5.7.1916 SAULTY: Major General The Honorable EJ STUART-WORTLEY CB CMG said goodbye to Officers who came out with DIvision.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
5th: Learnt from Dailey Mail that we had not done so badly. In fact there were 2 columns on most heroic deed of the war defeat that was really a victory & c. Read it out on parade & began to feel better.
[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]
4.7.1916 BAILLEULMONT: Draft of 8 OR joined from Base.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
1618 Pte John Howe a Pre War Territorial from Tideswall who suffered a GSW in the right thigh.
3.7.1916 WARLINCOURT: Battn marched into billets vacated & handed over by 5th North Staffs.
(Divisional Reserve) at BAILLEULMONT.
Officers rejoined:- Capt W SEATON from England. Capt W SEATON to Command “D” Company – Capt Jackson to be 2nd in Command.
Officers joined:- 2/Lt WL COOPER (left), 2/Lt FS ROWLAND (right) from England.
Draft of 54 OR joined from Base.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
3 July: I went to the funeral of Lt RD Wheatcroft (above) 
our most popular Officer. Great sympathy felt for his brother Capt Wheatcroft who has now lost 2 brothers in this War.
We now expected rest but no such luck we moved to billets in the village of ———.
Here we learnt that Capt Robinson (bubbles) was dead. He was the cheeriest fellow ever known (above).
[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]
The following men died of their wounds on this day and were buried in at Saulty
2315 Pte Charles Ricard Pell (above)
1681 Pte George Byfleet
2052 Pte Walter Francis Joseph Murph
2.7.1916 FONQUEVILLERS: Battn marched into huts at WARLINCOURT.
Capt TOLSON (above) to Command “B” Company vice Capt Dick.
Lt GKK MAUGHAN (above) appointed Adjutant vice Capt CB JOHNSON.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
[“The Robin Hoods” 1/7th, 2/7th & 3/7th Battns. Sherwood Foresters]
[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]
Report of the part played by the 139th Infantry Brigade in the action on the 1st July 1916. Report from WO-95-2692-5 and 139 Brigade from WO-95-2692-5-29
Part played by the 3″ Stokes Trench Mortars in action on 1st July 1916. Trench Mortar from WO-95-2692-5-7
Part played by the Machine Guns during the action on 1st July 1916. Machine Guns from WO-95-2692-5-8
Part played by the 1/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters during the action on 1st July 1916. 5th Battn from WO-95-2692-5-9 and 1:5th account from WO-95-2692-5-17
1/5th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters; Statements of men who reached the German Front Line (with sketch). Men statements from WO-95-2692-5-10
Includes statements from the following men:-
“A” Company A Coy 1:5th from WO-95-2692-5-20
Captain Dowman’s report from 1918 Dowman 1918
“B” Company B Coy 1:5th from WO-95-2692-5-21
“C” Company C Coy 1:5th from WO-95-2692-5-23
“D” Company D Coy 1:5th from WO-95-2692-5-24
Grenade Section
Fifth wave (Headquarters)
List of men that made it to the German first line. 1:5th men front line from WO-95-2692-5-27
1:6th from WO-95-2692-5-18 and 1:6th Battn from WO-95-2692-5-25
Part played by the 1/7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters during the action on 1st July 1916. 1:7th Battn from WO-95-2692-5-11 and 1:7th account from WO-95-2692-5-16
Includes statements from the following men:-
List of men that made it to the German first line. 1:7th Battn front line from WO-95-2692-5-26
28.6.1916 GAUDIEMPRE: 2/Lt LN JOHNSON and 2/Lt AJ COOKE joined from England.
Capt PARBERRY Sanitary Officer ordered isolation and inoculation of 65 men.
28.6.1916 FONQUEVILLERS: Bn relieved 5th Sherwood Foresters in trenches (LEFT SECTOR) pending operations.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
28th: “Y” day.
Another wet day – well the rain never stop. All the preparation was completed for the fight tomorrow, when orders were received postponing everything till further orders. On strength of this the 5th Battn SF were taken out of the line and the 6th Battn SF put in the, the former being billeted in POMMIER alongside the 8th Batn SF. The relief was completed by 3.45am.
There was a fake smoke attack today, which drew very little retaliation from the Bosche. Wire cutting went on as usual. At 2-30 pm orders were received postponing Z day.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
27: “X” day. There was a bombardment followed by a “smoke cloud” early this morning. The enemy did not ——– and we had very few casualties. The ordinary bombardment took place during the day from 6.35 pm to 7.26 pm. There was an intense bombardment by us.
The enemy’s front line trenches were first taken on and severely dealt with especially LITTLE Z.
Then our guns lifted on to the enemy’s 2nd and 3rd lines & flattened them.
The enemy through comparatively little back the whole time.
Another very wet day – very heavy showers & trenches very bad in consequence.
The 5th Battalion SF relieved the 8th Battalion SF this evening and on relief the latter proceeded to billets in POMMIER vacated by the former Battalion.
Everything is now ready for “Z” Day.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
26.6.1916 GAUDIEMPRE: 2/Lt E Kershaw joined from England.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
June 26: During the last month of course we have been preparing for an attack. The weather has caused it to be postponed so at least we are having a rest.
