The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 3rd April 1916

 3^rd April 1916 –

1st Battalion – Ordinary routine; practice of bombing attacks & new bayonet fighting course.

2nd Battalion – Patches of new wire observed in front of enemy’s lines opposite, F.11.8 & left of F.11.7. Hostile biplane flew over our lines at about 9.30am.

Officers 35.    Other Ranks 909.

2/Lieut, Hine joined.

Killed 1.

Wounded 2.

2/4^th Battalion – Capt Herman 3^rd R.W. Kent Regt arrived with 93 N.C.O’s & men part of a draft of 142 sent from England of which 99 were Royal Fusiliers & 43 3/5^th Queen’s. Most of the Fusiliers have seen service in France, some of them are still suffering from the effects of wounds & some rather old for the country. Orders for the promotion of Lieut J.E.B. Jardine to temporary Captain vice Capt Master were received.

1/5^th Battalion -

1/6^th Battalion – Day very quiet, Enemy sent over rifle grenades & heavy Trench Mortars about 6pm. Night passed quietly 2^nd Lt H.E. Smith wounded by rifle grenade.

Casualties 1 officer & 2 men wounded.

7^th Battalion – SUZANNE Y III Subsector.

The Battalion was relieved by 7^th Buffs at about 7-30pm relief would have been carried out earlier in the day but on account of a German observation Balloon coming up - on the left of our line – between CONTALMAISON & BAZENTIN LE GRAND about midway between our relief – caused a standstill - & we all got to a position behind cover – as far as possible – but unfortunately – “C” Coy which were standing in the trench – at S works point BEA 23-A-50 had 3 shrapnel shells fired into the trench which killed two men – Pte Street & Wisdom & Pte Jones & Cox were wounded. We arrived in billets SUZANNE about 8pm Captain R.S. Le Bas & Lieut & Q.M. S.C. Eastwood proceeded on leave.

8^th Battalion – 3^rd – 8^th April

During this tour in trenches, a great deal of work was done in repairing the trenches. On the 4^th 5^th and 7^th our Support Line was shelled by H.E. Shrapnel and Whizzbangs, but little damage was done. On the 5^th A Corps Retaliation Scheme, lasting for 20 mins was carried out, and effectively silenced the enemy. Our snipers gradually gained the upper hand, and our Grenade Company was active in retaliating on the enemy with Rifle Grenades etc. Good Patrol work was done by 2/Lt Hopgood, 2/Lt Lane Nicholls, Sgt Chacksfield, Cpl Johnson and other N.C.O’s of Grenade Coy. Useful information was given with respect to enemy works etc.