WAR DIARY 8th BORDER

Monday 1st April      Godewaersvelde Kortepyp Camp

Advance Coy, D Coy arrived 1.30 am and remainder of Bn 5am and embussed for Kortepyp Camp - New draft of 170 19 year old boys - excellent appearance and smart of parade - Capt J Dawson rejoined.

Tuesday 2nd     Romarin Camp

Moved  to Romarin camp - 2nd South Lancs in the line - 8th Border support - 11th Cheshires reserve - D Coy under Capt Dawson.   ( Lancashire Support Farm ). counter attacking Coy under tactical orders of 2/S. Lancs - C Coy Capt Bentley. A and B Coys Romarin Camp with Bn HQ - excellent weather

Wednesday 3rd

Cleaning up - and baths - weather unsettled

Thursday 4th

Unsettled - cleaning up and inspections - C and D  Coys withdrawn from support line preparatory to moving up the next day - O.C. Coys reconnoitred frontline.

5th Friday   LE TOUQUET SECTOR

Bn relieved 3rd Worcesters and 11th Lancs Fusliers - Bn sector Lyes River on right to C.4 B.7.8 on left - C Coy Capt Bentley left sub sector, D Coy Capt Dawson right sub sector - B Coy support - Grande Rebecque -  A Coy reserve - Le Bizet - Bn H.Q. Despierre Farm - relief bagan 7.30 pm and finished 10 pm - except 3 parts D Coy 3 am night wet.

6th Saturday

Fine - C.O visited O.Cs front line Coys C and D - day quiet - patrols out at night.

7th Sunday

Bttn in the line - a little T.M activity - persistant firing by enemy M.G all night from Frelinghein

8th Monday

Bttn in the line - fairly quiet - M.G fired from Frelinghein all night - patrol located strong enemy working party at west end of  Frelinghein Bridge - they were wiring the bridge head - 2nd South Lancs relieved on our left by 11  0th Chesires - A Coy ( 2nd Lt Allan ) moved up from Le Bizet to Grande Rabeque - B Coy side slipping to the right in the reserve line - enemy T.Ms in Warneton sector heavily bombarded during the afternoon.

9th Tuesday

dull and cloudy - heavy bombardment on our right several miles away - reported German attack from Armentiers to La Basse - our sector heavily shelled in the afternoon with Gas, H.E and Shrapnel. A Coy relieved C Coy in left front - B Coy ( Capt Coxon ) relieved D Coy ( Capt Dawson ) in right front.

10th Wednesday

Dull - slight mist - enemy attacked about 5.30 am after a heavy bombardment - A Coy practically cut off - B. C and D Coys retired to reserve line which was soon enveloped and about mid-day Battalion withdrew with other troops to a North and South line west of Le Bizet.  A further withdrawal to the Road Clef de la Belgique - Oosthove was necessitated during the afternoon and late at night the right flank was swung to the line Courte Rue Oosthove - Doudou - two Companies 9th Cheshires being on our right at Courte Rue and two companies 9th Chesires on our left at Oosthove.

 Keswick lads 8th Borders killed on the 10th

Edwin Evans  Pte 26060  -  Fred Martin  CQMS 5880   -    Robert Bertram Pte 16079

11th Thursday    Oosthove FME - Le Rossignol

Enemy attacked early morning bur were driven of by rifle and Lewis gun fire - position bombarded fairly heavily - about mid-day a withdrawal on the left necessitated falling back on the trench line about Le Rossignol which was held till night - Lt Strong and party of O.R captured a M.G and restored a temporary gap in the line about Brune Gaye in the afternoon - orders to evacuate Nieppe Salient being received the Battalion withdrew to Connaught Road at dusk - where it dug in to support 75th Inf  Bde.

12th  Friday     Connaught Rd - Kortepyp

Day was fine - beyond a little shelling and sniping nothing of great importance occurred during the morning.              About 2 pm a general retirement was observed on our right which necessitated a further withdrawal to Kortepyp where the line was reorganised.

13th Saturday   Neuve Eglise

Very heavy mist in the morning - the night had passed quietly.  About 6 am 6th S.W.B were seen to be retiring along the Neuve Eglise Road - and soon after under cover of mist and heavy bombardment - enemy attacked in great strengh and forced us back to the line Neuve Eglise - Trois Rois Cast where elements of 75th Bde and the 9th H.L.I had already dug in.  Here a stand was made - Capt Coxon and Lt Bott were both killed making a counter attack on the enemy's flank during the morning - meantime a position was being prepared from Crucifix Corner along the ridge in a North Easterly direction.

14th  Sunday

Morning quiet except for heavy shelling of back areas - about mid-day enemy began dribbling small parties forward and soon evidence of massing was observed in the valley along the Neuve Eglise - Dranoutre Road about T B c central - our barrage and M.G fire nipped the attack in the bud.  Orders for Bde relief received about 9.30 pm