11th Battalion War Diary, September 1916

11th Border Regiment War Diary Transcriptions (1915-1918) The National Archives WO/95/2403
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
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1916	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
1917	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
1918	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events
RESERVE BILLETS AT QUESNOY CUINCHY SECTOR	8/9/16	10PM	Battn left BETHUNE for QUESNOY to take up Reserve position in the CUINCHY SECTOR. Relief commenced 1.30AM & was completed by 2.15 AM.
“	9/9/16	10PM	Companies at the disposal of Company Commanders during morning. M.G.O. & I.O. visited Battn H.Q of the 17th H.L.I. during morning. Company Commanders visited the front line trenches before taking over from 17th H.L.I. on the 12th instant.
“	10/9/16	10PM	Companies at the disposal of Company Commanders during morning. The Commanding Officer attended conference of C.O.s held by Brigadier General Jardine at Support H.Q. in HARLEY STREET. At 7pm Major General Rycroft visited Bn H.Q. A voluntary service was held at 6pm, conducted by Captain [?-Martin].
“	11/9/16	10PM	Companies at the disposal of Company Commanders during morning. Afternoon given up to recreation. Commanding Officer attended a conference conducted by Brigadier General Jardine.
FRONT LINE TRs CUINCHY SECTOR	12/9/16	10PM	Battn relieved the 17th H.L.I. in front line trenches. Relief commenced 12.45pm & completed at 4.30pm.
“	13/9/16	10PM	Brigadier General Jardine conducted a tour round back line positions & machine gun positions with the officers commanding battns of the 97th Brigade. Day was comparatively quiet. A few Hostile T.M.s fell near our front line & brickstacks doing no damage. Hostile machine guns very active during evening.
“	14/9/16	10PM	Commanding Officer visited front line trenches & Company H.Q. during morning. Day comparatively quiet. At 7pm Hostile aerial darts and minenwerfers were fired in direction of brickstacks searching for Sokes gun positions.
“	15/9/16	10PM	Day comparatively quiet. At 9.45pm a raid was carried out by a party from the Royal Scots.
RESERVE LINE (HARLEY STREET) (BILLETS)	16/9/16	10PM	Day quiet. Battn was relieved in front line trenches by 17th H.L.I. & retired to reserve line (billets) HARLEY STREET. Relief commenced 3pm & was completed 5pm.
“	17/6/16	10PM	Battn found working parties for front line trenches & R.E.s
“	18/6/16	10PM	Battn found working parties for front line trenches & R.E.s. Colonel [?-Wace] G.S.O. called at Bn. H.Q. during morning. Our Adjutant and other officers of the 17th Brigade were conducted round no. 2 & 3 tracks by Brigadier General Jardine in morning.
“	19/6/16	10PM	Battn found working parties for front line trenches & R.E.s. General Rycroft visited Bn. H.Q. at 4.45pm.
FRONT LINE TRENCHES CUINCHY SECTOR	20/6/16	10PM	Battn relieved the 17th H.L.I. in front line trenches. Relief commenced 3pm completed 4.45pm. Germans bombarded our lines from 6.45pm to 7.15pm damaging our trenches.
“	21/6/16	10PM	Day comparatively quiet. Commanding Officer visited front line trenches during morning. At 9.15 pm our Stokes Guns bombarded enemies trenches for 1 hour. Very little retaliation. Colonel Rigg visited Bn. H.Q. during evening.
“	22/6/16	10PM	Day comparatively quiet. Commanding Officer visited front line trenches during morning.
“	23/6/16	10PM	During morning & afternoon enemy fired a number of aerial darts & a few T.M.s in direction of Brickstacks doing no material damage. Enemy artillery (77mm) fired a number of rounds in direction of CUINCHY CHURCH at 4pm. Bombng Officer visited front line trenches during afternoon. Brigadier General Jardine visited Bn. H.Q. at 11.45pm.
LE QUESNOY (RESERVE)	24/6/16	10PM	Commanding Officer visited front line trenches at 9.30am. Battn was relieved by 17th H.L.I. in front line trenches & proceeded to LE QUESNOY to be in Reserve. Relief commenced 2pm & was completed 4.30pm.
“	25/6/16	10PM	Battn found working parties for front line trenches & R.E. Commanding Officer visited a demonstration by teams from battns of 96th Brigade of the various ways of getting over craters during afternoon.
ANNEZIN	26/6/16	10PM	Battn was relieved by 15th Lancashire Fusilier from LE QUESNOY an proceeded to take over billets at ANNEZIN. Relief commenced 2pm & was completed 3.45pm.
“	27/6/16	10PM	Companies at the disposal of Company Commanders. Examining kits etc. & cleaning equipment.
“	28/6/16	10PM	Battn found working parties for front line trenches in the CAMBRIN SECTOR. At 2.30pm the 97th Brigade carried out a practice with no. 2 Sqdn R.F.C. in signalling. 11th Border Regt consisting of 1 officer & 2 signallers per Company proceeded to take up a position in SAILLY LA BOURSE line (BEUVRY) at 12 noon. All took part in the practice.
“	29/6/16	10PM	Companies at the disposal of Company Commanders during morning. Commanding Officer M.O. & 1 officer & 2 N.C.O.s per Company attended a course on Gas at BEUVRY commencing 9.30am. In afternoon companies went for one hour’s route march.
“	30/6/16	10PM	Battn had baths in BETHUNE during morning. Commanding Officer visited billets during morning.
			[signed] G.C. Girdwood Lt. Col. Comdg 11th Border Regt. [signed] C.J. Crossman 2nd Lt. 11th Border Regt.

References / notes

• National Archives Catalogue Reference: WO/95/2403
• The transcription above is available under the National Archives Open Government Licence for public sector information.