Wednesday, 27 December 2017

Dysentery and Bad Billets


Thursday 27th December 1917

The 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is finding working parties near Locre. The adjutant has let me know that a case of dysentery has been diagnosed. This is a worry for the Battalion and those around them as this disease, so prevalent in army camps in days gone-by, is a killer and so easily transmitted by infected water.

8th Battalion, in camp at Berles-au-Bois, which it moved to yesyerday from Courcelles-le-Comte, received orders at 10 a.m. that it must be prepared to move at three hours’ notice. Companies were warned of this but the usual parades were carried out until 11.30 a.m. when orders were received from divisional headquarters to move back to Courcelles-le-Comte

At 2.15 p.m. the battalion moved off by route march to Courcelles through Ransart, Adinfer and Ayette. On arrival at 6 p.m. it was found that the billets alloted to the battalion were very much scattered - Battalion Headquarters and C Company being in No 4 Camp, A and B Companies were under canvas and D Company being in a hut in No 1 Camp. The huts taken over were in a bad condition having no stoves or inner lining to them.

Sources: X550/7/1; X550/9/1

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