20th December 1915 On this day:  Signaller's Bravery 16th Northumberland Fusilers second stint in front line   16th Northumberlands return to the trenches in sector e2 to left of their first position. records of the 16th (service) battalion northumberland fusiliers captain ch cooke mc, newcastle upon tyne 1923 Enemy Active   6th County of London Brigade RFA report at 1315, 1352 and 1440 15th London Battery fired on trench A,28,c,2.3. This silenced a trench mortar shelling our front line at A.28.c.2.3. 17th London Battery reported that from 0700 to 0730 digging went on in several places in the Little Willie and Germans were seen passing various points where the parapet had been breached on the previous day. A steel loophole was visible at G.4.b.2.10 through which men could be seen passing. The 17th London Battery fired thirty rounds at a machine gun reported at G.5.6.7. 19th London Battery fired twelve rounds on G.4.b.97 in reply to enemy shelling G.4.a. and the enemy ceased firing. War Diaries   in Billets A & B Coys 12th York & Lancs leave Hurcott Camp   A & B Coys, Sheffield City Battalion marched out of Hurcott Camp and entrained for Devonport at Salisbury Station, the train left at 5am. C & D Coys marched out of the camp at 2.30am with their train leaving at 6.25am. The Battalion transport left the camp at 5pm. The trains were shunted onto the dockside at Keyham Docks and the majority of the Battalion boarded the SS Nestor. A small party from the Battalion transport boarded HMT Malakoota to travel with the Divisional Artillery. Sheffield City Battalion - Ralph Gibson & Paul Oldfield    SM U-71 Type UE 1 Shipyard Vulcan, Hamburg (Werk 55) Ordered 6 Jan 1915 Launched 31 Oct 1915 Commissioned 20 Dec 1915 Commanders. 20 Dec 1915 - 19 Apr 1917 Hugo Schmidt. 20 Apr 1917 - 27 Nov 1917 Walter Gude. 28 Nov 1917 - 27 Jan 1918 Otto Dröscher. 28 Jan 1918 - 29 Jul 1918 Oblt. Richard Scheurlen. 30 Jul 1918 - 14 Oct 1918 Oblt. Kurt Slevogt Career 12 patrols. 7 Apr 1916 - 11 Nov 1918 I Flotilla Successes 18 ships sunk with a total of 15,273 tons. 1 ship damaged with a total of 3,230 tons. 1 ship taken as prize with a total of 82 tons. 3 warships sunk with a total of 3,481 tons. 1 warship damaged with a total of 820 tons. 18 Oct 1916 U 71 Hugo Schmidt Greta 1,370 sw 19 Oct 1916 U 71 Hugo Schmidt Mercur 711 sw 19 Oct 1916 U 71 Hugo Schmidt Normandie 1,342 sw 21 Oct 1916 U 71 Hugo Schmidt Rönnaug 1,331 nw 13 Dec 1916 U 71 Hugo Schmidt Solon 137 da 17 Dec 1916 U 71 Hugo Schmidt Sjofna 528 nw 18 Dec 1916 U 71 Hugo Schmidt Herø 1,106 nw 18 Dec 1916 U 71 Hugo Schmidt Sieka 119 nl 19 Feb 1917 U 71 Hugo Schmidt Halcyon 190 br 4 Jun 1917 U 71 Walter Gude Orion 1,870 da 5 Jun 1917 U 71 Walter Gude C. Thorén 269 sw 5 Jun 1917 U 71 Walter Gude Götha 232 sw 20 Jul 1917 U 71 Walter Gude Sirra 223 nl 26 Jul 1917 U 71 Walter Gude Flore 3,553 fr 26 Jul 1917 U 71 Walter Gude Ethelwynne (damaged) 3,230 br 14 Aug 1917 U 71 Walter Gude Majorka 1,684 nw 31 Aug 1917 U 71 Walter Gude Taurus 128 br 20 Oct 1917 U 71 Walter Gude Thomas Stratten 309 br 12 Dec 1917 U 71 Otto Dröscher Amadavat 171 br 31 Dec 1917 U 71 Otto Dröscher De Hoop (prize) 82 nl 1 May 1918 U 71 Richard Scheurlen Blackmorevale 750 br 15 Aug 1918 U 71 Richard Scheurlen Scott 1,801 br 15 Aug 1918 U 71 Richard Scheurlen Ulleswater 930 br 20 Aug 1918 U 71 Richard Scheurlen Shirley (damaged) 820 br Fate 23 Feb 1919 - Surrendered to France. Broken up at Cherburg in 1921. There was another U 71 in World War Two. That boat was launched from its shipyard on 31 Oct 1940 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 14 Dec 1940. John Doran Ammunition problems   E Battery 3rd Brigade RHA 20th Dec - Tested the shooting of the guns up to date the fuses seem to have been very bad. 21st Dec - No shooting today. war diaries  7th Northumberlands into Reseve  Under Bombardment  Jam and Football  Company Training  Interesting Ground  2nd East Surreys on the Move  Convoy of Gas Cases  Under Shellfire  Working Parties  In Camp  On the move  Live grenade training  Live grenade training  Cleaning up          Positions      Reliefs  On the Move  Baths  Training  Award  In the Trenches    Artillery Bombardment  In Billets  Orders  Reserves  Inspection  In Camp  Aircraft damaged  Misty  Instruction  On the March  Deserter Taken  On the Move  On the March  Bombing attack planned  Divisional manoeuvres  Cleaning of trenches - Chapel Alley & O.B.5.  Instruction  Work Abandoned  Battalion remained in Noyelles Les Vermelles.  "A" & "B" Coys. on range.  Training  Reorganisation  Officers Visit Right Sector  Training  Exercise  11th Warwicks relieved 13th Royal Fusiliers  New billets at Robecq. 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.

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Want to know more about 20th of December 1915? There are:61 items tagged 20th of December 1915 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, 20th of December 1915. Sgt. Herbert Briggs. 4th Btn. West Riding Regiment Read their Story. Pte. James Hurley. 4th Btn. Royal Irish Regiment Read their Story. Sgt. Marshall Jagger. 4th Btn. West Riding Regiment Read their Story. Pte. John McQuade. 20th Btn. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Read their Story. Cpl. Alfred Reginald Richardson. 8th Btn Bedfordshire Regiment Read their Story. Sgt. Jack Smith. 4th Btn. West Riding Regiment Read their Story. Gnr. Frederick William Thomas. 27th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery Add a name to this list.

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