Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

9th Bn E Lancs War Diary Feb to Apr 1917


Gardenerbill

Recommended Posts

As we go into the end of March the shelling goes up another level.

The Gas shells are also mentioned in Charles Packers book ('Return to Salonika'), he says that the gas tended to accumulate in low ground and could be avoided in the hilly terrain by moving up hill, hence the tardy arrival of box respirators 2 days later.

Does any one know if G.R.O.'s are online anywhere?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nr CUGUNCI

21st 2/Lieut. Gailey, Lewis gun O. attached to H.Q.

3 off & 150 O.R. digging at 22 Div. H.Q. daily.

B and C Coys move to neighbour hood of HILL 420 and BUJUKLU RAVINE respectively.

22nd 2/Lieut. L.W. Croft promoted temp. Capt. With effect from 19-7-16.

23rd 2/Lieut. Lee & 40 O.R. of A Coy move to ROCK HILL to dig gun emplacements.

2/Lieut Parrot evacuated from SALONIKA to MALTA.

24th Capt. H.V. Leonard is struck off the strength of the Battn. With effect from 28-2-17.

SHELTER RAVINE

25th Bn moves to new position for work under 66th Inf. Bde.

A & B Coys move to SALDA, B., C. & Bn H.Q. to SHELTER RAVINE.

All Coys. Work at night on communication trenches and bombardment slits at 12375-18270 & 12360-18295

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More evidence of preparations for the spring offensive and battle of Doiran.

It looks like Captain Leonard has been invalided out due to poor health while on leave.

I think there is a mistake here probably mine, 'A & B Coys to SALDA, B,C & Bn H.Q. to Shelter Ravine' more likely A & D Coys to SALDA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nr RESELLI (K Sector)

18th

7 enemy planes circled over centre sub-section during afternoon 1 brought down behind GOLDIES HILL.

These were a part of a much bigger assault. No British AA Section claims that it brought down a plane - there were French AA guns in their areas, too - but various reports were made:

24th AA Section:

Kallinova

24 rounds were fired at 2 Aviatiks at 14.05. 160 rounds were fired at a flight of 10 planes bombing the trenches. Three bombs dropped about 500 yards from the Gun.

Causica

81 rounds were fired at 3 hostile planes. One was hit.

90th AA Section:

Janes

From 18.00 to 18.30 several squadrons of about 7 to 11 planes approached Janes but all were out of range. Bombs were dropped on the Causica-Kalinova road.

Oreovica

At 17.14 9 rounds of Shrapnel were fired at 4 planes and at 17.46 26 rounds of Shrapnel were fired at 6 planes, one coming down considerably. At 18.08 23 rounds of Shrapnel were fired at 3 planes.

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SHELTER RAVINE

26th Nothing to report.

27th 2/Lieut Lee & 40 O.R. on detachment re-join A. Coy at SAIDA.

2/Lieut Witham M.C. admitted to F. amb.

28th No work at night in order to give men a rest.

Our aircraft active.

Various batteries registered during day.

29th Time taken and routes to (1) D. Sector H.Q. (2) E. Sector H.Q. (3) WHALEBACK RAVINE Coy. tested by troops in “fighting order” by night.

30th KALINOVA observation balloon destroyed by enemy plane.

A Coy. moves to BAGATELLES.

31st Reconnaissance of D & E Sectors completed by all officers.

Reconnaissance of right of 179th Bde. front (F Sector) begins.

P.J. GOUT Major M.C.

O/C 9
th
E. Lancs.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

More preparations for 1st Doiran.

A question for Keith 'Various batteries registerred' do you know what this means?

Interestingly this part of the diary was written by the C.O. Major Gout (that name conjures an image in itself).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Registration is probably best described as a good way to tell the enemy where you plan to attack! :whistle: Field gunners were not trained to shoot from a map because they were planned to be in close support of the cavalry or infantry and be firing over open sights. In trench warfare the targets are further away and not necessarily visible to the gun detachment so they needed a way to determine the coordinates for each of the targets they had been given by the top brass in an upcoming attack. To put it simply, they would fire towards a target and an observer would watch where the shell landed. They would adjust the gun and fire repeatedly until they were close enough. The settings would be written down for future reference and the next target worked on. It meant that the gunners could set their gun quickly but clearly gave warning of something in the offing.

