|
|
|
The Wartime Memories Project - The Great War - Day by Day
August On this day:
- 8th Aug 1915 HMS India sunk
- HMS
Zinnia was a Flower-class, Azalea-type, minesweeping sloop. She was
built by Swan Hunter and launched on 12th August 1915. She served
through the War, and was sold to Belgium on 19th April 1920.
-
HMHS Valdivia H.M.
Hospital Ship Valdivia was a French passenger ship, built 1911 by
Chantiers & Ateliers de Provence, Port de Bouc for Societe Generale
de Transports Maritimes a Vapeur, Marseilles. She was 7,137 gross tons,
length 463ft x beam 54.4ft, two funnels, two masts, twin screw, speed
15½ knots and used on their South America service to Buenos Aires.
She was loaned to the British Admiralty for use as a hospital ship,
managed by Union-Castle Mail Steam Ship Company.
Her Medical Staff strength was Officers:6, Nurses:12, Other:60. She had
an a
accommodation capacity of 24 Officers, 257 Cots and 270 Berths. Sh
eserved as a Hospital Ship from:29th November 1914 to 22nd December
1919.
In 1919 she was returned to her owners and in 1933 she was scrapped at
Savona.
John Doran
- 1st
Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry were based at Tipperary
with 16th Brigade, 6th Division when war broke out in August 1914.
They were mobilsed and returned to England, where 6th Division
concentrated near Cambridge for training. They proceeded to France on
the 10th of September 1914, landing at St Nazaire. Marched to the Aisne
to reinforce the hard-pressed BEF. They moved north to Flanders and were
in action at Hooge in 1915. In 1916 they were again in action at
Battle of Flers-Courcelette on The Somme, and again in The Battle of
Morval and The Battle of Le Transloy, in 1917 they were in action at
Hill 70 and Cambrai. In 1918 they saw action in the Battle of St
Quentin, The Battles of the Lys, The Advance in Flanders, Battles of the
Hindenburg Line and The Pursuit to the Selle. After the Armistice, 6th
Division were selected to join the occupation force and they moved into
Germany in mid December, being based at Bruehl by Christmas 1918.
-
- 21st March 1918
- Aug 1917
- 8th Aug 1918
- Aug 1918
- 29th Apr 1914 Patrol
- 1st August 1914
- 7th Black Watch The
HQ of the 7th (Fife) Battalion, Black Watch was in St Andrews. At the
outbreak of war in 1914 they were part of the Black Watch Infantry
Brigade and their allocated war station was the Scottish Coastal
Defences. A Coy based in Dunfirmline, B Coy in Lochgelly, C Coy in
Kirkaldy, D Coy in Cowedendeath, E Coy was from Cupar, Newburgh,
Auchtermuchty and Abernethy, F Coy from Leven, Colinsburgh and
Largoward, G Coy from St Andrews, Guardbridge, Anstruther and Crail, H
Coy was from Leslie, Marckinch and Thornton.
- Australian Troop Transports
RMS Kashgar Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The RMS Kashgar weighed 8,840 tons with an average cruise speed of 15
knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London.
Contracted at times to carry Australian troops.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
RMS Karmala The
RMS Karmala weighed 8,9479 with an average cruise speed of 15 knots or
27.78 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London. Contracted at
times to carry Australian troops. John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
RMS Malwa Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The RMS Malwa weighed 10,883 tons with an average cruise speed of 15
knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London.
Contracted at times to carry Australian troops.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
RMS Megantic The
RMS Megantic weighed 5,531 tons with an average cruise speed of 15
knots or 27.78 kmph. It was owned by F.Leyland & Co., Liverpool. It
was torpedoed and sunk on 10 June 1917. Contracted at times to transport
Australian Troops.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
RMS Moldovia Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The RMS Moldavia weighed 9,500 tons with an average cruise speed of 18.5
knots or 34.26 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London.
Contracted at times to transport Australian Troops.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
RMS Morea Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The RMS Morea weighed 10,890 tons with an average cruise speed of 16
knots or 29.63 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London.
Contracted at times to transport Australian Troops. Also served as a
hospital ship in WW1.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:14
- Nurses:21
- Other:63
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:59
- Cots:100
- Berths:591
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:8th October 1915
- Date To:28th March 1916
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
RMS Orontes Picture from: AWM 303744.
The RMS Orontes weighed 9,028 tons with an average cruise speed of 18
knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London.
Contracted at times to transport Australian troops.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
RMS Osterley Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The RMS Osterley weighed 12,129 tons with an average cruise speed of 18
knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London.
Contracted at times to transport Australian troops.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
RMS Persia Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The RMS Persia weighed 7,974 tons with an average cruise speed of 18
knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London.
Torpedoed and sunk on the 30th December 1915. Contracted at times to
transport Australian troops.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Balmoral Castle Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The SS Balmoral Castle weighed 13,361 tons with an average cruise speed
of 16.5 knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by the Union-Castle Mail
Steamship Company.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Canberra Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The SS Canberra weighed 7,707 tons with an average cruise speed of 16.5
knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by the Australian Steamships Ltd
(Howard Smith), Melbourne.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Carpentaria Picture from: State Library of Victoria, picture number gr004969.
The SS Carpentaria weighed 5,766 tons with an average cruise speed of
16.5 knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by British India Steam Navigation
Co. Ltd., Calcutta.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS City of Karachi The
SS City of Karachi weighed 5,766 tons with an average cruise speed of
16.5 knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by Ellerman & Bucknall
Steamship Co., London.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Dorset The
SS Dorset weighed 7,630 tons with an average cruise speed of 16.5 knots
or 30.55 kmph. It was a purpose built refrigeration ship owned by
Potter, Trinder & Gwyn, London.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Dunluce Castle SS
Dunluce Castle was owned by Royal Mail Line which purchased the former
Union Castle line in 1911.used to help transport troops and supplies
from Australia during ww1 and also served as a hospital ship at
Gallipoli.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Ellenga Pictured at El Mina Wharf, Tripoli, Lebanon, 1919 from: AWM P01122.003.
The SS Ellenga weighed 5,196 tons with an average cruise speed of 16
knots or 29.63 kmph. It was owned by the British India Steam Navigation
Company Glasgow & London.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Essex SS Essex from: State Library of Victoria, picture number gr003102,
was used to transport troops and supplies from Australia during WW1.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Field Marshal The
RPD (Reichspostdampfer - Imperial Mail Steamer) Feldmarschall was
originally commissioned in 1903 with the Deutsche Ost-Afrika-Linie
(German East Africa Line), Woermann Konsortium, Hamburg, Germany. In
1916 it was captured by the British at Dar es Salaam. It was then
operated by Union-Castle Mail SS Co., who renamed it Field Marshal. It
was sold in 1922 to a Chinese consortium and renamed Ling Nam. It
assisted in passage of troops and supplies from Australia during latter
years of WW1. John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Gaika SS
Gaika from: State Library of Victoria, picture number gr003122, used to
transport Troops and Equipment from Australia during WW1.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Gracchus Picture of SS Gracchus Which was used to transport troops and equipment from Australia during WW1. (Also spelt as Graechus ).
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Hawkes Bay The
Hawkes Bay was built at Sunderland in 1891. It weighed 4,583 tons. It
was owned by the Tyser Line (G.D.Tyser & Co.). It was used to
transport troops and equipment from Australia during WW1.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Indarra Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The SS Indarra weighed 9,735 tons with an average cruise speed of 16.5
knots or 30.55 kmph. It was owned by the Australasian United Steam Nav
Co., Fremantle and was used to transport troops and equipment during
WW1.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Kaiser-i-Hind Picture from: State Library of Victoria, picture number gr001405.
The SS Kaiser-i-Hind weighed 11,430 tons with an average cruise speed of
18 knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Katoomba Picture of SS Katoomba from: State Library of Victoria, picture number gr007142.
It was used to transport troops and equipment from Australia during WW1.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Mahanada Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The SS Mahanada weighed 7,196 tons with an average cruise speed of 12
knots or 22.22 kmph. It was owned by Thos & Jno Brocklebank Ltd.,
Liverpool.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Malta The
SS Malta weighed 6,064 tons with an average cruise speed of 18 knots or
33.33 kmph. It was owned by the P & O SN Co, London.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Makarini Picture from: State Library of NSW, picture number a638277.
The SS Makarini weighed 10,624 tons with an average cruise speed of 13
knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by G.D.Tyser & Co, London and had
accommodation for 750-steerage class passengers. Built by Workman, Clark
& Co, Belfast, she was launched on 3rd February 1912. In 1914
Tyser's was taken over by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line (Port
Line) and she was renamed SS Port Nicholson. She was mined and sunk 15
miles West of Dunkirk on the 15th January 1917. Great Passenger Ships of
the World by Arnold Kludas, vol.1, ISBN 0-85059-174-0, which contains a
photo of the ship. Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.21, Port Line.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Ormonde Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The SS Ormonde weighed 14,982 tons with an average cruise speed of 18
knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the Orient St Nav Co Ltd, Glasgow.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Oxfordshire SS Oxfordshire was used to transport troops and equipment from Australia during WW1. She also served as a Hospital Ship.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:6
- Nurses:13
- Other:41
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:22
- Cots:216
- Berths:324
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:15th September 1914
- Date To:24th March 1918
- Ships Crew details:
SS Oxfordshire was built in 1912 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a
tonnage of 8648grt, a length of 474ft 7in, a beam of 55ft 4in and a
service speed of 15.5 knots. Launched on 15th June 1912 and completed on
17th September she was the company's last ship built with a counter
stern.
On 2nd August 1914 she was the first ship to be requisitioned for war
service two days prior to the outbreak. En-route from Liverpool to
London she was off the Isle of Wight and was ordered into Tilbury where
she was converted into Naval Hospital Ship No.1 with 562 beds.
Commissioned on 11th August she was sent to Scapa Flow as a base ship on
25th September but proved to be too large for the needs at the time and
subsequently moved to the English Channel to undertake army hospital
work.
In April 1915 she was deployed as the base hospital ship at Mudros and
was present during the ANZAC withdrawal at the Dardenelles, bringing off
the wounded in her own boats. The victorious Turks respected the red
cross and did not fire on them. She served in the Persian Gulf and
German East Africa during December 1916 and in 1918 as a shuttle
hospital ship in the English Channel.
Decommissioned on 24th March 1919 she had made 235 voyages, steamed
172,000 miles without a single breakdown and carried 50,000 wounded, the
highest of any hospital ship in the war.
She was refurbished and converted to oil burning by her builder in 1920 and resumed commercial services.
On 3rd September 1939 she was requisitioned, once again, for war time
service and converted into Hospital Ship No. 6 with 500 beds at the
Royal Albert Dock in London. Commissioned on 24th September she left
London on 11th November bound for Freetown with 98 medical staff and 177
crew where she served as the base hospital ship. In September 1942 she
was redeployed in the Mediterranean. After a refit on the Clyde in 1944
she was sent to the Adriatic where the Army's Anglia had been damaged by
mines and on 29th October was herself damaged by a bomb near miss
during a voyage between Ancona and Bari.
In November of that year she was sent to the Far East where she served
the Admiralty Islands/Philippines and Australia. At one point she was
loaned to the U.S. 7th Fleet for use during the taking of Okinawa. After
the defeat of Japan in 1945 she was used to repatriate the wounded from
Hong Kong and in May 1946 became an Army hospital ship to bring the
sick home from the near and Far East. She also repatriated Indian troops
from Basra to Bombay as well as making four North Atlantic crossings
with refugees. In 1948 she arrived home with troops from Palestine and,
on 19th July, was decommissioned at Southampton after carrying 22,321
casualties during the war, again the highest of any hospital ship. On
8th September of that year she made one one more voyage on charter to
Jeddah with pilgrims before she was reconditioned by Harland & Wolff
at Liverpool.
In April 1949 she made the first sailing for the International Refugee
Organisation to Australia with emigrants and in 1950 reverted to
trooping duties between Trieste and Port Said. She finished trooping in
February 1951 and on 13th April sailed from Liverpool as the
Safina-el-Arab having been sold to the Pan-Islamic Steamship Co. of
Karachi, their first passenger ship. Deployed on the Karachi - Jeddah
Pilgrim service between June and October she spent the remainder of the
year operating between Karachi and Chittagong. After 46 years of
impeccable service she was broken
up at Karachi in 1958. John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Pakeha Picture from: State Library of Victoria, picture number bs004061.
The SS Pakeha weighed 4,331 tons with an average cruise speed of 18
knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the Shaw, Savill and Albion
Company, London.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Ruahine II Picture from: NZSCo Assn.
The SS Ruahine II [sometimes referred to as SS Rushine in Australian
sources] weighed 10,832 tons with an average cruise speed of 18 knots or
33.33 kmph. It was owned by the NZ Shipping Coy, Auckland.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Wyreema Picture from: Clydebuilt Ships Database.
The SS Wyreema weighed 6,926 tons with an average cruise speed of 18
knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the Australasian United Steam
Navigation Co, Melbourne.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Zealandic Picture from: State Library of Victoria, picture number bs004070.
The SS Zealandic weighed 8,090 tons with an average cruise speed of 18
knots or 33.33 kmph. It was owned by the White Star Line, London.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Port Darwin Picture
of SS Port Darwin from: State Library of Victoria, picture number
gr006378. She was used to transport troops and equipment from Australia
during WW1.
John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Port Denison SS Port Denison used to transport Australian troops and equipment during WW1. John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Port Lyttelton The
SS Port Lyttelton [sometimes referred to as SS Port Lydelton in
Australian sources] was formerly the SS Niwaru but requisitioned in 1916
as a troop ship and renamed to SS Port Lyttelton. The ship weighed
6,444 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph. It
was owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line, London. John Doran
- Australian Troop Transports
SS Port Napier Picture
of SS Port Napier from: State Library of NSW, picture number a639252.
She was used to transport troops and equipment from Australia during
WW1.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Carisbrooke Castle The
Union Castle Line help mark the transitional benchmarks set by the 1894
Royal Mail Ship Carisbrooke Castle in the steam/sail conversion era.
The final single-screw vessel of the line, she was built of steel and
carried three masts to supplement her Fairfield Shipbuilding &
Engineering Company’s own quadruple-expansion four-cylinder steam engine
that put out an amazing nominal 1,490 H.P. and 8,500 indicated horse
power. The company had decided to divest the last of their sailing
ships, including the original Carisbrooke Castle, a three-masted
square-rigger, in 1889.
There were 12 ship’s boats hanging in davits, with the deck rails
wrapping the decks. The superstructure has its open bridge where the
appropriate instruments were on display. Rising behind and parallel to
the fully rigged masts, the red with black accent funnel is stalwart and
centrally located. The hull is painted in the company red and gray.
The liner was built in Glasgow by Fairfield’s, and she registered at
7,626 gross tons for her 485 foot length with a 56 foot beam. She had
accommodations for 250 First Class Passengers placed amidship rather
than at the stern, the first Union Castle Ship so arraigned, and 140
Second Class aft. Her maiden voyage and the subsequent year’s were from
London to Cape Town, South Africa. She hit a normal cruising speed of 16
knots, and could reach 17½ knots when pushed. In 1900, with the rest of
the line, they became the Union-Castle Line and Carisbrooke Castle
moved her home port to Southampton. In 1910 she ran her last Cape Town
service, and was relegated to a role as a reserve steamer behind
Balmoral Castle.
Four years into reserve service, fate brought the World to war, and the
Carisbrooke Castle began again in military duty. Commandeered two days
before the formal declaration of war in 1914, she started as a hospital
ship with 439 beds, and crossed the English Channel to bring wounded
troops home from the Western Front. She shifted roles to that of an Army
Troop Ship in the Mediterranean for most of the war. She returned to
Union-Castle service in 1919, sailing in Cape mail service until the
launch of Union-Castle’s Windsor Castle, and was laid up at Netlev and
retired from all duties in 1922.
Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:
- Nurses:12
- Other:38
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:16
- Cots:196
- Berths:227
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:3rd September 1914
- Date To:26th August 1919
- Ships Crew details:
HMHS Carisbrooke Castle - War Diary Entries for June-December 1917,
roughly covering the period that soldiers injured during the Third
Battle of Ypres were being shipped home.
The diary does little more than list sailing dates and times, plus the
number of patients carried. Sometimes it breaks the figures down into
officers and other ranks, but not always. It also shows that on each
voyage there were a handful of POWs being taken to England. Based on the
figures in the diary, between June-December 1917, HMHS Carisbrook
Castle made 38 crossings between Le Havre and Southampton and
transported nearly 20,000 wounded officers and men home. Broken down by
month, the figures show that October and November were the busiest time -
the most crossings and the greatest number of injured.
- Jun: 1 crossing, 358 carried (this may not be wholly accurate as there is only one entry in the diary for June)
- Jul; 4 crossing, 1374 carried
- Aug: 5 crossings, 2808 carried
- Sep: 6 crossings, 2986 carried
- Oct: 8 crossings, 4590 carried
- Nov: 9 crossings, 4919 carried
- Dec: 5 crossings, 2555 carried
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Ceramic SS
Ceramic was an 18,400-ton ocean liner of the White Star Line launched
in 1912, and later sold to the Shaw, Savill & Albion Line. In 1942
German submarine U-515 sank the Ceramic, leaving only one survivor from
the 656 on board.
Ship history ww1.
Ceramic was built at the Harland and Wolff yard in Belfast. She had
seven decks and eight holds and in her original configuration 38% of her
cargo capacity was refrigerated. Her total cost was £436,000 and she
entered service on 24 July 1913.
She sailed the Liverpool to Australia route after her maiden voyage,
then served as a British Hospital and Troopship during World War I,
surviving two encounters with enemy submarines. After the war, she
returned to her regular run. In 1934, White Star merged with Cunard, and
Ceramic was then sold to Shaw, Savill and Albion, but kept the same
itinerary. In 1936, Ceramic was given a major reconstruction in Govan,
which improved her speed by one knot.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Dongola ss
Dongola was built by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow, Yard No 455,
Engines by Shipbuilders. Port of Registry: Glasgow. Propulsion: Two
quadruple expansion four cylinder steam engines, 8000ihp, twin screws,
15.5 knots. Launched: Thursday, 14/09/1905, Built: 1905. Ship Type:
Passenger Liner. Ship's Role: UK/India and Far East mail services, and
trooping.
Tonnage: 8038 gross; 4723 net; 8165 dwt, Length: 470ft 0in, Breadth:
56ft 3in, Draught: 27ft 8in.
Owner History: Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company
Status: Sold for Scrapping - 23/06/1926
Early History.
- 14/09/1905: Launched for The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, London.
- 10/11/1905: Registered.
- 15/11/1905: Delivered. She cost £160,167. As built she could carry 150 First Class and 100 Second Class passengers.
- 1905: On her maiden voyage she carried Prince Arthur of
Connaught and his suite to Colombo en route to conferring the Order of
the Garter on the Emperor of Japan.
- 1906: Taken up for seasonal trooping charter, which was repeated every year until 1914, apart from 1911.
- 1907: Made a record Southampton/Bombay journey in 18 days, 7 hours.
- 1911: Present at King George V’s Coronation Navy Review carrying guests of the Admiralty.
- 1911: Indian famine relief duties.
World War One.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:7
- Nurses:12
- Other:58
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:31
- Cots:271
- Berths:204
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:
- Date To:
- Ships Crew details:
1914: On trooping charter when war declared. 1915: Requisitioned. She
operated as a makeshift hospital ship at the Dardanelles and later as
transport, largely off the coast of East Africa.
05/03/1915: Collided at 0017 in the Bristol Channel with the anchored
Belgian steamer Espagne, having sailed from Avonmouth at 2247 the
previous evening. Holed below the waterline forward on the starboard
side and beached west of Barry for the leak to be temporarily stopped.
Refloated on a rising tide at 0448 am and winched into Barry Dock 3
hours later.
17/03/1915: Left Barry after repairs.
1919: After the Armistice she repatriated deported Russians to Reval, and brought back refugees, before being refitted.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
SS Dunvegan Castle (1896) SS Dunvegan Castle 105854, Year built 1896. Date completed 14/04/1896
Passenger Liner Steel, Screw Steamer built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Govan Fairfield Yard .
Tonnage 5958 grt 3428 nrt. Length 450.0 ft. Breadth 50.9 ft. Depth 31.7 ft. Draft 23.7 ft.
Engine builder: Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd
Engine detail: T3cyl (38, 62.5, 102 x 66in), 1152nhp, 1-screw
First owner: Castle Mail Packets Co. Ltd. - D. Currie & Co., London London
Subsequent owner and registration history
1900 Union-Castle Mail S.S. Co. Ltd. - same managers
1924 Broken Up at Kiel ... arrived prior to 18/01/1924.
During WW1 she served as a troopship and a makeshift hospital ship in the Dardanelles.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:9
- Nurses:13
- Other:46
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:66
- Berths:334
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:6th October 1915
- Date To:20th April 1916
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Grantully Castle HMHS
Grantully Castle was built by Barclay Curle & Company, Glasgow,
Scotland. She was Launched: October 11, 1909 and completed: January
1910
Fate: Scrapped at Bowness, Scotland in 1939.
Owner: Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company, London, England.
Dimensions, Length: 450' 7" (PP) Beam: 54' 4" Draft: Gross tons: 7,606
Engines: 2 Quadruple expansion Speed: 13 knots
Funnels: 1 Masts: 2
World War One>
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:10
- Nurses:15
- Other:59
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:18
- Cots:184
- Berths:358
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:22nd June 1915
- Date To:11th March 1919
- Ships Crew details:
Jan 1915: Used as a troopship.
May 1915: Converted into a hospital ship with 552 beds.
11th March 1919: Returned to Union-Castle Line.
John Doran More info.
- Hospital ship
HMHS Jan Breydel SS
Jan Breydel was a Belgian Steam Ship which helped evacuate Belgian
government and members of it's Royal Family to Britain during WW1. It
was then used as a hospital ship to evacuate wounded from france and
Belgium.
Medical Capacity.
- Jan Breydel Medical Staff 2 officers, 1 Warrant Officer 4 Nurses/Sisters and 28 RAMC-Other volunteers
- Accommodation 6 Officers 36 cots and 116 berths.
- Served as hospital ship from 27th Aug 1915 to 1 Aug 1919.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Neuralia SS Neuralia was built by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow, Yard No 497
- Last Name: Neuralia
- Port of Registry: London
- Propulsion: Steam 2 x quadruple expansion
- Launched: Thursday, 12/09/1912
- Built: 1912
- Ship Type: Passenger Cargo Vessel
- Tonnage: 9082 grt
- Length: 499 feet
- Breadth: 58 feet
- Owner History:
- British India Steam Navigation Company, GB
- Status: Sunk - 01/05/1945
Capacity: Passengers: 128 First Class, 98 Second Class.
Launched 12th September 1912, completed 18th November 1912. The largest ship in the British India Fleet at this time.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:11
- Nurses:15
- Other:60
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:27
- Cots:245
- Berths:358
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:12th June 1915
- Date To:31st July 1919
- Ships Crew details:
Sister ship to Nevasa, the pair were most imposing looking ships and
were built for the London - Calcutta Service. A difference of opinion
follows. Duncan Haws states that she sailed in convoy from Bombay
carrying Indian Troops to Marseilles, Laxton and Perry state that she
carried British Troops bound for the United Kingdom. She saw action in
the Mediterranean in 1915, most notably at Suvla Bay and Salonika as a
hospital ship, she then saw service in the Indian Ocean. She returned to
the UK in March of 1916 and remained on station with the Home Fleet
until September 1918 when she was converted to an ambulance transport
and remained as such until July 1919
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Nevasa SS
Nevasa 1912, 9,071 gross tons, length 480.5ft x beam 58.1ft, one
funnel, two masts, twin screw, speed 14 knots, accommodation for 128-1st
and 98-2nd class pasengers. Launched 12th Dec.1912 by Barclay, Curle
& Co., Glasgow for British India Steam Navigation Co.
She started her maiden voyage from London to East Africa and Calcutta on
22nd March 1913. In Aug 1914 she was taken over and converted to a
troopship, and from Jan 1915 to 1918 was fitted as a 660 bed hospital
ship.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:6
- Nurses:12
- Other:52
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:254
- Berths:460
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:8th January 1915
- Date To:25th March 1918
- Ships Crew details:
Used in the East Africa, Persian Gulf, Salonika and Mesopotamia
campaigns. Later in 1918 she was used as a North Atlantic troopship,
ferrying US troops and later repatriating Allied forces. In late 1919
she resumed commercial service on the UK - East Africa and UK - Calcutta
services.
In 1925 rebuilt as a permanent troopship with capacity for 1,000 men. In
1935-37 she carried out a series of off-season educational cruises for
the School Journey's Association, London and in 1937 attended the
Spithead Coronation Naval Review. Between 1939 and 1945 she trooped
steadily and was used between the UK, India, Basra, Madagascar and for
the Normandy Landings. She resumed commercial service in 1946 but was
basically a troopship..Jan.1948 laid up in the River Blackwater and then
scrapped at Bo'ness.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Panama SS Panama/HMHS Maine(Panama)
Originally owned by Pacific Steam Navigation Company as 'Panama', she
was built by Fairfield Co. Govan, in 1902 and eventually she was
purchased by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1920, and converted in 1921,
to become HM Hospital Ship Maine (Panama).
She did not become an official HMHS until after purchase in 1920, but
the SS Panama was certainly a Hospital Ship before this as a couple of
nurses books printed after WW1 relate to the Panama being present off
Gallipoli. She worked in the Mediterranean in 1915.
She had a displacement of 10,100 tons, length 401ft 3in (p.p)., beam
58ft 4in., draught 23ft 6in/34ft deep load with 2 shaft reciprocating
triple expansion, 2 x double ended boilers, 2 x single ended boilers,
I.H.P. 4,000 (13 knots), with a single funnel.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:8
- Nurses:10
- Other:58
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:19
- Cots:217
- Berths:248
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:25th July 1915
- Date To:23rd November 1919
- Ships Crew details
John Doran
- Ambulance transport
SS Peter de Coninck SS
Pieter de Coninck was built at Cockerill Yard, Hoboken, Belgium in
1910. She weighed 1767grt and was owned by the Belgian Government,
operating as a cross channel ferry.
She was converted to serve as an Ambulance Transport during WW1.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses:
- Other:26
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:19
- Cots:38
- Berths:320
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:16th March 1917
- Date To:28th March 1919
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
SS Somali SS Somali was built in 1901 by Caird & Company Greenock, Yard No 298.
- Port of Registry: London
- Propulsion: Steam triple exp.
- Launched: Friday, 17/05/1901
- Ship Type: Passenger Cargo Vessel
- Tonnage: 6708 grt, Length: 450 feet, Breadth: 52 feet
- Owner History: Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company
- Status: Arrived for Scrapping - 10/12/1923
Served at troop carrier and hospital ship for Australians during ww1. John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS St. Andrew SS
St Andrew was fourth vessel to operate on the Rosslare - Fishguard
service for Great Western Railways. This one was supplied in 1908 by
John Brown and Company in Scotland, 2495 grt. and was similar to the
ships they had built for the same service in 1906.
She was used as a hospital ship during World War I and took part in the Dunkirk evacuation.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses :4
- Other :26
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:16
- Cots :23
- Berths :155
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:19th August 1914
- Date To :29th May 1919
- Ships Crew details:
In 1932 she was renamed Fishguard and sold for scrap the following year.
In 1914 she was taken over by the Ministry of Defence and commissioned
as a Military Hospital (one of five in the first month of the war). The
St Patrick and St David were also converted for use as hospital ships
(the St George having been sold the previous year to the Canadian
Pacific Railway Co.
Decommissioned in 1919, she was later renamed the MV Fishguard and withdrawn from service in 1933.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
Hospital Ship St. David The
Great Western Railway’s ships operated in connection with the company's
trains to provide services to Ireland, the Channel Islands and
France.[1] Powers were granted by Act of Parliament for the Great
Western Railway (GWR) to operate ships in 1871. The following year the
company took over the ships operated by Ford and Jackson on the route
between Wales and Ireland. Services were operated between Weymouth, the
Channel Islands and France on the former Weymouth and Channel Islands
Steam Packet Company routes. Smaller GWR vessels were also used as
tenders at Plymouth and on ferry routes on the River Severn and River
Dart. The railway also operated tugs and other craft at their docks in
Wales and South West England
On 30 August 1906 the GWR’s Welsh terminal was moved to a new harbour at
Fishguard. It was hoped that transatlantic liners would also call en
route to Liverpool but few did, Liverpool being forsaken for Southampton
within a few years but this increased the number of liner calls at
Plymouth. A similar change saw Rosslare become the principal railway
harbour on the other side of Irish Sea although some services were still
provided to Waterford. This work was undertaken in a joint venture with
the Great Southern and Western Railway of Ireland known as the
Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours.
One of three ships (St. David, St. Patrick and St. George) that started
the new Fishguard to Rosslare service in 1906, St. David was built by
John Brown. She was used as a hospital ship during World War I. In 1932
she was renamed Rosslare and was sold for scrap the following year.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses:4
- Other:26
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:14
- Cots:23
- Berths:157
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:19th August 1914
- Date To:16th January 1919
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS St Patrick The
Great Western Railway’s ships operated in connection with the company's
trains to provide services to Ireland, the Channel Islands and
France.[1] Powers were granted by Act of Parliament for the Great
Western Railway (GWR) to operate ships in 1871. The following year the
company took over the ships operated by Ford and Jackson on the route
between Wales and Ireland. Services were operated between Weymouth, the
Channel Islands and France on the former Weymouth and Channel Islands
Steam Packet Company routes. Smaller GWR vessels were also used as
tenders at Plymouth and on ferry routes on the River Severn and River
Dart. The railway also operated tugs and other craft at their docks in
Wales and South West England
On 30 August 1906 the GWR’s Welsh terminal was moved to a new harbour at
Fishguard. It was hoped that transatlantic liners would also call en
route to Liverpool but few did, Liverpool being forsaken for Southampton
within a few years but this increased the number of liner calls at
Plymouth. A similar change saw Rosslare become the principal railway
harbour on the other side of Irish Sea although some services were still
provided to Waterford. This work was undertaken in a joint venture with
the Great Southern and Western Railway of Ireland known as the
Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours.
One of three ships (St. David, St. George and St. Patrick) that started
the new Fishguard to Rosslare service in 1906, St Patrick, 2531 gnt. was
built by John Brown. She was used as a hospital ship during World War
I.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses:4
- Other:28
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:17
- Cots:28
- Berths:146
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:19th August 1914
- Date To:26th January 1919
- Ships Crew details:
She caught fire while moored at Fishguard on 7 April 1929 and was then
sold for scrap the following year after her engines had been transferred
to St Andrew (1908). John Doran
- Hospital Ship
HMHS St George The
Great Western Railway’s ships operated in connection with the company's
trains to provide services to Ireland, the Channel Islands and France.
Powers were granted by Act of Parliament for the Great Western Railway
(GWR) to operate ships in 1871. The following year the company took over
the ships operated by Ford and Jackson on the route between Wales and
Ireland. Services were operated between Weymouth, the Channel Islands
and France on the former Weymouth and Channel Islands Steam Packet
Company routes. Smaller GWR vessels were also used as tenders at
Plymouth and on ferry routes on the River Severn and River Dart. The
railway also operated tugs and other craft at their docks in Wales and
South West England.
On 30 August 1906 the GWR’s Welsh terminal was moved to a new harbour at
Fishguard. It was hoped that transatlantic liners would also call en
route to Liverpool but few did, Liverpool being forsaken for Southampton
within a few years but this increased the number of liner calls at
Plymouth. A similar change saw Rosslare become the principal railway
harbour on the other side of Irish Sea although some services were still
provided to Waterford. This work was undertaken in a joint venture with
the Great Southern and Western Railway of Ireland known as the
Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours.
One of three ships (St. David, St. Patrick and St. George) that started
the new Fishguard to Rosslare service in 1906, St George was built by
Cammell Laird and Company at Birkenhead.
She was sold in May 1913 to the Canadian Pacific Railway but six years
later was sold again to the Great Eastern Railway for use on their
services from Harwich.
According to some records she was not used as a hospital ship in ww1 as
she was sold to Canadian Pacific Line in 1913, however there are
references to her and it seems she was in service as a hospital ship
from 1915 to 1917.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses:4
- Other:30
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:17
- Cots:115
- Berths:146
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:7th May 1915
- Date To:4th December 1917
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Ebani HMHS
Ebani during World War 1.
The HMHS Ebani was used as a hospital ship for troops of World War I
from the 13th August 1915 to the 12th October 1919. The ship was manned
by the Natal Medical Corps (NMC) of South Africa but also carried a
British crew (see below).
It was equipped for 300 or 400 patients but could carry 500 patients in
an emergency. A table of hospital ships during World War 1 gives the
following statistics: 6 British Officers, 13 Nurses and Sisters, 36 RAMC
& St Johns Ambulance etc., 508 cots. A plaque at the Merseyside
Maritime Museum records that over 5 years it steamed over 200,000 miles
and carried 50,000 sick and wounded.
At the outbreak of World War I voluntary workers provided a lot of
assistance to the medical authorities. A committee was formed, in Cape
Town (South Africa), under Sir Thomas Smartt, to raise funds for the
provision of certain auxiliary convalescent hospitals in the South
African peninsular for both men and officers. A search was undertaken
for a vessel that could be used for hospital purposes only (as opposed
to a transport of ambulances). The S.S. Ebani, a cargo vessel, was
selected by the Senior Naval Transport Officer, Captain R.C.K. Lambert
R.N. and by Colonel Stock to fulfill this purpose.
The Smartt committee chartered the Ebani and converted it into a
hospital ship for service in German South-West Africa. It provided the
funds and undertook the alterations and fitting out of the Ebani as a
hospital ship in accordance with the general specifications prepared by
the director of medical services. The ship was equipped as an hospital
ship in Cape Town. A staff was selected for the ship, the belligerent
Governments were notified, and Lieutenant-Colonel D. Macaulay took over
the duties of officer commanding. As the " Ebani " had been a cargo
vessel for the West African trade, the decks were not unduly divided,
and large airy wards with single-tier swing cots were prepared.
In addition to the fitted accommodation, a reserve of naval swing cots was carried.
The Natal Medical Corps.
The Natal Medical Corps was mobilized in 1914 and served in the South
West African Campaign. During the campaign they formed the 6th
Stationary Hospital at Swakupmond and manned the Ebani.
The Natal Volunteer Medical Corps (NVMC) was formed on the merger of the
Durban Light Infantry, the Natal Mounted Rifles and the Natal
Carbineers in 1895. It is now known as the 1 Medical Battalion Group (1
Med).
British crew.
The HMHS Ebani was intended to be a South African hospital ship to serve
during the campaign in Africa. However, there is evidence to suggest
that there were insufficient South African volunteers to man the ship
and British (and possibly other nationals) were required to man the
ship.
A protest was lodged in the South African Medical Record on 28 July
1917. It was lodged by Medical Officers serving in German East Africa
including Lt Col. D. Macaulay of the HMHS Ebani. The protest was against
the number of able bodied and military aged South African men who were
stay-at-homers. This meant that the South African units had to be
supplemented by men from the R.A.M.C (Royal Army Medical Corp) to make
up the numbers.
Where was the HMHS Ebani during World War I?
Drawing together various sources, including diary entries by those
aboard the HMHS Ebani, it is believed that the ship was at the following
locations on the following dates:
Date Location
- 1914 Cape Town - South Africa
- 1 December 1914 Inaugurations of S.S. Ebani by Vicountess, Buxton Cape Town
- 24 December 1914 Walfish Bay (also written Walvish), Namibia.
- 30 October 1915 Alexandria (Egypt) to UK via Gibraltar.
- 31 October 1915 As above.
- 28 August 1917 Kisiwani Harbour, Tanzania.
29 August 1917 Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
16 May 1918 Lindi to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
People known to have been aboard the HMHS Ebani[edit]
Sources have shown that the following people were aboard the HMHS Ebani
during its sail as an hospital ship as either crew or patients:
- Private John Thomas of the South Wales Borderers - wounded at Gallipoli in September 1915.
- Dr Donald Macaulay M.B C.M. (In medical charge of the Ebani until 1917). (Ross-shire).
- Nurse A. Hills Hospital in Alexandria and Ebani between
November 1915 and February 1916 mentioned in dispatches December 1915
and March 1916 and recipient of the Royal Red Cross for which her
attendance was requested at Buckingham Palace.
- Nurse Dorah Bernstein from Johannesburg, nursed GSWA, Salonika,
Gallipoli, Egypt, France and UK and served on hospital ship Ebani.
- Nurse Margaret Blackmore (see anecdotes below) of Tilt Cove,
enlisted not long after the outbreak of war and served on the Ebani in
the East African Campaign and in the Mediterranean with the ship making
one trip to England to refit and repair.
- Mr. Alex Stephens treated aboard the HMHS Ebani for wounds
suffered whilst serving in the South Africa Army against the Germans in
East Africa (see anecdotes below).
- Private Hurbett Everett Treated aboard the HMHS Ebani in 1915 (see anecdotes below).
- Mr. William Hickman Smith of Dunston, Gateshead, England, served aboard the HMHS Ebani as a nurse (see anecdotes below).
- Owen Jones Soldier of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Owen landed at
Gallipoli on 9 August 1915 but succumbed to dysentery. He was admitted
into the 2 Welsh Field Ambulance on 29 September 1915. On 4 October 1915
he was transferred to the 21st General Hospital at Alexandria until 30
October when he was invalided back to the UK on HMHS Ebani.
- Dan Fewster A First World War British Army Battery Sergeant
whose journals about his experiences in German East Africa give us some
dates and locations for the HMHS Ebani.
- Arthur Beagle - of Hull, Yorkshire Mechanical Transport and
South African Horse 1st Mounted Brigade. From the diary of Mr. Beagle we
know about the whereabouts of the HMHS Ebani in May 1918 and about a
small pox outbreak upon the ship.
- E. L. De Reeder - was residing in South Africa in 1916.
Volunteered for active service in German East Africa as a motor dispatch
rider; was rejected, being only sixteen years old. In Sept., 1917,
enlisted in the South African Medical Corps, and was transferred for
duty to No. 1 General Hospital, Wynberg, Cape Town, where, after one
year's service as secretary to the officer commanding, was promoted to
corporal. After nearly two and a half year's service ¦was discharged on
request and sailed for England as wardmaster on the H. M. Hospital Ship
Ebani and transferred for U. S. A.
The following crew members of the HMHS Ebani are mentioned in the London
Gazette of Tuesday 3 June 1915 (presumably in despatches):
- Downs, Chief Offr. A., H.M.H:S. " Ebani."
- Faill, Master Mariner A., Master of H.M.H.S, "Ebani."
- Lumsden, 'Chief Engr. W., H.M.H.S," Ebani.".
Anecdotes mentioning the HMHS Ebani[edit]
The following sources have been discovered mentioning the HMHS Ebani:
Love on the HMHS Ebani.
On 11 May 1918 Nurse Margaret Blackmore married Mr. Alex Stephens (a
mining engineer) whom she had met whilst serving on the Ebani where he
was treated for wounds he had suffered whilst serving in the South
African Army against the Germans in East Africa. They were married in
South Africa on 11 May 1918.
Encounter with a submarine off Gibraltar.
On 31 October 1915 Private Hurbett Everett described in his diary how
they saw a submarine (demon of the deep) sink a cargo boat just a few
miles from them. The submarine allowed them to take on the sunken ships
crew. It also spared them. Private Everett believes that it was the red
cross on the Ebani that saved them.
Dr. Donald Macaulay erroneously awarded the O.B.E.
A record was discovered for a Dr Donald Macaulay (captain) stating that
his medals were withheld because he would not return the insignia of the
O.B.E (Order of the British Empire) that was erroneously awarded to him
it may have been meant for Lt Col. D. Macaulay.
A Stamp of defiance?
Mr. William Hickman Smith served aboard the HMHS Ebani as a nurse during
World War I. After the war he kept a coin with the insignia of the
R.A.M.C. (Royal Army Medical Corp) and the HMHS Ebani on one side. On
the other side is the picture of Kaiser Wilhem II (Guilelmus II
Imperator). It is believed that the original coin was most likely to be a
German East Africa (DOA -Deutsch Ostafrika) 1 Rupee featuring German
(DR) emperor Wilhelm II (1888-1918) which should weigh 11.6638 grams and
would contain .3437 of an ounce of silver. There were 300,000 of these
coins minted in Hamburg in 1913. What was German East Africa during
World War I was a German colonial territory covering the modern-day
countries of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.
We know from the records that the Ebani spent time in Tanzania (see
above). This is probably where and when the coin originated. How it came
to be stamped with the Ebani stamp we can only guess but apparently it
is not uncommon for coins of the opposition to be defaced during war.
Journal Extracts of Dan Fewster.
The Journal extracts of Dan Fewster, a World War I British Army Battery
Sergeant give us the following extracts mentioning the HMHS Ebani.
August 28. 1917 - The MO will not keep me here, so I am transferred to
the HS Ebani for Dar-es-Salaam. During the five weeks that I was in dock
at Kilwa, my appetite was very poor and during the four days that I
have been on this ship, I have hardly tasted food, although it looked
very nice.
August 29. 1917 - We arrived at Dar-es-Salaam this morning, and I am
removed to No.2 South African General Hospital, formerly the Kaiseroff
Hotel. I am now a stretcher case, so I dont improve much. After being
examined by the MO, I am marked for the south.
Extracts from the Diary of Arthur Beagle Small Pox on the HMHS Ebani.
Extracts from the Diary of Arthur Beagle from Hull, Yorkshire, of the
South African Horse 1st Mounted Brigade we know a little about the
whereabouts of the HMHS Ebani in May 1918 and about an outbreak of small
pox on the ship. His diary states:
3 May [1918] - I am still in hospital although removed to Lindi by river
boat. I am feeling pleased today as the M. O. is evacuating me. It is
now a matter of waiting for the hospital ship.
May 16 [1918] - Arrived at Dares salaam on the hospital ship Ebani and
admitted to hospital. Small pox broke out on the ship and all of us were
vaccinated. (450 miles).
After World War I.
The HMHS Ebani served as an hospital ship until October 1919.
Following the end of the German South-West African campaign the H.M.H.S.
Ebani was transferred to Imperial authorities. It continued to be used
in various locations. Any staff of the South African Medical Corps who
remained on board following the transfer were themselves transferred to
the Royal Army Medical Corps (R.A.M.C.). It was sold in 1938 to Italy
and renamed the Maristella. A third boat by the name of Ebani was built
in 1952.
John Doran
- Royal Yacht
HMY Alexandra HM
Yacht Alexandra was built by A & J Inglis Pointhouse Glasgow, Yard
No 280. Engines by Parsons Marine Steam Turbine. Last Name: PRINS OLAV
(1925)
Propulsion: Two steam turbines, 3 Yarrow boilers 4500 ihp Speed:18.86
knots
Launched: Thursday, 30/05/1907. Built: 1907, Ship Type: Royal Yacht
Ship's Role: Royal yacht then cruise ship.
Tonnage: 2113 grt. Length: 295.3ft. Breadth: 40.1ft. Draught: 13 ft.
Owner History: Admiralty ( H.M. King Edward VII ). 1925: Det
Nordenfjeldske DS. 1940: Norwegian authorities. Status: Bombed &
Sunk - 09/06/1940
Remarks: Sold to Norwegian Shipping Company 1925 for use as cruise ship
Prince Olav. Subsequently rebuilt as a Hurtigruten service vessel
Sunk by German air attack on the 9th June 1940 in 67.07N 01.00E on
passage Kagsund for Thorshavn, Faroes.
In her service as a royal yacht, Alexandra was manned by the Royal Navy.
The ship often carried Edward VII on holidays to Biarritz and the
Mediterranean, or to Germany. During the First World War Alexandra was
used as a hospital ship. Following the First World War, Alexandra was
rarely used, and was decommissioned in June 1922.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Empress of India RMS
Empress of India was an ocean liner built in 1890-1891 by Naval
Construction & Armament Co., Barrow, England for Canadian Pacific
Steamships. This ship would be the first of two CP vessels to be named
Empress of India, and on 28 April 1891, she was the very first of many
ships named Empress arriving at Vancouver harbor.
The Empress of India regularly traversed the trans-Pacific route between
the west coast of Canada and the Far East until she was sold to the
Maharajah of Gwalior in 1914 and renamed Loyalty in 1915.
In 1891, Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and the British government
reached agreement on a contract for subsidized mail service between
Britain and Hong Kong via Canada; and the route began to be serviced by
three specially designed ocean liners. Each of these three vessels was
given an Imperial name.
The RMS Empress of India and her two running mates - the RMS Empress of
China and the RMS Empress of Japan - created a flexible foundation for
the CPR trans-Pacific fleet which would ply this route for the next half
century.
The Empress of India was built by Naval Construction & Armament Co.
(now absorbed into Vickers Armstrongs) at Barrow, England. The keel was
laid in 1890. She was launched on 30 August 1890 by Lady Louise Egerton,
sister of Lord Harrington. The 5,905-ton vessel had a length of 455.6
feet, and her beam was 51.2 feet. The graceful white-painted,
clipper-bowed ship had two buff-colored funnels with a band of black
paint at the top, three lightweight schooner-type masts, and an average
speed of 16-knots. This Empress and her running mate Empresses were the
first vessels in the Pacific to have twin propellers with reciprocating
engines. The ship was designed to provide accommodation for 770
passengers (120 first class, 50 second class and 600 steerage).
The SS Empress of India left Liverpool on 8 February 1891 on her maiden
voyage via Suez to Hong Kong and Vancouver. Thereafter, she regularly
sailed back and forth along the Hong Kong - Shanghai - Nagasaki - Kobe -
Yokohama - Vancouver route. In the early days of wireless telegraphy,
the call sign established for the "Empress of India was "MPI"
Much of what would have been construed as ordinary, even unremarkable
during this period was an inextricable part of the ship's history. In
the conventional course of trans-Pacific traffic, the ship was sometimes
held in quarantine, as when it was discovered that a passenger from
Hong Kong to Kobe showed signs of smallpox, and the vessel was held in
Yokohama port until the incubation period for the disease had passed.
The cargo holds of the Empress would have been routinely examined in the
normal course of harbor-master's business in Hong Kong, Yokohama or
Vancouver.
On 17 August 1903, the Empress of India collided with and sank the Chinese cruiser Huang Tai.
The vessel was reported sold on 19 December 1914, to the Geakwar of
Baroda (also known as the Maharajah of Gwalior). The former Empress was
re-fitted as a hospital ship for Indian troops. On 19 January 1915, the
ship was renamed Loyalty. In March 1919, she was sold to The Scindia
Steam Navigation Company Ltd. Company in Bombay (now Mumbai). In
February 1923, the ship was sold for scrapping at Bombay.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
.jpg)
St. Denis (Munich) SS Munich was built by John Brown Clydebank, Yard No 384.
Last Name: BARBARA (1940). Previous Names: ST DENIS (1915).
Launched: Tuesday, 25/08/1908, Built: 1908, Ship Type: Passenger Ferry
Ship's Role: Harwich/Hook of Holland ferry.
Tonnage: 2570 grt. Length: 331 ft. Breadth: 43.2 ft.
- Owner History:
- Great Eastern Railway Company, Harwich
- 1923 London & North Eastern Railway Co.
- 1940 German Navy
- 1945 Allied control at Kiel
Status: Arrived for Scrapping - 02/03/1950
- Converted to hospital ship 1914 for WW1.
- Troop transport 1939, scuttled at Rotterdam 12/5/1940, refloated by Germans 1/11/1940
- Intended conversion to minelayer but not done due to state of machinery
- Used by Allies as accommodation ship at Kiel to 1949
- Broken up at Sunderland.
Names:
Munich (Great Eastern Raiilways): 1908-1914.
St Denis (Great Eastern Railways): 1918-1922.
St Denis (LNER: 1923-1940).
Munich was built in 1908 for the Harwich-Hook of Holland service. In WW1
she was used as the hospital ship St Denis, retaining the name
afterwards. In 1940 she was caught in Amsterdam, and was scuttled. She
was raised and used by the Germans, and was scrapped in 1950.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses:6
- Other:28
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:14
- Cots:108
- Berths:109
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:12th October 1914
- Date To:18th October 1919
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Brighton Brighton
was a 1,384 GRT steamship which was built in 1903 for the London,
Brighton and South Coast Railway and London and South Western Railway.
She passed to the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923. In 1930, she was
sold to W E Guinness and converted to a private yacht, Roussalka (named
after Slavonic mythologic creature). She was wrecked at Killary Bay on
25 August 1933.
The ship was built by W Denny & Bros, Dumbarton. She was yard number
683 and was launched on 13 June 1903 with completion in August 1903.
The ship was 273 feet 6 inches (83.36 m) long, with a beam of 34 feet 2
inches (10.41 m) and a depth of 14 feet 1 inch (4.29 m). She was powered
by three steam turbines, which were made by Parsons Steam Turbine Co
Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne. The turbines were rated at 580 horsepower (430
kW) and drove three screws. These could propel her at a speed of 21
knots (39 km/h).
In 1931, Roussalka was fitted with two 8-cylinder Atlas diesel engines
of 1,750 horsepower (1,300 kW) driving a single screw, giving her a
speed of 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h).
History.
Brighton was built for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. She
was used on their Newhaven - Dieppe route. She was to have been the
first turbine powered steamship built for the LB & SCR but a fire at
the shipbuilders delayed her completion, pushing her into second place.
Her port of registry was Newhaven. On 5 November 1910 Brighton was
involved in a collision with the windjammer Preußen 8 nautical miles (15
km) south of Newhaven. Brighton returned to Newhaven to summon aid, and
the tug Alert was sent to assist Preußen, which was towed towards
Dover. It was intended to anchor her off Dover but both anchor chains
broke and Preußen was driven onto rocks where she sank as a result of
the damage inflicted on her. The Master of the Brighton was found to be
responsible for the accident and lost his licence as a result. He later
committed suicide by shooting himself in a London pub.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses:4
- Other:26
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:6
- Cots:20
- Berths:114
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:18th March 1915
- Date To:15th May 1920
- Ships Crew details:
In 1914, Brighton was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for use as a
troopship. She was later used as a hospital ship. On 19 December 1914,
she rescued the survivors of the naval trawler HMT Orianda, which had
been sunk by a mine in the North Sea off Scarborough, Yorkshire.
Brighton brought the American President Woodrow Wilson back to Dover
after the signing on the Treaty of Versailles.
Brighton was returned to her owners in 1920. Brighton passed to the
Southern Railway at Grouping. In 1930, Brighton was sold to W E
Guinness, who converted her to a private yacht named Roussalka. Her
steam turbines were replaced by a diesel engine and one of her two
funnels was removed. She was renamed Roussalka. On 25 August 1933, in
thick fog, Roussalka was wrecked on Blood Slate Rock, Freaklin Island,
Killary Bay. All passengers and crew were rescued.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Syria SS
Syria was built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Glasgow,Yard No 391,
Engines by Shipbuilder. Last Name: GIOVANNA (1924)- only for last
journey for scrapping. Port of Registry: London
Propulsion: Steam triple exp. 2 x 3cyl twin screws 4500ihp. Speed 14 knots.
Launched: Tuesday, 07/05/1901, Built: 1901, Ship Type: Passenger Cargo Vessel.
Tonnage: 6660 grt. Length: 450 feet. Breadth: 52 feet.
Owner History: Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company London
Status: Sold for Scrapping - 24/06/1924
Remarks:
Served as a Hospital Ship from 2/10/1914 to 10/2/1920 and was used in
Mesopotamia. Scrapped at La Spezia, renamed Giovanna for delivery
voyage only.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:16
- Nurses:
- Other:62
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:12
- Cots:109
- Berths:214
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:2nd October 1914
- Date To:10th February 1920
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Varsova SS Varsova, Passenger Cargo Ship, Launched:09/06/1914, Completed: 08/1914.
Builder: Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd.
Yard: Neptune Yard, Low Walker, Yard Number: 932
Dimensions: 4691grt, 1957nrt, 390.2 x 53.3 x 24.0ft
Engines: 2 x T3cyl (20.5, 35 & 60 x 45ins), 987nhp
Engines by: Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd
Propulsion: 2 x Screws. Construction: Steel. Reg Number: 139312.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:
- Nurses:
- Other:
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:475
- Berths:
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:8th October 1914
- Date To:8th May 1920
- Ships Crew details:
History.
- 08/1914 British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd, Glasgow.
- 09/06/1914: Launched.
- 11/08/1914: Delivered as Varsova for British India Steam
Navigation Company at a cost of £119,000. She was the second of the
V-class to be
delivered along with her sisters Varela, Vita and Vasna.
- 10/1914: Requisitioned immediately upon her arrival in India and took part in the convoy from Bombay to Mauritius.
- 1915: Served as an overflow base hospital at Basra and then as a
transport to Gallipoli.
- 04/1916: Was made an Indian Expeditionary Force hospital ship with 475
beds for the Mesopotamian campaign.
- 09/1917 to 11/1920: Worked as an ambulance transport.
- 07/1929: A valve was opened in her No.2 hold outward bound from
Basra. It caused considerable damage to her cargo of wool and valuable
Persian carpets. Her Commander and Chief Officer were dismissed from the
service in light of their negligence.
- 1939: Fitted with insulated cargo space 53.8 cubic metres (3,100 cubic
feet).
- 1939/1945: She served during the war period as a Personnel and Military Store Ship.
- 09/1940: Attacked unsuccessfully by an Italian aircraft while she was in the Red Sea.
- 1946: Made two Bombay/East Africa voyages.
- 1948: Made a pilgrim journey from Mombasa to Jeddah.
- 19/04/1949: Sold for £17,500 to the British Iron & Steel Company.
- 12/07/1949: Broken up by Metal Industries (Salvage) Ltd.
- 1950: Her bell was presented to surviving members of the 85th Field
Ambulance, who had served in her in the First World War.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
.jpg)
HMHS Dieppe Dieppe
was a steam passenger ferry that was built in 1905 for the London,
Brighton and South Coast Railway. She was requisitioned during the First
World War for use as a troopship and later as a hospital ship HMHS
Dieppe, returning to her owners postwar. She passed to the Southern
Railway on 1 January 1923. In 1933 she was sold to W E Guinness and
converted to a private diesel yacht, Rosaura. She was requisitioned in
the Second World War for use as an armed boarding vessel, HMS Rosaura.
She struck a mine and sank off Tobruk, Libya on 18 March 1941.
SS Dieppe was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd,
Govan. She was yard number 439 and was launched on 6 April 1905 with
completion in May 1905. The ship was 273 feet 5 inches (83.34 m) long,
with a beam of 34 feet 8 inches (10.57 m) and a depth of 13 feet 8
inches (4.17 m). She was powered by three steam turbines, which were
made by Fairfield. The turbines could propel her at a speed of 22 knots
(41 km/h). When converted to a private yacht, the turbines were replaced
by two 8-cylinder Atlas diesel engines. One of her propellers was
removed as was one of her funnels. Her speed was reduced to 15 knots (28
km/h). As built, her GRT was 1,210. This had increased to 1,426 by 1930
and further increased to 1,536 in 1933.
History.
Dieppe was built for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. She
was used on their Newhaven — Dieppe route. She was requisitioned by the
Royal Navy in the First World War for use as a troopship and a hospital
ship. On 27 February 1916 she took aboard over 100 survivors from the
12,431 GRT P&O passenger liner Maloja, which was sunk by a mine off
Dover.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:3
- Nurses:4
- Other:27
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:33
- Berths:134
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:6th May 1915
- Date To:7th April 1917
- Ships Crew details:
Dieppe was returned to her owners after the war and passed to the
Southern Railway at 1923 grouping. On 27 November 1924 Dieppe had a
mishap in which she ended up hitting the breakwater at Newhaven Harbour
stern first. The tugs Alert and Richmere were sent to her aid. Richmere
became disabled when a cable became entangled around her propellor. The
Newhaven Lifeboat Sir Fitzroy Clayton was sent to her aid. Richmere
ended up being dashed against the harbour wall and sank. Her crew were
rescued by the lifeboat and the tug was later raised and repaired.
Dieppe managed to dock some five hours after the drama began.
In September 1933, Dieppe was sold to W E Guinness for conversion to a
private yacht. She was renamed Rosaura, replacing MY Roussalka which had
been lost earlier that year. In August 1934, the Prince of Wales and
Wallis Simpson took a cruise on Rosaura. According to Wallis, it was on
this cruise that she fell in love with the Prince. Also in 1934, Winston
Churchill and his wife Clementine cruised on Rosaura in the eastern
Mediterranean. On 26 September 1936, Rosaura was in collision with the
Dutch coaster Henca at Amsterdam, Netherlands and was severely damaged.
She was subsequently repaired.
Rosaura was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in the Second World War for
use as an armed boarding vessel in the Contraband Control Service. In
February 1940, Rosaura was involved in Operation Abstention. On 18 March
1941 Rosaura struck a mine off Tobruk and sank with the loss of 78
lives.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Egypt SS
Egypt was a passenger liner that sunk after a collision with the Seine,
on 20 May 1922 in the English Channel. 252 people were rescued from the
338 passengers and crew on board at the time. A subsequent salvage
operation recovered most of the cargo of gold and silver.
Name: SS Egypt, Owner and Operator: P&O
Port of registry: London, UK. Route: London-Bombay.
Builder: Caird & Co. Launched: 1897. Out of service: 20 May 1922. Fate: Sank after collision.
Tonnage: 7,941 grt. Length: 500 ft (150 m). Propulsion: Steam engine
Speed: Cruising: 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph). Max: 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Capacity: 301 first class, 208 second class, Crew: 294
The Egypt was built at Greenock on the River Clyde and launched in 1897.
She generally worked on the United Kingdom to India route but served as
a hospital ship during the First World War.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:12
- Nurses:10
- Other:58
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:20
- Cots:175
- Berths:266
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:2nd August 1915
- Date To:1st June 1919
- Ships Crew details:
The Final Voyage.
Egypt departed from Tilbury, Essex on 19 May 1922 carrying just 44
passengers as well as a cargo of gold and silver bullion and gold
sovereigns worth over £1 million (around £200 million at the 2012 gold
price).
The voyage proceeded normally until the early morning of the 20 May when
fog was encountered. As a safety measure Captain Collyer greatly
reduced the speed of the ship. The Egypt remained in fog until the
afternoon when the navigator was able to sight landmarks on the French
coast and fix the ship's position.
After continuing the voyage for several hours a dense fog bank was
suddenly encountered at around 7 o'clock. The engines were stopped but
almost immediately afterwards a fog whistle was heard. A ship emerged
through the fog and within seconds the other ship (the Seine) crashed
into the port side of the Egypt. The Seine had a strengthened bow for
ice-breaking and this penetrated deeply into the Egypt before the ships
drifted apart.
An SOS was transmitted and replies were received from the RMS Andes and
SS Cahiracon but the Egypt sank in less than 20 minutes before either
ship arrived.Most of the passengers and crew were able to abandon ship
in the lifeboats which were picked up by the Seine.
The Salvage.
With such a valuable cargo salvage attempts soon began but the wreck of
the Egypt was not located until 1930. She was found to be lying upright
in a depth of 170 metres (560 ft) making the recovery extremely
difficult with the technology of the time. Giovanni Quaglia (From the
Genoese company "Società Ricuperi Marittimi" (So.Ri.Ma.)) was in charge
of the operation and decided to use a diver in an armoured suit to
direct the placing of explosives to blast through the ship to expose the
strong room. The diver was then used to direct a grab which picked up
the gold and silver. The salvage continued until 1935 by which 98% of
the contents of the strong room had been recovered
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Erinpura SS
Erinpura was a passenger liner built for the British-India Steam
Navigation Company in 1911. She was the first British India ship built
for Eastern service to be fitted with radio. She was sunk in the
Mediterranean during World War II.
Class & type: Passenger cargo vessel, Tonnage: 5,128 grt.
Length: 411 ft (125.27 m), Beam: 52 ft 6 in (16.00 m), Draught: 23 ft 5
in (7.14 m). Installed power: Two sets of triple expansion engines,
6,657 IHP
Propulsion: Twin screws. Speed: 16.7 knots (30.9 km/h).
Capacity: Passengers: 51 first class, 39 second class, 2,359 deck.
Crew: 26 Officers, 84 Ratings.
Construction and First World War.
Erinpura was built by William Denny and Brothers, of Dumbarton and
launched in 1911. She was one of seven sisters built at four different
shipyards for the Bay of Bengal/Singapore Straits Service, the group
which was one of the most successful, profitable and long lasting groups
in the history of British India. She was used as a troopship early in
the First World War, carrying troops from Karachi to Marseilles, and
then to Sanniya in Iraq. She ran aground while sailing up the river to
Abadan on 24 December 1914 and sustained some damage, but was able to
return to Bombay. She made several more trooping voyages until becoming a
hospital ship in August 1915, supporting the Indian Expeditionary Force
with 475 beds and 104 medical staff. She served on the Basra-Bombay
Service, and from November 1917 was used as an ambulance transport.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:
- Nurses:
- Other:
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:
- Berths:475
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:1st May 1916
- Date To:13th June 1919
- Ships Crew details: Officers:26 Ratings:84
Interwar.
She ran aground again on 15 June 1919, this time on the Mushejera Reef
in the Red Sea. Her passengers and troops were taken off by HMS Topaze
and taken to Aden, but attempts to pull Erinpura off failed. It was
eventually decided to cut the bow of the ship off, towing the stern to
Aden, and leaving the bow stuck on the reef. A new bow was ordered from
the original builders Dennys. The stern was towed to Bombay where the
new bow section was fitted, and she returned to service in 1923.
Second World War.
She was called up during the Munich Crisis in 1938, and was
requisitioned for the Liner Division in March 1940. Erinpura was used as
a troop transport in the Mediterranean, and in 1943 was the commodore's
ship, under the command of Captain P.V. Cotter, in a Malta-bound convoy
with three other British India ships, Karoa, Egra and Rohna, and twenty
other merchantmen escorted by eleven warships. The convoy was attacked
thirty miles north of Benghazi on 1 May 1943 by German bombers, with
Erinpura being hit by a bomb in one of her holds. She sank within four
minutes of being hit. Two junior engineers, 54 Indian seamen, three
gunners, 140 Palestinian Jewish soldiers serving in 462 Transport
Company of the British Army, and 600 Basuto pioneer troops were lost
with her.
Memorial.
There is a memorial on Mount Herzl to the 140 Jewish soldiers who
drowned aboard the SS Erinpura. The monument is shaped like a ship
containing a central pool, on the bottom of which are the names of the
fallen. Above the pool is a turret adorned with the Hebrew text of
Psalms 68:22: "The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will
bring my people again from the depths of the sea." A memorial ceremony
is held every year on Yom HaShoah
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS France SS
France was a French ocean liner which sailed for the Compagnie Générale
Transatlantique, colloquially known as CGT or the "French Line". She
was later christened Versailles of the Atlantic, a reference to her
décor which reflected the famous palace outside Paris. Ordered in 1908,
she was introduced into the Transatlantic route in April 1912, just a
week after the sinking of RMS Titanic, and was the only French liner
among the famous "four stackers". France quickly became one of the most
popular ships in the Atlantic. Serving as a hospital ship during World
War I, France would have a career spanning two decades. Her overall
success encouraged CGT to create even larger liners in the future.
Name: SS France, Owner: Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT).
Port of registry: France, Le Havre, Route: Transatlantic. Ordered: 1908
Builder: Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Laid down: February 1909, Launched:
20 September 1910. Commissioned: 1912, Decommissioned: 1936. Maiden
voyage: 20 April 1912. Out of service: 1935. Nickname: Versailles of the
Atlantic
Fate: Broken up in 1936.
General characteristics
Tonnage: 24,666 grt. Length: 217 m (712 ft), Beam: 23.88 m (78.3 ft).
Propulsion: Four direct-action steam turbines; Quadruple propeller;
45,000 ihp (34,000 kW). Speed: 23.50 knots (43.52 km/h; 27.04 mph).
Capacity: 2,020 passengers.
France was called the most lavish of the Transatlantic liners and its
interiors were one of the most consistent of all liners. The revival of
the Baroque architecture and interior design occurred in the late 19th
century and prevailed into the early decades of the twentieth.
Her first class accommodations were graced with various portraits of
Louis XIV as well as his relations. France was also credited for
bringing the grand staircase to the ocean liner, a fashion which
prevails in modern cruise ships. Her First Class entrance hall and
dining room demonstrated this. The staircase in the dining room was in
fact copied from the Parisian Hôtel de Toulouse. Further unique points
included her Cafe Terrasse and the Salon Mauresque, the latter a
reference to the French colonial empire in Africa. The ship also had a
gymnasium, an elevator as well as a hair salon, all great novelties at
the time. Style Louis seize (Louis XVI) was also used within the private
apartments of the grand luxe suites on board. According to a 1912
booklet publicising the liner, her second class accommodation was
credited as "match[ing] the richness and comfort of first class on the
old liners." Passengers in this class could also utilise a hair dressing
salon. Third and steerage classes were also praised as being
well-appointed.
The 1910s.
