The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 28th June 1916

28^th June 1916 –

1st Battalion – General work on trenches. Wet day. No casualties. A mine exploded between MIDNIGHT & IPSWICH craters by enemy.

2nd Battalion – “Y” day. Bn, packing up ready to move off to assembly trenches. Holy Communion service at 2 pm for officers & men. Conference of Coy. Commanders with C.O. at 3 pm. Orders read at 3.15 pm to “stand by”. Very wet.

Officers 43.    Other Ranks 970.

2/Lt Weare Knight, Browning, Rutter Ward joined.

2/4^th Battalion –

1/5^th Battalion – Capt Pulford Military Governor died of cholera. B coy under Capt P.R. Whittington provided firing & bearer parties.

1/6^th Battalion – Battalion have moved to BRESIE tonight, but order was cancelled. The following officers joined the battalion for duty, 2/Lieut W.R.H. Wright from 3^rd Bn, 2/Lieuts G.S.M. Norrie, A.E. Wooldridge, A.E.S. Ommanney from “The Buffs” Regt for duty. The Battalion remained in billets.

7^th Battalion –

8^th Battalion –11.21 pm (zero time) a party of 70 of the 8^th Queen’s, trained by Major H.J.C. Peirs, D.S.O. made a raid on the German trenches at N 36 d 2 8 ½. The party was divided into 4 squads under 2/Lt Hoole,  2/Lt Tollemache, 2/Lt Lane-Nichols, 2/Lt Reynolds.

Gas & smoke were used in connection with this raid.

It was very successful, 6 Germans were taken prisoner and at a low estimate 24 of the enemy were accounted for inside their dugouts.

The party returned to our trenches intact, one N.C.O being rather badly wounded Major H.J.C. Peirs, o.C Raiding Party, received telegrams of congratulation from the Corps, Divisional & Bde Commanders.

Bde Orders & other secret documents with respect to the raid are attached as Appendices.

10^th Battalion – Billets – Accidently wounded No 6810 Pte T.N. Palmer.

11^th Battalion – Commanding Officer and 4 Coy Commanders, proceeded to reconnoitre new trenches near PLOEGSTEERT to be taken up by the battalion in a short time. No notification of date yet received.