8th Battalion War Diary, December 1917

    8th Border Regiment War Diary Transcriptions (1915-1918)
The National Archives WO/95/2251    
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1915
1916
1917
1918
Place Date Hour Summary of Events
ERNY ST JULIEN 1st Cleaning up billets - & Coy inspections - Cold & showery.
2nd No church parade owing to chaplain having left Bn through sickness.
3rd Bn preparing to move to 3rd Army area – D coy proceeded as loading coy at ANVIN.
4th A Coy left ast 1.45am – Transport 5.0am – remainder 7.45am left ERNY ST JULIEN & marched to ANVIN – entraining for ACHIET LE GRAND (3 Army Area) – arrived 11.30pm & marched for GOMIECOURT - Freezing.
GOMIECOURT / ROCQUINGY 5th Cold night in tents at GOMIECOURT. Marched in Bde to huts at ROCQUINGY via BAPAUME – Cold but fine.
6th Cleaning up & Coy inspections – showery.
7th Coy training & Lewis Gun classes wet.
8th Cold & showery – Lt-Col. Sir H. Lennard Bt. (ADC 6th Corps) – late 2nd in Comd visited Bn Concert at night & coy training – musketry & Bombing.
ROCQUINGY / BEUGNATRE 9th Bn marched as Brigade to BEUGNATRE in huts – Bde in Divl reserve – wet.
10th Coy training & Lewis Gun classes.
11th-15th Bn found working parties for burying cable. Weather cold, hard frost at night.
16th Bn attended divine service. Weather cold & frosty but fine.
BEUGNATRE 17th Bn engaged on working parties burying cable. Slight fall of snow. Weather cold.
18th Bn engaged on working parties burying cable. Weather extremely cold, freezing hard.
19th Bn engaged on working parties burying cable. Weather cold & frosty.
20th Cleaning up billets. Company inspections. Company Commanders reconnoitred trenches.
LAGNICOURT 21st BN relieved 4th South Staff Regt in the line NE of LAGNICOURT, No casualties.
22nd Very quiet. Good work done during day improving & deepening trenches in places. Wiring at night.
23rd Quiet day. LAGNICOURT shelled fairly heavily by hostile artillery. Wire in front strengthened. Freezing.
24th 50 men (A Coy) digging new support trench from HARROGATE AVENUE to YORK SUPPORT 5pm-9pm. Freezing.
25th Xmas Day – Enemy shelled Harrogate Av. Nr. Bn HQ wounded 2 Cheshire men. Snow during day. 2 officers 3rd Worcesters on right on wiring duty – lost during snowfall not returned – Brigadier visited Bn trenches to wish compliments of season.
26th Quiet day - fine.
VAULX-VRAUCOURT 27th Bn moved to VAULX-VRAUCOURT.
28th Cleaning up. Coy inspections & baths - fine – freezing.
29th 2 coys wiring MORCHIES-VAUX line. 2 coys digging, deepening & improving LAGNICOURT SWITCH – Fine & cold.
30th Usual working parties.
31st Usual working parties. Fine & cold.
[Signed] CWH Birt, Lt-Col.
Comdg 8th Border Regt.

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.
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