Built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique,[4] she was launched 20 September
1910 into the River Loire. The spectacle was watched by scores of
cheering Frenchmen who had gathered for the occasion. In the following
months, her machinery was installed and her luxurious interiors were
fitted. Finally completed in 1912, her maiden voyage departed from her
homeport of Le Havre on 20 April 1912, just five days after the sinking
of Titanic. As a result of the disaster, France lost much publicity but
quickly established herself on her route. She did much to improve the
image of the CGT which, to date, had not had much influence in the North
Atlantic. Cuisine onboard was said to have been amongst the finest at
sea. Sailing at a service speed of 23.5 knots (43.5 km/h), she was
faster than any ship afloat save for Mauretania and Lusitania. Despite
this, she attained a speed of 25.09 knots (46.47 km/h) on her trials. At
23,769 tons, France was half the size of the newest British liners,
such as the Olympic but what she lacked in size, she made up for in
opulence. Her first class interiors were amongst the most lavish seen at
sea and were decorated in style Louis quatorze earning the nickname
Château or Versailles of the Atlantic.
Proud of their great achievement, the new France was not without
problems; she suffered from disturbing vibrations, and had a marked
tendency to roll, even when the seas were flat calm. She was withdrawn
from service after just a handful of crossings to have these two serious
issues addressed. She was sent to the Harland & Wolff Shipyard in
Northern Ireland, where longer and wider bilge keels were fitted to her
hull to reduce rolling and new propellers were fitted to reduce
vibrations, making her not only more comfortable to travel aboard, but
faster as well.
When World War I erupted in 1914, France was immediately requisitioned
by the French Navy for use as an armed merchant cruiser and renamed
France IV. Her time as a cruiser was short-lived as she was too large,
burned too much coal to be of good use, and was consequently
reconfigured to carry troops. Later still, in 1916 she was painted white
and used as a hospital ship in the Dardanelles, operating in tandem
with White Star’s new flagship, Britannic and Cunard's new Aquitania.
During her time as a hospital ship she was converted to have 2,500 beds
for injured troops. When Britannic was sunk in late 1916, the need for
high-capacity hospital ships was even more dire, and she continued in
this role until the United States entered the war in 1917, when she was
deployed back to the Atlantic to ferry American troops to the continent
with space for some 5,000. In 1918, her military service was cut short
by an engine room explosion that killed nine crew members and thus
required extensive repairs.
The 1920s.
Returned to the CGT in March 1919, her name was promptly changed back to
France, although she was kept busy repatriating American troops until
that autumn. She was sent for refurbishment that winter, returning to
commercial duty in early 1920. In 1921, she passed flagship status on to
the newer and larger Paris, but continued to be a popular means of
travel, with a near club-like following among the wealthy. Her affluent
passenger loads swayed the CGT in 1924 to convert her to an all
first-class ship, save for just 150 third class berths. During the
conversion, her boilers were modified to burn fuel oil rather than coal,
allowing her engine room staff to be greatly reduced. She sailed
without incident, crossing the Atlantic during the peak months and
cruising in the winter until 1927. With the advent of the new Ile de
France, France was diverted almost totally to cruising.
The Great Depression essentially sounded the death knell for the liner.
Many of the millionaires she had carried over the years had been
financially destroyed and the general downturn in business cut deeply
into transatlantic travel. France spent more and more time idle, until
she finally was withdrawn from service in 1932. Laid up at Le Havre, she
sat unattended until January 1933, when a fire was discovered by a
night watchman. Although it was rapidly extinguished, the fire had
caused some minor damage, but by now she was outclassed by her newer
running-mates. CGT had by then commissioned a new flagship, the great
Normandie which was nearing completion. As a result, the company decided
it was time to scrap the 21-year-old liner. On 15 April 1935, the old
France departed Le Havre under her own steam to the scrappers at
Dunkirk, France
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Liberty Names: Liberty (1908-1912), Glencairn (1912-1914), Liberty (1914-1938).
Owners and details.
- Joseph Pulitzer (1908-1911)
- James Ross (1912-1914)
- Lord Tredegar (1914-1920)
- Sir Robert Houston (1920-1926)
- Lady Lucy Houston (1926-1936)
- Port of registry: USA (1908-1912) USA
- Portsmouth (1912-1924) United Kingdom
- Jersey (1924-1938) United Kingdom
- Builder: Ramage & Ferguson Ltd, Leith[1]
- Cost: US$1.5 million
- Launched: 5 December 1907[1]
- In service: 1908[1]
- Out of service: 1938
- Fate: scrapped
General characteristics
- Type: Steam Yacht
- Tonnage: 1,607grt, 887nrt
- Length: 268.6 ft (81.9 m),Beam: 35.6 ft (10.9 m), Depth of hold: 17.9 ft (5.5 m).
- Propulsion: twin screw
SY Liberty was a steam yacht built for Joseph Pulitzer and one of the
largest private yachts of its day. She served as a Royal Navy hospital
ship during World War I. Strangely, two of her five owners died on
board.
The steam yacht Liberty was designed by G L Watson & Co and launched
by Ramage & Ferguson Ltd at Leith on 5 December 1907. With a
tonnage of 1,607grt, length of 268.6 feet (81.9 m) and beam of 35.6 feet
(10.9 m), she was a large yacht by the standards of the day. She had
twin screws, powered by two triple expansion steam engines made by the
shipbuilder.
In addition to the expected high level of luxury, Liberty was especially
fitted with ramps and soundproofing due to Pulitzer's blindness and
extreme sensitivity to noise, and was nicknamed "The Tower of Silence".
History
Liberty was built in 1908 at a cost of US$1.5 million for newspaper
publisher Joseph Pulitzer, who died on board at Charleston, South
Carolina on 29 October 1911. She was sold to Scottish-Canadian
businessman James Ross, renamed Glencairn and registered in Portsmouth,
England. Ross sailed around the world in her in 1912, hoping to improve
his health, but died the following year. In 1914 she was purchased by
Viscount Tredegar, who reverted her name to the original Liberty.
In September 1915 she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for the
duration of World War I, initially as an auxiliary patrol yacht Liberty
IV, though soon transformed to a hospital ship, No. 10, first operating
within the North Sea and for much of the time under the command of her
owner. She was returned to Lord Tredegar in January 1919.
After refitting Liberty as a yacht, Viscount Tredegar embarked on a
world cruise, eventually going around the world twice, during which time
he visited every colony in the British Empire, but then sold her to the
shipping magnate Sir Robert Houston in 1920. Following his marriage in
1924, Houston moved his residence to Jersey for tax reasons and also
re-registered his yacht there. Like Pulitzer, he died on board the
yacht, on 14 April 1926.
Left in his will to his wife Lucy, Lady Houston, she lived aboard
Liberty much of the time. In the 1930s, to express her hatred for former
prime minister Ramsay MacDonald, she hung a huge electric sign "Down
with MacDonald the Traitor" in the rigging and sailed round the British
Isles in her.
John Doran
- Hospital and Troopship WW1
HMHS Mauretania RMS
Mauretania was an ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by
Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson for the British Cunard Line, and
launched on 20 September 1907. She was the world's largest ship until
the launch of the RMS Olympic in 1911 as well as the fastest until the
launch of the Bremen in 1929. Mauretania became a favourite among her
passengers. After capturing the Blue Riband for the fastest
transatlantic crossing during her 1909 inaugural season, Mauretania held
the speed record for twenty years.
The ship's name was taken from Mauretania, an ancient Roman province on
the northwest African coast, not the modern Mauritania which is now to
the south. Similar nomenclature was also employed by Mauretania's
running mate, Lusitania, which was named after the Roman province
directly north of Mauretania, across the Strait of Gibraltar, the region
that now is Portugal.
Ship Statistics.
- Tonnage: 31,938 gross register tons (GRT)
- Length: 790 ft (240.8 m)
- Beam: 88 ft (26.8 m)
- Draft: 33 ft (10.1 m)
- Installed power: Direct-action Parsons steam turbines (two high pressure, two low pressure)
- 68,000 SHP (shaft horsepower) nominal at launch, 76,000 SHP on
record run, later increased to 90,000 SHP after conversion to oil
burning
- Propulsion: Quadruple propeller installation triple bladed
design at launch changed soon after to four bladed versions. Astern
turbines available on inboard shafts only.
- Speed: 24 knots (46 km/h) designed service speed
- Capacity: 2165 passengers total: 563 first class, 464 second class, 1138 third class. Crew: 802
Mauretania and Lusitania were both designed by Cunard naval architect
Leonard Peskett with Swan Hunter and John Brown working from the plans
for an ocean greyhound with a stipulated service speed of twenty-four
knots in moderate weather for her mail subsidy contract. Peskett's
original configuration for the ships in 1903 was a three-funnel design,
when reciprocating engines were destined to be the powerplant. A giant
model of the ships in this configuration appeared in Shipbuilder's
magazine. Cunard in 1904 decided to change power plants to Parson's new
turbine technology and Peskett then added a fourth funnel to the ship's
profile as the ships design was again modified before construction of
the vessel finally began.
In 1906, Mauretania was launched by the Duchess of Roxburghe. At the
time of her launch, she was the largest moving structure ever built and
slightly larger in gross tonnage than Lusitania. The main visual
differences between Mauretania and Lusitania was that Mauretania was
five feet longer and had different vents (Mauretania had cowl vents and
Lusitania had oil drum-shaped vents). Mauretania also had two extra
stages of turbine blades in her forward turbines making her slightly
faster than the Lusitania. Mauretania and Lusitania were the only ships
with direct-drive steam turbines to hold the Blue Riband; in later
ships, reduction-geared turbines were mainly used. Mauretania's usage of
the steam turbine was the largest yet application of the then-new
technology, developed by Charles Algernon Parsons. During speed trials,
these engines caused significant vibration at high speeds; in response,
Mauretania received strengthening members and redesigned propellers
before entering service, which reduced vibration.
Mauretania was designed to suit Edwardian tastes. Its interior was
designed by Harold Peto, architect, and was fitted out by several London
companies, with twenty eight different types of wood used in her public
rooms, along with marble, tapestries, and other furnishings. Wood
panelling for her first class public rooms was meticulously carved by
three hundred craftsmen from Palestine. The multi-level first-class
dining saloon was decorated in Francis I style and topped by a large
dome skylight. A series of elevators, then a rare new feature for
liners, was installed next to Mauretania's grand staircase. A new
feature was the Verandah Café on the boat deck, where passengers were
served beverages in a weather-protected environment.
Early career.
Mauretania departed Liverpool on her maiden voyage on 16 November 1907
under the command of her first captain, John Pritchard and later that
month captured the record for the fastest eastbound crossing of the
Atlantic with an average speed of 23.69 knots (43.87 km/h). In September
1909, Mauretania captured the Blue Riband for the fastest westbound
crossing — a record that was to stand for more than two decades. In
December 1910 Mauretania broke loose from her moorings while in the
River Mersey and sustained damage that caused the cancellation of her
special speedy Christmas voyage to New York. In a quick change of events
Cunard rescheduled Mauretania's voyage for Lusitania under the command
of captain James Charles which had just returned from New York.
Lusitania herself completed Christmas crossings for Mauretania, carrying
revellers back to New York. In 1912 both King George and Queen Mary
were given a special tour of Mauretania, then Britain's fastest merchant
vessel, adding further distinction to the ship's reputation. On 26
January 1914, while Mauretania was in the middle of annual refit in
Liverpool, four men were killed and six injured when a gas cylinder
exploded while they were working on one of her steam turbines. The
damage was minimal and she returned to service two months later.
World War I.
Shortly after Great Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914,
Mauretania and Aquitania were requested by the British government to
become armed merchant cruisers, but their huge size and massive fuel
consumption made them unsuitable for the duty and they resumed their
civilian service on 11 August. Later, due to lack of passengers crossing
the Atlantic, Mauretania was laid up in Liverpool until May 1915 at the
time that the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat.
Mauretania was about to fill the void left by Lusitania, but she was
ordered by the British government to serve as a troopship to carry
British troops during the Gallipoli Campaign. She avoided becoming prey
for German U-boats because of her high speed and the seamanship of her
crew. As a troopship, Mauretania received dazzle camouflage, a form of
abstract colour scheming, in an effort to confuse enemy ships.
HMHS Mauretania.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:22
- Nurses:21
- Other:177
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:115
- Cots:592
- Berths:1238
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:22nd October 1915
- Date To:1st March 1916
- Ships Crew details:
When combined forces from the British empire and France began to suffer
heavy casualties, Mauretania was ordered to serve as a hospital ship,
along with her fellow Cunarder Aquitania and White Star's Britannic, to
treat the wounded until 25 January 1916. In medical service the vessel
was painted white with large medical cross emblems surrounding the
vessel. Seven months later, Mauretania once again became a troop ship
when requisitioned by the Canadian government to carry Canadian troops
from Halifax to Liverpool. Her war duty was not yet over when the United
States declared war on Germany in 1917, and she carried thousands of
American troops, the ship was known by the Admiralty as HMS Tuberose
until the end of the war, but the vessel's name was never changed by
Cunard.
Post-war career.
Mauretania returned to civilian service on 21 September 1919. Her busy
sailing schedule prevented her from having an extensive overhaul
scheduled in 1920. However, in 1921 Cunard Line removed her from service
when fire broke out on E deck and decided to give her a much needed
overhaul. She returned to the Tyne shipyard of her birth, where her
boilers were converted to oil firing and returned to service in March
1922. Cunard noticed that Mauretania struggled to maintain her regular
Atlantic service speed. Although the ship's service speed had improved
and it now burned only 750 short tons (680 t) of oil per 24 hours,
compared to 1,000 short tons (910 t) of coal previously, it was not
operating at her pre-war service speeds. On one crossing in 1922 the
ship managed an average speed of only nineteen knots. Cunard decided
that the ship's once revolutionary turbines were in desperate need of an
overhaul. In 1923, a major re-fitting was begun in Southampton.
Mauretania's turbines were dismantled. Halfway through the overhaul, the
shipyard workers went on strike and the work was halted, so Cunard had
the ship towed to Cherbourg, France where the work was completed at
another shipyard. In May 1924, the ship returned to Atlantic service.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
.jpg)
HS Cambria TSS Cambria was a twin screw steamer passenger vessel operated by the London and North Western Railway from 1897 to 1923.
Ship Statistics.
- Name: 1897-1919: TSS Cambria, 1919-1925: TSS Arvonia.
- Owner: 1897-1923: London and North Western Railway.
- 1923-1925: London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
- Operator: 1897-1925: London and North Western Railway.
- 1923-1925: London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
- Port of registry: United Kingdom
- Route: 1902-1923: Holyhead, Dublin
- 1923-1925: Holyhead to Greenore and Heysham to Douglas
- Builder: William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton
- Yard number: 574
- Launched: 4 August 1897
- Out of service: 11 June 1925
- Fate: Scrapped
- General characteristics
- Tonnage: 1,842 gross register tons (GRT)
- Length: 329 ft (100 m)
- Beam: 39.1 ft (11.9 m)
- Speed: 21 knots
History.
She was built by William Denny and Brothers of Dumbarton for the London
and North Western Railway in 1897 in response to the competition
launched by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company who had launched a
steamer in 1896 capable of 24 knots and a Holyhead to Dublin crossing
time of 2¾ hours.
She was requisitioned by the Admiralty as an Armed boarding steamer in 1914 and became a hospital ship after August 1915.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:3
- Nurses:4
- Other:29
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:31
- Berths:158
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:8th August 1915
- Date To:20th January 1919
- Ships Crew details:
She was renamed TSS Arvonia in 1919. In August 1922 she was again
requisitioned as a troopship, this time by the Irish Free State along
with the SS Lady Wicklow.
In 1925 she was scrapped.
John Doran
- Hospital and Troopship WW1
HMHS Western Australia SS Western Australia served as a Troopship and Hospital Ship during WW1 John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Dunluce Castle See also HMAT Dunluce Castle.
A passenger - cargo ship of 8114grt, built in 1904 for the Union Castle line. Served as a troopship and Hospital Ship in WW1.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:10
- Nurses:16
- Other:74
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:52
- Cots:223
- Berths:480
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:6th July 1915
- Date To:2nd april 1919
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Araguaya SS Araguaya (b 1906) was later renamed ss Kraljica Marija (1930)
when sold to Jugoslavenski Lloyd a.d., Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
The British liner Araguaya was built in 1906 for Royal Mail’s service to
South America. Her Yugoslav buyers of 1930, Jugoslavenski Lloyd, were
engaged in the same South American trade with cargo ships. Renamed
Kraljica Marija, this was Jugoslavenski’s first passenger ship. In 1935
also the Ebro, renamed Princeza Olga, was bought from England. With
these ships Jugoslavenski entered the Mediterranean cruise market. When
war spread over Europe, the party was over and they were sold. However,
there are strong indications that by selling them their owners mainly
wanted to prevent them from coming to enemy hands if Germany and Italy
would invade Yugoslavia. The Kraljica Marija was sold to France, the
Princeza Olga to Portugal, which was neutral.
Passenger capacity was 300 1st, 100 2nd and 800 3rd class, but after
refit in 1926 365 1st class, then in Yugoslav service 400 1st class.
Araguaya (1906-1930)
GBR Building of a series of large passenger ships at Harland &
Wolff, Belfast marked the rebirth of Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., which
was on the brink of collapse in 1903. The palatial outfitting of the
9588 grt Aragon of 1905 prompted her owners to order four more liners.
They were built in rapid succession, each ship being an individual
reworking of the Aragon design: the 10,036 grt Amazon (1906), the 10,537
grt Araguaya (1906), the 11,073 grt Avon (1907), and the 12,002 grt
Asturias (1908). Of this series the Araguaya in fact was built at
another Belfast yard, Workman, Clark & Co.
5 June 1906 launch of the Araguaya by the Countess of Aberdeen.
September 1906 delivered to Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.
12 October 1906 maiden voyage Southampton - Brazil - Montevideo - Buenos Aires.
1917 requisitioned and adapted as a military hospital ship to serve with
the Canadian forces. Until 1920 15,000 wounded were carried.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:11
- Nurses:
- Other:100
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:63
- Cots:287
- Berths:490
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:2nd May 1917
- Date To:8th November 1919
- Ships Crew details:
October 1920 after a refit resumed Southampton - South America service.
Also placed from time to time on the Hamburg - New York service, which
Royal Mail Steam Packet started in 1920, when Germany no longer had
transatlantic passenger ships of its own. The service did not meet
expectations and was discontinued in 1926.
1926 refitted as a cruise ship with accommodation for 365 first-class
passengers. Advertised together with the 1899-built Arcadian, ex-Ortona
for cruises to the Norwegian fjords.
The story of the Araguaya ends like it began, with the Royal Mail group
on the verge of bankruptcy in 1929. Grown at a reckless speed by costly
takeovers to become the largest shipping and shipbuilding group in the
world, with a fleet totalling 2,761,969 grt, it was unknown to even its
bankers that it was unable to repay an accumulated debt of £30 million
and this was before the Wall Street crash and the Great Depression.
Kraljica Marija (1930-1940)
SHS1930 was bought by Jugoslavenski Lloyd a.d., Zagreb, Kingdom
Yugoslavia, ‘taking advantage of the favourable conjuncture’. Renamed
Kraljica Marija, port of registry was Dubrovnik.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Assaye SS
Assaye was built by Caird & Company Greenock, Yard No 292, Engines
by Shipbuilders. Propulsion: Two triple expansion steam engines, twin
screws, power 6500ihp, speed 16 knots.
Built: 1899. Port of Registry: Greenock. Launched: Saturday, 07/10/1899
Ship Type: Passenger Liner/Troopship.
Ship's Role: Designed for the 'intermediate' passenger service, but employed almost exclusively as a troopship.
Tonnage: 7396 gross; 4484 net; 6250 dwt. Length: 450ft 0in, Breadth: 54ft 3in, Draught: 26ft 2in.
Owner: Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company
Status: Scrapped - 1928, Stavanger
History
- 07/10/1899: Launched.
- 28/11/1899: Registered.
- 17/12/1899: Completed. Advertised for a commercial voyage to
Calcutta in January 1900, she was however taken up on completion as a
Boer War transport, a notable passenger was General Cronje whom she took
to St Helena as a prisoner of war, and for the Boxer Rising in China.
- 1903/1905: Taken up for peacetime Indian trooping in the 1903/04 and 1904/05 seasons.
- 20/03/1904: In collision in thick fog with the American steamer
New York off Hurst Castle in the Solent. Her starboard bow was severely
damaged and the bowsprit of New York was carried away. Repaired and
returned to service.
- 1905/06: Laid up at Southampton. Trooped again 1906/07 and 1907/08 (being laid up in between).
- 1908: First commercial sailings between Bombay and the Far East. Draught now 26ft 9½in; deadweight 6,810 tons.
- 19/08/1914: Hired by the Admiralty for service as a troopship and later a hospital ship.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:8
- Nurses:10
- Other:45
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:8
- Cots:100
- Berths:333
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:16th May 1915
- Date To:2nd March 1920
- Ships Crew details:
- 1921: Took troops to the Turkish troubles, and while in
Constantinople collided (without much damage) with the Italian steamer
UMBRIA.
- 1923/27: Indian trooping.
- 1927: Carried the Devonshire Regiment to the Shanghai disturbances as part of the Shanghai Defence Force.
- Converted into a hospital ship in Hong Kong.
- 1928: Reverted to a troopship to bring the Coldstream Guards home from Shanghai.
- 09/05/1928: Sold to Stavanger Skibs Ophugnings Co. A/S, Norway for £17,500.
- 17/05/1928: Sailed from Southend for Stavanger for demolition.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Braemar Castle SS
Braemar Castle was built by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow, Yard
No 409. Port of Registry: London, Propulsion: Steam quadruple expansion.
Launched: Wednesday, 23/02/1898. Ship Type: Passenger Cargo Vessel
Tonnage: 6266 grt, Length: 470 ft, Breadth: 52 ft.
Owner History:
1898-1900 Castle Mail Packets Company Ltd (D Currie & Co), London
1900-1924 Union Castle Mail S S Co Ltd (D Currie & Co), London
Status: Arrived for Scrapping - 12/10/1924
Remarks: Converted to troopship 1909 and then to a hospital ship in 1915
reverting to trooping after the end of WW I.Scrapped in Genoa, Italy.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:10
- Nurses:12
- Other:50
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:20
- Cots:195
- Berths:206
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:7th October 1915
- Date To:1st August 1919
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
SS Glengorm Castle German/Glengorm
Castle was built in 1898 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a
tonnage of 6763grt, a length of 440ft, a beam of 53ft and a service
speed of 12.5 knots. An enlarged sister of the Gascon she was delivered
as the German for the Intermediate service but on transferring to
Union-Castle in 1900 served as a troopship during the Boer War.
In August 1914 she was renamed Glengorm Castle following the outbreak of
war with Germany and in the September was commissioned as a hospital
ship with 423 beds. With British India's Vasna and Varela she was one of
the last hospital ships to be decommissioned in 1921 when they were
replaced by the permanent hospital ship Maine, formerly PSNC's Panama.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:18
- Nurses:6
- Other:94
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:20
- Cots:127
- Berths:206
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:19th September 1914
- Date To:Still in service during 1921
- Ships Crew details:
She continued to operate as a troopship in the Far East until 1922-23
when she carried British peace-keeping troops to Turkey. Returning to
Union-Castle in 1925 she served on the Intermediate service until 1930
when she was broken up in Holland.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Delta SS
Delta (1V) 8,024 tons, launched 1905 and built for the Peninsular and
Oriental Steam Navigation Co by Workman Clark at Belfast.
1914 Naval Hospital ship on the Tsingtau operations. Later an Expedition Force Transport.
1915 Used as a Military Hospital ship in the Dardanells. 1918 Supply liner under the requisition Scheme.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:6
- Nurses:12
- Other:45
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:33
- Cots:287
- Berths:210
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:14th January 1915
- Date To:19th March 1918
- Ships Crew details:
The Hospital Ship Delta arrived off Cape Helles a couple of days after
the first landing and Sister A M Cameron described the horrors of her
first encounter with the seriously wounded:
"…In the afternoon we began to get more and by 10 p.m. we had taken in
400
horribly wounded men straight from the field. Some were shot further in
the
boats which took them to us. The gangway ran with blood. Some of the
poor
fellows hadn’t got one dressing on. One needed all one’s common sense
and
courage. We 3 sisters had 200 of the wounded and only 6 orderlies at
that time, so many were needed for stretcher bearers. We had to
recognise the
seriousness of a case at once and decide at lightning speed which to
leave and which to do first. They came pouring in, and oh the wild
rushes stopping haemorrhage, treating shock and collapse. The orderlies
were good but untrained, and no good for emergencies. The doctors were
operating as hard as they could tear, only 4 of them you see, and many
lives were saved. By 3 a.m. all went to bed quite dead beat except one
sister and myself. By that time every patient had been fed. The doctor
of our block told me to give morphia at my own discretion and to do as I
liked. Oh dear that few hours. I had such scares. Some of the men as
soon as they dropped asleep woke screaming through shock, none were
undressed, at least very few by that time. They were so dead beat we
wrapped them in blankets in their filthy clothes poor fellows and let
them rest. Faces shot away, arms, legs, lungs, shots everywhere…."
In 1919 SS Delta repatriated Australian troops before refitting and returning to Far East service.
1929 Sold for demolition.
John Doran
-
HMHS Devanha SS Devanha was a passenger liner and cargo vessel operated by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.
Owner: P&O 1905-1928, Port of registry: Greenock, Scotland United Kingdom
Route: UK, India, China
Builder: Caird & Co, Greenock, Scotland, Yard number: 308
Launched: Saturday, 16 December 1905
Maiden voyage: 1 March 1906, from Royal Albert Dock, London
Out of service: 21 March 1928, sold for scrap
Fate: Demolished by Sakaguchi Sadakichi Shoten K K, at Osaka, Japan
General characteristics
Tonnage: 8,092 (grt), Length: 470ft 0in, Beam: 56ft 3in, Draught: 27ft 8in
Installed power: Two four cylinder quadruple expansion steam engines
Propulsion: Twin screws, Speed: 15.5 knots.
History
SS Devanha was launched in 1905 and entered service for the Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Company in 1906. The ship was built at a
cost of £159,249. She made her maiden voyage from the Royal Albert Dock
in London on 1 March 1905. In 1914 she was assigned to the Mediterranean
where she began service as a troop ship during World War I.
In 1915, she took part in the Dardanelles campaign, landing the 12th
Battalion of Australian troops at what was later Anzac Beach, then
steaming up the coast as a feint to draw enemy fire. She was later
converted into a hospital ship.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:11
- Nurses:12
- Other:58
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:33
- Cots:287
- Berths:240
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:22nd August 1914
- Date To:28th February 1919
- Ships Crew details:
In 1916 she rescued survivors from the SS Chantala, which had been
torpedoed in the Mediterranean. She continued to serve as a hospital
ship in the Persian Gulf, East Africa, Bombay and Suez, before being
converted back into a troopship in 1919.
In 1919, Devanha repatriated Australian troops, and in 1920, one of her
lifeboats which has been used during the Gallipoli Campaign, was
presented to the Australian National War Memorial in Canberra. The
following years saw Devanha re-enter service with P&O. She made her
final voyage on 22 May 1925, and was ultimately sold for scrap, valued
at £20,500.[1]
- Hospital ship
SS Ellora SS Ellora (1911)
Type: Passenger/cargo liner, P&O Group service 1914-1938.
P&O Group status Owned by British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd.
Builders Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd. Govan Yard number 442.
Official number 129577, Signal letters, Call sign HSVN.
Classification: Gross tonnage 5,201 grt
Length 124.90m (409.8ft), Breadth 15.94m (52.3ft), Depth 8.32m (27.3ft),
Draught 7.132m (23.4ft).
Engines 2 triple expansion steam engines, Engine builders Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Govan
Power 6,700 ihp, Propulsion Twin screw, Speed 16.7 knots (trials).
Passenger capacity 26 first class, 17 second class, 1,928 deck passengers
Employment: Indian Ocean service (mainly Bay of Bengal or
Singapore Straits)
07.1911: Delivered as Ellora for British India Steam Navigation Company
at a cost of £103,900. She was the fifth ship of the E-class to be
delivered with the other ships named Ellenga, Edavana, Elephanta,
Egra, Erinpura and Ekma.
24.06.1914: Takeover of British India Steam Navigation Company by The
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company agreed.
09.1914 to 07.1916: Served as an Indian Expeditionary Force transport and took part in the major convoy from Bombay.
12.1914: Took part in the Basra River landings.
07.1916: Taken up as an Indian Expeditionary Force Hospital Ship with 475
beds. She served mainly between Bombay and the Persian Gulf.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:
- Nurses:
- Other:
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:475
- Berths:
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:12th November 1915
- Date To:10th January 1920
- Ships Crew details:
11.1917 to 01.1920: Served as an ambulance transport.
1919: Passenger capacity now 50 second class.
09.10.1919: Collided with East Asia Company ship Selanda at Port Said with
some sustained damage.
1923: Acted as a tender for the Cunard world cruise ship Samaria which
was too large to travel up the Hooghly. Ellora trans-shipped the
Samaria’s passengers off the Sandheads both in and out.
1925: Acted as a tender for the Cunard world cruise ship Franconia which
was too large to travel up the Hooghly. The Franconia anchored off
Diamond Harbour and set her passengers ashore in two small river
ferries, on which they were drenched in a tropical storm. As a result,
the Cunard agents again chartered the Ellora for the return trip.
1927: Now based on the Bombay/Karachi service.
01.10.1932: Collided with a native brig named Fateh Rohman on the first
night out of Bombay. The brig sank with the loss of one crew member.
Initially, the Ellora was found to be at fault by the Karachi City
Magistrate, however the decision was reversed in the Admiralty
court. Unfortunately it was too late for the Second Officer who was
dismissed on the findings of the local court.
19.08.1938: Sold for Rs 110,000 at Bombay and broken up in Italy.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Essequibo RMS Essequibo - full details still to source.
Served as hospital ship during ww1 (for Canadian government?)
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:11
- Nurses:16
- Other:76
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:42
- Cots:249
- Berths:298
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:2nd September 1915
- Date To:12th September 1919
- Ships Crew details:
Apparently Essequibo was stopped by U-64 in 1917, searched, confirmed a
hospital ship, and sent on her way. She was commissioned in 1915 as a
Mail Ship, pressed into service as a hospital ship for the duration,
then returned to her original role. Eventually sold to the Russians in
1935!
Essequibo was a 8489 grt steamer built in 1914/15 for the Royal Mail
Steam Packet Company. she was transferred in 1922 to Pacific Steam Nav.
Co. (which the Royal Mail SP Co. owned) and sold to the USSR in 1935 and
renamed Neva.
The "Essequibo" was stopped and searched by U 54 (Kptlt. Freiherr von Bothmer) off Ireland on 15.03.1917, not by U 64.
The Essequibo was a British hospital ship loaned to the Canadian
Government in 1917 as one of the five Canadian hospital ships for ww1
for the transatlantic run. She was indeed stopped, inspected and allowed
to proceed by a German uboat as previously reported. An English
sailor's or merchant marine company history does talk briefly about
this.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Formosa The
French liner "Formosa" was commissioned as a Hospital Ship on 23rd
June, 1915 with accommodation for 417 patients. She served until 7th
July 1919, after which she was returned to Société Général de Transports
Maritimes and resumed her commercial career.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:10
- Nurses:13
- Other:40
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:15
- Cots:112
- Berths:290
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:23rd June 1915
- Date To:7th July 1919
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
SS Gascon SS
Gascon was built in 1897 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a
tonnage of 6287grt, a length of 430ft, a beam of 52ft 2in and a service
speed of 12.5 knots. The first of three ships she was an improved Gaul
Class ship with three masts and delivered for the Intermediate service
which was, by then, strongly supported with further ships on order.
She transferred to the Union-Castle fleet in March 1900 and in June 1905
was the first Union-Castle ship to call at the new port of Lobito in
Angola which had a rail link to Elizabethville.
In 1910 she was moved to the East Africa service and in August 1914 went
on the mail run when the larger ships were requisitioned for war
service.
On 25th November of that year she was commissioned as a hospital ship
with a capacity for 434 patients, her first task being to take the
surviving wounded from HMS Pegasus, which had been sunk by the
Koenigsburg on 20th September, back to Simonstown in South Africa.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:8
- Nurses:10
- Other:85
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:15
- Cots:120
- Berths:266
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:25th November 1914
- Date To:15th February 1920
- Ships Crew details:
During 1915 she served in the German East African campaign and spent the remainder of the war in that area.
She returned to Union-Castle on 15th February 1920 and was immediately
refurbished and put back into service. In 1928 she was laid up in the
East India Dock in London before being sold to Thos. W. Ward for
scrapping. John Doran
- Hospital ship
SS Goorkha SS
Goorkha was built in 1897 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a
tonnage of 6287grt, a length of 430ft, a beam of 52ft 2in and a service
speed of 12.5 knots. Sister of the Gascon she was built for the
Intermediate service and transferred to Union-Castle on 8th March 1900
when the companies merged.
In 1910 she was moved to the East Africa service where she remained
until 20th October 1914 when she was commissioned as a hospital ship
with 408 beds.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:8
- Nurses:7
- Other:37
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:10
- Cots:94
- Berths:304
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:20th October 1914
- Date To:18th October 1917
- Ships Crew details:
On 10th October 1917 she was mined off Malta and all 362 patients and
medical staff including 17 nurses were evacuated without any casualties
in 35 minutes.
She was then towed into Malta where on 18th October she was
decommissioned and returned to the company for repairs and resumption of
commercial services. She was laid up at Netley, Southampton Water in
1926 and eventually broken up by Thos. W. Ward in 1928.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
SS Guildford Castle SS
Guildford Castle was built in 1911 by Barclay, Curle & Co. at
Glasgow with a tonnage of 7995grt, a length of 450ft 7in, a beam of 56ft
2in and a service speed of 13 knots. Sister of the Gloucester Castle
and the Galway Castle she undertook the first intermediate sailing which
terminated at Mauritius in July 1914.
When the First World War broke out she participated in the first troop
convoy to Europe and on 22nd September 1914 was commissioned as a
hospital ship with 427 beds.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:9
- Nurses:13
- Other:59
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:43
- Cots:134
- Berths:250
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:22nd September 1914
- Date To:19th November 1918
- Ships Crew details:
During the German West and East African campaigns in 1915 she remained
in Southern African waters where she was more occupied with coping with
disease rather than war wounds.
On 10th March 1918, while inbound to Avonmouth, she was hit by a torpedo
which failed to explode. She was decommissioned on 9th November 1918
and returned to commercial service initially on the Intermediate service
in 1920 and then on the round Africa service.
On 31st May 1933 she was in collision with the Blue Funnel ship Stentor
in the estuary of the River Elbe when two people lost their lives, an
accident for which the pilot was blamed. She was beached on the
following day and declared a total constructive loss.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
SS Kildonan Castle SS
Kildonan Castle was built in 1899 by Fairfield Shipbuilding &
Engineering Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 9652grt, a length of 533ft,
a beam of 59ft 2in and a service speed of 17 knots. Sister of the
Kinfauns Castle she was the last mail ship to be completed for Castle
Line before the merger but commenced her career as H. M. Transport 44
for use during the Boer War.
On her maiden voyage she carried 3000 troops to Cape Town and in
December 1900 was used as a prisoner of war ship at Simonstown. During
1901 she returned to Fairfield's for completion before undertaking her
first commercial mail sailing on 7th December.
On 31st October 1914 she undertook an emergency sailing to Lisbon where
she loaded 10,000 rifles and 1,000,000 rounds of .303 ammunition which
she then took to the Cape to replenish South African troops who were
quelling secessionist strikes in the Rand and Johannesburg.
On 6th October 1915 she was commissioned as a hospital ship with 603 beds.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:11
- Nurses:18
- Other:60
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:18
- Cots:55
- Berths:530
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:6th October 1915
- Date To:10th March 1916
- Ships Crew details:
In the following March she was de-commissioned and converted into an
Armed Merchant Cruiser and on 21st August 1916 joined the 10th Cruiser
Squadron which was based at Glasgow.
In 1917, on 17th January, she embarked the British Military Mission
headed by Viscount Milner at Oban and took them to Murmansk where the
Mission failed to prevent the Russians from negotiating with the Germans
for peace. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, when Russia signed a separate
Peace Treaty with the Central Powers, was signed on 2nd March 1917 the
day the Mission reached Scapa Flow.
On her return she undertook convoy duties in the North Atlantic. In
December 1918 she was stood down as an AMC and transferred to the work
of repatriating troops and in 1919 carried troops to Archangel to quell
internal fighting and was the last ship to leave when the Allies
withdrew.
She then made a single trooping voyage to Shanghai before sailing to
Vladivostock where, in March 1920, she embarked 1800 Yugoslavian
refugees and took them to Gravosa in the Adriatic.
At the end of that year she was refurbished and returned to the mail run
where she remained until replaced by the Carnarvon Castle in 1936 and
put in reserve.
When the building of the Dunbar Castle was delayed in January 1930 she
was deployed on the Intermediate run until the May when she was laid up
at Netley pending disposal.
She was sold in May 1931 for £11,250 and broken up at Stavanger in Norway.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
SS Kalyan SS Kalyan
Kalyan was operated by the P&O Shipping line from 1915.
Kalyan was used as a troop ship, transporting troops between England,
Egypt and Salonika. She was later refitted as a hospital ship and
dispatched to Archangel in Russia in October 1918, treating the sick and
wounded throughout that winter.
p>
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:11
- Nurses:
- Other:88
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:57
- Cots:252
- Berths:512
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:4th May 1917
- Date To:29th November 1919
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship The
HMAT A61 Kanowna weighed 6,942 tons with an average cruise speed of 14
knots or 25.92 kmph. It was owned by the AUSN Co Ltd, London, and manned
by Australia officers and crew. The Kanowna was leased by the
Commonwealth until 18 March 1919.
Kanowna served as a troop ship and hospital ship during ww1.
p>
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:14
- Nurses:21
- Other:70
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:32
- Cots:204
- Berths:188
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:26th August 1915
- Date To:8th July 1919
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Karapara The
Karapara was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle
in 1914 for the British India Steam Navigation Co. She was a 7,117 gross
ton ship, length 425ft x beam 55.6ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw
and a speed of 15.5 knots. Originally ordered as the Karunga, she was
registered on 21st August 1915 and entered service as Naval Hospital
Ship No. 17, with 341 beds and 200 medical staff.
p>
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:9
- Nurses:11
- Other:40
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:23
- Cots:318
- Berths:
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:27th August 1915
- Date To:20th February 1916
- Ships Crew details:
On 26 August 1915 she sailed for Gallipoli and operated in the Eastern
Mediterranean, based at Alexandria. On 26th May 1917 she rescued 270
survivors from the hospital ship Dover Castle and took them to
Gibraltar. In 1919 she provided medical facilities at Istanbul during an
exceptionally hot summer.
Delivered to British India Steam Navigation Co in 1920, she commenced
sailings to East African ports as the Karapara. In the 1930's she
transferred to the Straits (Malaya) route and also did some sailings to
Port Sudan.
Requisitioned for World War 2 duty and reconverted to hospital ship (No.
36) in October 1940 with 338 beds and 123 medical staff in 1940, she
served between the Red Sea and India. In April 1941, off Perim Island,
Red Sea, en route to India, she was diverted to Aden to offload her
patients, and then ordered to Tobruk to replace the hospital ship Vita
which had been damaged by dive bombers. On her first voyage out of
Tobruk, she was attacked by aircraft but escaped damage. However, on her
second journey, 5th May 1941, she was deliberately bombed and damaged
by at least nine enemy aircraft at Mersa, Tobruk; she was towed back
into port, repaired and successfully sailed to Alexandria.
She returned to commercial service in January 1947 on Calcutta/Singapore
routes and was eventually sold to the Steel Corporation of Bombay for
scrapping on 18th March 1950. [Merchant Fleets, Vol.11, British India
Steam Navigation Co by Duncan Haws]
John Doran
- Hospital ship The
Empress of India was built by Naval Construction & Armament Co.
(now absorbed into Vickers Armstrongs) at Barrow, England. The keel was
laid in 1890. She was launched on 30 August 1890 by Lady Louise Egerton,
sister of Lord Harrington. The 5,905-ton vessel had a length of 455.6
feet, and her beam was 51.2 feet. The graceful white-painted,
clipper-bowed ship had two buff-colored funnels with a band of black
paint at the top, three lightweight schooner-type masts, and an average
speed of 16-knots. This Empress and her running mate Empresses were the
first vessels in the Pacific to have twin propellers with reciprocating
engines. The ship was designed to provide accommodation for 770
passengers (120 first class, 50 second class and 600 steerage).
The SS Empress of India left Liverpool on 8 February 1891 on her maiden
voyage via Suez to Hong Kong and Vancouver. Thereafter, she regularly
sailed back and forth along the Hong Kong - Shanghai - Nagasaki - Kobe -
Yokohama - Vancouver route. In the early days of wireless telegraphy,
the call sign established for the "Empress of India was "MPI."
Much of what would have been construed as ordinary, even unremarkable
during this period was an inextricable part of the ship's history. In
the conventional course of trans-Pacific traffic, the ship was sometimes
held in quarantine, as when it was discovered that a passenger from
Hong Kong to Kobe showed signs of smallpox, and the vessel was held in
Yokohama port until the incubation period for the disease had passed.
The cargo holds of the Empress would have been routinely examined in the
normal course of harbor-master's business in Hong Kong, Yokohama or
Vancouver.
On 17 August 1903, the Empress of India collided with and sank the Chinese cruiser Huang Tai.
The vessel was reported sold on 19 December 1914, to the Geakwar of Baroda (also known as the Maharajah of Gwalior).
The former Empress was re-fitted as a hospital ship for Indian troops. On 19 January 1915, the ship was renamed Loyalty.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:9
- Nurses:
- Other:
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:58
- Cots:124
- Berths:143
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:2nd October 1914
- Date To:30th November 1918
- Ships Crew details:
In March 1919, she was sold to The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. Company in Bombay (now Mumbai).
In February 1923, the ship was sold for scrapping at Bombay.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Princesse Elisabeth This
is probably the 'Princesse Elisabeth', owned by the Belgian
government,1767 tons, built 1905. She was loaned for use as a 300 berth
hospital ship on the cross-Channel service between 8 November 1916 and
April 1917 and again between 11 January 1919 and September 1919. Hired
by the British government, like most hospital ships, she was not part of
the Royal Navy or army.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses:3
- Other:27
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:30
- Berths:
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:8th November 1916
- Date To:3rd September 1919
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Vita Vita,
was owned by British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd, and was completed
in October 1914 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend.
She was 4691 gross tons, 1955 net tons, and 5160 deadweight tons.
Dimensions were 390.1 feet length, 53.3 feet breadth, 24 ft depth. She
had twin props and two triple expansion engines giving 4700 ihp and 12.5
knots. Her passenger capacity when new was 32 first class, 24 second
class, and 2694 deck.
Immediately upon completion she was put into military service as a
troopship, and her first voyage was from Bombay to the Persian Gulf with
troops, and her next voyage was to France. She carried on trooping
duties until 1916 when converted into a hospital ship with 475 patient
berths.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:
- Nurses:
- Other:
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:405
- Berths:
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:27th October 1915
- Date To:24th February 1920
- Ships Crew details:
She was returned to British India in 1918, and in 1922 was put into
regular commercial service on the Bombay-Karachi-Bushire-Basra run.
She continued in this service to 1939. Prior to this she had made some
voyages to and from the UK. In May 1940 she was converted at Bombay into
naval 'Hospital Ship No 8', and by September of that year her base port
was Aden. In March 1941 she transferred to the eastern Mediterranean,
and on 14 April, during the withdrawal of the British 8th Army, was
attacked by German dive-bombers when she was leaving Tobruk for Haifa
with over 400 wounded troops. A near miss lifted her stern out of the
water and this put her engines and dynamos out of action.
The destroyer HMS Moorhen towed the disabled ship back to Tobruk. After
the wounded patients had been disembarked, Vita left Tobruk on 21 April
for Alexandria in tow, and in the course of this voyage escaped damage
in two more bombing attacks. From Alexandria, on one engine and without
electricity, she limped back to Bombay for repairs. When repairs were
completed she went again to Aden.
In 1942 Vita was based at Trincomalee, and on 9 April went out from that
port to pick up survivors from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes and her
escort destroyer HMS Vampire, both of which had been sunk by Japanese
aircraft. When Vita appeared on the scene, the Japanese ceased attacking
and she was able to pick up 595 survivors.
In December 1942 Vita acted as a hospital ship for the landings at Diego
Suarez, Madagascar. In the following year, and for 1944 she served,
apparently without incident in the Mediterranean and in the Indian
Ocean. In April 1945 she was at the Burma landings at Kyaukpyu, and the
following month at Rangoon. She was now based at Cochin, and operated
hospital voyages between Madras and Chittagong. In September 1945 she
was again based at Trincomalee.
In May 1946, following a refit, she resumed commercial service, and this
lasted another seven years. She was sold on 20 May 1953 to Tulsiram
Bhagwandas for scrapping at Calcutta.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Madras SS Tanda was built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Glasgow, Yard No 458, engines by Shipbuilder.
Last Name: Tanda(1920). Previous Names: Madras(1914)
Port of Registry: London
Propulsion: Twin screw 2 x T.3cyl, power 5200ihp, speed 14 knots.
Launched: Thursday, 26/03/1914. Ship Type: Passenger Cargo Vessel.
Tonnage: 6956 grt, Length: 430 feet, Breadth: 58 feet
Owner History:
1914 British India Steam Navigation Company Glasgow & London
1924 Eastern & Australian SS Co.
Status: Torpedoed & Sunk - 15/07/1944
Remarks: Served as hospital ship and ambulance transport 1914
1919
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:
- Nurses:
- Other:
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:450
- Berths:
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:2nd October 1914
- Date To:4th November 1919
- Ships Crew details:
Interwar and WW2.
Owned and operated by Eastern & Australian SS Co. from 1924.
Torpedoed on the 15th July 1944, off Mangalore by U.181, 13.22N 74.09E, on voyage Melbourne via Colombo to Bombay.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Maheno SS
Maheno was an ocean liner belonging to the Union Company of New Zealand
that operated in the Tasman Sea, crossing between New Zealand and
Australia, from 1905 until 1935. She was also used as a hospital ship by
the New Zealand Naval Forces during World War I.
The 5,000-ton steel-hulled ship was built by William Denny and Brothers
of Dumbarton, Scotland, and launched on 19 June 1905. At 400 feet in
length and 50 feet in the beam, she was powered by three Parsons
turbines, giving her a speed of 17.5 knots. She could carry up to 420
passengers: 240 in 1st class, 120 in 2nd and 60 in 3rd, and also had a
refrigerated cargo hold. Accommodation for first class passengers
included a dining room, smoking room, and music room with a Bechstein
grand piano. The ship was lit by electricity, and was fitted with all
the latest safely equipment, which included Clayton sulphur dioxide fire
extinguishers.
Service history.
The ship entered service on 18 November 1905, and was employed on routes
between Sydney and Melbourne via ports in New Zealand and Hobart,
Tasmania. She also made regular voyages between Sydney and Vancouver.
World War I.
During World War I Maheno was converted into a hospital ship using money
raised by an appeal by the Earl of Liverpool, the Governor-General. She
was fitted with eight wards and two operating theatres, and had a
medical team consisting of five doctors and 61 orderlies from the Army
Medical Corps, a matron, thirteen nursing sisters, and chaplains. In
accordance with Article 5 of the 1899 Hague Convention she was repainted
white overall, with a broad green stripe along her sides, and large red
crosses on the sides and funnels.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:11
- Nurses:6
- Other:60
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:15
- Cots:93
- Berths:407
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:25th May 1915
- Date To:2nd June 1919
- Ships Crew details:
Maheno arrived at Moudros, the naval base of the Gallipoli Campaign, on
25 August 1915, and the next day was off Anzac Cove, loading casualties
from the Battle of Hill 60. Over the next three months she carried
casualties from Gallipoli to either Moudros, Malta or Alexandria. Maheno
arrived back at New Zealand on 1 January 1916 to refit, then returned
to Egypt in February to collect patients for transport back to New
Zealand.
She then sailed to the UK, arriving at Southampton on 3 July 1916, just
after the start the Battle of the Somme. Until October 1916 she operated
in the English Channel, taking large numbers of wounded troops from
France to England. The ship returned to New Zealand in December 1916,
and then made six more voyages between New Zealand and the UK, bringing
back patients, before she was returned to her owners at the end of the
war to resume her usual commercial service.
Wreck.
On 3 July 1935 the Maheno left Sydney under tow by the 1,758 ton ship
Oonah, a former Tasmanian Steamers Pty. Ltd. Bass Strait ferry, built in
1888, which along with the Maheno had been sold to an Osaka
shipbreaker. The ships were linked by a 900-foot (270 m) 6.75-inch (17.1
cm) wire rope.
On the afternoon of 7 July, while about 50 miles from the coast, the
towline parted during a severe cyclone. Attempts to reattach the towline
failed in the heavy seas, and the Maheno, with eight men aboard,
drifted off and disappeared. The Oonah, with her steering gear
temporarily disabled, broadcast a radio message requesting assistance
for the Maheno, whose propellers had been removed.
The ship was finally found on 10 July by an aircraft piloted by Keith
Virtue, beached off the coast of Fraser Island. The crew of the Maheno
set up camp onshore, waiting for the Oonah to arrive, which it
eventually did on 12 July. The ship was subsequently stripped of her
fittings, but attempts to refloat her failed, and eventually the wreck
was offered for sale, but found no buyers.
Since then, much of the ship has either been destroyed or disintegrated,
and the visible remainder has become severely rusted. Because of the
dangerous condition of the wreck, access is prohibited. The Australian
Department of Defence lists the wreck as a site of unexploded ordnance
(UXO) contamination, even though there are no records of it being used
as a live firing target during World War II, nor of any UXO recovered
from the site.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Marama The
Union Steam Ship Company (USSCo) which started off as Canadian,
Australian Line SS Marama was built in 1907 by Caird and Co Greenock,
Scotland the same company that built many of the fine P&O ships over
the years. The ship that cost some £166,000 (pounds) was initially
built for the Trans Tasman service, but she was transferred to the
Vancouver and San Francisco mail routes, but due to the "Great War" she
was converted to become a hospital ship in 1915 and returned to
passenger services again after she completed her duties successfully! It
has been said that the SS Marama did not excel the Maheno for speed
however, the Maheno was a triple screw ship though not the most reliable
and had to be given new engines at a later date.
SS Marama was able to accommodate a total of 488 passengers being made
up of; 270 Saloon Class, 120 Second Class and 98 fore cabin passengers,
and a total of 140 crew members. Her passenger accommodations were
arranged over three decks, being Main Deck, Hurricane Deck and Promenade
Deck.
Hospital Ship SS Marama, 1915 - 1920:
Not long thereafter further funds were forthcoming when the larger SS
Marama was called to duty, in fact the official announcement was made on
September 20 in New Zealand’s Capital Wellington and it appeared in the
Newspaper the next day.
She headed for the refitting berth and was fitted out as a hospital
ship. With the Marama being the larger ship of the two New Zealand ships
selected, she was fitted with 600 hospital beds and she was the
superior of the two in many ways having other excellent facilities. But
what was remarkable the transformation was completed in a record
twenty-three days, as hundreds of workmen had been employed to 24/7. The
total amount of money donated amounted was £66,000 and remember that
was a huge amount for those days!
The SS Marama was superbly equipped and that was very much due to the
many donations that had been made, such as a vast amount of equipment
and other materials and requirements that had been delivered to the
ship. In addition, much needed Red Cross medical stores was freely given
and the holds were stocked up to the brim! Then came the next surprise
when two excellent motor launches were donated, one from Wellington and
the second from Auckland and obviously these launches became part of the
ships essential fast service, which was vitally needed, especially when
she was at places such as Gallipoli, when under fire.
The completed SS Marama sailed from New Zealand on 5th December, 1915,
under the command of Captain B. M. Aldwell, whilst the Medical and
Military Officer in charge was Lieut Colonel P. R Cook, NZMC. She headed
for Alexandria, Egypt.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:12
- Nurses:24
- Other:62
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:21
- Cots:72
- Berths:507
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:5th December 1915
- Date To:1920
- Ships Crew details:
Having completed all her commissions with honour HMNZ-HS Marama was
officially decommissioned late in 1919 and the was SS Marama sent to
Vancouver, for it would be there where she would be restored to her
former USSCo glory.
Thus the SS Marama was completely refurbished at Vancouver and there
would be a slight change in her tonnage increase to 6,496.67 GRT. In
addition work was undertaken to change her for being coal burning steam
ship and she was converted to burn oil.
She continued in service until the 1930's and was eventually broken up in Japan during 1937.
Article on New Zealands Hospital Ships Maheno and Marama.
The New Zealand Hospital Ships, By Lieut.-Colonel J. S. Elliott, N.Z.M.C.
In a great war waged overseas it is obvious that an important part of
the medical service is the sea transport of sick and wounded soldiers.
The high importance of hospital ships was not sufficiently recognised in
the earlier stages of the Gallipoli campaign, but when the need became
generally known there was a magnificent response in New Zealand to the
appeal of His Excellency the Earl of Liverpool, Governor-General of the
Dominion, for funds to equip the New Zealand hospital ship Maheno; and
more was forthcoming when, later. a larger vessel—the Marama—was fitted
out as a hospital ship. The money donated amounted altogether to
£66,000; and also a vast amount of equipment and material in the nature
of Red Cross stores was freely given. In addition, two motor launches
were donated, one at Wellington and one at Auckland, and proved of great
service, especially at Gallipoli.
The Maheno had eight wards and two operating theatres, an
anaesthetising, a sterilising, and an X-ray room, a laboratory, a
laundry and drying-room, steam disinfector, dispensary, telephone
exchange, and two electric lifts each of which took two stretchers at a
time. In short, she was complete in every detail. The result was that
the New Zealand hospital ships were so well supplied and equipped that
they had no superiors in any seas; and patients could be as well cared
for aboard as in hospitals ashore.
Some of the special dangers and difficulties incidental to hospital
ships may be here mentioned. Besides the ordinary perils of the seas,
they were endangered during the whole war by floating mines. In March,
1916, the Russian hospital ship Portugal was deliberately torpedoed and
sunk; so also was the Britannic, under the pretence that she carried
reinforcements, and without the right of search having been exercised;
and the Braemar Castle was sunk by mine or torpedo. When the German
government announced the unrestricted submarine campaign early in 1917,
their submarines made open war on hospital ships and soon added further
unspeakable crimes against law and humanity to the long list which
disgraces their record. Within a few months, with considerable loss of
life in patients and personnel, there were sunk by submarines the
hospital ships Asturias, Gloucester Castle, Donegal, and Lanfranc; and
the Salta struck a mine in the English Channel and sank. The special
difficulties belonging to hospital ship work were cramped space, rough
weather, and a staff necessarily restricted in numbers and not easily
reinforced.
On July 11th 1915, H.M.N.Z. hospital ship Maheno sailed from Wellington.
Colonel the Hon. W. E. Collins was in military command, and the
personnel included a matron and thirteen nursing sisters, five medical
officers, a detachment of sixty-one orderlies of the New Zealand Medical
Corps, and chaplains. Captain W. Maclean was captain of the ship.
During the voyage preparation of material and the training of the
orderlies were continued. Sixty-four nurses travelled from New Zealand
on the ship as far as Egypt. At Alexandria, orders were received to
proceed to Mudros. The Maheno arrived there on August 25th, and left on
the 26th, arriving the same day at Anzac to find a cruiser and a
destroyer in action near by; and a few bullets fell on the deck of the
Maheno which served to indicate that she was now actually in the war
zone.
The sight of the ship was an encouragement to our New Zealand soldiers
who had wrested from the Turk a precarious footing on the hillsides
opposite. During the next afternoon, the battle of Hill 60 was fought,
and in the evening the wounded began to arrive at the ship. The severely
wounded were sent to the wards at once, and the lightly injured were
fed and surgically dressed on deck and sent in lighters to Mudros. The
two operating theatres were in constant use from the evening of the 27th
to the morning of the 29th.
The Maheno left on the 28th with 445 patients for Mudros, where they
were discharged into a hospital carrier,—formerly the German ship
Derfflinger—and the ship's crew assisted in the arduous work. The wounds
were severe, and deaths occurred during the short voyage. The ship was
cleaned and refurnished—a heavy task—and she left Mudros for Anzac on
the 30th, and there embarked 422 cases on 2nd September, including a
large number of cases of dysentery; and all the patients were
transferred to the Nile at Mudros. The Maheno departed again on
September 7th for Anzac, where about 1,000 patients were attended to
including 400 embarked on the ship. The others had wounds dressed and
received medical treatment aboard, and returned again to the beach.
Several of the personnel of the ship contracted dysentery, and all were
more or less exhausted. The ship returned on the 11th to Mudros and was
ordered to Malta, arriving at Valetta, where the patients were
disembarked. At Anzac again, several days later, the Maheno took on
board a large draft of sick and wounded who were disembarked at Malta.
She returned twice again to Anzac, disembarking the patients each time
at Alexandria.
On October 8th, the Maheno sailed for England, and on arrival at
Southampton was taken over by the Admiralty and docked. The vessel left
again at the end of the month. On November 11th, she was at Anzac for
the last time carrying thence wounded and sick to Alexandria. At the
time of this visit suitable hospitals had been erected ashore, and a
hospital barge was in use which could accommodate from 200 to 300
patients. The Maheno proceeded to Malta, where orders were received to
return to New Zealand. Patients were carried from Malta to Port Said and
to Suez. New Zealand patients were embarked at Suez, and the ship
arrived at Auckland on January 1st, 1916, with 319 patients aboard, most
of whom were convalescent.
The Maheno was refitted at Port Chalmers, and re-commissioned under
Lieut.-Colonel J. S. Elliott, with Captain Maclean again as Commander.
She left Wellington on January 26th 1916, and carried, in addition to
her usual complement, 53 military nurses for the hospitals in Egypt.
After the evacuation of Gallipoli it soon became necessary to clear the
Egyptian military hospitals of patients likely to undergo a tedious
convalescence, and so the Maheno was sent back from Suez with 321
patients on board for New Zealand. In the Red Sea, the Maheno answered
calls for help from the Orissa, a ship carrying military invalids,
disabled by the loss of her propeller, and drifting ashore in a heavy
sea. She reached her and towed her towards and near Aden. More patients
were embarked at Colombo, and the Maheno arrived at New Zealand in the
middle of April. She sailed again on April 28th. Naval patients from the
Persian Gulf were embarked at Colombo, and on June 9th, the ship
reached Suez, there to await orders for eleven days with the thermometer
registering 110 degrees day and night.
To the great joy of everyone on board, orders to proceed to Southampton
via Alexandria were received. About 300 patients were embarked at
Alexandria. As showing the Imperial nature of the work of the Maheno, it
might be stated that a large proportion of the patients were
Australians, and the rest British soldiers from the United Kingdom who
had come from fighting in Gallipoli, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. After a
very quick passage, the Maheno was at the quayside at Southampton on
July the 3rd.
The great offensive on the Somme had just begun, and she sailed for
Havre where hospital trains were bringing in wounded in immense numbers.
The ship was filled 'from stem to stern'; and the decks were converted
into wards by hanging up canvas screens all round the ship. Literally no
space was left vacant that could be made at all available for a wounded
man.
Feeding the multitude, dressing the hundreds of wounds, and preparing
the necessary statistics was a work of great magnitude. There and then
began labours that never ended night or day, with irregular meals and
short hours of sleep for the staff. The Maheno sailed with no less than
1141 patients aboard, with nearly every famous regiment of the British
line represented, and soldier patients from the four corners of the
Empire.
After disembarking at Southampton, the Maheno was sent to Boulogne and
she loaded, in difficult conditions, 570 severely wounded. In the early
days of the cross-channel voyaging, structural alterations had been made
in the ship at Southampton, and the cots had been increased to 440.
Waterproof mattresses were procured for use on deck. Space will not
permit of a detailed description of each journey. Suffice to say that
the Maheno was engaged in carrying wounded in the two great phases of
the Somme offensive; and from the beginning of July, 1916, to the end of
October, 1916, the following patients were on board, excluding 53 New
Zealand Sisters, about 500 Australians and 1,000 New Zealanders who were
on the Maheno at other periods of the second commission.
Frequently, the patients were on board for three days at a time, and the
navigation was often difficult and dangerous, except when a destroyer
was ahead as a pilot ship.
It was curious to observe that many of the German wounded honestly
believed that their fleet had command of the Channel and they wondered
how the hospital ship could get across. On one occasion, the Maheno lay
in an area attacked by a zeppelin.
On October 28th, 328 New Zealand sick and wounded were embarked at
Southampton, and voyaged home uneventfully except for delay at Albany,
due to a coal strike in New Zealand. The ship returned at Christmastide.
During the second commission, the Maheno steamed 52,229 sea miles,
passed four times through the tropics, and carried almost 16,000
patients. Many operations were performed and surgical dressings
innumerable.
In September 1915, during the first commission of the Maheno, the War
Office accepted an offer from the New Zealand Government to provide a
second hospital ship and the Marama, a much larger vessel than the
Maheno, was selected, was fitted with 600 beds, and equipped in no way
inferior to the Maheno in the wonderfully short period of twenty-three
days. Hundreds of workmen were employed night and day during that
period. She sailed from New Zealand on 5th December, 1915, under the
medical and military charge of Lieut.-Colonel P. R Cook, N.Z.M.C.
Captain B. M. Aldwell was the ship's commander.
At Alexandria, about 500 patients from Gallipoli and Salonika were
embarked for Southampton. She returned to Alexandria, and after some
days was sent to Marseilles, coaling at Cette, and then proceeding to
Salonika and to Stavros upon which the Eastern flank of the British
forces in the Balkans at that time rested. Here the ship was used as a
base hospital until she left with patients for Malta. A full complement
of sick was taken again to Southampton, and the Marama returned to
Alexandria where she was delayed for three weeks until orders were
received to embark the New Zealand General Hospital for Southampton,
where she arrived in time for the Somme offensive. She then crossed to
Boulogne.
From this time the Marama and Maheno were part of the White Fleet which
carried the wounded from that great battle without delay to the
hospitals in England.
The Marama on one occasion bore no less than 1,636 patients from Havre.
Many of the wounds were of a terrible nature; it was marvellous that men
so hurt could survive. Shell-shock was a very frequent trouble, and
many patients on board had lost their reason. Patients came on the ship
within twelve hours of their being wounded in the trenches. The speed
with which the wounded were brought in from the trenches by the bearers,
attended to in clearing-stations, sent to hospital trains which ran
behind the lines, and brought on board the hospital ship was a
remarkable tribute to the organisation of the R.A.M.C., which was one of
the wonders of the war. It was found that by the time the patients
reached the ship, even after twelve or eighteen hours, their wounds were
in most cases septic and often offensive. Sisters and orderlies were
engaged all day and all night dressing wounds. Walking patients, of whom
there were frequently four or five hundred, went to the dressing room,
and there was always a long queue waiting outside this room.
It should be explained that walking cases do not necessarily mean the
slightly wounded as, owing to the difficulty of transport, cot cases in
war are reduced to the absolute minimum. If a man is able to walk at
all, no matter how badly he is wounded in the arms, body or head, he is
classified as a walking case. Many of the "walkers" were very severely
wounded. Some patients fell down asleep from utter exhaustion as soon as
they reached the deck—the fact that here was a warm and dry spot was
all that mattered. It was a luxury for the wounded even to get away from
the terrific din of the battlefields, and merciful Providence had
endowed them with the faculty of not looking too far ahead or behind.
They were children of the hour, for the immensity of the conflict had
dulled the mind, which shut out all considerations except the most
pressing and immediate.
On August 25th the Marama was recalled to New Zealand, and she sailed
with about 500 New Zealand patients. During this commission, the Marama
steamed 52,251 sea miles and carried 12,639 patients and 580 hospital
passengers.
For the soldiers on the Marama and Maheno the glamour of the fighting
was over; the wreckage of war was drifting homewards. These men were
great in battle; they were equally great in suffering. Not once in all
the channel voyagings was heard one word of complaint.
The Marama and the Maheno proudly shared with the other hospital ships
the thanks conveyed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and by
the Commander-in-Chief.
The Marama under Colonel Collins sailed on her second commission on
November 12th, 1916, via Bombay, and from that port she carried patients
to Suez and proceeded to Southampton, where 540 cases were embarked for
New Zealand. A few days out from Southampton, the Marama rescued
survivors from a torpedoed ship, and had an unpleasantly close view of a
German submarine. After arrival at New Zealand, the Marama sailed again
for England on March 22nd, 1917. From Bombay she carried patients
invalided from Mesopotamia to Suez, where orders were received that the
Mediterranean was unsafe. The nurses were ordered to disembark, and a
course was set for Durban. In the absence of the nurses, the orderlies
were put to a considerable test in nursing severe cot cases, but they
rose to the occasion and succeeded reasonably well. After leaving Durban
a fierce storm arose; one large wave swept the decks and a patient and
an orderly were washed overboard and drowned, and several others were
injured.
After calling at Capetown and at Sierra Leone the Marama continued her
voyage to Avonmouth and returned with a full complement of patients to
New Zealand via the Panama Canal.
From the time of this commission dental officers were carried on the
hospital ships and did excellent service. In every charter the massage
work was exceedingly well done. The masseuses worked very long hours and
were rewarded with the results they obtained.
The Maheno was re-commissioned for the third charter under Lieut.Colonel
R. Anderson, and the Marama for the third charter under Lieut.-Colonel
Cook. The Marama was under Colonel Collins for her fourth commission,
and the Maheno was re-commissioned a fourth and a fifth time under
Colonel Tracy Inglis and Lieut.Colonel Gunn. During each commission, two
voyages were made to England for the purpose of clearing the New
Zealand Hospitals in the United Kingdom, and patients were carried to
various ports en route as necessary. The voyages differed little in
detail.
