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Click Saturday 1st July
Examination 9 to 12 noon at Signal School. Flags and helio at 2 pm. Wrote letters in the evening.
BWD: Battalion in billets. Parades under Company arrangements. Carrying and working parties provided. Reinforcements: 25 Ordinary Ranks.
Sunday 2nd July
Medical inspection at 10 am. In afternoon went with Phillips to see Battalion which is at ESTREE CAUNCHY. With Burningham all afternoon and returned to billets at 8.30 pm. British advance began yesterday and from Gommecourt to the River Somme, we have advanced to a considerable depth and taken 2500 prisoners. The French have advanced South of the Somme and taken 3500. Germans counter-attacked 4.30 am.
BWD: Battalion in billets. Divine Service Parades. Working and carrying parties parties provided.
Monday 3rd July
Parcel from home. Letter from Bella Dick. 10 am Communicator and exercise on Buzzer. In evening writing letters to Gerty and FMR.
BWD: Battalion in billets. Parades under Company arrangements. Reinforcements I Officer.
Friday 4th July
10 am Aero lamps and flags. 2 pm Wiring in office and telephone exchange. Letter to Flo, sent postcards home.
BWD: Battalion in billets. Parades under Company arrangements. Carrying and working parties provided.
Wednesday 5th July
Letter from Gerty. 10 am Cable Cart. 2 pm Fullerphone. Wrote to Mais and Bella Dick. Communique: French capture 9000 prisoners and 50 guns.
BWD: Battalion relieved 1st Kings Regiment on night of 5th - 6th July in BERTHONVAL RIGHT SUB-SECTION (front line).
Thursday 6th July
10 am wiring. 2 pm Flags. Believe Battalion in line. Exam results 165/210.
BWD: Battalion in trenches. BERTHONVAL RIGHT SUB-SECTION (front line.
Friday 7th July
10 am Air line work 2pm Communicator. Wrote to Meg.
BWD: Battalion in trenches. BERTHONVAL RIGHT SUB-SECTION (front line.
Saturday 8th July
Letter from Mais. 10 am Buzzer 2 pm Flags and helio.
BWD: Battalion in trenches. BERTHONVAL RIGHT SUB-SECTION (front line).
Sunday 9th July
At Bruay in afternoon. Very pleasant day.
BWD: Battalion relieved 1st Royal Berks in BERTHONVAL RIGHT SUB-SECTION (support line).
Monday 10th July to Saturday 15th July
Ordinary week. On Saturday forenoon final exam.
BWD: 10th July to 12th July Battalion in trenches. BERTHONVAL RIGHT SUB-SECTION (support line).
13th July: Battalion relieved 1st KRRC in BERTHONVAL RIGHT SUB-SCTION (front line)
14th July: Battalion in trenches. BERTHONVAL RIGHT SUB-SECTION (front line)and took over 22nd Royal Fusiliers one Company front in LEFT SUB-SECTION.
15th July: Battalion relieved by 15th COUNTY of LONDON (TERRITORIAL) REGT and proceeded to billets at CAMBLAIN L'ABBE on night of 15th - 16th July.
Sunday 16th July
Concert in afternoon. Very good.
BWD: Battalion moved to billets at ESTREE CAUCHIE.
Monday 17th July
10 am Flags. 2 pm Buzzer. Letter from Meg.
BWD: Battalion in billets. Parades under Company arrangements.
Tuesday 18th July
10 am Lamps test. 2 pm Baths. Wrote home in the evening. Exam results 175/218.
BWD: Battalion marched to DIEVAL.
Wednesday 19th July
Left School to rejoin Battalion.
Rates of receiving on 19th July 1916
Buzzer { Sending 25 words per minute
{ Recognized 26.8 '' '' ''
Flags (small) 10 '' '' ''
Heliograph 10 '' '' ''
Lamp 10 '' '' ''
Shutter 10 '' '' ''
Buzzer {Sending 20 Block Caps ''
{Recognized 20 '' '' ''
BWD: Battalion in billets at DIEVAL. Parades under Company arrangements.
Thursday 20th July
Marched from DIEVAL to MORLANCOURT on the River Somme. Passed though AMIENS by train.
BWD: Battalion moved to billets at MORLANCOURT. March route, Dieval to Dieval Station. Train route, Dieval to Longeau. March route, Longeau to Morlancourt.
