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Title: Historical Records of The Buffs East Kent Regiment : (3rd Foot) Formerly Designated The Holland Regiment and Prince George of Denmark's Regiment
Author: Moody, R. S. H.
Language: English
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[Illustration]
HISTORICAL RECORDS
OF THE BUFFS, 1914–1919
[Illustration:
_By Lady Butler_
A MAN OF KENT
From the Original in the possession of Major-General Sir E. G. T.
Bainbridge, K.C.B.]
HISTORICAL RECORDS OF
THE BUFFS
EAST KENT REGIMENT
(3RD FOOT) FORMERLY DESIGNATED
THE HOLLAND REGIMENT
AND PRINCE GEORGE OF
DENMARK’S REGIMENT
1914–1919
BY
COLONEL R. S. H. MOODY, C.B., p.s.c.
LATE THE BUFFS
LONDON
THE MEDICI SOCIETY, LIMITED
MCMXXII
Printed in Great Britain at
_The Mayflower Press, Plymouth_. William Brendon & Son, Ltd.
PREFACE
It has been said that a preface to a book is merely to give an
opportunity to the author to make excuses for his shortcomings, and
this is to a certain extent correct.
The chief point that seems to call for explanation in the case of this
work is the condensation of a very long story into a very brief space.
Economy demands that the book containing the history of the Buffs
during the momentous years from 1914 to 1919 shall not stretch its
length beyond a certain limit, and it is difficult to pack the stories
of eight fighting battalions for four years into the required space;
yet it is feared that the unavoidable price of a more lengthy volume or
volumes might perhaps be prohibitive in the cases of many individuals
deeply interested in the regiment.
Thus it is clear that if all battles and engagements are to be
described, what may perhaps be considered as a bald record of events is
not altogether avoidable.
The intervals between the great fights were fairly well filled with
minor enterprises and with individual acts of gallantry, all of which
ought to be recorded, but it is a misfortune that many brave deeds done
by single men or very small parties can find no record in these pages.
Several were performed that were not reported at the time, as is so
often the case in war, when everyone of rank is so occupied with his
urgent duties that it is more or less a chance whether or no he notices
the heroism of individuals about him.
The list of subscribers, without whose help this book could not have
been produced, is printed on pages 549–554.
CONTENTS
PAGE
AUTHOR’S PREFACE v
FOREWORD BY GENERAL THE RT. HON. SIR ARTHUR PAGET,
P.C., G.C.B., Colonel of the Buffs xix
CHAPTER I
THE FIRST BATTALION GOES TO WAR
I Introductory 1
II Events following the outbreak of war 4
III Move to France and Battle of the Aisne 7
IV Battle of Armentieres: Action at Radinghem 14
CHAPTER II
THE SECOND BATTALION TAKES ITS SHARE
I The Second Battalion returns to England from India 25
II It proceeds to the Western Front 28
III “O” Trench 29
IV Trench warfare near Ypres 38
V Second Battle of Ypres 40
CHAPTER III
THE PREPARATION AND THE START OF MORE
BATTALIONS
I Short summary of events 57
II Duties of the Depot 60
III The Third (Special Reserve) Battalion 63
IV The Fourth and Fifth (Territorial) Battalions 65
V Formation of the Sixth Battalion 68
VI Formation of the Seventh Battalion 72
VII Formation of the Eighth Battalion 75
VIII Formation of the Second-Fourth and Second-Fifth
Battalions 78
Formation of the Third-Fourth and Third-Fifth
Battalions 80
IX Raising of the Volunteer Battalions 81
X Formation of the Ninth Battalion 82
CHAPTER IV
THE WESTERN FRONT--LOOS
I The First Battalion 85
II Loos 90
III The Eighth Battalion at Hulluch 94
IV The Second Battalion. The Hohenzollern Redoubt 99
V The Sixth Battalion at Hulluch 105
VI The Seventh Battalion 109
VII Life in and behind the trenches 110
VIII Summary of Events 114
CHAPTER V
THE TURKISH ENEMY
I The Fourth Battalion at Aden 117
II The Fifth Battalion in Mesopotamia. Attempted
relief of Kut. Actions of Sheikh Saad and The
Wadi 121
III The Kent Composite Battalion in the Gallipoli
Peninsula and Egypt 131
Buff portion of the battalion transferred to Royal
West Kent Regiment 132
CHAPTER VI
THE SOMME
I Summary of events which led to the offensive on
the River Somme 134
II The Sixth Battalion from the commencement of
1916 to November of that year. The Hohenzollern
Redoubt and Battles of Albert (1916), Pozieres
Ridge and the Transloy Ridges 136
III The Seventh Battalion during the same period.
The Battles of Albert (1916), Bazentin Ridge,
Thiepval Ridge and the Ancre Heights, with the
capture of the Schwaben Redoubt 147
IV The Eighth Battalion. The Battle of Delville Wood 155
V The First Battalion. Battles of Flers-Courcelette
and Morval 164
CHAPTER VII
A YEAR AT SALONICA
I The Second Battalion 174
II Action of Karajakoi 177
III Affair of Barakli Dzuma 179
CHAPTER VIII
WITH MAUDE IN MESOPOTAMIA
I The position in 1916 183
II Battle of Kut, 1917 185
III Subsequent pursuit to Baghdad 193
CHAPTER IX
PALESTINE
I Formation of the Tenth Battalion 200
II Second Battle of Gaza 203
III Third Battle of Gaza 207
IV Battle of Nebi Samwil 213
V Defence of Jerusalem 216
CHAPTER X
THE WESTERN FRONT
NOVEMBER, 1916, TO JULY, 1917
I Summary of Events 221
II The Seventh Battalion. Battle of the Ancre 222
III The Seventh Battalion--(_continued_) 225
IV The First Battalion 229
V The Eighth Battalion 231
VI The Sixth Battalion. Battle of Arras and the Scarpe 234
VII The Seventh Battalion 240
VIII The First Battalion 243
IX The Sixth Battalion 246
X The Seventh Battalion 247
XI The Eighth Battalion. Battle of Messines 248
CHAPTER XI
THE WESTERN FRONT
CONTINUATION TILL MARCH, 1918
I The position of affairs in the middle of 1917 255
The story of the First Battalion from middle of
1917 to the Battle of Cambrai in November 256
II The Sixth Battalion during the same period 258
III The Battle of Cambrai 263
IV The First Battalion from Cambrai to the 20th
March, 1918 267
V The Sixth Battalion during the same period 270
VI The Seventh Battalion from middle of 1917 to the
20th March, 1918. Poelcappelle 272
VII The Eighth Battalion from middle of 1917 to its
disbanding in February, 1918. Battle of Pilckem
Ridge 279
CHAPTER XII
THE QUEEN’S OWN RIFLES OF CANADA
I The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada 284
II The Canadian Buffs 291
CHAPTER XIII
THE END OF THE SALONICA AND MESOPOTAMIA
CAMPAIGNS
I The Fourth Battalion in India 292
II The Fifth Battalion in Mesopotamia. Affairs on
the Nahr Khalis. Passage of the Adhaim. Action
of Istabulat. Affair on the Shatt el Adhaim.
Second action of the Jabal (or Jebel) Hamrin.
Third action of the Jabal Hamrin 294
III The Second Battalion in Macedonia. Battle of
Doiran, 1918 304
CHAPTER XIV
HOLDING ON
I Preparations for defence 315
II The First Battalion during the German offensive.
Battle of St Quentin. Back to Belgium 317
III The Sixth Battalion during the German offensive.
Battle of the Ancre, 1918 331
IV The Tenth Battalion in France 339
V The Seventh Battalion during the German offensive.
Battle of St Quentin 340
CHAPTER XV
THE GRAND RESULT
I The Seventh Battalion, the 6th August to the 21st
August, 1918. The Battle of Amiens 355
II The Sixth Battalion at the Battle of Amiens 359
III The Sixth and Seventh Battalions from the 22nd
August to end of September, 1918. Battles of
Albert, 1918. Second Battle of Bapaume. Battle
of Epehy 361
IV The Sixth Battalion’s history up to the Armistice 381
V The Seventh Battalion during the same period.
Battle of the Selle. Battle of the Sambre 384
VI The Tenth Battalion during the advance to victory.
The Battle of Epehy 391
VII The First Battalion during the advance to victory.
Battle of Epehy. Battle of Cambrai, 1918.
Battle of the Salle. March into Germany 400
CHAPTER XVI
CONCLUSION 415
LIST OF APPENDICES
PAGE
I Nominal roll of Officers who were killed in action,
or died of wounds or disease in the Great War,
1914–1919 425
II Nominal roll of Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned
Officers and Men who were killed in action, or died
of wounds or disease in the Great War, 1914–1919 432
III Rewards (British) won by Officers, Warrant Officers,
Non-Commissioned Officers and Men in the Great
War, 1914–1919 504
IV Foreign Decorations awarded to Officers, Warrant
Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men
during the Great War, 1914–1919 530
V Mention in Despatches: all ranks during the
Great War, 1914–1919 535
VI Mention for Record (Mention “B”): all ranks
during the Great War, 1914–1919 545
VII List of serving officers, 1st and 2nd Battalions,
awarded brevet rank 548
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS 549
ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATES IN COLOUR
A MAN OF KENT
(_After the painting by Lady Butler_) _Frontispiece_
THE RECAPTURE OF KUT EL AMARA
(_After the painting by Herbert Alexander, A.R.W.S.,
Lieut. 5th Bn. The Buffs_)
_To face page_ 190
PLATES IN MONOCHROME
_To face page_
YPRES FROM NEAR THE MENIN GATE 40
BATTLEFIELD NEAR ST JULIEN 44
ROAD NEAR HOOGE 86
BRINGING UP WIRE 162
MORVAL 172
SALONICA--ROAD MADE BY BRITISH 176
ARCH AT CTESIPHON 194
GENERAL ALLENBY ENTERS JERUSALEM 214
SCENE ON THE ANCRE 224
WINTER ON THE WESTERN FRONT 234
A NEW TRENCH 262
CAMBRAI ON THE MORNING THE ENEMY WAS DRIVEN OUT 410
LIST OF MAPS
GENERAL MAP--WESTERN FRONT _End Papers_
_To face page_
RADINGHEM 20
YPRES 56
NEIGHBOURHOOD OF LOOS 98
HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT AND THE DUMP 104
ADEN 120
TURKISH LINES NEAR KUT 130
THIEPVAL 154
VALLEY OF THE STRUMA 182
VICINITY OF KUT 198
PALESTINE 220
LOOS CRASSIERS 254
SPOIL (OR BUFFS’) BANK 254
CAMBRAI 266
POELCAPPELLE 276
COUNTRY NORTH OF BAGHDAD 308
COUNTRY NEAR CAKLI STATION 308
LAGNICOURT AND NOREUIL 324
VENDEUIL 346
VENDEUIL TO VARESNES 350
COUNTRY RETAKEN FROM ENEMY, AUTUMN OF 1918 356
ALBERT 364
COMBLES AND MORVAL 378
RONSSOY 378
DIAGRAM: BATTLE OF THE SELLE 386
ST QUENTIN 406
GENERAL MAP--MIDDLE EAST _End Papers_
FOREWORD
To read this record of the part played by the Buffs in the desperate
fighting of the early months of the war, in turning the tide of the
enemy’s success and in the crowning victories, fills me with pride.
No pen can adequately convey the true measure of the constancy and
valour of those men who endured and fought through the daily hardships,
the hourly perils, the nerve strain during darkness--and this under
the conditions of modern warfare, in battles which lasted not hours
but weeks, with the added horrors of high explosives, gas poisoning,
flame throwers, tanks and machine guns, delay-action mines and other
mechanical and inhuman devices. Through all these trials the spirit of
the regiment--of the Men of Kent--never faltered, its certain hope of
victory never wavered.
For over three hundred and fifty years the historic name and high
traditions of the Buffs have been in the keeping of the generations of
men who followed each other in one or other of the so-called Regular
battalions; during the Great War eight battalions, including two
Territorial, took the field, and six others served at home. No less
than thirty-two thousand men passed through the ranks of the regiment,
of whom over five thousand gave their lives for their King and Country.
But in spite of the great increase of numbers, and in spite of all the
new dangers and perils, there was no change in the spirit, no weakening
in the sense of duty which have always animated the Buffs; new and old
battalions alike maintained, and more than maintained, the glory of
the name handed down to them.
The recital of those deeds, and a description of the character of the
war and conditions in which they achieved them, cannot therefore but
inspire those who come after them in the battalions of the Buffs; so
that should they too in their generation be called on to pass through
the fiery ordeal, they also may, in the faith of their fathers, pass
through unshaken to final victory.
[Illustration: Handwritten signature]
CHAPTER I
THE FIRST BATTALION GOES TO WAR
I. INTRODUCTORY
In the early hours of Tuesday morning the 5th August, 1914, the
British Foreign Office issued this statement: “Owing to the summary
rejection by the German Government of the request made by His
Majesty’s Government for assurances that the neutrality of Belgium
will be respected, His Majesty’s Ambassador at Berlin has received his
passports and His Majesty’s Government have declared to the German
Government that a state of war exists between Great Britain and Germany
as from 11 p.m. on the 4th August.” Thus was the British Empire
officially informed that the Great War had, at last, come upon Europe.
Actually the Government had given orders for the mobilization of the
Army some eight hours earlier, at 4 p.m. on the 4th; so that at that
hour on that day this history properly begins.
The war took Great Britain by surprise. This does not mean that England
was totally unprepared for such an eventuality; though comparatively
small our land forces were in a condition of readiness and efficiency
never before equalled. Nor does it mean that the idea of a war with
Germany was new; through many years its likelihood had been canvassed
and openly speculated upon both by soldiers, headed by the veteran
Earl Roberts, and politicians. But it does mean that the man in the
street did not think it would come in our time, and certainly no one
could see any possible connection between the assassination of the
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his Consort at Serajevo on 28th June and
an international war on a vast scale. The British temperament is not in
its nature warlike; Englishmen do not soldier, like some, from a sheer
love of soldiering. That is why the mass of the nation has always been
steadily averse to conscription. In spite of warnings it was willing
to take the risk, preferring quality to quantity where its army was
concerned.
It is perhaps well to give here, in this introductory, in order to link
up the story that is to follow with the past history of the regiment,
a brief outline of the changes which went to the making of the British
Army as it was at the beginning of hostilities, and the situation which
led to the war.
The South African War had brought it home to the Government that
the system initiated in 1871 failed to meet modern needs in certain
fundamental respects. It was realized that drastic reforms were
overdue; that new methods were essential. The work of reorganization
was undertaken by Mr. (now Lord) Haldane, then Secretary of State for
War; it was made all the more imperative by the aggressive and openly
ambitious imperialism of Germany. Whilst still relying in the first
instance on her naval supremacy, England could no longer think in terms
of small forces fighting in far-flung corners of her mighty Empire.
The danger loomed nearer home, and the possibility of a British force
at grips with a foe across the narrow seas had to be faced; nay more,
it had to be provided for and planned against. An agreement was made
with France, our ancient enemy on many a bloody field, and the General
Staffs of the two countries explored the measures necessary for the
defence of the frontiers from the sea to the Vosges.
This _entente_ was little more than a friendly understanding, and
so little was England under any obligation to go to the aid of France
that the actual position of the British Expeditionary Force was not
settled until after the outbreak of war. Whether Great Britain would
have remained neutral had Germany not forced her hand by invading
Belgium, cannot now be stated. What is known is that Germany believed
she would remain neutral; that, harassed by the threat of civil war
in Ireland and other domestic difficulties, she would content herself
as a looker-on. Therein Germany made her first big mistake. She made
her second when she assumed that the British Army was too negligible
to be seriously considered, and that if it came into the field at all
it would arrive too late to affect the issue. Germany counted on a
swift and fatal thrust across Flanders at the heart of France. She
underestimated British feeling upon the treaty rights guaranteeing the
integrity of Belgium, and she also forgot that Britain would look upon
her advent, entrenched on the Belgian coast, as an intolerable menace.
Thus, as events shaped, Belgium was the tinder on which the spark was
struck that lighted the war-torch in Britain.
As regards the reconstruction undertaken by Haldane great
progress had been made. The Army Council had taken the place of a
commander-in-chief; the Imperial General Staff had been set up; the
Militia, which had been converted into the Special Reserve, was ready
to train and despatch recruits as required by the regular battalions;
and the Territorials were organized on the same principle as the
First Line, and, although they were under strength and only partially
trained, it was thought that many old Territorials would rejoin in case
of war and that complete units would be able to take the field after a
few months’ training. In addition, the universities and public schools
had responded to the invitation to turn their units into Officers’
Training Corps and a reserve of men capable of leadership in a time
of crisis had thus been created. Above all, the Expeditionary Force,
consisting of six divisions and a cavalry division, was ready to move
at a moment’s notice. This finely tempered weapon, this wonderful
fusion of skill and discipline with British courage, this “contemptible
little army” was ready to thrust or parry, wherever it might be sent
and against whatever odds.
II. EVENTS FOLLOWING THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
Before trying to follow the history of any particular unit it is, of
course, necessary to bear in mind the military proceedings as a whole.
Most people have a general idea of what took place in the different
theatres of war, but events are apt to be forgotten, and it may be as
well before describing any particular operations to remind the reader
how it came about that such operations became necessary.
On the 4th August, 1914, war was declared with Germany, and in
compliance with prearranged and carefully drawn up plans that Power,
having already declared war on France on the 3rd, proceeded at once
to violate the neutrality of Belgium whose roads supplied the easiest
way to the heart of France, and the idea was to strike that country
prostrate before Russia was ready to move. It was well understood that
the Russians must be slower than any of the other immediate combatants
to mobilize their forces.
Thus, on the 5th August, the Germans, who thoroughly recognized the
advantage of getting in the first blow, were opposite Liége and
occupied that city five days afterwards, although the last fort did
not fall until the 17th. On the 14th August the French, too, were in
Belgium, and between the 12th and 17th the British Expeditionary Force
had landed on the coast and the army was moved into position extending
from Condé through Mons and Binche.
During the few days prior to the British landing the Belgians had
been driven steadily backward by overwhelming forces, as also had
the French; and as the British Expeditionary Force only consisted of
four divisions (the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th) and a cavalry division its
numbers were far too small to make any very perceptible alteration
in the situation. The result was a steady general retreat of all the
Allies commencing on the 24th August and lasting to the 5th September,
by which time the armies were behind the River Marne and in the
immediate neighbourhood of Paris, and the British base had necessarily
been shifted from the Channel ports to the mouth of the Loire.
A cold statement that the Great War opened with a rapid retreat conveys
the truth perhaps, but not all of it. Never in its long history of
adventure and heroism had the British Army covered itself with such
glory. There are retreats and retreats in war. When an army runs away
that disaster is described under this term, and there seems to be no
other correct military expression for what happened in Flanders and
France in August, 1914, though, as a matter of fact, the little army
sent from these shores was fighting one long continuous battle against
overwhelming odds; its artillery completely outnumbered; its infantry
facing death and wounds in the most soldier-like spirit possible to any
troops, quite unable to understand why the movement was backward and
not forward, but resolved to a man to get some of their own back when
their time came.
On the 5th September the retreat had ceased, and by this date the
German Colonies of Togoland and Samoa had been wrested from them and
their fleet had learnt what the British sailor was capable of, notably
in the Bight of Heligoland on the 28th August.
On the 6th September the tide of war had turned on land: a general
offensive by French and British troops had commenced, the Battle of
the Marne begun and Paris saved.
Strictly speaking, there was no Battle of the Marne, the fighting
between the 6th and 10th of September being desultory and chiefly
in the nature of independent and to a great extent disconnected
engagements, but the struggle or series of struggles, however
described, proved, indeed, a turning point--the British crossed the
river on the 9th and the Germans were in full retreat.
On the 13th the Allies recovered the important town of Soissons and
forced the passage of the Aisne, on which river the enemy stood to
fight, and there the combatants were still engaged on the 20th, for
now the German retreat was over; on this day the British Expeditionary
Force was reinforced by the British 6th Division (16th, 17th and
18th Infantry Brigades) which had landed on the 10th September, and
the Buffs once more in their long history came into the presence of
England’s foes.
All this time the Territorial Force was working hard to fit itself to
help, and in a short time the bulk of it was sent to India to release
our forces there which were promptly sent to France.
Meanwhile the new armies, whose numbers under the voluntary system
were such as to fill every Englishman with pride, were straining every
nerve to prepare themselves for war, and they were drafted off to
the different fighting theatres as fast as they could be armed and
equipped. The most wonderful fact of the early days of the war was
the way that Kitchener’s appeal for recruits was answered. Thousands
and thousands of quiet, peaceable citizens, who had never dreamed of
anything to do with soldiering, much less of getting into uniform
and themselves going off to fight, men from every rank of life, now
thronged and jostled each other at the recruiting offices. They took
long railway journeys at their own expense, or walked miles if they
had no money, for the pleasure of standing, often for days, in queues
waiting their turn to enlist. They faced the doctor with fear, hiding
their disabilities, and passed the test with a sigh of relief.
What was true of England was true to an equal extent of the Colonies
and oversea possessions, and the total number of soldiers raised,
equipped and put into the firing line astonished ourselves almost as
much as it dismayed the Germans, whose reckonings in this respect, as
in all others, were completely at fault. The Queen’s Own Rifles of
Canada, the Allied Regiment of Canadian Militia, was represented in
several of those gallant battalions which sailed in such numbers from
their shores and which did such glorious service in France and Flanders.
The story of the struggle is so long, and the Buffs fought in so many
theatres and places, that the clearest and best way of describing the
deeds of the regiment appears to be the division of the eventful years
of 1914 to 1918 into sections, so that the story of each battalion
of the regiment may appear as clearly as possible between certain
approximate dates. Of course, this system must be to a certain extent
elastic, for, if a fixed date happened to be one during which a
particular unit was in the midst of a very particular job, it would
obviously be better to finish the description of that operation before
drifting off to the doings of its brother Buffs somewhere else. The
doings of the ten battalions, then, which together formed the regiment
of Buffs, are what the reader is invited to consider in the following
pages.
III. MOVE TO FRANCE AND THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE
The 1st Battalion on the 4th August, 1914, was quartered at Fermoy
in Ireland and the 2nd was in India. It is obvious, therefore, that
as the 2nd Battalion had to come home, the 4th and 5th to complete
their training, and all others to be not only trained, but raised
before they could add their splendid quota to the glory of the Buffs,
the story of the first period of the war up to the 17th November,
1914, must mainly concern the senior battalion of the regiment. This
date is taken because it was then that the desperate attempt of the
Germans to hack their way through to Calais and the Channel ports
finally proved a failure, and in France and Belgium heavy, murderous
and continuous fighting merged into stonewall tactics, if tactics they
could be called: when each of the opposing sides dug themselves in and
when the long, dull, trying period of trench warfare set in on the
Western Front. Up to this date no attempt had been made to force the
Dardanelles. In fact, Turkey had only become a declared enemy a very
few days and Italy was still at peace.
The 1st Buffs were, as has been said, at Fermoy. Their brigade was the
16th and the Brigadier-General was E. C. Ingouville-Williams, C.B.,
D.S.O., himself a very well-known old Buff who, after being adjutant
of the 2nd Battalion, distinguished himself as commander of a column
in the Boer War and was promoted out of the regiment, as is sometimes
the fate of soldiers who serve in a “slow-promotion” corps. The other
battalions of the 16th Brigade were the 1st Leicestershire Regiment,
1st King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (K.S.L.I.) and the 2nd York and
Lancaster Regiment; it will be useful to remember the names of these
battalions as they must naturally be frequently referred to in the
following narrative, and they were the close and very good comrades of
our men.
The history of the 1st Battalion had, up to this time and since the
commencement of the war, been briefly as follows: as early as the
29th July directions had been received that certain precautionary
measures were to be taken at once, and on the 4th August the order for
mobilization reached the battalion at Fermoy. Almost immediately the
strength was augmented by 554 reservists, many of whom were wearing the
Indian Frontier and South African Medals. Thus a very fine battalion
resulted. The commanding officer, Lt.-Colonel H. C. de la M. Hill, was
a well-known musketry expert, and he had with him Brevet-Colonel Julian
Hasler, who had distinguished himself in both the campaigns alluded to,
Major E. H. Finch Hatton, who won his D.S.O. in South Africa, Major R.
McDouall, who also gained a D.S.O. in the same war, and many another
good officer. The sergeants were very highly trained, so much so,
indeed, that nearly all the survivors were made commissioned officers
within a few months of the battalion reaching the shores of France.
The privates, after the great influx of reservists, were composed
of brisk and energetic youngsters, keen and bold, and steady old
soldiers--invaluable as a stiffening.
It proved afterwards that “the dash was all on the side of the
youngsters, but the old reservists were a great backbone in holding off
the German advance--in trench warfare they were excellent--in fact,
they liked it.”[1]
On the 12th August the battalion left Fermoy, and after a troublous
journey reached Cambridge on the 19th. As everybody knows that the song
of “Tipperary” was most popular at this time in the Army, it may be
interesting to note that it was first played by this battalion. It was
arranged by Bandmaster Elvin for the band a year before and the score
was lent to many other units. The stay at Cambridge, which lasted up
to the 8th September, was beneficial in so far that it remade soldiers
of the reservists whose physical condition had somewhat deteriorated
during a long spell of civil life. The battalion was hospitably
entertained by Christ’s College; the officers were entertained at the
High Table and frequent presents of fruit, chiefly mulberries, from
Milton’s Mulberry Tree, were sent to the men.[2]
On the 8th September at noon the 1st Battalion The Buffs, together with
the 2nd York and Lancaster Regiment, sailed for the mouth of the Loire
to which Sir John French had now transferred his base. The journey was
made by rail and march after the port of St. Nazaire was reached, the
train starting at dim dawn on the 11th and taking the route: Nantes,
Angers, Tours, Verdun, Paris to Mortcerf, a twenty-six-hour journey.
The ensuing eight days’ march was not without incident and not without
discomfort, but there was excitement, too. Heavy firing was heard all
day on the 12th. The first taste of outpost duty in war time came
the following night. Billets were used each night, but these were
not always of the best and the weather was generally execrable. The
billets, which one night consisted of a cowshed, were sometimes shared
with Belgian refugees, and altogether it was with a sort of relief that
the real fighting line was reached at last at 2.30 a.m. on the 21st
September. Vailly on the Aisne was entered and the Fifth and Royal
Fusiliers relieved in the trenches at that place, A, C and D Companies
being in the front line with B in reserve.
It will be remembered that the Germans, after their retreat from the
Marne, were now standing fast, and that in its turn the Allied pursuit
was checked upon the Aisne. The enemy knew somehow that fresh troops
were now in front of them and, hoping to find an inferior article to
that they had been sampling for the last month, determined to attack
and try what they were made of.
The Buffs were on the left of the brigade line, on the crest of a
small plateau beyond the river, and the enemy’s trenches were on the
far slope, from two hundred to seven hundred yards away, with all the
best of the situation because, owing to the shape of the ground, our
artillery had great difficulty in aiding this particular part of the
line, whereas the Germans were very closely supported by their guns. On
the right was an improvised sub-section of defence consisting of the
Norfolk Regiment and King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, under Colonel
Hasler of the Buffs.
The attack commenced at 8 p.m., lasted for two and a half hours, and
was a failure. The firing was heavy and the attempt was resolute
enough, but as the locality was difficult for our guns the Buffs
employed prolonged rapid fire as a substitute and succeeded in
repulsing the onslaught. Major E. H. Finch Hatton, D.S.O., and Captain
F. C. R. Studd were wounded in the action, two men were killed and five
wounded.
The battalion remained in these trenches till the 13th October and
suffered several casualties. In fact, each day added a few to the
killed and wounded, and each day brought to light some good quality in
the men. The first name in the regiment to be brought to notice for
gallantry was No. 9967 Corpl. Randall who, himself wounded, on the 2nd
October showed great courage in attending to Pte. Hamilton under fire.
Hamilton, however, did not survive. The stretcher bearers, too, were
proved to be a most gallant set of men--stretcher bearers always are
somehow. The sight of the pain and mutilation of others seems to bring
out a sort of ferocious tenderness on the part of those who protect
and assist the maimed. Pte. Medway was conspicuous even amongst these
devoted fellows.
Particularly heavy firing along the whole line and including reserves
occurred on the 9th October. The church at Vailly was struck and ten
horses belonging to the regimental transport were killed close to it.
The hospital also suffered.
Early in October it appeared to Sir John French that it was advisable
to withdraw the army from the Aisne and strongly reinforce the forces
in the north with a view to outflanking the enemy and so making him
withdraw from his position. In fact, each army at this time was trying
to outflank the other, because frontal fighting, owing to the complete
system of entrenchments in vogue on both sides, was found to bring no
practical results. This accounted for the fact that in a very short
time flanks ceased to exist, for one soon rested on the sea and the
other on neutral Switzerland. French’s first attempt at outflanking
was rendered abortive by the German capture of Antwerp, and so the
war developed into a fierce struggle for the coast, which may be said
to have commenced on the 11th October and continued till the 17th
November; the enemy’s idea being to seize Calais and the Channel ports
and so make up for their failure to capture Paris.
This struggle is sometimes called the Battle of Flanders, but it in
reality included several fights, the chief of these being collectively
described as the Battles of Ypres, 1914. Of course, the great move
from the Aisne to the neighbourhood of St. Omer and Hazebrouck took
time, and it was not till the 19th October that the move was completed.
General Foch, whose headquarters were at Doullens, at this time
commanded all French troops north of Noyon and our Commander-in-Chief
had arranged with him a general wheel of troops to the right, in order
to menace the German flank; this arrangement was made before the fall
of Antwerp. It brought the English 7th Division to Ypres; caused heavy
fighting for the 3rd Division about Givenchy, which lasted for three
weeks; moved the 4th Division to the north and 6th to south of the
town of Armentieres, and was the immediate cause of the flight which
followed at Radinghem.
Antwerp fell on the 9th October, and this event released 90,000 enemy
troops, and the Germans also at this time brought four fresh Army
Corps from their Eastern or Russian front, and so the English Army and
that part of the French one which was in its neighbourhood were facing
greatly superior numbers. As far as the Buffs were concerned they were
relieved in their trenches on the Aisne by French troops on the 12th
of the month, marched to Bazoches with the rest of the 16th Brigade
and there entrained for Cassel, which they reached on the 13th. The
relief of the trenches at Vailly was carried out successfully, but not
altogether without difficulty. The enemy seemed to have an idea of what
was going on and fired a number of flares, and a searchlight was also
seen. The wheels of the transport were, however, covered with straw, as
was the floor of the pontoon bridge over the river, in order to deaden
noise. The French took up their position very quietly and very quickly,
and the battalion re-crossed the Aisne at 2.15 a.m., the last of the
brigade marching by Rouge Croix and Oultersteene.
The 16th Brigade was directed to Bois Grenier on the 17th as reserve to
the division. The 17th was also sent here and the 18th to Armentieres,
about four miles to the north. During the morning, however, as hostile
firing was heard and observed, certain alterations were made by the 6th
Division by order of superior authority, and it took up and constructed
a defensive position along a new line: the 17th Brigade on the left,
18th in the centre and 16th on the right from Croix Marechal to Rouge
de Bout--French cavalry being on the right again.
On the 18th October the 17th and 18th Brigades advanced to ascertain
what the enemy was doing about Perenchies, le Paradis and La Vallée,
and to discover his strength, and in connection with this movement the
16th Brigade was ordered to send one battalion towards La Vallée and
Bacquart. The Buffs were selected and the York and Lancasters were sent
to Bridoux to cover their right flank. At 10.30 on this Sunday morning
the Buffs debouched from Grand Flamengrie Farm with orders to seize
the line of the Hameau de Bas-La Vallée road, but not to get seriously
involved. B, C and D Companies deployed, with A in reserve.
IV. BATTLE OF ARMENTIERES: ACTION AT RADINGHEM
Before reaching the above line the battalion got orders to take the
village of Radinghem.
Just beyond this village is a fairly high ridge or plateau on which
stands the Chateau de Flandres, and there is a wood on the edge of the
plateau screening the house from the village, the distance between this
wood and the south edge of the village being about three hundred yards.
Brevet Colonel Julian Hasler was in command of the forward or firing
line which advanced through Radinghem, seized the ridge and, pushing
on, took the Chateau where severe hand-to-hand fighting occurred. But
soon considerable German reinforcements coming up, the Buffs had to
abandon the Chateau itself, though they still clung to the edge of the
wood.
During the attack Company Sergeant-Major Brady, with nineteen men of
C Company, on surmounting a piece of rising ground, suddenly found
himself about two hundred yards from a German battalion in close
order. Each Buff had three hundred rounds of ammunition, and one of
the most beautiful displays of rapid firing ever made was the result:
that particular German battalion was very quickly “put out of action,”
as they say on field days. The successful attack on the Chateau de
Flandres was immensely helped by Major Bayley’s company of the York
and Lancaster Regiment, which had worked its way round to take the
enemy in flank; so that when these men approached, the enemy had
hastily to withdraw. Without a doubt the Buffs owe very much to this
gallant company.
At 6.10 p.m. the situation was looking serious, but after a German
counter-attack had been repulsed things became better. Then orders came
to hand over Radinghem to some French cavalry and to withdraw. When
the Frenchmen arrived, however, they were found to be only 130 strong,
so the Buffs and York and Lancaster consolidated themselves on the
south edge of the village and settled in for the night. The artillery,
a mixed brigade under Lt.-Colonel Humphrey, had most nobly supported
the infantry during the day. Later on, when the regiment had more
experience, they found that the devotion to duty shown by the Gunners
at Radinghem was quite a normal state of things with that arm, and was
so looked for as a matter of course that notice was hardly taken of
their excellent work, but in this, almost their first battle of the
war, praise of the Gunners was in every man’s mouth.
On the 19th touch was obtained with the 18th Brigade at the railway
crossing east of Bas Champs. At 3 p.m. the 16th Brigade was ordered to
withdraw to Bois Grenier and to leave one battalion only at Radinghem.
The consequence of this was of course that, the York and Lancaster
being withdrawn, the Buffs were left alone to occupy the lines which
last night had been constructed for both regiments.
The morning of the 20th opened with very heavy artillery fire from the
enemy’s guns of large calibre, and then the German infantry pressed
very heavily. About 2 p.m. Colonel Hasler was badly wounded,[3] and
command of the front line devolved on Major McDouall. At 3 p.m. the
artillery reported that the Germans were advancing along the two roads
from Le Maisnil leading to Radinghem. This meant that the Buffs would
probably be surrounded, as touch with the 18th Brigade and French
cavalry had failed, and indeed it was ultimately found that these
troops had been driven back. At 3.35 and again at 4 o’clock McDouall
reported that the situation was very serious, but that he was holding
on; that the machine guns were knocked out, the trench on his left
hitherto held by C Company had been captured and that he was “in a
tight corner.” He received orders to retire company by company, and
replied that it was very difficult, but that “We will do the best we
can.” At 4.50 came a message from the brigade to hold on at all costs
and promising the support of two companies of the York and Lancaster.
The Headquarter party of the battalion manned a barricade in the
village and McDouall retired, the work being carried out in a most
soldierly manner, and at 7 p.m. the promised help arrived, followed
half an hour later by the brigadier himself, who ordered the front of
the village to be held, unaware that both flanks were exposed. A staff
officer of the division, however, shortly arrived who was acquainted
with the situation, and he directed the retirement of the Buffs, which
was carried out without trouble, as the enemy was not enterprising and
appeared to have had enough of the battalion. At 1 a.m. on the 21st
the rear guard cleared the village, and that morning Grand Flamengrie
Farm was reached again and billets resumed.
In this action the Buffs lost Lieuts. J. D. Phillips, R. McDougall, M.
Noott and R. S. Glyn killed, and Colonel J. Hasler and Lieuts. G. F.
Hamilton, C. C. Stanfield and Orwan wounded. Of the rank and file 17
were reported killed and 62 missing, but these were undoubtedly all or
nearly all killed; 57 were wounded. The regiment earned great praise
for the stand it made at Radinghem, and, though it will be impossible
in this history accurately to chronicle each honour and reward as
conferred, it is interesting to note that on the 28th November No. 8922
Sgt. J. McNeir was awarded the D.C.M. for the gallant manner in which
he brought up his platoon to the support of B Company at Chateau de
Flandres, near Radinghem, on the 20th October, 1914, and that:--
“On the 20th October, 1914, at Chateau de Flandres, near Radinghem,
Sergeant Forwood continued to serve his machine guns, after the officer
in charge had been killed, until all the team and both the guns had
been knocked out by heavy artillery, himself being wounded in five
places. He crawled in and reported the situation.” Sergeant Forwood was
awarded the D.C.M., and the incident is described by a General Officer,
who later on commanded the 6th Division, as being typical of the fierce
fighting at this time.
On the 23rd October a heavy attack developed at dawn against the
Shropshire and York and Lancaster battalions and part of the line,
which consisted of isolated trenches only, was rendered untenable by
machine guns which the shape of the ground enabled the enemy to bring
up. This attack was a very bold one and Germans were actually bayoneted
in the trenches, and two hundred dead were counted opposite one of the
Shropshire defences.
At one time there was a gap just east of Bridoux, caused by some of
the trenches being lost and others still held, and matters were in
rather a confused state, so, to clear up the situation, Lieut. G. R.
Thornhill’s platoon of the Buffs, under the direction and guidance of
Major Clemson of the York and Lancaster Regiment, was pushed forward
from the Touquet-La Boutillerie road by some dongas running south.
There appeared to be no enemy in the gap, and on approaching one of the
trenches Thornhill and his men rushed forward to secure it, when he and
several of his followers were shot down by a concealed machine gun.
Indeed, only ten returned, bringing with them seven wounded men, but
they were obliged to leave Thornhill, who was actually in the trench,
and several others. Pte. Pearce made a manly effort at rescue and
managed to drag Pte. Bull in, but could not reach his officer. Both A
and C Companies employed the bayonet on this day, counter-attacking in
front of the Shropshire and the Leicestershire trenches.
It is not so very long ago that many thoughtful army officers were of
opinion that the days of the bayonet were over for ever; but then, of
course, no one at all dreamed in the summer of 1914 that soldiers would
again fight in iron helmets or throw grenades, and there have been many
similar surprises during this war.
