OCTOBER 1 1917 -
NIEUPORT BAINS
At 2 am hostile gas shells were sent over mixed with H.E. just behind
the Support
line and at 3.10 am a short intense H.E. (chiefly 4.2 calibre) and gas
shell
bombardment was put in same place. At 6 am several T.M. shells were
fired on
front line. Enemy fired at (?unknown?) (?unknown?) from M21 a46. A
golden rain
(?)rocket(?) was fired by enemy at 5.15 am. (?)Much(?) enemy movement
was
noticed Between 6 am and 6.30 am at in about M15 b. Enemy aircraft flew
low
over our lines at 2.45 pm. Back areas were shelled by hostile batteries
during
afternoon. A few gas shells were fired on our lines about 11 pm.
Casualties 1 O.R. wounded. 1 O.R. killed.
OCTOBER 2 1917 - NIEUPORT BAINS
Very quiet morning. In the afternoon enemy shelled back areas and
NIEUPORT
BAINS. Complete orders for relief received.
Relief by 1/6th Bn. Manchester Regt. commenced at 7.30 pm and completed
at
10.45 pm. (?unknown?) parties were sent down during the day to take over
new
camp YORKSHIRE Camp. Enemy aircraft active after dark. Capt. L.
OLDERSHAW, R.A.M.C., killed near Suicide Corner. Major LINGS wounded.
Also 8 O.R. attached to Tunnelling Co. wounded.
OCTOBER 3
1917 - YORKSHIRE CAMP
Most of the day spent in cleaning up, fitting equipment and kit
inspections.
Afternoon the funeral of Capt L. O. OLDERSHAW, R.A.M.C. took place at
COXYDE (VILLE) Military Cemetery with full Military Honours.
OCTOBER 4 1917 - YORKSHIRE CAMP
Morning spent in training (by Companies).
Captain H.C. GALSTER, U.S. M.O.R.C., reported for duty.
Preliminary Orders came through for the Division to be relieved by the
41st Div.
OCTOBER 5 1917 - YORKSHIRE CAMP
Training as yesterday. Afternoon enter platoon cross country race.
Result A, D, C
Coys. each had one platoon left in semi final.
Orders for the Relief arrived at 11.15 pm.
OCTOBER 6
1917 - YORKSHIRE CAMP
Battalion relieved by 11th Bn. Queen's Own Royal West Surrey Rgt.
Battalion
marched to camp at X3 a 91 ST. IDESBALDE. When we took over the camp it
was in extremely filthy and unsanitary condition. Rain the whole day.
OCTOBER 7 1917 - ST. IDESBALDE
Battalion marched to AUSTRALIA Camp (W18 b63). 127th Infantry Brigade
now
the Brigade in Reserve to the Division (the Division having relieved the
39th
Division) in the front immediately on the right of the old Div. Front.
Working party of 175 O.R. (?)required(?) (?)in(?) (?)future(?) for night
work.
OCTOBER 8 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Training continued, particular attention being paid to the Training of
Reserve
Lewis Gunners and Signallers.
Afternoon semi-final of inter-platoon cross country race. Result 1
platoon each of
C & D Coys. left for the Final.
OCTOBER 9
1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Started working party of 150 O.R. for daytime. Total number now working
in 24
hrs. 290 O.R. Only the Reserve Lewis Gunners & Signallers left to
train.
2LT. J. LINDLEY reported for duty from the 42nd Div. Wing.
Capt C.G. MOORE assumed Command of the Bn. during the absence on leave
of LT. COL. CROSS.
OCTOBER 10 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Working parties as yesterday - likewise training. 2LT. N. WOOD reported
from
Div. Wing. 2 LT S.J. DAVIE killed and 1 O.R. wounded when proceeding on a
(?)train(?) up the line for the evening working party.
OCTOBER 11 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Working parties & training as yesterday. 2LT S.J. DAVIE buried with
full military
honours at COXYDE (VILLE) Military Cemetery.
OCTOBER 12
1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Working parties & training as yesterday. 2LT J. WILKINSON reported
for duty
from Divisional Wing.
OCTOBER 13 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Working parties as yesterday. 5 limbered G.S. waggons also required. The
approaches to the line reconnoitred.
OCTOBER 14 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Sunday C.E. Divine Service in Church Army Hut at 11.30 am.
OCTOBER 15
1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Working parties as Usual. Very wet. Half a company of the 1/7th Bn.
Manchester
Rgt. started sandbagging the huts of this Camp.
OCTOBER 16 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Another party of 60 O.R. required daily. Total of men working daily 350
O.R.
OCTOBER 17 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
As yesterday. At night the camp was shelled slightly. Five shells (5.9")
fell in the
Camp area. Casualties 6 O.R. wounded. Several shells also dropped on
COXYDE.
2LTS. W. BENNETT, G.V. HULL, H.S. PEPPER, W. SMART reported for duty
from Div. Wing.
OCTOBER 18
1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Slight amount of shelling in this Area during the day. Some of the men
bathed at
COXYDE.
OCTOBER 19 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
More bathing for men. Slight shelling of back area at night. Orders for
Relief
came through.
