A Shell falling on a Trench.
[Picture courtesy of - "Photos of The Great War".].
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15th FEBRUARY. At midnight on the 14th the bombardment re-commenced and went on for an hour and a half.
Trenches were slightly damaged and communication trenches knocked about a good deal, but this was repaired by 6 a.m.
A patrol went round the crater and found no trace of the Germans.
The bombardment started again at 8 p.m and continued to 11 p.m.
The South Staffs reported little or no progress in their counter attack.
The work of digging into the crater was hampered by bodies having to be removed from the trench as it was cleared.
At 7 work started to dig a new trench behind the crater and was continued across the Zillebeke road 30 Yards.
16th FEBRUARY.
1588 Pte Cole Ralph. Home at - 37 Arthur Tce, New Marske N Yorks, place of birth.
Enlisted at Skelton in Cleveland, N Yorks. Killed in action. Age 20. Buried at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground.
3954 Pte Robinson Thomas, Francis. Enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died of wounds. Buried at Lijssenthoek
Military Cemetery.
17th FEBRUARY.
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Sgt Wilf Thornton.
Later commissioned into the 4th Bn and taken prisoner in March 1918 in the Somme area.
[Photograph kindly contributed by John Sheen, author of Tyneside Irish, Durham Pals, & Wearside Battalion.]
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Capt John Maughan was killed in action. Age 26. He is buried at Poperinghe New Military Cemetery.
He was the eldest son of John Maughan, of Abbey Hill, Jervaulx, Middleham, Yorks. Educated at Marlborough College,
he joined the Regiment in 1909, and was gazetted Captain in November, 1914. He went to France with his regiment in April,
1915 and took part in all the subsequent engagements.
He was mentioned in General French's Despatches.
18th FEBRUARY.
3887 Pte Mackenzie John. Home at - 8 Farrar St, Norton Rd,Stockton on Tees.
Enlisted at Northallerton, N Yorks. Killed in action. Age 19. Commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial Ypres.
The situation stayed fairly quiet after the 15th and trench restructuring carried on. At night on this day the Bn were
relieved by the 8th Bn DLI and marched back to Canada Huts, Dickebusch.
The relief passed off well with the exception of the Lewis guns which were misdirected by the Staff Office on road
control, which delayed 151st Brigade an hour.
The five days on Hill 60 had seen 3 Officers and 22 other ranks killed. 2 Officers and 62 other ranks had been wounded.
19th to 23rd FEBRUARY.
Lt. Anthony Reginald Welsh. Territorial Force, Age 32. Died of Wounds. Home at Owslebury House, Winchester. Born at
Altrincham, Cheshire. Buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.
The Bn bathed and cleaned up. Training continued "on the old and never ending lines".
The Lena Ashwell concert party performed in the YMCA hut.
On the 22nd there was much snow.
24th and 25th FEBRUARY. The Bn to Close support in reserve trenches in the Armagh Wood area. Headquarters was in
Maple Copse.
They occupied dugouts named Border, Cumberland and Consett. The weather was severe.
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British dead in Trench at Ypres.
[Picture courtesy of - "Photos of The Great War".].
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Diary "In view of the attack on the Bluff, the Bn was ordered to put the reserve Line in a state of defence"
26th FEBRUARY. Fred Tyerman, who was to be killed next day, wrote his mother:-
"Just to let you know that I and Will [his brother, who was killed 4 days later] are still alright,
hoping by the time you receive this that you are very much better.
...We have got your P.C. [postcard] and parcel alright, and thanks very much for it.
We are in the trenches at present but we are having a decent time and very quiet.
We have had a little snow, but not much and we are not taking any harm up to the present.
I suppose you will have heard by now about the Northallerton fellows going down, but still we have to be thankful that
we are still here.
The Officer who I was servant to when I was at home there got wounded, but has since died of wounds.
[Lt A R Welsh on the 19th]
My word it is hard lines when all the best ones are taken from you. Captain Stead also got wounded but his was not
serious. He is down at the base now but we are expecting him back any time.
Well, Mother, I must close now, so no more at present.
With best love from Will and Fred. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
1813 Pte Tyerman Fred. Home at Brompton, Northallerton, N Yorks, place of birth and
enlistment. Killed in action on the 27th. Commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres. Memorial stone commemorating
the burial of two brothers, side by side, before the cemetery was later destroyed by shellfire at Maple Copse
Cemetery.
At about 10.30 am. Fred Tyerman was working as batman for his new officer, Capt. Sproxton after
his previous charge, Lt. Welsh, had been wounded and died of his wounds in hospital at Boulogne.
He was in the officer's dugout busy preparing breakfast when a shell scored a direct hit, mortally wounding Fred,
who died a few minutes later.
28th FEBRUARY.
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Germans in a trench with stick grenades, flare guns and a "Minenwerfer", Mine-launcher.
All the German Infantry were equipped with this Trench Mortar.
A shell weighing over 4 kilos, with a calibre of 7.5 centimetres was loaded into the muzzle of the weapon and
could be fired over 1,000 metres to explode on impact.
[Picture courtesy of - "The Heritage of the Great War".].
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The following two men were killed in action and are buried in Maple Copse Military Cemetery.
2875 Pte Bower William. Home at - Carlin How, N Yorks. Born Warrington, Lancs.
Enlisted at Skelton in Cleveland, N Yorks.
1162 Pte Wilks Arthur. Home at Cliff Terrace, Great Ayton, N Yorks, place of birth.
Enlisted Stokesley. Age 21.
3164 Pte Locker Richard, George. Home at - 4 High Row, Loftus, N Yorks, place of
enlistment. Died of wounds on the 29th. Age 23. Buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery.
X and Y Companies of the Bn took over front line trenches A4 to A8 from the 5th D.L.I. W and Z Companies in
reserve trenches.
The weather was very snowy and cold. Most of the time was spent in getting up extra stores, rations and water for the
"Strafe".
There were no dugout shelters in trenches A7 and 8 and these were started along with trench repair and draining.
There was a lot of snow day and night on the 29th.
1st MARCH.
In preparation for an attack on the "Bluff" a "demonstration" was ordered.
The wind was not favourable for smoke bombs and for 20 minutes they kept up bursts of Lewis Gun and individual rifle
fire.
This caused the enemy to retaliate causing 3 other ranks wounded.
31 reinforcements were received.
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