There seems to be no doubt that from the 23rd to the 25th of October
the situation of the 16th Brigade was very critical, and indeed
Br.-General Ingouville-Williams twice reported that this was the
case. The reason was that the line held was not continuous and it was
impossible to make it so, on account of the great number of Germans
who were attacking. It was therefore resolved to construct a proper
line of trenches 100 yards or so south of the Touquet-La Boutillerie
road and to withdraw into it; but as, during the whole of the 23rd, the
Leicestershire right flank was being enveloped, new dispositions were
made by Brigadiers Williams and Congreve in consultation; they resolved
that the Leicestershire should hold their trenches east of the railway
and then bend back along it--a most prominent salient and with a poor
field of fire, but the best that could be done till the new trenches
were ready for occupation.
On the 24th October loud cheering was heard in this direction, and
it was feared that the Leicestershire had been rushed, and a company
of the Buffs and another of the York and Lancaster were immediately
deployed to take the supposedly successful enemy in flank. Verbal
reports came in during the morning to Brigade H.Q. at La Touquet that
the Leicestershire battalion had been forced to retire, that some posts
had been surrounded and that no officers were left. This account,
however, fortunately proved to have been exaggerated. The enemy had, in
fact, made a small gap in the line, occupying the railway, but the good
old battalion from Leicestershire had quickly closed it and, though it
had suffered severely, it still held its own and was moreover in touch
with the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
On the 25th the withdrawal of the whole brigade to the newly made
trenches which had been carefully prepared was carried out without a
hitch, but in most unpleasantly wet weather.
The student, interested in the tactical movements of military forces,
rarely thinks of weather and other little details, but to the poor
suffering soldier weather, punctual or fairly punctual delivery of
rations (not forgetting the rum), baths, clean clothes, nature of
shelter by day and night, and even the phases of the moon seem almost
of more importance than the chance of a few casualties.
C.S.M. Stone and Sgt. Stock had been highly complimented during these
last few days, as was Corpl. Marsh for his good reconnoitring work;
but this occurred to the N.C.O.’s and men of the Buffs so frequently
from 1914 to 1918 that it is impossible to refer to all acts of
devotion and gallantry. It may well be noted, however, that on the
25th October C Company was resolutely attacked, the enemy getting
within seventy yards of their trench, and that Captain E. B. Chichester
showed all the gallantry of his English ancestry, cheering on his men
and showing a noble example till he fell mortally wounded. D Company
gallantly repulsed German attacks at 8 and at 9 o’clock and then
retired to a prepared position in rear. The Buffs’ casualties this day
were Captain Chichester and Lieut. Stock killed, Lieuts. R. W. Homan
and Child wounded, five other ranks killed, twenty wounded and two
missing.
About this time the discovery seems to have been made that officers
could be supplied not only from civilians in England, but from highly
trained, very gallant and thoroughly reliable non-commissioned
officers, who were daily adding to their war experience; so Company
Sergeant-Majors (C.S.M.) Nesbit and Stone, Sgts. Corrall, Stock and
Orwin, and a little later on Company Quarter-Master Sergeant (C.Q.M.S.)
Sayer, C.S.M. Kesby, C.S.M. Price, and Sgts. King, Hallan and Harris
were promoted to be 2nd Lieutenants. Most of them, alas, were sent out
of the regiment, which was a great blow, but of course the needs of the
Army as a whole must always be the first consideration.
[Illustration: RADINGHEM]
On the 5th November the death took place of Major-General R. G.
Kekewich,[4] C.B., Colonel of the Buffs; General the Right
Honourable Sir Arthur Paget,[5] P.C., G.C.B., K.C.V.O., was appointed
to succeed him.
On the 15th November Colonel H. C. de la M. Hill, the commanding
officer, was invalided home and Major McDouall temporarily took over
the battalion. This was the first of a long series of changes in the
command, which was the common fate of all units.
After the very strenuous attack by the Germans had died away the
1st Battalion had a longish spell of comparative quiet. Casualties,
which in one of our frequent minor wars would have made a stir, were
of regular occurrence and almost taken for granted; the records show
almost every day something like two killed and five wounded, and drafts
to replace these good fellows were fairly often arriving from England.
Later on the relief of units actually in the trenches by others in rear
occurred at short intervals, but it may be noted here that on the 24th
November the Buffs, when relieved by the Shropshire Light Infantry, had
been no less than four weeks and six days in the front line, east of
Bois Grenier.
During the winter the wet weather, followed by frosts, caused the sides
of the trenches to fall in, and the low-lying nature of the country
made it impossible to drain them properly; so it was decided, as a
temporary measure, to abandon the ditches themselves and build and
man breastworks in lieu. These were generally placed just in rear of
the old works so that the latter could be reoccupied when the weather
improved.
Of course, the long, dull and dreary trench warfare was not entirely
without incident. A poem by Captain C. W. Blackall[6] describes in
graphic verse how one of the ration carriers being a little late in
slipping into the safety of the trench was bowled over by the enemy
and was at first supposed to be dead, but he managed after a while to
crawl in somehow and in spite of his agony he brought in his sack of
bacon with him. That is the sort of spirit which, when it animates
everyone in an army, renders that force absolutely unconquerable. It
has often been the same. On the Indian frontier once a Buff soldier
was apparently killed. Someone bent over him to take any possible last
message. The man was in agony and shot in the stomach, but he could
just speak. “Where’s my bloody rifle?” was all he said.
On St. George’s Day, 1915, the enemy had the audacity to stick out
a flag at their sap head and on it was inscribed the words “Gott
strafe England.” 2nd Lieut. Corrall, Sergt. Vigors and Pte. Russell
disapproved of this, as showing an improperly defiant attitude, so they
crept out and triumphantly brought it in with them.
The Army Commander, Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, inspected the battalion
in the spring and was much struck with the smart turn-out. Such is
custom and the result of training and education. The Buffs must be
smartly turned-out, and conditions and circumstances have nothing to do
with the matter.
It was on the 3rd May that the 1st Battalion and the rest of the
16th Brigade first heard of the German gas attacks, which occurred
north-east of Ypres and to which reference will be made in the next
chapter. Precautionary measures were taken, but the second battle of
Ypres did not greatly affect the troops so far south of the town as
was the 6th Division, but about 1,500 shells fell into Armentieres
on the 6th May. On the last day of this month a move was made to the
neighbourhood of Bailleul and Poperinghe--the village of Wittenhoek,
four miles south of the latter town, being the Buffs’ billet.
On the 2nd June it so happened that the 2nd Battalion, whose adventures
are now to be related, were in Poperinghe, and so, in the nature of
things, a meeting, which will be referred to later, had to be arranged.
It must be remembered in reading the foregoing pages, and indeed in
studying the next chapter also, that the enemy was, during the last
quarter of 1914 and early in the next year, making a well-organized and
very determined attempt to gain Calais and the coast of the English
Channel, and that enormous masses of men were devoted to this effort,
as well as artillery vastly superior in weight of metal to that which
our side could then by any possibility bring to bear. The English lines
of communication ran across the Channel, and it is a maxim of war that
if such lines are lost the army that relies on them must either win
an overwhelming victory or surrender. If Calais had been won by the
Germans the connection between England and her armies would have been
to a great extent severed, for how could reinforcements, munitions and
necessaries daily cross the Channel under heavy and continuous fire,
and repeated and constant attacks from submarine bases?
At Radinghem and at Ypres then, our regiment was helping to defend
England from a dreadful and unprecedented disaster, and Men of Kent
must further consider that to a certain extent, at any rate, the Buffs
were, more than any other regiment, defending their own homeland, for
if hostile batteries of modern long-range guns could have been planted
on Cape Gris Nez, not only would Dover harbour and dockyard have been
destroyed, but, knowing the Germans as we do now, we may be pretty
certain that Hythe, Folkestone, Sandgate and perhaps Deal would soon
have been in as ruinous a condition as were, a little later, Rheims,
Arras and Ypres.
Leaving the 1st Battalion for a while doing its duty in the
neighbourhood of Poperinghe, we will now turn our attention to the
story of the 2nd Battalion from India.
CHAPTER II
THE 2ND BATTALION TAKES ITS SHARE
I. RETURNS TO ENGLAND
The opening of hostilities found the headquarters of the 2nd Battalion
at Wellington in India. It was, like most units which have been some
time abroad, a very fine body of men, in spite of the fact that
Wellington is not exactly a training centre and that three detachments
were provided by the battalion. Very early in the war it was called
upon to send home, to the assistance of the new armies in course of
formation, some of the most useful members of the battalion staff and
many of the very best sergeants. Training was, however, continued, and
in November orders arrived to sail for England on being relieved by
Territorial troops, who had quite forgotten apparently that they were
home service soldiers only, directly England wanted them abroad.
On leaving the East the Buffs had to leave behind a depot which
consisted of a few men passed unfit, all the women and children, and
the property of the messes, regimental institutes, Army Temperance
Association and rifle ranges; this was under the command of Captain
Howard Smith. The only things that went home with the fighting men were
the Colours and the mess silver.
The battalion embarked at Bombay on the 16th November on the Cunard
ship _Ultonia_, which was old, slow and dirty, and fearfully
overcrowded owing to the 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire regiment being
also on board. The ship was under convoy together with thirty-three
others, and the whole made Plymouth instead of Southampton on the
23rd December, after making a wide detour in the Atlantic to avoid
submarines. The Buffs were bundled off their ship in great haste and
without their kits; they got off somehow to Winchester, where they
found themselves on a cold, bleak down, in pouring rain and with but
very meagre equipment--cooking-pots being one of the very many items
that were deficient. An Army Service wagon or two ultimately came along
and threw some blankets upon the wet ground, and some bread and meat
on top of them, and went away; but of course their drivers were not
responsible for cooking-pots. Christmas, 1914, may have been a merry
one in many places, even in the trenches to a certain extent, but it is
doubtful if the 2nd Battalion of the Buffs ever spent a more miserable
one. Certainly Captain Tomlinson’s company got plum puddings, but that
was the one bright spot.
The battalion, together with the 3rd Royal Fusiliers, 2nd East Surrey
and the 3rd Middlesex, all from India, found itself in the 85th
Infantry Brigade under Br.-General A. J. Chapman, C.B., who had Captain
C. J. Deverell for brigade major. The brigade was part of the 28th
Division--Major-General Bulfin, C.V.O., C.B. Captain L. Fort, and
afterwards Lieut. the Hon. P. G. Scarlett, was appointed staff captain
to the 85th Brigade.
Military exercises of an intensive kind were, of course, the daily lot
of the men while at Winchester, particularly so because the latest
pattern rifle (not used in India) had just been issued to them. A
furlough of three clear days to 25 per cent of the soldiers at a time
was, however, granted, so that those just returned from India, after a
foreign tour of nearly ten years, might get a glimpse of their friends
before starting for a new and sterner foreign service. A few drafts of
new men arrived, but it must be understood that these reinforcements
for each and all of the battalions during the four years under
consideration were of such frequent occurrence as to render constant
reference to them both tiresome and superfluous. It may easily be
understood that the strength of a unit must constantly be varying. A
hard-fought action would reduce the numbers enormously, as well as did
the regular drain by death, wounds and disease during the weary trench
work.
The only events worthy of record during the stay at Winchester were
a violent squall which did great damage to the tents on the 28th
December, and a grand inspection of the division by His Majesty the
King accompanied by Lord Kitchener on the 12th January, 1915. The
battalion moved into billets in the city on the 6th January, the
officers being accommodated in Winchester College.[7]
It is only fair to note here that the newly issued boots were not of
proper quality: the heels came off and the nails went through. Later
on, in France, the men experienced a good deal of quite unnecessary
hardship on account of their boots, which to an infantry soldier are
only of second importance to his weapons. Some one was to blame, of
course, presumably the contractor, and it seems that in every war these
men must make their fortunes at the expense of the soldier.
Most judges agree that English soldiers are seldom seen to such
perfection of training and physique as in India, and the infantry of
the 28th Division was entirely composed of units from that country, so
that all who saw these troops prior to embarkation for France agreed
that no finer body of infantry had ever taken the field.
The start was made on the 16th January, on which day the division
marched to Southampton, and a trying march it was; though well timed
and arranged by the staff, sufficient consideration was not given to
the length of the journey by foot, the state of the weather nor the
weight each soldier had to carry.
II. ARRIVES ON WESTERN FRONT
Next day the Buffs embarked for Havre, for the Channel ports were safe
enough by this time. On the 21st they detrained at Hazebrouck and
marched to Rouge Croix (4½ miles N.E.), after one of those terrible
French railway journeys, during which sanitary arrangements are
non-existent. The battalion now became a fighting unit in the great
struggle that was raging round Ypres.
It is good in winter time to have plenty of warm clothing and
protection from the weather, but the kits at this period were terribly
heavy to carry. Later on regular parties were told off to take what was
required from the billets to the trenches and so on, but at first the
soldier, in addition to his regular sixty-two pounds’ weight of kit,
was burdened with a fur coat, gum boots and spare sandbags, all very
excellent things to have with one, but a bit of a job to get over the
ground with.
On the 28th January the brigade was inspected by the
Commander-in-Chief, accompanied by the Prince of Wales. During the
month of February the Germans made several more or less determined
attempts to pierce the British line near Ypres, and sometimes with
partial success. On the 4th of the month the 85th Brigade, being at
Ouderdom, received news that their comrades of the 83rd were being
attacked south-west of the city, so two battalions started at once
to the rescue, and these were followed two hours later by the Buffs
and Middlesex, who entered the place and remained in readiness in the
cavalry barracks.
The 5th February brought some counter-marching. At 4.30 a.m. the
battalion started to march back again to Ouderdom as being not wanted
and was then told to stand by in readiness to move again, as the 84th
Brigade was now in trouble to the south of Ypres. This march, however,
was not performed till the following day, by the evening of which both
the Buffs and East Surreys were back in the cavalry barracks, and from
there they went into the trenches, the Buffs’ Headquarters being at
Ferme Chapelle.
The experience of the next few days was a terrible one; the trenches,
which had just been taken over from the French, were in very bad
condition indeed: they were knee-deep in water, and with parapets so
rotten as not to be bullet proof. Very soon this state of things had
its effect and numbers of the men were suffering from swollen feet and
frost-bite.
III. “O” TRENCH
The brigade front at this time was intersected at right angles by the
Ypres-Comines Canal, which divided it into what were known as the Right
and Left Sections of Defence. Immediately north of the canal the Left
Section of Defence was entrusted to the Buffs and 3rd Royal Fusiliers,
these battalions relieving each other as ordered; and the south or the
Right Section of Defence to the 2nd East Surrey and the 3rd Middlesex.
Each section had its own battalion headquarters. A small part of the
southern section was also held by one company of the Buffs (Captain
Worthington). The other battalions of the brigade were in somewhat
similar conditions to the Buffs, and were daily and rapidly being
reduced in fighting strength and efficiency, chiefly through frost-bite
and sickness. So serious had things become owing to this reduction in
fighting strength that, by the 13th February, it was decided to relieve
the brigade, and to withdraw it to recoup and refit as soon as other
troops were available to replace it in the line.
It had already been decided by the higher command that a part of the
line then being held by the 3rd Middlesex and the 2nd East Surrey,
south of the canal, was to be shortened by the construction of new
trenches a little in rear of trenches “O” and “P.” This work had
already been started, and was, on the night of the 14th February,
being continued by the 3rd Middlesex, which temporarily withdrew the
garrisons from “O” and “P” trenches for the purpose of digging, leaving
those trenches in charge of small covering parties only.
The Germans, who up till then had been showing very little local
activity, unexpectedly raided and captured “O” trench and prevented its
reoccupation by the Middlesex; without delay they reversed the parapet,
wired the front on our side and took all necessary steps for resisting
any attempts at recapture.
During the night 14th/15th February the Buffs were relieved by the
3rd Royal Fusiliers from their unenviable position in the trenches
as recorded above, and were withdrawn a short distance to Chateau
Rosenthal (Bedford House), on the Ypres-St. Eloi road, to rest. By the
time the reliefs had been completed and the battalion had settled down
to rest the night was far spent.
Shortly before dawn alarming rumours reached Battalion H.Q. that the
enemy had broken through the Middlesex and were advancing on Ypres.
Colonel Geddes reported accordingly to Brigade H.Q., and the battalion
was at once turned out in readiness for any eventuality. Soon after
daybreak orders were received to move out and hold the canal bank
south-east of Langhof. Although fairly heavily shelled _en route_,
the battalion crossed the canal without loss and assembled on the north
side, under cover of the canal embankment. Here it was subsequently
joined by the brigadier and some of the brigade staff and remained
awaiting developments throughout the rest of the morning.
About 2.30 p.m. the 2nd East Surrey, assisted by as many of the
Middlesex as it had been possible to collect, were ordered to recapture
“O” trench. No arrangements had apparently been made for artillery
support, and moreover this attack had to be made over ground deep
in mud, devoid of any cover and without any previous reconnaissance
or guides. From the Buffs’ rendezvous nothing could be seen of what
was taking place on the far side of the embankment, where the attack
had been launched. About 4.30 p.m. the Buffs (less one company which
remained with the brigadier in reserve) were ordered to reinforce the
East Surrey, who, owing to extremely heavy losses, were reported to be
held up and unable to make further progress. As the leading company
of the Buffs broke cover it came under artillery fire which caused
many casualties, including its commander, Major F. S. Reeves, wounded,
and Lieut. R. M. Heywood, killed. Neither the whereabouts of the East
Surreys nor the direction of the objective were known, and by this time
darkness was fast approaching. However, the three companies continued
the advance in the dusk and by good fortune came up with some of the
East Surreys, who, having reached a point some five hundred yards from
the objective, were unable to advance any further. The Buffs passed
through them and continued to advance until they reached a point about
three hundred yards from the objective, which by this time, however,
was completely hidden in the darkness which had by now intervened.
At this point a subaltern of the East Surrey Regiment, who had lost
his platoon, was met, and he volunteered to act as guide. The leading
company again pushed on, but, owing to the difficulty of keeping touch
and maintaining direction in the dark, a part of the battalion found
itself held up by wire and suffering heavy losses from fire from more
than one direction. At this juncture Colonel Geddes wisely determined
to withdraw the battalion, which was only done with the greatest
difficulty.
Whilst the above operations were in progress, half a battalion of the
2nd Northumberland Fusiliers, sent from the 84th Brigade, had arrived
in the dark at the rendezvous on the canal bank, where the brigadier
and the reserve company of the Buffs (Major R. E. Power) were waiting.
As nothing was known of the military situation, nor of the whereabouts
of the Buffs nor of the East Surrey Regiment, from whom no reports had
been received since dark, the brigadier ordered the reserve company
of the Buffs to go out and find the rest of the battalion. He himself
started with them. After going a short distance they came across a
building full of wounded which was found to be the Battalion H.Q. of
the Right Section of Defence, then occupied by the headquarters of the
3rd Middlesex Regiment. Here a guide was procured, and the company
proceeded in the direction in which the remainder of the battalion
and the 2nd East Surrey had gone. Before it had gone far, however, it
luckily met Colonel Geddes returning. The battalion (less half Major
Power’s company, detached to occupy a front-line trench) reached
the canal about 10.30 p.m., and was sent back at 1 a.m. to Chateau
Rosenthal to get a meal and rest.
During the morning of the 15th February, 1915, a conference was held
at Brigade H.Q., and it was decided to renew the attack on the lost
trench “O” on that night. The brigadier at first decided to carry out
this operation with the Buffs and East Surrey Regiment only, but these
two battalions had together only about three hundred men available,
owing to the casualties of the previous day and the losses sustained
during the recent tour in the trenches. Two companies of the 2nd
Northumberland Fusiliers (84th Brigade) were, therefore, added to this
small force, which was placed under command of Colonel Geddes. In the
written orders issued to units it was stated that “O” trench was to
be retaken at all costs and held until reliefs arrived. The G.O.C.
28th Division stated that the 85th Brigade, which, owing to the severe
losses from fire and sickness already incurred, was to have been at
once withdrawn from the line and sent back to recoup and refit, would
not be relieved until the lost trench “O” had been recaptured.
At 7 p.m. the Buffs (less half D Company)[8] and 2nd East Surrey
Regiment (less one and a half companies) assembled at the place
ordered, that is, on the road junction on the Ypres-St. Eloi road,
620 yards south of the canal. From this point the column, led by the
Buffs, marched via the road leading east towards Oosthoek, as far as
the Battalion H.Q. of the Right Sections of Defence, where the 2nd
Northumberland Fusiliers (less two companies) joined and followed in
reserve. Leaving here at 7.40 p.m. and moving in file, closed up, the
column was skilfully guided some two thousand yards across country by
Lieut. J. A. H. Wood, 2nd East Surrey, to the position of deployment
(the north-east end of a spinney about 150 yards north of “O” trench),
which was reached without opposition or casualties at about 8.40 p.m.
On reaching the position of deployment the Buffs, under Major L. I. B.
Hulke, having previously fixed bayonets, silently deployed into line
to the left, in single rank, without extending, and lay down in the
deep mud. The East Surreys, acting in a similar manner, formed a second
line twenty yards in rear with the 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers some
fifty yards behind them. Selected scouts of the Buffs were sent out to
reconnoitre and cut the enemy’s wire and to report on the intervening
ground, which was quite unknown to all those about to take part in this
attack. Such complete silence had been maintained during the advance
and deployment that the presence of the column was unknown to the enemy
until a prearranged artillery bombardment of his trenches commenced
at 8.55 p.m. The shells all appeared to take effect against the main
German position, and consequently well beyond the immediate objective.
They unfortunately had the undesired effect of putting the defenders on
the _qui vive_, for they at once manned the trench “O,” sent up
flares, which revealed the position of the attacking force, and opened
on it a withering fire from rifles, machine guns and trench mortars.
The time ordered for the assault was 9 p.m., and the right of the
Buffs was detailed to direct. Immediately the enemy opened fire it
was apparent from the shells which, following one another in quick
succession, burst immediately behind and close to the Buffs, that the
enemy had the exact range. Realizing this, Major Hulke at once gave the
order to advance. Just in front of the Buffs the ground sloped somewhat
steeply downwards towards the objective for about fifty yards. Nothing
could have been finer than the dash and the steady determination with
which the whole line, like one man, arose and went forward down this
slope. The configuration of the ground, and the unhesitating manner
in which the order to advance was carried out, undoubtedly saved the
battalion from serious losses at this stage, as the more quickly the
advance down the slope was made the higher above the men’s heads rained
the storm of shells and bullets on to, and beyond, the position which
the battalion had just vacated.
From the bottom of the slope the advance had to be made across heavy
ground, ankle deep in mud and devoid of cover, for a distance of about
120 yards, the last part of which was up a steep incline. Except for
the enemy’s flares it was pitch dark. Against the heavy frontal fire
from the trench, and enfilade machine-gun fire from the left flank, the
battalion forged ahead with magnificent determination, and in spite of
serious casualties, most of which were sustained when the level ground
at the foot of the first slope was reached, fought its way through
the wire and finally assaulted and gained a footing in the trench.
The enemy, who had kept up a heavy fire until the Buffs were within
ten yards of the trench, disappeared in the dark, apparently down a
communication trench and also towards the western end of “O” trench.
Major C. L. Porter was wounded and many other ranks killed and wounded
during the attack, but ten officers and about sixty other ranks
succeeded in entering the trench. Major Hulke immediately reorganized
and distributed these along the trench, starting from the extreme left,
and arranged for the protection of the right flank by the construction
of a sandbag traverse, which was built, under fire from rifle and
bombs, under Captain Morgan’s supervision, assisted by Lieut. Laing.
A considerable number had already been wounded; parties had to be
employed in repairing and strengthening the parapet, whilst others had
to be told off to assist those detailed to man the parapet, in clearing
the jammed rifles and supplying them with cleaned ammunition. When
all these deductions from the sixty odd other ranks who had succeeded
in gaining a footing in the trench had been made, it was found that
only sufficient men remained to hold about fifty out of a probable
two hundred yards of trench. Whilst the above arrangements were in
progress the enemy started sniping and throwing bombs, apparently from
a communication trench and from the western end of “O” trench, which
was still in their hands. Bombs at that time were weapons of warfare
of which the 28th Division had had no previous experience whatever,
and owing to the darkness, the non-provision of maps and lack of
previous information about, or knowledge of, the trench, it was very
difficult to locate the places from which the enemy were throwing them
and sniping. However, Captain F. W. Tomlinson, Captain L. Fort and 2nd
Lieut. E. F. D. Strettell discovered the whereabouts of a party of the
enemy’s bombers and rushed it; demolished the sandbag wall, from under
cover of which bombs were being thrown, and cleared the enemy out of
the trench. Captain Tomlinson seized the bayonet of one of the enemy,
who turned tail. Captain L. Fort, who a few days previously had shown
the greatest courage and resource whilst in charge of an officers’
reconnoitring patrol, was killed, and 2nd Lieut. E. F. D. Strettell
was severely wounded in this gallant enterprise, which undoubtedly
saved many lives and further casualties in the battalion, as the enemy
afterwards ceased bombing and apparently withdrew.
Owing to the mud, with which everybody and everything was smothered,
a large number of the rifles became jammed and unserviceable. After
holding on for three hours, as the promised support had not arrived
the position of the Buffs was by now (midnight) somewhat critical.
Major Hulke therefore sent 2nd Lieut. J. A. Wood (2nd East Surrey),
accompanied by No. 9522 Pte. W. J. White, to report the situation
to Colonel Geddes, and eventually the former returned, guiding a
company of the 2nd Suffolk Regiment. He reported that both the 2nd
Northumberland Fusiliers and 2nd East Surrey had lost their way in
the dark, and that the former had been now ordered to follow the 2nd
Suffolk Regiment. They did not, however, arrive at “O” trench before
the Buffs were relieved.
As soon as the company of the Suffolks had taken over the portion
of the trench the Buffs were holding, they had to work their surplus
men along the trench beyond the sandbag traverse which the battalion
had built, and extend them further to the right. In trying to do this
they met with considerable opposition from parties of the enemy, who
were in the western part of the trench. As the officer in command of
this company appeared to meet with some difficulty in overcoming this
opposition, Major Hulke offered to remain with his handful of men
until it got sufficiently light to see what the real situation was.
This offer, however, was refused, and, in accordance with the orders
issued, Major Hulke therefore withdrew the Buffs, leaving in charge
of the Suffolks any wounded who were unable to be removed without
stretchers--of which there were none available. Great difficulty
was experienced in carrying out the withdrawal over the fire-swept
morass which had to be crossed, lit up, as it was, by almost incessant
star-shell and flares. By crawling through the mud between the
flares, a few yards at a time, and by lying down as flat as possible
whilst any light remained, was the only way of proceeding, but many
lives, including Sgt. Rosam, were lost during the first part of the
withdrawal: although the distance was not more than 150 yards, it took
half an hour to reach the original place of deployment.
After a few hours’ rest in the cavalry barracks in Ypres the battalion
marched into scattered billets in and around Reninghelst. On the same
afternoon the services of 2nd Lieut. C. W. Laing were asked for to act
as guide to another brigade detailed on that night to recapture “O”
trench, which the enemy had again taken possession of very shortly
after the Buffs had been relieved. In spite of his arduous experiences
of the previous night’s fighting and want of rest, 2nd Lieut. C.
W. Laing undertook this hazardous enterprise, and carried it out
successfully.
IV. TRENCH WARFARE NEAR YPRES
On the 19th February the battalion was attached to the 3rd Division
and went into billets at Locre, marching to Westoutre for baths and
clean clothes. There was a regular system in working this necessary
ablution arrangement. Men cast off their filthy underclothing, which
was taken from them, and after a bath, clean underclothes, which had
once belonged to other people, were provided and the old ones were
never seen again by the original owners. At first this caused a certain
amount of grumbling amongst careful men, who were liable to become
possessed of somewhat more ragged articles than they handed in, but it
was soon found that things generally came right in the long run.
A new line of trenches were occupied on the 22nd, and these were found
to be much preferable and more desirable in every way than those last
occupied. There is no doubt that the French were more careless as
regards the cleanliness as well as the general efficiency of their
trenches than were our own people, and it seems that the 2nd Buffs were
rather unfortunate in very frequently relieving our Allies instead of
other British troops. These new and better works were at Kemmel, and
the battalion alternated between this place and Locre till the 23rd
March, when it was billeted at Dickebusch. Captain A. S. Cresswell was
killed by a sniper on the 12th March.
On the 10th April, after a trying turn at St. Eloi, the battalion
marched to Zonnebeke and relieved the 153rd French Regiment, the 85th
Brigade having three battalions in the front line, with the Buffs in
the centre, three companies in the fire trenches and one in support.
About the middle of the line was the Broodseinde cross-roads, where
the enemy’s trenches approached very close to our own, at one point
to within five feet. This portion of the field is upon a plateau which
commands the Ypres road, and was of great tactical importance. Forward
of a trench which lay to the south-west of the cross-roads, the enemy
had that morning rushed a parallel in which the French had laid a mine
that was to have been fired before they handed over. After blocking
this mine up, the enemy had retained possession of that part of the
work in which it had been laid. Of this fact the French were either
ignorant or, at any rate, they made no report of it. Two attempts were
made to dislodge them, in which Captain Hood, Lieut. Whitaker (both of
whom were wounded) and 2nd Lieut. Chapman did good work.
In the meantime the Germans had established a heavy trench mortar
in a position, secure from our artillery, from which they brought a
merciless fire to bear on our lines, especially on B Company which
was on the cross-roads. This was the 2nd Battalion’s first experience
of this weapon. Serious damage was done to the parapets and many
casualties resulted. During this four days’ tour 1 officer and 22
other ranks were killed and 4 officers and 62 other ranks wounded. The
battalion was relieved by the 3rd Royal Fusiliers on the morning of the
14th and marched back to billets at St. Jean, about one mile east of
Ypres. A and D Companies were sent into the reserve dug-outs west of
Zonnebeke, but rejoined at St. Jean the next day. After another short
turn in the trenches the battalion on the 21st found itself bivouacked
in open fields near St. Jean, where shelters and dug-outs were arranged
for, because the town of Ypres was now being too heavily shelled for
troops to make use of billeting accommodation there, or, in fact, to
pass through the town at all.
V. SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES
The second battle of Ypres has brought more obloquy and ill-fame on the
German nation than even Marathon brought glory to the Athenians. It
appears to have been well understood by scientific men that a noisome
and poisonous gas could be so carried down wind that no man could
breathe its suffocating fumes and live for long, and further that he
must die in agony. At the ineffectual conference at the Hague it had
been arranged between the representatives of the several nations,
including Germany, that the use of such a disgusting and brutal weapon
should be barred between civilized enemies, and nobody thought any
more about it, but the German beast is not a gentleman and he ruled
that the brave old days when foeman fought with a chivalrous regard
for his opponent were to cease, at any rate as far as the much-vaunted
Fatherland was concerned, and so this battle which we are now to
consider goes down in history as the first great combat in which unfair
and blackguardly methods were adopted.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
YPRES FROM NEAR MENIN GATE]
The commencement of this tremendous battle is best described in Sir
John French’s own words, which are here quoted from his despatches: “It
was at the commencement of the Second Battle of Ypres on the evening of
the 22nd April that the enemy first made use of asphyxiating gas.
“Some days previously I had complied with General Joffre’s request to
take over the trenches occupied by the French, and on the evening of
the 22nd the troops holding the lines east of Ypres were posted as
follows:--
“From Steenstraate to the east of Langemarck, as far as the
Poelcappelle road, a French division.
“Thence, in a south-easterly direction towards the
Passchendaele-Becelaere road, the Canadian division.
“Thence, a division took up the line in a southerly direction east
of Zonnebeke to a point west of Becelaere, whence another division
continued the line south-east to the northern limit of the corps on its
right.
“Of the 5th Corps there were four battalions in Divisional Reserve
about Ypres; the Canadian Division had one battalion in Divisional
Reserve and the 1st Canadian Brigade in Army Reserve. An infantry
brigade, which had just been withdrawn after suffering heavy losses on
Hill 60, was resting about Vlamertinghe.
“Following a heavy bombardment, the enemy attacked the French division
at about 5 p.m., using asphyxiating gases for the first time. Aircraft
reported that at about 5 p.m. thick yellow smoke had been seen issuing
from the German trenches between Langemarck and Bixschoote. The
French reported that two simultaneous attacks had been made east of
the Ypres-Staden railway, in which these asphyxiating gases had been
employed.
“What follows almost defies description. The effect of these poisonous
gases was so virulent as to render the whole of the line held by the
French division mentioned above practically incapable of any action at
all. It was at first impossible for anyone to realize what had actually
happened. The smoke and fumes hid everything from sight, and hundreds
of men were thrown into a comatose or dying condition, and within an
hour the whole position had to be abandoned, together with about 50
guns.
“I wish particularly to repudiate any idea of attaching the least blame
to the French division for this unfortunate incident.
“After all the examples our gallant Allies have shown of dogged and
tenacious courage in the many trying situations in which they have
been placed throughout the course of this campaign, it is quite
superfluous for me to dwell on this aspect of the incident, and I would
only express my firm conviction that, if any troops in the world had
been able to hold their trenches in the face of such a treacherous and
altogether unexpected onslaught, the French division would have stood
firm.
“The left flank of the Canadian division was thus left dangerously
exposed to serious attack in flank, and there appeared to be a prospect
of their being overwhelmed and of a successful attempt by the Germans
to cut off the British troops occupying the salient to the east.
“In spite of the danger to which they were exposed the Canadians held
their ground with a magnificent display of tenacity and courage, and it
is not too much to say that the bearing and conduct of these splendid
troops averted a disaster which might have been attended with the most
serious consequences.
“They were supported with great promptitude by the reserves of the
divisions holding the salient and by a brigade which had been resting
in billets.”
* * * * *
Now, of course, the commander-in-chief of a large army cannot possibly
in his reports home go into details concerning brigades and battalions,
but as the reader will see later this “brigade resting in billets”
comprised amongst others the 2nd Battalion of the Buffs. The story
as far as the Buffs are concerned is as follows:--The 1st Battalion
was still twelve miles or so south of Ypres, but the 2nd was, as has
been seen, on the afternoon of the 22nd of April, bivouacked in fields
at St. Jean, which village was about four miles back from the front
British line of trenches. The Middlesex and Buffs were that night
to relieve the rest of the brigade in the trenches about Zonnebeke.
Considerable Canadian forces were in the immediate vicinity of the
Buffs.
About 5 o’clock on the evening of the 22nd April there was a sudden
very sharp outburst of the enemy’s artillery, and a cloud of greenish
vapour was noticed away on the left of the line. Heavy machine-gun
firing was heard, evidently coming from the enemy, a very long way
inside what was the British line, and bullets came spattering into
St. Jean, which place ought to have been safe enough from this kind
of fire. Half an hour after the commencement of the bombardment many
French soldiers were observed retiring rapidly and in a disordered
manner. These men were mostly Turcos and Zouaves and, poor fellows, had
been taken entirely by surprise by the new and horrible methods of the
enemy. They had, of course, no protection against gas at that time, and
they simply fled as if the Devil were after them. It was thought by the
English at first that the gas attack was nothing, and preparations were
at first continued for carrying out the relief alluded to above, but
it soon became evident that something very serious indeed had occurred
and, at 8.30 p.m., Colonel Geddes was placed in command of all troops
in St. Jean, Major Power taking over the Buff battalion.
Geddes soon received another battalion from Ypres, and at first he
had his old adjutant, Lieut. Hon. P. G. Scarlett, with him as staff
officer, but the latter was relieved the same night and rejoined the
details of the 85th Brigade, of which he was staff captain, and which
were soon fighting hard at Zonnebeke. Geddes was later joined by
detachments of two other battalions, and his force during the next few
days was destined to play an extraordinarily fine rôle. These troops
were all there was between the Canadians left near Wieltje and the
Canal, and it became theirs to guard an otherwise open road to Ypres.
The Canadians with whom Geddes’ Detachment, as it was officially
nominated, was soon ordered to act, immediately stood to, as did the
Buffs and Middlesex, as well as the 4th King’s Own Royal Lancasters,
the battalion which had come from Ypres.
Meanwhile, the French troops were streaming down the road towards
Ypres, while the Englishmen were standing nonchalantly in the streets
of St. Jean, and the Canadians calmly marching north and north-east in
the direction from which the foreign troops were retiring. The Buffs
took up a position covering St. Jean, facing north and north-east, with
the Middlesex on their left and the King’s Own in reserve.
At night it was found that the Canadian left flank was turned and the
3rd Canadian Brigade requesting that a company should be sent up to
St. Julien to help and support them, Captain Tomlinson with B Company
was sent, though the Englishmen were themselves hardly pressed. At
2 a.m. on the 23rd, Geddes received instructions that he was to act
under orders of the Canadian Division, and was told by that unit to
co-operate on the Canadian left. At 3.30 the Buffs, less B Company, was
ordered to Wieltje and thence in a northerly direction to get touch
with the 3rd Canadian Brigade. The men took some time to collect for
the counter-attack, and it was after 4 o’clock and broad daylight when
the battalion moved off, preceded by an advance guard under Captain
Barnard.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
BATTLEFIELD NEAR ST. JULIEN]
About eight hundred yards north of Wieltje some dug-outs and trenches
were reached, which were occupied by Canadians. These trenches were
screened by a hedge, under cover of which the Buffs closed up. Beyond
was open country, so the battalion at once deployed and was immediately
subjected to furious machine-gun and rifle fire from the enemy, who
were entrenched in two parallel lines about 1,200 and 900 yards
distant on rising ground sloping to the north. Moving at the double,
platoon followed platoon in quick succession in the open, many
casualties occurring. Two companies soon reached a farm four hundred
yards on, while the remaining company took advantage of the frail cover
afforded by a fence, 150 yards behind the farm, around which were a
few Canadians, from whom Major Power ascertained that there was a
space of about a quarter of a mile to the east, only lightly held by
the French. On it were three parallel lines of trenches facing north
with their right resting on the G.H.Q. wire. Major Power, seeing the
danger of this, ordered the battalion to advance half-right and occupy
the forward of the three trenches. In it were found a few men of the
1st Zouaves. The Buffs therefore advanced by rushes across the open
and lost heavily: Captain J. McB. Ronald being killed, Lieut. D. A.
Wilkins severely wounded and some eighty casualties of other ranks
occurring. Two companies occupied the front line, while the third (D)
was in a trench facing east along the G.H.Q. wire, which is the last
fortified line back from the enemy, and the fact that our troops were
now practically defending that meant, of course, that the enemy had
penetrated all defences but one on this northern flank of the Ypres
salient. The rest of the day the battalion was subjected to heavy
shelling and rifle fire. The remainder of the Zouaves withdrew, and the
Buffs then completely occupied the gap between the Canadian companies.
