55 DIVISION 165 Infantry Brigade, Brigade Machine Gun Company

Full colour facsimile reprint of the original First World War, War Office war diary of the Brigade Machine Gun Company, 165 Infantry Brigade, 55th Division, covering January 1917 to February 1918 across 158 pages. It names 30 places across 47 dated entries. Alongside the daily entries the volume carries fourteen reports, narratives and plans, eighteen Operation Orders and five maps. Among the papers are: 165th Machine Gun Company Appendix "A" to operation order No. 21; 165th Machine Gun Coy operation order No. 24; M.G. Fire Organization order; Barrage Card; 165 Machine Gun Coy Amendment a to operation order No. 31; Fire Programme Accompanying 165th Machine Gun Coy operation order No. 33. The diary opens at Ypres Salient on 1 January 1917. 1917 is the most travelled year, 29 places against 8 in the next busiest, and is spent at Ypres Salient, Poperinghe, Railway Wood Sector Ypres and Bollezeele. 1918 is spent at Festubert Givenchy, Lisbourg, Essars, Le Hamel and Cuhem. It closes at Gorre on 28 February 1918. Ypres Salient is where it spent longest, 111 days across twelve separate stays, including a single unbroken stay of 30. Trench and battlefield features named in the diary include Ypres Salient, Railway Wood Sector Ypres, Railway Wood and Ypres Salient Wieltje. In 1917 it is also recorded at Railway Wood, Watten Bollezeele, Herzeele, Ypres Salient Wieltje, Brandhoek, Zutove, Botsdingaem, Nielles-Lez-Ardres, Watou No 2 and Bapaume. In 1918 it is also recorded at Pas-De-Calais.