On this day 7th May 1915

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

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MAY 7th. At 7.30 p.m. went fatigue carrying barbed wire entanglements to our own trenches and got back at 12.30a.m..

[1415 Cpl. Alfred Afford]

7th May 1915 . We got up about dinner time and immediately after breakfast we went for a change of clothes and a bath at Bailleul. We arrived back about 6-15 p.m. and then a fatigue party had to go out at 6-45 arriving back about 1 a.m.

[2381 Pte. George Potter Bagshaw]

May 7th. Rose about 11-30. Set off at 1-30 to lunatic asylum at Bailleul for a bath. Saw aeroplane station there. New pair of socks each. Artillery about Ypres very active.

[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]

 

On this day 6th May 1915

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

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We were relieved last night MAY 6th by our 8th Battalion. On the same night I was one of the funeral party for 8 of our men who got done in by a shell, all reserve machine gunners and one signaller, one of them was out of our Company.

[1415 Cpl. Alfred Afford]

6th May 1915. We had no cases this day. We were relieved by the 8ths at night getting home about 2 a.m. The casualty list up to date for 6th Battalion was 25 killed and 53 wounded admitted into hospital. This did not include those slightly wounded.

[2381 Pte. George Potter Bagshaw]

May 6th. Nice day again. Our artillery fairly active & also grenade throwing on both sides. Lot of rifle fire about 11 p.m. when 8th came in to relief us, one of their officers being wounded. Soup at Locre.

[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]

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George Potter’s record of men killed includes 2 men who died of the wounds at the base hospital (which aren to included in the War Diary record). The number of wounded is also slightly higher that the War Diary.

On this day 5th May 1915

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Just after 6pm on May 5th the Battalion suffered the single largest number of casualties to date. Blockhouse S4A, which was about 200 yards behind the front line trenches, was being garrisoned by Lieutenant Victor Robinson and 13 men of “A” Company, a machine gun section of 1 sergeant and 4 men and a Battalion signaller, when it was hit by a “Jack Johnson”.

Eight men were killed outright and another 8 were wounded, whilst Victor Robinson and 3 men were buried in the debris. See here for more details.Vickers crew

The War Diary does not recored this event.

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Locre night of 5/6th: Band played 7th Canadian Battalion of 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade on passing through LOCRE on way from YPRES to BAILLEUL.

  • Appendix I. Letter from Major Victor ODLUM Commanding 7th Canadians.
  • Appendix II. Daily Telegraph 18th May.

War Diary [WO/95/2694]. 

Appendix I May 1915Daily Telegraph May 1915

 

On this day 4th May 1915

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

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 4th May 1915. Things went on as usual until night when three wounded men had to be fetched. Leonard went to base.

[2381 Pte. George Potter Bagshaw]

May 4th. Felt beastly wet at stand down. More rain about 6 p.m. but nice during day. Things fairly quiet but Neale and Bright wounded.

[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]

4th Trench Duty 2nd-6th May 1915

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Kemmel 2.5.15: Returned to G & H Trenches for four days. Casualties: 8 OR killed 15 OR wounded (1 subsequently died).

War Diary [WO/95/2694].

See here for more details.

All 15 men wounded during this trench duty have been positively identified.

  • 2965 Pte George Neale
  • 1336 Pte Ernest Edniboro
  • 2423 Pte Richard Peacock
  • 1411 Pte John Bright
  • 1514 Pte George Thompson
  • 3123 Pte Percy Oxford
  • 1311 Pte Ralph Kettle
  • 723 Pte Francis Lang
  • 1125 Pte George Woodroffe
  • 1527 Pte Frederick Smith
  • 1678 Pte Chris Blankley
  • 2111 Pte George Nadin
  • 2373 Pte Robert Ward
  • 1620 Pte David Clough
  • 2372 Pte Benjamin Bagshaw
  • 3091 Pte William Rushton

On this day 1st May 1915

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

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MAY DAY Did nothing.

[1415 Cpl. Alfred Afford]

 

 1st May 1915. Everything went on as usual until night when a fatigue party went out. I went out with them. There was one man wounded out of D Company. We arrived back about 2-30 a.m.

[2381 Pte. George Potter Bagshaw]

 

May 1st. Rose at 8-30. Bayonet practice in shirt sleeves 11-30 to 12. Foot inspn 1 p.m. Grand day again. Paid again after tea (10 francs).

[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]

 

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The wounded man was 1840 Pte. WIlliam Webster a groom from Wirksworth who enlisted in April 1913. He suffered a shell wound in left thigh and admitted to 1st NMFA and 11 General Hospital. Transferred to England on ‘HMHS St Patrick’ on the 5th May he later served with Labour Corps.

1840 Websterhmhs_st_patrick_will_jeneway1916

 

On this day 29th April 1915

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Locre 29.4.15: Relieved by 8th Battalion & returned to rest billets. Casualties on working party and fatigues other ranks killed 1 wounded 6.

War Diary [WO/95/2694].

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29th April 1915. We got up about dinner time and then all the men went to Bailleul for a bath.

[2381 Pte. George Potter Bagshaw]

Apr 29th. Rose about 1 p.m. Went digging drains at night. Very nice day again. Parcel from home arrived.

[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]

On this day 28th April 1915

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

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We were relieved by our 5th Battalion on APRIL 28th and went for a bath down to Bailleul on APRIL 29th.

[1415 Cpl. Alfred Afford]

28th April 1915. We went through the same routine until night when a bearer party had to fetch Sergeant Waterhouse who had been shot through the shoulder and had entered his body. The 8th relieved us this night and we left the dressing station for Locre about 1 o’clock.

[2381 Pte. George Potter Bagshaw]

Apr 28th. Very nice day again, & quiet except for a few shells about 9 a.m. Came out about 11 p.m. & relieved by 8th S.F. Hot soup again at Locre.

[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]

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401 Waterhouse401 James Alfred Waterhouse

3rd Trench duty 24th-29th April 1915

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KEMMEL 24.4.15: Returned to trenches for 4 days.

Killed 2 other ranks.

Wounded Lt J Tolsen & 13 other ranks.

War Diary [WO/95/2694].

See here for more details.Hibbert_Sharp

 

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24th April 1915. There were the usual inspections during the day and then we fell in at 7-30 to go to the trenches. When we arrived at Kemmel we got the awful news that the 8ths had been heavily shelled by a trench Howitzer and there were about 28 men buried, as near as they could tell. All the stretcher bearers of 6th and 8ths with 30 R.A.M.C. men had to go to help to bring them out. That night we got seven men dead and fourteen wounded. We all stayed at the dressing station and went to bed about 4-30 a.m. tired out and wet through for it had rained all night.

[2381 Pte. George Potter Bagshaw]