8th Battalion War Diary, November 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
In support PONT FIXE	1st		Dull Day - Normal artillery activity – Conference of Company Commanders 10am.
	2nd		Dull day. Great artillery and trench mortar activity throughout day – Normal MG fire during night. No aerial activity.
	3rd		Dull day. Normal artillery activity. No aerial activity. MG's active during evening.
	4th		Fine but dull. Very slight artillery activity. No EA’s [enemy aircraft] seen. Slight MG activity.
LA BASSEE canal sector FRONT LINE	5th		Fine, but dull. Very quiet. Usual working parties found. The batt relieved the 11th Cheshires in the front line (right sector) 2 patrols sent out with a view to future operations.
	6th		Fine. Fair observation. 1 of our planes playing low fired MG into enemy positions. Enemy's aeroplanes inactive, also artillery inactive. At 10.30pm Cloud gas was discharged from our right, with a gas shell bombardment. Usual patrols sent out.
	7th		Fine weather, observation fair. A large number of gas shells were fired into our supports behind the centre company between 2.0 and 3.0am. Normal artillery activity during day.
	8th		Fine day with good visibility. 3 EA's came over the lines. Hostile artillery very quiet. Our snipers fired 5 shots at working parties. Usual working parties employed.
	9th		Fine day, cloudy, fair visibility. Our artillery active on enemy front & support line. Enemy artillery inactive until 11.0pm when he shelled our supports. Normal EA activity. Usual patrols & working parties.
	10th		Very wet day until afternoon. At 2.20am GAS was projected on AUCHY at the same time 2 fighting patrols went over under cover of smoke, they found no enemy in the front line. Enemy artillery was very active about noon on the support line behind the right company.
LE PREOL	11th		Battalion relieved by 11th Cheshires proceeded to LE PREOL in reserve. Fine day.
	12th		Fine day. Cleaning up & Baths. 5 days RE course started for officers & NCO's.
	13th		Fine day. Coy training lectures to platoons by officers. Lecture to NCO's in canteen.
	14th		Fine day. Coy training lectures to platoons, Lectures to officers. Night compass march for officers.
	15th		Fine day. Battalion parade. Brigadier, Brig Major, M.G. officer & Coy Commanders to dinner.
	16th		Divine Service. Company Commanders conference at NQ. Football match with RE's at Noeux cancelled owing to casualties in RE team.
LA BASSEE CANAL SECTOR FRONT LINE	17th		Fine day, fog in morning. Relieved 11th Cheshires in front line by 11am. Mill tunnel and LANE generously treated with Minnies. Both artilleries quiet. Usual patrols & working parties.
	18th		Fine day, overcast, no rain. Fairly quiet. Our snipers hit 4 Germans. Usual working parties. Patrols found 2 enemy post and saw 12 Germans.
	19th		Fine day, very cloudy. Artillery fairly active. 2 EA's seen. A patrol of 2nd Lt Kamester, 2nd Lt Robson, a Sergeant, and a Corporal went out. 2nd Lt Robson and the Sergeant did not return, it is believed they were captured.
	20th		Very dull day, rain commenced about 11.0pm. Our artillery & T.M's carried out a programme from 3.0pm to 3.45. Enemy artillery above normal. 5 casualties caused to medium T.M. crews 1 being killed.
	21st		Rainy day, bad observation, our artillery very quiet. Enemy artillery quiet. T.M's very active near Burbure post. Usual working parties. Above normal activity was observed in the enemy lines.
	22nd		Fine day, but dull. Low heavy clouds. Our artillery carried out a wire cutting programmeastride the BETHUNE-LA BASSEE RD from 12.30pm to 3.45pm. Enemy artillery very active. 1 EA flew low over our lines firing with his M.G., but doing no damage.
PONT FIXE	23rd		Fine day. 11th Cheshire relieved us in front line, while the 8th Borders went into support. Very quiet day.
	24th		Fine day. Our artillery carried out a programme with the TMs.
	25th		Fine Day. Fairly quiet, warned to expect a raid on the 7th Brigade front. Did not materialise, expected early in the morning.
	26th		Fine day until 11.0pm when it started snowing with turned into rain. Our artillery carried out an organised shoot. Gas was projected at 8.0pm on the 74th Bde front. Fairly sharp artillery retaliation by the enemy.
	27th		Still raining, colder.
ANNEZIN	28th		Bn relieved in support lined by 6th Lanc Fusilers (42nd Div) & moved to ANNEZIN Nr. BETHUNE - Fine.
BURBURE	29th		Bn moved to BURBURE – (Brigade march) & marched past G.O.C. DIVISION & Brigadier – fine.
ERNY ST JULIEN	30th		Bn marched in Brigade to ERNT ST JULIEN – Inadequate accommodation – Capt Darwell reported from Bde for temporary duty with Bn during training - Showery. [Signed] CWH Birt, Lt-Col. Comdg 8th Border Regt.

See also

• The Third Battle of Ypres
• Original raid instruction (6th Nov 1917)
• Authorisation of ammunition and shells (6th Nov 1917)
• Ammunition approval acknowledgement (7th Nov 1917)
• Operational notes (7th Nov 1917)
• Original raid memo (8th Nov 1917)
• Raid amendment order (8th Nov 1917)
• RE instruction to assist (8th Nov 1917)
• RE hand-written order (8th Nov 1917)
• RFA order (8th Nov 1917)
• Rearranged date (9th Nov 1917)
• Zero hour confirmation (9th Nov 1917)
• Raid order (10th Nov 1917)
• Full raid order (10th Nov 1917)
• Report on raid (11th Nov 1917)
• Report slip (11th Nov 1917)
• Report slip (12th Nov 1917)

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.