War Dairy Entry: July 19th 1916

Went round the trenches early in the morning. The N side of Mary Redan is completely blown in and will take some time clearing. The new firing line which was supposed to have been dug across our part by some pioneer battn is only dug 1’6” deep in places & we have now got to complete it. 

Went down to Mailly Wood after breakfast to see the 2 battns, and went on afterwards with Handress Lloyd to the high ground just S of Englebelmer to watch the shelling down Contalmaison way. After tea Perse & I walked over to see Williams at his hd qrs on the Martinsart road. While we were away they put a cluster of 12 small shells round our bde hd qrs. They twice put shells into Englebelmer during the night.

War Diary Entry: July 18th 1916

Rained hard in the morning. W end of Englebelmer shelled for a quarter of an hour about 4am. We were to have let off gas again last night, but wind unfavourable, so we hung on till 1am when it was finally put off. The SWB were to have attempted a raid last night, they were only going to send off quite a small party; on their way up about 2.45am a big shell buried 4 of them in a communication trench, and by the time they were dug out it was too late to start. COs conference in Mailly Wood at 11am. Got back to bde hd qrs at 1pm & found De Lisle there; as there are not enough pioneers available we have got to complete a trench that has been dug about 200 yds in advance of our present line. Walked down to see Williams after tea; his hd qrs are in some canvas huts half way down the Englebelmer – Martinsart Rd.

War Diary Entry: July 17th 1916

87^th Bde relieved 88^th Bde in left subsector. Hd Qrs in Englebelmer, this not so pleasant as the place is regularly shelled and the cellars are not shell-proof. All the buildings near our old deep dugout are knocked flat , and there is not room for everyone in the deep dugout, so we are now at the E end of the village. 

The KOSB took over the left half of the firing line, the SWB the right, the Borders a platoon each in Withington & Anley & rest of bde in huts in Mailly Wood. The 88^th Bde were glad to clear out for a rest. 

Englebelmer was shelled with 5.9” from 8.30pm – 9.15, at 1.5 mins interval, but all fell at far end (W) of town.

War Diary Entry: 4th June 1916

I believe every division on the British front made a raid last night starting at midnight. In this divn 86^th Brigade carried it out in the other sector. They only had 2 days notice to get ready for it. There was a new departure in the scheme, after half an hour's bombardment the barrage lifted off the frontline for ten minutes and then came back for 10 minutes before finally lifting to allow the men into their trenches. This was to allow the wire to be cut by torpedoes and by hand. The wire was too thick to be cut in this time , so the 15 minutes allowed for the men in the trenches had to be partly spent in cutting the wire. When they got in they found the trenches deserted, and so came away with a few papers and one casualty. Kelly (now commanding the Essex, 88^th Brigade) was wounded by a shrapnel bullet in the shoulder which went down to his lung; he had no business to be about at all, but could not resist it and was standing on the parapet helping the raiding party back into our trenches. One unlucky shell pitched in a corrugated iron hut behind the Tendelon, and killed 11 and wounded about 22, all Worcesters, they should have been packed away in deep dugouts beforehand.. No casualties in this brigade. The 31^st Divn got into the Bosche trenches on our left and I believe only found a couple of Germans, whom they killed, & came away with about 9 casualties. I went round the whole of our frontline at 5.30am and only found the trench slightly damaged in one place.

Pierce came in to lunch & Welch afterwards to discuss operations. The KOSBs came out of isolation today, and this afternoon moved out of Mailly Wood into this village (Englebelmer)

War Diary Entry: 3rd June 1916

Raikes came up from the trenches and lunched. After tea I went over to Mailly Wood with Gillon to see the KOSBs. There has not been much shelling lately, except that they have marked down the entrances of Gabion and Witherington Avenue and the two batteries near there, so that the spot has been rather unhealthy lately.