1915 DIARY

Taken from 38th Brigade Royal Field Artillery War Diaries (National Archives).
You can track Frank’s locations during 1915 by following this map link.

1+2 January 1915: At Messines.
3 January: Withdrew to Dranoutre to overhaul guns.
4-6 January: -
7 January: Moved to Neuve Eglise.
8-10 January: -
11 January: Engaged various targets with good effect. Howitzer shells dropped in enemy trenches (enemy forced to evacuate).
12-26 January: -
27 January: No change. Kaiser’s birthday – all quiet.
28-30 January: -
31 January: Enemy shelled fairly heavily road in front of 65th Bty between 3-4pm.

1 February: Still at Neuve Eglise. 37th Bty attached to Indian Corps (or 28th Div); 61st Bty grouped with 27th Bde RFA; 65th Bty grouped with 28th Bde RFA.
2-7 February: -
8 February 1915: Frank posted from 38th Brigade to 12th Brigade.
8 February: At Armentieres: Field howitzers opened fire of 24th Bty; they were engaged and eventually silenced. “Daily allowance of ammunition exceeded. The hostile fire then increased”. 12th Bde at La Houssoie: did not fire.
9 February: Fired four rounds at Goods Station near Rue du Bois (“4th round went through roof”). Lt McHair of 87th Bty wounded in morning.
10+11 February: 38th Bde did not fire.
12-15 February: -
16 February: Shelled crossroads at Blanc Coulon.
17+18 February: Dispersed working party.
19+20 February: -
21+22 February: One gun sent to new position near L’Armee to register trenches.
23-27 February: -
28 February: “Germans put two light shells through house occupied by observation party – but all the men got out in time”.

1-8 March: -
9 March: Registered trenches in front of Bois Blanc.
10 March: Bois Grenier.
11 March: Frank posted to 72nd Battery.
12-21 March: -
22 March: Big attack made successfully on Neuve Chapelle. Fired on firing line trench in retaliation for shelling Bois Grekier. Fired 8 rounds.
23-29 March: -
30 March: Registered French by La Houssoie. “Two German batteries opened fire and we immediately located. Fired 36 rounds”.

1 April: -
2 April: Registered trenches in front of Wez Macquart.
3+4 April: -
5 April: Battery re-assembled at its position Rue des Charles.
6-12 April: -
13 April: “3pm: Shelled hotel at La Houssoie – obtaining five direct hits”.
14-29 April: -
30 April: “Life continued as before”.

www.1914-1918.net/bat10.htm: Second Battle of Ypres 22 April – 25 May 1915www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWypres2.htmNote: War Diary file at The National Archives contains booklet by Col E Harding-Newman, published 1919: “Action of the 37th Battery RFA in the Second Battle of Ypres, 22 April – 3 May 1915”.

1-22 May: -
23 May: Co-operated with the 49th Division in attack on some houses at Touquet. 12th Bde cut wire and bombarded trenches to east of Bois Grenier-Radinghem road.
24-29 May: -
30 May: Poreringhe. One section from each battery went into action. 72nd Bty temporarily detached from 38th Bde and joined 24th Bde north-west of Ypres. 24th and 134th Bty relieved 149th and 366th Bty of 146th Bde.
31 May: Relief of 146th Bde completed. Zone of 38th Bde is from Verlorenhoek road to Roulers railway.

1 June: Ypres. Quiet day.
2 June: Germans shelled Ypres and district heavily during afternoon.
3 June: 24th and 34th Bty registered and 65th Bty fired six rounds at German trenches, obtaining 3 direct hits.
4+5 June: 24th and 34th Bty registered. 65th Bty not engaged.
6 June: 24th Bty located and silenced field battery. 34th Bty registered. 65th not engaged.
7 June: 24th and 65th Bty each dispersed small party of Germans. 65th Bty afterwards fired at German sausage balloon and caused it to descend.
8 June: Ypres. Fired at party of Germans walking up lane.
9 June: Searched road from Verlorenhoek to Frezenberg. Direct hit obtained on some buildings and also later fired to stop sniping at the request of infantry.
10 June: Fired at working party in the trenches.
11 June: -
12 June: At 5.30pm fired a few rounds at field gun which was shelling north of Potijze and it stopped at once.
13-15 June: -
16 June: Assault on Bellewarde Ridge. Wire cutting and bombardment took place from 2.50am-4.15am and was effective. By 5.45am Bellewarde Farm had been taken. De Bellewarde: 38th Bty formed barrage preventing reinforcements from coming up from north-east. Fire on Bde used in moving to disperse counter attacks.
17+18 June: Not engaged.
19 June: Shelled German front line trenches.
20 June: Ypres. Silenced a battery and then turned on observation station. Also shelled railway station at 1am at the request of infantry (who were being shelled with gas shell in this area).
21 June: Engaged howitzers and afterwards shelled enemy trenches.
22 June: Took part in operations to take an earthwork and to make a trench running north from it to join our own trench crossing the Roulers railway. Bombardments at 10 minute intervals.
23+24 June: Quiet day.
25 June: Fired a few rounds at Verlorenhoek road.
26 June: Registered anti-aircraft gun and silenced it.
27 June: Shelled parties of men behind wood and registered an enemy gun emplacement in this wood at 9am.
28 June: Ypres. Registered three line trenches and shelled centre of Frezenberg in retaliation. Silenced howitzers which were shelling in the direction of Menin Road.
29 June: Shelled field guns.
30 June: Shelled woods as working party was reported there. Also shelled observation station in trench south of Roulers railway.