Friday 21st July
On reconnaissance in FRICOURT and BRAY. In German lines which have been recaptured.
BWD: Battalion in billets at MORLANCOURT. Parades under Company arrangements.
Saturday 22nd July
Inspection by General Kellett. Still at Morlancourt. No letters from home.
BWD: Battalion in billets at MORLANCOURT. Parades under Company arrangements. Inspection by G. O. C. 99th Infantry Brigade.
Sunday 23rd July
Marched to open bivouac near MEAULTE. Slept in the open through the night. Opened Communication with Brigade with visual. Can see ALBERT plainly. See ruined church with Madonna over top.
BWD: Other parades under Company arrangements. Reinforcements of 4 Officers. Battalion marched to Sand Pit Valley and bivouacked.
Monday 24th July
Still in bivouac. Left bivouac and marched to MONTUABAN which is a thoroughly ruined village well within old German line. Dug in on roadside between MONTUABAN and LONGUEVAL.
BWD: Battalion moved to Bernafray Wood and occupied Montauban Alley Trench.
Tuesday 25th July
Dug larger shelters. Bivouac on side of BERNAFAY WOOD. Walked around B.W and TRONES WOOD. At night enemy sent over over lachrymatory and gas shells.
BWD: Battalion at Bernafray Wood.
Wednesday 26th July
In bivouac all day. More gas at night. Left at 11 pm for DEVILLE WOOD passing through LONGUEVAL.
BWD: Battalion moved up to Delville Wood and occupied South Street and Front Line falling North from Campbell Street (exclusive) Westwards. Reinforcements of 2 Officers.
Thursday 27th July
At 7.10 am the artillery barrage lifted and B & D Companies went over and took the German 1st trench. Five minutes later A & C went over passing through B & D took 2nd trench. Germans continued very heavy bombardment all day and night. We took 3 Officers and 150 men prisoners. Casualties not known but not too great.
BWD: Attack on Delville Wood.
05:00 am : Artillery Bombardment on our Left Command.
06:10 am : Our Artillery Barrage commenced. Our first wave “B & D” Companies formed up in front of existing trenches.
07:10 am : Artillery Barrage lifted to line marked Red in annexed Map and North of it. Our first wave assaulted the Princes Street Line and took it without much resistance. Meanwhile our second wave “A & C” Companies occupied the line vacated by the first wave.
07:19 am : Message was received from Officer Commanding “B” Company that Waterford ( i.e Princes Street Line) was reached and consolidation was proceeding.
07:40 am : Barrage lifted and second wave passed through the first to line marked Red on map.
08:10 am : Barrage lifted to line marked Blue and second wave advanced to assault final objective, line marked Green and clear the Wood.
08:30 am : Advance was reported to be held up by having Machine Gun fire from Redoubt on our left. 2 Lewis Guns were sent up and these in conjunction the Bombers captured the Redoubt, putting 2 Machine Guns out of action and turning a third on the retreating enemy.
09:46 am : Second wave was reported to at final objective and consolidation was proceeding.
11:00 am : Report was received from 1st K R R C that their right was being bombed; “B” Company Bombers and a Lewis Gun was sent to assist.
3:30 pm : Report of a strong counter attack was received from the Battalion on our right (1st KRRC) and this was successfully dealt with by them assisted by our Bombers.
7:00 pm: 1st South Staffs relieved our Companies and these returned to the positions occupied before the attack.
From 11 am the enemy artillery heavily bombarded the whole of the Wood until midnight and this bombardment was responsible for the bulk of our casualties. We captured 6 Machine Guns. Over 160 Prisoners passed through the Cages, captured partly by ourselves, partly by the 1st KRRC and a few by the Division on our Left.
Our Casualties were:
5 Officers Killed
7 Officers Wounded
51 Ordinary Ranks Killed
225 Ordinary Ranks Wounded
In the following pages the real touch is introduced. Every incident is told by a man who has actually seen and experienced what he describes. These incidents are in the actual words of the writers.
Here, then, is the story of the capture of Delville Wood by the 1st Sportsman's Battalion in 1916, told by Major N.A. Lewis, D.S.O., M.C. Nothing is altered.:
"For two days before the fight the Battalion occupied some trenches near Bernafay Wood, and sustained a number of casualties from shell-fire. Battalion headquarters was a shelter dug in a bank at the side of Bernafay Wood. This shelter was constructed by Albany, the sculler, and as he was killed in the fight it was his last job as dug-out constructor. Needless to say, he did this job excellently.
