AUGUST 1916
8th (Service) Battalion. The Border Regiment. August 1916.
1st FRONT LINE TRENCH opposite BEAUMONT HAMEL
The Battalion was employed in constructing new line of trench and generally
Improving and repairing existing trenches.
2nd The Regiment hold front line and continued its work on the new trench in North
3rd Street and Hunters Trench. The enemy was active with mortars and rifle
4th grenades.
5th Total casualties 1 killed and 9 wounded.
6th BDE. RESERVE
The Battn. Moved into Brigade Reserve in Trenches 86 and 88. The same
working parties were detailed as when in the front line.
7th Headquarters moved to AUCHONVILLERS. C & D Companies were billeted
8th in the village. A & B Companies remained in 88 and 86 Trench.
9th AUCHONVILLERS to WARNIMONT WOOD.
The Battalion moved into huts at WARNIMONT WOOD being relieved by the
Scots Guards and Irish Guards.
10th The Battalion remained in WARMINTON WOOD.
11th The Battalion remains in huts in WARMINTON WOOD and carried out field
12th training under Company and Battalion arrangements. 2 Officers and 100 men
13th were away on fatigue at GESINCOURT.
14th
15th WARMINTON WOOD & RAINCHEVAL
The Battalion moved to RAINCHEVAL during the morning and arrived at their
billets about 12.45pm. The Regt. was billeted in the village.
16th Battalion Training during morning and afternoon.
17th The Battalion moved to FORCEVILLE.
18th FORCEVILLE
The Battalion left FORCEVILLE at 1pm for AVELUY WOOD. A fatigue party
of 350 men and 5 Officers were detailed to work on trenches in front line in left
sector.
19th The Battalion remained at AVELUY WOOD. Working parties of 400 men
20th were engaged each night from 8.30pm to 2 am. On constructing the first
21st parallel in front of the 1st line trench in left sector. Total casualties 1 man of
C Coy. Killed and 4 men wounded.
22nd The Battalion left for HEDAUVILLE C & D Companies were billeted in the
village. A & B Coys. In huts in the Chateau grounds.
23rd Company training carried out by the Battalion.
24th Company training carried out by the Battalion.
25th The Battalion left Hedauville at 10pm. B & D Companies with headquarters
proceeded to the BLUFF via BLACK HORSE BRIDGE A & C Companies
bivouacked the night in AVELUY WOOD.
26th TRENCHES
A& C Companies moved at 1.15pm to QUARRY POST and were joined by
B & D Companies. The whole Battalion then relieved the 1st Battn. Wiltshire
Regt. in the front line trenches. B Coy. took on Hindenberg Trench. C & D
Coys. In support and A Coy. in reserve.
27th The front line was heavily shelled throughout the day also the support
companies. Many casualties.
28th 2nd Lt. Hall killed and again many casualties. B Coy. relieved by D Coy.
29th The disposition of Companies the same, the whole line was heavily shelled
30th day and night. Lt. Renton was killed and 2nd Lt. Key was wounded. Many
casualties.
31st A Coy. relieved D Company in the front line.
1st to 14th APRIL 1918
Monday 1st April Godewaersvelde Kortepyp Camp
Advance Coy, D Coy arrived 1.30 am and remainder of Bn 5am and embussed for Kortepyp Camp - New draft of 170 19 year old boys - excellent appearance and smart of parade - Capt J Dawson rejoined.
Tuesday 2nd Romarin Camp
Moved to Romarin camp - 2nd South Lancs in the line - 8th Border support - 11th Cheshires reserve - D Coy under Capt Dawson. ( Lancashire Support Farm ). counter attacking Coy under tactical orders of 2/S. Lancs - C Coy Capt Bentley. A and B Coys Romarin Camp with Bn HQ - excellent weather
Wednesday 3rd
Cleaning up - and baths - weather unsettled
Thursday 4th
Unsettled - cleaning up and inspections - C and D Coys withdrawn from support line preparatory to moving up the next day - O.C. Coys reconnoitred frontline.