The 24th April proved an unfortunate day. D Company was moved at the
urgent request of the 3rd Canadian Brigade to a position across the
Wieltje-St. Julien road, but at 7 a.m. Captain Tomlinson’s B Company,
which had been detached late on the 22nd to the succour of the
Canadians, was completely surrounded by the enemy, and after losing
very heavily, practically all the survivors were made prisoners.
Among the killed were Lieut. W. G. Jackson and 2nd Lieut. C. W. Laing.
The Canadians and others who saw this company attack stated that this
little force was entirely responsible for the saving of the Canadian
left, and also that practically the whole company was killed, wounded
or taken prisoner, including Tomlinson, who had again shown great
gallantry. On this 24th of April, as well as the two following days,
the shelling was most severe, and the men suffered much from the
poisonous fumes given off on the bursting of the shells. D Company was
relieved by the Canadians on the morning of the 25th and resumed its
old place, thrown back at an angle from A’s right flank.
The battalion being relieved by the 4th Battalion Rifle Brigade,
got back to dug-outs at St. Jean on the 27th, but the constant and
persistent shelling continued there all day and, on the 28th, the Buffs
received orders to rejoin the 85th Brigade at Verlorenhoek, Geddes’
detachment having been broken up.
Colonel Geddes had thus again shown his worth; he combined experience
and valour with a strong understanding and much intellectual power, and
had, it would seem, a fine future before him. His brilliant handling of
the critical situation so suddenly forced on him undoubtedly prevented
the Germans from pressing home the attack so successfully begun on
the 22nd. To the great loss of his regiment and his country, a shell
entered the room in which he was sitting on the morning of the 28th and
killed him instantly.[9]
Although the 29th and 30th of April proved quiet days for the regiment
at Verlorenhoek this was but a lull in the awful and pitiless storm.
The most marked feature of the next few days was the failure of the
artillery to support the overdriven foot soldiers. This, of course,
was in no possible way the fault of the glorious gunners, but gun fire
cannot be kept up without an adequate supply of material. Throughout
the whole period since the first break in the line on the night of the
22nd April all the troops in this area had been constantly subjected
to violent artillery bombardment from a large mass of guns with an
unlimited supply of ammunition. It proved impossible, whilst under such
a vastly superior fire of artillery and gas, to dig efficient trenches
or properly reorganize the line after the confusion and demoralization
caused by the first great gas surprise; consequently a withdrawal to a
new line some little way further back became imperative, and this was
carried out successfully during the first four days of May.
Meantime, they were doing their duty in England; drafts were coming
out to replace those who had fallen, and the hard-tried battalion was
pulling itself together for the further upholding of the great cause
and for the honour of the corps.
On the 1st May a fresh draft of men had arrived from England. There
was no time to allot them to companies, so, for the time being, they
were kept together and put entire into a new support trench in front of
a wood, and the very next day they came under really extraordinarily
heavy shell fire, to which our gunners were unable to reply. It was
the most trying initiation into warfare that young soldiers ever had
to undergo, and the shelling was renewed at dawn on the 3rd of the
month, so that Captain Archer Houblon, who commanded, reported many
casualties, his parapet blown in and the situation critical. During
the whole of this day the shelling was quite abnormal in intensity
and our gunners could make hardly any reply. In the afternoon the
bombardment is described as sounding like machine-gun fire, being, as
it was, so rapid and incessant. The enemy meanwhile rushed a trench
called D.5, there being few, if any, Buffs to resist them. It had been
occupied by Captain Howard Smith, Lieut. G. R. Howe and some eighty
men of C Company. The whole party was reported missing, and it was
believed nearly all were killed or wounded. There were during these
days no communication trenches and the firing was too hot to permit of
men moving from one work to another, so that parties were completely
isolated.
The following is an extract from the official diary, a document which
deals only with the plainest facts, related in the simplest language.
There is never any exaggeration in the official diaries: “The Germans
now occupied the woods behind D.5, a movement which made D.4 quite
untenable; they were held up, however, by a small party of Buffs under
2nd Lieut. Backhouse and a company of Royal Fusiliers under Captain
Ford, who gallantly held on to the new support trench despite fearsome
enfilade fire from heavy howitzers and other artillery. Captain Houblon
and Lieut. Sharp and remainder of D Company who were still holding D.4,
were now being enfiladed by Germans from D.5 and taken in reverse from
the wood. Captain Houblon, therefore, was compelled to retire along the
trench line, a movement which was carried out steadily. The Germans
were still pressing forward and soon occupied a portion of the new
support trench where it joined D.4. Our men and the enemy were now only
a few yards apart, unfortunately the enemy were in greater numbers and
a far stronger situation. Many of the enemy were shot, especially when
they filed out of the wood in front of D.5. In the retirement we also
lost heavily.
“The two last men in D.4 were Company Sergt.-Major Port and No. 7852
Pte. F. Campbell, both of C Company. These two bravely kept the enemy
off while the others got away, and were able eventually both to follow
under very heavy fire.
“Lieut. Sharp was wounded, but was able, with the survivors of Captain
Houblon’s party, to reach D.3 and later D.1, held by Captain Barnard
with A Company. When the musketry and machine-gun fire opened in the
wood, Major Power instantly decided to send up the support company
to the ridge south-west of the wood with the object of checking the
enemy’s advance and of reinforcing Captain Ford’s company of Fusiliers
in the new support trench. The exact situation at the time was unknown.
On the way up Major Power was wounded in the chest.”
* * * * *
From about 3.45 p.m. to 6 p.m. the enemy plastered, bombarded and
searched the ridge with a storm of artillery fire, but the Royal
Fusiliers and a few of the 2nd East Yorkshire stood their ground and
the enemy showed no inclination to advance from the wood. Any moment
our people hoped to hear our artillery open, but hoped in vain. If only
our guns could have got on to the wood, the enemy must have suffered
heavily. As it was the contest was an unequal one. It was our infantry
alone against the enemy’s infantry in force and a most powerful
combination of the enemy’s artillery. Fortunately for us the attack of
the enemy’s infantry lacked push and determination. Things quieted down
towards dusk, the enemy contenting himself with remaining where he was,
enabling our retirement, which was ordered for the night 3rd/4th May,
to be carried out quite steadily with a minimum of loss, all wounded
men, spare ammunition and tools being brought away. The remnants of
the battalion moved back to bivouacs in a wood near Poperinghe on the
4th of the month, where it was congratulated by General Plumer on the
excellent work it had done and where it remained till the 8th. There is
no doubt that the Buffs had been fortunate in having in Major Power a
worthy successor to their late colonel. That officer was, however, now
on the sick list from a severe wound in the chest, and the command had
fallen to Captain Jackson, who held it for a few days until the arrival
of a very senior captain, Worthington, who was given the temporary rank
of lieut-colonel.
The total casualties from 22nd April to 4th May were:--
_Officers killed_ 6:
Colonel A. D. Geddes, Captain J. McB. Ronald,
Lieuts. E. H. U. Buttanshaw and W. G. Jackson, 2nd
Lieuts. C. W. Laing and P. T. Featherstonhaugh-Frampton.
_Officers wounded_ 9:
Major R. E. Power, Lieuts. A. D. Wilkins, J. B.
Sharp and D. V. Thomas, 2nd Lieuts. L. M. S. Essell,
E. B. Backhouse, R. M. Watson, G. Seath and S.
Rivers.
_Wounded and Missing_ 2:
Captain F. W. Tomlinson and Lieut. G. R. Howe.
_Missing_ 2:
Captain L. Howard Smith and Lieut. A. L. D.
Ryder.
The other rank casualties are most difficult to account for,
particularly in respect of the 150 men of the two drafts that arrived
on the 30th April and the 1st May respectively. These men’s names
were not known. Also many men were buried in the trenches and it
was impossible to obtain identity discs. The following figures are
approximate; it is certain, however, that many others were killed,
including the majority of the above-mentioned drafts:--
Killed 67
Wounded 259
Wounded and missing 13
Missing 363
A total of 17 officers and 702 other ranks.
* * * * *
It may be conceived and understood from this list of losses that
the old “Contemptible” army had by now disappeared. A few officers,
including promoted N.C.O.’s, and some veteran soldiers, still existed;
many of them, having partially recovered from wounds and sickness,
were now in military employment in England, but, roughly speaking, the
soldiers fighting in France were new men, who, a year before, never
thought it possible that they would be fighting the battles of their
Country; but still the drafts arrived and still the men composing them
were called upon to die or be maimed. It was a sad thing in the case
above recorded for the poor lads of the drafts who had just left Kent
full of life, zeal and enthusiasm to be obliterated immediately on
reaching their long-desired goal, their regiment, and even before they
had been allotted to companies.
At daylight on the 8th May very heavy bombardment was heard, and at
8.30 a.m. the Buffs, still under the command of Captain Jackson, were
ordered to a camp west of Ypres on the Zonnebeke road. Here were found
very poor and dilapidated trenches with demolished parapets, but
these were ordered to be held at all costs, and here the battalion
was shelled all day. B Company set to work to dig itself into a new
support trench about two hundred yards behind the main fire one.
Towards midnight on the 12th, after almost continuous shelling during
the preceding days, the battalion was relieved by the Life Guards and
moved back to Poperinghe.
The next night the Buffs, with the Northumberland Fusiliers, Cheshire
Regiment and 1st Battalion York and Lancasters were formed into a
temporary composite brigade under Br.-General Bols, and told to be
in readiness to move at a moment’s notice, but on the 19th the 85th
Brigade took over this duty from Bols’ men, the Buffs having in the
interval received a large draft of 5 officers and 350 men.
On the 20th the Commander-in-Chief, Sir John French, made a speech to
the 85th Brigade, as well as to others, of which the following is an
extract:--
“I came over to say a few words to you and to tell you how much I, as
Commander-in-Chief of this Army, appreciate the splendid work that
you have all done during the recent fighting. You have fought the
Second Battle of Ypres, which will rank amongst the most desperate
and hardest fights of the war. You may have thought because you were
not attacking the enemy that you were not helping to shorten the war.
On the contrary, by your splendid endurance and bravery, you have
done a great deal to shorten it. In this, the Second Battle of Ypres,
the Germans tried by every means in their power to get possession of
that unfortunate town. They concentrated large forces of troops and
artillery, and further than that they had recourse to that mean and
dastardly practice, hitherto unheard of in civilized warfare, namely,
the use of asphyxiating gases. You have performed the most difficult,
arduous and terrific task of withstanding a stupendous bombardment by
heavy artillery, probably the fiercest artillery fire ever directed
against troops, and warded off the enemy’s attacks with magnificent
bravery. By your steadiness and devotion, both the German plans were
frustrated. He was unable to get possession of Ypres--if he had done
this he would probably have succeeded in preventing neutral Powers from
intervening--and he was also unable to distract us from delivering
our attack in conjunction with the French in the Arras-Armentieres
district. Had you failed to repulse his attacks, and made it necessary
for more troops to be sent to your assistance, our operations in the
south might not have been able to take place, and would certainly not
have been so successful as they have been. Your Colours have many
famous names emblazoned on them, but none will be more famous or more
well-deserved than that of the Second Battle of Ypres. I want you one
and all to understand how thoroughly I realize and appreciate what you
have done. I wish to thank you, each officer, non-commissioned officer
and man, for the services you have rendered by doing your duty so
magnificently, and I am sure that your Country will thank you too.”
* * * * *
At 2.45 a.m. on the 24th May the Germans attacked as a final effort the
whole front from Wieltje to the Menin road. This began with gas for
four and a half hours and a very heavy bombardment with gas shells,
combined with “Flammenwerfen,” a terrible implement for ejecting liquid
fire, new at this time. Then the enemy advanced in very heavy masses
and gained the snipers’ line, but was repulsed in each attempt to get
further. Two companies of the 8th Middlesex and one company East Surrey
immediately north of the railway gave way in consequence of the gas.
There was cavalry on the right of the 85th Brigade and these were at
the same time heavily attacked, so that the O.C. Buffs, which was the
right battalion of the G.H.Q. line, was asked for help. The message
came at 4.30 a.m. and was from Captain Court, 9th Lancers, who said
that his men were “on their knees,” but holding out. Captain Barnard
with A Company followed by half of C, under Lieut. Swayne, at once
started for the rescue to reinforce the trenches north and south of
the Menin road, and thus on this day the Buffs fought in two separate
parties. At 6.30 orders came to reinforce the 3rd Royal Fusiliers, who
meant to retake their lost trench, and B Company, with the remaining
half of C, went up, leaving for the present D Company in the G.H.Q.
line. Directly it left the reserve line this party came under very
heavy shell fire and lost badly. Major Johnstone of the Fusiliers,
however, organized his counter-stroke, but it was beaten off, he
himself being wounded, Lieut. D. W. Hammond of the Buffs killed and
many men of both regiments lost.
The enemy appeared to be in great strength, so the remainder of the
Buffs was ordered up to assist the Royal Fusiliers at a level crossing
on the railway, but all this time the enemy’s shell fire was terrific
and the crossing became merely a death-trap. However, about 1 p.m. D
Company issued from the G.H.Q. lines and tried to come on, though it
was almost an impossibility. It was a terrible undertaking and only
about thirty men, under 2nd Lieut. Mantle, managed the journey. The
situation was most critical as the enemy were working round the right.
About 5 p.m. a counter-attack by the 84th Brigade, though held up,
relieved matters somewhat. At nightfall the attack was continued by
84th and 80th Brigades, but was not successful owing to the terrific
rifle and machine-gun fire directed upon it by the enemy. There were
many casualties. Numbers of Cheshire, Welsh, K.S.L.I. and other
regiments retired into the road cutting held by the Buffs and 3rd Royal
Fusiliers.
Referring to the other party of the battalion which, under Captain
Barnard, had been sent to assist the cavalry who were holding their own
so well, the following extract from the official diary describes its
adventures:--
“Captain Barnard having received orders to reinforce the 9th
Lancers, moved east along the Menin road under shrapnel fire,
meeting on the way scores of gassed and wounded men retiring
from trenches north of the Menin-Ypres road. Eventually about
150 men of A Company filed into the Hooge trenches, the
occupants of which were suffering badly from the gas--especially
the officers. Besides the 9th Lancers, there were portions of
the 18th Hussars, 4th Yorkshires, York and Lancasters and 5th
D.L.I. Captain Grenfell, V.C., 9th Lancers, was in command. A
Company spread all along the five hundred yards of trenches.
The enemy were found to be enveloping our left or north flank
and had pushed on one thousand yards west of it. A Company then
swung round and formed a new firing line facing north to meet
the new menace.”
For three days, until the night of the 26th to 27th, the company
maintained its position and accounted for several of the enemy. The men
were subjected to continuous fire from the enemy’s artillery, snipers
and large trench mortars. It was a case of digging in all day and
night. Some of the trenches were knee deep in water. No rations were
received for two days and the company was in great difficulties, and
a trying situation for the whole period up to the night of 26th/27th,
when it was relieved and moved back to G.H.Q. line. The 25th of the
month was devoted to the collection and reorganization of what was left
of B, C and D Companies under difficulties owing to the many stragglers
from other corps. The enemy fortunately slackened his fierce attacks
and at nightfall many wounded were collected, and after a couple of
comparatively quiet days in the trenches the battalion marched back to
billets east of Poperinghe.
After the narration of such terrible scenes as have been described it
is pleasant to record a happy social event which, though a civilian
reader may possibly regard it as of trivial importance, bears a very
different aspect in the eyes of the English soldier. In all or nearly
all foreign armies the battalions of a regiment are parts of the same
tactical unit, but this does not obtain in our Army. The nature of our
military duties causes the necessity of one battalion being abroad
while the other remains at home, and it is almost unheard of that two
battalions should serve together. There are old and retired Buffs who
remember the meeting of the 1st and 2nd Battalions at Singapore about
the year 1885. The occasion was celebrated then in what might now be
considered almost too jovial a manner, but its rare occurrence made
it very memorable. Again, after the Boer War when the 2nd Battalion,
recently home from South Africa, was quartered in Dover, the 1st, back
from Aden, was sent there also. These meetings are still remembered by
the survivors of those who served in 1885 and 1904. On the 2nd June,
then, in the midst of a tremendous war, it so happening that both the
old units were resting at the same time and near the same place, the
2nd Battalion made a route march to Wittenhoek to visit its sister
battalion which was in bivouac there. It was an historical event as
far as the old regiment was concerned, though, alas, the two portions
of it were not the same men that wore the Dragon on their collars a
year before. Still, there were certain old friendships to renew and the
Buffs were still the Buffs after all.
[Illustration: YPRES]
CHAPTER III
THE PREPARATION AND THE START OF MORE BATTALIONS
I. SUMMARY OF EVENTS
When the crash came in August, 1914, the only British forces ready to
assist were, of course, the units composing the regular army, and it
was soon seen that these were numerically far too few for a struggle
of the present magnitude; and though we were only bound by treaty to
furnish a certain number of soldiers, that number would only serve to
show our goodwill, but could not possibly do much towards the decision
of the result. As far as it went the old regular army proved itself
to be the finest and most highly trained in Europe, but it was a
lamentably small force even when reinforced by the good and seasoned
Indian and other oversea regiments, battalions and batteries. England
had engaged herself in an enormous task and she recognized, if but very
slowly, that it was so. When the awakening began everybody, or nearly
everybody, male or female, was anxious to do his or her share, and so
it came to pass that, while the first fierce fighting was going on in
Flanders and in France, Englishmen left in our island were enlisting,
drilling, training and working with tremendous energy to equip and
place in the field new and larger armies wherewith to fight out the
quarrel on more even terms. The regular army, it was recognized, was
but an advance guard, and it was for it to hold the field until the
others had prepared themselves.
In addition to those engaged there were trained or partially trained
troops, but many more than these were required. These partially
trained men were the recruits at the depot, the 3rd (Special Reserve)
Battalion, and the Territorials. No better material could be found
anywhere than these latter, but the annual fortnight’s training,
together with periodical musketry work and other drills and exercises,
which the soldier might attend or not as he pleased, did not suffice to
enable the units to take the field at once in a great European war. In
this chapter will be found a short account of how the required soldiers
were provided as far as East Kent was concerned, and some of the
methods by which it was arranged that the Old Buffs who hail from there
should be expanded into a far larger regiment, and the ranks of all its
battalions kept up to strength; for it was quite clear that draft after
draft of fresh men would continually have to cross the seas to supply
the waste of war.
But first it may be as well to record very briefly the progress of
and changes in the general situation of the world from September,
1914, when the 1st Battalion landed in France, up to the middle of
the following year. On the 29th October, 1914, Turkey entered the war
as an ally of Germany. On the 2nd November the Russians, who were
of course on our side, but who were slower to mobilize than other
countries, entered East Prussia and great hopes were entertained that
their having taken the field in force would do wonders to bring the
enemy to ruin. Even the most pessimistic saw that the presence of their
armies in Germany itself ought to ease the pressure on the Western
Front. On the 3rd November, Turkey being now an enemy, the forts on the
Dardanelles were first bombarded by an English and French fleet, and
this bombardment was repeated on the 19th February, 1915, and several
times during the month of March.
The 14th November saw a check to the Russians and a powerful German
invasion of Poland. On the 17th November a British force landed on
the shore of the Persian Gulf. The 20th November saw the commencement
of a series of small fights and skirmishes in Egypt. This country was
nominally part of the Turkish Empire, and the suzerain power made more
than one attempt to enforce the claim and to cross the Suez Canal,
without, however, any more success than the establishment of yet
another theatre of war and the consequent holding up of British troops.
The Australians and New Zealanders, however, arrived in Cairo two days
before Christmas and the province was safe enough after that, although
before that date the Indian soldiers, together with the Egyptians
themselves, had gallantly kept the foe in check.
On the 22nd March, 1915, Przemysl capitulated to the Russians, who took
120,000 prisoners and 700 big guns. On the 25th April Anglo-French
troops landed on both shores of the Dardanelles and soon established
themselves across the Gallipoli Peninsula. On the 28th a very powerful
Austro-German offensive developed in Galicia. The 3rd May was the date
on which Italy denounced the Triple Alliance, to which she had been
an adherent for so many years. There was much fighting in Gallipoli
on the 6th, and on the 7th the world was startled by the cold-blooded
cruelty of the enemy in torpedoing the _Lusitania_ off the coast
of Ireland, and it was demonstrated to all that the taking of innocent
and non-combatant lives was a recognized part of the German programme.
Italy declared war on Austria on the 23rd May.
An important article appeared in _The Times_ on the 14th May on
the shortage of munitions.
In France, of course, war went on furiously all the time. Ypres was
attacked on the 29th November and the 10th and 14th December, 1914.
There was fierce fighting about St. Eloi in the middle of February, and
in March came the battles of Neuve Chapelle and St. Eloi.
Nor was the war confined to the land: the battle of Coronel in the
Pacific on the 1st November, 1914, saw the loss of the British cruisers
_Good Hope_ and _Monmouth_, and the battle of the Dogger Bank
took place on the 24th January, 1915.
There was another event which happened during this period which
was of the greatest interest to a very deserving section of the
army. In previous wars, with the exception of the all-glorious and
much-longed-for V.C., there was no military decoration, if we except
the D.S.O., that was to be earned by junior officers or warrant
officers. The C.B. and C.M.G. were reserved for generals and officers
of field rank. His Majesty the King, recognizing that many most
deserving juniors amongst his faithful soldiers could hope for nothing
beyond the universal War Medal, instituted on the 28th December, 1914,
the Military Cross, limited to officers below the rank of major, and
certain warrant officers, and many a gallant young fellow can now vie
with his senior in the legitimate and proper display of trophies.
This idea was further developed, in March, 1916, by the grant of a
Military Medal (M.M.) to those non-commissioned officers and privates
who had performed acts of gallantry which, in this war, at any rate,
were not considered quite sufficiently important to earn the V.C.
II. DUTIES AT THE DEPOT
The depot of the Buffs is at Canterbury, which is also the headquarters
of the 4th (Territorial) Battalion. During peace the headquarters and
the permanent elements of the 3rd or Special Reserve Battalion occupied
the depot. As Special Reserve officers only gave a small portion of
their time to the profession of soldiering they were reinforced, so
to speak, by a few regular officers and other ranks who administered
the depot. When war broke out, Lt.-Colonel H. D. Hirst commanded the
3rd Battalion, but as he, like all Special Reserve officers and as the
Militia before them, lived at his home, the depot was commanded by
Major W. A. Eaton, an experienced regular major of the regiment.
Directly mobilization was ordered, it was the duty of the depot and
3rd Battalion staff to call up, clothe and equip all Army Reservists
and to despatch all who were passed fit for general service to join
the 1st Battalion at Fermoy. This work began early on the morning of
the 5th August and was completed during the night of the 6th, having
been carried through without a moment’s break. In all about 850 Army
Reservists were called up, and of these some 700 were sent, in three
trains, to Ireland.
On Saturday, 8th August, the 3rd Special Reserve Battalion was
mobilized, about 500 strong; and the men gave good proof of their
fitness by marching that same night from the barracks at Canterbury to
the Citadel Barracks at Dover, a good eighteen miles.
Although very few of the people in authority seemed to expect a great
war, still minute preparations had been made beforehand for a sudden
mobilization, and amongst these it had been arranged that the officers
on the Reserve of Officers list (not to be confused with Special
Reserve) should each be told off in peace time to the job they would
have to do in war. These officers were, practically speaking, all those
who had retired and were still under the age of fifty-seven. Of them,
some had been detailed to join at Canterbury on mobilization to take
over the depot, Colonel G. V. Dauglish, a late commanding officer of
the 1st Battalion, being appointed to command. On the departure of the
3rd Battalion for Dover, the depot, with its staff of reserve officers
and a few details, proceeded to deal with the recruits who were already
coming in fast.
Recruits for the New Army were at first trained at the depot, though
in practice they were trained by regular officers, lent for the
purpose. As the strength of a company was raised, it was sent with the
officers as a complete unit to its battalion; but this system did not
last, recruits being afterwards sent direct to their battalions. Other
training and the preparation of drafts for the front was carried out by
the 3rd Battalion and, later, by the 9th as well.
The Officer Commanding the depot was also in charge of the East Kent
Recruiting Area. The barracks were very soon crowded by the number of
recruits, and, as new recruiting conditions developed, a large staff
of men and women were employed in the recruiting offices, making it
necessary for extra accommodation to be provided in the town. The
Territorial battalions had their separate recruiting arrangements.
It is interesting to recall the helpfulness of the recruits in the
early days in making the best of a difficult and only partially
organized job, and of old Buffs, non-commissioned officers and men,
who re-enlisted for the depot and active service. It may be noted that
while special efforts were made to get stout fellows for the Buffs,
these efforts had to be co-ordinated with the duty of the Recruiting
Area to obtain recruits for the Army generally.
The depot gradually acquired many and varied duties both towards the
regiment and the Service generally. To mention a few: the storage
and cataloguing of the heavy baggage of the regular battalions and
of innumerable kits; the supply of clothing and necessaries during
the early months by direct purchase from dealers; the charge of the
2nd Battalion band boys; and--a difficult task for the adjutant--the
responsibility for all invalids of the regiment from overseas. These,
taken on the strength of the depot, had to be traced in the various
hospitals and touch kept with them till passed to the 3rd or 9th
Battalion on discharge from hospital. Convalescents were for a long
period sent to the depot for hardening before rejoining for service. A
novel feature was the Agricultural Company, under a special officer,
comprising men of different regiments from overseas or on home service.
These men were employed in large numbers on farms, the depot being
responsible for their general supervision and for arrangements with the
farmers as to employment, pay, board and lodging.
Among old Buffs and others serving at different times during the war at
the depot and in the Recruiting Area were: Majors F. Bradley Dyne, R.
G. A. Marriott, D.S.O., G. A. Porter, A. H. Tylden-Pattenson, D.S.O.
(Adjutant), and Captain H. H. C. Baird, D.S.O.; Major W. Tufnell,
M.B.E., and Captain V. T. Dampier Palmer, O.B.E. (Recruiting Officer),
late 3rd Battalion The Buffs; Captain S. Kelsey Burge (Agricultural
Officer), late 4th Battalion; Major H. Paine, late Cheshire Regiment;
Major G. Croft (Quartermaster), late Royal Sussex Regiment; R.S.M.
J. W. Harris, C.S.M. G. Holmes, Col.-Sgts. F. H. Wright and F. H.
Sheppard, Orderly Room Clerk F. Freeman.
III. THE 3RD (S.R.) BATTALION
As regards details of the various battalions which in 1914 were either
home units or being raised in England, the 3rd had, when Militia,
served with distinction in South Africa. It was now, as has been
said, under the command of Lt.-Colonel Hirst, but its duties, as well
as its name, had undergone marked change. Fifteen years before it
had volunteered as a unit for active service, had been accepted and
had proved its value. Now a much more weary and thankless task was
required of the Special Reserve. It must accept thousands and thousands
of recruits, equip them, train them and then, as soon as the men
showed promise of doing the battalion real credit, draft them off to
the other Buffs at the seat of war, never to see them again unless,
returning maimed or worn out, a few should drift back to Dover marked
for “home service only.” Truly a heart-breaking job for the colonel and
his staff.
The station of the battalion was the Citadel at Dover, and its strength
at times exceeded a hundred officers and two thousand other ranks.
Drafts for service were constantly being despatched and the gaps thus
left as constantly being filled up, mostly by fresh recruits, both
officers and men; either those joining late because they at first had
failed to understand the urgent need there was for their services, or
because they were so many months older than when war commenced and now
could pass muster as men, often by the help of a little forgetfulness
as to the exact date of their birth. It was quite remarkable not only
in Kent, but throughout the country, how many young lads, thorough
men in everything except years, struggled to get accepted as officers
or soldiers. Many people in 1914 entertained the idea that the
British race had deteriorated in manly qualities from the old stock,
but the spirit shown at home, as well as the work done abroad, very
conclusively proved the contrary.
The history of the 3rd Battalion during the momentous years was a
monotonous one. It could be nothing else. It took men, trained men and
sent men out, but how it trained them and what sort of men it sent out
is well exemplified by the following official report written by Lieut.
A. Howard Reed (4th Battalion) to Colonel Hirst relative to a draft
despatched by him for the 10th Battalion late in the year 1917: “I have
the honour to report on the conduct of the men of the draft from your
Battalion on the occasion of the torpedoing of H.M.S. ... as follows:--
“The whole draft paraded at their station with the utmost calmness.
L.-Sgt. Canfor (who had been blown up by the explosion, and who was
severely shaken) called the roll ... whilst the men detailed cut loose
the rafts, the remainder sang until the rafts were launched. L.-Corpl.
Baker volunteered to jump from the rails to secure a raft which had no
painter. This he did, and succeeded in bringing it alongside, thereby
assuring the safety of about twenty men. Owing to their splendid
discipline, I was able to get every man safely into the water, and
clinging to rafts. After about two and a half hours in the water we
were rescued, with the exception of one man (Pte. Howlett) of whom I
can find no trace. Whilst on the rafts the men sang continuously, and
cheered the work of rescue, and generally behaved in a most gallant
manner. I am unable, of course, to give you any details of the terrible
affair, which was enough to try the courage of the bravest men, but I
wish to say, Sir, that the behaviour of these men was above reproach. I
am proud to have been in command of such a draft, and, in my opinion,
their conduct nobly upheld the honour of our Regiment, and deserves a
place in the history of the deeds accomplished by it. Recommendations
have been asked for, and I have submitted the names of Sgt. Canfor,
L.-Corpl. Baker and one Private.”
Commenting privately on this adventure, Howard Reed stated: “I had
planned out in advance exactly what to do if we got hit, as it was up
to me to do the best for them when the emergency arose. I was fortunate
in having men who unhesitatingly obeyed my orders, showed absolute
trust in myself and behaved like heroes.” The name of the vessel was
the _Aragon_, and the date of the disaster the 30th December, 1917.
IVA. 4TH BATTALION
The 4th and 5th Battalions of the Buffs were Territorials, and when
war was declared they were both out for their annual training at
Longmore with their division--“The Home Counties.” Every Territorial
unit had what was called special service sections--that is, a few
selected men were always held in readiness to guard, in case of sudden
emergencies, important strategic points throughout the country. These
special sections of the 4th Battalion were mobilized as early as 28th
July--a week before war broke out--and were consequently amongst the
very first to be put on a war footing, at a time, indeed, when very few
of their countrymen had begun to think that England was on the verge
of this tremendous epoch of her history. These men were despatched to
safeguard the wireless stations in Thanet and the cable at Dumpton Gap.
On the 5th August the battalion was completely mobilized at Dover and
was in the new Connaught Barracks there to guard the nearest point to
the Continent till their place could be taken by the 3rd or Special
Reserve Battalion. A few days later the Kent Infantry Brigade retired
to Canterbury and was billeted there.
Here Lt.-Colonel G. Gosling, commanding, called for volunteers to serve
in France or elsewhere abroad, and in response to his appeal enough
stout fellows volunteered to serve anywhere to ensure that the 4th
Buffs could be reckoned on as an overseas unit. Those who failed to
volunteer formed the nucleus of a new battalion for home service only
and were denominated the 2/4th Battalion.
The following extract from the _Kentish Gazette_ describes the
situation after the battalion became an overseas unit:--
“Towards the end of August, 1914, when the Germans were devastating
Belgium and there were grave probabilities of a raid on the coast, the
4th Battalion was suddenly ordered to Thanet. Recruits flocked in from
East Kent until the battalion was nearly 1,300 strong. The training was
carried on under difficult conditions and a great deal of discomfort,
but the cheerful willingness to learn made things easy, so that by the
middle of October a very fine battalion was ready to be sent wherever
required. Just before the end of October, 1914, the 4th Battalion and
part of the Home Counties Division was ordered to India, to enable the
Regulars to be moved from India to France.”
* * * * *
It is noteworthy that of this rush of patriotic young men to swell the
ranks of the 4th Battalion, which is referred to in the extract I have
quoted, forty-four students from Wye College joined in one day.
It was on the 29th October that the battalion left Thanet, as did all
the rest of the Home Counties Division, with the exception of the 4th
Royal West Surrey, detached for other important services. At Suez and
Aden the convoy was delayed three and four days respectively owing to
the activity of the Turks, who had already attacked Perim and were now
threatening the Canal. In fact, the battalion disembarked at Suez and
marched through the town as a demonstration.
IVB. 5TH BATTALION
The early war history of the 5th Battalion, which it will be remembered
was also a Territorial one, resembles that of its twin the 4th.
Indeed, the two were together in the Kentish Brigade of the Home
Counties Division. On mobilization it was sent to Dover, afterwards to
Canterbury and then to Sandwich, where it relieved the Kent Cyclists,
and late in October it too sailed for India in the _Corsican_,
under command of Lt.-Colonel Munn-Mace, T.D. It was quartered at
Kamptee and formed part of the Jubbulpore Brigade, for on the arrival
of the Territorial divisions from England in relief of the white part
of the Indian garrison, their original home organization in brigades
and divisions fell through, and each unit had to join the brigades and
divisions already existing in India.
Whatever could be made of the existing British forces, however, could
never suffice to meet the great emergency. Huge new armies must be
formed, trained and, what was still more difficult, equipped to go
direct to the seat of war; and so our island became for the first time
in its history one vast training camp, and every man that was a man
and young enough turned his hand to war. Times were almost as critical
during certain periods of the Napoleonic Wars a hundred years before,
but, of course, in those days campaigns, however important, were fought
with very small armies because there was nothing to transport, feed and
supply the same but a few sailing ships by sea and horse-drawn carts by
land. But now times had changed in this respect and each nation put in
the field the largest force it could muster and equip. So steps were at
once taken in England.
V. THE 6TH BATTALION
On the 22nd August, 1914, Major W. A. Eaton, who had been in command
of the depot until the mobilization of the 3rd Battalion, which he
accompanied to Dover, received a telegram ordering him to proceed to
Colchester to take over command of a 6th Battalion of his regiment
about to be raised there. On arrival with his servant[10] he found
nothing but some empty barracks which had been vacated in haste. That
evening, however, a draft consisting of Captain B. E. Furley, Lieut.
(adjutant) T. Wheler, 2nd Lieut. E. H. Allen and about one hundred men
arrived--the nucleus of the first Service Battalion of the Buffs to
be raised, a battalion consisting of men who had without hesitation
responded to Lord Kitchener’s call to arms.
Drafts arrived almost daily, as did officers, old and new: Major C.
P. Lloyd as second in command, Lieut. D. K. Anderson, who happened to
be home on leave from India, and, as Regimental Sergeant-Major and
Quartermaster-Sergeant respectively, N. Linwood and A. Scragg, both of
whom came to join the battalion without a moment’s delay at the urgent
request of the commanding officer. 2nd Lieut. Hugh Brodie, well known
at Canterbury as an “Old Stager,” was the first New Army officer to
report, and he was soon followed by others. Practically the last two
drafts were composed of men, in all about 250, from the firm of William
Cory and Son, Ltd.,[11] who went to form D Company under Captain G.
B. T. Friend. This company was always known as Cory’s, and 2nd Lieut.
Hamilton Greig, son of the managing director, was afterwards posted to
it on transfer. Soon the battalion was over strength, but more men kept
on arriving, turning up without warning from all sorts of directions.
Anyone who served with one of Kitchener’s battalions during the latter
part of 1914 and the beginning of the following year will remember
what it was like. Genuine hard work and honest efforts on the part of
all to make bricks with so very little straw. It is easier to collect
heroes for the defence of their country than to arm, clothe and equip
them; and the number of men got very far in advance of the amount
of necessaries for them. A new battalion at this period was not a
pretty sight. A very ugly and shoddy suit of blue was doled out to
the soldier, with a civilian greatcoat and generally a dummy rifle,
and with this turn-out he did real strenuous drill and training. Old
service rifles, for drill purposes only, began to come in later on, and
the men gradually obtained sufficient blankets and clothing. Nothing
daunted the spirit of the troops, however, and life was cheery enough.
In November the 6th Battalion moved into hutments at Sandling Camp,
near Shorncliffe. Owing to the rain and lack of any drainage system,
the camp quickly became a sea of mud, the huts uninhabitable, even with
tents inside; and so, just before Christmas, the battalion went into
billets about the villages of Elham and Lyminge, and very good billets
they were. The householders one and all seemed to vie with each other
as to who could do their men the best. Nor will the officers ever
forget all the kindness which was shown to them.
The following is an extract from a letter written by the commanding
officer, after clothing and rifles had at last been issued:--
“It was on one Sunday while we were in these billets that
the battalion, accompanied by the band of the 3rd Battalion,
generously lent to us for the occasion, went to Canterbury and
attended a special service most kindly arranged for us by the
Dean[12] at the Cathedral, and at which we were privileged to
hand in the Colours of the 2nd Battalion recently returned from
India and gone to the front. With reference to this occasion I
cannot refrain from quoting the following extract from a letter
received by me from an old Buff officer temporarily doing duty
at the depot:
“‘I cannot say how delighted I was at the appearance of your
regiment. It was simply magnificent. Candidly I do not think I
ever saw a finer body of men in any battalion since I joined the
1st in Cawnpore in 1878. They were a fine lot averaging thirteen
years’ service, but I think your lot even topped them.’”
The ceremony above referred to took place on the 31st January, 1915,
and more advanced training at Aldershot lasted from about then till
the 1st June, when yet another warlike body of Buffs made the great
move and sailed for France to show of what stuff the old regiment was
made. This battalion belonged to the 37th Infantry Brigade of the
12th Division, the Brigadier being G. A. Fowler, and the Divisional
Commander Major-General James Spens, C.B. (brother to a well-known and
much beloved old Buff), but he was succeeded by Major-General F. D. V.
Wing, C.B., when the division went to France. The other battalions of
the 37th Brigade were: 6th Queens, 7th East Surrey, 6th Royal West Kent.
The officers embarking for France were:--
_Commanding Officer._ Lt.-Colonel W. A. Eaton.
_2nd in Command._ Major C. P. Lloyd.
_Adjutant._ Captain T. Wheler.
_Quartermaster._ Lieut. N. Linwood.
_A Company._
Major B. E. Furley.
Lieut. H. W. Brodie.
„ T. H. Crowther.
2nd Lieut. J. C. Page.
„ C. W. B. Marsh.
„ D. Lambert.
_B Company._
Captain R. P. Wedd.
„ Lord Teynham.
Lieut. C. D. Gullick.
2nd Lieut. J. C. T. Leigh.
„ S. A. Erlebach.
_C Company._
Captain C. E. G. Davidson.
