JULY |
1915 |
|
St.
Albans, Hertfordshire. Part of 162nd Brigade,
54th (East Anglian) Division. |
|
|
26th |
Entrained
for Devonport |
|
|
|
Embarked
Braemar Castle and sailed 5.30 p.m. Officers — Lieutenant-Colonel
E. W. Brighten (Commanding); Captains J.E. Hill, W.K.
Meakin, R.M. Smythe, B.C. Cumberland, R. Forrest, C.T.
Baker, E.V. Andreini, E.T. Maier; Lieutenants C.R. James,
C.R. Lydekker, W.S. Chirnside, F.S. Shoosmith, R.O. Clarke,
F.W. Ballance, F.B. Hobbs, F.W.H. Nicholas, C.R. Day;
Second-Lieutenants J.T. Yarde, F. Rising, P.R. Chaundler,
R.D.J. Brighten,
L.J. Hunter, E.L. Rawlings, H.E. Woodhouse, H.S. Toogood;
Captain H. Younghusband (Adjutant), Lieutenant G.O. Lydekker
(Quartermaster), Lieutenant F.C. Kempson (Medical Officer). |
AUGUST |
1915 |
3rd |
Called
Malta |
|
|
6th |
Arrived
Alexandria, Egypt 2.30 p.m. |
|
|
7th |
Sailed
for Lemnos 5 p.m. |
|
|
10th |
Arrived
Mudros 9 a.m. and there received orders to proceed to
Imbros. |
|
|
11th |
Arrived
3.00 p.m. Ordered to Suvla |
|
|
|
Arrived
5.30 a.m. War Diary records German aeroplane dropped bombs
on shipping but hit nothing. Disembarked and moved inland
to bivouacs. |
|
|
14th |
First
casualties — Lieutenant Chaundler and Private Barton wounded. |
|
|
15th |
Moved
forward for attack — “B” Company on right, “A” Company
left, “C” and “D” in reserve. First objective taken with
little loss. Advance on second objective, Kidney Hill,
met with heavy shrapnel and rifle fire. In his history
of the battalion, Captain F.A.M. Webster notes that during
the advance, direction was lost, but good work by Major
J.E. Hill and Captain H. Younghusband pushed the attack
on. War Diary records . . . “attack arrived through with
tremendous dash — hill taken and entrenched. Casualties
— 14 officers & 300 men.” Officers killed or died
of wounds — Captain C.T. Baker, Captain B.C. Cumberland,
Captain W.K. Meakin, Lieutenant F. Rising, Lieutenant
C.R. Lydekker, Lieutenant R. Brighten (brother of commanding
officer). One company is recorded as finishing up led
by a private having lost all of its officers and N.C.Os.
Trenches improved under constant shelling and sniping. |
|
|
20th |
Relieved
by 1/11th London 8 p.m. and to reserve (about 100 yards
behind front line) at Lone Tree Gully. |
|
|
21st |
Lieutenant
F.S. Shoosmith killed by sniper. |
|
|
23rd |
To
rest camp at Lala Baba camp |
|
|
26th |
Took
over bivouacs from 1/4th
Northamptonshire
during night |
|
|
28th |
Moved
to Anzac |
|
|
29th |
Took
over fire trenches from 6th King’s Own near enemy’s position
at Sandbag Ridge |
SEPTEMBER |
1915 |
4th |
Relieved
by 1/11th London and to reserve positions at Finsbury
Vale. |
|
|
5th |
War
Diary notes Vale “unsafe” and new sap made called “New
Bedford Road.” |
|
|
11th |
To
front line trenches |
|
|
12th |
Continual
sniping from Sandbag Ridge recorded. |
|
|
13th |
Captain
R.M. Smythe wounded |
|
|
14th |
Captain
R.M. Smythe died of wounds |
|
|
17th |
Relieved
by 1/11th London and to Finsbury Vale |
|
|
21st |
Draft
of 9 officers arrived. Strength now 16 officers, 461 other
ranks. |
|
|
22nd |
To
front line. |
|
|
29th |
Relieved
by 1/11th London and to Finsbury Vale |
OCTOBER |
1915 |
7th |
To
front line. Draft of 5 officers arrived. |
|
|
13th |
Relieved
by 1/11th London and to reserve bivouacs at Hay Valley.
“C” Company remaining in local support. Squadron of 1/1st
Suffolk Yeomanry attached for 3-day period of instruction.
|
|
|
16th |
“C”
Company returned |
|
|
19th |
To
front line. Draft of 3 officers arrived. “D” Squadron,
1/1st Suffolk Yeomanry attached for 3 days. |
|
|
22nd |
Strength
recorded as 236. |
|
|
24th |
War
Diary notes that “Second-Lieutenant Woodhouse went out
to cliff named after him and obtained some very useful
information.” |
|
|
25th |
Patrol
occupied enemy post on Bulgar Bluff. Captain Webster records
that this position was occupied in turn by patrols from
both sides and was regularly the scene of the most bloody
hand-to-hand fighting. |
|
|
26th |
Relieved
by “C” and “D” Squadrons, 1/1st Suffolk Yeomanry
and to Hay Valley. |
|
|
31st |
To
front line. Strength — 21 officers, 235 other ranks. |
NOVEMBER |
1915 |
4th |
War
Diary records a bomb catapult being erected on left of
line. Captain Webster notes that the machine made such
noise during arming that the Turks had ample warning of
its intended use. |
|
|
5th |
Relieved
and to Finsbury Vale. |
|
|
10th |
To
front line. War Diary records that Turkish deserter from
Sandbag Ridge was interrogated and provided useful information. |
|
|
15th |
Relieved
and to Finsbury Vale. |
|
|
20th |
To
front line. |
|
|
25th |
To
Finsbury Vale. |
DECEMBER |
1915 |
2nd |
Moved
to Taylor’s Hollow. |
|
|
3rd |
Sailed
El Kahirah for Mudros |
|
|
4th |
Arrived
Mudros 8.30 a.m. |