1914 DIARY

Taken from 8th Brigade and 38th Brigade Royal Field Artillery War Diaries (National Archives)
You can track Frank’s locations during 1914 by following this map link.

20 April 1914:
Frank enlisted with the Royal Artillery at Winchester.
Regimental no: 78965, 8th Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Note: Frank formed part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) - which numbered some 120,000 men in August 1914 - that had been set up following the Boar War in case it was necessary to take part in a foreign war.
Note: August 1914: 5th Division Artillery expeditionary force incorporating 37th, 61st and 65th Batteries (commanding officer: Lt Col EJ Duffus).
17 August: Unit left Dublin North Wall and sailed to France (note: Frank’s unit apparently undertook its training in Ireland).
19 August: Landed at Le Havre about 12 noon.
20+21 August: Entrained.
22 August: Arrived Landrecies at 5am and marched to Bavay.
23 August: Marched to Dour and joined up with remainder of 5th Division. Entrenched 0.25 mile west of Boussu.
24 August: Position attacked at dawn. 37th Bty came under heavy fire but engaged enemy’s infantry “with great success”. At 1pm division retired in direction of Athis but on reaching Pre Feuillet, 65th Bty ordered into action to repel attack on left flank (61st Bty came into action south of Montignies Sur Roc to help repel same attack. Bivouacked between Wargnies Le Grand and St Waast Les Bavay.
25 August: Retired with 5th Division and marched to Reumont (via Bavay, Engle, Fontaine, Montay) and went into bivouac. Attacked on left flank by enemy’s infantry.
note: Despatch no.1 letter calling for reports of gallant conduct.www.1914-1918.net/bat2.htm:
Battle of Le Cateau 26 August 1914

26 August: Le Cateau: Moved from bivouac at 4am; very little time to entrench before enemy opened fire (causing severe losses in 28th Brigade and some infantry trenches). 65th Bty materially assisted with their fire in beating off two attacks on Troisvilles and neighbourhood from NW. Had run out of ammunition by 2pm.
Meanwhile, infantry attack had developed on 13th Infantry Bde from direction of forest. 61st Bty did very good work in stopping enemy’s infantry advance and preventing them gaining the plateau. This Battery did not retire until they had fired their last round and all 13th Infantry Bde had left their trenches.
37th Bty successfully withdrawn during night under heavy fire.
27 August: After marching all night, Bde reached St Quentin at 6am and bivouacked at Rocourt. Resumed marching at 1pm to Ollezy (via Roury, Fluquieres, Tugny and St Simon) where Bde bivouacked with remainder of Division. During the day and preceding night, retreat had been carried out without attack by enemy “who must have been too severely handled in the previous day’s battle to be able to pursue”.
28 August: Departed 8.30am for Pontoise (via Cugny, Berlancourt and Noyon).
29 August: Bivouacked all day. Moved to Carlepont at 8.30pm.
30 August: Departed 2am and marched to Croutoy (via Bascule, Rue de Val and Attichy).
31 August: Bde left at 8am and marched to Crepy en Valois (via St Etienne, Pierrefonds, Morienval and Fresnoy). Bivouacked at Haxemont Ferme.

1 September: Placed under orders of GOC 14th Infantry Bde and took up position at Sablieres. At 1pm, 61st and 37th Bty opened fire on 2/3 squadrons of enemy’s cavalry near Raperie.
2 September: Departed bivouac south of Nanteuil en Valois at 3.30pm and marched with remainder of 5th Division to Iverny.
3 September: Left Chambre Fontaine at 7am and formed part of rearguard to 5th Division. Came into action south of La Baste to cover “retirement of our outposts”.
According to a document Steve obtained from The Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow in 2008:
3 September: Incident at Pavillion Farm, Jury in France.
22 October: Papers indicate that Frank was tried by a Field General Court Martial and sentenced to “2 years imprisonment HL” (hard labour?) for “leaving his post before being regularly relieved when a soldier acting as sentinel on active service”.
Subsequent remarks indicated: “6 months imprisonment remitted” and “Sentence commuted by Corps Commander to 3 months Field Punishment no.1”.

Alan identified this website for an explanation of “Field Punishment no.1”.
As he pointed out in a subsequent e-mail to Steve:
“Leaving your post acting as a sentinel certainly was a serious offence. At that time there were 4 types of court martial and 2 of them, General Court Martial (GCM) and Field General Court Martial (FGCM) could pass the death sentence! This remained the case until 1930. I like the way it states: ‘The British Army was composed of volunteers...who were regarded by many as lower beings, not fit for the niceties of British Justice’. The commander taking the hearing would act as judge and jury with very little chance of appeal. Field punishments were regarded as brutal by most soldiers - the offender may be kept in irons, attached by ropes or straps or made to labour. Plainly the incident occurred soon after Frank’s arrival - due to lack of knowledge, experience...or was he enticed away by a Mademoiselle? Records show that 7 people were executed for quitting their post”.