Lieut. P. A. C. Kelsey.
„ R. O. C. Ward.
2nd Lieut. C. E. H. Druitt.
„ C. Bainbridge.
_D Company._
Captain G. B. T. Friend.
Major A. Soames, D.S.O. (acting).
Lieut. R. Hodgson.
„ A. L. Gullick.
2nd Lieut. G. H. Greig.
„ R. H. Williams.
_Transport Officer._
Lieut. A. D. R. Terry.
_Medical Officer._
Lieut. J. R. Driberg.
R.S.M. W. Jeffries.
R.Q.M.S. A. J. Scragg.
After a day at Boulogne the battalion went by train to St. Omer and
from there marched to Remilly-Werquin. Here it had two or three days’
rest and then, in the hottest weather, marched by stages, passing the
Commander-in-Chief on the way, to billets and bivouacs at Meteren, near
Bailleul, which brought it, of course, into the immediate vicinity of
the two regular battalions.
VI. 7TH BATTALION
As has already been shown, the 6th Battalion was much over strength
within a very short time of its raising, and from the surplus of this
unit arose the 7th Battalion. By the 17th September this consisted of
two thousand men, all in plain clothes. There was a common expectation
at this time that khaki uniform was all ready for the recruits who came
up voluntarily to serve and that the men would be turned out soldiers,
as far as clothes were concerned, with the utmost promptitude. This was
unfortunately not the case, and as, naturally, the recruit under the
circumstances joined in his very worst garments, the battalion, like
others, was soon ridiculously ragged. It was some days before uniform
of any sort was handed out, and then it was but a temporary makeshift.
A few D.P. (drill purpose) rifles were available for each company.
The birthplace of the 7th Buffs was Purfleet, Essex, and the first
officers belonging to it were Captain B. E. Furley (temporarily),
Lieut. E. H. Allen and 2nd Lieut. A. G. Kenchington, who were
transferred from the 6th Battalion with 1,600 recruits, 600 of whom
passed on again to start the 8th Battalion. The first regularly
appointed commanding officer was Lt.-Colonel Gilbert Johnson, who
assumed command at the end of September, and his second-in-command was
Major A. F. Campbell Johnston, very well known a few years back in the
2nd Battalion and who did good work as regards instilling the ancient
regimental spirit into new soldiers’ minds. Both the new officers and
the new men showed the greatest keenness and anxiety to learn, and
with such a state of things the manufacture of a new fighting unit
becomes comparatively easy. As in the case of other units, the senior
officers and warrant officers were, generally speaking, men who had
retired from the service, and though in some cases their knowledge
and methods were somewhat antiquated, their experience was invaluable
and their zeal indubitable. There were also a considerable number of
veteran privates, and so it was that the new armies at first consisted
of old soldiers time-expired, who felt bound to present themselves
again, and spirited young fellows who did not wait for conscription.
This was a great combination, for the former, though for the most part
somewhat obsolete, were zealous and could, at any rate, teach the
rudiments, and the latter were so eager to learn that teaching became a
pleasure. Being young and business-like, they soon passed the old men
as competent soldiers because they assimilated what the others had to
teach and added practical go-ahead methods. The respectful love and
sympathy of the new soldier for his white-headed instructor was quite
touching, and the old man, loving to come back to his ancient trade,
appreciated fully the fine type of recruit he had now to deal with.
Thus a quaint spirit of friendship and a curious comradeship arose,
which did much to make Kitchener’s armies what they were and to instil
a spirit of _esprit de corps_ and honour. It was a pity that later
on recruits were posted to any corps that required reinforcements at
the time, but, after all, these were for the most part conscripts.
Amongst the new hands were men from various parts of England, though
the majority came from Kent. The junior officers were of almost
every profession and business and were wonderfully eager and full of
_esprit de corps_.
The remainder of the year of 1914 was spent in hard and steady drill
and training and short temporary moves of quarters. There were two
changes of commanders by February, 1915, Colonel Johnson leaving on
the 14th November and Lt.-Colonel Young, of the Indian Army, relieving
him, being himself replaced by Lt.-Colonel W. F. Elmslie, of the
Lancashire Fusiliers, a little later. On the 3rd March, 1915, Major
Campbell Johnston was transferred elsewhere. He was relieved by Major
C. Parmiter, of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, who ten years before
had been adjutant of the 1st V.B. The Buffs. By March the battalion
had advanced as far as brigade training, and in April the route came
for Colchester, where the rest of the 18th Division was assembled.
Manœuvres in Suffolk under General F. J. Maxse, commencing at the end
of April, were a preliminary to a series of pretty strenuous brigade
and divisional field days in Wiltshire directly afterwards. On the
9th June General Poett left the 55th Brigade, which was taken over
by Br.-General Martyn, late of the Royal West Kent. H.M. The King
inspected the division at Stonehenge on the 24th June and expressed
himself well pleased. July saw the end of the preliminary work. Final
leave was commenced on the 7th.
The Colonel of the Buffs, General Sir Arthur Paget, inspected the
battalion on the 13th, and on the 27th July the brigade left its camp
at Codford for Folkestone _en route_ for Boulogne, to be merged
into the valiant army of Britain and her Colonies, an army destined to
prove, and which indeed had already proved, that the modern Englishman
was bred true to type and was a worthy descendant of his heroic sires.
VII. 8TH BATTALION
In September, 1914, when all the real manhood of England not already
soldiers were crowding to the Colours, and when elderly men and young
boys were so strangely forgetful as to the years of their birth, and
when all birth certificates of gallant Englishmen at either end of what
is called military age were so universally mislaid and lost, Colonel
F. C. Romer, C.B., C.M.G., then in his sixty-fourth year, was offered
his choice of raising any one of three specified Service Battalions,
and he chose to raise the 8th Battalion of the Buffs. He was a member
of Boodles and at the time honorary secretary of the club. He was a
believer in mature men and wished, at any rate, to have a certain
leaven of the middle-aged amongst his officers, so his first step
was to turn to a few of his club friends, and Major Dansy, Major A.
Crawley, Captain Hare, Captain W. Howard, Lieut. Sir William Cooke
and Captain W. D. Johnson immediately followed their leader, as did
two of the club waiters. All of them were over forty years of age
except, perhaps, the two privates. The considerable detachment from
Boodles Club above referred to proceeded to camp at Shoreham, where
they found awaiting them Captain E. C. Norman (adjutant), Regimental
Sergt.-Major A. Barton, four N.C.O.’s and a draft of five hundred
odd from Canterbury. By the end of September the full complement
of officers had arrived and training was going on in earnest and
continued very strenuously all October, in spite of a complete lack
of every necessity: clothing, arms, boots, equipment, camp furniture
and even army forms. In the first week the battalion was inspected
by the divisional commander, everybody but the officers and one or
two N.C.O.’s being in mufti, and some in rags. This state of things,
however, was common enough in our island at this period and nobody
minded and all went well, because the old soldiers were keen to pass
on all they knew and the young ones to absorb every kind of military
knowledge.
The month of November brought a change for the worse in the way of
weather, and things were not so pleasant. The parade ground was a sea
of mud, tents leaked and men were seldom dry and never very clean.
On more than one occasion rows of tents were flooded out and whole
companies marched out at night to find what shelter they could. The
officers’ mess, the board-schools and even the station waiting-room
were, at different times, used as billets for the soaked and shivering
battalion. Hopes of moving shortly into new huts did something to cheer
the somewhat drooping spirits, but, owing to shortage of labour, these
were not completed till months after the specific date, and on the 1st
December the brigade moved into billets at Worthing, a very welcome
change. The winter passed comfortably in billets, but there were
renewed delays as regards equipment.
On the 1st April, 1915, the battalion proceeded to Reigate for a hard
fortnight of trench digging. The system of entrenching which now
obtained in the army in France differed widely from that to which the
instructors still in England were accustomed to, and the works turned
out by the zealous new armies at this time differed considerably from
those with which they later on became familiar. The next move was back
to the old camp, where the hutments were at last ready for occupation.
It is always easier to train during the summer season than at other
times, and the long days at battalion and brigade field days brought
the unit more forward than all the previous months. There were, about
June, upwards of forty officers in the 8th Battalion, and even this
figure was small when compared with other corps. In June there was
another journey, this time to the Aisne Barracks at Blackdown near
Aldershot. The object now was divisional training during July and
August, culminating in a review by Lord Kitchener and a week’s trench
digging at Chobham. The battalion provided the King’s Guard during
His Majesty’s visit to Aldershot in August. During the third week in
August rumours of going abroad grew stronger, and the last week or so
was spent in feverish preparation. The battalion eventually sailed on
the night of the 31st August/1st September as part of the 72nd Infantry
Brigade and 24th Division. And now five battalions of the Buffs were
warring in France and two serving their country in India. The officers
of the 8th Battalion who embarked for the war were Colonel F. C. Romer,
C.B., C.M.G., in command, Major D. F. Robinson, 2nd in command, Captain
F. W. Watson, adjutant, Lieut. A. Barton, recently promoted Qr.-Master,
2nd Lieut. E. T. Smith, M.G. Officer, Lieut. J. R. Spensley, R.A.M.C.
_A Company._
Major Guy Warden.
Capt. A. M. C. Hollist.
Lieut. F. D. Montgomerie.
„ T. H. Taylor.
2nd Lieut. E. F. Corner.
„ E. C. Wanstall.
_B Company._
Capt. W. Howard.
„ A. G. Hamilton.
Lieut. P. J. F. Brine.
2nd Lieut. G. L. Thorp.
„ Hon. H. E. J. Robinson.
„ R. B. Carrow.
_C Company._
Capt. T. R. M. Shervinton.
„ C. H. Cardozo.
Lieut. G. A. P. Jones.
„ C. H. Herepath.
2nd Lieut. J. Vaughan.
„ G. Lindley.
_D Company._
Capt. J. Kekewich.
„ W. D. Johnson.
Lieut. J. L. Samuelson.
„ V. S. Daniell.
„ S. Vaughan.
„ B. H. Pickering.
VIII. 2ND AND 3RD LINE TERRITORIALS
In addition to the troops sent from our country to the various war
theatres, there was a very considerable army kept up at home during the
whole four years of war. The main duty of this force was, of course,
to find reinforcements for the units abroad, but the safety of our own
shores had all the while also to be considered.
Invasion, properly so called, may have been an impossibility, at any
rate, till the British Fleet had been sunk, because an invasion takes
time: armies and enormous quantities of munitions, stores and horses
must be landed and arrangements made to keep up connection between the
invading troops and the country they come from. But this is not the
case with raids: comparatively small forces can sometimes be landed in
an enemy’s country, do an infinity of damage and destruction for a day
or two and then re-embark. To guard against a possibility of anything
of this sort happening was another and very important duty of the home
army, and there were other reasons for its maintenance. When the bulk
of the 4th and 5th (Territorial) Battalions of the Buffs volunteered
for foreign service, those who did not do so were still willing enough
to fulfil their original undertaking to aid in guarding their native
shores, and these men formed the nucleus of new battalions for home
service only, called the 2/4th and 2/5th.
The 2/4th was formed at Ashford, Kent, under Lt.-Colonel Skey, and
the following month proceeded to Sunninghill and Ascot, but its
station during the first portion of 1915 was Rochester, and its
vicinity and later on it went to Sevenoaks. The intensive training
which had necessarily obtained in the case of the battalions required
for immediate war service was not in the nature of things pressed
so persistently on units of the home army, and their training was
of a steadier and slower description. Regular garrison duties were
carried out, which included a considerable amount of guard work when
at Strood and Rochester. In May, 1915, the 2/4th and the 2/5th Buffs
each furnished one company complete for a Kent composite battalion
to serve in the Gallipoli Peninsula, which unit will be referred to
later. Lt.-Colonel Atkinson was in command about the middle of 1915,
and a year later the 2/4th went back into the Ashford district. There
were very numerous drafts found and sent overseas by the 2/4th.
These generally went to the 1/4th in India, but there were notable
exceptions; for instance, in August, 1916, nearly four hundred men went
to France to the 18th and 19th London Regiment and to the King’s Royal
Rifles. The battalion was disbanded in August, 1917.
Colonel C. Hawley Williams, V.D., Honorary Colonel of the 4th Battalion
of The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment was appointed, when the
5th Buffs went to India, to command the home keeping remnant which made
the 2/5th. He had Major (Hon. Colonel) the Viscount Goschen, V.D.,
as his second-in-command. The battalion belonged to the Second-line
Kent Infantry Brigade, and like its neighbour the 2/4th, it underwent
several moves, and was at Ashford, Ascot and Bracknell successively.
Recruiting was carried on, but as the Weald of Kent is not very thickly
populated, the number did not increase as rapidly as in the case of
some other units, though very considerable efforts were made. The
progress of training was retarded by lack of instructors, lack of
equipment and lack of rifles, but the officers and men neglected no
effort to become efficient and difficulties were gradually overcome.
The history of the 2/5th was much the same as that of the 2/4th. It,
too, went through a period of service near Chatham and was worked
heavily at the guard duties, and it, too, as has been stated above,
sent a company to Gallipoli.
The 3/4th Battalion of the Buffs was raised by Major L. C. R. Messel,
T.D., at Canterbury in July, 1915, and Lieut. G. C. Bateman from the
2/4th was appointed adjutant with the temporary rank of captain. The
establishment was originally only one company, commanded by a major,
but this was shortly increased to two and an excess of strength up to
fifty per cent permitted. Lieut. R. Smith, late of the Buffs and Army
Pay Department, became Quarter-Master, and that well-known and greatly
respected veteran, J. Bennell, Regtl. Sergt.-Major, up till February,
1916, when he was relieved by C.S.M. C. Brown. On the 31st December,
1915, the battalion moved to Cambridge, together with other units
of the third-line groups (as they were called) of the Home Counties
Division. Later on the whole went to Crowborough.
The 3/5th was raised by Major Charles P. Kingsland of the 2/5th. The
original description was Third-line Depot 5th Battalion The Buffs, but
this was soon altered to 3/5th The Buffs, and in 1916 to 5th Reserve
Battalion The Buffs. The establishment was the same as that of the
last-mentioned unit, but in 1916 it was increased to 750 men in
consequence of the 1/5th being in Mesopotamia. At this time also the
commanding officer was given the temporary rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Major A. Stuart Elmslie was at first the adjutant, but later became
second-in-command. R.S.M. Bolton, 1st Battalion The Buffs, was
regimental sergeant-major. This unit also joined their third-line
group at Cambridge at the very end of 1915, and it was accommodated in
Trinity College, and it also went to Crowborough in 1916, having sent a
large draft from Cambridge to Mesopotamia. On the 1st September, 1916,
the battalion was amalgamated with the 3/4th, and with it became the
4th Reserve Battalion of The Buffs, under the command of Lt.-Colonel L.
C. R. Messel, T.D. It was part of the Home Counties Reserve Brigade,
and had a strength now of no less than 1,560 men. A little later it
became the reserve unit for the 10th Buffs, of whom we shall hear
later. In October, 1917, Lt.-Colonel Messel was succeeded by Major W.
D. Sword from the North Staffordshire Regiment.
IX. VOLUNTEERS
On the 6th August, 1914, a letter appeared in _The Times_
signed by Mr. Percy A. Harris, advocating the formation and training
of Volunteer Corps. At the end of the month the War Office vetoed
the raising of volunteer units, but gave sanction to organize
_Training_ Corps, and these sprang up all over the country and
began to recruit for the oversea armies. The county was the unit of
organization, and County Commandants were appointed. At the end of
1915 the revival of the Volunteer Act passed Parliament, which awarded
military rank and status, and from this time on the Training Corps
were termed Volunteer Corps, and if called up to repel invasion the
officers and men were to become subject to military law. Only those men
who were too old to serve abroad or whose indispensable business or
employment absolutely prevented them doing so were enrolled.
So far as Kent was concerned Lord Harris, the County Commandant, took
charge of the county force and called it “Kent Volunteer Fencibles,”
but in August, 1916, the War Office, taking the matter more decidedly
in hand, the several units were made into Volunteer Battalions of the
county regiments.
In East Kent there were four of these:--
1st Volunteer Battalion was commanded by Br.-General W. Tylden; 2nd by
Major J. C. Tattersall; 3rd Volunteer Battalion by Major-General C.
F. Browne, C.B., D.S.O.; 4th Volunteer Battalion by Major H. E. T. W.
Fiennes. General Brown retiring on the 16th December, the 3rd Battalion
was taken over by Major H. T. Gullick, who had lost one son in the
Buffs and had another still fighting with the regiment.
X. 9TH BATTALION
Mention has not been made yet of the very useful and important unit the
9th Battalion, because this held rather a unique position. It was not
in August, when war broke out, in existence at all, and so could hardly
be described as Special Reserve, though its duties were exactly similar
to those of the 3rd Battalion from which it was, in fact, an off-shoot.
Its history is briefly as follows: it was first of all raised as a
Service Battalion, just as were the 6th, 7th and 8th, but being the
junior unit its organization was delayed simply because there was so
much work to do in connection with those battalions which were first
for war. Early in October, 1914, instructions were issued to carry out
the work of starting the new battalion, and as the number on the books
of the 3rd, which was at the Citadel, Dover, was at this time far in
excess of what is manageable as a single unit, some eleven officers
and seven hundred men were struck off its strength, placed under the
command of Major Layborn and sent into the old South Front Barracks
close by, as the 9th Buffs. A few old members of the regiment had been
detailed as instructors. Captain Hickman was sent to aid in starting
the battalion and, until things got into good working order, Lieut.
G. Dunster was quartermaster, Captain Courtney-Hood was the permanent
adjutant, Reveille Sgt.-Major, Edwards, Q.M.S. and Winstanley the O.R.
sergeant. Very few of the company officers had any previous military
experience, but energy and zeal are valuable assets, and the 9th was
rapidly preparing to take its place in war; Lt.-Colonel R. A. Reith, a
former commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion, was appointed to the
command, and the 95th Brigade was formed from the 9th Buffs, 10th East
Surrey, 14th and 15th Royal Fusiliers. Higher divisional training was
expected to take place in the spring, and there seemed to be every
prospect of a move across the Channel in the summer of 1915 when, in
March, all hopes and ambitions were dashed to the ground by the receipt
of news that the battalion’s destination was after all to be Purfleet
in Essex, and that it was to be a home-keeping and draft-finding unit,
exactly like the 3rd Battalion. In July the first draft went to war.
Three hundred men entrained at Purfleet for London and marched from
Fenchurch Street to London Bridge Station by a circuitous route to show
themselves and exercise the Buffs’ old and long-established privilege
of passing along the City of London streets with bayonets fixed and
all honours of war. The party on this occasion was headed by the band
and drums and the Lord Mayor showed himself at the Mansion House to
take the salute. The London crowd gave the men a proper and, indeed,
an enthusiastic send-off, and there was much cheering and waving of
handkerchiefs. In September came a move to Shoreham, Sussex, whence
many drafts departed, mostly to the old regular battalions; but the
enormous one of forty officers and five hundred men went to the 8th
Battalion to replace the terrible losses that unit suffered at Loos.
There is no space to record more. The 9th did its duty like the others,
the headquarters moving sometimes, once again to Dover and later to
Southend, but the men, as in the case of the 3rd Battalion, constantly
proceeding overseas in batches. The only marked change that came was in
January, 1917, when the battalion was selected for the training of a
large number of “A4 Boys”[13] called out at that time, with the result
that the numbers rose to nearly three thousand, and four new companies
had to be organized.
Six months afterwards most of the original officers and permanent
N.C.O.’s went back to the 3rd Battalion, and the 9th Buffs became the
52nd Queen’s, in which capacity it went to France, when the dangerous
days of March, 1918, had come; it ended its career as part of the army
of occupation in Germany after the armistice.
The story of the 10th Battalion and of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada
will be told later in the book.
CHAPTER IV
THE WESTERN FRONT--LOOS
I. 1ST BATTALION
The history of the 1st Battalion for June and July, 1915, is without
any very striking incident, though abounding in what only a year before
would have been considered as such. On the 10th June, for instance,
the huts near Poperinghe, in which the men were resting, were heavily
shelled and Lieut. W. F. Taylor and 10 men killed and 5 more wounded;
whilst on the 19th of the same month, when in trenches in the salient
east of Ypres, the battalion was badly bombarded with gas shells, while
more gas was pumped from the enemy’s lines, necessitating the wearing
of gas helmets for four hours and causing the death of 5 and injury of
19 men. Then 2 more were killed on the following day and 4 wounded and
5 gassed. Between this date and the end of the month 10 more died and
39 were wounded. On the 2nd July Corpl. John Dormer of A Company, who
had covered himself with glory as a scout, paid the last penalty. And
so the weary business went on.
Sir John French’s despatches contain the following remarks:--
“Since my last despatch a new device has been adopted by the
enemy for driving burning liquid into our trenches with a strong
jet. Thus supported, an attack was made on the trenches of the
2nd Army at Hooge, on the Menin road, early on 30th July. Most
of the infantry occupying these trenches were driven back, but
their retirement was due far more to the surprise and temporary
confusion caused by the burning liquid than by the actual damage
inflicted.
“Gallant endeavours were made by repeated counter-attacks to
recapture the lost section of trenches. These, however, proving
unsuccessful and costly, a new line of trenches was consolidated
a short distance further back.
“Attacks made by the enemy at the same time west of Bellewaarde
Lake were repulsed.
“On the 9th August these losses were brilliantly regained, owing
to a successful attack carried out by the 6th Division. This
attack was very well executed and resulted in the recapture,
with small casualties, not only of the whole of the lost
trenches, but an addition of four hundred yards of German trench
north of the Menin road.”
In connection with this incident mentioned by the Commander-in-Chief,
Major-General Congreve, V.C., commanding the 6th Division, addressed
the 1st Buffs on the 5th August: it was necessary, he pointed out, to
retake the trenches previously lost at Hooge. It was a case either of
going forward or going backward, owing to the nature of the ground. The
commander of the 2nd Army had selected the 6th Division for the task
because it was the best one in his command. He would not minimize the
difficulties of the job, but the battalion would remember their past
record and the fact that the eyes of Kent were upon them. He concluded
by wishing the battalion a successful issue and a safe return.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
ROAD NEAR HOOGE]
Consequent on this a brigade order was issued on the 8th August, of
which the following are extracts, and it may be as well to explain here
that all over the fighting front the soldiers had given names to the
different trenches in order to distinguish them, and that these names,
which were often those of London streets, but sometimes of a comic
nature, became officially recognized and used.
“The brigade will attack the enemy’s position at Hooge from the
crater to Q.20 inclusive.
“The York and Lancaster will attack on the left and the K.S.L.I.
on the right.
“1st Buffs’ 2 machine guns in southern branch of Oxford Street
at end east. D Company and 2 machine guns in F.2.
“A Company and 1 machine gun to dig themselves in in line eighty
yards in rear of Headquarters’ trench.
“B Company and Headquarters to occupy position end of Oxford
Street by 1.15 B and D.
“All companies to be in position 12.30 a.m., 9th.
“The 1st Leicesters will be in support in the ramparts of Menin
Gate, Ypres.
“The right attack is allotted to the 18th Brigade, and the 17th
Brigade will be in divisional reserve.
“The K.S.L.I. can call on C Company The Buffs for support, if
necessary, and the Y. and L. on D Company.
“Should the enemy drive us back and follow on, these two
companies must counter-attack at once without hesitation.”
The battalion took its places at 6.30 p.m. on the 8th. A Company, so as
to be ready to occupy the positions vacated by C and D should they be
called upon to move up, and B Company remaining as battalion reserve.
At 2.45 a.m. on the 9th the British bombardment opened and a terrific
fire was brought to bear on the hostile lines. The infantry attack
followed about 3.10, the assailants having already crept up close to
the enemy’s lines, and the brave men from Yorkshire and Shropshire
suffered pretty heavily, but were completely successful. D Company of
the Buffs was called up to help by the York and Lancaster Regiment.
The K.S.L.I. had rushed into the crater with great rapidity and found
much hand-to-hand fighting to do when they got there. The telephone
lines were soon useless, being cut to pieces by the incessant fire. In
the small hours of the 10th August the Buffs were ordered to relieve
both the York and Lancasters and the Shropshires. D Company, therefore,
advanced obliquely to its right flank and took over the crater and half
the recaptured line which belonged to its brigade, the remainder being
occupied by A Company, under Captain Gould, who placed one platoon in
support of both these advanced companies at H.12. C Company remained
where it was and B, with Battalion Headquarters, came up to a ruined
farm, a tactical point in the neighbourhood. Heavy shelling occurred
during the night, but the expected German counter-attack did not
eventuate. A and D Companies found great difficulty in getting into
touch with friends on either flank. It is true that some troops of the
neighbouring 18th Brigade had, during the previous day, got into the
crater and stables, but these were themselves now adrift from their
units.
Four machine guns had been placed at intervals along the whole front,
and these, to judge by German prisoners’ letters, had a discouraging
effect on the projected enemy counter-attack, but nevertheless the
position occupied by the two forward Buff companies was very far from
being a satisfactory or pleasant one: the trenches and crater were full
of dead and wounded, chiefly German, but with many English, too, and
this fact impeded free movement; shell fire was heavy and continuous,
and the Heavy artillery enfilade fire from the direction of Hill 60 was
in particular very annoying and dangerous; while the supply of bombs,
food and water was precarious and difficult owing to the lack of proper
communication trenches to the rear. The want of water was particularly
felt, and made worse by the fact that the men were within easy sight
and distance of the Bellewaarde Lake.
The night of the 10th/11th was a very busy one. Every kind of work
was urgent and of great importance. The removal of the wounded was
no easy task, and great praise was due to Captain Jones, the Buffs’
Medical Officer, who did wonders. Indeed, this officer was remarkable
for his coolness and gallantry, and continued his business, though
wounded twice himself, in a manner which has become a sort of tradition
amongst our army doctors. He was admirably backed by the regimental
stretcher-bearers. There were dead to be buried everywhere; there
was no doubt in anyone’s mind of the urgency of this. Communications
in rear were organized, the trenches were improved, and many other
matters made this night a busy one. The night was, moreover, by no
means peaceful. The German bombers were persistent and dangerous on
the left of A Company, but a somewhat serious bomb attack just before
midnight in this quarter was repelled by Captain Gould, though not
without loss. D Company was also being heavily bombarded by high
explosive and shrapnel, and Captain R. W. Homan was struck on the head
and fatally wounded. He had exposed himself with great gallantry in
organizing the defence, and his death was much felt. The 11th August
passed like the previous day and was a strenuous one. There was
abnormally heavy shelling. The parapets were destroyed both in A and
D Companies’ portions of the line, and one shell, landing where the
supporting platoon lay, demolished the telephone dug-out and destroyed
the operators, but not the instrument. Pte. Wilson came forward and
continued to work this, the nearest telephone to the firing line, and
as from here all messages had to be carried, Corpl. Foote of A Company
greatly distinguished himself at this task. D Company was under a
most accurate fire this day, but was materially aided by the French
artillery.
About 10 p.m. a violent bomb attack took place on the left of A
Company, both from a small side trench on the left of ours, which
was still in the enemy’s hands, and from Germans who had crawled out
from their retained line in rear. These latter were made to suffer
somewhat severely. 2nd Lieut. Ferguson led a counter-attack under
somewhat critical circumstances and was twice wounded. However, the
enemy’s attempt was repulsed, and at 11.30 a relief of the battalion
was successfully accomplished under company arrangements, superintended
by the commanding officer, Lt.-Colonel Finch Hatton, aided by Captain
Lucas (second-in-command) and Lieut. Birrell (adjutant). The battalion
retired to the ramparts of Ypres by the Menin Gate, having lost since
the 5th of the month 25 killed, 162 wounded and 5 missing.
At this period not only the Buffs, but the 16th Brigade generally, were
suffering badly from the lack of senior and experienced officers. A
considerable period of routine work was now the fate of the battalion.
As a rule, billets in or about Poperinghe alternated with trench duty,
generally at La Brique. This trench duty continued to take its toll of
casualties and was not without its deeds of daring, notably the rescue
and bringing in of the body of Captain Colville of the Shropshire Light
Infantry, who was killed in front of Forward Cottage near La Brique
on the 21st September, 1915, for which act Lieut. Clouting and C.S.M.
Baker received the M.C. and D.C.M. respectively.
II. LOOS
In order to understand the parts taken in the battle of Loos by the
2nd, 6th and 8th Battalions of the Buffs, it would be well to have a
general idea of why the battle was fought. Turning, therefore, to Sir
John French’s despatches we find that after a serious consultation
with General Joffre and a full discussion of the military situation it
was arranged that the Allies should make a combined attack from certain
points of their line during the last week in September.
Very many brave soldiers died in the prolonged and desperate struggle
which followed, and which is known as the battle of Loos, though it
was in reality a series of bloody combats. It still remains a question
whether the British sacrifices there made were worth the results
obtained.
The reinforcements the British had recently received enabled our
Commander-in-Chief to comply with several requests that the French had
made as to taking over additional portions of their line.
“In fulfilment of the rôle assigned to it in these operations,
our army attacked the enemy on the morning of the 25th
September. The main attack was delivered by the 1st and 4th
Corps between the La Bassee Canal on the north and the village
of Grenay on the south; at the same time the 5th Corps making
a subsidiary attack on Bellewaarde Farm to the east of Ypres
in order to hold the enemy to his ground; other attacks with a
similar object were made by the 3rd and Indian Corps north of
the canal and along the whole front of the second army.
“In co-operation with the French 10th Army on the right, the 1st
and 4th Corps went up to the attack. A strong reserve was kept
in hand owing to the great length of front to be assailed, and
the general commanding the Second Army was directed to draw back
the 28th Division to Bailleul and hold it in readiness to meet
unexpected eventualities.
“Opposite the front of the main line of attack the distance
between the enemy’s trenches and our own varied from about
one hundred to five hundred yards. The country over which the
advance took place is open and overgrown with long grass
and self-sown crops. From the canal southwards our trenches
and those of the enemy ran roughly parallel upon an almost
imperceptible rise to the south-west. From the Vermelles-Hulluch
road southward the advantage of height is on the enemy’s side as
far as the Bethune-Lens road. There the two lines of trenches
cross a spur in which the rise culminates, and thence the
command lies on the side of the British trenches.
“To the east of the intersection of spur and trenches and a
short mile away stands Loos (which is about twenty-eight miles
south of Ypres). Less than a mile further south-east is Hill 70,
which is the summit of the gentle rise in the ground.
“Other notable tactical points on our front were:--
“_Fosse 8_ (a thousand yards south of Auchy) which is a
coal mine with a high and strongly defended slag heap.
“_The Hohenzollern redoubt._ A strong work thrust out
nearly five hundred yards in front of the German lines, and
close to our own. It is connected with their front line by three
communication trenches abutting into the defences of Fosse 8.
“_Cite St. Elie._ A strongly defended mining village lying
fifteen hundred yards south of Haisnes.
“_The Quarries_ lying half-way to the German trenches west
of the Cite St. Elie.
“_Hulluch._ A village strung out along a small stream lying
less than half a mile south-east of Cite St. Elie and three
thousand yards north-east of Loos.
“_Puits 14 Bis._ Half a mile north of Hill 70; another coal
mine possessing great possibilities for defence when taken in
conjunction with a strong redoubt situated on the north-east
side of Hill 70.”
The attack was admirably delivered, and it is noteworthy that a
complete division of the new armies took a distinguished part in it.
This was the 47th, a Scottish unit. Loos and Hill 70 were gained,
and altogether the first day was a success and caused Field-Marshal
French’s apprehension that a dangerous gap might occur between
ourselves and the French to be considerably modified. He now ordered
the Guards Division up from Nœux les Mines and the 28th to move south
from Bailleul. At nightfall, after a heavy day’s fighting and numerous
German counter-attacks, the line ran from the Double Crassier south of
Loos by the western part of Hill 70 to the western exit of Hulluch,
thence by the quarries and western end of Cite St. Elie, east of Fosse
8, back to the original line.
Our hold on Fosse 8, backed as it was by the strong defences and guns
of Auchy, was distinctly precarious.
In the course of the night of 25th/26th September the enemy delivered
a series of heavy counter-attacks along our new front, and near the
Quarries they were more or less successful, though repulsed elsewhere.
On the 26th the 7th Division retook the Quarries, but attacks
on Hulluch and on the redoubt on the east side of Hill 70 were
anticipated by the enemy, who organized a very strong offensive from
that direction. These attacks drove on the advanced troops of the
21st and 24th Divisions (in the latter of which the 8th Buffs were
serving) which were then moving forward to attack. Sir John French
adds these words: “Reports regarding this portion of the action are
very conflicting, and it is not possible to form an entirely just
appreciation of what occurred on this part of the field.”
During the 29th and 30th September and the early days of October,
fighting was almost continuous along the northern part of the new
line, particularly about the Hohenzollern Redoubt and neighbouring
trenches, to which the enemy evidently attached great value. His
attacks, however, almost invariably broke down with very heavy loss
under the accurate fire of our infantry and artillery. Nevertheless,
the enemy recaptured part of the Hohenzollern Redoubt on the 3rd
October. There was particularly severe fighting in this direction on
the 8th and 9th, the hostile attack being repulsed with enormous loss.
The Commander-in-Chief reports in his despatches that we attacked
about noon on the 13th October, with troops of the 11th and 4th Corps,
against Fosse No. 8, the Quarries and the German trenches on the
Lens-La Bassee road. The objective of the 12th Division (in which were
serving the 6th Buffs) was the Quarries.
The day began with an artillery bombardment of the objectives in which
the French assisted. Shortly before the attack was launched at 2 p.m.
smoke was turned on all along our front, and under cover of this
smoke the attack was started. At the same time the heavy artillery
lifted to further objectives, while the enemy’s front trench system
was subjected to shrapnel fire. At 2.45 the 4th Corps reported having
captured 1,200 yards of trenches on the Lens-La Bassee road, but as
the left battalion of the corps had failed, the Corps Commander did
not consider it practicable to undertake any further offensive towards
Hulluch. The information received during the remainder of the day was
very conflicting, though it was known that one battalion of the 12th
Division had gained the south-west edge of the Quarries. In the course
of the next two days the whole attack died down without attaining the
objective aimed at, and the situation on that part of the line remained
much the same for some considerable time.
III. 8TH BATTALION
The 8th Battalion of the Buffs, under Colonel Romer, C.B., C.M.G.,
landed in France, as we have seen, on the 1st September, or
twenty-four days only before the battle of Loos. After two days at
Boulogne it went into billets at Maninghem, near Etaples, and there
remained a fortnight, completing divisional training, and marching on
the 21st to take part in the concentration prior to the battle of Loos
with the rest of the 72nd Brigade, which was commanded by Br.-General
B. M. Mitford, C.B., D.S.O., himself an old Buff. The march to Bethune,
which was reached in the very early morning of the 25th September, was
a trying one done by night, mostly over bad roads. On the second night
no less than twenty-two miles were covered and the Buffs recorded only
one man as falling out. Other battalions had many more--even as many as
two hundred.
At 11 a.m. on the day of arrival at Bethune the battalion formed up
and Colonel Romer addressed his men. “I am not going to make a speech
to you,” he said, “but only to ask you to remember that you are ‘The
Buffs.’” The battalion then moved forward towards the fighting line,
gradually approaching Vermelles. That very night it had orders for a
night attack on Hulluch, which was, however, stopped in order to allow
of artillery preparation. The first casualty occurred at this time: 2nd
Lieut. Hon. H. E. J. Robinson was so badly hit that he died next day in
hospital. The attack being thus postponed, the battalion got into what
were the original German second-line trenches and remained there till
11 a.m. on the 26th.
At 10.30 a.m. orders came for the division to attack at 11, and then
this unit of the regiment went “over the top” to take its part in a
severe action only three weeks after arrival in France and without
having gone through the apprenticeship and instruction under fire in
the trenches, which was the rule in all cases of fresh troops arriving
in the country.
The brigade, in which our battalion was a unit, advanced from the
approach-trenches, which had been German and which it was then holding,
to the objective, which was the third line of the German fortification
running north from a point about a thousand yards east of Hulluch,
which place the 1st Division was to attack simultaneously, while on the
right the 21st Division had another portion of the enemy’s third line
assigned to it.
The 8th Buffs were in the second line, following the 9th East Surrey,
who were on the brigade right in touch with the above-named division.
On the left of the Surreys were the 8th Royal West Kent, with the 8th
Queen’s behind them.
There was a steady and persistent shelling on all these battalions as
they advanced, and when our men got down to the depression running
south of Hulluch they came under enfilade fire from several guns and
machine guns, and the further they advanced up the eastern slope the
more severe became the fire. All the battalions of the 72nd Brigade
reached the trenches which were their objective. There they found
the wire entanglement still quite intact, the wire being abnormally
thick and difficult to cut. Endeavours were made to get over or under
this obstacle, but to no purpose. Meanwhile the division on the right
retired, leaving our people to be heavily enfiladed, with the result
that the latter also had to fall back, which they did to some trenches
five or six hundred yards to the west and south-west of Hulluch, and
there, for four and a half hours, they were heavily bombarded.
When night came on parties were sent out to remove the killed and
wounded, but the Germans after dark reoccupied their old trenches along
the Hulluch-Lens road and the rescue parties therefore failed to get
at the eastern slope of the shallow valley, in which Hulluch lies: the
fatal slope on which the greater number of our casualties occurred.
Only a dozen or so of the more lightly wounded of the Buffs managed to
crawl back after nightfall.
This assault was made in daylight and over open country, and the German
third-line trench which was the objective was nearly a mile away.
The men had started in what is termed artillery formation, but the
lines, owing to the intensity of the fire encountered, had to be
extended almost at once. The advance was carried forward very rapidly,
and in half an hour the Buffs had arrived within twenty-five yards of
the enemy’s wire.
No gaps could be observed, and for twenty minutes the attempts to cut
it were continued without avail.
It was at 11.55 that an order came to withdraw, and from that moment
the hostile fire, especially from the left flank, became hotter than
ever and, of course, the casualties heavier. The Buffs--what was left
of them--were relieved during the night of the 26th/27th and rested in
a field close by Sailly la Bourse, remaining till 7 p.m. on the latter
date, when they marched to Nœux les Mines and bivouacked in very wet
weather.
The casualties in the awful fight briefly described above were
tremendous. That gallant old soldier Colonel Romer was early shot in
the shoulder, but continued in his place, showing an example to all,
till he was killed by a bullet through his heart. What a death for a
hero of sixty-four! Though he was not originally a Buff, he was one
indeed when he died, and his name will ever be remembered with those
of Lathom, Moyse and so many others, from Sir Philip Sidney downwards,
who have covered our regiment with glory in all quarters of the
globe. With their colonel were killed, or soon after died of wounds,
Captains Curtiss, A. M. C. Hollist, W. Howard, J. Kekewich and T. R.
