X550/3/WD/1508A

War Diary for August 1915 1 Aug 1915 - trenches near Festubert In trenches relieved by 1st H.L.I., SIRHIND Bde. & Battalion marched to BELLERIVE Billets near GONNEHEM. Casualties for period 22 July - 1 August 1915. Officers 2 wounded Other ranks 4 Killed 23 wounded 2 Aug 1915 - Bellerive In Billets BELLE RIVE [sic]. Battalion arrived at 6.30 a.m. 3 Aug 1915 In billets 2 p.m. Major General T.D.PILCHER C.B. Colonel of the regiment inspected the Battalion & distributed Bravery Certificates. He complimented the men on their smart appearance and their work in the field throughout the campaign & wished them every success in the future. 4 Aug 1915 In billets. Company parades. 5 Aug 1915 In billets. 6 Aug 1915 In billets. Inspection of Drafts of 30 by Brigadier-General WATTS, C.B. Test alarm at 9.23 p.m. Battalion with M.Guns ready to march at 10.30 p.m. 1st Line Transport ready at 11.21 p.m. 7 Aug 1915 Formation of Battn Sniper Squad under Lt. H. de BURIATTE. 2/Lt. SHAW proceeds on Machine Gun Course. Extracts from London Gazette: - To be Lieutenant Colonel (Temp.) Major C.C. ONSLOW. To be Captain (temp) Lieut J.W. HURRELL. 8 Aug 1915 In billets. Church Parade. 9 Aug 1915 Battalion Route March. 10 Aug 1915 In billets. lecture by Major BIDDER "Grenades & their uses". Captain J.W.HURRELL appointed Acting Adjutant vice Capt.C.C.FOSS, D.S.O. appointed Brigade Major 20th Bde. Lieut. R.O.WYNNE takes over command of "C" Coy from Captain J.W. HURRELL. 2.Lt. A.H.O. RIDDLE [sic] assumes duties of Regimental Transport Officer. 11 Aug 1915 Lt. GE.F. BUDGE A.V.O proceeds to join 2nd Bde R.G.A. 12 Aug 1915 Inspection of Draft (35) by Commanding Officer. 13 Aug 1915 In billets. Gas Demonstration. 14 Aug 1915 Lecture by Capt. J.McM. MILLING to all Officers of "Duties in the Field". The Brigadier General remitts [sic] the Suspended Sentence on 9032 Pte Milliard for "Good Work in the Field". 15 Aug 1915 2.Lt. C.J. HUNTER joins the Battalion from Artists Rifles. Receive orders to move into trenches to-morrow. 16 Aug 1915 - reserve trenches Estaminet Corner Moved into Reserve trenches at ESTAMINET CORNER, "D" Company in the Village Line. 15 O.R. joined. 17 Aug 1915 Positions as on 16th. 18 Aug 1915 Ditto. Fatigue parties for strengthening parapets. 19 Aug 1915 Ditto. Lord Kitchener visited arty. pns. in neighbourhood but not the bn. 20 Aug 1915 Positions & fatigues the same. 21 Aug 1915 - front line east of Festubert relieved 2nd Bn R. Scots Fus. in trenches. A & C Company & 1 Coy 8th Devons in firing line. B Coy. in support. D Coy. in reserve. East of FESTUBERT. A Coy. Cmdr. Lt. H. de BURIATTE "B" Coy. Commander Lieut (Temp. Capt) J.W. HUTCHINSON. "C" Coy commander Lieut. R.O. WYNNE. "D" Coy Commander Capt. J. McM. MILLING. 2/Lieut. T.C. PEARSON sick. 22 Aug 1915 Trenches as above. 2d.Lt. R.T. OLDFIELD, 2nd.Lt.K.L. STEPHENSON, 2nd.Lt. L.K. LAWRENCE joined. and posted to "D" - "C" & "B" coys respectively. Enemy exceptionally quiet all day. 23 Aug 1915 Trenches as above. Our snipers reported 6 direct hits on enemy, during the day. 2nd Lt. H.S. ARMSTRONG wounded when returning from patrol early morning 24th. 24 Aug 1915 Trenches as before, Coy of 8th Devons relieved in the evening by "B" Coy. "D" Coy going up into support & "D" Coy of 2 R.S.F. taking "D" Coys place in reserve. Snipers claimed 3 hits during day. 25 Aug 1915 Trenches as above. Very quiet day - Temp. Capt. & A/Adjt. J.W. HURRELL proceeds on leave. Capt. J.McM. MILLING acting 2nd in Command & Adjutant. Lieut. H. de BURIATTE appointed Battn. Grenade (& sniper) officer. No. 8963 Sergt. W. SHAW, gazetted 2nd Lieut to date from 19/7/15 & posted to "A" Coy. Snipers claimed 1 hit 26 Aug 1915 - Gorre and le Touret Trenches as before. relieved by 8th Devonshire Regt. & 1 Coy of 9th Devons. Relief completed at 11 p.m. Bn to billets. "A" & "D" Coys to GORRE. "B" & "C" Coys to LE TOURET. Capt. J.C. MONTEITH arrived and posted to "C" Coy - also 2nd in Command. Notification received that H.M. the King had awarded the VICTORIA CROSS to Capt. C.C. FOSS, D.S.O., 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt. for gallantry at NEUVE CHAPELLE. "For most conspicuous gallantry at NEUVE CHAPELLE on 12th March 1915. After the enemy had captured a part of one of our trenches, and our counter attack made with 1 officer and 20 men having failed, (all but two of the party being killed or wounded in the attempt), Capt. FOSS on his own initiative, dashed forward with 8 men, under heavy fire, attacked the enemy with bombs, & captured the position, including 52 Germans occupying it. The capture of this position from the enemy was of the greatest importance, & the outmost [sic] bravery was displayed in assaying the task with so very few men". Also the following decorations were notified on this day, as being awarded by H.I.E. The Tsar of Russia: - Cross of the Order of St.George 4th Class - 9822 Act. L/Sgt. W.G. PEGGS Medal of St.George 2nd Class - 7785 C.Q.M.S. S.MART. 3rd Class - 9078 Pte. W.EADE. During the period 16th - 26th Aug. search parties discovered the bodies of several men who had fallen on the 17th May. Of these, 14 had been previously reported as "missing", & formed a cemetery close to where they fell. (ref. BETHUNE combined map 1.. 40,000 in S 26.d) Casualties for 16th - 26th Aug. 1 officer wnd. 1 officer sick 2 O.R. kld. 2 O.R. wnd. 21 O.R. sick. 27 Aug 1915 Billets as above. 28 Aug 1915 - le Quesnoy Moved to Bde. Reserve Billets in LE QUESNOY at 4 pm. Bn. supplied 2 M.Gs in trench line in front of GIVENCHY. 9969 L/Sgt.W. WILSON "wnd" 2nd Lt. C.A. FORWARD appointed Bn. Grenade Officer (temporarily). 2nd Lt. R.T. OLDFIELD & 57 O.R. went for training to Grenade School. Bn. employed on mining fatigue. 29 Aug 1915 Billets as before. Fatigues as before. 2nd Lt. R.E. GIBSON, 3rd S. STAFFORD R. sick. 30 Aug 1915 Other 2 M. Guns under 2 Lt. W. SHARPE to front line. Billets & fatigues as before. 1 O.R. accidentally wounded at Grenade School. Capt. J.C. MONTEITH lectures Subns. Recd. notice of probable move to trenches on 1st Sept. in relief of 2 R.S.F. 2nd Lt. W.A. SHAWon leave. 31 Aug 1915 Billets as before, also fatigues. 2nd.Lt. A.H. GOLDIE to R.F.C. on probation. Capt. J.C. MONTEITH lectures subaltern officers.

