1st. Dorsetshire Regiment, War Diary 7-9 May 1916

[Clook]

Hello, I would appreciate very much if anyone could look up the 1st Dorsetshire War Diary for the period of 7th to 9th May 1916 when they were in the line at Thiepval. They suffered quite heavy casualties and a number of prisoners were taken during a German raid on their trenches over that period. In particular any mention of 2nd Lieutenant Vere Talbot BAYLY would be great.

Thanks

Mark

[Malcolm Linham]

Mark

Details taken from "The History of the Dorset Regiment 1914-1919"

At 23:00 hrs on the night of the 7/8 May 1916 the enemy opened a heavy bombardment on the Thiepval sub sector which soon became intense.

C & D Companies were in the front line, Battalion Headquarters found all telephone lines cut except to C Company communication was therefore extremely slow.

23:30 hrs 3 German parties containing about 35 in each left their lines and attacked on our left ( D Company) , One German party was driven back by fire from C Company but the other two parties entered what remained of D Company.

Major Shute says the whole of that portion of the line occupied by D Company was practically demolished by trench mortar bombs and artillery fire before the enemy raided .

The Germans eventually retired to their lines leaving in our hands one prisoner and one of their dead.

Casualties had been heavy

One officer killed and one wounded.

12 O/R's Killed, 30 wounded.

24 O/R's missing.

Their is no specific mention of 2nd Lieutenant Baylay except he is commemorated on the Roll of Honour at the rear of the book.

Hope this helps

Malcolm

[Clook]

Thank you very much Malcolm, just what I was after. Is the "History" account more or less a straight lift from the War Diary itself? It certainly reads like that's the case. You've certainly saved me some shoe leather!

Cheers

Mark

[Malcolm Linham]

Mark

I believe it is a straight lift of the days that the battalion's saw action or anything else that the authors considered important.

Their are large gaps chronologically covered by a few lines, days in billets etc

Cheers

Malcolm