Home of the Infantry Regiments of Berkshire and Wiltshire

War Diary

1915-01-09
Regiment 1st Royal Berkshire
Location France, FESTUBERT
Entry About noon ten shells pitched near Battn HQ, otherwise a quiet day. The RE were constructing an all round defence in FESTUBERT, not completed. A Coy relieved C and B Coy D about 6pm. Owing to the exceptionally bad state of the trenches and the consequent increase of illness, also to the fact that the surrounding country was so flooded and intersected by dykes, that an attack by the enemy was impossible except along the roads, the GOC decided to hold the line as lightly as possible by a few small posts behind breastworks. Two platoons, one from each company, now held the line instead of 2 coys. The remaining 3 platoons per company were put in support in billets immediately behind front line, with orders to hold the two roads flanking our position. [Note in margin] While these ten shells were pitching, the Adjutant was playing "Tostis Goodbye" on the piano. Truly callous!