War Diary of the 18th Battalion: March 1917

CONFIDENTIAL
WAR DIARY
OF

18th Canadian Battalion – 2nd Canadian Division

From 1st March to 31st March 1917

Volume 19
7

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Brigade Support	1		18^th Battalion in Brigade Support THELUS SECTOR. Working parties out repairing and draining support and communication trenches.
	2		Position same. LIEUT. Col. G.F. MORRISON proceeded on leave. CAPT. K.H. McCRIMMON assumed command of Battalion. LIEUT. P.G. MIGHT admitted to hospital sick. 1 o.r. arrives as reinforcement. CAPT. K.H. McCRIMMON authorized to wear badges of rank of MAJOR, on being recommended for promotion.
Front Line	3		18^th Battalion relieved 20^th Canadian Bn. in front line. Completion of relief notified by code word KITTEN. A, C, and D Coy in front line[i]. B Coy in support.
	4		Positions as shown yesterday. Our artillery very active. Snipers on the job. 7 Huns being reported killed.
	5		18^th Canadian Battalion relieved in the front line by: – 8^th Canadian Battalion[ii] in frontage held by A Company south of A.16.a.5 ¼ + ½ . Company guides led in relieving Battalion and completion of relief was notified by code word “BIRD” . 2 o.r.s wounded this morning now reported “Died of Wounds.”[iii] MAJOR G.V. NELSON, D Company commander was killed by a shell during the relief of Battalion. 21 o.r. arrived as reinforcements. 6 o.r.s admitted to hospital.
MONT ST. ELOY[iv]	6		Relief complete. Battalion in Divisional Reserve at MONT. St. ELOY. Company parades. A and D coy Pay parade. 2 o.r. returned from hospital.
	7		Funeral of Major G.V. Nelson at MONT. ST. ELOY. Battalion in reserve. B + C Coys Pay parade. Company parades and training. 2 o.r. admitted to hospital.
	8		Battalion in Divisional reserve. 50 percent of Battalion on fatigues with artillery loading and carrying ammunition. 4 o.r.s sick admitted to hospital.
	9^th and 10^th		Battalion on fatigue works with artillery moving ammunition in enormous quantities.[v] 6 o.r.s admitted to hospital.
	11		MAP of ROELINCOURT 1/1000. 18^th Battalion relieved the 19^th Battalion in the C2 (left subsector.) 1 Platoon of each company being in support at ZIVY CAVE. Completion of reliefs were notified to H.Q. by code word “ABSOLUTELY”
	12		Battalion in front line as shown yesterday[vi]. LIEUT. Cols J.E. de Hertel and W.J. Green attached to Battalion for instruction. Weather very wet and misty being poor for observation. Enemy artillery active during morning on the rear of our line, but no material damage was done. Hun very quiet but busy cleaning and repairing his trenches which appear to be in bad condition. 5 o.r.s returned from hospital.
	13		Position as yesterday. 4:15 am Enemy attempted a raid on our outposts on the right flank of frontage due north of VISSEE group of craters. At 4 am red and green flares fired from German front line appeared to be the signal for the heavy bombardment which followed directed to our front and support lines. Our outposts consisting of six bombers and 3 Lewis gunners, 1 sgt. were in the act of withdrawing to front line. The raiders approached in two parties, about 30 men in all. Two bombers [Pte.] R. Walker[vii] and W.H. Webster[viii] who were covering the withdrawal of outpost #16 [spread] fire on the Huns and Pte. Walker claims three. One Hun managed [to] creep up to one of the Bombers and said in English “Come with me.” Pte. Webster managed to break away and continued to throw bombs with good effect. One Hun was afterwards found by LIEUT. TUCK who secured identification. Our casualties were 3 killed[ix] and 14 wounded by enemy shell fire.
	14		Position same, everything quiet. Patrols covered Battalion frontage. Sgt. W. K. Rooney granted a commission in the 18^th Battalion. 4 o.r.s sick admitted to hospital.
	15		Our artillery active doing considerable damage to enemy wire. Enemy very nervous at night, using many flares. Lt. COL. G.F. MORRISON, D.S.O. and MAJOR J.A. McINTOSH returned from leave. 6 o.r.s admitted to hospital.
	16		Considerable activity [in] the air and several battles took place. Pte. Johnson shot one of a party of Huns who on seeing their comrade fall, disappeared into trench. Hun still remains where he fell. Nothing unusual to report.
	17		18^th Battalion relieved in Front line by 19^th Canadian Bn. 18^th Battalion moved into Brigade reserve at BOIS-des-ALLEUX. Completion of relief notified by code words A + B Coys “Balmy”. C + D Coys “Dizzy”. 8 o.r.s returned from hospital.
Bgde. Reserve	18		30 o.r.s arrived as reinforcements. Company parades and inspections. 2 o.r.s admitted to hospital.
	19		Position same. LIEUT. P.G. MIGHT received order from Base. Battalion pay parade. 2 o.r.s admitted to hospital. 2 o.r.s returned from hospital.
Bgde. Reserve	20		Lt. Cols. J.E. de Hertel, W.J. Green and Major McCouley returned to England to rejoin their units. LIEUT. C.E. TUCK admitted to hospital. Routine.
MAP ROELINCOURT 1/1000	21		18^th Canadian Battalion relieved 19^th Battalion in front line at C2. (left subsection) completion of relief notified to Battalion H.Q. by code word “EVIE.” 7 o.r.s to hospital sick.
MAP ROELINCOURT 1/1000 E/5 Sheet 51 NWS	22		Battalion in front line, position as stated yesterday. Our outposts were placed at A9C67-56-A4C92-57. Sniper de Manbey fired six shots at enemy sniping plate one shot through loophole, silencing sniper. Enemy appears very nervous. 1 o.r. returned from hospital.
	23		Positions as yesterday. During night of 23/24^th we raided the enemy trenches situated at A.10.b4.1 to A.10.b4.6 the object being to destroy known dugouts and Trench mortar emplacements. This we accomplished and caused casualties among the enemy who held his position strongly manned. Our casualties were, LIEUT. G.R. PARKE and 3 o.r.s “wounded and missing[x]”, 7 o.r. wounded.
	24		18^th Canadian Bn. were relieved in front line by 31^st Canadian Battalion[xi]. 18^th Battalion moved into Billets new BIOS des ALLEUX. CAPT. H.R. MacINTYRE, M.O. [Possible soldier] returned from leave. 4 o.r.s returned from hospital.
BIOS des ALLEUX	25		Battalion in billets, cleaning equipment and arms. Enemy shelled back areas in which our billets were situated during morning and afternoon. I man being slightly wounded.
	26		Company inspection by commandant. Training under new platoon organization.[xii]
	27		Position same. LIEUT. K.D. McKAY rejoined battalion from the Base. 164185 L/Cpl A.J. SHARPLES, 769686 Pte. R.H. WALKER, 769899 Pte. W.H. WEBSTER awarded Military Medal for conspicuous conduct during Enemy raid of 13^th inst. 35 o.r.s arrived as reinforcements.
	28		Battalion training. 1 o.r. admitted to hospital. 1 o.r. returned from hospital.
	29		Battalion training, Company inspections. 3 o.r. returned from hospital.
	30		Battalion marched to ESTRE-COUCHEE for special training over replica of front to be taken[xiii]. 20 o.r. admitted to hospital. 2 o.r. returned. CAPT. R.H. McCRIMMON to be Adjutant and promoted Major. D.R.O. 3388.
	31		Battalion training over taped area replica of enemy lines.

