The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 23rd July 1916

23^rd July 1916 –

1st Battalion – Battalion struck bivouac and marched via MEAULTE and VIVIER MILL to fresh bivouac just West of DERNACOURT – ALBERT Railway about 1 mile from ALBERT. Bivouaced with Bde H Qrs & 2^nd Worcesters in a grassy field surrounded by cornfields.

NEAR ALBERT.

Afternoon all companies washed in river ½ mile off – Draft of 108 other ranks East Surrey, Buffs & Queen’s arrived – Tents were issued in evening & camp put up.

2nd Battalion – 12.40 am Marched to MERICOURT STATION & entrained at 2.30 am.

3.30 am Left MERICOURT 3.30 am & detrained at HANGEST 7.10 am.

HANGEST.

7.30 am Marched via PICQUIGNY & AILLE-SUR-SOMME to occupied billets at ST SAUVEUR 11.20 am

ST SAUVEUR.

11.20 am The Bn was cinematographed by War Office agent after passing through PICQUIGNY.

Strength:

Officers 24.

Other ranks 750.

3 To hospital.

1 From hospital.

2/4^th Battalion –

1/5^th Battalion – Ecclesiastical The Church parades at 8 am were cancelled & it was arranged that the parade service should be held on alternate banks on alternate Sundays at 6 am. Accordingly, parade service being on right bank there was a private church parade at 6 am.

Alarm At 11.45 pm No.4 Post had some shots fired at them by hostile Arabs. The Sergt summoned the inlying picquet wrongly who turned out everything had ceased before the picquet moved off.

Medical A week now passed since the isolation of D Coy & the closing of the coffee shop. There has been no further case of cholera at all & generally the health of the Battn had been better with no diarrhoea except chronic cases. An application to re-open the coffee shop was refused.

1/6^th Battalion – Battalion attended church parade & remained in camp. Received a draft of 79 O.R. Battalion furnished working parties of 350 men. 2^nd Lieut E.J. Dawson & 2^nd Lt Baron Rudolph de Bertouch joined the Battalion for duty.

7^th Battalion – CAMPAIGNE.

Battn reached St OMER at 9.30 am and detrained, marching to CAMPAIGNE where it billeted.

Commanding Officer assumed rank of Lieut Colonel pending proper authority.

8^th Battalion – The Battalion remained at METEREN. Training was proceeded with.

10^th Battalion – Trenches.

Came into the trenches – Hold the same line T-112-120. A party of 150 N.C.O’s & men under Capt Sutherland & 4 other officers were left in billets. They are training for a special duty. Wounded No G/9468 Pte H. Stow; G/6910 Pte E.D. Allen.

11^th Battalion – 5 Officers, Second Lieutenants J.V. Cooke, F.W. Tugwell, D. Maclean, C.T. Royle, A.B. Wharton arrived as a reinforcement.

10 pm At 10 pm the Battalion took over the front line trenches from 10^th Bn R.W. Kent Rgt.