| 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 |
| RAVELSBURG | 1st | Fine C & D Coys provided working parties of 100 men each. A & B Coys doing Compnay training. Lewis Gun teams on Range. Brigadier Gen C.E. BOND CMG, DSO left the Battalion to take over 51st Brigade. | |
| 2nd | Fine A & B Coys provided working parties of 100 men each. C & D Coys did company training. Lewis Gun teams on range at Crucifix Corner. Church parade in evening 7 O’clock. | ||
| PIONEERS CAMP NEUVEEGLISE | 3rd | Fine, A & B Coys left RAVELSBURG CAMP at 5am to take over DURHAM TRENCHES from 1st Wilts. C & D moved out at 6.30 am to take over Bivouacs at PIONEER Camp from remaining Coys of 1st Wilts. C & D finding working parties for RE Coys. Parties visited model tranches CONNAUGHT ROAD "B" Coy 2 casualties wounded. | |
| 4th | Fine warm. A & B Coys in Durham Trench – B Coy 1 casualty wounded. C & D coys doing RE work. | ||
| 5th | Fine & warm. A & B Coys in Durham trench. C & D working parties for Engineers. Heavy Bombardment all day. | ||
| 6th | Warm. East wind. C & D relieved A & B Coys in Durham Line early this morning. B Coy had 24 casualties during its stay in the Durham trench. The Battalion in assembly trenches Newcastle Trench soon after midnight preparing to attacking in the morning. Stores tools re issued at Pioneer camp. | ||
| MESSINES RIDGE | 7th | Warm. Attack on MESSINES RIDGE began at 3.10am. Battalion left Assembly trench (Newcastle) at 7am to take part. C on left, D on right, A & B in support respectively. Provisional task – Consolidation of Black Line – just to East of MESSINES - WYTSCHAETE Road, but had to help clear several pockets of enemy left by advanced troops, reached Black Line about 8.30am & began consolidation. Also dug two CTs from October support trench & one on right & one on left of our own position. 2nd Lancs wired the front at night. Enemy shelled very heavily at intervals all the day & night. 2/Lt E. Healey killed[1] during advance & 2 Lt Bott[2] & 2 Lt Johnson wounded. Sent 4 platoons forward to support XI Cheshires on [OP?] line. | |
| 8th | Warm. Consolidation proceeding Shelled at intervals all day. Heavy shelling at night. Reported counter attack at night on Australian Division in front. Relieved about midnight by 2 companies of 1st Wilts. Total Casualties 1 officer killed 2 wounded. 13 OR killed[3] 15 wounded. | ||
| NEUVE EGLISE | 9th | Warm. Battalion in Brigade Camp resting & refitting. Major General Bainbridge visited camp. | |
| 10th | Fine. In camp resting & refitting. Church parade 11am. | ||
| 11th | Cool & cloudy. Still in camp. Corps commander II ANZAC CORPS visited camp in morning & personally thanked the whole Brigade for splendid work done in the attack on MESSINE RIDGE. Battalion did little company drill. Also baths allotted. | ||
| 12th | Cool & showery. Bn moved up to trenches – Messines sector B team at KANDAHAR Camp. | ||
| MESSINES | 13th | Fine- Artillery bombardment. Lt W. H. Anderson[4] killed on patrol [with?] Major Birt. | |
| 14th | Bn attacked from Assembly position in new Switch trench – A, B, & D from R to L with C in support - & attacked at. With objective FERME DE LACROIX - U5d12.40 LES QUATRE ROIS CABT. – GAPHARD – DECONICH FARM which was successfully accomplished. Lt W.A. BELL was killed.[5] Major BIRT, CAPTS STEWART & DAWSON wounded – the 2 former joined B team & Capt Dawson was evacuated. | ||
| 15th | Fine – Bn continued consolidation & was relieved by N. Cheshires - & moved into support. | ||
| 16th | Five working parties furnished. | ||
| DE KENNEBEK[6] | 17th | Fine. Bn moved to camp Nr KENNEBEK siding. | |
| 18th | Fine Bn refitted & rested. | ||
| 19th | Fine - Parades under company arrangements. Lt Col BIRT on short leave. | ||
| 20th | Cloudy – Bn route march – Recreational training. | ||
| 21st | Wet - route march cancelled – Coy training. | ||
| 22nd | Fine - Coy training - various events for Inter Coy Cup run off. | ||
| SEC BOIS | 23rd | Bn moved to SEC BOIS leaving at 9.50pm fine. | |
| MERVILLE | 24th | Bn moved to MERVILLE at 10.45pm Fine. | |
| St HILAIRE | 25th | Bn moved to STHILAIRE leaving at 10.40pm - wet. | |
| ERNY ST JULIEN | 26th | BN moved to ERNY ST JULIEN - leaving 11.20 – Fine. | |
| 27th | Attempt to clean filthy billets – Wet in afternoon. | ||
| 28th | Coy training – Lt Gen Jacobs Corps Comdr addressed officers of 75 Bde at BONY. | ||
| 30th | Wet. Coy training. Lecture in evening by Col Birt to NCOs & officers.
