Help with diary entry "I D B"

[arboskittler]

Hi folks.

I've come across a pocket diary that was my Great Uncle's covering the year 1917. At the front of the diary he has listed the various Battalions etc that he was linked to during the year. For the period March 4th - May 14, he has written:-

4^th Bn worc

46 I B D

B E F France

Assuming that it's the 4th Battalion Worcesters, what could the 46 I B D depict?

Thanks.

[headgardener]

Infantry Base Depot.

A 'holding' and training establishment. There were lots of them in France, as the numbering suggests.

[clive_hughes]

Someone else can flesh this out, but IBD normally stands for "Infantry Base Depot", and would be where most if not all arrivals in France were sent, pending onward transmission to the Front.

Some stayed there quite a few weeks, and many would find themselves transferred to a new battalion or even have their regiment changed while they waited.

As to which the 46th IBD was, and where located (usually somewhere like Le Havre or Rouen), I'll let others comment!

LST_164

[arboskittler]

Someone else can flesh this out, but IBD normally stands for "Infantry Base Depot", and would be where most if not all arrivals in France were sent, pending onward transmission to the Front.

Some stayed there quite a few weeks, and many would find themselves transferred to a new battalion or even have their regiment changed while they waited.

As to which the 46th IBD was, and where located (usually somewhere like Le Havre or Rouen), I'll let others comment!

LST_164

Thanks for the quick response.................Rouen looks favourite as his entry for the 4th March indicates:-

Sun 4 "Left Tregantle 5am & Devonport 7.55. Arrived Southampton 2.25 & sailed on board SS Antrim for Rouen at 8pm. Part of escort for Waters who deserted previous draft at S'hampton. Sea very rough and most of us seasick".

The remainder of his time before the draft on 14 May 1917 (joined 4th platoon, 'D' Coy, 10th Battalion, Worcesters) was spent attending lectures (including gas - poisonous & tear), musketry, various fatigues, drilling etc. Also included was a measles outbreak (some hospitalised) and a Zeppelin raid at 4am on the 17 March (Saturday). Interestingly, the Worcesters had a 'day off' on the 27 March.