stiletto_33853 Posted 9 November , 2005 Share Posted 9 November , 2005 Thought I would put some of these down from my database. 8th Rifle Brigade 20th May 1915 crossed to France and went into rest camp at Boulogne 28 Officers 826 other ranks 21st Left for Watten, on arrival Btn marched to Merckeghem 22nd - 25th Route Marches 26th Battalion marched to Zuytpeene 27th Battalion marched to Le Cos de Paille 28th Battalion marched to billets in farms, 1 mile east of Bailleul. 29th - 30th "B" and "C" Companies attached for trench instruction "B" Coy to 5th North Staffordshires "C" Coy to 5th South Staffordhire Regiment "A" and "D" Coys attached to 2/6th South Staffordshire Regiment Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enoch beard Posted 9 November , 2005 Share Posted 9 November , 2005 andy, where did you get this information from? very interesting! enoch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 9 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 9 November , 2005 Hi Steve, The returns come from the War Diary and the shortened version of events comes from the 1918 Rifle Brigade Chronicles and the War Service Record. Have prepared most months of a good deal of the Battalions of the Regiment, each time I go to Kew bring another months or two returns and field returns home and then enter them in my database. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 9 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 9 November , 2005 Field Return for 23/5/15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 10 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 10 November , 2005 8th Battalion June 1915 1st - 5th: "A" and "D" Companies went into trenches for their four days instruction. The remainder of the Battalion employed in digging G.H.Q. line 6th: Battalion marched to Rozenhill huts near La Clytte. 7th: Battalion marched into trenches and took over from the 85th Brigade. 8th - 9th: In trenches 10th: Battalion marched into Dickebusch and became Brigade Reserve. 11th: Pioneer Farm in Brigade Reserve 12th Battalion relieved by 1st Cheshire Regiment and marched to Rozenhill huts 13th: Cleaning billets. 14th: Marched into billets about two miles west of Pperinghe. 15th: Battalion with remainder of Brigade marched into C and D hutmanrts one mile south of Vlamertinghe. 16th: Preliminary bombardment for attack by 3rd Division commenced at 2.50 a.m. continued until 4.15 a.m. At noon Battalion was ordered to be ready to move and at 12.20 it was ordered to march into G.H.Q. line. At 4 p.m. the 42nd Brigade mived up to reinforce 3rd Division attack. 17th - 18th: G.H.Q. line in reserve 19th: Battalion marched to C and D huts west of Vlamertinghe 20th: Battalion marched into A and B huts at Vlamertinghe. Battalion digging shelter trenches, water found less than three feet below surface. Camp shelled in the afternoon. 21st - 25th: Spent in omproving shelter trenches, route marches and Company training. Camp shelled daily. 27th: Digging communication trenches from G.H.Q. line to support trenches at night. 28th: 3 men wounded in camp 29th: Battalion moved into trenches north of Hooge. 30th: In trenches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 12 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 12 November , 2005 July 1915 1st Trenches east of Ypres 2nd North Midland Artillery fired into our trenches 3rd Heavy Shelling 4th Heavy Shelling 5th After heavy bombardment Germans blew in our advanced barrier by trench 12 8th Relieved by 5th Oxs & Bucks L.I. 9th Arrived at rest camp 2 miles south of Poperinghe 10th & 11th In billets 12th GOC Commanding Brigade inspected sanitary arrangements of the billets 13th GOC Commanding Brigade inspected bombs and bombing arrangements 15th GOC Commanding Brigade came and opened a snipe range made by the Battalion 16th & 17th Work as usual 18th to 21st In billets. Route marching etc 22nd Battalion marched into Brigade reserve billets via Poperinghe. "A" and "B" Companies in the ramparts, "C" and "D" Comanies in dug outs north and south of the Ypres - Poperinghe road about 1 mile from Ypres. 23rd Billets 25th Division transferred for Vth to VIth Corps 28th Gingerbread Chateau 29th Battalion took over trenches held by 7th RB's at Hooge, 2 Companies in firing line, 2 in support, take over complete by 2 a.m. on 30th 30th Liquid Fire Attack 31st 2 a.m. Battalion relieved, bivouac east of Pperinghe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted 13 November , 2005 Share Posted 13 November , 2005 Where do you get these casualty lists? They sure would be helpful to a lot of us, thanks for posting these. Regards Christina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 13 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 November , 2005 Hi Christina, The casualty lists and field returns come from the war diaries, the shortened version of the battalions movements and what they actually did and where comes from the Chronicles and the War Service Record of the relevant battalion. I am glad that they are of use as they are an invaluable resource as to wounds etc etc, unfortunately as if so often the case after the Somme the entries as to the nature of wound is not quite as detailed. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 13 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 November , 2005 8th Rifle Brigade, August 1915 1st Resting 2nd Inspected by Lieutenant - General Sir John Keir who thanked the Battalion for its steadfastness at Hooge during the recent Flamethrower attack. 3rd Battalion marched to cellars in Ypres 4th Diggig G.H.Q. lines 5th Whole Battalion mustering 200, digging. Draft of 50 arrived at transport lines 6th - 9th Digging, on the 9th a draft of 110 arrived. 10th Left cellars at Ypres and marched to bivouac one and a half miles east of Poperinghe. 11th Fourteen officers arrived for the Battalion. 13th Canal bank north of Ypres 23rd In trenches - quiet day 25th Party of six R.E. attached for technical advice in wiring fronts 26th General officer in command visited trenches. A letter received from the King through Lord Stamfordham sympathising with the Rifle Brigade on it's losses. 27th New patent gas helmet issued to certain specialists such as machine gunners. 