20.5.1916 HUMBERCAMPS: Transport and Q.M. Stores moved into billets vacated by 6/S. Staffs Regt at SOUASTRE.

War Diary [WO/95/2694]

May 20: Very busy preparing map of 8 communication trenches each over 1/4 mile long and full of dud wires to be taken up. There is very little firing here with rifles. Artillery is rather busy. It mostly fires at one another which is better than each firing on the infantry as before. Our artillery generally shuts them up.

The war here is of the retaliation kind. If we snipe they snipe. If we shell their trenches they shell ours and the same with the village. At present we are keeping as quite as possible. In particular we are keeping the artillery off their village.

The Huns here favour a large unpleasant trench mortar which fires large buckets containing gramophone needles marbles razors & sundry hard objects a considerable distance.

They make much noise but the effect is local.

[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]

20th: Brig General Commanding 139th Bde took over Command of line at 9 a.m.

Batteries in front of La Haie Chateau  badly crumped from 9 a.m. – 10.30 a.m. causing a good deal of damage to Gun positions. Otherwise quite day – very hot.

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

3761 Private Lawrence George Tuckley a miner from Danesmoor was the first man to be killed in the Fonquevillers Sector.

1963 Pte William Allen, a porter from Matlock and a Pre-War Territorial in E Company was wounded in action and the 20th May but returned to duty the following day.