M. Shervinton; Lieuts. E. F. Corner, B. H. Pickering, Hon. H. E. J.
Robinson and J. R. S. Pensley (R.A.M.C.), together with too many of the
gallant men who followed them so well. Lieut. E. T. Smith was also
killed in the trenches near Ypres on the 19th October. Altogether,
counting killed, wounded and missing, the casualties amounted to the
astounding figure of 24 officers and 610 other ranks.
Would any man a few years ago have believed that a time was close at
hand when a battalion of the regiment was to suffer more casualties
than fell to the lot of the Buffs at Albuera? Only one officer, Lieut.
J. Vaughan, came out of the hell untouched, and he was given a right
well-earned M.C. for bringing his unit out of action. Four of the men’s
names were sent in for distinguished bravery, but were not accepted by
the War Office because they were prisoners of war; but the D.C.M.’s
recorded later as bestowed on Sergt.-Major Brooker and Pte. Peet were
bravely earned upon this day.
The remnants of the battalion were somewhat cheered by being informed,
as they were on the morning of the 27th, that their attack drew off
sixteen battalions of the enemy who were reinforcing the German line
opposite the French, thus considerably helping the latter to capture
Souchey and 14,000 prisoners.
The battalion was removed by train to Mollinghem, thence to Houtkerque,
and later to Reninghelst. On the 4th October it was inspected by the
G.O.C. of the division, who spoke of the way in which the regimental
traditions had been maintained.
The usual instruction in trench warfare began on the 5th October, and
Major Trueman took over command on the 7th.
On the 18th of this month the battalion passed to the 17th Infantry
Brigade and two days afterwards took over the usual trench duty on its
own account, and began its long acquaintance with the filthy life such
duty meant: a life of danger, stinks, rats, lice, discomfort and misery
such as no Englishman had ever conceived it possible that he should
one day be called on to endure.
[Illustration: NEIGHBOURHOOD OF LOOS]
IV. 2ND BATTALION
In connection with this great battle of Loos, the 28th Division, with
which, it will be remembered, was the 2nd Battalion, had come, as has
been seen, from Bailleul and was, on the 27th September, placed at the
disposal of the First Army, arriving at Vermelles at 1 p.m.
The following description of the part the battalion played in the
struggle would be somewhat difficult to follow without the accompanying
sketch of the ground about the Hohenzollern Redoubt and the Dump.
At 2 o’clock A and D Companies, under Major Beevor, were ordered to
relieve certain parties just north of Fosse 8, the situation at which
point, it may be remembered, was described by the Commander-in-Chief as
being “distinctly precarious.”
Finding that the position in question had been abandoned, these
companies were ordered by their brigadier, who accompanied them, to
establish themselves in the Hohenzollern Redoubt.
Finding that the normal approach to this, that is, the communication
trench, was too congested with troops to use, the Buffs quitted it
and reached their appointed place across country, being very heavily
shelled _en route_. In fact, both Br.-General Pereira and his
brigade major, Captain Flower, were wounded, as was Lieut. Cory-Wright,
who commanded D Company. On arrival, a platoon of this company charged
the enemy vigorously and accounted for a score.
The companies remained in situation all night, during which our bombers
had to be very active, while the wounded--and there were very many of
different units--were being removed, a matter of great difficulty on
account of heavy rain and the distance they had to be carried. During
this night the rest of the 85th Brigade came up and B and C Companies
took up a position behind A and D.
After a contradictory order or two, an assault on the dump of Fosse
8 was arranged for 9.30 a.m. on the 28th, to be preceded by fifteen
minutes’ artillery fire.
The Buffs began at the hour named to file up the trenches, A Company
leading, with D just behind.
The congested state of these avenues, due to dead, wounded and
troops waiting to be relieved, rendered progress very slow, and many
casualties were suffered from shell fire. The place from which one of
the companies was to start the attack was still in the hands of the
enemy, and all these circumstances prevented the men from getting into
their approximate positions till after 10 a.m. The Middlesex Regiment
was in support of the Buffs.
When the time came B and C Companies, followed by A, charged across the
open and were greeted with the fire from machine guns massed on either
flank, also shell and rifle fire. At least eleven machine guns were
afterwards counted firing from the Miners’ Cottages and Slag Alley. B
and C Companies, every man cheering, gained the edge of the Dump and,
clambering up the crumbling slopes of that 30-foot-high mound, gained
the summit. On the way Captain W. R. Davis (commanding B Company)
was killed and Lieut. S. C. Swayne and 2nd Lieut. M. Selby mortally
wounded. Lieut. H. Mantle, 2nd Lieuts. C. H. B. Budd, G. E. Boon,
Captain M. M. Brice (commanding C Company) and 2nd Lieut. G. E. A.
Steggall were all wounded and the latter taken prisoner.
The Dump was then plastered with shells of all descriptions both from
our own guns and those of the enemy and the attack was broken. The
companies crossed the large expanse of the Dump summit and attempted
to reach the enemy in the trenches at the foot. It was a hopeless
task, and those who attempted it were shot or grenaded. The companies
re-formed and returned to the original trenches, leaving over one
hundred men killed or wounded on the Dump.
The guns ceased fire and the bomb fighting commenced. Making use
of all their trenches leading into their old lines, the Germans
advanced swiftly under cover of showers of bombs and their machine
guns. The enemy effected a gap (see sketch) between the Middlesex and
Buffs and from it bombed both ways. Thus the Buffs found themselves
to the south-east of the point where the enemy had penetrated and
separated from their supporting battalion, the Middlesex, who were
to the north-west of the gap. Here the struggle was fought out for
a long period chiefly by the use of bombs, which were obtained with
difficulty, having to be passed up the shallow trench from troops in
rear. Barricades had to be built at certain points to keep the enemy in
check.
Slag Alley was almost in complete possession of the Germans when A
Company, charging repeatedly and with the greatest vigour, drove them
back and accounted for about fifty. At this time 2nd Lieut. F. A. Booth
was shot dead while accepting the surrender of a German officer. The
enemy’s supply of bombs was so superior to our own that the whole of A
Company’s gains could not be retained, but the men built a barricade
across Slag Alley to secure the portion they could hold.
The fiercest fighting now took place at the gap in Dump trench. 2nd
Lieut. W. T. Williams took charge of the bombers at this point and
for 17½ hours kept the enemy in check. The greatest difficulty was
experienced in obtaining a sufficient supply of bombs. The enemy’s
machine guns and snipers were particularly active and the advanced
trenches were very shallow. Lt.-Colonel C. A. Worthington,[14]
commanding the battalion, and 2nd Lieut. T. Penington were killed by
the same bullet.
The command devolved on the adjutant, Captain J. V. R. Jackson, in
the absence of Major M. Beevor. The latter officer had been ordered
to remain at Point 35 until the two rear companies of the Middlesex
had filed past. As, however, the Germans had established themselves
so strongly in the gap, Major Beevor had perforce to remain with the
Middlesex. On the death of Colonel Neale of the latter regiment, he
conducted operations on the other side of the gap and along South
Face. As night fell the rain commenced again and never ceased. Shell
and rifle fire slackened, but the bomb throwing was stronger than
ever. Our bomb throwers were nearly all killed or wounded, and others
were borrowed from neighbouring units. Owing to the rain, the fuses
were damp, matches gave out, and the only way to light the fuses was
by means of keeping cigarettes alight. The organization of the enemy
as regards this weapon was astounding. He threw at least five to our
one and of a much more powerful description. During the night every
endeavour was made to get in the wounded. Neither rations nor water
were obtainable. Attempts were made to dig in, but the mud rendered
it a slow and laborious task. Dawn showed no cessation in the bomb
throwing. Captain Jackson had sent messages for bombs and assistance:
two messengers were killed, and finally an answer came that two
companies of the York and Lancs were coming in relief and the Buffs
were to make their way to Big Willie. At 8.30 a.m. the relief was just
entering the Dump trenches at Point 50 when the supply of bombs gave
out altogether while the enemy kept up an incessant shower. The Buffs
were forced back to the fork and filed down the advanced trench, whilst
their relief filed in, leaped out of the trenches and held the enemy.
During this critical period a little ground was lost owing to lack of
bombs. Captain Jackson could not emerge from a deep dug-out near the
gap from which he was conducting operations, and he was taken prisoner.
The balance of the regiment made its way back by Big Willie trench
to near its junction with the South Face. Here Major Beevor took
command. The Middlesex was being pressed back, and there being no room
between them and the 3rd Royal Fusiliers, the Buffs filed back into
the old front-line British trench, where they were able to materially
assist the units in front by means of rifle fire. The night was spent
in reorganizing and at midnight the battalion left the trenches and
marched to Annequin.
Casualties. Officers, killed:--Lt.-Colonel C. A. Worthington, Captain
W. R. Davis, 2nd Lieuts. F. A. Booth, T. Penington and N. E. Wood.
Died of wounds: Lieut. S. C. Swayne and 2nd Lieut. M. Selby. Wounded:
Captain M. M. Brice, Lieuts. G. Cory-Wright, H. Mantle; 2nd Lieuts. G.
E. Boon, C. H. B. Budd and W. T. Williams. Taken prisoner: Captain J.
V. R. Jackson and 2nd Lieut. G. E. A. Steggall (wounded).
Other ranks: killed, 57; wounded, 168; missing, 133. The majority of
the latter are believed to have been killed or wounded on the Dump.
On the 1st October the battalion marched back to billets and began to
reorganize after its terrific experience. Drafts from England arrived
on the 2nd, 3rd, 9th and 15th of October, and a period of training and
instructional parades of all sorts commenced. A turn at trench work,
but a very short one, came on the 17th, but on the 21st startling
orders arrived: no less than instructions to entrain on the following
day for Marseilles for conveyance to the East.
No time was lost. On the 22nd the battalion marched to Fouquereuil,
near Bethune, entrained there, arrived at the great port at 1.30 p.m.
on Sunday 24th, and at 4 p.m. embarked, complete with transport,
animals, vehicles and all, on the troopship _Transylvania_ for
conveyance to Egypt. Twenty-seven officers and 907 other ranks reached
Alexandria on the 30th and marched to Sidi Bishr Camp.
During the European tour of this battalion, which lasted only nine
months, 101 officers and 3,738 men had served in its ranks. Of these,
22 officers and 298 other ranks had been killed; 34 officers and 1,011
other ranks had been wounded; 5 officers and 199 other ranks had been
taken prisoners; and 2 officers and 297 other ranks had been missing.
The stay in the land of Egypt was a very short one and was mostly
devoted to training and marching. The whole of the 28th Division had
moved and were to move again, for, on the 22nd November, came the
orders for Salonica, the new base for operations against the Bulgarian
forces. Salonica is a Greek port, but the monarch of that country was
in secret a friend of the Germans, and the inhabitants proved none too
friendly to the French and English forces which were making so free
with Salonica.
[Illustration: HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT AND THE DUMP]
The move of the division was a somewhat slow and gradual business, but
at last the infantry got into camp at Lembet, about four and a half
miles from the port. The weather was awful: heavy snow and gales of
wind, as well as a most persistent fog, which hung about for days and
which greatly interfered with reconnaissance. Early in December the
authorities were apparently very undecided as to whether to remain at
Salonica at all, and at one time all arrangements were made for
re-embarkation. The attitude of the Greek officials was one of passive
resistance and formal protest, but they were civil enough. Road-making
was the first job and a most necessary one, for nothing but tracks were
found inland. This work was, however, varied by the building of long
defence lines, which were afterwards known as the bird-cage. The Buffs’
section of these lines was near the village of Baldza, and the most
important of the works was called Beevor’s Redoubt, in honour of the
commanding officer who had succeeded the gallant Worthington.
So ended the most tremendous year in the history of the 2nd Battalion
of the Buffs, which had been raised in 1857 by Colonel F. F. Maude,
V.C., the father of the great general of whom we shall shortly read.
V. 6TH BATTALION
We left the 6th Battalion at Meteren, near Bailleul, which place it
reached early in June, 1915.
On the 12th of that month it moved up to Armentieres to undergo the
usual instruction in trench warfare under a more experienced unit,
and here occurred the first casualty. The remainder of the summer was
passed in trench fighting, and many incidents might be recorded in
connection with mining operations and small but boldly executed patrol
adventures, particularly one by Corpl. Craven. Mines were sprung by
the enemy and the craters occupied, and these had to be reconnoitred
to ascertain for what further offensive work they were to be used. It
would be impossible, however, without publishing long and somewhat
monotonous journals, to describe fully the daily trench work of the
several battalions. This important service was done, practically
speaking, by half the troops engaged, the other half resting, as it was
called, in billets in rear. These billets were mostly leaky barns with
many of the tiles off the roofs, furnished with closely packed tiers of
beds one above the other, like bunks in a ship’s cabin, each bunk being
floored with fine wire-netting. There was not quite such a dearth of
munitions by this time, and on the last day of July there was a very
heavy and important burst of artillery fire on our part, the battalion
being then in the Ploegsteert Wood.
Life was fairly monotonous, however, until the 23rd September, on
which day careful instructions were given in the art of the production
of heavy smoke, from which it was hoped that an attacking party
would be able to emerge unseen. After much conference, detailed
instructions were issued on this same day regarding the proposed
occupation of the German salient at Le Touquet, and it seemed as if
the battalion, and indeed the whole brigade, was to take part in a
great battle immediately. The 12th Divisional operation orders received
at 9.30 a.m. on the 24th gave colour to this idea, and at 2 p.m. a
trench-mortar bombardment of Le Touquet commenced, but the result
proved disappointing and, no damage being done to the enemy’s wire, an
attack in force proved impracticable. The 26th brought an artillery
bombardment on both sides and our people raised a smoke curtain which
appeared to be more or less satisfactory, but the following night the
whole brigade was relieved by other troops and billeted in Armentieres,
and, on the last day of the month, the battalion was in Vermelles
relieving the Coldstream Guards, and it then moved into what had been
the German line just south of the Hulluch road.
On the 11th October the Germans recovered part of the Hohenzollern
Redoubt, an object they had been struggling for for some days, and they
made a resolute attack near Loos which was repulsed with enormous loss.
Two days after this operation, orders were issued by the 12th Division
for an attack on Hulluch. These orders were very complete and abounded
in map references of the most detailed description. They point to a
well-organized advance to secure an advanced line and put it in a state
of defence.
The 37th Brigade, in which, it will be remembered, the 6th Buffs were
serving, was to be strengthened by one company of the Northamptonshire
Regiment and the 69th Field Company of the Engineers, was awarded a
distinct task and was to join up with the 35th Brigade.
The divisional and attached artillery to cover the whole operation.
The start to be made from the trenches.
Orders were given for creating a smoke screen for about 1,200 yards.
This was to be most intense ten minutes before the start for the
assault.
Although the men’s packs were left behind, they had much to carry, as
it was intended to occupy what the assault had secured. The artillery
was to open fire, and did so, at 12 noon, and at 1 p.m. gas and smoke
commenced, the former till 1.50 and the latter till 2 p.m., at which
hour the assault was launched.
The 7th East Surrey were ordered to detail a party to carry up tools,
sandbags and wire, wherewith to consolidate the position when won. This
battalion, together with the Buffs, was to hold what was captured.
The Buffs were, by map reference, given a separate and distinct part
of the enemy’s trenches to assail and to make good; one end of their
appointed portion was the east end of the Quarries, and the battalion
was to join up with the East Surreys on their right and with the 35th
Brigade on their left. Prior to the attack all troops were to wear
smoke helmets with the fronts raised ready to be adjusted at a moment’s
notice.
On these elaborate and clear instructions Colonel Eaton based his
battalion orders, giving each company its place of assembly and all
detail. The fifth paragraph of these orders reads: “The assault led by
A Company will take place immediately the 35th Brigade reaches the line
‘54 to 82.’” Two hundred and fifty bombs were carried by each company.
The account of the actual fighting is necessarily meagre, for it was
all over in a very short time, and during the struggle it was very
difficult to get any information at headquarters as all the wires were
soon broken. In fact, the Headquarter telephone dug-out was blown
in before the advance had even commenced. The smoke, so carefully
arranged, soon blew off and by 2 o’clock the air was clear again.
Exactly at the hour, however, the battalion dashed forward, A, C and D
Companies leading, with B a little way in rear in support. The keenness
to attack and the precision and order with which the companies went
over the top were wonderful to see. But, alas! the enemy’s protecting
wire was found to be uncut, and a withering fire was opened from front
and both flanks as our men tried to hack their way through with the
wire-cutters carried by the leading troops. The greatest gallantry was
shown and the attack was renewed again and again by ever-diminishing
numbers, but it was of no avail, and of the three leading companies
but very few men returned. The enemy’s machine guns were the cause of
most of our casualties in this fight, as they so often were in later
engagements.
Thirteen officers led the 6th Battalion into its first battle, and
of these ten died in their duty, namely, Majors B. E. Furley and A.
Soames, D.S.O.; Captains C. E. G. Davidson and H. W. Brodie; Lieuts.
J. P. Phillimore and C. W. B. Marsh; 2nd Lieuts. C. G. Jelf, D.
Lambert and C. Bainbridge. 2nd Lieut. Birkett was severely wounded.
There were no less than four hundred casualties amongst the brave men
of Kent who had volunteered so blithely to serve Old England at her
need, and among these were the company sergeant-majors of A and C
Companies, Burnett and Glover. On the 20th October the G.O.C. Division
(Major-General Scott) congratulated the battalion on the gallant work
it had done, and three days later the corps commander pointed out that
it was because of the glorious effort made that it became possible for
the regiments on the right and left to capture the enemy’s trenches. To
the end of the month the battalion, very weak in numbers, was mostly
employed on fatigue work, such as carrying packs for the R.E.; but in
November it saw some fighting in and around the Hohenzollern Redoubt,
and it suffered a particularly wet and cold tour in the trenches at
Givenchy and Festubert in December, where the water was waist-deep.
Colonel Eaton was invalided home in November and replaced by Major H.
R. H. Pratt, Northamptonshire Regiment. Eaton departed to the great
regret of all and with the enthusiastic cheers of those who recognized
his worth. As in the cases of all the other battalions of the regiment,
a period of monotony set in in the winter of 1915–16 with the gallant
6th. It was a weary time indeed and took its toll of human life.
VI. 7TH BATTALION
During the earlier portion of their history at the seat of war the
experiences of the 7th Battalion were not quite as exciting as were
those of their comrades in the others. Unlike the 6th and 8th, there
was no violent action to record during the first few months. The story
is, in fact, the usual one of trench warfare. The regular instruction
in this branch of warfare commenced on the 11th August, 1915, and
company by company went up in the firing line at Carnoy from that date
until all had had the experience, and, of course, the battalion very
soon had trenches of its own to be responsible for. It was, as the
2nd Battalion so often was, so unfortunate at first as to take over
from French troops. This is not pleasant, as these have not the same
ideas on the subject of sanitation as we have, and they do not bury
their dead in a satisfactory manner when the burial is of necessity an
informal ceremony. In addition, they were frequently not bullet-proof
and very badly loopholed.
On the 1st September a German mine was exploded under the Buffs’
front-line trench, followed by an outburst of fire and a small attack,
with the idea of capturing the crater. D Company had 4 killed, 5
wounded and 6 missing that day. The men behaved in the most gallant and
satisfactory manner under this their first experience. The position
of the line occupied by the 55th Brigade was opposite the village of
Fricourt and as far as La Boisselle, and in this sector the enemy
seemed to have made something of a speciality of mining, which is a
mode of warfare very trying to the nerves of the adversary, as it
is not pleasant to live in momentary expectation of being blown up.
The brigade kept two battalions always in the line, while the other
remained at Dernancourt and Ville sur Ancre; eight days being the
average length of each tour of trench duty. The portion occupied by the
7th Buffs was therefore miles away from the other battalions of the
regiment at this time. Dernancourt is about three miles south of the
town of Albert.
VII. LIFE IN AND BEHIND THE TRENCHES
Viscount French in his last despatch remarks that the exhaustion of
men and materials which results after a great battle necessarily
leads to a time of comparative inactivity. From August, 1914, till
October in the following year the fighting, as we have seen, had been
tremendous in France and Flanders, and both the Germans and ourselves
had suffered casualties till then unheard of in history. It is not
therefore surprising that after the comparatively unsuccessful efforts
at Loos and its neighbourhood, warfare on the Western front subsided
into dogged defence of the trenches occupied, into a sort of stalemate,
as many people believed. It was a wearying and very trying time. The
looked-for peace seemed as far off as ever. Each side appeared to
be absolutely resolute to hold its own, but no progress towards a
settlement could be observed. It is true that there was a good deal
of fighting between the enemy and the French south of the British
lines, that the Canadians made a raid south-west of Messines on the
18th November, and that another was made by British troops near Neuve
Chapelle on the 12th December. It is true also that the artillery on
both sides woke now and again to abnormal activity, particularly on
the 30th November, and that the Germans fired, it is estimated, three
thousand shells on our Ypres positions on the 10th December; but there
is no first-class action to report for the remainder of the year 1915,
though hundreds of interesting episodes occurred during the latter part
of it, which are impossible to record here, and casualties were of
daily occurrence.
People in England, both officially and by private arrangement, took
care that the horrors of war should be mitigated as far as possible and
that every indulgence that could be granted to our fighting men should
be theirs. The greatest privilege of all and the most appreciated was
a regular system of leave to England: every officer and man took his
turn to go home, visit his friends and enjoy the most striking and
tremendous change that can come to be the lot of man; change from
the awful trenches and daily and hourly peril of life to a smiling,
happy welcome in the Old Country; decent, cleanly existence for a few
days; the delights of bed, baths, theatres, dinner-parties and other
social delights; together perhaps with a little of the old sports and
pastimes of a previous existence. Yes, leave to England was a glorious
thing to live for and look forward to.
The rationing of the soldier when in France was truly marvellous. Never
before had the old soldiers known the like. The food was excellent and
more than sufficient and of very considerable variety. Except in cases
of real emergency, too, it was punctually delivered. The Army Service
Corps brought up the food, tobacco and rum to certain dumps behind
the trenches; from these they were carried up by regimental transport
to advanced dumps, where the stuff was packed into sandbags, eight
complete rations to a bag, and carried by hand to the consumer. Half
a gill of rum per man was issued in the presence of an officer two or
three times a week and was naturally very much appreciated, and the
Quartermaster always had a little reserve of this precious commodity in
hand for emergency days.
For troops resting--that is, taking their regular turn behind the
lines in billets--all sorts of sports were organized. There were
divisional inter-battalion football cups to be competed for. There were
long-distance cross-country races arranged and, in fact, all sorts of
manly games, as well as dramatic entertainments, “sing-songs,” and even
divisional cinemas. During any war the arrival of the English mail is
a tremendous event, and on the Western front it was immense. Ships and
shiploads of letters and parcels were constantly crossing the narrow
seas and bringing loving messages and welcome presents to the fighting
men.
Mrs. Hickson, whose husband, Br.-General R. A. Hickson, C.B.,
commanded the 2nd Battalion in the South African War, had at that time
organized a fund to provide soldiers with comforts at the front, and
this organization had been a marked success; so that lady, being in
1914 settled in Kent, wrote to the colonels of both the 1st and 2nd
Battalions and offered to undertake the very onerous task of doing the
same again. Needless to say the proposal was eagerly accepted, and Mrs.
Hickson promptly sent round the necessary notices throughout East Kent
and elsewhere and commenced the kindly work. The immediate response to
the appeal was splendid and help was offered by very many, including
Lord Harris, Sir Arthur Paget, the officers of the regiment then in
England and the regimental institutes at Dover and Canterbury. Mrs.
Hickson, however, had all the real work to do unaided, except by her
maid; yet bales of comforts were despatched weekly and work was placed
in various organized centres--notably Hawkhurst, Canterbury, Cranbrook,
Benenden and Chartham.
Yes, the fighting soldiers were well looked after; but it was soon made
clear that the really needy were the unfortunate prisoners of war, and,
when this fact was appreciated, a Prisoners of War Fund was promptly
added to the one in existence, and this brought comfort and some
resignation to many a wretched captive wearing out his heart in longing
for the end. This good work was kept up till the Kent Prisoners County
Fund was centred at Rochester.
Nor were Mrs. Hickson and her friends the only women to give practical
expression to their sympathy: Lady George Hamilton and Mrs. W. D.
Johnson soon started a small fund for the prisoners of the 8th
Battalion and, indeed, sent many a parcel out themselves. Mrs. Eaton
followed suit, taking her husband’s 6th Battalion under her special
care; and Viscountess Goschen interested herself in the 5th. The 7th
was added to Mrs. Hickson’s task, she being ultimately president of a
committee to administer the funds collected by very many friends for
the 1st, 2nd and 7th Battalions. Mrs. Geddes worked on this committee,
as did the officers of the depot. As a mark of common gratitude it
would be decent to publish here the list of contributors, more
especially as there appears to be no record of any formal thanks either
to subscribers or those who worked so strenuously, but space forbids
the publication of the names here. They appeared at intervals in the
regimental newspaper.
VIII. SUMMARY
In addition to the continuous fighting in France and Flanders many
tremendous and stirring events of world importance took place during
the latter portion of 1915, to a few of which it may be advisable to
refer briefly.
On the 3rd June a Bill was introduced in Parliament for the formation
of a Ministry of Munitions, and after this event our people at war were
much better fitted to compete with the enemy in weight and number of
projectiles, in the number of aeroplanes, observation balloons and in
other important items.
South-West Africa was finally conquered by Botha in July, and a great
German offensive against Russia commenced.
There was fierce fighting in Gallipoli early in August and, on the
15th September, Kitchener was able to make the statement that eleven
divisions of the new armies had now proceeded to the wars.
On the 28th a British victory was scored at Kut in Mesopotamia.
The 11th October saw Lord Derby’s new scheme of recruiting.
On the 15th of the same month Great Britain and Bulgaria were at war.
On the 11th November Lord Derby warned unmarried men of the likelihood
of conscription becoming the law of the land should further recruiting
prove unsatisfactory.
The Battle of Ctesiphon, twenty-five miles south-west of Baghdad,
was fought on the 22nd. This was another victory for us, but our loss
equalled one-third of our force. It resulted in the German Marshal, Von
der Goltz, being placed in command in Mesopotamia.
The British retired to Kut on the 25th November, and the same day
Salonica was selected as a base for a new theatre of war, some troops
and much war material being landed at that port on the 4th December.
On the 5th the siege of Kut began, and on the 8th our troops were
obliged to commence the evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
On the 15th December, 1915, General Sir John French, the
Commander-in-Chief of our armies in France and Flanders, resigned
his appointment and returned to England to receive the plaudits of
his fellow-countrymen and the well-earned promotion to the rank of
Viscount. He took over the duties of Commander-in-Chief of the troops
at home, and was succeeded abroad by the most illustrious of his
glorious lieutenants, Sir Douglas Haig, a man in whom the whole army
believed.
The 20th December saw the successful and skilfully arranged evacuation
of Anzac and Suvla, the details for which were worked out by an
old officer of the Buffs, Major-General Sir A. L. Lynden-Bell. Our
Gallipoli army had fought most nobly. Whether the Peninsula ought
ever to have been invaded at all or, being invaded, should have been
abandoned, is not a question which can be discussed in this place.
We all know, however, that the final collapse of the Turks was very
greatly due to the preliminary handling they had experienced here
before they finally met their masters in Palestine and Mesopotamia.
On the 27th January, 1916, conscription was introduced in England, and
with the exception of brave lads who between the 4th August, 1914, and
this date had sufficiently grown to be capable of bearing arms, and of
other young men who, still in England, had had no opportunity yet of
reaching a seat of war, the future drafts were to be composed of men
who originally shirked the bloody work their brothers were engaged in
and who now had no longer any option in the matter.
Roughly, very roughly, speaking, the bronze star marks the volunteer.
Anyhow, a man with that decoration must have been one, though it does
not follow that a soldier without it was necessarily a conscript. It is
not fair to hint, nor is it a fact that the pressed man proved inferior
in fighting value to the volunteer, notwithstanding the old proverb
anent the matter, but the possession of the star carries with it and
must carry in the minds of all, the admiration due to the civilian who,
being untrained to the fighting trade, offered to face all dangers and
a dreadful life, or probably painful death, for the safety and honour
of Old England, as well as to the regular or Territorial soldier who
was always prepared to do so when called upon.
CHAPTER V
THE TURKISH ENEMY
I. ADEN
Since the 29th October, 1914, England had been at war with Turkey. Now
both our own country and the Ottoman Empire were much interested in
the East, and both had, of course, very extended Eastern possessions;
consequently, we were always knocking up against the Turk, and in many
parts of the world, such as the Gallipoli Peninsula, Egypt, Palestine,
Mesopotamia and Arabia.
It was on the 2nd July, 1915, that, as it was discovered that the
Turks had had the audacity to enter the Aden Protectorate, permission
was obtained from the Indian Government (Aden being officially a part
of India) to send out from the town a mobile column, with the result
that a very small one, but the best the little garrison could do,
proceeded on the 3rd to Shekh Othman, which is a point from which the
isthmus which connects the town with the mainland, and which is only
about a mile across, can best be defended against aggression from the
land side. The sea power of our country was, of course, sufficient to
prevent any hostile attempt from the water.
A Turkish advance into the Protectorate by about 900 men, nearly half
of them Arabs, with 8 guns, was confirmed; but it was found that our
own force, consisting as it did of only a little over 1,000 men, 10
guns and 10 maxims, was far too small to attempt operations in the
hilly country, and it was compelled to remain on the defensive and
hope for a chance of catching the enemy in the act of debouching from
the mountains. Another and very excellent reason for remaining quiet
was that our native transport men were deserting in crowds. It was
all very well for the canny Aden native to draw English pay in peace
time as a transport servant, but he was not going to be shot at. On
the 8th July, in fact, the mobile force had to withdraw into Aden and
ask for reinforcements. The heat was tremendous; the roads mere sand
tracks--quite unfit for mechanical transport, and along which it was
reckoned that eight camels would be required to drag one gun.
There are a few brackish wells at Shekh Othman and good water for one
brigade, but this supply was cut off by the enemy on the 10th July, and
condensed water was all that was obtainable. On this day it was found
that the Turks were being reinforced, and General Younghusband with his
brigade was ordered to Aden from Egypt, with directions to take Lahej.
It was, however, later taken into consideration that Aden itself was
safe enough, because, as we had the mastery of the sea, the enemy
could only attack it along a narrow isthmus commanded on both sides
by the fire of the ships; and therefore it came to pass that in this
region active service for a long period degenerated into two forces
remaining more or less passively facing each other: the English at
Aden, and their enemies at Lahej. But Shekh Osman was reoccupied on the
21st July. The English infantry consisted only of the Brecknockshire
Battalion of the South Wales Borderers.
Aden is not a white man’s garrison, and in normal times a British
battalion only remains there one year on its completion of an Indian
tour and on its way home to England. The summer proved extremely trying
to the Brecknockshires, and they suffered so much from sickness that
they eventually had to be relieved from India by the 4th Battalion of
The Buffs, which sailed on the _Varsova_ on the 26th.
The battalion disembarked at Aden on the 4th August, 1915. By the 18th
the Turkish force at Lahej was reckoned at 2,500 Turks, 1,500 Arabs and
20 guns, and it was supposed that only the absence of water between
them and Shekh Othman prevented their advance.
On the 28th a reconnoitring force of ours reported that 2,000 Turks
with 14 guns were at Waht. They assumed the offensive when approached
and our party fell back on Shekh Othman with 20 wounded, and after
this a passive defence of that place, covering Aden, was resolved on;
General Younghusband and his men, therefore, returned to Egypt and the
command devolved on Br.-General Price.
On the 25th September a column went out on a reconnoitring expedition
and entered Waht after slight opposition. There was one Buff casualty,
No. 2073 Pte. L. H. Fuller, being the first of the battalion to be
slain in the great cause of England. The roads by this time were
improved, but the heat was indescribable and proved a more serious
enemy than the Turk. No less than fourteen men died of sunstroke,
including Sgt. Brazier and Ptes. Bromley, Brown, De la Mare, Dyer,
Martin and Steadman of the Buffs.
On the 26th November 80 men of the regiment were reported unfit for
further service at Aden, and reference to sick reports shows that on
the 1st of that month there were no less than 93 of the battalion in
hospital and 121 attending daily. The determination not to attack the
enemy and his disinclination to come on resulted in comparative peace
till the end of the year.
On the 8th January, 1916, however, the Turks appeared to be
contemplating a movement against the Fadli country, and it was
considered that British prestige seemed likely to suffer from our
inaction. It was reckoned that about 700 of the enemy with 4 guns
were at Subar, 1,000 with 8 guns at Waht and a small body at Lahej;
so another reconnoitring column was arranged and sent out from Shekh
Othman to threaten the enemy’s line Waht-Subar. The men carried two
days’ supplies of all sorts, and were afterwards to be rationed from
Shekh Othman. Our force took up a position at 5.30 a.m. and a covering
line advanced, but hostile artillery opened upon it from the Subar
direction, and at 10.30 compelled a rearward movement, and the party
was finally withdrawn at 2.30 a.m. Later, the Turks themselves advanced
about 1,000 strong with 2 machine guns, but this advance on their
part was checked at about 500 yards from our position. Attempts were
made by our small body of cavalry to take this hostile movement in
flank and rear, but the close country impeded movement and the enemy’s
artillery soon checked the horsemen. At 4.30 the Turks withdrew towards
Subar. Their artillery had been well handled and had kept up a very
persistent fire. The officer in command determined to return to Shekh
Othman, being unable to carry out the programme and recognizing the
impossibility of getting the upper hand of his enemy’s artillery. The
retirement was faultlessly carried out.
A telegram from India arrived early in February ordering the battalion
to proceed to Bareilly on relief by the 4th Duke of Cornwall’s Light
Infantry from that place. The movement was duly carried out a few days
later, and only some few men, who had been trained as gunners, remained
behind until their places could be taken by newly made acting gunners
from the new regiment. The 4th Battalion remained at Bareilly till
July, 1918, and though as a complete unit it saw no more fighting, most
of its men did so, for while at Bareilly it sent up detachments to the
North-West Frontier, and several large drafts, about five hundred men
in all, to the 5th Battalion in Mesopotamia.
[Illustration: ADEN]
II. MESOPOTAMIA
The war in Mesopotamia was quite a different one to any of the
others, and perhaps resembled the operations of Lord Wolseley on the
Nile in the early eighties more than any other in which England has
been engaged. In fact, it was a river war and, until the siege of
Kut-el-Amarah began, early in December, 1915, it had been a successful
one.
A very brief sketch of the campaign, which ended in the surrounding
of General Townsend’s force in Kut, is perhaps necessary in order
properly to understand what followed: Sir John Nixon commanded an
Anglo-Indian army in the land of Mesopotamia, which was, of course, a
Turkish province. His headquarters were at the port of Basrah on the
River Tigris, about sixty miles from the real mouth of the river. In
the spring of 1915 the forces were much scattered: one brigade being at
Ahwaz, eighty miles away on the right (to the eastward), and another
brigade was at Qurnah (or Kurna), forty miles further up the river
than Basrah. The enemy, which had been driven from Basrah because the
English wanted the place, had collected mostly about Nasiriyah, one
hundred miles away to the westward. This was a most important place
from the Turkish point of view. It is on the Euphrates river, and from
it runs a watercourse into the Tigris. It was from there that any
attempt the enemy might make to recover what he had lost must start.
About one hundred miles, as the crow flies, above Basrah and on the
same river, stands Amarah, a place which, in 1915, was in Turkish
hands; from the garrison of this town, early in 1915, had been detached
a party of six battalions and ten guns down-stream as far as Qurnah,
and this force was, of course, in contact with our brigade there.
Early in May General Gorringe, with the 12th Indian Division and a
cavalry brigade, operated about Arwaz and, crossing the Kharkeh river
with some difficulty, drove all the enemy in the eastern regions
of the province in upon the garrison of Amarah. Meanwhile General
Townsend with the 6th Indian Division advanced up the Tigris supported
by the Naval flotilla, and, pursuing the Turkish detachment before
him, entered Amarah practically unopposed, because General Gorringe’s
operations had prevented the enemy from reinforcing his garrison.
Amarah was entered on the 4th June, 1915. Immediately after the taking
of this place arrangements were made for the capture of Nasiriyah,
which was after serious opposition effected by General Gorringe on the
25th July. The defeat of Nur-ed-Din and the occupation of Kut-el-Amarah
became the next objective as soon as Nasiriyah was secured, and the
transfer of troops towards Amarah was begun the following day.
Kut is another one hundred miles higher up the Tigris than Amarah,
without counting the bends, and in the summer the river is the only
approach to it.
The British force referred to, reached Sanna-i-Yat, about eight miles
below the enemy’s Kut position, by the 15th September, and halted there
for ten days, being reinforced during that period. General Townsend
then advanced and, with the aid of the Naval forces on the stream,
drove the Turk back, who by the 5th October was at Ctesiphon, covering
Baghdad; but here the enemy received very important reinforcements and,
moreover, his position was daily being strengthened. Townsend, too, was
concentrating at Aziziyah, but he found he could not proceed till the
21st November, and on the next day his force attacked the enemy and won
the battle of Ctesiphon, though his heavy losses in killed and wounded
rendered it impossible for him to renew his progress to Baghdad. As a
matter of fact, the British Army was neither strong enough in numbers
nor equipment for the task on which it had been sent.
General Townsend at last found it absolutely necessary to withdraw, and
this was done very gradually and with much fighting; on the morning of
the 3rd December his force reached Kut-el-Amarah where it was decided
his retirement should end. The force, considerably reduced in numbers,
was now regularly besieged by the Turks, and a resolute attempt to
relieve him by an army under Lt.-General Aylmer was organized and
arranged.
