WAR DIARIES - NATIONAL ARCHIVES
WO-95-1646-2_4
25th OCTOBER 1917 - 31st OCTOBER 1917
& ORDER PAPERS
Next page : File WO-95-1646-2_4-35
[continued from previous page]
MAP : BELGIUM & FRANCE SHEET 28
BRASSERIE DUMP. 3 N.C.Os & 30 O.Rs. as loading party.
A Coy. carried up 66 Trench Mats from MANOR ROAD DUMP to Bn. Hq. at J. 20. d. 2.8. 20 Trench mats laid on track from Bn. Hq. to Coy. Hq. at J. 20. d. 8.1. Owing to barrage nothing else was done.
B Coy.carried 74 trench mats from MANOR DUMP to Bn. Hq. at J. 21. d. 1.9. Heavy hostile shelling interfered with work.
C Coy. carried 77 Trench mats from I. 28. a. 2.9 to job at J. 20. d. 5.1. laid single trench board track from J. 20. d. 5.1. to J. 20. d. 8.1. (200 x)
Casualties: 3 O.Rs. wounded; 3 O.Rs. wounded remaining at duty.
W.T.J.
26th Oct.
Wind: Westerly light; Weather: Very wet.
D Coy. at CANADA ST. Dugouts on repairing tracks.
B & C Coy. in reserve.
A Coy. resting in Camp.
[continued on next page]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next page : File WO-95-1646-2_4-36
MAP : BELGIUM & FRANCE SHEET 28
[continued from previous page]
BRASSERIE DUMP: Loading Party. 3 N.C.Os. & 30 men.
BRASSERIE DUMP: Drainage Party. 3 N.C.Os. & 50 men.
VOORMEEZLE [sic] Divisional Tramways maintenance.
SCOTTISH WOOD : Protection of Div, Hq. against Hostile Aircraft. 1 N.C.O. 8 men & two Lewis Guns.
J.14. a. 8.7. [bracketed with] J. 8. c. 6.1 : Protection of 7th Divisional Artillery against Hostile Aircraft. 1 Officer, 10 O.Rs. and two Lewis Guns.
Casualties: Nil
W.T.J.
27th Oct. Wind : Southerly, Light. Weather : Fair.
BRASSERIE DUMP Loading Party 3 N.C.O. & 30 men.
BRASSERIE DUMP Drainage Party 2 N.C.O. & 20 men.
VOORMEZEELE. Divisional Tramways Officer & Maintenance Party . 1 Off. & 34. O.Rs.
VOORMEZEELE. Divisional Tramways. Evacuating wounded on trollies. 1 N.C.O. & 30 men.
SCOTTISH WOOD. Protection of Divisional Hq. against Hostile Aircraft. 1 N.C.O., 8 men & 2 Lewis Guns.
J.14. a. 8.7. [bracketed with] J. 8. c. 6.1 : Protection of 7th Divisional Artillery against Hostile Aircraft. 1 Officer, 10 O.Rs. and two Lewis Guns.
[continued on next page]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next page : File WO-95-1646-2_4-37
MAP : BELGIUM & FRANCE SHEET 28
[continued from previous page]
B Company: 'E' Track Maintenance & repair. One load trench boards carried from MANOR DUMP to STIRLING CASTLE 'E' Track. 100x of track repaired and trench boards laid where track had been blown in.
D Coy. living at CANADA ST. Dugouts work as follows:
25/10/17 Small parties repaired 'A' track & 'B' Track during the afternoon. At night laid track from J. 20. d. 20.90 to within 40x of J. 20. d. 60.20. Carried up Trench Boards from MORLAND AVENUE to job. A Machine Gun enfiladed 'B' Track so the work had to be done from A Track Bn. Hq. towards B Track.
26/10/17 : 1 Off. & 30 O.Rs. repaired A Track from J. 20. a. 60.10. to J. 20. b. 10.10. Carried up 40 Trench Boards from MORLAND AVENUE (Track gets blown up every few minutes.)
12 O.Rs. filling in shell hnoles and repairing roof of 91st Bde. Hq.
27/10/17 : One Officer & 15 O.Rs. repaired AID POST in CANADA ST. from J.30. a. 50.20. to J. 30.a. 75.30. Repaired pump at Bn. Hq. J. 20. d. 20.90. One Officer and 10 men repaired A Track from J. 20. d. 20.90. to J. 30. a. 75.30. 25 men carried up 50 Trench boards to job from MORLAND AVENUE.
