8th Bedfords in Action Again

Friday 21st December 1917

The adjutant of 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment spoke on the blower this morning about a welcome back to the front line they received from the enemy this morning. About 6.30 a patrol of fifteen attempted to raid a block of the Battalion’s in one of their trenches. A block is an obstruction put up in a trench to prevent movement along it, usually when part of the trench is still held by the enemy. The Battalion are in trenches south-west of Riencourt-lèz-Cagnicourt and their block is shown by an x on the map above.

The raiders were dealt with by Lewis gun and rifle fire, but Second Lieutenant Dolman was wounded(1). In retaliation the Battalion’s snipers were zealous during the day and reckon to have hit three of the enemy.

Second Lieutenant Dolman [X550/1/81]

At six o’clock this evening, the rations were delivered by D Company which is responsible for delivering rations to the entire Battalion. At that time 150 men of The Buffs - 1st Battalion, East Kent Regiment, turned up to work on a new trench line. They will need to put their backs into it as the ground is hard with frost. After their successful defence earlier in the day the adjutant signed-off by stating that all the men were in good spirits.

X550/9/1

(1) He would die ten days later.