The 4th SAI move south to Bertincourt

Donald’s “get your hair cut” anecdote.

Combat and skills training.

The 4th SAI move south to Bertincourt which is in the north of the Somme area.

• 2nd to 5th July
  Training
  • Saluting
  • Marching
  • Extended order signals
  • Platoon attack
  • Use of German machine guns
  • Lewis Guns
  • Grenadiers
  • Battalion attack (& demo for officers from Salonika)
• 6th to 26th July
  Moved to Berneville
  Cleaning equipment and new quarters
  Inoculations
  Training
  • • Saluting
    • Bayonet fighting
    • Marching
    • Ranges at Simencourt
    • Battalion attacks
    • Grenade practice
    • Musketry
    • Brigade Tactical Scheme attack
    • Rapid loading (with and without box respirators)

  Parades cancelled due to inoculations
  Brigade aquatic sports
  Bathing

• 25th July
  Letter from Cpl A.W. Cloete-Smith

  …
  Major D. Hunt was popular. No matter when and in the most unlikely places, he would come out with “Ha! Ha! Get your hair cut”. His way of getting new drafts was in this fashion :-
  “How many men, Sergeant-Major?”
  “Sixty men, Sir!”
  “Ha! Ha! One shell and you’ll all be dead. Ha! Ha! Get your hair cut.”
  …

• 27th July
  Moved to Bertincourt via Arras, Achiecourt-Le-Grand, Bapaume, Ytres
  Left billets in Berneville very clean
• 28th July
  Relieved 6th London Regiment as 9th Divisional Reserve at Ytres
• 29th to 31st July
  Cleaning
  Working parties
  Company commanders visited the line
• 31st July
  War diary of the 4th SAI signed by D.M.MacLeod Lt.Col. Commdg 4th South African Infantry

 

• Training near Arras
• Move South to Bertincourt north of the Somme