[continued on next page]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next page : File WO-95-1646-2_4-38
MAP : BELGIUM & FRANCE SHEET 28
[continued from previous page]
A & C Coys. (night) carried up 64 Trench Boards from MANOR ROAD. Dug a trench 3ft. deep x 3 feet wide from J. 25. a. 45.76. to J. 25. a . 95.92. about 330x long and laid 78 Trench boards in above trench.
Casualties: 1 O.R. wounded; 1 O.R. wounded remaining at duty.
28th Oct.
Wind: S.W. Light; Weather: Fair.
BRASSERIE DUMP: - Loading Party. 1 N.C.O. & 30 men.
BRASSERIE DUMP: - Storeman & Cook relieved today.
VOORMEZEELE : - Divisional Tramways maintenance. 1 Off. & 34 O.Rs. This party was relieved today by 39th Divn. & has returned to Camp.
SCOTTISH WOOD : - Protection of Div. Hq. against Hostile Aircraft. 1 N.C.O., 8 men & 2 Lewis Guns.
J. 14. a. 8.7 [bracketed with] J. 8. c. 6.1 : Protection of Artillery against Hostile Aircraft. 1 Off., 10 O.Rs. & 2 Lewis Guns.
D Coy. at CANADA ST. DUGOUTS 27/10/17. Carried up 65 Trench mats from MORLAND AVE.
[continued on next page]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next page : File WO-95-1646-2_4-39
MAP : BELGIUM & FRANCE SHEET 28
[continued from previous page]
Repaired loop on A Track from J. 20. a. 50.10 to J. 20. b. 10.10 350x. Also repaired track between J. 30. b. 10.60 & J. 25. a. 10.90.
28/10/17 :
1 Off. & 10 O.R. repaired E Track between J. 24. c. 40.70 and J. 14. c. 45.50.
1 Off. & 20 O.R. repaired A Track between J. 20. a. 50.10 & J. 20. b. 10.10 also loop.
1 Off. & 10 men repaired B Track from J. 25. a. 10.95 to J. 20. d. 50.00 Snipers very busy firing at the latter point.
Casualties: Nil.
W.T.J.
29th Oct.
Wind: N.W. Fresh. Weather: Fair, Sunny.
Copy Correspondence:
To O.C. & [?] Bn. The C.R.E. has much pleasure in forwarding the attached copy of a letter received this evening from the Divisional Commander.
E.M. Clifford, Capt. R.E.
Adj. 7th Division.
N.C. 883
28th October 1917
C.R.E.
7th Division,
[continued on next page]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next page : File WO-95-1646-2_4-40
[continued from previous page]
MAP : BELGIUM & FRANCE SHEET 28
As I shall have no immediate opportunity of seeing the Field Coys. R.E. & Pioneers I should like you to tell them from me how much I appreciate the gallant and good work they have performed during our recent battles.
Their work has been unceasing and under the most trying conditions as regards fire and weather yet they have never once failed to carry out every task allotted to them. I should also like them to know that the Infantry speak in the highest terms of the excellent roads and tracks made for forming up, also the great care with which they were marked. They fully realise that without the splendid work of the Divisional Royal Engineers and Pioneers the difficult approach marches we have had to carry out would have been impossible.
Sd. H. Shonbridge,
Major General
Commanding 7th Divn.
30th Oct.
Wind: S.W. Light. Weather: Fair.
The Battalion moved by MARCH ROUTE to ASCOT CAMP WESTOUTRE M. 8. d. 8.4. sheet 27.
Casualties: Nil.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next page : File WO-95-1646-2_4-41
MAP : BELGIUM & FRANCE SHEET 28
31st. Oct.
Wind: S.W. Weather: Fair.
The Battalion rested and were engaged in making conveniences for Camp.
Casualties: Nil
W.T.J.
F.S. Pountney
Lieut. Colonel.
