La Boisselle January 1916

Chronology of Tunnelling in the La Boisselle Sector in January 1916 (Work in progress)

Date/ Source	Mining	Infantry
1/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… Charges in S4 & C1 laid & tamped. Tamping:- 30’ solid succeeded by 6 ft airspaces and 6’ solid alternately for another 80 feet. LLR of 10000 lbs charge in S4 – 70’ LLR - 12000 C1 – 70’ …
1/1/15 3^rd Army CE WD	Enemy explode Camouflet S. of La Boisselle X.13.d 13/15 [?] 30 ft of gallery destroyed and 2 miners killed.
1/1/16 8/Suffolk WD		We exploded a mine in Ilot. Damage unknown.
1/1/16 10 Essex WD		[E2] Counter attack coy almost entirely consumed in finding Mining Fatigues.
1/1/16 WD 185 Coy	New drive off Transverse started to drive through ground broken by our mine on 31/12/15. The shaft head of G7 was blown in by a trench mortar & the trench so damaged that a new entrance had to be started from another tunnel (Quemart St).
2/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… [Mackay White on leave] 3pm Mines at S4 (10,000) and C1 (12000) fired successfully at 3pm with artillery cooperation.
2/1/15 18 Div GS WD		X.13.d.4.2., X.13.d.8.0. E3 At 3pm we exploded two mines at La Boisselle. No damage done to or own trenches. Enemy retaliated with field guns and trench mortar bombs on trenches 121, 122, & 123. Our Howitzers, field guns and trench mortars co-operated.
2/1/16 3^rd Army CE WD	We exploded 2 mines at 3pm La Boisselle 3pm X.10.d.
2/1/16 8/Suffolk WD		3.15pm We exploded two mines, large craters formed. No damage to our trenches.
2/1/16 10 Essex WD		3.5pm We exploded two mines in front of Right of E3 sub-sector opposite the “Y” sap. [4.5” How & 18lbs immed open rapid fire c40 rds into La Boisselle, some enemy retal. …]
3/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… 3.30pm OC proceeded on leave. Col Danford consulted with OC.
3/1/16 Essex S Bn History p149		[10/Essex limited number [WD: 72] of steel helmets issued & equally divided between the two front line coys. … most of front line trenches in v bad state, having 2-3 ft of mud. Labour duty onerous, for large fatigue parties required for mining and for the const. of bomb-proof dugouts. The system of supply worked more easily than previously because the ruins of Becourt chateau in a wood formed an admirable dumping ground. Most of the main cts were moderately good owing to the extensive floor boarding of the trenches and the provision of sump gratings.
3/1/16 WD 185 Coy	Commenced Air Compressor chamber at back end of Inch St Drive.
4/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… [2Lt R H S Fox returns leave]
6-8/1/16 8/ Norfolk		[desc of E3 and Y Sap mystery
7/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	Lt L D Ford to hospital. 5pm Col Danford held conference of O’s C Tunnelling Coys decisions to be circulated later.
7/1/16 3^rd Army A&Q WD	[3^rd Army Routine Orders name of Proto School now 3^rd Army Mine Rescue School. 2/Lt G Penman, 253 T Coy selected to command the school.]
8/1/1916 Pi Bn 13 History p67	Also in January 1916 chiefly mine warfare continued without disadvantages for the Company. On 8 January NCO Schwarz died from a shell wound.
9/1/16 WD 185 Coy	Commenced drive from Left Branch of No 2 Gallery to pass under blown ground of explosion of 31/12/15. Inch St drive has now been cleared & widened, a new winch put in and a trolley capable of carrying up to 20 bags has started running, this will deal with over 100 bags per hour. A gallery to right of No 5 at 100 ft in has been started to come up between No 5 & No 4 galleries.

10/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	…[2Lt Bowen on short leave]
11/1/16 WD 185 Coy	The 45’ level gallery was started off the Bonnimuir shaft.
13/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… 3pm Gen Harvey (Controller-in-Chief of mines) arrived with Col Danford. Looked at plans & proposed to visit works next day. [4.30pm Mackay White returns leave]
14/1/16 WD 185 Coy	Commenced extension of Inch St Incline to go down to 120’ level.
15/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	[extract from London Gazette MCs for Lt W B Creswick 4 KOYLI, Lt H R Kerr 3/ Norfolks & 2Lt E W Mackay White RE.]
15/1/15 3^rd Army CE WD	Br Genl R N Harvey CMG? to see me on his way back to GHQ after inspecting mining areas III Army. He raised the question of possibility of mines being sprung by the Germans if the British trench line is straightened out at the re-entrants bringing it nearer Germans salients which may be protected by mines. No more tunnelling companies will be available to take up new mining enterprises.