This relieving force got under way in December. It consisted of the
7th Lahore Division from France, 3rd Meerut Division and the 35th
Indian Brigade, lately brought to Mesopotamia; this brigade included
the 5th Battalion of the Buffs. The job was immense, because of the
difficulties of transport. The only possible way of carrying the
impedimenta of an army and of feeding and supplying it was by means
of the River Tigris, and this stream was a most unsatisfactory one
in every way: it winds about like a cork-screw, and is provided with
endless shifting shallows; when the rains come it is a raging torrent;
and after that the whole country, which is quite flat, is covered
with impassable marshes, which connect with the river by treacherous
channels. All this, of course, meant that the rations were bad and
more or less precarious. In fact, at this period of the war, the
feeding of the troops in Mesopotamia could not be compared with the
system obtaining in France. The sick, too, suffered extremely from the
difficulties of transport as well as a reprehensible paucity of medical
officers and medical equipment. In fact, the conditions of soldiering
on the Western Front and in this cradle of the human race were as
different as they well could be. In France nothing that could alleviate
the sufferings of the sick and wounded was left undone, whereas under
the Indian Government the contrary was the case, and it was only after
many lives had been needlessly sacrificed that adequate arrangements
were made.
Townsend’s cavalry had left him on the 6th December, and retired
down the Tigris till it reached Ali-el-Gharbi, at which spot it was
reinforced by infantry and guns from Basrah.
The siege of Kut was full of incident and the defence was a very fine
one, starvation being the only enemy that could not be defied, but it
is only with the attempted relief of the place that the Buffs were
concerned.
General Aylmer’s leading troops, under Major-General Younghusband, who
had moved up from Basrah by river steamers with open barges lashed on
either side, started from the Ali-el-Gharbi on the 4th January, 1916,
and moved up the river, using both banks and marching on Sheikh Saad.
The Buffs were on the left bank and furthest from the stream. All
surplus stores were carried by water. The length of the first day’s
march was about eight miles, the weather being very wet and the nights
cold.
The second day took the force another journey up the course of the
Tigris in the same formation. There was a considerable amount of
sniping when night fell. Indeed, it was obvious from this and other
signs that there was a strong force in front.
On the next day (6th January) the march was resumed and the outposts of
the enemy were reached. The firing commenced about noon and lasted till
4.30 p.m., but our casualties were inconsiderable; 2nd Lieut. Holyman
and three men being wounded. There was very heavy sniping that night.
The next day was fought the action of Sheikh Saad. Our force began to
advance and came under fire almost at once, and the artillery opened
at 8 o’clock. The firing increased hourly in intensity as the day
wore on, from rifles and shrapnel and later on from machine guns, too,
and casualties began to grow to an unpleasant extent. The adjutant,
Lieut. H. S. Marchant, was killed, and Lt.-Colonel J. Munn-Mace,
Major E. Clarke and many others were wounded. The advance was over
open country and the available cover was so meagre as to be almost
non-existent. There was a mirage, too, which interfered considerably
with observation, but by the middle of the afternoon a much thinned-out
firing line of Buffs, Black Watch and Seaforth Highlanders had got
within about four hundred yards of the position. There were not enough
men to keep up the pressure, however, and as there was every appearance
of a counter-attack being contemplated, these British troops prepared a
line about two hundred yards behind the place they had advanced to, and
digging themselves in for the night prepared to resist any offensive
on the part of the enemy. Beyond very heavy firing, which rendered
the bringing in of the wounded a matter of great difficulty, however,
nothing of that nature occurred, though the situation was anything but
a pleasant one, for the firing was kept up all night, the weather was
bitterly cold and showery, and the food consisted of a few biscuits
with some bully beef for breakfast.
Saturday the 8th January was a day of rifle fire. The Turks attempted
an advance, but were repulsed and all our men could do was to
strengthen and improve their defences, which work was carried out at
dusk. On the following morning the enemy had disappeared and nothing
was found to be in front but a few snipers. The reason of this proved
to be that, though our advance was checked, as has been seen, on the
left bank of the river, our troops on the other side had captured the
trenches in front of them. So, after burying the dead and clearing up
the battlefield, Aylmer’s force marched another six miles or so over
what had been the Turkish position, which was found to be a very
elaborate one, and camped at Sheikh Saad.
The part taken by the Buffs in this fight earned the very warmest
praise from those in authority. The casualty list was heavy, 3 officers
and 38 men were killed outright and 14 officers and 196 other ranks
were wounded, some of whom succumbed to their injuries.
The list of officer casualties was as follows:--
_Killed_: Lieuts. H. S. Marchant and G. T. Baker, and 2nd
Lieut. E. Rothwell.
_Wounded_: Lt.-Colonel J. Munn-Mace, Major E. Clarke;
Captains B. Buss (afterwards died of wounds), F. O. Marchant, T.
H. O. Collings; Lieuts. A. E. L. Hardcastle, G. Jessel, the Hon.
G. J. Goschen (died of wounds), W. H. Winch (died of wounds), F.
S. Fleuret, S. W. Weldon, L. E. Holyman, A. Goode (attached) and
T. Bridgens (attached).
On the 11th January in the evening came sudden orders to get on the
move again, and at 7 o’clock the force marched off in a north-easterly
direction, but after proceeding three miles halted again and dug in.
This procedure was repeated on the 12th, but the march (in the same
direction) was this time about eight miles, and every preparation
was made for an attack at dawn. The enemy had, however, gone when
morning arrived, and our people moved after him and marched steadily
from 7 o’clock in the morning till 2 p.m., when the foe was located
and promptly attacked. His position was known as the Wadi, which is
a stream running into the Tigris river on its left bank. The 35th
Brigade, in which the Buffs were serving, being on the right flank of
the relieving force, carried out a flanking movement and only really
came into action about 4 p.m. Then it advanced under fire and closed
with the bayonet, but the Turk thought it unwise to measure himself at
close quarters with the men of Kent, though he is a brave and hardy
fighter, so he made off and another battle was lost and won.
The Buffs’ own principal loss was the new commanding officer of the
battalion, Major J. S. Fraser, who was killed. Captain J. Body assumed
command.
The weather was now very bad indeed, the rains were terrible and the
wind very high. This state of things interfered sadly with military
operations, and delay was the only thing that really disheartened the
men. British comrades were being besieged in Kut, only some twenty-five
miles away, and discomforts and inferior feeding could be easily borne
if only progress could be made.
It is necessary to understand something of the nature of the country
and of the Turkish lines of defence between Kut and the relieving
forces and to remember that the only practical avenue of approach
was by the river, because sustained operations in the desert which
bordered the stream were impossible without adequate land transport,
which did not exist. Within a mile or two of the stream on both sides
were extensive and impassable marshes, and the enemy had constructed
several lines of entrenchments, one behind the other, and each
stretching across the water from the marshes on the left bank to those
on the right. The first of these, and nearest to Aylmer’s forces,
were the lines of Umm-el-Hanna. Then came those of Falahiyeh and then
Sanna-i-Yat. Behind all these, only about seven miles east of Kut
itself, was the long entrenchment of Es Sinn. The main line of this, as
it did not rest on marshes on the right side of the river, was thrown
back at an angle till it rested on the Shatt-el-Hai, the watercourse
which joined the Tigris at Kut to the great River Euphrates. At the
salient angle of this long line of works stood the Dujailah Redoubt.
On the 21st January Aylmer attacked the Umm-el-Hanna lines, but alas!
the attack proved a failure and the English army had to entrench
itself and await reinforcements, it being that day fairly conclusively
proved that our people were not in sufficient force for the work
undertaken. The Buffs had, amongst others, Captain A. G. A. Adam and
Lieut. J. Thorp Waite killed and Lieut. Goodland wounded. The weather
of the 21st was terribly wet: by evening the trenches were full of
water; it became difficult to carry away the wounded, and many of the
stretcher-bearers fell with their burdens.
About this time several pairs of battalions, who had been depleted
of men, were coupled up into one. This was of more or less frequent
occurrence. Thus two companies of the Hampshires, whose other half
battalion was in Kut, were sent to the Buffs, and together, until the
following June, the Buffs and these two companies formed the “composite
Territorial battalion,” better known as the “Huffs,” which was
commanded by Major F. N. Thorne, of the 1st Royal Sussex Regiment.
Notwithstanding everybody’s anxiety to get on, February proved
a comparatively idle month. As has been stated, Aylmer had an
insufficient force for his task. Reinforcements, however, were coming
up and every effort to reorganize for a fresh attempt was being made.
Soldiers, like sailors, will never leave a stone unturned to rescue
comrades in distress, and a relief column may always be depended on to
strive to the very end. The last day of the month brought a draft from
the 3/5th Battalion of 6 officers and 302 men, and sadly was the draft
needed. Very few indeed of the 627 men who left Basrah were now able to
perform a day’s duty.
On the 7th March a very resolute attempt to relieve the beleaguered
garrison commenced. It being impossible to force the several lines in
front, it was determined to try and turn them. This meant that our
people must leave the river and their water supply and march out
across the desert. The only possible chance of success was rapidity
and a decisive victory. The desert column could not be fed, watered,
relieved of its sick or reinforced until its work was ended and touch
again obtained with the Tigris in rear of the formidable Turkish lines.
A night march on the Dujailah Redoubt, in three columns, over the
desert, started on the evening of the 7th March and marched in pitch
darkness and in strict silence all night. At dawn the redoubt was
reached and Kut was in sight. Intense eagerness and excitement reigned
in every breast, but the result was the most bitter disappointment it
is hoped that will ever fall to the lot of gallant rescuers. The attack
was too late and failed to surprise, and the enthusiastic columns had
to fall back again upon their old camp at Hanna. During the march the
brigade in which the Buffs were acted as escort to the second-line
transport, but moved up into the fight at Dujailah, which lasted all
day. The enemy’s guns followed up the British retreat and our men were
under their fire during the greater part of the 9th. At 11.30 p.m. on
that date a dispirited and terribly fatigued column reached the old
camping ground again. They had suffered severely from want of water.
It was sad to have to remain inactive so near to Kut, but it was
essential that more troops should arrive. These came at last in the
shape of the 13th Division from Gallipoli, which had been evacuated
early in January. General Aylmer, V.C., was replaced by General Sir G.
P. Gorringe, and on the 5th April this commander attacked, frontally
and with the utmost vigour, the Hanna trenches, before which the
relief force had been held up so long. The attack took place early in
the morning and was chiefly entrusted to the newly arrived division,
which gloriously carried the obstacle in a couple of hours, though it
consisted of no less than five lines of trenches. It was soon noticed
by our aircraft that the Falahiyeh and Sanna-i-Yat lines were being
strongly reinforced. Absence of cover militated greatly against a
successful further advance, but this was made as soon as night fell,
and the Falahiyeh fortifications were soon also in our possession on
both banks of the river.
Hopes rose again after this victory that Kut would, after all, be
saved, and every man was prepared for any necessary effort, but
unhappily the floods now rose with great rapidity. The river became a
roaring torrent and the marshes more formidable than ever, not only in
impassability but, what was worse, in extent as well. Nevertheless,
attempts were made to pass the lines still intervening between
Gorringe’s men and their goal, but it was not to be. The last attempt
was made on the 23rd April: on the evening of the 21st the Buffs, with
the remainder of the brigade, crossed the river from the right to the
left bank, marched three or four miles up stream and took up a position
in reserve preparatory to an attack. Here the night was passed in
the open air in artillery formation, and a move up into the reserve
trenches was made the following morning. The attack was more or less
successful at first, but the Turks were reinforced and drove those of
our men who had penetrated their defences out again. Nothing but a
frontal attack could possibly be attempted owing to the presence of and
utter impassability of the marshes. The Buffs were sent back into the
trenches from whence they had emerged so full of anticipation, and on
the 29th April the garrison of Kut surrendered to the enemy.
During the end of April the Buffs had had to fight another enemy
besides the Turk. There were a few cases of cholera reported on the
27th. On the 28th there were four deaths and for a few days things
looked serious, but a bad epidemic was avoided.
[Illustration: TURKISH LINES NEAR KUT]
The following is the list of casualties suffered by the 5th Battalion
during these operations:--
Officers killed, 8: Major J. S. Fraser; Captain A. G. A. Adam; Lieuts.
G. T. Baker, Hon. G. J. Goschen, H. S. Marchant, E. Rothwell, J. T.
Waite and W. H. Winch.
Twelve were wounded: Colonel J. Munn-Mace; Major E. Clarke; Captains
B. Buss (afterwards died of wounds), T. H. O. Collings, F. O. Marchant
and D. S. Wilkinson; Lieuts. F. S. Fleuret, A. E. L. Hardcastle, L. E.
Holyman, G. Jessel, J. H. J. Peters and S. W. Weldon.
Eighty-four other ranks were killed up to the 29th April, and 259
wounded.
III. GALLIPOLI
Although no battalion of the Buffs served in Gallipoli, the regiment
was not unrepresented on that sanguinary Peninsula, and John Turk was
given a chance there also of confronting the Dragon badge. The story
of how Buffs came to be in this region is a somewhat curious one and
is briefly as follows: early in 1915 the Monmouthshire Brigade, which
was a portion of the 53rd (Welsh) Division, was suddenly sent off to
France, leaving the division one brigade short. In the month of April,
therefore, a new brigade was made up from the home counties to swell
the Welshmen’s ranks and make their division complete. It consisted
of the 2/4th Battalion of the Queens, the 1/4th Sussex, the 2/10th
Middlesex and a composite Kentish battalion which contained one company
from the 2/4th Buffs, one from the 2/5th Buffs and one company each
from the 4th and 5th Royal West Kent Regiment. The Buffs were A and
B Companies and the West Kents were C and D, but the latter regiment
found the Battalion Headquarter staff.
For this reason the unit was generally known as the 2/4th Royal West
Kent, though its proper designation was the Kent Composite Battalion.
At first it was suggested that a new badge should be found or invented
for this composite battalion, but this was vetoed, as Kent is not a
sufficiently populous county to maintain a new infantry regiment. The
War Office therefore gave authority for the wearing of the Buffs’ badge
by A and B Companies, and the West Kent badge by the others. The two
halves of the battalion had also different record offices at Hounslow,
different regimental numbers and so on. It was trained with the rest of
the division at Cambridge and afterwards at Bedford under the command
of Colonel Simpson. The officers of A Company were Captains Jude and
Taunton, Lieuts. Dixon and Filmer, and 2nd Lieuts. Morgan and Larkin. B
Company was commanded by Captain Greatorex, with Captain Lamarque and
Lieuts. Keble, Wood, Willows and Griffin, all of whom belonged to the
4th or 5th Battalion of the Buffs.
The division was ordered to the East instead of to France, so the
Kentish men and men of Kent entrained together on the 17th July at
Devonport and next day embarked on the s.s. _Northland_. They
landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli Peninsula, on the 9th August, three days
after the great surprise landing there and the attack on Achi Baba.
During their stay in this theatre of war the men were mostly employed
in making trenches and on fatigue work, and the movements from one part
to another were unimportant. First they were at “C” Beach, where the
commanding officer got wounded, then at West Beach and later on at Lala
Baba, but fatigue work was still the occupation of the unit. December,
1915, brought the skilful and successful evacuation of Gallipoli and
Suvla. Our battalion withdrew to Mudros, on the island of Lemnos, where
it embarked for Egypt on board the _Haverford_ and landed at
Alexandria on the 19th December.
The Egyptian history of the Kent Composite Battalion is not of very
great interest, although, after changing its name and organization,
it took its full share in the Palestine campaign which came later
on. Under its old constitution it proceeded to Wardan and afterwards
to Fayoum in Central Egypt, but, towards the middle of 1916, Colonel
Money, who was then in command, represented the great inconvenience
of having his men administered by two record offices and a double lot
of paymasters, with the result that an order came transferring all
N.C.O.’s and men of the Buffs compulsorily to the 2/4th Royal West
Kent Regiment, under which honourable title the men saw much service
on their new front, but as they were no longer Buffs their doings must
remain unchronicled in this regimental history.
CHAPTER VI
THE SOMME
I. SUMMARY OF EVENTS
In so far as the principal or Western theatre of war is concerned
the chief events of 1916--and they were events of stupendous
magnitude--were the resolute attack on the French troops around Verdun
and the most magnificent and successful defence by our allies. In all
their warlike and heroic past the gallant French never fought such a
fight, and even the greatest of their historic victories, such as Jena,
Austerlitz and the like, pale in renown when compared to Verdun. After
many German offensives west of Soissons and about Ypres, the enemy
appears to have definitely made up his mind to relinquish the idea
of seizing Calais and the Channel ports as hopeless, and by forcing
the French lines at Verdun to revert to his original plan of reaching
Paris--this time by another route. It was on the 21st February that
this great battle commenced, and the hostile lines swayed to and fro
for days and weeks as the tremendous struggle continued. Men died by
thousands and thousands, but never were our allies broken; “on ne passe
pas” was the war cry, and the enemy never got through the Frenchman’s
line.
The battle of Verdun may have said to have lasted till the end of
June, and there were not wanting many who murmured that we English
were deserting our comrades and that some great attempt on our part
should be made to bring aid to our exhausted allies in their desperate
straits. We had, however, our work cut out to defend our own line, for
our armies were not yet at full strength nor all our new soldiers fully
trained for war. What could be done was done. The British line was
extended, on the 23rd March, to include Souchez, and, as Sir Douglas
Haig, the new Commander-in-Chief, pointed out, the principle of an
offensive campaign during the summer was early decided on.
Preparations of a very extensive nature, however, had to be made: Haig
was in close consultation and agreement with Joffre, but the date was
dependent on many doubtful factors; the British armies were growing in
numbers and the supply of munitions steadily increasing; also training
was daily improving the new levies. On the other hand, the Germans
were continuing to press their attacks at Verdun, and both there and
on the Italian front, where the Austrian offensive was gaining ground,
it was evident that the strain might become too great to be borne
unless timely action was taken to relieve it. It was in June no secret
throughout France or England that an attack by us on a great scale was
in contemplation. The different units, brigades, divisions and so on
were all preparing for a very big event, and were moving to the several
points from which action was to take place. It was on the 1st July
that the Battle of the Somme actually took place or rather began, and
it started by a grand combined Anglo-French offensive on a twenty-five
mile front, north and south of the river of that name. The Somme
operations lasted many weeks and are divided in Haig’s description
into three phases: firstly, the successes gained between the 1st of
July and the 17th, during which the southern crest of the main plateau
between Delville Wood and Bazentin le Petit was gained; secondly, a
long and severe struggle for the mastery between the contending armies,
which may be said to have resulted in our favour by the first week in
September; and thirdly, the advance, which was pushed down the forward
slope and extended so that the whole plateau was in our possession.
There are many works now available, as well as the despatches
themselves, which will give a military student a good and clear
description of all this fighting; but the short sketch given above must
serve one who reads merely to understand what the Buffs were doing in
France during this momentous period.
II. 6TH BATTALION--1916
The 6th and 7th Battalions were the first of those engaged on the
Western front to take their parts upon the Somme, and we will now note
their story since the conclusion of 1915, when the 6th was in trenches
at Givenchy--very cold, and waist deep in water. The New Year opened
with a bombardment, and there were eighteen casualties on the 2nd
January. After a short spell out of the line, the battalion returned
to the trenches and for the next three months went through a time that
was probably the severest of the whole war: the trenches were almost
filled with mud--indeed, in some cases men were actually drowned in
it; the cold was intense; fighting was continuous and the wastage by
casualties appalling. The enemy had a preponderance of artillery and
an unbelievable number of that most nerve-shattering of all engines of
war--the heavy minenwerfer (mine-thrower). Mines were blown, all and
every day and night, by both sides alike, and the orders then in force
were to occupy at once any craters made, if within sixty yards of our
line.
There was a somewhat notable attack on one of these craters made by
the Buffs on the 6th March, 1916, which unfortunately, however, proved
a failure owing, as the brigadier reported, firstly to the heavy
condition of the ground, and secondly because the enemy had assembled
in some force, presumably with the object of driving us out of our
craters; consequently very much more opposition was met with than was
anticipated. A short narrative of this minor operation may give an
idea of certain incidents that are liable to occur in trench warfare.
A scheme had been drawn up and the necessary orders issued for an
attempt to seize what was known as the “triangle” crater, as well as
certain portions of the trenches in the immediate neighbourhood of
the Hohenzollern Redoubt, which were on the 6th March, 1916, in the
hands of the enemy. C Company The Buffs was detailed for this minor
enterprise and it was divided into three distinct parties, which were
to emerge from craters in our own possession. The attempt was commenced
at 6 p.m., but in ten minutes two of the attacking parties were held
up by a barrage of bombs and the third by heavy ground--the mud being
found to be knee deep. The party on the left managed, indeed, to reach
their objective, but the fact that the others were not up necessitated
their retirement, and at five minutes to seven the company had to
report that its advance was absolutely stopped. Half an hour later
another attempt was made, notwithstanding the fact that in the interim
the enemy had attacked in his turn. At 8.5 and again at 8.35 p.m. the
Buffs called urgently for more ammunition and grenades. They also
requested reinforcements, and a company of the 6th Royal West Kent was
ordered up to their support. Meanwhile the 7th East Surrey Regiment,
which was on the left, was attacked, and, though the assailants were
driven off, much damage was done to their trenches. There were two
more attacks on this regiment before eleven o’clock, but they were
unsuccessful. By midnight the situation on the Buffs’ front was exactly
similar to what it had been previous to the attack; the enemy had
made several bombing attacks against our own craters, but they were
successfully repulsed and during the remainder of the night the enemy
was quiet.
Later in the month on two separate occasions the battalion was brought
into the line from a hurriedly snatched two or three days’ rest
at Bethune, in order to resist German assaults or make a hurried
counter-attack.
Amongst the many individual acts of heroism was that of Corpl. Cotter
who, though himself at the time severely and, later on in the same
engagement, fatally wounded, directed a bombing attack, throwing bombs
himself after both his legs had been shattered, and thus saving a
trench from being rushed by the enemy. Another regimental hero to be
remembered for all time. It was sad that this glorious corporal died
in hospital at Lillers, but very gratifying to know that he lived long
enough to learn that his gallantry had been recognized by the award of
the V.C.
The following official announcement was published on the 31st March,
1916, in the list of winners of the Victoria Cross:--
“No. 6707 Lance-Corpl. (Acting Corporal) William R. Cotter, East
Kent.--For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. When his
right leg had been blown off at the knee, and he had also been wounded
in both arms, he made his way unaided for fifty yards to a crater,
steadied the men who were holding it, controlled their fire, issued
orders, and altered the dispositions of his men to meet a fresh
counter-attack by the enemy. For two hours he held his position, and
only allowed his wounds to be roughly dressed when the attack had
quieted down. He could not be moved back for fourteen hours, and during
all this time had a cheery word for all who passed him. There is no
doubt that his magnificent courage helped greatly to save a critical
situation.” His wonderful performance is still more remarkable on
account of the fact that he had a glass eye. Unfortunately, he did not
survive long to enjoy the great honour. At first he made good progress,
but he died on the 14th of March.
For the following details of the hero’s life we are indebted to the
_Folkestone Herald_:--
“Corporal Cotter was born at Folkestone thirty-four years ago,
being the eldest of six sons, all of whom entered the Navy
or Army. He joined the Buffs when he was about twenty years
old, and was on the Reserve at the outbreak of the War. Being
called up, he went to Canterbury, and was sent to France,
notwithstanding that he had a glass eye, having lost the sight
of his right eye through an accident some years ago. Excepting
two intervals, he had been at the front ever since, and right
up to March 6th he remained unwounded, although he had several
narrow escapes from being shot. His letters home were always of
a cheery type, and in the trenches he was one of the happiest
and best of men. He kept his comrades in good spirits, and he
was always ready to help the wounded or dying. Corporal Cotter
distinguished himself on several occasions in bayonet fighting,
and in December last he was recommended by his officers for
conspicuous bravery. He was then, it appeared, recommended for
the D.C.M.”
The 6th Battalion remained in the same sector until Easter, when it
went back for a well-deserved rest near Lillers. Here it was refitted
and reorganized and given plenty of hard work and hard training with a
view to what was to come. It benefited much from the complete change;
football and sports were indulged in, and at last there came some
decent spring weather.
On the 19th July six officers were mentioned in despatches, but only
two of them, Lea-Smith and Smeltzer, were alive. The names were Major
Soames, D.S.O., Captains Furley and Smeltzer, and 2nd Lieuts. Brodie,
Lea-Smith and Jelf.
During this month the battalion moved south to Amiens, and everybody
knew where the ultimate destination would be. On the 28th the real
warlike move took place. All surplus kit was left behind and a
position finally taken up behind Albert, as the brigade was not to
come into action just at first, but to form part of a reserve force.
On the 30th three thousand Mills grenades were issued out and a move
made to Bresle, from which place during the night tremendously heavy
shelling from our guns was heard.
The 1st July was the opening day of the great Somme struggle and
the Battle of Albert, 1916. Zero hour found the 6th just outside
Lavieville, and when the moment came it marched through Millencourt
and halted in a field north-west of that village--being, of course,
in reserve. A great deal of firing was heard and some rumours caused
a good deal of excitement: at first “all objectives had been gained,”
and then “the assault on Ovillers had failed”--which latter was
unfortunately fairly true, as the attack on this sector did not achieve
much success on the first day. At 5 p.m. orders came to be ready to
move at a moment’s notice into the intermediate line and the brigade
actually moved off at 7 o’clock, finding the greatest difficulty in
getting through the congested streets of the village of Millencourt,
but at 8.15 orders were changed again and the 12th Division was now
to relieve the 8th, which had suffered many casualties. This move was
accomplished at night time, the Buffs, with the rest of the division,
being all in the trenches by about 2.45 a.m. The 2nd of the month did
not bring another important effort by our troops at this part of the
line, though Ovillers was heavily bombarded.
At 1.15 a.m. on the 3rd, however, orders came that this village would
be attacked by the 35th and 37th Brigades at 3.15 a.m., after an
hour’s intense bombardment. The order of battle for the 37th Brigade
was 6th Battalion The Queen’s on the right, supported by two companies
of the Buffs; 6th Battalion Royal West Kent on the left, supported by
two companies of the Buffs; the 7th East Surrey Regiment in support.
After a few casualties, sustained by reason of the usual retaliation
to our bombardment, the Queen’s and West Kents attacked. Very heavy
machine-gun flanking fire met the Kentish men from the left and the
Queen’s from the right. A Company of the Buffs “went over” by platoons
about 3.30 a.m., and the first wave suffered few casualties until the
German wire was reached; but the succeeding waves of this company, and
those of C Company also, suffered heavily in their advance. The few men
that succeeded in getting into the German trenches, under 2nd Lieut.
Farmer, at once commenced to bomb the dug-outs. Eyewitnesses report
that the accuracy and regularity of this advance was remarkable, and
reminded them of field-day work. Two communication trenches were found
to be blocked. Owing to casualties amongst bomb-carriers the supply of
these necessities was soon exhausted, and casualties were inflicted by
German bombs. Finding at length that it was impossible to remain any
longer in the trench, 2nd Lieut. Farmer collected all the men around
him and brought them back to the English lines. The intense enemy
machine-gun fire held up also the attack on the right, and B and D
Companies did not go into the struggle. The German artillery maintained
a heavy fire on our trenches with great accuracy and weight.
About 7.30 a.m. a message was received that the 10th Corps was making
another attack, preceded by artillery preparation, at 8.15 a.m. If
successful, the 35th Infantry Brigade would co-operate. A message was
also received that if the 37th should again attack, the 6th Buffs were
to lead it with the two companies that had not suffered, and that they
would be supported by the Queen’s. However, it was decided that no
further efforts should be made on this sector for that day; the East
Surrey took over the front-line trenches and the brigade settled down
to be shelled. During the night a number of wounded were brought in.
The casualties of the 3rd July were, for the 6th Battalion The Buffs:
killed, Captain J. C. T. Leigh and 2nd Lieuts. H. G. Cox and S. T.
Hinkley; wounded, Captain Child, Lieut. W. W. Chapman, 2nd Lieuts.
Free, Carter and Madden; missing, Lieut. G. W. M. Burton and 2nd Lieut.
L. H. Batson, both of whom it was afterwards ascertained had been
killed. Total casualties, 11 officers and 263 other ranks.
It sometimes most unfortunately occurs that in war all casualties
cannot be discovered and collected. A man may be killed outright or
he may be wounded, perhaps in such a way as to prevent his crawling
or staggering away. Every effort is always made to retrieve and bring
away the sufferers, and it is most distressing to think this cannot
always be done. After the fight on the 3rd, the Buffs, together with
the rest of the brigade, had a comparatively quiet time, but on the 7th
2nd Lieut. Bond left the trenches with a patrol. He reported on the
German wire as being in bad condition, and he brought in five wounded
men who had been lying out, poor fellows, ever since the early morning
of the 3rd. Lieut. Lea-Smith was killed by a chance shell during the
morning of the 7th. The battalion did not go into the trenches again
till the 27th July, when the whole brigade took its place in the
Ovillers section once more after being hastily refitted and brought up
to strength.
What is described by Sir Douglas Haig as the first phase of the great
fight was now over, and the discovery had been made that the enemy
was in an immensely strong position, fortified, line behind line, to
an extent perhaps never before known in war, unless it be compared
with Wellington’s lines at Torres-Vedras, which Massena never dared
to assault. On the 3rd August, the Battle of Pozieres Ridge being
then in full swing, orders were issued for an attack to be delivered
by the 6th Battalion The Buffs on a certain German strong point and
for it to be carried out in conjunction with the 36th Brigade on the
right; this brigade was to assail what was known as the Ration Trench,
which communicated with the strong point in question. The attack was
to be launched at 11.15 p.m. B Company was on the left, D Company on
the right and A and C Companies in reserve. About 9 o’clock the enemy
shelled our trenches heavily, but some French ·75 guns were turned
on the German batteries with gas shells and completely stopped their
fire. Had it not been for this timely action, due to the initiative of
Lt.-Colonel Cope, commanding the Buffs, the casualties would probably
have been very severe. At 11 p.m. 2nd Lieut. Hanmer and a party of
bombers crept out under the barrage to be ready to bomb an enemy’s
machine gun should it open upon our men when they advanced.
Punctually to the hour ordered B Company went over the parapet and
was immediately joined by D, the barrage lifting at the same moment.
D Company then went through B to take the trench on the left of the
strong point, but during its advance eased off a bit too much to its
right; so A Company was brought up from the reserve and soon after C
Company also, and these two took and consolidated the objective and,
together with a company of Royal Engineers, pushed on a bit further;
but when dawn came B Company found itself in the Ration Trench.
However, touch was secured with the 36th Brigade, and the Buffs had
done their job. Lieut. A. J. Hanmer did most gallant work during this
action. He won the M.C., but was so severely wounded that he died of
his injuries on the 7th October.
2nd Lieut. Routley and a Sussex officer made a reconnaissance as far
as Mouquet Farm. The enemy tried a counter-attack from this place, but
it melted away before our Lewis guns. Two German officers and 87 other
ranks, mostly Prussian infantry, were unearthed from the dug-outs of
the captured works. The battalion was relieved, about 11 a.m. on the
4th, by the 6th West Kent, and went back to huts in Martinsart Wood,
having lost 4 officers wounded and 114 casualties of other ranks.
On the 10th August a somewhat curious accident occurred. In the early
morning our 60-pounder trench mortars bombarded a German sap with good
effect. 2nd Lieut. McDermott crossed over to it when the bombardment
lifted. After he had dropped a Stokes Mortar bomb down a dug-out the
Germans all fled. It was therefore arranged to take this sap after
some bombs had been got up. These were duly carried up and stacked
ready for use, and Captain Ward and Lieut. Sir R. Onslow were ready to
conduct operations. About 2.30 our trench mortars opened fire again by
way of preparation, but unfortunately one shot fell short, right into
the middle of our stack of bombs, exploding about 1,500 of them and
wounding both the officers named and an orderly. As the bombs were lost
the affair had to be given up.
On the 12th August the brigadier was informed that the attack on this
portion of our line was to be in future of the nature of a holding
one, and was not to be pushed home if much opposition was encountered.
On this day news from England came that Captain Farmer and 2nd Lieut.
Bond had been awarded the M.C., Corpl. Tamblin the D.C.M., and that
there were Military Medals for Sgt. Fox and Ptes. Anderson, Blackshaw,
Browning, Hughes, Luchford and Setterfield.
On the 14th August the brigade marched away from the Somme area to the
northward and did not return to this district till the 29th September.
It relieved the 34th Brigade in the neighbourhood of Beaumetz and
Betrencourt, which are villages some seven miles or so south-west of
Arras. Except for some trench-mortar activity this sector was fairly
quiet. The battalion was here for about six weeks and then returned
to the Somme, where by this time the British line had been very
considerably advanced. The 1st October found the 37th Brigade about
Lonqueval, whence it passed into a reserve line south of Guedecourt.
The ground was now so bad and the roads north of this part of the Somme
so inferior that transport became a great difficulty, and troops had to
rely almost entirely on pack animals for the supply of the necessary
food and warlike stores. Indeed, an attack arranged for the 4th October
had to be postponed for forty-eight hours on account of rain and bad
weather. On the 6th of the month the Buffs were in the front line of
their brigade.
Then an operation order was issued commencing with the words: “The
general advance of the Allies will be resumed.” This order was, as
usual, clear and minute as to detail, and it gave both a first and a
second objective. The Buffs were on the right of their brigade and the
Royal West Kent on the left. Of the Buffs themselves, A Company was
on the right, B in the centre and C on the left, and each of these
companies was given its own individual objective. D Company sent three
platoons as carrying party to the other three companies, while its
fourth was directed to construct a strong point. The attack was ordered
to be carried out in four waves at fifty yards interval; each platoon
extended to two yards interval, bayonets to be fixed and magazines
charged. Each man carried 220 rounds of small-arm ammunition, and the
carrying parties had a further supply. The artillery was to lift every
minute and fifty yards at a time. Arrangements were made to signal to
the contact aeroplanes. The zero hour was fixed at 1.45 p.m. on the 7th
October, but the enemy must have known what was coming, for an hour
before that the Buffs were heavily shelled, and at 1.30 the Germans
opened a tremendous machine-gun fire and shrapnel barrage on the front
trenches. However, at the correct moment the attack opened, and it
was met with an excessively heavy machine-gun and rifle fire which
came from an unexpected quarter. This held up C Company, but A and B
reached the first objective, suffering, however, somewhat severely. On
trying to advance further they were completely stopped by the German
machine guns, as were the West Kent on their left. About twenty men
of A Company succeeded in joining the 61st Brigade on the right and
they advanced with it; this brigade attained its objective. The first
objective gained by our men was bravely held all the day until relieved
at midnight by the 6th Battalion The Queen’s. Throughout the afternoon
the lines had been subjected to a great deal of bombing from the high
ground above them and to enfilade fire from the flanks. Lt.-Colonel
Cope was severely wounded, and Captain T. Pagen, R.A.M.C., was killed
in attempting to go to his assistance. The battalion, forty strong, was
taken out of action by the adjutant, Captain Page, the only officer who
was not either killed or wounded. It was for no slight reasons that the
6th Buffs were stopped in their advance. Eight officers were killed:
Lieut. P. R. Hatch, 2nd Lieuts. A. E. S. Ommanney, G. S. M. Norrie,
E. G. Routley, Loft, D. A. Harnett and R. B. N. Moss, and Captain
Pagen, R.A.M.C.; and twelve wounded: Lt.-Colonel Cope, D.S.O., Lieuts.
Cumberbatch, Bond and Chapman, 2nd Lieuts. Kidd, Woolbridge, Taylor,
Springay-Mason, Turk, Taylor and Jacobs. There were 347 casualties
amongst the rank and file--killed, wounded and missing. Yes, the 7th
October, 1916, was another dreadful day in the long history of the
regiment, as well as in the short one of its 6th Battalion, but the
ancient honour showed no sign of deterioration at this Battle of the
Transloy Ridges.
Now reduced to a mere skeleton of a battalion, though drafts began to
arrive almost daily after the 16th of the month, it was necessary after
a few days’ rest near Lonqueval to remove it, on the 21st October, to
the quieter sector of Reviere, in the district from which it had come
to the Somme at the end of September.
There was a certain amount of official correspondence about this great
fight, as there always is when full success is not gained by British
efforts; it seems clear that the artillery barrage was not strong
enough to keep down the hostile fire, that our front line was not
continuous, but had gaps in it, and that the ground was not suitable
for forming for attack.
Major Dawson assumed the acting command of the battalion, rendered
vacant by Lt.-Colonel Cope becoming a casualty.
III. 7TH BATTALION--1916
The commencement of the year 1916 found the 7th Battalion in billets
at Dernancourt. Early in January Lt.-Colonel Elmslie was invalided,
and Major Birch took his job until the arrival of the new commander,
Lt.-Colonel A. L. Ransome, of the Dorsetshire Regiment. In February the
battalion moved to St. Gratien, where it remained for fifteen days,
being employed in making the Daours-Contay railway; and then, in March,
it took over a position south of Maricourt about Corbie and Suzanne,
where it remained till the end of the month.
The incidents worthy of note at this time were not very numerous, and
the important move of the spring was to Picquigny, where strenuous
preparation for the coming great battle was continuously and
methodically engaged in: dummy trenches were laid out on a replica
of the ground over which the men were to attack, and one full-dress
rehearsal for the brigade took place with contact aeroplanes and
flares, the Commander-in-Chief being present. This special preparation
went on till the 10th June, when the battalion started for the line
itself, and it is not too much to say that the soldiers were remarkable
for keenness and zeal. There is always more of excitement and dash in
an offensive than in the somewhat tame and monotonous business of
a passive defence, though quite as much heroism can be exhibited in
the one as in the other. “Let us get at them” is, at any rate, a more
popular sentiment than “Stand fast, here they come.”
From the 11th June onward all work was concentrated in preparing
assembly trenches, communication trenches and dumps for the forthcoming
attack. The battalion was at Bray sur Somme on the 17th June and
remained there till the last day of the month, when it marched into
its assembly trench in Lapree Wood ready for the assault. It may be
remembered that on this day, the 30th June, 1916, the 6th Battalion was
at Bresle, about nine miles away.
On the great 1st of July the 55th Brigade, a unit of which was the 7th
Battalion The Buffs, to whose part in the struggle we will now refer,
held the line in front of Carnoy, and its objective was a trench about
two hundred yards north of the Montauban-Fricourt road. Zero hour was
7.30 a.m., and the following was the order of battle for the attack:
the 7th Queen’s were on the left, the 8th East Surrey on the right,
the 7th Buffs in support, with the special task of clearing the Carnoy
craters, and the 7th Royal West Kent were in reserve. At 7 a.m. our
barrage became intense and remained so till 7.22, at which time all
guns of the Trench Mortar battery opened for eight minutes, and at
the zero hour the whole brigade went forward to the assault. Local
conditions necessitated the breaking up of the Buffs for several and
separate duties: two platoons of B Company, under 2nd Lieut. Tatam,
were to clear the Carnoy mine craters; two platoons of the same company
to assist the assaulting battalions by clearing up captured trenches
or ground;[15] C Company to consolidate and garrison a certain trench
called the Pommiers Trench. Two platoons of D Company to act as
carrying parties. Two platoons of A Company to garrison two selected
localities in rear of the Pommiers Trench.