The balance of the money remaining at the end of the war to the credit
of the Hospital Ship Fund, with the approval of the Government, was
expended for the provision of a Medical Students' Hall for the Medical
Students' Training-Corps at Dunedin. This hall, equipped with the latest
medical appliances, will benefit both the civil and the military
training of medical students, and will be of great value to the
community at large. It will also be a memorial to the work of the New
Zealand hospital ships.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
SS Massilia SS Massilia was built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Glasgow, Yard No 398.
Port of Registry: Glasgow, Ship Type: Passenger Cargo Vessel.
Built: 1902, Launched: Thursday, 21/08/1902. Propulsion: Steam.
Tonnage: 5353 grt. Length: 400.6 feet (BP), Breadth: 49.2 feet.
Owner History: Anchor Line (Henderson Bros.), Glasgow
Built in 1902 with a gross tonnage of 5156, she was a near sister ship
to the Olympia. Launched on the 21st of August for the India service,
she made her maiden voyage to Bombay. During WWI she was used several
times as a hospital ship, sailing between Suez and India.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:5
- Nurses:11
- Other:44
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:
- Cots:53
- Berths:322
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:12th May 1915
- Date To:2nd March 1916
- Ships Crew details:
In June 1919 she made her first trans.,Atlantic crossing from Glasgow to
Boston. She made occasional Atlantic crossings between 1921 and 1929,
but was otherwise an India ship. Sold on the 13th of March 1930 and
broken up.
Status: Arrived for Scrapping - 13/03/1930
Remarks: Scrapped at Bo'ness
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Ville de Liege The
Ville de Liege build by Cockerill yards with yard number 531. She had a
total lenght of 95,40 meter and 11,74 width. Originally she had a 13000
HP engine and reached a speed of 21 knots with her 1365 tonnage.
During the first world war this smaller vessel participated in an
important role of carrying wounded between Calais and Cherbourg.
At the outbreak of the war on the 1st of August 1914 the ship was given
the order to lay standby in the local Ostend-Bruges canal and wait for
eventual further instructions.
On the 20th August the government confiscated the five turbine ships.
Amongst them the Ville de Liege. On the 22nd she left for Antwerp where
the Belgian government was staying and was given the mission to bring
the money reserves from the national bank to Ostend.
It was one of the vessels which, due to their speed, had performed an
important role in the evacuation of the government, diplomats, civil
servants and population.
When the Germans arrived in Ostende on the 17th October, the city was
empty. On that date the Ville de Liege was handed over to the English
Ministry of War.
During the battle of the Ijzer the vessel was performing a mission in
front of the Belgian and French coast transporting wounded and material
to the West corner of Flanders. There was an ammunition factory at Havre
where the vessel could load. This until the 31st of March after which
the wounded were transported by train.
On the 2nd September the vessel left for Dover to be converted to an hospital ship by the Ministry of War.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses:
- Other:30
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:7
- Cots:27
- Berths:139
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:13th June 1917
- Date To:30th December 1918
- Ships Crew details:
Between the period when the vessel become under the command of the
Ministry of War on the 21 Juni 1917 and the 31st December 1918, the
vessel had performed 252 trips and transported 77194 wounded and 36356
soldiers.
After the war it was renamed London Istanbul and after running aground
at Dover in 1929 was given a new lease of life continuing as a cross
channel car ferry until eventually being scrapped in 1950.
Due to the important share and service given by this vessel and its crew
to the population and its country in a period of agression and war, it
deserves a special respect and high honour.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Stad Antwerpen SS
Stad Antwerpen (sister ship to Ville de Leige) was built in 1913 by NV
Cockerill Ougher at Hoboken, Belgium. Yard number 530. Length 91.44m,
width 10.97m, power 13000hp, speed 23.62 knots. passenger capacity 900.
1913: Antwerp to Plymouth maiden voyage.
1913: Ostend to Dover/Folkestone Ferry Service.
1914 to 1918 Hospital and troop ship service.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:4
- Nurses:4
- Other:26
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:16
- Cots:18
- Berths:131
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:2nd October 1915
- Date To:12th December 1919
- Ships Crew details:
Returned to Belgium, refitted and back on Ostend to Dover/Folkestone ferry service.
1934 sold for break up.
1935 scrapped. John Doran
- Hospital ship
HS Sicilia SS Sicilia was built by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow, Yard No 425.
Engines by Shipbuilders. Port of Registry: Glasgow
Propulsion: Two triple expansion three cylinder steam engines, 4500ihp, twin screws, 14 knots.
Launched: Saturday, 22/12/1900, Built 1901.
Ship Type: Passenger/Cargo Liner. Ship's Role: 'Intermediate' passenger services, and trooping.
Tonnage: 6696 gross; 4174 net; 8462 dwt.
Length: 450ft 4in, Breadth: 52ft 4in, Draught: 26ft 8in.
Owner History:
Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company
Remarks.
- 22/12/1900: Launched for The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, London.
- 05/02/1901: Registered.
- 09/02/1901: Delivered. The first of 5 sisters delivered in
1901~02, followed by Soudan (Caird), Syria (Stephen), Somali (Caird) and
Sardinia (Barclay, Curle). As built, Sicilia could carry 90 First Class
and 70 Second Class passengers.
- 1901: Maiden voyage trooping to Calcutta.
- 1901~03: Boer War trooping.
- 1903~04: Indian trooping.
- 1904~05: Indian trooping.
- 1905: Laid up.
- 1906: General trooping.
- 1907~08: Indian trooping.
- 1907: Rumour aboard that a Sergeant had been murdered by lascars, whereas in reality he had deserted to the Chinese Army.
- 1908: UK/India and Chinese services.
- 10/09/1914: Hired by the Admiralty for service as a hospital ship (No. E.0261), and served for some time in the Dardanelles.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:20
- Nurses:
- Other:1
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:12
- Cots:100
- Berths:214
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:10th September 1914
- Date To:11th September 1918
- Ships Crew details:
01/1926: Sold to Kishimoto Kisen K K., Japan for demolition at Osaka.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Vasna HMHS
Vasna was built by Alex, Stephen & Sons, Glasgow for the British
India Steam Navigation Co. Her gross tonnage was 5,767 with engines that
were twin screw, two triple expansion, 4, 700 IHP producing 16.03 Knots
in trials, her service speed was 12.5 knots. She was designed to carry
29 First Class Passengers, 27 Second Class Passengers, 1, 605 Deck
Passengers and 129 Crew.
She was taken over in 1917 while being built and completed as a hospital ship with 613 beds and 125 medical staff.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:20
- Nurses:7
- Other:55
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:41
- Cots:57
- Berths:460
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:29th May 1917
- Date To:1919
- Ships Crew details:
In 1919 she was released back to British India Steam Navigation Co and
used on their Bombay to Basra route until September 1939 when she was
again taken over.
Converted at Mazagon Dockyard, Bombay to "Naval Hospital Ship No. 4"
with 278 beds and 73 medical staff, she was attached to the East Indies
Squadron.
She was transferred to European waters in 1940 where she was based at
Scapa Flow and took part in the evacuation from Norway, and in December
1940 was damaged by air attack while at Liverpool. In Spring 1941 she
was based at Freetown with the South Atlantic Squadron for three months
and then returned to Scapa and the Home Fleet. She transferred to the
Eastern Fleet, based in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in Feb.1942 and was involved
with the Madagascar landings. In June 1943 she went to the
Mediterranean, then UK and back to the Mediterranean where she was
seconded to Army service for the Sicily landings, based at Tripoli.
Returned to the Eastern Fleet in 1944 and was at the Burma invasion and
in 1945 was attached to the British Pacific Fleet.
She also carried Australian ex-prisoners of war from Okinawa to Sydney
and in March 1946 was refitted for the BISN Co Persian Gulf service.
In February 1951 she was sold for breaking up and was scrapped at Blyth.
John Doran
- Hospital ship
HMHS Varela SS Varela (1914), Base data at 26 June 1914. Type Passenger/cargo liner
P&O Group service 1914-1951. P&O Group status Owned by subsidiary company
British India Steam Navigation Company Ltd.
Builders Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Yard number 930. Registry: Official number 136296, Signal letters Call sign JFPT. Classification society Lloyd’s Register.
Gross tonnage 4,645 grt, Net tonnage 1,932 nrt, Deadweight 5,160 tons.
Length 118.90m (390.1ft), Breadth 16.24m (53.3ft), Depth 8.07m (26.5ft)
Draught 6.979m (22.9ft).
Engines 2 triple expansion steam engines. Engine builders Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Power 4,700 ihp, Propulsion Twin screw, Speed 15.75 knots (trials).
Passenger capacity 32 first class, 24 second class, 1,292 deck passengers.
Cargo capacity 4,875 cubic metres (172,158 cubic metres)
Employment* Bombay/Persian Gulf ‘fast’ service
History.
- 27.03.1914: Launched.
- 28.05.1914: Delivered as Varela for British India Steam
Navigation Company at a cost of £119,200. She was the first of the
V-class to be delivered followed by her sisters Varsova, Vita and Vasna.
- 24.06.1914: Takeover of British India Steam Navigation Company by The
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company agreed.
- 02.08.1914: She was the first British India Steam Navigation
Company ship requisitioned by the Government for the war effort (two
days before
the official declaration of war). She was initially used as a supply
and despatch vessel.
- Late 1914: Served as an Indian Expeditionary Force transport.
She was the headquarters ship for the landings at Fao and Sanniya in the
Gulf.
- Early 1915: Used intermittently as a base hospital at Basra.
10.1915: Converted into an Indian Expeditionary Force hospital ship with
450 beds at the Royal Indian Marine Dockyard at Bombay. She was
employed mainly to and from the Gulf for the Mesopotamia campaign.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:
- Nurses:
- Other:
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:450
- Cots:
- Berths:
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From: 2nd October 1915
- Date To: 1st October 1920
- Ships Crew details:
- 11.1917: Transferred to ambulance transport service.
- 10.1920: Released back to commercial service.
- 14.12.1922: Collided with a tug and the Strick Line tender
Raithwaite Hall in the river below Mohammerah. She caused extensive
damage to the
tender. The Varela required dry-docking at Bombay to be repaired.
- 07.1927: One of her firemen fell overboard 32km (20 miles) off
land. A search was mounted without success. The fireman was entered as
‘lost at
sea’ and his effects returned to his family members. A week later the
‘dead’ man was back on board, having swum for a day and a half
before being picked up by fishermen close inshore and making his
way back to Varela on the Barpeta.
WW2 Service.
09.1938: Requisitioned during the Munich crisis.
1939: 87.7 cubic metres (3,100 cubic feet) of insulated cargo space
installed.
1941/1945: Her wartime service was spent serving as a Personnel Ship.
1946: Returned to her Persian Gulf service.
1947: Transferred to the Calcutta/Madras/Rangoon service.
22.03.1951: Sold for £45,000 to the British Iron & Steel Corporation for breaking up.
26.04.1951: Demolition carried out by Thomas W Ward Ltd at Briton Ferry.
John Doran
- U-Boat U1 joins training flotilla SM
U-1 joined the training Flotilla on the 1st of August 1914
She had been built at the Shipyard Germaniawerft, Kiel (Werk 119)
and launched 4 Aug 1906 being commissioned: 14 Dec 1906
On the 19 Feb 1919 she was stricken. The wreck was sold to Germaniawerft
foundation at the Deutsches Museum in Munich where she was restored and
is now on display.
John Doran
- SM
U-15 was a Type U 13 uboat, built at the Shipyard Kaiserliche Werft,
Danzig (Werk 10). She had been ordered 23 Feb 1909 and was launched 18
Sep 1911, commissioned 7 Jul 1912. On the 1 Aug 1914 she was commanded
by Richard Pohle.
- Early actions 1914 1st German Division part of 1st Army Corps and 8th Army then with 9th and 10th Armies
1914-1915
Along with the 2nd Division, the 1st Division formed the 1st Army Corps (Koenigsberg).
Russia
The 1st Army Corps was engaged on the Russian Front at the very beginning of the war.
Up until November, the 1st Division participated in the operations of East
Prussia and notably in the battle of Tannenberg (Aug. 27-29).
In December the two division of the 1st Corps separated. The 2nd
Division
remained in the north and the 1st Division went to the 9th Army, from
December, 1914, to January, 1915 (Bzura-Rawka), then to the Army of the
South, operating in the Carpathians and on the Dniester, from February,
1915, to February, 1916.
Historical Records
- 1st August 1914 Early actions 1914 and 1915
- Early actions 1914 1st Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and 6th German Army.
1914.
Lorraine.
At the beginning of the war the 1st Bavarian Division, forming, with the
2nd Bavarian Division, the 1st Bavarian Corps, was part of the 6th Army
(Bavarian Crown Prince). It detrained at Sarrebruecken (Aug. 8-9),
crossed the frontier, sacked Badonviller on the 12th and withdrew to the
north of Sarrebruecken on the 17th. It fought at Sarrebruecken on the
20th. In liaison on the left with the Badeners of the 14th Corps, it
crossed the frontier and advanced to Nossoncourt and Xaffevillers (Sept.
6th) via Baccarat. On September 12th, the division, having been
withdrawn, was
reassembled at Peltre (near Metz). It then entrained at Metz on the 14th
and 15th, and detrained near Namur, reaching Peronne on the 24th.
Historical Records
- Early actions 1914 1st Bavarian Reserve Division part of 1st Bavarian Reserve Corps and 6th German Army
1914 Lorraine.
The Bavarian Reserve Division(1st Bavarian Reserve Corps, with the 5th
Bavarian Reserve Division) was at the beginning of the war part of the
6th Army (Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria), and detrained in Lorraine August
13-14. After having helped to check the French offensive in Lorraine,
participated in the battle of August 20, entered Luneville, and after
having fought at Einville, early in September, it went to rest in the
vicinity of the Paris-Avricourt railroad, and later marched to Metz by
stages.
Arras.
On September 27-28 the division entrained at Metz and was carried to
Cambrai. Entering the line between Douai and Arras, it fought at Izel,
Gavrelle, Rouvroy (Oct.2-3). On the 5th its right wing was at Souchez,
the whole 1st Bavarian Reserve Corps being then in line north of Arras.
October 23 the two divisions of the corps attacked violently along the
Carency-Roclincourt front; they remained in the line until June, 1915,
the lst Bavarian Division being between Roclincourt and Ecurie.
Historical Records
- Actions during 1914 1st Bavarian Landwehr Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and 6th German Army
Lorraine 1914.
The origin of the 1st Bavarian Landwehr Division dates from the
stabilization of the Lorraine front after the check of the Germans
before Grand-Couronne in September, 1914. At the beginning of the war
the different elements which were to enter into the composition of the
division were employed in Lorraine in rear of the combatant troops. The
71st Landwehr Regiment came from the war garrison of Strasburg. These
elements grouped in three brigades forming the 1st Bavarian Landwehr
Division, were brought up to the front early in September and put into
line in the Chateau-Salins sector (from Jallaucourt to the Rhine-Marne
Canal).
- Actions 1914 to 1917 1st German Naval Division part of German Naval Corps and 4th German Army
1914-1917.
Belgium. At the beginning of the war the Field Army contained only one
naval division. This division entered Belgium on September 4, 1914,
detrained at Brussels and on the 6th September took up its position to
the left of the corps which was besieging Antwerp. After the taking of
the city on October 10 the division marched along the coast, arrived at a
point between Ostend and Bruges on October 23rd and on November 2nd
relieved the 4th Ersatz Division on the front of Nieuport St. Georges.
On the 24th November 1914, the Naval Corps was formed by adding a 2nd
Naval Division to the 1st. After this time the Naval Corps occupied the
sea front and the sector of the coast in occupied Flanders. The staffs
of the 1st and 2nd Naval Divisions were permanently in command of this
sector - the sea front (from Raversyde to the frontier of Zeeland as far
as Maldegem was assigned to the 1st Naval Division; the front on land
from the North Sea to Schoorbakke, 4 kilometers southeast Nieuport, to
the 2nd Naval Division).
The six regiments of Marine Fusiliers alternated between the two
sectors, and consequently changed from one division to the other.
In April 1917, the three naval infantry regiments were withdrawn from
the
1st and 2nd Naval Divisions to organize a new Division, the 3rd Naval
Division. These regiments had already formed a provisional division,
from the end of September 1916 to January 1917, when they were engaged
on the Somme. After fighting east of Ypres (August to November, 1917),
the 3rd Naval Division came into line at Nieuport (Lombartzyde) to the
right of the 2nd Naval Division in December.
Allied Intelligence - 1917 Value Estimate.
The Marine or Sailor Fusiliers, recruited at the beginning of the war
from among the seamen or the population of the ports, had only a
mediocre combat value at the time. Since 1917, in consequence of
reinforcements taken from the land army and also in consequence of
reducing the age of the effectives, the regiments of Naval Fusiliers
seem to be of better quality.
From a recruiting standpoint, they may be compared with the active
divisions of the German Army.
Historical Records
- Actions during 1914 2nd German Guard Division part of Guard Corps and 2nd German Army
1914.
France.
Entrained August 9 to 11 (notebooks). Detrained at Beutgenbach (12 kilos
east of Malmedy). Entered Belgium August 14. Crossed the Meuse at Huy
August 18. Crossed the Sambre at Auvelais (Aug. 22) on the right of the
1st Guard Division. Fought at Falisolle and Aisemont the 23rd; at Mettet
the 24th. Fought on the 29th at Haution and Vallee-aux-Bleds; on the
30th at St. Pierre (west of Vervins), on the left of the 1st Guard
Division. From there via Lugny, Boncourt, La Malmaison, Ville-aux-Bois,
Sarcy, Epernay, Avize, Vertus; fought after September 6 at
Ecury-le-Repos and Normee.
Retreated on the 9th at Vertus; 10th at Tauxieres; 11th at Thuizy. Was
before Reims until September 30. In Artois in October (Bucquoy,
Ivlonchy-aux-Bois, Adinfer), near the 1st Guard Division. Split up in
November like the latter; sent one of its brigades, the 4th, in the
region of Ypres (Gheluvelt) and remained there until the end of
December.
Historical Records
- 1st August 1914 Actions 1914 to 1917
- Actions 1914 to 1917 2nd Landwehr Division part of 5th German Army
(Thirteenth District-Wurttemberg.)
1914 Argonne.
The 2nd Landwehr Division (Franke Division) forms a part of the Argonne
group and has continuously occupied sectors of this district since
September 1914. At the beginning of the campaign it comprised a
Wurttemberg and a Bavarian brigade. Engaged at Etain August 24, 1914, it
crossed the Meuse at Stenay on the 31st.
Beginning with September it occupied the line in the woods of Cheppy and Malancourt.
1915 Argonne.
Vauquois-bois de Malancourt sector. At the end of September 1915,
portions of the division (one battalion of the 6th and one of the 7th
Bavarian Landwehr) were assigned to service in the district of Massiges.
They rejoined the Vauquois sector at the end of October.
1916 Argonne.
Vauquois-bois d'Avocourt and Malancourt sector. At the beginning of 1916
the 2nd Landwehr Division was reconstituted with exclusively
Wurttemberg elements, including the 120th Landwehr, withdrawn
from the Bavarian Ersatz Division, and the 122nd Landwehr, proceeding
from the 1st Bavarian Landwehr Division. The 9th Bavarian brigade went
over to the 1st Bavarian Landwehr Division.
1917 Argonne.
In the Cheppy-bois d'Avocourt wood sector. At the end of August 1917,
the 2nd Landwehr Division changed places with the 2nd Bavarian Division
and took the Nord Four sector of Paris-Bolante-Courte-Chausse.
Allied Intelligance 1917 Value Estimate.
Sector division. Did not leave Argonne from the beginning of the war. On
several occasions it furnished young men to active and reserve
Wurttemberg regiments, replacing them by older Landsturm men.
Historical Records
- Actions during 1914 2nd Bavarian Division part of 1st Bavarian Corps and German 6th Army
Divisional Actions during 1914
(First Bavarian District-Southwest of Bavaria, Bavarian Swabia.)
1914 Lorraine.
At the beginning of August the 2nd Bavarian Division which, with the 1st
Bavarian Division, formed the 1st Bavarian Corps, was a part of the
army of the Crown Prince of Bavaria (6th Army). The 3rd Brigade,
covering troops, detrained at Reding near Saarburg, on the 3rd of
August. On the 9th the division was at its full strength. It proceeded
to the frontier, reached Badonviller and retired as far as Gosselming
(west of Saarburg) by the 17th of August, gave battle there on the 20th,
and recrossed the frontier. It advanced as far as Xaffevillers (Sep
7th), whence it retired to Itlorhange
(Sep 10th). On September 15 the division entrained at Metz. It detrained
near Namur, gained Peronne by stages, and was engaged at Foucaucourt by
the 24th.
Somme.
Together with the 1st Bavarian Corps it was attached to the 2nd Army
(Von
Billow), operating on the Somme in the district of Peronne. It took part
in the fiercely contested battles which took place there but a short
time after the stabilization of the front and suffered serious losses.
At the beginning of the campaign, October 30, the 12th Infantry had 50
officers and 1,910 men who were unable to take part in action.
The division was maintained in this district up to the month of October,
1914, first to the south of the Somme, later, at the beginning of
November, 1914, between Dompierre and Maricourt.
Historical Records
- 1st August 1914 Actions during 1914
- Anti-war Demonstration in Trafalgar Square Ten
Thousand people attended an anti-war demonstration in Trafalgar Square,
London. Speakers at this peace rally included James Keir Hardie, the
pacifist ex-leader of the Labour Party.
We will not go to War - Felicity Goodall
- 2nd Aug 1914 Church Parade
- 2nd Aug 1914 Medicals
- Germany declares War Germany
declares war on France. Belgium refuses Germany permission to cross its
territory to reach France, Germany invades Belgium.
- The 6th DLI Return From Camp
The 6th Durham Light Infantry arrived at Bishop Auckland by train from Conway, where they were to have had their summer camp. Teesdale Mercury,
- 3rd Green Howards strike camp The
3rd Btn. (Green Howards) Yorkshire Regiment were engaged in a day of
sports, watched by their families at Deerbolt Camp when a telegram was
received at 2.15pm to strike camp and return to their home base. By
twenty to six the tents and other equipment had been packed and the men
were ready to march out of the camp.
Teesdale Mercury
- Northumberland Hussars band at Bowes Museum On
Bank Holiday Monday, the band of the Northumberland Hussars played two
well attended concerts in the grounds of Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle.
Teesdale Mercury
- 4th Yorks break camp. 4th
Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) were at Deganwy
Camp in Wales for the annual Divisional Training at the beginning of
August 1914, with rumours of impending War, the Camp broke up on the 3rd
of August and Company returned to its own Headquarters. H Coy had their
The Drill Hall at the old Baptist Chapel, 4 Bridge Street, Bedale.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
- 3rd Aug 1914 Trying to Leave Germany
- 3rd Aug 1914 Keep Brave Hearts and Cool Heads
- 3rd Aug 1914 Medicals
- Shot fired on the Mersey The
first shot by the British in the Great War was fired one of the guns of
Fort Perch Rock on the Mersey, as a warning across the bow of a
Norwegian vessel which ignored a signal to halt, just 30 minutes after
war had been declared.
- Earthquake in Jamaica A
severe earthquake was felt across the colony of Jamaica, particularly
on the north side and the eastern end of the island. Considerable damage
reported in Port Antonio, but no lives have been lost.
- British Army Mobilises Across
Britain the trains, towns and cities were filled with soldiers and
officers in khaki as they were recalled to their units after the Bank
Holiday Weekend. The Territorial Forces, who had set out for their
annual summer camps, were ordered home to take up their war stations.
Homefires Burning - Gavin Roynon
- 1st Royal Scots in Gosport 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers were based in Gosport as part of 9th Brigade, 3rd Division when war broke out in 1914.
- 40th Brigade RFA mobilise 40th Brigade Royal Field Artillery were at Bulford Camp and at once began to mobilise for war.
- 1st Royal Fusiliers mobilized 1st Royal Fusiliers at the barracks at Kinsale, Ireland received the order to mobilize at 6pm.
www.creasey.name
- Berkshire Regiment at Aldershot 1st Battalion Berkshire Regiment were at Aldershot when war broke out in 1914. At 5.30pm Orders were received to mobilize
- 2nd Royal Irish Regiment at Devonport 2nd
Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment were in Devonport, as part of 8th
Brigade, 3rd Division when war broke out in August 1914.
- 5th Durhams deployed to Hartlepool and South Gare The
territorials of the 5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry are deployed to
Hartlepool and South Gare to dig coastal trenches to defend the mouth
of the River Tees.
11th DLI Martin Bashforth
- 2nd West Riding Brigade leave Marske The
2nd West Riding Brigade are at their annual camp near Marske on the
North Yorkshire Coast, they broke camp this morning. 3000 territorials
of the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions, Duke of Wellington's West
Riding Regiment marched to Saltburn station and entrained on specially
commissioned rolling stock, for their home bases.
11th DLI Martin Bashforth
- West Yorkshire Territorials march into Scarborough The
Territorials of the West Riding Brigade, 5th, 7th and 8th Battalions
West Yorkshire Regiment broke camp near Scarborough and marched to
Scarborough railway station to entrain for the journey home.
- Anti War Meeting in Darlington A
crowd of over 1000 protestors gathered in the Market Place at
Darlington to attend a meeting called by Darlington Trades Council to
urge the British Government to remain neutral, W.G. Loraine of the
National Union of Railwaymen lead the speeches.
11th DLI Martin Bashforth
- Poplar and Stepney Rifles return from Salisbury Plain 17th
(Poplar and Stepney Rifles) Battalion, The London Regiment. It was a
Territorial unit and had its headquarters at 66 Tredegar Road, Bow, when
war broke out in August 1914. It was part of 5th London Brigade, 2nd
London Division (later the 47th Division). The Division had just arrived
for their annual summer camp on Salisbury Plain when war was declared
in August 1914 and they were at once recalled to their home base and
mobilised for war service.
- Green Howards break camp The
territorials of the Green Howards break camp and return to their drill
halls. The Drill Hall of the Yorkshire Regiment at Redcar was located on
the High Street in a building which had been the Globe Hotel before it
was closed in 1910 due to a withdrawal of the liquor licence by the
local authority in an attempt to reduce the number of licenced premises
in the town. The bar was to the right of the entrance, with toilets, a
store with an armoury of more than 100 weapons, utility room and an
office for the Officer commanding. On the left was a snooker and games
room and a door leading into the rear yard and drill hall. Upstairs the
rooms were occupied by the sergeant major appointed to train the men.
Today Halford's bike shop stands on the site.
Remember When
- 5th Welsh return from Portmadoc The
5th Batalion, Welsh Regiment were at Portmadoc for their annual camp
when war was declared, they at once returned to man their war station at
Fort Scoveston.
- 4th Aug 1914 Battleships in Pursuit
- 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment were in Malta when war was declared in
August 1914.
- 59th Field Coy RE to mobilize 4th Aug. 1914, 5.30pm Ireland. Telegram 'Mobilize' received by 59th Field Company Royal Engineers
- On the Move At the outbreak of war 4 Squadron
moved to Eastchurch and undertook naval and anti-Zeppelin patrols. No 4
Squadron had been created from No 2 Flight, No 2 Squadron at
Farnborough on 16th Sep 1912 and moved to Netheravon in 1913. A great
part of the initial work was experimental, and the specific challenge to
No. 4 Squadron was to develop the art of night flying. During this
time tentative trials were also carried out with wireless sets for
artillery co-operation. The success of these trials led to the creation
of a separate Wireless Flight to develop the system further.
- Mobilization Order 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Tuesday, August 4th, 1914 - Devonport
Order to mobilize received
- 4th Aug 1914 All ready.
- Mobilise At
4.00 p.m. on 4th of August 1914, the War Office began the process of
mobilising the Regular Army and to recall regular reservists to the
colours. A telegram, containing one word "Mobilise" was despatched to
all commands and garrisons.
At Aldershot, the signal came from the Headquarters of Aldershot Command
at Stanhope Lines at 6.30 p.m. A soldier came out from the side
entrance of the Headquarters Office and hoisted three large black balls
on the flagstaff on the lawn outside the building.
Around the country, telegrams and policemen notified regular reservists
that they were to report to their old regiments.
- 4th Aug 1914 Guiseley Territorials Mobilise
- 4th Aug 1914 Battery Ready for Service
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders to Mobilise
- 4th Aug 1914 In France
- 4th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders
- 4th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders
- 4th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 4th Aug 1914 Telegram
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders Received
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders
- 4th August 1914 Location
- 4th Aug 1914 Orders
- Gloucestershire Hussars mobilise The
Order to mobilise the Gloucestershire Hussars was given at 7pm on
August 4th 1914. They joined the 1st South Midland Brigade with the
Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry, based Newbury Racecourse. The
Brigade then moved to the east coast of England in case of a German
invasion. In September a second Regiment of the R.G.H. was raised, and
later a third.
- The Battle of Liege
The German Second Army crossed into neutral Belgium aiming to attack
France from the north, and soon reached the key city of Liege, where
their advance was checked by a relatively small number of Belgian
soldiers under the command of Lieutenant General Leman. The city of
Liege was defended by a ring of twelve underground forts built on high
ground six miles outside the city in the 1880's, with retractable
cupolas housing a total of 400 guns ranging in size up to six inch.
When the German Army reached the River Meuse a few miles from the
city, they found the bridges had already been destroyed. They began to
construct pontoons but soon came under fire from the 210mm howitzers,
150 and 120mm canons and 57mm rapid fire guns. The Belgian's had had
little time to prepare and the hastily constructed earth works between
the forts barely held back the German Forces and on the evening of the
5th the Germans carried out one of the first air raids with a Zeppelin
dropping bombs on the city of Liege.
- First German Naval loss Königin
Luise had been was requisitioned by the Kaiserliche Marine on the 3rd
of August 1914 to serve as an auxiliary minelayer, and was pressed in to
service when Britain entered the war. On the night of the 4th/5th of
August she laid a minefield off the coast but was spotted by a number of
fishing vessels. The light cruiser HMS Amphion and a number of
destroyers of the 3rd Flotilla sailed early in the morning of 5th of
August and sailed towards Heligoland Bight. En-route they encountered a
fishing vessel, whose crew informed the British ships that they had
seen a ship "throwing things over the side" about 20 miles north of the
Outer Gabbard. The taskforce spotted Königin Luise at 10:25, but she
fled at top speed, moving into a rain squall, where she proceeded to
lay more mines. HMS Lance and HMS Landrail gave chase, and Lance opened
fire, the first British Naval shot of the war. HMS Amphion soon closed
in and also commenced firing on the Königin Luise which attempted to
escape to neutral waters to the south-east, leading the pursuing British
vessels through her minefield. Being damaged by heavy fire, Commander
Biermann ordered the scuttling of the Königin Luise. The surviving crew
abandoned ship, and the vessel rolled over to port and sank at 12:22.
46 of the 100 crew were rescued by the British ships.
- German vessels held Numerous
German vessels are captured in British ports as they arrive unaware
that Britain is now at War with their native land.
- Export Suspended on Tyne The export trade on the Tyne is totally suspended with thousands of men being made idle.
- 3rd Monmouths given Rousing send off. The
whole battalion of the 3rd Monmouths gathered outside the Market Hall
in Abergavenny at dawn on the 5th August. Later that day they were
marched to Bailey Park where they were given tea. The battalion colours
were handed over to the custody of the Mayor and the corporation of
Abergavenny. They left the market square of the ancient Borough of
Abergavenny to a rousing send off by flag waving citizens. Down the
road, out of the Town, over the bridge of the Given River and up the
rise to The Great Western railway station, still there today. Two troop
trams were ready and waiting, the soldiers boarded bound for Pembroke
Dock and what was to be for these Welshmen, a lifetime's adventure. But
for many Monmouthshire men the surrounding mountains, the Blaring, the
Skirred and the Dei, were the to be their last sight of home.
- 7th Black Watch man Kingshorn Battery. At
the outbreak of war in August 1914, Kinghorn Battery was manned by the
7th Fife Territorial Battalion, Royal Highlanders who had been been
mobilized 5 days earlier. They spent the first few weeks digging new
defences to protect the Rosyth Naval Base against the threat of a German
landing in the East of Fife.
- Railways taken over for troops The
railways were taken over by the Government for the transport of troops.
All day the stations were busy with reservists who had been called up.
Homefires Burning - Gavin Roynon
- Military Manoeuvers at Hyde Park The
traffic at Hyde Park was held up as soldiers loaded cases of ammunition
from the Powder Magazine into a fleet of commandeered motor buses.
Homefires Burning - Gavin Roynon
- Panic Buying of Groceries The
grocery and provision stores were overwhelmed by a mass of cutomers
seeking to stockpile as much food as possible, causing an emourmous rise
in prices.
- 4th Scots Fusiliers at Stirling The
4th Scots Fusiliers, recalled from their summer camp, mobilised for
war. They moved from their base at Kilmarnock to take up their allocated
position on the Scottish coastal defences at Stirling.
- Military Camp to be built It
was revealed that plans had been made to construct a large military
camp in the grounds of Lord Brownlow’s country house, Belton Park near
Grantham.
- 44th Brigade RFA mobilize 44th
Howitzer Brigade Royal Field Artillery, which consisted of the 47th,
56th amd 60th Batteries, began to mobilise at Bordon.
Bordon Camp was first built in 1899 and is situated near Petersfield in
Hampshire, the site has been continual in use by the Army since 1903
when the hutted camp was expanded. The Louisburg barracks were built in
1906, adding brick buildings to house two regiments of Artillery, a
riding school and a veterinary hospital. The Royal Engineer Lines were
added by 1911.
- Territorials mobilise At
Colchester Camp, which has historically been an important military
garrison, territorial units are mobilising for war. The men of 8th
(Cyclist) Battalion Essex Regiment, The Essex Yeomanry and Essex Royal
Horse Artillery are all ordered to prepare to take up their war
stations.
Newspaper clipping
- F Coy 6th DLI leave Barnard Castle The
men of F Coy, 6th Durham Light Infantry were ordered to report to the
Drill Hall in Barnard Castle at 8am, to prepare to leave at 4.30pm to
rejoin the rest of the Battalion at Bishop Auckland. They had arrived
home just after mid-day yesterday.
Teesdale Mercury
- 4th Yorks mobilise 4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment receive the order to mobilise and the Companies to assemble at Northallerton.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
- 2nd Life Guards & 4th Cavalry Brigade mobilise 2nd Life Guards are at Canterbury between the 5th and 8th of August. 4th Cavalry Brigade Mobilisation normal
War Diary
- 4th Northumberlands proceed to France On
the 5th of August, 17 officers and 660 men, territorials of the 4th
Battalion, Northumbland Fusiliers reported for duty and began intensive
training in Newcastle.
- Reservists receive telegrams Telegrams
were sent to the 300 reservists of the Leicestershire Regiment ordering
them to report for duty at Glen Parva Barracks, Saffron Lane, South
Wigston. The 500 regulars of the 1st Battalion were at Fermoy, Ireland
and returned swiftly to England for duty on the East coast in case of
invasion.
- Early actions 1914 Bavarian Ersatz Division part of 7th Army
The Bavarian Ersatz Division consisted, at the outbreak of the war, of
the three mixed Bavarian Ersatz brigades, Nos. 1, 5 and 9 (12
battalions), which detrained on the 17th-18th August 1914 in the region
of Schelestadt. But afterwards this designation indicated a composite
division (Benzin Division) formed from the 3rd Bavarian Reserve Brigade
and the 59th Landwehr Brigade (28th Ersatz, Baden) and the 120th
Landwehr Regiment (Wurttemberg).
Vosges.
The Benzin Division was first engaged in the Vosges (St. Marie Ridge,
St. Die, Laveline) until September 1914. After a rest in the Valley of
the Bruche, it entrained at the end of September for Mars-la-Tour and
reinforced the 3rd Bavarian Corps in the St. Mihiel area.
historical records
- Early actions 1914 1st Guards Reserve Division part of 2nd German Army
Belgium 1914.
At the beginning of the war the 1st Guard Reserve Division together with
the 3rd Guard Division forming the Guard Reserve Corps, swept into
Belgium as part of the 2nd Army under von Buelow.
On the 16th of August it crossed the Meuse at Ardenne and pushed on as
far as Namur by the 20th August. On the 29th the two divisions
(Guard Reserve Corps) were brought back to Aix-la-Chapelle and left for
East Prussia.
1st September 1914 Poland.
At the beginning of October the Guard Reserve Corps, attached to the
Southern Army Group, took part in the invasion of the southern part of
Poland. It fought at Opatow (4th Oct) and suffered severe losses at Lodz
while retreating from the Russian armies.
During the winter of 1914-15 it fought on the Bzura.
historical records
- Mobilization Mobilization of the 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment took place at Colchester between the 5th and 8th of August 1914.
1st East Lancs war diary WO95/1498/1
- 5th Aug 1914
- 4th Munsters mobilise The 4th Royal Munster Fusiliers were assembled at Kinsale before proceeding to Queenstown.
- Warwickshire Territorials Mobilise At
6am on Wednesday, the Territorial Battalions of the Warwickshire
Brigade paraded before leaving their home towns. The 5th and 6th Btn
shared Thorp St Barracks, which was not big enough for both battalions
to parade together. So Col Parkes and Col Martineau tossed a coin. The
Mayor won and whilst the 6th Battalion paraded at the barracks, the 5th
Btn held their parade in the railway sheds of the Midland Railway.
The 8th paraded as a Battlion in Aston and the 7th at their various
drill halls across the county.
In the evening the four battalions boarded trains and departed for Weymouth.
- 5th Aug 1914 Battery Ready for Service
- 5th Aug 1914 Yeomanry Assemble
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 5th Aug 1914 Agression Suspended
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 5th Aug 1914 Return from Camp
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobisation
- 5th Aug 1914 In France
- 5th Aug 1914 In France
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobilization
- 5th August 1914 Mobilization
- 5th Aug 1914 Equipment
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 5th Aug 1914 Billets
- 5th Aug 1914 Reservists
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 5th Aug 1914 Equipment
- 5th Aug 1914 War Stations
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 5th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 6th Aug 1914 The Battle of Liege
- 2nd West Surrey's on manoeuvres In
South Africa the Pretoria District Infantry Brigade, including 2nd Bn.
The Queen's, are on a trek from Potchefstroom, where it had just carried
out manoeuvres. The total distance was about 110 miles. The final march
into Roberts' Heights on this date was 27 miles. At 7.30 P.M. The
battalion received urgent order to proceed to Cape Town on Aug. 8th.
2nd Bn Queens West Surrey Regt War Diary
- Zeppelin raids. On
6 August 1914 the German Zeppelin Z6 (LZ21) bombed the Belgian city of
Liège, killing nine civilians. It was dropping artillery shells instead
of bombs, but the ship's inadequate lift kept it at low altitude so that
the bullets and shrapnel from defending fire penetrated the hull. The
ship limped back towards Cologne, but had to be set down near Bonn in a
forest, completely wrecking it.
John Doran
- HMS Murray launched HMS
Murray, an M Class destroyer was the first ship to carry the name HMS
Murray and was built by Palmer at Jarrow. It was laid down 4th December
1913, launched 6th August 1914 and completed December 1914. Weighing
1010 tons she was armed with 3-4in, 1-2pdr, 4-21in tt. She was based at
Harwich from 1914 to 1917 with a short spell at Dover in 1916, then
served in the Mediterranean 1917-18. HMS Murray saw action off the
Belgian Coast in 1916.
She was sold 9th May 1921 to Ward of Briton Ferry and was broken up in
January 1923
- HMS Ampion lost HMS Amphion hit a mine and sank in North Sea with the loss of 151 lives.
- 6th Aug 1914 Colours Laid up
- 6th Aug 1914 Hunt for the Storeship
- 6th Aug 1914 Hot and Close
- 6th Aug 1914 Reservists Arrive
- 6th Aug 1914 Training
- 6th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 6th Aug 1914 Training
- 6th Aug 1914 Reservists
- 6th Aug 1914 Reservists
- 6th Aug 1914 Reservists
- 6th Aug 1914 Equipment
- 6th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 6th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 7th Aug 1914 The Battle of Liege
- 7th Aug 1914 Liege fort forced to capitulate
- Lord Kitchener begins recruiting campaign Lord
Kitchener, the war minister, began his recruiting campaign by calling
for men aged between 19 and 30 to form new Battalions to boost the
British Army which numbered 247,432 regular troops.
- 1st West Yorks move to Scotland 1st
Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment leave their base at Lichfield and
move to Dunfermline to assist in the defence of the River Clyde.
- 3rd West Yorks man the Tyne Garrison 3rd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment moved from their base in York to Whitley Bay as part of the Tyne Garrison.
- 2nd West Surrey's move cancelled 10.30
A.M. Order re move to Cape Town cancelled. Orders received for
battalion to hold itself in readiness to proceed to England at an early
date.
2nd Bn Queens West Surrey Regt War Diary
- Lord Kitchener appeals for 100,000 volunteers Lord Kitchener publishes his first appeal for 100,00 volunteers to form his First New Army.
11th DLI Martin Bashforth
- Reservists to unit 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Friday, August 7th, 1914 - Devonport
First batch of reservists, 300 odd arrived from Depot.
Lt. MCC Harrison as Brigade Billeting Officer left for Aldershot. war diaries
- 7th Aug 1914 Volunteers Wanted
- 7th Aug 1914 Reorganisation
- 7th Aug 1914 Mobilization
- 7th Aug 1914 Reservists
- 7th Aug 1914 In Barracks
- 7th Aug 1914 Reservists
- 7th Aug 1914 Equipment
- 7th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 7th Aug 1914 Horses
- New Laws in Britain The
Defence of the Realm Act came into force, with restrictions designed
to keep morale in Britain high and to help prevent invasion and read:
"His Majesty in Council has power during the continuance of the present
war to issue regulations as to the powers and duties of the Admiralty
and Army Council, and of the members of His Majesty's forces, and other
persons acting in His behalf, for securing the public safety and the
defence of the realm; and may, by such regulations, authorise the trial
by courts martial and punishment of persons contravening any of the
provisions of such regulations designed
(a) To prevent persons communicating with the enemy or obtaining
information for that purpose or any purpose calculated to jeopardise the
success of the operations of any of His Majesty's forces or to assist
the enemy; or
(b) To secure the safety of any means of communication, or of railways,
docks or harbours; in like manner as if such persons were subject to
military law and had on active service committed an offence under
section 5 of the Army Act.
Restrictions included, the discussion of Military matters in public, a
ban on melting down silver or gold, lighting of fireworks, bonfires and
the flying of kites. It also gave the government powers to take over
land, factories or workshops for the war effort and to censor newspapers
and letters from abroad, as well as powers to try civilians caught
breaking these laws.
- 1st Royal Fusiliers at Kinsale Sixty
men and three Officers of the 1st Royal Fusiliers were detailed to go
out Horse-Hunting from the barracks at Kinsale. They returned with about
50 horses and unit was ready to depart.
www.creasey.name
- Shooting match at Tandragee On
Saturday 8th August 1914 the Ulster Volunteer Force held a shooting
competition at the rifle range in Tandragee demesne with teams from the
Clare, Laurelvale, Tandragee and Scarva Companies participating.
- HMS Bristol in action 200
miles south of Bermuda HMS Bristol engaged the German Cruiser
Karlesruhe, damaging the vessel and forcing her to seek rrefuge in a
neutral port in the West Indies. The British cruiser was undamaged.
Teesdale Mercury
- 4th West Yorks leave York 4th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment left York in early August 1914 to take up a defensive role at Falmouth.
- Reservists to unit 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Saturday, August 8th, 1914 - Devonport
Second lot of reservists arrived and we are now practically ready and complete to proceed on active service. war diaries
- 8th Aug 1914 More Volunteers
- 8th Aug 1914 Company Training
- 8th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 8th Aug 1914 The Colours
- 8th Aug 1914 Cavalry Arrives
- 8th Aug 1914 Training
- 8th Aug 1914 Reservists
- 8th Aug 1914 Training
- 8th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 8th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 8th Aug 1914 Ready to Move
- 8th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 8th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- First Light Cruiser Squadron attacked by Submarines On
the Sunday morning, the First Light Cruiser Squadron, cruising about 40
miles off Aberdeen, was attacked by a squadron of German submarines. The
submarine U-15, rose only a short distance ahead of HMS Birmingham and
was quickly disabled by three rounds and was then rammed by the cruiser,
the vessel sank, becoming the first German Submarine lost in the Great
War.
http://archive.org/stream/odhamsabcofgreat00colb/odhamsabcofgreat00colb_djvu.txt
- 3rd Welsh Fusilers to Wrexham The 3rd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers moved from Pembroke Dock to their HQ in Wrexham.
- 6th DLI to East Boldon The Territorials of the 6th Durham Light Infantry left Bishop Auckland for East Boldon.
Teesdale Mercury
- First U-Boat sunk
The first lost. SM U 15 (Kptlt. Pohle) was rammed and sunk by British light cruiser HMS Birmingham. SM
U-15 of II Flotilla was rammed by HMS Birmingham off Fair Isle on the
9th of August 1914. All 25 crew were lost. The engines had apparently
failed as she was lying stopped on the surface in heavy fog when HMS
Birmingham spotted her and could clearly hear hammering from inside the
boat (presumably from attempted repairs). The cruiser fired on her but
missed and, as the boat began to dive, she rammed her cutting her in
two. This was the first U-boat loss to an enemy warship.
John Doran
- Reorganisation The
3rd Monthouths joined the Welsh Border Brigade at Oswestry. It rained
continuously for days as the Battalion settled under canvas, advanced
parties had been sent to Oswestry where the Division was to assemble.
The Brigade, including the 3rd Mons, were moved en masse to Oswestry, a
prosperous, country town which welcomed the huge body of troops arriving
at such short notice. The Battalion had simple fare, rested in local
establishments and was in fine spirits. The Battalion's animals and
vehicles were moved by road and arrived a few days later, the
organisation being made by Lieutenant Martin the Purchasing Officer who
had bought the horses in Monmouthshire County.
- Reservists to unit 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Sunday, August 9th, 1914 - Devonport
The final draft of reservists arrived.
Appendix I
Mobilization went off without a hitch, except in the following particulars:
- 1) No travelling kitchens were available. Their loss was severely felt. They were not issued to the Battalion until 19/11/1914.
- 2) Difficulty was experienced in obtaining ordinance stores, more especially boots of usual size required
- 3) The reservists were badly fitted with boots at the Depot. In
many cases, also, their serge clothing and caps had to be changed.
- 4) A mass of correspondence was thrown on Company Officers. Had
the Battalion moved on the 8th day, it would have been quite impossible
to have completed the documents of the reservists.
- A: The details in 75% of army books 64 had not been entered correctly. The men had not signed.
- B: Yellow forms for separation allowance had to be filled in
with names of wife and children then signed together - men and Company
Officer.
- C: Almost exactly the same detail had to be taken down in connection with the allotment of pay.
- D: Wills had not been made.
SE St. Leger, Major - 2/Royal Irish Regiment.
war diaries
- 1st East Lancs in Training 1st
Battalion East Lancashire Regiment are engaged in Field training and
route marching at Colchester from the 9th to 17th of August.
1st East Lancs war diary WO95/1498/1
- 9th Aug 1914 A Hot Day
- 9th Aug 1914 Boots
- 9th Aug 1914 Church Parade
- 9th Aug 1914 Training
- 9th Aug 1914 Reliefs
- 9th Aug 1914 Training
- 9th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 9th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 9th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 9th Aug 1914 Horses
- 9th Aug 1914 Mobilisation Complete
- 9th of August 1914 At Southampton
- Why Britain Went to War by H. G. Wells The
cause of a war and the object of a war are not necessarily the same.
The cause of this war is the invasion of Luxemburg and Belgium. We
declared war because we were bound by treaty to declare war. We have
been pledged to protect the integrity of Belgium since the kingdom of
Belgium has existed. If the Germans had not broken the guarantees they
shared with us to respect the neutrality of these little States we
should certainly not be at war at the present time. The fortified
eastern frontier of France could have been held against any attack
without any help from us. We had no obligations and no interests there.
We were pledged to France simply to protect her from a naval attack by
sea, but the Germans had already given us an undertaking not to make
such an attack.
It was our Belgian treaty and the sudden outrage on Luxemburg that
precipitated us into this conflict. No power in the world would have
respected our Flag or accepted our national word again if we had not
fought.
So much for the immediate cause of the war.
We had to fight because our honour and our pledge obliged us.
But now we come to the object of this war. We began to fight because our
honour and our pledge obliged us ; but so soon as we are embarked upon
the fighting we have to ask ourselves what is the end at which our
fighting aims. We cannot simply put the Germans back over the Belgian
border and tell them not to do it again. We find ourselves at war with
that huge military empire with which we have been doing our best to keep
the peace since first it rose upon the ruins of French Imperialism in
1871. And war is mortal conflict. We have now either to destroy or be
destroyed. We have not sought this reckoning, we have done our utmost to
avoid it; but now that it has been forced upon us it is imperative that
it should be a thorough reckoning. This is a war that touches every man
and every home in each of the combatant countries. It is a war, as Mr.
Sidney Low has said, not of soldiers but of whole peoples. And it is a
war that must be fought to such a finish that every man in each of the
nations engaged understands what has happened. There can be no
diplomatic settlement that will leave German Imperialism free to explain
away its failure to its people and start new preparations. We have to
go on until we are absolutely done for, or until the Germans as a people
know that they are beaten, and are convinced that they have had enough
of war.
We are fighting Germany. But we are fighting without any hatred of the
German people. We do not intend to destroy either their freedom or their
unity. But we have to destroy an evil system of government and the
mental and material corruption that has got hold of the German
imagination and taken possession of German life. We have to smash the
Prussian Imperialism as thoroughly as Germany in 1871 smashed the rotten
Imperialism of Napoleon III. And also we have to learn from the failure
of that victory to avoid a vindictive triumph.
Prussian Imperialism is an intolerable nuisance in the earth.
This Prussian Imperialism has been for forty years an intolerable
nuisance in the earth. Ever since the crushing of the French in 1871 the
evil thing has grown and cast its spreading shadow over Europe. Germany
has preached a propaganda of ruthless force and political materialism
to the whole uneasy world. "Blood and iron," she boasted, was the cement
of her unity, and almost as openly the little, mean, aggressive
statesmen and professors who have guided her destinies to this present
conflict have professed cynicism and an utter disregard of any ends but
nationally selfish ends, as though it were religion. Evil just as much
as good may be made into a Cant. Physical and moral brutality has indeed
become a cant in the German mind, and spread from Germany throughout
the world. I could wish it were possible to say that English and
American thought had altogether escaped its corruption. But now at last
we shake ourselves free and turn upon this boasting wickedness- to rid
the world of it. The whole world is tired of it. And " Gott !" - Gott so
perpetually invoked Gott indeed must be very tired of it.
A war to exorcise a world-madness and end an age.
This is already the vastest war in history. It is war not of nations,
but of mankind. It is a war to exorcise a world-madness and end an age.
And note how this Cant of public rottenness has had its secret side. The
man who preaches cynicism in his own business transactions had better
keep a detective and a cash register for his clerks; and it is the most
natural thing in the world to find that this system, which is outwardly
vile, is also inwardly rotten. Beside the Kaiser stands the firm of
Krupp, a second head to the State; on the very steps of the throne is
the armament trust, that organised scoundrelism which has, in its
relentless propaganda for profit, mined all the security of
civilisation, brought up and dominated a Press, ruled a national
literature, and corrupted universities.
Consider what the Germans have been, and what the Germans can be. Here
is a race which has for its chief fault docility and a belief in
teachers and rulers. For the rest, as all who know it intimately will
testify, it is the most amiable of peoples. It is naturally kindly,
comfort-loving, child-loving, musical, artistic, intelligent. In
countless respects German homes and towns and countrysides are the most
civilised in the world. But these people did a little lose their heads
after the victories of the sixties and seventies, and there began a
propaganda of national vanity and national ambition. It was organised by
a stupidly forceful statesman, it was fostered by folly upon the
throne. It was guarded from wholesome criticism by an intolerant
censorship. It never gave sanity a chance. A certain patriotic
sentimentality lent itself only too readily to the suggestion of the
flatterer, and so there grew up this monstrous trade in weapons. German
patriotism became an "interest," the greatest of the "interests." It
developed a vast advertisement propaganda. It subsidised Navy
Leagues and Aerial Leagues, threatening the world. Mankind, we saw too
late, had been guilty of an incalculable folly in permitting private men
to make a profit out of the dreadful preparations for war. But the evil
was started; the German imagination was captured and enslaved. On every
other European country that valued its integrity there was thrust the
overwhelming necessity to arm and drill and still to arm and drill.
Money was withdrawn from education, from social progress, from business
enterprise and art and scientific research, and from every kind of
happiness; life was drilled and darkened. So that the harvest of this
darkness comes now almost as a relief, and it is a grim satisfaction in
our discomforts that we can at last look across the roar and torment of
battlefields to the possibility of an organised peace. For this is now a
war for peace. It aims straight at disarmament. It aims at a settlement
that shall stop this sort of thing for ever. Every soldier who fights
against Germany now is a crusader against war. This, the greatest of all
wars, is not just another war it is the last war! England, France,
Italy; Belgium, Spain, and all the little countries of Europe, are
heartily sick of .war; the Tsar has expressed a passionate hatred of
war; the most of Asia is unwarlike; the United States has no illusions
about war. And never was war begun so joylessly, and never was war begun
with so grim a resolution. In England, France, Belgium, Russia, there
is no thought of glory.
We know we face unprecedented slaughter and agonies; we know that for
neither side will there be easy triumphs or prancing victories. Already,
after a brief fortnight in that warring sea of men, there is famine as
well as hideous butchery, and soon there must come disease.
Can it be otherwise ? We face perhaps the most awful winter that mankind
has ever faced. But we English and our allies, who did not seek this
catastrophe, face it with anger and determination rather than despair.
Through this war we have to march, through pain, through agonies of the
spirit worse than pain, through seas of blood and filth. We English have
not had things kept from us. We know what war is; we have no delusions.
We have read books that tell us of the stench of battlefields, and the
nature of wounds, books that Germany suppressed and hid from her people.
And we face these horrors to make an end of them. There shall be no
more Kaisers, there shall be no more Krupps, we are resolved. That
foolery shall end! And not simply the present belligerents must come
into the settlement. All America, Italy, China, the Scandinavian powers,
must have a voice in the final readjustment, and set their hands to the
ultimate guarantees. I do not mean that they need fire a single shot or
load a single gun. But they must come in. And in particular to the
United States do we look to play a part in that pacification of the
world for which our whole nation is working, and for which, by the
thousand, men in Belgium are now laying down their lives.
- 3rd Monmouths on the move The 3rd
Monmouths and the Welsh Border Brigade moved en masse to Oswestry, a
prosperous, country town which welcomed the huge body of troops arriving
at such short notice. The Battalion had simple fare, rested in local
establishments and was in fine spirits. The Battalion's animals and
vehicles were moved by road and arrived a few days later, the
organisation being made by Lieutenant Martin the Purchasing Officer who
had bought the horses in Monmouthshire County.
- Suffragettes released from prison The
government announced it was releasing all suffragettes from prison,
following negotiations with the leadership of the Women's Social &
Political Union. In return for their release, the WSPU agreed to end
their militant activities and to help the war effort.
- West Yorks Territorials concentrate at Selby The
territorials of the West Yorkshire Regiment arrive at Selby on the 10th
of August, the 5th Battalion arriving from York, the 6th Battalion from
Bradford, the 7th and 8th Battalions from their base at Carlton
Barracks.
- 4th Yorks move to Newcastle After 5 days at Northallerton the territorials of the 4th Yorks move Newcastle upon Tyne.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
- 5th DLI Recruit in Darlington
The
front page of the Northern Echo carried a recruitment notice: "An
Officer of the 5th Durham Light Infantry will attend at the Drill Hall,
Darlington, tonight between seven and nine o'clock to enlist men willing
to serve in the above regiment.
Only men with four years' service between the ages of 18 and 35
and who are in possession of their discharge certificates can be taken"
As part of the recruitment campaign the Darlington Company paraded in
the streets of the town this evening. Northern Echo
- 3rd Bedfords to Landguard Fort The
3rd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment moved from Bedford to Landguard
Fort Fort near Felixstowe for duty with the Harwich Garrison.
- The
Territorials of the 5th Battalion Welsh Regiment arrived at Hearson
Camp, Hearson Mountain, Houghton, Pembroke in South Wales, in mid August
from Fort Scoveston. The book ‘Burton Parish’ by H.J Dickman records :
"One of the immediate results of the arrival in the parish of soldiers
with their demands for Sunday newspapers and shopping facilities, was to
signal the end of Traditional Sunday Observance." One of camp huts
still survives as Burton village hall.
- Inspections 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Monday, August 10th, 1914 - 1145 Devonport
The GOC Brigade - General Beauchamp Doran inspected the battalion.
Appendix II
The following officers proceeded with the Battalion
- Wounded 23/8 Lt. Col. St.J. A. Cox in command
- Wounded 23/8 Major S. E. St. Leger 2nd in command
- Missing 23/8 Lt. R. E. G. Phillips Adjutant
- Captain J. Richings Quartermaster
- Lt. P.J. Whitty Machine Gun Officer
- Lt. F.H.L. Rushton Transport Officer
- Lt. A.M.S. Tandy Signalling Officer
- Missing 23/8 Lt. A. D. Fraser Scout Officer
- A Company
- Killed 8/23 Captain W. Mellor
- Missing 23/ Captain I.B. George
- Missing 23/8 2nd Lt. J. D. Shine
- Missing 23/8 2nd Lt. C. F. T. O’B. Ffrench
- Wounded 23/8 2nd Lt. E. C. Guinness
- B Company
- Major E. H. E. Daniell, D.S.O.
- Lt. F.G. Ferguson
- Lt. D. P. Laing
- 2nd Lt. A. R. Newton-King
- C Company
- Killed 23/8 Capt. & Battalion Major E. M. Painter-Downes
- Missing 23/8 Captain J.S. Fitzgerald
- Missing 26/8 Lt. A.E.B. Anderson
- Killed 23/8 Lt. C. B. Gibbons
- D Company
- Missing 26/8 Captain G. A. Elliott
- Missing 23/8 Captain the Honorable F. G. A. Forbes
- Wounded 26/8 Lt. E. M. Phillips 3/Battalion
- Missing 26/8 2nd Lt. C. G. Magrath
- Officers of the Battalion who proceeded with special appointments
- Battalion Major J. Burke
- Captain H. C. MacDonnell with Royal Flying Corps
- Lt. H. D. Harvey-Kelly
- Captain A.R.G. Gordon Staff Captain 8th Infantry Brigade
war diaries
- 10th Aug 1914 Yeomanry Ready
- 10th Aug 1914 Training
- 10th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 10th Aug 1914 New Battalion
- 10th Aug 1914 Mobilisation Complete
- 10th Aug 1914 Training
- 10th Aug 1914 Training
- 10th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 10th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 10th Aug 1914 Horses
- 1st Middlesex arrive in France 1st Middlesex landed at Le Havre to join the Lines of Communication troops
- Opening movements WW1 1st German Guards Division
Detrained on 11th and 12th August in Prussian Wallonia at Weimar and
neighbouring stations. Entered Belgium on the 13th August via Stavelot
and crossed the Meuse on the 18th August 1914. historical records
- 11th Aug 1914 Route March
- 11th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 11th Aug 1914 War Duty
- 11th Aug 1914 Inspection
- 11th August 1914 Advance Party arrivals
- 11th Aug 1914 Training
- 11th Aug 1914 Training
- 11th Aug 1914 Ready to Move
- 11th Aug 1914 Mobilisation Complete
- 11th Aug 1914 Horses
- 12th Aug 1914 German Siege Howitzer arrives at Liege
- 1st Kings Liverpool and 2nd South Staffords embark for France The
1st Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, South
Staffordshire Regiment, embarked onboard the SS. Cawdor Castle at
Southampton and set sail for Le Harve at 8:00 pm.
- New Camp to be built at Catterick An
order is issued by the War Office to construct a new army camp at
Catterick in North Yorkshire, on a site recommended by Robert
Baden-Powell. Initially named Richmond Camp, 2,000 huts are planned to
accommodate two complete divisions, around 40,000 men. The camp was
constructed by the Henry Boot Company in 1915.
- 1st KRRC proceed to France 1st Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps cross to France.
- U-Boat U-13 sunk SM
U-13 is lost off Heligoland Bight, victim of a mine or accident. 25
dead (all hands lost). A type U 13 she had been built at the Shipyard
Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig (Werk 8) Ordered 23 Feb 1909 and launched 16
Dec 1910 she was commissioned 25 Apr 1912. She was commanded by Hans
Artur Graf von Schweinitz und Krain and sailed with II Flotilla.
John Doran
- Departure from Devonport 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Wednesday, August 12th, 1914 - 2245 Devonport.
A and B Companies, under command of Lt.Col. St.J. A. Cox, left barracks and entrained, destination unknown.
war diaries
- 12th Aug 1914 Messaged from the King
- 12th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 12th Aug 1914 Training
- 12th Aug 1914 Review
- 12th Aug 1914 Inspection
- 12th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 12th Aug 1914 Route March
- 12th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 12th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 12th Aug 1914 Aircraft Lost
- 12th Aug 1914 Mobilisation Complete
- 9th Lancers on parade Lieutenant-Colonel
D G M Campbell held a dismounted parade and recalled all the great
deeds of the Regiment's history, including the Indian Mutiny where the
9th had won more VCs than any other. Also of the Boer War when Lt
MacDonald and his men had defended their position to the death. "You
are going forth to war," Campbell told them, "with the greatest
traditions to uphold."
https://www.facebook.com/Mons2Marne2014
- 1st Kings Liverpool and 2nd South Staffords arrive in France The
1st Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, South
Staffordshire Regiment, disembark from the SS. Cawdor Castle at Le Harve
to a joyous welcome. They march from Le Harve Docks to their entraining
point, boarding the train which arrived at 2:00 pm.
- Ready to entrain The
1st Royal Fusiliers were recalled to the barracks at Kinsale in the
middle of a route march, but no trains were available to transport them
to Cork.
www.creasey.name
- 1st South Wales Borderers sail for France 1st
Battalion South Wales Borderers, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, departed
from Bordon Camp and sailed to Le Harve with the BEF.
- New recruits at Barnard Castle Barracks An
NCO and 100 new recruits arrive at Barnard Castle Barracks, a number of
the men will be billeted in the town during their training.
Teesdale Mercury
- 2nd KRRC land in France 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps proceeded to France on the 13th of August 1914, landing at Le Havre.
- 7th Devons leave Exeter 7th (Cyclist) Battalion Devonshire Regiment arrived at Norton-on-Tees, Durham in the evening.
MbroGazette 14Aug14
- Embarkation 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Thursday, August 13th, 1914 - 0015 Devonport
A and B Companies left Devonport and arrived at Southampton at 0700. C
and D Companies under command of Major SE St. Leger followed about an
hour
afterwards. Embarked on the SS Henschell at 2100. No Naval Officer was
present to hand the ship over to us and allot berths; as a result a dug
out Naval officer appeared on the scene about midnight and then wanted
to shift all the companies to make room for another unit. We steamed out
with the Connaught Rangers all mixed up with us, and yet on the
following morning it was found that two portions of the lower deck were
unoccupied and capable of holding 500 men.
war diaries
- 13th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 13th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 13th Aug 1914 On the March
- 13th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 13th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 13th August 1914 Advance Party arrival in Concentration Area
- 13th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 13th Aug 1914 Ready
- 13th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 13th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 13th Aug 1914 Mobilisation
- 13th Aug 1914 Mobilization
- 13th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 13th Aug 1914 Route March
- 13th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 13th of August 1914 Landing in France
- 13th of August 1914 Landing in France
- 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers arrive in France The
1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers embarked for France as part of the
original British Expeditionary Force, landing at Le Havre.
- Queen's Bays depart for France The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) depart from Aldershot, marching to Farnborough station to entrain for Southampton.
http://www.qdg.org.uk/diaries.php?dy=43
- 1st Royal Fusiliers leave Kinsale Reveille
was called at 3am but it wasn't until 1pm that 1st Royal Fusiliers
departed from the barracks at Kinsale, arriving in Cork at 3pm. They
marched from the station to the Cattle Market where they rested for the
night.
www.creasey.name
- 1st Black Watch land in France 1st Battalion Black Watch land at Le Havre with the BEF as part of 1st Division.
- 2nd Btn Royal Irish Regiment proceed to France 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment land at Boulogne as part of 3rd Division
- Crossing to France 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Friday, August 14th, 1914 - 0515 Southampton.
Left Southampton. As we commenced to cross the Channel at 1500, an
escort of cruisers joined us, 3 on the North of our track and 10 on the
South. We arrived at Boulogne about 1800 and marched to a rest camp
about 3 miles distance.
war diaries
- 2nd Ox & Bucks proceed to France 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry departed Aldershot to sail to Bolougne.
- 14th Aug 1914 Ready to Move at any Minute
- 14th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 14th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 14th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 14th August 1914 Quartering Arrangements Completed
- 14th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 14th Aug 1914 Inspection
- 14th Aug 1914 Cold Night
- 14th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 14th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 14th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 14th Aug 1914 Artillery HQ Moves
- 14th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 14th Aug 1914 Move Begins
- 14th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 14th of August 1914 Advance Party Leave
- The Battle of Liege The
Belgian commander of the Liege Forts, Lt. General Leman was buried
under the rubble at Fort Loncin as it was destroyed by the German siege
artillery. He was pulled unconscious from the debris by the Germans and
was taken prisoner.