OCTOBER 20 1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
All men's feet treated against "Trench Foot". Advance party of 1
(?)man(?) per
coy. & Bn. H.Q., Scout Sergt. & Sergt. Cook and LT. TEARE went
up to 1/8th
Lancs. Fusiliers.
OCTOBER 21
1917 - AUSTRALIA CAMP
Lt. Col. CROSS rejoined from leave. Bn. marched out at 4.15 pm to
relieve 1/8th
Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers in the LOMBARTZYDE Sector. Marched out
(including
advance party) 18 Officers 445 O.R. Relief complete at 11.25 pm.
Remarkably
quiet the whole night. No casualties.
The route taken by the battalion through NIEUPORT was entirely through
tunnels
which were in very good condition - the greater part are lit
electrically. The Bridge
across the YSER to Bn. H.Q. (PUTNEY BRIDGE) is a track of duck boarding
on
floats and is very precarious. It is frequently damaged by hostile shell
fire and
rendered impassable. Bn. Headquarters (RUBBER HOUSE) is an old farm
house
heavily concreted. It is very commodious & contains the headquarters
of the Bn.
(left / Front) and the Support Bn. (1/7th Bn. Manchester Rgt.). The
Dispositions
are shown on the attached sketch.
OCTOBER 22 1917 - NIEUPORT
No movement is allowed by day so communication with the forward company
by
telephone only. The lines are broken frequently by shell fire. There are
duckboard
tracks between Bn. H.Q. & the Companies but portions are destroyed
and have
never been repaired. The whole ground is waterlogged and movement is
very
difficult.
Rations came up tonight to Town Major's Office NIEUPORT (near where the
petrol tins are filled with water). All bridges across the River were
broken so
Rations & Water, etc., were very... [part of image missing] ...not
repaired at
midnight. Patrol... [part of image missing] ...M22 b41 in N.W. Direction
to enemy
post about 70 yds. away found this post unoccupied.
Our artillery quiet the whole day. Enemy artillery rather active during
the day near
the bridges between 5 pm and 9 pm. Area between Nasal Trench & Nasal
Support shelled by small trench mortar. One direct hit in Nasal Trench.
Slight
Damage.
Casualties at noon Nil. Coys. in Front line sent patrols to Coys. on
right.
OCTOBER 23 1917 - NIEUPORT
All rations & water sent up to the Coys. before daybreak.
Intermittent shelling most of the day. PUTNEY BRIDGE Rendered Useless by
hostile shelling. Some shrapnel.
Casualties 6 O.R. wounded (2 at duty and 2 accidentally).
PUTNEY BRIDGE repaired about 2 pm & Rendered impassable again 6 pm.
Two patrols went out, one from M22 a45.10, the other from M22 b40.30.
Neither
of them came in contact with the enemy owing to the inundation of the
ground.
OCTOBER 24
1917 - NIEUPORT
PUTNEY BRIDGE was impassable when the ration limbers arrived & there
was
some congestion on BROWDER BRIDGE. The rations however were got over in
good time, together with water & 100 clean shirts tonight up by the
ration limbers
- arrangements having been made for 100 shirts per day to be exchanged
at the
clothing store at the baths in COXYDE VILLE.
5.15 am An enemy working party of 7 men were seen apparently improving
their
position at M22 b44 which was damaged by our shell fire yesterday.
1 pm Between 1 & 2 pm communication by the bridges was interrupted
by
continuous hostile shelling (H.E. 4.2s) at a fairly steady rate of
something more
than one round per minute. Retaliation was called for & two-minute
bursts were
fired by our artillery on selected targets.
(?)7.30 pm(?) A patrol consisting of 1 Officer and 8 O.R. went out from
M22 a24
in a N.W. direction to try and discover whether any enemy posts or
patrols were
in the vicinity. After proceeding for a short distance a L.G. was heard
firing from
M22 a43. The patrol returned to investigate and found that an enemy
patrol
approaching had been fired on. Search was made and the body of one
German
was found. The following identifications were obtained. One Shoulder
strap.
Identity disc, Fried Hemmerich, Neudorf. Bay. 14 J.R. 1X 3839. a metre
measure
& (?)three(?) pay books. This enabled Intelligence to identify the
troops in front
as the 14th BAVARIAN REGT. belonging to the 16th DIVISION, which was
known to have suffered heavily at ZONNEBEKE in the battle for MENIN ROAD
in
September. This Division afterwards moved to ROULERS & then relieved
the 3rd
NAVAL DIVISION in the LOMBARTDYZE Sector.
11.00 pm. A patrol of 2 Officers & 12 other ranks went out from M22
b45.10 to an
old enemy breastwork about 100 yds. N.W. of that point which was found
to be
unoccupied. Patrol did not come in contact with the enemy.
OCTOBER 25 1917 - NIEUPORT
The day passed without incident & in the evening the battalion was
relieved by
the 1/6th Bn. Manchester Regt. & moved into the reserve line.
Neither PUTNEY
nor CROWDER Bridge was broken during the afternoon or evening of the
relief,
the first company of the 1/6th MANCHESTERS crossing the river at 5.30
pm,
relief was reported complete at 8.25 pm.
