Category Archives: On this day

On this day 4th June 1916

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4.6.1916 FONQUEVILLERS: Lt J TAYLOR for 3 days instruction in sniping. 2/Lt RD WHEATCROFT rejoined from England.Wheatcroft rd

Ronald Duncan Wheatcroft

War Diary [WO/95/2694]

June 4: 4 pm received orders to go on a sniping course. I was to find a motor bus at entrance to village 4 miles away. I got to the village on a bicycle and found at least 5 entrances. I telephoned Bde for further & better particulars of entrance referred. Reply came crossroads in centre of village. This was an entrance I had not thought of but of course should have done.

6pm. Arrived on bus of Bde HQ of __ Bde in village of LUCHEAUX. Had tea with Genl & proceeded to billets.

It is a very nice little French watering place with splendid woods round. Trout fishing is popular here.

sniping schoolThere are 7 Officers on this course. We have established a mess of our own in a house. I am mess president and therefore very busy buying sardines & c.

[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]

June 4th: The 5th & 7th Battalions were relieved tonight by two Battalions of the 138th Infantry Brigade. The relief was completed shortly after 11 p.m.

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

 

On this day 3rd June 1916

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3rd June 1916: LONDON GAZETTE Lt.-Col. GD GOODMAN appointed C.M.G.

Sgt M J Unwin (2230) awarded MILITARY MEDAL.2230 Unwin MM

War Diary [WO/95/2694]

June 3rd: Relief by 138th Infantry Brigade commenced (see copy Operations Order No 59 attached). The 138th Brigade Machine Gun Company relived our Company this evening and the 138th Light Trench Mortar Batteries also relieved ours. Relief was completed without incident by 11.30 p.m. A short bombardment of the enemies front line was carried out at 12 midnight. There was no retaliation.

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

 

On these days 1st and 2nd June 1916

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No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]

Very quite days. Work proceeding on trenches

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

3107 Pte. James Beresford a miner from Staveley who enlisted in October 1914 retured to England for reason unknown. He later returned to France in April 1918 and served with the Royal West Surrey Regiment.

 

On this day 30th May 1916

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30.5.1916 FONQUEVILLERS: 150 men under CAPTS R SAXBY & J TOLSON dug advanced trench 250 yards linking up with 37th Divn on left. 50 men under CAPT EB JOHNSON wired.

30.5.1916 LONDON GAZETTE: The following is an extract from the London Gazette d/- 30th May 16.

  • Major (Temp Lt Col) G.D. GOODMAN to be Lieut. Col.
  • Captain (Temp Major) A.J. HOPKINS to be Major (May 22nd)
  • Lieutenant (Temp Capt) B. DARBYSHIRE to be Captain (Oct 16th)
  • Lieutenant (Temp Capt) C.B. JOHNSON to be Captain (May 22nd)
  • 2/Lieutenant (Temp Capt) J. TOLSON to be Lieutenant (Temp Capt Oct 16th)
  • 2/Lieutenant (Temp Capt) H.H. JACKSON to be Lieutenant (Temp Capt May 22nd)Officer 30 May 1916

War Diary [WO/95/2694]

30th: 6th Battn Sherwood Foresters joined up advanced trench from right of 36th Division up to a sap North of NORTH FORTIN – distance of some 250 yards.

The trench was also wired – the Battalion received a complimentary telegram from G.O.C. Division for their work.30 May 1916 Telegram

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

On this day 29th May 1916

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No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]

29th: A very quite day – work on trenches progressing.

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

1431 Pte Arthur Timmons a sadler from North Wingfield and a Pre-War Territorial in G (Clay Clay ) Company returned to England on the 28th May 1916 and was posted to the 6th Reserve Battalion (3/6th) following treatment in hospital for myalgia. He later served with the 21st Battalion before being discharged in July 1917. 1431 Timmons

3215 Pte Samuel Wardley a miner from Clowne who enlisted in October 1914 returned to England pending discharge on Termination of Engagement. However, he was transferred to the 5th Reserve Battalion and served overseas with the 1/5th, 1/8th and 2/8th Battalions.

3215 Wardley703 Pte Joseph Edge a bricklayer from Clay Cross and a Pre-War Territorial in “G” (Clay Cross) Company returned to England on the 29th May 1916 pending discharge on Termination of Engagement. There is no evidence that he returned to Service and he received a pension in August 1916 following a medical board.703 Edge

1935 Pte Frank Spencer a quarryman from Buxton and a Pre-War Territorial in “C” Company was admitted to the 41 Casualty Clearing Station with dental carries. He was later discharged to duty.1935 Spencer

On this day 28th May 1916

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The Slater Accident

An unpleasant accident this morning. A live round got amongst dummy ones on a Lewis Gun being used for instruction. Killed one man and wounded another. I sat on the Board of Enquiry – no one to blame.

Artillery very noisy at night. Each side had an apparently aimless strafe at infantry.

4216 Slater

[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]

4216 Pte James Slater from Chesterfield enlisted in March 1915 and arrived in France with the 8th Reinforcement in March 1916. 4216 Slater 2

1897 Pte Seth Taylor a Pre-War Territorial who had enlisted in 1913 and arrived in France with the 46th North Midland Division in February 1915.1897 taylor

28th: Quite day. At 11 pm & 1 am (29th) our Artillery bombarded the enemy’s front line trenches for a few minutes each time. The enemy had previously bombarded the trenches of the 56th Division on our right, so our pre-arranged bombardment must have appeared like a retaliation to the Bosche.

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

On this day 27th May 1916

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

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.bond

Kenneth Hills BondSucherieSucrerie (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.

27 May 1916

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]

On this day 25th May 1916

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No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]

25: Quite day. Work on trenches progressing.

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

1522 Pte Benjamin Stubbins, a labour from Lockford Lane in Chesterfield and a Pre-War Territorial in A Company was wounded in action but remained at duty.

1522 StubbinsBenjamin has originally enlisted as a boy in January 1912 when he was 15 years old after he was given permission by his parents.1522 Stubbins letter

On this day 24th May 1916

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No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]

24: Enemy Artillery very active in direction of FONQUEVILLERS shelling intermittently all day.

250 men of 5th Battn Leicestershire Regt lent to this Brigade for digging & clearing out Communication Trenches – divided into 4 parties of 60 – one for each Communication Trench.

A Battery of 60 Pounders arrived at LA HAIE CHATEAU.60 pounders

(This is photograph Q 6996 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums)

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