GraemeClarke Posted 23 December , 2012 Share Posted 23 December , 2012 Morning, Can anyone please post the War Diary for 13th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry for Saturday 5 October 1918. Most grateful, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 30 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 30 December , 2012 Anyone ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connaughtranger Posted 30 December , 2012 Share Posted 30 December , 2012 A synopsis of the events of the day, taken from Durham Forces in the Field. Not the diary, I'm afraid, but it will have been consulted Hope it's of use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 31 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2012 Morning CR Many thanks for your reply, every bit helps as they say, Cheers, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 30 May , 2013 Author Share Posted 30 May , 2013 Hi Just bumping this up to see if anyone has the War Diary at all, please. Regards, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyneside Chinaman Posted 30 May , 2013 Share Posted 30 May , 2013 Hi, War Diary has been put away and hard to get at now but here is the text from "With Bayonets Fixed" my latest book on 12 and 13/DLI. It may be of help as its taken directly from the war diary but has Private Innes's diary added. At 1000 hours on 29 September a convoy of motor buses, with the battalion, whose strength was given as thirty four officers and 720 men, left Ribemont bound for Maricourt where they arrived at 1530 hours. The next day the whole of 74 Brigade practised attacking enemy positions. That night was spent in the village of Hardicourt and at 1000 hours the next morning they marched to Moislains where they spent the whole of 2 October resting. The approach march to the Front Line continued on 3 October when they proceeded to Ronsoy, en-route orders were received to halt at Ronsoy for 12 hours and then proceed to Mont St Martin. Here large packs were handed in to the 2nd Echelon and the fighting troops got into battle order while those left out of battle moved back out of enemy artillery range. The main body came under some shell fire and two men were killed and nine wounded. 36054 Private William Innes added another couple of lines in his diary; Thursday 3 October March to Rosnoy, Battalion go straight into the line, I’m left with the reinforcements in an open field a most miserable and desolate spot. Friday I spend most of the day making a shelter for the orderly room. Saturday 5 October Battalion goes over the top in the early morning a lot of men come out wounded. At 0100 hours the battalion moved up to assembly trenches east of Prospect Hill with the object of attacking the high ground North of Beaurevoir. The initial assault was successful, but owing to heavy machine gun fire, which caused a lot of casualties they were forced to retire. The Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Denzil Clarke DSO MC was wounded as were Captain Cyril Chapman, Lieutenant Alfred Hales with Second Lieutenants Edwin Forrest, Robert Robinson, Norman Willis and Ernest Callow. However four officers were killed, Lieutenants Hylu Hart, William Golder, Cecil Dodds and Second Lieutenant Philip Smith, who had earlier been reported wounded. Whilst Second Lieutenant F Audas was reported missing, but the casualties among the ranks were very heavy with around fifty men killed or missing. But they regrouped and advanced again and this time they managed to dig in around 400 yards in advance of the start line. The next morning the advance continued and they pressed forward as far as the sunken road that ran between Beaurevoir and Villers Outreaux where Second Lieutenant William Dewar 2/Border Regiment attached to 13/DLI was wounded. Here they dug in and were eventually relieved by troops of the 66th Division on the morning of 8 October. regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyneside Chinaman Posted 30 May , 2013 Share Posted 30 May , 2013 Here it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 31 May , 2013 Author Share Posted 31 May , 2013 Morning both, Absolutely magnificent, cannot thank you enough. Appreciate the time and effort you put in. Three men local to Walsall died this day. Regards, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyneside Chinaman Posted 31 May , 2013 Share Posted 31 May , 2013 Morning both - my wife is convinced I am, pscit can't even spell it, but only two posts from one man? you must be on her team. LOL mad laughter as he strolls away to the bathroom. Last time I go into the attic looking for 13/DLI. Next time he can go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 1 June , 2013 Author Share Posted 1 June , 2013 John, I am sorry if my reply has upset you. You can see from my reply how grateful I was, I have waited a long time to find out exactly what happened to the 3 men I was researching. I'm not sure why I replied BOTH, I think I was in a rush to add the replies into my research and, quite honestly, dont think I read your replies correctly. I am sincerely grateful for the work you put in, and said so in my reply. I did reply to your posting, and in the positive, which is more than a number of people do when I go the same effort as yourself. I have numerous instances where I have posted (over 2,000 now) and have never had a reply or, if they have, haven't even thanked me, just continued with the thread. Thats just happened when I posted some pics and bios. Once again, thanks for the information, still cannot understand why i wrote BOTH, Regards, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyneside Chinaman Posted 1 June , 2013 Share Posted 1 June , 2013 Graeme. it was a joke, I'm not at all upset but he is, the second one he went up in the attic to get the war diary. I am laughing as I type, what I thought was a hamless reference to her indoors has got me into trouble even though she is down stairs out of the way. It was a pleasure to help. regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 1 June , 2013 Author Share Posted 1 June , 2013 Hi John Cheers, when I first read it I thought I'd upset you, at least one of you are OK with it !! Regards, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 998mandy Posted 26 February , 2014 Share Posted 26 February , 2014 Evening just seen the posts below and wondered (as I'm new to all this) whether anyone can help me find out what the13th DLI were doing between 22nd -30th July 1916 which was when my grandfather was with them before being shipped off to hospital. Any ideas as to where to start my research would be fantastic! Thank you! Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyneside Chinaman Posted 27 February , 2014 Share Posted 27 February , 2014 Hi, If you give me Name Rank and Number I can probably tell you a lot more than the war diary. regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandrew2 Posted 24 October , 2014 Share Posted 24 October , 2014 Hi John I wonder if you can help me too with a 13th DLI MM winner please. I bought a Silver War Badge advertised with a number that suggested his was a Middlesex Ret Soldier but when it arrived it was B243988 awarded to John William Smith who served on the 13th DLI as 24826 and his MIC shows that as well as a 1915 Trio he also was awarded a MM. He was not discharged till 1919 so it looks like he went through the whole war with the Battalion. I am hoping you might have some detail on when and how he won his MM. I am afraid I cannot get the hang of the new London Gazette website Many thanks Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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