The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 9th August 1916

9^th August 1916 –

1st Battalion – The Battalion remained at HALLOY in billets resting. Companies carried out training under their own arrangements.

The Drums played out in the evening in the village.

C.O. and Company Commanders went by Motor Bus to reconnoitre the line at GOMMECOURT, where the 100^th Bde is going to relieve the 52^nd Bde in the line probably on the 12^th inst.

2nd Battalion – Coy Training.

Details of strength.

Officers 30. O.Rks 769.

1 To hospital.

2 Lieut T.L. Manson joined.

2/4^th Battalion –

1/5^th Battalion – Grenades 2/Lt Morris started class of instruction for officers & N.C.O’s in the use of rifle grenades. Condition of grenades not satisfactory shafts being very rusty & one in six not exploding.

1/6^th Battalion – BOUZINCOURT.

The battalion moved into billets in BOUZINCOURT at 11 am arriving at 11.45 am. Furnished working parties under R.E. & continued training one party got shelled

Casualties 3 Killed 2 Wounded.

7^th Battalion – Work as on day previous proceeded with.

8^th Battalion – Orders were received that the 24^th Divn would relieve the 55^th Div in the right sector of the XIII^th Corps in front, tonight. The 72^nd I.B. were to have relieved the 166^th I.B. in Divisional Reserve, with Bde H.Q. at F 23 a 9 1.

These orders were cancelled about 3 pm.

10^th Battalion – 5 am – Remaining 3 Coys of the Battn relieved 3 remaining Coys of 12 East Surrey’s in the trenches. A Coy Right firing line (T 103 – 108), B Coy Left firing line (T 109 – 111), D Coy in Reserve FUSILIER TERRACES – normal.

Entry 8/8/16 No 9751 Pte  A.Townsend – Not Wounded.

11^th Battalion – LE BIZET.

From 9 am till 2.40 pm the enemy shelled the battery of artillery located some 150 yards WEST of LE BIZET, with 5.9” shells. The second shell to fall hit one of D Coy’s billets, killing 2 men & wounding 5. About an hour later 2 shells in rapid succession hit the Lewis Gun Billet, & killed 8 and wounded 15 Lewis Gunners. That evening Brigade Order No 20 was received. This arranged for 1 Company to be billeted in GRANDE RABEQUE, 1 Company in PETITE RABEQUE & 3^rd to remain in cellars in LE BIZET. (B Company was back in STEENWERCK at this time) The billets were therefore altered to “A” Coy in LE BIZET, B COY Laundry, French LE BIZET, “C” Coy GRANDE RABEQUE, and D Coy PETITE RABEQUE.