July 1916 On this day: 16th Northumberlands to Senlis   16th Northumberlands move to Senlis. All Quiet   236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report from Aix-Noulette: All quiet. War Diaries Somme to Messines   16th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles - Pioneers. The Move to Belgium, Somme to Messines After being relieved at the Somme on the 8th July 1916, the Battalion remained on the move for some time and was not involved in any pioneering work. 10th Jul Marched from Harpenville to Beauval and billeted (9½ miles). 11th Jul Marched from Beauval to Bernaville and billeted (9 miles). 12th Jul Marched to Conteville (6 miles) then by train to Theinnes (55 miles) and marched to Blaringham and billeted (3 miles). 13th Jul Marched from Blaringham to Moulles and billeted (14 miles). From the 14th to 20th July, the Battalion stayed at Moulles for interior economy (a military term for general Cleaning of a personal nature, including equipment and accommodation ). The men were exhausted and this period was used to boost morale with exercise, games and parades to present medals awarded during recent campaign actions. Further moves then took places as follows: 21st Jul Marched to Volkeringshove and billeted (6 miles). During this march they witnessed the explosion of an ammunition dump at Audvicq. 22nd Jul Marched to Winnezeele and billeted (16 miles). 23rd Jul Marched to Bauvoorde (10 miles) and camped on the Belgian border. 24th Jul Marched 3 miles to a hill position. This was about 2 ½ miles from Bailleul where they obtained some dilapidated Armstrong huts and set up camp. The marches were not long by modern standards but the constant moves involved a daily sequence of reveille, packing equipment and transport, having a hot meal, parading in full kit and laden transport before starting out on the march. The full Battalion would occupy about 1000 yards of road and take about 10 minutes to pass any given point in the route. On arrival at the destination, the reverse order would be unloading, setting up camp, feeding men and animals and settling down for the night. Exhausting as that may seem, it was not the full story as rations had to be organised. One day’s rations were carried by each man, though probably on Battalion transport, also fodder for the animals, so each day more rations had to be acquired from collection points. For 1000 men this meant about 1 ½ tons of rations and for animals 1 ¼ tons of fodder to collect and distribute each day. The Quartermaster had quite literally very much on his plate and everyone depended on his skill and organisational ability. Foot inspections were considered to be a very important requirement as was the watering, grooming and feeding of the horses and mules. The Terrors by SN White British troops in action on The Somme   5-45am July 8th 1916, The 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment moved off up the valley by Talus Boisse to a position just west of Bernafay Wood with orders to attack and take the southern portion of Trones Wood. This accomplished the Wiltshires were to attack from Maltz Horn Alley their right joining up with the left of the French who were attacking at the same time. The 19th Manchesters were in trenches behind available for support and the 18th Kings Liverpools were detailed to provide carrying parties, battalion HQ was at the Briqueterie. 7-15am, C Company 2nd Btn Yorkshire Regiment under Capt Maude entered Bernafay Wood followed in succession by the bombing sections, D Company under Capt Belcher, B Company under 2nd Lt Hubbard and A Company under Capt Colley. 8-00am, Under severe shellfire which caused casualties before starting and added to some confusion caused by the passage through the wood. C Company 2nd Yorks emerged from the wood and commenced to cross the open space between it and Trones Wood. For about 80 yards rising ground gave some cover but immediately this was topped a very heavy machine gun and rifle fire was opened from the edge of Trones Wood and the front line was practically hit to a man. Some men got into Trones Alley a communication trench between the two woods and Lt Field with the battalion bombers made an attempt to bomb up it and get into the wood, snipers in trees defeated this and seeing that without further and more powerful artillery support a direct attack was hopeless and a withdrawal to Bernafay Wood was ordered at 8-30am The Germans now commenced a heavy and constant bombardment of Bernafay Wood with guns of every calibre. Cover was poor and for the rest of the day the battalion could do nothing but hold on under heavy punishment. Casualties were numerous and the removal of wounded was a matter of the greatest difficulty. Mens nerves were subjected to probably the greatest strain the battalion had yet to bear in this war and it was with great relief that at 7-00pm orders were received to withdraw. Casualties of the 2nd Yorks were: Officers; killed 3, wounded 4, Other ranks; killed 19, wounded 116, missing 17. Russian Hospital Ship   In the beginning of 1916 the "Vperiod," a vessel of 858 tons, was transformed into a hospital ship, with 120 beds for wounded, to take the place of the "Portugal." On July 8th, 1916, while on her way from Batoum to Rizeh, near Trebizond, to fetch wounded, she was torpedoed without warning and sank, with a loss of 7 lives. The "Vperiod" bore all the usual Red Cross marks ; and the enemy Governments had been duly informed of the vessel's new status when the change was made six months earlier. John Doran  Repairs  Routine and movement order Arrival Marseilles   6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment 8th July - We enter harbour at Marseilles and stay alongside quay overnight. war diaries  Proceed to Front Line Trenches to relieve 58th Brigade.  Battle in Progress  Some Progress Made  Quiet Day On the Move   2100. 18th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry vacated billetsat Berneuil and moved to Conteville entraining there for Berguette in 1st Army area arriving there 11.30am and proceeded to La Pierreiere by route march arriving 1.30pm. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1  Attack Made  Reliefs  On the Move  On the Move  Reliefs Completed  Reliefs  Patrols  Four Hour Bombardment  Infantry Supported  In the Line  Reliefs  Raid  Reliefs        Intelligence  On the March  Orders to Move  In Reserve  Wounded  Holding the Line  Line Advanced  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft Lost  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft Lost  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft damaged  Aircraft Lost  Medical Officer  Recce  Holding the Line  Advance Party  Some Shelling  No Reports  S.O.S. message received  Attack Made  Preparations for Attack  Cleaning up  Move  Weekly Strength return 11th Queens S.W. Surrey Regt. 2nd - 8th July  Attempted a raid on the German trenches from "D" Gap  Battery Arrives in Corbie  In Camp  Moves  Quiet  Consolidation  Very Busy  Reliefs  Sports  On the March  Brigade put on Notice  Reliefs  Officer change  157th Inf. Bde. take over area  Battalion proceeded by rail  On the Move  Congratulations Received Can you add to this factual information? Do you know the whereabouts of a unit on a particular day? Do you have a copy of an official war diary entry? Details of an an incident? The loss of a ship? A letter, postcard, photo or any other interesting snipts? If your information relates only to an individual, eg. enlistment, award of a medal or death, please use this form: Add a story.

