February 1^st 1917: - Attack on the 3^rd line of Turkish trenches on E bank of Hai [River/Canal] by 8^th Cheshire Regiment. 4^th Bn S Wales Borderers in support. Artillery bombardment to distract attention was ranged on L bank of Hai 8.30 to 8.35am. On our front intense bombardment 9.45 to 9.53am. The attack was extremely successful, 150 prisoners taken.

A very tiring day finding ammunition and trench escort working partiwes, also work under R.E. The whole of the Turkish trench were in our hands by 3pm. In the night the new front line was wired and we were relieved by the 8^th Brigade (3^rd Division).

Casualties 1 killed, 2 wounded

February 2^nd 1917: We arrived at Red Camp at 9am – all very tired. At 9.pm still very tired we started on a 10 mile march to the Thumran? Bend. We marched all  night and were just reaching  the beginning of the line we were to dig when we ran into a Turkish patrol. We were ordered back and it was then nearly daylight [on the 3^rd].

February 3rd 1917: We were shelled by the enemy but got back out of artillery shell fire range. It took a greater part of the day to collect the companies together.

At 4pm D Company was sent out to try to draw the fire from the R Welsh Fusiliers who were getting badly sniped from behind. We afterwards heard that our demonstration had considerably helped the 14^th Division in their attack on the W bank of the Hai. At 8.30pm  we withdrew to Q18 (1½ miles) and bivouacked.

Casualties 4 men wounded and 2 men missing

February 4^th 1917: Remained in bivouacs’ about 600 S.E of Q18 and had to standby to support the Cavalry Division if required. Other wise quiet day.

February 5^th 1917: Moved with Divisional Reserve to R.19 about 500 yards W of Hai and bivouacked. Men still very tired. Rested remainder of the day.

February 6^th 1917: Men washed and cleaned and rested themselves all day. Joined a fatigue party at night to dig communication trench P19B – N35A. Strength 150

February 7^th 1917: Fresh service dress clothing issued to men. The Brigadier held a Brigade parade and addressing the troops on the work done told them how well they had supported him. Draft of 2 officers and 160 other ranks joined for duty. Lieut Peel slightly wounded.

February 8^th 1917: Quiet day in camp at R19.

February 9^th 1917: St? during morning while 38^th Brigade attack was in progress on W bank of Hai. At. 6.30pm the Battalion moved up to P24 and laid out a line of Lunettes N35c, 1200 yards toward N47.

Casualties 2 men killed and 1 man wounded

February 10^th 1917: Consolidated line dug – C&D and ½ A Coys holding lunette line and ½ Coy of B Coy a support point. Remainder at Bn HQ at N33. Quiet night.

February 11^th 1917: Quiet day B Coy at night dug lunette line M22K – M29a. At 11pm all available men and tools collected and line M18g – M23f dug. Heavy rain all night.

Casualties 5 men wounded.

February 12^th 1917: Digging parties M18g – M23f returned at 5.30am. Quiet night

February 13^th 1917: 5am. Battalion took up line K42 to K42a held by 38^th Bde. Trench very narrow and unsafe. At 2pm bombing party sent forward from K43a to try and bomb into enemy’s line. Communications trenches undug and party had to withdraw.

Attack on line K44-K42 arranged for 12 noon 14^th February.

Casaulties Killed Lieut F.F. Evans and Lieut F.H. Best and 6 men. Wounded Capt a Buchaners VC, 2 Lt D.L. Jones and 16 men.

Near Havrincourt - 12^th Sept 1918 – 1am: The Battalion moved forward at 1am to assembly positions which were taken up by 3am. These positions lay between Banbury Hill and Hubert Avenue about Q.2.c. Battalion HQ being in K.32.c (junction of Hubert Avenue and Shropshire Reserve.

Zero 5.25am: The Battalion advanced to the attack on a 3 company front, A Coy on the right C in the centre and D on the left with B Coy in support. Each company moving on a 1 platoon front.

