Timeline

1914

28 September: The Germans advance on Albert but 119th and 120th Regiments are halted by the French 64th and 137th Regiments. The Germans hold La Boisselle and a farm on the southeast edge, known as the Granathof or Ilôt.

8 October: German attack at Bécourt fails.

End November: Germans begin mining towards the Granathof.

November – December: French sap to within 3 metres of the Granathof.

17 December: An attack by the French 19th and 118th Regiments north of La Boisselle is defeated by fire from the German 119th and 120th Regiments in La Boisselle but the French 118th Regiment rushes the village cemetery.

24 December: The French heavily shell La Boisselle and 118th, 62nd and 64th Regiments attack, capturing the Granathof. The 64th Regiment is halted in La Boisselle by a German gun concealed in the crypt of the church and withdraws.

25 December: The French 11/4 Engineer Company begins four mine shafts inside the Granathof.

27 December: The German 120th Regiment attempts to retake the Granathof but is prevented by the French 64th and 118th Regiments.

End December to March 1915: The Germans transform La Boisselle into a fortress, using over 5,000 wagon loads of material including almost 60,000 sandbags.

1915

 

2 January: Germans blow mine aimed at the Granathof, but have accidentally laid it beneath their own trenches.

5 January: Germans blow mine under French line but cause little damage.

8 January: German attempt to capture Granathof fails.

10 January: French blow mine and attack. Germans halt attack with heavy fighting around the farm.

14-15 January: German attempts to capture Granathof fail.

Mid-January: Germans begin mined dugouts 5-7m below ground to shelter troops.

18 January: Germans raid the Granathof and partially destroy cellars and mine shafts.

7 February: Germans blow 2,500kg mine again damaging Granathof cellars and mine shafts and burying eight French miners whose bodies cannot be recovered.

4 March: Lieutenant Dohollou, 19th Regiment, commanding Company 11/2 bis, mortally wounded constructing a trench which is named in his memory.

10 March: French attack and blow mine at NE corner of Granathof, infantry attack driven back.

26 March: French blow mines of 2,600kg and 1,000kg. Attack is also unsuccessful.

31 July: British troops arrive at La Boisselle, 1/7th The Black Watch take over the trenches from French 19th Regiment.

17 August: British 179th Tunnelling Company arrives, works alongside French 11/3 Engineer Company until it departs on 22nd.

26 September: 179th Tunnelling Company accidentally kill eight men when blowing a mine and are unable to recover their bodies.

13 October: British troops now call the La Boisselle sector the ‘Glory Hole’.

17 October: A professional mining engineer is appointed to command 179th Tunnelling Company in place of the Regular Royal Engineer officer.

3 November: 185th Tunnelling Company takes over eastern portion of La Boisselle tunnel system.

11 November: New tunnel in Lochnagar Street started by 185th Tunnelling Company.

20 November: A 179th Tunnelling Company shaft reaches the water table at a depth of 36m.

22 November: German mine kills 6 men of 179th Tunnelling Company and 7 men of 10th Essex Regiment.

9 December: 179th Tunnelling Company blow mine of 4,082kg.

1916

 

2 January: 179th Tunnelling Company blows mine of 4,536kg and 5 443kg.

4 February: Germans blow camouflet of 2,000kg against 185th Tunnelling Company, killing by carbon monoxide two officers, including the commander, and 16 men.

14 February: 185th Tunnelling Company blows mines of 6,530kg, 2,268kg and 5,443kg.

1 March: 185th Tunnelling Company sent to Arras, 179th Tunnelling Company again take over whole sector.

27 March: British infantry of 1st Dorsets unsuccessfully raid German 110th Reserve Regiment at Y Sap, north of La Boisselle. The German are pre-warned and withdraw, the Dorsets lose one officer and three men killed.

10 April: Germans blow mines of 5,000kg and 6,075kg killing one officer and two men of 179th Tunnelling Company.

11 April: German 110th Reserve Regiment successfully raids 1st Royal Irish Rifles south of La Boisselle, killing one officer and nine men.

4 June: German 110th Reserve Regiment twice raids 21st Northumberland Fusiliers south of La Boisselle on the first occasion unsuccessfully, killing five men but losing five men, on the second successfully, capturing 17 men.

5 June: 24th and 26th Northumberland Fusiliers raid German trenches but fail to capture prisoners.

24 June: British begin preparatory bombardment for attack opening the Battle of the Somme.

26 June: British attack with poison gas from 632 cylinders on either side of Glory Hole. 24th and 26th Northumberland Fusiliers again raid German trenches but fail to capture prisoners.

1 July: 7.28am 179th Tunnelling Company detonates four mines: one at Y Sap of 18,144kg, two at the Glory Hole of 3,629kg each and one at Lochnagar of 27,215kg.

1 July: 7.30am British infantry attack from north of the River Somme.  French attack from boundary with British to River Somme. At La Boisselle the 34th Division suffers 6,380 casualties but fail to capture the village.

4 July: La Boisselle captured by British 19th Division.

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