[i] The implementation of having 3 companies of the Battalion in the front line with only one in support is unusual. Normally 2 companies would be in the front line and 2 in support.

[ii] The 8^th Battalion C.E.F. (90^th Winnipeg Rifles) was part of the 2^nd Infantry Brigade, 1^st Canadian Division. This move indicates a significant realignment of the Canadian divisions and its units on the front.

[iii] This would be Privates J. Buckley, reg. no. 745929 and C.H.W. Ross, reg. no. 159177.

[iv] Properly as Mont-Saint-Éloi. Wikipedia Article

[v] Note that this is only a month from the attack on Vimy Ridge.

[vi] The War Diary appendix has no maps in the digital archive.

[vii] Private Reginal Henry Walker, reg. no. 769686.

[viii] Private William Webster, reg. no. 769899.

[ix] The CWGC site shows only 2 soldiers died that day. Private Thomas Clark, reg. no. 745257 and Sergeant William Edward Helps, reg. no. 654401. The reason for the discrepancy is unknown.

[x] In fact, Lieutenant George Reginald Parke, Corporal Arthur Lawrence Buck, reg. no. 124359 and Privates James Albert Jones, reg. no. 1233364 and Martin King, reg. no. 745111 were eventually listed as having died.

[xi] The 31^st Battalion (Alberta) was a member of the 6^th Brigade, 2^nd Canadian Division.

[xii] As the war progressed the Canadian Army adjusted the firepower and skill set of the Platoon to make it more flexible and powerful.

[xiii] Preparations being made for the attack on Vimy Ridge in April, 1917.