Saturday 31 December 2016

1st and 2nd Battalion Notes



Sunday 31st December 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

The adjutant of the 1st Battalion, at Beuvry and le Quesnoy spoke to me on the “blower” this evening. The men have been at fatigues, mending roads. The officers have reconnoitred a new line to be taken over and reported a considerable amount of water, but no mud.

Another draft of 91 reinforcements arrived this evening. It was decided with the concurrence of the Divisional and the Acting Brigadier General, not to take them up to the trenches, but to leave them under Command of Major Halford for “training and sorting out”.


Lieutenant de Buriatte

The 2nd Battalion is back in the front line at Berles-au-Bois, though Lieutenant de Buriatte has proceeded to 3rd Army School. He is lucky because the trenches are waterlogged. The adjutant reported the strength of the Battalion today as:

  • Officers: 34
  • Warrant Officers: 1
  • Sergeants: 60
  • Corporals: 58
  • Privates: 900
  • Total all ranks 1,053.


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

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