[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]
26: The is “W” day. Wire cutting & bombardment continued on enemy front.
From 9-45 am to 10.35 am his front was subjected to an “intense bombardment” – to look at this appeared very ordinary. There were lots of 19 Pdrs busy but very few howitzers & heavies and altogether it was a — affair to look at.
At 10.50 smoke was turned on and up to the point this enemy had not sent very much back, but he now began to shell our front line freely, but did not pay much attention to our back lines. We had only two casualties – one liked and one wounded. It is hoped the Germans suffered more.
The patrols who went out late at night reported the cutting of the enemies wire on the right as satisfactorily.
The weather is not improving – the men are having a very hard time of it & sticking it very well.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
June 25: Very heavy storm. Had to swim in communication trenches in places. Battn out working all night & wet through to top of the head. In this state we marched back to camp at ——–.
Found huts merely roofed with sacking and soaking through at 8 am. Billeted men in the village at 10am.
[Lieutenant Josiah Taylor]
About the twenty seventh of June my Battalion was given the task of digging what was known as a Russian Sap, this was a narrow trench leading from our front line towards the German barbed wire, at the time we were not occupying the front line, but were quartered in a small village about three or four miles behind.
We paraded about nine p.m. in fighting order, all were issued with shovels, except every sixth man who was issued with a pick. We proceeded through the maze of rear trenches, and through our front line. The troops holding the line wished us luck as we filed past, and as quietly as possible we tried to make as little noise as we could, but it was difficult, what with our rifles, picks, shovels, tin cans, barbed wire and all the things that No-Mans Land could contain to cut out all noise.
On the way up the line to this operation we suffered a set-back in the way of a terrific thunder storm, with torrential rain. That rain seemed to flood the whole area, some were wading thigh deep, and in the deepest sections little men had great difficulty in keeping on their feet, in fact it was rumoured that some had drowned, whether this was correct or not I am not prepared to say. We swam, slithered and crept to our allotted task in NO-MANS LAND, and commenced to dig our secret trench towards the German wire, I think my position was about half way, we dug very carefully and very quietly in the squelching mud. We were saturated with a brown slime, when we had got down about two and a half feet, and the Germans had not discovered us, we considered we were making good time, and so we were.
To gain a complete picture of this operation the hazards must be taken into consideration, firstly the whole operation had to be finished, the trench covered in, and the excavated earth hidden in some way, and all the digging Battalion out of the area before the June dawn. The constant flare of verey lights, the probing machine gun and rifle fire, and every time a German flare sailed into the air everybody remained perfectly still, with our faces pressed closely to the ground. Of course the Germans were keyed up, they expected something to be going on, these last days of June, so they were taking no chances, and just before our Officers were prepared to consider our task well and truly carried out, someone must have made more noise than was good for the situation, up went the verey light, another, and another, we crouched silently in the water in the bottom of our freshly dug trench. The sides of the trench were crumbling with all the rain, but it was safer down in the water at the bottom than being up on the top to face what we thought would be coming our way if the suspicions of the Germans were roused any further. That was the case, they were not sure what was going on, their Officers must have decided to be on the safe side, and ordered withering machine gun and rifle fire. S.O.S. to their artillery for shrapnel, they swept the whole front for about half an hour, but fortunately for us they decided that whatever they had seen or heard had been dealt with and exterminated.
When all was quiet enough we dragged ourselves backwards from the operation into our own front line, and so back to our billets in the little village behind our front. We had sustained casualties but we considered we had got of lightly.
[2305 Pte Frank Longson]
25: This is “V” day. Wire cutting continued by T Mortars & 18 Pdrs, unfortunately the 2″ trench mortar was knocked out. This mortar was cutting wire in the vicinity of LITTLE Z. Progress in wire cutting is being made on the right front, but on the left front it is not satisfactory. The weather has broken down again & the trenches are becoming worse.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
23/24.6.1916 TRENCHES: Battn continued digging advanced trench with 7th Battn finding covering party & reserve diggers. Rather heavy MG fire and shelling. Owing to the heavy rain the trench although linked up was not finished in depth.
24.6.1916: Battn marched into billets on the GAUDIEMPRE-PAS ROAD. Every man wet through & covered with mud from digging.
23.6.1916 GAUDIEMPRE: Capt CJ Wheatcroft rejoined from Base.
24.6.1916 GAUDIEMPRE: Lt TL Darbyshire rejoined from England.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
23: A very heavy thunder storm this afternoon, which completely filled all the trenches with water – just like winter again. Pumps going hard to get the water out. Work on the new forward trench was continued this evening. Owing to the state of the ground work was very much hampered.
The enemy shelled a good deal too, but we were fortunate and only sustained a few casualties viz 1 killed & 12 wounded. The trench by the morning still required a good deal of work to complete it.
24: This is “U” day. Wire cutting by our artillery commenced today in accordance with pre arranged programme (see copy of Brigade Instruction & Operations Order No 63 attached). The enemy replied with crimps on our front line trench at various places knocking in the end of ROBERTS AVENUE to some extent. Work in the trenches had to be concentrated on pumping out the trenches which are in an awful state of water & mud.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 