X550/3/WD/1603

War Diary for March 1916 1 Mar 1916 - Maricourt Defences Very quiet day and night. Casualties NIL. From this date 'A'1 and 'A'2 Subsectors are renamed 'Z'1 and 'Z'2. 2 Mar 1916 - front line trenches near Maricourt At 6.30 pm the battalion relieved the 20th Kings Liverpool Regt in 'Z'2. relief completed at 8 P.M. Dispositions: - Front line from left to right A.B.C. Companies. 'D' on completion of relief in 'U' works come into Reserve at Hd. Qrs. Casualties NIL. 3 Mar 1916 D. Coy relieve 'A' Coy in left group. 'A' Coy in Reserve. 4 Mar 1916 Snow fell about 3am. Very cold. Communication Trenches frozen over. At 9.10 p.m. 90th Brigade report S.O.S. from KNOWLES POINT, nothing appeared to happen. 9-10.30pm Enemy fire 4.2 howitzers into N.E. corner of MARICOURT WOOD. Our howitzers retaliated. Sick wastage 18.O.R. 5 Mar 1916 - Etinehem and U Works The Battalion (less 'A' Coy to 'U' Works) relieved at 7.15 p.m. by the 20th Kings Liverpool Regt. Relief complete about 10.15pm. After relief the Battalion marched by platoons into Billets in ETINEHEM arriving 1.55am 6/3/16. Casualties NIL. 6 Mar 1916 Snow in early morning. Companies free from working parties. 2Lieut G.F.Reid admitted to Hospital Sick. 7 Mar 1916 Battalion on fatigue under R.E. 8 Mar 1916 - front line near Maricourt Battalion left at 5.15 pm to relieve the 20th BN. Kings Liverpool Regt. in 'Z'2 Subsector. Relief competed by 9.45 pm. Dispositions B.C & D Coys front line 'A' Coy from 'U' works to reserve at Battalion H.Q. There was slight Artillery activity during relief and more sniping than usual. Casualties 2.O.R. Wounded. 9 Mar 1916 A very quiet day. Casualties 1.O.R. Wounded. There was a very heavy fall of snow during the night of 9/10th. 10 Mar 1916 Trenches. A quiet day. Casualties 1.O.R. wounded. 11 Mar 1916 2Lieut R.F.C.BALLARD admitted to Hospital Sick. A draft of 20 O.R. joined the Battalion from BASE. Enemy Artillery was very active between 9-11pm mostly directed about A.P.1 where 1 O.R. was Killed and 3 Wounded. Sick wastage for week ending 11th 13.O.R. 12 Mar 1916 - Maricourt Defences A quiet day. The Battalion was relieved by the 20th BN Kings Liverpool Regt. Relief completed by 10 p.m. Battalion then withdrew to MARICOURT DEFENCES where positions were taken up by 10.40 pm. Dispositions - A Coy PERRONNE [sic] ROAD - MOUND KEEP (exclusive) 1 Platoon in Reserve at BN.H.Q. ;'B' Coy MOUND KEEP (inclusive) - CENTRE AVENUE. 'D' Coy CENTRE AVENUE - WEST KEEP (inclusive). 'C' Coy In Reserve at BN.H.Q. 13 Mar 1916 A quiet day. casualties 1.O.R. wounded. A draft of 40 O.R. joined from 3rd Entrenching Battn. 14 Mar 1916 At 9.50 pm Enemy heavily shelled MARICOURT 2.O.R. Killed and 1 wounded. 15 Mar 1916 - Bray-sur-Somme and Froissy Relieved by 8th BN. NORFOLK Regt. Relief completed by 10.15pm. The Battalion then withdrew to Billets as under. C & D and H.Q. - BRAY 'A' & 'B' at FROISSY. Casualties NIL. 16 Mar 1916 Battalion as Rest. 17 Mar 1916 - Corbie The Battn left at 9 a.m. for CORBIE arriving about 1-pm. BN billeted here for one night. 18 Mar 1916 - la Houssoye Battn left CORBIE at 10 am for billets at LA HOUSSOYE arriving at 11.50 am. BN. billeted AMIENS-ALBERT Road just under the E in LA HOUSSOYE. REF. MAP AMIENS Sheet 17 1/100,000. Sick wastage for week ending 18/3/16. 2 O.R. 19 Mar 1916 Voluntary Church Parade. Battn. Bathing at CORBIE. 20 Mar 1916 Battn at Training and Classes of Instruction. 21 Mar 1916 BN. at Training etc. Capt.J.W.H.T.Douglas & 2 Lieut.A.M.B.Gaze proceeded on leave. 22 Mar 1916 BN at Training etc. 23 Mar 1916 BN at Training etc. One O.R. accidentally wounded whilst on Bayonet Assault Course. 2 Lieut L.A.L. FINK 2/Bedf.R. & 2Lieut L.H.FOX 4/Bedf.R. joined the BN and posted to C & A Coys respectively. A Football match between Officers & Sergeants took place resulting in the Officers winning by 4 goals to 3. Snow fell heavily throughout the night of 23/24th. 24 Mar 1916 2/Lieut H.C.Phillips 3/Bedf.R. joined BN and posted to 'D' Coy. 25 Mar 1916 BN at training etc. Lieut C.G.TYLER 2/Bedf.R. joined Battn & posted to 'A' Co. Sick wastage for week ending 25 1.O.R. In the afternoon a Football Match took place between the Battn and 17th Battn Kings Liverpool Rgt ending in a win for the Battn 1-0. 26 Mar 1916 2/Lieut.L.DOLMAN (Cadet late R.A.M.C.) joined Battn and posted to 'D' Coy. Lieut. W. White proceeded to 4th Army School FLEXICOURT for a course of Instruction and Lieut C.G.TYLER took over command of 'A' Coy. 27 Mar 1916 BN at Training etc. Lieut. W. WHITE admitted to Hospital Sick. 2Lieut A.H.O.Riddell & 2 Lieut L.H.Walker proceeded on leave. 28 Mar 1916 A demonstration with GAS was held showing the effectiveness of the SMOKE HELMET. Capt R.O. WYNNE admitted to Hospital Sick. Lieut & Adjutant J.W.HURRELL admitted to Hospital Sick. Lieut R.B.GIBSON took over command of 'C' Coy. 2Lieut F.A. SLOAN took over the duties of Acting Adjutant. PRESENTATION General R.L.CURTIES (late Commanding Officer of the 2nd BN Bedfordshire Rgt) forwarded to the Commanding Officer the Sum of 5 to be awarded to the Non-commissioned Officer or man who, in the opinion of all Ranks, has performed the most gallant Offensive Act during the war, without receiving any recognition. The Battalion has decided that this sum should be presented to No.9878 Corporal G. Freshwater 'C' Company, for the following act of gallantry. At 2.30 pm on march 28th 1916, Brigadier General C.B.[sic] STANLEY D.S.O. Commanding 89th Infantry Brigade presented the sum of 5 to No 9878 Corporal G.Freshwater 'C' Company 2/BN Bedfordshire Rgt for the following act of gallantry. "At NEUVE CHAPELLE on the 12th March 1915, Capt C.C.FOSS V.C., D.S.O. called for Volunteers to capture a trench which the enemy had taken. Corporal Freshwater (then a Private) at once volunteered and called on others to follow his example and accompany Capt FOSS. The party consisting of one Officer and 6 Bombers recaptured the lost trench and took 54 German prisoners. Corporal Freshwater showed exceptional courage and was the second man to enter the German trench". On arrival of the G.O.C. the Battn presented arms and formed three sides of a square. The G.O.C. addressed the Battn as follows. Officers, N.C.O's and Men of the 2nd BN. Bedfordshire Regt. Colonel POYNTZ has done me the honour of asking me to present the sum of 5 to Corporal Freshwater and addressed him as follows: - Corporal Freshwater if affords me the greatest pleasure to present to you the sum of 5, you have been chosen by your comrades as having performed the most gallant act during the war, without receiving any award or recognition and I am assured you thoroughly deserve it. It must afford you the greatest pleasure to know that you have been unanimously chosen by your comrades to receive this award as a brave man. G.O.C. shakes hands and congratulates Corporal Freshwater. After this ceremony the G.O.C. made the following address to the Battn. Some 3 1/2 months ago I had the pleasure of welcoming you into my Brigade and I felt that I should be proud of you. I find that I have had just cause to be so, and anything I required doing in the Trenches I received immediate response from the 2nd BN Bedfordshire Regt. Officers and Men carried out all duties with vigour and exactitude and I feel that I can rely on you under every circumstance. You have always shown a willingness which affords me the greatest pleasure - Colonel POYNTZ I congratulate you on your fine battalion. 29 Mar 1916 - Grovetown Camp The Battn left at 10am for GROVETOWN CAMP arriving at 4.P.M. GROVETOWN CAMP is situated in L.8.d. Ref.Map FRANCE Sheet 62D 1/40,000. 30 Mar 1916 1/2 Battn at Training 1/2 Battn employed in working parties under R.E. 31 Mar 1916 Whole of Battalion employed on Working Parties under R.E's.

