| Regiment | 1st Wiltshire |
|---|---|
| Location | France, Noote Boom |
| Entry | Practically the whole of A Coy was required for working parties in the neighbourhood of BAILLEUL: C Coy, the Snipers and Scouts, and a few of D Coy carried out a practice of the Trench Attack on the Bde Training Area. [signed] A E Williams Lieut Colonel Commanding 1st Wilts Regt 31.3.1917 [Attached to 1st Wilts Diary is a personal diary] A Few Notes of Events During my Stay With 1st Battn from April 17th - 16th November. 21st April Joined Battn at Neuve Eglise 30th Moved to Fletre (10 mile march) 1 - 3rd May Training etc. 4th To Sercus 5th To Esquerdes (14 mile march) 6th - 17th Training etc. Battn & Bde Demonstrations. 15th May Battn photo taken. 18th May Back to Sercus. 19th May To Strazelle 8.55am arrived 1pm. 20th May To Ravelsberg. Bivouac & Tents. 21 - 24th To Ravelsberg. Training. 25 - 31st To trenches 4am. Capt Russell hit on 29th. Heavy shelling. 31st Returned to Bivouac 1st - 5th June In Bivouac. Big raid on 30th, 118 men purpose of getting identification previous to Battle of Messines. (failed) GOCs inspection on the 5th. Another raid, (Successful) 6th To assembly trenches 8pm. 7th Attack on Messines Ridge. Zero 3.10, reached objective without heavy casualties. 8th Hun counter attack failed. (11pm) 9th Took over front line from Australians. Very unpleasant (sniping and shelling) took 2 hours to take over. 10th Very misty, plenty of shells etc. 11th Relieved by Yorks & Lancs. 12th To Bivouac. Wulvergem. 13 - 21st Rest, furnishing fatigue parties etc. Digging trenches etc at Messines. 22nd June To Ravelsberg Camp. 23rd Ravelsberg parade at 8.30pm. Moving Camp 24th March to Lemotte 15 miles, arrived 2.30am. Paraded 8.30, moving camp. 25th Reached St Venant 2am. Parade 9 - 10pm. Move Camp 26th Reached Nedonchelle 3am. - parade 10pm. Move Camp 27th Reached Delette 3.30am. 28th Interview with Corps Commander at Coyecque. 29 - 5th July Training etc and sports. 6th Move to Steinbecque by bus. 7th Move to Dominion camp near Poperinghe, by bus. 8th 250 men to Pioneer Camp (Working parties) 9th To Ypres. (most) B & C Coys. 10th Enemy Artillery action. 11th Officers and NCOs to visit trenches. Heavy bombardment. 12th Artillery active on both sides, plenty of mustard gas, several gassed. 13th A & D Coys move back to Pioneer Camp replace B & C Details. Working parties under RE & Durham Labour Bn. 14th Lieut Stribley [?] hilt. Camp heavily shelled, bivouac blown up, but luckily men were out at work. Very wet, men drenched. 15th To Ramparts Relieve Cheshires. 16th Working parties. 17th Enormous number gas shells, many men rendered blind (temp) moved forward to support trenches. 18th Cheshires raided, not prisoners. Heavy retaliation. 19th Usual strafe. C Coy relieved. Work on Barly trench. 20th We sent gas over at 2am. Relieved by B Coy Cheshire 6.30pm. Heavy bombardment of Ypres. 21st Same old strafe night and day. Working parties. 22nd Relieved by W Yorks returned to Dominion Camp. 23rd Rest. Met officers 2nd Bn. Had tea together. 24th Move to Renengheldst! 25th GOCs Inspection. 26th Huns bombing Camp 10pm. 27 - 29th July Training. 30th Move forward to Belgium Chateau. 31st Zero 3.45. Attack on West Hoek Ridges etc failed to reach Black Line. Move to Halfway House. 1st August To Westhoek Raiddge, most awful place. No front line or trenches. 2nd Strafed all day. Hun planes very low. 3rd '' 4th '' 5th Relieved by RIR. Counter attack on right failed. Moved to Halifax Camp. Lieut Wood Killed. Lieut Filor wounded. 6th Rest and concert. 7th '' 8th - 9th Move to Ypres moat. 10th Halfway House. 11th Aug Support on Bellewarde Ridge. CSM Aster [?] Killed. Heavy shelling. 12th Attack on xxxx wood not pressed. Heavy barrage at 3am. (No attack) My Coy moved forward to support Worcesters 3am. Awful country to cross and under heavy fire, lost many men. 13th Relieved by 7th Middlesex, march to Steinvorde. 14th Rest. Draft joined. Gen Griffen took Command of the Bde. 15th & 16th Training. 17th GOCs visited Battn. 18th Preparing to move. 19th To Dominion Camp. Bombed at 10pm. 20th Bombed. Lieut Hilling hit badly. 21st St Steinvorde. 24th - 28th Training. 29th Orders to move. 30th To trenches Clapham Junction. 1st & 2ndSept Details to Krilam [sp?] 3rd Cross Country Race. Result 1st Worcesters, 2nd Wilts, 3rd Wilts. 4th Route march 10 miles. 5th & 6th Training. 7th Orders to move. 8th To Wippenhoek. 9th Camp. 10th Move to Castre. 11th Move to Steenbeke. 12th To Lozinghem, 15 miles. 13th - 22nd Training, house to house fighting etc. 23rd Trip to Letreport for 4 Coy Cmdrs, Hayward, Wood, Reader, Gingell. Car provided by GHQ. Good time. (Ask Hayward) 24th - 25th Training. 26th Div Sports. 27th - 3rd Oct Training etc. 4th Move to Bethune. 5th Visited trenches Fire Sector 7pm. 6th - 10th Working parties. 11th Relieved Cheshires left sector. 12th - 16th Trenches. 17th Relieved by Cheshires returned to billets in Gore. 18th - 22nd Rested etc. 23rd - 28th Relieved Cheshires 29th - 3rd Nov Support Windy Corner. 4th - 7th Trenches Relieve Cheshires. 8th LEAVE TO ENGLAND 12th RECALLED 16th To 8th S F 2nd in Command FINIS [initials] ? Gillson 16.11.1917 |
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