Thirty Fourth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Second Lieutenant E L Marsden [X550/1/81]

Sunday 2nd September 1917

The adjutant of 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, now at Chinese Wall just north of Zillebeke, tells us that Second Lieutenant E L Marsden has been taken on strength to replace Second Lieutenant R Hopkins who has moved to II Corps School as an instructor. They will be heading off this evening to enter the front line in the Wytschaete sub-sector.

Second Lieutenant R Hopkins [Z550/1/81]

4th Battalion, meanwhile, have left the front line at Oppy Wood. They will be taking the train to Saint-Aubin, north of Arras.

Sources: X550/3/wd; X550/5/3

Night Manoeuvres

Tuesday 1st May 1917

We understand from the adjutant of the 1st Battalion that they are billeted at the village of Cambligneul, a little over five miles north-west of Arras. They have been practising night operations including attacking over open ground. Special attention has been paid to the training of scouts and specialists such as machine-gunners, signallers and so on.

 Lieutenant Jacob [X550/1/81]

The 2nd Battalion is at Nuncq around twenty five miles west of Arras and five and a halfd miles south-south-west of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.  They have been joined today by five new officers - Lieutenant G R Jacob and Second Lieutenants E L Marsden, K C J Jones, S G Hague and S H Smith.

Second Lieutenant Marsden [X550/1/81]

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/3/wd.