1st Battalion War Diary, July 1915

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

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events
GALLIPOLI	JULY 1st		Remained in J10 & J11 with C Coy in firing line on the right of INNISKILLINGS & D Coy in J11a in support of them. During the night the GURKHAS were bombed out of J12 & the INNISKILINGS had to retake it suffering rather heavy losses in doing so.
	2nd		Relief INNISKILLINGS in firing line, A & B Coys in firing line C coy and ½ D in support & ½ D Coy in reserve. Battn hqs moved to ravine just W of J12 which was christened BORDER RAVINE. TURKS attacked heavily on our left on the portion held by the INDIAN BDE & one MG & one platoon of A Coy under LT WALLACE was sent to support them. Attack however was repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy. LT FRINK, LT HAMILTON & LT COGGIN 10th S. STAFFORDS attd 1/BORDER REGT joined for duty.
	3rd		Occasional shelling by enemy's artillery but no infantry attacks. LT LESTER killed whilst in charge of working party making new fire trench connecting J12 with GULLY.
[new page]	4th		Nothing of military interest occurred but a report was received from Bde hqs that the enemy had been observed massing for attack in nullah near J13.
	5th	4.20am	SIKHS reported to have been bombed out of J13 & at the same time a heavy attack both bombs and rifle fire was made on J12 but was repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy. A heavy artillery bombardment was kept up by the enemy from 4am to 8.30am but it was extraordinarily ineffective & a large proportion of their shells went into the sea. Desultory attacks on the Indian Bde & on B Coy holding J12 were persisted in most of the morning but they were easily repulsed with considerable loss to the enemy.
	6th		A Turkish attack in the early morning down the GULLY was driven back & the enemy on our front remained quiescent except for the usual spasmodic bursts of shelling which were practically without effect.
	7th		Relieved by ESSEX REGT & returned to Gully Beach to await transport to take the Battn to MUDROS^[1] for a rest.
GALLIPOLI [new page]	8th to 10th		Remained in bivouac at GULLY BEACH awaiting transport to MUDROS. Usual fatigues making terraces & improving accommodation etc.
	11th	8.30pm	Battn marched to V Beach & embarked on HMS RENARD (two coys & hqs) & a trawler (remaining two coys).
MUDROS	12th	5am	Arrived MUDROS & marched to bivouac vacated by XIIIth Div.
	12th to 21st		Resting. During this period the following officers rejoined the Regiment. Convalescent from wounds: - CAPT G.C. MAY & LT LAKE on the 12th, LT WILSON on the 20th. 2nd LT AMPT joined the Regt of first appointment on the 15th. Major F.G.G. MORRIS, 2nd LT CHAMBERS & O'BRIEN & a draft of 199 other ranks joined the Battn from England on the 17th. MAJOR MORRIS took over command of the Battn from temp. LT COL H. NELSON on the 18th. During this period much time was devoted to arm drill & close order movements & also to physical training as the long period [new page] of trench warfare had detracted from the smartness of the battalion & the men had become very cramped & stiff in their movements. Additional instruction was given to NCOs & men of recent drafts & to young officers.
	21st	10.30am	Orders received to return to GALLIPOLI.
		12.30pm	Battn embarked on PRINCED EDWARD less D Coy on QUEEN VICTORIA.
	22nd		Disembarked at V Beach & marched to bivouacks at X Beach. LT FRINK, CAPT TENNANT & LT COGGIN remained at MUDROS sick.
	23rd to 27th		Fatigues & training of last draft proceeded as usual & officers availed themselves of opportunity of making reconnaisance of our firing line & enemy's new trenches. LT RUPP rejoined convalescent from hospital MUDROS on the 26th. Orders received to move into firing line on the 28th to take over where it crosses the GULLY for a distance of 300^x E & 200^x W of GULLY.
GALLIPOLI [new page]	28th	4.30am	Regt marched from X Beach to firing line & took over that part of the firing line known as BORDER BARRICADE & about 200 yards of J11B from 9th WORCESTERS. C & D Coys & 2 maxims in firing line, B Coy in support, A Coy & 2 maxims in reserve. A tremendous lot of work was required on the trenches, the parapet in most places not being bullet proof, trenches too narrow & not deep enough, no proper snipers loopholes & sanitary arrangements non existent. This work was put in hand at once & good progress made during the day. The enemy appeared to have gained the upper hand in sniping but four of them were picked off almost immediately we had taken over & since then we have gradually reasserted ourselves. The enemy has constructed numerous saps which come close up to our own line & in one place in the E side of the barricade their sap head is within 25 yards. From this occasional bombing took place which caused a few casualties in C Coy. The night passed quietly but owing to the bright moon the work of putting up proper iron loopholes could only be undertaken very cautiously & at considerable risk.
GALLIPOLI [new page]	29th		Work continued as on previous day. No special activity in enemy's part but usual sniping which has much decreased in intensity.
	30th		Relieved by SWB & to Y Ravine, C Coy remained as garrison to J10, remaining 3 coys in Ravine.
	31st		CAPTAIN KENNEDY 8th WILTSHIRE REGT & LT MARSDEN 7th WEST RIDING REGT & draft of 96 other ranks joined from England.

References / notes

National Archives Catalogue Reference: WO/95/4311
The transcription above is available under the National Archives Open Government Licence for public sector information.

↑ Mudros Bay on the Island of Lemnos.

[ftn2-1] Mudros Bay on the Island of Lemnos.

[1]

See also

References / notes