Home. Origins of the Battalion.
Page 1. Start of the First World War.
Page 2. To the Ypres Salient.
Page 3. Ypres. The Battle of St Julien.
Page 4. April 1915. Ypres. Gas.
Page 5. Battle of St Julien losses.
Page 6. New Division Name.
Page 7. The Battle of Bellewaarde.
Page 8. Bellewaarde Losses. Sanctuary Wood.
Page 9. Neuve Eglise, Kemmel Sector.
Page 10. August 1915. To Armentieres.
Page 11. Sep/Oct 1915. Armentieres.
Page 12. October 1915. Armentieres.
Page 13. Oct/Nov 1915. Armentieres.
Page 14. Nov/Dec 1915. To Merris.
Page 15. Back to the Ypres Salient.
Page 16. Jan 1916. Armagh Wood.
Page 17. Feb 1916. Hill 60.
Page 18. Mine Explosion.
Page 19. Feb 1916. Ypres. Hill 60.
Page 20. Armagh Wood. CO Killed.
Page 21. Mar/Apr 1916. Kemmel.
Page 22. Apr/May 1916. Fletre. Kemmel.
Page 23. June 1916. Friendly Fire Kemmel.
Page 24. Jun/Jul 1916. Kemmel.
Page 25. July 1916. Kemmel.
Page 26. Aug 1916. To the Somme.
Page 27. Battle of Flers Courcelette.
Page 28. Sep 1916. Flers-Courcelette.
Page 29. The Thiepval Memorial.
Page 30. Flers-Courcelette. Losses.
Page 31. Flers-Courcelette. Attack repelled.
Page 32.Training. Martinpuich.
Page 33. In the Line near Flers.
Page 34. Nov 1916. Martinpuich. Flers.
Page 35. Flers. To Belloy.
Page 36. Feb/Mar 1917. Belloy.
Page 37. April 1917. To Arras.
Page 38. Capt D.P. Hirsch. V.C.
Page 39. The Arras Memorial.
Page 40. The Arras Memorial.
Page 41. Arras Burial Sites.
Page 42. Arras. Famechon.
Page 43. May 1917. Famechon. Bayencourt.
Page 44. June 1917 Back in the Line. Arras.
Page 45. Sep 1917. Arras. Wancourt.
Page 46. Oct 1917. Back to Ypres.
Page 47. Nov 1917. Passchendaele.
Page 48. Jan 1918. Ypres.
Page 49. Feb 1918. Last of Ypres.
Page 50. The Battle of St Quentin.
Page 51. German Offensive. Michael.
Page 52. German Advance. Pozieres Memorial.
Page 53. Losses on both sides.
Page 54. From the Somme to the Lys.
Page 55. April 1918. Battle of Estaires.
Page 56. Ploegsteert Memorial.
Page 57. From the Lys to the Aisne.
Page 58. German Offensive. Blucher-Yorck.
Page 59. May 1918. 150th Brigade decimated.
Page 60. End of the 4th Yorks.
Page 61. Last Weeks of War.
Page 62. Prisoners of War.
Page 63. Prisoners of War.
Page 64. Prisoners of War.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1915. ARMENTIERES. MERRIS.
4th NOVEMBER. Lovely sunny day. The Bn were allotted the Baths as usual and it soon got clean and dry once more.
5th NOVEMBER. Fine morning. Our Chaplain. Mr Keymer gave us a short service in the morning.
In the evening we relieved the 5th Yorks Bn in Trenches 69 and 70 and Support HQ occupied Square Farm.
6th NOVEMBER. Foggy all day. A draft of 25 other ranks was received.
7th NOVEMBER. A fine quiet day. Colonel Hales of 17th Bn, Notts and Derbys came for 3 days instruction.
8th NOVEMBER. Capt Maughan and the Signalling Sgt went sick to Hospital.
[One of the causes of sickness was Trench Fever. Soldiers infected would be struck by a sudden fever, loss of energy, dizziness, headache, skin rash and severe muscle and bone pain could occur. The virus which caused these symptoms was passed from man to man by the lice, with which most men became infested. |
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The Human Body Louse, pedicululus humanus.
In the close confines of the Trenches and Billets soldiers often became infested.
The lice can only spread by bodily contact. In the confined conditions of the Trenches and billets with only primitive sanitation, lack of regular bathing and changes of clothing etc they thrived. Their eggs usually survived in the seams of clothing all attempts at cleaning and hatched out again when they felt the warmth of the human body. A Medical Officer of the 50th Division reported that reinforcement personnel on arrival already had lice and scabies, another condition caused by parasites.]
Ptes Dobinson and Heron proceeded to England to be trained at Officer Training Corps.
9th NOVEMBER. Fine and windy, but a wet night. The men employed with the Brigade Mining Section rejoined the unit.
10th NOVEMBER.
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2112 Pte Kitching Reuben. Home at - Church View, Brampton, Northallerton, N Yorks. Killed in action. Age 19. Buried at Chapelle D'Armentieres Old Military Cemetery.
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Pte J Woods was wounded.
The CO rejoined the Bn from Commanding the 150th Brigade.
11th NOVEMBER. Beautiful clear day. The Bn was relieved by the 62nd Brigade and went to their old billets in Armentieres.
12th NOVEMBER.At 9 a.m the Bn left Armentieres for its months training at Merris. |
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During 1914 and 1915 the Government's request for Volunteers, backed up by advertisements such as these, was received with enthusiasm.
Lord Kitchener formed his New Army
Drafts of new Soldiers were received at regular intervals by the 4th Yorks and other Battalions of the Territorial Force.
In January 1916, however, it was necessary to introduce conscription to replace the constant loss of men.
They marched in 4 Companies at 10 minute intervals preceded by the Signallers and Orderlies, Machine Gunners and bombers in one party.
Lunch was served at Bailleul and the Bn arrived at their Billets between 2 and 3 p.m very wet and weary after a 12 mile march in rain and wind.
13th NOVEMBER. The Battalion got settled in their several billets and there were only 12 men reported sick after the wet march of the previous day.
16th NOVEMBER. Capt and Adjutant B H Charlton was married.
Lt L. J. Yorke proceeded to England to present report to Secretary War Office, London.
Lt R.C Moon joined the Battalion.
17th NOVEMBER. A Canadian Division gave an excellent concert at Bailleul and invited one Officer and 25 men to attend. |
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On the 12th November 1915 the Bn marched 12 miles to Merris via Bailleul for a month's training.
19th NOVEMBER. A draft of 20 men was received.
Football matches between the Companies took place all the week in the afternoons.
22nd NOVEMBER. The Bn practised Route Marching.
23rd NOVEMBER. The Army Commander inspected the Brigade in Route Marching and expressed himself as well pleased. the turn out was smart and soldier like and the marching and discipline was excellent. The Transport was well turned out, animals were fit and vehicles well kept.
Nothing of note is recorded for the rest of the month apart from the Port of Boulogne being closed on the 29th, for which no reason is given.
1st DECEMBER. The following message was sent to Buckingham Palace - "All ranks of Her Majesty's 4th Bn humbly send their congratulations on the occasion of H.M. Queen Alexandra's birthday." |
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