3/12/1917 PHILOSOPHE: Lt.-Col BW VANN MC proceeded on leave to England and Major VO ROBINSON MC assumed temporary Command on the Battalion.
Bernard William Vann
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
3/XII/19: Normal hostile artillery and TM activity. Nothing else to report.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
2/XII/17: Hostile artillery and TMs quite. During the night a patrol of 7th Sherwood Foresters under CD COULBY entered the German front line in G12a and found it unoccupied.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/26
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
1/XII/1917: At 12.15am enemy heavily barraged our trenches in G11a and b. At the time a small hostile party attempted to reach one of our posts in BORDER REDOUBT, but was driven off by rifle and LG fire. Our artillery fired in response to message “ATTACK BORDER”.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
30/XI/19: Hostile Artillery very active. Heavy barrage of artillery and TM’s was directed on left subsection from 2.40pm to 3.15pm.
Our Artillery fired in answer to message “ATTACK BORDER”. At 7.07pm a similar barrage opened up and “SOS BORDER” and later “SOS QUARRIES” was sent. A small raiding party seen NE of “HAIRPIN CRATERS” was dispersed by LG and rifle fire. At 1.15am 1/XII/17 a similar message again started and a small raiding party was seen in No Mans Land W of “BORDER REDOUBT”. This was dispersed by rifle and LG fire.
Our total casualties were 3 other ranks wounded. It was noticeable that the enemy employed long range Heavy Trench Mortars of a pattern not hitherto reported on this section.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
268504 Pte John Handley from Nottingham died of wounds in a casualty clearing station and is buried in Noeux-Les-Mines Communal Cemetery Extension
29/11/1917: C in C’s list No 162 dated 19th November 1917:
Captain VO ROBINSON MC to be Acting Major whilst employed as Second in Command 11.10.17.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
29/XI/17: Hostile artillery active. PHILOSOPHE was heavily shelled during the afternoon.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
28/11/1917 ST ELIE SECTOR: Relieved by 5th Sherwood Foresters and moved into Brigade Support (HQ and 2 Companies in PHILOSOPHE, two Companies in close support to right and left Battalions in trenches).
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
28/XI/1917: Hostile artillery active at 6.30pm. Hostile barrage put down on No Man’s Land. This shortened until it reached enemy’s front line in G11b and G12c. It ceased after 5 minutes.
Inter Battalion reliefs.
Gas was projected on CITE ST ELIE and HULLUCH by “K” Special Company Royal Engineers at 10.30pm. This drew considerable retaliation on our posts in right sub-sector and enemy fired twin red light signals.
A hostile patrol of about 40 men was seen in enemy front line and in No Man’s Land in G12c during the night.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
201623 Pte Arthur Hubert Westnidge aged 20. 1/5th Battalion son of William and Emily Westnidge, of Cemetery Lodge, Duffield, Derby.
242600 Pte George Henry Johnson. 1/6th Battalion husband of H Johnson of 20 George St., Newark in Nottinghamshire.
306413 Pte Harry Fox. 1/8th Battalion attached to 139th Trench Mortar Bty. Son of Sam and Agnes Fox of Cecilia Terrace, Peashill rd., in Nottingham.
306413 Pte Harry Fox killed in action on 28th November 1917 – attached from 1/8th Battalion.
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 