Gardenerbill Posted 11 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 11 December , 2012 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 More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 14 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 14 December , 2012 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 sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 14 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 14 December , 2012 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 More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 15 December , 2012 Share Posted 15 December , 2012 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 More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 17 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2012 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 sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 17 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2012 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 More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 17 December , 2012 Share Posted 17 December , 2012 Registration is probably best described as a good way to tell the enemy where you plan to attack! 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 More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 18 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 18 December , 2012 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 More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 18 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 18 December , 2012 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 More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 18 December , 2012 Share Posted 18 December , 2012 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 More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 19 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 19 December , 2012 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 More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 19 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 19 December , 2012 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 More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 20 January , 2013 Share Posted 20 January , 2013 I'll get back to this ASAP. Sorry for the delay. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siviter Posted 28 January , 2013 Share Posted 28 January , 2013 Hi All Does anybody have any information about what the 12th Battalion did from July to 2/8/17(died of Dysentery) about Pte W H Siviter 19215? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 29 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 29 January , 2013 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 More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 2 June , 2013 Author Share Posted 2 June , 2013 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 More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 2 June , 2017 Author Share Posted 2 June , 2017 Resurrected for forum pal @Peach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now