Derbyshire Lads: The Men: S Dore June 1916

The Diary of Private Sidney Dore, number 3895, 14th Section, 8th Platoon, B Company, 1/7th Notts & Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment for the Year 1916.

June

1. Fine all day. Listening post all night. Very cold.
2. Bombardment on the right of the 8th Sherwoods. Listening post all night.
3. Still in the trenches. Rain all day. On sentry all night. The trenches were getting very hot every day. Decent weather all week.
4. Fine all day. Relieved at night by the 4th Lincolns after 16 days in the trenches.
5. Arrived at Bienvillers safe and sound. Weather very unsettled. Rest all day.
6. Fatigued from digging. Rest all day. Left Bienvillers for Sus-St.-Leger. [north east of Doullens]
7. Arrived at Sus-St.-Leger in a very exhausted condition.
8. Practicing sham attacks. Bayonet fighting in the afternoon.
9. Working in a wood at Sus-St.-Leger.
10. Practicing sham attacks. No afternoon parade owing to the downpour of rain. First week of supposed rest but absolutely no good
11. First church parade at Sus-St.-Leger. Baths and bayonets sharpened.
12. Making hurdles for the trenches in St.Leger wood. Working all day.
13. Practicing sham attacks. Got wet through. Bayonet and physical drill in the afternoon.
14. Working in the Sus-St.-Leger wood. Weather, rain all day.
15. Practicing attacks in the morning and afternoon. All the clocks advanced one hour.
16. Rehearsing the attack with the 5th Battalion on our right. Everyone throws a live bomb at 2.30.
17. Practicing sham attacks. Bayonets sharpened in the afternoon. Hard weeks work with practicing the sham attacks every day.
18. Voluntary church service. Left Sus-St.-Leger 6.30. Arrived Bienvillers 12.30.
19. Fatigued from the big march. Rest all day. Went up the line digging.
20. Fatigued from digging. Breakfast 4 a.m. Digging shelters in the afternoon.
21. Digging all day and night long on a 6th of a loaf.
22. Fatigued from digging. Breakfast at 4 a.m. Voluntary digging in afternoon and also at night.
23. Weather, hot sultry day followed by heavy thunderstorm. Went to trenches on fatigue. Up to the knees in water.
24. Weather - very unsettled. Nothing doing for once. Bumping fatigue at night. Heavy bombardment begins. Very bad week for fatigues. Many casualties. Heavy thunderstorms in the week.
25. Bombardment continued with great violence. Working in the advanced trench. Up to the waist in water.
26. Bombardment continued. 4 casualties while in the advanced trench. Canadine brothers wounded. Drying clothes. [William Canadine died of wounds on 28/06/16. One assumes from the following entries that the news of his death had not filtered back to the battalion. His brother, Private Frederick W. Canadine, 3853, of the 1/7th Battalion, survived the war.]
27. Still drying clothes. Heavy bombardment still on. Rain all day long. Nothing doing.
28. Bernard's birthday. Heavy rain all day long. Bombardment all day. Went up the line for the attack.
29. Attack cancelled at the last minute. Bombardment still continued. Patrols in action.
30. First week of bombardment. Good results. Trenches in a very bad state. Bombardment still continued with great violence. Nice weather. Getting ready for the attack.


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The Diary of Private Sidney Dore, number 3895, 14th Section, 8th Platoon, B Company, 1/7th Notts & Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment for the Year 1916. June 1. Fine all day. Listening post all night. Very cold. 2. Bombardment on the right of the 8th Sherwoods. Listening post all night. 3. Still in the trenches. Rain all day. On sentry all night. The trenches were getting very hot every day. Decent weather all week. 4. Fine all day. Relieved at night by the 4th Lincolns after 16 days in the trenches. 5. Arrived at Bienvillers safe and sound. Weather very unsettled. Rest all day. 6. Fatigued from digging. Rest all day. Left Bienvillers for Sus-St.-Leger. [north east of Doullens] 7. Arrived at Sus-St.-Leger in a very exhausted condition. 8. Practicing sham attacks. Bayonet fighting in the afternoon. 9. Working in a wood at Sus-St.-Leger. 10. Practicing sham attacks. No afternoon parade owing to the downpour of rain. First week of supposed rest but absolutely no good 11. First church parade at Sus-St.-Leger. Baths and bayonets sharpened. 12. Making hurdles for the trenches in St.Leger wood. Working all day. 13. Practicing sham attacks. Got wet through. Bayonet and physical drill in the afternoon. 14. Working in the Sus-St.-Leger wood. Weather, rain all day. 15. Practicing attacks in the morning and afternoon. All the clocks advanced one hour. 16. Rehearsing the attack with the 5th Battalion on our right. Everyone throws a live bomb at 2.30. 17. Practicing sham attacks. Bayonets sharpened in the afternoon. Hard weeks work with practicing the sham attacks every day. 18. Voluntary church service. Left Sus-St.-Leger 6.30. Arrived Bienvillers 12.30. 19. Fatigued from the big march. Rest all day. Went up the line digging. 20. Fatigued from digging. Breakfast 4 a.m. Digging shelters in the afternoon. 21. Digging all day and night long on a 6th of a loaf. 22. Fatigued from digging. Breakfast at 4 a.m. Voluntary digging in afternoon and also at night. 23. Weather, hot sultry day followed by heavy thunderstorm. Went to trenches on fatigue. Up to the knees in water. 24. Weather - very unsettled. Nothing doing for once. Bumping fatigue at night. Heavy bombardment begins. Very bad week for fatigues. Many casualties. Heavy thunderstorms in the week. 25. Bombardment continued with great violence. Working in the advanced trench. Up to the waist in water. 26. Bombardment continued. 4 casualties while in the advanced trench. Canadine brothers wounded. Drying clothes. [William Canadine died of wounds on 28/06/16. One assumes from the following entries that the news of his death had not filtered back to the battalion. His brother, Private Frederick W. Canadine, 3853, of the 1/7th Battalion, survived the war.] 27. Still drying clothes. Heavy bombardment still on. Rain all day long. Nothing doing. 28. Bernard's birthday. Heavy rain all day long. Bombardment all day. Went up the line for the attack. 29. Attack cancelled at the last minute. Bombardment still continued. Patrols in action. 30. First week of bombardment. Good results. Trenches in a very bad state. Bombardment still continued with great violence. Nice weather. Getting ready for the attack.