La Boisselle July 1915

Chronology of Tunnelling in the La Boisselle Sector July 1915

Date/ Source	Mining	Infantry
12/7/15 3^rd Army GS WD	Instructions issued from GHQ .. regarding front to be taken over by III Army . This front to extend from River Somme to about Hebuterne …
17/7/15 3^rd Army GS WD	Concentration of the III Army begun by entrainment of the VII Corps (48^th Division) at Lillers. Letter No G.30 to GHQ, asking that French miners may be left, pending provision of British mining company.
24/7/15 Norton Griffiths Diary Nat. Archives WO158/129	179^th Co.y. CE will let EinC know if, when & where this Coy is wanted. … It appears the chalk is very hard. Mining is heard at some considerable distance. Consequently both sides appear to mine out half way & thinking they are on top of each other, blow. Result row of craters in center between trenches. I am inclined to think mining should be restricted in this area as much as possible. that to get underneath Germans a deep shaft will have to be sunk using shallower mines as a screen. Progress will be slow. French rate about 80 centimetres per day only. My first impression is miners will do more useful work on our present front. French have it is stated 600 miners at work here. but I think we use less men than they do. for the same amount of work. The Burnside Borer should be tried. to make ¾ holes in face to break to making heading work easier. CE wants me to visit the mines as soon as he has arranged with the French to do so. Things appear very quiet. 3^rd Army gradually shaking down. Best route to travel is via Blendecques Therouanne thence along arras Rd turning off near Ferfaiz through Pernes. Return journey 2 hours going 3 hours via Fruges.
29-30/7/15 Maxse Report on visit to French trenches 18 Div GS WD		[Maxse: impossible for a human being to put his head for a single moment above the trenches on either side without being shot from a few yards range. day he visits, German thrown 620 bombs, mostly large TM, cas. prev night 2k 3w. the French Bn cdr Major Wolf, expresses view, sorry they captured the trench in January, were it not there they would evacuate but if did so now the Germans would take it and use as a base for further bombing ops… the ground slopes both on the German and the French side to such an extent that communication trenches have to be some 10 ft below ground, … saw no Germans… soil suitable for deep trenches which are easily drained, and thus the discomfort of trench life is minimised. ‘Whichever side attacks must be prepared for grave losses from artillery and machine gun fire for the country is open, there are absolutely no hedges and the ground is mostly rolling plain and undulating valleys which are easily looked into from observation posts in trees.’]
30-31/7/15 51 Div History		Pp30-31 27 July 51 Div (10 Corps) ordered to take over lines from nr Becourt to river Ancre nr Hamel, relieving French 22^nd Div of XIth French Corps. Night of 30-31/7/15 152 Bde takes over left sector from French 116^th Regt. On following night, 154 Bde takes over right sector form 22^nd French Territorial Regt, and 153 Bde takes over portion of right sector from French 44^th Bde. p32 8/ A&S take over from 116^th Regt – camaraderie.
31/7/15 1/7^th B Watch WD		[11pm Bn ordered to take over trenches of 19^th French Regt .. sector occupied by Bn incl Ricou, Quemart and Duhollou trenches, the last named on the left in? the village of La Boisselle being with 25 yds of the German line. ]