4 September: Remained in bivouac all day. Baggage wagons left for Ferrolles at 12 noon. Bde marched to Tournan (via Villeneuve). “Route to Tournan lay through forest and officer misguided column” (discovered by another officer)…. Much delayed by field ambulance, which was the leading unit, “having to reverse in a very bad muddy lane”.
5 September: Reached Gagny (south of Tournan) and remained there all day (note: southernmost point reached by Bde in its retirement after Le Cateau).
6 September: Advance begun (forming only artillery for 15th Infantry Bde). Marched to La Pointe by 1.30pm and bivouacked for 1.5hours. Moved on at 6.45pm.
7 September: Marched to Boissy le Chatel and bivouacked for night. Two shells wounded 2 men from Cheshires (who were in front of 8th Bde) when passing through Vaupleurs. Still attached to 15th Infantry.
8 September: Marched to St Ouen.
9 September: Located east of Charnesseuil-Rougeville road.
10 September: Marched to Chezy in Orxious (via Montreuil, Dhuisy, Coulombs and Brumetz; where batteries brought into action).
11 September: Marched to Billy Sur Ourcq (via Dammard, Neuilly and Chouy). Wet evening and cold night.
12 September: Departed 4am and came into action in late evening near Serches. Very wet night.
No supplies all day.
13 September: Three batteries went into action on heights north of Ciry to support attack of 13th Infantry.
www.1914-1918.net/bat4.htm:
Battle of the Aisne 12-15 September 1914

14 September: 37th+61st Batteries moved via Le Mesnil and crossed River Aisne by pontoon at Venizel. “Attack made by us on Chivres Heights just failed”. During afternoon, enemy’s guns opened fire from Chivres ridge (the wagons and teams of 61st+37th Bty were in this road… and had to be unhooked and placed under cover in neighbouring yards and buildings). 13 horses killed or destroyed between two batteries.
15 September: 61st Bty remained in action throughout day.
16 September: No change.
17 September: Enemy’s artillery bombarded Bucy Le Long.
18 September: No change.
19 September: No change. “Orders received for all obviously hostile aircraft to be fired at”.
20 September: -
21 September: No change.
22 September: 80th Bty opened fire on lower edges of woods on Chivres at daylight.
23 September: -
24 September: Heavy artillery turned on to enemy’s guns at Fort de Conde.
25 September: HQ of 8th Bde and 80th Bty RFA remained at St Marguerite.
26-30 September: -

1 October: Lt Col Duffus 8th Bde RFA in command of 61st+80th Bty.
2 October: At daybreak, HQ and 61st Bty “put horses under cover from aeroplanes”. Whole of 8th Bde marched with column consisting of 15th Infantry Bde, 108 Heavy Bty and 15th Bde to Nampteuil (via Serches).
4 October: -
5 October: Reinforcements joined Brigade.
6-12 October: -
www.1914-1918.net/bat6.htm:
Battle of La Bassee 12 October - 2 November 1914

13 October: 37th+65th Bty came into action at dawn to support advance of 14th Infantry Bde between Richebourg and Festubert.
14-15 October: -
16 October: At Gorre. Received orders to support attack of French division south of canal at Cuinchy. Support fire for French left on La Bassee Bridge over canal and Auchy.
17-19 October: Cuinchy and Festubert.
20 October: At Sailly Labourse. Came into action 1 mile west of Mazingarbe and Annequin.
21-30 October: -
31 October: Still at Gorre. Meerut Division relieved greater part of 5th Division (8th Bde not relieved).

1 November: Grouped at Gorre with 37th Bty, 4th Bde RFA, 20th Indian Infantry Bde; 61st Bty with 13th Bde RFA; 65th Bty with 9th Bde RFA.
2-13 November: -
9 November: Despatch from King George V to Sir John French (BEF):
“The splendid pluck, spirit and endurance shown by my troops in the desperate fighting which has continued for so many days against vastly superior forces fills me with admiration. I am confident in the final results of their noble efforts under your able command”.
14 November: Prisoners captured during night stated that enemy intended to attack at 6.30am. Troops warned but no attack took place.
15-18 November: -
19 November: Snow fell during aftwernoon.
20 November: No change. Sharp frost and roads bad.
21-26 November: -
27 November: 2/3rds Bde marched to Dranoutre (1/3rd remained at Gorre).
28 November: Occupying position north of Neuve-Eglise “battery was heavily shelled during the day and had three men wounded”.
HQ 8TH Bde went into billets at Croix de Poperinghe and rested.
29+30 November: -

1 December: Grouped at St Jans Cappel. 37th Bty attached to Indian Corps; 61st Bty in action north of Neuve Eglise; 65th Bty in action at Lindenhoek.
2 December: According to Frank's Service Records, he was transferred to 38th Brigade RFA.
3 December: King George V visited army in the field and presented medals (VCs/DSOs/DCMs).
4+5 December: -
6 December: Communication from King received:
“By your discipline, pluck and endurance, inspired by the indomitable regimental spirit, you have not only upheld the tradition of the British Army, but added fresh lustre to its history”.
7-13 December: -
14 December: Attack on Wytschaete (61st Bty fired 305 rounds and destroyed two houses being used as observing stations by the enemy).
15-24 December: -
25 December: Christmas Day: “Princess Mary’s Gifts and Xmas Cards from their Majesties The King and Queen distributed to every officer, NCO and man”.
26-31 December: Messines: No change.