- 9th Lancers ready to sail 9th
Lancers departed Tidworth Camp, marched to Amesbury station and arrived
at Southampton by train, but there was some delay before the transport
ships were ready to be loaded for the crossing to Boulogne. 30 officers,
588 other ranks and 613 horses of the 9th Lancers embarked for France
aboard the SS Armenian and the SS Welshman.
- Queen's Bays sail for France The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) arrived at Southampton Docks and embarked for Le Harve on the SS Minneapolis.
http://www.qdg.org.uk/diaries.php?dy=43
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 1st Royal Fusiliers embark at Cork The
1st Royal Fusiliers paraded in the Cattle Market, Cork, receiving
reserve rations. Embarcation orders arrived at 5pm and the Battalion
paraded at 9.30pm then marched to the docks to board the Empress of
Ireland, with crowds watching their departure. They sailed at 2am the
following morning.
www.creasey.name
- Tandragee Company hold Shooting Match On
the 15th August 1914 the Tandragee Company held a shooting match at the
rifle range in the demesne. Nine teams took part including 1 from
Clare, 2 from Laurelvale, 4 from Tandragee and 2 from Scarva, with each
team consisting of 8 men. Medals were awarded for the best team score,
the runners up and the highest individual score. A team from Tandragee
won the event, with the individual scores as follows, Wilson McAdam 60; D
McCullough 49; George Jackson 46; W J Meredith 46; A Vennard 41; G
Stronge 40; W Gamble 39; and W J Teggart 21. Wilson McAdam (Tandragee)
won the highest overall individual score with 60 out of 70; W J Newman
(Tandragee) was second on 57; and W Lunn (Scarva) third on 56. Mr T H
White, Orangehill, presented the prizes.
- Further moves 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Saturday, August 15th, 1914 - Boulogne
The Battalion was inspected by the French GOC Line of Command
.
Left camp at 1845 and entrained at 2200 for unknown destination.
war diaries
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the March
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 15th of August 1914 Arriving Busigny
- 9th Lancers arrive in France At
about 3pm the 9th Lancers began to disembark at Boulogne from the SS
Welshman and the SS. Armenian, the narrow gangway of the Armenian was
hardly suited to horses and the process was slow and tedious. After a
period of waiting on the quay, they set off on the three mile march to
the camp at Pont de Bricques cheered along by excited locals who
festooned them with flowers. Arriving at the camp to find there were no
shackles in the horse lines dampened the mood and it was late night
before they could finally retire for the night.
https://www.facebook.com/Mons2Marne2014
- 12th Lancers entrain for France The 12th Lancers completed their mobilization at Norwich and entrained for Southampton en-route to France.
- Queen's Bays arrive France The
Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) disembarked at Le Harve from the SS
Minneapolis, having spent the night anchored in the bay. The horses were
stabled in a large store at the docks until noon, then the regiment
moved to a large cotton store near the railway. The men spent most of
the morning conversing with French soldiers who were guarding the docks.
Lieutenant A. J. R. Lamb recorded in his diary:- "Sailed into Le
Harve docks and began disembarking about 5:30 a.m., All the horses of
the regiment were put into a large store shed, and stood there from
about 6:30 a.m. till noon. A party of French soldiers are guarding the
docks, and it does not take our men long to become on speaking terms
with them. They seem to quite interest each other in spite of not being
at all acquainted with each other’s languages. Left these docks about
noon and then moved on to a huge store shed near the railway (the
biggest thing of its kind I have ever seen), where the horses were
fastened up in lines."
http://www.qdg.org.uk/diaries.php?dy=43
- 59 Field Company RE proceed to France 59
Field Company RE left their base at Curragh and arrived at Dublin
docks, 4pm were aboard H.T. Bellerophon, which left Dublin 8.15pm for Le
Havre.
- On the Move The 1st Royal Fusiliers
sailed at 2am from Cork aboard the Empress of Ireland. They sailed round
the Irish Coast by Waterford then crossed to Holyhead arriving at 5pm
where they entrained for an unknown destination.
www.creasey.name
- 26th Heavy Battery proceed to France 26th Heavy Battery RGA land in France
- 16th August 1914 9th Lancers arrives Boulogne
- Battle of Antivari 1914 The
Battle of Antivari was a naval engagement between the French, British
and Austro-Hungarian navies at the start of World War I. The Austrian
light cruiser SMS Zenta and the destroyer SMS Ulan were bombarding the
town of Antivari, today known as Bar, when on 16 August 1914 they were
cut off by a large Franco-British force that had sortied into the
Adriatic. It was an attempt to bring the Austro-Hungarians into a fleet
action. The two Austrian vessels at Antivari were cut off and forced to
fight an engagement in order to attempt to free themselves. Although
Zenta was destroyed, Ulan escaped and the Austrian fleet did not come
out of port to meet the Allied fleet. After blockading the Adriatic for a
while the French were forced to withdraw due to lack of supplies.
Background
When war broke out between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Montenegro,
the Austro-Hungarians began a blockade of the Montenegrin coast as well
as several bombardments of the various towns and cities there. The
French Navy had decided to try to force the Austro-Hungarian Navy into a
decisive fleet action by making a sortie into the Adriatic and bait the
Austrians into engaging them. The Allied force consisted of three
dreadnought battleships, 10 pre-dreadnought battleships, four armoured
cruisers, one protected cruiser and more than 20 destroyers.
Battle
The Allied Fleet managed to cut off Zenta and Ulan from escaping back to
the main Austro-Hungarian fleet. Hopelessly outnumbered, the commander
of Zenta decided to attempt to fight his way out and cover Ulan's
escape.
Zenta also had serious disadvantage as the range of her 120 mm cannons
was too short, so they were not able to reach the enemy ships. The
French battleships significantly outranged Zenta and so were able to
score large numbers of hits without taking any damage themselves.
Eventually, Zenta was sunk with 173 men killed and over 50 wounded, but
allowing enough time for Ulan to make good her escape.
Aftermath
Despite Zenta being cut off, the main body of the Austro-Hungarian fleet
did not sortie out to do battle as the French had hoped. The French
fleet did not have the logistical support to remain in the Adriatic for
very long and so were forced to return to Malta periodically to
resupply.
Order of Battle
French Navy
- Courbet, dreadnought battleship, flagship
- Jean Bart, dreadnought battleship
- 1st Battle squadron Voltaire, pre-dreadnought battleship
- Vergniaud, pre-dreadnought battleship
- Diderot, pre-dreadnought battleship
- Danton, pre-dreadnought battleship
- Condorcet, pre-dreadnought battleship
- Vérité, pre-dreadnought battleship
- Justice, pre-dreadnought battleship
- Démocratie, pre-dreadnought battleship
- Patrie, pre-dreadnought battleship
- République, pre-dreadnought battleship
- Victor Hugo, armoured cruiser
- Jules Ferry, armoured cruiser
- Jurien de la Gravière, protected cruiser
- 5 destroyer squadrons
Royal Navy
- HMS Warrior, armoured cruiser
- HMS Defence, armoured cruiser
- 3 destroyer divisions
Austro-Hungarian Navy
- SMS Zenta, light cruiser, flagship
- SMS Ulan, destroyer
John Doran
- move to billets 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Sunday, August 16th, 1914 - 10:00 Aulnoye
Arrived at Aulnoye about 20 miles from the Belgian frontier and
detrained. Marched about 3 miles to Taisnieres, where we went into
billets. We received a great ovation from the inhabitants. Lt. Anderson
with 12
men remained at Aulnoye railway station for duty. A lengthy business
getting into billets, but we shall improve with experience. Over 20
British aeroplanes passed over us as we were on the march to our
billets.
war diaries
- 26th Heavy Brigade proceed to France 26th Heavy Brigade RGA arrived in France on the 16th of August 1914
- Warwickshire Territorials on the March The Warwickshire Brigade broke camp in Leighton Buzzard and set out on a staged route march to Essex
- 16th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 16th Aug 1914 On the March
- 16th August 1914 8th Inf Bde Movement Orders
- 16th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 16th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 16th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 16th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 16th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 16th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 16th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 16th Aug 1914 On the March
- 16th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 16th Aug 1914 Aircraft Lost
- 16th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 16th Aug 1914 At Dock
- 16th of August 1914 Choosing Billets
- 12th Lancers land in France 25 Officers, 543 other ranks and 608 horses of the 12th Lancers land at Le Havre having crossed from Southampton.
https://www.facebook.com/Mons2Marne2014
- Antwerp to be Belgian Capital The Belgian capital is moved from Brussels to Antwerp.
- 40th Brigade RFA sail for France 40th
Brigade Royal Field Artillery, comprising 6th, 23rd and 49th Batteries,
marched from Bulford Camp to Amesbury Station and entrained for
Southampton.
for the crossing to Le Havre, France. They were attached to 3rd Infantry
Division with the BEF
- Queen's Bays at Le Havre The
Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) having spent the night in a large
cotton store near the railway, underwent exercise and grazed the horses
by the coast. That evening Headquarters mess dined aboard the Dieppe of
the Newhaven-Dieppe line, which was engaged in bringing ammunition
across from Newhaven. A Squadron left at 9pm to entrain for the
concentration area.
http://www.qdg.org.uk/diaries.php?dy=43
- On the Move The
1st Royal Fusiliers arrived at Cambridge by train from Holyhead and
marched across town to the camp. Crowds of locals came out to watch.
www.creasey.name
- 4th Yorks join Brigade 4th Yorks leave Newcastle upon Tyne to join their Brigade at camp in Hummersknott Park, Darlington.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bandl.danby/003aBn1914.html
- 108th Heavy Battery proceed to France 108th Heavy Battery RGA arrive in France
- Inspections 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Monday, August 17th, 1914 - Taisnieres
Route march under Company arrangements. General Doran inspected out billets.
war diaries
- 17th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1914 Inoculations
- 17th Aug 1914 On the March
- 17th Aug 1914 Route March
- 17th Aug 1914 Cleaning up
- 17th August 1914 Continued move to front
- 17th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 17th Aug 1914 On the March
- 17th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1914 Entraining
- 17th Aug 1914 On the March
- 17th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1914 Camp Work
- 17th of August 1914 Brigades Pass Through
- 30th Brigade RFA proceed to France 30th Brigade RFA embarked at Southampton on the SS Coleen Bawn destined for the reception camp at Rouen.
- 30th (Howitzer) Brigade RFA proceed to France. 30th
(Howitzer) Brigade RFA consisting of Battery’s 128th, 129th and 130th
Batteries left Bulford Camp and embarked from Southampton as part of 11
Corps, 3rd Division, BEF.
- Queen's Bays depart Le Havre The
Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) left cotton store near the railway,
with Headquarters minus the Machine Gun section departing just after
midnight with ‘C’ Squadron and MG section following at 3:30am. They
gathered at point ‘S’ entraining place, where there was an hour's wait
to entrain then a further three hours before departing. They enjoyed a
breakfast of hard boiled eggs, jam and tea and had a good wash in
buckets beside the train before leaving at 8:15am for the concentration
area. They traveled via Rouen where they stopped to water and feed the
horses, and the men had hot coffee made by the French soldiers. The
train moved slowly with frequent stops where the locals handed over
flowers and cigarettes. They traveled via Amiens and Busigny to
Mauberge on the Belgian frontier.
http://www.qdg.org.uk/diaries.php?dy=43
- A long day for 59 Field Company RE 59th Field Company Royal Engineers arrived at Havre France 7am, the whole company had disembarked by 4.30pm.
- Training The 1st Royal Fusiliers began
Divisional Training at Cambridge with a route march and manoevres, which
were hampered by the intense heat.
www.creasey.name
- 48th Heavy Battery proceed to France 48th Heavy Battery RGA arrive in France
- Inspections 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Tuesday, August 18th, 1914 - Taisnieres
Battalion route march of about 7 miles in the morning. Bathing parade
and inspection of feet by Companies arrangements in the afternoon. Many
men have sore and defective feet. We heard today with great regret of
the death of General Grierson, our Army Corps Commander.
war diaries
- Relocation for 1st East Lancs At
0600 on the 18th of August 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, less
two companies, proceeded to Harrow where they camped in one of the
school playing fields. Remainder of the battalion followed one hour
later.
1st East Lancs war diary WO95/1498/1
- 18th Aug 1914 First taste of French Siege Bread
- Exciting Scenes Tuesday
18th August: "Entrained Albershot at 5.30am, arrived Southampton and
embarked on the "Welshman" .
Southampton is packed with troops embarking on different ships. Some
exciting scenes getting the horses aboard. There are about 500 horses
on our boat." 1914 diary of James McFarlane, No.3 Field Ambulance 1st
Division
- 18th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 18th Aug 1914 Massed Drums
- 18th Aug 1914 Training
- 18th August 1914 In Camp
- 18th August 1914 Continued move to front
- 18th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 18th Aug 1914 Imperial Service
- 18th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 18th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 18th Aug 1914 Route March
- 18th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 18th Aug 1914 Route March
- 18th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 18th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 18th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 18th Aug 1914 Aircraft Lost
- 18th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 18th Aug 1914 Orders
- 18th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 18th Aug 1914 Camp Work
- 18th of August 1914 15th Bde Arrives
- 30th Brigade RFA entrain On the 19th August 30th Brigade RFA entrained to Marley.
- USA to remain neutral President Woodrow Wilson announces that the United Stated of America will remain neutral.
- Canada to provide Expeditionary Force The raising of an expeditionary force to send overseas is authorised by the Canadian Parliament.
- RFC make first reconnaissance flight The
first RFC reconnaissance flight over German positions is made by Lt G
Mapplebeck of No 4 Squadron in a BE2a, and Captain P Joubert de la Ferté
of No 3 Squadron in a Bleriot XI-2.
- Serbian Forces victorious At
the Battle of Cer also known as Battle of Jadar, the Serbian Forces,
led by General Stepa Stepanovic, unexpectedly defeated the
Austro-Hungarian 5th army forcing a retreat from Serbian territory.
18,500 Austro-Hungarians were killed or wounded and 6,500 were captured.
The Serbians only lost around 5,000 men. This was the first victory of
the Allied forces in the Great War and did much to boost morale.
- Austrailian troops sail from Sydney 1500 men of the Australian Expeditionary Force boarded the Berrima in Sydney to sail to Palm Island for training
- Kaiser Wilhelm II Gives his famous Order of the Day The
famous "Order of the Day" was given by the Kaiser, Wilhelm II, on the
19th August, 1914:- "It is my Royal and Imperial Command that you
concentrate your energies, for the immediate present upon one single
purpose, and that is that you address all your skill and all the valour
of my soldiers, to exterminate first, the treacherous English,
walk over General French’s contemptible little Army."
The men of the British Expeditionary Force took it with good humour and
embraced being called contemptible, and from that day on they would be
forever known as "The Old Contemptibles". http://www.military-research.co.uk/that-contemptible-little-army-%E2%80%93-the-bef-in-589-words/
- 35th Heavy Battery land in France. 35th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery landed at Boulogne.
- 19th Aug 1914 Are we Down Hearted?
- 2nd West Surreys leave camp Battalion left Roberts' Heights with all it's heavy baggage. Married Families were left behind.
2nd Bn Queens West Surrey Regt War Diary
- Practice manouvres 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Wednesday, August 19th, 1914 - Taisnieres
Companies at disposal of Company Commanders practice of attack. First
payments in the field made to Companies. It takes 2 ½ hours to pay out 5
Francs a man and obtain their signature. The system is an impossible
one. The Captain’s signature to the whole payment should suffice.
We heard through the ASC that we move to St. Remy and from there do a 24
hour march further forward. Evidently the A.S.C. are as rare a means of
giving away information as ever.
war diaries
- Platoon Training for 1st East Lancs 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment spent the 19th and 20th of August 1914
engaged in Platoon training around Harrow camp.
1st East Lancs war diary WO95/1498/1
- 19th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1914 Cheering
- 19th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1914 Concert
- 19th Aug 1914 Route March
- 19th Aug 1914 Reorganisation
- 19th Aug 1914 Training
- 19th August 1914 Changes in quartering arrangements
- 19th Aug 1914 Route March
- 19th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 19th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 19th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 19th Aug 1914 Route March
- 19th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 19th Aug 1914 Camp Work
- 19th of August 1914 5th Div Arrives
- German Forces occupy Brussels German troops occupy the Belgian capital, Brussels.
- 4th Middlesex en-route to Mons On
the morning of the 20th of August, a scorching hot day, the troops of
the 4th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment marched out of the village of
Taisenieres, where they had spent the night. For the first kilometer of
the cobbled high way, they were accompanied by a farewell party of
villagers, who had festooned the men with strings of flowers and bright
bouquets. When the civilians finally waved the column out of sight, the
troops broke into song "Who were you with last night, out in the pale
moonlight?"
The jovial departure soon faded as the summer heat increased and the
rounded cobbled of the French roads made the route march a painful
experience.
- 59th Coy RE depart from Le Havre 59th
Field Coy Royal Engineers left Havre by train at 12.20pm. enduring a
slow uncomfortable journey via Amiens and Le Cateau to Landrecies.
- move to new billets 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Thursday, August 20th, 1914 - 0845 Taisnieres
Marched out and billeted at St. Remy.. very poor billets. The CO
assembled Company Commanders and addressed them on the following points:
- 1) All men to be kept in Company billets
- 2) Companies to be prepared to fall in at short notice.
- 3) Early information of casualties required after an action.
Order received at 2300 for march at 0540 tomorrow.
war diaries
- 20th Aug 1914 Upset at Enlistment
- 20th Aug 1914 Agression Suspended
- 20th Aug 1914 Huts Erected
- 20th Aug 1914 Cleaning
- 20th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 20th Aug 1914 On the March
- 20th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 20th August 1914 Changes in quartering arrangements
- 20th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 20th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 20th Aug 1914 On the March
- 20th Aug 1914 Route March
- 20th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 20th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 20th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 20th Aug 1914 At Rest
- 20th Aug 1914 In Billets
- 20th Aug 1914 Camp Work
- 20th of August 1914 Preparing to March
- First British Troops enter Mons In
the afternoon heat of the 21st of August 1914, the first British Troops
arrived in Mons. Exhausted, sunburnt and footsore from the long route
march, they rested breifly in the suburb of Nimy then crossed the
railway line and began to dig in, refusing assistance offered by the
locals, but gratefully accepting offers of food and drink.
- 4th Middlesex arrive at Mons In
the afternoon heat of the 21st of August 1914, the 4th Middlesex
reached their destination, entering their allocated sector in the time
honoured fashion with a single man designated as 'Point' marching alone
down the centre of the road to draw any enemy fire, his comrades
following in single file in small groups spaced fifty yards apart. They
reached the line without incident and quickly established lookouts. A
bicycle reconnaissance team from the 4th Battalion Middlesex Regiment
encountered a German unit near Obourg, just north of the Mons-Conde
Canal. One of the cyclists, Private John Parr, was shot by German Sniper
and killed, becoming the first British fatality of the war.
- 8th Battalion, Black Watch raised. 8th
Battalion, The Black Watch was raised at Perth, Scotland on the 21st of
August 1914 as part of Kitchener's First New Army, they joined 26th
Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. Following inital training in the Perth
area they moved to Aldershot.
- Appeal for Volunteers to join Friends Ambulance Unit Philip
Noel-Baker issued an appeal for Volunteers to join the Friends
Ambulance Unit in a letter to the Quaker newspaper the Friend.
- 21st Aug 1914 A Soft Spot in Iron
- 9th Battalion formed for Rifle Brigade 9th
(Service) Battalion, the Rifle Brigade is formed at Winchester on 21
August 1914 as part of Kitchener's First New Army and came under command
of the 42nd Brigade in the 14th (Light) Division.
Initially they moved to Aldershot, then on to Petworth in November and
returned to Aldershot in February 1915.
- KUK U-12 commissioned KUK U-12 Austrian
Submarine is commissioned on the 21st August 1914 under the command of
Egon Lerch. She had been launched on the 14th March 1911.
John Doran
- 59th Coy RE on the march 59th
Field Coy Royal Engineers marched off from Landrecies to join the rest
of the 5th Division at Mons. On arriving the Company was ordered to
construct a defense at the bridgeheads over the Mons Canal.
- 21st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 21st August 1914 move to new billets
- 21st Aug 1914 Wounded Admitted
- 21st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 21st Aug 1914 On the March
- 21st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 21st Aug 1914 On the March
- 21st August 1914 Taking up stations in assigned areas.
- 21st Aug 1914 On the March
- 21st Aug 1914 On the March
- 21st Aug 1914 On the March
- 21st Aug 1914 On the March
- 21st Aug 1914 On the March
- 21st Aug 1914 On the March
- 21st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 21st Aug 1914 On the March
- 21st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 21st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 21st Aug 1914 In Defence
- 21st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 21st of August 1914 March Instructions
- 1st East Lancs move At
2100, 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, less two companies,
leaves Harrow and proceeds to Southampton. Remaining two companies
follow one hour later.
1st East Lancs war diary WO95/1498/1
- 22nd Aug 1914 The Battle of Mons
- 4th Middlesex engaged at Mons As
the church bells of Nimy called the locals to Mass, a patrol mounted
Uhlan's emerged from the wood in full view of L/Cpl Alfred Vivian and
his six men of the 4th Middlesex, who were in a forward outpost in an
abandoned cottage. The rapid fire of the British rifles cut down eight
of the enemy and their horses at a range of eighty yards.
In the church, the priest continued to say Mass with barely a pause, but skipped his sermon and sent the congregation home.
- 30th Brigade RFA march to Front 30th
Brigade RFA arrive at Marley in the early hours of the 22nd where it
detrained and marched towards the Belgium Frontier via Bavay.
- 35th Heavy Battery with the BEF 35th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery moved to Wassingny via Oisy, Laundreieces and Leval.
- 2nd West Surreys board ship for England Battalion arrived at Cape Town, and embarked with 2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regt: on board H.M.T "Kenilworth Castle".
2nd Bn Queens West Surrey Regt War Diary
- 31st Heavy Battery proceed to France 31st Heavy Battery RGA arrive in France
- intelligence reports 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Saturday, August 22nd, 1914 - Bettignes
Moved Northward and ordered to hold line Nouvelles - Harveng towards
Havay joining eastwards. Later orders were received to hold line road
junction at Fauberge Barthelmy (just east of Mons) Harmignies - Givry.
Middlesex holding northern portion, Royal Irish the southern part.
1700 Regiment was ordered to hold St. Symphorien and Villers St.
Ghislain, while Middlesex were detailed to hold canal bridges:
- 1) immediately North of Nimy
- 2) Lock no. 5
- 3) Near Obourg Station
1815 Major SE St. Leger with 1/2 of the Battalion (and C
Companies) proceeded to Villers St. Ghislain, relieved the Cavalry
Brigade and throughout the night with help of a Company RE placed the
village in a state of defense. General Hamilton met Major St. Leger at
the village and
told him to dig himself well in.
Villers-St. Ghislain
Report by Major St. Leger to 8th Brigade - see Appendix III.
Lt.Col. Cox with Headquarters Battalion and D Company having proceeded
to St. Symphorien remained there the night. Major Daniell with B Company
moved to Givry where he was ordered to stop for the night.
Appendix III
Report to 8th Brigade by Major SE St. Leger, commanding ½ Battalion,
2/Royal Irish Regiment at Villers-St.Ghislain on night 22-23 Aug. 14
8th Inf. Brigade, Maison Communal Hyon
Report from Division cyclist officer attached. There were three
campfires burning the whole of last night, apparently in the vicinity of
Maurice, Boise, Havre and also apparently of a large force...swh. In
the event
of a serious attack, I should require at least two more companies to
hold this village,
O. C. (2 Companies) 2/Royal Irish Regiment. Villers St. Ghislain Ref Belgium Sheet. 0820 23rd August 1914
war diaries
- 1st East Lancs Cross to France At
1205 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, under the command of Lt
Col Le Marchant DSO, sailed on the Braemar Castle and arrived at Le
Havre, France about 1600, but did not disembark until 2300 and went
into camp just outside Le Havre.
1st East Lancs war diary WO95/1498/1
- 22nd Aug 1914 Royla Horse Artillery in Action
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the March
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the Move
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the March
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the March
- 22nd Aug 1914 At Strength
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the March
- 22nd August 1914 Taking up stations in assigned areas.
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the March
- 22nd Aug 1914 In Action
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the March
- 22nd Aug 1914 In Billets
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the March
- 22nd Aug 1914 Reservists
- 22nd Aug 1914 In Support
- 22nd Aug 1914 Move Complete
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the March
- 22nd Aug 1914 Gun Fire
- 22nd Aug 1914 On the Move
- 22nd of August 1914 On the March
- German attack at Mons The
Battle of Mons began early in the morning with a German artillery
bombardment of the British lines, concentrated near a bend in the canal
close to the town of Mons. At 9:00 am the German infantry assault began
as they attempted to force their way across the four bridges that
crossed the Mons-Conde canal. The demolition charges had been placed
beneath the bridges by the Royal Engineers, whilst under fire from enemy
snipers.
Four German battalions attacked the Nimy bridges, defended by a single
company of the 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and a machine gun section
led by Lieutenant Maurice Dease at the south side of the railway bridge.
The 4th Royal Fusiliers were positioned along the canal between the two
bridges, the swing bridge having been turned to prevent crossing. The
German infantry suffered heavy losses as they advanced in "parade
ground" formation, the well-trained British riflemen were making hits at
over 1,000 yards So heavy was the British rifle fire throughout the
battle that the Germans thought they were facing machine guns.
To the right of the Royal Fusiliers, the 4th Battalion, Middlesex
Regiment and the 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders were suffering heavy
casualties in facing the German assault. With reinforcements from the
Royal Irish Regiment (acting as the divisional reserve) and fire support
from the divisional artillery, they managed to hold the bridges. The
Germans then widened their attack, to the British defences along the
straight section of the Mons-Conde canal to the west of Mons. Aided by
the cover of a plantation of fir trees they inflicted heavy casualties
with machine gun and rifle fire on the 1st Battalion Royal West Kent
Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, who
despite their losses, managed to repulse the Germans throughout the
morning.
The order to withdraw was given at 3pm, after a German soldier swam out
to the swing bridge and activated the mechanism, allowing his comrades
to cross easily. To the east the Germans had crossed the canal and were
advancing on the British flank. The 3rd Division was ordered to retire
to positions a short distance to the south of Mons which necessitated a
similar retreat in early evening by the 5th Division, and by nightfall a
new defensive line had been established at the villages of MontrÅ"ul,
Boussu, Wasmes, Paturages, and Frameries. The Germans had spent the late
afternoon building pontoon bridges over the canal, and were approaching
in great numbers. News arrived that the French Fifth Army was also
retreating, dangerously exposing the British right flank as night fell.
- 57th Field Coy Royal Engineers at Mons 57th
Field Coy Royal Engineers were tasked with destroying the bridges over
the Mons-Conde canal during the Battle of Mons on Monday 23rd of August
1914. A company of the Royal Scots Fusiliers was holding a barricade at
the north end of the bridge at Jemappes, but the situation was
deteriorating and the order was given to withdraw. Demolition charges
had already been put in place by the Royal Engineers, a hazardous task,
under enemy sniper fire, Corporal Alfred Jarvis RE was allocated the
task of detonating the charges. Captain Theodore Wright, who had been
wounded in the head, brought up the detonator and leads, but came under
sniper fire every time he attempted to reach the leads beneath the
bridge to connect them and after many attempts was unsuccessful. Cpl
Jarvis eventually managed to connect the leads, he received the Victoria
Cross for his actions in blowing up the bridge and checking the enemy
advance. Capt Wright was awarded the Victoria Cross for this action and
for undertaking repairs to a pontoon bridge under fire at Vailly on
14th September 1914.
- 40th Brigade RFA go into action 40th
Brigade Royal Field Artillery went into action on the Binch to Mons
Road. One of the GS wagons received a direct hit near Le Cateau and the
original War Diary was lost, it was later reconstructed from officers
notes.
- 1st Rifle Brigade leave Colchester 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade depart from Colchester bound for Le Harve with the BEF.
- Aminal Defence Society to rescue horses Members
of the Animal Defence Society are to rescue wounded horses from the
battlefield and will shoot those beyond help. The men will wear uniform
displaying a purple cross.
Teesdale Mercury
- 2nd West Surrey's prepare to sail for England 7. A.M. "Kenilworth Castle" put out into Table Bay, where it anchored until Aug. 27th.
2nd Bn Queens West Surrey Regt War Diary
- 30th Brigade RFA in action On
Sunday the 23rd August the unit came into contact with advancing German
Forces approximately one and a half miles from the Belgian town of
Mons, where at 3.45pm in the afternoon the 130th battery opened fire
leading the 30th Howitzer Brigade into action.
- 23rd August 1914 Action with enemy
- 23rd August 1914 initial action
- 1st East Lancs move to billets 1st
Battalion East Lancashire Regiment entrained for Le Cateau at 2200
arriving about 1800 on 24th and marched to Briastre where they billeted
about 2200.
1st East Lancs war diary WO95/1498/1
- 23rd Aug 1914 1st Northumberlands defend the Canal
- Battle of the Canal The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment and 2nd KOSB at are at Tertre.
- 23rd Aug 1914 1st Scots Fusiliers in Action.
- 23rd Aug 1914 Under Fire
- 23rd Aug 1914 Duty
- 23rd Aug 1914 Trapped in Shellholes
- 23rd Aug 1914 On the Move
- 23rd Aug 1914 On the March
- 23rd Aug 1914 On the Move
- 23rd Aug 1914 Reorganisation
- 23rd Aug 1914 On the March
- 23rd August 1914 German attack crosses Canal
- 23rd Aug 1914 Hard Action
- 23rd Aug 1914 Digging in
- 23rd Aug 1914 In Action
- 23rd Aug 1914 In Action
- 23rd Aug 1914 In Defence
- 23rd Aug 1914 In Camp
- 23rd Aug 1914 Locks
- 23rd Aug 1914 Positions
- 23rd Aug 1914 Orders
- 23rd Aug 1914 Retreat
- 23rd Aug 1914 Bivouack
- 23rd Aug 1914 Engineering Work
- 23rd Aug 1914 Patrols
- 23rd of August 1914 Holding the Line
- The Battle of Mons At
2 a.m. on 24 August, II Corps was ordered to retreat into France to
defensible a position along the Valenciennes to Maubeuge road, requiring
a number of sharp rearguard actions against the pursuing Germans. 5th
Brigade were ordered to to act as rearguard and fought a holding action
at Paturages and Frameries, with Brigade artillery in particular,
inflicting heavy casualties on the Germans.
At Wasmes, units of the 5th Division faced a heavy assault from German
artillery which began bombarding the village at daybreak, followed at 10
a.m. by an infantry assault by German III Corps who advanced in columns
and were "mown down like grass" by British Rifle and Machine Gun fire.
Soldiers of the 1st West Kents, 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry,
2nd Duke of Wellington's Regiment, and 1st Battalion Bedfordshire
Regiment held off repeated German assaults on the village, despite
taking heavy casualties, and then retreated in good order to St. Vaast
at mid day.
- 1st Cheshires at Audregnies The
1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment suffered 771 casualties at Audregnies
on the Franco-Belgian border, whilst acting as flank guard to the 5th
Division. The Battalion alongside three Companies of the 1st Norfolks,
engaged four German regiments who were advancing in close formation
across open fields between the villages of Audregnies and Elouges. Their
actions bought valuable time for the rest of the BEF during the retreat
from Mons.
The 1st Cheshire's War Diary states: "At roll call in Bivouac at Les
Bavay there were 6 Officers, a Warrant Officer and 199 men - The
strength marching out at 7.30 a.m. on the morning of 24th inst was 27
Officers, 1 Warrant Officer and 933 men - A loss of 78%, most of which
was caused in the withdrawal."
- The Charge at Audregnies The
9th Lancers and 4th Dragoon Guards were brought up to assist the 5th
Division who were facing an advance of massed German troops and
suffering heavily from enemy artillery. The Lancers at first fought
dismounted alongside the British Infantry, but as the situation grew
more hopeless,
the Lancers were ordered to charge.
Under heavy fire, the 9th Lancers charged a battery of eleven German
guns posted in a Compiegne Wood. The guns had been causing terrible
losses to the British infantry
Accounts in the British Press at the time put a rosey spin on the
action. stating "the 9th made a furious charge, reached the battery, cut
down all the gunners and put the guns out of action". It would be over a
year before an honest account was printed in The War Illustrated on the
9th of October 1915:
"On the 24th our 5th Division was in a very tight place, and the cavalry
was sent to its assistance, the 2nd Brigade reaching the scene of the
action first. The Germans were advancing in great masses, so near the
village of Audregnies, General De Lisle ordered his men to dismount and
to open fire on them. They did so, but the enemy still came on in good
order. The general then decided on a charge, and for this chose the 9th
Lancers who, at the word of command, mounted their horses and rode
steadily at the enemy. It was Balaclava over again. The squadrons
rode to death, and the colonel, so we were told, said that he never
expected a single lancer to return. In face of a torrent of shot and
shell from guns and rifles, they dashed on until they found themselves
against two lines of barbed wire, where men and horses fell over in all
directions. This ended the charge. The survivors were ordered to return
into shelter, and out of more than four hundred who had ridden out, only
seventy two at first answered their names, Later some two hundred
others turned up, but the regiment had lost heavily. Major V. R. Brooke
D.S.O. was among the killed. However, the charge was not altogether
fruitless. The Lancers had drawn the enemy’s fire and so had done
something to help the harassed 5th Division."
Forty One members of the 9th Lancers could not be accounted for
after their attack, including L/4653 Private Henry Warr, his survival
was reported in The Western Gazette on 6th of November 1914:
"H. Warr, of the 9th Lancers, who was in the famous charge and had been
missing since the end of August, was taken prisoner by the enemy. He has
written, saying that he is a prisoner at Munster, Germany, and is being
well-treated by the Germans. The letter was written in September, so
that it has been a very long time in transit. Warr had many friends
here, and there is great satisfaction at the news of his safety."
Private Warr remained in captivity for the rest of the war.
- Middlesbrough seeks recruits A
full page advertisement seeking recruits for Lord Kitchener's
volunteers in the Middlesbrough Recruiting Area is published on page
three of this morning's Northern Echo.
Northern Echo
- 24th Aug 1914 Cavalry Charge
- 4th Dragoons at Audregnies Two
days after the encounter at Casteau, on the 24th of August, the 4th
Dragoon Guards were heavily involved in the rearguard action at
Audregnies after the battle of Mons. Part of B Sqn took part in a charge
with the 9th Lancers and other dismounted parts of the regiment
defended the village of Audregnies with the infantry. Pte AH Page was
killed that day and lies in the graveyard in the nearby village of
Elouges. This was the beginning of the Retreat from Mons, and it was not
until the 28th of August that the regiment reassembled at Le Plessis
Patte d'Oie.
- 1st Cheshires suffer heavily 1st
Cheshires took part in the rearguard action fought at Audregnies,
Belgium where the battalion suffered 78% losses in one day due to men
killed, wounded, missing and those taken as Prisoners of War.
- 24th August 1914 Ongoing Action
- 24th Aug 1914 Soldier Escapes
- 24th Aug 1914 Charge at Audregnies
- 24th Aug 1914 Artillery Duel
- 25th Aug 1914 Street Fighting
- 24th Aug 1914 On the March
- 24th Aug 1914 In Camp
- 24th Aug 1914 Artillery Duel
- 24th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 24th Aug 1914 Into Billets
- 24th Aug 1914 Withdrawal
- 24th August 1914 Withdrawals from Canal Area
- 24th Aug 1914 Cheerful
- 24th Aug 1914 In Action
- 24th Aug 1914 In Action
- 24th Aug 1914 Attack Made
- 24th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 24th Aug 1914 Holding the Line
- 24th Aug 1914 In Action
- 24th Aug 1914 In Action
- 24th August 1914 Orders
- 24th Aug 1914 Training
- 24th Aug 1914 Fighting Withdrawal
- 24th Aug 1914 A Difficult Day
- 24th Aug 1914 Engineering Work
- 24th Aug 1914 Entrenching
- 24th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- BEF HQ moves to St Quentin GHQ for the British Expeditionary Force moved from Le Cateau to St Quentin as the troops retreated from Mons.
Holts Battlefield Guide
- Fruit and Cigarettes for POW's Fruit
and Cigarettes have been donated by members of the public and given to
the 250 German and Austrian Prisoners of War being held at the Seaman's
Institute, Cardiff. They have also been entertained by a lantern
lecture.
Teesdale Mercury
- 5th Battalion, Bershire Regiment raised 5th
Battalion, Berkshire Regiment is raised at Reading, a part of
Kitchener's first army, they join 35th Brigade in 12th (Eastern)
Division.
- 9th Battalion West Yorks raised 9th
(Service) Battalion is raised at York on the 25th of August 1914 as part
of Kitchener's First New Army, they join 32nd Brigade, 11th (Northern)
Division.
- 2nd Life Guards form part of VII (Household Cavalry) Brigade At
Windsor. Order to form, remainder of 2nd Life Guards refilled mainly
with Lancer Reservists into a War strength Regiment and to form part of
the VII (Household Cavalry) Brigade. Also to form 1st Reserve Household
Cavalry Regiment of which my Regiment supplies 1/3rd. No more black
horses to leave England, so the new Regiment must be horsed with a
completely new lot of horses. The Reservists came in batches from August
10th and onwards, and their training and monitoring continued at
Windsor until September 1st when the Brigade assembled at Windmill
Court, Ludgershall.
War Diary
- Zeppelin raids Zeppelin raid took place over Antwerp on the 25th August 1914
John Doran
- 25th August 1914 2nd Royal Irish Rgt Casualty List
- 25th August 1914 Further moves for 1st East Lancs
- 25th Aug 1914 On the March
- 25th Aug 1914 Artillery in Action
- 25th Aug 1914 Under Attack
- 25th Aug 1914 Fierce Fighting
- 25th Aug 1914 Guns Saved
- 25th Aug 1914 Flintshire RFA at Camp
- 25th Aug 1914 Screening
- 25th Aug 1914 On the March
- 25th Aug 1914 On the March
- 25th Aug 1914 On the March
- 25th August 1914 Battle of Le Cateau - Phase 2
- 25th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- 25th August 1914 Ongoing Retirement
- 25th Aug 1914 On the March
- 25th Aug 1914 Under Shellfire
- 25th Aug 1914 On the March
- 25th Aug 1914 Retirement
- 25th Aug 1914 Duties
- 25th Aug 1914 Enemy Position
- 25th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- 25th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- 25th August 1914 Under Shellfire
- 25th Aug 1914 Fighting Withdrawal
- 25th Aug 1914 Digging in
- 25th Aug 1914 Engineering Work
- 25th Aug 1914 In Defence
- Russian army defeated The Russian army is defeated at the Battle of Tannenburg and the Battle of the Massurian Lakes
- 9th Divisional Heavy Battery formed. The
9th Divisional Heavy Battery is formed at Fort Brockhurst as a 4-gun
4.7in. Battery under the command of Captain Osborne, who is later
succeeded by Major Twiss.
- 32nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery go into action 32nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery have their first taste of action at the Battle of le Cateau.
- Battle of Rio de Oro The
Battle of Río de Oro was a single-ship action fought in August 1914
during the First World War. The British protected cruiser HMS Highflyer
attacked the German auxiliary cruiser SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse off
the small Spanish Saharan territory of Río de Oro.
Under the command of Max Reymann, the German ship SS Kaiser Wilhelm der
Grosse was originally a passenger liner. Built in 1897 she was part of
the German merchant fleet until requisitioned for service at the
outbreak of World War I. She was fitted with six 4-inch guns and two
37-millimeter guns. The German vessel set steam for a commerce raiding
mission in the Atlantic Ocean. Commanded by Henry T. Buller, the British
ship HMS Highflyer was a protected cruiser built in 1898 with eleven
6-inch guns, nine 12-pounder guns, six 3-pounder guns and two torpedo
tubes. She had been detached to support the 5th Cruiser Squadron in
hunting the German raider.
Battle
The battle off Rio de Oro on 26 August 1914 began when the German raider
Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was caught by surprise in a harbour, taking
on coal from three German and Austrian colliers. Highflyer, badly
outgunning the German auxiliary cruiser, first demanded surrender, but
the German commander argued that the British had violated Spain's
neutrality. The British disregarded this because the Germans had already
violated Spain's neutrality by taking over a week to resupply in a
neutral port. So a battle began and from 1510 to 1645 the two ships
bombarded each other, sometimes dodging the shots. Eventually, Kaiser
Wilhelm der Grosse exhausted her ammunition and began to flee the
battle. Now out of ammunition, running from several larger guns, the
crew scuttled their ship and abandoned her to the Atlantic. The German
sailors made it to shore and escaped into the Saharan Desert.
Aftermath
British sources at the time insisted the German auxiliary cruiser was
sunk by Highflyer's crew but eventually stories from the surviving
German seamen began to circulate, thus ending Britain's claim. Despite
whether or not the Germans scuttled their ship or whether the British
sank the raider, the British were still responsible for the raider's
end. Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse became the first passenger liner to sink
during World War I. For years, the wreck of the German commerce raider
was identifiable because its starboard side remained above the waterline
until the ship was scrapped in 1952. One Briton was killed and six
others wounded. German casualties are unknown.
John Doran
- German Cavalry stampede column At 7.15am the column is stampeded by German cavalry from Le Cateau. 59th Coy RE received the order to withdraw at 2pm.
- 26th August 1914 Ongoing Action
- 26th Aug 1914 First Australian Casualty WW1
- Battle of Le Cateau 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment
26 August 1914 - Le Cateau
0400 Left Beauvois and marched to take up positions as ordered. After
considerable hesitation C and D companies took up a position on La
Carriere hill just south of Beauvois, with the Rifle Brigade on our
right and the Hampshire regiment on our left. The remainder of the
battalion moved south. The transport in Beauvois village came under fire
about 0500 but escaped.
0600 C and D Coys came under rifle and machine gun fire at a range of
about 800 yards. One gun in particular from a position in a corn field
caused us considerable loss. A and B coys were moved back to the support
of the other two Coys. In spite of our own fire the enemy advanced and
at about 1000 C and D Coys (less Lt Hopkinsons platoon) retired a short
distance and took up a position on the railway line and along a sunken
road. About this time the enemy started to shell our position along the
railway, but without doing any damage. Lt Col Le Marchant was hit in the
foot but not seriously hurt. From this position we held up the enemy's
attack until about 1200 when German reinforcements came up and they
pushed forward. They also managed to establish a machine gun somewhere
which hit the sunken road and we had a good number of casualties,
chiefly wounds in the leg.
1330 Orders received to retire on Ligny village, and take up a position
on the hill covering the village. The battalion less a part of C Coy
under Lt Hopkinson which with the Rifle Brigade covered the retirement,
formed up with the rest of the brigade under cover of the hill and then
retired across the 1 1/2 miles of open country which separated us from
the village. During the retirement we were subjected to very heavy
rifle, machine gun and shell fire, and lost considerably.
The battalion reformed as far as possible in the village and took up a
position covering the East end of the village. While this was being done
village was attacked, but the attack was repulsed.
1830-1930 The battalion retired in three parts, one under Major Lambert,
one under Major Green, and the third under Lt Col Le Marchant in a
South Westerly direction. Major Lamberts party was composed of men not
engaged in defending the village, whom he had collected and later of the
men who were defending the village and who were withdrawn at this time.
Lt Col Le Marchants party consisted of a few odd men and Lt Hopkinsons
party, which retired with the Rifle Brigade from La Carriere where they
had been engaged all day. Just prior to this Major Greens party was with
Major Lambert, but missed the road and did not rejoin until some days
later.
1930 Major Lamberts party joined Lt Col Le Marchants party near Clary.
The battalion had been ordered to retire to Malincourt, but on arrival
at Elincourt were ordered to halt just outside and billeted at 2300.
Causualties 26th August
- Lt Chisholm killed
- Major Collins killed
- 2nd Lt Hooper wounded and taken prisoner.
- 2nd Lt Salt wounded
- Lt Flood R.A.M.C taken prisoner.
- About 250 other ranks killed, wounded or missing.
Almost everyone was either bruised or hit through the clothing.
1st East Lancs war diary WO95/1498/1
- 32nd Brigade RFA in action 32nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery are in action at the Battle of Le Cateau.
- 26th Aug 1914 On the March
- 26th Aug 1914
- 26th Aug 1914 Worse than the Mouth of Hell
- 26th Aug 1914 Enemy Engaged
- 26th Aug 1914 Prisoners Taken
- 26th Aug 1914 Prisoners Taken
- 26th Aug 1914 Battle Begun
- 26th Aug 1914 Taken Prisoner
- 26th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 26th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 26th Aug 1914 On the March
- 26th Aug 1914 Regimental Dinner
- 26th August 1914 Battle of Le Cateau - Phase 2 continued
- 26th August 1914 Battle of Le Cateau - Phase 2 retirement
- 26th Aug 1914 In Action
- 26th August 1914 Ongoing Retirement
- 26th Aug 1914 In Action
- 26th Aug 1914 Under Fire
- 26th Aug 1914 In Action
- 26th Aug 1914 In Action
- 26th Aug1914 Aircraft Downed
- 26th Aug 1914 Duties
- 26th Aug 1914 Shellfire
- 26th Aug 1914 Heavy Firing
- 26th Aug 1914 In Action
- 26th August 1914 In Action
- 26th Aug 1914 Fighting Withdrawal
- 26th Aug 1914 Confusion
- 26th Aug 1914 Engineering Work
- 26th Aug 1914 Orders
- 26th Aug 1914 Under Fire
- 26th of August 1914 Holding Position
- 27th Aug 1914 Left in the Lurch
- 2nd West Surreys set sail for England HMT Kenilworth Castle left Table Bay at 7 A.M. with the 2nd West Surreys bound for England. The Fleet was formed of
HMS Astraea, HMS Hyacinth, HMT Kenilworth Castle,
HMT Balmoral Castle,
HMT Guildford Castle,
HMT Dunluce Castle,
HMT Goerka and HMT Briton.
2nd Bn Queens West Surrey Regt War Diary
- Early Skirmishes E
Battery 3rd Brigade Brigade Royal Horse Artillery are in continuing
action from 27th August 1914 with 3rd Cavalry Brigade. The unit came
into action and fired some rounds during general retirement.
War Diaries
- Further retreat 2nd Battalion - Royal Irish Regiment
Thursday, August 27th, 1914 - 0200 Beaurevoir
Retired on Vermand passing through a deserted bivouac where we were able
to collect a few tins of biscuits and some cooking pots. Battalion was
organized in two companies.
12:00 noon Small artillery engagements commence but do not interfere with retirement
1845 Battalion halts in a field on the south side of Vermand.
2300 Retirement is continued
war diaries
- 27th August 1914 Retreat from Action
- 27th Aug 1914 Flank Guard
- 27th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- 27th Aug 1914 In Camp
- 27th Aug 1914 Prisoners Taken
- 27th Aug 1914 On the March
- 27th Aug 1914 Imperial Service
- 27th Aug 1914 On the March
- 27th August 1914 Continued withdrawals
- 27th Aug 1914 On the March
- 27th Aug 1914 On the March
- 27th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 27th Aug 1914 Withdrawal
- 27th Aug 1914 On the March
- 27th Aug 1917 Lack of a Map
- 27th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- 27th Aug 1914 Wooded Country
- 27th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 27th Aug 1914 Defensive line
- 27th of August 1914 Retirement in the Dark
- BEF HQ moves again GHQ for the British Expeditionary Force moved from Noyon to Compiegne.
Holts Battlefield Guide
- Lord Kitchener appeals for more volunteers Lord Kitchener publishes his second appeal for volunteers to join up.
- Battle of Heligoland Bight 1914 The
First Battle of Heligoland Bight took place on the 28th August 1914
off the northwest German coast. The German High Seas Fleet as a general
rule, stayed in safe harbours while the British Grand Fleet remained in
the northern North Sea. Both sides undertook long-distance sorties with
cruisers and battlecruisers while German destroyers maintained close
reconnaissance of the Heligoland Bight. The British planned to ambush
some of these destroyers on their regular daily patrols. A fleet of 31
destroyers and two cruisers under Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt and
submarines commanded by Commodore Roger Keyes were dispatched. Backup
support at longer range was provided by six light cruisers commanded by
William Goodenough and five battlecruisers commanded by Vice Admiral
David Beatty.Three German light cruisers and one destroyer were sunk.
Three more light cruisers were damaged, 712 sailors killed, 530 injured
and 336 taken prisoner. The British suffered one light cruiser and three
destroyers damaged, 35 killed and 40 wounded. The battle was regarded
as a great victory in Britain with the returning ships met by cheering
crowds.
The effect upon the German government and in particular the Kaiser was
to restrict the freedom of action of the German fleet, instructing it to
remain in port and avoid any contact with superior forces.
The battle took place within a month after Britain's declaration of war
against Germany on 5 August 1914. Initially, the war on land went badly
for the French and her allies, with an urgent need to get all possible
troops to France to resist the German advances. The government had
nothing but bad news, and looked to the navy, traditionally the mainstay
of British military power, to gain some success. British naval tactics
typically involved a close blockade of enemy ports and taking the fight
to the enemy as was expected by the nation. However, the advent of
submarines armed with torpedoes and mines hidden in open seas placed
capital ships near enemy ports in great danger. Powered ships needed to
keep moving to avoid becoming sitting targets, continuously using fuel
and needed to return to home ports every few days to refuel. The German
fleet had prepared to counter British blockades by investing heavily in
submarines and coastal defences. The German High Seas Fleet was smaller
than the British Grand Fleet and could not expect victory in a head to
head fight. Instead a strategy of waiting in defended home ports for
opportunities to attack the larger British force was adopted. The
British chose to adopt a strategy of patrolling the North Sea rather
than waters close to Germany. German ships leaving their home ports had
to pass via two routes.
Straits of Dover, 20 miles wide defended by British submarines and
mines, or the North Sea between Britain and Norway - 200 miles at its
narrowest with the British fleet operating from Scapa Flow.
This led to a practical standoff, with both fleets holding the other
endlessly waiting. The German ships were unable to attack merchant
shipping arriving on the west of Britain, which was vital for British
survival.
Regular patrols with smaller ships and occasional forays by larger units
of the Grand Fleet helped encourage the German fleet to stay at home.
The bulk of the British Expeditionary Force was transported to France
between 12 and 21 August. This operation was protected from German
attack by British destroyers and submarines patrolling Heligoland Bight,
which German ships would have to cross. The Grand Fleet was positioned
in the centre of the North Sea ready to move south should any German
attack commence, but none came. Although the German Army had anticipated
a rapid transfer of the British army to aid France, German naval
planning thought it would take longer for the British to organise. So
they were caught by surprise when it commenced and submarines which
might have been used to attack the British transports were away on
patrols seeking the main British fleet.
Two British officers put forward a plan to carry the war to the German
fleet. A squadron of submarines under the command of Commodore Roger
Keyes regularly patrolled the Heligoland Bight and Commodore Reginald
Tyrwhitt commanded a destroyer patrol. Both units were operating from
Harwich.
They observed that German destroyers carried out regular pattern of
patrols escorted out to their positions by cruisers each evening and met
to escort back to port each morning. Their idea was to send in a
superior force during darkness to catch the German destroyers as they
returned. Three British submarines would surface in a position to draw
the destroyers back out to sea while a larger British force of 31
destroyers accompanied by nine submarines would cut them off from
Germany. Other submarines would wait for any larger German ships leaving
the Jade estuary to help.
Keyes impressed First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill by the
daring of his plan, which was adopted with some changes. An attack at
0800 on the German daytime patrol was preferred. Keyes and Tyrwhitt
requested support for their operation, both from the Grand Fleet and the
squadron of six light cruisers commanded by Commodore William
Goodenough. This was turned down by the Chief of Staff — Vice Admiral
Doveton Sturdee — who agreed to provide only lighter forces consisting
of "Cruiser Force K" under Rear Admiral Gordon Moore (two battlecruisers
HMS New Zealand and Invincible) 40 miles to the northwest and "Cruiser
Force C" a squadron of five Cressy-class armoured cruisers ( HMS Cressy,
Aboukir, Bacchante, Hogue and Euryalus ) 100 miles west. It was decided
that the attack would take place on 28 August. The submarines were to
leave to take up their positions on 26 August, while Keyes would travel
on the destroyer Lurcher. The surface ships would depart at dawn on 27
August. Tyrwhitt — aboard the brand new light cruiser HMS Arethusa —
would command the 3rd Flotilla of 16 modern L-class destroyers and his
subordinate, Captain Wilfred Blunt — on board the light cruiser HMS
Fearless — would command the 1st Flotilla of 16 older destroyers.
Arethusa did not arrive until 26 August. Her crew were inexperienced,
and it was discovered that her new 4 in (100 mm) Mk V guns jammed when
fired. Although the plan had been agreed by the Admiralty, Admiral John
Jellicoe commanding the Grand Fleet was not informed until 26 August.
Jellicoe immediately requested permission to send reinforcements and to
move the fleet closer to the action, but only received permission for
the battle cruisers. He sent Vice Admiral David Beatty with the
battlecruisers HMS Lion, Queen Mary and Princess Royal, also Goodenough
with the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron (HMS Southampton, Birmingham,
Falmouth, Liverpool, Lowestoft and Nottingham). He then sailed south
from Scapa Flow with the remainder of the fleet. Jellicoe despatched a
message advising Tyrwhitt that he should expect reinforcements, but this
was delayed at Harwich and never received. Tyrwhitt was unaware of the
additional forces until Goodenough's ships appeared out of the mist,
almost leading to an attack friend on friend as he was expecting to meet
only enemy vessels.
Three Groups of British submarines were deployed. E-class submarines HMS
E4, E5 and E9 were positioned to attack reinforcing or retreating
German vessels. HMS E6, E7 and E8 were positioned on the surface 4 miles
further out attempting to entice the German destroyers out to sea. HMS
D2 and D8 were stationed off mouth of the river Ems to attack
reinforcements from that direction.
At around 0700, Arethusa, steaming south towards the anticipated
position of the German ships, sighted a German destroyer, G-194.
Accompanying Aethusa were 16 destroyers of the 3rd Flotilla with
Fearless leading the 1st Flotilla of 16 destroyers 2 miles behind and
Goodenough with his six cruisers a further 8 miles back. Visibility was
no more than 3 miles. G-194 immediately turned towards Heligoland,
radioing Rear Admiral Leberecht Maass, commander of the German destroyer
squadron who in turn informed Rear Admiral Franz Hipper commanding the
German battlecruiser squadron. Hipper was unaware of the scale of the
attack, but ordered the light cruisers SMS Stettin and Frauenlob to
defend the destroyers. Six other light cruisers were ordered to raise
steam and join the action as soon as they could. SMS Mainz moored on the
river Ems; SMS Strassburg, Cöln, Ariadne, Stralsund and Kolberg from
the river Jade, Danzig and München from Brunsbüttelkoog on the river
Elbe.
Tyrwhitt ordered four destroyers to attack G-149. The sound of firing
alerted the remaining German destroyers, who turned south towards home.
However they were sighted by British destroyers who commenced firing.
The trailing destroyer V-1 was hit, followed by the
destroyer-minesweepers D-8 and T-33. G-9 called for fire against the
attacking ships from coastal artillery, but the mist meant the artillery
were unable to distinguish friend from foe. At 0726, Tyrwhitt turned
east, attempting to follow the sound of gunfire involving his four
destroyers. He sighted 10 German destroyers which he chased through
increasing mist for 30 minutes until the ships reached Heligoland and he
was forced to turn away. At 0758, Stettin and Frauenlob arrived,
reversing the situation so that the British destroyers were obliged to
retreat toward their own cruisers Arethusa and Fearless. Stettin
withdrew, since the German destroyers had now escaped, but Frauenlob was
engaged by Arethusa. While Arethusa was theoretically the better armed
ship, two of her four 4 in (100 mm) guns were jammed, while another was
damaged by fire. Frauenlob — armed with ten 4 in (100 mm) guns — was
able to cause considerable damage before a shell from one of Arethusa's
two 6 in (150 mm) guns destroyed her bridge, killing 37 men including
the captain, and forcing her to withdraw. Although badly damaged, she
returned to Wilhelmshaven. At 0812, Tyrwhitt reverted to his original
plan, which was an east to west sweep across the area. Six returning
German destroyers were sighted but turned to flee. One of them — V187 —
turned back as she had seen two cruisers, Nottingham and Lowestoft
ahead of her.
She hoped to pass through the British destroyers by surprise, but was
surrounded by eight destroyers and sunk. As British ships attempted to
rescue survivors from the water, the German light cruiser Stettin
approached and opened fire, forcing the British to abandon the rescue,
leaving behind some British sailors. The British submarine E4 had
observed the action and launched a torpedo at Stettin, but missed.
Stettin attempted to ram the submarine, which dived to escape. When she
resurfaced all the larger ships had gone and the submarine rescued the
British crewmen who were still afloat in small boats together with
rescued German sailors.
The Germans were left behind with a compass and given directions towards
the mainland as the submarine was too small to take them.
At 0815, Keyes, with Lurcher and another destroyer, sighted two
four-funneled cruisers. He was still unaware of the British
reinforcements and assumed they were enemy cruisers. He signalled
Invincible that he was chasing two German cruisers. Goodenough received
the signal and abandoning his own search for enemy vessels to attack,
steamed to assist Keyes against his own ships, Lowestoft and Nottingham.
Keyes, seeing he was now being chased by four more enemy cruisers
attempted to lead them towards Invincible and New Zealand, reporting
them as enemy ships. Eventually, Keyes recognised Southampton, and the
ships were able to join Tyrwhitt. However, the danger to Goodenough's
ships was not over as the British submarines were still unaware the
additional ships were present. At 0930, one of the British submarines
attacked Southampton with two torpedoes. Fortunately they missed and in
turn escaped when Southampton tried to ram the British submarine.
Lowestoft and Nottingham remained out of communication range and,
separated from the rest of their squadron, took no further part in the
action.
Tyrwhitt turned back to assist Keyes on receipt of the signal that he
was being chased. He sighted Stettin, but lost her in the mist before
coming upon Fearless and her destroyer squadron. Arethusa was badly
damaged, so at 1017 Fearless came alongside and both cruisers were
stopped for 20 minutes while repairs were made to the boilers.
The cruisers Cöln, Strassburg and Ariadne had sailed from Wilhelmshaven
and Mainz was approaching from a different direction. Admiral Maass was
still unsure of the nature of the attack, so he dispersed his ships in
search of the enemy. Strassburg was first to find Arethusa and attacked
her, but was driven off by torpedo attacks from the destroyers. As
Tyrwhitt turned to the west, Cöln — with Admiral Maass — approached from
the southeast and was also chased away by torpedoes. Tyrwhitt signalled
Beatty requesting reinforcements and Goodenough with his remaining four
cruisers came to assist. The force turned west. Beatty had been
following the events by radio 40 miles to the north west. By 1135, the
British ships had still not completed their mission and withdrawn. The
rising tide would enable larger German ships to leave harbour and join
the battle. He decided to intervene and took his five battlecruisers
southeast at maximum speed to within an hour of the action. he advantage
of closer proximity of his more powerful ships to rescue the others had
to be weighed against the possibility of mischance by torpedo or of
meeting German dreadnoughts. At 1130, Tyrwhitt's squadron came upon
another German cruiser, Mainz. The ships engaged for 20 minutes, before
the arrival of Goodenough caused Mainz to attempt escape.
Goodenough gave chase, but in attempting to lose him Mainz came back
across the path of Arethusa and her destroyers. Her steering was
damaged, causing her to turn back into the path of Goodenough's ships
and she was hit by shells and torpedo. At 1220, her captain ordered the
crew to abandon ship and scuttled Mainz. Keyes brought Lurcher alongside
Mainz to take off the crew. Three British destroyers had been seriously
damaged in the engagement. Strassburg and Cöln now attacked together,
but the battle was interrupted again by the arrival of Beatty and the
battlecruisers.
Strassburg managed to disengage and escape when the battlecruisers
approached, but Cöln was not so fortunate. Cut off from escape she was
quickly disabled by the much larger guns of the battlecruisers. She was
saved from immediate sinking by the sighting of another German light
cruiser, SMS Ariadne, to which Beatty gave chase and again quickly
overcame. Ariadne was left to sink, which she eventually did at 1500,
attended by the German ships Danzig and Stralsund who took off
survivors.
At 1310, Beatty turned northwest and ordered all the British ships to
withdraw since the tide had now risen sufficiently for larger German
ships to pass out through the Jade estuary. Passing Cöln again, he
opened fire, sinking her. Attempts to rescue the crew were interrupted
by the arrival of a submarine. One survivor was rescued by a German ship
two days later out of some 250 who had survived the sinking. Rear
Admiral Maass perished with his ship. Four German cruisers survived the
engagement, which they would not have done except for the mist.
Strassburg nearly approached the battlecruisers, but saw them in time
and turned away. She had four funnels, like the Town-class British
cruisers, which caused sufficient confusion to allow her time to
disappear into the mist. The German battlecruisers Moltke and Von der
Tann left the Jade at 1410 and began a cautious search for other ships.
Rear Admiral Hipper arrived with Seydlitz at 1510, but by then the
battle was over.
The battle was a clear British victory. Germany had lost the three light
cruisers SMS Mainz, Cöln and Ariadne and the destroyer V-187 sunk;
light cruiser Frauenlob had been severely damaged. The light cruisers
SMS Strassburg and Stettin had also been damaged. German casualties were
1,242 with 712 men killed, including Rear Admiral Maass, and 336
prisoners of war. The Royal Navy had lost no ships and only 35 men
killed, with 40 wounded. The most significant result of the battle was
the effect on the attitude of the Kaiser. To preserve his ships the
Kaiser determined that the fleet should, "hold itself back and avoid
actions which can lead to greater losses".
Churchill after the war observed:
"All they saw was that the British did not hesitate to hazard their
greatest vessels as well as their light craft in the most daring
offensive action and had escaped apparently unscathed. They felt as we
should have felt had German destroyers broken into the Solent and their
battle cruisers penetrated as far as the Nab. The results of this action
were far-reaching. Henceforward, the weight of British Naval prestige
lay heavy across all German sea enterprise ... The German Navy was
indeed "muzzled". Except for furtive movements by individual submarines
and minelayers, not a dog stirred from August till November."
But he also observed: "The Germans knew nothing of our defective staff
work or the risks we had run."
One of the officers present on Southampton, Lieutenant Stephen
King-Halllater wrote about the battle:
"As may be deduced from these extracts the staff work was almost
criminally negligent and it was a near miracle that we did not sink one
or more of our submarines or that one of them did not sink us.
Furthermore if anyone had suggested, say in 1917, that our
battle-cruisers should rush about without anti-submarine protection and
hundreds of miles away from the battle fleet in a mine infested area a
few miles from the German battle fleet, he would have been certified on
the spot. It was precisely because on paper the presence of the
battle-cruisers (unsupported) was absurd that the logical Germans were
sitting in Wilhelmshafen unable to move because the tide was too low on
the bar of the Jade river! I should like to be able to write that this
important hydrographical circumstance was part of the plan, but it was
only discovered long afterwards. Nevertheless the strategical and indeed
political consequences of this affair were of great importance.
The German Navy was manned by a personnel no less courageous and at
least as well trained as our own; their ships were superior type for
type; their gunnery was more accurate. Yet in the mind of every German
seaman was the reflection that they were challenging the might of a navy
which, by and large, had dominated the seas for four centuries. The
German seaman had a respect and almost traditional veneration for the
British Royal Navy and entered the war with an inferiority complex in
striking contrast to the superiority complex which the German Army felt
towards all other armies.
It was therefore a rude shock to the German Navy ... to learn of this
audacious manoeuvre and successful engagement literally within sight of
the main German base."
Both sides had lessons to learn from the battle. The Germans had assumed
that their cruisers, leaving port one by one, would not meet larger
ships or major forces. They failed to keep their ships together so they
might have better odds in any engagement. Beatty — when faced with the
choice of leaving one of his ships to finish off disabled enemies — had
elected to keep his squadron together and only later return in force to
finish off those ships. Goodenough, on the other hand, had managed to
lose track of two cruisers, which therefore played no further part in
the battle.
German light cruisers armed with larger numbers of faster firing 4 in
(100 mm) guns proved inferior to similar British cruisers with fewer but
more powerful 6 in (150 mm) guns. However, their ships proved difficult
to sink despite severe damage and impressed the British with the
quality of their firing. Both British and German sources reported the
determination and bravery of the defeated German ships when overwhelmed.
No one reported the presence of British cruisers to Admiral Hipper
until 1435. Had he known, he could have brought his own battlecruisers
to sea faster and consolidated his fleet, possibly preventing the German
losses and instead inflicting some on the departing British ships. The
British operation had dragged out longer than anticipated so that the
large German ships would have had sufficient high water to join the
battle. The British side also suffered from poor communications, with
ships failing to report engagement with the enemy to each other. The
initial failure to include Jellicoe in planning the raid could have led
to disaster had he not sent reinforcements, although the subsequent
communications failures which meant British ships were unaware of the
new arrivals could then have led to British ships attacking each other.
There was no way to warn off British submarines which might have
targeted their own ships. It had been the decision of Admiral Sturdee —
Admiralty chief of staff — not to inform Jellicoe and also not to send
additional larger ships which had originally been requested by Keyes.
