| 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 |
| TRENCHES | 1st | During the day & night the Battalion provided necessary working parties & carrying parties for construction of Southern line & repairs of C.T.s. | |
| 2nd | Col. Bond returned to Battalion from the Divisional school at Buneville. The Battalion provided necessary fatigue parties for repairing CTs & building the Southern line. | ||
| 3rd | During the day the Battalion provided fatigue parties as before and in the evening relieved the XI Cheshires in the trenches of the left sector of the Brigade front. A, B & D in firing line & C Coy in reserve. B Coy had little bombing on their Y Post. Bombing accident in D Coy lines. | ||
| 4th | Battalion trenches. A start was made in the new Doublement line behind the front line. General repair & upkeep of trenches also engaged attention. | ||
| 5th | 3am | Enemy put up 3 mines simultaneously, 1 opposite right of 064 & 2 in front of 063. They had the effect of extending the old craters (063.1 &064.1) & much of our lip subsided. No enemy attack was made, nor were any of our works damaged. We suffered no casualties. There was no Artillery fire – Rifles & machine guns together with bombs being employed where necessary. During the day the Battalion was employed on general repair work & in strengthening & consolidation our listening posts. The new Doublement line was progressed with during the night. | |
| 6th | Nothing of importance occurred except in Y post where there was an occasional bombing duel. The old De la [Fonch?] trench leading from crater 063/1 was opened up as far as Doublement which latter trench was also progressed with during the night. Wiring the intervals of old 0/63 was begun. | ||
| 7th | The Day was quiet with a little bombing at night especially in Y post work on the Southern was proceeded with & the Doublement was extended behind 065. | ||
| 8th | In retaliation for some medium mortar bombs & some Stokes mortar bombs which we put over, the enemy [crumped?] the Southern line. No damage was done. Towards evening, by means of bomb & rifle grenades B Coy blew in an enemy post on the Eastern lip of crater 064/2. | ||
| 9th | The day passed quietly except towards evening, when there was considerable Artillery activity. For blowing in his post yesterday the enemy retaliated by bombing our Y Post. We had one casualty.[1] The Battalion was relieved by the XI Cheshire Regt. at night & reached the huts at ECOIVRES without incident. | ||
| ECOIVRES | 10th to 15th | In billets. | |
| 16th | The battalion went into the front line trenches relieving the XI Cheshires. The S. Lancs on our right and the 1st Wilts on our left. | ||
| 17th | The usual repairs and improvements were made. Quiet day. | ||
| 18th | Considerable shelling by the enemy also they were throwing over more bombs & grenades than usual. We had 2 killed & 12 wounded.[2] | ||
| 19th | The enemy again active. We had 1 man wounded & Lt. Hinksman wounded. | ||
| 20th | The Battalion went into Brigade Reserve at Neuville St. Vaast being relieved by XI Cheshires. The relief was carried out during the afternoon. No casualties. | ||
| NEUVILLE ST. VAAST | 21st | The enemy shelled the village intermittently throughout the day and dropped "Tear Shells" those being the first the battalion had experienced. No casualties. The usual fatigues were furnished. | |
| 22nd | The enemy again shelled the village with Tear Shells otherwise the day was quiet. | ||
| 23rd | About 20 large shells were fired into the village. No damage was done & no casualties. | ||
| 24th | The Battalion relieved the XI Cheshires in the front line trenches. 2nd Batt S. Lancs on our right 1st Batt Wiltshires on our left. | ||
| 25th | The enemy shelled our front line & support trenches during the morning. We had two men wounded. | ||
| TRENCHES | 26th | The usual shelling took place, but little damage done. 2 Lieuts [Alday?] & Brown slightly wounded by a bomb also two privates. | |
| 27th | A quiet day no casualties. | ||
| 28th | Our front line & support line trenches were subjected to Artillery fire and mortars for the greater part of the day, our casualties, 1 man of A Coy wounded, 6 wounded & 2 killed in B Coy and 1 wounded in D coy.[3] | ||
| 29th | A fairly quiet day. The Battalion was employed in opening up & strengthening new trenches especially on our let. We had two men of B Coy wounded by a bomb. | ||
| 30th | The enemy blew a mine in front of our centre coy (B) a platoon was sent forward and immediately occupied & consolidated the rear lip of the crater. The only casualty was one man of A who died later.[4] No damage was done. | ||
| 31st | A quiet day on thewhole. We had one man L/Corp Wright of B Coy slightly wounded.[5] We were relieved during the night by 1/5 Seaforth Highlanders. The Battn matched to ACQ where they went into billets till the following day.
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.
- ↑ According to the CWGC, no other 8th Battalion casualties around this date: Robert McLaughlin, (8/15756 Pte.) Date of Death: 08/05/1916; aged 20. Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St. Eloi. Son of Catherine McLaughlin, of 38, Strand St., Whitehaven, Cumberland.
- ↑ Casualties both buried at Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St. Eloi: Walter Elson (8/15130 Pte.) aged 22. "C" Coy. 8th Bn. Son of Thomas and Martha Ann Elson, of Kendal, Westmorland. Also, Francis William Snaith (8/14345 Pte.) aged 25. Son of Mrs. and the late Mr. Snaith, of 3, Dockray Hall Cottages, Kendal. Wife Nellie Snaith, of Mill Fold, Crook, nr. Kendal. Plumber/ painter apprentice in 1911 census. Mother Mary A. Snaith ran a bakery and sweet shop at Dockray Cottage home. Other children include Ann and Violet.
- ↑ Deaths from CWGC: R. Skinner (14662 Pte.), Etaples Military Cemetery; Herbert Howard (8/21354 Pte.) Age 31. Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St. Eloi. Son of the late William and Sarah Maria Howard. Born at Barmer, Fakenham, Norfolk.
- ↑ John Henry Lickbarrow (14519 Pte.). Date of Death: 31/05/1916, aged 25. Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension. Son of Henry and Margaret Lickbarrow. A farm servant. Born Rowrah, Cumberland in 1891. Brother of Mary and Jane. On Holme Village War Memorial and Allhallows Church, Fellside, Kendal.
- ↑ Possibly: Leonard Wright (12209 L/Cpl.). Died 05/07/1916 aged 23. Thiepval Memorial. Son of the late Henry and Adelaide Wright of 13, Chapel St., Middleton St. George, Darlington. Or: C. Wright (12255 Cpl.). Died 21/10/1916. Stump Road Cemetery, Grandcourt.