Bethune. Fouquieres. 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. 9 – 23 June 1917.
On 9 June the 1 Bn KSLI had gone back into the line in trenches to the south west of Hulluch. Over the next days the battalion was involved in a number of dummy actions as diversions to distract from raids on the enemy lines. These involved laying down smoke screens and making as if there was to be an attack. The raids, and the diversionary actions, were successful but brought down retaliatory fire, casualties were light.
On 16 June the battalion were relieved and moved into billets at Mazingarbe where they spent the next 2 days. On 18 June A & B Coys moved back to the reserve lines, the other 2 Coys, D & C, moved to billets at Fouquieres, arriving there at 10.30pm on 19 June. A & B Coys stayed in the reserve lines and then rejoined the rest of the battalion at Fouquieres on 21 June. The battalion remained in billets until the end of the month, Casualties for the period 9-21 June were Officers 1 wounded, and ORs 1 KIA and 5 wounded,
References and Sources WAR DIARY 1 Bn KSLI June 1917
B&O 1917. Loos. Fouquieres. 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. 9 – 23 June 1917.
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