10th Battalion patch. Image courtesy Australian War Memorial
10th Battalion – April 1918
APRIL 1 – HOLLEBEKE (a village in western Belgium)
…Positions of headquarters same as shown in March diary…
2.
Preliminary relief order issued.
3-4 – DEZON CAMP, SHERPENBERG
Battalion relieved from YPRES COMMINES sector and moved to DEZON CAMP, SCHERPENBERG (situated between LACLYTTE and LOCRE… Relief carried out without incident, and completed by about 1am 4/4/18.
4.
Battalion moved to CAESTRE, from LOCRE, per motor bus en-route to join 3rd Army. Move completed and Battalion billeted by 5pm on 4/4/18. Battalion headquarters situated [at] X-roads, in HAZEWINDE (near St Sylvestre Cappel)…Companies situated in surrounding farms.
5-6.
Battalion entrained for transfer to 3rd Army (SOMME) – train journey occupied about 9 hours, route being via CALAIS, BOULOGNE, D’ABBEVILLE to ST ROCH (AMIENS). There the Battalion detrained about midday on 6/4/18 and moved to POULLAINVILLE, AMIENS. Billeted in POULLAINVILLE overnight. Fire occurring in the village about 9pm. Billet unoccupied.
[see Appendix 4 – “Discipline. Company Commanders will gve (sic) the matter of discipline during the train journey their personal attention. All ranks will be warned that silence is essential during entrainment, when passing through stations, and during detrainment.”]
7 – AMIENS, POULLAINVILLE
Day spent in resting and company inspections. Another fire occurred in practically same locality as on night 6th April…Portion building adjoining was occupied by Officers of this Battalion.
8.
Battalion parade during afternoon and inspection by Commanding Officer. A 3rd fire occurred tonight, destroying a haystack in an open field.
9.
Battalion moved per march route to VIGNACOURT at 1pm today. March completed and Battalion billeted by 6pm.
10.
Battalion moved by march route to RAINNVILLE at 1pm today. March completed and Battalion billeted by 5pm.
11 – RAINNVILLE
Parades under company arrangements today.
12.
Battalion moved to BIVOUAC position on outskirts AMIENS, on RAINNVILLE – AMIENS Road, arriving by 2pm. Great enemy aerial activity at night over AMIEN. No bombs dropped on bivouac positions. While transport was entraining enemy bombs were dropped in vicinity of the station, but no casualties to either men or horses were sustained.
13 – AMIENS and HAZEROUCK
Battalion moved to entraining Station (ST ROCH) at 5am but did not entrain till 9 am. Personnel entrained without incident. Train route was ST POL, LILLIERS line. Detrained at HONDEGHEM siding on night 13/4/18. Battalion moved into position (support) immediately on detraining, in order to defend HAZEBROUCK.
14.
Battalion in position.
15-19.
Rear Battalion headquarters (Transport, Quartermaster, B.O.R.) situated MORBEQUE – near HALEBROUCK…Positions unaltered.
19-23
Battalion relieved support Battalion of elements of 33rd Division in the line…
[see Appendix 20 – “Aerial Activity” report for 21/4 to 22/4. “…in many cases flying at a very low altitude. His planes appear to be able to patrol our area without molestation by our planes. The condition regarding our anti-aircraft defences have improved slightly and more activity shown. But the enemy still appears to hold supremacy in the air over this area.”]
23-24.
Battalion relieved 11th Battalion in line left of Brigade sector on 23rd/24th/4/18. Relief carried out without incident.
24-27.
Battalion in line.
28-29.
Battalion relieved by 2nd Battalion Australian Imperial Force during night 28th/29th April.
30.
Brigade in Divisional Reserve.
[see Appendix 23 – “Summary of movements of other ranks for month ending 30th April 1918. Killed in action 26, Missing 5, Wounded 100, Died of wounds 9, Gassed 2, Accidentally injured 2, Wounded (self-inflicted) 4, Reinforcements, joined Battalion 126, To hospital, sick 21, From hospital 76, To leave, United Kingdom 1, From leave, United Kingdom 18, From leave, Paris 1…”]
