andrew pugh Posted 24 July , 2020 Share Posted 24 July , 2020 Good Evening, hope you are all well I have been trying to find the war diary for the 6th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry for the dates of 16th September 1916 on Ancestry. I have scoured several pages of the lists but cannot find September 1916. does an entry for this period exist or is there a problem with the ancestry records? I believe they were involved in a futile attack to capture Gird Trench is that right? Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 24 July , 2020 Share Posted 24 July , 2020 (edited) Andy, September 1916 starts here. Like some other battalions, it's bundled in with others as a brigade entry. Acknown Edited 24 July , 2020 by Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 25 July , 2020 Share Posted 25 July , 2020 The Brigade Operation Order for the 16 Sep 16 can be read on Ancestry: here. It is followed by a narrative of the operation that includes the 6th SLI. These two documents should give you all the locations you need. However, it does not tie in with the 6th SLI WD that I referenced earlier, which places the battalion at Arras. At the moment, I can't explain that. Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Davies Posted 25 July , 2020 Share Posted 25 July , 2020 The Regimental history has 6th SLI attacking Grid Trench and Grid Support in front of Gueudecourt. The Bn received a Wng Order the night before but the final orders weren't received until 4.30am (the attack was due to go in at 9.25am). 41 men were killed, 203 wounded, and 143 were missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 25 July , 2020 Author Share Posted 25 July , 2020 Hi Gent Thank you both for you replies. Acknown regarding the Battalion war diary entry for the 16/09/1916 being in the Arras area didn't seem right.Which is the correct location? Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 25 July , 2020 Share Posted 25 July , 2020 14th Division moved to the Arras area on I think the 20th-22nd, find attached the Narrative of Operations for the 16th taken from the 43rd Brigade HQ Diary. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 25 July , 2020 Share Posted 25 July , 2020 18 hours ago, Acknown said: September 1916 starts here. Andy, Can you explain why the battalion's War Diary for 16 Sep 16 (link to Ancestry above) seems to differ from the operational report? Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 25 July , 2020 Share Posted 25 July , 2020 (edited) Pass, although I have noticed before that the Ancestry diaries do vary considerably at times from higher echelon diaries where written reports from the units C.O. appear, i.e. most of the 43rd Brigade infantry battalions do have written reports in the Brigade diary along with seemingly a mix up of dates in the Battalion diaries. Just had a look at Ancestry Sep 16 for 6 SLI, looks like the diary, as expected, is in the wrong month. Operation order 70 of 20/9/16, Div will move to 3rd Army from midnight 22nd/23rd September 1916. Trench Maps, Albert, Amiens & Lens. Op. Order 26/9/16 to billets in Arras. Hence it looks like another foul up with the diary. Those Op. Orders are in the battalion diary for September 1916 which does not gel in anyway with the diary. Andy Edited 26 July , 2020 by stiletto_33853 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acknown Posted 25 July , 2020 Share Posted 25 July , 2020 Andy - Many thanks. Acknown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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