The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 31st May 1916

31^st May 1916 –

1st Battalion – In morning, battalion practised artillery formations in the Bois des Dames. A draft of 154 other ranks joined the battalion; first batch of Derby recruits were amongst them; rather a poor lot physically.

The battalion was mentioned in General Haig’s despatch for period Dec 19^th 1915 to May 19^th 1916 as follows :-

“while many other units have done excellent work during the period under review, the following have been specially brought to my notice for good work in carrying out or repelling local attacks or raids :-

1^st Battalion The Queen’s Regiment.

The following message was sent to H.M.S. Excellent for the Glorious First of June :-

All ranks 1^st Queens hope the luck of this day may soon be repeated”.

Battalion now at 2 hour’s notice, as the German attack seems not so imminent.

L.M. Crofts  Lt Colonel

Cmdg 1^st Bn The Queens.

2nd Battalion – Clearing up preparatory to taking over the trenches in B.2. Sub-sector from 1^st Bn. S.Staffs Regt.

Officers 36.    Other Ranks 955.

F.C. Longbourne.

Lieut-Colonel.

Comdg, 2^nd Bn The Queen’s Regt.

2/4^th Battalion –

1/5^th Battalion – Orders received that machine guns of each brigade to be formed into a machine gun company of 3 sections,

No 1 section British 4 Vickers guns.

No 2 Indian 4 Lee Enfield guns.

No 3 Indian 2 Vickers 2 Lee Enfield.

In order to effect this we were ordered to exchange guns with 90^th Punjabis.

W.P. Spens, Lt & Adjt.

31/5/16.

1/6^th Battalion – The Battalion remained in billets, orders to move during the afternoon notice to move was altered to 4 hours notice from 8 am to 5 pm and 2 hours notice from 5 pm to 8 am.

H.F. Warden Lieut Colonel.

Commdg 6^th The Queens Regt.

7^th Battalion – 2^nd Lieuts: E.F. Bennett 2/Lt G.S. Dandridge 1816 Cpl Tyrrell A & 1441 L/Sgt Price F proceeded to Divisional School for course of instruction –

W. Kemp Welsh

Capt Comdg 7^th Queens.

8^th Battalion – Between 1.30 pm & 2.45 pm – the enemy shelled D 1 & D 4 & C 3 with heavy Trench Mortar bombs & 4.2’s. Most of these fell behind our front line. A good deal of damage was done to NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, and one trench mortar bomb fell into D 1 & one heavy shell into C 3, causing 6 casualties. Otherwise the day has been very quiet.

W.R.G. Bye

10^th Battalion – PLOEGSTREET.

7am In billets – marched from STEENWERCK (Div Reserve)

R. Oakley. Lieut Colonel,

Commdg, 10^th Queen’s.

11^th Battalion – Left for LE BIZET, rest billets of 2 battalions in the left sub-sector of the brigade sector of the front line trenches.

Arrived in LE BIZET at 8pm without opposition which was feared, owing to Germans having exposed placards in the vicinity to the effect that they were aware of the coming relief. The transport was billeted near PLOEGSTEERT.

R.C. Smith Capt for Lt Col

Cmdg 11^th Bn. The Queen’s Rgt.