War Diary Entry: July 4th 1916

Thiepval Wood again bombarded both morning and afternoon it must be getting a regular shambles. They put a lot of 5.9 shells Hamel during the day all round the KOSB & SWB hd qrs. An exceptionally heavy rain storm came on just after midday ,it kept on raining most of the afternoon. All the trenches were washed out and fell in in many places; in the low part of Hamel all the trenches cellars and dugouts were flooded. 

An order came from the Army (we are now in the reserve Army since 2 days) that the line had to be pushed out in front tonight, Fuller & Bayley came up about 6pm with 2 RE subalterns on their way up to mark it out, the 2 subalterns have a pleasant night in store for them. We received information during the afternoon that the 49^th Divn were going at 2am tomorrow morning to try and clear the germans out of the lengths of trench which the 49^th hold on the high ground, but which the Germans occupy down by the river end. They were also going for the Hill & Mound. After this rain the marsh will be absolutely impassable so they will not be able to reach them. We have offered to take on the Mill (a very small ruin in the marsh) instead of them, & are sending out half a dozen men to reconnoitre it tonight. 

A 5.9” shell landed full in our office at Englebelmer yesterday laying it level with the ground. All our people were out at the time.

War Diary Entry: July 2nd 1916

Get orders in the middle of last night that we (87^th) were to take over the 36^th Divn trenches between the 29^th Divn right & the R Ancre by noon today. The 108^th Bde were holding these trenches and had been badly knocked yesterday. No one knew the trenches and everything was a little upside down, but we managed to complete the taking over by about 1pm. The KOSB (337 strong) took over the right down by the river, the SWB (200) the centre, the Borders (280) the right , the Inniskillings(200) reserve in Hamel. The Germans are giving Thiepval wood (just the S side of the river) a bad time, but on our side it has been fairly quiet. We carried out 2 bombardments on their trenches today, which brought a certain amount of reply. 

The 48^th Divn were ordered to attack the trenches in front of us at daybreak tomorrow. They are at present somewhere just behind Mailly. All their COs were round this morning reconnoitring the trenches. There is very little room for them to get their men in preparatory to an attack although the trenches are now almost clear of killed and wounded. About 11pm, just as they were all marching up the order was cancelled. Some of their battns had reached our trenches by that time and had to return to Mailly. Both sides have been heavily bombarding the Thiepval Wood area all day. The 49^th Divn have relived the 36^th in this area are still in possession of some 300 yards of the German 1^st line system, the result is both sides are very frightened of being attacked there.

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: 21st June 1916

Welch, Pierce and I went to Varennes at 10am by car , to discuss the attack with the 108th bde (36th divn), they are the next brigade on our right. They have got too big a front and so are leaving a gap of 200 - 300 yards along the left bank of the Ancre which may make it very unpleasant for us. De Lisle addressed all four battns on the bombing ground in the afternoon. A Corps conference at Marieux which all brigadiers attended at 4pm.

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.

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: 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.