The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 19th June 1916

19^th June 1916 –

1st Battalion – Baths at ANNEQUIN NORTH for half the battalion. 50 men on carrying parties.

2nd Battalion – Every available man on ammunition fatigue.

Officers 36.    Other Ranks 967.

2/4^th Battalion –

1/5^th Battalion – A small range 200 yds having been constructed between the Old and New Bunds by No.8 Post, A Coy started to give some range practice to the bad shots who had been sent out to the Battn in the drafts, 248 N.C.O’s & men were returned by O.C. Companies as having had so little instruction in England as to require the most elementary range practices. 10 boxes of S.A.A. have been authorised for this purpose.

Practise in loading transport mules & camels was started as a number of the drafts had of course had no experience.

4994 Pte Taylor D Coy died of enteritis & was buried at 6.15 pm. Lieut Ardagh, 2 Sergts, 1 corpl, 30 ptes, 1 cook, 1 sweeper, 1 bhesti was attached to the 12^th Bde M.G. Coy & moved out to camp W of 90^th Punjabis. To equip; the Battn had to give them 4 160 lb tents, 2 80 lb tents, 4 packals etc.

As the equipment allowed is only just sufficient for the Battn to part with so much for 34 men would be very serious if the Battn were ordered to move. The whole position is very puzzling as the N.C.O’s & men are only attached to the Coy for training rations & accommodation. For equipment they remain under their own C.O. Question of discipline not decided. Question of F.S. strength of Battn is also affected as also all tables of tentage it allowed to a Battn. 

The N.C.O’s & men found by the Battn as to be trained in big guns was increased by 6 & a further 18 were ordered to be held in readiness making a total of

5” gun crew

10 B Coy.

15” gun crew

18 D Coy.

18 A Coy.

Total 46

5.30 pm A draft of 2 Sergts, 2 L/c  & 47 ptes arrived from 3/5^th Queen’s.

1/6^th Battalion – Battalion practised the attack at FLESSELLES & returned to billets.

7^th Battalion – Nothing to record.

8^th Battalion – The 2 last  named Officers were buried at the British Cemetery, BAILLEUL at 2pm. The funeral was attended by some Officers of the Bn.

The Bn moved into Divl Reserve at DRANOUTRE.

19^th – 25^th DIVL RESERVE DRANOUTRE.

Training was continued. 40 other ranks were trained at Bde Grenade School and 26 Other Ranks were trained in the Lewis Gun by the Bn M.G.O.

The following Officers are temporarily in command of Coys :-

A Coy – 2/Lt D.W. Lane-Nicholls vice Capt C.H. Woollatt (to England).

B Coy – 2/Lt J.L. Hopgood vice Capt C.A.R. Barry (to Hospital).

C Coy – 2/Lt J.M. Clark - vice Capt R.H. Rowland (to England).

D Coy – Lt G.A. Penrose - vice Capt G.F. Clayton (to England).

On the night of the 25^th the Bn found carrying parties of 342 and a truck pushing party of 40 men. The carrying parties were engaged in carrying gas cylinders (114) to the front line trenches C4, D1 & D2.

 

10^th Battalion – In the trenches.

11^th Battalion – Sniping increased a good deal, and enemy’s artillery appear more active.

Casualties 3 killed 1 wounded.