The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 26th September 1915

26^th September, 1915 –

1st Battalion – Relieved by the HLI at 3.30 pm and went back to billets at LE PREOL.

Draft of 30 joined.

2nd Battalion – Officers 18.    Other Ranks 726.

The enemy commenced an attack on FOSSE No8 & organised the bombing down of SLAG ALLEY – on our left the machine guns & trench mortars assisted a counter attack made by the 9^th Division – Very wet & no dugouts for the men.

1/6^th Battalion – There was very little retaliation to our bombing parties during the night. The trench mortars fired at the hostile trenches at 12 noon & 4pm no material damage was done. The enemy replied to this by firing trench mortars into trench 92, & LUKERS HOUSES doing some damage to our front parapet & the houses. The remainder of the day was quiet. At 6.45 – 6^th Bd, The Buffs who held the trenches on our left, raised a cheer & immediately the Germans opened rapid fire & machine gun fire all along our parapet & also Artillery fire on our communication trenches – they kept this up for about 15 minutes.

Casualties – wounded Capt, Luxmoore, and one other ranks.

2/4^th Battalion – Battn. Moved to A Reserve Area, and dug themselves in from Shell Fire.

7^th Battalion – Our artillery bombardment continued at 2.35pm. Enemy shelled our front line & communication trenches at 1pm & 4.30pm. Some damage was done to a M.G emplacement & 5 casualties were caused in C Company in TAMBOUR.

Battalion relieved by 8^th East Surrey Regt & marched back to billets at VILLE-SOUS-CORBIE. A clean village, best billets yet occupied.

Strength of Battalion,-

Officers 29, Other ranks 1026.

Number of men in Hospital 15.

Battalion was at this date finding the following detachments,

Salvage Corps 5. Mining Section 15. Sanitary Section 2. Total details not included in Battalion Fighting Strength – 57.

Casualties during period of occupation of trenches,

Killed, Officers 3.  O.R. 1.

Wounded, Officers 1.  O.R. 13*

(*Includes 2 who were not evacuated)

8^th Battalion – TRENCHES E of VERMELLES.

C.O. called to Brigade Hqrs at 9.45 to receive orders for the attack, returns at 10.30 am with them. Attack begins at 11.5 am & the battalion advances under heavy machine gun and shrapnel fire in lines of platoons in extended order. As the advance continues over the LENS - LA BASSEE road, the machine gun fire from. The flanks was very heavy - On reaching the enemy trenches it was found to be protected by barbed wire, which has not been cut and it being impossible to get through it, the brigade retired. There appeared to be no panic & the men walked back still under machine gun and shrapnel fire - Col. F. H. Fairtlough C.M.G. Captain Cooke and Lieutenant Cressy were killed, Captain and Adjutant Stacey, Captain Thompson, Lieutenants Brooks Lofting, Price were wounded Lieut Duke was wounded and a prisoner, Lieut. Waldie was wounded 2nd Lieut Burgess & Johnson were missing. 409 OR's were casualties