1-31 Aug 1915

From: 1915 To: 1915

item

Pilcher, Thomas David,
Watts, Herbert Edward,
de Buriatte, H.,
Shaw,
Onslow, Cranley Charlton,
Hurrell, J.W.,
Bidder, Harold Francis,
Foss, Charles Calverley,
Wynne, Richard Owen,
Riddell, A.H.O.,
Budge, E.E.F.,
Milling, J.McM.,
Milliard,
Hunter, C.J.,
Kitchener, Horatio Herbert, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum,
Hutchinson, James Walter,
Pearson, Terence Charles,
Oldfield, R T,
Stephenson, Kenneth Langton,
Lawrence, L.K.,
Armstrong, H.S.,
Shaw, W A,
Monteith, John Cassels,
George V,
Peggs, William George,
Mart, S.,
Nicholas II [Tsar of Russia],
Eade, William,
Wilson, W.,
Forward, Charles Arthur,
Gibson, Robert Bowness,
Sharpe, W.,
Goldie, A.H.

2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, land weaponry, church services, 20th Infantry Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery 2nd Brigade, punishment, tug of war, cross country running, 1st/28th Battalion (Artists Rifles) London Regiment, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, 8th Battalion Devonshire Regiment, 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment, Germans, burial, 3rd Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment, Royal Flying Corps, Bellerive, Estaminet Corner [Festubert], Festubert, Gorre, le Touret, Neuve-Chapelle, le Quesnoy, Givenchy-les-la-Bassee