10 July

Lonsdale Battalion events that took place on 10 July.
For events that took place elsewhere, see our sister project The Great War On This Day

1916 (Monday)

Battalion remains in line at the F1 sub-sector.
Deaths: David Johnston (15503) dies of wounds, and Thomas Ibison (13793) is killed in action.

1917 (Tuesday)

Battalion situated in line south west of Lombardzyde. A heavy bombardment of the sector commences about 6am. The 1st and 2nd lines are heavily "strafed" with "minnenwerfer".
The following message is sent to the 97th Infantry Brigade at 7:40am: "Casualties last night 3 wounded this morning 1 killed. Communication broken with both Coys in front line when bombardment ceases will send further information. Ends."
The following message is received at 8am from OC of C Company: "I have been endeavouring to get a message through from here since 6:05am. The wires are all down & signallers are using the lamp but no reply from our Artillery yet. We have been continually "strafed" since before 6am this morning with "heavies" etc. Please put Punishment Scheme X into operation at once."
2nd Lieut. Cook-Gray is sent by the commanding officer at 8:30am to make his way to the front line companies (C Company and D Company) in order to determine the exact state of affairs & the condition of the line. The shelling at this time is gradually getting heavier.
The following message is received at 10am from 2nd Lieut. Cook-Gray: "I have reached and examined the second line. On the right the trench is somewhat bashed about, but is not in really bad condition. There has been a continuous bombardment particularly with heavy trench mortar batteries since 6am this morning. 5 casualties are reported at present. Our 18lb shells are dropping short, I don’t think there is any doubt of that fact this time. 18 lbdrs have just smashed in a Machine Gun Corps dug-out in our second line."
The bombardment increases in intensity about 10am. All communication with Brigade and OPs is broken.
The following message is sent to "SOME" by pigeons (2) at 10:40am: "Some 18 lbdrs falling short in No.2 Battalion Sector."
Message received from Brigade begins: "Report by runner situation whether first and support lines are intact and whether supporting companies are alright. Also state of Putney and Vauxhall bridges. 11.24am Ends."

The following men died this day in 1917

1918 (Wednesday)

Battalion training continues with 1st Battalion 130th Infantry Regiment (USA) at Ailly-le-Haut-Clocher.^[a]

Notes

↑ The Lonsdales were in their final month before being disbanded. Where training is concerned, this was done alongside the American infantry. It was during this period that they moved to several different locations in the eventual run up to the disbandment papers being approved. On 29 July, 1918, the war diary states: “orders received for WO's, NCO's and men of the cadres to proceed to join the 1/5th Border Regiment (A.G. letter C.R. 5/9054/30 G.) and for battalion to be disbanded from date of departure.” The Lonsdale are disbanded two days later on 31 July.

Sources: Various sources contemporary to the war have been used to compile the Lonsdale Battalion on this day... (hover to read more)

Various sources contemporary to the war have been used to compile The Lonsdale Battalion On This Day. The majority of the events shown on this day (10 July), including any supplementary notes, enlistments and statistical data etc., have been primarily sourced from the Lonsdale Battalion War Diary (November 1915 to June 1918), Record of the XIth (Service) Battalion (Lonsdale) and abridged material from Timeline and Chronology of the Lonsdale Battalion (September 1914 - May 1915), which are sourced from the original DLONS/L/13/13 Lowther Estate Archives. Events from that chronology are reproduced here with kind permission of Jim Lowther (2016). They are identified and referenced separately by their unique DLONS numbers. Please do not publish these events without prior permission from the Lowther Estate. All casualty names, numbers, ranks, date of deaths and places of burial/commemoration have been sourced from Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19, Volume 39, The Border Regiment and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database respectively.

[1] The Lonsdales were in their final month before being disbanded. Where training is concerned, this was done alongside the American infantry. It was during this period that they moved to several different locations in the eventual run up to the disbandment papers being approved. On 29 July, 1918, the war diary states: “orders received for WO's, NCO's and men of the cadres to proceed to join the 1/5th Border Regiment (A.G. letter C.R. 5/9054/30 G.) and for battalion to be disbanded from date of departure.” The Lonsdale are disbanded two days later on 31 July.

[a]