Techniques developed on the Western front but there was little communication at an appropriate level with the minor theatres and their methods tended to lag behind somewhat.

Gunners of the Royal Garrison Artillery were trained in map-shooting because their peacetime role included the coastal guns that protected the Empire, which could fire at ships miles out to sea.

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1917 April Shelter Ravine

1ST

0300 Enemy bombards BOWLS BARROW (F. Sector 179th Bde)

Major S.A. Pearse, D.S.O. struck off the Bn strength d/-9-3-17.

40 O.R. rejoin from HP

2nd Reconnaissance of right of 179th Inf. Bde. by officers continues.

3rd 12th Lancs. Fus. Suggest that band be a joint one with 9th East Lancs. 5 bandsmen detailed.

4th Nothing to report

5th Hostile air raid on KARASOULI bombs dropped and dump “fired”.

6th

1150- Enemy shelled SHELTER RAVINE near B.99 with 6 5.9 H.E.

1220 and BAGATELLE with mountain battery.

Casualties, 3 slightly wounded, to duty.

Bombardment of enemy positions by Heavy Group proceeding all day.

2110 - Intense bombardment by field guns, howitzers and heavies

2140 gradually slackening after 2140 hours. Fire ceased about 2230.

Coloured light signals fired by our patrols.

Retaliation slight.

2/Lieut Witham re-joined from HP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keith, thank you for the registering explanation.

More evidence here of the German bomber squadron and what looks like the start of the bombardments in preparation for the upcoming battle.

In the midst of all this build up they still found time to consider creating a combined band with the 12th Lancs Fus.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mark, although technically off-topic, would you like me to post appropriate parts of the AA Section Diaries to flesh out the bombing raids as I did earlier?

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SHELTER RAVINE

7th 10 ‘Bandsmen’, 12th Lancs Fus are attached to the Battn. for training. Battalion details 6 ‘Bandsmen’ to increase the strength of the joint band.

Box respirators tested for ½ hour on the march & ½ hours digging.

D Coy working party shelled in D Sector.

Casualties O.R. 1 wounded 4 shell shock.

8th Easter Sunday, large voluntary Church parade with band.

9th Lieut. W.D.L. Purves takes command of ‘B’ Coy. vice 2/lieut F.C.A.C. Neal to Coy 2nd-in-c.

10th Sun helmets issued.

11th WHALEBACK taken over by C. Coy with B. Coy in close support (E.13 & E.15).

12th R.E. material for “Splinter proofs” for O.C. WHALEBACK. (Major Trist) indented for.

13th D. Coy takes over F.2 & F.3 (on WHALEBACK) from 2/14 London (Scottish) Regt.

New sector (WHALEBACK) instituted including E.13, E.15, F.2 & F.3.

H.Q. and A. Coy move S. branch of WORCESTER NULLAH Casualties 1 O.R. wounded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keith, I would be very interested in the AA section diaries and how they tie in with the 9th EL Diary.

Unfortunately this will be my last post on the diary at least for a while my Grandfather was transferred on the 11th of April to the ASC, so his story moves away from this battalion, however I have grown rather attached to this unit and so I can't very well leave them on the eve of the first major battle in this sector without finding out what they did. I am also keen to find out about what happened to them at Machukovo in september 1916. With that in mind I will be back at Fulwood in the new year where I am going to try photographing the diary instead of scribbling notes.

On the post above, I wonder what splinter proofs were made from?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Siviter,

The extracts I have been posting above were copied from the 9th Battalion War Diary available at the Lancashire Infantry Museum Fulwood Barracks Preston. If you mean the 12th Battalion of the East Lancs then there is a good chance they will have a copy of the war diary you are interested in, the link below is thier website:

http://www.lancashireinfantrymuseum.org.uk/fulwood-barracks/

They are very helpful and have some interesting displays.

Mark (aka Gardenerbill)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

I have started a new topic to follow on from this one and cover the 1st battle of Doiran, to find the topic just follow the link below:

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...