Killed, Wounded, Missing, Prisoner and Patient Reports published this day. This section is under construction.

Want to know more about of July 1916? There are:80 items tagged of July 1916 available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Remembering those who died this day, of July 1916. Pte. John Thomas Brown. 2nd Btn. Yorkshire Regiment Read their Story. Capt. William Harry Carritt. MC 2nd Battalion, C Coy. Northamptonshire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. Mark Churchill. 2nd Btn. Yorkshire Regiment Pte. Thomas Cocking. 2nd Btn. Yorkshire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. John Patrick Connolly. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. John James Davison. 15th Btn Durham Light Infantry Read their Story. Sgt. John Donaldson. 12th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Read their Story. L/Cpl. Oscar Frick. 2nd Bn. attd. Connaught Rangers Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) Read their Story. Pte. James Henry Gill. 11th Btn. Middlesex Regiment Read their Story. L/Cpl. William Stephen Hepburn. 2nd Btn. Yorkshire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. William Charles Houlton. 2nd Btn. Wiltshire Regiment Cpl. John Martin Huntsman. 19th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers Read their Story. Sgt. William H. Johnson. 19th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers Read their Story. Capt. Edward Hammerton Kennefick. 3rd Btn. Essex Regiment Read their Story. L/Sgt. James Lincoln. 19th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers Read their Story. Pte. Frank Harold Lovelock. 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers Read their Story. CSM. George William Garnett Percival. 7th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. Brandon Platt. 21st (Pioneer) Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment Read their Story. CSM. Joseph Richardson. 7th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment Read their Story. pte. William Thomas Roe. Durham Light Infantry Read their Story. Pte. Reuben Ruffler. 9th Btn. Cheshire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. William Henry Short. VC. 8th Btn. Yorkshire Regiment Read their Story. Sgt. George Walter Stannard. 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment Read their Story. Pte. Harold Stead. 4th Btn. West Riding Regiment Read their Story. Lt Harry Rowland Thelwell. 3rd Btn. West Yorkshire Regt Read their Story. Sgt. Jeremiah John Toomey. MM. East Lancashire Regiment Read their Story. Pte. Charles Thomas Upton. 8th Btn. Royal Fusiliers City of London Regt. Pte. Cecil Wiles. 21st Battalion Kings Royal Rifles Corps Read their Story. Pte. Ernest Young. 12th Btn. Durham Light Infantry Read their Story. Add a name to this list.

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