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

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La Boisselle Contents

 

 

Date/ Source

Mining

Infantry

1/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

6pm Lt E W McKay-White discharged from hospital.

Extracts from C-in-Cs List of Promotions No 73

[to be t Capt while cmdg sect of TCoy McKay-White 7/3/16]

 

 

2/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

Lt E M Cambie 8/KOYLI attached to hospital.

iiLt G Buswell proceeded on leave to England.

 

 

3/5/16

4pm Charge of 7000 lbs Ammonal successfully fired with artillery combination in W7. Enemy artillery retaliation very slight

LLR – enemy working at about 20’ estimated distance.

Tamping: - 56’ solid following by alternate air-spaces of 6 feet and solid tamping of 6 ft making a total tamping of 86 feet.

 

 

4/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

5pm No 14313 Pte Henwood 2/RB Killed by rifle grenade in Kirrimuir St.

 

 

5/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

5pm No 15835 Pte West G. 1[or 11]/N&D wounded by trench mortar by W. Dump.

 

 

9/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

8am 2/Lt C E Woodward proceeded on leave to England.

8pm 2/Lt Thomas Crichton 24/Northumberland Fusiliers arrived for duty with infantry of 3rd Corps attached.

149 or 34 Division infantry arrived and relieved 149 or 8/Div infantry.

 

 

10/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

5pm iiLt J Gibson returned from leave to England.

No 8187 Cpl Anderson 1/R I Rifles wounded in left arm by rifle grenade during relief.

 

 

10/5/16 [onwards]

10/Lincolns (101 Bde, 34 Div), 20 Yrs After Vol 2, Chap LVI Memories XI. ‘Some old soldiers look back’, p928, a/cs sent in, passed to Official Historian.

 

Anon writer of 10/Lincolns, describes carrying up gas cylinders &: “On other occasions we carried ammonal up to the mouth of a mine-shaft, in square wooden boxes, each containing 50 lb., two being nailed together with narrow strips of wood which served as handles. On the first night we were in a trench behind the château, awaiting the order to move off, when we were startled by a shower of 5.9’s, and a near-stampede followed. Fortunately, those in front moved off briskly, and those behind lost no time in following. The boxes were delivered in record time!...

When the mine did go up, its tons of explosive caused the earth to sway as does the plate of a weighting machine. Looking over the parapet, one saw a huge wall rise to some three hundred feet, composed of chalk, mud, dust, timber, etc., with here and there a German.”

 

11/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

Lt E M Cambie 8/KOYLI (attached for duty with infantry) discharged from hospital.

2/Lt C C Hatwood 10/Warwicks arrived for duty with 3/Corps infantry attached

154 or 19/Div arrived and relieved 138 or 8/Div.

 

 

12/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

8.30am No 19155 Pte Brown 16 R Scots wounded by trench mortar.

2/Lt W Thomas 9/Y&L rejoined unit.

2/Lt C C Hatwood 10/Warwicks admitted to hospital.

2pm Capt D Logan RAMC here. Said he would try to arrange for the services of an MO as the company was 900 strong.

 

 

13/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

2Lt L S Greening 2/West Yorks admitted to hospital with German measles.

 

 

15/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

11am CO attended Conference of 3rd Corps Commander

137546 Spr McLean J slightly wounded by shrapnel (still at duty)

4pm 2/Lt H A Coldicott 10/Warwicks arrived for duty with attached infantry.

 

 

 

16/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

Capt W W McKay-White proceeded on leave to England.

2/Lt J C Allan arrived from Base for duty with this company.

 

20/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

8.30am No 25232 Pte Drew W 16 Royal Scots wounded in right head by trench mortar splinter.

OC & Lt Bowen reconnoitred new working area at Thiepval.

 

22/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

B Section cease work in E3 subsector La Boisselle preparatory to commencing fresh work at Thiepval.

Lt R Hawtrey rejoined from Base.

2/Lt L S Greening 2/W Yorks discharged from hospital & returned to unit.

 

23/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

2/Lt R H S Fox proceeded on leave to England

 

24/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

69871 Spr Waite R wounded in head by rifle bullet.

 

25/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

Capt T Brearley 8/KOYLI arrived & relieved Lt C M Cambie.

 

26/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

2/Lt C E Woodward returned from leave

146785 Spr Todd J wounded by rifle grenade

 

30/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

Capt H R Kerr proceeded on leave to England.

 

31/5/16

179 Coy War Diary

[casualties includes:] 31 or 8/Div arrived for special work.

4 new trenches started on 32nd Divn front.

[WD sgn G Rowan Capt OC…]

 

 

© Simon Jones 2006