Commanding 24th Battalion The Manchester Regiment
7th Divisional Pioneers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next page : File WO-95-1646-2_4-42
Copy No. 6
3-10-17
Reference ZILLEBEKE
1-10,000
SECRET
24th Bn. The Manchester Regt. (7th Divl. Pioneers)
OPERATION ORDERS NO. 1
Vide 7th Division Operation Orders. The following will be details of the Battalion.
A. Coy. will detail one platoon under an Officer for the purpose of keeping in repair the track taken by the 91st Bde., in moving up to its position of assembly. This platoon will be spread out from the beginning of the overland track at I. 13. a. 50.30 to the end of the track about J. 10 a. Central. Care must be taken to place the men where they are most likely to be needed, i.e., at the wettest points in the track. Their duties will be immediately to repair any portion of the track that may become damaged. They will remain at their posts until the last Battalion has moved up, and until the Officer in charge of the platoon gives the order to reform and march away. When reformed the platoon will be brought back to a point in the W. EMBANKMENT of ZILLEBEKE LAKE where the Company to which it belongs will have its headquarters.
B Coy. will furnish a platoon to work as detailed above on the track which will be used by the 20th Bde., between I. 18. b. 0.3 and the POLYGON BUTT at J. 10. a. 60.80. The instructions above given will apply equally to this platoon.
Both Platoons when moving will take with them as many trench boards as they can carry for use in the marshy ground in NONNE BOSSCHEN WOOD and GLENCORSE WOOD or at any other bad points on the tracks. These platoons will pass Half Way House on their way up not later than 7:00pm. Arrangements have been made for B Coys. platoon to pick up a party of 9th DEVONS which is to picquet the 20th Bde. track at Half Way House at 6:45pm. The men of this party will be placed along the route at the same time as the men of the repair party by by the Officer in charge of B Coy., platoon. Care should be taken adequately to picquet the track between I. 18. b. 0.3 and the point where it turns into the plank track through CHATEAU WOOD.
These repair platoons will take spades with them and a certain number of wire cutters.
A Coy. less one platoon, and plus one platoon to be detailed from C Coy., will be attached to the 91st Inf. Bde., for making forward tracks after the objective of the Bde. has been gained.
B Coy. less one platoon, and plus one platoon to be detailed by C Coy., will be attached to the 20th Bde., for the same purpose.
A Coy. will send an Officer to H.Q., 91st Bde., at HOOGE CRATER at the time arranged to act as liaison Officer.
Both A & B Coys. will arrange to detail two runners who know the way between HOOGE CRATER and ZILLEBEKE LAKE to report two hours before the Zero hour to H.Q. of the Bdes., to which the Coys. are attached, at HOOGE CRATER.
A & B Coys. as constituted above will be quartered temporarily in the vicinity of the Western EMBANKMENT of ZILLEBEKE LAKE. The precise spot will be indicated later. These two Companies will leave camp for their quarters at ZILLEBEKE LAKE at 8:00am tomorrow.
Tools to be carried. Shovels with a small proportion of picks and some wire cutters, also tapes for marking track. A number of Pickets and Notice Boards have been prepared for marking the tracks and these will be equally divided between the two Coys. A G.S. waggon will be available for taking up tools and pickets to ...
[continued on next page]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next page : File WO-95-1646-2_4-4-43
[continued from previous page]
Sheet 2
... ZILLEBEKE LAKE, also a limbered wagon for taking up rations and sufficient dixies for cooking breakfast and dinner tomorrow. Sufficient cooks for this purpose to be taken.
Dress for these Coys. and also for the platoons detailed for repair work will be 'Fighting Order' without packs and greatcoats. The cardigan will be carried rolled in the mackintosh sheet. 180 rounds of ammunition per man will be carried.
Five Officers per Coy. will go up, ie., the O.C. Coy. and one Officer per platoon.
C. Coy. less two platoons, and D Coy. will remain in camp prepared to move at a moment's notice after ZERO HOUR.
Dress as detailed above.
Captain R.V. DAVIDSON is detailed to be attached to A.P.M's. Department for traffic control during the operations.
Issued at 4:00pm. 3-10-17
(signed) W. TAYLOR-JONES, 2/Lieut. and a/Adjutant.
Copies:
1. Headquarters
2. O.C. A Coy.
3. O.C. B Coy.
4. O.C. C Coy.
5. O.C. D Coy.
6. War Diary
7. War Diary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
