Daily Diary, March 10, 1915

ROLLING CASUALTY COUNT: 711
First Battalion Brigade Reserve with its HQ at Red Barn on the main Estaires – La Bassee Road. Lieutenant Conybeare was in B line trenches and in command of a battery of Archibalds to cover the left flank of the 25th Brigade when it advanced on the trenches in front of B lines. The day opened with big gun fire from about 450 guns, this bombardment lasted half an hour and was directed on and behind the German trenches in front of Neuve Chapelle.  At the end of this period the guns lifted and three attacks were delivered by our troops, these being carried out by the 23rd Brigade through C lines, the 25th Brigade through B lines and the Indian Division on the right through A lines. At 9am our battalion moved down the La Bassee Road in the following order: B, A, C, & D companies. At Roux Croix a halt of two hours took place, at 11am the Brigade moved forward to take the place of the 25th Brigade behind B lines. The battalion was closed up behind the breastworks on the Rue Tilleloy as reserve to the Brigade. At 2pm orders were given to reinforce and occupy Point 6 a strongly fortified post behind the German lines which had been seized by the 23rd Brigade. Major Winnington with B and C companies and the battalion bombers moved off in skirmishing order across the British and German trenches to this point. It was occupied by these three Companies about 3pm and immediately put into a state of defence, during the work C Company went forward about 60 feet in front of the post to act as a covering party. German machine guns were brought up and the Company was forced to retire with heavy loss. About 4.30pm orders were received to return to Rue Tilleloy and rejoin the remainder of the Battalion, Point 6 being again occupied by the 23rd Brigade. At 5.30 pm the 24th Brigade was ordered to advance on the right of the 23rd Brigade. By nightfall the positions were as follows: 23rd Brigade round Point 6 and to the left, 24th Brigade on the right of Point 6 and the Indian Division on the Right. The 24th Brigade had three Battalions in the front line these being the Second Northamptons, First Worcesters and the Sherwood Foresters, our battalion being in the centre, the East Lancashires being in reserve. The whole line was very mixed.

Second Battalion Fourth Corps and Indian Corps attacked the German position opposite their front. Sixth Infantry Brigade attacked at Givenchy.  2/Worcs Regiment and 2/R Enniskillen Fusiliers co-operated with bursts of machine gun and rifle fire. A very violent bombardment by our Artillery commenced at 7.30am.  At 7.40am they paused for 10 minutes. At 7.50 am the bombardment recommenced.  At 8.05am the bombardment became intensive. At 8.10am the infantry columns assaulted. The assault of the Fourth Corps and Indian Corps was most successful, over 2,000 Germans were killed and 1,700 were taken prisoners. The Sixth Brigade owing to a very powerful wire entanglement were held up and suffered very heavy losses from machine guns. At 730am the French on our right exploded a mine and blew up a considerable portion of the German trenches in their front near the La Bassee – Bethune road, but beyond this apparently took no advantage of it. Fournes was set on fire by our aircraft. The German position in front of the Sixth Brigade was again violently bombarded from 2.15pm to 2.45pm but no further attack was made in this quarter. We then received special orders to look out for a counter attack, as German reinforcements had arrived. Our trenches and the village of Cuinchy were more heavily shelled than usual but we suffered only a few casualties (one Sergeant and four men wounded: one man killed). The Battalion was relieved at short notice by the 2/H.L.I. at 11.30pm and marched back to Bethune where we went into billets at the Orphanage arriving at 5am.

Third Battalion in billets at Locre.

City Police Court: Private Harry Richard Greening (32) was charged with being drunk in the College Yard. PC Sparkes gave evidence. Prisoner pleaded guilty. An officer of the Battalion said that if not dealt with by the Court, the man would be dealt with by the military authorities. On this understanding the Bench dismissed the case; William Mills (40), a dairyman, of Brook End, Kempsey, was charged with working a horse in an unfit state in the College Yard. PCTomlinson said that there was a recent wound, about two or three inches long, on the withers, where it was irritated by the collar. Prisoner said the wound was not apparent when he started out. There was a previous conviction, prisoner having been fined £2 and costs for a similar offence in January. He was fined a like amount on this occasion, the costs amounts to 3s. 6d.  

Six-Legged Pig: Mr H E Webb, of the Lower Grove Farm, Peopleton, has a young pig which is a veritable freak of nature. It was born on Sunday last, with six legs. It is rare that such an oddity long survives, but this one is running about the farmyard amongst its family, hale and hearty.The four normal legs are in every way perfect, and at the back part of the body the other two protrude, but in no way incommode the little pig’s locomotion. It is in no way shunned by its brethren, as it is sometimes the case with freaks.

Information researched by Sue Redding.