Jellicoe in effect countermanded this decision once he knew of the raid
by sending ships which were part of his command. Keyes was disappointed
that the opportunity for a greater success had been lost by not
including the additional cruisers properly into the plan as he had
originally intended.
Jellicoe was disturbed by the Admiralty failure to discuss the raid with
their commander in chief of the fleet at sea. The Germans appreciated
that constant patrols by destroyers was both wasteful of time and
resources of those ships, and left them open to attack. Instead, they
designed defensive minefields to prevent enemy ships approaching and
freed up the destroyers for duties escorting larger ships. In the
future, ships were never to be sent out one by one. The British realised
it was foolish to have sent Arethusa into battle with inadequate
training and jammed guns. British ships were criticised for having fired
considerable ammunition and torpedoes with little effect. This
criticism later proved counter-productive when at the Battle of Dogger
Bank, ships became overly cautious of wasting ammunition and thus missed
opportunities to damage enemy vessels.
John Doran
- Retreat to Frieres E
Battery 3rd Brigade RHA moved at 0800 and fell back by Essigny le Grand
to Frieres. During retirement engaged Uhlans who were trying to get
round our flanks with dispersed section driving them back. Battery
retired into bivouac at 2030.
War Diaries
- 28th August 1914 Ongoing Action
- 28th August 1914 Continued withdrawals
- 28th Aug 1914 HMS New Zealand in action
- 28th Aug 1914 Holding Bridge
- Volunteers Required The
Warwickshire Brigade received the official request for the Territorials
to volunteer for service overseas. For many it would be a difficult
decision, many of the men were skilled working-class with young
families, a direct result of the drive to get companies to support the
TF, often their work pay exceeded the army rate of pay. Those men who
felt unable to consent, were subsequently posted to the reserve second
line unit of their battalions which were being formed at home, the
2/5th, 2/6th, 2/7th and 2/8th Warwicks.
- 28th Aug 1914 A Taste of the Guns
- 28th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- 28th Aug 1914 On the March
- 28th Aug 1914 On the March
- 28th Aug 1914 Volunteers Required
- 28th August 1914 Initial Intelligence Report
- 28th Aug 1914 On the March
- 28th Aug 1914 On the March
- 28th Aug 1914 On the March
- 28th Aug 1914 Duties
- 28th Aug 1914 Holding the Line
- 28th Aug 1914 On the March
- 28th Aug 1917 On the March
- 28th Aug 1914 Inspection
- 28th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- 28th Aug 1914 Very Hot Day
- 28th Aug 1914 On the March
- 28th Aug 1914 On the March
- 28th of August 1914 An Exhausting March
- Earl of Durham addresses meeting in Darlington At
6.30pm a mass recruitment meeting was held in the Market Square,
Darlington by the Mayor Councillor J.G. Harbottle. The meeting was
opened by Rev James Alexander Gordon Birch, chaplain of the 5th DLI and
the Cockerton Silver Band accompanied the hymn 'O Lord our help in ages
past' The Mayor and the Earl of Durham made speeches calling upon every
young man who can to join up now for the period of the war, also warning
that the atrocities being experienced by the people of Belgium may one
day be committed in the town of Darlington. Local dignitaries including
Mr A.F. Pease, Col Sir Mark Sykes and George Beedle addressed the crowd,
all speeches were met by loud cheers. It was announced that the council
chamber and the recruiting office in Prebend Row would be open to take
volunteers. After the meeting closed with the singing of the National
Anthem, a hundred men volunteered to enlist.
11th DLI Martin Bashforth
- 3rd Borders at Pembroke Dock 3rd Battalion Border Regiment are based at Pembroke Dock on defensive duties.
- Further retreat E Battery 3rd Brigade RHA fell
back again from 0800 to Chaundy while still with 3rd Cavalry Brigade
and went back four miles in case wanted, but noting came of it and
retired again through Chaundy to Pierremande where unit bivouacked at
1900.
War Diaries
- 29th August 1914 Further retreat
- 29th August 1914 Further retreat
- 29th Aug 1914 Suspected Spies
- 29th Aug 1914 Roll Call
- 29th Aug 1914 Day of Rest
- 29th Aug 1914 Straight for the Front
- 29th Aug 1914 On the March
- 29th Aug 1914 Bridge Work
- 29th Aug 1914 Signalman Attacked
- 29th Aug 1914 At Rest
- 29th Aug 1914 Imperial Service
- 29th August 1914 Ongoing Retirement of Division
- 29th Aug 1914 Defensive Positions
- 29th Aug 1914 On the March
- 29th Aug 1914 Recconaissance
- 29th Aug 1914 On the March
- 29th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 29th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 29th Aug 1914 On the March
- 29th Aug 1917 Waiting
- 29th Aug 1914 Training
- 29th Aug 1914 Enemy Active
- 29th Aug 1914 Covering the Troops
- 29th Aug 1914 Water Supply
- 29th Aug 1914 Bivouack
- 29th of August 1914 Sleeping in the Streets
- 6th West Yorks leave Selby 6th Battalion West Yorks left Selby at the end of August, moving to Strenshall.
- 3rd Monmouths move to Northampton The 3rd
Monmouths left Oswestry on 30th August when the battalion moved into
billets at Northampton. Headquarters were set up at St James's Church
Institute with the fields at the rear being used as their training
ground. The Battalion stayed in Northampton until the end of October.
- 30th August 1914 Continued withdrawals
- Continued withdrawals At
6am on the 30th August, Major Green's party rejoined 1st Battalion East
Lancashire Regiment (they had gone via Peronne) and the battalion
marched via Carlepont and Bailly before which a halt of 2 hours was made
for food. The march resumed via Tracy-Le-Mont and Bernevil to a railway
crossing where another long halt was made. Then marched on via Trolsy,
Brevil and Fontenoy, entering the edge of the forest of Compiegne just
as it grew dark, a very tiring march. (One or two parties of Uhlans
(German Cavalry)were supposed to be in the woods). We reached
Pierrefonds at 2300 and, as it was rumoured that there was smallpox in
the village, billeted in the streets.
1st East Lancs war diary WO95/1498/1
- 30th Aug 1914 March through Thick Woods
- 30th Aug 1914 Worst is Over
- 30th Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- 30th Aug 1914 Under Fire
- 30th Aug 1914 On the March
- 30th Aug 1914 Church Parade
- 30th August 1914 Demolitions on withdrawals
- 30th Aug 1914 On the March
- 30th Aug 1914 On the March
- 30th Aug 1914 Memories
- 30th Aug 1914 On the March
- 30th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 30th Aug 1914 On the March
- 30th Aug 1914 On the March
- 30th Aug 1914 On the Move
- 30th Aug 1914 Church Parade
- 30th Aug 1914 On the March
- 30th Aug 1914 Covering the Troops
- 30th Aug 1914 Awaiting Orders
- 30th Aug 1914 On the March
- 30th of August 1914 A Hot March
- Russia defeated at Tannenberg The Battle of Tannenberg results in a German victory with the loss of 125,000 men from the Russian Army.
- 31st August 1914
- 31st August 1914 Outpost positions
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st Aug 1914 Breathless Heat & Cold
- 31st Aug 1914 Rear Guard
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st Aug 1914 Second Line Battalions
- 31st Aug 1914 Training
- 31st August 1914 Continued withdrawals
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st Aug 1914 Reorganisation
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st Aug 1914 Enemy Close
- 31st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 31st Aug 1914 Attacks
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st Aug 1914 In Action
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st Aug 1914 Covering the Troops
- 31st Aug 1914 On the Move
- 31st Aug 1914 On the March
- 31st of August 1914 Pursued by Germans
- 28th Sep 1914 England need not Blush
- 8th Dec 1914
- Australian Troop Transports
HMAT A61 Kanowna Pictured embarking from Townsville Harbour in August 1914
From: The Queenslander, 22 August 1914, p. 30 The HMAT A61
Kanowna weighed 6,942 tons with an average cruise speed of 14 knots or
25.92 kmph. It was owned by the AUSN Co Ltd, London, and manned by
Australia officers and crew. The Kanowna was leased by the Commonwealth
until 18 March 1919.
John Doran
- 8th May 1915 9th Lancers resting
- 24yh of August 1915 Success of 23rd August
- 10th Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 11th Aug 1915 Training
- Vacancies to be filled 6th
County of London Brigade RFA report their vacancies in non-commissioned
ranks, caused by death or sickness are being filled by promotion to
temporary-acting-rank.
War Diaries
- 23rd Manchesters move to Salisbury Plain 23rd Manchesters move to Salisbury Plain in August 1915 from Masham to prepare for active service.
- HMEF Watford opens. H.M.
Explosive Factory Watford, Hertfordshire started in August 1915 for
the production of Ammonal, amatol, smoke powder & experimental work.
First output was December 1915. It was under the control of the Board
of Management.
- NSF Barnsley (no. 1) Dominion Works opens. National
Shell Factory Barnsley (no. 1), Dominion Works, Yorkshire started on
August 1915, for teh production of 4.5 inch shell. First output was
January 1916. It was under the control of the Board of Management.
- NSF Victoria Street, Grimsby opens. National
Shell Factory Victoria Street, Grimbsy, Lincolnshire opened in August
1915, for the production of 4.5-in and 6-in shell. First output was
December 1915. It was under the control of the Board of Management.
- NSF Tramway Depot, Chester opens National
Shell Factory Tramway Depot, Chester opened in August 1915 for the
production of 18-pdr. and 2.75-in. shell. It was under the control of
the Board of Management.
- NPF Birtley opens. National
Projectile Factory Birtley, Durham was started in August 1915. First
output was July 1916, producing 4-in. 4.5-in, 60-pdr, 6-in, 8-in shell.
It was under the control of the Belgian Government and workers were also
Belgian.
- NPF Waddam's pool opens. National
Projectile Factory Waddam's Pool, Dudley, Worcestershire started up in
August 1915, for the production of 18-pdr., 60-pdr., 6-in., 8-in. shell,
and proof shot. First output was early 1916. It was under the control
of Bean & Son
- NPF Mossend, Glasgow starts. National
Projectile Factory Mossend, Glasgow, Lanarkshire started up on August
1915 for the forging of Shell. First output was early 1916. It was under
the control of Beardmore Ltd.
- NPF Grant's Mill, Glasgow starts. National
Projectile Factory Grant's Mill, Mile End, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
started up in August 1915. First output was March 1916 of 18-pdr.,
60-pdr., and 6-in. shell. It was under the control of Beardmore Ltd.
- NPF Cardonald, Paisley starts. National
Projectile Factory Cardonald, Paisley, Glasgow, Lanarkshire started up
on August 1915. First output was March 1916 producing 18-pdr., 6-in.,
and 8-in. shell. The factory undertook gun repair in 1917. It was under
the control of Beardmore Ltd.
- NPF Lancaster starts. National
Projectile Factory Lancaster started up in August 1915. First output
was March 1916, producing 60-pdr., 6-in., 8-in., and 9.3-in. shell,
adding gun repair and trench warfare work in 1917. It was under the
control of Vickers Ltd.
- NFF Long Eaton opens. National Filling Factory
Long Eaton, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, started up in August 1915. First
output was January 1916, filling 4.5 in. to 15-in. shell. It was under
the control of Direct Control.
- NFF Willesden Lane, Perivale opens. National
Filling Factory Willesden Lane, Perivale, London started up in August
1915. Engaged in filling shell components and experimental work. First
output was December 1915. It was under the control of the Metropolitan
Munitions Committee Direct Control.
- NFF White Lund, Morecambe opens. National
Filling Factory White Lund, Morecambe, Lancashire started up in August
1915, filling 60-pdr., 6-in., 8-in., 9.2-in. and 12-in. shell. First
output was Summer 1916. It was under the control of Vickers Ltd.
- NFF Sumner Street, Southwark opens. National
Filling Factory Sumner Street, Southwark, London started up in August
1915, filling shell components, First output was September 1915. In
1918 he factory was employed inspecting protective clothing. It was
under the control of Direct Control.
- NSF Newlay opens National
Shell Factory Newlay, Leeds, West Yorkshire started up in August 1915.
First output of 9.2-in and 15-in shell was April 1916. It was under the
control of the Board of Management. There was also a National
Projectile Factory and a National Ordinance Factory on the site.
- NPF Newlay opens. National
Projectile Factory Newlay, Leeds, West Yorkshire started up in August
1915. First output of 9.2-in and 15-in shell was April 1916. It was
under the control of the Board of Management. There was also a National
Shell Factory and a National Ordinance Factory on the site.
- NOF Newlay opens. National Ordinance Factory
Newlay, Leeds, West Yorkshire started up in August 1915. First output of
9.2-in and 15-in shell was April 1916. It was under the control of the
Board of Management. There was also a National Shell Factory and a
National Projectile Factory on the site.
- NPF Kings Meadow Road, Nottingham opens. National
Projectile Factory King's Meadow Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
started up on August 1915. First output was March 1916 of 6-in., and
9.2-in. shell. In 1917 and 18 it was also used for the production of and
repairing 18-pdr. guns. It was under the control of Cammell Laud. There
was also a National Ordnance Factory on site.
- NOF King's Meadow Road, Nottingham opens. National
Ordnance Factory King's Meadow Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
started up on August 1915. First output was March 1916 of 6-in., and
9.2-in. shell. In 1917 and 18 it was also used for the production of and
repairing 18-pdr. guns. It was under the control of Cammell Laud. There
was also a National Projectile Factory on site.
- 2nd Royal Fusiliers attack H12 The 2nd Battalion Royal Fusilers attack the Turks at H12 from the 1st to the 5th of August,
- 1st Aug 1915 Rather a nice Souvenir
- Unit Move and Inspection The
6th London Brigade RFA is now complete at Gosnay (Chateau des Dames). A
series of inspections is about to be embarked on - horses, kit, harness
wagon are all being inspected by OC. Field Units. The guns of the
Brigade were inspected by the Inspector of Munitions. W Corps who made a
satisfactory report.
War Diaries
- Training and recreation 16th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles - Pioneers.
The Downs were fully utilised for Divisional training exercises with the
Pioneers acting as the enemy in day and night exercises of increasing
intensity. Sport and training courses were also intensified in final
preparation for the move to the Front.
There was a meeting of the Pioneer’s Masonic Lodge No. 420 which had
been granted a travelling warrant at its inaugural constitution in
Lurgan Masonic Hall.
There was also a visit by Sir Edward and Lady Carson on the 3rd August at which everything was declared to be in good order.
The Battalion’s stay on the Downs came to an end as an advance party
moved to Borden on the 31st August and an advance Divisional Command
Group including General Nugent and Colonel Leader paid a short
familiarisation visit to France.
Lurgan Mail
- Wearside Pals train in Wensleydale 20th Battalion DLI are training at a tented camp in Wensleydale from August until October when they moved to Barnard Castle.
- 1st August 1915 Church Parade
- HMS Redoubtable formerly Revenge (1894) HMS
Redoubtable (1915 to 1919) formerly HMS Revenge (1894) Royal Sovereign
class pre-dreadnought battleship. Only survivor of its class during WW1.
It was renamed as a new Revenge (ship and class of dreadnoughts) was about to be commissioned (see Revenge (1915)).
Full details are listed under HMS Revenge.(keycode reveng1).
The new Revenge is listed as HMS Revenge(1915) (keycode reveng2) John Doran
- In
early August 1915 the Battalion were issued with steel helmets. this
was a new invention at the time and would help prevent many head
injuries
- Reserve position E Battery 3rd Brigade RHA
In reserve with 5th Cavalry Brigade near Noordpeene.
1st to 3rd August - in reserve 3/4 mile SE of Noordpeene.
war diaries
- 1st Aug 1915 19th Seige Bty RGA witness destruction
- 5th Royal Irish Regiment land Gallipolli 5th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipolli.
- Aug 1915 Officers at Whitley Camp
- 1st Aug 1915 Cargo Ships Lost
- 1st Aug 1915 Ships Sunk
- 1st Aug 1915 Fokker Scourge begins
- 1st Aug 1915 7th Northumberlands into Trenches
- 1st Aug 1915 Snipers Pose Threat
- 1st Aug 1915 5th Lincs Relieved by 4th Leics
- 1st Aug 1915 Battalion to be Re-established
- 1st Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 1st Aug 1915 Relief
- 1st Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 1st August 1915
- 1st August 1915 Conference
- 1st of August 1915
- 1st Aug 1915 Shelling
- 1st Aug 1915 Concert
- 1st Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 1st Aug 1915 Church Parade
- In the Trenches
The Commanding Officer of the 12th Battalion, Manchester Regiment visiting 37 trench, Hill 60, near Ypres in August 1915 © The rights holder (IWM Q 60486)
- 1st Aug 1915 Mining
- 1st Aug 1915 Mine
- 1st Aug 1915 At Rest
- 1st Aug 1915 Recce
- 1st August 1915 Garden City
- 1st Aug 1915 Into the Line
- 1st Aug 1915 On the March
- 1st Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 1st Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 1st of August 1915 At Rest
- 1st August 1915 Bivouac
- 1st Aug 1915 Shelling
- 1st Aug 1915 Lectures
- 1st of August 1915 Keeps
- Staff changes The Adjutant, Capt. M.J.K. O’Malley rejoined 6th County of London Brigade from the Base.
A supply of Cooks' Carts were received.
War Diaries
- 2nd August 1915 A Wet Day
- P Class Zeppelin Zeppelin LZ49 (LZ79)
- Production Ref: LZ49
- Class type : P
- Tactical ref: LZ79
- Usage: Military
- First Flight: 2nd August 1915
History.
Dropped a total of 4,440 kg (9,790 lb) of bombs in two attacks on
Brest-Litovsk and Kovel, also one attack on Paris on the 30th January
1916. It was hit by French fire and damaged beyond repair in a forced
landing near Ath.
John Doran
- 2nd Aug 1915 A terrible time.
- 2nd Aug 1915 It is here our duty lies
- 2nd Aug 1915 Ship Sunk
- 2nd Aug 1915 On the March
- 2nd Aug 1915 In Dugouts
- 2nd Aug 1915 Relieved from the Line
- 2nd Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 2nd Aug 1915 Relief
- 2nd Aug 1915 Inspection
- 2nd August 1915
- 2nd Aug 1915 Inspection
- 2nd Aug 1915 Trenches Stengthened
- 2nd Aug 1915 Training
- 2nd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 2nd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 2nd Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 2nd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 2nd Aug 1915 Route March
- 2nd Aug 1915 Quiet
- 2nd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 2nd Aug 1915 Communication
- 2nd of August 1915 An Inspection
- 2nd Aug 1915 Quiet
- 2nd of August 1915 2nd to 5th August 1915
- 1st Cameronians instruct 10th Rifles near Laventie War
Diary of the 1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 2nd Division,
records: Location, in trenches near Laventie. 4 platoons 10/RB attached
from 8.30 pm for 24 hrs for instruction.
- Staff movements 6th County of London Brigade RFA report
Major H. Bayley proceeded to England on 7 days leave of absence.
War Diaries
- 3rd Aug 1915 A Botanist?s Paradise
- 3rd August 1915 9th Lancers working party
- 1st Cameronians instruct 10th Rifles near Laventie War
Diary of the 1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 2nd Division,
records: Location, in trenches near Laventie. 6 platoons 10/RB attached
for instruction.
- 3rd Aug 1915 Cargo Ship Lost
- 3rd Aug 1915 10th Essex in Billets
- 3rd Aug 1915 Bravery in the Trenches
- 3rd Aug 1915 On the Move
- 3rd Aug 1915 All in the Pink
- 3rd Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 3rd Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 3rd Aug 1915 Enemy Fire Accurate
- 3th Aug 1915 Storm
- 3rd Aug 1915 Dust Storm
- 3rd August 1915
- 3rd Aug 1915 Instruction
- 3rd Aug 1915 Drafts
- 3rd Aug 1915
- 3rd Aug 1915 In Billets
- 3rd Aug 1915 Horse Show
- 3rd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 3rd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 3rd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 3rd Aug 1915 On the Move
- 3rd Aug 1915 Quiet
- 3rd Aug 1915 Communication Tests
- 3rd of August 1915 Another March
- 3rd Aug 1915 HQ Moves
- Staff Training 6th
County of London Brigade RFA report an examination took place of a
class of 20 recruit signalers, undergoing a three month course of
instruction.
This is the end of the first month's examination.
War Diaries
- 4th August 1915 9th Lancers training
- U-Boat Index - WW1
Type U 66
Shipyard Germaniawerft, Kiel (Werk 204)
Ordered 2 Feb 1913
Laid down 1 Nov 1913
Launched 15 May 1915
Commissioned 4 Aug 1915
Commanders.
4 Aug 1915 - 15 Mar 1916 Erich von Rosenberg-Grusczyski.
16 Mar 1916 - 14 Dec 1917 Hans Nieland.
15 Dec 1917 - 15 Sep 1918 Helmuth von Rabenau
Career 13 patrols.
28 Oct 1915 - 11 Nov 1918 IV Flotilla
Successes 17 ships sunk with a total of 39,694 tons.
3 ships damaged with a total of 14,766 tons.
- 16 Apr 1916 U 67 Hans Nieland Cardonia 2,169 br
- 20 Apr 1916 U 67 Hans Nieland Whitgift 4,397 br
- 22 Apr 1916 U 67 Hans Nieland Chanaral 2,423 fr
- 28 Jan 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Daisy 1,227 da
- 29 Jan 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Punta Teno 1,042 sp
- 1 Feb 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Butron 2,434 sp
- 2 Feb 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Elikon 1,166 gr
- 5 Feb 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Lorton 1,419 pe
- 19 Feb 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Headley 4,953 br
- 17 Apr 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Kish 4,928 br
- 18 Apr 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Rhydwen 4,799 br
- 20 Apr 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Portloe 3,187 br
- 28 Apr 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Port Jackson 2,309 br
- 19 Jul 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Harrildsborg 1,547 da
- 24 Jul 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Viking 873 sw
- 28 Jul 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Rigmor 798 da
- 15 Sep 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Idomeneus (damaged) 6,692 br
- 21 Nov 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Breynton (damaged) 4,240 br
- 22 Nov 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Redbridge (damaged) 3,834 br
- 27 Nov 1917 U 67 Hans Nieland Premier 23 br
Fate 20 Nov 1918 - Surrendered. Broken up at Fareham in 1921.
There was another U 67 in World War Two.
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 30 Oct 1940 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 22 Jan 1941.
John Doran
- E Battery 3rd Brigade RHA
In reserve near Noordpeene.
Lieutenant OS Lund left on promotion to 3rd Infantry Division.
war diaries
- 4th Aug 1915 Innoculations
- 4th Aug 1915 Ship Sunk
- 4th Aug 1915 Fishing Smacks Sunk
- 4th Aug 1915 Submarine Lost
- 4th Aug 1915 Companies under instruction
- 4th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 4th Aug 1915 Inspections
- 4th Aug 1915 Inspection
- 4th Aug 1915 Grenadiers
- 4th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 4th Aug 1915 Mine Exploded
- 4th Aug 1915 Trenches Flooded
- 4th Aug 1915 Man Wounded
- 4th August 1915
- 4th August 1915 Liaison
- 4th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 4th Aug 1915
- 4th Aug 1915
- 4th Aug 1915
- 4th Aug 1915
- 4th Aug 1915 Parade
- 4th Aug 1915 Training
- 4th Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 4th Aug 1915 Intermittent Shelling
- 4th Aug 1915 Holding the Line
- 4th Aug 1915 Change of Command
- 4th Aug 1915 On the March
- 4th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 4th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 4th Aug 1915 Artillery Registration
- 4th of August 1915 New Billets
- 4th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 4th Aug 1915 On the March
- Germany captures Warsaw Germany captured Warsaw from the Russian army.
- 5th Aug 1915 2nd Royal Fusiliers relieved by 1st Essex
- Training The
6th London Ammunition Column are carrying out Battery Gun Drill with
the guns of the batteries. Brigade Headquarters are moved to the Mill
House, Gosnay.
War Diaries
- 5th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 5th August 1915 9th Lancers train
- Reserve position E Battery 3rd Brigade RHA
In reserve with 5th Cavalry Brigade near Noordpeene. war diaries
- 5th Aug 1915 Two Cargo ships Sunk
- 5th Aug 1915 Counter Attack
- 5th Aug 1915 Submarine Sunk
- 5th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 8th Aug 1915 3rd York & Lanc on the Move
- 5th Aug 1915 Close to the Enemy
- 5th Aug 1915 Snipers Active
- 5th Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 5th Aug 1915 Inspection
- 5th Aug 1915 Horse Show
- 5th Aug 1915 Trench Visit
- 5th August 1915
- 5th Aug 1915 Orders
- 5th Aug 1915 Preparations
- 5th Aug 1915 Orders
- 5th of Aug 1915
- 5th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 5th Aug 1915 Training
- 5th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 5th Aug 1915 Holding the Line
- 5th Aug 1915 Machine Guns
- 5th Aug 1915 Musketry
- 5th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 5th Aug 1915 Communication Equipment
- 5th of August 1915 Drills and Working Parties
- 5th Aug 1915 In Action
- 5th Aug 1915 On the March
- 1st Essex and 88th Brigade go over top at Cape Helles The
1st Essex and 88th Brigade went over the top at Calle Helles, supported
by the 86th Brigade including the 2nd Royal Fusilers. They were heavily
repulsed and forced to retire.
- Training 6th
County of London Brigade RFA report
Major P.J. Clifton, sick, proceeded to hospital. The race course, on
Hesdigneul Common, is at the disposal of Batteries of this Brigade for
two days per week.
War Diaries
- Serbino sunk by U9 British Merchant vessel Serbino is sunk by submarine U-9.
- 6th August 1915 9th Lancers train
- 4 Platoons of 10th Rifles attached 1st Cameronians War
Diary of the 1st Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) 2nd Division,
records: Location, in trenches near Laventie. 4 platoons 10/RB
attached, 1 RB wounded.
- 9th West Yorks at Sulva Bay 9th West Yorks land at Suvla Bay
- British attack The Vineyard The
Battle of Krithia Vineyard was fought during the Gallipoli Campaign
from the 6th to 13th of August 1915. It was originally intended as a
minor British action at Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula to divert
attention from the imminent launch of the August Offensive, but instead,
the British commander, Brigadier General H.E. Street, mounted a futile
and bloody series of attacks that in the end gained a small patch of
ground known as "The Vineyard".
- Relocation E Battery 3rd Brigade RHA
Started at 0730 on change of billets and went into bivouac and billets
in a farm 1/2 mile NW of Blaringhem - in at 1000 - about 10 miles.
7th to 14th August - in reserve near Blaringhem.
8th August - Lt Neville rejoined from 36th Trench Howitzer Battery.
14th August - Lt WH O'Keefe attached for instruction. war diaries
- 6th Aug 1915 Force Advances
- 6th Aug 1915 Trawlers sunk
- 6th Aug 1915 Four Smacks Sunk
- 6th Aug 1915 Ship Torpedoed
- 6th Aug 1915 Battle of Lone Pine
- 6th Aug 1915 Troops Land
- 6th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 6th Aug 1915 Drill and Working Parties
- 6th Aug 1915 Digging In
- 6th Aug 1915 Preparations for Attack
- 6th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 6th Aug 1915 Singing in the Trenches
- 6th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 6th August 1915
- 6th Aug 1915 Instruction
- 6th Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 6th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 6th of Aug 1915
- 6th of Aug 1915
- 6th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 6th August 1915 Attack Made
- 6th August 1915 2nd/5th Battalion East Kent (The Buffs)
- 6th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 6th Aug 1915 Inspection
- 6th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 6th Aug 1915 Holding the Line
- 6th Aug 1915 Experiences
- 6th August 1915 Sailly Labourse
- 6th Aug 1915 Poor Conditions
- 6th Aug 1915 Artillery Active
- 6th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 6th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 6th of August 1915 In the Trenches
- 6th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 6th August 1915 On the Move
- 6th Aug 1915 Heavy Shelling
- 6th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 6th of August 1915
- Training and recreation 6th
County of London Brigade RFA report the Assistant Director of
Veterinary Services 47 Div. lectured to the class of proposed Shoeing
Smiths, undergoing a six weeks course of instruction.
The Brigade held an illuminated concert in the woods at which the
Regimental Band of the 6th London Field Ambulance played a selection of
music. Amongst those present were - the GOCRA and staff of 47th
Divisional Artillery, Major Doyle and staff of 1V Corps, the Staff of
142 Infantry Brigade and the Staff of 47th Division.
War Diaries
- 20th Heavy Battery proceed to France 20th Heavy Battery RGA arrive in France
- 7th August 1915 9th Lancers train
- 7th Aug 1915 Ship Shelled
- 7th Aug 1915 Choose to Take on Again
- The
attack at the Nek was to coincide with an attack by New Zealand
soldiers from Chunuk Bair, and was also supposed to be captured in the
early morning of August 7th. The Australian 3rd Light Horse Brigade were
to take the Nek while New Zealanders took Battleship Hill from the
rear. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade were raised in Australia as a combined
infantry, artillery and cavalry unit. They were shipped to Egypt, where
they had to leave their horses and serve as infantry in Gallipoli.
The attack was supposed to begin at 0430 after a naval bombardment. The
8th and 10th Light Horse Regiments were to advance on a front 80 yards
wide, in four waves of 150 men each. Each wave was to go over the top
ever two minutes. The Ottoman lines were only 29 yards away.
Unfortunately the New Zealand advance failed to reach Chunuk Bair.
Without capturing that high ground the Ottoman machine guns, with their
enfiladed fire, would slaughter anyone crossing the ground around
Quinn’s Post and the Nek. Major General Sir Alexander Godley, commander
of the ANZAC Division, declared that the attack would proceed anyway.
The artillery bombardment also went wrong, with the barrage ending at
0423. The officers in the trenches did not know if the artillery was to
continue or not. The artillery officer and the assault officer had not
synchronized their watches prior to the attack. The attack did not go at
0430 and this gave the Ottoman defenders plenty of time to return to
their trenches and prepare for the assault they now knew was coming.
The first wave of 150 men, from the 8th Light Horse Regiment, went over
the top, and within 30 seconds they were all gunned down. Incredibly a
few men made it to the enemy trenches and marker flags were seen flying,
but those men were quickly shot or bayoneted by the Ottoman defenders.
The second wave followed the first, without hesistation, two minutes
later. They were met by the same wall of murderous machine gun and rifle
fire, and were cut down before they got halfway to the trench… only
about 15 yards. A supporting attack by the Royal Welch Fusiliers against
the "Chessboard" trenches also suffered 65 casualties before it too was
called off. A simultaneous attack by the 2nd Light Horse Regiment, from
the 1st Light Horse Brigade at Quinn’s Post was abandoned when 49 out
of the 50 men in the first wave were killed or wounded. Their regiment
commander did not go over in the first wave and was able to stop the
slaughter.
Unfortunately for the men attacking the Nek, the 8th Light Horse
Regiment’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel A.H. White, was in the first
wave and lay dead in the the space between the two trenches. No one
called off the attack. The commander of the 10th Light Horse Regiment,
Lieutenant Colonel Noel Brazier, tried to call off the third wave,
claiming that "the whole thing was nothing but bloody murder", but he
could not persuade the Brigade Major, Colonel John Anthill, to end the
attack. Neither could find the Brigade commander Colonel Hughes. Anthill
implied that there was success since marker flags were seen in the
trenches. Anthill ordered the third wave to go over the top.
The third wave "hopped the bags" and was slaughtered. Many of the men
just ran out of the trench and immediately dived for cover, using the
bodies of those who went before them as a buffer from the bullets. Since
their duty was just to get over the trench and they considered it
fulfilled. Due to this the 10th Light Horse Regiment had a lower
casualty rate than the 8th Regiment. The attack was finally called off,
but amazingly, in all the chaos of the morning, about half of the fourth
wave went over, and they were cut down too. By 0445 it was over and the
ridge was covered with dead and wounded Australians. They would remain
there for the duration.
Out of the 600 Australians that took part in the attack, 372 fell. The
8th Light Horse Regiment lost 234 men out of the 300 who "hopped the
bags" and 154 of them were killed. The 10th Light Horse Regiment lost
138 out of their 300 of which 80 were killed. The Ottoman losses were
almost non-exitent, with only eight dead. It is said the Australians
were ordered to charge with unloaded rifles, using only the bayonet.
- 7th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 7th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 7th Aug 1915 In Position
- 7th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 7th Aug 1915 Artillery In Action
- 7th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 7th Aug 1915 Accident
- 7th August 1915
- 7th Aug 1915 Withdrawal
- 7th Aug 1915 In Action
- 7th Aug 1915 In Action
- 7th of Aug 1915
- 7th of Aug 1915
- 7th of Aug 1915
- 7th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 7th August 1915 Outposts
- 7th August 1915 Lord Kitchener inspection
- 7th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 7th Aug 1915 On the March
- 7th Aug 1915 On the March
- 7th Aug 1915 Intermittent Shelling
- 7th Aug 1915 Holding the Line
- 7th Aug 1915 Attachment
- 7th Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 7th Aug 1915 Machine Guns
- 7th Aug 1915 Cleaning up
- 7th Aug 1915 Defence Work
- 7th Aug 1915 Artillery Active
- 7th of August 1915 Working Parties
- 7th Aug 1915 Under Fire
- 7th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 7th August 1915 Landing
- 7th Aug 1915 Guns Moved
- 7th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 7th of August 1915 7th to 9th August 1915
- Brigade Boxing Tournament 6th County of London Brigade RFA held the preliminary rounds of a Brigade Boxing Competition this afternoon.
Battery Sergeant Major W.G. Russell, 15th London Battery, gazetted as Second Lieutenant, dated July 18th.
War Diaries
- 8th Aug 1915 Push Ordered
- 8th Aug 1915 Battleship Sunk
- 8th Aug 1915 Ship Lost
- 8th Aug 1915 Ships Lost
- 8th Aug 1915 Fishing Smack Sunk
- 8th August 1915 9th Lancers Church parade & baths
- 8th Aug 1915 Ship sunk
- Battle of the Gulf of Riga 1915 The
Battle of the Gulf of Riga was a World War I naval operation of the
German High Seas Fleet against the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Gulf of
Riga in the Baltic Sea in August 1915.The operation's objective was to
destroy the Russian naval forces in the Gulf and facilitate the fall of
Riga to the German army on the Eastern Front in 1915. The German fleet,
however, failed to achieve its objective and was forced to return to its
bases. Riga remained in Russian hands until it fell to the German Army
on 1st of September 1917.
In early August 1915, several powerful units of the German High Seas
Fleet were transferred to the Baltic to participate in the foray into
the Riga Gulf. The intention was to destroy the Russian naval forces in
the area, including the pre-dreadnought battleship Slava, and to use the
minelayer Deutschland to block the entrance to the Moon Sound with
mines. The German naval forces, under the command of Vice Admiral
Hipper, included the four Nassau-class and four Helgoland-class
battleships, the battlecruisers SMS Moltke, Von der Tann, and Seydlitz,
and a number of smaller craft.
Battle
On 8th of August, the first attempt to clear the gulf was made. The old
battleships SMS Braunschweig and Elsass kept Slava at bay while
minesweepers cleared a path through the inner belt of mines.
During this period, the rest of the German fleet remained in the Baltic
and provided protection against other units of the Russian fleet.
However, the approach of nightfall meant that Deutschland would be
unable to mine the entrance to the Suur Strait in time and so the
operation was broken off.
In the meantime, the German armored cruisers SMS Roon and Prinz Heinrich
were detached to shell the Russian positions at the Sõrve Peninsula in
the Saaremaa island. Several Russian destroyers were anchored at Sõrve
and one was slightly damaged during the bombardment. The battlecruiser
Von der Tann and the light cruiser SMS Kolberg were sent to shell the
island of Utö.
On 16th of August, a second attempt was made to enter the gulf. The
dreadnoughts SMS Nassau and Posen, four light cruisers and 31 torpedo
boats breached the defenses to the gulf. On the first day of the
assault, the German minesweeper T46 was sunk, as was the destroyer V99.
On 17th of August, Nassau and Posen engaged in an artillery duel with
Slava, resulting in three hits on the Russian ship that prompted her
withdrawal. After three days, the Russian minefields had been cleared
and the flotilla entered the gulf on 19 August, but reports of Allied
submarines in the area prompted a German withdrawal from the gulf the
following day. Throughout the operation, the German battlecruisers
remained in the Baltic and provided cover for the assault into the Gulf
of Riga. On the morning of the 19th, Moltke was torpedoed by the British
E-class submarine HMS E1. The torpedo was not spotted until it was
approximately 200 yd away. Without time to manoeuver, the ship was
struck in the bow torpedo room. The explosion damaged several torpedoes
in the ship, but they did not detonate themselves. Eight men were killed
and 480 short tons of water entered the ship. The ship was repaired at
Blohm & Voss in Hamburg between 23 August and 20 September.
Order of battle
Russia
- Battleship: Slava
- Gunboats: Grozyashchiy, Khrabry, Sivuch, Korietz
- Minelayer: Amur
- Flotilla of 16 destroyers
Germany
- Battleships: SMS Nassau, SMS Posen, SMS Braunschweig, SMS Elsass
- Battlecruiser: SMS Moltke, SMS Seydlitz, SMS Von der Tann
- Cruisers: SMS Augsburg, SMS Bremen, SMS Graudenz, SMS Pillau, SMS Roon, SMS Prinz Heinrich
- Flotilla of 56 destroyers
John Doran
- 7th Gloucester lead the Attack 7th (service) Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment lead the others over the top of Chunuk Bair early on the Sunday morning.
- 8th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 8th Aug 1915 On Leave
- 8th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 8th Aug 1915 Change of Billets
- 8th Aug 1915 On the March
- 8th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 8th Aug 1915 Artillery In Action
- 8th Aug 1915 Artillery In Action
- 8th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 8th Aug 1915 In Action
- 8th Aug 1915 Holding the Line
- 8th of Aug 1915
- 8th August 1915 Bivouacs
- 8th August 1915 Forwards
- 8th Aug 1915 Working Parties and Training
- 8th Aug 1915 Intermittent Shelling
- 8th Aug 1915 Holding the Line
- 8th August 1915 Cambrin
- 8th Aug 1915 In Position
- 8th Aug 1915 Orders
- 8th Aug 1915 Working Party
- 8th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 8th Aug 1915 Aircraft Lost
- 8th Aug 1915 Advance Party
- 8th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 8th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 8th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 8th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 8th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 8th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 8th of August 1915 In the Trenches
- 8th Aug 1915 Enemy Aircraft
- 8th Aug 1915 Wounded and Sick
- 8th August 1915 Dressing Station Moves
- 8th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 8th Aug 1915 Inspection
- Training and recreation All
6th County of London Brigade RFA signallers are being re-drilled. The
16th London Battery moved it's Wagon Line and Gun Park to a position
higher in the woods of the Bois Des Dames. A working party of 100 men of
this Brigade proceeded to Les Brebis to construct gun pits on the
second line of defence, under the supervision of 2/Lt C.E.H. Lloyd. All
billets are being systematically searched, so that all surplus ordnance
and supply stores can be handed to the Salvage Company. Capt M.J.K.
O’Malley won 2nd prize in the Open Jumping Competition at 7th London
Brigade RFA sports.
War Diaries
- 9th July 1915 9th Lancers working party
- First flight of Zeppelin LZ46 Zeppelin
LZ46 (L14) a P Class craft had its first flight on the 9th August
1915. L14 was the most successful of the German Navy airships. It
carried out 42 reconnaissance missions and 17 attacks on Britain
dropping a total of 22,045 kg (48,601 lb) of bombs. It was taken out of
service during 1917 and 1918 and destroyed by its crew on 23 June 1919.
John Doran
- 2nd Sherwoods in action at Ypres "B" Coy. 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters are in action in the second battle of Ypres
- Zeppelin Raids on Britain On
night of the 9,10 August, four Zeppelins were directed against London,
none reached it's target and one, LZ43(L12), was damaged by ground fire
near Dover and came down in the sea off Zeebrugge. Despite eight attacks
by RNAS aircraft the airship was towed into Ostend where it was later
dismantled.
John Doran
- 10th Green Howards leave Halton Park 10th Green Howards leave Halton Park Camp for Witley Camp
- 9th Aug 1915 19th Seige Bty RGA witness fighting
- 9th Aug 1915 Successful Attack
- 9th Aug 1915 SM U-38 sinks the British trawler Thrush
- 9th Aug 1915 HMS Lynx Lost
- 9th Aug 1915 Battle of Chateau de Hooge
- SMS Meteor Scuttled
- 9th Aug 1915 Mine Crater Taken
- 9th Aug 1915 Companies under instruction
- 9th Aug 1915 Trenches Recaptured
- 9th Aug 1915 Under Shellfire
- 9th Aug 1915 Recce
- 9th Aug 1915 In Action
- 9th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 9th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 9th Aug 1915 Artillery Bombardment
- 9th August 1915
- 9th Aug 1915 Heavy Fire
- 9th of Aug 1915
- 9th of Aug 1915
- 9th of Aug 1915
- 9th of Aug 1915
- 9th of Aug 1915
- 9th August 1915 Under Fire
- 9th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 9th Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 9th Aug 1915 Intermittent Shelling
- 9th Aug 1915 Diversion
- 9th Aug 1915 Messages of Congratulation
- 9th Aug 1915 Casualties
- 9th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 9th Aug 1915 Air Raid
- 9th Aug 1915 In Action
- 9th Aug 1915 Working Party and Musketry
- 9th Aug 1915 Landings
- 9th Aug 1915 Landings
- 9th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 9th Aug 1915 Landings
- 9th Aug 1915 Landings
- 9th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 9th Aug 1915 Landing
- 9th Aug 1915 Landing
- 9th Aug 1915 Orders
- 9th Aug 1915 Under Shellfire
- 9th Aug 1915 Disembarking
- 9th Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 9th Aug 1915 Bombardment
- 9th of August 1915 Working Party
- 9th Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 9th Aug 1915 Landings
- 9th Aug 1915 Orders
- 9th August 1915 Evacuation to hospital ships
- 9th August 1915 Evacuation to hospital ships
- 9th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 9th Aug 1915 In Billets
- Personnel changes 6th
County of London Brigade RFA reports
Lt Col A.C. Lowe DSO and Major A.C. Gordon proceeded to England on 4
& 7 days leave respectively. A draft of 5 men arrived from Base.
2/Lt J.A.W. Petro attached from 6th London Ammunition Column to 17th
London Battery during absence of Lt C.E.H. Lloyd.
War Diaries
- 10th Aug 1915 Hell at Hooge
- 10th Aug 1915 Sheer Exhaustion
- 10th August 1915 9th Lancers train
- 10th Aug 1915 A Terrible Affair
- 10th Aug 1915 Submarine attacks
- 10th Aug 1915 Submarine attacks
- 10th Aug 1915 Ships Sunk
- 10th Aug 1915 Submarine attacks
- 10th Aug 1915 Russian positions Shelled
- 10th Aug 1915 The symbol of Russian rule in Poland
- 10th Aug 1915 Zeppelin raid on England
- 10th Aug 1915 Companies under instruction
- 10th Aug 1915 5th Lincs Relieve 4th Leics
- 10th Aug 1915 Gallipoli Landing
- 10th Aug 1915 Range Practice
- 10th Aug 1915 Attack
- 10th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 10th Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 10th Aug 1915 Deserter Remanded
- 10th August 1915
- 10th Aug 1915 Occasional Fire
- 10th of Aug 1915
- 10th of Aug 1915
- 10th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 10th August 1915 In the Trenches
- 10th August 1915 Deaths on march
- 10th Aug 1915 Working Parties and Training
- 10th Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 10th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 10th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 10th Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 10th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 10th Aug 1915 In Action
- 10th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 10th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 10th of August 1915 In the Trenches
- 10th Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 10th Aug 1915 Shelter
- 10th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 10th Aug 1915 On the March
- 1st and 3rd Monmouths reform The
1st and 2nd Monmouths separated from the amalgamated battalion to be
independent units once more. The 3rd Monmouth's were reattached to the
83rd Brigade and reorganised into four Companies under Lt J.M. Jones,
Captain H.G. Tyler, Lt L.D. Whitehead and Lt H.A. Hodges.
- Sport and Inspections The
6th London Brigade RFA Boxing Competition was concluded. It was
proposed to billet the Brigade at Marles, but as no suitable
accommodation could be found, it was decided to let the Brigade remain
where it was in bivouacs.
2/Lt W.G. Russell proceeded to Base. The ADVS (47 Div) inspected 9
horses for the purposes of casting.
War Diaries
- 11th August 1915 9th Lancers shelled
- 11th Aug 1915 19th Seige Bty RGA in action
- 11th Aug 1915 Foul Methods of War
- 11th Aug 1915 Armed Fishing Smack attacks Submarine
- 11th Aug 1915 Bari, Italy bombarded by Austrian destroyers
- 11th Aug 1915 Companies under instruction
- 11th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 11th Aug 1915 New CO
- 11th Aug 1915 Relief
- 11th Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 11th Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 11th August 1915
- 11th Aug 1915 Demonstration
- 11th of Aug 1915
- 11th of Aug 1915
- 11th August 1915 In the Trenches
- 11th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 11th Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 11th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 11th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 11th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 11th Aug 1915 Inspection
- 11th Aug 1915 Snipers
- 11th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 11th Aug 1915 Enemy Active
- 11th of August 1915 Resting
- 11th Aug 1915 Consolidation
- 11th Aug 1915 Equipment
- 11th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 11th Aug 1915 Recce
- 12th August 1915 9th Lancers train
- Zeppelin Raids on Britain The
four Zeppelin raid was repeated on the night of the 12th/13th August.
Two of the Zeppelins again had to turn back, but LZ 40 (L 10) and
another Zeppelin continued. LZ 40 was able to bomb Harwich, destroying
two houses. One bomb fell in the middle of a street in a crowd staring
at the Zeppelin. When it exploded it killed men, eleven women and nine
children. Though the anti-aircraft guns fired at them, they were able to
get away. The other Zeppelin, found no target and was barely able to
make it home due to a violent storm over the North Sea.
John Doran
- 12th Aug 1915 Bring a Corksrew
- 12th Aug 1915 No Swank Permitted
- 12th Aug 1915 Five Yards from the Enemy
- 12th Aug 1915 King and country come first
- 12th Aug 1915 Submarines Menace
- 12th Aug 1915 Austrian submarine U-3 Sunk
- 12th Aug 1915 Aerial Torpedo sinks Ship
- 12th Aug 1915 10th Essex in Billets
- 12th Aug 1915 Short of Very Lights
- 12th Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 12th Aug 1915 Parades
- 12th August 1915
- 12th Aug 1915 Patrols
- 12th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 12th of Aug 1915
- 12th of Aug 1915
- 12th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 12th Aug 1915 Lucky Escape
- 12th August 1915 Advance
- 12th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 12th Aug 1915 Enemy Active
- 12th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 12th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 12th August 1915 Annequin
- 12th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 12th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 12th Aug 1915 Air Raid
- 12th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 12th Aug 1915 Working Party
- 12th Aug 1915 Some Shelling
- 12th Aug 1915 Enemy Active
- 12th of August 1915 Billets and Bivouacks
- 12th Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 12th Aug 1915 Equipment Shortages
- 12th Aug 1915 Sick and Wounded
- 12th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 12th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 12th of August 1915 Vermelles to Hulluch Road
- 13th August 1915 Field Marshall visits
- 10th Green Howards leave Halton Park 10th Green Howards leave Halton Park Camp for Witley Camp
- 13th Aug 1914 1st Cameronians mobilise
- 13th Aug 1915 Cargo Ship Lost
- 13th Aug 1915 HMT Royal Edward sunk by UB-14
- 13th Aug 1915 7th Northumberlands to Billets
- 13th Aug 1915 10th Essex on the March
- 13th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 13th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 13th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 13th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 13th Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 13th August 1915
- 13th August 1915 Instruction
- 13th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 13th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 13th of Aug 1915
- 13th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 13th Aug 1915 Enemy Active
- 13th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 13th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 13th Aug 1915 Bombing Party
- 13th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 13th Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 13th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 13th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 13th of August 1915 Baths
- 13th Aug 1915 Touch Attempted
- 13th Aug 1915 Sick and Wounded
- 13th Aug 1915 Some Shelling
- 13th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 13th of August 1915 Patrolling
- Personnel changes 6th
County of London Brigade RFA report
Major P.J. Clifton, 17th London Battery, rejoined the Brigade from the
Base. Lt H.B. Wells was struck off the strength of the Brigade from
today’s date.
War Diaries
- Gloucestershire Hussars leave Egypt The
Gloucestershire Hussars received orders on August 11th for the Yeomanry
to proceed to Gallipoli without their horses. Leaving 4 officers, 100
O.R. and all the horses, the Regiment sailed from Alexandria on August
14th 1915 on the 'Haverford' and 'Ascania'.
- 14th August 1915 9th Lancers bus to working party
- 14th Aug 1915 19th Seige Bty RGA in action
- 14th Aug 1914 1st Cameronians proceed to France
- 14th Aug 1915 A Warm Shop
- A Palatial Residence
- 14th Aug 1915 Lucky Escape
- 14th Aug 1915 Exchange of Fire
- 14th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 14th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 14th Aug 1915 Home on Leave
- 14th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 14th Aug 1915 Enemy Mine
- 14th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 14th August 1915
- 14th Aug 1915 Thunder
- 14th Aug 1915 Under Shellfire
- 14th of Aug 1915
- 14th of Aug 1915
- 14th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 14th Aug 1915 Enemy Aircraft
- 14th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 14th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 14th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 14th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 14th Aug 1915 Some Shelling
- 14th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 14th of August 1915 Baths and Billets
- 14th Aug 1915 Confusion
- 14th Aug 1915 Confusion
- 14th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 14th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- Medical 6th County of London Brigade RFA men who have been inoculated with one dose only are to be re-inoculated.
100% of the Brigade have now been inoculated.
War Diaries
- 15th August 1915 9th Lancers in billets
- Reserve position E Battery 3rd Brigade RHA
15th to 31st August - In reserve with 5th Cavalry Brigade in billets 1/2 mile NW of Blaringhem.
19th August - 1 officer and 40 men to dig 4th line near La Clytte.
27th August - Digging party returned.
31st August - Lt GLA Duff joined on appointment from 29th Trench Howitzer Battery, 14th Division. (replaces Lt. Lund)
High Explosive shell was issued to Battery during the last 6 weeks as
obtainable - 76 rounds HE per gun being issued as settled proportion.
war diaries
- 15th Aug 1915 Fishing Smack sinks Submarine
- 15th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 15th Aug 1915 Change of Command
- 15th Aug 1915 Orders
- 15th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 15th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 15th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 15th Aug 1915 Lack of Equipment
- 15th August 1915
- 15th Aug 1915 Quieter
- 15th Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 15th of Aug 1915
- 15th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 15th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 15th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 15th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 15th Aug 1915 Instruction
- 15th Aug 1915 Enemy Tricks
- 15th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 15th Aug 1915 Heavy Fire
- 15th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 15th of August 1915 Rest Day
- 15th Aug 1915 Poor Communications
- 15th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 15th Aug 1915 Inspection
- Moves and Sport 6th
County of London Brigade RFA report
Major R.R. Wansbrough, having relinquished the command of the
47th(London) Divisional Ammunition Column resumed command of the 6th
London Ammunition Column with effect from today’s date. Brigade Sports
were held in threatening weather on Hesdigneul Common; the Regimental
Band of the 6th London Field Ambulance was in attendance.
War Diaries
- 16th August 1915 9th Lancers bathe
- 16th Aug 1915 Cutting the Corn
- 16th Aug 1915 Bothered by Snipers
- 16th Aug 1915 Mines
- 16th Aug 1915 Submarine attacks
- 16th Aug 1915
- 16th Aug 1915
- 16th Aug 1915 Deception Saves Works
- 16th Aug 1915 5th Lincs Relieved by 4th Leics
- 16th Aug 1915 Out of the Trenches
- 16th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 16th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 16th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 16th Aug 1915 Thunderstorms
- 16th Aug 1915 Sentry Wounded
- 16th August 1915
- 16th August 1915 Artillery
- 16th Aug 1915 Into Reserve
- 16th Aug 1915 Counter Attack
- 16th of Aug 1915
- 16th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 16th Aug 1915 Thunder Storm
- 16th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 16th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 16th Aug 1915 Thunder Storm
- 16th Aug 1915 Counter Attack
- 16th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 16th Aug 1915 Move
- 16th Aug 1915 Aircraft damaged
- 16th Aug 1915 Rifle Grenades
- 16th of August 1915 Drills and Marching
- 16th Aug 1915 Information
- 16th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 16th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 16th of August 1915 Instruction
- Appointments 6th County of London Brigade RFA report
Capt. C.P Bertie proceeded to England on 7 days leave of absence.
A Board was appointed to examine the Class of Shoeing Smiths who had undergone a six week course of instruction.
War Diaries
- 17th Aug 1915 Saved by the Dust
- 17th August 1915 9th Lancers in billets
- Zeppelin raid on London A
third four Zeppelin raid tried to reach London on the night of the
17th,18th of August; two turned back with mechanical problems, LZ41(L11)
bombed Ashford and Faversham in Kent in the belief it was Woolwich, but
LZ40(L10) became the first Navy airship to reach London. L 10 was also
misnavigated, mistaking the reservoirs of the Lea Valley for the Thames,
and consequently dropped its bombs on Walthamstow and Leytonstone. 10
people were killed, 48 injured and property damage to the railway
station and housing was estimated at £30,750.
Guns were fired at L 10 and a few aircraft took off in pursuit, but the
Zeppelin suffered no damage in the raid.
L 10 was destroyed a little over two weeks later when it was struck by
lightning and caught fire off Cuxhaven, and the entire crew was killed.
John Doran
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-68
Type U 66
Shipyard Germaniawerft, Kiel (Werk 205)
Ordered 2 Feb 1913
Laid down 31 Dec 1913
Launched 1 Jun 1915
Commissioned 17 Aug 1915
Commanders.
17 Aug 1915 - 22 Mar 1916 Ludwig Güntzel
Career 1 patrols.
28 Nov 1915 - 22 Mar 1916 IV Flotilla
Successes No successes.
John Doran
- 17th Aug 1915 Battleships Duel
- 17th Aug 1915 Deadly Patrol
- 17th Aug 1915 Evacuation of Pelagosa
- 17th Aug 1915 Aerial Torpedo Kills
- 17th Aug 1915 Peshawar uprising
- 17th Aug 1915 Hearty Reception for Worcester DCM winner
- 17th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 17th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 17th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 17th Aug 1915 Thunderstorms
- 17th Aug 1915 Reception
- 17th August 1915
- 17th Aug 1915 Organisation
- 17th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 17th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 17th of Aug 1915
- 17th Aug 1915 Wiring
- 17th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 17th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 17th August 1915 Annequin
- 17th Aug 1915 Raiding Party
- 17th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 17th Aug 1915 Attachment
- 17th Aug 1915 Bombardment
- 17th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 17th of August 1915 Advance Party leave Tidworth
- 17th of August 1915 Drills and Marching
- 17th Aug 1915 Orders
- 17th Aug 1915 Enemy Aircraft
- 17th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 17th Aug 1915 Thunderstorms
- 17th of August 1915 Attachments
- Munitions Tribunal meet in Halifax The Munitions Tribunal for Halifax and Hudderfield held their first meeting in Halifax.
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~calderdalecompanion/souv_1915.html
- Appointments 6th County of London Brigade RFA report
2/Lt J.A.W. Petro proceeded to Les Brebis to assist 2/Lt C.E.H. Lloyd in digging gun pits on the defence lines.
Two 18 pounder guns fetched from 15th Divisional Artillery to provide practice for the Batteries of this Brigade.
War Diaries
- Gloucestershire Hussars land at Sulva Bay The
Gloucestershire Hussars landed at Suvla Bay, having sailed from
Alexandria on the 'Haverford' and 'Ascania'. The Regiment was
concentrated near Chocolate Hill. With no cover available the enemy
shelled the Regiment, 2nd Lieut. Gething was killed, Lt-Col. Playne,
Captain Longworth, Lieut. Howard, and 2nd Lieut. Colledge were severely
wounded.
With the Yeoman acting as infantry, an advance was made on Hill 112 and
the Turkish front-line trench captured. Besides the listed officers, 11
men were killed, 44 wounded and 1 missing.
General Sir Ian Hamilton reported: "The advance of these English Yeoman
was a sight calculated to send a thrill of pride through anyone with a
drop of English blood running through their veins...... there was
nothing to conceal a mouse...... despite the critical events in other
parts of the field I could hardly take my glasses from the Yeoman; they
moved like men marching on parade. Here and there a shell would take a
toll of a cluster; there they lay. There was no straggling; the others
moved steadily on; not a man was there who hung back or hurried."
Days of trench duty followed and more casualties (both war and sickness)
were sustained.
- 18th Aug 1915 Magnificent Trenches
- 18th Aug 1915 The Business of Photographs
- 18th August 1915 9th Lancers in billets
- 18th Aug 1915 Submarine Lost
- 18th Aug 1915 Submarines in the Irish Sea
- 18th Aug 1915 Brigade Parade
- 18th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 18th Aug 1915 Night Patrol
- 18th Aug 1915 Digging In
- 18th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 18th Aug 1915 Instruction
- 18th August 1915
- 18th Aug 1915 Move
- 18th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 18th Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 18th of Aug 1915
- 18th Aug 1915 On the March
- 18th August 1915 Into Reserve
- 18th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 18th Aug 1915 Patrol
- 18th August 1915 Fouqereuil
- 18th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 18th Aug 1915 Award
- 18th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 18th Aug 1915 Baths
- 18th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 18th of August 1915 Drills and Marching
- 18th Aug 1915 Instruction
- 18th Aug 1915 Observation Post
- 18th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 19th Aug 1915 Gas and Mines
- Training Hesdigneul Common is no longer at the disposal of Artillery Brigades of 47th Division for any purpose.
War Diaries
- 19th aug 1915 Heavy Rain
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-27
Type U 27
Shipyard Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig (Werk 17)
Ordered 19 Feb 1912
Launched 14 Jul 1913
Commissioned 8 May 1914.
Commanders.
8 May 1914 - 19 Aug 1915 Bernd Wegener
Career 3 patrols.
1 Aug 1914 - 19 Aug 1915 IV Flotilla
Successes 10 ships sunk with a total of 31,120 tons.
2 warships sunk with a total of 6,325 tons.
- 18 Oct 1914 U 27 Bernd Wegener E 3 (hms) 725 br
- 31 Oct 1914 U 27 Bernd Wegener Hermes (hms) 5,600 br
- 11 Mar 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Bayano 5,948 br
- 13 Mar 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Hartdale 3,839 br
- 18 May 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Drumcree 4,052 br
- 19 May 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Dumfries 4,121 br
- 21 May 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Glenholm 1,968 br
- 18 Aug 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Ben Vrackie 3,908 br
- 18 Aug 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Gladiator 3,359 br
- 18 Aug 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Magda 1,063 nw
- 18 Aug 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Sverresborg 1,144 nw
- 19 Aug 1915 U 27 Bernd Wegener Pena Castillo 1,718 sp
Fate 19 Aug 1915 - Sunk by gunfire from Q-Ship Baralong in Western Approaches 5043N 0722W. 37 dead (all hands lost).
On 18 October, 1914 the British U-boat E3 was torpedoed and sunk in the
North Sea by the German U-boat U 27. This was the first decisive fight
between U-boats in the First World War.
This boat was sunk by the Q-Ship HMS Baralong (Lieutenant Godfrey
Herbert RN). Herbert ordered that all German survivors, among them the
commander of SM U 27, should be executed on the spot. Although the
British Admiralty tried to keep this event a secret, news spread to
Germany and the infamous "Baralong incident" - a war crime which was
never prosecuted - had its share in promoting cruelty at sea.
There was another U 27 in World War Two.
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 24 Jun 1936 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 12 Aug 1936.
John Doran
- 19th Aug 1915 Submarine sinks three Ships
- 19th Aug 1915 Cargo Ship Lost
- 19th Aug 1915 First Prisoner
- 19th Aug 1915 Incident Supressed
- 19th Aug 1915 Ships Sunk
- 19th Aug 1915 Battle Cruiser Torpedoed
- 19th Aug 1915 7th Northumberlands into Trenches
- 19th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 19th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 19th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 19th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 19th Aug 1915 Water Scarce
- 19th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1915 Training
- 19th Aug 1915 Instruction
- 19th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 19th August 1915
- 19th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 19th of Aug 1915
- 19th Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 19th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 19th August 1915 Fouqereuil
- 19th Aug 1915 Bivouac
- 19th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 19th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 19th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 19th Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 19th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 19th of August 1915 More Drills and Marching
- 19th Aug 1915 Poor Co-ordination
- 19th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 19th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 2nd Royal Fusiliers leave Cape Helles for Cape Sulva The 2nd Royal Fusilers proceeded from Cape Helles to Cape Sulva.
- Relocations 17th London Battery moved it's present Wagon Line to a place in the Bois Des Dames.
War Diaries
- 20th Aug 1915 Egg and Poultry Demonstration
- 20th August 1915 9th Lancers working party
- 20th Aug 1915 Trenches Recaptured
- 20th August 1915 Special Ops Mission
- 20th Aug 1915 Battle of the Gulf of Riga
- 20th Aug 1915 Factory Shelled
- 20th Aug 1915 Cargo Ships Sunk
- 20th Aug 1915 Italians bomb Austro-Hungary
- 20th Aug 1915 53rd Brigade Inspected
- 20th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 20th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 20th Aug 1915 Re-Enlistment
- 20th Aug 1915 Relief
- 20th Aug 1915 Relief
- 20th Aug 1915 Orders
- 20th August 1915
- 20th Aug 1915 Orders
- 20th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 20th Aug 1915 Sickness
- 20th of Aug 1915
- 20th of Aug 1915
- 20th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 20th August 1915 On the Move
- 20th Aug 1915 Mines Exploded
- 20th Aug 1915 Cleaning up
- 20th August 1915 Doullens
- 20th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 20th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 20th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 20th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 20th of August 1915 More Drills and Marching
- 20th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 20th Aug 1915 Shelters
- 20th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 20th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 20th of August 1915 Machine Gunners
- 2nd Royal Fusiliers under heavy fire The 2nd Royal Fusilers were under heavy fire from the Turks at Cape Sulva, a bombardment which lasted three dats.
- Postings and Promotions 6th
County of London Brigade RFA report
Lieut G. Lyon-Smith having rejoined the Brigade from the 3/6th London
Brigade RFA was posted to the 15th London Battery. Major R.R. Wansbrough
promoted Lieutenant-Colonel.
War Diaries
- 21st Aug 1915 First Work in the Trenches
- 21st August 1915 9th Lancers working party
- 21st of Aug 1915 No Good Worryining
- Battle of Scimitar Hill The
attack on Scimitar Hill was a last chance effort to break north out of
Anzac Cove and northeast out of Suvla Bay, and have the two Allied
forces link up. Henry de Beauvoir de Lisle was in charge of the attack
and the British 29th Division was given the honors since they were a
veteran unit and not one of the new reinforcements. The W Hills and the
Scimitar Hill was the primary objective to be captured. At the same time
another attack, on Hill 60, would tie down some of the Turkish forces.
Like most of the Gallipoli campaign, the artillery barrage looked
impressive, but did very little. The 11th Division that attacked the W
Hills, lost their bearings… got lost and could not find the hill in the
dense fog that crept in. However the 29th Division found the Scimitar
Hill and drove the Turks off of it. However Turkish artillery drove the
British off the hill, seeking cover from the intense bombardment. The
British counter battery fire set the hill on fire, incinerating the
wounded. Reinforcements from Suvla Bay were cut down as they tried to
charge up the hill. Over 5,000 British were killed and wounded, many
from the fires caused by red hot shrapnel. The Turks only lost 2,600 men
in the fight. One Victoria Crosses was awarded for Scimitar Hill, to
Private Frederick Potts, for crawling through the burning brush with his
wounded comrade strapped the shovel on his back. He was wounded in the
thigh before he started the 600 yard crawl, and was under fire the
entire way.
A request was sent to Lord Kitchener to send another 95,000 men, but
Kitchner could only offer 40,000. The British government started
considering evacuating the Allied forces.
- 21st Aug 1915 Submarine Fires on Surrendering Sailors
- 21st Aug 1915 Ports Closed
- 21st Aug 1915 10th Essex ordered to move
- 21st Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 21st Aug 1915 Reorganisation
- 21st Aug 1915 Inspection
- 21st Aug 1915 In Action
- 21st Aug 1915 Attack Made
- 21st Aug 1915 Bombing Practice
- 21st Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 21st Aug 1915 Orders Received
- 21st August 1915
- 21st Aug 1915 Assault Made
- 21st Aug 1915 Advance
- 21st of Aug 1915
- 21st of Aug 1915
- 21st August 1915 Attack Made
- 21st Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 21st Aug 1915 Minenwerfer
- 21st Aug 1915 Preparations
- 21st Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 21st Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 21st Aug 1915 Holding the Line
- 21st August 1915 Sarton
- 21st August 1915 Louvencourt
- 21st Aug 1915 Confusion
- 21st Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 21st Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 21st Aug 1915 Under Fire
- 21st of August 1915 Drills and Marching
- 21st Aug 1915 Vigilance
- 21st Aug 1915 Light Shelling
- 21st Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 21st of August 1915 Letter from Brigadier General Lowther
- 21st Aug 1915 Orders
- 3rd Monmouths return to front line The 3rd Monmouths returned to the front line at Kemmel for six days.
