| Regiment | 5th Royal Berkshire |
|---|---|
| Location | France, In the Trenches |
| Entry | Germans "Crumps " in Epinette at NOON and again 2.30p.m B Coy 7a.m. shelled men removed in time. Relief began at 4.30p.m half hour late. Relief completed by 7.30p.m Norfolks returned to Le Touret. Essex relieved us in Epinette and Suffolks relieved Essex and became Right battn D Coy Right Coy C Left Coy A in support in Richmond trench. 1 wounded B in Reserve in Old British Line with Battn Head Quarters [next two pages in war diary are hand drawn maps of area] Owing to the quantity of water about and the damaged condition of our present Front Line it is divided up into Islands posts. The right Battalion has 16 Islands. The Right Coy of Left Battn has No's 17 to 25 and the left Coy 26 to 36. The men are relieved every night as a rule but some like to stay 48 hours. All men in the 3 Front Companies were issued with long Gum Boots owing to the quantity of water about. Reliefs could only take place at night and No one could move out during the day in the two Front Companies. There were two machine guns with the left Company and two on the right of the battalion. Rations for the Front Line Companies are carried up from Festubert Cross Roads to The Cart by the Company in Reserve from Old British Line. J.H.A [Arbuthnot]. Major |
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