49 DIVISION 147 Infantry Brigade, Brigade Machine Gun Company : 26 January 1916 - 27 February 1918 (First World War, War Diary, WO95/2802/2)

Full colour facsimile reprint of the original First World War, War Office war diary of the Brigade Machine Gun Company, 147 Infantry Brigade, 49th Division, covering January 1916 to February 1918 across 167 pages. It names 77 places across 105 dated entries. Alongside the daily entries the volume carries nine Operation Orders and one map. The diary opens at Wormhoudt on 26 January 1916. 1916 is spent at Naours, Thiepval Wood, Fonquevillers, Causmesnil and Hedauville. 1917 is the most travelled year, 50 places against 34 in the next busiest, and is spent at Richebourg, Zonnebeke, Riviere, Berles Au Bois and Coast Defences Nieuport Bains St. Idesbalde. 1918 at Caestre, Forward and St Marie Cappel. It closes at Forward on 27 February 1918. Richebourg is where it spent longest, 70 days across four separate stays, it came back to Thiepval Wood six separate times, and the longest it stayed anywhere without moving was 31 days at Naours. Trench and battlefield features named in the diary include Thiepval Wood, Trenches Becelaere, Authville Wood, Aveluy Wood and Crucifix Dugouts. In 1916 it is also recorded at Esquelbec, Longeau, Molliens Vidame, Ailly Sur Somme, Mirvaux, Bouzincourt, Bertrancourt, Talmas, La Yicogne and Rubempre. In 1917 it is also recorded at Bellacourt, Bailleulval, Grenas, Bouquemaison, Doullens, Vieille Chapelle, Ferme Du Bois Sector Richebourg, Zelobes, St Elie Sector Loos and Noyelles.