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You are here: Home / Archives for Kings Royal Rifles

Thursday 21 October 1915

October 21, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

The Battalion has no further orders and still “Stand to Arms”. Lots of rumours going about the Shropshire Light Infantry.
Have gone post Haste to Cappy what for?
The 3rd Kings Royal Rifles have entrained. Where to? We have orders to move – where to? All is bustle, troops are moving both ways.


*King’s Shropshire Light Infantry – A regiment of the British Army that had first formed in 1881 but was expanded greatly to 12 battalions during the First World War. The regiment fought extensively and was awarded 60 battle honours over the course of WWI.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: “Stand to Arms”, Kings Royal Rifles, Shropshire Light Infantry

Monday 11 October 1915

October 11, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

King’s Royal Rifles leave our division to reinforce on another part of the firing line. We leave Eclusier for the trenches again. Put on listening post outside the trenches.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Eclusier, Kings Royal Rifles, listening post

Wednesday 29 September 1915 – rain

September 29, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Wednesday_September_29_1915.mp3
A cold wet and miserable morning. And still raining. Our rifles are clogged up with mud. Get to work to make an improvised shelter. We have been in the open trench two days two nights no shelter. At 9 am the Germans shell us with heavy guns. The Huns commence again with trench mortars and we reply. Some note paper comes to me when rations arrive from Headquarters. Welcome. I’ve none. We are on Bully Beef and biscuits. I make some cocoa by putting some fat in a can with a piece of rag, then light it placing the canteen over it. Our hard biscuits are covered with mud, therefore – gritty. Rats!!! Lots of them. The fellows are wallowing in mud and have not the heart to amend difficulties. 3 pm the Huns are still busy shelling and bombing us. The King’s Royal Rifles have lost heavily. Commences to rain heavily at 5 pm and kept up all night. We “stand to” in full marching kit from 5 to 7 pm. Orders come up for us to be relieved at 8 pm but the relief does not appear till 9:30 pm. Commence march thro’ narrow trenches wet, muddy and slippery and raining hard. We are soaked to the skin. We go down the road slipping and sliding all over the place. A more weary tired and miserable lot of men could not be found. We pass thro’ “Eclusier” to Cappy where we stay in billets for the night. A ration of 2 oz of rum is given to the men and we retire to rest at 12:30 midnight.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: billets, Cappy, Eclusier, headquarters, Huns, improvised shelter, Kings Royal Rifles, miserable, trench mortars

Saturday 25 September 1915 – rain

September 25, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Saturday_September_25_1915.mp3
Rifle inspection at 9 am. Major Grey taken over Command of No. 4 Company. We parade at 5:10 pm in full marching order for a march to the support trenches in a pouring rain. Left Froissy at 5:30 for Cappy. Roads muddy and full of pools of water. Troops cursing and very miserable, wet through, slipping and sliding from side to side. Arrived at Eclusier Sur-Somme about 8:20 pm –and RATS and fleas. Consigned to Billets – tumble down barns not fit for cattle. Never in all my life have I seen such a quantity (and so large, being nearly size of fox terriers) of rats. When lights were extinguished the rats swarmed over the troops. Sleep was impossible. So a party of us went rat hunting. Kings Royal Rifles are in the trenches. Rain ceased during the morning of the 26th.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Eclusier Sur-Somme, Froissy, Kings Royal Rifles, Major Grey

Tuesday 21 September 1915 – fine

September 21, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

To see Commanding Sergeant Major Hetherington of the King’s Royal Rifles at 7 am and had breakfast with him. Paraded for Platoon drill 1 mile back of firing line!!! Received 2 parcels one from Miss Janet Ansill of Ashford and the other from Mrs Mia Draycot of Rothley. Greatly appreciated by myself and the boys. Tried to catch fish in River Somme – “nothing doing” they think we are German spies perhaps. Lots of bombarding and rifle fire.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Commanding Sergeant Major Hetherington, German spies, Kings Royal Rifles, Miss Janet Ansill of Ashford, Mrs Mia Draycot of Rothley, River Somme

