The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 1st December 1915

1^st December 1915 – 

1st Battalion – BETHUNE.

Draft of 81 Other Ranks joined.

2nd Battalion – EUSNETTE.

Company parades. Fine day, rain at night.

Officers 32.    Other Ranks 768.

To Hospital 1.

2/4^th Battalion – Battalion (to which the 1/4th R, Sussex was linked) quartered in dugouts on E: slope of LALA BABA and occupied in digging trenches round the Hill. There was considerable spasmodic shelling by enemy and on DEC 2nd one shell killed one officer (TEMP, CAPT, HEWETT) and 2 N.C.O's and wounded 3 men. Weather on the whole was fine, days warm and nights cold.

1/5^th Battalion -Arrived KALYAN 8.30 a.m. & were not allowed to leave before schedule time at 12.15 p.m. Arrived BOMBAY.

2pm On arrival Battalion with kits and animals moved to Cooperage Camp, where they spent the night of 1 - 2 Dec. Officers less orderly officer in Camp put up free at TAJ MAHAL hotel. Heavy luggage shunted round direct to docks. 2 ponies delivered.

1/6^th Battalion – LIERES.

Remained in billets, training & Bombing classes continued. Musketry. Draft of 87 Other Ranks received.

7^th Battalion – VILLE_SUR_ANCRE.

In billets nothing to record.

8^th Battalion – The 24^th Division remained at NORDAUSQUES, PAS de CALAIS during this month in Corps reserve (5^th Corps). The Battalion was engaged in Training the whole time, especially with respect to Grenade Coy. Machine Gunners, Snipers., Signallers.

At the end of the month there were in the Battalion

154 trained Grenadiers.

60 trained Machine Gunners.

22 trained Snipers.

37 trained Signallers.

Various competitions were held in the Division e.g. Football, Cross Country Run, Sniping etc. The Battalion gained second place to the 9^th E.Surrey Regt in the Cross Country Run, and we held 2^nd

place to the 1^st N.Staffs in the sniping Competition.