1-31 Mar 1916

From: 1916 To: 1916

item

Freshwater, George,
Poyntz, Hugh Stainton,
Douglas, John William Henry Tyler,
Reid, G F,
Ballard, Robert Francis Cooper,
Gaze, A.M.B.,
Fink, Lawrence Alexander Lewis,
Tyler, Cornelius George,
Fox, Leslie Herbert,
Phillips, H.C.,
Gibson, Robert Bowness,
Dolman, Leonard,
White, W,
Riddell, A.H.O.,
Walker, Laurence Hall,
Hurrell, J.W.,
Sloan, F.A.,
Curtis, Reginald Salmond,
Stanley, Ferdinand Charles,
Foss, Charles Calverley

2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 20th Battalion (4th City) King's (Liverpool) Regiment, weather, 90th Infantry Brigade, land weaponry, maps, deaths, town & local roads, 3rd Entrenching Battalion, 8th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, 3rd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, football, 4th Army, Royal Army Medical Corps, 89th Infantry Brigade, prisoners of war, Royal Engineers, Maricourt, U Works [Maricourt], Knowles Point [Maricourt], Maricourt Wood, Etinehem, Mound Keep [Maricourt], Centre Avenue [Maricourt], West Keep [Maricourt], Bray-sur-Somme, Froissy, Corbie, La Houssoye, Flexicourt, Neuve-Chapelle, Grovetown Camp (Somme)