2nd Battalion War Diary, November 1916

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
[No places are mentioned in this column for the entire month]	1/11/16		The Battalion was relieved in the trenches (LE TOUQUET left subsector) by 10th Cheshire Regt – on relief proceeded to billets in the vicinity of STEENWENCK.
	2/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at COUTR CROIX and ROUGE CROIX near FLETRE.
	3/11/16 to 8/11/16		The Battalion remained in billets. Training was carried out daily.
	9/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at EBBLINGHEM.
	10/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at TILQUES.
	11/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at ZOUAFQUES.
	12/11/16 to 14/11/16		The Battalion remained in billets and continued its training.
	15/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at ACQUIN.
	16/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at AUDINCTHUN.
	17/11/16		The Battalion rested in billets.
	18/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at FIEFS.
	19/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at HERNICOURT and PIERREMONT.
	20/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at NUNCQ and HAUTE COTE.
	21/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at AUTHIEULE.
	22/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets at BERTRANCOURT.
	23/11/16		The Battalion marched to billets near MAILLY-MAILLET arriving about 4pm. REFERENCE MAP FRANCE 57D.NE. 1/10,000
	23/11/16		The Battalion proceeded to support trenches (K.35.C.H.7 to K.35.C.22) relieving 2nd Bn MANCHESTER REGT.
	24/11/16 to 27/11/16		The Battalion remained in Support line. Casualties:- 1 man wounded 25/11/16.
	27/11/16		The Battalion relieved 2nd GORDON HIGHLANDERS in the Front Line (K.35.a.3.0 to K 35.d.5.6) at night relief commencing at 9pm. Casualties:- 4 killed,^[1] 7 wounded.
	28/11/16		The enemy shelled various points in the line during the day. Our artillery retaliated. Owing to the condition of the ground patrolling was impossible. Casualties:- 7 wounded.
	29/11/16		Enemy artillery was quiet during the day until about 4pm when a heavy bombardment was opened on our front line. Our artillery retaliated strongly & about 6pm enemy fire slackened & died away. Enemy snipers were active causing several casualties. Casualties:- Captain D. ELLIOT wounded. 4 killed,^[2] 3 wounded.
	30/11/16		Enemy artillery was less active. Enemy snipers were again active, our snipers retaliating. Casualties:- 3 killed,^[3] 10 wounded. 2nd LIEUT S.J. LOCKYER joined the Battalion on 13/11/16. Drafts as under joined the Battalion during the month:- 6/11/16:- 3 O Ranks; 7/11/16:- 10 O Ranks; 17/11/16:- 6 O Ranks; 26/11/16:- 5 O Ranks. 94 Other Ranks were evacuated sick during the month. The strength of the Battalion on the last day of the month was:- 30 Officers, 823 O Ranks. [signed] G.E. Beaty-Pownall,^[4] Lieut. Colonel^[5] Commanding 2nd Battn. 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.

↑
The following four men were killed:
- Henry Joseph McCluskey (16049 Pte.) Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.
- Ellison Wallis Kerr (27173 Pte.) Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.
- James Hoyle (27124 Pte.) Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.
- E. Booth (27044 Pte.) Age: 21. Buried at Redan Ridge Cemetery No.3, Beaumont-Hamel.
↑
CWGC records five men killed:
- T.G. Western (24256 Pte.) Buried at Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps.
- F. Neilson (27297 Pte.) Buried at Varennes Military Cemetery.
- James Edward Bevon (19414 Pte.) Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
- William Albert Jones (27330 Pte.) Age: 26.Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Husband of Annie Hampson (formerly Jones), of 10 Honduras St., Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester.
- Thomas Ernest Whinfrey (27223 Pte.) Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
↑
CWGC records five men killed, all commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial:
- George Hetherington (23587 Pte.)
- William Henry Lowe (16851 Pte.) Age: 34. Son of John Lowe, of Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland; husband of M.M.J. Lowe, of Stanley Villa, Fairfax Drive, Westcliff-on-Sea.
- Robert Machin (27049 Pte.) Age: 23. Son of Mrs. Hannah Machin, of 59 Commercial St., Todmorden.
- Jonathan Welch (8886 Pte.)
- William Scott (19431 Pte.) Age: 20. Son of Mrs. M.A. Scott, of Howland, Thursby, Carlisle.
↑ 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.
↑ The war diary is signed by Major Beaty-Pownall using the standard Lieut-Colonel stamp, which he did not cross out and replace with Major as with the previous month and January and February 1917.

[1] The following four men were killed:
Henry Joseph McCluskey (16049 Pte.) Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.

Ellison Wallis Kerr (27173 Pte.) Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.

James Hoyle (27124 Pte.) Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.

E. Booth (27044 Pte.) Age: 21. Buried at Redan Ridge Cemetery No.3, Beaumont-Hamel.

[2] Henry Joseph McCluskey (16049 Pte.) Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.

[3] Ellison Wallis Kerr (27173 Pte.) Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.

[4] James Hoyle (27124 Pte.) Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.

[5] E. Booth (27044 Pte.) Age: 21. Buried at Redan Ridge Cemetery No.3, Beaumont-Hamel.

[2] CWGC records five men killed:
T.G. Western (24256 Pte.) Buried at Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps.

F. Neilson (27297 Pte.) Buried at Varennes Military Cemetery.

James Edward Bevon (19414 Pte.) Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

William Albert Jones (27330 Pte.) Age: 26.Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Husband of Annie Hampson (formerly Jones), of 10 Honduras St., Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester.

Thomas Ernest Whinfrey (27223 Pte.) Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

[7] T.G. Western (24256 Pte.) Buried at Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps.

[8] F. Neilson (27297 Pte.) Buried at Varennes Military Cemetery.

[9] James Edward Bevon (19414 Pte.) Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

[10] William Albert Jones (27330 Pte.) Age: 26.Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Husband of Annie Hampson (formerly Jones), of 10 Honduras St., Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester.

[11] Thomas Ernest Whinfrey (27223 Pte.) Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

[3] CWGC records five men killed, all commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial:
George Hetherington (23587 Pte.)

William Henry Lowe (16851 Pte.) Age: 34. Son of John Lowe, of Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland; husband of M.M.J. Lowe, of Stanley Villa, Fairfax Drive, Westcliff-on-Sea.

Robert Machin (27049 Pte.) Age: 23. Son of Mrs. Hannah Machin, of 59 Commercial St., Todmorden.

Jonathan Welch (8886 Pte.)

William Scott (19431 Pte.) Age: 20. Son of Mrs. M.A. Scott, of Howland, Thursby, Carlisle.

[13] George Hetherington (23587 Pte.)

[14] William Henry Lowe (16851 Pte.) Age: 34. Son of John Lowe, of Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland; husband of M.M.J. Lowe, of Stanley Villa, Fairfax Drive, Westcliff-on-Sea.

[15] Robert Machin (27049 Pte.) Age: 23. Son of Mrs. Hannah Machin, of 59 Commercial St., Todmorden.

[16] Jonathan Welch (8886 Pte.)

[17] William Scott (19431 Pte.) Age: 20. Son of Mrs. M.A. Scott, of Howland, Thursby, Carlisle.

[4] 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.

[5] The war diary is signed by Major Beaty-Pownall using the standard Lieut-Colonel stamp, which he did not cross out and replace with Major as with the previous month and January and February 1917.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]