War Diaries > 9th (Service) Battalion, Black Watch
August 1916
1 August 1916: Naours
Battalion in billets in Naours together with Headquarters and four regiments
of 44th Infantry Brigade
2 August 1916: Naours
A draft of 40 OR arrived from 18 Infantry Base Depot. CO and Captain Binnie inspected the line between Pozieres and Bazentin le Petit
4 August 1916: Naours
Battalion left Naours at 4am and marched southwards with 44th IB to Mirvaux, going into billets there
5 August 1916: Mirvaux
Battalion left Mirvaux at 7am and marched southwards with 44 IB to La Houssoye, going into billets there
6 August 1916: La Houssoye
Battalion marched to Baisieux and met the 1st Battalion who were bivouacked there
8 August 1916: Baisieux
6.30am. Battalion marched to Albert with 44th IB and relieved 12th DLI, 68th IB, in Divisional Reserve on the Bazentin le Petit - Pozieres sector. Only 20 officers went into the line, the remainder - 14 in number - proceeding under Major Carmichael to a reinforcement camp. Total 20 officers, 589 OR
12 August 1916: Albert (X.26.a central)
8pm. Battalion moved forward into Brigade Support [at Becourt] to 45th IB who were conducting an attack during the night 12/13 August on Switch Trench in conjunction with 46th Brigade and ANZAC Division on our left. The attack was successful on our left but held up on right
13 August 1916: Becourt
Battalion in trenches in Divisional Reserve Brigade
14 August 1916: Becourt
7am. Battalion moved into dugouts in Contalmaison in relief of 11th Argylls, one platoon garrisoning strong point at Contalmaison Villa with Lewis gun. 2 companies (less 1 platoon) in Gourlay Trench
16 August 1916: dugouts in Contalmaison
5am. Battalion relieved 8/10th Gordon Highlanders in the front line. On our right the 10/11th HLI, on our left 4th ANZAC Division. 2/Lieut C.K. Young and H.B. Johnstone joined the battalion, commissioned in the field. A draft of 38 OR joined 1st Line Transport in Albert. The fighting was of a curious nature, largely above the ground instead of the usual trench warfare. Towards midday the [German] shelling became intense, especially on support and communication lines, but the casualties suffered were slight. Towards evening shelling increased and reserve line was bombarded heavily till 12.30am
17 August 1916: [front line near Contalmaison]
2.30am. After a lull of two hours reserve line was again bombarded. An uneventful night save for the heavy shelling. 8.55am. An attack on Switch Line and Elbow was undertaken by 7th Camerons from our support line. It succeeded and about 200 yards of trench passed into our possession. All the 7th Camerons officers being casualties, Captain Binnie [of 9th Black Watch] took command and drew A Company into the fighting. 12 noon. The position was in process of being consolidated when a counterattack by bombing down the Elbow was made by the enemy. They succeeded in reoccupying it and about 50 yards as well. A block was constructed and the enemy were held with the help of a Stokes [mortar] gun and 4 rifle grenades. 1pm. OC 7th Camerons arrived and took charge of operations, Captain Binnie being left to continue the consolidation of the captured trench and prepare a counter attack to retake the Elbow. 2pm. Owing to heavy shelling Munster Alley had to be cleared of troops in the centre. 4pm. Counter attack against Elbow launched by three Companies of the Camerons, 2 platoons Seaforths on right and 2 Companies Black Watch on left. It was completely successful. 5pm. Heavy bombardment commenced and continued to 9pm when all work had to be suspended on account of the intensity of the fire. This bombardment continued most of the night. The reserve line was bombarded all night with 5.9 inch and 4.2 inch and 78mm, a constant barrage being maintained until 5am.
18 August 1916: [front line near Contalmaison]
12.30am. Relief by 8th Seaforths commenced and was completed by 7am. The prisoners taken by the 9th Black Watch were 1 officer of the 179th Regiment, 1 Corporal and 6 OR of the same regiment, of whom the officer and Corporal died of wounds. One German machine gun was captured by B Company but it was buried in the shelling and not recovered. There were two Lewis guns of the battalion knocked out by direct hits. The losses were 1 officer (2/Lt R.B.A. Macdonald) killed, 6 officers (Captain F.A. Bearn RAMC, Lieut D. C. Eglington, 2/Lt J. F.N. Macrae, A.F. Watson, R.J. MacMurray, J.S. Strang) wounded, 25 men killed, 113 wounded and 12 missing - a total of 157.
19 August 1916:
7am. Battalion relieved by the 8/10th Gordon Highlanders, who took over "B Battalion" duties, and becoming "D Battalion", Left Brigade, and marched to Scots Redoubt
20 August 1916: Scots Redoubt
7am. Battalion relieved by 8th Seaforths who took over duties of "D Battalion" and relieved 7th Camerons as "C Battalion" in Peake Wood. 11pm. For 4 hours enemy shelled Contalmaison with gas shells, only portions of two companies were affected and only slightly
21 August 1916: Peake Wood
Battalion in Brigade Reserve as "C Battalion", left Brigade XV Division. During the night the enemy fired gas shells for two hours into Contalmaison. Our two companies there were wearing gas helmets for 4 hours. Casualties 3 men slightly gassed
22 August 1916: Peake Wood
8am. Battalion moved to Contalmaison as "B Battalion" in Brigade Reserve. A draft of 157, mostly 2/6th Black Watch, arrived. A further draft of 105 reached 1st Line Transport, mostly from 2/4th and 2/6th Black Watch.
This extract from the diary is drawn from the original which is held at the National Archives in Kew and is Crown Copyright. WO95/1937. It is reproduced here in memory of Private S/12355 Thomas Bowland who was killed in action on 17 August 1916. He has no known grave.