1st Battalion War Diary, May 1916

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
FRONT LINE	1st to 3rd		Quiet period and nothing to report
	3rd		Battalion relieved by 1st Essex Regt., relief commenced at 2030
	4th	0100	Relief complete and Battn. proceed to Billets at ENGLEBELMER less 2 officers and 100 other ranks which proceeded to occupy Forts PROWSE + MOULIN
ENGLEBELMER	5th & 6th		Battalion engaged as working parties in various parts of the line
	6th		2nd Lt. A. Campbell 10th Border rejoined from Hospital Extract from London GAZETTE:- to be Lieutenants 2nd Lt. W. F. H. CHAMBERS dated 14-9-15 2nd Lt. J. R. FARRELL. dated 1-10-15 2nd J. W. STREATER dated 1-10-15 Casualties week ending 6th May:– Officers - Nil Other Ranks - Killed 1, Wounded 6, Accidentally wounded 1, Wounded (at duty) 5, Wounded (self inflicted) 2, sick to Hospital 11, Rejoined from Hosp. 9.
ENGLEBELMER	7th to 12th		Battn. engaged as working parties
	13th		Battalion proceed to relieve 1st S. W. B’s in the front line commencing 2000, with the exceptions of the garrisons at the forts, which remained there.
	9th		Captains J.D. HEYDER, T. H. BEVES joined from Base
ENGLEBELMER	11th		2nd Lt. J. D. BREMNER returned from 252nd tunnelling coy. R.E.
	11th		Capt. T. H. BEVES to Hospital 2nd Lt. A. W. H. BARNES, 2nd Lt. F. H. TALBOT, 2nd Lt. J. Y. BAXENDINE [all three] Segregated for 10 days on account of Capt. Beves admitted to Hospital with German measles
	8th		2nd Lt. H. BUNTING rejoined from course of instruction in Bayonet Fighting 2nd Lt. W. P. RETTIE proceeded for course of instruction in Bayonet Fighting Casualties week ending 13th:– Wounded 2, Sick to hospital 35, From hospital 18. Honours and Awards The aforementioned Officers, NCO’s + men are mentioned in Sir IAN HAMILTONS dispatch dated 11-12-15, published in a supplement to the London Gazette dated 28-1-16:- Capt. H. E. FESTING No. 6088 MCSM G.G. KEMPTON, 9813 L/C W. FOX, 4173 Pte. R. FOWLER, 10083 Pte. E. GISBY, 10026 Pte. G.H. RICHARDS, 8529 Pte H. SELVEY, 10758 Pte. H. SMITH, 9598 Pte. H. TURNER. H.M. The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned award for distinguished service in the field. The Distinguished Service Order:- Capt. H. E. FESTING.
FRONT LINE	14th	0010	Relief of 1st S. W. B. completed. Quiet day nothing to record.
	15th	2045	Nothing happened until 2045 when sounds of aircraft was heard.
FRONT LINE	16th	0025	Enemy commenced Bombardment of our trenches
		0027	A Coy. report enemy shells appear to be falling behind the front line Communication trenches not being shelled
		0037	Outburst of machine gun fire, apparently our own
		0043	Communication by telephone with B Coy. interrupted
		0055	Communication by telephone with A Coy. interrupted
		0058	Another outburst of M. G. fire
		0107	Shelling now confined to the left and clear of sector occupied by Battn.
		0115	Message from B Coy. report no shelling of front occupied by that coy
		0118	Message from B Coy. our own artillery’s shells falling in our front line
		0120	All quiet in front of our sector
		0137	A + B Coy. report all quiet + telephone communications connected again
		0220	Shelling decreases
		0230	All quiet
	15th		2nd Lieut W. K. SANDERSON joined for duty
	17th		2nd Lieut F. S. LAYARD joined for duty, 2nd Lieut PALMER sick from FLEXICOURT
	18th		2nd Lieut D. CARGILL joined for duty. Battn. relieved from FRONT LINE and marched to Billets in LOUVENCOURT
LOUVENCOURT	19th		Lieut J. B. SINCLAIR and 2nd Lieut E. A. BARRY to hospital (sick)
	20th		Lt Col. A. E.S.t Y. POLLARD to England
LOUVENCOURT	20/5/16		Casualties week ending 20th:– Officers - Nil Other Ranks - Wounded 2, (1 Died of wounds), Sick to hospital 47, From hospital 18. MAJOR A. J. ELLIS 1st Border Regt. assumed command of Battalion.
	22nd		30 Other ranks joined from Base
	21st		Capt. T.H. BEVES rejoined from Hospital
	22nd		MAJOR MEIKLEJOHN returns from commg 1st ESSEX Regt.
	26th		116 Other Ranks joined from Base
	27th		2nd Lieut W. P. RETTIE rejoined from 29th Divisional Course Casualties week ending 27th. Killed NIL, Wounded NIL, Sick to Hospital 26, Rejoin from Hospital 16.
	28th		Battalion moved to Brigade Reserve at ENGLEBELMER in relief of 4th WORCESTERSHIRE Regt.
ENGLEBELMER	28th		2nd LIEUT M. DUFF, 2nd LIEUT H. L. CHOLMELEY 3rd BORDER REGT. joined Battalion Capt. J. G. HEYDER took over duties acting adjut. Capt. J. W. EWBANK to 4th Army School FLEXICOURT
	29th		2nd LIEUT P. NEW 3rd BORDER REGT. joined Battalion
	30th		2nd LIEUT D. CARGILL and 2nd Lieut. F.S. LAYARD to 29th Div. School ACHEUX
	31st		Other Ranks to hospital 17. Rejoined from Hospital 4. [signed] J.G. HEYDER Capt Adj. 11 Border Regt.

References / notes

• National Archives Catalogue Reference: WO/95/2305
• The transcription above is available under the National Archives Open Government Licence for public sector information.