Battalion war diary June 1917
January 17th, 20101/6th Battalion South Staffordshire war diaries
1917
|
June |
CITE ST. PIERRE |
| 1st Friday | Battalion in trenches CITE ST PIERRE. Quiet day. |
| 2nd Saturday | Quiet day. |
| 3rd Sunday | Quiet day. Battalion relieved in the line by the 1/5th Btn. North Staffs. Regiment. and proceeded to Brigade Reserve at CITE ST. PIERRE. See Operation Orders No. 20, attached. |
| 4th Monday | In Brigade Reserve. |
| 5th Tuesday | In Brigade Reserve. |
| 6th Wednesday | In Brigade Reserve. |
| 7th Thursday | The Battalion relieved the 1/5th Btn. North Staffs Regt. in the line. See Operation Orders No. 21, attached. |
| 8th Friday | Quiet day. Operations carried out by 138th and 139th Infantry Brigades on our Right and by the 1/5th Btn. South Staffs. Regt. on our Left. See Operation Orders No. 22, attached. |
| 9th Saturday | Quiet day. |
| 10th Sunday | Quiet day. |
| 11th Monday | Quiet day. ‘A’ & ‘D’ Companies relieved in the line by 1/5th Btn. North staffs Regiment and proceeded to Brigade Reserve at CITE ST. PIERRE. ‘B’ & ‘C’ Companies remained in Support under direct orders of O.C. 1/5th Btn. North Staffs Regiment. See Operation Orders No. 24, attached. |
| 12th Tuesday | In Brigade Reserve. |
| 13th Wednesday | ‘B’ & ‘C’ Companies joined remainder of Battalion in Brigade Reserve in CITE ST. PIERRE. |
| 14th Thursday | In Brigade Reserve. |
| 15th Friday | Battalion relieved in Brigade Reserve by 6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters and proceeded into Divisional Reserve at BOUVIGNY-BOYEFFLES. See Operation Orders No. 25, attached. |
| BOUVIGNY-BOYEFFLES | |
| 16th Saturday | In Divisional Reserve. Battalion Resting. |
| 17th Sunday | In Divisional Reserve. Sunday – Church Parade. |
| 18th Monday | In Divisional Reserve. Battalion Training at MARQUEFFLES FARM. |
| 19th Tuesday | In Divisional Reserve. Battalion Training at MARQUEFFLES FARM. |
| 20th Wednesday | In Divisional Reserve. Battalion Training at MARQUEFFLES FARM. |
| 21st Thursday | In Divisional Reserve. Battalion Training at MARQUEFFLES FARM. |
| 22nd Friday | Battalion moved to CALLONE and relieved the 8th Sherwood Foresters in Reserve. Relief complete by 11.30 p.m. |
| CALONNE | |
| 23rd Saturday | The Battalion relieved the 1/5th South Staffs. Regt. in Support billets in LIEVIN. Relief complete by 11.00 p.m. See Operation Order No. 27, attached. |
| LIEVIN | |
| 24th Sunday | In accordance with Operation Orders No. 29 (see copy attached) ‘A’ & ‘D’ Companies assembled in their assembly positions in the Slag Heap at 7.30 p.m. At 9.26 p.m. the two Companies advanced in single file in parallel lines over the slag heap and over the ground in between FOSSE 3 and the ‘L’ Shaped Building. When within 200 yards of their objective they halted, taking as much cover from buildings as was possible and at 9.30 p.m. ‘ZERO HOUR’ the two lines advanced simultaneously to the fringe of our barrage where they again halted. At ‘ZERO’ plus 6 the lines again moved forward, ‘A’ Company on the left in the direction of AHEAD TRENCH with ‘D’ Company on the right in the direction of ADMIRAL TRENCH. Some difficulty was found on the right in locating the trench owing to the bombardment in the afternoon having practically obliterated it. The Artillery barrage which should have lifted from the first 50 yards, on both trenches mentioned had not however done so and it was found necessary to take cover which held the advance up for a few seconds, when it was resumed in spite of the fact that our own Artillery intermittently shelled No opposition was encountered when the advance on the main trenches continued steadily and it was found that the rate of the barrage lifts was not quick enough for the rate of the advance. It was necessary therefore to keep a tight hold on the men to prevent them from running into our own barrage. The objective was gained by 9.55 p.m. and