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War Diaries of 'B' Squadron, South Irish Horse, Aug 1914
- Dec 1914
Source document: The
National Archive at Kew ref, WO 95/2380
The following transcript has been made as faithful to the original as possible.
|
Hour, Date, Place |
Summary of Events and Information |
Remarks |
| 5th Aug 1914 Dublin | Mobilize | |
| 6th-16th " | 2nd - 12th day of mobilization | |
| 17th " | Embarked at Alexandra Basin | |
| 18th | At Sea | |
| 19th Le Harve | Landed at Le Harve | |
| 20th " | Rest Camp | |
| 21st " | Entrain & proceed to unknown destination | |
| 22nd Bussigny | Bivouac at Beaufort | |
| 23rd | Continue march & join 1st AHR at MABOUGE | From this date, unless other employment is shown a portion |
| 24th Bavay | Bivouac at Vieux Menseul | of the Squadron was employed daily as Escort to G.O.C. 1st |
| 25th Landrecies | Very heavy attack from 3.30 PM till 2.30 When Germans withdrew | Corps & the remainder with the wagons of Corps H.Q. No |
| 26th Jerusalem Frm | Sqn sent to Rear Stand Lost several horses & one man hit by rifle fire of ???? ???? | entry is shown in this case. One or more ????? in HQ were |
| 27th Origny | One Troop Advanced Stand, Remainder Rear Stand | supplied each night. |
| 28th St Gobain | Halted | |
| 29th " | Halted | |
| 30th Soissons | Sent as Contact Squadron to Venezel. Met garrison of ????. Germans riding Venezel held did not push attack | |
| 31st Villiers Cotteretts | Got through German Cavalry in the forest after dark unseen | |
| 1st Sept | ||
| 2nd Meaux | Night March | |
| 3rd Goins (??) | ||
| 4th Gauard | (Signy Signets) | |
| 5th Chaumes | Sent in the afternoon to dislodge Uhlans from the woods at Charbisson | |
| 6th Chateau Charbisson | ||
| 7th Choisy | ||
| 8th Rebais | ||
| 9th Charles-sur- Marne | A & D troops leave for G.H.Q. | |
| 10th Hautevisnes | One troop sent with Prisoners to Rail Head | |
| 11th Dalchy Breny | Received first mail after leaving home. Torrents of rain all night | |
| 12th Gouignes | ||
| 13th Courcelles | Sent on to Point 175 Dhuizel. Delayed by Germans flowing into Courcelles Bridge | |
| 14th " | Sent Be??ng at daybreak, later on detailed to seize CHAVONNE. Under heavy shell fire all day. | |
| 15th Dhuizel | Sent to BOURG. Under heavy shell fire all day. 3 horses hit | |
| 16th " | Sent to BOURG. Under heavy shell fire all day. | |
| 17th " | Sent to BOURG. Under heavy shell fire all day. | |
| 18th " | Out all night looking for concealed spies in the woods west of LONGEVAL | |
| 19th " | Out all night looking for concealed spies in the woods west of LONGEVAL | |
| 20th " | Sent to reinforce 2nd Cavalry Bde at CHAVONNE | |
| 21st-26th " | Escort to C-in-C 1st Corps Went out only | |
| 27th " | Searched woods near LONGEVAL | |
| 28th " | Shelled out of Billets 1 man hit. 2 horses killed. 3 men of HLI in same billet hit | |
| 29th Courcelles | ||
| 30th " | Searched woods on DHIZEL - BRAINE road | |
| 1st Oct Courcelles | Searched woods on DHIZEL - BRAINE road | |
| 2nd & 3rd " | ||
| 4th Belerne | ||
| 5th-9th | Searched woods round BRENELLES | |
| 10th-12th | Sent to CHESSIMY, searched woods in conjunction with Munster Fus & Suffolk Regt. Shelled from VAILLY across the river while employed on search | |
| 13th & 14th | ||
| 15th Braine | March to Fere-en-Jardenois | |
| 16th Fere-en-Jardenois | Entrain at 2am | |
| 17th | In train via PARIS to St OMER | |
| 18th St Omer | ||
| 19th Cassel | ||
| 20th Poperenge | ||
| 21st & 22nd Ypres | Sent to assist GOC 7th DIVISION at SANDTORDA | |
| 23rd & 24th " | Sent to support CONNAUGHT RANGERS in woods on MENNIN ROAD | |
| 25th & 26th " | Sent to support 3rd Cav Bde at HOLLEBECKE, in trenches till 26th night | |
| 27th " | ||
| 28th " | In support of Cavalry in MENNIN WOOD | |
| 29th " | Shelled out of CHATEAU at HOOGE | |
| 30th " | ||
| 31st " | In support of 1st DIVISION at HOOGE.1st day of attack of BAVARIANS | Squadron ordered to take over communications of dispatches to the whole of 1st Corps andCav Division ( See Below) |
| 1st 1914 November Ypres | In support of 1st DIVISION at HOOGE. 2nd day of attack of BAVARIANS | During this time the whole of the communications of the 1st Corps & Cavalry Division were |
| 2nd | carried out by the Squadron. | |
| 3rd & 4th | Report Centre at YPRES heavily shelled 3 men & 3 horse of Squadron hit | The roads were impassable for motor cyclists, the trenches were unapproachable at many |
| 5th & 6th Elverdinge | Support of 1st Division at ZILLEBECKE Sent to pick up communications with French later. Very heavy fighting. | times & telephone & telegraph lines were cut every minute of |
| 7th-20th " | Halted | the night and day by shell fire. |
| 21st " | Leave Elverdinge at 7am and arrive at Hazebrouck. 4pm | |
| 22nd Hazebrouck | ||
| 23rd Nov-21st Dec " | 1st Corps withdrawn from the line and rested | |
| 22nd | Leave Hazebrouck at 5.30am Bivouac at Hinges | |
| 23rd-26th Hinges | Bivouac at Hinges | |
| 27th-31st " | Usual Escort for C in C 1st Corps out only. |
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