Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X550/3/WD/1803
  • Title
    War Diary for March 1918 1 Mar 1918 - Savy Dugouts The Battalion was relieved in SAVY Front Line Sector by 2nd Bn.R.S.Fusiliers and proceeded to SAVY DUGOUTS in Support. relief complete by 10 p.m. 2 Mar 1918 Battalion in Support 2nd Lieut.W.Baker to Leave 2nd Lieut.S.E.D.Cline joined Battalion 3 Mar 1918 Battalion in Support working on Battle Zone. 2nd Lieut.A.W.Joyce to England for six months rest. 4 Mar 1918 Battalion in support working on Battle Zone 5 Mar 1918 - Villers-St-Christophe Battalion in support working during the morning on Battle Zone At 1 p.m. the Battalion was relieved by the 2nd Bn.Wiltshire Regiment and marched to VILLERS ST CHRISTOPHE arriving at 3.45 p.m. Battalion Headquarters at K.4.c.3/7 6 Mar 1918 Battalion at VILLERS ST CHRISTOPHE employed on railway work under A.D.L.R. 5th Army. 2nd Lieutenant S.W.Goble on leave 7 Mar 1918 Battalion employed on railway work 8 Mar 1918 Battalion at Training 9 Mar 1918 Battalion at Training Capt.P.J.Reiss, M.C., M.M. to leave 10 Mar 1918 Battalion at VILLERS ST CHRISTOPHE 11 Mar 1918 Battalion at Training. The Drums of the Battalion proceeded to 18th Corps School GUILLACOURT [sic] to give performance for 1 week. 12 Mar 1918 Battalion at Training the Battalion played 16th Bn.Manchester Regt at Football, Score 2-2 13 Mar 1918 The Battalion provided working parties, remainder of the Battalion at Training 14 Mar 1918 The Battalion provided working parties, remainder of Battalion at Training. The Battalion played 2nd Bn.R.S.F. at Football, Result win for Battalion Score 3-1. 15 Mar 1918 The Battalion provided working parties, remainder at Training. Capt.J.T.Coe, 2.Lt.C.Shekury, M.C., 2/Lt.S.H.Smith proceeded on Leave. 16 Mar 1918 The Battalion at Training. Battalion played 16th Bn.Manchester Regt at Football, result Draw 1-1. 2nd Lieut.F.C.Baldwin to Leave 17 Mar 1918 The Battalion at Training 2nd Lieut.P.A.Page to leave. 18 Mar 1918 - Savy Dugouts The Battalion at Training. At 3.15 p.m. the Battalion march to SAVY DUGOUTS to relieve the 17th Bn.Manchester Regiment, in Support. Relief complete 6 p.m. 19 Mar 1918 The Battalion in Support 20 Mar 1918 The Battalion in Support. 21 Mar 1918 Enemy bombardment started at 4.45 a.m. The Battalion "Stood to" in Battle Zone between SAVY and ETREILLERS at 6 a.m. "A" and "C" Companies in Front. "B" Company in Counter Attack position, "D" Company and Battalion Hd.Qrs in STEVENS REDOUBT. Enemy broke through the Forward Zone and came in touch with "A" Company during the morning. A few Germans got into the right of "A" Coys position. "B" Company went up to reinforce "A" Company at Dusk but could not turn out the enemy, who had established themselves formly on either side of the SAVY Road. Captain W.HOBBS wounded. 22 Mar 1918 - Verlaines Earli in the morning a few Germans worked into "C" Coys position, from a Sunken Road just in front of our wire. "A" and "C" Coys were heavily shelled all day and at about 2 p.m. the enemy attacked in large numbers. "C" Coys position was taken and some of our men taken prisoner. The remnants of "A" and "B" Coy hung on till surrounded by large numbers of enemy. They fought very well and only a few got back. By 4 p.m. the enemy could be seen advancing on either side of STEVENS REDOUBT. At 5 p.m. Orders were received to withdraw. The withdrawal was carried out at once, but there were a number of casualties as the withdrawal had to be made across open country and the enemy machine gun and shrapnel fire was very heavy. The Battalion withdrew to VERLAINES via GERMAINE - FORESTE - VILLERS ST CHRISTOPHE and HAM. Billetted in VERLAINES for the night. Casualties Lieut.A.P.Methuen, Lieut.D.D.Warren, Captain F.A.Sloan, Wounded. Capt.H.B.Jones, R.A.M.C., 2nd Lieut.F.E.Thompson, Missing 23 Mar 1918 "Stood to" at 5 a.m. on account of Rifle and M.Gun fire near HAM. 89th Infantry Brigade were holding HAM Defences but were driven back. The Battalion and the 2nd Bn.Royal Scots Fusiliers were ordered to cover the retirement of 89th Inf.Bde. to ESMERY