War Diary of the 18th Battalion: December 1916

CONFIDENTIAL WAR DIARY

WAR DIARY
OF
18th Canadian Battalion – 2nd Canadian Division
from 1st December to 31st December, 1916

Volume 16

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
CALONNE II	1		18^th Canadian Battalion in front line at CALLONE II sector. On the night of December 1/2 a minor operation was directed against enemy working party. 1 o.r. admitted to hospital.
	2		Position as yesterday, nothing unusual. 1 o.r. returned from Base hospital.
	3		18^th Battalion relieved by the 20^th Canadian Battalion. 18^th Battalion moved into Brigade Support at CALONNE. Complete of relay in support notified by the code word “SMITH”.
	4		Battalion in Brigade Support. Position quiet. LIEUT. H.R. GERRAD admitted to hospital sick. MAJOR G.F. MORRISON authorized to wear badges of rank of Lieut. Colonel.
	5		Position as yesterday. 1 o.r. returned from hospital.
	6		Position as yesterday. LIEUT. HODGINS returned from leave. 2 o.r.s returned from hospital.
	7		Position as yesterday. Nothing unusual. LIEUTs. DONALDSON, G.E. LUCAS, J. McHARDY, and A.A. McLEAN arrived as reinforcements.
	8		Position Brigade Support Calonne. LIEUT. J. McAMMOND admitted to hospital.
	9		Church Service in Chapel Calonne. MAJOR L.E. JONES returned from leave.
MAROC	10		18^th Canadian Battalion relieved 20^th Canadian Battalion in the MAROC Sector. Completion of relief notified by code word “LAW”. 20 o.r. returned from Base hospital.
MAROC	11		Position as yesterday. CAPT. W.J. BAXTER and LIEUT. W.S. McCLINTON received move orders to Canada. Enemy quiet. Our T.Ms. [trench mortars] shelled enemy wire with effect.
MAROC	12		Position quiet. Patrol reports enemy frontage all quiet. 20 o.r. admitted to hosp.
“	13		Position as yesterday. Enemy aircraft active. Pte. De Manbey claims 1 Hun. Our artillery did heavy damage among enemy wire entanglements.
“	14		Position same. Our artillery very active, doing extensive damage to enemy trenches. Shocks of an explosion felt in MAROC. 1 o.r. admitted to hospital.
MAROC	15		Position unchanged. CPL. HUNT [soldier not determined at this time] shot one Hun who was observing with Field glasses. Out M.G.s [dispersed] two wiring parties. Enemy aircraft active.
	16		18^th Canadian Bn. relieved by 20^th Battalion in CALONNE II sector. (MAROC) 18^th Bn. moved into Brigade reserve at BULLY. LIEUT. E.R.V. LLOYD and H.D. DUNNETT proceeded on leave.
BULLY	17		Battalion in Brigade Reserve. Bath and clothing parades. Routine. LIEUT. BATES previously reported “missing” 15-9-16 now reported “Killed in Action”. CAPT. C.C. GWYN arrived as reinforcement.
BULLY	18		Position as yesterday. Company instructional parades. 2 o.r. admitted to hospital. LIEUT. H.R. GERRARD returned from hospital.
BULLY	19		Position as yesterday. LIEUT. G.S. BROOKS arrived as reinforcement. LIEUT. J.J. RICHARDSON D.S.O. returned from leave.
BULLY	20		Position same. Routine. Battalion pay parade.
	21		Position same. LIEUT. G.V. IRWIN and L.W. GAY arrived as reinforcement. MAJOR J.A. McINTOSH to be Adjutant vice CAPT. W.J. BAXTER to Canada
	22		18^th Canadian relieved the 20^th Canadian Bn. in the CALONNE II sector. Right front A Coy. Right support B coy, Left front C coy, left support D coy. MAJOR G.F. MORRISON from 19^th Battalion to be LtCol and command 18^th Battalion. Position quiet.
CALONNE II	23		Position as shown yesterday. Enemy busy repairing his trenches. Patrol under Sgt. Dougall covered frontage and reported all quiet.
	24		Position as yesterday. 2 o.r. reported wounded. Patrols covered Battalion frontage and reported all quiet.
	25		Position same. LIEUT. P.G. MIGHT admitted to hospital. Enemy seems to have much water in his trenches. Patrol reports all quiet.
	26	9 pm	A minor operation was carried out and Operation order attached. Report: A raiding party under LIEUT. EASTWOOD entered enemy line and worked down the trench. No enemy were encountered at all. A rifle was found in one unoccupied bay. Several dug-outs where bombed but no Bosches were seen. Our casualties were nil. LIEUT. H.H GARNER [not found as of date of post] arrived as reinforcement.
CALONNE II	27		Position as shown. Our artillery shelled enemy wire doing considerable damage. Enemy very nervous, using M.G.s [machine guns] frequently. 1 o.r. admitted to hospital.
	28		18^th Battalion relieved by 20^th Battalion in CALONNE II sector. 18^th Battalion moved to Brigade support in CALONNE. 1 o.r. admitted to hospital sick.
CALONNE	29		Battalion in Brigade Support. Lt. Col. J.J. JOHNTSON and MAJOR R.P. WATT attached for instruction. 5 o.r. admitted to hospital.
	30		Battalion in Brigade Support. 1 o.r. wounded and 3 o.r.s sick admitted to hospital.
	31		Position as yesterday, nothing unusual. 6 o.r. sick admitted to hospital. 1 o.r. reported “Died of wounds”.