The Carnoy mine craters took six hours to clear, and six hours’ very
heavy fighting it was, carried out under 2nd Lieut. Tatam, whose
excellent work was rewarded by a M.C. C Company was soon called away to
aid the East Surreys, as were later on two platoons of A Company. In
fact, these two platoons of A, together with one of C Company, under
Lieuts. Dyson and Budds respectively, reached the final objective
and held that part of it allotted to the East Surrey Regiment until
relieved by other troops. Again it became necessary about noon to
send up half D Company to make good part of the final objective of
the 7th Queen’s. This was done successfully, but the company lost its
commander, Captain G. T. Neame, during the operation.
There is no doubt that during the whole operation, which was carried
out more or less as planned, our troops encountered far more opposition
than was anticipated; particularly was this the case at the craters, to
attack which only two platoons were originally assigned, a number of
men quite inadequate. The whole position, indeed, proved to be a very
strong one, consisting of four lines.
The battalion lost the following casualties on this day:--
_Killed_: Captain G. T. Neame; Lieuts. P. G. Norbury and E.
H. A. Goss; and 2nd Lieut. J. F. Baddeley and 48 other ranks.
_Wounded_: Captain C. K. Black; 2nd Lieut. H. Owen and 144
other ranks; and 7 missing.
The Buffs remained in the front-line trenches till the night of the
4th/5th July and were heavily shelled, the enemy relaxing nothing of
his activity and energy in this respect. The Pommiers line had been
consolidated and it was now the special mark of the German gunners.
The battalion reached Bronfay Farm about 3.30 a.m. on the 5th after a
very strenuous four days. The 5th was spent in resting, and the 6th in
necessary reorganization.
The time allowed in the back area was not a long one, however, and, on
the 12th July, the Buffs moved by companies via Maricourt to relieve a
battalion of the Liverpool Regiment about Maltz Horn Farm, which is in
the immediate vicinity of Trones Wood and marked the extreme right of
the English line. Here the French were on the right of the battalion,
and as the enemy still held Trones Wood and, as an old German
communication trench running at right angles to the front was now held
by us, it was necessary to have sentries facing both ways. On the 13th
July orders came that the 55th Infantry Brigade was to attack this
wood, and the following order was arranged for the Battle of Bazentin
Ridge in so far as the brigade was concerned: the 7th West Kent to
attack the southern half of the wood from the south; the 7th Queen’s to
attack the northern half from the west; the 7th Buffs, less B Company,
to remain in Maltz Horn Trench, mentioned above as running at right
angles to this line--one platoon to attack a certain strong point.
B Company was lent to the 7th Queen’s, attacked with them and suffered
very severe losses. 8th East Surrey to be in reserve.
At 7 p.m. one platoon of D Company, under 2nd Lieut. Scott, attacked
the strong point mentioned above. A bombing party moved along the
trench and entered it by a tunnel, but, on its entry, the enemy
was encountered in strength and its force appeared to increase,
reinforcements apparently coming in from the direction of the wood.
The consequence was that Scott withdrew his party and reorganized it.
He then proceeded to attack his objective over the open by parties
from the flanks, but he was met by heavy rifle and machine-gun fire
and was compelled to withdraw with loss. Verbal messages came over the
telephone about 10 p.m. that the holding of Maltz Horn Trench, the
defensive flank, was of the first importance and the line was not to
be thinned in order to attack the strong point again. Nevertheless,
attacks were continued on the morning of the 14th, and about 9 a.m.
the point was evacuated by the enemy, and patrols were sent forward
down the trench which led to Guillemont. No opposition was met with, as
the enemy was retiring towards that place. Touch was then established
with the 54th Brigade, and in the evening of the 14th the battalion
(less the company attached to the Queen’s) was lent to this brigade and
remained with it in the front line, after their own had been relieved,
until the early morning of the 18th, when it was withdrawn to Grovetown
Camp; there it stayed till the 21st, on which date it was withdrawn
temporarily from the Somme fighting and entrained at Mericourt for
Longpré and later to St. Omer. From there it marched to Recquinghem,
and finally to Hondeghem, about half-way between St. Omer and Ypres.
A fairly quiet life was now the portion of this battalion for a few
weeks, spent at first in the line near Bois Grenier, and afterwards
resting at Monchy Breton, near the little town of St. Pol, reorganizing
and training, always training, and absorbing fresh drafts from England.
At the end of September the battalion moved south again for the great
struggle at Thiepval. This village is about a mile from the River
Ancre, on the eastern bank, which is here very high and steep. Indeed,
the place is quite four hundred feet above the stream. It had been
taken from the Germans on the 26th September, and on that same date the
Royal West Kent Regiment (of the 55th Brigade) had reached Crucifix
Corner, though the Buffs were only at Hedauville but were still on the
march, so that the battalion bivouacked that night somewhat nearer the
scene of action. On the morning of the 27th, starting at 5.30, it moved
by platoons to Crucifix Corner, where the men got into dug-outs and
there remained till the afternoon of the 29th, when it relieved the 8th
Suffolk Regiment, A and C Companies proceeding to Wood Post, and B and
D to the old German line. One platoon of A Company acted as carrying
party to Thiepval for the 8th East Surrey Regiment. At 7 a.m. on the
following day came the S.O.S. signal from the northern edge of the
Schwaben Redoubt and the Buffs were ordered to stand by in readiness.
The Schwaben Redoubt was in shape roughly an oval and certainly not
a square, though the terms north face, west face, etc., are used for
convenience in the following narrative of the fight there. It was
somewhere about five hundred yards long and two hundred broad, and the
original parapets were so knocked about by the 1st October that they
were mere mounds and ditches with shelving sides. For defence they had
to be roughly and rapidly improved and adapted as occasion required,
but on account of the constant bombardment it was impossible to shape
them up properly.
What had happened in this place was that the enemy, making a somewhat
sudden and resolute attack, had driven the defenders back from the
southern face of the work, considerably weakened one of the East Surrey
companies and captured the whole of the western face. Counter-attacks
were immediately organized and, in connection with this, D Company of
the Buffs was, at 9.35 a.m., sent up to occupy the northern defences of
the village of Thiepval, and at 1.25 this company got orders to send
two platoons to act in conjunction with the East Surrey in attacking
and capturing the Schwaben Redoubt. These two platoons were given
definite objectives and the zero hour was fixed at 4 p.m.
A Company moved up to Thiepval and reported to the O.C. 8th East
Surrey. At 9.15 in the evening, the attack on the west face having
failed, and that on the north one having succeeded, it was found that
the Surrey battalion had suffered too much loss to be of much further
use, and the rest of the Buffs went forward to take over the redoubt,
together with the western defences of the village.
Soon after midnight came a short message from 2nd Lieut. Carman, who
commanded the two platoons of D Company that had gone forward to attack
with the Surrey men. It was to the effect that his men were almost
entirely wiped out directly the starting-point was left.
One of the most difficult periods the battalion ever had to face during
the war commenced with the month of October. The commanding officer
held a consultation with the chief of the East Surrey and they decided
that B Company of the Buffs (Captain Brice) should take over the whole
of the front line occupied by the Surrey men, and this relief was
completed by 5.45 a.m. on the 1st October. At 12.50 B Company was able
to report that Point R.19.d.45 was taken and touch got with the Royal
West Kent, so now the Buffs held part of the northern and part of the
southern face of the redoubt, and the West Kent held the country down
to the River Ancre.
It may be remarked that the contending forces were a good deal mixed in
the Schwaben Redoubt on the 1st October. In fact, about half-past eight
o’clock a German officer and twenty-six men emerged from a dug-out and
gave themselves up to Captain Brice’s men. The curious situation led
to very extensive use of bombs on both sides. B Company was ordered to
work the northern face with bombing parties, and great attempts were
made to clear the Redoubt by these means throughout the day, but no
substantial improvement was made. C Company relieved B on the 2nd and
was itself relieved next day, and still an indecisive bombing fight
went on, alternating with rather heavy shelling. At noon on the 4th
October it was decided that the only way to clear the redoubt of the
enemy was by bombing, and bombing alone, and in still greater intensity
and continuity. Orders came that this mode of fighting was to go on day
and night with the greatest vigour, and that bomb-stops were to be made
down all communication trenches which led northward.
The companies were by this time terribly depleted, and the brigade
gave orders that all positions were to be held, but no further advance
made. This was at 3.45 p.m., and it was not till 11.40 p.m. that the
welcome news came that at 6 o’clock in the morning the 8th Norfolks
would attack with bombing parties along the western face of the
redoubt, Stokes and Vickers guns co-operating. At 3.30 a.m. on the 5th
October, therefore, Norfolk bombing parties arrived at Thiepval in
search of guides, and, these being supplied, they went on. The Buffs
had received the simple orders to hold their own and nobly was that
order obeyed: the conditions were terrible; heavy rain had reduced the
shell-pitted ground to a sea of mud and it was thick with dead; German
heavy artillery was concentrated on the position and bombing attacks
were constant; but not an inch of ground was given up. The brothers A.
S. and C. D. Hayfield and the regimental doctor, Captain McCullum Orme,
particularly distinguished themselves. A. S. Hayfield was unhappily
mortally wounded, another very fine officer being lost to the army.
News came in the morning that the battalion was to be relieved in the
afternoon and, by 5.15, this relief was effected. At 2.30 next morning
(the 6th October) the battalion arrived by motor buses at Hedauville
and the next day to Candas, which is not far from Doullens. The 1st-6th
October was a terrible time and not to be forgotten by the survivors.
The estimated casualty list being: one officer killed, 2nd Lieut. D. M.
Taylor; one died of wounds, 2nd Lieut. A. S. Hayfield; and nine others
wounded. 26 men killed, 152 wounded and 23 missing.
[Illustration: THIEPVAL]
Up to the 14th there came a rest, with training and the usual football
and amusements, and then a three days’ march back to Albert and into
the Fabeck and High Trenches from the 22nd to the 26th. This proved
a very strenuous tour and involved some casualties, a few being from
shell-shock. We will leave the history of the 7th Battalion here. The
great Somme struggle was considered at an end on the 18th November, and
up to this date trench work and rest at Albert came each in their turn.
It is pleasant to note, however, that the 7th November brought the M.C.
to Captain Brice, 2nd Lieut. C. D. Hayfield and Captain Orme, R.A.M.C.,
and the D.C.M. to Sgts. Stewart and Steel.
IV. 8TH BATTALION--1916
The story of the 8th Battalion for the first half of the year 1916
is that of practically all the infantry units on the Western front.
Tours of trench work alternated as a rule with periods of so-called
rest. The misery of the former depended, as regards intensity, on the
period of the year. When the weather was fine, rats and lice were the
chief enemies in addition to the recognized foe; when the weather was
bad, then wet and frozen extremities were added. There were always a
few casualties in killed and wounded, and even the cheeriest-hearted
were bound to find a turn of trench work a bit depressing. When it
was the turn for rest, men crowded into leaky barns, 80 to 100 in
each, sleeping one above another in tiers. Training and instruction
of new drafts from England gave plenty of occupation, but in addition
there were amusements, football, running and other sports by day, and
entertainments by night in many cases. There were also baths.
At the beginning of January the battalion was at La Panne. On the 6th
the Buffs were transferred to the 17th Infantry Brigade, still in the
24th Division, and on that day they entrained for their new divisional
area about Poperinghe. The 14th of the month saw them in trenches
near Ypres, where plenty of work in the way of digging, draining and
revetting awaited the men. The 26th of January brought a welcome visit
from the 1st Battalion which was still in the Ypres area. Lt.-Colonel
Lucas, at the commencement of the war adjutant of the 1st Battalion,
took over command of the 8th on the 16th March from Major Cunningham,
a staff officer, who had relieved Lt.-Colonel Trueman a month earlier,
Trueman having been taken into hospital.
The 4th June brought the birthday honour list; Lieut. C. Lindsay
received the M.C., R.S.M. Brooker and Pte. Peet the D.C.M., Ptes.
Buzzard and Hall the M.M., whilst 2nd Lieut. Shafto heard a week later
that he also had the M.C.
On the 17th June, about midnight, there arose a cry of “gas,” and the
S.O.S. signal went up from the Royal Fusiliers who were on the left of
the Buffs and, almost at once, a brisk bombardment broke on our front
line. The gas itself arrived three or four minutes after the warning
and lasted half an hour. However, it missed our companies in the front
line, but spread somewhat over the reserves and headquarters.
On the 22nd June, after some rehearsal work at Bulford Camp, the
battalion marched, via Bailleul, to St. Jans Capelle, where it was
billeted in farms and continued its rehearsals. About this time Corpl.
C. Batchelor was awarded the M.M. for his conduct during the recent
gas attack.
Although they may not very greatly or directly influence the winning of
the war, raids were found to be of great use in fostering a manly and
martial spirit amongst our soldiers. There is something about perfectly
passive defence which makes for despondency and depression, but a raid
on the enemy evokes a spirit of enterprise. These are perhaps very
minor military enterprises in many cases and no description of them
will be found in the military despatches, but they are naturally of
intense interest to all concerned and show the enemy that the spirit of
those opposite them is quite undismayed.
On the 28th June, then, a detachment of the Buffs under 2nd Lieuts.
Anderson and Temple, to prove the value of the rehearsals, carried out
a raid on the German trenches at a point known as Ash Road Barrier,
which is near Ploegsteert. The men moved out in two parties so as to be
in position outside our wire at 11.31 p.m., at which moment an intense
bombardment commenced, directed on the points to be assaulted. Under
cover of this the men crept forward, the guns lifting fifty yards at
a time. Unfortunately the thing failed as a surprise, but Anderson’s
party succeeded in entering the enemy’s front-line trench and then,
after a bomb engagement, the raiding party withdrew successfully,
bringing back with them all their wounded and some much-treasured
trophies for the folks at home. The left party found the enemy’s wire
in front of them still uncut and it withdrew when the recall signal
sounded, leaving one dead man. Lieut. Hall commanded the covering
party, and Captain C. D. Gullick the whole operation. Three officers
and a hundred men went over the top. Four men were killed and twenty
wounded, and it is probable that the German loss was about the same.
After a few days’ careful training in the area north of Meteren this
battalion left Bailleul by train for Longueau, which is two miles east
of Amiens, and then fifteen miles back along the line to Le Mesge.
This journey was memorable not only because it took our people into
the vicinity of the great battle which was then raging, but also
because of the tremendous reception given to the soldiers by the good
folk of Amiens. This city is, of course, on the Somme river and was
within sound of the guns. Had the enemy succeeded in some of their
counter-attacks during the long and continuous struggle which was
going on, Amiens would have been the first important city to feel his
cruelty: the people were first of all Frenchmen, but they were Amiens
citizens as well. They were hearing daily of the gallant deeds of
their English friends almost at their doors, and they received those
soldiers, who were on their way to join in the struggle, as perhaps
only the French know how. After a week spent in training at the
business of the attack, the brigade proceeded by train to Mericourt and
marched to Morlancourt, some four miles south of Albert.
On the 6th of August the brigade got orders to take over the line
between Guillemont and Delville Wood and elaborate arrangements were
made accordingly, but they were altered at the last moment, and on
the 9th the battalion found itself in reserve on the Carnoy-Montaubin
road where, on the following day, an unfortunate accident occurred:
something went wrong with the working of one of our own artillery guns
which began firing short, so that our Battalion Headquarters found
itself being shelled by our own gunners and a few casualties occurred
before the matter was reported by a pigeon message. The 12th August
brought an unusually severe hostile shelling. On this day two poor
wounded fellows who had been lying out for three days were brought in
by B Company, and, in an attempt to bring in a third, Ptes. Jordan and
Stevenson were themselves wounded by a machine gun from Guillemont. On
the night of the 17th troops moved into the assembly trenches ready for
the morrow.
On both the 30th July and on the 7th August, before the arrival of the
17th Brigade, the village of Guillemont had been entered by British
troops, but in each case they had ultimately to withdraw again because
of the failure of simultaneous attacks on the flanks of the place.
It being obvious to the higher command that this position could not
be taken as an isolated operation, arrangements had been made by
both French and English commanders for a series of combined attacks
in progressive stages on Maurepas, Falfemont Farm, Guillemont, Leuze
Wood and Ginchy; and, with this in view, each unit had been given its
particular objective which it was to endeavour to gain on the 18th
August, starting at 2.45 p.m.
As far as the Buffs were concerned their orders were clear, and, with
the elaborate and carefully prepared trench maps, easy to understand:
two platoons of A Company under 2nd Lieut. D. Grant were to seize what
was known as the Machine Gun House and convert it into a strong point,
wherewith to assist the advance of the Rifle Brigade; the battalion
bombers were to bomb out from the posts they had occupied to fill in
the gap between the Machine Gun House and the left flank of the Rifle
Brigade, which was attacking on the right of the Buffs. A third platoon
of A Company was to be at the disposal of Grant as supports. C Company
(Captain C. D. Gullick), with half B in close support, was to attack
what was then known as the “Z.Z.” trench and to form a strong point.
Remainder of B to be at the disposal of Captain Gullick. The battalion
reserve to consist of D Company, the remaining platoon of A and one
company of the Royal Fusiliers. These were in what was called Trones
Trench.
At 2.45 the attack commenced and the 8th Battalion plunged into the
Battle of Delville Wood. C Company, with half B, rushed out of their
trenches and, keeping close under the barrage, successfully reached
their objective with very few casualties, although 2nd Lieut. W. J.
L. Peacock was killed about half-way across. On reaching the hostile
trench, our men found the enemy completely unprepared. One man indeed
was stark naked, and the greater part of the garrison surrendered at
once. One officer with a machine gun and crew certainly made a fight
of it, but the gun was captured and turned on the Germans. Captain
Hodgson brought up the remainder of his company to reinforce and
actually suffered more casualties than the assaulting party. He found
himself in command, for Gullick had been hit several times and was very
badly wounded. Two platoons of the Royal Fusiliers followed our men
and consolidation at once commenced, a good deep trench being quickly
made. A few dug-outs were found, but they were choked with German dead.
2nd Lieut. Grant and his party got safely across, and Machine Gun
House was occupied, but the trench thereby was found to be strongly
held. Lieut. Harrington, who had the right bombing party, was attacked
by some Germans who had hidden in some shell holes with their bombs,
but he succeeded in killing or driving them away and soon joined up
with Grant. The left bombing party met with considerable resistance
as they worked up the trench to where C Company’s right flank should
have rested. However, the men managed to capture the machine gun which
was causing most of the annoyance. Machine Gun House was quickly
consolidated and the communication and other trenches greatly improved.
During this action communications were kept up with remarkable
completeness by runners.
It may be well to note here that the Medical Officer, Captain Rankin,
had been wounded in the face and part of his dressing station had been
blown in, but he continued to work for several hours until ordered by
the commanding officer to report himself wounded.
The casualties on this occasion were: 1 officer and 38 other ranks
killed; 6 officers and 297 other ranks wounded and 16 other ranks
missing; and the list included all the officers of C Company and all
the company sergeant-majors, Dumbleton being among the slain.
On the 19th August the wounded officers were relieved and Captain
Pearce assumed charge of the front line. 2nd Lieut. T. W. Underhill
and four men were killed by shell fire during the evening and ten men
wounded. On the 21st another attack was made by the Rifle Brigade, and
the Buffs did what they could to help, particularly by sending up a
bomb-carrying party under 2nd Lieut. Rainey over the open, which drew a
tremendous fire on the Buffs’ trenches. Our friends did not reach their
objective.
The battalion spent the last week of August in comparative quiet near
Bray, but on the last day of the month news came that the 73rd Brigade
had been heavily counter-attacked between the Delville and High Woods,
and the 17th Brigade went back into the line to their support. The
Buffs took, however, no part in the successful attack which ensued on
the 1st September. On this day D Company was placed at the disposal of
the 72nd Brigade and moved off on the 2nd to join it.
On the 3rd September the Buffs were entrusted with an attack to start
from the Worcester Trench, but, owing to the fact that all the runners
sent to synchronize the time with the brigade on the left were killed,
the battalion started too late and so met the enemy’s barrage actually
on their parapet as they started and also heavy machine-gun fire.
Within one minute all the officers and the C.S.M. of B Company were
casualties and the attack was held up. The attempt had been made at
noon, and in half an hour’s time news of the failure reached Battalion
Headquarters and the commanding officer, after personal reconnaissance,
ordered Major Hamilton, who was in command of the front line, to
organize a fresh attack. This was arranged for 4 p.m. and an artillery
programme drawn up, Lt.-Colonel Stewart, commanding the group of guns
that was helping our infantry, being fortunately met with exactly at
the right moment. At 4 p.m. the second attack took place, but, owing to
the artillery not lifting and to heavy machine-gun fire from a strong
point, it was stopped. The bombers managed to work their way up the
trench towards the strong point, but all the supporting infantry were
hit. The following day the three companies were withdrawn and went into
the reserve brigade camp, having suffered the following casualties: 2nd
Lieut. T. Firminger killed; six officers wounded: 2nd Lieuts. Grant,
Hamilton, Twyman, Eyre, Rainey and Varge; other ranks, 16 killed, 81
wounded and 9 missing.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
BRINGING UP WIRE]
Meanwhile D Company, temporarily attached to the 72nd Brigade, as has
been noticed, had gone up to support the 9th East Surrey Regiment in
Delville Wood, and these had suffered very severely from shell fire.
About 4 p.m. on the 3rd September Pte. Crick, one of D Company’s
stretcher-bearers, arrived at Battalion Headquarters, having made his
way for about a mile along the trenches, and informed the commanding
officer that all his company officers had been killed and most of the
remainder wiped out also. 2nd Lieut. Morrell was sent to take charge of
this company, but was only able to discover a few stragglers; Captain
D. G. Pearce and 2nd Lieuts. B. G. Bowles and B. B. Blackwell were
all dead. The assault delivered on the 3rd September had been a
tremendous and most important one. It was delivered along the whole
line: Guillemont was stormed; Leuze Wood and the Falfemont Farm were
taken; and this meant a great deal more than the mere advancing of
our line a few hundred yards or so. It meant that the quadruple and,
as it was thought by our enemies, the impregnable positions, which
had resisted all assault for seven weeks, had at last been broken and
the fact established that no elaborate series of earthworks could be
reckoned on as a safe preventative to the progress of the Allies.
The 5th of September took the 8th Battalion back to the reserve camp
by Fricourt, and thence it proceeded to the rest area near Abbeville,
where it got into excellent billets at Yaucourt and received drafts
and, of course, trained. The 27th of the month brought welcome news of
honours: to Lt.-Colonel Lucas a D.S.O.; Captains Gullick and Rankin
(R.A.M.C.) and 2nd Lieut. Grant the M.C.; the D.C.M. for C.S.M.
Carpenter, Sgt. Butler and Pte. Sheward; whilst a day or two later came
news of M.M.’s for L.-Corpl. Tinmouth and Ptes. Baker and Hart.
From the end of September to the 16th November, which date being taken
as the end of the Somme fighting, must be that from which the reader
will be asked to switch off his attention from France to other regions,
the 8th Battalion led the life so usual during the Great War and so
well known to all men: that is to say one week, or other short period,
found it in the trenches and the next in billets a bit in rear. Gouy
Servins was the usual resting-place, but there were other places,
notably Mazingarbe, where the men were in proper huts fitted with
electric light. The turns at the trenches were taken at Carency and at
Loos, and as the year wore towards its close the old trouble of the wet
came on again. The trenches got out of repair and began to fall in,
involving work for everybody and much discomfort.
At the end of October Sgts. Batchelor and F. Elson; L.-Corpls. Stevens
and Wynne; Ptes. Abbott, Barge, Bignell and Kerman found themselves
entitled to mount the M.M. ribband, and Corpl. Norrington got the
D.C.M. On the 1st November Lt.-Colonel Green and some of the officers
of the 1st Battalion came over from Bethune for a short visit.
V. 1ST BATTALION
The opening of the year 1916 found the 1st Battalion with its
headquarters at Forward Cottage, which is only a mile north of the
village of St. Jean and, of course, quite close to Ypres. On the 6th
January the battalion was cheered by finding that Captain Cattley, 2nd
Lieuts. Clouting, Dangerfield, Davies and Ferguson, Corpls. Wren and
Duff, Pte. Gunn and the late Captain Homan, together with the good
regimental doctor, Captain K. W. Jones, R.A.M.C., had been mentioned
in despatches. On the 17th, too, came a welcome message from Admiral
Jellicoe telling all and sundry of the high appreciation and esteem of
the various bodies of the sailors, who had by arrangement visited the
trenches in parties, and their admiration of the spirit of the troops.
On the 25th of this month several officers and sergeants of the 8th
Battalion dined with the 1st, and the opportunity of fraternizing was
naturally made the most of. The two units were under the command of
majors, namely Gould and Hamilton, Colonels Finch Hatton and Trueman
being both on leave.
A curious incident seems worth recording as showing a fighting spirit
a little out of the common, perhaps. On the 13th of February Pte.
A. Ralph reported himself at the headquarters as a deserter--of all
things. He had escaped from the home-keeping 3rd Battalion at Dover,
made his way over to the port of Havre, presumably as a stowaway, and
walked from that place to Poperinghe, where the fighting battalion was
at the moment. His trial by Court Martial was dispensed with.
On the 16th March the battalion entrained at Poperinghe and proceeded
to Calais for a rest and for fresh training, for training and
instruction was never allowed to drop during the war. New inventions,
modes and methods were constantly taken into use, and any relaxation
from manning the trenches was taken advantage of to bring a unit up to
date and to teach the new drafts what could only be taught in France
and Flanders. This rest lasted ten days, and then a three days’ march
brought the men back to Wormhoudt and into the Ypres area once more,
and it was not long before the old trenches round La Brique and St.
Jean were occupied by them again.
On the 19th April, while in the La Briques trenches, at 5.30 p.m.,
after a considerable amount of shelling all day, a heavy bombardment
was opened on the 2nd Scots Guards on the Buffs’ right, and on the 8th
Bedfordshire on their left. No. 15 platoon of our battalion suffered a
good deal, but the attack which followed the bombardment came chiefly
on the right and left of the regiment. Soon after eight o’clock Captain
Causton was able to get in touch with the Guards and learnt that on
their side the enemy’s attack had failed, but this was not so on our
left, where the Germans had succeeded in penetrating several of the
front-line trenches in the Morteldje sector; but two days afterwards
all the ground so taken was recaptured by the King’s Shropshire Light
Infantry, who suffered several casualties, including the gallant
Colonel Luard, D.S.O., who died of his wounds. The Buffs lost 21 killed
and 36 wounded during these few days.
On the 4th May Captain Cattley took a staff appointment. He was the
only officer who had never left the 1st Battalion since it arrived in
France. On the 4th June Colonel Finch Hatton, who had just rejoined
and taken over command again, was awarded the C.M.G., Captain Cattley
the M.C., Sgts. Trigg and Viggers, who had been killed, Corpl. Cullen
and L.-Corpl. Jenrick got the M.M., and on the 12th July Colonel Finch
Hatton went away again--this time to command a brigade. On the 16th
July C.S.M. Ralph was awarded the M.C.
A very important move commenced on the 2nd August. By this time the
fighting on the Somme had been raging for a month. It now fell to the
lot of the 1st Battalion to emulate in that district the deeds of the
6th and 7th, so on that day came a start from Poperinghe by train,
followed by marching and camping, till the 9th August found it in the
trenches south of Beaumont Hamel with the 2nd Durham Light Infantry on
its right and the 2nd Sherwood Foresters on the left. The Buffs were
now under the command of Major H. W. Green, who was made a temporary
Lt.-colonel on the 12th August. A period of strict and hard training
now ensued. It was a preparation for the fighting that was to come. As
has been explained, the constant arrival of fresh drafts from England
necessitated much teaching in France and teaching by men who were very
up to date indeed. During the time devoted to this work the battalion,
and indeed the whole brigade, was gradually approaching the fighting
line, having been at Villers Bocage on the 6th September, Corbie on the
7th and so on. It marched to Carnoy on the 11th September and relieved
the 167th Infantry Brigade in the line behind Guillemont and Combles.
By this time the fighting on the Somme was two months old. There had
occurred, as has been seen, a great deal of heavy fighting on the
3rd September and following days, and this had on the whole been
successful. The Allies had from the first been slowly but steadily
pushing forward and gaining one position after another. The enemy had
made a most determined resistance, but he had gone back. One line of
elaborate defence after another was falling into our hands, and Sir
Douglas Haig determined to keep up the pressure as long as the weather
and consequent state of the country permitted it. A general attack then
was opened on the 15th September, the objective being the rearmost of
the enemy’s original lines of defence, between Morval and Le Sars;
and when the advance on this front had gained the Morval line the
Commander-in-Chief arranged to bring forward the left of the British
troops across the Thiepval ridge.
There is a road running from Ginchy to Morval, and as it approaches
the ridge, on which the latter village stands, it is sunken and of
course conceals anything in it, and just about half-way between the
two villages a railway to the south of the sunken road almost touches
it. Where the road and railway most closely approach, the Germans had
constructed a very strong work which was known as the Quadrilateral
and which was but a very little way from the edge of Bouteaux Wood.
On the 13th of the month the 71st Infantry Brigade had attacked this
Quadrilateral, but the attack had failed. The 15th was the first
occasion on which tanks were used. Three of these new weapons had
been told off to assist at the attack of the Quadrilateral, and
consequently a gap in our barrage had been arranged so that these could
advance before the infantry started. However successful the tanks
were afterwards, these three proved worse than useless, because two
of them broke down, and the third was so knocked about that it could
do nothing, having amongst other injuries lost its periscope, so that
it could not see. The unfortunate thing was, that there remained the
gap in the barrage, exactly opposite the main face of the work to be
assaulted. At 6.20 a.m. the 8th Bedfordshire advanced gallantly over
the open, a bombing party attacking up a trench from the south-east.
The enemy’s machine guns caught the Bedfordshire men on the top of the
ridge and, though they tried in the most manly way, they could make no
progress.
The Buffs supported the Bedfords with the finest courage, but could not
stand against the very heavy machine-gun fire opposed to them. They
suffered more casualties than any other unit in the brigade. A great
number of men found cover in shell holes and managed later to get back
into the lines. Captain Causton assembled as many of the battalion as
he could in the trench originally occupied by the 8th Bedfords. The 2nd
York and Lancaster Regiment had advanced behind the Buffs and had also
assembled in the Bedfords’ trench. On reorganizing there were found in
this trench about forty Buffs, two to three hundred York and Lancaster
and forty Bedfords.
About 12.30 p.m. a number of the battalion was still lying in shell
holes in the open, and at that hour a message was received from 2nd
Lieut. Hills: “Am in a series of shell holes about two hundred yards
from German line. German line was apparently untouched till midday
bombardment. We got to present position and were unable to proceed
owing to machine guns. No sign of Bedfords ahead. Baly killed, Kesby
and Miller wounded. Have about twelve men with me and can’t get in
touch with anybody. Our shells fell first right beyond German line,
second just short, third very short. People in valley on left have just
retired on account of our shell fire. Machine guns are not touched,
as all opened on retiring line. We have fire from left and right and
just off central sweeping us occasionally.” During the night of the
15th/16th the Buffs were withdrawn to a trench running south-east of
Guillemont after losing the following in casualties: Lieut. C. J. P.
Baly, 2nd Lieuts. G. W. P. Wyatt and G. R. Reid, and fifty-three men
killed; 2nd Lieut. Hills wounded; Captain T. H. Kesby, 2nd Lieut.
Miller and seven others wounded and missing; 2nd Lieut. Smith, Captain
Jones, R.A.M.C., Lieut. Tuke and 2nd Lieut. Goodheart wounded. It was
afterwards ascertained that Kesby was amongst the slain. One hundred
and eighty-three other ranks wounded.
During the night the mass of wounded was cleared up with the greatest
energy. At 7 a.m. on the 16th strong German reinforcements were seen to
enter the Quadrilateral. On the evening of that day the K.S.L.I. made
what proved to be an important move. That battalion got round to the
south-west and dug themselves an assembly trench, the left of which
rested on the railway.
On the 18th September at 5.30 a.m. the gallant Salopians advanced. The
guns started to time and a party of the York and Lancaster bombed up
the trench on the right flank of the Quadrilateral, the Stokes mortars
bombarding as fast as possible. At 6.28 a wounded man, passing Brigade
Headquarters, reported that the objective was taken. This was confirmed
by Lieut. Marsh, K.S.L.I., half an hour later, and at 2.20 Germans
were seen massing on Morval Hill. It is a pity that the Buffs were not
amongst the troops that took the great obstacle. The battalion was too
knocked about to be so, as were the Bedfordshire, but there was much
rejoicing at the success of their good comrades.
On the 19th September the battalion, being relieved, marched sixteen
miles back to billets at Morlancourt, expecting a good long rest and
very, very weary. It got one day’s rest only and, on the 21st, it moved
up again to relieve a Guards brigade which occupied a sector of our
line with a frontage of only about two hundred and fifty yards. This
frontage, which was in the vicinity of and about one and a half miles
to the west of the Quadrilateral, was occupied by the Buffs with the
8th Bedfordshire in support, the remainder of the brigade remaining
back in the Braquelerie area. A new attack had been arranged for the
23rd, but the dreadful weather caused a two days’ postponement.
In the interval a very useful piece of work was done by a Buff patrol
under Sgt. Dowman (afterwards recommended for V.C.): this patrol was
very nearly cut off, but got back safely with valuable information. The
following is the wording of the recommendation referred to:--
“1st The Buffs. 5032 Acting Sergeant Edward Dowman. For most
conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on the 23rd, 24th and
25th September in front of Morval. He several times reconnoitred
in daylight a trench held by the enemy and threw bombs on
them, inflicting casualties; when an attack was made on our
trench on the 24th, he organized the defence and himself led
a counter-attack in the open, which drove back the enemy and
ascertained the exact position they were holding.
“On the 25th he was killed whilst leading, with conspicuous
gallantry, a bombing party which took the German trench,
capturing a machine gun, and about 50 prisoners. His excellent
reconnaissance before the attack and his gallantry and
determination in carrying it out were undoubtedly mainly
responsible for the success of the attack on this most important
trench.
“He gave his life in his supreme devotion to duty.”
The enemy seemed to know what was coming, for on the 23rd, the day our
attack should have taken place, they assaulted the whole of the front
occupied by the 6th Division in which the 1st Battalion served, but
they were driven back. During the night of the 24th/25th the Buffs cut
all the opposing wire before them and, as far as possible, that in
front of the 15th Infantry Brigade. The operations of the next few days
were a glorious success, and the following short extracts from the
official despatches on the subject may serve to make clear the parts
taken by the Buffs, both the 1st and the 7th Battalions, in the good
work:--
“At 12.35 p.m. on the 25th September, after a bombardment commencing
early in the morning of the 24th, a general attack of the Allies was
launched on the whole front between the Somme and Martinpuich. The
objectives on the British front included the villages of Morval, Les
Bœufs and Gueudecourt and a belt of country about one thousand yards
deep, coming round the north of Flers to a point midway between that
village and Martinpuich. By nightfall the whole of these objectives
were in our hands with the exception of the village of Gueudecourt....
In the early morning of the 26th September the village (Combles) was
occupied simultaneously by the Allies. The British to the north and the
French to the south of the railway.... On the same day Gueudecourt was
carried.... Accordingly at 12.25 p.m. on the 26th September, before the
enemy had been given time to recover from the blow struck by the Fourth
Army, a general attack was launched against Thiepval and the Thiepval
Ridge, the objective consisting of the whole of the high ground still
remaining in the enemy’s hands extending over a front of some three
thousand yards north and east of Thiepval and including, in addition
to that fortress, the Zollern Redoubt, the Stuff Redoubt and the
Schwaben Redoubt with the connecting line of trenches.... The attack
was a brilliant success.... Schwaben Redoubt was assaulted during the
afternoon (of the 27th September) and, in spite of counter-attacks
delivered by strong enemy reinforcements, we captured the whole of the
southern face of the redoubt and pushed out patrols to the northern
face and towards St. Pierre Divion.”
As far as the 16th Brigade was concerned the attack commenced with
the Buffs knocking out with trench mortars two German strong points
and capturing two machine guns. At 12.50 the infantry had their first
objective. This was seized by the Buffs, and the second objective was
the spoil of the K.S.L.I. and York and Lancaster. At 3.10 the whole
objective was reached and the infantry was digging in. At 4.30 enemy’s
guns opened from Le Transloy and our side sent out advanced posts, Les
Bœufs and Morval being in our hands. At 5.45 came a telegram from the
Corps commander: “Hearty thanks. Sincere congratulations to you all.
A very fine achievement splendidly executed. Cavan.” The brigadier
recorded his opinion in the following words: “A most successful day
and casualties slight. Success due to fine artillery work, 1st Buffs
excellent surprise attack on strong posts, and the parade-like steady
advance of the 1st K.S.L.I. and 2nd Y. and L.”
On the 26th September the brigade was relieved and retired to
Briqueterie for a day or two and thence to billets at Meaulte, seven
miles away. The battalion was now sadly depleted, but the men had borne
their hardships well and were still full of fight. On a special parade
at Meaulte on the 1st October the battalion could only turn out 341
strong, with seventeen officers.[16]
Another short spell in the trenches near Givenchy with casualties every
day, but amounting in all to eight killed and thirty-two wounded,
and then a complete change of scene.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
MORVAL]
On the 21st October the move came to Daours and a week later to
Bethune, where we may leave the unit for the present, only mentioning
that October brought some welcome honours to the 1st Battalion, namely:
on the 4th, Military Cross for Captain Causton and 2nd Lieut. Brown;
and Military Medals for Sgts. Randall and Langton and Ptes. Smith and
Baines; a few days afterwards the Military Cross for Captain Corrall
and Lieut. Jacobs, and Military Medals for Corpl. Twelftree and Ptes.
Boseley, Ashdown and Gambell. While on the last day of the month came
notification of no less than twenty-two Military Medals viz., to--
C.Q.M.S. Vincer.
Sgt. Denny.
Corpl. Earl.
„ Mutton.
„ Rose.
L.-Corpl. Bevan.
„ Sheen.
„ Taylor.
„ Wood.
Pte. Baker.
„ Black.
„ Ellen.
„ Heathfield.
