The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 21st January1916

21^st January 1916 – 

1st Battalion – Bat, parade. Ordinary Routine.

2nd Battalion – Brigade field Day – Continuation of scheme begun last week.

Officers 32.    Other Ranks 868.

To Hospital 1.

2/4^th Battalion –

1/5^th Battalion - This day will be remembered as the most unpleasant since mobilisation. The Battn was detailed to find garrisons for No's 1 & 2 outposts and to escort the daily convoy. At reveille it was bitterly cold & very overcast, it started pouring hard at 8.0 am and it turned to snow about 5pm. Capt. L. WHITTINGTON & 60 of B company were detailed for the outpost duty, the remainder for the convoy. The convoy escort arrived back bitterly cold & drenched about 4pm Capt. WHITTINGTON's party had a terrible day on outpost duty & were already much exhausted by exposure when appealed to about 4.30pm. to help In a telegraph party coming from NASARIYEH on their own. This party already had 4 drabis down on the road with exhaustion beyond the outpost line. Rescue parties went out but themselves became exhausted endeavouring to carry the drabis against the storm. Two were put on horses & sent off to camp but one was too bad to sit on & after having been put up again & again had to be left and the man of the Battn. with him, who himself had become utterly exhausted had to be put on in his place & thus managed to be not in. The drabis died of exposure. After endeavouring to carry the other two some way Capt. WHITTINGTON on account of the exhaustion of his men had to leave them in villages & they too were found dead in the morning, Meanwhile the company were coming in in the following order, those from no. 2 Post, half of garrison of no. 1 post with mule, a party with a broken stretcher, & Capt. WHITTINGTON with the party which had been carrying one of the drabis. As at 7.0 o'clock no one was in at all although they should have been in by 6 o'clock. The AdJt. &: a rescue party set out. Almost immediately they met the party from No 2 post. A little later they ran into a party who said the ammunition mule had fallen at a nullah & thrown his load & that 4 had been left with the ammunition. This party was directed to camp later the ammunition & party was found & this party was directed to camp. Proceeding further the Adjt. party eventually found Capt. WHITTINGTON who had himself struck the party with the stretchers & all were brought into camp about 9.0 p m. A subsequent party went out to get in the ammunition with which Sergt. Major GREEN had waited for a very cold hour & ½ the cold & mud were inconceivable. But a full issue of rum successfully prevented any bad results.

1/6^th Battalion – Battalion remained in billets & spent the day cleaning up & inspections. 3 Coys bathed.

7^th Battalion – In reply to our artillery & T.M. fire against German front trenches opposite subsector, enemy were active with field guns & trench mortars against TAMBOUR F 3 c.

8^th Battalion – The battalion continued the work on the defence point and one Company was kept in camp for training purposes. Company grenadiers trained in throwing live bombs.