8th Battalion War Diary, January 1918

    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
VRAUCOURT 1st Bn still in line occupying right subsection - Day fine - quiet.
2nd Bn relieved by 4th South Staffs – relief completed by midday.
3rd Cleaning up & coy inspections – Col Birt went on 3 days course to R.F.C.
4th Cleaning up billets – Xmas Day festivities held today – Day quiet.
5th Heavy gunfire between 5.30 and 6.30am.
6th Church parade – Special Intercession Service – Quiet – fine.
7th Practice attack by A Coy on pillboxes. Other coys range & coy training.
8th Practice attack by A & C coys on pill box - Brigadier & A/B Major present. Operation done in blizzard – other coys - coy training & Baths.
9th B coy practice attack on pill boxes – wild weather – Aeroplane from [blankspace] squadron compelled to land owing to blown out cylinder – 2 officers [S/????] & [??] [holiday?]
10th Working party on [long blank space on diary entry] of men – New Chaplain for 2 S. Lancs & 8 Border Rev Capt Scott came to lunch.
11th Usual coy parades – Wild & unsettled weather.
12th Divl Staff Officer of Staff Corps visited camp & promised 2 extra huts for men, 2 for officers, & 3 cookhouses.
13th Church Parade. Coys 1 hour ceremonial – cold & wet in morning.
LAGNICOURT 14th Bn relieved 4th South Staffs in line. Relief complete 7.30am. Cold & dry. Lecture by CO to officers & NCOs – A coy left. B coy R. C left support. D right support.
15th Work continued on new cook houses for 2 front line coys (under REs) Also sinking of well. Day fine & sunny to rain later.
16th Trenches in shocking condition – much falling in during night. – Day wet & misty – frost in evening turning to rain about midnight.
17th Work on cook house temporarily abandoned – torrential rain.
18th Unsettled weather in morning poor visibility.
19th Unsettled weather. Enemy artillery active on A coys sector & around Bn HQrs on sunken road. 3 men wounded by shell at Bn Hdqrs.
20th Fine morning unsettled in afternoon. Quiet. Vicinity of Bn Hdqrs occasionally shelled. Bn relieved by 2nd Bn South Lancs and moved into support.
21st One coy (D) in support to right Bn. one coy (C) in support to left Bn. Both coys at tactical disposal of our front line Bn. No casualties during relief.Remaining two coys employed in clearing trenches of left Bn and carrying timber from RE dump for tunnelling coy.
22nd & 23rd Employed clearing trenches.
24th One company working with tunnelling coy. One coy carrying for Res. Remaining two companies employed cleaning & clearing up communication support trenches.
25th           — do — [ditto]
26th Relieved in support by 4th Bn South Staffs Regt and moved back into reserve. Quiet relief. Enemy sent some tear shells into vicinity of LARNICOURT.
27th Bn found working parties amounting to 332 men digging & wiring. Church service in camp in afternoon.
28th 332 men on digging, wiring, remainder on improvements to camp.
29th           — do —          — do —          — do —
30th           — do —          — do —          — do —
31st           — do —          — do —          — do —
[Signed] CWH Birt, Lt-Col.
1/2/18
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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