Home of the Infantry Regiments of Berkshire and Wiltshire
War Diary
Detail
1915-11-22
| Regiment | 8th Royal Berkshire |
|---|---|
| Location | France, NOEUX-LES-MINES |
| Entry | 4:0PM: The C.O. lectured the Platoon Commanders and Platoon Sergeants on Trench Discipline. The C.O. emphasized the heavy responsibility that lay on a battalion that had done so brilliantly, lost so heavily and had had its ranks filled by inexperienced junior NCOs and men. He pointed out that the strictest discipline would be necessary to cope with the difficulties arising from the state of affairs, and observed that Officers and senior NCOs would, for a time at any rate, have to supervise their juniors work much more thoroughly than would be necessary normally. Among several interesting suggestions were: I. That rifles should be cleaned and inspected during the morning stand-to-arms; II. That platoons should be divided into groups of six men, of whom 2 would be on sentry (at night), 2 resting, 2 at work. A man would be on sentry for an hour, would then do an hour's work, after which he would take off his boots in a dug-out kept for this purpose, would, put on a pair of dry socks, and sleep for the remainder of the hour. By this means would be obviated any notion on the part of the men that they were being taken hap-hazard, and all would know, more or less, when their turn would come. 2nd Lieut F.D. PHILLIPS joined the regiment and is taken on the strength of the battalion. |
