30th April 1916–
1st Battalion – BEUVRY.
Much quieter day – 1 wounded. Relieved by 16th
K.R.R. & returned to billets in BEUVRY. Working parties of 2 officers &
70 men at night. Draft of 44 other ranks joined regiment today –
L.M. Crofts Lt, Col,
Cmdg, 1st Queens.
2nd Battalion – Sunday.
Church Parade.
Battalion on fatigue.
Officers 35. Other
Ranks 899.
To Hospital 5.
H. ALLARDICE. Major
Comdg, 2nd Bn. The Queens.
2/4th
Battalion – FAYOUM EGYPT.
The Battalion remains under canvas with the 160th
Infantry Brigade. The past month has been occupied in Company and Battalion Training
& Battalion & Brigade Route Marches, Musketry has been continued &
on 30/4/16, 749 all ranks had passed on the open range.
Special attention has been given to physical exercises &
Bayonet fighting, & 50 men have qualified as 1st class Bombers.
4 Lewis Guns are in possession & full team is in course training.
The training of other specialists has been continued.
Officers & N.C.O’s. Special classes of instruction have
been held & examination for promotion of N.C.O’s is now being conducted.
Transport. Two more Field kitchens have now arrived, but G.S. Limbered
wagons & riding Horses for officers are still badly needed.
Strength. Strength of Battalion on 30/4/16 was 36
Officers 839 O.R. This does not include 37 O.R. who are classed as permanent B.
Health of Battalion is on the whole good, but during
the past fortnight there has been a marked increase in diarrhoea & illness
due to heat, 80% of the Battalion have now been inoculated against Paratyphoid.
Inoculation against Cholera & vaccination are being proceeded with.
Weather. During the past month there has been a
marked increase in temperature, & this has necessitated alteration in hours
of parade. It is now practically impossible to conduct training satisfactorily
between the hours of 10.00 & 17.00. In addition there has ben several
violent dust storms which have interfered with training.
A.F. Tredgold
Maj & Adj,
For 2/4 Queens.
1/5th
Battalion – Church Parade 7.30am. Fall of KUT announced.
Equipment – By the end of this month practically all indents
had been compiled with & as far as possible the equipment of the Battalion
was in a satisfactory state.
Health – the health of the Battalion continued good out of
31 officers and 958 other ranks in NASIRIYEH the average number in hospital was
only 15.
Training – Throughout the month the company going on duty in
the afternoon had been allowed to train in the morning & this practice had
done good both to the new men & the draft.
Discipline – The behaviour of the Battalion continued good.
After a few cases of insubordination from members of the draft the numbers of
minor offences very considerably decreased towards the end of the month.
W.P. Speens, Lt & Adjt,
1/5 Queen’s.
1/6th Battalion
– 9am Normal conditions resumed. Brigade Church Parade held in morning.
H.F. Warden
Lieut Colonel,
Comdg, 6th Bn, “The Queen’s” (R.W.S.) Regt.
7th
Battalion –
8th
Battalion – At 12.40am. The enemy opened rapid bursts of M.G. fire opposite
us which was kept up for some minutes.
12.45am gas was released in dense clouds and swept all over
the Brigade front lasting until 2am. Our Machine Guns swept the enemy parapet
with the intention of piercing any gas cylinders. A small party of 12 of the
enemy attempted to enter trench C 4 but were easily repulsed. A larger party
succeeded in entering Trench D 4 held by the Bn on our Left – The 1 N/Staffs
Regt. The enemy were quickly ejected by bombing attacks. Owing to the barrage
put behind our lines, the Bn on our left were unable to bring up their Reserve
bombs quickly enough so we supplied them.
Gas had passed over at 2am. Reserve Ammunition & Bombs
were sent up to the front line. The situation then assumed its normality.
We suffered 110 casualties chiefly by gas. Very little
warning was given of the arrival of the gas as the enemys Machine Gun fire
successfully deafened the noise of egress from the pipes.
One officer has been evacuated, suffering from the effects
of gas – 2/Lt J.M. Clarke, our M.G.O. Major H.J.C. Peirs is in command of the
Bn, Lt Col Tringham being on leave to England.
The rest of the day passed quietly.
W.R.G. Bye Capt, Adjt,
8 Queen’s
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