11.10.1915 Fouquereuil: 2/Lt JGJ Hutton joined for duty.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
(Joseph Gilbert Jermyn Hutton)
Oct 11th. Route march in morning and bomb instruction in afternoon again. Another fatigue party for trenches but I was not included again. (carrying bombs). Very nice day. Parcel again.
[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]
8.10.1915 FOUQUEREUIL: Lt TL Darbyshire to hospital sick. Ordered to stand to 7 pm stand down 11pm (counter attack on Guards’ Division).
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Oct 8th. Rose at 8 a.m. Church parade at 9-30 & route march after till 1 p.m. Musketry 2-30 till 3 p.m. Standing by from 6 p.m. onwards. Nice day again.
[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]
6.10.1915 MAZINGARBE: Bn moved to billets at FOUQUEREUIL. 2nd Lt H W Higham joined for duty.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Medal Index Card for Harold Woolf Higham
Oct 6th. Rose about 6-30 a.m. & set off at 8 a.m. Got to Fouquereuil about 1 p.m. Seemed a long way. Cleaned up in afternoon, & had a walk round after tea. Dull day but no rain.
[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]
2403 Pte William Nadin, an engine driver from Buxton, was transferred to England and later served as a loco driver with the 20 Light Railway Company Royal Engineers. William had previously served with 2nd Volunteer Battalion Derbyshire Regiment and reenlisted in September 1914 aged 35.
3.10.1915 FOUQUEREUIL: Battn moved to Billets at HINGES.
4.10.1915 HINGES: Bn (less details) embossed for SAILLY LA BOURSE and from there marched to trenches W of LOOS, where the Bn was employed converting old German trenches.
Casualties:- 1 man killed.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
The man killed was 2549 Pte Albert Smith from Buxton who was serving with C Company. He now has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Loos Memorial.
Wounded was 2026 Pte Harry Bellfield, a printer from Ashbourne, who suffered a shell wound to the right thigh and was transferred to England.
3119 Pte Edward Bennet, a collier from Whaley Bridge, was transfered to England pending discharge due to age.
Oct 2nd. Rose about 11-30 a.m. & had breakfast. Band played in afternoon in market place. Went out about 3 p.m. round the town & had a good tea. Nice town. About six shells dropped on it during morning. 6 French soldiers hurt. Very nice day.
Oct 3rd. Rose about 6 a.m. had breakfast & packed up. Set off from Bethune about 8-30 a.m. and got to Hinges about 11-30 a.m.
Billeted in barns – quite comfortable. Cleaned up in afternoon & had a walk round after tea. Very nice day.
Oct 4th. Rose at 8 a.m. & had breakfast. Rifle inspn 10 a.m. Moved suddenly at 4 p.m. battn to captured trenches (part way in motor buses), but I was left guarding blankets, etc. – nice job. Very nice day. Attd 1st Army Corps.
[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]
Our method of approach to the vicinity was rather unique, about five kilometres on foot and the remainder of the journey to the commencement of the communication trenches just behind Loos, in London Omnibuses, it was a very rough ride, lurching, swaying into shell holes, stopping, starting, avoiding the other transport, and then the picture from the top deck, – remember the old London omnibus of 1914 had no roof, – the rise of the Verey lights over the troubled battle fronts, the flashes of artillery fire, explosions of shells and mortars made a very vivid scene in the darkness from the top of a bus. The snaking of that convoy of buses over the shell torn roads made a remarkable sight.
[2305 Pte Frank Longson]
6.30 pm 1.1.1915 ABEELE: Battn (less transport) entrained for FOUQUEREUIL.
9.30 pm 1.10.1915 FOUQUEREUIL: Detrained and marched inot BETHUNE and billeted in brick barrakcs. Division now joined 1st Amry, 11th Corps, the latter comprising GUARDS and 12th and 46h Divisions under Lt. Gen. Haking CB.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Oct 1st. Got to bivouacs near Ouderdom about 6 a.m. – quite done up. Hot tea then got down & slept till 9-15. After breakfast packed up again. 3 p.m. set off to Abeele (8 miles) station. C. Xley etc. joined us there, & all entrained about 7-15 p.m. Got to Lillers about 9-30 p.m. & detrained. Each drew two blankets and then marched to Bethune (nearly 3 miles). Billeted in French barracks about midnight – fairly comfortable. Nice day.
[3289 Pte George William Beardsley]
3366 Pte. Walter Adkin, a miner from Staveley, died from his wounds and was buried inLIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY. Walter enlisted on the 23rd October 1914 aged 24.
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 