Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X550/3/WD/1612
  • Title
    War Diary for Dec 1916 1 Dec 1916 - Humbercamps Billets HUMBERCAMPS. A very hard frost all day. Sick Wastage 5 Other Ranks. 2 Dec 1916 Billets HUMBERCAMPS. A very hard frost all day. Lieutenant and Adjutant J.W.Hurrell returned from Leave. 3 Dec 1916 Billets HUMBERCAMPS. Frost continues. 4 Dec 1916 - first line trenches at Berles-au-Bois Billets HUMBERCAMPS. Lieutenant H.de BURIATTE Sick. 2nd Lieutenant L.A.L.FINK. awarded the Military Cross. Battalion left at 12.30 p.m. to relieve the 20th Bn.Kings Liverpool Regiment in same trenches as on 22/11/16 with dispositions as under. Relief completed by 3.30 p.m. "D" Company RIGHT "A" Company CENTRE "B" Company LEFT "A" Company RESERVE. A quiet night. Casualties Nil. 5 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Snow & sleet turning to rain. Enemy shelled Battalion Headquarters at 4.20 p.m. (7 Casualties). Captain R.O.WYNNE rejoined from temporary Command of 17th Bn.Kings Liverpool and took over the duties of 2nd-in-Command. 10 Other Ranks joined from Base. Casualties 8 O.R. wounded. 6 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. A Quiet day. Casualties NIL. 7 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. 2nd Lieutenant A.P.METHUEN proceeded on leave. A quiet day and night. Casualties Nil. 8 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Raining. A quiet day and night. Casualties NIL. Sick wastage 2 O.R. 9 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Raining. A quiet day and night. Casualties Nil. Extract from London Gazette dated 9/11/16. The following awarded MILITARY MEDALS for gallantry and devotion to duty. No.9009 C.Q.M.S.H.Maidment 9606 Sgt.R.Foster. No.9544 Sgt.E.Pepper 9283 Sgt.J.Wheeler (Wd) No.6891 Sgt.G.Grant (Wd) 8838 Sgt.A.Laycock (Killed) No.7414 L/c.H.Hayes (Died of Wounds) 16498 Pte.F.Excell No.19575 Pte.S.Godsall 10181 Pte.G.Scrivener Awarded MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL. No.9515 Sgt.T.Searle. 10 Dec 1916 - Support Billets at Berles-au-Bois Trenches BERLES. The 20th Bn.Kings Liverpool Regiment commenced to relieve the Battalion at 1 p.m. Relief complete by 2.45 p.m. Battalion then withdrew to SUPPORT in BERLES. Casualties Nil. 11 Dec 1916 Support Billets, BERLES. No.6229 Company Sergeant Major F.A.Aldridge granted a Commission and posted to Battalion. Casualties Nil. 12 Dec 1916 Billets BERLES. Heavy fall of snow in early morning. Casualties Nil. 13 Dec 1916 Billets BERLES. Casualties Nil. 14 Dec 1916 Billets BERLES. 2nd Lieutenant J.P.PITTS rejoined from 3rd Army School and took over command of "D" Company. 2nd Lieutenant R.E.OAKLEY took over command of "C" Company from 2d Lieutenant L.A.L.FINK. 10 O.R. joined from Base. Casualties Nil. 15 Dec 1916 Billets BERLES. Casualties Nil. Sick wastage during week 7 O.R. 16 Dec 1916 - front line trenches at Berles-au-Bois Billets BERLES. Casualties Nil. The Battalion left at 1 p.m. to relieve 20th Bn.Kings Liverpool Regiment in trenches at BERLES taking over same line as on 2nd [sic] with Dispositions as under. RIGHT Company "C" Coy. CENTRE Company "B" Coy LEFT Company "A" Coy. RESERVE Company "D" Company. relief complete by 3.15 p.m. 17 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Casualties Nil. A quiet day. 18 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. casualties Nil. 2nd Lieutenant G.A.ANSTEE proceeded on Leave. 19 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Casualties Nil. 2nd Lieutenant F.A.ALDRIDGE to Leave. 20 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Casualties Nil. 21 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Casualties 2 O.R. Killed. 4 O.R. Wounded. 2nd Lieutenant F.HAGUE, 2nd Lieutenant R.TIMBERLAKE, 2nd Lieutenant C.R.HALL struck off strength - Sick in England. 22 Dec 1916 - Humbercamps Trenches BERLES. Relieved by 20th Bn.Kings Liverpool Regiment, commencing at 1 p.m. Relief complete at 3.30 p.m. Battalion withdrew to Billets in HUMBERCAMPS and became Divisional Reserve. Casualties Nil. 23 Dec 1916 Billets HUMBERCAMPS. Casuatlies Nil. Sick wastage during week 8 O.R. 24 Dec 1916 Billets HUMBERCAMPS. Lieutenant N.V.DABELL, 2nd Lieutenant R.E.OAKLEY, 2nd Lieutenant J.P.PITTS to leave. 25 Dec 1916 Billets HUMBERCAMPS. A good Christmas Dinner was provided for the men. Gifts were received for the Battalion from "The Women of Bedfordshire Comfort Fund", Colonel H.W.U.COATES, D.S.O. and "THE LIVERPOOL CITY BATTALIONS COMFORT FUND". Xmas Puddings were received from "DAILY TELEGRAPH and DAILY NEWS XMAS PUDDING FUND". During the afternoon the Officers played the Sergeants at Football. Result 2-1 for the Sergeants. Casualties Nil. 26 Dec 1916 Billets HUMBERCAMPS. Casualties Nil. 27 Dec 1916 Billets HUMBERCAMPS. Casualties Nil. 28 Dec 1916 - front line trenches at Berles-au-Bois Billets HUMBERCAMPS. Battalion left at 12 noon to relieve 20th Bn.Kings Liverpool Regiment in BERLES trenches, the same trenches as on 4/12/16. relief completed by 3.30 p.m. Dispositions. "B" Company RIGHT. "A" Company CENTRE. "D" Company LEFT. "C" Company RESERVE. A quiet night. Casualties Nil. 29 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Captain H.Cressingham and 2nd Lieutenant W.HOBBS to Leave. Raining all day and night. At 12 noon we bombarded the enemy front line between W.29.c.3/5, 4/5 and W.29.c.5.8/5. Casualties Nil. The trenches were in a very bad condition owing to rain. 30 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Most trenches waterlogged. Casualties 1 O.R. (Accidental). 2nd Lieutenants I.T.M.COLLINS, G.B.L.MATHEWS from Divisional School. and Lieutenant H.D.CHESTER from Grenade School. Sick Wastage 3 O.R. 31 Dec 1916 Trenches BERLES. Lieutenant H.de BURIATTE to 3rd Army School. Trenches waterlogged. Casualties Nil. STRENGTH OF BN. on 31st December, 1916 Offrs 34 W.O's 1 Sgts. 60 Cpls. 58 Ptes. 900 Total 1080 Total all ranks 1054.
  • Date free text
    1-31 Dec 1916
  • Production date
    From: 1916 To: 1916
  • Level of description
    item
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