Tag: Blog Post
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Finsbury Rifles: Away from the Western Front. 9th June to 17th June 1916.
Date 9 to 10/6/16 Work on defences as usual. Orders received to prepare to join a mobile column. Date 11/6/16 Battalion proceeded to join mobile column by route march to point of concentration via Geneffe railhead. Burgea for the night. Date 12/6/16 Battalion proceeded to a point 6 miles east…
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Finsbury Rifles, Away from the Western Front. 1st June – 9th June 1916.
Location SHALLUFA Date 1 to 2/6/16 Work on defences as usual. Captain Comber reported from English leave. Date 3/6/16 Work on defences as usual. 6 other ranks joined from 54th Divisional Base Details. Date 4 to 8/6/16 Work on defences as usual. 3 other ranks joined from 54th Divisional Base…
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Finsbury Rifles, Away from the Western Front. 24th May to 31th May 1916.
In this passage follow the Rifles from Gebel Murr (on the East of the Suez Canal) to bases at Kubri and Shallufa (to the north of the Canal). The map below comes from the book ‘The New Zealanders at Gallipoli’ (1919), and illustrates the location of El Kubri and Shallufa. It took…
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Finsbury Rifles, Away from the Western Front: 17th May to 23rd May.
Work continues as usual, with inspections and work on defences. The Rifles prepare to return to Kubri, from Gebel Mur. Date 17/5/16 Work on the defences before breakfast. Various fatigues found. Guards and piquet’s as usual. Date 18/5/16 GOK Division visits the post 05/54 inspected the works. Normal routine. Date…
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Finsbury Rifles, Away from the Western Front. 10th May to 16th May 1916.
In this passage we see the Rifles move from El Shatt to Gebel Mur. The Diary logs the arrival of Captain Tattersall, alongside 40 other ranks. Tattersall is pictured below , standing on a dune, in an image which illustrates the wide horizons and tall dunes of the Rifles’ environment at…
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Finsbury Rifles, Away from the Western Front. 3rd May to 9th May.
In early May the Battalion moves to El Shatt, and settles in before beginning a 7 day tour of duty and providing men to support defence work. On the 7th of May, the Rifles receive an order to provide 350 Officers and men, for a Desert Column. Date 3/5/16 Battalion parades…
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The Finsbury Rifles, our local regiment
Who were the Finsbury Rifles? The Finsbury Rifles, or the 11th (County of London) Battalion, part of the London Regiment, was one of the many cogs in the large machine of Britain’s Armed Forces. It was a volunteer unit of the Territorial Force (a forerunner of today’s modern army reserve) which…
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Finsbury Rifles, Away from the Western Front. 26th April to 2nd May 1916.
This passage charts the busy life at camp, while the troops were stationed at Kubri, along the Suez Canal. We see much coming and going of Captains and Lieutenants, as they lead Advance Parties, return from hospital or even head to England. In the photo above we can see the proximity of…
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Finsbury Rifles, Away from the Western Front. 19th April to 25th April 1916.
In this post, the Diary records a visit from HRH Edward Prince of Wales on Easter Sunday, which was marked with concerts and sports. The Prince of Wales was unable to serve on the front line, due to his position as the heir to the throne. However, he was commissioned…
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Finsbury Rifles, Away from the Western Front. 12th April to 18th April 1916.
In this passage, the Finsbury Rifles move to Kubri, further along the Suez Canal. We see how the Canal is used to transport supplies while the Battalion marches at 5.30 am, following the procedure practised on their Route Marches. Classes are held, once the new camp is sufficiently established, and…
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