HALLON. We took up a position outside ESMERY HALLON - VERLAINES Road while the 89th Brigade withdrew. The enemy did not advance beyond HAM, so the 89th Brigade went forward again and occupied a position just East of VERLAINES. We remained in our position till about midnight. Some of our details were in defence of HAM. Casualties: -Killed 2nd Lieut.W.R.Shaw. Wounded and Missing Captain F.V.Parker. Lieutenant D.D.Warren rejoined the Battalion 24 Mar 1918 - Buverchy Bridge About 1 a.m. we took up a position between VERLAINES and VILLETTE in Support of 2nd Bn.R.S.Fusiliers who were covering Right Flank of 89th Inf.Bde. Enemy worked round our right flank and got into GOLANCOURT. He then attacked on our Left Flank and we were forced to withdraw towards ESMERY HALLON. Here we came under heavy Machine Gun fire from our Right Flank and a further withdrawal was carried out to the Canal. The 90th Infantry Brigade held the western bank of the Canal between LANNOY FARM RIDGE and BUVERCHY BRIDGE. The Battalion was responsible for the Sub-Sector at BUVERCHY Bridge. Remainder of the day and night was quiet. Casualties: - Capt.W.T.Pares, M.C., 2nd Lieut.W.L.Carpenter, Wounded. 25 Mar 1918 - Arvillers Enemy seen Massing and forming up for an attack all day. Our Guns busy shelling him. Enemy shelled the two Bridges and MOYENCOURT. At about 6 p.m. enemy broke through the French who were in line on right of the 2nd Bn.R.S.Fusrs. We withdrew through MOYENCOURT and passed through the French Outposts West of MOYENCOURT. Went on to SOLENTE were [sic] we embussed for ROYE-EGLISE. rested a short time at ROYE-EGLISE and then bussed to ARVILLERS and spent remainder of night there. Casualties: - Lieut.C.Haywood wounded 26 Mar 1918 - between Bouchoir and Parvillers-le-Quesnoy Moved forward from ARVILLERS about 12 noon and took up a position along the BOUCHOIR - ROUVROY Road, just North of the ROYE AMIEN [sic] Road. 2nd Bn.R.S.Fusrs on our Right, 89th Inf.Bde. on our Left. Quiet for the remainder of the day. Enemy infantry and artillery could be seen passing through LE QUESNOY about a mile in front of us. This continued all night. Our Patrols got right up to LE QUESNOY but met no enemy till they got to the village. 27 Mar 1918 - Arviller-Folies Road Enemy attacked again on both flanks and got through to the right of 2nd Bn.R.S.Fusrs. About 12.30 pm we withdrew to Line of the ARVILLER - FOLIES Road. Here we held up the enemy and remained throughout the night. Our position was shelled fairly heavily. At dusk we re-organised Units and consolidated the position. Our relief by the French did not materialise. No rations or water brought up 28 Mar 1918 - Rouvel Our position heavily shelled during the morning. A number of casualties. Enemy again attacked on both flanks and got into ARVILLERS on our Right and FOLIES on our Left. Enemy then got up to within 100 yards of our position when we received orders to withdraw. About 2.30 pm we withdrew but had a number of casualties owing to hostile Machine Guns and Shell fire. We formed up at MEZIERES just South of AMIEN [sic] - ROYE Road and marched through MOREUIL were [sic] we halted to give the men some food, to Billets at ROUVEL. Lt.Colonel H.S.Poyntz D.S.O. rejoined Battalion from 90th Infantry Brigade. Casualties: - 2nd Lieut.W.Pennington, 2/Lt.A.F.Aldridge, 2/Lieut.S.Courtney, 2nd Lieut.E.E.Bath wounded. Captain and Adjutant G.A.Anstee, M.C. Missing. 29 Mar 1918 Remained in Billets all day resting. Lt.Col.H.S.Poyntz, D.S.O. admitted to Hospital Sick. Fake Alarm Reported that enemy had taken MOREUIL. Many French Troops in front of us. 30 Mar 1918 - St-Valery-sur-Somme Left ROUVREL at 9 a.m. and marched to SALEUX just S.W. of AMIEN [sic]. Entrained and went to ST VALERY arriving there at 12 m.n. 31 Mar 1918 - Catigny and Arrest marched to Billets in CATIGNY - ARRESt arriving at 2 a.m. Total Casualties from march 21st - 31st Officers 15, Other Ranks 554.
  • Date free text
    1-31 Mar 1918
  • Production date
    From: 1918 To: 1918
  • Level of description
    item
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