Each Infantry Division had 3 Field Ambulances, which were mobile Hospitals composed of 10 Officers and
224 men.
If a wounded man could not be treated by Regimental Field Dressing he would be passed to the Field Ambulance.
Serious cases beyond their capacity to treat would be taken back to the Casualty Clearing Stations.
Then Base
Hospitals and some back to Britain.
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16th JANUARY.
1750 Pte Morgan Edwin. Born and enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Killed in action
Age 20. Buried at Maple Copse Cemetery.
The Bn were relieved by 5th DLI and marched back to huts at Dickebusch.
20th JANUARY. The Bn had a quiet time at the Huts as the ground was too muddy for any training.
On this day they made the long march back to Armagh Wood to relieve the DLI.
22nd JANUARY. They had a quiet time in trenches but plenty of hard digging work.
A draft of 155 other ranks was received at Dickebusch. Previously they had been further South with the 3rd
Entrenching Battalion.
It was found that 24 of them were suffering from Scabies and had to go into Hospital.
24th JANUARY. The Bn marched back to Railway Dugouts and for the next 3 night provided a 100 strong
digging party for trench work.
28th JANUARY. Three companies of the Bn relieved the DLI in Armagh Wood.
30th JANUARY.
1586 Pte Newton Milton. Home at 8 Hyde Place, Aylesham, Adisham, Canterbury. Born at
Loftus, N Yorks and enlisted at Skelton in Cleveland. Died at home. Age 22. Buried at Loftus Cemetery, N Yorks.
The trenches to the Bn's right on Hill 60 were re reconnoitred as they were soon to take them over.
The wiring party inspects a German patrol and throws a bomb in its supposed direction but the morning does not reveal
a catch.
31st JANUARY. A find day after the misty ones is made use of by the enemy for a plentiful
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On the 6th February 1916 the Battalion moved from Huts at Dickebusch to the Bedford House area.
Bedford House was the Soldier's name for Chateau Rosendal.
The chateau was destroyed during the course of the War and
Bedford House Cemetery made in its place.
On the 12th February the Bn took over trenches at Hill 60.
Hill 60 was a man made mound about 150 feet high and 250 yards long, which had been made when the railway cutting
was dug.
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supply of Whizz
bangs which failed to cause any damage.
The Bn less one and a half companies, who are left in trenches A3 to A6 are
relieved by the 7th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, retire into Divisional Reserve at Canada Huts, Dickebusch.
1st - 4th FEBRUARY, Training - Physical drill, smoke helmet drill, dummy bombs and cartridges, Platoon drill etc.
5th FEBRUARY,
25055 Pte Howells Thomas. Home at - 13 Lambert St, Stockton on Tees, Co Durham. Born at Tredegar Mons
and enlisted Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died at home. Age 37. Buried at Stockton on Tees (Durham Rd) Cemetery.
The 25 men per Company who have been training on previous days at throwing dummy bombs, plus the
Battalion Bombers, proceed to throw live bombs.
One of these on exploding throws a "dud" out of the pit which explodes and slightly wounds 3 men.
8 Officers proceed to Bailleul for a lecture on "Artillery from the Infantry point of view."
6th FEBRUARY, The bomb pit being repaired the remaining 300 are thrown.
The Battalion moves into Brigade Reserve position at Swan Chateau, Bedford House and Blaupoort Farm.
7th - 11th FEBRUARY, The Bn had instruction on the Lewis gun and by night provided 300 men as working parties
on the trenches, digging, barb wiring etc.
12th FEBRUARY, At night the Bn took over trenches 37L - 48R around Hill 60.
Diary - "This was the first time we had occupied these and we are not likely to forget the experience.
The 4th East Yorks were on the left, the 8th Bn South Staffs, 17 Division on the right and one Company of the
5th Yorks in close support.
13th FEBRUARY,
1869 Pte Swift Victor. Born and enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Killed in action.
Railway Dugouts Burial Ground.
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 Hill 60.
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Save for continual sniping, a good deal of "Sausaging" and the sending of rifle grenades on the part of the Germans
things were pretty quiet all day and all night.
The work of repairing trenches and communication trenches went on interruptedly.
On the Northern bank of the Ypres-Comines Canal was a narrow ridge, only some thirty to forty feet above the level of the
plain. The eastern point of this ridge is the area referred to in the War Diary as the "Bluff".
During the next few days this area was the objective of a German attack. Opposing them were the 50th Division in the
centre with the 17th on the Right and the 24th on the Left.
The Germans were to capture some 600 yards of front line trenches immediately North of the Bluff, which were held by
the 17th Division.
They retained this gain for something over a fortnight.
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