1st March 1915 On this day:  Route March  Hemel Hempstead - War preparations Recruitment and Training    Bridging Training near Lurgan, County Armagh. 16th Btn. Royal Irish Rifles - Pioneers Recruitment figures were not published for March 1915. Recruitment efforts were mainly concentrated on Brownlow House as a showpiece for many inspections by high ranking officers and politicians, the public also in attendance. Training. Much more intensive military manoeuvres took place by night and day increasing the demands on all officers and men to harden them for future demands on active service. Trench works. During the week ending 20th March the Battalion carried out several very interesting operations including day and night outpost schemes with trench digging and sapping by night. Sapping is cutting out trenches from the front line forward towards the enemy trenches, used for listening posts, mortars, machine guns or jump off points for attacks. Road works. Work continued on projects with local councils alongside council workers in County Armagh and County Down. Railway works. A great deal of railway training was undertaken in March. On the 21st March 3 Officers and 7 NCOs were sent to Crumlin, where a railway bridge was being erected. Other works were carried out on the rail lines near Antrim, on the Lurgan to Moira railway line and a course was attended at Stewartstown. Bridging. While it is not recorded what types of bridging works were done, we can assume they had to construct bridges capable of taking Divisional Horse drawn transport including artillery pieces. There were various exercises carried out on lakes in local parks and bridge building on the Lagan near Donacloney and Dynes Bridge. Barrel rafts capable of supporting wagons and artillery pieces were constructed. Demolition. Training in explosive and demolitions was limited from a practical point of safety and shortage of materials. Demonstration of grenades, land mines and the use of gun cotton on rocks and metal were done with reduced charges leaving the observers to imagine the effects of a full charge. They were also introduced to jam pot type grenades and the use of warning flares including methods of firing; trip wire, cut wire and pull by defender. Other examples included explosive traps already experienced in early fighting at the Front. General Field Training. There is no evidence to suggest that any form of formalised field training was available prior to leaving Lurgan and that progress in this area would be based on ad hoc solutions devised in training exercises or live situations. There is evidence of training courses being held at Reading in Berkshire. Doran Family Changes in personnel   The Field Ambulance continues to work the area occupied by the 18th Infantry Brigade as during last month. Capt. Burgess 2 Canadian Field Ambulance left to rejoin his own unit. Lt. A P Ford reported his arrival from St Omer for duty. War Diary 19th Field Ambulance RAMC, Armentières  In Corps Reserve Reserve position   E Battery 3rd Brigade RHA With 5th Cavalry Brigade in Reserve 1st to 8th March - in billets at Maisnil war diaries 3rd Monmouths go into the front line   After spending the night at St Jans Capelle on the outskirts of Bailleul, the Welsh troops were taken by a fleet of old London buses to Bailleul, where they joined the 28th Division, commanded by Major General Bulfin and spent the night on the out-skirts the town, St Jans Capelle. On the 1 st March, St David's day, the first men were sent up to the front for instruction with the 1 st Welsh Regiment. In a letter to his parents Private G Norton of A Company wrote: "The firing line is not as bad as you would think, at least it is not so bad as we expected it to be. The trenches we have been in are dry ones, and the only thing is the cold nights. We were shelled rather heavily last Tuesday; but our guns gave them something after. The men we were in with didn't seem to mind much. They say, "Keep your napper down and you're alright!" " (Dixon, With Rifle and Pick, 1990).  Training  Division relocation  Still fairly quiet at front  Relocation and back into Action A Royal Visitor   H.R.H. The Prince of Wales walked round the trenches occupied by the 1st Battalion KRRC, with General Horne. Battalion War Diaries 1914-195 WO 95/1358/3  Squadron Formed  On the Move  Greek Offer  Fur Coats Issued Brigade at Country House   The headquarters of the Warwickshire Brigade was stationed at Felix Hall, Kelvedon, Essex. The 6th Btn Royal Warwicks were also stationed at Kelvedon, with the 5th being at Braintree, the 7th at Witham and the 8th Battalion also at Braintree.  Instruction  Move  Shelling  In Billets  In Billets  Billets  Training  Route March  Brigade in Reserve  Quiet  Registration  In Billets  At 1000 hours a shell struck Battalion headquarters at "Dugout Farm"  In Divisional Reserve  In Billets  Monthly statement.  Night Outposts started  Inspection Can you add to this factual information? Do you know the whereabouts of a unit on a particular day? Do you have a copy of an official war diary entry? Details of an an incident? The loss of a ship? A letter, postcard, photo or any other interesting snipts? If your information relates only to an individual, eg. enlistment, award of a medal or death, please use this form: Add a story.

Killed, Wounded, Missing, Prisoner and Patient Reports published this day. This section is under construction.

Want to know more about 1st of March 1915? There are:34 items tagged 1st of March 1915 available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Remembering those who died this day, 1st of March 1915. Pte. Thomas Bethune. 9th Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Read their Story. Pte. Alfred Eneas. 2nd Btn. Scots Guards Read their Story. Pte. Frederick Foster. 2nd Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers Read their Story. Pte. Henry Graham. 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Read their Story. Capt. Charley Vernon Leslie Poë. 4th Btn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps Read their Story. Add a name to this list.

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