On this day 17th July
1803 - 43rd made Light Infantry.
1857 – 52nd – Marched to Goodasepoor en route to Delhi.
1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI –CAMBLAIN CHETELAIN.
Nothing to record.
1916 – 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion – SENLIS
Battalion in Billets.
At 7pm the Bn marched through ALBERT & bivouaced temporarily in W.30.A South of the ALBERT – BAPAUME road.
A reconnaisance in force of 6 points in the enemy front line was carried out.
Battn HQ were established at X.9.D.56.72.
A & D Companies under the command of CAPT E V BIRCHALL carried out the operations & assembled in the sickle shaped trench running through X.9.B – X.3 D&C.
B&C Companies supplied carrying parties
1916 (17/18 July) - 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion engaged OVILLERS POZIERES (Somme) On the night of the 17th/18th July the Battalion was ordered to carry out a reconnaissance of certain points in the enemy’s line between Ovillers and Pozieres.
The enemy’s positions were not known, and the object in view was to ascertain whether four points in the area were being held or not. If these were not strongly occupied, they were to be seized and made into strong points, but heavy fighting was not to be undertaken.
The tasks were allotted to “A” and” D “Companies, each Company detailing one platoon for each of the points in its sector. Each platoon advanced in two lines of sections in file with a point patrol immediately in front, led by the officer in charge, with ten yards interval and distance between sections. All points were found to be strongly held, but a platoon of “A” Company under Second Lieutenant B. C. Rigden succeeded in rushing the most easterly point, and occupying it, until ordered to withdraw after daybreak. The withdrawal was accomplished with only slight casualties, notwithstanding that 400 yards of open ground had to be crossed.
Second Lieutenant C. Hall died of wounds received in this reconnaissance, and Second Lieutenant R. C. Norwood was missing.
Amongst other ranks 2 were killed, 29 wounded, and 27 reported missing.
Efforts on the part of search parties, who were sent up to find the missing, were fruitless, on account of the extreme darkness of the night.
It was daylight when the move back started, as the evacuation of the wounded had taken some time. Orders were to move back to billets at Bouzincourt.
1916 - 1/4th Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – Bivouacs between COUIN & ST LEGER.
A Coy rejoined Battn about 9 AM.
1PM - Battalion loaded into 36 lorries (Transport moved independently).
2PM - Moved via AUTHIE – BUS – BERTRANCOURT – FORCEVILLE – HEDAUVILLE to BOUZINCOURT, which we reached about 4.45 PM. Very bad traffic block in the road. Battalion in huts in orchards on West side of village. Transport at SENLIS.It appears that 143 & 144 Bde's, are holding OVILLERS and the line to W of POZIERES.
1944 - 1st Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – NORMANDY.
The greater part of the day was spent in cleaning up and reorganising after the previous days action. The total casualties of the Regiment were three Officers and forty seven Other Ranks KILLED. Six Officers and Ninety Other Ranks WOUNDED.Nil Officers and twenty six Other Ranks MISSING.
Enemy casualties were estimated at 120 KILLED and WOUNDED apart from casualties inflicted in back areas by Artillery and Mortar Support fire; 45 dead were actually counted on the ground.
Thirteen German MGs were captured or destroyed and approx 138 PW passed through the DIV Cage.
During the evening the Regiment moved back through COLLEVILLE 9264 to a rest area near MOUEN 934653.
1944 - 2nd (Airborne) Bn, Oxf & Bucks LI – CHATEAU ST COME.
Our patrols last night confirmed that the enemy FDLs already pinpointed were still occupied. No enemy patrols approached our ambush parties - and he seems generally to be very nervous about sending any of his own patrols fwd. During the night enemy horse drawn tpt could be heard going round his FDLs probably distributing rations. During the day 'A' Coy were mortared but the enemy mortar posns were spotted and the Lt Arty put down a conc on each of the posns silencing them most effectively. Cries of pain were heard coming from one of the posns. 'D' Coy got three hits with their snipers to-day.
1944 – 7th Bn Oxf & Bucks LI arrived in Taranto (back in Italy)
1803 - 43rd made Light Infantry.
