| 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 |
| STEENVORDE | 1st | Short notice move of Bde to DOMINION CAMP. Bn left at 12 noon & marched with Bde. | |
| DOMINION CAMP | 2nd | Church parade. Bn continued march to CHAUSEGARO in DICKEBUSCHE AREA – where went into bivouac. Enemy aeroplanes heavily bombed surrounding area at night – No casualties. | |
| CHAU SEGARO | 3rd | CO’s Conference at Bde in morning. Regt transport moved back to North of DICKESBUSCHE. Bn standing by. | |
| 4th | Bn standing by. Regimental party reconnoitred front line. | ||
| 5th | Bn moved up at 12 noon – relieving 8 L. N. Lancs in front line (Bn HQ at CLAPHAM JUNCTION) with advanced posts in GLENCORSE WOOD 150x[1] in front of fairly continuous line. Front about 1400x. Relief completed at 10pm. Casualties NIL. Working all night improving line. Major F AWILSON Commanding. Col CWH Bity left for weeks rest. | ||
| FRONT LINE (in front of) HOOGE |
6th | Corps (British) on our left attacked some enemy posts – Battle lasted several hours (morning). Light barrage put down by enemy on our left. About noon enemy counterattacked corps on our left – light barrage again put down on our left. At 7.15 pm enemy appeared to counterattack again – very heavy barrage put down all along our front - but no enemy attack. Barrage lasted for about an hour. All our telephone line sheld for 45 minutes – 1 line to one coy the whole time. During night we carried on wiring, making of strong points 100x behind our lines (3 such points) – joining up the two Advanced Posts in GLENCORSE WOOD & improving our trenches. | |
| 7th | Quiet day – continued work of night 6/7. | ||
| 8th | Quiet day - At 9pm enemy put down heavy barrage on our front – but did not attack. Barrage lasted one hour. Our telephone lines cut after a few minutes. Wok continued as above. | ||
| 9th | At 4am enemy put down very heavy barrages on our front - & attacked Bn on our right, taking one advanced post in INVERNESS COPSE. Third Bn (R.W.Kent) counterattacked at once & retook last post – with 12 prisoners. 2/Lt LANGWORTH killed (shellfire)[2] Bn relieved by 7 London Bn. Relief complete for B Coy (on right) C Coy (Centre) & D Coy (Support) – except for the two advanced posts by 6pm. Advanced Posts relieved by 10.45pm & remainder of Bn (A Coy on left & Bn HQ) by 1.30am on 10/9/17. | ||
| CHAU SEGARO | 10th | Bn HQ arrived 4am – found Coys all safely in. At 8.30 Bn moved down to WINNIPEG CAMP. During night enemy shelled & bombed camp. | |
| WINNIPEG CAMP | 11th | Bn cleaning up & reorganising. | |
| 12th | Bn moved to PRADELLES (by bus). | ||
| PRADELLES | 13th | Bn moved (marched)to STEENBECQUE. | |
| STEENBECQUE | 14th | Bn marched to MAERLES–LEZ-MINES (about 18 miles) Men marched v. well indeed. | |
| MARLES-LEZ-MINES | 15th | Bn reorganising & cleaning up. Also cleaning village & billets which were found in filthy condition. Lieut-Col. C.W.H. BIRT rejoined Bn. | |
| 16th | Church Parade. Brigade conference. | ||
| 17th-22nd | General & Special training in morning. Recreational training in afternoon. | ||
| 23rd | Church parade. General & Special training in morning. Recreational training in afternoon. Shooting on range. Won Brigade Competition. | ||
| 24th & 25th | General & Special training in morning. Recreational training in afternoon. | ||
| 26th | Divisional Sports & Fete. Lost Shooting Competition Wilts 1st Lanc Fus 2nd Borders 3rd. BORDERS 2nd for cooker. 3rd for limber & water cart. 3rd for pack mules, 2nd for tug of war. 1st Hurdle race. 1st & 2nd wrestling, 3rd officers relay, 2nd football kicking. A very successful & pleasant day – 2/Lt Drewre joined Battn from signal course. | ||
| NOUEX-LES-MINES | 27th | Battalion marched with Brigade (less 8 S. Lancs) to NOUEX-LES-MINES. Men in huts. Officers in billets. | |
| 28th | Resting & cleaning. Advanced party under Lt. Reed[3] to Cite CALLCONE to clean up dug outs. Battn left NOEUX-LES-MINES at 8pm & marched to CITE CALLONE – Brigade reserve. | ||
| CITE CALLONE | 29th | Cleaning out cellars. Working parties deepening & opening up CTs under RE’s at night. No casualties. | |
| 30th | Improving dugouts & fitting gas blankets. 2 coys provided working parties – deepening trench under RE's at night. No casualties.
[Signed] CWH Birt Lt Col
Cdg 8th Bn Border Reg. |
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.
- ↑ The x having reference to either feet or yards.
- ↑ 2nd Lieut. Harold Samuel Langworth, attached 8th Bn. Border Regiment. Age 37. Buried at Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery. Son of S. T. W. and J. E. Langworth of Fulham, London; husband of Florence E. Langworth (nee Barker) of 12, Leinster Avenue, East Sheen, London. Educated at Christ's Hospital.
- ↑ Lieut. Gerald Francis Woolterton Reed. Mentioned in Despatches, died 21/3/18. Age:22. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial. Son of Thomas Allen Woolterton Reed and Ida Reed of The Inglenook, Rode Hill, Rode, Bath.