5.45am: The complicated nature if the barrage made the attacking movement a difficult one, the defenses of Havrincourt forbidding a frontal attack, so that attacking troops had to approach the village from the left and then swing to their right. The general scheme was to gain possession of Havrincourt the first objective being a line passing through it from NE to SW, the final a line forward of the village to the NE.

The Battalion suffered several casualties before leaving the assembly positions at zero and 20, an enemy barrage dropped almost as they started but few further difficulties were encountered until the SW corner of Havrincourt was approached when fire was opened from about the village square.

36 prisoners were captured in Knab Avenue.

6.35am: On approaching the village the Battalion swung to the right and at zero and 70 was formed up at the SW of the village waiting for our barrage to lift. A, C & D Coys to whom, was allotted the first objective attacked in a 1 platoon frontage, two platoons to take the first half of the village, the remaining two platoons leap-frogging through to the Eastern edge.

7.00am: Shells from our barrage were still falling at zero and 120, D Coy suffering several casualties in the Square.

7.28am: A Coy captured the Chateau without much opposition but a little later were attacked by machine-gun fire. The guns however were successfully dealt with. 1 Officer and 12 men with the M.G’s being taken [prisoner] and 1 officer and several men were killed.

8.30am: Shortly afterwards O.C A Coy received information that two enemy M.G’s were holding up the attack of the 2/4 D of W [Duke of Wellington] Regiment, on the right and moved a platoon to his right engaging the M.G’s and succeeding in killing or capturing the crews of both guns.

On the barrage lifting A,C & D companies went forward through the village, clearing cellars and dug-outs and taking a number of prisoners. C Coy met with some opposition near the church and had considerable fighting to do before occupying its objective.

D coy on the left were held up by two M.G’s but these were presumably engaged and the crews killed or captured.

9.00am: At this point B Coy should have come through the other companies and taken the final objective. The company had however lost heavily in the advance and were unable to reach their jumping-off place before the barrage had gone forward. They thus lost the advantage of it and were held up eventually reinforcing the other two companies along the railway cutting and E edge of the village.

11.30am: The general position was then as follows: D Coy had posts about K.22.c.31 to the north of the village, the remaining companies held a line from that point southwards, C Coy covering the S.E corner of the village. Company HQ and 1 platoon of C in support at K.27.b.7.2 and 1 platoon of C in reserve at K.27.d.7.9.

Several posts were pushed forward of the railway line and about dusk reported enemy massing in T Wood. An attack was delivered [by the enemy] about 7pm but was broken up by our rifle and Lewis-Gun fire and the enemy dispersed by the 18 pdr [pounder] barrage.

Sept 12^th/13^th: The Battalion was relieved by the 5^th Battalion K.O.Y.L.I and went into reserve in Shropshire trench. In the morning it was found that the posts of the S.E. of the village, amounting to between 50 and 60 men, chiefly of A Coy had not been relieved.

During the night the enemy worked forward along the railway to the left Battn sector and got in rear of our posts enfilading the railway. After some sharp fighting these posts had to withdraw slightly, forming a defensive flank for the 2/4 D of W Regt.

About 6.30pm the 2/4 D of W took over the position and the party left behind then rejoined the Battalion in Shropshire Trench.

Casualties during the 12^th: 1 Officer and 27 O’Rs killed; 6 Officers and 198 O’Rs wounded.

13^th - 6.30pm: Some shelling was experienced during the 13^th in Shropshire Trench and near Bn HQ. The latter moved back a short distance in the afternoon to a position near Clayton Cross A Co being with HQ in Reserve.

Casualties on 13^th: Captain C.P. Bulley and 4 OR’s wounded.

14^th: The battalion remained in the same positions during this day except for burst of shelling the day was fairly quiet.

Casualties during day:- 2 OR’s killed, 5 OR’s wounded