27.5.1916 FONQUEVILLERS: Draft of 42 other ranks arrived from 8th Entrenching Battn.

27.5.1916 FONQUEVILLERS: 2/Lt K. H. Bond with patrol went out at 1.15 a.m. and spent the day in a trench in SUCRERIE on the GOMMECOURT ROAD, returning at night with an enemy cap.

Kenneth Hills BondSucrerie (Sucherie) Post

On the left of the sunken road, there is an old sugar factory (the Sucrerie). It is in the form of a roughly rectangular trench, about 50 yards square, and was overgrown with nettles. Old boilers &c were scattered about the ground…”

27.5.1916 FONQUEVILLERS: Relieved by 8th Bn Sherwood Foresters from support and moved back in to Brigade support at Fonquevillers. Casualties for tour :- Killed, 1 O.R. Accidentally Killed, 1 O.R. Wounded 18 O.R., 2 of whom have since died of wounds. Accid. wounded 1.

War Diary [WO/95/2694]

May 21: We were relieved by another Battn. We are now in reserve. We have no men in the front line but are all fairly near. I moved out of a comfortable cellar shared with bombing officer to a dug out shared with MO. Dug outs are much more comfortable than they used to be. They nearly all are fitted up with beds made of wire netting on a wooden frame.

[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]

27: The 8th Battn S.F. from Support relieved the 6th Battn S.F. in the CENTRE SECTOR TRENCHES. The latter batten went into SUpport taking over the various posts occupied by the 8th Battn. Relief was completed by 11 pm.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]