| War Diary of the 1/5th Battalion, the Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1916source:Public Record Office | September 1916
Bois de
WARMONT 2 Battn moved to billets at SARTON
SARTON Lt Col G C SLADEN DSO MC approached to command of 143 by Bde
Major C RETALLACK appt to command of Battn
4 Battn inspected by GOC Divison 48
4 ORs arrived as replacements
5 The undermentioned officers taken on strength of Battn
2 Lt A J FARRINGTON
2 Lt W G LEES
6 Battn inspected at training by the ARMY Commander (Reserve Army)
144 Men medically or physically unfit inspected by Adjutant General
The undermentioned officers taken on strength of Battn
2 Lt H L HARCOURT
2 Lt F S WOOLLARD
10 LIEUT E HOLD returned and taken on strength of Battn
11 Battn moved to GEZAINCOURT as in OO 59
GEZAINCOURT 12 Reinforcements received ORs 120
14 The undermentioned officers taken on strength of batt
Maj A W F PAULI
2nd Lieut L T O'HANLON K.O.S.B
2nd Lieut E A COCHRANE K.O.S.B.
2nd Lieut F C WATT K.O.S.B.
Reinforcements received 6 ORs
16 Reinforcements received 16 ORs
17 Reinforcements received 1 OR
HEUZECOURT 18 Battn moved to billets at HEUZECOURT - GRIMONT
The undermentioned officers taken on strength of Batt
2nd Lietu Usher CC K.O.S.B.
22 Reinforcements received 16 ORs
28 Reinforcements received 6 ORs
29 Battn moved to billets at HALLOY
(HALLOY - not recorded)
30 Battn moved to billets at SOUASTRE
Strength of Batt Sep 30 1916
Officers 35
ORs 823
| Operation Orders No 59
OPERATION ORDERS No 59
by Lieut Colonel C RETALLACK
Commdg 1/5th Battn Royal Warwickshire Regiment
10th September 1916
MAP REFERENCE SHEET II (LENS)
(1) The Brigade will move to Gezaincourt to-morrow 11th Sept.
(2) Battns will move in artillery formation across country to the starting line mentioned in para (below). The 7th Bn will move N of MARIEUX and the 6th Bn. S of MARIEUX
(3) The Bde will cross the road, running from ORVILLE to BEAUQUESNE via two crossings over the tranway and the "A" TERRAMESNIL, at 2.30pm, in the following order:-
5th Bn on the right 7th Bn on the left
8th Bn. behind the 5th 6th Bn behind the 7th
Bns will be formed in 2 lines of platoons at 50 yards interval and 300 yards distance. Intervals between Bns to be 100 yards and distanced between Bns to be 600 yards.
The 5th and 8th Bns will direct.
(4) The 5th and 8th Bns will march with their right directed by the SARTON-DOULLENS road as far as FRESCHVILLERS whence they will move with their left directed on "Le Bon Air"
(5) The 5th R.War.R., conforming with the rest of the Brigade, will move in artillery formation across country from SARTON to the DOULLENS-LE BON AIR-BEAUVAL Road and from there along the LE BON AIR-GEZAINCOURT Road to GEZAINCOURT.
(6) The Battn. will fall in on the DOULLENS-SARTON Road, facing DOULLENS, with the head of the column opposite Hd.Qrs.Mess, ready to move off by 1pm
Order of Route : - B,C,D,A.
(7) On leaving road by Church, the Battn. will deploy in Artillery formation each coy in two lines of platoons at 50 yard interval and 300 yards distance.
Order from Right to left : - B,C,D,A. "B" will be Coy. of direction.
(8) Each Coy. will put out scouts who will march 200 yards ahead of their companies.
(9) Coys. are responsible for keeping communication from front to rear and left to right.
(10) The Lewis Gunners will march by road with the Brigaded Transport.
Each Coy will send their guns, with one team per Coy. to report to T.O.(?) at 1.30pm. The Lewis Gun Officer will be in charge.
