X550/8/1/1512

Trenches D1 1-12-15 Nothing to report. Night extremely quiet. Wind SW. 2-12-15 We exploded a mine at C2 at 3.15 effect not yet known. At 8pm enemy exploded a mine in C/2 27 Norfolks reported buried in a sap. Between 7 and 9.45 enemy fired whiz-bangs which fell in the rear of Rue Albert. Our guns replied. Artillery test on Trench 82 took 1 minute and very little rifle fire. A Bomb exploded in front of 77 trench F - at 8.45pm. Our Artillery retaliated on enemies' lines. The mine at 8pm was followed by Trench Mortars to which our guns replied. Wind SE 2-12-15 2.15pm E.T.R. Enemy fired 6 Rifle grenades from F.10.C35b5. We replied with rifle grenades. At 12 noon enemy shelled Rue Albert with whiz-bangs, we retaliated with 2 rounds of Battery fire after which active hostilities ceased. Water seen thrown out of trenches at F10.C55 and fresh chalk thrown up at F10C3066. Signalling in Morse was reported from direction of Bray and answered from high ground E of Fricourt. Weather Wet. 3-12-15 2am M.T.R. Between 7 & 9pm enemy sent over several whiz-bangs which fell behind H.Q. our guns retaliated on Bois Allemand each time. A machine gun was observed to fire from F9D8570. It is noticed that enemy's flares are almost all sent up from 2nd line. Motor heard at work opposite 76 trench possibly a pump. Night very wet and trenches falling in. Every effort is being made to clean them. Wind S-SW. Mine expected to go off opposite 82 trench. 3-12-15 1.30pm E.T.R. Enemy working party dispersed with bombs from catapults opposite trench 82 early this morning. We accounted for one of the enemy at F9D85.75 he was shot by our sentry. This was confirmed by other sentries. Artillery test on trench 82 took 1 minute. Enemy bombed trench 77 at 2.15pm. We replied with artillery fire and trench mortars. 12.1pm General Maxse inspected D/1 Sector with Adjutant. favourable report on appearance of men. 4-12-15 2am M.T.R. Enemy fired several rifle grenades into trench 78 during afternoon causing 4 casualties. Artillery 18 pounders retaliated. About 3.30pm enemy working party reported opposite trench 82 who were immediately bombed with catapults. Whistles were heard which would indicate casualties on their side. About 5pm enemy fired a small camouflet opposite trench 80 F9D75.70 doing no damage to our trenches. No enemy activity during night. Wind Fresh NW. weather misty & wet. 3-12-15 6.30 to 6.40pm Enemy played along parapets with machine gun 6.30 - 9pm Enemy sent over on R.3 some 10 to 12 whiz-bangs at least 8 of which failed to explode 4-12-15 2.20pm E.T.R. Increased activity in enemy's snipers. 1 man of ours killed at 8.30am. Enemy sniper located at F9D75.72. We bombed this spot & enemy retaliated with whiz-bangs. A mine exploded at 12 noon apparently on our right. Wind S.W. Weather Wet & changeable. 5-12-15 2am M.T.R. Afternoon & night very quiet with exception of desultory whiz-bangs fired most of which failed to explode. Our artillery retaliated on each occasion. Particularly no rifle fire. Wind SW. Dull & Wet. 5-12-15 E.T.R. Enemy sent over several rifle grenades this morning. We retaliated with trench mortars, catapults and artillery. Quiet since 12.30 noon. Wind slight S.W. 6-12-15 2am M.T.R. At 3pm artillery was tested with rockets at the same time the forward trench joined in the agression & sent over 12 bombs from the West Gun and 6 rifle grenades. A direct hit was scored with the West Gun on an enemy sniper post at F10C06. Result not known. Between 7 & 9pm enemy sent over a few whiz-bangs which were all duds & fell behind our trenches. We retaliated shot for shot. Enemy machine gun twice traversed our trenches tonight. Enemy rifle fire rather more active. An atack was organized on the enemies' sap where smoke was seen yesterday, this attack is now in progress and a detailed report will be sent later. Wind S.W. Weather Rough & Wet. 6-12-15 2pm E.T.R. At 11am enemy bombed 78 trench. Our artillery replied. Otherwise quiet 7-12-15 2.5am M.T.R. At 3.30pm we bombed the enemy's lines at F10C73 with trench mortars. Officer reported seeing two wheels fly into air. At 4pm our guns fired on enemy machine gun emplacement at same spot. Enemy gun has not fired from there tonight. A patrol tonight carried out a long reconaissance of ground at F10 C55-45. Detailed account to follow. Sample of enemy wire brought in. Enemy reported to be using a fixed rifle at F10C46. Otherwise quiet. Wind W, fair to wet. 7-12-15 E.T.R. Nothing to report - Line quiet. Wind S.W. One casualty through man meddling