[Signed] [??] [Jemmell ?] Smith Capt & A/adjt
8th Border Regt. |
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.
- ↑ 2nd Lieut. Edward Healey 6th Border Regiment (attd. 8th Border Regiment) Commemnorated on the Menin Gate.
- ↑ 2nd Lieut. George Gerard Randall Bott, MC, S. Lancs Regiment (attd. 8th Border Regiment) Died 13/4/18 Age 26. Buried at Messines Ridge Cemetery. Son of Arthur T. and Constance Bott of 63, Victoria Rd., Fulwood, Preston; husband of Mary A. Bott.
- ↑ The following men were killed:
- Herbert Cartwright (32089 Pte.) 7/6/17. Buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery.
- Raynard Cockell (28373 Sgt.) 7/6/17. Age 26. Husband of Ettie Florence Cockell of 5, Barrow Hill Place, Ashford, Kent. Commemorated on the Menin Gate.
- Andrew Davidson (24868 Pte.) 7/6/18. Age 20. Son of John 7 Agnes Davidson of Charlesfield Cottages, Annan, Dumfriesshire. Commemorated on the Menin Gate.
- Mitchel Elliot (202883 Pte.) 7/6/17. Commemorated on the Menin Gate.
- George Wright Mason (24687 Pte.) 7/6/17. Of Causeway End, Levens, Westmorland. Born 1892. Parents Samuel and Margaret A. Brother of Kate, Mary E., and Maria. Buried at Westhof Farm Cemetery.
- Allan McEwen (15060 Sgt.) 7/6/17. Age 29. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. McEwen, of Clifton House Gardens, Workington, Cumberland. Commemorated on the Menin Gate. Also commemorated in Clifton Churchyard on a family grave.
- John W. Mills (26396 Pte.) 7/6/17. Age 36. Son of Walter Mills of John St., Booth Fold, Waterfoot, Manchester; husband of Jane Ann Laycock (formerly Mills) of 3, Edison St., Bacup, Lancashire. Commemorated on the Menin Gate.
- Arthur Pate (16815 Cpl.) 7/6/17. Age 21. Son of Arthur and Alice Pate of 7, York St., Blackpool. Commemorated on the Menin Gate.
- Bertie Ringwood (26502 Pte.) 7/6/17 Son of Mrs. E. Ringwood, of Stiffkey, Wells, Norfolk. Commemorated on the Menin Gate.
- William (Rogerson (18620 Pte.) 7/6/17. Buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery.
- Harold Stone (28486 Pte.) 7/6/17 Age 20. Son of Mrs. Jane Stones of 4, Bowden St, Bolton. Commemorated on the Menin Gate.
- Charles Wilson (25449 Pte.) 7/6/17. Commemorated on the Menin Gate.
- Robert Moffatt (17314 Pte.) 8/6/17. Age 23. Son of Mrs. Mary A. Percival, of Burgh-by-Sands, Carlisle. Buried at Westhof Farm Cemetery.
- ↑ 2nd Lieut. W.H. Anderson, 5th Border Regiment (attd. 8th Border Regiment) 13/6/17. Buried at Messines Ridge British Cemetery.
- ↑ 2nd Lieut William Arundel Bell. Age 25. Son of the late S. A. and E. M. W. Bell, of Wavertree, Liverpool. Buried at Messines Ridge British Cemetery
- ↑ Same place as DE KENNEBAC mentioned in 16th and 17th May war diary.