"For some hours before the Battalion moved off to take up its position, the Huns shelled the area with gas shells. Fortunately, however, just before 11 p.m., the time for starting, a breeze sprang up, and we were able to move without wearing gas masks.
"The move up was not pleasant. The area had been much fought over, it had been impossible to bury the dead for ten days, and it was a hot July!
"Our artillery was firing to cover our move up. Just after passing Longueval one of our shells dropped, unfortunately, near the platoon which, with the C.O., I was following. As luck would have it, though, only one man was badly wounded. The platoon, of course, went on, and the C.O. went over to the man who had been hit.
"'It's hard lines, sir,' said the man.
"'I know it is,' said the C.O., 'but you will soon be all right. The stretcher-bearers are coming.'
"'Oh, it's not that,' was the man's rejoinder. 'It's being hit now! Here have I been all this time in France without having a real go at the b——s, and now the chance has come, here I go and get knocked out.'
"The C.O. made only one remark to me as we passed on. It was: 'Well, if that's what the rest of the Battalion feels, I have no fears for to-morrow.'
"We took up our position in a trench at the edge of the wood. This was all that remained after the South Africans had been beaten back, and our attack was to start at dawn on the following morning. This attack was in two parts, two companies to take the first objective, a trench in the centre of the wood, and two companies to capture the far edge, and dig themselves in there. The 1/60th were on our right, each battalion having half the wood allotted to it.
"The waves formed up in position shortly before dawn, and it was our first experience of going over the top as a battalion. The men, however, were quite cool and cheerful; in fact, one, named Lewis Turner, asked me, 'How long to go?' I looked at my watch, and said, 'Five minutes.' His reply was, 'Oh, then I've time to finish my breakfast.' And he did.
"At zero our barrage started, and our first waves were off, the thing I noticed most being that most of the men were smoking as they went over. The whole wood was immediately full of machine-gun bullets. There must have been hundreds of machine guns—up in trees, hidden in the undergrowth, in fact all over the place. The Hun artillery came down on all the approaches to the wood, but not on the wood itself so long as any of their own men were in it.
"Owing to the position of the wood, however, at the apex of a captured triangle of ground, we received fire from both flanks, and also from our right rear, as well as from the front.
"The first objective was quickly taken, and then there was a pause before the advance to the second. A large number of prisoners came in, and were herded up near Battalion headquarters' trench. We then found that we were up against the Brandenburg Regiment, which had been specially sent up to hold the wood.
"A number of these prisoners next got into a shell-hole near Battalion headquarters, refusing to come farther, and one of the funniest sights was to see our R.S.M., Sergeant-Major Powney, who, as a rule, was most dignified, rush at them, and kick and cuff them out of it.
"I said to him: 'Sergeant-Major, that's not your job.' He replied: 'I know that, sir, but I couldn't help it.' Poor Powney was wounded later in the day, and died of his wounds.
"The advance to the second objective started promptly, but the Hun fought hard for a time, and held us up. Every bush seemed to contain a machine gun, and a redoubt on our left front caused us many casualties. This redoubt contained several machine guns, with overhead cover, and a first-aid post. As soon as the C.O. received news of this check he sent up two reserve Lewis guns. These worked round the redoubt, and, finding an opening, killed most of the garrison, and then rushed it. The survivors fled, but Sergeant Royston found one of their own guns was still in action, and finished them off with it.
"Dealing with Counter-Attacks.—The final objective was quickly reached and consolidated, and for a while our men had a pleasant time dealing with counter-attacks from the front. The field of fire was good, and they quickly dealt with all the attempts made to push us back. Our casualties, though, were very heavy, particularly amongst officers. At one time 'A' Company was commanded by Lance-Corporal Goodman, and another company by a C.S.M.
"Then the Hun artillery got busy on the wood, which was, of course, an ideal mark. For the rest of the day they simply poured heavy shells in. It was pretty terrible. Trees were torn up by the dozens, and fell blazing. By the end of the day there was nothing but shattered stumps.
"The Medical Officer had a busy time, and owing to the barrage could not evacuate his wounded. The aid post was filled, and the overflow had to be put in shell-holes round about. The consequence was that many of them were killed as they lay there. Owing to the barrage, too, the sending of messages back to Brigade headquarters and the companies in front became almost impossible. Out of sixteen headquarter runners no fewer than fourteen became casualties before mid-day.
