Personal Diary: September 9th 1916

The enemy put about 50 trench mortar bombs into the Borders during the fog this morning, so after lunch we gave a hundred trench mortar bombs assisted by a 6” battery a 4.5” and two 18 pdr batteries, so they will think twice before they do it again. Bde Hd Qrs & the Borders & R Inniskilling fus were relieved by rest of 86^th Bde after dark & went back into rest camp.

Personal Diary: September 7th 1916

Went round the trenches with Welch & Cookson, starting at 4.30am, the work the KOSBs did last night was rotten, their offiers are rather hopeless. A flight of about 17 of our aeroplanes passed over us at 9.30am heading for Germany, they got well peppered, but I did not see any hit. There have been one or two airfights above here lately, in every case the Bosch has bolted precipitately. The Bosch were firing big mortars away on our left at dusk.

War Diary Entry: August 7th 1916

Went around the right sub-sector with De Lisle starting at 5am. We crawled over the open to look at Mill Cot, Nickalls was with us. A big trench mortar is being dug in there. So as to give the whole show away he then insisted on the 3 of us sitting on the old windmill mound close by, with an open map between us for ten minutes, in full view of the whole German line. He was not very pleased with our trenches, but then went on to the 88^th, these appeared o annoy him more than ours, so he decided that we should be relieved tomorrow and the next day instead of the 88^th. 2 or 3 of the KOSBs were gassed during the night by gas shells whilst working on the Strand and Fleet St. Bayley stayed the night with us. Welch dined and we had some bridge. Dill looked in after tea.

War Diary Entry: 28th June 1916

Last night’s wire cutting and raiding parties were not a great success anywhere. The Germans seem to have expected it as all the parties were fired upon, and so came back. At 3am this morning they put about 20 shells round our headquarters, one fell in the middle of the road and knocked out some gunners, we had no casualties in the brigade. Pouring with rain this morning, the trenches will be in a filthy state; it cleared up during the afternoon. Shelling went on as usual all day, it doesn’t sound very much from here as we only hear the big guns going over, but it is pretty noisy in the firing line. 

We have cleared away nearly all their wire in the front system of trenches. They do not reply very much.  The 15” guns and 190lb trench mortars have layed Beaumont Hamel and Beaucourt level with the ground, and the trenches round Thiepval are blotted out, but the trenches in front of us are not so badly damaged yet. Went onto a conference at the divn at midday, a car came and took Williams and myself in . Afterwards I went & saw the KOSBs & Borders in Acheux Wood & got back here about 2.30pm. Got a message from the divn at about 3pm to say that operations were postponed 48 hours (I believe because of the weather) so the attack does not start tomorrow. 

Went for a walk with Cookson after tea,  we went and watched one of the 15” guns firing, you can see the shell in flight for quite a long way; then we went on to have a drink with Gillon at his prisoners camp, between here and Foxeville. Just as we were getting back the Bosch put a few 5.9” shells into Englebelmer so we hung about outside til it was over.

War Diary Entry: 20th June 1916

Brigade parade 9am in training area to practice atack. Divn conference at Acheux at 5pm which bde MG officers and Trench mortar officers attended. Divn gas expert lectured all officers on bombing ground at 2.30pm. Going came to dinner. Told we should probably go up to the trenches on the 23rd & the bombardment start on 24th.

Letter to Mother: 27th May 1916

My dear mother

I don’t know why you missed a letter from me as I have written regularly, every Sunday as a rule lately. I have spent most of the week amusing myself. Last Monday we a very successful concert attended by 7-800 men in our grounds, with supper afterwards for about 30 of the elect. On Thursday I borrowed a car for the day and took two fellows into town (about 20 miles away) for the day. I suddenly ran across Black (the doctor at Kassala) with another old Egyptian friend there. On Thursday I went over in a car some distance to see a trench mortar demonstration, but just before the show started there was an unfortunate accident so the show as off. Yesterday I went about 35 miles to ses another trench mortar demonstration, through very pretty country, this time it was much more successful. Jack Brand returned today a married man.

I am badly in need of books. Tell Dorothy to get hold of some good novels and send them along; she need not confine herself to 7d. 

We have got a lot of most perfect pink, rode and red peonies in this garden of all shades that would make your mouth water; they are about the only flowers here, as the garden hasn’t been touched since the start of the war.

Your loving son,

Cuthbert

War Diary Entry: 26th May 1916

Went over with De Lisle and Grant to the GHQ Trench mortar school at Hesdin about 33 miles off. The last part of the road quite English and pretty. Hunter Weston & Maj Gen Fielden there, also Haywood and Anstey, the latter having just arrived from Egypt. They gave a very good tactical demonstration of the Stokes mortar, bombarding trenches cutting wire and then moving forward with the attack.

War Diary Entry: 25th May 1916

COs conference here at 11.30am. Welch and Ellis stopped to lunch. After lunch we all three motored over to the Army Trench Mortar school at Valereux as they were having a big demonstration with the Stokes mortar at 3pm. About 2.25pm when we were ¾ of a mile away we saw 2 very big explosions at about 2 second interval followed by a lot of stokes bombs going off in the air. We thought they were merely ranging with the heavy Stokes mortars for the show. On arrival we learned there had been an accident and the show was off. One Stokes bomb in a big pile had gone off by accident putting the whole lot up. One man was killed and there were between 10 & 15 officers and men lying about being bandaged up, and several others torn and scratched. Pitt-Taylor and another fellow on the Army staff were a good deal torn and bleeding but walking about quite cheerfully. Arnan (OC TM School) had a bit in his cheek. The show was cancelled and everyone returned home. It was lucky it did not happen an hour later when there would have been the best part of 1000 officers and men standing round including all the staffs in this area.

Headlam, Burnett-Steward, McMullen, Clarke Blandy and Lewis from our 4^th Bn; and several others were there. Hardness Lloyd, Morgan, Ellis & Heider dined.