2/6th Battalion war diary February 1918
2/6th Battalion South Staffordshire war diaries
1918
| February | BEAUFORT |
| 1/2/18 | Training continued. Specialist Classes. Tactical Scheme for Signals, Scouts and Staffs. Afternoon – Recreational Training. |
| 2/2/18 | Morning Parades onl;y. |
| 3/2/18 | Church Parades. |
| 4/2/18 | Brigade Route March 8 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. Afternoon – Fitting Small Box Respirators. |
| 5/2/18 | Inspection of Brigade by G.O.C. VIth Corps. Battalion Band played the General Salute. |
| 6/2/18 | Morning Parades and Bathing. Sergeant King H.R. “A” Coy. and Cpl. Bowler H. “C” Coy. awarded Belgian Croix de Guerre for gallantry at Ypres. |
| 7/2/18 | Morning Parades and Bathing. |
| POMMIER | |
| 8/2/18 | Battalion moved by march route to POMMIER. Left Beaufort 8 a.m. arriving Pommier 12 noon. Billeted in barns etc. |
| MORY | |
| 9/2/18 | Moved by march route to MORY via Courcelles-le-Compte. Left Pommier 7.30 a.m. arrived MORY 4 p.m. Battalion in hutsin Mory South Camp. Transport and Q.M. Stores at Dysart Camp. |
| 10/2/18 | Battalion left Mory Camp 4.30 p.m. and proceeded to the line and took over Right Sector of Brigade Front, Noreuil, from 14th Highland Light Infantry and 14th Argylle & Sutherland Highlanders. Two Companies in the front line: 1 Company in reserve and one company in support. |
| 11/2/18 | Quiet day. One casualty. |
| 12/2/18 | Situation very quiet. |
| 13/2/18 | Situation very quiet. Shelling during evening. 4 officers and 90 O.R. (draft from 8th Bn. South Staffs. Regt) joined battalion in the line. |
| 14/2/18 | Situation very quiet till about 7 p.m. when heavy enemy shelling commenced. Gas shells mixed with high explosive. Gas projection on our front line. Gas casualties, 1 Officer and 50 O.R. (“/Lieut. E.B. Proud gassed). 12 of gas casualties died. |
| 15/2/18 | Quiet all day. |
| 16/2/18 | Situation normal. Considerable aerial activity. Four enemy machines brought down on our front. battalion relieved by 5th North Staffordshire Regiment. Battalion returned to Mory South Camp |
| 17/2/18 | Battalion Resting. Cleaning up in afternoon. Working party of 50 O.R. for work at Brigade Transport Lines. Working Party of 4 Officers and 300 O.R. left Mory Camp 4 p.m. for work on Dewsbury Trench. Lt. Col. J. Stuart Wortley proceeded on leave to England. Major H.M.C. Curtis in Command. Captain W.A. Adam acting as Second in Command. |
| 18/2/18 | Working Parties resting. Special Bayonet Fighting Class for 4 Off. and 12 O.R. held daily for 4 1/2 days under Brigade Physical Drill Instructor. Specialist Training. Enemy aircraft very active at night. Bombing raid from 8.15 p.m. – 10 p.m. and several dropped in vicinity of Camp. No casualties. |
| 19/2/18 | Church Parade in MORY Theatre. Companies bathing. Specialist Training carried on. 2/Lieut. Twomey proceeded to England for transfer to Machine Gun Corps. |
| 20/2/18 | Specialist Training. Companies instructed in Rapid Wiring. Three companies on Working Party at night on Dewsbury Trench. |
| 21/2/18 | Specialist Training. “A” Coy. – Rapid Wiring. Lieuts. K. Davies & W. Horton proceeded to England for 6 months tour of duty at home. |
| 22/2/18 | Commanding Officer’s Inspection of Companies in Fighting Order. Preparations for proceeding to line. Battalion left Mory Camp 5 p.m. and relieved 2/6th Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment in Left Sub-Sector of Brigade Front. (Noreuil). Two companies in Front Line. 1 Company in Support and One in Reserve. |
| 23/2/18 | Situation quiet. Few Gas Shells fell near “B” Coy. Headquarters. Casualties – Nil. |
| 24/2/18 | Shelling near Battalion H.Q.s and heavy barrage put down on reserves during the day. Casualties – 2 O.R. wounded by shell and 1 O.R. slight. |
| 25/2/18 | Quiet. Intended raid by 6th North Staffs. Regt. cancelled owing to moonlight. Our own Artillery hit one of our posts at 9 p.m. Casualties – nil. |
| 26/2/18 | Situation quiet. Enemy aircraft active over our lines. Reserve Coy. transferred from Igaree Corner to Railway Reserve (near Battn. H.Q.) to make room for portion of Reserve Battalion. Casualties – nil. |
| 27/2/18 | Headquarters shelled during afternoon. 2/5th North Staffs. Regt. (1 Off. 11 O.R.) raided enemy post for purpose of obtaining identification. Raiding party left our line 3 a.m. but found enemy post unoccupied. Casualties – nil. |
| 28/2/18 | Enemy aeroplane over our line 11 a.m. – driven off by Machine Gun fire. Support Trench shelled during afternoon. |
| H.M.C. Curtis MAJOR |
NA WO 95/3021