posts were immediately pushed forward up AHEAD TRENCH as far as the third house and up ADMIRAL TRENCH as far as the fourth house. No opposition was encountered whatsoever from Machine Gun or Rifle fire or bombs. It is more than probable that the enemy had vacated the trench on account of the heavy bombardment directed against it during the course of the afternoon and evening. One prisoner was taken unwounded, who was found hiding in a shell hole, and one other enemy dead body was seen. The bombardment by our heavies in the course of the day had done great destruction to the enemy trenches and in places it was very difficult to follow the line of AHEAD TRENCH at all; in the case of ADMIRAL TRENCH this was practically blotted out of existence and the communication trenches in between AHEAD & ADMIRAL were equally difficult to follow. With the exception of these three the dug-outs were completely destroyed. When the objective was gained and the Forward Posts pushed out up AHEAD & ADMIRAL TRENCHES and also in front of ADMIRAL TRENCH, consolidation was begun immediately, aided by ‘C’ Company who followed up very quickly upon the Assaulting Companies. This work was carried on with throughout the night. There was no retaliation from the enemy Artillery and quickly fire positions were made and Lewis Guns mounted covering our immediate front and our Left front. On the Right, connection was quickly gained with the Canadian Division who had also gone forward. |
| 25th Monday | On the morning of the 25th a Reconnaissance Party (under 2/Lieut. Walker) reconnoitred the RESERVOIRS on the crest of Hill 65 which were found to be unoccupied by the enemy, a Lewis Gun Post was thereupon established. After further reconnaissance it was decided to push forward Outpost Groups into shell holes on the brow of Hill 65 on a line from the RESERVOIRS on our Right to the end house of the row of houses running parallel with AHEAD TRENCH. When placing these Outpost Groups an enemy Balloon was seen to ascend and shortly afterwards Hill 65 was swept with 5.9’s and 4.2’s, a Machine Gun also opened fire from CITE ST. THEODORE. The ground gained up to the crest of Hill 65 gives a commanding view of the country around LENS and South East of it. The Battalion was relieved in the trenches by the 5th Btn. Lincolnshire Regt. and proceeded into Divisional Reserve in BULLY GRENAY. Relief was not completed until 4.30 a.m. (26th) owing to one Company of the relieving Btn. going astray. See Operation Orders No. 29, attached. |
| BULLY GRENAY | |
| 26th Tuesday | Bathing, cleaning up, etc. |
| 27th Wednesday | The Battalion relieved the 1st Monmouthshire Regt. in Support billets in LIEVIN. Relief complete 11 p.m. See Operation Orders No. 30, attached. |
| LIEVIN | |
| 28th Thursday | The Battalion took part in a successful attack on the enemy’s defences West of LENS, assisting in the capture of ADJACENT and ADJUNCT Trenches. They also dug a support trench from M.24.d.50.37 to M.24.b.01.29. The attack took place at 7.10 p.m. in a thunderstorm which afforded excellent cover to view. Activity was marked throughout the day, increasing to intense barrage at intervals. See Operation Orders No. 31, attached. |
| 29th Friday | Battalion was withdrawn to Support billets in LIEVIN. |
| 30th Saturday | Preparations completed for an attack on CITE de MOULIN which it was decided to launch in the early hours of July 1st, and the Battalion took up its position in the assembly trenches. |
| TOTAL CASUALTIES FOR MONTH OF JUNE 1917:- OFFICERS 2/Lieut. J.G. GRIBBEN – Killed 11.6.1917. 2/Lieut. A.R. HARTLEY – Wounded 24.6.1917. 2/Lieut. E.W. PAGE – Wounded 24.6.1917. OTHER RANKS Killed – 10 Wounded – 104 Wounded (at duty) – 3 Missing – Nil Died of Wounds – 4 N.Y.D.N. - 3 F.J. Trump Lieut.-Colonel, Commanding 1/6th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment. 3rd June 1917 |
With thanks to Roy Evans
NA WO 95/2687