(11) 2nd. Lieut S. F SNAPE, Coy Q.M.Sergeants and Sergt. FLETCHER, will act as billeting party, and will meet the Staff Captain at the cross roads, by Hd.Qrs.Mess, SARTON at 10.am. 11th inst.
The Signalling Sergreant will arrange bicycles for this party.
(12) All Billets, Officers' quarters, etc are to be left absolutely clean.
Issued at 8pm, 10th Sept 1916.
(signed) J H Crosskey
Capt. and Adjutant
1/5th Battn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
No 1 Copy War Diary No 5 Copy C Coy
No 2 Copy War Diary No 6 Copy D Coy
No 3 Copy A Coy No 7 Copy Signalling Officer
No 4 Copy B Coy No 8 Copy Transport
NOTICES
Officers kits and Mess Boxes will be dumped outside Coy.Hd.Qrs. by 12.30pm and in charge of 1 servant per coy., and will be collected by the Transport before 12.45pm.
The Commanding Officer will see Coy. Commanders and Lewis Gun Officer at 9.30pm, to-morrow, 11th inst.
| Operation Orders No 59
OPERATION ORDERS No 59
by Lieut Colonel C RETALLACK
17th September 1916
Ref : Map Sheet LENS II
I. The 143rd Inf: Bde will march to-morrow, 18th inst, to district round BERNAVILLE, the 5th Battn. moving to billets at HEUZECOURT and GRIMONT, by the route CANDAS-FIENVILLERS-BERNAVILLE.
II. The Battalion will fall in ready to move off at 8.30am, on the road to LE BON AIR, facing SOUTH-WEST, with the head of the column at the cross roads 400 yards N.E., of the A in STA, (BAGNEUX) in the order C-D-A-B
The transport will be drawn up on the BAGNEUX-BEAUVAL road, with its head on the cross road mentioned above, ready to move into the column after the Battalion.
III. New pattern Lewis Gun Hand-carts will be pulled by pack ponies behind their respective Coys. as usual; the old pattern ones will be brigaded in front of the Transport.
IV. The Coy Q.M.Sergeants and Signalling Sergt., under 2nd. Lieut. A.SHELDON will form the billeting party, and will meet the Staff Captain at the cross roads 400 yards N.E. of the A in STA, (BAGNEUX) at 7.am.
They will meet the Battalion, on arrival, at the cross roads, 400 yards South of the first E of HEUZECOURT at about 11.30a.m.
The Signalling Sergeant will arrange bicycles for this party.
V. O.C. "D" Coy will find 8 men and a N.C.O., under an Officer, as rear party. This party will fall in in rear of Brigade, and its duties are to collect all the Battalion stragglers.
VI. The Sanitary squad, police and prisoners, and 1 N.C.O. and 7 men from the Coy. on duty, will stay behind as a cleaning up party, when the Battalion moves out to-morrow and will follow as soon as their work is completed.
The Quartermaster will be in charge and will get a certificate from the Town Major that the billets are clean and in good order.
Issued at 6pm
17th Sept. 1916
(signed) J H Crosskey Capt. and Adjutant 1/5th Battn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
NOTICES
Caps will be worn, with steel helmet strapped on the back of the pack.
All mess-tins will be packed inside the valise, and no surplus luggage will be carried by troops.
Officers' valises and Mess Boxes will be stacked on the main road outside Coy.Hd.Qrs, by 7.45am
No one except the cleaning up party will be left off parade.
Para VI in no way releases O.C. Coys from the responsibility of seeing that they leave their billets and billeting area clean and in good order.
(List of copies follows)
| Operation Orders No 61
OPERATION ORDERS No 61
by Lieut Colonel C RETALLACK
Commdg 1/5th Battn Royal Warwickshire Regiment
29th September 1916
Ref: Map Sheet LENS II.
I. The 143rd Inf: Bde will march to-day to area MONDICOURT - GRENAS - HALLOY
II. The 5th Bn. will fall in ready to move off at 9.45am on the HEUZECOURT-LE MEILLARD Road, with the head of the column at the cross-road South of the first E of HEUZECOURT, facing S.W. in the order - D, A, B, C.
