trained in this rapid wiring and arrangements will be made to have parties from each battalion trained when it comes into Brigade Reserve. (g) Some of the infantry working parties, especially the flank parties to block the trenches were slow in getting to work. The procedure should be as follows. As soon as the trench is captured a few men with bayonets and some bombthrowers should be sent along to the flank to clear it for a distance of 40 yards. The trench should then be double blocked, a parapet being made across it at the left point of attack and another at 40 yards out so that any enemy coming along the trench to throw bombs into the captured trench must expose himself getting over the parapet. The same procedure should be adopted with regard to the enemy's communicating trenches which should be double blocked in the same way. W.DRYSDALE, Captain, Brigade Major 21st Infantry Brigade. 18th February 1915. Officer Commanding 2nd Bn.Bedfordshire Regiment. The following points observed by the Brigadier at the last two attack practices are brought to your notice. COVERING PARTY. It appears to be a mistake to put out a covering party in front when the trench has been captured, unless there is a suitable ditch or trench in which it can take cover. Covering fire when the work of transferring the parapet is going on can best be given by Machine Guns which should be emplaced as soon as possible. COMMUNICATION. It is impossible for the telephone operators to drag the wire along over wet ground without assistance. The Officer Commanding Battalion should detail 6 men to report to the Officer Commanding Signal Section at the place of deployment to assist them in laying the wire. WIRE. The wire obstacle is not at present a great enough one and is too easily crossed at any point. Arrangements are being made to get it increased so that it will be difficult to cross except where gaps are cut. In order to facilitate repairing the wire, places will be marked where the gaps are to be cut and the wire should not be cut except where marked. W.DRYSDALE, Captain, Brigade Major, 21st Infantry Brigade. 24.2.1915. O.C.Coys. For information. C.C.ONSLOW, for Capt. Adjt. 2/Bedf/R. 25.2.15 SECRET 2nd Bn.Bedfordshire Regt. Forwarded. Defence Scheme should be amended accordingly. W.DRYSDALE, Capt. B.M. 2nd Inf.Bde. Fleurbaix. 25.2.15. Alterations to nomenclature of Redoubts and Support Points occupied by 7th Division. (1) FIRST LINE. Old designation New designation A. 1.A. Works on RUE DU BOIS in No.2 1.X. B. 1.B. C. 1.C. D. 2.D. E. 2.E. F. 3.F. CONVENT REDOUBT 3.G. H. 4.H. I. 4.I. J. 5.J. "Y" Farm. 5.Y. K.. 5.K. L. 6.L. M. 6.M. CULVERT FARM 6.Z. (2) SECOND LINE. (i.e. Works behind G.H.Q.Line) Former designation New designation Position No.1 17 M.12.b. No.2 18 M.6.d. No.3 19 N.1.a. No.4 20 N.1.b. No.5 21 H.31.b. No.6 22 H.32.a.b. No.7 23 H.26.d. No.8 24 H.27.a. No.9 25 H.27.b. CROIX BLANCHE 26 CROIX BLANCHE CROIX MARECHAL 27 CROIX MARECHAL ELBOW 28 ELBOW.H.28.d. LE CRON BALLOT 29 LE CRON BALLOT Attack Practice FLEURBAIX February 1915 O.C.Coys. notify Adjt. time & place of Coy.practice. Notify O.C.Bombs. Transport Officer for Transport of 21 coats. Plank men & wire cutters, & men to block flank and comntg. trenches. Wire cutters. A..... B..... C..... D..... MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. To: - 21 Infy. Bde. Sender's Number Day of Month B.2.d. 26th. Will you please inform me what time the Brigadier wishes the attack practice to be carried out tomorrow. Bedford. 2.30 p.m. please. 7.25 pm. W.DRYSDALE, Capt. B.M. From O.C. 2/Bedf.R. Time 6.40 P.M. C.C.FOSS, Capt. Adjt.2/Bedf.R. O.C.Companies. For information. The formation might be practised while in present billets. Please pass O.C. D.Co. to return. C.C.FOSS, Captain. C.B. O.C.D.Coy. S.D.M. O.C.B.Coy. O.C.C.Coy.

From: 1915 To: 1915

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Shearman, C.E.G.,
Drysdale, W.,
Onslow, Cranley Charlton

2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, land weaponry, weather, Canadians, Canadian Division, 5th (Western Cavalry) Canadian Battalion, 7th (1st British Columbia) Canadian Battalion, 2nd Highland Field Company Royal Engineers, 21st Infantry Brigade, 21st Field Ambulance, 7th Division, Fleurbaix, Pont-de-la-Justice, Fleurbaix Rue du Bois, Croix Blanche [Fleurbaix], Convent Redoubt [Fleurbaix], Culvert Farm [Fleurbaix], Y Farm [Fleurbaix], Croix Marechal [Fleurbaix], Elbow [Fleurbaix], Le Cron Ballot [Fleurbaix]