WORLD WAR ONE NORTHAMPTON INDEPENDENT SOLDIER NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
SERGEANT R. PACKER Jun 1916
Excerpt from the War Diary
Sergeant Packer became a Warrant Officer in 12RF and was eventually commissioned in the Royal Fusiliers on the 20th Aug 1917
a year after his cricket match when the Battallion was resting between stints on the front line.
Information supplied by Barry Fleming.
Extract from the War Diary of the 12th Battalion Royal Fusiliers:
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BULFORD CAMP XE "CAMPS & DUGOUTS:BULFORD CAMP" |
Mon |
29 May |
1916 |
Very warm day. Nos 1 and 2 Coys inspected by C.O. Cricket match in afternoon. Signallers v Machine Gunners. Signallers won by 19 runs. Medal ribbons, presented in the morning by 2nd Army Commander to 17 XE "UNITS:17th Brigade" th and 73 XE "UNITS:73rd BRIGADE" rd Inf Bdes. Working parties found totalling 190 NCOs and men. Colonel H.W. COMPTON XE "PEOPLE:COMPTON" and Capt E.L. NEYNOE XE "PEOPLE:NEYNOE" proceeded to England on leave. Major A.B. DICK-CLELAND XE "PEOPLE:DICK-CLELAND" took over command of the Battalion during absence of Col H.W. COMPTON XE "PEOPLE:COMPTON" . |
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ULFORD CAMP XE "CAMPS & DUGOUTS:BULFORD CAMP" |
Tue |
30 May |
1916 |
Wet morning. Turned out very fine in the afternoon. Inter-Company cricket match No.4 Coy v No.2 Coy. No.4 Coy won by 10 runs. Working parties 195 NCOs and men. Wounded 1 OR. |
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BULFORD CAMP XE "CAMPS & DUGOUTS:BULFORD CAMP" |
Wed |
31 May |
1916 |
Very hot day. Inter-Company cricket match No.3 Coys v No.1 Coy. No.1 Coy won by 1 run. Baths allowed for 275 NCOs and men. Found working parties totalling 190 OR. Nos 3 and 4 Coys inspected by C.O. Extract from London Gazette d/ 27.5.16. The undermentioned to be Temp Lieuts. 2/Lt C.L TUERSLEY XE "PEOPLE:TUERSLEY" Oct 5, 1915 and 2/Lt A.B. GIRDLER XE "PEOPLE:GIRDLER" Oct 14, 1915 |
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BULFORD CAMP XE "CAMPS & DUGOUTS:BULFORD CAMP" |
Thurs |
1 June |
1916 |
Another very warm day. Final Inter-Coy cricket match played No 4 beating No1 by 20 runs after a very exciting game. |
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BULFORD CAMP XE "CAMPS & DUGOUTS:BULFORD CAMP" |
Fri |
2 June |
1916 |
Rather cool, with slight showers. Relieved 1st RF XE "UNITS:1st RF" . in TRENCHES 132- 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & HILL 63 XE "LOCATIONS:HILL 63" . A quiet relief. Casualties 1 OR wounded. |
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TRENCHES 132 - 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & HILL 63 XE "LOCATIONS:HILL 63" |
Sat |
3 June |
1916 |
Very warm day. Enemy machine guns very active in early hours of the evening. Our guns bombarded LA PETITE DOUVE XE "LOCATIONS:PETITE DOUVE" - ASH ROAD BARRIER XE "LOCATIONS:LA PETITE DOUVE - ASH ROAD BARRIER" at midnight to cover a proposed raid by 72nd BRIGADE XE "UNITS:72nd BRIGADE" on our left. |
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TRENCHES 132 - 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & HILL 63 XE "LOCATIONS:HILL 63" |
Sun |
4 June |
1916 |
