War Diary Extract - 3rd South Midland Brigade RFA

1.3.16 Sailly au Bois	Batteries fired on several working parties and trenches. Enemy artillery quiet, fired a few shells into trenches K10. 3pm General WARD conferred with Brigade commanders at this HQ, re opening out Battery lines to cover the extension of the Divisional Front.
2.3.16	Batteries fired in enemy parties baling trenches. Enemy How. and Field Batteries in and about BIEZ WOOD L1 very active, shelled K2-K20-K21-K22 and trenches K10a 12.30pm-5pm. Also field battery ROSSIGNOL WOOD fired in trenches K3d. 2/Lt MORRISON H.P. posted to 2nd Battery from AC.
3.3.16	Enemy artillery fairly quiet, a few shells fired in trenches at intervals during the afternoon, about K10a and K10d. Our batteries fired in enemy trenches and working parties. 6pm: Left Section of 3rd Battery moved into "Y" Position K20d50.15 vacated by 1st SM Brigade and were at the disposal of the latter in case a barrage fire should be required. The 2nd Battery extended their lines to be able to assist the right section of 3rd Battery.
4.3.16	No artillery activity - considerable snow fall in early morning. 6pm The right section 3rd Battery took up new position "Y" and all three batteries took up their new lines of fire: 1st K3d7.6 to K10b9.9; 2nd K10b9.9 to K11d10.14; 3rd K11d10.14 to K17d1.0. The 8th West Riding Battery now attached to this Brigade. Major J.H.W. JEUDWINE the Battery commander (also Capt F.W.DUST, Lt A.H.HAYNES) reported to Brigade HQ at 11.30am, and was instructed to take up position "D" K20c2.1, the wagon lines to be in ST LEGER. Position taken up during the night.
5.3.16	Considerable artillery activity on both sides. Our batteries fired on several working parties throughout the day and dispersed them. Enemy, apparently with balloon observation, shelled empty gun positions in K20c; about 150 shells (4.2 or 5.9 How.) were fired. 8th West Riding Battery registered on their zone.
6.3.16	Artillery quiet on both sides during the morning. In the afternoon, enemy observation balloons wee observed. A few shells were fired on trenches in HEBUTERNE. Batteries registered on trenches K17b, K17d and K6c9.2. Two working parties were dispersed by our fire.
7.3.16	Enemy working parties observed during morning apparently strengthening trenches and making emplacements. 1st Warwick Battery fired 8 rounds on parties. Our batteries registered trenches K18b-K17b. Enemy Field and Howitzer batteries fired about 60 shells into trenches K10c.
8.3.16	Considerable enemy artillery activity throughout the day, chiefly on areas K9d,K10d,K20c and d and K21c. Quite new wire observed at K17b0.5. 1st Warwick Battery fired several rounds through the day on wiring parties at K5b0.3 and K6c3.5. 1.45pm: Train seen travelling between BUCQUOY and PUISIEUX. 10.50am: Four German aeroplanes over SAILLY. One bomb was dropped causing several casualties to civilians. 2/Lt WICKS sent to hospital.
9.3.16	Artillery activity slight on both sides throughout the day. 1st Warwick Battery fired on several men observed at K6c8.3 and K5a8.9. 12.45pm and 3pm: 3rd Warwick Battery fired several rounds on trenches at K17b and K17d. 10am: General WARD conferred with Brigade commanders at this HQ re construction of new gun pits. 6pm: Lt-Col COSSART conferred with Battery commanders re same.
10.3.16	Enemy artillery active throughout the day, chiefly on areas K10d, K3b and d and K9b, mostly field gun fire. 3rd Warwick Battery fired on ROSSIGNOL WOOD and trench to K12b1.8. 2nd Warwick Battery dispersed several working parties which kept appearing at K6c5.5 and K6c3.3. All batteries except 8th WR received "Test SOS" round about 11pm.
11.3.16	Both sides fairly quiet throughout the day. One or two working parties were spotted and fired on.
12.3.16	10.5am to 11am: German aeroplane appeared over 3rd Warwick Battery position and proceeded to range two 5.9 Howitzer batteries onto the position. Firing was so accurate that the position had to be temporarily abandoned. One 5.9 shell pierced dug-out containing 4 men, killing 3 and severely wounding one. The shelling lasted over an hour, with intervals. About 200 shells were fired in all. None of the gun-pits were hit. No further event of importance happened during the day. The GOC 144th Infantry Brigade sent a note to Col COSSART, hoping that no damage had been done to "his best Gunner friends", meaning the Brigade. Killed: 889 Cpl-Wheeler D DONALD (this man had been on the Battery for some years, and was one of the most intelligent and hard-working men in the Brigade); 1480 Gnr G BARR; 1529 Gnr H DICKS. 1426 Driver E TOWNSEND was severely wounded. He was sent off in a motor ambulance and died at BUS a few hours later.
13.3.16	Two German aeroplanes kept appearing over SAILLY, COLINCAMPS and BAYENCOURT. Some bombs were dropped on BAYENCOURT, killing a horse and breaking the leg of a Sapper. HEBUTERNE was shelled intermittently during the afternoon, by field guns. No damage was done. Our batteries fired on the hostile trenches and works. The funeral of the men killed in the 3rd Warwick Battery took place at HEBUTERNE. Col COSSART and Major ROUSE attended the funeral. Capt MACMILTIE took the service.
14.3.16	Weather hot and observation very clear. Balloons were up on both sides. This stopped nearly all fire during the morning and early part of the afternoon. Towards evening the Germans shelled the cross-roads at HEBUTERNE (K15a9.8) and the HEBUTERNE-SAILLY road heavily with field guns and 4.2 howitzers. All traffic temporarily suspended. 2nd Warwick Battery and the 4.5 Hows. replied on GOMMECOURT village. 8.15pm: Organised bombardment by the 2nd and 4th SM Brigades on GOMMECOURT village. Fire evidently very effective.

Note	All four casualties of 12th March 1916 are buried in Hebuterne Military Cemetery, in adjacent graves. Douglas Donald was 24, and came from Balsall Heath, Birmingham. Ernest Townsend was from King's Norton; Henry Dicks from Tyseley; George Barr from Birmingham.
Note	3rd South Midland Brigade, RFA, was part of the Divisional Artillery of the South Midland Division, TF. These units were later redesignated as 242nd Brigade RFA and 48th Division respectively.
This is an extract from the Battalion war diary which is held at the Public Record Office, in document WO95/2750.
This history is in memory of 2245 Gunner Frank Wilson, who joined D Battery at this time.

March 1916