The schedule
Typed 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade working-party schedule, 20 January 1917, listing eighteen parties
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3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade · the Calonne sector · 20 January 1917

A Working-Party Schedule

1916–1917

In January 1917 the 1st Canadian Division took over a fresh stretch of front south-west of Lens: the mining ground around Calonne and Maroc. There was no settled scheme of work yet, and this schedule is the brigade starting to build one: battalion commanders in the line are asked to name eight points “where they consider systematic work should be commenced,” with sapper supervision to be arranged with the 3rd Field Company, Robertson’s.

The table sets out the parties the support battalion is to find from the next morning: eighteen of them, mustering either at the “R.E. Dump, Calonne” or the “R.E. Billet, Maroc,” a few hundred yards apart. The work runs from carrying for the 255th Tunnelling Company and daily communication-trench clearing to the “Calonne Defences,” the “Maroc Defences,” and a 75-man wiring party on the support line between Edgeware and Trench 237. Robertson’s name is pencilled in the margin; the line for C.13, “Maroc Defences,” is ticked.

The two muster points are also what fixed the geography for this site: three 1917 diary references to “Calonne” had been linked to Calonne-Ricouart, a town some 20 km back, until this sheet placed the work squarely inside the brigade’s own front line.

Transcription
Headquarters, 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade. January 20th 1917.
To: 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th Battalions; 4th Field Company, C.E.
1. [against this paragraph, in the margin: “14th Bn. / 15th Bn. / FRONT LINE.”] It has not yet been possible to form a definite scheme of work, and in order to do so the G.O.C. would like Battalion Commanders in the line to submit by last D.R. tomorrow 8 points in the front line where they consider systematic work should be commenced. These points will be shown on working tables A.1, A.2 etc., B.1, B.2, etc., and Battalions will also state the number of men that they propose to work continually on these points, and sapper supervision will be arranged with 3rd Field Coy. as soon as they come into the line.
2. [margin: “16th Bn. Support. / 13th Bn. Reserve.”] The Battalion in support will find the following working parties commencing tomorrow:—
No.Offrs.N.C.O.sO.R.sRendezvousTimeWork
C.1—120School House, Calonne9 a.m.Carrying party, 255 Tunn. Coy.
C.2—120do.6 p.m.do.
C.3—120do.1 a.m.do.
C.4—14R.E. Billet, Maroc8 a.m.Cleaning out C.T.’s. Same men to be detailed every day.
C.5—14do.8 a.m.do.
C.6—14do.8 a.m.do.
C.7—14do.8 a.m.do.
C.8—14R.E. Dump, Calonne8 a.m.Cleaning out C.T.’s. Same men to be detailed daily.
C.9—14do.8 a.m.do.
C.10—14do.8 a.m.do.
C.11—14do.8 a.m.do.
C.122450R.E. Dump, Calonne8.30 a.m.Calonne Defences
C.132450R.E. Billet, Maroc8.30 a.m.Maroc Defences (ticked)
C.141475R.E. Dump, Calonne5.00 p.m.Wiring support between Edgeware and Trench 237
C.15—250R.E. Dump, Calonne5.15 p.m.Carrying
C.16—250R.E. Billet, Maroc5.15 p.m.Carrying
C.172450R.E. Dump, Calonne5.30 p.m.Work on the Reserve line
C.182450R.E. Billet, Maroc5.30 p.m.Work on the Reserve line
[signature] — Major, Brigade Major, 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade.
A Defence Scheme for Calonne: the standing plan for the same sub-section →His own daily work tables for the sector →Cité Calonne →

The original is in the Treherne family collection: Robertson’s working copy, annotated in pencil.