Dull. In the early hours the enemy retaliated on trench 132 - 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & WINTER TRENCH XE "TRENCHES:WINTER TRENCH" for our bombardment of PETITE DOUVE XE "LOCATIONS:PETITE DOUVE" . 2nd. Lt E. MEALOR XE "PEOPLE:MEALOR" wounded. 6 OR killed, 15 OR wounded 1 OR shell shock. |
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TRENCHES 132 - 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & HILL 63 XE "LOCATIONS:HILL 63" |
Mon |
5 June |
1916 |
Showery morning with some sunshine. Our left company very active with rifle grenades. The enemy retaliated with Trench Mortars. Casualties 1 OR killed 8 OR wounded. |
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TRENCHES 132 - 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & HILL 63 XE "LOCATIONS:HILL 63" |
Tue |
6 June |
1916 |
Showery and dull. Enemy again very troublesome with his Trench Mortars, especially over Trench 135 XE "TRENCHES:134 -135" . 2nd. Lt McNAUGHT XE "PEOPLE:McNAUGHT" proceeded on Techmine Course. Casualties 1 OR killed 9 OR wounded. |
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TRENCHES 132 - 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & HILL 63 XE "LOCATIONS:HILL 63" |
Wed |
7 June |
1916 |
A dull day with occasional glimpses of sun. Casualties 1 OR wounded. |
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TRENCHES 132 - 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & HILL 63 XE "LOCATIONS:HILL 63" |
Thurs |
8 June |
1916 |
Weather still dull. CO returned from leave. |
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TRENCHES 132 - 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & HILL 63 XE "LOCATIONS:HILL 63" |
Fri |
9 June |
1916 |
Dull. Occasional periods of sunshine. Casualties 1 OR wounded. Lt. W.A. RICE XE "PEOPLE:RICE" proceeded on leave. |
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TRENCHES 132 - 135 XE "TRENCHES:132 - 135" & HILL 63 XE "LOCATIONS:HILL 63" |
Sat |
10 June |
1916 |
Weather unchanged. Relieved by 1st RF XE "UNITS:1st RF" . Battalion quartered in GRANDE MUNQUE FARM XE "LOCATIONS:GRANDE MUNQUE FARM" & adjacent huts. Casualties 3 OR wounded. |
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GRANDE MUNQUE FARM XE "LOCATIONS:GRANDE MUNQUE FARM" |
Sun |
11 June |
1916 |
Sunday. Cold and dull. 2/Lt H.W. TIFFANY XE "PEOPLE:TIFFANY" joined battalion. 2/Lt R.C. CUTTER XE "PEOPLE:CUTTER" apptd Act Adjt from 1.6.16 during absence of Lt G.M. GORDON XE "PEOPLE:GORDON" sick & on leave. Major A.B. DICK-CLELAND XE "PEOPLE:DICK-CLELAND" & CAPT TANNER XE "PEOPLE:TANNER" proceeded on leave. |
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GRANDE MUNQUE FARM XE "LOCATIONS:GRANDE MUNQUE FARM" |
Mon |
12 June |
1916 |
Cold & dull. Draft of 50 OR arrived. |
|
GRANDE MUNQUE FARM XE "LOCATIONS:GRANDE MUNQUE FARM" |
Tue |
13 June |
1916 |
Wet morning, slightly warmer. Memorial service owing to death of LORD KITCHENER XE "PEOPLE:KITCHENER" at 11a.m. Casualties 1 OR wounded. |
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GRANDE MUNQUE FARM XE "LOCATIONS:GRANDE MUNQUE FARM" |
Wed |
14 June |
1916 |
Dull & cold & wet. Time advanced at 11p.m. by 60 minutes. |
Bulford Camp was a camp on the Belgian/French border between Bailleul and Ploegstreet.
The front line trenches named 132 to 135 were located around Hill 63 near Ploegsteert Wood, Belgium.
Thanks to Barry Fleming. If you have any information on the 12th Royal Fusiliers then please contact him at barry@12RF.org
