War Diary Entry: 18th June 1916

Brigade parade to practice the attack at 6am. Corps and divn commanders turned up. Church at 11.30am. Date of going up into the trenches postponed. Dined with the KOSBs.

Letter to Mother: 18th June 1916

My dear Mother

I suppose the Russians will stop soon, they cant go on like this for ever. We are back in the chateau for a bit. A Col Archdale was lunching here a coupe of days ago, he was with john in Bangalore I believe, any how he was with him recently in France, and had a good word to say for him. The weather has at last changed and we have had 3 fine days, though it is still cold. I got another parcel today and a couple of books, they always come regularly now.

With any luck I might get some leave next month for August.

There is as usual no news.

Your loving son

Cuthbert

War Diary Entry: 17th June 1916

We had orders that we were to go back into the trenches on the 19^th as the bombardment would start on the 20^th. Battns practicing attack in training area. Borrowed a car from the divn and went in to see Kelly in hospital. Found that he had left for base 2 days ago.

War Diary Entry: 16th June 1916

Going (commanding SWBs) and Hilton (Bd Major KOSBs) arrived from home yesterday. We now aveage about 35 officers per battn. Out all the morning watching battns training. Lectured on the coming attack to all officers from coy commanders upwards at 5pm. Archdale came to lunch, he commanded a battery in John’s bde in the 3^rd divn and now has a bde in this divn. Carter (Hunter Wston’s ADC in the Peninsula) came to tea. Hilton dined. Battns practicing the attack all day in the training area.

War Diary Entry: 15th June 1916

87^th Bde relieved by 88^th Bde. As we did all fatigues up in the trenches some of the men did not get back till 3am next morning. The whole brigade went back into Laurencourt. Everything is one huge rush, we shall be training all day and every day until the 19^th when 2 battns go back and hold the line from the 20^th onwards during the 5 or 6 days bombardment. I returned to Laurencourt in a car about 6pm. The first fine day for about a fortnight.

War Diary Entry: 14th June 1916

Conference of COs in the morning. In the afternoon rode into Louvencourt with Raikes & Pierce to watch the 88^th Bde practicing the attack in the training area, and see their method of marking out the ground. A fine afternoon.

War Diary Entry: 13th June 1916

Divn conference at Acheux at 230. Still raining most of the time. More gunfire than usual going on at present. We have set 35 rat traps and caught 166 rats in 2 days.

War Diary Entry: 12th June 1916

Went round the trenches at 5.30am. The rain started again as soon as I got back about 9am. The trenches were extraordinarily dry considering. Welch came to lunch. Rode into Acheux in the afternoon. De Lisle went into Marieux for a Corps conference. I went in with him and took the car on to see Kelly at Gezincourt. He has turned the corner and is miles better.

Nicolls (De Lisle’s new ADC) came with me. We bought some papers in Doullens and picked De Lisle up on the way back. Heard this is not the Russians main push but that the real one starts tomorrow around Riga. They have no gun bigger than a 6” down south. Our attack has been put forward as French nervous about Verdun.