6th Battalion War Diary, September 1916

    6th Border Regiment War Diary Transcriptions (1915-1918)
The National Archives WO/95/4299 & WO/95/1817/1    
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information
CANETTEMONT 1/9/16
Bn in billets in CANETTEMONT, BRUVILLY, & WAMIN. Order for move to LEALVILLERS recd.
LEALVILLERS 2/9/16 9 AM
Bn moved out – arrived FREVENT 10.30 – train left 11.30 – arrived LEALVILLERS 3 PM and marched up. Transport and most of baggage by road. No arrangements made to get baggage from station to village. This difficulty soon overcome by making move to Motor Transport A.S.C – result two lorries. All men in by 6 PM.
3/9/16
Billets.
4/9/16
Training – Practicing the attack. Orders for move towards firing line recd.
BOUZINCOURT 5/9/16 10.30 AM
Bde marched to BOUZINCOURT via ACHEAUX and SENLIS – a bad road and some trouble with transport was experienced.
8 PM
Arrived [?] CENTRAL – Semi bivouac with a few tents and huts. C.O. and one officer per Coy reconnoitred neighbourhood of OVILLERS.
6/9/16 5 AM
Moved out to relieve 2nd R.I.R in DONNETS POST. After some changing about the battalion eventually distributed as follows. DONNETS POST A.B.C & H.Q. OVILLERS VILLAGE D Coy.
OVILLERS
Bde distributed as follows. 7th South Staffordshire Regt left of firing line from 1st Street – old German first line to 4th street. 9th Sherwood Foresters on right along SKYLINE and BRIMSTONE trench. Borders – support – LINCOLNSHIRE – Bde Reserve BOUINCOURT.
— do — 7/6/16
In support – fatigues.
8/6/16
— do —      — do —
9/6/16
— do —      Wire burying fatigues 12hrs per day very irksome.
10/6/16
— do —      Many [reworks?] by inexperienced officers of Signal Staff.
11/6/16
— do —      on amount of work done.
FRONT LINE before THIEPVAL 12/6/16
Relived 7th South Staffordshire Regt on the left from X2a39 to X2b59. 6th Lincolnshire relieved Sherwoods on our right. Relief completed 9 AM.
13/6/16
33rd Inf Bde Order No 26 received and cancelled Bn Organisation Orders attached [?].
14/6/16 12 NOON
33rd Inf Bde Order No 28 received – our organisation orders No 2 have us quite ready for this.
6.30 PM
32nd Inf Bde on our left captured WONDER WORK and line down to R31 d 98.
9 PM to 6 AM
33rd Inf Bde orders No 28 was very successfully carried out – Copy of our Operation Order No 6 attached (B) Ground gained [?] as follows
R32[e?]33 – 56 – 03 and communication trench 51 to 66.
Before THIEPVAL 15/9/16 9 PM to 6 AM
Trenches dug on night 14/15 improved and trench run out from R32 c44 - 15 - 65 towards 38, which is to be held, as Brigade on over left cannot be induced to come down towards us from R31 d 98. 33rd Bde summary attached labelled C. This summary is correct. Our covering parties encountered small opposition chiefly owing to the way their Officers handled them.
The loss of 2/LT ALLURED who was in charge of the covering party that seized R32 c23 25 14 is felt by all the battalion. He was a very gallant officer and knew what an officer’s work was. Rifle grenades and sniping from WELL and DANUBE TRENCH very annoying, but no actual attack made. One Bosche was captured at point 25. From messages taken from him it would appear that the 213 Reserve Regiment hold DANUBE and the WELL with one company – 120 strong.
16/9/16 5 AM
Operations finished and parties withdrawn.
2 PM
Bde operation order No. 30 received – copy attached labelled D of 6 Border Operation No.8.
Before THIEPVAL 16/9/16 9 PM
Operations commenced – DANUBE TRENCH rushed by covering party and occupied up to point 21 as the evening closed.