16/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	[9am Lt H J Humphries left to join 251 Coy RE] 9pm 2Lt C E Woodward RE arrived from the Base.]
16/1/16 WD 185 Coy	Capt D Bowen 1/8^th West Yorks returned to his battalion & was struck off the strength of the Company.
17/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	…[J Bowen leave]
17/1/16 WD 185 Coy	Instruction in bomb throwing was commenced. New Entrance to G7 shaft holed through to shaft. Commenced an Incline from transverse to take the place of L gallery as the latter has been found to expensive in labour to warrant continuing etc.
18/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… [9am Spr Scholfield killed by shell burst over CT during relief. 4pm buried Albert military cemetery.] 4.15pm Controller of Mines in consultation with CO.
18/1/16 WD 185 Coy	New drive at lower level from Z shaft started in NE direction.
18/1/16 18 Div GS WD		Brig Gen Harvey RE inspector of Mines and Lieut Col Danford visited GOC at Divl Hd Qrs.
19/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… [FGCM promulgated 2/Cpl Dewhurst. Found guilty insubordinate language to his superior officer, reduced to ranks & 28 days FP1. 28 days FP1 remitted? by GOC 96^th Inf Bde.] 5pm 3 officers and 167? OR as under arrived as permanent carrying parties. They are billeted in Albert and attached to the company for work [?] and administration:- 2/Lt P G Symington & 14 OR 16/HLI & 14 OR 17/HLI [… more ORs] 2/Lt Rylands & 28 OR 4[?]/Lancs Fusiliers … 2/Lt A E W…..D [?] & 55 OR 1/Dorset [5pm Bowen returns leave]
20/1/16 WD 185 Coy	iiLt H Rickards, who had gone on leave on the 6^th inst., was granted one months sick leave & was taken off the strength of the company.
21/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… [5pm Capt Hance returns leave]
22/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	…Capt Logan (GHQ) and Lt Smart (2^nd Army Rescue School)[sic] here.
23/1/16 WD 185 Coy	Compressor Chamber completed with ineption [?] of side [?] laggings.[?] The carrying up of the compressor plant was begun.
24/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… Lt G Rowan to command B Section vice Lt H J Humphrys to 251^st Coy RE 2Lt E W McKay White to command D Section vice Lt Rowan to B Section.
24/1/16 WD 185 Coy	Small chamber off Compressor Chamber started. this will have another entrance & make a through draft for cooling purposes.
25/1/16 WD 185 Coy	An incline was started from the Transverse to connect to L gallery for ventilation.
26/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… [Pte McCaig 2/Innis Fus (inf carrying party attached) wounded by rifle bullet.]
29/1/16 War Diary 179 Coy	… Col Danford arranged conference of O’s C Coys at HQ 185 Coy RE for [6/2/16]
29/1/16 WD 185 Coy	The footage for the preceding 7 days was 598 ft. the greatest that the Company has made up till now.
30/1/16 WD 185 Coy	The Compressor made a trial run quite satisfactorily. All the piping should be laid in a few days.
30/1/16 10 Essex WD		4.33pm Our left front coy observed a cloud of chlorine gas coming from German front line trench, where our guns had been shelling. the cloud was quite small. the coy put on Tube helmets which proved quite satisfactory. Enemy did not take any further action. [.. MGs fire on mound of chalk hear cries & moaning]
31/1/16 Essex S Bn History p150-2		[raid on 10/Essex, CO killed, raid desc.., take 13 prisoners, ][see hist of 109 RIR pp84-]
31/1/16 10 Essex WD		4.30pm Enemy began to shell a dump (Miners) at the junction of Lochnagar Street and Kingsgate the shelling increased until it became intense at about 5.15pm the main objective being the salient formed by trenches 113-114-115. Their fire did considerable damage. it absolutely flattened out 113. it then “lifted” and started on the region of Bn Hd qrs. the Commanding Officer and the Adjutant were in the telephonist dugout [direct hit, Radcliffe killed almost instantaneously but no one else in dugout hurt… desc raid on dugout in Pochran St…] [ref strength of Bn fighting strength 24 offs & 680 ORs] This is owing to drainage such as Brigade Mining Section, Brigade Employ, Divisional employ, etc, etc amounting in all to about 270 Other Ranks. Out of 32 officers the following have been away from the Battalion for the last two months. Major Wheatley (Town Major Albert) Capt Western (Brigade Mining Section) ….
31/1/16 WD 185 Coy	The work has been delayed slightly during the last few days owing to the constant alarms of gas attacks. Also continual shelling of the trenches has interfered with the disposal of the spoil. Below ground the enemy doesn’t appear to be very active in his advanced galleries though a good deal of distant working is being heard. [sgd] T C Richardson […]