#1st C.M.R. Regiment

[k2kid]

Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION

From 1st September to 30th September 1917

Volume 25 With appendicis 1 – 4

Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information VILLERS AU BOIS 1   Battalion in billets at VILLERS AU BOIS (Villers Camp). Company parades and inspections. Platoon and specialists training carried out during morning. Afternoon, Recreational training such as football, Baseball etc. 2 o.rs admitted to hospital.[i]

    2 7.45 a.m.

  9.00 a.m.

Communion service.

    Battalion parade for divine service. 6 o.rs to hospital (sick).

    3 11.00 Specialist training of Bombers, Grenadiers, Scouts and Bayonet fighting. [ii]

  Battalion parade, the afternoon being devoted to recreational exercise. The Battalion Football team played a draw game with the 20th Bn Championship series.

    4   Training as yesterday. 10 casuals rejoined from base hospitals.

    5   Battalion Pay parades. Lieut. C.E. Oglesby arrived as reinforcement.

    6   Company parades and inspection of Rifles and Equipment. Lieut. C.E. Oglesby and 86 o.rs attached to R.Es[iii] as a carrying party. 4 o.rs to hospital.   7  

    7.00 p.m.

Training of all Lewis gunners at Ranges. Company parades and training.

  Military Tattoo arranged by 4th Brigade. Massed bands and Pipers being the chief item. Program attached.

    8   Battalion sports day. Football, baseball, running, and Jumping contests, winners to represent Battalion in Divisional sports. 2 o.rs to hospital.

    9   Brigade parade for Divine Service. Conducted by the Army Chaplin. General, Sir. H.S. Horne, K.C.B. 1st Army Commander attended.

  Lieuts. J. Irons and J. McHardy arrived as reinforcements.

    10   Company parades and training in Bayonet fighting, platoon in attack and physical training. Afternoon recreational training.

    11 9.30 am Parades and training as yesterday. 10 o.rs returned from hospital.

    12 9.30 am Brigade sports day. 18th Battalion winning both Football and Baseball finals, entitling them to compete in Divisional finals.

    13   Company parades in fighting order, training in bayonet fighting and Physical exercise. Inspection of Box respirators. Capt. J.S. Bell returned from leave. 10 o.rs attached to Divisional M.G. Coy and carrying party.

  Maps for reference: VIMY and ROUVROY 1/10,000 14 1.00   p.m.

          7.30 p.m.

[1.00 p.m.] Battalion moved from VILLERS CAMP en route to trenches in front of AVION. A halt was made at LA TARGETTE corner where supper was served and Battalion rested preparatory to passing over the top of VIMY ridge which was not possible until after dark.

  [7.30 p.m.] Moving off from the bivouac in the following order, “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, and HQ, guides were picked up at LA FOLIE PARK about 8.30 p.m. from the 1st C.M.R. regt, whom we were relieving.

  The enemy artillery was extremely quiet and the reliefe was completed without casualty at 11.45 p.m. Disposition being “A” coy in the front line, “B” and “C” coys in close support, and “D” coy in reserve. Battalion H.Q being in gun pits and dugouts in the BOIS DE CHAUDIERE which was a former German big gun position at T.7.d.95.60.

    15   During the day the enemy shelled the rear area but was very quiet on the trenches occupied by us.

  During the night large working parties were putting out wire entanglements in front of our line, every available man of “D” coy was engaged in carrying up wire and stakes. Lt. Spencer and 2 patrols of the Scout section patrolled “No Man’s Land” while this work was being carried out.

    16   Nothing unusual occurred. Working parties under the supervision of the C.Es[iv] constructed Dugouts in DORRIS trench and worked on DARTMOUTH trench.

    17   Preparations were made for taking over a company frontage on our left flank, running through the south part of AVION, and at present occupied by the 78th Canadian Bn. “B” coy was selected for this operation. During the day Capt. Rayward, O.C. “B” Coy, Lt. McHardy and 5 N.C.Os reconnoitered the new area. Night 17/18   The relief of the Company on our left was successfully completed and “D” coy moved into the position vacated by “B” coy.

    18   Nothing unusual to report. During the evening the usual working parties were provided, and repaired BILLIE BURKE[v] (front line) trench, and also dugouts for GLADYS trench, and extending KEANE to BETTY, a distance of 250 yards of trench being dug.

    19   Unusual aerial activity on both sides. During the night a working party of 1 officer and 92 o.rs put out 600 yds of wire in front of TORONTO ROAD from 100 yds right of Betty Trench to a point 600 yds left, thence over and along SOURIS ROAD. Parties of 40 o.rs were repairing dugouts in BETTY TRENCH and building a dressing station in GLADYS TRENCH.

    20   Battalion relieved in front line by the 26th Canadian Bn. This relief was competed by 12 a.m. and 18th Battalion moved into billets at VILLERS CAMP.

    21   Battalion resting and settling down in billets. Lieut. C.D. Smith arrived as reinforcement.

    22   Bath and clothing parades. 2 o.rs to hospital (sick).

    23   “A” “B” and “D” coys proceeded to Training area where taped replica of German frontage had been laid out. 2 o.rs admitted to hospital.

    24   Battalion pay parades all day. 4 o.rs returned from hospital.

    25   Company parade and inspections. Physical training and Bayonet fighting. Lieut. C.E. Oglesby and 3 o.rs admitted to hospital.

    26   Semi-finals of Canadian Corps Baseball and Football championships were played at COUPIGNY. 18th Battalion Baseball team being defeated by the 1st. D.A.C. No parades were held today.

    27   Company parades. Physical training and platoon drill. 2 o.rs admitted to hospital.   28   Training as yesterday. Lieut. E.L. Hankinson arrived as reinforcement. Villers Camp 29   Canadian Corps Sports day. Sports held at VILLERS AU BOIS. Final events for Corps Championships being decided at this meet. Pte. D.S. Laird, 18th Battalion winning the “High jump” and 2nd Division winning Football. 3 o.rs admitted to hospital.

    30 7.45 a.m.

10.00 a.m.

Voluntary Communion service.

  Battalion paraded for Divine Service after which the men were dismissed for the day.

  2 o.rs returned from hospital.

Honours and Award – Officers     Notification of, received during the month.

  D.S.O.

Lt.-Col. L.E. JONES.

M.C.

(Capt. J.S. BELL.

(Lieut. W.H. FENTON.

(  “        H.B. JOHNSON.

  D.C.M – 1[vi]

Bar to D.C.M. – 1

Military Medals – 27

  [i] This entry is at odds with that of the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade War Diary. It states: “Musketry on Range, MAISNIL BOUCHE by 18th Battalion all day.”

[ii] This sentence is interesting as it delineates two difference roles. I suspect a bomber is a soldier assigned to use rifle-grenades and a grenadier is a specialist who used hand-grenades.

[iii] Royal Engineers.

[iv] Canadian Army Engineers.

[v] Note that this trench name references a popular female silent film star.

[vi] These medals were for enlisted men. It is too bad the war diary did not include their names and regimental numbers.

War Diary of the 18th Battalion: September 1917 Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION - 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st September to 30th September 1917…