5th December 1917 On this day:  On the Move  Training 21st Londons withdraw from Bourlon Wood    At just after 12 midnight on the morning of the 5th December, 21st Battalion, London Regiment withdraws from Bourlon Wood according to plan to Hindenburg Support Line, casualties Lieut. Hunt killed, 2 o.r. wounded. 4 a.m. Outpost line (2 platoons from C Coy 21st Londons) under Lieut J Edmunds withdrew without casualty from Bourlon Wood. 6.30 a.m. Outpost line reported back with the 21st London Battalion. The Battalion extended in accordance with 142 Infantry Brigade: Operational Order 240. Dispositions being 4 Companies, each disposed in depth, 2 platoons in main line of resistance, 1 platoon in outpost line. Major R.H. Tolerton came forward to relieve Lt Col Dawes, & temporarily assumed command of the Battalion. Battalion HQ in 5.9’ gunpits in forward trench system. War Diary 21 Londons Daily Activity   9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers. Trenches south of Marcoing. Battalion in the line. Captain Flood was killed at 0900 by shrapnel. War Diaries Gotha Night raids   Poor weather prevented raids in November, and the Gotha crews occupied themselves with training flights. To lessen the chance of a raid meeting adverse weather, in December the Germans began to send out a radio-equipped Rumpler C.IV to make weather observations off the English coast. The weather cleared on 5 December, when 19 Gothas and two Giants attacked in several waves. Casualties were light but over £100,000 of damage was caused, most of this in London. Two Gothas were brought down by anti-aircraft fire: one, with one engine disabled, attempted a landing at Rochford aerodrome, but struck a tree on approach and crashed, and the second came down near Canterbury. In both cases all the crew survived, but a third aircraft and crew was reported as missing. John Doran    SM U-108 Type U 93 Shipyard Germaniawerft, Kiel (Werk 277) Ordered 5 May 1916 Launched 11 Oct 1917 Commissioned 5 Dec 1917 Commanders. 5 Dec 1917 - 11 Nov 1918 Martin Nitzsche Career 3 patrols. start date unknown - 11 Nov 1918 IV Flotilla. Successes 1 ship sunk with a total of 7,484 tons. 15 Jul 1918 U 108 Martin Nitzsche Barunga 7,484 br. Fate 20 Nov 1918 - Surrendered to France. Became the french submarine Léon Mignot until 24 July 1935. Broken up. There was another U 108 in World War Two. That boat was launched from its shipyard on 15 Jul 1940 and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 22 Oct 1940. John Doran  Mid-air collision    ARLEUX EN GOHELLE Enemy artillery active during the morning. He shelled TIRED ALLEY (from its junction with RED LINE) to ARLEUX LOOP NORTH. ARLEUX LOOP NORTH near the ARLEUX SUGAR FACTORY ROAD also received attention. This shelling was rather heavy, 5.9 being principally used, and considerable damage was done to the trenches. At 10pm he opened a very heavy gas shell bombardment on the SUGAR FACTORY, WILLERVAL and in B.5.a. which continued until midnight, however, as we had previous warning that gas was expected, our men were fully alert. Our artillery were active during the day. 6 enemy balloons were seen up during the day & E.A. were also active. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1  Reliefs Completed  Training & Football  In the Trenches  Artillery Active  Training  Combat training  Cleaning up  At Rest  Reorganisation  A Relief  In Reserve  Reliefs  Cold Weathe  Attack Practised  On the March  Brigade Lectures.  Intermediate line  Carrying party for ammunition.  Rifle Match  On Ranges  Nothing to record 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 5th of December 1917? There are:28 items tagged 5th of December 1917 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, 5th of December 1917. Pte. Patrick Bell. 1st Btn. Irish Guards Read their Story. Pte. George Henry Chapman. 19th Btn. London Regiment Read their Story. Pte. John Hagon. 11th Btn. Royal Fusiliers Harry Heybyrne. 17th Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps Read their Story. L/Cpl. Charles Christopher Hood. 7th Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry Capt. Thomas Vicars Hunter. 66 Squadron Read their Story. L/Cpl. Joseph Henry Jackson. MM. 1/4th Battalion Kings Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) Read their Story. Sgt. Joseph Henry Newman. 2/7th Btn. Sherwood Foresters Read their Story. Pte. WIlliam O'Neill. 1st Btn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Pte. William Edward Sherwood. 19th (St Pancras) Battalion London Regiment Read their Story. Sgt. Harold Hetherington Williams. 2nd Btn. Manchester Regiment Add a name to this list.

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