"One message was sent back by carrier pigeon, and a message received from the Brigadier read: 'Hold on. Reinforcements are being sent.' The reply of the C.O. was: 'Of course we shall hold on. We are being hammered, but our tails are still up.'
"As the day wore on many efforts were made to get round our flanks and turn us out. Bombing parties crept up, and had to be dealt with by our bombers. It was in one of these tussles that Jerry Delany (the famous boxer) was killed.
"At one time word came from our comrades on the right that the Hun had broken through. So we sent over a party to their assistance, and finally repelled the attackers. We spent the whole of the afternoon and evening in this way, but when our relief came up that night we handed over the wood intact.
"The scene at night was awful, the wood being ablaze in many places. I read messages and wrote out the relief orders by the light of a blazing tree, which had fallen across the shell-hole then being occupied by Battalion headquarters.
"During the night our Brigadier came up and held a conference in our shell-hole. One of our men, Corporal Walker, who was attached to the Brigade Machine-Gun Company, came to this conference, and when asked by the Brigadier what he wanted, replied: 'I have reason to believe, sir, I now command the Machine-Gun Company.' This was actually the case, and he brought the remnants out, being badly wounded in doing so.
"We were relieved by the 6th Brigade, and at dawn returned to our quarters at Bernafay—that is to say, those of us who were left. Our casualties were nearly 400, over 60 per cent, of those who went in. Out of eighteen officers who went into the wood, thirteen became casualties, every company commander being included in this number, while the 1/60th suffered equally heavily.
"As I was making out our casualty return in our headquarters' shell-hole by the light of the blazing trees, our Quartermaster appeared with the rations. He threw a newspaper down to me, with the remark: 'You'll find something interesting in that.' I opened the paper, and found a full column describing how the South Africans took Delville Wood!
"When we were moving back into support, I noticed a horrible smell, and found it was due to the fact that almost every man was smoking a Hun cigar, large quantities of which had been found in the trenches, together with large quantities of soda-water.
"One of the Hun officer prisoners remarked that our advance through the wood was the finest thing they ever saw, but that he objected to being captured by civilians."
Friday 28th July
Relieved about 10 am by the Stafford's. Marched back to BERNAFRAY WOOD and then onto trenches behind MONTAUBAN.
BWD: Reinforcements of 2 Officers. At 5 am the Battalion left Delville Wood and moved back to the position occupied before the attack at Bernafray Wood. Later in the day the Battalion moved back to Bund Support Trench. Reinforcements of 65 men.
Saturday 29th July
Still in trench, Nothing of importance.
BWD: Battalion in Bund Support Trench. Reinforcements of 70 men.
Sunday 30th July
Found out definitely that Burningham, Pearce, Farr, Keist, Gladwell, Saunders Chambers are wounded. Martin and Page are suffering from shell-shock. Mr Bull wounded.
BWD: Battalion in Bund Support Trench. .
Monday 31st July- Tuesday 1st August.
Still in same place. Moved in afternoon of 1st August to trenches in front of Montauban.
BWD: Battalion in Bund Support Trench. 2 Companies to Longueval Alley, 2 Companies to Montuaban Alley. Reinforcements of 72 Ordinary ranks arrived.
Wednesday 2nd August
Still in trenches.
Thursday 3rd August
Moved back to billets and dugouts near Montauban.
BWD: Relieved by 1st KRRC and proceeded to MANSEL COPSE ( THE CITADEL) and bivouacked there. 2 Companies left in MONTUABAN (C & D Coys) and stayed until 8th August.
Friday 4th August to Monday 7th August
Left there and marched back behind CARNOY. Stayed here until Tuesday.
Tuesday 8th August to Thursday 10th August
Moved back to next valley in front of MEAULTE. Stayed here until Friday.
BWD: Battalion left CITADEL and proceeded to bivouac in SAND PIT VALLEY (overlooking ALBERT).
Friday 11th August
Moved to MERICOURT L'ABBE.
BWD: Left SAND PIT VALLEY for MERICOURT L'ABBE.
Saturday 12th August
Signal parade in forenoon. Bathed in the River Ancre.
Sunday 13th August
Reveille 1.30 am. Orders cancelled and didn't move until 6.30. Entrained at station and came out at SALEUX past AMIENS. There we got auto motors and going through AMIENS we came to FREMONT.