29th A representative of the Munitions Board visited the trenches 30th New pattern iron sniper scope taken into use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 14 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 14 November , 2005 Rather topical at the moment September 1915 1st Usual German artillery retaliation for the bombardment by the 3rd Division. 2nd - 4th Weather very bad, trenches flooded. 5th Draft of twenty seven N.C.O.'s and thirty Riflemen arrived at Transport camp. 6th Battalion relieved at night by 8th KRRC, marched to Gingerbread Chateau, picked up by omnibus and taken to Watou. 7th Watou. Officially announced that the V.C. has been awarded to Lieutenant S.C. Woodroffe, the D.S.O. to Captain Sheepshanks, and the D.C.M. to Rifleman F. Hamilton. 8th - 9th At 9a.m. careful medical examination of Battalion took place, thirty five were found absolutely unfit, ten under age, fifteen suffering from nervous breakdown. 10th - 12th Spent digging etc 13th Battalion moved into Brigade Reserve 14th - 15th Weather fair in the trenches. Lt. - Gen. Sir John Keir, Commander VIth Corps inspected transport on the 15th 17th - 18th Working parties 21st Battalion marched back and bivouacked 22nd - 24th Battalion in bivouac. A.D.M.S. inspected and med under 17 sent back to England. 25th Suddenly ordered at 10 a.m. to move forward 26th Battalion ordered to stand to in case of an attack by the Germans. 27th C.O., Adjutant and Coy C.O.'s reconnoitred trenches of DOCLI. 28th Machine gunners, Bombers and signallers moved at 9 a.m. to relieve DOCLI in trenches opposite Bellewarde Farm. Battalion moved from Menin Gate at 1 p.m. to take over. 29th Pouring wet day, trenches waterlogged. 30th Heavy rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 14 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 14 November , 2005 8th Rifle Brigade October 1915 1st Trenches drying up 2nd - 5th In trenches, usual bombardments, on the 5th a draft of twenty arrived. 6th Heavy rain again. Relieved at night by 7th KRRC 7th Relieved KRRC in support trenches 10th Quiet Day 11th Battalion relieved by the 7th RB, marched to billets. The problem has arisen as to how to deal with men whose nerves have become broken in the trenches. 12th In huts. Fine and warm 13th Marched with H.Q. to Kaaie Salient. "A" and "D" in support of the 9th RB 14th - 15th Nothing doing. Woking parties etc etc. 16th Darft of thirty four arrived at Transport lines. Received sudden orders at 8 p.m. to take over a section from the 9th RB which had suffered heavy casualties. 17th Potijze - Trenches 18th Relieved at dusk by 8th KSLI 19th Moved to L Farm and trenches in rel;ief of 7th RB who went to Railway Wood. 20th - 21st L Farm, Quiet days 22nd Fine and quiet, relieved in farm by 1st KSLI. Fatigue party of 250 men suddenly warned at 6 a.m. to take mining companies stores to Railway Wood. Battalion entrained at Asylum, Ypres railed to Poperinghe. 23rd Copperhollehoek - In rest cmp of 49th Division 24th General Officer in command issued cards for gallantry and meritious services. 25th Pouring wet day. All companies bathed at Poperinghe 26th - 27th Captain Sheepshanks and twenty five Riflemen represented us in an inspection of the VIth Corps by the King near Abeele. 28th Medical Officer, VIth Corps held enquiry into the fact that we had thirty seven cases of trench feet during our last trench tour. 29th Route March 30th Battalion in Camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 17 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 November , 2005 No casualty list survives regarding this month. However going through the war diary we can find these. 7th February 1916 7th: Direct hit on Battalion H.Q. Mess wounded Major C.H.N. Sheepshanks DSO Capt A.C. Sheepshanks DSO Capt H. Dunkerley (RAMC) 20 other ranks wounded by shelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 17 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 November , 2005 March 1916 In March the Battalion was in the Arras sector two tours of trench duty were carried out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 17 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 17 November , 2005 April 1916 During April the Battalion continued in the Arras are. Two tours of trench duty were carried out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 18 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 18 November , 2005 8th Rifle Brigade May The Battalion remained in the Arras area until the 16th May when it marched via Savy and Mont St. Eloy to La Targette. Most of the reaminder of the month was employed on mining work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 18 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 18 November , 2005 8th RB May 1916 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 18 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 18 November , 2005 June 1916 During the first part of June the Battalion was at La Targette whence trench duty was carried out. On the 19th the Battalion moved to Ecoivres and on to St. Nicolas, whence trench duty was carried out in the trenches east of Roclincourt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 23 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2005 January 1918 3rd. The Battalion moved from Esquerdes to Sailly-le-Sec on the right bank of the Somme, some 12 miles east of Amiens. 22nd. Marched to Mezieres, and thence by Roye and Bienes, arriving on the 25th at Clastres, 5 miles south of St. Quentin on the east of the Cozat canal. 26th. Took over a portion of the front line near Itancourt from the 413th and 416th French Regiments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 23 November , 2005 Author Share Posted 23 November , 2005 February 1918. 3rd. The Battalion was relieved and returned to Clastres. It was again in the line on the 9th to 20th. During this tour the enemy attempted a raid, but it was repulsed. All this month aeroplane activity was great. This is the last month casualty returns in the War Diary. I was going to post a couple more Battalions casualty returns on peoples requests, but, unfortunately I will be unable to due to be inability to place uploads on the forum as of the 1/12/05 and I am not going to sit here typing page after page of casualty returns. To those of you who have followed these casualty returns, I hope that they have been of use. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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