7th Battalion War Diary, July 1915

    7th Border Regiment War Diary Transcriptions (1915-1918)
The National Archives WO/95/2008    
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This is the first month of the 7th Border Regiment's war diary. It was written on graph paper in note form instead of the standard issue C.2118 Army Form; starting from the 12th July (the initial period of embarkation to France) for a period of one month through to the 18th August, the start of which can be seen by clicking on the above link. Each of the pages are numbered on the top right hand corner from 1 to 5 and each entry is signed, although it is unclear by whom.

The adjutant at the time was Captain C.G. Page but the signature does not seem to match this.

The information in this month's diary is brief and to the point.

Place Date Hour Summary of Events
July 12th 1915
Captains J.H. GROGAN, J.W. TAILFORT, Lieut. D.F.K. WEBSTER & 2nd Lieut. W.J. McKEAND & 108 other ranks left WINCHESTER en route for HAVRE. The above were transport and detailed.
July 14th 1915
The Bn 26 Officers & 1 attached & 824 other ranks left WINCHESTER about 3pm en route for BOULOGNE. The Bn travelled by train and then boat in 2 parties under the C.O. and 2nd in Command respectively. A nominal roll of all officers & the number of other ranks is attached [illegible] Appendix I.
July 15th 1915
OSTRAHOYE RESTCAMP (IN BOULOGNE) reached about 1am. Bn accommodated in tents.
July 16th 1915
Entrained and PONT DE BRIQUES at 2pm for St. OMER. Arrived St. OMER 5pm and marched to billets about 5 miles [? - west]. Arrived billets 7pm. “C” Coy LEULINE, “A” Coy LEULINGHEM, “B” Coy ETREHEM, “D” Coy AUDENTHUN.
July 17th
Billets as above.
July 18th
Marched at 7.30am and arrived WALLON CAPPEL 4.30pm. Marching bad. Boots issued only 10 days before leaving WINCHESTER hurt men’s feet on the [illegible]. 34 men fell out. Distance 14 miles.
July 19th
Marched at 8.30am for EECKE,[1] 10 miles. Marching again bad, same reason as yesterday. It has been the same throughout the Brigade.
July 20th
In billets EECKE.
July 21st
In billets EECKE. O.C. Coys went forward for 24 hours instruction in trenches in Ypres Salient.
July 22nd to July 24th
In billets EECKE nothing of any special note.
July 25th
Marched from EECKE at 8pm and arrived billets RENINGHELST 1.30am.
July 26th
In billets as above.
July 27th
“D” Coy under Major Irwin & ½ the Machine Guns [illegible] went into trenches at SANCTUARY WOOD for instruction.
July 28th to 31st
Battalion remained in billets at RENINGHELST, nothing special to report.

Appendix I

The following is a table of all the officers who set off from Winchester for France by "train and then boat in 2 parties under the C.O. and 2nd in Command". The diary shown above states that two separate parties left England for France, the first being on the 12th and the second on the 14th July 1915 en route to Harve and Boulogne respectively. Along with these officers were a combined total of 932 other ranks.

Below is a full listing of the officers that travelled in the two parties.

Officer Nominal Roll, 7th Battalion Border Regiment, July 1915
Lieutenant-Colonel R.L. Norrington
Major W.R. Foran
Major R.S. Irwin
Captain C.G. Page (Adjutant)
Captain J.H. Grogan
Captain J.H. Bowe
Captain L.A. Newton
Captain A.P. Nasmith
Captain J.W. Tailforth
Captain W.F. Richardson
Captain T.L. Crosse
Lieutenant M. MacDonald
Lieutenant J.A. Stirling
Lieutenant D.J.G. Dixon
Lieutenant A. Gordon
Lieutenant R.M.B. Welsh
Lieutenant H.C. MacMichael
Lieutenant F.R.K. Morgan
Lieutenant D.F.R. Webster (machine-gun officer)
Second-Lieutenant A.G. Rigby (signalling officer)
Second-Lieutenant W.I. McKeand (transport officer)
Second-Lieutenant L.Birch
Second-Lieutenant C.H.M. Whiteside
Second-Lieutenant J.C. White
Second-Lieutenant J.M. Lee
Second-Lieutenant J.P. Edgar
Second-Lieutenant T.D. Noble
Second-Lieutenant T.S. Swan
Hon. Lieutenant S. Ashby (quartermaster)
Captain Q.V.B. Wallace[2] (R.A.M.C.)
Rev. L.G. Mannering (chaplain)

References / notes

  • National Archives Catalogue Reference: WO/95/2008
  • The transcription above is available under the National Archives Open Government Licence for public sector information.
  1. Eecke is a village in the Nord Département of northern France.
  2. Who was in Medical charge of the Battalion.