Sunday, 9 July 2017

Did I Say a Quiet Sector?

Puits 14 Bis east of Loos

Monday 9th July 1917

Readers will remember yesterday your correspondent remarking that 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment are currently in what is dubbed a quiet sector on the old Loos battlefield. Fortunately he also remarked that in reality it as never really quiet, so close are the two sets of rival trenches. This has been borne out again last night and today.

The adjutant reports that at midnight a short heavy hostile bombardment took place on the Brigade front on their right. Then at 1 a.m., fearing a German raid or larger attack, the Battalion released gas from cylinders and fired projectors into Hulluch and nearby mine workings and pit-head called Puits 14 Bis, due east of Loos (Hulluch lies north-east of Loos and north of Puits 14 Bis). In the event there was practically no retaliation by the enemy, though he used varied coloured lights for his alarms.

Captain Steyn [X550/1/82]

During the day today Captain P Steyn has been wounded. Seven other ranks have shared a similar fate.

Source: X550/9/1

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