The Lonsdale Battalion

1st Battalion War Diary, October 1917

    1st Border Regiment War Diary Transcriptions (1915-1918)
The National Archives WO/95/4311 & WO/95/2305    
 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1915 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
1916 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
1917 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
1918
Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs., Part II, and the Staff Manual respectively. Title Pages will be prepared in manuscript. WAR DIARY
or
  INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY  
(Erase heading not required.) 		Army Form C. 2118
Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information
Sheet 1
CHARTERHOUSE CAMP 1st
At CHARTERHOUSE CAMP the enemy dropped bombs in evening no casualties.
" 2nd
Bn relieved 2nd SWB’s in trenches in WIDJENDRIFT sector no casualties during relief.
TRENCHES 3rd
Day quiet very little enemy shelling.
" 4th
Our barrage dropped 5.45 am, Enemy heavily shelled our sector all day, very few casualties.
" 5th
Relieved by Coldstream Gds & Grenadier Gds, Bn marched to CHARTERHOUSE CAMP arrived 2am.
CHARTERHOUSE CAMP "
Increases and decreases for week ending 5-10-17
Increase Off OR
Arrivals at Corps Depot from Base – 17
Decrease
Transferred to base / unfit for further service at front 1
Killed[1] 7
Died of Wounds (2-10-17) 2nd Lt LB Clapp 1
Wounded (4-10-17) 2nd Lt Raine 1 20
2 29
CHARTERHOUSE CAMP 6th
Bn marched to DUBLIN CAMP (huts) good.
DUBLIN CAMP 7th
Kit inspection by Cmdg Officer.
Sheet 2
" 8th
Resting.
" 9th
Bn marched to ELVERDINGHE entrained to PROVEN & marched to PIDDINGTON CAMP (tents) very wet & muddy.
PADDINGTON CAMP 10th
Rested and cleaned up.
" 11th
Rain. Improved camp chiefly draining.
" 12th
Rained all day, Increases & decreases for week ending 12-10-17.
Increase Off OR
Wounded at Duty (previously reported wounded 2nd Lt ERW Raine) 1 –
Drafts from Base    2nd Lt A Dafforn[2] / 2nd Lt G Craig 2 122
Rejoined from Hospital 1
3 123
Decrease
Killed 2
Wounded 2
Transferred to IV Army Trg School 1
Evac from Div Area 6
11
" 13th
Rained all day state of camp terrible troops working all day on drains & mud.
" 14th
Ditto.
" 15th
Bn marched to PESELHOER entrained 2am 16th. billets good.
BAILLEULMONT 16th
Arrived SAULTY 5.PM. & marched to BAILLEULMONT.
" 17th
Settling down in billets & arranging for intensive training.
" 18th
Commenced Platoon training & training of specialists.
Sheet 3
BAILLEULMONT 19th
Continued Platoon training. Increase & decrease for week ending 19-10-17.
Increase Off OR
Rejoined from 87th T.M.B 2nd Lt Beckh 1 –
1 –
Decrease
Transferred to 87th T.M.B 1
To England sick (5-10-17) 2nd Lt Lowthorpe Lutwidge 1
Evac from this area 6
1 7
" 20th
Col Ellis DSO took command of 87th Bgd. during Gen Lucas’s absence on leave to England.
" 21st
Church Parade.
" 22nd
Continued training, Pte Downie wounded rifle grenade (accidently).
" 23rd
        "             "
" 24th
        "             "
" 25th
2nd Lt HS Park killed (bombing accident).
" 26th
Continued training. Gen de Lisle came round.
Increases & decreases for week ending 26-10-17.
Increase Off OR
Draft from Base – 1
Rejoined from Hospital – 1
Rejoined from 87th T.M.B. 1
3
Decrease
Killed (accidently) 2Lt Park (25-10-17) 1[3]
Died of wounds accidental 1 1
Wounded 2 2
Evac from Div Area 9
Transferred to 87th T.M.B 1
Transferred to XIV Corps School 3
1 16
Sheet 4
BAILLELUMONT 27th
Lt R Cranfield[4] & 2nd Lt [?Dunning] – Elrington[5] & Little joined from Base. JL [?Butth or Buttle] rejoined.
" 28th
[?] des Molinis, special dinner for men & free beer & special dinner for all officers as Bn mess in the Recreation hut in village the following officers belonging to the regiment being guest Brig Gen H Nelson DSO Cmdg 88th Bgde – A Bgdr AJ Ellis DSO Commanding 87th Bgd – Lt Col Forbes Robertson DSO Cmdg 16th Middlesex Reg – Lt Col G Harrison DSO Cmdg 6th Corps School & Capt Pierre De Soissons (special appointment) 43 officers in all attended.
" 29th
Continued training.
" 30th
        "             "        also practice Bgd ceremonial parade.
" 31st
Continued training.

[Signed] ??? Capt.
a/adjutant
1/Border Regiment

References / notes

  • National Archives Catalogue Reference: WO/95/2305/1
  • The transcription above is available under the National Archives Open Government Licence for public sector information.
  • War diary transcribed by Hugh Fulton
  1. ↑ Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 1st Border Regiment, Belgium. Eleven soldiers killed during the week ending 5/10/17:
    Men killed 01/10/1917 (3)
    • Pte. 30402 A. Holland
    • Pte. 260069 R. Southern
    • Pte. 28605 Abraham Thornton
    Men killed 02/10/1917 (2)
    • L/Cpl. 28599 J. Quinlan
    • 2nd Lt. L.B. Clapp
    Men killed 04/10/1917 (5)
    • Pte. 28567 J. Harding
    • Pte. 27055 A. Marshall
    • Pte. 203307 D. Shannon
    • Pte. 260050 R.R. Woods (The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment)
    • Pte. 25425 George Wrigley (MM)
    Men killed 05/10/1917 (1)
    • Pte. 203311 Dominic Williams
  2. ↑ Assumed to be Oswald Daffurn National Archives Medal Cards. Reference: WO 372/5/146914. Accessed 27 June, 2020.
  3. ↑ Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 1st Border Regiment, France. Two soldiers killed during the week ending 26/10/17:
    • 2Lt Herbert Sidney Park
    • Pte. 201994 Richard Mcculloch
  4. ↑ Assumed to be Reginald Eric Cranfield National Archives Medal Cards. Reference: WO 339/3107. Accessed 28 June, 2020.
  5. ↑ Assumed to be Maxwell Elrington National Archives Medal Cards. Reference: WO 372 /6/201361. Accessed 27 June, 2020.
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