| 8th Border Regiment War Diary Transcriptions (1915-1918) The National Archives WO/95/2251
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1915 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| 1916 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 1917 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 1918 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Place | Date | Hour | Summary of Events |
| MONCHY BRETON | 1st | The Battalion was inspected at close order drill by the Corps Commander in the morning. Companies cleaned billets during the afternoon. | |
| 2nd | Church parade. | ||
| 3rd | The Battalion was engaged in wood fighting, attack, & defence. | ||
| 4th | Route march. | ||
| 5th | Company drill in the morning. Brigade concentration night march and attack of a position. | ||
| 6th | Company training drill for NCOs. | ||
| 7th | Battalion practised attack on trenches. | ||
| 8th | C Coy at ST POL relieved by D Coy. 100 men of B Coy on fatigue in bombing school. A Coy on range in morning. | ||
| 9th | Church Parade. | ||
| 10th | Bn practised as Advance Guard to Inf Bde in [??] the country. Communication drill for NCOs. Col. Bond to Div School. | ||
| 11th | Very wet. Companies exercised in musketry & close order. Billets cleaned up. Lectures to NCOs & Officers. | ||
| 12th | Very wet. Companies exercised in musketry & close order. 250 men to demonstration of flame projector. | ||
| 13th | Showery. Companies exercised in musketry &close order. Squads practised in firing Lewis Gun on miniature range.Lectures to officers & NCOs. | ||
| 14th | Brigade Concentration March& inspection by Corps Commander. Communication drill for NCOs afternoon. Lewis Gun firing on range. | ||
| 15th | Companies exercised in close order drill, musketry & bayonet fighting. Lewis gun firing on the range. C.O. went up to inspect front line trenches occupied by 46th Division. | ||
| 16th | Church parade & inspections. | ||
| 17th | The CO, Adjutant and Company Commanders visited the new front line trenches North of [Arras?]. | ||
| 18th | Company Commander proceeded to Burneville to see demonstration of flammenwerfer. | ||
| 19th | Company parade & training. | ||
| 20th | The battalion was employed cleaning up billets and preparing to hand over to the incoming unit (1/6 S.Stafford Regt). | ||
| MONCHY BRETON TRENCHES | 21st | The battalion proceeded to Ecoivres at 2.30pm in motor lorries andbuses halted there till 7.30pm and then proceeded to relieve the 1/6 S.Stafford Regt. in the trenches. North of Neuville St. Vaast. We connected up with the 1st Wiltshire Regt. of 7th Bde on our left and with 2nd Battn S. Lancashire Regt. on our right. D, C & A companies in the firing line, B Coy in reserve. | |
| TRENCHES | 22nd | The relief completed at 4.30am. Repair of trenches much hindered by continuous rain. | |
| 23rd | The Battalion engaged in repairing and improving trenches. | ||
| 24th | The Batt was engaged in draining trenches of water and taking p boards and relaying, also repairing trenches. | ||
| 25th & 26th | As on 23 & 24. On the 25th at 11.15pm our advanced posts were bombed & again at 8am on the 26th. Unfortunately we had casualties. One Serjeant killed and five men wounded two missing[1] | ||
| 27th | The Battalion was relieved during the night by the XI Cheshire Regt. | ||
| 28th | The Battalion rested in Neuville St. Vaast and were engaged in cleaning up equipment clothing etc. During the afternoon C & D Coys furnished working parties in the support lines. At 7.30pm while D Company were working a shell burst in the middle killing 1 Serjeant, 2 men and injuring [6?] others. Later one of the wounded men died.[2] Stand to alarm from 9pm – 11pm. | ||
| 29th | The Battalion furnished fatgues for the construction of new support line and in the repair of existing communication trenches. | ||
| 30th | The Battalion providedworking parties for construction of [subsidiary?] line and general repair of communication trenches.
P. Strachan, Major
Comdg 8th Border Regiment |
References / notes
- National Archives Catalogue Reference: WO/95/2251
- The transcription above is available under the National Archives Open Government Licence for public sector information.
- War diary made available by M. Deacon and transcribed by P. Bramham.
- ↑ The fatalities were: T.H. Anderson (13525 L/Sgt.) Age:21. Son of Daniel and Mary Ann Anderson, of 3 Bransty Villas, Whitehaven, Cumberland; J. Garth (Pte.) Age:21. Son of John and Emma Garth, of Field Cottage, Milnthorpe, Westmorland. Both buried La Chaudiere Military Cemetery, Vimy.
- ↑ The casualties were: J. Butler (12384 Pte.); A. Marsden (12923 Sgt.); J. Tweddle (12227 L/Cpl.) Age:28. Son of T. Tweddle, of Coatham Mundeville, Darlington. Robert Kendall Whittam (19330 Pte.) Age:32. "D" Coy. 8th Bn. Son of Robert and Jane Whittam, of Church View, Staveley, Kendal, Westmorland. All buried: La Chaudiere Military Cemetery, Vimy.