1857 – 52nd – Marched to Goodasepoor en route to Delhi.
1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI –CAMBLAIN CHETELAIN.
Nothing to record.
1916 – 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion – SENLIS
Battalion in Billets.
At 7pm the Bn marched through ALBERT & bivouaced temporarily in W.30.A South of the ALBERT – BAPAUME road.
A reconnaisance in force of 6 points in the enemy front line was carried out.
Battn HQ were established at X.9.D.56.72.
A & D Companies under the command of CAPT E V BIRCHALL carried out the operations & assembled in the sickle shaped trench running through X.9.B – X.3 D&C.
B&C Companies supplied carrying parties
1916 (17/18 July) - 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion engaged OVILLERS POZIERES (Somme) On the night of the 17th/18th July the Battalion was ordered to carry out a reconnaissance of certain points in the enemy’s line between Ovillers and Pozieres.
The enemy’s positions were not known, and the object in view was to ascertain whether four points in the area were being held or not. If these were not strongly occupied, they were to be seized and made into strong points, but heavy fighting was not to be undertaken.
The tasks were allotted to “A” and” D “Companies, each Company detailing one platoon for each of the points in its sector. Each platoon advanced in two lines of sections in file with a point patrol immediately in front, led by the officer in charge, with ten yards interval and distance between sections. All points were found to be strongly held, but a platoon of “A” Company under Second Lieutenant B. C. Rigden succeeded in rushing the most easterly point, and occupying it, until ordered to withdraw after daybreak. The withdrawal was accomplished with only slight casualties, notwithstanding that 400 yards of open ground had to be crossed.
Second Lieutenant C. Hall died of wounds received in this reconnaissance, and Second Lieutenant R. C. Norwood was missing.
Amongst other ranks 2 were killed, 29 wounded, and 27 reported missing.
Efforts on the part of search parties, who were sent up to find the missing, were fruitless, on account of the extreme darkness of the night.
It was daylight when the move back started, as the evacuation of the wounded had taken some time. Orders were to move back to billets at Bouzincourt.
1916 - 1/4th Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – Bivouacs between COUIN & ST LEGER.
A Coy rejoined Battn about 9 AM.
1PM - Battalion loaded into 36 lorries (Transport moved independently).
2PM - Moved via AUTHIE – BUS – BERTRANCOURT – FORCEVILLE – HEDAUVILLE to BOUZINCOURT, which we reached about 4.45 PM. Very bad traffic block in the road. Battalion in huts in orchards on West side of village. Transport at SENLIS.It appears that 143 & 144 Bde's, are holding OVILLERS and the line to W of POZIERES.
1944 - 1st Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – NORMANDY.
The greater part of the day was spent in cleaning up and reorganising after the previous days action. The total casualties of the Regiment were three Officers and forty seven Other Ranks KILLED. Six Officers and Ninety Other Ranks WOUNDED.Nil Officers and twenty six Other Ranks MISSING.
Enemy casualties were estimated at 120 KILLED and WOUNDED apart from casualties inflicted in back areas by Artillery and Mortar Support fire; 45 dead were actually counted on the ground.
Thirteen German MGs were captured or destroyed and approx 138 PW passed through the DIV Cage.
During the evening the Regiment moved back through COLLEVILLE 9264 to a rest area near MOUEN 934653.
1944 - 2nd (Airborne) Bn, Oxf & Bucks LI – CHATEAU ST COME.
Our patrols last night confirmed that the enemy FDLs already pinpointed were still occupied. No enemy patrols approached our ambush parties - and he seems generally to be very nervous about sending any of his own patrols fwd. During the night enemy horse drawn tpt could be heard going round his FDLs probably distributing rations. During the day 'A' Coy were mortared but the enemy mortar posns were spotted and the Lt Arty put down a conc on each of the posns silencing them most effectively. Cries of pain were heard coming from one of the posns. 'D' Coy got three hits with their snipers to-day.
1944 – 7th Bn Oxf & Bucks LI arrived in Taranto (back in Italy)
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