War Diary of the 18th Battalion: December 1917

CONFIDENTIAL
WAR DIARY
-OF-

18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION

From 1st December to 31th December 1917
Volume 28

With appendicix “A”

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Vancouver Road T28.a.5.2	1		Battalion in support area at Vancouver Rd. Situation quiet, nothing unusual occurred. Major J.R. Richardson rejoined Battalion from England. 5 o.r.s admitted to hospital.
	2		Position as shown yesterday. Wiring party of 2 Officers and 30 o.r.s put out 60 yds of single apron wire in front for trench to T.24.c.90.50 to T.24.c.80.70. 2 o.r.s arrived as reinforcements.
Map 36 C. 1/20000 Winnipeg Road	3		18^th Battalion relieved 19^th Battalion in front line Acheville Sector. Relief completed at dusk without casualty. 58 o.r.s arrived as reinforcements. 7 o.r.s joined from hospital.
	4		Battalion in front line. Wiring parties put out barbed wire in front of trenches during night. Nothing unusual occurred.
	5		Positions same. Wiring parties out at night and fatigue parties improving trenches. 2 o.r.s returned from hospital.
	6		Situation quiet. Considerable aeroplane activity on both sides patrolling the lines. 50 o.r.s arrived as reinforcements. Lieut. C.B. Oglesby attached to 4^th Can. Trench Mortar By. 1 o.r. wounded.
	7		Situation unchanged. Enemy working parties observed by our observers working on Rouvroy Trench. 2 o.r.s admitted to hospital. 1 o.r. wounded.
	8		Position same. Considerable enemy artillery activity on rear country throughout the day. 2 o.r.s returned form Base.
	9		Enemy working parties seen by observers working on support trenches, and artillery notified. 2 o.r.s attached to Brigade as messengers.
Map Rouvroy 1/10000	10		Battalion relieved in front line by the 19^th Battalion. 18^th Battalion moved back into support area. Bn. HQ being in Vancouver Road at T.28.a.5.2. A coy in New Brunswick Trench. B coy in Ottawa-Hudson and C Coy Canada. D New Brunswick. 1 o.r. wounded.
Vancouver + New Brunswick	11		Battalion in Support Area. Position as shown yesterday. Polling for Canadian Election Commenced to-day under the supervision of Capt. C.P. Laing. 7 o.r.s admitted to hospital.
	12		Continuation of voting. Working parties rejoined + building up of trenches. 76 o.r.s arrived as reinforcements. 8 o.r.s rejoined from hospital.
Relief	13		Battalion relieved in support area by the 20^th Battalion. 18^th Battalion upon being relieved moved back to Suburban Camp near Viller-au-Bois. 2 o.r.s returned from hospital.
	14		Company inspections and parades for voting.
	15		Bath parades and inspection kit and equipment by Company Commanders. Lieut. R.C. Sheridan rejoined from hospital.
	16	10.30 a.m.	Battalion paraded for Divine Service, after which the men were dismissed for the day.
Suburban Camp	17		Parades as per syllabus attached.
	18		Parades as per syllabus attached. 4 o.r.s proceeded to England for Officers Course.
	19		Battalion moved by to [sic] Febvin-Palfart (Rest Area) being conveyed by motor lorries. Battalion transport moving independently, breaking the journey at Cauchin Legal. See O.O. attached.
Fabrin Palfart	20		Battalion billeted in Barns and homes round the village. Today was spent settling down to billets.
	21		Parades as per syllabus attached. 3 o.r.s admitted to hospital. 3 N.C.O.s attached to Battalion from training school for instructional purposes.
	22		Parades as per syllabus attached. Lieut. H.N. Bawden rejoined Battalion from Training School.
	23		Battalion parade for Devine Service. Lt. Col. L.E. Jones proceeded on leave to England. Major J.A. McIntosh taking over Command of the Battalion.
	24		Parades as per syllabus attached. 3 o.r.s rejoined from hospital.
	25		Christmas Day. No training today. A Christmas Dinner of Turkeys and Porks was arranged for all men of the Battalion, and everything was done by the Officers to make the men comfortable for this occasion.
	26		Company inspections by Company Commanders, and checking of Equipment and Kit.
	27	9.15	Battalion paraded in full marching order for route march. (see syllabus attached) 10 o.r.s. arrived as reinforcements.
	28		Parade and training as per syllabus attached. 2 o.r.s returned from hospital.
	29		Parade and training as per syllabus attached.
	30		Lieut. A.B. Yeo arrived as reinforcement. 3 o.r.s admitted to hospital. 2 o.r.s returned from hospital.
	31		[No entry.]