- Appointments and Inspections th County of
London Brigade RFA reports
Liuet C.E.H. Lloyd appointed temporary Aide-de-Camp to Brigadier-General
J.C Wray MVO, CRA 47 Division. Each unit inspected by OC. Brigade after
Church Parade.
Passenger boats and mail steamer service between England and France
stopped.
War Diaries
- 22nd August 1915 Baths for 9th Lancers working party
- 22nd Aug 1915 Two Cargo ships Sunk
- 22nd Aug 1915 10th Essex on the March
- 22nd Aug 1915 5th Lincs Relieve 4th Leics
- 22nd Aug 1915 Church Parade
- 22nd Aug 1915 On the Move
- 22nd Aug 1915 Inspection
- 22nd Aug 1915 In Billets
- 22nd Aug 1915 Burying the Dead
- 22nd Aug 1915 Orders
- 22nd Aug 1915 Sunday
- 22nd Aug 1915 Training
- 22nd August 1915 Reliefs
- 22nd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 22nd Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 22nd of Aug 1915
- 22nd of Aug 1915
- 22nd August 1915
- 22nd August 1915 On the Move
- 22nd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 22nd Aug 1915 Mines
- 22nd Aug 1915 Preparations
- 22nd Aug 1915 Refitting
- 22nd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 22nd August 1915 Louvencourt
- 22nd Aug 1915 Artillery Duel
- 22nd Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 22nd Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 22nd Aug 1915 Orders
- 22nd of August 1915 Rest Day
- 22nd Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 22nd Aug 1915 Wounded Evacuated
- 22nd Aug 1915 Low Cloud
- 22nd Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 22nd August 1915 Divisional instructions
- Postings and Sport The
6th London Brigade RFA Tug O War team, captained by RSM J.T.Hood, and
coached by BSM A.V.Davis, having beaten the 8th London (Howitzer)
Brigade RFA in the preliminary heats and the 7th London Brigade RFA in
the final heat, qualified to represent the 47 Divisional Artillery in
the Divisional Sports on Wednesday next.
Lt R. Bruce 6th London Ammunition Column transferred to 16th London
Battery
Lt W.J. Barnard 16th London Battery transferred to 6th London Amm. Col.
2/Lt J.T. Woollett 15th London Battery transferred to 6th London Amm.
Col.
2/Lt J.A.W. Petro 6th London Amm. Col. attached to 17th London Battery.
All with effect from tomorrow’s date.
Service between England and France resumed. Officers and men of this
Brigade will in future proceed on leave each Wednesday instead of
Tuesday.
War Diaries
- 23rd August 1915 9th Lancers in billets
- 23rd Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 23rd Aug 1915 Dig until Daybreak
- 23rd Aug 1915 Attack on Zeebrugge
- 23rd Aug 1915 Three Smacks Lost
- 23rd Aug 1915 Armed Trawler Torpedoed
- 23rd Aug 1915 Ships Sunk
- 23rd Aug 1915 7th Northumberlands into Reseve
- 23rd Aug 1915 Divisional Reserve
- 23rd Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 23rd Aug 1915 Digging
- 23rd Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 23rd Aug 1915 Recce
- 23rd Aug 1915 Training
- 23rd Aug 1915 Training
- 23rd Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 23rd Aug 1915 Inspection
- 23rd Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 23rd of Aug 1915
- 23rd of Aug 1915
- 23rd August 1915
- 23rd Aug 1915 Inspection
- 23nd August 1915 Reorganisation
- 23rd Aug 1915 Snipers
- 23rd Aug 1915 Training
- 23rd Aug 1915 At Rest
- 23rd Aug 1915 Into Billets
- 23rd Aug 1915 Intermittent Shelling
- 23rd Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 23rd Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 23rd Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 23rd of August 1915 Rest Day
- 23rd Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 23rd Aug 1915 Shelling
- 23rd Aug 1915 Orders
- 23rd of August 1915 Working Parties
- Inspections Inspection
of 6th County of London Brigade RFA Transport (Cooker Wagon, Cooks
Carts, Medical Cart and Water Carts) by Colonel Blythe.
War Diaries
- 24th August 1915 9th Lancers in billets
- 24th Aug 1915 It Pays to be Alert
- 24th Aug 1915 Two Meals a Day
- 24th Aug 1915 Saboteurs Captured
- 24th Aug 1915 30 Squadron bolstered
- 24th Aug 1915 First Taste of Trench Life
- 24th Aug 1915 Inspection
- 24th Aug 1915 QMS Charged
- 24th Aug 1915 Digging
- 24th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 24th Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 23rd Aug 1915 Training
- 24th Aug 1915 Training
- 24th Aug 1915 Inspection
- 24th August 1915
- 24th August 1915
- 24th Aug 1915 Instruction
- 24th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 24th of Aug 1915
- 24th of Aug 1915
- 24th of Aug 1915
- 24th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 24th August 1915 In the Trenches
- 24th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 24th Aug 1915 Preparations
- 24th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 24th Aug 1915 Heavy Shells
- 24th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 24th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 24th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 24th of August 1915 Baths and Instruction
- 24th Aug 1915 New CO
- 24th Aug 1915 Equipment
- 24th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 24th Aug 1915 On the March
- 24th August 1915 Attack from the trenches
- 95th Field Coy RE proceed to France 6:45am
95th Field Coy RE departed Amesbury, Wiltshire in 2 trains for port of
embarkation Southampton to join the British Expeditionary Force in
France.
- Divisional Sports day 6th County of London Brigade RFA report
2/Lt V.C. Lucas proceeded to England on 7 days leave.
A one days holiday was granted by GOCRA so that all ranks could attend
the Divisional Sports at Lozinghem.
Chief Judge was Lt Col A.C. Lowe DSO (6th London Brigade RFA) and Chief
Marshall was Capt M.J.K. O’Malley (6th London Brigade RFA).
The following events were won by teams or individuals of the 6th London Brigade RFA
- 1. Team Driving.
- 2. Relay Race.
- 3. Quarter Mile Open.
- 4. Light Draught Horse - 3rd prize.
- 5. Officers Jumping (open) 3rd prize.
War Diaries
- 1st Battalion Royal Scots in France 1915. 1st Battalion Royal Scots in France 1915.
- 25th August 1915 9th Lancers honours
- 25th Aug 1915 Raid on Steel Works
- 25th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 25th Aug 1915 Digging
- 25th Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 25th Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 25th Aug 1915 Orders
- 25th Aug 1915 Losses
- 25th August 1915
- 25th Aug 1915 Artillery Active
- 25th of Aug 1915
- 25th of Aug 1915
- 25th of Aug 1915
- 25th of Aug 1915
- 25th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 25th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 25th Aug 1915 Refitting
- 25th Aug 1915 Preparations
- 25th August 1915 Louvencourt
- 25th Aug 1915 Heavy Shelling
- 25th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 25th Aug 1915 Aircraft damaged
- 25th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 25th Aug 1915 On the March
- 25th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 25th of August 1915 Trench Tour by 2/C
- 25th Aug 1915 Line Reorganised
- 25th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 25th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 25th of August 1915 Training
- 25th August 1915 Instruction
- Conference and Inspections The
OC. Brigade and Adjutant 6th County of London Brigade RFA attended the
Divisional Artillery conference at Lozinghem.
The Veterinary Officer Lt W.P.S. Edwards was attached to 1st Division;
his duties will be performed by the ADVS, 47th Division, Capt. J. Abson.
An inspection of the Technical Stores Wagon of the Ammunition Column was
carried out.
War Diaries
- 26th Aug 1915 A Warm Night
- 11th West Yorks proceed to France 11th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment proceed to France on the 26th of August 1915, landing at Le Havre.
- 26th August 1915 Demonstration of Poison Gas
- 26th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 26th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 26th Aug 1915 Entrenching
- 26th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 26th August 1915
- 26th Aug 1915 Mines
- 26th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 26th of Aug 1915
- 26th of Aug 1915
- 26th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 26th Aug 1915 Inspection
- 26th Aug 1915 Leave
- 26th Aug 1915 Bombardment
- 26th Aug 1915 Dugout Destroyed
- 26th Aug 1915 Award
- 26th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 26th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 26th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 26th of August 1915 CCs Tour Trenches
- 26th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 26th Aug 1915 Ranging
- 26th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 26th August 1915 Filling in the trenches
- Relocations The 15th London Battery moved its present Wagon Line to a new position in the Bois Des Dames.
War Diaries
- 27th Aug 1915 8th Yorks & Lancs proceed to France
- 27th August 1915 New Co for B Sqd. 9th Lancers
- Mr Samuel Roberts MP visits Sheffield Battalion Mr Samuel Roberts MP visits Sheffield City Battalion at Ripon camp.
- The
Tyneside Irish Brigade was taken over by the War Office and ceased to
be the responsibility of the Tyneside Irish Committee.
The Tyneside Irish were now in the last stages of training and would
shortly be ready to take the field.
research
- 27th Aug 1915 19th Seige Bty RGA move
- 27th Aug 1915 The dugout
- 27th Aug 1915 Cold Hearted
- 27th Aug 1915 7th Northumberlands into Trenches
- 27th Aug 1915 Working Partys
- 27th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 27th Aug 1915 Deep in the Ground
- 27th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 27th Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 27th Aug 1915 Enemy Inquisitive
- 27th Aug 1915 Leave Ends
- 27th August 1915
- 27th Aug 1915 Saps
- 27th Aug 1915 Orders
- 27th of Aug 1915
- 27th of Aug 1915
- 27th Aug 1915 In the Trenches
- 27th Aug 1915 Reinforcements
- 27th Aug 1915 Orders
- 27th Aug 1915 Leave
- 27th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 27th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 27th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 27th Aug 1915 Aircraft damaged
- 27th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 27th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 27th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 27th of August 1915 On the March
- 27th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 27th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 27th August 1915 Stores returned
- Appointments 6th County of London Brigade RFA reports
Lt G. Lyon-Smith appointed Orderly Officer 236 Brigade and transferred from 15th London Battery to Brigade Headquarters Staff.
Lt J.C. Woollett transferred from 16th London Ammunition Column to 15th London Battery.
2/Lt J. H Van den Bergh transferred from Brigade Headquarters Staff to 6th London Ammunition Column.
War Diaries
- 1st Battalion Royal Scots in France 1915. 1st Battalion Royal Scots in France 1915.
- 28th Aug 1915 9th Lancers working party
- 34th Division move to Salisbury Plain In
late August 1915 22nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers along with the
other units of 34th Division leave Ripon and move for final training
and firing practice at Salisbury Plain.
- 34th Division move to Salisbury Plain In
late August 1915 22nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers along with the
other units of 34th Division leave Ripon and move for final training
and firing practice at Salisbury Plain.
- 28th Aug 1915 19th Seige Bty RGA move
- 28th Aug 1915 Harvest near the Trenches
- 28th Aug 1915 First Casualty for 10th Essex
- 28th Aug 1915 Range Finder course at Bisley
- 28th Aug 1915 5th Lincs Relieved by 4th Leics
- 28th Aug 1915 Trench Visit
- 28th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 28th Aug 1915 Sniping
- 28th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 28th Aug 1915 Parade
- 28th August 1915
- 28th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 28th Aug 1915 Diversion
- 0900
- 28th of Aug 1915
- 28th of Aug 1915
- 28th of Aug 1915
- 28th of Aug 1915
- 28th of Aug 1915
- 28th of Aug 1915
- 28th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 28th Aug 1915 Inspection
- 28th Aug 1915 On the March
- 28th Aug 1915 Leave
- 28th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 28th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 28th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 28th Aug 1915 In Camp
- 28th Aug 1915 Artillery Active
- 28th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 28th of August 1915 Relief Completed
- 28th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 28th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 28th August 1915 Leaving for Southampton
- Diary reports summary 6th
County of London Brigade RFA reports war diary summary signed off by
2/Lt J.H. Van den Bergh on relinquishing his post as Orderly Officer at
Brigade Headquarters.
War Diaries
- 29th August 1915 9th Lancers working part not relieved
- 29th Aug 1915 65th Bde Advance Party leave for France
- 29th Aug 1915 Ships Sunk
- 29th Aug 1915 Submarine Lost
- 29th Aug 1915 Passenger Ship Lost
- 29th Aug 1915 Ship Captured
- 29th Aug 1915 Enemy Mine Explodes
- 29th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 29th Aug 1915 At Rest
- 29th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 29th Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 29th Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 29th Aug 1915 Heavy Rain
- 29th Aug 1915 Orders
- 29th August 1915
- 29th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 29th of Aug 1915
- 29th of Aug 1915
- 29th of Aug 1915
- 29th of Aug 1915
- 29th of Aug 1915
- 29th of Aug 1915
- 29th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 29th Aug 1915 Church Parade
- 29th Aug 1915 Preparations
- 29th Aug 1915 Baths
- 29th August 1915 Sailly-au-Bois
- 29th Aug 1915 In Billets
- 29th Aug 1915 In Camp
- 29th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 29th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 29th of August 1915 In the Front Line
- 29th Aug 1915 Enemy Artillery
- 29th Aug 1915 Enemy Aircraft
- 29th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 29th August 1915 No church parade
- Appointments 6th County of London Brigade RFA report
Capt O’Malley left Gosnay for Les Brebis with telephonists.
A party of 40 men under Lt Bruce left Gosnay to proceed to Novelles
Lt Bruce returned to Gosnay after conducting the party to it's destination.
War Diaries
- 30th Aug 1915 9th Lancers in billets
- 30th Aug 1915 Echo!
- 30th Aug 1915 Gallant Work
- 30th Aug 1915 Cargo Ships Lost
- 30th Aug 1915 The Best Shots
- 30th Aug 1915 Huns tried to Burn us Out
- 30th Aug 1915 Enemy Mine Explodes
- 30th Aug 1915 Under Shellfire
- 30th Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 30th Aug 1915 Inspection
- 30th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 30th Aug 1915 On the Move
- 30th August 1915
- 30th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 30th of Aug 1915
- 30th of Aug 1915
- 30th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 30th Aug 1915 Football
- 30th Aug 1915 Preparations
- 30th Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 30th Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 30th Aug 1915 Route March
- 30th Aug 1915 In Camp
- 30th Aug 1915 Arrivals
- 30th Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 30th Aug 1915 HQ Moves
- 30th Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 30th of August 1915 Shelling and Spies
- 30th Aug 1915 Specialists
- 30th Aug 1915 Shelling
- 30th Aug 1915 Quiet
- 30th August 1915 On the Move
- The 45th Siege Battery embarked at Southampton on August 31st and disembarked at Boulogne on the 1st September 1915.
- Lecture and moves 6th
County of London Brigade RFA records an additional party of 20 men
under Lt Blackwell, left Gosnay and proceeded to Noyelles.
Lecture by Capt McCombis, Chemical Advisor, 1st Army about use of smoke
helmets at Houchin. Lt Bruce and 2 NCOs attended.
Signed G Lyon Smith Lt
in his new post of Orderly Officer at Brigade Headquarters. War Diaries
- 1st Battalion Royal Scots Belgium & France 1914 - 1915. 1st Battalion Royal Scots in France.
To date 1st Battalion Royal Scots had lost 155 men (that are known)
- 22nd Heavy Battery proceed to France 22nd Heavy Battery RGA arrive in France
- 31st August 1915 Pioneering Class at Esquelbecq
- 31st Aug 1915 19th Seige Bty RGA at work
- 31st Aug 1915 Concert by Telephone
- 31st Aug 1915 7th Northumberlands Relieved
- 31st Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 31st Aug 1915 Blow Expected
- 31st Aug 1915 Reliefs Completed
- 31st Aug 1915 In Support
- 31st Aug 1915 Fatigues
- 31st Aug 1915 Quiet
- 31st Aug 1915 Sorrow
- 31st Aug 1915 On the Move
- 31st Aug 1915 On the Move
- 31st Aug 1915 Advance Party Departs
- 31st August 1915
- 31st Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 31st of Aug 1915
- 31st of Aug 1915
- 31st of Aug 1915
- 31st of Aug 1915
- 31st of Aug 1915
- 31st of Aug 1915
- 31st Aug 1915 Working Parties
- 31st Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 31st Aug 1915 Training
- 31st Aug 1915 On the March
- 31st Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 31st Aug 1915 On the March
- 31st Aug 1915 Baths
- 31st Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 31st Aug 1915 Shelling
- 31st Aug 1915 Trench Work
- 31st Aug 1915 In Reserve
- 31st Aug 1915 On the Move
- 31st of August 1915 A Quiet Day
- 31st Aug 1915 Reliefs
- 31st Aug 1915 Quiet
- 31st of August 1915 Inventions and Rewards
- 31st Aug 1915 Route March
- Sept.1915
- 8th January 1916 German aircraft bombing raid
- 8th Apr 1916 Dandy 9th only 15 yards from Enemy
- GCF Angel Road, Edmonton opens. Government
Cartridge Factory Angel Road, Edmonton, London started in August 1916
for the production of small arms ammunition. First output was May 1917.
In 1918 they also undertook aero-engine repair. It was under the direct
control of Eley Bros.
- CSAS Greenford opens Chemical
Shell Assembling Station Greenford, Middlesex started in August 1916
with first output in Jan 1917. Production was assembling lethal shell.
It was under the direct control of the Ministry of Munitions.
- NGF Upper Market Street, Woolwich opens. National
Gauge Factory Upper Market Street, Woolwich, London started in August
1916 for the production of gauges. It was under the direct control of
Pitter's Ventilating & Engineering Co.
- 1st Aug 1915 On the March
- 16th Northumberlands receive reinforcements A draft of 160 other ranks arrive at Houchain to reinforce the much depleated 16th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.
- Relocations 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery leave Aubrometz.
Brigade marched to Beauvoir Riviere. The Brigade started at 1545 and
marched by way of Buire au Bois - Noeux and Waurans.The Brigade arrived
at Beauvoir Rivierre by 1900. The Brigade was inspected by Brigadier
General R.A. at Noeux.
War Diaries
- Messines Sector - Flanders 16th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles - Pioneers.
At the end of July the 36th Ulster Division was sent back into the line
and all the moves of the 16th Battalion were to bring it into support
positions around Neuve Eglise opposite enemy positions on the Messines
Ridge.
The Battalion had grown accustomed to the terrain in the Picardy region
of France. Now they were to encounter the fairly flat low lying terrain
of Flanders with its water table problems that made defensive position,
road construction and maintenance methods a very different proposition.
Flanders, August 1916 to December 1916.
During August the entire 36th Division were committed to the Front and
pioneering work gathered pace. Everywhere there was water just below the
surface and even on the highest ground this was encountered within a
few feet. Communication trenches could only be dug down a couple of
feet, so construction had to be above ground by piling earthworks or
sandbags to the required heights.
The war diaries describe August as being routine work but with increased enemy shelling and resultant higher casualties.
Summary as follows:
- 4th August: Several shells fell near No. 3 Company’s farm and two
hit it killing all the mules and wounding the company commander’s
charger. Some rifles and equipment were damaged and a fire exploded some
ammunition. The men sheltered in the basement of a house until shelling
was over.
- 6th August: Two companies relocated from Bulford to Le Grande
Munque Farm to get closer to work. It could hold about 400 men and was
about 2000 yards behind the front line.
- 7th August: Battalion HQ moved to a point south of Petit Pont and camped there.
- No.4 Coy’s work assignment moved from Subsidiary Line to Gas Trench.
- 13th August: Artillery active from both sides.
- 14th August: GOC visited trenches and expressed approval of progress.
- 19th August: A note of irritation in the war diary entry.
"Without previous warning our artillery started a bombardment. The Boche
retaliated killing 2 men and wounding 3 of No. 2 Company also wounding 3
men of No.3 Company, one of whom died later from his wounds.
- 23rd August: 3 NCOs and 33 men were assigned to construct emplacement for a mortar battery.
- 24th August: A sentry from No.3 Company challenged another man
of No.2 Company and getting no reply, bayoneted him. The injured man was
sent to hospital.
- 26/27th August: All available men in Battalion, about 300, were
used to carry gas cylinders up to the front line trenches each night.
- 30/31st August: Gas attack on enemy took place at 0130 accompanied by a bombardment and a raid.
- 31st August: There was general retaliation by the enemy all day
and No.1 Company was shelled on its way to the trenches. Another small
gas attack on the enemy was carried out that night
Also during the month 2 officers and 44 ORs were attached to the 1st
Australian Tunneling Company for work on Hill 63. This involved digging
two galleries into its steep southern slope capable of holding two
battalions completely safe from any form of artillery fire.
An amusing incident was reported in Colonel Leader’s Memoirs.
After he left one of the billets he had been occupying, his landlady
complained to Divisional HQ that a grandfather cuckoo clock was missing.
The following correspondence took place:
- HQ to Leader: Can you offer any explanation?
- Leader to HQ: No.
- HQ to Leader: The GOC desires that you answer this question more fully.
- Leader to HQ: No I can’t.
- HQ to Leader: The GOC considers your answer most impertinent. Kindly send more particulars about this cuckoo clock.
- Leader to HQ: Cuckoo; cuckoo; cuckoo.
It then transpired that the lady’s son-in-law not trusting the British had removed the clock before the colonel’s occupation.
So he sent off a final message:
Leader to HQ: Soldiers I am innocent, the cuckoo clock has been found.
Later an officer from the Division on leave met a relative of the
Colonel who asked him if he knew John Leader, to which he replied: "Oh
yes, everyone knows the cuckoo colonel".
Colonel Leader was suffering from injuries received when his dugout was
blown in and eventually on the 8th August he allowed the Medical Officer
to evacuate him to No.12 Casualty Clearing Station and he was returned
to the UK.
His place as Commanding Officer was taken by Major Meares, who was promoted to Temporary Lt Colonel in September.
Casualties for August reported as:
Other Ranks 2 killed, 6 wounded and 1 died from wounds.
The Terrors by SN White
- Schütte-Lanz Airship.
Burial of Crew SL11 at Potter's Bar Cemetery Schütte-Lanz SL11
- First Flight: 1st August 1916
- Length: 174 metres (571 ft)
- Diameter: 20.1 metres (66 ft)
- Gas Capacity: 38,780 cubic meters
- Performance: 91.8 km/h
- Payload: 21 tonnes
- Engines: 4 Maybach 960 hp/716 kW total
Army airship based at Spich and Commanded by Hauptmann Wilhelm Schramm.
The first German airship to be shot down over Britain. It was attacked
over Hertfordshire by Lt. W.L. Robinson in a BE 2C with incendiary
ammunition on the 3rd September 1916. It crashed at Cuffley, having
bombed Saint Albans.
The crew were buried at Potters Bar Cemetery and in 1962 they were
re-interred at Cannock Chase German war cemetery. The press incorrectly
reported it as the L21 Zeppelin which was only corrected much later. It
was probably a touch of propaganda as the death of a baby-killer
Zeppelin rather than the lesser known SL Airship would create greater
public interest.
John Doran
- 1st August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 1st August 1916 Move to Somme area
- 1st August 1916 Trench activities
- 1st August 1916 Actions during 1916
- 1st August 1916 Staff ride and Regimental strength
- 1st August 1916 New Aircraft
- August 1916 Fighters
- August 1916
- 1st Aug 1916 Steel Arrows Collected
- 1st Aug 1916 Bathing
- 1st August 1916 New Squadron formed
- 1st Aug 1916 Training
- 1st Aug 1916 Under Shellfire
- 1st Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 1st of August 1916 New Emplacements
- 1st of August 1916 At Rest
- 1st Aug 1916 Grenades
- 1st August 1916
- 1st Aug 1916 On the March
- 1st Aug 1916 In the Trenches
- 1st Aug 1916 Working Party
- 1st Aug 1916 On the March
- 1st August 1916 New Squadron formed
- 1st of August 1916 Gas
- 1st of August 1916
- 1st Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 1st of August 1916 A Quiet Day
- 1st Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 1st Aug 1916 In Action
- 1st Aug 1916 Defence Work
- 1st Aug 1916 Training
- 1st Aug 1916 In Billets
- 1st of August 1916 In the Trenches
- 1st Aug 1916 In the Line
- 2nd Aug 1916 Shelling
- Daily Battery Report 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery at
Beauvoir Riviere.
Batteries at disposal of Battery Commanders.
War Diaries
- Zeppelin Raids on Britain 30th/31st July and 2/3rd August 1916
Adverse weather dispersed two Zeppelin raids on 30,31 July and 2,3 August.
John Doran
- 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
Hill 60 Loading of chamber in 8 and 11 listening posts completed. War Diary Transcript
- 2nd August 1916 inspections and training
- ongoing trench activity 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
2nd August - Ronville - Casualties 1 killed and 1 wounded.
war diaries
- 2nd Aug 1916 Very Hot
- 2nd Aug 1916 Aircraft Fired on
- 2nd Aug 1916 On the March
- 2nd Aug 1916 On the March
- 2nd Aug 1916 Shelling
- 2nd Aug 1916 On the Move
- 2nd Aug 1916 Inspection
- 2nd of August 1916
- 2nd Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 2nd August 1916
- 2nd Aug 1916 Training
- 2nd Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 2nd Aug 1916 Training
- 2nd of August 1916 Alert
- 2nd of August 1916
- 2nd Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 2nd of August 1916 Retaliation for TM Fire
- 2nd Aug 1916 On the March
- 2nd Aug 1916 Defence Work
- 2nd Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 2nd Aug 1916 Enemy Active
- Sport and Concert 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery are at
Beauvoir Riviere.
Batteries at disposal of Battery Commanders. In the afternoon a Brigade
swimming sports was held with great success and in the evening a camp
fire concert was held.
Col Kennedy 21st London Battalion sent the Battalion Band which was a
great success and the concert ended at 2200.
War Diaries
- 3rd August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 3rd August 1916 Training and relief party
- 3rd Aug 1916 Heavy Shelling
- 3rd Aug 1916 Enemy Aircraft
- 3rd Aug 1916 A Terrific Shock
- 3rd Aug 1916 Training
- 3rd Aug 1916 Trench Captured
- 3rd Aug 1916 Bathing
- 3rd Aug 1916 On the Move
- 3rd Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 3rd August 1916
- 3rd Aug 1916 Training
- 3rd Aug 1916 In the Trenches
- 3rd Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 3rd Aug 1916 Training
- 3rd of August 1916 Orders
- 3rd of August 1916
- 3rd Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 3rd of August 1916 North Midland Farm Hit
- 3rd Aug 1916 At Rest
- 3rd Aug 1916 Orders
- 3rd Aug 1916 Shelling
- Daily Battery Activity 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report
Batteries at the disposal of Battery Commanders.
War Diaries
- R Class Super Zeppelin Zeppelin LZ74 (L32)
- Production Ref: LZ74
- Class type : R
- Tactical ref: L32
- Usage: Military
- First Flight: 4th August 1916
History.
Made three attacks on England dropping a total of 6,860 kilograms
(15,120 lb)of bombs. Commanded by Kapitan-Leutnant Werner Petersen, with
L31, L33 and L34 part of a Zeppelin raid on the night of 23 September
1916. Intercepted and destroyed by 39 Home Defence Squadron British
fighter pilot 2nd Lt Frederick Sowrey in a BE2c on 24 September 1916
near Great Burstead, Essex, all the crew dying. The crew's bodies were
buried at Great Burstead, then in 1966 exhumed and reburied at Cannock
Chase.
John Doran
- 4th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 4th August 1916 Brigade communication scheme
- 4th Aug 1916 Heavy Bombardment
- 4th Aug 1916 Enemy Attack
- 1330. 18th Battn. relieved by 14 YORKS & LANCS. Moved into billets at LA FOSSE.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- Reliefs At 1330. 18th Durhams are relieved by 14th York & Lancs and moved into billets at La Fosse.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 4th Aug 1916 Secret Orders
- 4th Aug 1916 Divsional Reserve
- 4th Aug 1916 In Action
- 4th Aug 1916 Training
- 4th Aug 1916 Wounded Arrive
- 4th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 4th to 5th August 1916
- 4th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 4th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 4th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 4th Aug 1916 Training
- 4th of August 1916
- 4th of August 1916
- 4th of August 1916
- 4th Aug 1916 Inspection
- 4th of August 1916 Ulsters Extend Front Line
- 4th Aug 1916 On the March
- 4th Aug 1916 On the March
- 4th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 4th Aug 1916 Training
- 4th of August 1916 Wiring Party
- 4th Aug 1916 Some Shelling
- 16th Northumberlands on the march The 16th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers march to Bethune and take up billets in the tobacco factory on Beuvry Road.
- 3rd Monmouths to be broken up On
the 5th August after more than a month under battle conditions on the
Somme, the 3rd Battalion Monmoutshire Regiment received the
disheartening news that it was impossible to reinforce the three active
service Battalions of the Regiment, in consequence the 3rd Battalion,
being the junior Battalion, would be broken up to provide drafts for the
other Battalions
- Moves 236th London Brigade
Royal Field Artillery leave
Beauvoir Riviere (now Beauvoir-Wavans).
Brigade marched to Vitz Villeroy and Villeroy sur Authie. Brigade HQ
being at the latter. Brigade marched off at 0445 and arrived at Vitz
Villeroy at 0900 marching by Auxi le Chateau and Willencourt.
War Diaries
- 5th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 5th August 1916 Mounted work
- August 1916 Patrols
- 5th Aug 1916 Guns Captured
- 5th Aug 1916 Inspection and Training
- 5th Aug 1916 Prisoners Taken
- 5th Aug 1916 On the March
- 5th of August 1916 Another Relief
- 5th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 5th Aug 1916 Under Fire
- 5th Aug 1916 Under Shellfire
- 5th Aug 1916 Shelling
- 5th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 5th Aug 1916 Training
- 5th of August 1916
- 5th of August 1916
- 5th of August 1916
- 5th of August 1916
- 5th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 5th of August 1916 Germans Working on Trenches
- 5th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 5th Aug 1916 On the March
- 5th Aug 1916 Training
- 5th of August 1916 Situation Quiet
- 5th Aug 1916 Shelling
- New commander for 16th Northumberlands Lt
Col Ritson relinquishes command of 16th Battalion Northumberland
Fusiliers and returns home. Major Little replaces him. The Battalion
take part in an open-air service commemorating second anniversary of
outbreak of war.
- Recce 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report from
Vitz-Villeroy.
The Brigade carried out a minor recce in conjunction with 235th Brigade RFA.
War Diaries
- 6th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 6th August 1916 Church services
- 6th Aug 1916 Airmen Hold the Skies
- 6th Aug 1916 On the March
- 6th Aug 1916 Ground Gained
- 6th Aug 1916 Church Parade
- 6th Aug 1916 Training
- 6th Aug 1916 Tear Gas
- 6th Aug 1916 Reinforcements
- 6th of August 1916 Rearrangements
- 6th of August 1916 A Failed Patrol
- 6th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 6th Aug 1916 Gas
- 6th August 1916
- 6th Aug 1916 Under Shellfire
- 6th Aug 1916 At Rest
- 6th Aug 1916 Church Parade
- 6th of August 1916 Reliefs
- 6th of August 1916
- 6th of August 1916
- 6th Aug 1916 In Support
- 6th of August 1916 Quiet Day
- 6th Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 6th Aug 1916 Training
- 6th Aug 1916 Church Parade
- 6th Aug 1916 Visit
- 6th Aug 1916 Enemy
- Daily Battery Activity 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report
Batteries at disposal of Battery Commanders.
War Diaries
- 9th Sherwoods Machine gunners in action on The Somme The
Machine Gun Company of the 9th Sherwood Forresters was attached to the
South Staffs Regt prior to the Somme Offensive and went into action in
Delville Wood on the 7th August 1916.
- 7th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 7th August 1916 Divisional Staff Ride and Casting of Horses
- 7th Aug 1916 Good News
- 7th Aug 1916 On the March
- Reinforcements 18th DLI are at La Fosse. A draft 50 OR reported to HQ. Col R.E. Cheyne 29th Lancers reported & assumed command.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 7th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 7th Aug 1916 Reliefs Completed
- 7th Aug 1916 Training
- 7th Aug 1916 On the March
- 7th August 1916 Divisional Front Extended
- 7th of August 1916 Unsuccessful Patrol
- 7th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 7th August 1916
- 7th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 7th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 7th Aug 1916 Training
- 7th Aug 1916 Working Party
- 7th of August 1916 Reliefs
- 7th of August 1916
- 7th Aug 1916 Mine Exploded
- 7th of August 1916 A Red Balloon
- 7th Aug 1916 HQ Moves
- 7th Aug 1916 Training
- 7th Aug 1916 Prisoners
- 7th Aug 1916 Training
- 7th Aug 1916 Visit
- 7th Aug 1916 Arrival
- 7th Aug 1916 Quiet
- 3rd Monmouths withdrawn The
3rd Monmouth Battalion moved back to Forceville, where Major-General
Perceval, GOC 49th Division, gave them a farewell speech.
- Daily Battery Activity 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery:
Batteries at disposal of Battery Commanders.
- Zeppelin Raids on Britain 8/9th August 1916
On 8,9 August, two Zeppelins were part of a nine airship raid on Hull.
John Doran
- Brigade staff ride and appointments 9th Queens Royal Lancers
8th Aug 1916 - Bivouac near Querrieu - 2/Lt GH Harris and M Hunter
returned to duty with the Regiment from 1st Cavalry Division working
party. Lt LPG Kelly proceeded to 1st Cavalry Division working party for
duty. GOC 2nd Cavalry Brigade held a staff ride for COs, Adjutants and
Squadron Leaders.
4 ORs to Hospital, 6 Remount Horses to MVS and 4 ORs joined from Base.
war diaries
- 8th Aug 1916 Pleasantly Sunny
- 8th Aug 1916 On the March
- 8th Aug 1916 In Billets
- 8th Aug 1916 Parades
- 8th Aug 1916 Training
- 8th Aug 1916 Training
- 8th August 1916 Bravey Recognised
- 8th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 8th August 1916
- 8th Aug 1916 Wire
- 8th Aug 1916 Training
- 8th Aug 1916 Training
- 8th Aug 1916 Working Party
- 8th of August 1916 Reliefs
- 8th Aug 1916 Recce
- 8th of August 1916 Patrols Out
- 8th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 8th Aug 1916 Training
- 8th Aug 1916 Visit
- 3rd Monmouths entrain The 3rd Monmouth Battalion entrain at Acheux for Hesdin and go into billets at Capelle.
- Divisional Field Day 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery billeted at
Vitz-Villeroy took part in
Divisional Field Day. The Brigade massed at Divisional Artillery HQ near
Roofles and, after going over a pontoon bridge constructed by
Divisional Royal Engineers, proceeded to take up positions in the
neighbourhood of Caumont. After batteries had been in action until 1430,
retirement to billets was ordered.
War Diaries
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-58
Type U 57
Shipyard A.G. Weser, Bremen (Werk 213)
Ordered 6 Oct 1914
Laid down 8 Jun 1915
Launched 31 May 1916
Commissioned 9 Aug 1916
Commanders.
9 Aug 1916 - 3 Jun 1917 Kurt Wippern.
4 Jun 1917 - 26 Jun 1917 Peter Hermann.
27 Jun 1917 - 30 Oct 1917 Karl Scherb.
31 Oct 1917 - 17 Nov 1917 Gustav Amberger
Career 8 patrols.
16 Oct 1916 - 17 Nov 1917 II Flotilla
Successes 21 ships sunk with a total of 30,906 tons.
- 27 Oct 1916 U 58 Kurt Wippern Ellen 140 sw
- 4 Dec 1916 U 58 Kurt Wippern Senta 1,024 sw
- 5 Dec 1916 U 58 Kurt Wippern Stettin 412 nw
- 1 Mar 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Norma 850 nw
- 25 Apr 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Havila 1,421 da
- 25 Apr 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Hawthornbank 1,369 da
- 25 Apr 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Sokoto 2,259 da
- 27 Apr 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Dromore 4,398 br
- 27 Apr 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Langfond 1,097 nw
- 28 Apr 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Bullmouth 4,018 br
- 2 May 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Beeswing 1,462 br
- 2 May 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Dione 785 nw
- 2 May 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Vanduara 2,079 nw
- 5 May 1917 U 58 Kurt Wippern Asra 1,975 nw
- 18 Jun 1917 U 58 Peter Hermann Bega 318 br
- 19 Jun 1917 U 58 Peter Hermann Ivigtut 456 da
- 6 Jul 1917 U 58 Karl Scherb Motor 63 da
- 8 Jul 1917 U 58 Karl Scherb Fiorella 1,168 nw
- 13 Jul 1917 U 58 Karl Scherb Charilaos Tricoupis 2,475 gr
- 21 Jul 1917 U 58 Karl Scherb Ramillies 2,935 br
- 14 Nov 1917 U 58 Gustav Amberger Dolly Warden 202 br
Fate 17 Nov 1917 - Depth charged by destroyer USS Fanning off the south
coast of Ireland 51°37’N, 8°12’W . 2 dead, unknown number of survivors.
Location incorrectly given as 51°32’N, 05°21’W in many sources.
There was another U 58 in World War Two.
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 12 Oct 1938 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 4 Feb 1939.
John Doran
- 9th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 9th August 1916 Brigade relocation to Pont Remy
- Trench raiding party 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
9/10th August - Ronville - A party under the supervision of 2/Lt Clay
successfully inflicted 4 casualties on the enemy's wiring party who were
inspecting their own wire and brought into our lines two of the bodies
and the tunic and cap of a third, enabling the identity of the enemy to
be discovered. We suffered no casualties.
war diaries
- 9th August 1916 Battle of Romani
- 9th Aug 1916 Very Hot
- 9th Aug 1916 Attack Made by Liverpool Scottish
- 9th Aug 1916 On the March
- Change of Billets 1530.
18th Battn. Durham Light Infantry vacated billets at La Fosse and
moved into billets at Le Hamel (HQ & C Coy) and Essars (A. B. D
Coy’s)
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 9th Aug 1916 Under Shellfire
- 9th Aug 1916 Reliefs Completed
- 9th Aug 1916 Bravery Recognised
- 9th Aug 1916 On the March
- 9th of August 1916 TM Attack
- 9th Aug 1916 Retaliation
- 9th August 1916
- 9th Aug 1916 Wire
- 9th Aug 1916 Reinforcements
- 9th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 9th of August 1916
- 9th Aug 1916 Recce
- 9th of August 1916 Heavy Bombardment by Germans
- 9th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 9th Aug 1916 Salvage
- 9th Aug 1916 Training
- 9th Aug 1916 Visit
- Movements 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery leave
Vitz-Villeroy,
Brigade moved to bivouac site near Lanches. A start was made from Vitz
Villeroy at 0600 and it arrived at Lanches about 1230, marching by
Willencourt-Bernatre-Argenville and Beau Metz - a halt being made at
Argenville for water.
War Diaries
- 10th August 1916 Further relocation
- 10th Aug 1916 A Visit From the King
- 10th Aug 1916 On the March
- Reliefs 18th Durhams HQ moved from Le Hamel to Essars
At
20.05. 18th Battn DLI relieved 2nd Wilts, vacated billets & moved
into trenches East of Festubert, B Co. & D Co. in Front Line right
& left, C & A Co in Support Lines. Hants Battn on right 16th
West Yorks on left. 15th West Yorks & 1 Co. 11th East Yorks in
Brigade Reserve. Wagon line moved into billets at Le Touret. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 10th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 10th Aug 1916 Dugouts Constructed
- 10th Aug 1916 Working Party
- 10th Aug 1916 Royal Inspection
- 10th August 1916 Preparations
- 10th Aug 1916 Training
- 10th of August 1916 A Dead German
- 10th Aug 1916 Relef
- 10th August 1916
- 10th Aug 1916 In the Trenches
- 10th Aug 1916 Training
- 10th Aug 1916 Address
- 10th Aug 1916 Shelling
- 10th of August 1916
- 10th of August 1916
- 10th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 10th of August 1916 Medium TMs Used
- 10th Aug 1916 In Huts
- 10th Aug 1916 Outposts
- 10th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 10th Aug 1916 Training
- 10th Aug 1916 Trench Mortars
- Movements 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery depart
Lanches and the Brigade moved to Havernas with a start being made at 0630 via Behcuil-Panaples. Arrived in Havernas at 0915.
War Diaries
- 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
Defensive System between 9 and 13 gallery connected again.
10th Battalion relieved by 60th Battalion. War Diary Transcript
- 11th August 1916 Brigade Conference at Incheville
- 11th Aug 1916 Trench Captured
- 11th Aug 1916 On the March
- Reliefs 2nd
Wiltshires relieved Hamphshires on right of 18th Battalion, DLI in
Trenches In Festubert Sector. Misty morning. Clear later & hot.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 11th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 11th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 11th Aug 1916 On the March
- 11th Aug 1916 Fatigues
- 11th of August 1916 Routine Work
- 11th Aug 1916 Patrols
- 11th August 1916
- 11th Aug 1916 In the Trenches
- 11th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 11th Aug 1916 On the March
- 11th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 11th of August 1916
- 11th Aug 1916 Trench Motars
- 11th of August 1916 Very Warm Weather
- 11th Aug 1916 Training
- 11th Aug 1916 Training
- 11th Aug 1916 Training
- 11th Aug 1916 Training
- 11th of August 1916 In the Trenches
- 11th Aug 1916 Patrol
- 50th AIF go into Front line on The Somme 50th
Battalion AIF moved into the front line at Wire Trench near La
Boisselle on the Somme. They were quickly ordered forward to relieve the
16th Battalion. Upon reaching Tom's Cut, the movement was spotted by
enemy observers and a heavy barrage rained down. They met the men of the
16th in Park Lane with both battalions, crowding into the trench as the
exchange took place. The heavy barrage continued until 7.30pm when it
eased somewhat. The 50th suffered heavy losses, especially amongst
officers and NCOs.
- Movements 236th London
Brigade Royal Field Artillery leave
Havernas and the Brigade moved to Behencourt, marching off at 1200 and
arriving at 1800. The route was via Flesselles, Villers Bocage, Molliens
au Bois and Montigany. OC. Brigade and Battery Commanders proceeded to
look at the new Gallery position near Mametz now occupied by 23
Divisional RFA.
War Diaries
- Submarine KUK U12 lost Submarine k.u.k. U12 is sunk on the 12th August 1916.
- 12th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 12th August 1916 rest and relocation
- 12th August 1916 Squadron training
- 12th Aug 1916 The Splendid Sherwoods
- 12th Aug 1916 Thick Fog
- 12th Aug 1916 On the March
- In the Trenches 18th
Durhams report from Trenches in Festubert Sector "Misty morning. Clear
later & hot. 2 Lt G.H. Lean reported for duty."
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 12th Aug 1916 Bathing
- 12th Aug 1916 Under Shellfire
- 12th Aug 1916 Air Raid
- 12th Aug 1916 Reliefs Completed
- 12th Aug 1916 On the March
- 12th Aug 1916 Training
- 12th Aug 1916 Conditions
- 12th Aug 1916 Quiet
- Too Hot "From
all accounts this is the last Sunday we shall spend here. The King is
coming down on Wednesday I think to inspect the battalion before they
depart.
This turn in the trenches is very quiet indeed up to the present, I am
pleased to say. The daytime I think has been too hot for either side to
show much energy, although both sides let one another repeatedly know
they are still there. The best and quietest time has been from about 6
to 10 at night. We generally get our pipes out and sit and chat to our
hearts’ content. Gradually the heat of the day gives way to evening cool
and calm. About nine the machine guns get busy and the Verey lights
start going up. As we are sheltered behind about 40 layers of sandbags
the guns do not worry us except for stopping the conversation. Later
good nights are said and we retire to our respective dugouts to await
another hopeless dawn.
Will you tell Dad to buy a copy of Today August 12 as Cope Cornford’s
new book Contentious Consolation is reviewed on page 460. You might get
me a copy of the book and send it along (Williams and Norgate 2/6). Will
you please send me £1 for enclosed; if you can get more than 27.80
please send in French currency." Pte. Harry Davison, 26th Royal
Fusiliers in a letter on headed notepaper, 26th (S) Battalion The Royal
Fusiliers (Bankers) to his wife Olive.
- 12th Aug 1916 Cellars
- 12th August 1916
- 12th Aug 1916 In Action
- 12th Aug 1916 Training
- 12th Aug 1916 Bathing
- 12th Aug 1916 Working Party
- 12th of August 1916
- 12th Aug 1916 Artillery Active
- 12th of August 1916 Messines Shelled
- 12th Aug 1916 Training
- 12th Aug 1916 Training
- 12th Aug 1916 Training
- 12th Aug 1916 Training
- 12th Aug 1916 Training
- 12th Aug 1916 Enemy Active
- Action Positions 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery at
Behencourt.
C236 Battery and sections of A236, B236 and D236 Batteries move up to
action positions at Bottom Wood. The remainder stay at Behencourt.
War Diaries
- 13th August 1916 Church Parade and reinforcements
- Change of Commanding Officer 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
13th August - Ronville - Lt Colonel WEW Elkington relinquishes command
of the Battalion on being ordered to join the 1st Battalion,
Lincolnshire Regiment.
war diaries
- 13th Aug 1916 Marking Time
- 13th Aug 1916 Sucessful Attack Made
- 13th Aug 1916 On the March
- 13th Aug 1916 Another Accident
- Shelling 18th
Durhams report from Trenches in Festubert Sector "Cooperation of 16
Grenade Rifles with 93rd T.M.B on Popes Nose 7.30am. Stokes guns
appeared to be indifferently aimed. Enemy retaliated 1pm with
indifferent effect upon front line. Weather cooler. 3 OR wounded."
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 13th Aug 1916 On the March
- 13th Aug 1916 Church Parade
- 13th Aug 1916 Quiet
- 13th Aug 1916 At Rest
- 13th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 13th August 1916
- 13th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 13th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 13th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 13th of August 1916
- 13th Aug 1916 Mine Exploded
- 13th of August 1916 POWs Taken
- 13th Aug 1916 Training
- 13th Aug 1916 Leave
- 13th Aug 1916 Training
- 13th Aug 1916 On the March
- 13th Aug 1916 Church Parade
- 13th Aug 1916 Training
- 13th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 3rd Monmouths split 200 NCO's and men of the 3rd Monmouth Battalion left to join the 2nd Monmouthshire's
- Relocations 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report
the remaining sections of A236, B236 and D236 Batteries move into action positions at Bottom Wood.
Gunner Wood and Gunner Mason injured through GS Wagon overturning.
War Diaries
- 14th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- Appointments 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
14th August 1916 - Ronville - 2/Lt Constantine W and Smith WH posted for
duty from officers base depot to B and C company respectively.
war diaries
- 14th August 1916 Intense personal training for men and horses
- 14th Aug 1916 New Billets
- 14th Aug 1916 145 MGC in Action
- Reliefs 18th
Durhams are in Trenches in Festubert Sector. Weather cooler with fresh
West wind. Some artillery activity against hostile trenches North of
us.
2130. C Co. relieved B, & A Co. relieved D. New disposition
Right Front Line - C Co. Left Front Line - A Co. Right Support B Co.
Left Support D Co. 1 OR wounded & died of wounds later. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 14th Aug 1916 Conference
- 14th Aug 1916 Orders Issued
- 14th Aug 1916 Quiet
- 14th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 14th Aug 1916 Reinforcements
- 14th Aug 1916 In Billets
- 14th August 1916
- 14th Aug 1916 Reorganisation
- 14th Aug 1916 Training
- 14th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 14th of August 1916
- 14th of August 1916
- 14th of August 1916
- 14th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 14th of August 1916 A Deceptive Patrol
- 14th Aug 1916 Training
- 14th Aug 1916 Training
- 14th Aug 1916 Training
- 14th Aug 1916 Defence Work
- 14th Aug 1916 Training
- 14th Aug 1916 Quiet
- 14th Aug 1916 Course
- Work Done 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery at
Bottom Wood.
46th Infantry Brigade in trenches. Quiet day. Work done on positions. Quiet on the front
War Diaries
- 15th August 1916 Somme action
- 15th August 1916 New CO Appointed
- 15th August 1916 Ongoing training
- 15th Aug 1916 A Tedious Day
- 15th Aug 1916 Guns Attached
- Shelling 18th
Durhams hold Trenches in Festubert Sector. Weather cool. Slight
artillery activity 10.45 to 11.15am on both sides, some shells fell on
our North Old British Line 1 to 2.15 Heavy showers.
1445. An
arranged bombardment of Field Artillery 4.5 hours. Stokes Guns &
machine Guns on Popes Nose opened. Hostile artillery replied quickly at
first slightly on Front Line, then more heavily on Cover Trench &
George Trench, next with effect on O.B.L. round Battalion HQ two bays
& 2 dugouts being blown in. Casualties 3, this small number being
due largely to removal of troops from trenches usually occupied to
disused trenches in rear of successive lines. Damage was also done to
Barnton No 11 Island parapet blown in in parts. Slight artillery both
sides at night.
2nd East Yorks relieved 2nd Wilts on right on night of 15th-16th.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 15th Aug 1916 On the March
- 15th August 1916
- 15th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1916 On the March
- 15th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 15th of August 1916 Moving the Wagons
- 15th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 15th of August 1916 Back to the Trenches
- 15th to 16th August 1916
- 15th Aug 1916 In Billets
- 15th August 1916 Promotion to Sergeant
- 15th Aug 1916 On the March
- 15th Aug 1916 Visit
- 15th Aug 1916 Artillery Active
- 15th of August 1916
- 15th of August 1916
- 15th of August 1916
- 15th Aug 1916 Baths
- 15th of August 1916 Wire-Cutting
- 15th Aug 1916 On the March
- 15th Aug 1916 Training
- 15th Aug 1916 Defence Work
- 15th Aug 1916 Training
- 15th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 13th Kings Liverpool attack Guillmont Made
an attack on the village of Guillmont, attack failed with heavy
casualties due to poor preparation. One of the casualties was CSM John
Burns, killed whilst leading his men in to the attack.
- Light Shelling 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report
Quiet day except for German shelling at intervals of Welsh Alley and
70th Avenue where all our Observation Points are. There was a practice
barrage at 1600. Our Batteries shelled Switch Line on right of tramway
running to Martinpuich during the night.
War Diaries
- 15th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 16th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 16th August 1916 Ongoing training
- 16th August 1916 Bombardment of enemy trenches
- 16th Aug 1916 Hard Times
- 16th Aug 1916 On the Move
- Under Shellfire 18th
DLI are in Trenches in the Festubert Sector. Bright & South West
wind. 1.45pm enemy artillery actions, some 5.9s dropped between Cover
Trench and O.B.L. but majority on Battalion to our left.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 16th Aug 1916 On the March
- 16th Aug 1916 Attack Made
- 16th Aug 1916 On the March
- 16th Aug 1916 On the March
- 16th Aug 1916 In the Trenches
- 16th of August 1916 Shrapnel Showers
- 16th Aug 1916 In Action
- 16th of August 1916 Patrolling
- 16th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 16th Aug 1916 In Billets
- 16th Aug 1916 On the March
- 16th Aug 1916 On the March
- 16th Aug 1916 Attack Made
- 16th of August 1916
- 16th of August 1916
- 16th Aug 1916 Baths
- 16th of August 1916 Hill 63 Shelled
- 16th Aug 1916 Training
- 16th Aug 1916 Training
- 16th Aug 1916 Defence Work
- 16th Aug 1916 Instruction
- 16th Aug 1916 On the March
- 16th Aug 1916 Change of Command
- Registration 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report from
Bottom Wood.
Quiet day until 1500. The morning was spent in registration of targets.
Lt Graburn C236 Battery was wounded in the trenches.
Batteries formed an intense barrage 220 yards over the Switch Line and
infantry made a bombing attack along the Switch Line towards Tramway.
The Germans made feeble counter attack near the Tramway which was
repulsed. There was no firing during the night by Batteries.
- 17th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 17th August 1916 Routine and swimming sports
- Bad weather 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
17th August - Ronville - Heavy rain during day and thunderstorms.
war diaries
- 17th Aug 1916 Parcels from Home
- Bombardment Trenches in Festubert Sector are held by 18th Durham light Infantry
04.37.
Fine & calm. Six willow trees, considered to be of value to enemy
as range marks near our parapet opposite 12 Islands, blown up at 4.37am. 15.55.
Combined bombardment by R.A. & L.T.M.B. of German trenches S27d.
4.15pm German guns answered chiefly on our left Islands & Barnton
Trench with whizz bangs. Bombardment ended 4.55pm. The front line &
O.B.L. was again thinned as on 15.8.16 and troops withdrawn to disused
trenches. Casualties Nil. Damage done to our trenches insignificant. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 17th Aug 1916 On the March
- 17th Aug 1916 On the March
- 17th Aug 1916 On the March
- 17th Aug 1916 Barrage
- 17th Aug 1916 Storm
- 17th of August 1916 New Wagon Lines
- 17th of August 1916 Two Reinforcements
- 17th Aug 1916 Mobilization
- 17th August 1916
- 17th Aug 1916 In Billets
- 17th Aug 1916 On the March
- 17th Aug 1916 On the March
- 17th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 17th of August 1916
- 17th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 17th of August 1916 Heath Trench Shelled
- 17th Aug 1916 On the March
- 17th August 1916 Ambulance Train
- 17th August 1916 Concert
- 17th Aug 1916 Defence Work
- Air Raid During
the evening, two Zeppelins raided Steetley's Basic works at Coxhoe,
where they were producing Doloma for steel furnace linings. Twelve high
explosive bombs and fourteen incendiaries were dropped, leaving several
craters, slight damage to houses, at Coxhoe, Joint Stocks and
Quarrington Hill, with much broken glass. A few yards of the railway
track at was destroyed Kelloe Colliery.
Extra protection was recommended to be given to site following this
raid, including the siting of an anti air craft gun. A concrete air raid
shelter was constructed at West Hetton Lodge.
- Heavy Barrage 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report:
At 0855 a heavy barrage was put up by our batteries 200 yards over the
Switch Line and formed with 47th Division Artillery a double barrage.
At 1445 a further heavy barrage at Switch Line on the right of Tramway.
Smoke was discharged on our front and the 1st Division attacked the
intermediate line on our right. They got in but were driven out.
From 2030 fire was kept up at odd intervals on tracks and trenches
leading to Martinpuich.
War Diaries
- 18th August 1916 Inter troop competitions
- 18th Aug 1916 Lost Time
- Reliefs 18th
DLI are in Trenches in the Festubert sector and report: "04.00. Very
misty. Enemy artillery sent over several heavy shells, perhaps 5.9s, but
all fell North of right subsector & did not affect us. Our guns
retaliated. All was quiet by 4.30am.
10.00. Fine. At 4.25pm Enemy
artillery bombarded rear of Front Line without effect, our guns
retaliated slightly. Wet in evening. 21.30. W.Y.R with 75 W.Y.S,
75 H.Y.T relieved 18th DLI less B Co. Relief completed 11.30pm. 18th DLI
less B Co. marched to Le Touret and took over billets from 11th East
Yorks. B Co. remained as Right Co. in Support in O.B.L. No activity of
any kind from guns or rifles during relief." 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 18th Aug 1916 Lack of Waterproof Sheets
- 18th Aug 1916 In Action
- 18th Aug 1916 In Action
- 18th Aug 1916 On the March
- 18th Aug 1916 Rain
- 18th Aug 1916 In Action
- 18th Aug 1916 Bombardment
- 18th of August 1916 Usual Trench Warfare
- 18th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 18th August 1916
- 18th Aug 1916 In Billets
- 18th Aug 1916 Training
- 18th Aug 1916 On the March
- 18th Aug 1916 Attack Made
- 18th of August 1916
- 18th Aug 1916 Trench Motars
- 18th of August 1916 Accurate Wire-Cutting
- 18th Aug 1916 Working Party
- 18th Aug 1916 Route March
- 18th Aug 1916 Outposts
- 18th Aug 1916 Defence Work
- 18th Aug 1916 Visit
- Fire Continued 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery at
Bottom Wood
From midnight 18/19th August fire was continued until 0730.
Quiet morning and quiet afternoon. No firing during the night.
War Diaries
- Bombardment of Sunderland The
raid on Sunderland, 19th August 1916, was part of a German post-Jutland
attempt to draw our units of the British Grand Fleet to ambush them
hoping to inflict losses to try to address the numerical superiority of
the British Fleet.
The Action of 19 August 1916 was one of two further attempts made by the
German High Seas Fleet in 1916 to engage elements of the British Royal
Navy following the mixed results of the Battle of Jutland in World War
I. The lesson of Jutland for Germany had been the vital need for
reconnaissance so as to avoid the unexpected arrival of the British
Grand Fleet during any raid, so on this occasion four Zeppelins were
deployed to scout the North Sea between Scotland and Norway for signs of
British ships, while four more scouted immediately ahead of German
ships. Twenty four submarines were also deployed off the English coast
in the southern North Sea and off the Dogger Bank.
Background
Although Jutland had been officially hailed as a success, the German
commander Admiral Reinhard Scheer felt it important that another raid
should be mounted as quickly as possible to maintain morale in his
severely battered fleet. It was decided that the raid should follow the
pattern of previous ones, with the battlecruisers carrying out a dawn
artillery bombardment of an English town, in this case Sunderland. Only
two battlecruisers were still serviceable after Jutland, Moltke and Von
der Tann, so the force was bolstered by the addition of three
battleships, Bayern, Markgraf and Grosser Kurfürst. The remainder of the
High Seas Fleet, comprising 16 dreadnought battleships, was to carry
out close support 20 miles behind. The fleet set sail at 2100 on 18
August from the Jade river.
Intelligence
Information about the upcoming raid was obtained by British Intelligence
in Room 40 through intercepted and decoded radio messages. Admiral Sir
John Jellicoe, commander of the British fleet, was on leave so had to be
recalled urgently and boarded the light cruiser Royalist at Dundee to
meet his fleet in the early hours of 19 August off the river Tay. In his
absence, Admiral Cecil Burney took the fleet to sea on the afternoon of
18 August. Vice-Admiral David Beatty left the Firth of Forth with his
squadron of six battlecruisers to meet the main fleet in the Long
Forties. The Harwich Force of 20 destroyers and 5 light cruisers
commanded by Commodore Tyrwhitt was ordered out, as were 25 British
submarines which were stationed in likely areas to intercept German
ships. The battlecruisers together with the 5th Battle Squadron of five
fast battleships were stationed 30 miles ahead of the main fleet to
scout for the enemy. The assembled fleet now moved south seeking the
German fleet, but suffered the loss of one of the light cruisers
screening the battlecruiser group, HMS Nottingham, which was hit by
three torpedoes from submarine U-52 at 0600.
Finding the opposition
At 0615 Jellicoe received information from the Admiralty that one hour
earlier the enemy had been 200 miles to his south east. However, the
loss of the cruiser caused him to first head north for fear of
endangering his other ships. No torpedo tracks or submarines had been
seen, so it was unclear whether the cause had been a submarine or
entering an unknown minefield. He did not resume a south-easterly course
until 0900 when William Goodenough, commanding the light cruisers,
advised that the cause had been a submarine attack. Further information
from the admiralty indicated that the battlecruisers would be within 40
miles of the main German fleet by 1400 and Jellicoe increased to maximum
speed. Weather conditions were good, with plenty of time for a fleet
engagement before dark. The German force had received reassurances about
Jellicoe's position, when a zeppelin had spotted the Grand Fleet
heading north away from Scheer, at the time it had been avoiding the
possible minefield. Unfortunately for the British, the Zeppelin L 13
sighted the Harwich force approximately 75 miles ENE of Cromer,
mistakenly identifying the cruisers as battleships.
This was precisely the sort of target Scheer was seeking, so he changed
course at 1215 also to the south-east and away from the approaching
British fleet. No further reports were received from zeppelins about the
British fleet, but it was spotted by a U-boat just 65 miles north of
Scheer.
Scheer turned for home at 1435 abandoning his potential target. By 1600
Jellicoe had been advised that Scheer had abandoned the operation and so
turned north himself.
The actual attack
A second cruiser attached to the battlecruiser squadron, HMS Falmouth,
was hit by two torpedoes from U-63 at 1652 and sank the following day
while being towed to the Humber, when hit by two more torpedoes fired by
U-66.
By 1745 the Harwich force had sighted German ships, but was too far
behind for any prospect of an attack before nightfall so abandoned the
chase.
A British submarine HMS E23 commanded by Lieutenant-Commander R.R Turner
managed to hit the German battleship SMS Westfalen at 0505 on the 19th,
but the ship was able to return home.
Outcomes
This was the last occasion on which the German fleet travelled so far
west into the North Sea. On 6 October a decision was made in Germany to
resume attacks against merchant vessels by submarine, which meant the
submarine fleet was no longer available for combined attacks against
surface vessels.
On 13 September a conference took place on Jellicoe's flagship to
discuss recent events and it was decided that it was unsafe to conduct
fleet operations south of latitude 55.5° North (approximately level with
Horns reef and where the battle of Jutland had taken place), except in
extreme emergency such as a German invasion force. Scheer was
unimpressed by the efficiency of the zeppelin reconnaissance. Only three
zeppelins had spotted anything and from seven reports four had been
wrong. On 18,19 October Scheer once again led a brief sortie into the
North Sea and British intelligence gave warning. However, the Grand
Fleet declined to prepare an ambush, staying in port with steam raised
ready to sail. The German sortie was abandoned after a few hours when
SMS München was hit by a torpedo fired by E38, Lieutenant-Commander J.
de B. Jessop, and it was feared other submarines might be in the area.
Scheer suffered further difficulties when in November he sailed with
Moltke and a division of dreadnoughts to rescue U-20 and U-30 which had
become stranded on the Danish coast. British submarine J1, Commander J.
Laurence, managed to hit the battleships Grosser Kurfürst and Kronprinz.
The failure of these operations reinforced the belief, created at
Jutland, that the risks involved in such operations were not justified
by the outcomes. Both sides feared the loss of their capital ships to
submarines or mines.
John Doran
- 19th August 1916 Somme losses
- 19th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 19th August 1916 Inter troop mounted sports
- 19th Aug 1916 Old Friends
- 19th Aug 1916 Battery Reassembles
- 19th Aug 1916 Training
- 19th Aug 1916 Recovering the Wounded
- 19th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 19th Aug 1916 Trench Recce
- 19th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1916 Trench Raids
- 19th of August 1916 Back Areas Shelled
- 19th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1916 In Billets
- 19th August 1916
- 19th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1916 Inspections
- 19th Aug 1916 Artillery Active
- 19th of August 1916
- 19th Aug 1916 Wet Weather
- 19th of August 1916 Two Short Shoots
- 19th Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 19th Aug 1916 Defence Work
- 19th Aug 1916 Training
- 19th of August 1916 Raid on Saphead
- 19th August 1916 Raiding Party Orders
- Battery Activity 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report
From 1200 batteries fired on Martinpuich and surroundings.
At 2200 and at intervals during the night Batteries switched back from
Martinpuich to a line 400 yards over Switch Line and West of Tramway.
War Diaries
- HMS Falmouth
HMS Falmouth Name HMS Falmouth, Type Light cruiser, Country British.
GRT 5,250 tons, Built 1910, Builder W. Beardmore & Co., Ltd., Glasgow.
Operator Royal Navy
History
U-boat attacks on Light cruiser Falmouth
19th August 1916, damaged when torpedoed in the North Sea by U-66 (Thorwald von Bothmer).
20 Aug 1916 U 63 (Otto Schultze) Sunk when torpedoed whilst under tow off Flamborough Head. 11 casualties.
John Doran
- 20th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 20th August 1916 Church Parade
- LE TOURET
Considerable enemy artillery activity gradually increasing throughout
the day and not reduced by our artillery fire. B Co. in O.B.L reported
extensive damage done by enemy fire to Islands 1, 9, 13, 14, also to
BARNTON trench. B Co. sent up 2 platoons reinforcements. No casualties.
Under Brigade instructions 18 DLI stood to 8.0pm, 11.30pm, when ordered
to stand down. 18 WEST YORKS in village line also stood to and sent up
100 reinforcements to O.B.L 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- Stand To 18th
Battalion, Durham Light Infantry report from Le Touret "Considerable
enemy artillery activity gradually increasing throughout the day and not
reduced by our artillery fire. B Co. 18th DLI in O.B.L reported
extensive damage done by enemy fire to Islands 1 to 9, 13 to 14, also to
Barnton trench. B Co. sent up 2 platoons reinforcements. No casualties.
Under Brigade instructions 18th DLI stood to 8.0pm to 11.30pm, when
ordered to stand down. 18th West Yorks in village line also stood to
and sent up 100 reinforcements to O.B.L.
Artillery fire slackened
about 8.0pm and all was quiet at 11.30pm & throughout the night
20th/21st of August 1916.
15th West Yorks drove out a raiding party with heavy losses, which
attempted about 8.40pm to raid between No 12 Island and No 9 to No 10.
Considerable damage was done to No 12 & 11 Islands."
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 20th Aug 1916 Training Continues
- 20th Aug 1916 Wounded Arrive
- 20th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 20th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 20th Aug 1916 At Rest
- 20th Aug 1916 Bombardment
- 20th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 20th Aug 1916 In Billets
- 20th to 24th August 1916
- 20th Aug 1916 On the March
- 20th Aug 1916 Artillery Active
- 20th of August 1916
- 20th Aug 1916 Quiet
- 20th of August 1916 A New German Grenade
- 20th Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 20th Aug 1916 Outposts
- 20th Aug 1916 Church Parade
- 20th Aug 1916 Instruction
- 20th Aug 1916 Arrival
- 16th Northumberlands march on The
16th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers leave Bethune, marching via
Beuvry and Annequin, for the left sub-sector of the Cambrin sector,
where it relieves the 2nd btn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. A
& D coys on right, B & C on the left.
