1st Battalion War Diary, August 1917

1st Border Regiment War Diary Transcriptions (1915-1918) The National Archives WO/95/4311 & WO/95/2305
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1917	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
1918

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Sheet 1
DE WIPPE CABARET Nr ELVERDINGHE	1/8/17		Companies were employed on laying duckboard tracks up over the captured ground. Weather appalling - pouring with rain incessantly. In spite of this however, all our field guns were got across the caberat, ready to continue the advance.
	2/8/17		Another fearfully wet day today, fighting practically impossible. St Julien was lost during the night & retaken by us this morning. Battalion rested today.
PROVEN	3/8/17		Battalion employed making duck walks again, up to the front line. Still fearful wet weather. Battalion moved back this evening to PROVEN P.2 area to PENTON CAMP.
PENTON CAMP	4/8/17		Another wet day – little training. General De Lisle visited the battalion.
	5/8/17		Fine today at last, warm & dry. Training continued. Casualties for week ending 3/8/17. Increase Off. O.R. Quartermaster appointed from 10th East Yorks Hon. Lt. & QM H. Ireland 1 a/Lt Col F.G.G. Morris (comd. Detail Depot Bn. 1 Draft 29 Total 2+29 Decrease Killed 9         Wounded 1 13 a/CAPT. A.V.H. WOOD         Missing 3 Classified PB ADMS 29 DIV N&R 13/24/1. 3 Transferred 2 Evacuated from Divisional Area 12 1+44 1 44
Sheet 2
	6/8/17		Training again at PENTON CAMP, tho’ the heavy ground made it difficult.
PROVEN	7/8/17		Moved this morning to DE WIPPE CABARET camp 20 again. Previous to the move, all NCOs & men who had not had leave for 15 months or over were sent to BOLLESEELE the Divisional Depot Battalion & were replaced by an equal number from the Depot Bn. This party, replacing the leave party joined us on the march – 24 other ranks.
Nr ELVERDINGHE	8/8/17		Resting at Camp 20.
BALLANTINE WOOD	9/8/17		Moved to Bivouacs in the wood near DE WIPPE CABARET – FOREST CAMP AREA & practiced forming up on [?] this evening in the park & moving as was arranged for in the action to take place soon.
	10/8/17		Continued as yesterday training for stunt. Casualties for week ending 10/8/17 Increase Off. O.R. Draft from Base to 29th Divl. Depot Bn 2 17 2+17 Decrease Killed Transferred to Employment Co 3 Classified PB by A.D.M.S 1 Evacuated from Divl Area 11 15
	11/8/17		Battalion moved into the line tonight. Battn HQ at SAULES FM.
Sheet 3
12/8/17 TRENCHES STEENBEEK SECTOR	11/8/17		B C&D Coys were in wood 15. B Coy at SAULES FM. Battalion HQ and A Coy moved into ABRI WOOD. The whole unit being attached to the 86th Brigade temporarily. No sooner had the battalion got into position, dark night & guides who were at least doubtful, than orders were received that a company was to be moved forward to "a line parallel to FOURCHES FM." When a map had been carefully studied & an idea formed as to what was probably meant orders were issued to o/c A. Coy to occupy a portion of the GREEN LINE to the from FOURCHES FM to the SW for about 200y & owing to excellent judgement & skilful handling of his company 2Lt A FULTON. o/c A Coy. got his men there just at dawn with few casualties. 2Lt J.B. TROTTER was wounded.
TRENCHES	12/8/17		Fairly quiet time for all coys. except A. who had a few casualties from fairly lively shelling round the green line. Battn. moved up to front line. 3 coys. A Coy remained in Green Line, Bn HQ at FORCHES FM the battalion struck the enemy barrage round FOURCHES FM & all told the battalion had about 40 casualties.
	13/8/17		Hours shelling at stand to this morning. 2Lt G.F. HAMLETT killed & A/CAPT. A FULTON (just promoted that day) wounded and about ten casualties to other ranks.
Sheet 4
FRONT LINE TRENCHES	13/8/17		Again heavy shelling. principally in the early morning between 2.30 & 3.30 AM. an absolute barrage was put down. on the line FOURCHES FM CAPTAINS FARM. getting 3 or 4 direct hits on FOURCHES FM – Bn H.Q. causing about 5 casualties in the Green Line & around.
"	14/8/17		Another lively day at FOURCHES FARM. from shellfire. The Company Commander of the French company on our left paid us a visit & also the machine gun officer & a considerable entente resulted. Another barrage was put down by the BOCHE tonight about dusk.