1 July: Ypres. Shelled wood.
2 July: Heavy guns turned on to trench. Germans seen to run away down Roulers railway. Also shelled observing house. Fired a few rounds in retaliation at Verlorenhoek dip.
3 July: At 6.30am was again shelled with gas shell. Trenches fired on in retaliation.
4 July: Occasional rounds.
5 July: Ypres. Engaged field guns which were shelling our trenches. They stopped firing.
6 July: Took part in a fire demonstration from 5.30-6.30am. Targets engaged (trenches). Owing to mist, little movement could be seen but some Germans were seen coming up communication trench and were shelled to good effect.
7 July: Obtained direct hit on advanced post. Shelled working party in Prinz Oskar Farm.
8 July: Silenced field guns.
9 July: Shelled party of 30 men in trench.
10 July: -
11+12 July: Shelled suspected observing houses.
13 July: Shelled working party on railway bank (battery retaliated). Germans rushed our advance post at Stink Houses on Verlorenhoek road. Batteries at once turned to form a curtain of fire round this post, while it was re-taken by our bombing parties.
14+15 July: Shelled working party.
16 July: Fired on trenches in retaliation. Shelled observing house and working party.
17 July: Shelled and dispersed working party leaving dug-out near railway.
18 July: Parties of men dispersed by Battery. Farm shelled.
19 July: Shelled working parties. Gun opened on our trenches at 1.15pm and was engaged. Retaliated on German trenches.
20 July: Exploded mine near Hooge. German artillery opened fire on numerous points and battalion commander asked for artillery support.
21 July: Shelled working party. Engaged field gun and scattered some Germans. Germans replied on 24th Bty billet and burnt it to the ground. Retaliatory fire on observing stations.
22 July: Ypres. Further fire on working parties and house (Stink Houses).
23 July: Four or five direct hits observed on chateau near Menin Road(?).
24 July: Shelled Verlorenhoek hollow and Prinz Oskar Farm in retaliation for single gun shelling. Shelled chateau “apparently hitting periscope”.
25+26 July: -
27 July: Shelled Frezenberg crossroads in reply to howitzer shelling south of Menin Road.
28+29 July: Fired on working party and anti-aircraft gun.
30 July: Ypres (note: war diary written by Lt Col Phillpotts). Co-operation during attack near Hooge to recapture lost trenches. Preliminary bombardment lasted from 2.00-2.45pm. Lots of action.
31 July: Continuing engagement.

1-7 August: Ypres.
8 August: All batteries fired intermittently during the night on German trenches between Bellewarde Farm and Roulers.
9 August: Infantry Brigades attacked Hooge.
10-30 August: Every day continuing engagement (summary).
31 August: A quiet day.

1 September: Single gun located. All batteries retaliated on German trenches.
2-30 September: Continuing engagement (every day)(summary).

1-21 October: Ypres.
22 October: 38th Brigade relieved by 24th Bde. Batteries were billeted in farms between Watou and Houtkerque. “The Brigade has come out for 3 weeks rest – the first it has had for nearly 12 months”.
23-26 October: -
27 October: The King reviewed detachments of 6th Corps today. 38th Bde sent 20 men”.
28-31 October: in rest.

1-22 November: At rest in Watou.
23-30 November: 34th and 24th Bty and Bde staff moved to Volkerinckhove. 72nd detached to Berthen.

1 December: Volk. Brigade in exercising camp near Watten.
2-5 December: -
6 December: In rest at Escquelbec.
7-15 December: -
16 December: One section of Battery goes into action at Ypres relieving battalions of 48th Bde, 14th Division.
17 December: Relief completed.
18 December: Ypres.
19 December: Germans commenced gas attack at 5.30am. “All batteries fired on their front line trench throughout most of the morning, retaliated occasionally during afternoon”. No infantry attack.
20 December: Retaliated hostile shelling in afternoon.
21 December: Continuing action.
22+23 December: -
24 December: 24th Bty was shelled with gas shells from 9am-2pm. No casualties.
25-31 December: Continuing action.