9 PM to 6 AM
All our men put on working as our original intention was to establish strong points at 38 and 68 not to occupy the whole of DANUBE.
17/9/16
Operations progressed very well during the night and are fairly accurately reported in Bde Summary attached and labelled E.
7 PM
Capt Morris and C. Coy took over WELL position and DANUBE TRENCH. During the night this Coy was subject to heavy H.E and shrapnel almost continuously. The bank at the back made a terrible artillery target and caught every thing. Many 8 inch duds about but plenty more must have gone off. The Coy hung on well and stuck it out. The enemy in JOSEPH trench came down under cover of rifle grenades but never actually attacked. Mention must be made of Capt MORRIS and 2/Lts ADAMS and MCREA[1] for their excellent work that night in encouraging and keeping their men together.
Before THIEPVAL 17/9/16
2/Lt ADAMS was lifted into the parapet by H.E and 2/Lt MCREA wounded but both stuck it until the morning when shelling ceased.
OVILLERS 18/9/16
After many and various orders Bn relieved by Staffords. A very good thing as officers and men are dead beat.
19/9/16
In support.
OVILLERS 20/9/16
Bn marched to billets ENGELBELMER and spent the night there.
ENGLEBELMER
ditto
21/9/16
Bn and remainder of Bde marched to MAILLY MALLET to camp in woods.
MAILLY MALLET 22/9/16
In Camp MAILLY MALLET.
23/9/16
— ditto —        Hints of big attack received.
24/9/16
— ditto —        Preliminary Orders1 for attack received.
Bn Order No 9 issued labelled (F). The dumps mentioned in this order were all made up as far as the forward dump were concerned; the 6th D. of Wellingtons arranging every thing for us being well indeed. The dump at DUNNETS POST was not a success owing to the fact that [?] at a time like this people responsible for issuing to our men did not comply with Bde orders and would not issue to our RSM to enable him to make up DUNNETS POST dump.
MAILLY MALLET 25/9/16
Orders received to leave camp at 4 pm and march to MARTINSART – halt there and move on so as to arrive.
3 PM
OVILLERS 12 M.N. Bn Operation Order No 10 issued on preliminary orders received from Bde (attached labelled G).
6 PM
33rd Inf Bde Orders No 35 received (attached and labelled H).
9 PM
Left MARTINSART – arrived DONNETS POST 10-15 and made up men with what they would carry in the attack (less carrying parties) as far as possible – only 200 heavy tools and no SAA instead of 600 tools and 50 boxes – this lack is absolutely inexcusable (vide remarks at bottom of page 47) and might have had serious consequences. Men made up as we passed up trenches however with every thing they required.
Before THIEPVAL 26/9/16 2 AM
Relieved 6th DUKE OF WELLINGTONS – Bn situated as in Bn Order No 10 Zero to be at 12.35 PM.
12.35 PM
ZERO. Waves left in grand style all along the line JOSEPH and SCHWABEN carried by 12.45 PM.
THIEPVAL 26/9/16 12.45 PM
Five M/G and 191 prisoners also about 90 dead. The attack was led by Capt RM CARR and 2/LT A FULTON (B Coy) who though both wounded before their objective was reached carried on and saw their men established in the trench. 1st Objective (vide Bde Order No 35 (H)) was gained by 9th SHERWOOD FORESTERS on our right and 18th Division on our left. A Coy BORDER forming second two waves and ½ D Coy following to consolidate trench R32a77 to 26c83.
1 PM
1.9 PM
3 Coys 9th SF occupied 2nd objective ZOLLERN trench advancing across our front as laid down in orders.
2.13 PM
2 Coys 9th SF pressed forward to 3rd objective. At 3 PM report was received that all objectives of division were gained – this was found afterwards not to be the case.
4 PM
All very quiet after the attack and subsequent barrage by enemy.
27/9/16
The night of 26/27 was spent in JOSPEPH & SCHWABEN trench where we were annoyed slightly by a 77mm in SCHWABEN redoubt.