BWD: Left MERICOURT at 4.30 am for FREMONT (passing through AMIENS).
Monday 14th August
Signal parade in forenoon. Very quiet village with about 10 inhabitants.
Tuesday 15th August
Still in Fremont. Signal parade as usual.
BWD: 3 Officers (reinforcements) arrived. (2nd Lt's Austin, Morris and Truman)
Wednesday 16th August
Marched to NAOURS. Fairly big village.
BWD: Left FREMONT for NAOURS.
Thursday 17th August
Moved again to BERNEVILLE.
BWD: Left NAOURS for LONGUEVILLETTE.
Friday 18th August
Marched to AUTHIE which is about 10 kms behind the line opposite GOMMECOURT.
BWD: Left LONGUEVILLETTE for AUTHIE.
Saturday 19th August
Rest day
Sunday 20th August
Marched to BUS
BWD: Left AUTHIE for BUS-LES-ARTOIS.
Monday 21st August
Relieved Guards Division in trenches.
BWD: 8 am Relieved 1st COLDSTREAM GUARDS in HEBETUNE SOUTH Sub-sector.
Tuesday 22nd Wednesday 23rd Thursday 24th August
In trenches. Nothing of much importance. Quiet part of line.
Friday 25th August
Moved out of trenches to bivouacs behind SAILLY. Feeling very run down.
BWD: Relieved by 1st Battalion KRRC – to bivouac just behind SAILLY-AU-BOIS.
Saturday 26th August
Resting in bivouacs.
Sunday 27th August
No Church Service. Weather very broken.
Monday 28th August
Still in bivouacs. Still broken weather.
Tuesday 29th August
Moved into same sector of trenches.
BWD: Relieved 1st Battalion KRRC in HEBETUNE SOUTH Sub-sector for 6 days.
Wednesday 30th August
Round lines. All quiet. Very wet and muddy.
Thursday 31st August
Better weather. Lines much better than yesterday. Parcel from home.
Friday 1st September 1916
Dry. Quiet day except for slight trench mortar activity. Heavy bombardment on our right.
Saturday 2nd September
Usual day. Shelling continues on our right.
Sunday 3rd September
At 4 pm enemy commenced to shell our batteries with gas shells and continued until 5.30. Recommenced at 12 midnight and shelled incessantly till 4 am. No aftermath – probably Fritz has 'wind-up'.
Monday 4th September
Relieved by 60th Battalion in forenoon. Marched to bivouacs near Couin.
BWD: Relieved in Hebetune Sub-Sector by 1st KRRC. To reserve bivouacs at Couin.
Tuesday 5th September
Letter and parcel from home. Wet weather again and camp in dirty condition. Four signallers rejoin us from base.
Wednesday 6th September
Battalion Sports. Very good but most of the entertainment seems to be for [entry crossed out but looks like Sergeants]
Thursday 7th September
Signallers parade in forenoon. Tried to get into Divisional Theatre in evening but all full up.
Friday 8th September
Theatre at night – very good.
BWD: 5 Other ranks reinforcements.
Saturday 9th September
Shooting in afternoon. Beat Orderlies. Score 11/13.
Sunday 10th September to Wednesday 20th September
Back to same sector. In Hebuterne sector until 20th September
BWD: Relieved 1st KRRC.
BWD for the period to 20th September
11th September : 5 Ordinary ranks received
12th September: 1 Ordinary rank received.
16th September: Relieved by 1st KRRC but left “D” Company in part of Grosvenor and 2 platoons “B” Company in Pellissier. Remainder of Battalion to bivouacs at the Dell. 5 Officers joined for duty; 2nd Lt C Carpenter, 2nd Lt H A Nicholson, 2nd Lt E N Kentfield, 2nd Lt G Storey, 2nd Lt H E Pollard.
19th September: Brigade relieved - “D” Company and 2 platoons “B” Company rejoined Battalion.
Wednesday 20th to Saturday 30th September
On rest in AUTHIE
BWD for this period.
20th September: Marched from the “Dell” to Authie for training.
21st September: One Officer rejoined from Hospital (2nd Lt F G Bull).
25th September: On Short notice.
26th September: One Officer rejoined from Hospital, Lieutenant R O Jordain. 8 Other ranks reinforcements.
28th September: 8 Other ranks reinforcements.
29th September: 4 Other ranks reinforcements.
30th September: Left Authie to huts at Coigneux.
here to edit.