	15/7/17		Relieved early this morning & moved down to bivouacs at BLEVET FARM & slept till noon. Then cleaned up. issued battle stores & issued final orders for the battle. About 9 P.M. the companies began to move off, at intervals to the place of assembly EAST of the STEENBEEK in preparation for this second phase of the 3rd Battle of YPRES.
Sheet 5
			Second Phase of the 3rd Battle of YPRES
	15/8/17	9 PM	The Battalion marched from bivouacs at BLEVET FARM and proceeded via BRIDGE ST. – SAULES FARM. CAPTAINS FARM SIGNAL FARM to the place of assembly EAST of the STEENBEEK
		10.30 PM	Battalion Headquarters, with Regimental aid post were established at SIGNAL FARM. Battalion Headquarters party comprised LT Col A.J. ELLIS DSO. commanding. CAPT and A/ADJ A.W. SUTLIFFE M.C. LT G.H.S McDONALD. Signalling Officer. LT MAXSTON R.A.M.C. Medical Officer A stokes mortar & personnel, under 2LT. J. WHIGHAM accompanied battalion H.Q at SIGNAL FARM. A section of machine guns of the 87th M.G.C under LT. PAGE were attached to C Coy – the support company – and proceeded direct with them to the place of assembly.
EAST OF STEENBEEK	16/8/17	2 AM	The battalion was formed up EAST of the STEENBEEK in rear of the 1st K.O.S.B.s on a two company frontage D and B companies in the front line forming the 1st 2 waves and A&C Coys in support forming the second two waves. A company was under the command of a/Capt W.F.H. Chambers with 2LT M.C. Nicholson as the only other officer.
Sheet 6
E of STEENBEEK NE OF LANGEMARCK	16/8/17		B Coy was under command of a/CAPT J.W. EWBANK M.C with platoon commanders: 2LT H.R. CLUCAS. 2LT W.D.C. THOMPSON. C was under command of a/CAPT R.E.S JOHNSTON with platoon commanders: 2LT J.L.P. GAMON. 2LT W.S.M RUXTON. 2LT WATSON D was under command of a/CAPT W.B. BUTLER with platoon commanders: 2LT A.J.F. DANIELLI. 2LT C. HELM.
		4 AM	During the approach march each battalion was shelled intermittently but the enemy was unable to put down his usual heavy barrage owing to our on the line CAPTAINS FARM. FOURCHE FARM. line probably owing to the gas shells which our artillery were sending over – in a practically continuous steady bombardment. It was the quietest night comparatively that the battalion had ever experienced in that area. Each company on passing Bn HQ at Signal farm dumped eight tins of water as a battalion reserve. Just previous to the assault CAPT WB BUTLER was slightly wounded but after going to the aid post returned to his company. 2LT A.J.F DANIELLI was also blown up by a shell & knocked unconscious, but owing on recovering consciousness on the way down on the stretcher, got off & rejoined his platoon in time to lead them in the show!!
		4.45	Our barrage fell with great precision & the advance started. The enemy put down his barrage on the lines (1) CAPTAINS FARM, FOURCHE FARM (2) SIGNAL FARM. RUISSEAU FARM, but nothing more than an occasional shell on the line of the STEENBEEK
Sheet 7
NE of LANGEMARCK	16/8/17	6.40	Visual message was sent through from our advanced signal station at PASSEREILLE FARM saying the blue line had been taken.
		7.20	and their message from the visual station stated that the advance was held up on the blue line by M.G. fire & later a message from Capt Ewbank confirmed this stating that the K.O.S.B & S.W.B. were held up by M.G fire from a "pill box" near what appeared to be MONTMIRAIL FARM, The stokes mortar, which had been pushed forward to Passereille farm on the blue line being taken, was accordingly sent forward to engage this obstacle.
		8.50	Lt RES JONSTON o/c C Coy reported that the advance had continued & he had now reached his position in the gun pits near CANNES FM, the opposition from the blockhouse having been overcome by an outflanking movement which caused the garrison to surrender.
		9.10	A/Capt W.B. BUTLER reported that the RED LINE had been taken & prisoners captured including 2 machine guns and that he was in touch with A Company on his right.
		9.30	CAPT. EWBANK M.C o/c B Coy reported that the block house had been taken by an outflanking movement, forty prisoners being taken from it also a machine gun and a heavy trench mortar. This has enabled him to push on & capture his objective on the RED LINE. There he took several prisoners and 2 machine guns.
		9.35	On receipt of this message Battalion Headquarters was moved forward to WIJDENDRIFT from SIGNAL FARM & at the same time the machine gun section ordered to move forward to take up [sentence appears to be missing its end or the phrase "take up" is incorrect in sentence context]
Sheet 8

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