World War 1 time lines

• 12th Oct
  Marched out of Brake Camp to Reigersberg Camp
  Cold miserable night under bivouacs and tarpaulin sheets and muddy
• 13th Oct
  Battalion in good spirits in spite
  Major Hunt in command
  Made way to the front line via trench boards known as Alberta Track (NW of Passchendaele)
  On arrival at the line (about 11pm) the men who we were to relieve has, when they saw us in the distance, cleared out, making the task of taking over as we had to find the front line for ourselves, a rather difficult matter owing to the terrible muddy state of the shell-pocked country. Relief complete at 11.30pm.
  Remaining 10 days were written up from diary supplied from company’s at Coudekerque-Branche
• 14th Oct
  “C” Coy finally got in to position and as a result :-

  The Battalion was now holding about 1000yds of the Front Line of the famous Ypres Salient. The night of the 13th is looked upon by the 2 companies in the front line as one of the stiffest nights they have ever spent. The Duck Board Track ends about 600 yds from the line & the remaining distance seemed like a horrible nightmare. The mud was simply appalling. Men would get stuck fast & 2 or 3 of their comrades would have to stop & pull them out. This caused the line to break & often connection was lost altogether. However, the dogged determination of the men to get there eventually got us into the line & the enemy assisted us greatly in our relief by keeping the artillery & machine guns quiet. The day passed quietly enough though good sport was had us sniping the enemy. In this respect he was fairly active but fortunately he never hit a target.

• 15th Oct
  

  Sniping fairly lively . The enemy failed to score. One of our men hit a man who was up a tree & was sure he had killed and enemy Intelligence Officer or an F.O.O. [Forward Observation Officer] nothing less!

• 16th Oct
  Two guides per platoon reporting to Batt H.Q. daily (at Hübner Farm)  for the purpose of ensuring a good relief.
  12 noon orders received that the battalion would be relieved by 1st SAI.
  Enemy spasmodic bursts of fire.
  8pm relieved by 1st SAI
  Made way down the duck boards to California Trench
  Battalion H.Q. moved to Cheddar Villa
• 17th Oct
  Acting adjutant replaced due to being gassed at Hübner Farm and sent to hospital.
• 18th Oct
  Brigade H.Q. moved to Cheddar Villa. So Batt H.Q. had to move to California Drive.
  New H.Q. shelled heavily day & night. It was thought advisable to move again.
• 19th Oct
  Brigadier & Major Hunt went reconnoitring and decided to move to California Trench & Calaban Trench
  “A” & “B” Coys proceeded to Irish Farm
  All others to previous named trenches
  Stayed there because the enemy left them alone.
  7pm Relieved by 11th Royal Scots
  Made tracks to Reigersberg Camp
  

  Hot food served to the men who were soon asleep glad to able to take their boots off & get a good sleep after a nearly a week in the most muddy part of the whole British Line.

• 20th Oct
  Rain making the muddy camp into a horrible mess.
• 21st Oct
  Working party to Irish Farm to work for the artillery.
• 22nd Oct
  Working party to St. Julien to carry Stokes Mortar Ammunition to the front line.
  This party was subject to heavy barrage.
  Returned at 1am.
• 23rd Oct
  Working party to St. Julien to work on new Duck Board Track

• 24th Oct
  Moved to the Wormhoudt area (a distance from Nouveau Mond)
• 25th Oct
  Moved to Coudekerque-Branche
• 26th Oct
  New billets rather good
  All ranks looking forward to a long rest
• 27th Oct
  Re-organizing and cleaning
• 28th Oct
  Baths cancelled
• 29th Oct
  Bus to La Panne
  Very good town & billets
  Holding a line of posts along the sea coast
• 30th Oct
  Cleaning
  Repairing & improving defensive system
• 31st Oct
  Training

Signed by D.M.McLeod Lieut.Colonel Commanding 4th South African Infantry

• 1st Nov
  Baths at St. Idesbald
  Shooting practice
  Detachment to work for the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company
  Visit from the Divisional Band
• 2nd Nov
  Uneventful
• 3rd Nov
  Medical inspections
• 4th Nov
  Visit from Brigadier-General
  500 ORs to 1st SA Field Ambulance & underwent treatment for trench feet.
  No church parade owing to trench feet situation
• 5th Nov
  Remainder of battalion underwent trench feet treatment
• 6th Nov
  C.O., 2nd-in-command & company commanders inspected coast defence system
• 7th Nov
  Relieved by the 16th Infantry battalion
  Moved to Coxyde Bains
• 8th Nov
  Training
• 9th Nov
  “C” company (4 officers, 178 ORs) moved to be under the C.O. 3rd SAI

• 10th Nov
  Moved to Middlesex camp
  Working parties to help “F” special company  Royal Engineers in carrying.
  Baths
• 11th Nov
  Baths at Yorkshire Camp
  Training
• 12th Nov
  Nothing to record
• 13th Nov
  All officers reconnoitred the line
• 14th Nov
  Training as usual
  Working parties to repair huts in camp before handing over
  Enemy shelling
• 15th Nov
  Enemy shelling in camp without doing any damage
• 16th Nov
  Relieved by 141st Royal Infantry Regt.
  Proceeded back to La Panne Bains
  “B” company rejoined from 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company.
• 17th Nov
  Foot inspections
• 18th Nov
  “C” company (attached to the 3rd SAI since 9th Nov) rejoined after only 2 wounded casualties
• 19th Nov
  Marched to huts in Ghyvelde. No stragglers
• 20th Nov
  Marched to Teteghem. Billets filthy.
• 21st Nov
  Moved to billets in Esqelbecq
• 22nd Nov
  Moved to La Reicle (27.i.17.d on the Wormhoudt-Cassel road)
• 23rd Nov
  Moved to very good billets in Wardrecques
• 24th Nov
  Marched to good billets in Assinghem
  G.O.C. Division paid a call
• 25th Nov
  Marched to inadequate barracks in Renty
  Major Hunt returned from leave
• 26th Nov
  Reorganizing platoons
  Rearranging billets
• 27th Nov
  C.O. and adjutant to conference at B.H.Q.
• 28th Nov
  Training
• 29th Nov
  C.O. and Lewis Gun officer to Lewis Gun demonstration at Le Touquet
  Brigadier General visited
  Football
• 30th Nov
  Training
  Guest night at mess
  Brigadier & staff visited
  Warning order to move received