The 2/7th Battalion, the Manchester Regiment
This extract from the Battalion war diary covers the period 1st October to 15th December 1917. During this period, the battalion was involved in holding advanced positions in the Ypres Salient against determined enemy attack, and then moved to the rear to be reconstructed.
| Date | Events |
| 1st October 1917 | Battalion in training, in camp at Brandringhem. 9pm: operation order No 42 issued for move to Eecke area.
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| 3rd October 1917 | Orders suddenly changed. Bn bussed to Caestre and entrained at 9am 4 October for Brandhoek area. |
| 4th October 1917 |
Transport to go by road and to billets in Cassel area. Operation order No 42 cancelled. 9 officers and 164 other ranks proceed to Reinforcement Camp.
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| 5th October 1917 | 8am: Advance party proceeded to East of Ypres, in Zonnebeke – Staden Line. 9am: Bn proceeded to line on foot through Ypres, and bivouacked near Menin Gate. Extra ammunition issued and Bn proceeded to take over line from 39th and 40th Australian Bns. Right Firing Line A Company, Right Support C Company. Left Firing Line B Company, Right Support D Company. Bn HQ shell hole close to Beecham.
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| 6th October 1917 | 1pm: relief complete in spite of heavy enemy counter attack. Lines shelled by enemy throughout the day, increasing to intensely at night. Two Germans shot during the night by A Company, one killed and one wounded. Both brought in. |
| 7th October 1917 | 5pm: Bn HQ blown up by Boche barrage, which preceded counter attack. 5:30pm: Commanding Officer (Major John E. Rowbotham) at Brigade Conference. Adjutant out of action. Situation handled by Lieutenant F.M. Pott, Signal Officer, who pushed supports up and organised reinforcements from Support Bn, the 2/5th Manchester Regiment. Attack driven off with heavy loss. Great lack of rations and water . Bn HQ moved to Springfield. |
| September 1917 trench map, shows Beecham and Springfield: two captured German pillboxes. |  |
| 8th October 1917 | Rations and water got up to the Companies after great difficulty. Weather conditions very bad. |
| 9th October 1917 | 5:20am: 197th Infantry Brigade attacked on our front. Owing to weather conditions, 3/5th Lancashire Fusiliers were not in assembly trenches. CO 2/7th Manchester received orders to mop up Cemetery.
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| 10th October 1917 | 6:30am: OC A Company collected remnants and mopped up Cemetery. 19 prisoners taken. 6pm: Heavy German counter attack started. Many stragglers from 197th Brigade were collected and absorbed into our front line. Battalion relieved in front line by 2/5th Manchester Regiment, and takes up position West of Hill 40. Rations and water issued. 6pm: Bn proceeded to Menin Gate, to bivouac. 10 officers and 103 other ranks marched out. Total casualties whilst in line. 2/Lt Young killed, 2/Lt Rudd wounded. 42 OR killed, 110 wounded (1 since died of wounds), 37 missing. In addition, approximately 100 OR and 5 officers evacuated sick, etc |
| The indescribable conditions of the Passchendaele battlefield. |  |
| 11th October 1917 | 6am: Bn proceeded by lorry to Brandhoek |
| 13th October 1917 | 9am: Bn entrained at Brandhoek and detrained at Arques, to billets on the outskirts of town. |
| 14th October 1917 | Bn in training. Reinforcements expected. 3 OR reinforcements received. |
| 19th October 1917 | 103 OR reinforcements received. |
| 21st October 1917 | 70 OR reinforcements received. |
| 22nd October 1917 | 2/Lt R.N. Bearley reported for duty. |
| 23rd October 1917 | 12 OR reinforcements received. |
| 28th October 1917 | 1 OR reinforcements received. Inspection order issued, for inspection by Commander in Chief. |
| 29th October 1917 | 2/Lt W. Haslam reported for duty. |
| 30th October 1917 | Lt M. Cooper and 2/Lt F. Hale reported for duty. 11am: presentation of awards to the following officers, NCOs and men, by GOC 66th Division. Extract from II Corps Routine Orders dated 20 October 1917: “The Corps commander, under authority delegated to him, has awarded the Military Medal to the undermentioned NCOs and men”: 277359
L/Corporal C. Whittaker Also from DRO dated 27 October 1917 “Under authority delegated by HM the King, the Field Marshal Commanding in Chief has made the following awards”: Awarded
the Distinguished Conduct Medal: Corrected casualties for Ypres operations: killed and died of wounds: other ranks 46, officers 1. Wounded other ranks 116, officers 3. Missing other ranks 4. Evacuated sick other ranks 107, officers 4. 6pm: Warning Order received that Bn will move to Wallon-Cappel tomorrow. |
| 1st November 1917 | Order No 43 issued. Bn to move to Wallon-Cappel area at 2.30pm today. Bn arrived. Companies very scattered. Brigade at Staple. Brigade training to commence. Bn HQ at Chateau. |
| 7th November 1917 | 6pm: Orders Nos 44 and 45 issued for move to Reninghelst area on 9th. Transport to go by road on 8th. |
| 9th November 1917 | 3:45pm: Bn entrained at Ebblinghem, detrained at Ouderdom, and marched to camp (tents) arrived 7:30pm, at Westoutre. Orders received 12 midnight for move to Ypres area. Bn to move off at 8:30am. |
| 10th November 1917 | Bn in reserve. Division in line. 4 Companies attached to working parties. Bn HQ, transport, Quartermaster behind Ypres. |
| 20th November 1917 | 11am: Order No 46 issued. Bn to move to Ypres Barracks in support. 1 Company detached on working party. |
| 24th November 1917 | 8:15am: Order No 47 issued. Bn to move to Berthen. Bn moved to billets there. |
| 26th November 1917 | 8pm: Order No 48 issued. Bn to move to Caestre area tomorrow at 11am. |
| 27th November 1917 | Bn arrived. Companies very scattered. Bde at Caestre. Bn HQ at Le Peuplier. Training. |
| 30th November 1917 | 2/Lt R.P. Brookes reported for duty. Casualties for month 10 OR wounded. Also 4 officers transferred. |
| 1st December 1917 | Training in new area. Kitchens, rifle range, BF course, Bombing grounds, latrines, horse standings, all to be erected by the Bn. Difficulty over training grounds eventually overcome but work retarded. Health of men good except for considerable number PUO [Pyrexia of Unknown Origin: "trench fever"]. |
This is an extract from the Battalion war diary which is held at the Public Record Office, in document WO95/3145.