2nd Battalion War Diary, June 1917

2nd Border Regiment War Diary Transcriptions (1915-1918) The National Archives WO/95/1655 & WO/95/1656
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
1914										✔	✔	✔
1915	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
1916	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
1917	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
1918

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events
			Reference Maps: FRANCE 51b SW, FRANCE 57c NW, and ECOUST ST-MEIN
ABLAINZEVELLE	1/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	2/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	3/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	4/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	5/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	6/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	7/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	8/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	9/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	10/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	11/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	12/6/17		The Battalion continued its training.
	13/6/17		The Battalion moved to camp in the vicinity of B.27.c near MORY starting at 2.15pm and arriving about 4pm.
	14/6/17		The Battalion relieved the 2/11th London Regt. in Right Support leaving camp at 9.30pm. Relief was completed at about 1am on 15th.
	15/6/17 to 17/6/17		The Battalion was distributed as follows:- Battn Hdqrs in ECOUST. A Coy in Railway Embankment in C4b 9.5. B Coy in shelters in Sunken Road C.4.a. C and D Coys to shelters in LONGATTE-MOREIUL Road. The Battalion remained in position in support. During this period ECOUST ST MEIN was intermittently shelled by the enemy. Our casualties were:- 16/6/17: 2 killed,^[1] 5 wounded (while on working party).
	18/6/17		The Battalion relieved the 9th Devon Regt. in the front line relief being completed about 12 midnight.
	19/6/17		The frontage held was from U.23.c.8.1 (right) to U.22.c.92.25 (left). Distribution:– Right Front Coy - D Coy. Centre Front Coy - C Coy. Left Front Coy - B Coy. A Coy in support in U.29.c. Battn Hdqrs in Railway embankment in U.28.d.2.1. The day passed quietly. LONDON TRENCH (U.28.b.1.9) was shelled with whizz-bangs between 2am and 3am. Casualties 3 wounded.
	20/6/17		Enemy artillery fairly active. BULLECOURT AV – TANK AV – RAILWAY TRENCH & LONDON TRENCH received direct hits in the evening. A HV gun shelled various fronts during the afternoon. Casualties 1 W^d & missing.^[2] 1 wounded.
	21/6/17		Enemy artillery generally quiet during day. During the night LONDON TRENCH was shelled at intervals. Casualties 3 wounded.
	22/6/17		Enemy artillery active throughout day. The Battalion was relieved by 9th Devons Regt and proceeded to support line, relief being completed at 12.30am. The Battalion was distributed as follows: Battn Hdqrs in ECOUST. "A" & "D" Coys to shelters in LONGATTE - MOREIUL Road. "B" Coy to shelters in Sunken Road C.4.a. "C" Coy to shelters in Railway embankment C.4.b.9.5.
	23-24 June		The Battalion remained in support. During this time ECOUST and the railway embankment were intermittently shelled by guns of all calibres. Casualties 1 killed^[3] and 8 wounded. A special patrol consisting of 2nd Lieut. F. MAHONEY^[4] and Sergt. R. LADE went out on night 24/25th and 25/26th. Enemy Posts were located at U.23.b.24 and U.23.d.39 but none of the enemy were encountered.
	25/6/17		The Battalion was relieved in Right Support by 2nd Royal Warwickshire Regt. and proceeded to camp in the vicinity of A.28.a.84. Relief was completed about 1.30am.
MORY	26/6/17		The Battalion remained in camp refitting and reorganising.
	27/6/17		The Battalion commenced training.
	28/6/17		The Battalion continued training.
	29/6/17		The Battalion continued training.
	30/6/17		The Battalion continued training. The following officers joined the Battalion during the month: 3/6/17 2nd Lieut. F. Argles. 18/6/17 2nd Lieut. F. Mahoney. 25/6/17 2nd Lieut. G.W.B. Shepherd. Joined. 25/6/17 2nd Lieut. H.A. Hislop. 28/6/17 2nd Lieut. H.J. Haynes 28/6/17 2nd Lieut. W.S. Warren.^[5] Drafts as under joined the Battalion during the month: 17 OR 3/6/17. 9 OR 9/6/17. 7 OR 13/6/17. 3 OR 18/6/17. 5 OR 22/6/17. 29 OR were evacuated sick during the month. Total strength of Battn on last day of month 35 Officers 658 O Ranks [signed] G.E. Beaty-Pownall^[6] Lieut. Colonel Commanding 2nd Bn The Border Regt.

References / notes

National Archives Catalogue Reference: WO/95/1655
The transcription above is available under the National Archives Open Government Licence for public sector information.
War diary transcribed by P. Bramham.

↑
Both died 16/06/1917 and both are commemorated on the ARRAS MEMORIAL:
- John Richard Briant, (Pte. 7856) and Joseph Booth (Pte. 22136).
↑ Aguila Slater (Pte. 22332). Commemorated on the Arras Memorial.
↑ William Carr (Pte. 13683). Died 24/06/1917. Age: 42. Buried at Grevillers British Cemetery.
↑ F. Mahoney, MC. (2nd Lieut.) Died 06/10/1917. Buried at Bedford House Cemetery.
↑ William Stanley Warren (2nd Lieut.) Died 10/10/1917. Age: 24. 3rd Border Regiment (attd. 2nd Border Regiment). Buried at Godewaersvelde British Cemetery.
↑ George Ernest Beaty-Pownall, DSO (Lt-Col.) Died 10/10/1918 Age: 41. 2nd Border Regiment (attd. 1st Bn. King's Own Scottish Borderers). Buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. His brother Thomas also died with 2nd Border Regiment.

[1] Both died 16/06/1917 and both are commemorated on the ARRAS MEMORIAL:
John Richard Briant, (Pte. 7856) and Joseph Booth (Pte. 22136).

[2] John Richard Briant, (Pte. 7856) and Joseph Booth (Pte. 22136).

[2] Aguila Slater (Pte. 22332). Commemorated on the Arras Memorial.

[3] William Carr (Pte. 13683). Died 24/06/1917. Age: 42. Buried at Grevillers British Cemetery.

[4] F. Mahoney, MC. (2nd Lieut.) Died 06/10/1917. Buried at Bedford House Cemetery.

[5] William Stanley Warren (2nd Lieut.) Died 10/10/1917. Age: 24. 3rd Border Regiment (attd. 2nd Border Regiment). Buried at Godewaersvelde British Cemetery.

[6] George Ernest Beaty-Pownall, DSO (Lt-Col.) Died 10/10/1918 Age: 41. 2nd Border Regiment (attd. 1st Bn. King's Own Scottish Borderers). Buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. His brother Thomas also died with 2nd Border Regiment.

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