Disposition of the Battalion in Reserve Bn. H.Q. at M27 b65.40; A Co.
headquarters in the same series of dug outs with one platoon as
(?unknown?) of
the PRESQU'ILE (M21 d); B Company in the reserve line near Bn. H.Q.; C
Company in NIEUPORT at M28 c54.40; D Company in the SARDINIERE (M34
b80.80). During the relief rations were brought up to three separate
ration points
& the water cart was brought up & left at Bn. H.Q.
OCTOBER 26 1917 - NIEUPORT
During the day the M.O. held a foot inspection of the whole battalion.
The day was quiet in the reserve line except for intermittent hostile
shelling
mainly in the neighbourhood of the PRESQU'ILE & occasionally along
the bank
in which the H.Q. & B Co. dug outs were situated. In the Evening
Working parties
totalling from 140 to 200 O.R. were detailed by the Brigade. Nearly all
(?)their(?)
work was done between 7.00 pm & 12 M.N. A party of 25 O.R. carried
R.E.
Stores over to the REDAN Dump: 30 O.R. carried (?)mining(?) (?)timber(?)
for
the 257 Tunnelling Co. R.E.s: and two officers & 70 O.R. worked
under R.E.
direction till midnight on the improvement of the trenches, NOSE LANE
& NOSE
ALLEY.
Three hundred of the clean shirts which had come up from Bn. Dump were
issued to companies with soiled shirts returned by transport.
OCTOBER 27
1917 - NIEUPORT
Another quiet day with intermittent shelling. Working parties were again
found in
the same numbers at night & a party of 25 O.R. worked for two hours
(?unknown?) cable under R.E. direction.
OCTOBER 28 1917 - NIEUPORT
A quiet day, the same working parties found with the addition of
(?unknown?)
party of one officer & 40 O.R. to carry water once to the reserve
supply in the
REDAN.
OCTOBER 29 1917 - NIEUPORT
During the greater part of the day, the battalion made use of the
Brigade anti-
trench-foot Bathing room (situated in a cellar in NIEUPORT). With the
assistance
of the R.A.M.C. personnel, every man who (?)was(?) going into the line
had his
feet washed with "trench-foot" (?)prep(?) generally (?)attended(?)
(?unknown?)
(?unknown?) (?unknown?).
6.30 pm. The Battalion relieved the 1/6th Manchesters in the line. A
Coy. were
the right front Coy., B the left front Coy., C Coy. in support in the
Huiterie and D
Coy. in reserve in Nieuport. There were no casualties during the relief.
Patrol
went out from M22 a34 towards the Geleide River. Enemy working party was
seen and dispersed.
M.G. firing into the Redan during the night. A few trench Mortar shells
fell near A
Coy. H.Q. no damage done. Also the aerial shelling of the bridges.
OCTOBER 30
1917 - NIEUPORT
Intermittent shelling of the bridges during the morning.
3.00 pm. Putney Bridge badly smashed, but repaired about 8.00 pm.
7.20 pm. Patrol went out from M22 a45.00 and proceeded along bank N.E.
for
about 300 yds. passing a large shell crater. The enemy turned Rifle and
M.G. fire
on patrol, no one however was hit. After waiting for the enemy to come
out of his
post to search ground without result, the patrol returned to our line.
The body of a
Pte. in the 1/5th K.O.Y.L.I. was found by this patrol with his effects
taken off him.
11.20 pm. A patrol went out from M22 b45.10 in a N.W. direction for a
short
distance then went N.E. for about 50 yds. an enemy Working party with a
covering party was discovered. The patrol immediately opened fire, on
which the
enemy replied, shortly after Sgt. Taylor (?)i/c(?) of the patrol ordered
his men to
withdraw to small bank just in (?unknown?), whilst doing this one man
No. 301334
Pte. Edwards was killed. The moon being full made patrols very
difficult.
Enemy M.G. firing into the Redan was responsible for several men being
hit. The
Battalion was congratulated on this patrol by G.O.'s C. Division in Bde.
Casualties 1 Killed. 2 wounded.
OCTOBER 31 1917 - NIEUPORT
Enemy artillery quiet during the day except on the right of the Bn.
front where
they destroyed a dam. The ground for some distance around being
inundated at
High tide.
1.20 am. A patrol of 1 Officer & 7 O.R. went along bank to Geleide
brook where
they met an enemy patrol of from 14 to 20 O.R., bombs were thrown by the
enemy. Our patrol engaged them with Bombs and rifle fire and made them
retire.
The patrol went out again twice during the night to see what casualties
they had
inflicted but were fired on by M.G. and rifles, bombs were also thrown,
the patrol
engaged them again and chased them back for some distance. After which
the
enemy fired Rifle Grenades which lit very near our post. The casualties
in our
patrol were two men slightly wounded, two men were also wounded in the
post
by Rifle Grenades.
A party went out from the Right Company and brought in the body of the
man
killed the previous night on patrol.
Casualties 4 O.R. wounded.
| Officers | O.R. | |
|---|---|---|
Casualties | ||
Killed | 2 | 2 |
Wounded | 1 | 39 |