The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 8th July 1916

8^th July 1916 –

1st Battalion – LILLERS.

Orders for move received in morning, troops rested. Transport moved off at 4.35 pm rest of battalion at 5.50 pm. Marched to LILLIERS and entrained there. The drums accompanied & played for the first time. The transport was loaded in 45 minutes; trucks for the troops very dirty. Train started 7.50 pm destination SALEUX. The 33^rd Division is being relieved from BETHUNE area & is moving down by train to the Somme in support to our offensive there.

Later we learnt we were relieving 31^st Division who had been cut up. Thus we left XI Corps & joined II Corps in the IV Army.

The Battalion having been in the trenches since June 1915 and in the BETHUNE AREA since Xmas 1914 –

2nd Battalion – Coy training. G.O.C. 7^th Div. (Genl, Watts) inspected the Bn on parade & complemented officers & men on their share of the operations 1^st to 4^th July also stated that he knew that they would give a good account of themselves when they next took part in future fighting.

Strength: Officers 30. Other Ranks 781.

4 to Hospital.

2/4^th Battalion –

1/5^th Battalion – Death. No.4875 Pte H.Hoskins B Coy died at BASRA of hartstroke.

Death.  No.2456 Pte B.Collins A Coy having died of dysentery yesterday evening was buried at 6.45 am.

Death.  No.1925 Pte J.White B Coy died of colitis & was buried at 6.45 pm.

1/6^th Battalion – The night was quiet. “D” Coy returned to CONISTON ST. “A” Coy relieved “C” Coy in front line, C Coy took over “A” Coy’s part of CONISTON ST. Received information Brigade would be relieved by 97^th Inf Bde. Enemy shelled front line & RIVINGTON ST.

Casualties 1 Killed 13 Wounded.

7^th Battalion – Page Missing

8^th Battalion – TRENCHES.

The 72^nd I.B. relieved the 7^th and 2^nd Australian Brigades in the trenches on the night of 8^th/9^th July 1916. The 8^th Bn The Queen’s relieved the 25^th Bn Australian Regt in the trenches C3 -141 inclusive. These trenches are on the immediate right of the line of trenches previously held by the Bn, C3 having been in the original Bn front. This front extended from T 6 b 3½ 8 – U 1 b 21. The trenches were garrisoned as follows :-

C3 – D Coy under Lt G.A. Penrose.

C2 – B Coy under 2/Lt J.L. Hopgood.

142 & 141 (Fort Osborne)– A Coy under 2/Lt D.W. Lane-Nicholls.

Coy in Reserve BARBARY COAST Dugouts – C Coy under Lt F.D. Higham.

H.Q. were in the ‘Mc BRIDES MANSIONS’ dugouts at T.6.c.¼.1

10^th Battalion – Rest Billets.

11^th Battalion – A quiet day – At about 11.30 pm a party of 1 officer and 20 men R. West Kent Rgt accompanied by a party of miners with explosives, attempted a raid on the German trenches from D GAP – but they were unsuccessful, the officer in charge being mortally wounded.