War Diary - 7th Battn The Rifle Brigade (part 1)

Taken from the War Diary of the 7th Battalion The Rifle Brigade -

From: 1.4.17 To: 30.4.17
Volume XXIV

????? Lt Col. Commdg 7th Bn The Rifle Bde

(2nd page) marked in pencil 72 top right
Place - Ronville (Arras) Caves
Date:
April 1 - Bn in trenches H2 Sector usual intermittent shelling - In the evening the Bn was relived by the 8th Rifle Bd and moved to the Ronville Caves
April 2 - Bn resting in the caves
April 3 - Bn resting in the caves
April 4 - Bn resting in the caves - 14 O.R rejoined from base
April 5 to 8 - Bn resting in caves - preliminary bombardment of the german trenches and counter battery work by British Artillery.

During the above days ? Bn furnished parties to cut out ?led? wire + to prepare the country for moving in the open.

April 9 - BATTLE OF ARRAS
zero was at 5.30am - the attack of the XIV (light) division commenced at 7.30am
1st objective the HARP defenses due S. of TILLOY - 2nd + final objective the FEUCHY line running roughly N+S - some 800 yds E. of WANCOURT + about 5000 yds from the starting line.
The 42nd Rfl Bde + 43rd Rfl Bde attacked - The 41st Rfl Brigade was kept in ?divisional reserves? at 7.30am the 41st Rfl Bde left the caves + assembled in the original British lines E Sector - ? Rfl Bde on the left the 7 KRRC on the right and the two 8 Bn in rear ? noon the Brigade moved in the same order into the German lines opposite where it spent the night - very little enemy shelling + by the evening the 43rd Bde was reported to be slowly getting a footing in the final objectives.

? = unable to read the writing, but you can sort of guess most of it.