War Diary – December 1914

In August 1914 the 1st Battalion was in Londonderry, Ireland. At the outbreak of War it became part of 15th Brigade, 5th Division.  The War Diary was begun on the day War was declared, 4th August 1914, and is transposed below as written at the time by the C.O.

Key:       Bde. = Brigade;  Bn. = Battalion;   Coy. = Company

…. Casualties for that day

Date	Details of Entry	Notes
	To be summed up, Dec 1st – 7th Corps Troops at BAILLEUL:        1 + 64 joined Dec 6th.
1st	BAILLEUL Battalion in billets. Parades, drill & Musketry instruction
2nd	Battalion in billets. Parades, drill & Musketry instruction. Received news that Lt. Elliott & 2/Lt. Atkinson had been given D.S.O.
3rd	Battalion paraded & was received by H.M. King George V.
4th	Battalion in billets. Parades, drill & Musketry instruction.
5th	Battalion in billets. Parades, drill & Musketry instruction.
6th	Battalion paraded for divine service Reinforcements of 64 N.C.O.s & men under 2/Lt. Vance arrived.
7th	Battalion in billets. Parades, drill & Musketry instruction.
8th	Battalion marched from Bailleul to DRANOUTRE & formed Brigade Reserve. DRANOUTRE
9th	Battalion inspected by Brigadr. Gen. Count Gleichen, K.C.V.O., etc
10th	Batt. Marched from Dranoutre to St Jans Cappel (Brigade in Divn. Reserve) ST. JANS CAPPEL
11th	Battalion in billets. Route march. Capt. W Martin Leake (Res. Off.) joined in.
12th	Bn. in billets. Route march.
13th	Bn. paraded for divine service.
14th	Bn. marched to DRANOUTRE in reserve. Returned to billets 1½ miles E. of BAILLEUL.
15th	Bn. Parade.
16th	Bn. Parade.
17th	Bn. parades morning. Marched to NEUVE EGLISE ½ Bn. in trenches.
18th	NEUVE EGLISE ‘A’ & ‘C’ Coys in trenches, H.Qtrs. & ‘B’ & ‘D’ Coys in billets Party of 5th Bn. Cheshire Regt. (Territorials) accompanied Bn. in trenches.
19th	‘B’ & ‘D’ Coys in trenches at WULVERGHAN. ‘A’ & ‘C’ Coys in billets.
20th	‘B’ & ‘D’ Coys in trenches at WULVERGHAN. ‘A’ & ‘C’ Coys in billets.
21st	‘A’ & ‘C’ Coys in trenches at WULVERGHAN. ‘B’ & ‘D’ Coys in billets.  3 men wounded.
22nd	‘A’ & ‘C’ Coys in trenches at WULVERGHAN. ‘B’ & ‘D’ Coys in billets.
23rd	‘B’ & ‘D’ Coys in trenches at WULVERGHAN. ‘A’ & ‘C’ Coys in billets.
24th	‘B’ & ‘D’ Coys in trenches at WULVERGHAN. ‘A’ & ‘C’ Coys in billets.   Capt. Lloyd, Lt. Mares, 2/Lt. Hazeon, 2/Lt. Rhodes & 2/Lt. Michener & 444 N.C.O.s & men joined from England. 1 man wounded.
25th	Brigadr. Gen. Count Gleichen, K.C.V.O., etc. inspected draft.   Their Majesties Presents & Xmas Card issued.   Bn. in trenches at WULVERGHAN
26th	Bn. in trenches at WULVERGHAN.
27th	Bn. in trenches at WULVERGHAN.
28th	Bn. in trenches at WULVERGHAN.
29th	BAILLEUL Bn. in billets at BAILLEUL. (Marched in from WOLVERGHAN).
30th	Bn. in billets at BAILLEUL.
31st	Bn. in billets at BAILLEUL. Went for a route march.   J. A. BUSFIELD, Capt.

the 1st Battalion in action during December 1914.

 

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