5th Friday LE TOUQUET SECTOR
Bn relieved 3rd Worcesters and 11th Lancs Fusliers - Bn sector Lyes River on right to C.4 B.7.8 on left - C Coy Capt Bentley left sub sector, D Coy Capt Dawson right sub sector - B Coy support - Grande Rebecque - A Coy reserve - Le Bizet - Bn H.Q. Despierre Farm - relief bagan 7.30 pm and finished 10 pm - except 3 parts D Coy 3 am night wet.
6th Saturday
Fine - C.O visited O.Cs front line Coys C and D - day quiet - patrols out at night.
7th Sunday
Bttn in the line - a little T.M activity - persistant firing by enemy M.G all night from Frelinghein
8th Monday
Bttn in the line - fairly quiet - M.G fired from Frelinghein all night - patrol located strong enemy working party at west end of Frelinghein Bridge - they were wiring the bridge head - 2nd South Lancs relieved on our left by 11 0th Chesires - A Coy ( 2nd Lt Allan ) moved up from Le Bizet to Grande Rabeque - B Coy side slipping to the right in the reserve line - enemy T.Ms in Warneton sector heavily bombarded during the afternoon.
9th Tuesday
dull and cloudy - heavy bombardment on our right several miles away - reported German attack from Armentiers to La Basse - our sector heavily shelled in the afternoon with Gas, H.E and Shrapnel. A Coy relieved C Coy in left front - B Coy ( Capt Coxon ) relieved D Coy ( Capt Dawson ) in right front.
10th Wednesday
Dull - slight mist - enemy attacked about 5.30 am after a heavy bombardment - A Coy practically cut off - B, C and D Coys retired to reserve line which was soon enveloped and about mid-day Battalion withdrew with other troops to a North and South line west of Le Bizet. A further withdrawal to the Road Clef de la Belgique - Oosthove was necessitated during the afternoon and late at night the right flank was swung to the line Courte Rue Oosthove - Doudou - two Companies 9th Cheshires being on our right at Courte Rue and two companies 9th Chesires on our left at Oosthove.
Keswick lads 8th Borders killed on the 10th
Edwin Evans Pte 26060 - Fred Martin CQMS 5880 - Robert Bertram Pte 16079
11th Thursday Oosthove FME - Le Rossignol
Enemy attacked early morning bur were driven of by rifle and Lewis gun fire - position bombarded fairly heavily - about mid-day a withdrawal on the left necessitated falling back on the trench line about Le Rossignol which was held till night - Lt Strong and party of O.R captured a M.G and restored a temporary gap in the line about Brune Gaye in the afternoon - orders to evacuate Nieppe Salient being received the Battalion withdrew to Connaught Road at dusk - where it dug in to support 75th Inf Bde.
12th Friday Connaught Rd - Kortepyp
Day was fine - beyond a little shelling and sniping nothing of great importance occurred during the morning. About 2 pm a general retirement was observed on our right which necessitated a further withdrawal to Kortepyp where the line was reorganised.
13th Saturday Neuve Eglise
Very heavy mist in the morning - the night had passed quietly. About 6 am 6th S.W.B were seen to be retiring along the Neuve Eglise Road - and soon after under cover of mist and heavy bombardment - enemy attacked in great strengh and forced us back to the line Neuve Eglise - Trois Rois Cast where elements of 75th Bde and the 9th H.L.I had already dug in. Here a stand was made - Capt Coxon and Lt Bott were both killed making a counter attack on the enemy's flank during the morning - meantime a position was being prepared from Crucifix Corner along the ridge in a North Easterly direction.
14th Sunday
Morning quiet except for
heavy shelling of back areas - about mid-day enemy began
dribbling small parties forward and soon evidence of massing was
observed in the valley along the Neuve Eglise - Dranoutre Road
about T B c central - our barrage and M.G fire nipped the attack
in the bud. Orders for Bde relief received about 9.30
pm