- Gas Shells 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report during the night 20/21st
B236 Battery was shelled with gas shell losing two men killed, two
wounded and four gassed.
Five German aeroplanes came over at about 0920 and dropped six bombs on
the Wagon Lines.
During the afternoon Major Pollard went up in a balloon but found the
light too bad for clear observation.
War Diaries
- 21st August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 21st August 1916 Training and reliefs
- 21st August 1916 Battalion relieved in trenches
- 21st Aug 1916 Dark Times
- 21st Aug 1916 Sickening Sight
- 21st Aug 1916 Graves Registration Unit
- 21st Aug 1916 Enemy Active
- 21st Aug 1916 In Reserve
- 21st Aug 1916 Reliefs Completed
- 21st of August 1916 Relieved by 12/RIR
- 21st Aug 1916 Into Billets
- 21st Aug 1916 In Billets
- 21st Aug 1916 Training
- 21st Aug 1916 On the March
- 21st Aug 1916 Attack Made
- 21st Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 21st of August 1916 Blue Sandbags
- 21st Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 21st Aug 1916 Training
- 21st Aug 1916 Training
- 21st of August 1916 On the Move
- Salvoes fired 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery:
Very quiet day. At 1400, 1710 and 2025, four batteries bombarded new
German trench in front of Martinpuich. At 1355, 1705 and 2020 D236
Battery fired salvoes into Martinpuich.
War Diaries
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-81
Type U 81
Shipyard Germaniawerft, Kiel (Werk 251)
Ordered 23 Jun 1915
Laid down 31 Aug 1915
Launched 24 Jun 1916
Commissioned 22 Aug 1916
Commanders.
22 Aug 1916 - 1 May 1917 Raimund Weisbach
Career 4 patrols.
18 Oct 1916 - 1 May 1917 IV Flotilla
Successes 30 ships sunk with a total of 88,483 tons.
2 ships damaged with a total of 3,481 tons.
- 1 Dec 1916 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Douglas 1,177 sw
- 19 Dec 1916 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Nystrand 1,397 nw
- 2 Feb 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Songdal 2,090 nw
- 3 Feb 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Port Adelaide 8,181 br
- 4 Feb 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Maria 992 it
- 5 Feb 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Wartenfels 4,511 br
- 7 Feb 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Gravina 1,242 br
- 8 Feb 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Mantola 8,253 br
- 10 Feb 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Netherlee 4,227 br
- 12 Feb 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Hugo Hamilton 2,577 sw
- 10 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Algol 988 nw
- 10 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Skreien 415 nw
- 13 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Coronda 2,733 br
- 14 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Paignton 2,017 br
- 18 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Pola 3,061 br
- 18 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Trevose 3,112 br
- 19 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Alnwick Castle 5,900 br
- 19 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Frinton 4,194 br
- 22 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Attika 2,306 nw
- 25 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach C. Sundt 1,105 nw
- 25 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Garant 735 nw
- 25 Mar 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Laly 1,880 nw
- 24 Apr 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Amulree 1,145 br
- 25 Apr 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Glenesk 1,369 nw
- 25 Apr 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Heathfield 1,643 br
- 25 Apr 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Invermay 1,471 br
- 27 Apr 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Uranus 3,978 it
- 28 Apr 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Jose De Larrinaga 5,017 br
- 28 Apr 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Terence 4,309 br
- 30 Apr 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Elisabeth (damaged) 217 da
- 1 May 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach Dorie (damaged) 3,264 br
- 1 May 1917 U 81 Raimund Weisbach San Urbano 6,458 br
Fate 1 May 1917 - Torpedoed West of Ireland at 51.33N, 13.38W by HM Sub E54. 24 dead, unknown number of survivors.
There was another U 81 in World War Two.
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 22 Feb 1941 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 26 Apr 1941.
John Doran
- 22nd August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 22nd August 1916 Training and relief party
- 22nd August 1916 Rest area
- 22nd Aug 1916 Working Parties
- Relief At 21.30. B Coy. 18th DLI in O.B.L, Trenches Festubert Sector was relieved by C Coy. 18th DLI. No casualties.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 22nd Aug 1916 Preparations
- 22nd August 1916
- 22nd Aug 1916 Under Shellfire
- 22nd Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 22nd Aug 1916 In Billets
- 22nd August 1916
- 22nd Aug 1916 Training
- 22nd Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 22nd Aug 1916 In Billets
- 22nd of August 1916 Howitzers Retaliate
- 22nd Aug 1916 On the Move
- 22nd Aug 1916 Training
- 22nd Aug 1916 On the Move
- Casualties 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery at
Bottom Wood.
Quiet day. Very little firing by batteries. A236 Battery had nine
casualties, one very bad and the remainder very slight. C236 Battery had
one man wounded.
War Diaries
- 23rd Aug 1916 20th DLI head for the Somme
- Q Class Zeppelin Zeppelin LZ73 (LZ103)
- Production Ref: LZ73
- Class type : Q
- Tactical ref: LZ103
- Usage: Military
- First Flight: 23rd August 1916
History.
Made one successful attack on Calais dropping 1,530 kilograms (3,370 lb)
of bombs with several other attacks being cancelled or aborted due to
poor weather. Decommissioned in August 1917
John Doran
- 23rd August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 23rd August 1916 Training and competitions
- 23rd August 1916 Move to training area
- 23rd Aug 1916 Working Parties
- Barrage C Coy 18th DLI are in Trenches in Festubert Sector
01.00. One casualty while out wiring from hostile M.G. 21.30.
Our guns barraged on our left preparing for raid by 92nd Infantry
Brigade. Usual hostile reply. One blind shell 50x from Le Plantin
redoubt, the only shell on our Coy. sector. No casualties. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 23rd Aug 1916 Preparations
- 23rd Aug 1916 Enemy Active
- 23rd Aug 1916 Bathing
- 23rd Aug 1916 Aircraft Active
- 23rd of August 1916 Working Parties
- 23rd Aug 1916 Inspection
- 23rd August 1916
- 23rd Aug 1916 Training
- 23rd Aug 1916 Training
- 23rd Aug 1916 At Rest
- 23rd Aug 1916 Change of Billets
- 23rd August 1916 Bomb Store Destroyed
- 23rd Aug 1916 Training
- 23rd Aug 1916 Making the Maimed Walk
- 23rd Aug 1916 Transport Moves
- 23rd Aug 1916 Training
- 23rd Aug 1916 Inspection
- 23rd Aug 1916 Training
- 3rd Monmouths transferred 252
NCO's and men of the 3rd Monmouth Battalion left to join the 9th
Entrenching Battalion. Of these 252 men 200 were transferred on the 20th
of September from the 9th Entrenching Battalion into the 9th Welsh
Regiment and the remainder into the 9th Welsh Fusiliers.
- Battery Active 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report it was quiet in the
morning. B236 Battery went out of action yesterday leaving only sixteen
men and one officer with A236 Battery to work their guns. This is in
accordance with new system of reliefs.
In the late afternoon greater activity prevailed.
The Division on our right (E) attacked the intermediate line at 1745.
The Germans shelled Welch Alley and localities adjoining very furiously
with heavy shells.
Later in the evening A236 was targeted with gas shells. The attack was a
failure.
War Diaries
- Zeppelin raid on London 24/25th August 1916.
The sixth successful London raid was on 24,25 August when 13 Navy
Zeppelins were launched and Heinrich Mathy's L 31 reached London. Flying
above low clouds, 36 bombs were dropped in 10 minutes on West Ferry
Road, Deptford Dry Dock, the station at Norway Street and homes in
Greenwich, Eltham and Plumstead. Nine people were killed, 40 injured and
£130,203 of damage was caused.
L 31 suffered no damage in the attack but several weeks of repair-work were needed following a hard landing.
John Doran
- 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
Hill 60 By 10 a.m. enemy gallery clear of water and listeners posted at
60th Bn. Canadians relieved by Royal Warwicks 4th British Division. War Diary Transcript
- 24th August 1916 inspections and training
- 24th August 1916 Strenuous Training commences
- 24th Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 24th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 24th Aug 1916 On the March
- 24th Aug 1916 Accident
- 24th Aug 1916 Wounded
- 24th Aug 1916 Reliefs Completed
- 24th August 1916 Reliefs
- 24th Aug 1916 Training
- 24th Aug 1916 Working Parties and Training
- 24th Aug 1916 At Rest
- 24th August 1916 Squadron disbanded
- 24th Aug 1916 Aircraft Active
- 24th of August 1916 A Telescope Destroyed
- 24th Aug 1916 Training
- 24th Aug 1916 On the March
- 24th Aug 1916 Heavy Shelling
- 24th Aug 1916 Training
- 24th Aug 1916 Instruction
- 24th Aug 1916 Training
- 24th Aug 1916 Orders
- 16th Northumberlands relieved at Cambrin The
16th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers were relieved in the left
sub-sector of the Cambrin sector, by the 2nd Battalion Royal
Inniskilling Fusiliers. The Northumberlands retired to the village line,
B coy leaves the garrison in Arthur’s Keep.
- Barrage 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery carried out barrage as ordered by
Divisional Artillery.
Fairly quiet day. Hostile aircraft rather more active.
One of our aeroplanes was forced to descend in X29 through engine
trouble, but was packed up in crates and carted away about evening.
Hostile activity was somewhat below average.
War Diaries
- 25th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 25th August 1916 Ongoing training and inspections
- 25 Aug 1916 Across the Med
- Reinforcements 18th Durhams report "Two officer reinforcements reported."
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 25th Aug 1916 Signal Practice
- 25th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 25th Aug 1916 All Quiet
- 25th Aug 1916 In Bivouacs
- Salvage "Thursday.
The weather has shown a great improvement during the past week and has
really been quite hot during the day. I think your last letter to me was
forwarded to another part of my company by mistake as they thought I
had gone away for a time on other work whereas I was only away for three
days helping to get some of the used shells back to England. As a
matter of fact I am writing this letter now at the dump as it is raining
and I am lying down underneath some railway trucks for shelter. I
return with our party each evening to our camp.
It seems absolutely years since we parted. I think some leave ought to
be coming along soon, before Christmas anyway. It would help one to face
the winter, a most unpleasant thing to have to look forward to. There
has been some talk of commissions in the battalion. I have put a letter
of request to the Colonel along with a lot of the others but have heard
nothing further.
" Pte. Harry Davison, 26th Royal Fusiliers in a letter to his wife
Olive.
- 25th Aug 1916 Wire
- 25th August 1916
- 25th August 1916
- 25th Aug 1916 Training
- 25th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 25th Aug 1916 On the March
- 25th of August 1916
- 25th Aug 1916 Quiet
- 25th of August 1916 Listening Post Bombed
- 25th Aug 1916 On the March
- 25th Aug 1916 On the March
- 25th Aug 1916 Preparations
- 25th Aug 1916 Orders
- 25th Aug 1916 Orders
- 25th Aug 1916 Training
- Hostile Artillery Active 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery at
Bottom Wood
Hostile artillery displayed greater activity today against our rearward
positions, barraging valleys with heavy shells for short periods with no
small intensity. The valley south of Mametz Wood, west of Bottom Wood
and Shelter Wood were also heavily shelled. Otherwise the day was fairly
uneventful, except that the Division on our right (1st Division) took
another 200 yards of the Intermediate Line. Hostile aeroplanes to the
number of five carried out a small reconnaissance over Death Valley and
its environs at about 1700. The Batteries of 236th Brigade carried on a
continuous bombardment on German front line.
War Diaries
- 26th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 26th August 1916 Inspections
- Reliefs Trenches Festubert Sector
21.00.
18th Battn. DLI Less C Co. which remained in O.B.L right relieved 15th
West Yorkshire Regiment. B Co. front line Right, D Co. front line Left.
A Co. O.B.L Left. 16th West Yorks Battalion on our Left. 2nd Yorks
Battalion on our Right. No casualties. Later in night 2 casualties.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 26th Aug 1916 Musketry
- 26th Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 26th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 26th Aug 1916 Training
- 26th of August 1916 Battery movement
- 26th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 26th August 1916
- 26th Aug 1916 Training
- 26th Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 26th Aug 1916 In Camp
- 26th of August 1916
- 26th Aug 1916 Quiet
- 26th of August 1916 Clarence, I'm lost
- 26th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 26th Aug 1916 On the March
- 26th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 26th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 26th Aug 1916 On the Move
- More Shelling 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report:
Moderately quiet day. B236 Battery took over from A236 Battery in
accordance with the programme of reliefs instituted by the GOCRA 47th
Division.
At about 1150 a heavy hostile bombardment was put on Villa Wood and the
North West corner of Mametz Wood.
At about 1415 the gun positions of B236, A236 Batteries and the 235th
Brigade positions were violently shelled with heavy Howitzers. Three men
of B236 Battery were buried but were got out again and found to be
suffering from slight shell shock.
The Brigade fired continuously throughout the day in barrages.
Major W Cooper A236 Battery RFA proceeded to the Field Ambulance sick.
War Diaries
- 27th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 27th August 1916 Church services
- 27th Aug 1916 Repairing Roads
- Artillery Active 18th Durhams hold Trenches in Festubert Sector
.05.05. German deserter gave himself up coming into B Coy. lines at No 1 Island. Day showery but clear. 16.30.
German artillery fire H.E. shrapnel over Festubert Road South of
Barnton from 4.30pm, 5.30pm. 2nd Bedfords relieved 2nd Yorks. during
night. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 27th Aug 1916 Practice Attack
- 27th Aug 1916 Church Parade
- 27th Aug 1916 In Bivouacs
- 27th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 27th of August 1916 Wagon Lines Moved
- 27th Aug 1916 New Arrival
- 27th Aug 1916 Under Fire
- 27th Aug 1916 Training
- 27th Aug 1916 Enemy Patrol
- 27th Aug 1916 Reinforcements
- 27th Aug 1916 Conference
- 27th of August 1916 Damage to Trenches
- 27th Aug 1916 Shelling
- 27th Aug 1916 Recce
- 27th Aug 1916 Patrols
- 27th Aug 1916 Moves
- 27th Aug 1916 On the Move
- Continuous Firing 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery fired continuously throughout the
twenty four hours. Hostile artillery was moderately inactive compared
to the previous day.
Capt Egerton Warburton came to be attached to B236 Battery; 2/Lt Pearson
and 2/Lt Tabor from the 47th Divisional Ammunition Column were
yesterday attached to the battery for instruction, while Lt C H De Wael
was attached to C236 Battery from 47th Divisional Ammunition Column.
Fairly quiet day.
War Diaries
- 28th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 28th August 1916 Routine drills
- Reliefs 18th
Durham Light Infantry report from Trenches in Festubert Sector "Clear.
21.00. C Coy. relieved B Coy. Right Front Line. A Coy. relieved D Coy.
Left Front Line. No casualties."
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 28th Aug 1916 Medal Ribbons
- 28th Aug 1916 Parades
- 28th Aug 1916 In Bivouacs
- 28th Aug 1916 Heavy Shelling
- 28th of August 1916 Wet and Windy
- 28th Aug 1916 Instruction
- 28th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 28th August 1916
- 28th Aug 1916 Training
- 28th Aug 1916 Shelling
- 28th Aug 1916 Address
- 28th of August 1916 Awards
- 28th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 28th of August 1916 Camouflet Blown
- 28th Aug 1916 Storms
- 28th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 28th Aug 1916 Working Parties and Training
- 28th Aug 1916 Orders
- 28th Aug 1916 On the March
- 16th Northumberlands relieve 2nd Inniskillings at Cambrin The
16th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers relieve the 2nd Battalion Royal
Inniskilling Fusiliers, in the left sub-sector of the Cambrin sector,
resuming the routine of holding the line, rest and working parties for
the next couple of weeks.
- Continuous Barrage 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report a continuous barrage kept
up all day on the trenches in front of Martinpuich. At midnight our
infantry dug round the Intermediate Line.
War Diaries
- 29th August 1916 Move to new billets
- 29th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 29th August 1916 Ongoing training
- Bombarment 18th DLI are in Trenches in Festubert Sector
01.30.
Bombardment by our guns on our right on the craters lasting till about
2.5am Weak German reply ending with a few rounds on our right sector
badly aimed and falling between George Street and right O.B.L. Showery
morning. 3pm Mutual bombardment on Givenchy sector. Heavy rains &
thunderstorm in late afternoon & evening. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 29th Aug 1916 Practice Attack Delayed
- 29th Aug 1916 Bravery Recognised
- 29th Aug 1916 Reinforcements
- 29th of August 1916 Gas Attack Plan
- 29th of August 1916 Quietish Period
- 29th Aug 1916 Instruction
- 29th Aug 1916 Storm
- 29th August 1916
- 29th Aug 1916 Training
- 29th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 29th Aug 1916 In Reserve
- 29th of August 1916
- 29th Aug 1916 Bombardment
- 29th of August 1916 A Little Gas Show
- 29th Aug 1916 Heavy Rain
- 29th Aug 1916 Innoculations
- 29th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 29th Aug 1916 Working Parties and Training
- 29th Aug 1916 Thunder Storm
- 29th Aug 1916 At Rest
- 29th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 29th of August 1916 A newcomer
- Heavy Rain 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report
heavy rains interfered with work. Our batteries barraged as before.
One hundred and thirty six prisoners were obtained from the Intermediate
Line. Four officers, two NCOs and one hundred and thirty prisoners.
They passed down Welch Alley between the hours of 1500 and 1800. The
whole of Intermediate Trench is now occupied.
Capt R A Corsan A236 Battery rejoined his unit after a stay in hospital.
War Diaries
- 30th August 1916
- 30th August 1916 3rd Canadian Tunnelling Coy War Diary
- 30th August 1916 Move to other field due to flooding
- 30th Aug 1916 Wet and Miserable
- 30th Aug 1916 Bitter Bereavement
- Quiet 18th Durhams hold the Trenches in the Festubert Sector
Cold, windy, showery. No action of any description. 11th East Yorks relieved 16th West Yorks on left flank of 18th DLI. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 30th Aug 1916 Practice Attack
- 30th Aug 1916 Working Parties
- 30th Aug 1916 Bravery Recognised
- 30th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 30th Aug 1916 Storm
- 30th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 30th Aug 1916 Heavy Rain
- 30th August 1916
- 30th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 30th Aug 1916 Training
- 30th Aug 1916 Bad Weather
- 30th Aug 1916 On the March
- 30th of August 1916
- 30th Aug 1916 Recce
- 30th of August 1916 Our Batteries Shelled
- 30th Aug 1916 Heavy Rain
- 30th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 30th Aug 1916 Working Parties and Training
- 30th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 30th Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 30th Aug 1916 On the Move
- 30th August 1916 Moving On
- Exchange of Shells 236th
London Brigade Royal Field Artillery kept up a continuous barrage all
day and Hostile artillery was active, particularly with gas shells.
Brigade Headquarters were shelled with gas shell from about 2200 until
about 2300. No damage was done. Relatively quiet day.
A236 and B236 Batteries were heavily shelled with Lachrymatory (tear
gas) and poison shell.
War Diaries
- 31st August 1916 Training and Regimental Strength
- 31st Aug 1916 Heavy Firing
- Quiet 18th
Durhams hold Trenches of Festubert Sector. Fine & windless. Quiet
day. 17.00. Fair. Quiet night. Slight bombardment of Givenchy hostile
trenches.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 31st Aug 1916 Musketry
- 31st Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 31st Aug 1916 Bravery Recognised
- 31st Aug 1916 Reorganisation
- 31st Aug 1916 Enemy Attack
- 31st Aug 1916 Under Shellfire
- 31st of August 1916 Gas Bombardment
- 31st Aug 1916 Casualties
- 31st Aug 1916 Trench Work
- 31st August 1916
- 31st August 1916
- 31st Aug 1916 On the March
- 31st Aug 1916 Working Party
- 31st Aug 1916 In Camp
- 31st of August 1916
- 31st Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 31st Aug 1916 Reliefs
- 31st Aug 1916 Training
- 31st Aug 1916 On the Move
- 31st Aug 1916 Working Parties and Training
- 31st Aug 1916 Positions Improved
- 31st Aug 1916 On the Move
- 31st Aug 1916 Defences
- 27th Sep 1916 Reliefs Completed
- 28th Sep 1916 Transfer
- August 1917 Reorganisation
- Field Ambulances in Action The
1st, 2nd, 3rd and Wessex Field Ambulances (24th,25th,26th) were based
at Remy Siding Lissenhoek, nr. Ypres serving with the 8th Division. The
8th Division of the 5th Army who were engaged in the battle of Pilkhem
Ridge in the opening stages of the 3rd battle of Ypres which began on
31st July 1917.
The Wessex Field Ambulance established an Advanced Dressing Station at
Birr Cross Roads on the Menin Road. The weather turned at the beginning
of August and the battlefield turned into a quagmire. It was taking up
to six stretcher bearers to bring in one casualty.
The War Diary of the 3rd (26th) Wessex Field Ambulance records gas
attacks as well as aircraft bombing on the ADS at Birr Cross Roads and
casualties in August were horrendous. Pte. Regnald James Brookes Butt
was one such casualty having his thigh shattered by a German high
velocity shell on the night of 4/5th August, after being called out of
reserve to assist another Division's (25th possibly) RAMC unit to
pick-up Front Line casualties.
- 16th Northumberland Fusiliers move back The 16th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers move back from Coxyde to Ribaillet camp.
- 1st August 1917 Battle of Langemark
- Inspections 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel.
Received Operations Order No.115 but the Company is not affected by this Operations Order.
GSO1 visited the Company and informed me that the Company would not take over trench positions until the 7th inst.
(GSO General Staff Officer).
Copy of Operations Order GSO1 5oth Division.
No.115 Copy 23.
150th Infantry Brigade to relieve 149th Brigade in the Vis and Guemappe sectors on night 4/5th Aug 17.
War Diaries
- 1st August 1917 Relocation
- 1st August 1917 Parade postponed bad weather
- August 1917 New Aircraft
- 1st August 1917 New Fighter Squadron formed
- August 1917 Bombing
- 1st Aug 1917 9th York & Lancs in Billets
- 1st Aug 1917 Operational Action
- In the Line From
the 1st to 6th of August 18th DLI are in trenches in the Mericourt
Sector. Weather rather wet with fine intervals. Very quiet time no
casualties during whole period of 16 days except one accidental. On the
night of 6th/7th the Battalion was relieved by 13th East Yorkshire
Rregiment relief complete at 1.35am.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 1st Aug 1917 Wet Day
- 1st Aug 1917 Rain
- 1st Aug 1917 Holding the Line
- 1st Aug 1917 Training
- 1st Aug 1917 Terrible Weather
- 1st Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 1st of August 1917 Resting
- 1st of August 1917 March washed out
- 1st Aug 1917 Recommendations For M.M.
- 1st Aug 1917 Training
- 1st Aug 1917 Heavy Shelling
- 1st Aug 1917 Patrol
- 1st August 1917 New Squadron formed
- 1st Aug 1917 Working Parties
- 1st Aug 1917 In Action
- 1st Aug 1917 Wet Weather
- 1st Aug 1917 Reorganisation
- 1st August 1917 New Squadron formed
- 1st Aug 1917 Heavy Rain
- 1917-08-01 Orders to Move
- 1st of August 1917
- 1st of August 1917
- 1st of August 1917
- 1st Aug 1917 Shell Holes
- 1st Aug 1917 Destruction
- 1st Aug 1917 Rounds Fired
- August 1917 Desert Mounted Corps created
- 1st Aug 1917 Sections Return
- 1st August 1917 New Squadron formed
- Aug 1917 Move
- 1st Aug 1917 Hostile Batteries
- 1st of August 1917 In Camp
- Movement Orders 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel
The Company received a Divisional letter GX4025/18.
DGMO (Divisional Machine Gun Officer) is making arrangements for 8 guns
to go into the line to relieve S2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and S9 in the
intermediate line.
Copy of Divisional letter GX 4025/18 GSO1 50th Division.
Divisional MG Coy (245?) take over following positions on 7th inst.
S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8 and S9.
Personnel of245 MG Coy. to be attached to detachments in the line for instruction.
Officers, NCOs and men to learn the Divisional Sector as possible.
War Diaries
- SS Newlyn lost SS
Newlyn was a British steamer of 4019 tons. On August 2nd 1917 SS Newlyn
on a voyage from Tyne to Genoa with a cargo of coal & coke was sunk
by the German submarine UB-31 (Thomas Bieber) 2 miles south of Prawle
Point. 4 persons were lost.
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-90
Type U 87
Shipyard Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig (Werk 34)
Ordered 23 Jun 1915
Laid down 29 Dec 1915
Launched 12 Jan 1917
Commissioned 2 Aug 1917
Commanders.
2 Aug 1917 - 31 Jul 1918 Walter Remy.
1 Aug 1918 - 31 Aug 1918 Oblt. Helmut Patzig.
1 Sep 1918 - 11 Nov 1918 Heinrich Jeß
Career 7 patrols.
10 Sep 1917 - 11 Nov 1918 III Flotilla
Successes 30 ships sunk with a total of 74,175 tons.
2 ships damaged with a total of 8,594 tons.
- 25 Sep 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Union Republicaine 44 fr
- 27 Sep 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Deux Jeannes 50 fr
- 27 Sep 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Liberte 49 fr
- 27 Sep 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Peuples Freres 41 fr
- 30 Sep 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Drake 2,267 br
- 30 Sep 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Heron 885 br
- 1 Oct 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Neuilly 2,186 fr
- 3 Oct 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Jeannette 226 fr
- 20 Nov 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Robert Morris 146 br
- 21 Nov 1917 U 90 Walter Remy Aros Castle 4,460 br
- 22 Jan 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Corton (damaged) 3,405 br
- 22 Jan 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Victor De Chavarri 2,957 sp
- 24 Jan 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Charles 78 br
- 25 Jan 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Normandy 618 br
- 26 Jan 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Union 677 fr
- 30 Jan 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Lindeskov 1,254 da
- 31 Jan 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Martin Gust 248 ru
- 1 Feb 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Arrino 4,484 br
- 16 Mar 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Oilfield 4,000 br
- 28 Mar 1918 U 90 Walter Remy City Of Winchester 114 br
- 8 Apr 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Superb 489 nw
- 29 May 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Begum 4,646 br
- 29 May 1918 U 90 Walter Remy Carlton 5,265 br
- 31 May 1918 U 90 Walter Remy President Lincoln 18,168 am
- 15 Aug 1918 U 90 Helmut Patzig Montanan 6,659 am
- 15 Aug 1918 U 90 Helmut Patzig J. M. J. 54 fr
- 16 Aug 1918 U 90 Helmut Patzig West Bridge (d.) 5,189 am
- 17 Aug 1918 U 90 Helmut Patzig Escrick 4,151 br
- 17 Aug 1918 U 90 Helmut Patzig Joseph Cudahy 3,302 am
- 24 Aug 1918 U 90 Helmut Patzig Graciosa 2,276 pt
- 14 Oct 1918 U 90 Heinrich Jeß Dundalk 794 br
- 16 Oct 1918 U 90 Heinrich Jeß Pentwyn 3,587 br
Fate 20 Nov 1918 - Surrendered. Broken up at Bo'ness in 1919-20.
There was another U 90 in World War Two.
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 25 Oct 1941 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 20 Dec 1941.
John Doran
- 2nd August 1917 Routine - Parade postponed due to weather
- August 1917
- 2nd Aug 1917 Exchange of Fire
- 2nd Aug 1917 Wet Day
- 2nd Aug 1917 Awards
- 2nd Aug 1917 Rain
- 2nd Aug 1917 Training
- 2nd Aug 1917 In the Trenches
- 2nd Aug 1917 Artillery Active
- 2nd Aug 1917 Ready
- 2nd of August 1917 Marching in the mud
- 2nd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 2nd Aug 1917 Heavy Shelling
- 2nd Aug 1917 Rain
- 2nd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 2nd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 2nd Aug 1917 Heavy Rain
- 2nd of August 1917 More Orders Received
- 2nd Aug 1917 Sympathy
- 2nd of August 1917
- 2nd of August 1917
- 2nd Aug 1917 Message of Congratulation
- 2nd Aug 1917 Ammunition
- 2nd Aug 1917 Hostile Batteries
- 2nd of August 1917 In Camp
- 16th Northumberland Fusiliers on the move The
16th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers move from Ribaillet camp to St
George’s sector, many casualties are caused by frequent and intense
bombardments.
- Movement Orders 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel
Saw the GOC 150th Brigade with DMGO, who arranged for 3 guns to relieve
S5, 6 and 7 on the 3rd inst. Two teams from No.3 section and 1 team from
No.1 section with Lt. AJ Barnes and 2/Lt Parsons respectively, relieved
these positions at 2300.
Received Operations Order No.116 from Divisional HQ regarding transfer
of 50th Division from VII Corps to VI Corps and consequent extension of
the Divisional front to the right necessitating relieving of part of the
line held by 21st Division in the night by 50th Division. This was the
reason for the sudden order from DMGO to send 3 guns to relieve S5, 6
and 7.
Order received from DMGO to send up 2 guns in the night of 4th inst. to relieve positions S8 and S9.
Copy of Operations Order No.116. GSO1 50th Division.
Copy No.21
- 1. 50th Division transferred from VII Corps to VI Corps at noon 7th August 1917.
- 2. Boundary between 50th Division and 21st Division (on right) altered.
- 3. 150th Infantry Brigade extend to Otto Alley and 151st Infantry Brigade extend to Pug Lane.
Appx No 5. Letter on relief DMGO 50th Division.
245 MG Coy. to take over new positions S2, S3 and S4 on night 6/7th August 1917.
S.O directly responsible to GOC 151 Inf. Brigade (Right Sector) 5th August 1917.
War Diaries
- 3rd August 1917 Ongoing training
- 3rd Aug 1917 Route March
- 3rd Aug 1917 Heavy Shelling
- 3rd Aug 1917 Interview
- 3rd Aug 1917 Church Parade
- 3rd Aug 1917 Training
- 3rd Aug 1917 Continuous Rain
- 3rd Aug 1917 Relief
- 3rd Aug 1917 Preparations
- 3rd Aug 1917 Reinforcements
- 3rd of August 1917 Marching in the wet
- 3rd Aug 1917 Recommendations For Honours
- 3rd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 3rd Aug 1917 Heavy Rain
- 3rd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 3rd Aug 1917 Working Parties
- 3rd Aug 1917 Award
- 3rd Aug 1917 Trench Work
- 3rd Aug 1917 On the Move
- 3rd Aug 1917 Heavy Rain
- 3rd of August 1917 Move into Support
- 3rd of August 1917
- 3rd of August 1917
- 3rd of August 1917
- 3rd of August 1917
- 3rd of August 1917
- 3rd Aug 1917 SOS
- 3rd Aug 1917 Heavy Artillery in Action
- 3rd of August 1917 In Support
- movements 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
Sent up 2 gun teams under 2/Lt. Wheatley from No.3 Section to relieve S8 and S9 at 2300.
War Diaries
- U-Boat Index - WW1 KUK U-40 Austrian Submarine
Type U-27
Shipyard
Ordered
Launched 21st April 1917
Commissioned 4th August 1917
Commanders
4 Aug 1917 - 18 Sep 1918 Johann Krsnjavi
19 Sep 1918 - 31 Oct 1918 Wladimir Pfeifer
Career
No flotilla information available
Successes 2 ships sunk with a total of 7,556 tons.
3 ships damaged with a total of 14,112 tons.
- 19 Aug 1917 k.u.k. U40 Johann Krsnjavi Gartness 2,422 br
- 29 Aug 1917 k.u.k. U40 Johann Krsnjavi Clifftower (damaged) 3,509 br
- 1 Jan 1918 k.u.k. U40 Johann Krsnjavi Sandon Hall 5,134 br
- 20 Mar 1918 k.u.k. U40 Johann Krsnjavi Lord Ormonde (damaged) 3,914 ca
- 23 Mar 1918 k.u.k. u40 Johann Krsnjavi Demodocus (damaged) 6,689 br
Fate Scrapped in 1920.
John Doran
- 4th August 1917 Inspections
- 4th Aug 1917 SBR's Tested
- 4th Aug 1917 In Action
- 4th Aug 1917 Fourth Year of War
- 4th Aug 1917 Training & Baths
- 4th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 4th Aug 1917 Training
- 4th Aug 1917 Holding the Line
- 4th of August 1917 Parade & March
- 4th Aug 1917 Training
- 4th Aug 1917 Difficult March
- 4th Aug 1917 Change of Command
- 4th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 4th Aug 1917 Promotion
- 4th Aug 1917 Trench Raid
- 4th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 4th Aug 1917 Heavy Rain
- 4th of August 1917 Change of Camps
- 4th of August 1917
- 4th of August 1917
- 4th Aug 1917 Message of Congratulation
- 4th Aug 1917 Hostile Batteries
- 4th of August 1917 In Support
- Operational Orders 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
Received orders from DMGO that S2,3 and S4 positions are to be taken
over on the night of 6/7th August. Gave orders to 2/Lt. GE Barnes to
take up remaining 3 guns of No.1 section on the night of 6th inst.
(appendix No.5 letter, DMGO 50th Division.)
Copy of Appx No 5. Letter on relief DMGO 50th Division.
245 MG Coy. to take over new positions S2, S3 and S4 on night 6/7th August 1917.
S.O directly responsible to GOC 151 Inf. Brigade (Right Sector) 5th August 1917.
War Diaries
- 64th Brigade RFA in action near Zillbekke 64th
Army Brigade RFA were in action on the 5th August 1917 near Zillebekke
near Ypres where they had been from the beginning of August. Albert
Phillips was awarded the Military Medal for actions this day.
- 15th Hampshires at Hollebeke. 15th Hampshires were at Hollebeke.
- 5th August 1917 Church Parade and Medal Ceremony
- 5th Aug 1917 SOS Targets
- 5th Aug 1917 Church Parade
- 5th Aug 1917 Reinforcements
- 5th Aug 1917 Church Parade & Training
- 5th Aug 1917 In Bivouacs
- 5th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 5th Aug 1917 Holding the Line
- 5th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 5th of August 1917 In Brandhoek
- 5th of August 1917 Wine tasting
- 5th Aug 1917 Training
- 5th Aug 1917 Address
- 5th Aug 1917 Working Parties
- 5th Aug 1917 Recce
- 5th Aug 1917 Reorganisation
- 5th Aug 1917 Training
- 5th of August 1917 A Line of Posts
- 5th of August 1917
- 5th of August 1917
- 5th Aug 1917 Rounds Fired
- 5th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 5th Aug 1917 In Action
- 5th of August 1917 In Support
- 16th Northumberland Fusiliers undertake raid Lt
Townsend and sixteen men of the 16th Battalion, Northumberland
Fusiliers raid rat post, killing all Germans found there. The Lt and
four men are wounded. That evening B coy relieved C coy, and were
ordered to repeat the raid.
- movements 245MGC
Disposition of troops and Company on 6/7th August 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
2/Lt Derbyshire took up the number 1’s of the three teams for
instruction to positions S2, 3 and S4 and returned by himself at 1400.
2/Lt. GE Barnes took up the 3 guns at 2000.
Lt. Parsons was warned that he would be in charge of S2, 3 and 4
positions in the Right Brigade Area.
Lt AJ Barnes is to be in charge of S5, 6 and 7 on the right of River
Coveul and 2/Lt. Wheatley in charge of S8 and S9 on the left of River
Coveul, the latter 5 positions being in the Left Brigade Area.
Map No.6 shows disposition of troops and Company on the night of 6/7th
August.
War Diaries
- 6th August 1917 Work party to 5th Army
- 6th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 6th Aug 1917 Under Shellfire
- 6th Aug 1917 On Stand by
- 6th Aug 1917 On the Range
- 6th Aug 1917 Training
- 6th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 6th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 6th Aug 1917 Training
- 6th of August 1917 Out to tea
- 6th August 1917 Casualties
- 6th Aug 1917 Training
- 6th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 6th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 6th Aug 1917 Reorganisation
- 6th Aug 1917 Training
- 6th of August 1917 Two Polish POWs
- 6th of August 1917
- 6th of August 1917
- 6th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 6th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 6th Aug 1917 Concentrations Fired
- 6th of August 1917 Active Artillery
- Movements 245MGC
Disposition of troops and Company on 6/7th August 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
Informed by DMGO that the Division on our left (12th Div.)is to mount a
strong raid on enemy positions and that 2 guns from the Company would be
required to place a barrage on the right of the enemy’s positions.
Lt JR Houghton took up 2 guns of No.2 section (in camp) to positions
previously reconnoitred on the right of the River Coveul in Sunken Road
at O.1g.a.20.50 (see Map No.6).
- 7th August 1917 Route march and Staff Ride
- 7th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 7th Aug 1917 Battery Shelled
- WINNEPEG CAMP
Battalion marched to transport lines at AUX RIETZ thence by bus to WINNEPEG CAMP MT ST ELOY. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 7th Aug 1917 Route March
- 7th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 7th Aug 1917 Training
- 7th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 7th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 7th Aug 1917 Working Parties
- 7th of August 1917 Under Fire
- 7th of August 1917 Good grub
- 7th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 7th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 7th Aug 1917 Gas
- 7th Aug 1917 On the March
- 7th Aug 1917 Training
- 7th of August 1917 An Enemy Probe
- 7th Aug 1917 New CO
- 7th of August 1917
- 7th Aug 1917 Under Shellfire
- 7th Aug 1917 Hostile Batteries
- 7th of August 1917 Relieved
- Activity in Front Line
245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
At 1100 a practice barrage was commenced by all arms, during which fire
was opened on the right of Lanyard Trench isolating that trench from St
Romart’s factory. (see Map 6)
The raid was postponed.
War Diaries
- First flight of Zeppelin LZ100 Zeppelin
LZ100 (L53) was a V Class craft which had its first flight on
8th August 1917.
It carried out 19 reconnaissance missions and 4 attacks on England,
dropping a total of 11,930 kilograms (26,300 lb) of bombs.
It was intercepted and destroyed by a Sopwith Camel flown by Lt Culley
RAF, who took off from a lighter towed by the destroyer HMS Redoubt, on
the 11th August 1918. LZ 100 was the last zeppelin destroyed in the air
during the war.
John Doran
- 8th August 1917 Ongoing training
- 9th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 8th Aug 1917 Heavy Shelling
- WINNEPEG CAMP
8th - 16th August. Training near MT ST ELOY. Weather very showery throughout the period. 15th: Major WHITE M.C. joined Bn. The National Archives Reference W095/2361/1
- 8th Aug 1917 On the March
- 8th Aug 1917 Half Holiday
- 8th Aug 1917 At Rest
- 8th Aug 1917 Training
- 8th Aug 1917 Relief
- 8th Aug 1917 Preparations
- 8th of August 1917 Intense Bombardment
- 8th of August 1917 Moving up the line
- 8th Aug 1917 In the Trenches
- 8th Aug 1917 In Billets
- 8th Aug 1917 Awards
- 8th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 8th Aug 1917 Training
- 8th Aug 1917 Training
- 8th of August 1917 Hostile Shelling Lessens
- 8th of August 1917
- 8th of August 1917
- 8th Aug 1917 Heavy Shelling
- 8th August 1917 Aerial combat over Palestine
- 8th Aug 1917 Concentrations Fired
- 8th of August 1917 At Rest
- 16th Lancs relieve 16th Northumberlands 16th
Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers relieved by 16 Btn Lancashire
Fusiliers. The Northumberlands move to Ribaillet camp for seven
unpleasant days.
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
At 1100, the practice barrage of the previous day was repeated.
Zero hour for the raid was at 0745 and rapid fire was maintained for 90
minutes. One NCO was wounded and sent to 20th Casualty Clearing Centre.
A suggestion was forwarded to the DMGO that relief of guns in the Right
Sector should take place on the night of 13/14th August and in the Left
Sector on the night of the 12/13th August.
One OR was wounded in Egret Trench.
War Diaries
- 9th August 1917 Ongoing training
- 9th Aug 1917 Heavy Shelling
- 9th Aug 1917 Turnips
- 9th Aug 1917 Training
- 9th Aug 1917 Route March
- 9th Aug 1917 In Camp
- 9th Aug 1917 Refitting
- 9th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 9th of August 1917 Hostile Heavies
- 9th of August 1917 German raid
- 9th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 9th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 9th Aug 1917 In Billets
- 9th Aug 1917 Enemy Aircraft
- 9th Aug 1917 Training
- 9th Aug 1917 Training
- 9th of August 1917 Active Aircraft
- 9th Aug 1917 Funeral
- 9th of August 1917
- 9th of August 1917
- 9th August 1917 New bomber squadron formed
- 9th Aug 1917 Heavy Shelling
- 9th Aug 1917 Concentrations Fired
- 9th of August 1917 Cleaning Up
- A Flight 36(HD) Squadron RFC redesignated At RFC Seaton Carew II, A Flight 36(HD) Squadron RFC was redesignated as C Flight.
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
Received Operations Orde No.117 (50th Div.) warned that all officers in
the trenches were considerably handicapped by not being in telephonic
communication with Divisional Headquarters also with Right and Left
Brigade Headquarters.
This was reported to the DMGO.
Organization.
The establishment laid down for a Machine Gun Company in the field does
not seem sufficient. A Transport Officer is required during trench
warfare.
The weather clear but unsettled. There was heavy rain during the week and storms on the 9th and 10th August.
Copy of Operations Order No.117 GSO1 50th Division. Copy No.20.
149th Inf. Brigade to relieve 151st Inf. Brigade in Cherisy sector on night of 12/13th Aug. 1917.
War Diaries
- 12th and 13th Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers amalgamate 12th (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers amalgamate with 13th Bn, becoming 12/13th Battalion.
- 24th and 27th Northumberlands amalgamate 24th and 27th Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers are amalgamated to form the 24/27th Battalion.
- 10th August 1917 Parade and lecture
- 10th Aug 1917 On the March
- 10th Aug 1917 Artillery Active
- 10th Aug 1917 Aircraft Lost
- 10th Aug 1917 Very Wet Day
- 10th Aug 1917 Reinforcements
- 10th Aug 1917 On the March
- 10th Aug 1917 Inspection
- 10th Aug 1917 On the March
- 10th Aug 1917 Baths
- 10th Aug 1917 Advance
- 10th of August 1917 At Uhlan Farm
- 10th Aug 1917 Awards
- 10th of August 1917 Cookery duty
- 10th Aug 1917 Overhead Cranes
- 10th Aug 1917 Fundraising
- 10th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 10th Aug 1917 In Billets
- 10th August 1917 New Squadron formed
- 10th Aug 1917 Working Parties
- 10th Aug 1917 Working Parties and Training
- 10th Aug 1917 On the March
- 10th Aug 1917 On the March
- 10th of August 1917 Gas Bombardment
- 10th of August 1917
- 10th of August 1917
- 10th of August 1917
- 10th Aug 1917 Gun out of Action
- 10th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 10th Aug 1917 Operations
- 10th of August 1917 Route March
- 11th August 1917 Inspections
- 11th Aug 1917 Training
- 11th Aug 1917 Heavy Shelling
- 11th Aug 1917 Artillery In Action
- 11th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 11th Aug 1917 On the March
- 11th Aug 1917 Reinforcements
- 11th Aug 1917 Training
- 11th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 11th of August 1917 Gas at Potijze Wood
- 11th of August 1917 Night work
- 11th Aug 1917 Sports
- 11th Aug 1917 In the Trenches
- 11th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 11th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 11th Aug 1917 Working Parties and Training
- 11th Aug 1917 Training
- 11th Aug 1917 Training
- 11th of August 1917 Destructive "Shoots"
- 11th of August 1917
- 11th of August 1917
- 11th of August 1917
- 11th of August 1917
- 11th Aug 1917 Rain Storm
- 11th Aug 1917 In Action
- 11th of August 1917 On the Move
- Orders 245 Machine Gun Company report from
Mercatel and trenches. "At 1600 orders were issued for relief on the night of 13th/14th of August (Order No.8)."
War Diaries
- Gotha Daylight Raids Southend and Shoeburyness were bombed on the 12 August, with the loss of one Gotha and four other crashing on landing.
John Doran
- 12th August 1917 Relocation
- 12th Aug 1917 Routine
- 12th Aug 1917 Artillery In Action
- 12th Aug 1917 Viewing Model
- 12th Aug 1917 Redesignation
- 12th August 1917
- 12th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 12th Aug 1917 Church Parade
- 12th Aug 1917 Reinforcements
- 12th Aug 1917 Diffilcult Conditions
- 12th of August 1917 Move to Ypres
- 12th of August 1917 Forced to stop work
- 12th Aug 1917 In the Trenches
- 12th Aug 1917 Artillery Active
- 12th Aug 1917 Trench Work
- 12th Aug 1917 Musketry
- 12th Aug 1917 Church Parade
- 12th of August 1917 A Bavarian Deserter
- 12th of August 1917
- 12th of August 1917
- 12th of August 1917
- 12th Aug 1917 Difficult Conditions
- 12th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 12th Aug 1917 Rounds Fired
- 12th of August 1917 Inspection Preparation
- Reliefs 245 Machine Gun Company report from
Mercatel "The scheduled relief was completed at 23.00."
War Diaries
- 13th August 1917 Ongoing training
- 13th Aug 1917 Artillery In Action
- 13th Aug 1917 Looking Back
- 13th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 13th Aug 1917 Training
- 13th Aug 1917 Cleaning up
- 13th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 13th of August 1917 To Brandhoek
- 13th of August 1917 Moving camp
- 13th Aug 1917 In the Trenches
- 13th Aug 1917 Field Day
- 13th Aug 1917 Artillery Active
- 13th Aug 1917 Promotions
- 13th Aug 1917 Working Parties and Training
- 13th Aug 1917 Inspection
- 13th of August 1917 Phosgene and Mustard
- 13th of August 1917
- 13th of August 1917
- 13th Aug 1917 Shrapnel Shells
- 13th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 13th Aug 1917 Artillery Active
- 13th of August 1917 Inspection Preparation
- Leave 245 Machine Gun Company report from Mercatel "Lt. AJ Barnes proceeded on special leave of absence for 10 days."
War Diaries
- 14th Aug 1917 Route March
- 14th Aug 1917 Artillery In Action
- 14th Aug 1917 Aircraft Downed
- 14th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 14th Aug 1917 Route March
- 14th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 14th Aug 1917 Cleaning up
- 14th Aug 1917 In the Line
- 14th of August 1917 A quiet day
- 14th Aug 1917 In the Trenches
- 14th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 14th Aug 1917 Reorganisation
- 14th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 14th Aug 1917 New Arrivals
- 14th Aug 1917 On the March
- 14th of August 1917 Practice Barrages
- 14th of August 1917
- 14th of August 1917
- 14th Aug 1917 Artillery in Acton
- 14th Aug 1917 Casualty
- 14th Aug 1917 In Action
- 14th of August 1917 Wash Day!
- 61st Bde prepare to attack 61st
Brigade, 20th (Light) Division moved up to positions west of the
Steenbeek in preparation for their assault on the village of Langemarck
on the night of the 15th of August 1917. Engineers built bridges for the
crossing.
- Naval Action As part of the Imperial
German Navy's U-boat campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare German
U-boats had started to attack British trawlers.
They had previously been protected by the 1907 Naval Convention in the
North Sea. In response, fishermen had requested weapons for
self-defence. Some trawlers had been equipped with deck guns and had
gunners assigned to man them. These vessels were generally skippered by
members of the Royal Navy Reserve and to act on their own initiative if
attacked.
On 15th of August 1917, a number of Lowestoft trawlers were fishing in
the North Sea, off the Jim Howe bank. Among them were the armed smacks
Nelson and "Ethel & Millie". Nelson, skippered by Tom Crisp, was
armed with a 3-pounder gun while Ethel & Millie, skippered by
William "Johnsey" Manning, carried a 6-pounder. At around 1415, Nelson
came under fire from a U-boat, which had surfaced some 3,4 miles
north-west of her position. Crisp cast off his nets, leaving them buoyed
on the surface, and turned towards the U-boat to close the range.
Nelson was hit several times as she returned fire, but her shots fell
short of their target. Crisp was also hit and mortally wounded. Nelson
began to take on water and sink. At this point, Crisp ordered the crew
to abandon ship, which they did, taking to a lifeboat.
During this exchange, Ethel & Millie had closed up from the
south-east and, passing Nelson and her lifeboat, moved in to engage the
U-boat. Manning proposed to stop and take on the survivors, but they
refused. The trawler continued to close but she too came under fire from
the U-boat and, after several hits, she was also left sinking with her
crew also abandoning ship.
Nelson's crew observed the men being taken from their boat and lined up
on the U-boat's deck, but were unable to see more as their view became
obscured by the haze. Nelson's boat pulled away to the southwest and
escaped into the approaching dusk.
Nelson's crew were at sea for the next two days being eventually rescued
by HMS Dryad, a minesweeper assigned to fishery protection.
Crisp’s actions were reported, and he was awarded the VC for the
seamanlike and brave manner in which he had conducted himself.
The Ethel & Millie's crew were not seen again. They were not
reported as prisoners of war and none returned to Britain at the end of
hostilities.
The suspicion at the time and subsequently, is that they were disposed
of by the U-boat crew, possibly being left to drown while the U-boat
submerged. The U-boat which attacked the two boats has been identified
as UC63 commanded by Karsten von Heydebreck.
John Doran
- 15th Aug 1917 Ongoing training
- 15th Aug 1917 Communication Lost
- 15th Aug 1917 On the March
- 15th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 15th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1917 Thunder
- 15th Aug 1917 Assembly
- 15th of August 1917 Into Assembly Positions
- 15th of August 1917 To St. Omer
- 15th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 15th Aug 1917 In Billets
- 15th Aug 1917 Quiet
- 15th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 15th Aug 1917 Gas
- 15th Aug 1917 Training
- 15th Aug 1917 Training
- 15th of August 1917 Thirty Hostile Planes
- 15th August 1917 New Squadron formed
- 15th of August 1917
- 15th of August 1917
- 15th Aug 1917 Artillery in Acton
- 15th Aug 1917 Concentrations Fired
- 15th of August 1917 Route March
- Langemarck retaken The
village of Langemarck which had been lost the the enemy in April 1915,
was retaken on the 16th of August 1917 by 61st Brigade, 20th (Light)
Division. They crossed the Steenbeek early in the morning with 7th KOYLI
and 7th Somerset Light Infantry leading. The advance was held up by
fire from the blockhouses to the west of the village, these were cleared
by men of the 7th KOYLI including Pte W. Edwards who was awarded the
Victoria Cross for his actions.
- 16th August 1917 Ongoing training
- Exercise A
Newcastle Journal article of 16th August 1917 describes 11 Battalion
Volunteer Training Corps attacking an entrenched position at Cocken Hall
and also going over the bayonet assault course under the supervision of
instructors from the Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment. The Volunteer
Training Corps are a little known formation which was the forerunner of
the much better known Local Defence Volunteers or Home Guard of the
Second World War. The Yorks and Lancs had taken over the camp from the
DLI, probably in late 1915.
AlastairFraser NML Project Info
- 16th Aug 1917 Communication Restored
- In Support 18th
Battalion DLI entrained at Laurel Siding at 4.0pm and went by train to
transport lines at Neuville St Vaast. They left Neuville St Vaast at
8.15pm and marched up to take over from 13th Y&L in support in
Acheville Sector. Relief complete at 12.30am on the 17th. Order of
battle is 15th WYR in L1. 16th WYR in L2. 18th DLI in support. 18th WYR
in reserve. 5th Div on right. 92nd Brigade on left. 18th Battalion DLI
HQ was established in Beehive Support.
18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 16th Aug 1917 Accident
- 16th Aug 1917 Training
- 16th Aug 1917 New MO
- 16th Aug 1917 At Rest
- 16th Aug 1917 Into Reserve
- 16th Aug 1917 Attack Made
- 16th of August 1917 Under Fire
- 16th of August 1917 Under Fire
- 16th of August 1917 Practice Day
- 16th Aug 1917 Air Raid
- 16th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 16th Aug 1917 Training
- 16th Aug 1917 Enemy Wire
- 16th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 16th Aug 1917 Training & Working Party
- 16th Aug 1917 Training
- 16th of August 1917 Division Falls Back
- 16th of August 1917
- 16th of August 1917
- 16th of August 1917
- 16th Aug 1917 Artillery in Acton
- 16th Aug 1917 Attack Made
- 16th of August 1917 Route March
- 16th Northumberlands on the move 16th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers leave Ribaillet camp for Coxyde.
- Activity in Front Line
Layout of Machine Guns under new Divisional Defence 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
Conference held at 245 Machine Gun Company Headquarters at 1200,
attended by DMGO and OC’s 149, 150 and 151 Brigades together with the
OC. 245 MGC. The new Divisional Machine Gun Defence Scheme, part of the
VI Corps Defence Scheme, was discussed.
Received a letter from Divisional HQ, showing division of gun positions
under the new Defence Scheme and indicating that all guns are to be in
position by 0600 21st August.
Copy of Divisional Letter GX4025/34 GSO1 50th Division.
- 1 Attached Map (Appx No.12) substituted for previous M.9 Maps.
- 2 Right Brigade to occupy positions 1 to 7 inclusive and S1 and S2.
- Left Brigade to occupy positions 8 to 15 inclusive and S8.
- 245 MG Coy. to occupy positions S3 to S7 and S9 to S12 inclusive.
- All guns to be in position by 0600 21st Aug 1917.
- Remaining 7 guns per Brigade MG Coy in the line to be at the disposal of GOC Brigade
17th August 1917.
War Diaries
- 17th August 1917 Ongoing training
- BEEHIVE SUPPORT Bn. HQ ACHEVILLE SECTOR
Fine
and quiet days. At night 150 men carried gas bombs to QUEBEC TRENCH for
Special R.E. Capt. HUTCHENCE left to take up appointment of 2nd in
Command of 1/6 SOUTH STAFFS. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 17th Aug 1917 Into Support
- 17th Aug 1917 Training
- 17th Aug 1917 On the March
- 17th Aug 1917 At Rest
- 17th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 17th Aug 1917 In Action
- 17th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 17th of August 1917 On the Move
- 17th of August 1917 Shooting Practice
- 17th Aug 1917 Working Parties and Training
- 17th Aug 1917 Sports
- 17th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 17th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 17th Aug 1917 Patrol
- 17th Aug 1917 Training
- 17th of August 1917 A Relief
- 17th of August 1917
- 17th of August 1917
- 17th of August 1917
- 17th of August 1917
- 17th Aug 1917 Quiet
- 17th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 17th Aug 1917 Hostile Batteries
- 17th of August 1917 Musketry Competition
- 16th Northumberlands undergo training 16th
Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers move from Coxyde to Bray Dunes to
undergo twelve days of training and assimilating new drafts.
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
Attended VI Corps Horse Show at Bihucourt, with one entry in event 18, a pair of mules.
War Diaries
- Gotha Daylight Raids On
18 August 1917, The largest Gotha raid of the war was attempted,
despite a warning of unfavourable weather. 28 aircraft took off and soon
encountered the predicted high winds. After nearly two hours in the air
they had made so little progress that Zeebrugge was still in sight.
After a further hour the English coast came into sight, revealing that
the Gothas were some 64 km (40 mi) off course. With barely enough fuel
left to return to Belgium, the flight commander called off the attack.
The high wind caused two aircraft to come down in the North Sea: others
ran out of fuel before reaching their bases and were lost when making
forced landings, two coming down in neutral Holland.
John Doran
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-107
Type U 93
Shipyard Germaniawerft, Kiel (Werk 276)
Ordered 5 May 1916
Launched 28 Jun 1917
Commissioned 18 Aug 1917
Commanders.
18 Aug 1917 - 31 Dec 1917 Wilhelm-Friedrich Starke.
1 Jan 1918 - 31 Jul 1918 Oblt. Kurt Slevogt.
1 Aug 1918 - 11 Nov 1918 Kurt Siewert
Career 5 patrols.
21 Sep 1917 - 11 Nov 1918 IV Flotilla
Successes 6 ships sunk with a total of 24,663 tons.
1 ship damaged with a total of 1,084 tons.
- 21 Oct 1917 U 107 Wilhelm-Friedrich Starke Epiros (damaged) 1,084 gr
- 14 Apr 1918 U 107 Kurt Slevogt Marstonmoor 2,744 br
- 29 Jun 1918 U 107 Kurt Slevogt Castor I 117 nw
- 15 Aug 1918 U 107 Kurt Siewert Cubore 7,117 am
- 18 Aug 1918 U 107 Kurt Siewert Idaho 3,023 br
- 21 Aug 1918 U 107 Kurt Siewert Lake Edon 2,371 am
- 24 Aug 1918 U 107 Kurt Siewert Flavia 9,291 br
Fate 20 Nov 1918 - Surrendered. Broken up at Swansea in 1922.
There was another U 107 in World War Two.
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 2 Jul 1940 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 8 Oct 1940.
John Doran
- 18th August 1917 Inspections
- 18th Aug 1917 Town bombed
- 18th Aug 1917 Orders Issued
- 18th Aug 1917 On the March
- 18th Aug 1917 Into Billets
- 18th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 18th of August 1917 Rest and Refitting
- 18th of August 1917 Firing at the ranges
- 18th Aug 1917 Working Parties and Training
- 18th Aug 1917 Field Day
- 18th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 18th Aug 1917 Leave
- 18th Aug 1917 Grenade
- 18th Aug 1917 Busy
- 18th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 18th of August 1917 Reliefs and Moves
- 18th of August 1917
- 18th of August 1917
- 18th of August 1917
- 18th Aug 1917 Rounds Fired
- 18th Aug 1917 Artillery Active
- 18th Aug 1917 Artillery Registration
- 18th of August 1917 Presentations Made
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
Issued with Operations Order No. 1 for reliefs on the nights of the 19th, 20th and 21st August.
War Diaries
- 19th August 1917 Church services
- BEEHIVE SUPPORT Bn. HQ ACHEVILLE SECTOR
Quiet day. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 19th Aug 1917 Church Parade
- 19th Aug 1917 Training
- 19th Aug 1917 In Camp
- 19th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 19th Aug 1917 Church Parade
- 19th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 19th of August 1917 Sunday Service
- 19th Aug 1917 Working Parties and Training
- 19th Aug 1917 Sports
- 19th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 19th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 19th Aug 1917 Sniper
- 19th Aug 1917 Heavy Rain
- 19th Aug 1917 Church Parade
- 19th of August 1917 Inspection by GOC
- 19th of August 1917
- 19th of August 1917
- 19th of August 1917
- 19th of August 1917
- 19th Aug 1917 Barrage
- 19th Aug 1917 Rounds Fired
- 19th of August 1917 Brigade Sports
- Activity in Front Line
Divisional Positions of all Machine Guns by Company 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
Received orders from DMGO that post S3 need not be occupied. Posts
occupied by the Company on the night of 20/21st were S4, 5,6, 7, 9, 10,
11 and S12.
All guns were in position by 0600 21st August, according to the Divisional Letter.
A map was issued showing the positions of all machine guns in the
Divisional Sector and how they were divided amongst the Companies.
War Diaries
- 20th August 1917 Ongoing training
- BEEHIVE SUPPORT Bn. HQ ACHEVILLE SECTOR
Gas projected on FRESNOY & ACHEVILLE at 12.30am. Over 1000 bombs each containing 30lbs of gas. Retaliation very light. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 20th Aug 1917 Enemy Aircraft Downed
- 20th Aug 1917 Preparations
- 20th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 20th Aug 1917 On the March
- 20th Aug 1917 Training
- 20th of August 1917 Early morning run
- 20th Aug 1917 Working Parties and Training
- 20th Aug 1917 Training
- 20th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 20th Aug 1917 Training
- 20th Aug 1917 Training
- 20th of August 1917 A Corps Transfer
- 20th of August 1917
- 20th Aug 1917 Bombardment
- 20th Aug 1917 In Action
- 20th of August 1917 Divisional Sports
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel and trenches.
Relief postponed as gas is expected to be released in the 50th Divisional area.
Issued orders for reliefs to take place on the night of 22/23rd August.
War Diaries
- 21st August 1917 Divisional Gas Lecture and Drill
- L4 MERICOURT SECTOR
21st
- 24th August. Battalion was relieved in ACHEVILLE SECTOR by 11th E.
LANCS. Relief complete at 11.30pm. Battalion then crossed over and
relieved 11th E.YORKS in the MERICOURT SECTOR relief complete at 1.0am.
Order of battle after relief: 18th WYR L3 Sector. 18th DLI L4 Sector.
15th WYR in support. 16th WYR in reserve. On right 94th Bde. On left
85th CANADIANS, 12th CANADIAN Bde, 3rd Div. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 21st Aug 1917 On the March
- 21st Aug 1917 On the Move
- 21st Aug 1917 Assembly
- 21st Aug 1917 Inspection
- 21st Aug 1917 Inspection
- 21st of August 1917 Health & Fitness
- 21st Aug 1917 Working Parties and Training
- 21st August 1917
- 21st Aug 1917 Field Day
- 21st Aug 1917 Training
- 21st Aug 1917 Awards
- 21st Aug 1917 Funeral
- 21st Aug 1917 Musketry
- 21st of August 1917
- 21st Aug 1917 Rounds Fired
- 21st Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 21st Aug 1917 Sucessful shoots
- 21st of August 1917 Tactical Exercise
- 21st of August 1917
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company at Mercatel, sheet 51B France 1/40,000 M.24.c.2.4 and trenches
Section Reliefs.
- 2/Lt. Parsons (No.1 Section) relieved 2/Lt. Derbyshire (No.4 Section) in S4 and S5.
- 2/Lt. G Barnes (No.1 Section) relieved Lt. Houghton (No.2 Section) in S6 and S7.
- 2/Lt. Wheatley (No.3 Section) relieved 2/Lt. Attwater (No.2 Section) in S8, 9, 10, 11 and S12.
Division of Positions:
- S4, S5 and S6, Right Brigade.
- S7, Right of River, Left Brigade.
- S8, 9, 10 and S11, Left of River, Left Brigade.
War Diaries
- Gotha Daylight Raids On
the 22 August 1917, 15 aircraft set out to attack Margate and Dover.
Five turned back over the North Sea. The remaining aircraft were met by
heavy anti-aircraft fire and fighter aircraft over the Isle of Thanet.
Two Gothas were shot down almost immediately, and a third was shot down
over Dover.
John Doran
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-156 a Type U 151 is commissioned. She was built at Shipyard Atlas Werke, Bremen (Werk 382)
Ordered 29 Nov 1916, launched 17 Apr 1917 and commissioned 22 Aug 1917
She was commanded from 22 Aug 1917 to 15 Jun 1918 by Konrad Gansser and
16 Jun 1918 to 25 Sep 1918 by Richard Feldt.
From 28 Aug 1917 to 25 Sep 1918 she sailed with the U-Kreuzer Flotilla
Successes: 44 ships sunk with a total of 50,471 tons.
2 ships damaged with a total of 638 tons.
1 warship sunk with a total of 13,680 tons.
- 7 Dec 1917 U 156 Konrad Gansser W.c. Mc Kay 147 ca
- 15 Dec 1917 U 156 Konrad Gansser Ioannina 4,567 gr
- 17 Dec 1917 U 156 Konrad Gansser Acoriano 312 pt
- 30 Dec 1917 U 156 Konrad Gansser Joaquin Mumbru 2,703 sp
- 10 Jan 1918 U 156 Konrad Gansser Atlas 1,813 nl
- 8 Feb 1918 U 156 Konrad Gansser Artesia 2,762 br
- 8 Feb 1918 U 156 Konrad Gansser Chariton 3,023 gr
- 8 Feb 1918 U 156 Konrad Gansser Nuzza 1,102 it
- 9 Feb 1918 U 156 Konrad Gansser Atlantide 5,431 it
- 26 Jun 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Tortuguero 4,175 br
- 7 Jul 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Marosa 1,987 nw
- 8 Jul 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Manx King 1,729 nw
- 19 Jul 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt San Diego 13,680 am
- 21 Jul 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt 703 934 am
- 21 Jul 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt 740 680 am
- 21 Jul 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt 766 527 am
- 21 Jul 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Lansford 830 am
- 21 Jul 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Perth Amboy (damaged) 435 am
- 22 Jul 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Robert & Richard 140 am
- 2 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Dornfontein 766 ca
- 3 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Annie Perry 116 am
- 3 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Muriel 120 am
- 3 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Rob Roy 111 am
- 3 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Sydney B. Atwood 100 am
- 4 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Nelson A. 72 br
- 5 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Agnes G. Holland 100 am
- 5 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Gladys M. Hollett (d.) 203 br
- 5 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Luz Blanca 4,868 ca
- 8 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Sydland 3,031 sw
- 11 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Penistone 4,139 br
- 17 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt San Jose 1,586 nw
- 20 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt A. Piatt Andrew 141 am
- 20 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Francis J. O'hara, Jr. 117 am
- 20 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Lucille M. Schnare 121 ca
- 20 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Pasadena 119 ca
- 20 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Triumph 239 ca
- 20 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Uda A. Saunders 125 ca
- 21 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Sylvania 136 am
- 22 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Notre Dame De La Garde 147 fr
- 25 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt C. M. Walters 107 ca
- 25 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt E. B. Walters 126 ca
- 25 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Erik 583 br
- 25 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt J. J. Flaherty 162 am
- 25 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Marion Adams 99 ca
- 25 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Verna D. Adams 132 ca
- 25 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Clayton W. Walters 116 ca
- 26 Aug 1918 U 156 Richard Feldt Gloaming 130 ca
U156 was lost on the 25 Sep 1918, probably mined in Northern Passage
as she failed to report when clear of it. 77 dead (all hands lost).