Friday 1 January 1915 – Rain

January 1, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Friday_January_1_1915.mp3
We receive orders to Parade outside the village of Blaringhem (Nord Department) at 12:35 pm for inspection by General Sir John French. We line up at our “hovel” at 12:35 pm (noon) and march 5 miles in full marching order to the parade ground (a sloppy field). We stand here for over an hour in the cold wind and rain when finally General French appears with his staff, arriving in Landau (automobile). He inspects our Brigade consisting of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, 4th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifles, Shropshire Light Infantry and Rifle Brigade. Before dismissing us he (General French) says a few words to the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry “Proud to have us in his command”. Knew we would acquit ourselves” etc; Arrived back at the “Hovel” at 5:30 pm in a drenching downpour. I am for guard duty again (twice in a week) and mount at 6 pm. My turns are from 8 to 10 pm and 2 till 4 am and 8 – 10 am and 2 to 4 pm. A wet cold miserable night with a high wind. I guard the Ammunition and horses of which (the latter) there are about 30 or 40. I find time passes quickly when looking after the poor beasts and adjusting their blankets. I am like the horses – without shelter. There was no bombardment last night.


*John French – A veteran officer from the Boer War, he was given Command of the British Expeditionary Force during the opening months of WWI. He clashed with those around him, first disagreeing with Lord Kitchener on a location for the deployment of British troops. With few successes in the early part of the war French’s leadership was criticized and he was relieved from the position in December of 1915.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: 4th Battalion, Blaringhem, General Sir John French, Kings Royal Rifles, mp3, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Rifle Brigade, Shropshire Light Infantry

Sunday 20 December 1914

December 20, 2014 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Sunday_December_20_1914.mp3
Left Morn Hill Camp at 10 am in full marching order, carrying 130 rounds of ammunition in clips. Passing thro’ Winchester we got a rousing reception & also at Villages enroute to Southampton. At latter place the people turned out in thousands, shaking hands with the troops and giving hot tea & biscuits, cigarettes etc; arrived at the docks at 5 pm & embarked at 7 pm. No tea till 8 pm. The first meal since leaving camp. Our berths consist of cattle stalls with open hatchway thro’ which the rain & wind came uninvited. The meals were under true active service conditions & consisted of biscuits and corned beef. The Kings Royal Rifles are alongside us on another ship. They also came with us from Morn Hill Winchester & marched the 14 miles to Southampton.


*Morn Hill Camp – The Morn Hill Camp was a transit camp built close to the city of Winchester, England for British troops headed towards the Western front. In 1917 the Morn Hill camp was transferred to the US Army for its use. Over two million troops passed though during the duration of the war and a Hospital was even built at Morn Hill specifically for soldiers suffering from illness rather than Injury.

Filed Under: 1914, Diary Entries Tagged With: Kings Royal Rifles, Morn Hill Camp, mp3, Southampton, Winchester

Tuesday 15 December 1914 – fine

December 15, 2014 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Tuesday_December_15_1914.mp3
Saw the Commanding Officer of the Company at 11 am. He enquires regarding my transfer. I go to the 4th Kings Royal Rifles camp at 2 pm & see Captain C.V.L Poe, Captain C.J.T.R Wingfield & Lieutenants Jones & Smith. Have an interesting chat with them, Especially Captain Poe. I also meet other Non- Commissioned Officers whom I knew. I go to the camp of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry 4th Battalion & saw Sergeant Major Eames regarding transfer. Camps are very muddy 6“to 9” deep. Back to Rifle Depot at 6 pm. Changed & out to town.

Filed Under: 1914, Diary Entries Tagged With: Canadian light infantry camp, Captain C.J.T.R Wingfield, Captain C.V.L Poe, Kings Royal Rifles, Lieutenant Jones, Lieutenant Smith, mp3, Sergeant Major Eames

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