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| 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 |
| OUTTERSTEENE | 1st | Coy inspections. | |
| 2nd | Inter platoon Bombing Competitions – C Coy won 26 pts B coy 19, A & D 11 pts. 2nd S. Lancs Sports in afternoon – Brigadier & Bde Major dined at Bn HQ. | ||
| 3rd | CO & OC Coys specialist officers to trenches at WULVERGHEM. Usual Coy training. | ||
| NEUVE EGKISE | 4th | Bn moved to NEUVEEGLISE area – 2 in Comm & Adjutant to trenches. | |
| WOLVERGWEN | 5th | Bn relieved 1st OTAGO NZ Bde. D Coy on left, C coy on R, A left support, B right support - A coy SOUTLAND FM, GALWAY dugouts DESTROYED WINDMILL – B coy FORBES TERRACE. A & B supplied working parties for front line Heavy Artillery bombardment at 8pm. Enemy retaliated - 3 casualties D coy, 2 NZ TN Battery killed & 1 RE. | |
| 6th | A & B working parties 40 each in morning & night – Day cold & wet fairly quiet day. | ||
| 7th | A & B working parties 20 morning 20 afternoon & 40 night. Day very clear. TM active in morning on left. 8pm heavy artillery fell on left. We retaliated. | ||
| 8th | Working parties as usual - little activity - weather very fine. | ||
| 9th | A relieved D, B relieved C in line. Relief completed by 6.00 am. Col Bond left to command 7th Bde temporarily. Unsettled weather. RIR Officers went round trenches. | ||
| 10th | Blizzard in morning. Usual working parties, Day quiet. Patrol 10th to 11th reported movement opposite bombing post N36/7. | ||
| 11th | Cold mild weather with snow. No night working parties or patrols. | ||
| 12th | Usual working parties. Enemy active with Minenwerfer opposite Bombing Block N 36-7. Night quiet. Day fine. | ||
| 13th | Bn relieved by 2nd RIR. GOC Div & Bde through front line. | ||
| STEETHUE | 14th | Arrived in billets 2am. Battn rested & cleaned up. | |
| 15th | Church Parade. Coy officers reconnoitred attack course at BAILLEUL. Wet & attack in afternoon postponed. | ||
| 16th | Coy training in morning. Also Baths. Attack over course in afternoon. Training for sports C Coy 10th platoon chosen to represent Bn. Wild & wet day. | ||
| 17th | Wet morning – sports postponed. Fine afternoon. Working parties supplied 360 men. | ||
| 18th | Heavy snow – sports cancelled – working parties 360 men. | ||
| 19th | OC Coys watched attacks by 11th Cheshires. Preparing for move in morning. Day wet & cold. | ||
| PONT DE NIEPPE | 20th | Cleaning up billets. Bth took over billets 2nd S. Lancs. Day fine. | |
| 21st | Working parties supplied all day. 1 man from C Coy killed[1] 1 wounded returning near Chapelle [Rouque?] Day fine & warm. | ||
| 22nd | Working parties asusual. Church Parade. Day fine & warm. | ||
| 23rd | Usual working parties (4 Coys) Cable laying SOYER FARM & moving stores. [????] Btn concert at night. Divisional orchestra attended by Brigadier & staff. 2nd Lt Jones 3rd Worcesters attached for duty. | ||
| 24th | Usual working parties. Major CWH Birt & 2nd Lieut F. Haswell (4 Border) reported for duty. Day fine. Inspected all Lewis Guns. | ||
| 25th | Usual working parties. 1 LG section sent to TOOL HOUSE to asst Btn in line. Night compass march for officers. Day warm. & fine. | ||
| 26th | Usual working parties and LG and Bombing classes. Enemy shelled Bridge over River Lys during the day. Slight damage. Day cloudy clearing up low & dark. | ||
| 27th | Usual working parties and LG and Bombing classes. Night working parties cancelled. Day cloudy. Lecture to officers & NCOs in afternoon by Major Birt & night marching by compass for officers. | ||
| 28th | Usual working parties and LG and Bombing classes. Day cloudy & warm. Boxing tournament in evening. | ||
| ERQUINGHEM | 29th | Cleaned up billets. Marched to Erquinghem to take over billets in laundry from Australians in afternoon. Fine & warm. Church Parade. | |
| 30th | Cleaning up. Physical drill. Baths at laundry morning. Afternoon marched with Brigade to Billets near Outersteene.
[Signed] F.S. Wilkinson, Major
8th Border Regt. 30.4.17 |
See also
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.
- ↑ James Robert Ball (26714 Pte.) Age: 41. Buried at Pont-de-Nieppe Communal Cemetery. Husband of Ada Ball of 53, Reservoir St., Seedley, Manchester.