with detonator 8-12-15 2am M.T.R. Between 2.30 & 3pm yesterday the Trench Mortar Battery fired 5 rounds at enemy trenches about F10D19. The mortars were well placed & threw up a lot of black earth. At the same time we fired 2 new converted Mills Rifle Grenades one of which failed to explode. the other fell among enemy wire about F10C76. There has been practically no rifle or M.G. fire though earlier in the evening a machine gun from the Tambour fired a little, the bullets passing well above our heads to next Sector. Our 6 inch guns retaliated with 6 shells which fell just behind F10C25.65. Between 9.30 & 10pm about 15 whiz-bangs were sent over by the enemy apparently from opposite 81.82 trenches. No damage was done. Wind strong WSW. Dull & wet. 8-12-15 2.30pm German M.G. fired from F10C60.52 at 4.30am. Enemy shelled Rue Albert at 10.30am. We retaliated with trench mortars. Wind N.W. Fair to dull. Mine (ours) to go up at 4.45pm. 3.30pm Relieved by 12th Middlesex Maulte 9-12-15 Companies bathed. Weather Wet. Nothing to report 10-12-15 Conference for Staff Capts & Adjutants at Bde Recreation Room. Weather Dull. Nothing to report 11-12-15 Nothing to report. Wind E. Day fair. Parades as per Programme of Work. General Hinckey C.O. 54th Bde. wounded with shrapnel in the leg 12-12-15 Nothing to report. Wind S.E. Day Dry & Cold. Parades as per Programme of Work 13-12-15 Nothing to report. Wind N.E. Day Dry & Cold. Parades as per Programme of Work 14-12-15 Nothing to report. Wind N.E. to E. Day Frosty & Cold. Parades as per Programme of Work. Lt.Col.Shoubridge took command of 54th Bde. 15-12-15 Morning Brigade scheme carried out on Morlancourt Road. Weather Fair Afternoon Bombing parades etc. as per Programme of work. Trenches D/1 16-12-15 3pm Relieved 12th Middlesex. Nothing to report. Weather fair. 17-12-15 2am M.T.R. Enemy active with rifle grenades against 77 & 78 trenches at 8pm. They were silenced by our guns. Line otherwise very quiet. Occasional enemy flares sent up fro their 2nd line. Enemy machine gun from F9B71 fired on 83 trench at 10.30pm. Wind S.E. 17-12-15 E.T.R. Enemy very active all day along the sector. the enemy carried out a bombardment of considerable intensity using cannisters, trench mortars, sausages & whizbangs. We retaliated with West Guns, trench mortars, howitzers, field batteries & siege guns. The enemy were silenced at 1pm after several casualties to us. The enemy fired a considerable number of rfle grenades to which we replied with 15 bombs from the West Gun. Wind S.S.E. Weather fair to wet. 1st Cheshires on Right Flank, 11th R.Fusiliers on Left Flank, 12th Middx in reserve at Maulte 18-12-15 2am M.T.R. At 7.35 pm enemy again started bombarding us with sausages but were silenced by the heavy battery and howitzers. Enemy keep sending over rifle grenades to which we reply with West Guns. Machine Guns have been laid over gaps in the enemy's parapets caused by our shells. Wind S. Weather - Fair 18-12-15 2pm E.T.R. Enemy very quiet all this morning. We sent over a few rifle grenades but they were not replied to. A machine gun was in position all last night to cover the gaps in the enemy's parapets which had been made by our guns yesterday. Wind S. 19-12-15 2am M.T.R. Between 3 & 4 o'clock the enemy started sending over rfile grenades, sausages, bombs & whiz-bangs. Five rifle grenades fell in rear of 78 trench and failed to explode. We retaliated with bombs from West Gun firing at enemy front line trench about F10C65 one or two trench mortars and a few shells when all was quiet again. sausages fell in rear of Rue Albert behing trench 83 knocking in entrance to L/3 mine shaft, killing one man and wounding another. Position from which sausages were fired approx F9B1065. The siege battery traversed this trench effectively and silenced the enemy trench mortar. At 6.10pm sounds of hammering were heard as proceeding from about F10C75. A salvo from our artillery was fired and appeared to take effect. Simultaneously one M.G. fired and work ceased until 8.15pm when our M.G. again silenced them. At 8pm sentry reported wire being thrown out in front of enemy trench F9D89. Our artillery sent over two salvos of shrapnel & work was stopped. Several whiz-bangs were fired from the enemy lines up to about 10pm but no damage done. Wind fresh N.E. - Fair 1st Norfolks relieved 1st Cheshires in Sector C/11 on our right flank during night. 