John Doran
- 10th DLI in action 10th Durham Light infantry are in action, around Inverness copse & Glencorse wood in the third battle of Ypres.
- 22nd August 1917 inspections and training
- 22nd Aug 1917 Attack made
- 22nd Aug 1917 Gas Shells
- 22nd Aug 1917
- 22nd Aug 1917 Bathing
- 22nd Aug 1917 Attack Made
- 22nd Aug 1917 Training
- 22nd of August 1917 On the March
- 22nd Aug 1917 Training
- 22nd of August 1917 General's Inspection
- 22nd Aug 1917 Working Parties and Training
- 22nd Aug 1917 Training
- 22nd August 1917 2nd/5th Battalion East Kent (The Buffs)
- 22nd Aug 1917 Baths
- 22nd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 22nd Aug 1917 Training & Sports
- 22nd of August 1917
- 22nd Aug 1917 Bombardment
- Attack Made 11th
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders suffered serious casualties in an
unsuccessful attack at the River Steenbeke, between Zonnebeke and St
Julien. Their objective at 4.45am was Beck House and Borry Farm to the
left of the Menin Road. The ground was taken but not held. Severe
machine gun fire stopped progress,as well as bombs and snipers' bullets.
The roll of casualties was not made up until 4 days later.
- 22nd Aug 1917 In Action
- 22nd of August 1917 On the Move
- 22nd of August 1917
- 23rd August 1917 Horse trials and training
- 23rd Aug 1917 On the March
- 23rd Aug 1917 Improving Positions
- 23rd Aug 1917 Men Killed
- 23rd Aug 1917 On the Move
- 23rd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 23rd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 23rd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 23rd Aug 1917 Training
- 23rd of August 1917 Soaked in the rain again
- 23rd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 23rd Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 23rd Aug 1917 Orders
- 23rd Aug 1917 Thunder Storm
- 23rd Aug 1917 In Camp
- 23rd Aug 1917 Training & Sports
- 23rd of August 1917 Moves by Rail
- 23rd of August 1917
- 23rd of August 1917
- 23rd Aug 1917 Night Firing
- 23rd Aug 1917 Aeroplane Observation
- 23rd of August 1917 Training
- 24th August 1917 Ongoing training
- 24th Aug 1917 Inspection
- L4 MERICOURT SECTOR
24th
- 30th August. Quiet on the whole. Rain on several days and very windy
at times. At 2.50am enemy attempted a raid on 18th WYR on our right.
This was expected and successfully repulsed. One wounded prisoner taken
an officer and several ORs killed. MG and Bangalore Torpedo taken. 2Lt
KEITH killed and 3 men slightly wounded. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 24th Aug 1917 Front Line Recce
- 24th Aug 1917 Parade
- 24th Aug 1917 Attack
- 24th Aug 1917 At Rest
- 24th Aug 1917 Training
- 24th of August 1917 Return to the Front
- 24th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 24th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 24th Aug 1917 Inspections
- 24th Aug 1917 Orders
- 24th Aug 1917 Kippers
- 24th Aug 1917 Training & Sports
- 24th of August 1917
- 24th of August 1917
- 24th Aug 1917 SOS
- 24th Aug 1917 Hostile Batteries
- 24th of August 1917 Sea Bathing
- Extract from The Times
"Women in the Army
A Statement will be issued shortly by the Ministry of Labour of the
position as regards the recruiting of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps,
telling women where to apply and when and what numbers will be wanted
immediately for different sections.
Widespread interest is being taken in the drastic substitutions which
are to take place in certain units, formations and offices administered
by the army Council at home, at the bases and on the lines of
communications overseas, in addition to those that have already been
made. The approximate basis of substitution is four women for three men.
For instance, four women with technical knowledge are regarded as
equivalent to three technical soldiers in the Royal Flying Corps and the
Army Service Corps. The women cooks, who have introduced many reforms
in cooking since they took over the base kitchens, consider that in
their case he basis should be reversed.
The women march to their work in the morning and march back again in
their dinner hour. They are subject to strict discipline, but they
understand this before going to France. The women who are already out in
France have lived up to their uniform so well that only three of them
have had to be sent back from France for disciplinary reasons, and these
not very serious offences. One of the first batches sent out committed a
technical offence against discipline out of the fervour of their sense
of justice. They found that beds had been provided for them in a hut
which had previously been occupied by men who only had mattresses. They
took the beds out, folded them up and used only the mattresses. It
happened that a number of wounded soldiers had just been brought to a
hospital nearby where the beds proved very useful.
Only one fortnight in a year furlough is given, the terms of service are
for a year or the duration of the war, which ever is longer. The women
have to go through a medical examination as severe as that of the men,
as in the hut where six women would be accommodated at close quarters it
is advisable to have all fear of contagion removed. No promise is given
to be able to send friends out together, but where ever it is possible
this is done and it humanizes the not very interesting life lead by the
average woman in the Army Auxiliary Corps in France. So far the most
difficult kind of worker to get is the charwoman, who is needed for
scrubbing and washing up. The women who do this kind of work are usually
old and with many home ties, and not likely to be able to leave home.
The pay of the administrative appointments is not munificent, though
offering a living wage.... Of the NCO's and rank and file the forewoman
telegraphist is the best paid receiving 50s per week. A qualified
forewoman motor-driver mechanic received 40s and a shorthand-typist 39s
6d."
- 25th August 1917 Horse trials and training
- 25th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 25th Aug 1917 Preparing for Reliefs
- 25th Aug 1917 Training
- 25th Aug 1917 Attack
- 25th Aug 1917 On the March
- 25th Aug 1917 Fair
- 25th Aug 1917 Training
- 25th of August 1917 News from home
- 25th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 25th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 25th Aug 1917 Reinforcements
- 25th Aug 1917 Church Parade
- 25th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 25th Aug 1917 Quiet
- 25th Aug 1917 Sports Meeting
- 25th of August 1917 A New Area
- 25th of August 1917
- 25th of August 1917
- 25th of August 1917
- 25th of August 1917
- 25th of August 1917
- 25th Aug 1917 Dugouts
- 25th Aug 1917 Bombardment
- 25th of August 1917 A Demonstration
- Yorkshire Hussars dismount The Yorkshire Hussars were dismounted on 26th August 1917 and sent to Etaples for training
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel, sheet 51B France 1/40,000 M.24.c.2.4 and trenches
Received Operations Order No.119 from Divisional HQ regarding Brigade reliefs.
Copy of Operational Order No.119 GSO1 50th Division. Copy 20.
150th Inf. Brigade to relieve 149th Inf. Brigade in Fontaine and Cherisy Sectors on the night 28/29th Aug. 17
Dated 26th Aug. 17
War Diaries
- 26th August 1917 Church Parade
- 26th Aug 1917 Muddy Tracks
- 26th Aug 1917 Training
- 26th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 26th Aug 1917 Church Parade & Baths
- 26th Aug 1917 Church Parade
- 26th of August 1917 A disturbed night
- 26th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 26th Aug 1917 Medals Awarded
- 26th Aug 1917 Baths
- 26th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 26th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 26th Aug 1917 Baths
- 26th of August 1917 Another Relief Ordered
- 26th of August 1917
- 26th of August 1917
- 26th of August 1917
- 26th Aug 1917 Equipment
- 26th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 26th Aug 1917 Sucessful shoots
- 26th of August 1917 A Mock Attack
- From - The Times
"Recruiting for the Women's Army
How to Join the Corps
The transfer of recruiting on behalf of the War Office for the Women's
Army Auxiliary Corps from the National Service Department to the
Employment Department of the Ministry of Labour has now been
completed.... The preliminary enrolment of candidates for the Corps will
in future be effected exclusively through the local machinery of the
Employment Department, and all applications should be made, either
personally or by letter, to the nearest Employment Exchange.
The business of recruiting throughout the country is now in operation.
An opportunity of assisting the Army is thus open to women, who are
needed both at home and abroad for service with the troops to take the
place of men who will be released for other purposes. It is intended
that members of the corps shall be employed in various capacities, such
as clerical work, motor driving, domestic work, printing and other more
technical employment in the engineering and electrical sections. The
women's Corps will be an auxiliary service to the British Army, with
it's own uniform and serving under a special code of discipline.... The
age limit for home service will be 18 years, but no candidates under the
age of 20 will be accepted for service abroad. At the moment the urgent
demand is for domestic workers, both to replace men and to prepare the
arrangements for the other women who are to follow.
All women selected, except those chosen for employment with local units,
will in the first instance be posted to receiving depot hostels. These
are now being established in London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Warrington,
Edinburgh, Bristol, Doncaster, Newcastle and Dublin, and a special
hostel has been established for women chosen for foreign service....The
candidate will be interviewed and asked to fill in a form giving
particulars of her age, experience, references &c., and the capacity
in which she wishes to serve, if she appears on the whole suitable, her
references will be taken up and if these again prove satisfactory, her
name will be sent forward and she will in due course be invited to
attend before a Selection and Medical Board. The Selection Board will
consist of a local administrator of the Corps, a representative of the
Employment Department, an Army officer called in to advise in technical
cases where women with special qualifications are required, and such
additional members may be necessary, meeting under the chairmanship of
the Recruiting Controller, who will be a woman appointed by the
Adjutant-General's Department.
Together with her notice of calling up for an interview, any candidate
living more than five miles away will receive a free return railway
warrant. Applicants who are chosen as suitable will be passed on
forth-with for examination by the Medical Board, which in every case
will meet on the same day as the Selection Board, so that there will be
no uncertainty or delay on this score, and a candidate, having once been
passed by the Medical Board, will be asked to fill up the final
undertaking to enrol as from the date upon which she is free to take up
duty, and will then be recognised and paid as a member of the WAAC.
After selection an applicant will, according to circumstances, be posted
direct to her hostel, or allowed to return home until she receives her
calling up notice. In the interval she will draw pay as a member of the
WAAC from the date she is free to take up her duty and the calling up
notice, which will direct her how and where to join, will again be
accompanied by a free railway warrant. Where necessary, Women will be
seen off from the station and met on their arrival.
Women who are already engaged in government or munition work or on
hospital work (VAD or otherwise) as well as those working under
municipal or education authorities, will not be accepted for the WAAC
unless they bring with them written permission from their employer of
chief to volunteer; and no woman whose husband is serving overseas will
at present be accepted for employment in the same theatre of war as that
in which her husband is serving."
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel, sheet 51B France 1/40,000 M.24.c.2.4 and trenches
The OC. 245 MGC, Capt WR Thomson proceeded on leave of absence to UK for 10 days.
Lt. LW Rees assumed temporary command of the Company.
Weather during the night, very violent storm, strong wind and rain,
several tents were blown down and sheets of (screens?) displaced.
(Note: the war diary for last item very faint and difficult to read)
War Diaries
- Move to Lugy 9th Queens Royal Lancers
27th Aug - Bivouac Lugy - The regiment paraded at Calonne 0615 and
marched to brigade Starting point Robecq Church arriving 0715. Route
followed Busnes, Lillers, Auchy au Bois, Febvin Palvert, Laires and
Lugy. Regiment went into bivouac about 1300. Very wet day. war diaries
- 27th Aug 1917 On the March
- 27th Aug 1917 Wet Day in the Trenches
- 27th Aug 1917 Training
- 27th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 27th Aug 1917 Reorganisation
- 27th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 27th Aug 1917 Training
- 27th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 27th of August 1917 Waiting to go in the line
- 27th Aug 1917 Preparations
- 27th Aug 1917 Reliefs Completed
- 27th Aug 1917 Praise
- 27th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 27th Aug 1917 Innoculations
- 27th Aug 1917 On the March
- 27th of August 1917
- 27th of August 1917
- 27th of August 1917
- 27th of August 1917
- 27th Aug 1917 SOS
- 27th Aug 1917 Rounds Fired
- 27th of August 1917 Training
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel, sheet 51B France 1/40,000 M.24.c.2.4 and trenches
Issued with Operations Order for reliefs on the nights of the 29th and 30th August 1917.
1 OR wounded in position 5.6
War Diaries
- Move to Eastern Front Guard Ersatz Division part of German 6th Army
Riga 1917.
The Division was taken to Chavli (Aug. 28), then to the Gross-Ekkau
region. It entered the Front Line in the Uxkuell region and participated
in the Riga offensive, entering Riga on the 3rd/4th September 1917.
historical records
- 28th August 1917 Further moves
- 28th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 28th Aug 1917 Very Muddy
- 28th Aug 1917 Training & Lecture
- 28th Aug 1917 Promotions
- 28th Aug 1917 Cup Contest
- 28th Aug 1917 Training
- 28th of August 1917 Marched to Ytres
- 28th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 28th of August 1917 Going over the top
- 28th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 28th Aug 1917 Reinforcements
- 28th Aug 1917 Shelling
- 28th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 28th Aug 1917 Rations
- 28th Aug 1917 Lecture
- 28th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 28th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 28th of August 1917 Taking Over the Line
- 28th of August 1917
- 28th of August 1917
- 28th Aug 1917 Awards
- 28th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 28th Aug 1917 Hostile Batteries
- 28th of August 1917 On the Road
- 16th Northumberlands move 16th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers leave Bray Dunes and return to return to Jeanniot (now Canada) camp.
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel, sheet 51B France 1/40,000 M.24.c.2.4 and trenches
Section Reliefs.
- 2/Lt. Derbyshire (No.4 Section) relieved 2/Lt. Parsons (No.1 Section) in S4 and S5.
- Sgt. Jenkins (No.4 Section) relieved 2/Lt. G Barnes (No.1 Section) in S6 and S7.
- 2/Lt. Attwater (No.2 Section) relieved 2/Lt. Wheatley (No.3 Section) in S8, 9, 10, 11 and S12.
War Diaries
- 29th August 1917 Routine
- 29th Aug 1917 Struggle for Inverness Copse
- 29th Aug 1917 Artillery In Action
- 29th Aug 1917 Preparing for Reliefs
- 29th Aug 1917 Orders
- 29th Aug 1917 At Rest
- 29th Aug 1917 Training
- 29th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 29th Aug 1917 Sports
- 29th of August 1917 Relieving the Seaforths
- 29th of August 1917 New job
- 29th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 29th Aug 1917 Awards
- 29th Aug 1917 Artillery Active
- 29th Aug 1917 Working Parties
- 29th Aug 1917 Training
- 29th Aug 1917 Reliefs
- 29th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 29th of August 1917 Another Line Takeover
- 29th of August 1917
- 29th of August 1917
- 29th Aug 1917 Change of Command
- 29th Aug 1917 Training
- 29th Aug 1917 Hostile Batteries
- 29th of August 1917 On the March
- Activity in Front Line 245 Machine Gun Company
Mercatel, sheet 51B France 1/40,000 M.24.c.2.4 and trenches.
Lt RJ Houghton and 1 OR proceeded to Camiers to join Vickers Machine Gun Course at 47th Division GHQ Small Arms School.
Signed
LW Rees Lieutenant.
For Officer Commanding 245 Machine Gun Company.
War Diaries
- 30th August 1917 HQ Moved
- August 1917 In Action
- 30th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 30th Aug 1917 Artillery In Action
- 30th Aug 1917 Training
- 30th Aug 1917 At Rest
- 30th Aug 1917 Training
- 30th Aug 1917 Reinforcements
- 30th Aug 1917 On the Move
- 30th Aug 1917 Training & Sports
- 30th of August 1917
- 30th of August 1917 Cooking for the troops
- 30th Aug 1917 Patrols
- 30th Aug 1917 Reinforcements
- 30th Aug 1917 Artillery Active
- 30th Aug 1917 Working Parties
- 30th Aug 1917 Musketry
- 30th Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 30th of August 1917 Two Posts at Yorkshire Bank
- 30th August 1917 New Squadron formed
- 30th August 1917 Move for training
- 30th of August 1917
- 30th of August 1917
- 30th Aug 1917 Rounds Fired
- 30th Aug 1917 Training
- 30th Aug 1917 Villages Targeted
- 30th of August 1917 Cleaning Up
- 31st August 1917 Routine
- 31st Aug 1917 In Camp
- 31st Aug 1917 In Position
- L4 MERICOURT SECTOR
Quiet day. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 31st Aug 1917 Reliefs Completed
- 31st Aug 1917 On the March
- 31st Aug 1917 On the March
- 31st Aug 1917 In Support
- 31st Aug 1917 Reorganisation
- 31st Aug 1917 Training
- 31st Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 31st Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 31st of August 1917 More bacon
- 31st Aug 1917 Patrols
- 31st Aug 1917 Patrols
- 31st Aug 1917 Working Parties
- 31st Aug 1917 Orders
- 31st Aug 1917 Route March
- 31st Aug 1917 In the Trenches
- 31st Aug 1917 In Reserve
- 31st of August 1917 Posts Lost and Won
- 31st of August 1917
- 31st of August 1917
- 31st of August 1917
- 31st of August 1917
- 31st Aug 1917 Air Raid
- 31st Aug 1917 Training
- 31st Aug 1917 Shelling
- 31st of August 1917 Training
- 12th Sep 1917 Conversations
- 20th Sep 1917 New Ward
- 26th Sep 1917 Convoy
- 27th Sep 1917 New Arrivals
- ECOIVRES
Tactical training of platoons. Fatigues as usual. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 9th Rifle Brigade disband 9th Battalion Rifle Brigade Cadre is disbanded at Desvres on 3 August 1918.
- Remembrance Day
The Lord Mayor of London in a letter to The Daily News, invites his
fellow citizens to attend with him the 10.30 am service t St Paul's on
Sunday next, when the fourth anniversary of Great Britain's entry into
the war will solemnly be observed as a "Day of Remembrance"
"Such an occasion" says the Lord Mayor, "will enable us as a
community to recall all that has befallen our Empire in these four
fateful years, and especially the services and sacrifices of those who
have fought and fallen in the scared cause of freedom, justice and
humanity. It will also permit us to reconsecrate ourselves, in the
memory of all the high traditions and ideals for which we have been
fighting, for the possibly greater demands of the future."
He adds that there will be a simultaneous offering of prayer and
thanks giving in every city, town and village throughout the country and
throughout the Empire. The Daily News
- Striking Back at the enemy 16th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles - Pioneers.
St Jans Capel.
Work continued in the St Jans Capel sector into August.
No.1 Company was detailed with maintenance and repairs of the following roads:
Fontaine, Berthen, Berthen, Schaexken, Rossignol, Piebrouk, Piebrouk, Berthen and Staines House roads.
No.3 Company was tasked with constructing mined dugouts near Rossignol,
for the Medical Dressing Station and Brigade HQ. It was also responsible
for deepening, duck-boarding and wiring trenches as part of Blue Line.
These tasks continued with a number of variations until 21st August.
By now the German offensive seemed to have ground to a halt and indeed
great Allied offensives had been launched further south. Employing tanks
and with long sought after Artillery superiority Rawlinsons 4th British
Army together with the First French Army commenced an offensive along
the Amiens, Roye road with advances being made in the area of Chateau
Thierry. The First and Third British Armies were driving across the old
Somme battlegrounds and again approaching the Hindenburg Line.
The turning point for the Second Army at the St Jans Capel sector to go
on the offensive had now been reached.
The 9th Division had captured Meteren and then the Hoegenecker Ridge
south east of Meteren which left the Germans facing the 36th Division in
a precarious salient which the Division proposed to push in thus
shortening their own defensive line. On the night of 21-22 August the
16th Pioneers were to support an action by the 15th Bn Royal Irish
Rifles to straighten the line by the capture of Mural and Wirral Farms.
They were to erect a single wire fence in front of newly captured
ground. During this they were involved in some fighting and captured an
enemy machine gun. Only about 2/3rd of the work was completed and
casualties were 8 other ranks wounded. The following night the companies
were back on their tasks again.
On the 23-24th Nos. 1 and 3 Companies were employed to construct a new
front line trench. Casualties were 2 other ranks killed and 3 wounded.
Work continued on the night 24/25 August with about 1 mile of trenches
completed. The left Brigade attacking with 1st and 9th battalions the
Royal Irish Fusiliers advanced the line to the Haegedoorne, Dranontre
Road on the 24th August, so on the night of 25, 26th another 500 yards
of new trenches were dug and over the next two nights a further 1500
yards were completed.
On the morning of the 30th August the 36th Division were to be
relieved by the 35th Division but this did not take place as the Germans
withdrew from the salient overnight and lit up the night sky with the
burning of their equipment as they withdrew. So the 36th had to stay in
touch with the active and aggressive pursuit of the enemy. On the 31st
of August the pioneers were unsurprisingly opening and repairing roads
to keep up with the advance.
Battalion strength
1st August Officers 33 ORs 1048
31st August Officers 36 ORs 1022
Casualties
Officers Killed 1 Wounded 10
Other Ranks Killed nil Wounded 10
The Terrors by SN White
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Map Reference Sheet 28 Berthen 1/10000. Mont des Cats.
One Company carried on with training. Lewis Gun Sections from each
Company fired at range and men with revolvers had parade for
instruction. At night three Companies were working on Berthen defences.
Two men were slightly wounded.
In afternoon the Division Band played for two hours. Captain J Gibson
joined the Battalion from transport lines. Two men were wounded on
working party.
War Diaries
- Hospital ship
SS Newhaven With
the advantages of the steam turbine having been clearly demonstrated by
the LBSCR's Brighton and Dieppe this form of propulsion was specified
for the ships built to replace the Tamise, Manche and France. The
Newhaven was built by the Forges et Chantiers de la Mediteranee, Le
Havre in 1911.
At the outbreak of World War 1 the Newhaven was requisitioned by the
French navy for use as an auxiliary cruiser before being transferred to
the British flag for use as a hospital ship.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:3
- Nurses:4
- Other:27
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:6
- Cots:19
- Berths:138
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:7th May 1915
- Date To:5th March 1919
- Ships Crew details:
Recovered by her owners in 1919 she was, along with her sister the
Rouen, the mainstay of the French side of the Newhaven-Dieppe service
during the 1920's and 30's.
In August 1924 the Newhaven ran aground at night in thick fog under the
cliffs at Berneval, about 5 miles east of Dieppe. The following morning,
at low tide, the passengers descended to the beach by rope ladder and
finished their journey to Dieppe in hastily hired buses! She was
re-floated 9 days later, fortunately without serious damage and was
quickly put back into service.
Two refits changed her appearance significantly. In the first, during
the winter of 1929/30 her internal accommodation was upgraded and her
promenade decks plated-in. The second, during the winter of 1931/32 saw
her coal fired boilers being changed for oil burners and her twin
funnels replaced by a single larger one.
The Newhaven was taken over by the Germans in 1940 and used as a troop
transport in the Baltic during World War II. Recovered in 1945, her
refitting as a passenger vessel was considered too costly and she was
sold for scrap in 1949.
John Doran
- 1st August 1918 Recce. Orders for New positions
- 1st August 1918 Trench improvements
- Aug 1918 New aircraft
- VIEUX BERQUIN
The
Battalion moved forward and took over the R3 Sub Sector from the 13th
YORK & LANCS Regt. A Coy right front, B Coy left front, C Coy in the
Y line, D Coy Z line. Relief complete 2.30am, 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 1st Aug 1918 Dawn Raid
- 1st Aug 1918 Attack Made
- 1st August 1918 In Action
- 1st Aug 1918 Training
- 1st Aug 1918 Artillery Active
- 1st of August 1918 An Operation
- August 1918 Into Belgium
- 1st Aug 1918 Orders
- 1st Aug 1918 Training
- 1st Aug 1918 Training
- 1st Aug 1918 Baths
- 1st of August 1918 Four POWs
- 1st Aug 1918 Training
- 1st of August 1918 Training
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Usual firing of Lewis Guns. Day was wet; causing parades took form of
lectures. At night work was done by five Platoons (C Company and No.13
of D). Casualties, two killed, four wounded.
War Diaries
- 2nd August 1918 Relocation and Award of MM
- SWARTEN BROUGH
Considerable shelling around Battalion HQ. Orders received to move & take over the R2 Sub Sector from the 11th E YORKS. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 2nd Aug 1918 Salvage and Burials
- 2nd Aug 1918 Training
- 2nd Aug 1918 Artillery Active
- 2nd of August 1918 Heavy Shelling
- 2nd Aug 1918 Inspections
- 2nd Aug 1918 Training
- 2nd of August 1918 TMs Inactive
- 2nd August 1918 Move back to British lines
- 2nd of August 1918 Baths and Training
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Training was carried out in forenoon by those Companies who were not
working during night and by the whole Battalion in the afternoon from
1300 to 1500. Companies arranged their own programmes of work. At night
the usual work party took place.
War Diaries
- Australian Troop Transports
HMAT A69 Warilda The
HMAT A69 Warilda weighed 7,713 tons with an average cruise speed of 16
knots or 29.63 kmph. It was owned by the Adelaide SS Co Ltd, Adelaide,
and manned by Australian officers and mainly by Australian crews. The
Warilda was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine in the English Channel on
the 3rd August 1918. she also served as a Hospital Ship during WW1.
- Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport Service during WW1.
- Medical Staff strength.
- Officers:10
- Nurses:15
- Other:63
- Accommodation capacity.
- Officers:12
- Cots:346
- Berths:188
- Period of Service as Hospital Ship or Ambulance Transport.
- Date From:25th July 1916
- Date To:3rd August 1918
- Ships Crew details:
John Doran
- 3rd August 1918 rest day and bathing
- SWARTEN BROUGH
Relieved
the 2 front Coy’s of the 12th NORFOLK Regt. the 2 rear Coy’s of the
23rd LANCS FUSILIERS, Disposition after completion of relief in the R2
Sub Sector, D Coy right front, C Coy left front, B Coy left support in
the COBLEY COTTAGE Switch, A Coy right support in the Z line. On the
left 12th NORFOLKS (to be relieved night 4/5th by 23rd R LANCS
FUSILIERS) On right 13th YORK & LANCS. On right of Y&L 61st Div.
Relief complete R2 Sub Sector 4.20am. During relief heavy shelling in
forward area of new sector. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 3rd Aug 1918 On the Move
- 3rd Aug 1918 Artillery Active
- 3rd Aug 1918 Attachments
- 3rd Aug 1918 Training
- 3 August 1918 Squadron disbanded
- 3rd Aug 1918 Inspection
- 3rd Aug 1918 Shelling
- 3rd of August 1918 15 Planes Seen
- 3rd of August 1918 Training
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
The Commanding Officer and Adjutant visited details, Divisional
Reception and Reinforcement Camps. Major Tamplin DSO and Lieutenant
Richardson with nine Other Ranks attend special Intercessory Service
held at Terdeghem in commemoration of the 4th anniversary of the
outbreak of war. Usual Lewis Gun firing took place in the morning.
War Diaries
- 4th August 1918 Church Parade and commendations
- SWARTEN BROUGH
Two
patrols of 1 Officer 20 ORs and a Lewis Gun sent out, who established
the fact that no posts were being held up to a line drawn parallel with
& 200X from our front line. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 4th Aug 1918 Improving Camp
- 4th Aug 1918 Gas
- 4th Aug 1918 Service
- 4th of August 1918 Gas on Bailleul
- 4th Aug 1918 Church Parade
- 4th August 1918 Life at home
- 4th Aug 1918 Service
- 4th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 4th of August 1918 A March Past
- 1st Aug 1918 Training
- 4th of August 1918 Parade
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Mont des Cats.
Wesleyan and Presbyterians paraded at 1430 for Church with 12th Royal
Irish Rifles. Church of Ireland service was held at 1800. No work was
done at night. War Diaries
- Zeppelin Raids on Britain The
last Zeppelin raid on Britain took place on 5 August 1918 when four
Zeppelins bombed targets in the Midlands and the North of England. The
airships reached the British coast before dark, and were sighted by the
Leman Tail lightship 30 mi (48 km) northeast of Happisborough at 2010,
although defending aircraft were not alerted until 2050. Despite thick
cloud two aircraft succeeded in intercepting the recently commissioned
LZ112(L70), which was carrying Strasser as an observer, and shot it down
in flames. Egbert Cadbury and Robert Leckie flying a DH.4 were credited
with the victory. The remaining airships dropped their bombs blind,
relying on radio bearings for navigational information: none fell on
land. A substantial effort was made to salvage the wreckage of L70 and
most of the structure was eventually brought ashore, providing the
British a great deal of technical information. The bodies of the crew
members were buried at sea.
John Doran
- 5th August 1918 Routine Training and appointments
- By
the beginning of 1917 the German High Command was losing faith in the
extremely costly air ships campaign, which overall had wreaked only
limited structural damage on Great Britain. From May 1917 most bombing
raids were carried out by the Gotha bombers although, with a more
limited range, these operations were largely limited to London and the
South East. There were only seven airship-raids in 1917 and four in
1918. The final airship raid on Great Britain took place on the 5th
August 1918. The command airship was shot down over the North Sea by the
gunner of a British DH4 twin-seater aircraft flying from South Denes
aerodrome, Great Yarmouth. The German Leader of Airships, Peter
Strasser, and his 23 crew were all killed. The remaining four airships
hurriedly and mistakenly dropped their bombs into the English Channel
and turned for home.
The total number of airship attacks on Britain between 1915 and 1918
probably numbered only a total of 12 raids on London and 40 more over
the rest of the country, but the Zeppelin was very effective in drawing
RFC and RNAS resources away from the battle front. By December 1916 at
the height of the Zeppelin threat 17,340 officers and men were in the AA
service together with 12 RFC squadrons comprised of 200 officers, 2,000
other ranks and 110 aircraft for home defence duties. By 1918, facing
the raids by Gotha bombers, there were 55 Home Defence Squadrons. The
threat of bombing certainly reduced the numbers of effective squadrons
and trained pilots at the front and thus reduced the pressure on the
German front line.
The First Air Raid on Lancashire: The Zeppelin Menace By Scott Carter-Clavell
- SWARTEN BROUGH
Nothing to report. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 5th Aug 1918 Baths
- 5th Aug 1918 Working Parties and Training
- 5th Aug 1918 Special Order
- 5th Aug 1918 Football
- 5th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 5th August 1918 7th Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs).
- 5th Aug 1918 Training
- 5th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 5th of August 1918 A Lecture
- 5th Aug 1918 Horse Show
- 5th of August 1918 Training
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Battalion was inspected by the Commanding Officer at 1300. At 1500 a
lecture was given by Captain Bless on the war. The lecture was good but
the weather bad. Work was done as usual. War Diaries
- 6th August 1918 Visit King George V.
- 6th Aug 1918 Patrol Work
- SWARTEN BROUGH
Projection
of 600 gas bombs from behind D Coy HQ. C & D Coy’s withdrawn from
danger zone during & for 2 hours after projection (owing to gas
lingering) & upon reoccupying positions D Coy found one of the enemy
badly gassed who had wandered into our lines. He was without any means
of identification & died before he could be got to Brigade. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 6th Aug 1918 In Position
- 6th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 6th Aug 1918 Artillery Active
- 6th Aug 1918 In the Trenches
- 6th of August 1918 Enemy Active
- 6th Aug 1918 Training, Football & Working Parties
- 6th Aug 1918 Patrol
- 6th Aug 1918 Training
- 6th Aug 1918 Wet Day
- 6th of August 1918 A VC Presentation
- 6th of August 1918 Range Firing
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Ordinary parades took place. Between 2330 and midnight enemy fired about
50 rounds of 5.9 inch shells on battery positions immediately in rear
of Battalion area. Our guns retaliated. The usual work was done at
night. War Diaries
- SWARTEN BROUGH
Information
received that enemy were likely to withdraw South of Brigade Sector.
Sent out two snipers on daylight patrol at 3pm to watch enclosure at
E.30. A patrol returned and informed OC C Coy Capt NEAL DCM that
enclosure did not appear to be held. 2Lt PERRY & 6 ORs sent out to
investigate came upon party of Germans holding Western hedge of
enclosure. These made signs to our party to surrender but finding 4 of
our party had worked round to their flank they themselves surrendered.
Result 14 prisoners taken & a light machine gun. At the same time
23rd LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS took 9 prisoners. Further news received that
the Division (74th) on the night of the 6th had advanced their line. At
12 midnight the front line Coy’s advanced their posts some 200X &
dug in leaving small holding parties. Inter Coy relief. A Coy took over
from D Coy. B Coy from C Coy & vice versa. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 7th Aug 1918 Into Position
- 7th Aug 1918 Patrols
- 7th Aug 1918 Rifle Meeting
- 7th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 7th Aug 1918 Into the Trenches
- 7th Aug 1918 Training
- 7th Aug 1918 Quiet
- 7th of August 1918 Back Areas Shelled
- 7th of August 1918 Range Firing
- A/Major
Basil Terah Hooley, 7th Sherwood Foresters then 2nd Tank Corps, 5th
Battn was awarded an M.C. For gallantry and devotion to duty when in
command of a company of tanks near Domart, 8th August 1918.
In order to reach his position of deployment this officer had to take
his tanks across the river Luce by Thennes Bridge and move them for a
distance of 1700 yards to a flank within100 yards of the enemy front
line.
The bridge at Thennes was in a very precarious condition, and the entire
approach march had to be carried out through the area in which the
enemy’s barrage was known to fall.
In carrying out this most difficult operation Major Hooley displayed the
greatest coolness and judgement, and succeeded in getting all thirteen
tanks to a position of deployment, whence the proceeded into action at
zero.
Throughout the operation on 8th August Major Hooley kept in close touch
with his tanks in spite of heavy artillery and machine-gun fire, and
supervised them in their operations with the greatest judgement and
decision. His gallantry and capable handling of his command enabled the
infantry to reach their objectives at the expense of very few
casualties.
THE TANK CORPS BOOK OF HONOUR Book owned by father John Peter Lloyd 460 pages, here is just one entry on page 155 and I quote
- Daily Activity 9th
Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers report "No training
done. At night Battalion relieved the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
in right of left sub-sector (Meulehouck). Relief done satisfactorily by
0130. Only one casualty through enemy shelling. Remainder of night
passed quietly."
War Diaries
- 8th August 1918 Return to trenches
- SWARTEN BROUGH
Inter
Coy relief complete 1am. Daylight patrol sent out all day to ascertain
whether enemy still holding W side of PLATE BECQUE. Patrols on S side of
VERTE RUE LA COURONNE road were unable to get far forward owing to
heavy machine gun fire. Patrols on the N side of the LA COURONNE road
established the fact that the enemy were holding the enclosure at E.30.
in strength that there was a ladder up a tree used as an OP. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 8th Aug 1918 Attack Made
- 8th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 8th Aug 1918 Bravery Recognised
- 8th Aug 1918 Mustard Gas
- Captured Weapons
© IWM (Q 6918)
© IWM (Q 6919)
Officers of the 8th and 10th Battalions, London Regiment, 58th
Division conferring by a captured German mortar near Malard Wood during
the Battle of Amiens.
- 8th Aug 1918 Working Parties
- 8th August 1918 In Action
- 8th August 1918 Attack Made
- 8th August 1918 Brave Actions
- 8th August 1918 Battery Overcome
- 8th August 1918 Progress
- 8th August 1918 Attack Made
- 8th August 1918 Assault
- 8th August 1918 Through the Fog
- 8th August 1918 In Action
- 8th August 1918 Advance
- 8th August 1918 Attack Made
- 8th August 1918 Overflow MDS
- 8th August 1918 Attack Made
- 8th August 1918 Advance
- 8th August 1918 To Assembly Point
- 8th August 1918 Defensive Flank
- 8th August 1918 Assault
- 8th August 1918 On the Run
- 8th Aug 1918 Training
- 8th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 8th of August 1918 Brigades Relieved
- 8th August 1918 Battle of Amiens
- 8th of August 1918 Firing Practice and Drill
- 8th August 1918 Attack during Imperial inspection
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Reference Sheet 28 Bailleul 1/10000. Meulehouck.
Enemy shelled St Jans Cappel with 5.9s throughout day while our guns
replied on Bailleul. Our planes very active. Enemy planes seldom crossed
our lines. One fired into our trench early in morning. Slight machine
gun activity at night. Two patrols were out during night. One was
detected at S.2.c.15.20 and fired on. The other under 2nd Lieutenant J
Boyd was fired at and bombed from house at S.3.c.10.10, two men being
wounded.
War Diaries
- 9th August 1918 Bombardment of Voormezel
- 106 Field Coy RE visit seaside 106
Field Coy RE rest at Beaurainvelle and visited the seaside but the
beach was out of bounds. Good news from the front that the Fresh
American troops were doing well although the weather was bad
- 9th August 1918 Back into the trenches
- SWARTEN BROUGH
Patrols (night & day) again sent out but enemy more alert. At night the Battalion relieved by the 11th E YORKS. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 9th Aug 1918 Assault Continues
- 9th Aug 1918 Demolitions
- 9th Aug 1918 Leave
- 9th of August 1918 A Gas Attack
- 9th Aug 1918 Working Parties
- 9th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 9th August 1918 Advance Continues
- 9th August 1918 Advance
- 9th Aug 1918 Training
- 9th Aug 1918 Quiet
- 9th of August 1918 Our Batteries Engaged
- 9th of August 1918 Firing Practice
- 9th August 1918 Agent dropped behind enemy lines
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
At 0315 enemy detected at our wire at S.2.d.35.60 but disappeared on
fire being opened. Three blasts of whistle were heard from enemy trench
soon after. Enemy guns were active on front line in morning. Twenty
(5.9s) on S.1.d.6.6, our guns active day and night on enemy rear area.
Usual aircraft activity.
At 2030 one enemy aircraft was over our line while another was brought
down by one of ours. Enemy balloon also brought down in flames south of
Bailleul. Patrols were out under Captain J Benson and 2nd Lieutenant
Behannah, but did not come into contact with enemy. The latter estimated
Shoddy Farm garrison to be forty.
At 1830 Lieutenant Dobbyn MC got into enemy trench at S.3.c.8.5 but only
found greatcoat and pack. Another patrol under 2nd Lieutenant Burrowes
at 1630 got to consolidated shell holes at S.3.c.05.05 where they fired
at enemy party.
War Diaries
- 10th August 1918 Normal situation in the trenches
- 10th Aug 1915 Doing thier Bit.
- SWARTEN BROUGH
Relief complete at 2am. Quiet relief. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 10th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 10th Aug 1918 Enemy Active
- 10th Aug 1918 In the Line
- 10th of August 1918 Batteries Shelled
- 10th Aug 1918 Transfer
- 10th Aug 1918 In the Trenches
- 10th Aug 1918 Raid
- 10th Aug 1918 Training
- 10th Aug 1918 Quiet
- 10th of August 1918 Gas Fired
- 10th August 1918 New aircraft
- 10th of August 1918 HM King Inspection
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Usual activity on either side. At 0400 twenty rounds of heavy Trench
Mortars were fired on left of sector. At 2300 patrol of 32 Other Ranks
under Captain J Benson and 2nd Lieutenant Behannah attempted to raid
Shoddy Farm but were attacked in rear and after hand-to-hand fight in
which casualties were inflicted on either side, returned. Our
casualties, Captain Benson missing, two Other Ranks killed, two wounded.
War Diaries
- 11th August 1918 Ongoing Action
- 11th August 1918 Relief in trenches
- MORBECQUE
Baths & general cleaning up. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 11th Aug 1918 Patrols
- 11th Aug 1918 Aircraft Active
- 11th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 11th of August 1918 Hostile Activity
- 11th Aug 1918 In the Trenches
- 11th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 11th August 1918 Brave Actions
- 11th August 1918 Orders
- 11th August 1918 Over the Somme
- 11th Aug 1918 Enemy Aircraft
- 11th of August 1918 King Attends March Past
- 11th Aug 1918 Orders
- 11th of August 1918 Some Shelling
- Quiet day for 9th Irish Fusiliers 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers war diary records:
Enemy artillery very quiet, ours active. Usual enemy plane at 0500 and 2030. Night passed quietly.
War Diaries
- 106th Coy RE work on dugouts. 106th
Coy RE are at Hesdin St. Pole Combluim Le Abbie behind Vimy Ridge,
Sappers working on Dugouts. The Writer was trying to get to see his
wounded Comrade, Bert Chance who it is believed was dying in a Casualty
Clearing Station.
- 12th August 1918 Positional defense
- MORBECQUE
Musketry on 400X rifle range for all Coy’s. Reorganisation. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 12 Aug 1918 Orders to Move
- 12th Aug 1918 Ward Destroyed
- 12th Aug 1918 Outposts
- 12th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 12th Aug 1918 On the Range
- 12th of August 1918 Stream Crossing Gassed
- 12th Aug 1918 Training
- 12th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 12th Aug 1918 In the Trenches
- 12th Aug 1918 Working Parties & Training
- 12th August 1918 Training
- 12th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 12th of August 1918 Six Patrols Out
- 12th of August 1918 Gas Shelling
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
At 0310 heavy bombardment by our guns in direction of Locre. The day
passed as usual. Between 2200 and 2230 enemy put up ten lights bursting
into orange rain, but no apparent result or action. Enemy appeared to be
working actively in front lines. Our patrols obtained nothing. Our
planes very active bombing at night.
War Diaries
- 13th August 1918 Ongoing trench routines
- MORBECQUE
Musketry, Rifle grenade firing. P.T.B.F. Patrol schemes. Handling of arms. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 13th Aug 1918 Prisoners Taken
- 13th Aug 1918 In Reserve
- 13th Aug 1918 Course
- 13th of August 1918 Bailleul Billets Gassed
- 13th Aug 1918 On the March
- 13th Aug 1918 In the Trenches
- 13th August 1918 hard work
- 13th August 1918 Special Order
- 13th Aug 1918 Reorganisation
- 13th Aug 1918 Gas Shells
- 13th of August 1918 A German Deserter
- 13th of August 1918 Active Aeroplanes
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
At 0130 heavy concentrated bombardment on Bailleul. During day enemy
artillery slightly more active. Two of his planes crossed our line at
2030. One returned to his own line, the other surrendered to four of
ours, putting out a red flare. He was then escorted back to our own
aerodrome.
Lieutenant Dobbyn MC with two others got into enemy line at 1715 at
S.3.c.9.5, where they killed a German and wounded another. Six others
fled. Patrol at night under 2nd Lieutenant C.A Ross was fired on by
Machine Guns and bombs. Three Other Ranks were wounded. Remainder of
night passed as usual.
2nd Lieutenant H.L Davies joined from transport lines.
War Diaries
- 14th August 1918 Ongoing trench routines
- 14th Aug 1918
- MORBECQUE
As for yesterday. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 14th Aug 1918 In Support
- 14th Aug 1918 Inspection
- 14th of August 1918 Hurricane Bombardment
- 14th Aug 1918 On the March
- 14th Aug 1918 Working Parties & Baths
- 14th August 1918 Home defence squadron formed
- 14th August 1918 Training
- 14th Aug 1918 Raid
- 14th of August 1918 Enemy Post Rushed
- 14th of August 1918 Night Shelling
- 246 Squadron formed. 246 Squadron was formed from 252 Squadron RFC at RFC Seaton Carew II.
- 403 Flight 246 Squadron move base. 403 Flight of the newly formed 246 Squadron departed from RAF Seaton Carew II for RAF Killingholme
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Enemy artillery fairly active, shelling St Jans Cappel with 5.9s from
0240 to 0300 and S.2.c.20.50 from 1015 to 1045 with 43 shells of 77mm
high velocity. Our artillery was active. At night they fired eight
rockets over Bailleul. These are like ordinary Verey lights but much
stronger light. From experience it is found that enemy sometimes put up
red flares bursting into rain when our patrols are out, as if he has
discovered them and so gives warning to sentries.
update
77 mm shells were called whiz-bangs. They travelled faster than sound so
you heard the whiz of the passing (hopefully!) shell before the sound
of the gun which fired it.
War Diaries
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-136
Type Large Ms.
Shipyard Kaiserliche Werft, Danzig
Ordered 27 May 1916
Laid down 23 Nov 1916
Launched 7 Nov 1917
Commissioned 15 Aug 1918
Commanders.
15 Aug 1918 - 11 Nov 1918 Hermann Menzel
Career No patrols.
start date unknown - 11 Nov 1918 III Flotilla
Successes No successes.
Fate 23 Feb 1919 - Surrendered to France. Broken up at Cherburg in 1921.
There was another U 136 in World War Two.
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 5 Jul 1941 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 30 Aug 1941.
John Doran
- 15th August 1918 Gas attack on HQ
- 15th Aug 1918 Gas Attack
- MORBECQUE
Patrolling scheme introducing communication with a contact aeroplane. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 15th Aug 1918 In Support
- 15th Aug 1918 Training & Sports
- 15th Aug 1918 Training
- 15th Aug 1918 On the March
- 15th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 15th Aug 1918 In the Trenches
- 15th Aug 1918 Attachment
- 15th August 1918 Training
- 15th Aug 1918 Quiet
- 15th of August 1918 MGs Night Firing
- 15th of August 1918 A Farm Raided
- Reliefs 9th
Btn. Royal Irish Fusiliers report "Day was ordinary. At night the
Battalion was relieved by the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles and on relief moved
into Brigade reserve at Mont Noir. Relief was completed by 0130.
Disposition of Companies: A & D in wood near Woelfhoek,
B in Quarry and C in Blue Line."
War Diary 9th North Irish Horse
- 16th August 1918 Quite day in trenches
- MORBECQUE
Coy training. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 16th Aug 1918 Reliefs Completed
- 16th Aug 1918 Training
- 16th Aug 1918 Rifle Meeting
- 16th of August 1918 Wire Cutting
- 16th Aug 1918 Relief
- 16th Aug 1918 Gas
- 16th Aug 1918 On the March
- 16th August 1918 Training
- 16th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 16th of August 1918 An Enemy Raid
- 16th Aug 1918 Training
- 16th August 1918 US Aero Squadron departs for final training
- 16th of August 1918 Working
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Reference Sheet 28 Kemmel 1/10000. Mont Noir.
Day was spent in cleaning and inspections. At 2200 two Companies bathed
at R.26.d. central. Work was done at tunnel at Battalion Headquarters
and salvage at Berthen.
War Diaries
- 17th August 1918 Heavy enemy shelling
- 17th August 1918 Ongoing actions
- MORBECQUE
Coy
training. Patrol demonstration & lecture by R. SCOTS FUSILIERS
& R. WELSH FUSILIERS in their recent experience in pushing forward
at VIEUX BERQUIN. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 17th Aug 1918 Bathing
- 17th Aug 1918 Training & Sports
- 17th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 17th Aug 1918 Artillery Active
- 17th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 17th Aug 1918 Training
- 17th Aug 1918 Training
- 17th Aug 1918 In Billets
- 17th August 1918 Disbanded
- 17th of August 1918 Six Patrols
- 17th Aug 1918 Sports
- 17th August 1918 Squadron disbanded
- 17th August 1918 Squadron disbanded
- 17th August 1918 Squadron disbanded
- 17 August 1918 Squadron disbanded
- 17th August 1918 Squadron disbanded
- 17th of August 1918 Carrying Parties
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Mont Noir.
About 1100 the 9th Division attacked on our right and appeared to get their objectives from observation at Mont Noir.
Two Companies bathed at night, while one worked. Number of fires were seen behind enemy lines.
War Diaries
- 18th August 1918 Enemy attack repulsed
- MORBECQUE
Brigade church parade. Presentations, Honours & Awards by Brigadier. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 18th Aug 1918 Recce
- 18th Aug 1918 In the Trenches
- 18th of August 1918 Mural Farm Raid
- 18th Aug 1918 Church Parade
- 18th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 18th Aug 1918 Church Parade
- 18th August 1918 Church Parade
- 18th Aug 1918 Orders
- 18th of August 1918 Lewis Gun Post Hit
- 18th Aug 1918 Training
- 18th of August 1918 Active Aircraft
- 18th August 1918
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
At intervals enemy shelled battery positions behind Mont Noir with 5.9
inch calibre guns. At night one and a half Platoons worked from 2100 to
midnight on communication trench to left of Battalion Headquarters, two
Platoons daily from 0600 to 1200 on Blue Line.
War Diaries
- 19th August 1918 Star shell test
- 19th August 1918 Situation normal
- MORBECQUE
Baths & musketry. New draft inspected by Brigade. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- MORBECQUE
Baths & musketry. New draft inspected by Brigade. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 19th Aug 1918 Throwing Back Grenades
- 19th Aug 1918 Men of Certified Occupations
- 19th Aug 1918 Aircraft Lost
- 19th Aug 1918 Intermittent Shelling
- 19th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1918 In the Trenches
- 19th Aug 1918 Quieter
- 19th Aug 1918 Cleaning up
- 19th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 19th Aug 1918 In the Line
- 19th August 1918 Training
- 19th Aug 1918 Training
- 19th of August 1918 Aeroplanes Active
- 19th August 1918 Bomber Squadron disbanded
- 19th August 1918 Deployment planned
- 19th of August 1918 Carrying Parties
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Enemy artillery were active, shelling behind Mont Noir with 5.9s and
field guns. The usual work was done. At night the two Platoons on left
of Blue Line were relieved by two of D Company.
The Brigade on the left made a slight advance, capturing about 70 prisoners.
War Diaries
- 20th August 1918 Combined Bombardment
- MORBECQUE
Preparation for going into line. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 20th Aug 1918 Meat Imports
- 20th Aug 1918 Prisoners Taken
- 20th Aug 1918 Billets
- 20th Aug 1918 Salary Increase
- 20th Aug 1918 Recce
- 20th Aug 1918 Orders
- 20th Aug 1918 Artillery Active
- 20th Aug 1918 On the March
- 20th Aug 1918 Training
- 20th August 1918 7th Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs).
- 20th August 1918 Training
- 20th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 20th of August 1918 Operatonal Support Given
- 20th of August 1918 Battalion Relieved
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
The day passed as usual. Our relief of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish
Fusiliers was cancelled and orders given for an attack to be made by the
Brigade. The 15th Royal Irish Rifles (107th Brigade) captured Mural and
Wirral Farms, capturing 17 prisoners, at 0030, with 40 (wounded)
casualties. War Diaries
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-163
Type U 93
Shipyard Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack
Ordered 9 Feb 1917
Launched 1 Jun 1918
Commissioned 21 Aug 1918
Commanders.
21 Aug 1918 - 11 Nov 1918 Heinrich Metzger
Career.
start date unknown - 11 Nov 1918 IV Flotilla
Successes No successes.
Fate 22 Nov 1918 - Surrendered to Italy. Broken up at La Spezia in August 1919.
There was another U 163 in World War Two.
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 1 May 1941 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 21 Oct 1941.
John Doran
- 21st August 1918 Relief successful.
- 21st Aug 1918 Gloucesters Advance
- MORBECQUE
The
Battalion were to have relieved the 11th E YORKS in the R2 Sub Sector
VIEUX BERQUIN but after arrangements had been made for relief these
orders were cancelled. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 21st Aug 1918 Moving Up
- 21st Aug 1918 On the Move
- 21st Aug 1918 Quiet
- 21st August 1918 Attack Made
- 21st of August 1918 A Chinese Attack
- 21st of August 1918 A Chinese Attack
- 21st Aug 1918 In Action
- 21st Aug 1918 Artillery Active
- 21st Aug 1918 On the March
- 21st August 1918 Training
- 21st Aug 1918 Attack Made
- 21st of August 1918 A "Chinese" Attack
- 21st of August 1918 Bathing
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Preparations are made for attack by us on road from S.3.c to S.8.a. At
night the Company in Blue Line was relieved by a Company of the 1st
Royal Irish Rifles. At 2330 the front line was bombarded with shells of
various calibre and gas. Enemy made an unsuccessful counter-attack on
Mural Farm.
Working parties at night made dumps of material for consolidating purposes in front line.
War Diaries
- Food shortages for 106th Coy RE Food
was very short which meant that 106th Field Coy RE were feeding many
German prisoners. Enemy Aeroplanes caused a lot of problems at night.
- 22nd August 1918 Routine in reserve position
- 22nd Aug 1918 In Action
- MORBECQUE
The
40th Div relieved the 31st Div in the VIEUX BERQUIN Sector relieving in
its turn the 9th Div in the METEREN Sector. At 5pm the Battalion
vacated the camp at MORBECQUE (it was taken over by the 12th R WELSH
FUSILIERS 94th Brigade) and marched via HAZEBROUCK to camp at
V.12.b.9.9. taking over from 2nd R SCOTS FUSILIERS. Reconnoitring
patrols sent up to L2 Sub Sector to take over from 12th R SCOTS
FUSILIERS. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 22nd Aug 1918 Brave Actions
- 22nd Aug 1918 Attack Made
- 22nd Aug 1918 Alert
- 22nd Aug 1918 Quiet
- 22nd Aug 1918 Working Parties
- 22nd Aug 1918 On the March
- 22nd Aug 1918 In the Line
- Village taken
Mark V (Female) tanks of the 4th Battalion, Tank Corps, passing through
Meaulte on 22nd of August 1918, the day the village was captured by the
5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment of 12th Division. © IWM (Q 7301) IWM
- 22nd August 1918 Training
- 22nd Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 22nd of August 1918 22 POWs Captured
- 22nd of August 1918 Drills and A Lecture
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Meulehouck.
All NCOs and men instructed in method of attack and final preparations
for same were made. At 2030 Battalion moved into the line on right of
left sub-sector (Meulehouck) and cut gaps in wire. The night was very
quiet on our front but towards Locre the enemy shelled heavily and
appeared to attack about 2300. Our artillery opened fire in reply to
SOS.
War Diaries
- MORBECQUE
Moved up A Coy right front, B Coy left front, C Coy support, D Coy reserve. Bn. HQ - V.12.b.9.9. Relief complete 11.30pm. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 23rd Aug 1918 Orders
- 23rd Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 23rd Aug 1918 Quiet
- 23rd August 1918 Secure Position
- 23rd of August 1918 Counter-attack Repulsed
- 23rd Aug 1918 Shelling
- 23rd Aug 1918 On the March
- 23rd Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 23rd Aug 1918 Shelling
- 23rd August 1918 Training
- 23rd Aug 1918 Attack Made
- 23rd of August 1918 Enemy Dispersed
- 23rd Aug 1918 On the Move
- 23rd of August 1918 Drills and a Lecture
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
0230. Enemy re-opened shelling on left for an hour. Our front was very
quiet. The morning opened dull and rain fell. Three of our planes flew
over the line and one enemy.
At 0700 the Companies were in position, A on left, B in centre and D on
right. Our barrage opened with machine gun fire and trench mortars.
After one minute the artillery barrage started and the Companies moved
forward to the attack. After a few minutes the enemy put up lights which
were replied to by artillery fire. This fell first upon the 1st Royal
Irish Fusiliers front but then worked across our own, the shelling being
particularly heavy in S.2.d central. Some of our own 18-pounder shells
fell very short at S.2.d.80.50. Our smoke barrage was not very heavy,
especially on the right. The enemy seemed to be taken by surprise and
were more inclined to run than fight. The objectives were reached
without much opposition. A and D overran their objectives and had to
retire to conform with the line. 'A' Company put up white Verey light at
0720 to signal objective reached.
At 0800 the whole objective was taken and consolidation was carried on
until 1000. C Company followed on behind B and D as second wave and
mopped up. They also helped in consolidation, after which three Platoons
came back to our old front line trench as support Company while the
other Platoon stayed with B Company. At 0930 our shelling ceased but the
smoke barrage continued until 1000. The enemy artillery quietened down
considerably.
At 1000 contact aeroplane came along while another plane dropped two
boxes of Small Arms Ammunition near Soot Farm. There was slight enemy
shelling throughout the day on front line area and on the Meulehouck.
The 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers obtained their objective also and liaison
was established along our line and with the 1st Royal Irish Rifles on
our right.
At 1500 our artillery opened fire on S.8.a where the enemy were reported
to be massing. Enemy planes came over the line and threw out signal
lights over the front line position, when the enemy shelling got
heavier.
At 1830 the enemy put down a smoke barrage behind their front line and
in front of Bailleul where they were seen to mass. SOS signalled from
front was not seen but one of our planes signalled, upon which our
artillery opened fire. The enemy massing had, however, been broken up by
Lewis Gun and rifle fire.
There was slight enemy shelling during night but nothing further
happened. Our own artillery put down counter-preparation at 2300. At
night the Battalion was relieved by the 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
and moved into Divisional Reserve at Mont des Cats.
Our total casualties in the attack were four Officers wounded, five
Other Ranks killed and one believed killed, 53 Other Ranks wounded. We
captured 48 prisoners including ten wounded and estimated to have killed
at least 70 including one Officer.
War Diaries
- 24th August 1918 Situation normal
- Praise for 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers 2nd
Bn., Royal Scots Fusiliers Extract from Battalion Routine Orders by
Lt-Colonel J.E. Utterson-Kelso, D.S.O., M.C. dated 24th August 1918.
The Commanding Officer desires to bring to the notice of all ranks his
appreciation of the gallant conduct & fine spirit shewn by 'B'
Company whilst holding the line on 18th August. During the progress of a
minor operation on our right flank, an exceptionally heavy enemy
barrage was put down on this Coy. area & was maintained throughout
the greater part of the day. The behaviour and steadiness of the Company
under the barrage in which they suffered nearly 50% casualties reflect
the greatest credit on itself, and also on the Battalion. Signed: D.M. Nelson, Captain, A/Adjt. 2nd R.S. Fusiliers
- MORBECQUE
Extended
Battalion boundary northwards taking over from the 5th CAMERON
HIGHLANDERS a part of their front line up to X.22.a.5.2. For this
purpose A Coy were brought back five platoons to support & two
platoons & Coy HQ to reserve. (being relieved in front line by D Coy
13th Y & L) C Coy went forward and took over the new position from
5th CAMERON HIGHLANDERS becoming left front Coy. B Coy moved its left
slightly further North. D Coy moved back to AFRICAN trench. Both Y& L
& CAMERONS relief complete by 11pm. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- MORBECQUE
Extended
Battalion boundary northwards taking over from the 5th CAMERON
HIGHLANDERS a part of their front line up to X.22.a.5.2. For this
purpose A Coy were brought back five platoons to support & two
platoons & Coy HQ to reserve. (being relieved in front line by D Coy
13th Y & L) C Coy went forward and took over the new position from
5th CAMERON HIGHLANDERS becoming left front Coy. B Coy moved its left
slightly further North. D Coy moved back to AFRICAN trench. Both Y& L
& CAMERONS relief complete by 11pm. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1
- 24th Aug 1918 Attack Made
- 24th Aug 1918 Forward
- 24th Aug 1918 Quiet
- 24th of August 1918 Objective Achieved
- 24th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 24th Aug 1918 In Billets
- 24th Aug 1918 On the March
- 24th August 1918 Training
- 24th Aug 1918 In Action
- 24th Aug 1918 Concerts
- 24th of August 1918 Objectives Taken
- 24th Aug 1918 Training
- 24th of August 1918 Platoon Drill
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Mont des Cats.
The day was spent in cleaning up. Men were paid. Church service was held
at 1600. Lieutenant-Colonel P Kelly took over command of Battalion.
War Diaries
- 25th Aug 1915 Huns Crumbling Defences
- 25th August 1918 Losses
- 25th Aug 1918 Attack Made
- 25th Aug 1918 Orders Received
- 25th Aug 1918 Improvements
- 25th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 25th Aug 1918 Orders
- 25th Aug 1918 Reorganisation
- 25th August 1918 Church Parade
- 25th Aug 1918 On the March
- 25th of August 1918 Enemy Quieter
- 25th of August 1918 Church Parade
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Companies did training from 0900 to midday and from 1330 to 1430. The
"Merry Mauves" gave a performance at 1430 in the open air but it was
curtailed owing to rain.
2330. At night C Company went on work party to Blue Line but there were
no tools available. Enemy put 60 gas shells into Godewaersvelde.
The Merry Mauves were the Ulster Divisional Troupe originally called
"The Follies" which had been entertaining the troops since early 1916
with very popular concerts.
War Diaries
- 26th August 1918 Relief in trenches
- 106th Field Coy Re on the move In
the Champagne District, 106 Field Coy RE were all ready at midnight
with full pack and 100 rounds of ammunition. Infantry marching up all
night whilst Germans firing over their heads. The 106 then detrained at
Fismes far behind the line. The Germans were attacking fast and almost
caught the writer at Unchaer whilst he was acting as a messenger for
the Company. The fighting continued at Colounge and the Company were
attacked by German Fighter planes, they fired at the planes. At Nappis
the Sappers were fighting as infantry, they managed to stop the German
advance here until the French arrived to take over. Food and Cigarettes
short, the writer becomes the runner for Command Royal Engineers for
the Company. Bridges at Port Le Binson and Dumery ready to be blown up
if Germans attack, sappers in charge and the post is always manned. The
Sappers report at Reams for a role call, only 20 men of the original
Company of 250 are left. The Company were now able to rest because of
the arrival of the Americans. Other places mentioned were Peus,
Sinthills and Royin where the 106 were rested for 9 Days.
- 26th Aug 1918 Attack Made
- 26th Aug 1918 Reorganisation
- 26th Aug 1918 Into Camp
- 26th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 26th Aug 1918 Training
- 26th Aug 1918 Refitting
- 26th of August 1918 Enemy Inactive
- 26th of August 1918 Training Inside
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Companies did usual training from 0900 to 1200 and from 1330 to 1430.
Performance was given by the Divisional Concert Party at 2.30pm.
D Company formed the work party at night and were engaged deepening
communication trench between Meulehouck and front line. While passing
through gas from enemy shells several men were gassed.
War Diaries
- 27th August 1918 Assist Belgian Army
- 27th August 1918 Situation normal
- 27th Aug 1918 Attack Made
- 27th Aug 1918 Recces
- 27th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 27th August 1918 Enemy Gas Attack
- 27th Aug 1918 In the Trenches
- 27th Aug 1918 At Rest
- 27th of August 1918 Increased Shelling
- 27th of August 1918 Firing Practice
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
The usual training was done, and concert performance. No work was done at night.
War Diaries
- 28th Aug 1918 Holding the Line
- 28th Aug 1918 Reliefs Completed
- 28th Aug 1918 Leave
- 28th Aug 1918 Outing
- 28th Aug 1918 In Action
- 28th Aug 1918 At Rest
- 28th of August 1918 Many Fires Seen
- 28th of August 1918 Training
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Training under Company arrangements in the forenoon and Colonel Kelly
addressed the Battalion, congratulating it on the recent success. In the
afternoon he addressed the Officers on the training for the coming
fortnight when the Division would be out resting.
At night the Battalion was relieved by the 15th Sherwood Foresters and
moved into Corps Reserve at P.20.a.60.27 via Godewaersvelde, Eecke, and
crossroads at P.30.a.05.22.
War Diaries
- 2/4th Loyals assault Dracourt-Quent line 2nd/4th
Bn The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment are engaged in the Battle of the
Scarpe 29th/30th August and the assault on the Dracourt-Quent line, the
northern extension of the Hindenburg Line.
- 29th August 1918 Relief and relocation
- 29th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 29th Aug 1918 Advance
- 29th Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 29th Aug 1918 Training
- 29th Aug 1918 Training
- 29th of August 1918 Long-range Shellling
- 29th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 29th August 1918 Move to France
- 29th of August 1918 SBR Training
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Reference Sheet 27 Belgium and France 1/40000. St Sylvestre Capelle.
Arrival was complete at 0400. Companies were paid and inspections were
held. Equipment was cleaned. Battalion standing-to all day. Battalion
move at 1900 by light railway to Godewaersvelde, thence by march route
to billets at Mont des Cats.
Relieve 15th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, relief completed by midnight.
War Diaries
- 30th August 1918 Move to billets Wizernes
- 30 Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 30 Aug 1918 Patrols Push Forward
- 30th Aug 1918 Reorganisation
- 30th Aug 1918 Under Shellfire
- 30th Aug 1918 On the Move
- 30th of August 1918 A Move Forward
- 30th Aug 1918 Reinforcements
- 30th Aug 1918 Training
- 30th of August 1918 Enemy Withdraws
- 30th Aug 1918 In Reserve
- 30th of August 1918 An Advance
- Daily Activity 9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Mont des Cats.
Orders for Battalion to move in support of 109th Infantry Brigade.
Position taken up our front line trenches of the 24th inst. in front of
Moulhouck with Battalion Headquarters at Sammy Farm S.2.a.80.80.
War Diaries
- 31st August 1918 Regaining Mount Kemmel
- U-Boat Index - WW1 SM U-120
Type UE 2
Shipyard Vulcan, Hamburg (Werk 94)
Ordered 27 May 1916
Launched 20 Jun 1918
Commissioned 31 Aug 1918
Commanders.
31 Aug 1918 - 11 Nov 1918 Hans von Mellenthin
Career No patrols.
No flotilla information available
Successes No successes.
Fate 22 Nov 1918 - Surrendered to Italy. Broken up at La Spezia in April 1919.
There was another U 120 in World War Two.
That boat was launched from its shipyard on 16 Mar 1940 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 20 Apr 1940.
John Doran
- 31st August 1918 Rest,cleaning and bathing
- 31st Aug 1918 Reliefs
- 31st Aug 1918 Improvements
- 31st Aug 1918 Reorganisation
- 31st Aug 1918 Bad Weather
- 31st Aug 1918 Training & Baths
- 31st of August 1918 British Take Mount Kemmel
- 31st August 1918 Transfer to the Western Front
- 31st Aug 1918 In Reserve
- 31st of August 1918 A Relief
- 31st of August Austrian patrol shot down
- 15th September 1918 Enemy Artillery active
Can
you add to this factual information? Do you know the whereabouts of a
unit on a particular day? Do you have a copy of an official war diary
entry? Details of an an incident? The loss of a ship? A letter,
postcard, photo or any other interesting snipts?
|
|