6 AM
Capt MORRIS and C Coy sent up to ZOLLERN to reinforce 9th SF. Situation – 9th S.F. hold HESSIAN R20 d10 to 50 absolutely in the air neither 18th Div nor 34th Bde having apparently
SCHWABEN JOSEPH ZOLLERN trenches 27/9/16
gained their objective. Tanks attached to these troops apparently failed to come up and no doubt made a good difference. Casualties 26th: K–, W3 Officers; K14, W46 O.R.
2 PM
Bn HQ and A Coy moved to ZOLLERN trench.
2.35 PM
Orders received for one Coy to attack HESSIAN in conjunction with 34th Bde at 3 PM on our right – very short notice – C Coy (Capt MORRIS) detailed for the attack. They were just [?] by ZERO our officers running round [?] tools in their packs.
3 PM
C Coy advanced.
3.10 PM
HESSIAN R20d10 to 91 carried (this was our whole objective). Capt KA MORRIS and 2/LT BARRY wounded – a great loss – two more M/G and 60 prisoners captured. One of these M/G was reversed on the enemy with great affect by No.    Sgt CANNON as we entered the trench.
6 PM
A Coy were then sent up to reinforce C Coy and relieve wounded of SHERWOODS and STAFFORDS [?] in the trench .
27/28
A bad night for those in HESSIAN trench very heavy and accurate shelling – counter attack about 7 pm & driven off by rifle fire.
Our casualties during the night were heavy – Officers K-, W4 Officers; K14, W53 O.R.
Dispositions. A & C Coys HESSIAN – D Coy ZOLLERN – B Coy SCHWABEN.
28/9/16
Morning quiet 12 noon – 18th Div our left attacked and carried SCHWABEN.
HESSIAN
ZOLLERN
SCHWABEN
28/9/16 12 N
32nd Bde came up on our right and attacked STUFF redoubt – This attack was somewhat difficult to follow and no direct information could be obtained. From sniping however it would appear that whole redoubt was not carried.
28/29
Another night of pretty heavy shelling – this was more on ZOLLERN where D Coy lost a number of men and Lt JJ Johnstone and a good many men.
29/9/16
Morning quiet (comparatively) Casualties (further) up to 12MN were Officers - K1, W1; OR K10, W42.
3-5 PM
Relieved by 6th LINCOLNSHIRE REGT – we suffered no casualties during relief in spite of the fact that an attack was being made on further portions of STUFF REDOUBT and the relief had to be carried out through enemy barrage.
FIRST STREET 6 PM
In dug outs round X2a19 (FIRST STREET). Casualties 29th Officers K–, W-; OR K5, W21.
30/9/16
A very quiet day in support – SOS sent up about 7 am by someone – we were not ordered to move however.
7 PM
Relieved by 3rd WORCESTER REGT and marched to .
HEDAUVILLE 10 PM
HEDAUVILLE arriving their 10 PM and bivouacking for night. Copy of report rendered to 33rd Inf Bde on operations 25-30/9/16 attached and labelled J (Ref 11Div/GS/16?).
HEDAUVILLE
Summary of casualties during operations 26-30th. Totals.
Off OR
Up to MN. 26th K 14
W 3 46
— do — 27th K 14
W 6 55
— do — 28th K 1 10
W 1 42
— do — 29th K 5
W 22
Missing 1
K W M
Total 44 175 1
Note. Guns 1-4 and 6 were captured in JOSEPH and SCHWABEN trenches. Guns 5 and 7 in HESSIAN.

[Signed] D Mathers Lt Col Commanding
6th Border Regiment
1/10/16

Notes

  • National Archives Catalogue Reference: WO/95/1817/1
  • The transcription above is available under the National Archives Open Government Licence for public sector information.
  • War diary transcribed by Hugh Fulton.
  1. Possibly 2nd Lieutenant J. McCrae, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
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