19-12-15 1.30pm E.T.R. Enemy sent over about 20 small mortars at intervals along our line this morning. This was probably in retaliation to wire-cutting which our guns were carrying out opposite trench 94. At 1pm enemy sent over about 12 small whiz-bangs. We replied with rifle grenades and West Guns. Enemy now quiet. Wind N.E. 20-12-15 2am M.T.R. Enemy fired 15 to 20 rifle grenades at our West Gun position. We replied with 18 bombs from west Gun and catapult. Sentry in 76 trench reported screams heard after one of our shots at F10C36. Several small trench mortars fired by enemy in pairs from close behind their first line. Night very quiet and no artillery activity. Wind fresh N.E. till 9pm since when calm. Weather - fair & dry 20-12-15 E.T.R. At 7am we bombed enemy's trench with West Guns. They replied with rifle genades. German working party heard in trench at F10C26 were bombed by us. They retaliated with small mortars. Our artillery were active on Bois Allemand during the morning. Wind N.N.W. General Jackson, 55th Bde. visited D/1 and vicinity this morning 21-12-15 M.T.R. About 4.30pm enemy fired 12 rifle grenades. We retaliated with artillery. No damage done. At 7pm working party seen at F10C4560. M.G. fired one drum at them and then again at intervals but party did not appear again. Everything very quiet with little rifle fire. Wind light N.N.E. 21-12-15 E.T.R. Enemy very quiet. two mines exploded believed away on our right at 8.10am and 8.30am. At a practice alarm 12 minutes was taken for all support bombs etc. to be got in position. This included the platoons coming from R/3. Wind S.E. Weather wet & misty. 22-12-15 M.T.R. Night very quiet on the whole. Very little rifle fire. At 9.50pm enemy dropped 2 heavy shells on our trenches our guns retaliated. Enemy machine gun traversed our lines at 10pm position not yet located. Enemy shelled C/2 at 11.30 to which our guns retaliated. Wind N-W. 22-12-15 2pm E.T.R. Enemy quiet in D/1. Nothing to report in that Sector. A lively artillery duel has been taking place all morning. D/2 was shelled heavily. W: W.S.W. Fair to rain. 22/Lts joined rom Base. H.Cathcart-Nicholls & F.E.Dealler 23-12-15 2am M.T.R. At 2.15pm the enemy commenced a lively bombardment of our left sub-sector. They sent overs everal sausages and altogether about 60 shells of different calibre. we retaliated with our guns sending over 80 rounds including several heavy shells and some fromour howitzers where upon the enemy ceased all offensive. No damage was done by the enemy. Mine explosions were felt at 6.10 & 9.30pm. Vicinity of these not yet located. At 8.30pm German heavy battery from Mametz fired 2 rounds. Wind W. 2pm E.T.R. Artillery activity on both sides during the morning. Our Machie guns fired at f10C50.45 and F10.C46 during the night. germans have pushed over a lot more wire from their parapets at F10.C50.45. Morning otherwise quiet. Fair to Fine. 16th Royal Warwicks releived 1st Norfolks on our right flank Sector C/2. Conference of C.O.s & Adjutants at Bde.H.Q. 3.30pm. 24-12-15 M.T.R. During yesterday afternoon we shot two men at approx F9D99 this making five men shot at that point. The work being carried on there appears to be important. At 2.15pm we fired 3 of the new Ball Bombs from West Gun to which enemy replied with rifle grenades. German heavy Arty Battery from S.E. of MAMETZ fired seven rounds about 2pm falling behind C.2. Our 18pdrs & 119th Hy Batty both registered during afternoon. Night very quiet. Wind strong S.W. 24-12-15 2pm E.T.R. A certain amount of artillery activity otherwise morning quite quiet. 8 Germans seen at 1.30pm crossing the gap in front of quarry in full marching order. It might mean a relief is taking place 3.30pm Relieved by 12th Middlesex Regt. 25-12-15 Football Tournament 4.30pm Christmas Dinner 26-12-15 Battalion bathing. Weather Fair 27-12-15 Early Morning: Running Parade. Morning: Musketry. Afternoon: Bombing 28-12-15 New Draft joins 7th Bedfords 29-12-15 5.0pm Heavy bombardment of D2. Coys stood to. 30-12-15 Attack scheme at MORLANCOURT. Weather Fair 31-12-15 E.T.R. Relief still in progress. All quiet, nothing to report. Wind S.E. 2pm Relieved by 12th Middlesex

Dec 1915

From: 1915 To: 1915

item

Maxse, Ivor,
Hinckey,
Shoubridge, Thomas Herbert,
Jackson,
Cathcart-Nicholls, H.,
Dealler, F.E.

1st Battalion Norfolk Regiment, weather, deaths, 12th Battalion Middlesex Regiment, 54th Infantry Brigade, 54th Infantry Brigade, 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 16th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, football, Christmas, baths, Meaulte, Rue Albert (Somme), Bois Allemand (Somme), Tambour, Mametz, Morlancourt