Thursday 4th
January 1917
The land around Cuinchy and its northern neighbour Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée
is somewhere that presents a face similar to the moon or to the face of an
adolescent suffering with acute acne. The ground is covered with craters as the plan above shows. This
assemblage was added to today when the army blew another mine close to
positions occupied by the 1st Bedfords. With a certain gloomy detachment the
adjutant told me: “The enemy retaliated very promptly with his artillery and
eventually bombarded our left support trenches with 77 mm high explosive and shrapnel,
blowing in a trench and causing ten casualties (three killed and seven
wounded)”. He also mentioned that Lieutenant-Colonel F N Butler has gone on
leave and that Captain C A S Morris has assumed command of the Battalion(1).
The adjutant
of the 7th Battalion mentioned to me today that tey have set up different
arrangements for specialist within the battalion: “Major J. H. Bridcutt was
appointed officer commanding all specialists with other officers being in charge
of their respective detachments such as signallers, Lewis gunners, snipers,
scouts and so on. This organisation was started to keep under proper control
men who were always away from their own Companies. The Companies continue to
pay these men but all other administration is carried on independent of their
Companies”.
Sources: X550/2/5; X550/8/1
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