III. The 1st Line Transport and baggage wagons will accompany the Battn.
IV. Packs will be dumped by 8.30am, in the open space, South of the CHURCH, HEUZECOURT, by companies.
O.C. "D" Coy will detail and Officer, one N.C.O., and 6 men to remain as a loading party. The N.C.O. will meet 2/Lieut. YOUNG, attached 143rd Bde, at PROUVILLE CHURCH, at 1.45am, and will wait there to conduct the lorries to the position of the packs.
V. The billeting party, consisting of 2/Lieut.A.SHELDON, the Coy. Q.M.S. and S. SHELDON, will go forward on bicycles and will meet the Staff Captain at the cross-roads by third E in L'ESPERANCE, 3/4 mile N.E. of LE HALLOY at 12.20pm.
VI Dinners will be cooked on route. There will be a halt at around 1pm. for dinners.
VII The New pattern Lewis Gun Hand-carts will, as usual, be pulled by pack ponies in rear of their respective Coys.
VIII O.C. "C" Coy, will find one N.C.O. and 8 men, under an Officer as rear party. This party will fall in at first behind the Battn. Transport and, at the Brigade rendezvous (the road junction w. of M in MEZEROLLES), behind the Brigade, the duties of the party being to collect any Battn. stragglers.
IX The Sanitary Corpl, police and prisoners of one N.C.O. and 12 men from the Coy. on duty will stay behind as a cleaning up party when the Battn. moves out to-morrow, and will follow as soon as their work is completed.
The Quartermaster will be in charge and will see that all billets and the vicinity of all billets are clean.
Issued at 5am, 29th Sept. 1916
(signed) J H Crosskey Capt and Adjt. 1/5th Battn. Royal Warwickshire Reg
NOTICES
The men will march in Fighting Order, with Caps. The steel helmet will be left securely fastened to the packs.
Officers' Valises and Mess Boxes will be stacked in the village street, outside Coy. H.Q. by 8.30am
O.C. Transport will arrange to have these collected before 9.15am
Para IX in no way releases O.C. Coys from their responsibility of seeing that they leave their billets and billeting areas clean and in good order.
No.one except the cleaning party will be left off the parade.
(List of copies in pencil)
| Operation Orders No 62
OPERATION ORDERS No 62
by Lieut Colonel C RETALLACK
30th September 1916
Ref: Map Sheet LENS II.
I. The 143rd Inf Bde will move to the area BAYENCOURT-SAILLY-SOUASTRE-ST AMANA (note - presumably St. Amand today).
II. The 5th Battn. will fall in ready to march at 10.30am. on the main street HALLOY with the head of the column opposite the Church facing South in the order A.B.C.D. Transport.
The Transport will accompany the unity.
III The billeting party consists of the Coy. Q.M. Sgts, and Sgt. Sheldon under 2/Lt E A COCHRANE will report to the Town Major SOUASTRE at 12.30pm.
IV Dinners will be cooked on route and will be ready for the troops immediately on arrival.
V. OC. D. Coy will find 1 Officer, 1 N.C.O., and 8 men to act as rear party and pick up stragglers. This party will march behind the Transport.
VI The Sanitary Corporal, police and prisoners, and one N.C.O. and 12 men from the Coy. on duty will stay behind as a cleaning up party when the Battn. moves out and will follow as soon as their work is completed.
The Quartermaster will be in charge and will obtain a receipt from the Town Major that all billets are clean and in good order.
Issued at 8.15am 30th Sept 1916
(signed) J H Crosskey Capt and Adjt. 1/5th Battn. Royal Warwickshire Regt.
NOTICES
Dress Marching Order - Helmets are to be strapped on to packs.
Officers' Valises and Mess Boxes will be stacked in Main Street outside Coy Headqrs. by 9.15am. and will be collected by the Transport before 11am.
O.C. Coys. will see that all billets and billeting areas are clean and in good order before moving off.
No one except the cleaning up party will be left off parade.
(List of copies in pencil)
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