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Lonsdale Battalion events that took place on 26 March.
For events that took place elsewhere, see our sister project The Great War On This Day

1915 (Friday)

Events preceding the Lonsdales' arrival in France

• “The General Officer Commanding in Chief was very much pleased with his inspection this morning. He is well aware of the difficulties under which you formed your Battalion, and he considers very great credit is due to you for the efficient training and administration of which he saw such evident proof...He is confident that wherever you go you will sustain the credit of the Western Command, and he wishes all ranks of your Battalion to be informed accordingly. He will watch their military career with the greatest interest.
• “It is probable that all men in billets will be moved into Camp during the month of April. Any claims for alleged damages should be submitted forthwith, as no subsequent claims can be considered.
• “The Commanding Officer has received the following gifts of socks: St. Stephen’s Church Sewing Guild - 110 pairs; Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild (through Lady Valda Machell) - 10000 pairs; Lady Valda Machell - 41 pairs.
• Battalion orders: Until further orders, besides being worn on guard & when walking out, Khaki uniforms, as fitted to each soldier, will be worn by him on leave, & on Saturdays & Sundays at all times, except on Fatigues & dirty work of any kind.
• Letter from Alfred Hall, head teacher of Seaton: “....seeing that the Battalion is one raised in Sporting Counties with one of our greatest sportsmen at its head, and also that Coursing appeals to the majority of men of Cumberland & Westmorland, I shall be pleased to make the Battalion the present of the pure bred red Greyhound dog "Hayes Gaffer."
• Lt-Col. Machell: “....the special modified course of Musketry with 10 Service Rifles at Burgh-by-Sands is now concluded.
• Twenty six men are discharged.

1916 (Sunday)

• Dernancourt: In rest billets.
• Captain Brown takes over command of Captain Rivington, commanding C Company.
• Deaths: Joseph Fisher (5357 Pte.)

1917 (Monday)

• Nesle: All but one company parades and marches to dig on strong points.
• Deaths: Frederick Albert Bailey (33419 Pte.)

1918 (Tuesday)

• Lonsdales leave Canal Bank at 9.30am and entrain for Elverdinghe at 11am. Battle stores are issued before departure.
• Arrive at Aubigny at 9pm. Transport leaves by road at 12 noon.
• March 9 miles to Wanquetin during aerial bombardment and encamp in huts.

Notes

References

Acknowledgements

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 (26 March), 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.