„ Jamieson.
„ Page.
„ Minns.
„ Roberts.
„ Scrivener.
„ Spencely.
„ Todd.
„ Watkins.
„ Wren.
CHAPTER VII
A YEAR AT SALONICA
I. THE 2ND BATTALION
It is advisable now to consider the doings of the 2nd Battalion in the
immediate neighbourhood of Salonica. The life in this theatre of war
was far less full of exciting incident than in France and Flanders,
and, after their thrilling experiences in the latter theatre, those men
of the Buffs that were still serving in the 2nd Battalion must have
looked upon their new work in the light almost of a rest from war,
though not from the labour and hardships incidental to it.
Early in the year 1916 the army was contracted into a small line just
north of Salonica and was merely a defensive force guarding that base
port, but Lt.-General Sir G. F. Milne arranged in May with the French
General, Sarrail, that there should be an advance northwards and a
greater area occupied, the British army taking the ground to the
north and east, and the French the western area. On the 8th of June,
therefore, the troops commenced to occupy advanced positions along the
right bank of the River Struma and its tributary the Butkova river. In
connection with this movement the 85th Brigade, and of course the Buffs
with it, brought to an end what was becoming a somewhat monotonous life
and, on the 10th June, was ordered to hold forward positions along the
right bank of the Struma, with its right on Orljak.
Therefore, on the 17th of the month, the Buffs found themselves at a
point three kilometres (say two and a half miles) west of Kopriva, with
orders to take up an outpost line to cover the crossings of the Struma.
The line taken up by the regiment was about six kilometres long, and
as the hills come practically down to the stream, these formed natural
positions to take up and indeed had already been used by the French,
who had sited and just started a certain number of trenches, which it
was decided to complete. The river was found to be fordable almost
everywhere. Opposite the battalion front and some seven or eight miles
away was the town of Demirhissar, which was occupied by the enemy. The
battalion remained in this position till the 15th July and, though
there was no actual fighting to do, another enemy soon became very
troublesome indeed: the heat down near the river was intense and the
local fever soon made itself apparent. This took the form of very
high temperatures, very suddenly developed, and was of such common
occurrence that the Field Ambulance became congested and the evacuation
of the sick a matter of great difficulty. Further, the Buffs were
without their Medical Officer for about a week.
The welcome order to move to higher ground came on the 9th July, but it
was not till the 15th that the Buffs were relieved by the K.O.Y.L.I.,
who belonged to the 83rd Brigade. Then they marched to Paprat, a two
days’ journey, where an excellent bivouac ground was found and where
the weather conditions were very much better. Yet malaria has a nasty
way of getting into a man’s system at malarial places and only showing
itself later on, probably in a healthy country, and the sickness for
the first few days at Paprat only increased instead of diminishing;
four officers and many men going sick in the first ten days. On the
30th the battalion moved to Hamzali for work on the roads and to take
up a section of outpost line. This place is situated on the same range
of hills as Paprat, but is nearer the river. The battalion still
continued to lose officers and men from fever. Two companies worked at
headquarters and two were in the outpost line employed on the defences
there.
Away off to the left and near the Doiran lake the British and French
commenced a successful offensive on the 10th August, and this lasted
for a week, resulting in the capture of some important positions. While
these events were still in progress, the Bulgarians in the Struma
valley began to advance, to be accurate on the 17th August. They did
so apparently in seven columns, three of them moving southward from
Demirhissar towards the Struma river. On the 18th an observation post
in the outpost line reported seeing a battalion occupy the village of
Barakli Dzuma and a considerable force with guns and transport moving
in the direction of Seres. As these movements of enemy troops continued
on the following day, and as on the 20th considerable activity of small
bodies of mounted men were noticed, apparently reconnoitring the river
about Ormanli, and as there was a considerable amount of shelling on
this date, Elishan, a village on the further bank of the Struma, was
occupied by a company of English infantry.
It appeared at this time to be probable that the Bulgarians might be
bold enough to assault the British lines, and every effort was being
made to strengthen the defences of the outpost line. The Buffs were
terribly weak in numbers. Available men for drafts were, of course,
just now required in every part of the world. The Somme offensive
was in full swing and men were being killed and maimed there daily.
Sickness had thinned the ranks of the 2nd Battalion to a terrible
extent, and at the moment when a Bulgarian attack appeared imminent
it could only place 185 men in the outpost line with 45 in reserve,
though a welcome reinforcement of 123 arrived on the 30th of the month.
However, two machine guns from the M.G. Company were attached to the
battalion and the defence works were kept in repair and ready for
emergency.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
SALONICA: ROAD MADE BY BRITISH]
The line held by our troops was an exceedingly good one for defence,
for the hills on our side approached very closely to the river and
there was a broad, level plain on the other, so that it was difficult
for the enemy to manœuvre unwatched and unnoted. The last day of August
brought the welcome news that at last Roumania had made up her mind
and had declared war on Austria. In announcing this important event to
his troops the G.O.C. stated a hope that all ranks would realize that
one of the most important aims in the military policy adopted in this
region had been attained and he congratulated all ranks on the part
they had played in achieving this object.
Passive defence by an enterprising army is only resorted to on very
rare occasions, in the presence at some particular point of an
overwhelming force, and the 10th September showed a renewal of activity
on the English part. On this day detachments crossed the river at five
several points. The villages of Oraoman and Kato Gudeli were occupied
and Nevoljen gallantly stormed by the Northumberland Fusiliers. On the
15th six small columns crossed between Lake Tahinos and Orljak and
burnt the riparian villages, the enemy’s counter-attacks being defeated
by our artillery on the hither side, but the Buffs appear to have been
too weak to take part in these minor operations.
II. ACTION OF KARAJAKOI
But when October came, General Milne determined on a continuous
offensive on the Struma front, with a view to preventing the enemy
from withdrawing any of his troops from this direction to oppose the
advance of our French allies towards Monastir. Therefore matters
became more active along the river banks and operations commenced by
our seizing and holding certain villages on the left side of the
river in the neighbourhood of the bridgehead opposite Orljak, so that
a further movement on Seres or Demirhissar could be facilitated. The
high ground on our side of the stream again came in very useful, for it
enabled the artillery very materially to assist in these operations.
Bridges were constructed by the engineers, and during the night of the
29th/30th September the attacking infantry crossed and formed up on
the left bank. Strong counter-attacks were made by the enemy, but, by
the evening of the 2nd October, our positions were consolidated and
preparations made to extend them by capturing Jenikoj on the road to
Seres. This was done on the morning of the 3rd, but the troops that
took the village were three times resolutely counter-attacked and very
heavily bombarded, and there ensued some very strenuous fighting. On
the 5th October Nevoljen was occupied, and on the 8th our troops had
reached a still further extended line with mounted men between Kispeki
and Kalendra.
In connection with all this business the Buffs on the 2nd October were
attached to the 84th Brigade as divisional reserve and proceeded to a
camp in the vicinity of Orljak, and on the next day B and C Companies
under Captain Vertue moved off and reported to the officer commanding
the Welch Regiment, who directed B Company, less fifty men, to line
the right bank of the river from the new pontoon bridge to the left of
the 23rd Welch Pioneers. The remaining fifty, under 2nd Lieut. Steven,
carried R.E. stores to the Suffolk Regiment in Mazirko village. C
Company crossed Orljak bridge and took up a position in the bridgehead
works under the Suffolk Regiment and were employed in carrying up
rations and stores. These two companies came under both shell and rifle
fire.
On the 4th October C Company took over part of the front-line trench
from A Company of the Suffolks, and it was soon after joined by B,
and later in the day the whole battalion was collected in the forward
trenches in relief of the Suffolks and occupied a position along the
Seres road on the south side of it. On the Buffs’ left was the 1st
Welch Regiment, and on its right the 10th Division, which held Jenikoj.
The 5th was a fairly quiet day, and on the 6th, as it appeared that
the Bulgars had withdrawn their position some distance, the Buffs sent
out three patrols under 2nd Lieut. Abbot-Smith, 2nd Lieut. Asprey and
Lieut. Bremner in the directions of Nevoljen, Papolova and Kalendra
respectively. These patrols did their work well, and indeed Bremner
and Asprey’s reports were both commended by the brigadier: they all
succeeded in locating the enemy, and after that they retired correctly,
having first exchanged a few shots. It was now clear that the enemy’s
forward line was still about Nevoljen and Kalendra.
The next few days were quiet enough; much reconnaissance work was
carried out, and on the 10th the Buffs re-crossed the river to their
old camp, on being relieved by Northumberland Fusiliers. After some
days’ training, the battalion commenced, on the 24th, to furnish large
parties, each under an officer, in connection with the making and
defending the several bridges which now spanned the Struma. The river
was at this time considerably swollen, and the bridges, which were a
necessary adjunct to the commander’s contemplated further offensive,
were consequently difficult to construct; indeed, the work reflected
the greatest credit on the Royal Engineers.
III. BARAKLI DZUMA
Constant reconnaissance, chiefly by aeroplane and armoured cars, had
revealed the fact that the enemy had constructed a defensive line along
the foothills on the left side of the river as far as Savjak and from
there across the low ground to Lake Butkova. This line passed through
the large village of Barakli Dzuma, and this village it was determined
to capture.
The attack, which was a complete success, was carried out on the 31st
October; Lieut. Sebastian with two platoons of D Company taking over
Kopriva bridgehead trenches, whilst A Company and the other half of D
were in reserve in camp; B and C Companies had proceeded to Ormanli
the previous day to act as carrying parties for the 83rd Brigade. It
commenced at 7.15 in the morning with an artillery bombardment which
lengthened its range at 7.45, at which hour the infantry advanced. B
and C Companies of the Buffs followed immediately behind the firing
line carrying barbed wire, stakes, etc., and for the remainder of the
day these two companies continued to carry up stores into the front
line. C Company had one man killed and two wounded. B also had had
two men wounded during the previous night. At 8 p.m. the battalion
collected at Ormanli and reported to the 84th Brigade, and as there
were no special orders the men proceeded to find billets for the
night. On the 1st November the Buffs moved over the river again, and
the next day an interesting official summary of the operations against
Barakli Dzuma was issued, by which it appeared that the success was
scored with comparatively little loss. In fact, the casualty list,
when compared with those in France and Flanders, was a very short one.
In the whole force 5 officers and 50 men had been wounded and only 15
killed outright. About 300 prisoners had been taken. This summary put
on record that the work parties supplied by the 85th Brigade worked and
carried splendidly.
For the winter months a new defensive line was now arranged. This was
on the left or further bank of the Struma and stretching from Lake
Tahinos to the Struma beyond the bend where the Butkova joins it; it
included in its course the villages of Jenikoj, Nevoljen and Barakli
Dzuma.
On the 3rd November the 85th Brigade took over the defences of Barakli
Dzuma, the Buffs being in the front-line trenches, D Company supporting
the other three. A certain amount of the usual reconnaissance work
incidental to all trench warfare formed the only excitement the
battalion had during the first half of November, but on the 16th the
enemy demonstrated against our part of the line with considerable shell
and rifle fire, and at one time it seemed as if he were about to attack
in earnest.
Some of our reconnoitring parties had, early in the month, discovered
the existence of a small enemy’s trench on the western side of a nullah
known as “Sandy Brook,” and about one thousand five hundred yards
from our line. One or two unsuccessful attempts by small parties had
been made to capture this, but without success, and the place became
famous in its way under the name of “Little Ferdy” trench. On the 17th
November A Company was told off to attack “Little Ferdy” in earnest:
two platoons went out in front line and two in close support; there
were also two platoons of C Company in reserve. On being attacked,
however, the Bulgars withdrew to another trench about three hundred
yards back, leaving six dead behind them. Patrols went on to examine
this new position, which was found to be too strong to be assaulted
with the men available, and as the objective had been gained no further
advance was made; the Buffs’ losses were one killed and three wounded.
On the 19th November news arrived of the capture of Monastir. The
battalion remained at Barakli Dzuma till the end of the year 1916
and passed Christmas there. The time was spent mainly in making and
perfecting the line of defence, digging communication trenches and
placing barbed wire. The only event which is worthy of record occurred
on the 16th December: an extensive and carefully planned-out raid was
organized on “Little Ferdy” trench. B Company was selected to form the
main raiding party and was supported by flank guards and, of course, by
artillery, as well as by the usual supports in rear. The 3rd Middlesex
operated on the Buffs’ right and the 2nd East Surrey on the left. At
2 a.m. the front line advanced, lay down and opened fire, while the
flanking party went to cut wire and attack the enemy right flank.
This detachment, however, met with considerable opposition from a
strong bombing post, and the result was a quarter of an hour’s bombing
competition which ended in our favour; for the enemy withdrew, leaving
twenty to thirty dead; but Captain Lancaster, who commanded the main
attack, was all the while expecting a signal from 2nd Lieut. Keasley of
the flank guard that he was through, and not getting it, he reported
the fact to Battalion Headquarters. The commanding officer (Lt.-Colonel
H. A. Thewles) accordingly gave orders to Lancaster to advance, which
was done, and the barbed wire in front proving to be only a single
fence of no great proportions, both “Little Ferdy” and what was known
as “Dry” trench were taken. As ordered, the company proceeded another
fifty yards and lay down while the supporting platoon broke up the
barbed wire and damaged the trenches as much as possible. Captain
Lancaster then withdrew his men, and the flank guards were also brought
in. The work done by the other flank guard under Lieut. Williams had
been most useful and, of course, the assistance of the good gunners,
the 75th Battery, invaluable. Lieut. Sebastian, Sgt. Spiller and
L.-Corpl. Geohegan did very excellent service, and were awarded the
D.S.O., M.M. and D.C.M. respectively. Our casualties were five men
killed, and 2nd Lieut. Airey, C.S.M. Standford and eight other ranks
wounded.
[Illustration: VALLEY OF THE STRUMA]
CHAPTER VIII
WITH MAUDE IN MESOPOTAMIA
I. THE POSITION IN 1916
The summer of the year 1916 was more or less an uneventful one for
the Mesopotamia Force. The situation is very plainly set forth in the
despatches of Sir Percy Lake, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief. He
says: “No operations on a large scale have been undertaken since the
fall of Kut. On the Tigris line the troops immediately facing the enemy
were, with the exception of those actually on duty in the trenches,
resting and recuperating and, at the same time, consolidating their
position. Fatigues were very heavy, the heat of the summer came on
rapidly and a good deal of sickness prevailed.”
A Russian advance from Persia began to make itself felt on the Turks,
however, and on the 20th May the right bank of the Tigris as far as the
Hai, with the exception of bridge guards on the latter water, was clear
of the enemy. This, and the fact that the Turks still held the Sanna i
Yat lines on the other side of the Tigris, materially influenced the
plan of campaign which came later.
As far as the Buffs were concerned their summer work consisted mostly
in harvesting barley early in the hot weather, and in road making.
There was also a great deal of work in connection with the necessary
supply of water. The battalion was between four and five miles from
the river--the only supply, and consequently water had to be carried,
Indian fashion, on mules in “packals,” which held about eight gallons
each. These, made of zinc and covered with felt, soon got knocked
about and, as they began to leak, much water was lost in transit.
The so-called friendly Arabs were consistent and determined thieves,
and if the water-carrying mules had been left under the sole care of
their Indian drivers, they would soon have disappeared. Consequently
water convoy work became a very heavy and regular duty amongst the
many others our soldiers had to perform. The local Arabs were very
enterprising marauders and gave considerable trouble sneaking about the
camp. On one occasion some of them actually entered the orderly room
tent, but they found nothing which they considered worthy of removal.
Sir Stanley Maude took over supreme command on the 28th August, 1916,
a time of the year when active operations might soon be possible and
when the improvement in communications, inaugurated by Sir Percy Lake,
had begun to bear fruit. When early in the year every man’s mind was
eagerly bent on the relief of Kut he could, as soldiers in former
campaigns always had to, digest his bully beef and biscuit somehow and
sustain life on it; moreover, when sick, he contrived to do without
luxuries and to bear discomforts. But now all this was rapidly changing
for the better, and with improved communications came greatly superior
comfort. The Turks seemed very full of enterprise and to be planning
various ambitious campaigns, and Maude very rightly considered that the
best way to stop all that sort of thing was to aim at the heart of the
beast and to make Baghdad the object of resolute and determined attack.
First of all, however, there was still a good deal to do in the way of
preparation, and August was too early a date, in any case, for active
work. The men were, of course, still suffering from heat and were not
by any means fit for a strenuous campaign. Then the communications
still wanted perfecting, and large reserves of ammunition and stores
of all kinds must be brought up to the fighting area. “By the end of
November,” he says, “preliminary arrangements were well advanced, a
steady stream of reinforcements had been moving up stream and drafts
joining. The health of the soldiers was improving and the training
for war was advancing.” The general concentration was at Sheikh Saad.
The River Tigris was by no means a straight line, but still it flowed
from Baghdad to Sheikh Saad, and, in order to defend himself against
an advance up it, it is plain that the Turk should continue to hold
positions astride the river; for these positions could be selected to
rest with their flanks on marshes so that they could not be turned, and
so would necessitate one frontal attack after another.
II. BATTLE OF KUT, 1917
As has already been seen, however, the enemy had withdrawn the bulk
of his troops from the main river’s right bank, though as a matter
of fact he held a strong line of trenches across the Hai covering a
bridge over that water just south of Kut and bending back to the Tigris
at each end. His main line, however, was along the left bank of that
river, his right flank, of course, being almost in the direction of
Baghdad, while his left was thrown back along the Sanna i Yat lines,
which he still held strongly. Seeing this, Maude determined to attack
him up stream and so make him bolt back to his only road to his base
or else cut him off from Baghdad altogether. One party of ours, under
Lt.-General Cobbe, V.C., faced the Sanna i Yat lines on the left bank
of the Tigris, and another, under Lt.-General Marshall, in which were
serving the Buffs, were as much as eleven miles up stream of them and
on the other side of the river. The first thing to do was to seize the
Hai stream, and this was done by Marshall by surprise on the night
of the 13th/14th December, 1916, while Cobbe demonstrated in front of
the Sanna i Yat lines as if about to attack furiously. After getting
possession of the Hai, which he crossed at Bessouia and Atab, Marshall
extended towards the north and at the same time wheeled up the bulk of
his command to attack the bridgehead. He broke through on the night of
the 18th opposite Kut and reached the main river, thus securing command
of the Tigris up stream of the Khadaira Bend. This was important
because, after he advanced, his food and stores had to go up by land
for some miles.
In connection with all this manœuvring the Buffs had on the 13th
December struck their camp and marched out to reserve trenches, in
support of the movement of that date, and had followed up and formed a
backing to the troops in advance. At 7 a.m. on the 16th the battalion
appeared to be going into a serious action and B Company was sent
out to take a certain ridge in front, with C in support. Everything
appeared to be working satisfactorily, but at 12.30 orders came for
withdrawal to another position, where the men dug in as far as possible
and connection was obtained with the 13th Division on the left of the
Buffs. B Company had three men wounded in this advance and D had one
during the retirement to the new position. On the 17th a concentration
on Bessouia was ordered and carried out, and the next day a
demonstration was made without much result, Captain Harrison receiving
a shrapnel wound and the little expedition returning to Bessouia in the
evening.
In connection with Maude’s plan of getting up stream of his enemy,
Major-General Crocker with his command attempted on the 20th to throw a
bridge over the Tigris at the Shumran Bend and the 35th Brigade marched
up to that place to assist, the Buffs being in reserve; but somehow the
enemy had got wind of this attempt, the enterprise proved a failure
and the men returned to their old bivouac. The remainder of the old
year and up to the 10th January was spent working west of the Hai and
exercising in drill and musketry in the neighbourhood of Bessouia, the
work being interrupted only on the 9th, when the cavalry attempted a
raid supported by the Buffs; but the horsemen lost their way in a dense
fog and the force returned to camp early, having effected nothing, on
account of the weather.
During these early days of January, Cobbe’s party, which, in addition
to demonstrating in front of the Sanna i Yat lines, had the task of
manning the right bank of the Tigris up to the point where Marshall was
working, got orders to clear the Khadaira Bend, which occasioned some
heavy fighting by the 3rd Indian Division and necessitated a diversion
on the Hai bridgehead by Marshall and his men; so on the 11th of the
month the Buffs went into the trenches and had four men killed and
as many wounded on the first day. The clearing of the bend by Cobbe
proceeded satisfactorily after this and by the 18th all was ready for
the final assault, which was arranged for the following day. When dawn
broke, however, it was found that during the night the whole of the
Turks who had occupied this portion of their defences had cleared out
and crossed the Tigris.
The next job the British forces had to take in hand was to reduce
the very extensive trench system that the enemy still held across
the Hai stream in the immediate vicinity of Kut. This was a slow and
somewhat tedious business, but by the 24th January, after steady and
persistent pushing, our troops got to within four hundred yards of the
enemy, and an assault was arranged for the following day. This slow
approach consisted of a series of small advances at various points
and subsequent consolidation of what was gained. Thus a new line
was occupied by the Buffs on the 12th, and the next day, while this
was made strong, 2nd Lieut. Hook made a reconnaissance to the front,
which resulted in establishing an advanced post, which was occupied
by a platoon under 2nd Lieut. Filmer. On the 15th two endeavours were
made by 2nd Lieut. Angus to reach another point, but without success.
Captain V. Arnold was killed on this date.
A still more important little action of the same nature took place on
the 16th: a party of about sixty of all ranks went out from the trench
in the morning and attempted the occupation of a point about 450 yards
in advance of the line. This enterprise was successfully accomplished
and, in the words of Sir Stanley Maude, “with great gallantry,” but
with severe loss considering the number engaged, and it was hard that,
after the sacrifice made, the party was by superior authority ordered
back again after dark. Lieut. Jeffreys and four men were killed, and
Lieut. MacFadyen, 2nd Lieut. Gibson and twenty-seven men wounded--more
than fifty per cent of the two platoons becoming casualties.
On the 18th another advanced point was reached by 2nd Lieut. Tustin
and his platoon, and this time the place was consolidated and a
communication trench dug. Later in the day the battalion was relieved
from the trenches, but it was back again in four days’ time, suffering
the loss of three men killed on the 22nd and Captain Usher, 2nd Lieut.
Western and nine men wounded on the 24th. On the next day an attack was
made in conjunction with the 3rd Indian and 13th British Divisions,
with a view to clearing up the corner of the east bank of the Hai.
This operation, however, was not successful and the Buffs lost some
casualties to no great purpose, one officer and eighty other ranks
being wounded in the business. The next day, however, the 36th Brigade
attacked with great success and the 35th was able to come into line:
Lieut. Sergeant and four men of the Buffs being wounded. The first
blow of a hammer will often not drive in a nail, but it prepares the
way for a successful second or third blow. The next two or three days
were spent in consolidating and improving the new line.
The 31st of the month brought a fresh attack, and the brigade was
progressing with its work when orders came that it was to move
no further till the 37th Brigade came up on its left. This move,
however, never materialized and, in consequence, the advance came to a
standstill. Two men were killed and eleven wounded on the 1st February,
but 2nd Lieut. Tustin and a party of bombers established themselves
in a forward position. A further attack was prepared and was to be
executed on the 2nd, but the dense fog, rendering all work impossible,
made postponement necessary on the part of the 35th Brigade. The Turk
was making fairly resolute counter-attacks, but they were broken by our
artillery or met resolutely by our advanced troops.
On the 3rd the Devons and Ghurkas carried the enemy’s first and second
lines, and in the evening there were signs that he contemplated
withdrawal. In fact, it seemed a little later as if this retreat had
actually taken place, for everything was very quiet, so much so that
things looked like a withdrawal, partial at any rate, from the other
bank as well; and the Buffs, Ghurkas and Dogras all sent forward strong
patrols, while the whole brigade stood ready to move forward at a
moment’s notice. On the 4th February the whole of the left bank of Hai
had passed into our hands and the enemy was found to have fallen back
to the Liquorice Factory and a line east and west across the Dahra
Bend. On this day the Buffs took up a line of picquets facing the enemy
in the bend, being relieved at nightfall.
It was not Maude’s intention to let any of the enemy remain on the
south side of the Tigris, in case such could resist his contemplated
march on Baghdad by saving the communications with that city, and so
enabling the Turkish army to keep the field. Obviously, therefore, the
next task was to clear the Dahra Bend and drive its occupants across
the main river. With this object in view, the King’s Own Regiment
effected a lodgment in the centre of the enemy’s line on the 9th
February, and the same day the Worcestershire, capturing some advanced
posts, established a line 2,500 yards or so south of the river at
the southern end of the Shumran Bend, and on the 10th our infantry,
lying west of the Liquorice Factory, after being attacked all night by
bombing parties, began early to assail the Turkish position. In this
connection the Buffs moved from their line against that of the enemy
with the 2/4th Ghurkas on their right. The move was successful because
the Turks would not abide the issue but vacated their trenches, and,
after occupying them, the Buffs pushed forward patrols and bombing
parties who, on the 11th, in pouring rain, took up a line well forward,
from whence a communication trench was started towards the north.
Four men were killed during these two days, and 2nd Lieuts. Tustin
and Sergeant and fourteen men were wounded. On the 12th there was
severe fighting over the job of driving in the enemy’s picquets and
covering troops, and the 102nd Grenadiers of the 35th Brigade greatly
distinguished themselves by gallantly capturing a redoubt and holding
it against all counter-attacks.
[Illustration: THE RECAPTURE OF KUT-EL-AMARA
On the right a company of the Buffs is seen advancing on the
Turkish position, which rests on the right bank of the river,
roughly indicated by the bursting shrapnel. Kut, with its tall
minaret, is seen in the dark palm-grove across the river. Beyond
are the Pushtikuh Hills and the snow-capped Persian mountains.
The tall yellow column (centre) is spray from lyddite bursting in
the river.
_From a sketch made from the parapet in foreground by Herbert
Alexander, A.R.W.S._]
But the principal day of battle in the Dahra Bend was the 15th
February, and it was the date of a complete and glorious success. Quite
early the Loyal North Lancashires carried a strong point opposite our
left; then the South Wales Borderers and Welch Fusiliers captured the
enemy’s right centre, taking many prisoners; and later, about 1.30
p.m., the Buffs and the Dogras, of their brigade, took up the work. On
the occasion of occupying the forward position referred to above,
A Company of the Buffs had been detached a little distance from the
rest of the battalion and on the morning of the 15th patrols, sent
out from this company, reported that the enemy’s line in front was
strongly held. Nevertheless when the hour came, the remaining three
companies, with the good and faithful Dogras, rushed forward and
nothing could stay their onslaught. It was most successful and together
they reached the river line, isolating the Turkish extreme left and
taking one thousand prisoners, of which six hundred, together with
five machine guns, surrendered to the Buffs. Tactically this success
was of the greatest importance, for the Dahra Bend was cleared and
nothing was left but to cross and try conclusions on the left bank of
the Tigris. Our casualties were twelve men killed and 2nd Lieut. Brooke
and sixty-seven men wounded. As Sir Stanley Maude pointed out in his
despatches: “To eject the enemy from his horse-shoe bend, bristling
with trenches, and commanded from across the river on three sides by
hostile batteries and machine guns, called for offensive qualities of a
high standard on the part of the troops.” To take the army across the
river it would be necessary to keep the Turk fully occupied at Sanna i
Yat and all along the bank from there to Kut, while preparations were
made to pass the great obstacle as far to the westward as possible; so
orders were issued to Lt.-General Cobbe to attack the lines at Sanna i
Yat on the 17th.
An abnormally heavy rain fell on the 16th which flooded everything.
The river rose--the trenches in the picquet line along the river
bank, which were the temporary home of the Buffs, were swamped--the
country was half under water and it was impossible to clean up the
battlefield. Our battalion being relieved from picquet on the 18th
returned to camp at a place called Kala Haji Fahan and remained there
till the 22nd, all this time being utilized by Marshall and his men in
methodical preparations for the great crossing which was to be about
the Shumran Bend whilst Cobbe, fifteen miles away, was assaulting the
lines, in front of which he had been so long, and inducing the enemy to
believe that there was the point of danger. On the 17th he gained some
trenches, but had to withdraw, only to attack again on the 22nd, on
which date the two first trenches were taken and made secure.
Meanwhile Marshall made several feints as if to cross the stream,
particularly one opposite Kut, but the real point selected was the
south end of the Shumran Bend and there three ferries were arranged,
while the bridge was being made. The first ferry trip was a success,
but subsequent journeys were pretty strongly opposed; nevertheless by
3 p.m. on the 22nd February three battalions were established across
the river about a mile north of the site selected for the bridge, and
at 4.30 the work was ready for use. The enemy had tried more than one
counter-attack which failed, on account of the quickness and accuracy
of our artillery. The Buffs crossed about 7 p.m. on the 23rd and
bivouacked three hundred yards or so from the bank.
The enemy on the 24th made a very good fight to retain possession of,
at any rate, some portion of the Shumran peninsula, in the northern
corners of which exist quite a network of nullahs which, giving good
cover and excellent concealment for machine guns, were utilized to
their fullest extent. It took four or five hours to clear the peninsula
and push back the Turk, but it was done. The Buffs were in support
of the 67th Punjabis who were held up on the left. Together these
battalions at last made some progress, but were stopped some three
hundred yards in front of a nullah which was strongly held; the Gurkhas
attacked on the Buffs’ right, but were also stopped, and an attempted
flanking movement was of no avail. However, about 9 p.m. patrols which
had gone out as soon as it was dark reported that the enemy had
evacuated the place and the nullah was at once occupied. The Buffs’
casualties on this day were twelve men killed and Lieut. Howell and
thirty-four wounded. Meanwhile cavalry, artillery and another division
crossed the river, and Cobbe finished his task by capturing Sanna i Yat
and clearing the bank of the main stream as far as Kut.
III. PURSUIT TO BAGHDAD
On the evening of the 24th February there were clear indications that
the enemy was in full retreat and that Marshall had been fighting a
strong and well-posted rear guard. The next few days were strenuous
and energetic ones, but they were triumphant to an extraordinary
degree. Since March, 1915, the Turkish enemy in Mesopotamia had proved
a stubborn and a dogged foe. Till now he had never been badly beaten
and he had scored, to his credit, the capture of a British Field
Force at Kut. At last, however, he was on the run; and Baghdad, after
Constantinople, the principal city of his empire, as well as the main
centre of his Asiatic operations, had lost its defensive positions--so
patiently perfected and prepared, and now lay open to the advance of
the British army. But for hundreds of years there have been few better
fighting men than the Turkish soldier, and even now he proved ready to
see the thing out to a finish. He took up a strong position in some
nullahs eight miles from Shumran, and it took us severe fighting on
the 25th, in which, however, the Buffs did not take part, to gain a
footing in his line; but after that his retreat was rapid. On the 26th
one column followed the river while another, in which our battalion
was, made a forced march over the arid plain of from eighteen to twenty
miles to intercept him while the naval flotilla pushed up stream; the
Turkish vessels struggling to escape, by no means wholly with success.
All movements to intercept the retreat were too late, however: the
enemy had gone, leaving guns and all sorts of impedimenta behind him;
and he streamed through Aziziya in confusion, shelled by gunboats and
harassed by cavalry. Our pursuit was almost too rapid, the reason being
that there was at one time hope of huge captures of fugitives. These,
however, proved too quick for us, and about the 1st March it was found
necessary to halt at Aziziya because the Field Force had outstripped
their supplies. On that day the Buffs had no rations and had to obtain
leave to consume the emergency one which everybody carries, but which
is never opened except by high permission and in extreme cases.
On the 2nd March the regiment obtained some Turkish flour and a few
sheep, late in the evening, but the first supply ship arrived late that
night. Cobbe and his force had been following in Marshall’s footsteps
and found on their way immense quantities of rifles, vehicles, stores,
equipment and so on, which the enemy had abandoned in his flight.
On the 5th March, things being now a little more in order, Marshall
marched to Zeur and the Buffs marched with him, in a terrible dust
storm and over a network of nullahs. On the 6th, the dust still
continuing, a position was found to have been carefully prepared by
the enemy at Ctesiphon, but it was unoccupied and the men pushed on
to Bustan: a terrible day’s march, particularly when the weather was
taken into consideration; but fatigue and exhaustion were treated with
the light-hearted contempt of triumphant conquerors, who knew that the
object striven for so long was now within their grasp.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
ARCH AT CTESIPHON]
On the 8th March our advance guard came in contact with the enemy on
Dialah river, eight miles below Baghdad, where the country was as
flat and afforded as little cover as a billiard table. At first it
was thought that the river bank had been abandoned, but the first
pontoon that was launched was riddled with bullets from rifle and
machine guns, and it was found that the crossing must be made with
skill and care. A small party ferried across the Tigris to bring the
Turks under enfilade fire, and a lodgment was made on the far bank
of the Dialah by about seventy men of the Loyal North Lancashires,
who formed a post there and held it alone for twenty-two hours, when
they were followed up, after the river had been bridged. It was now
ascertained that on the other bank of the Tigris the enemy had taken up
a position at a place called Shawa Khan to cover Baghdad from the south
and south-west; so, on the 8th March, a bridge was made near Bawi and a
portion of Cobbe’s force (the 7th Indian Division) crossed to drive him
away from it. Prior to the building of the bridge, however, and on the
night of the 7th/8th March, the 35th Brigade, which had marched to Bawi
and reached that place about noon, crossed the river by river-boat and
barges. This proved a very difficult job as a landing-place could only
be found a mile down-stream; the barges were very difficult to load,
and the first-line transport carts had to be left behind to follow on
the first opportunity. After getting across in two trips the brigade
marched for the remainder of the night, with frequent and tiresome
halts, for it was necessary to ramp the banks of the various nullahs
which crossed the path. At length, on the 8th, however, more open
ground was reached and the troops deployed and proceeded in two lines
of platoons, the Dogras with their right on the Tigris directing the
movement; then came the Buffs, with the Ghurkas in reserve. The march
was kept up till 2 p.m., when a high-walled and extensive garden was
reached and utilized for bivouacs.
At 11 a.m. next day the journey was continued in company with the 7th
Division, which had also crossed the Tigris, and at noon our brigade
was directed to fit in between this division and the river and advance
with it and under the command of its general, the Buffs, nearest the
stream, to act as directing unit; and the battalion commander directed
A Company to hug the river and direct the whole movement. The enemy
was found and he was strongly enough entrenched, but his resistance
was somewhat feeble. His left was driven back and an attempted
counter-attack defeated by A Company. The Turks vacated their position
after dark and it was occupied by our patrols. Lieuts. Johnson and
Holyman and four men were killed and thirty-nine men wounded on this
day.
On the 10th March patrols, pushing forward, gained touch with the Turks
once more, about a mile and a half further back than their original
position. They were apparently in force, and so heavily shelled the
28th Brigade on the left of the 35th that it had to withdraw. The
patrols of the latter brigade also met with strong opposition. Orders
were issued for the Buffs to attack in the middle of the night, but
these were cancelled, as the enemy was found to have vacated his
position.
There was a good deal of jealous anxiety in the Mesopotamian Army at
this time as to which unit was to first enter the city of Baghdad, and
it seemed now that the honour must fall to some portion of Cobbe’s
force on the right bank of the Tigris. It will be remembered that the
35th Brigade, of which the Buffs was the British or white unit, was
only temporarily attached to the 7th Division of Cobbe’s Force. The
divisional general on the morning of the 10th sent round a circular
note to his units directing that the 7th Division should make sure that
they should be first into the city. By some error on the part of the
messenger (presumably) this note was also taken round to the Buffs, and
Colonel Body promptly reminded his men that they, by their position
closest to the river, were actually the nearest soldiers to Baghdad.
During the coming night the brigadier, being really much fatigued after
a strenuous day or two, was urged to take his rest, and the Buffs,
with their Indian comrades, pushing out patrols and following them
up, somehow by daylight found themselves a couple of miles further up
stream at the bend of the river opposite Garabah Island and only three
miles from the city.
That day, the 11th March, the brigade advanced to the Iron Bridge in
two lines of platoons in fours, the Buffs on the right, the 102nd
Grenadiers on the left, with the 2/4th Ghurkas and 37th Dogras in rear.
They met with no opposition, but just as the bridge was approached the
21st Brigade of the 7th Division appeared, coming up rapidly from the
westward with a view to entering the place. Now “Let all things be done
decently and in order,” as St. Paul says, and the whole party or whole
of the parties were halted at the site of the Iron Bridge at 8.35 a.m.
Then the welcome order came that the 35th Brigade was to enter the city
first, the Buffs to lead the column. The crossing was no easy matter
and was carried out by means of _goofahs_, which each contained
about twenty men. The Turkish flag was hauled down from the citadel and
the Union Jack[17] hoisted in its place by Captain G. K. Harrison of
the Buffs at 9.40 a.m.
The city of Baghdad was found to be in a most extraordinary state, and
fires were bursting out everywhere. There are no more determined and
persistent looters in the world than Arabs, and these and the Kurds
had seized the opportunity of their lives with avidity. The Turk for
the moment was too busy to protect his property, and until the English
entered the city anarchy prevailed and the thieves were in paradise,
and so it came about that our reception approached the cordial by the
regular inhabitants. Guards, prepared beforehand, were quickly mounted
and a few looters shot. The flotilla anchored opposite the British
residency. The Buffs marched through the city and bivouacked in the
compound opposite the American consulate and things soon began to quiet
down generally.
An immense amount of booty was found in Baghdad, though the enemy had
been removing stores and so on for over a fortnight; still many guns,
machine guns, rifles, ammunition, machinery and other things were left
behind, and in the arsenal were found Townsend’s guns which had been
taken at Kut, after having been rendered useless before the surrender.
The hoisting of the flag on the citadel would seem a natural point at
which to leave for a while the history of the 5th Battalion and turn
our attention to the doings of others, but Sir Stanley Maude ends his
despatch on the campaign, which included the fall of the great Turkish
city, three weeks later, on the 31st March, and, though the Buffs had
no very stirring adventures during this period, it may be as well to
finish the record for the present at the end of the month.
A junction with our Russian allies, who appeared to be advancing
from the direction of Persia, caused Maude to stretch out a hand, so
to speak, in that direction: that is, up the River Dialah. Another
matter that required arranging was that the Tigris is protected from
overflowing by means of banks (or “bunds,” as they are called), and
if the enemy cut these up stream of the city disastrous floods would
result. Another river, the Shatt el Adhaim, flows into the Tigris above
Baghdad and runs roughly parallel to the Dialah, which enters the
Tigris below the city, and on this river the enemy made attempts at a
stand. Altogether during March there was fighting on these rivers and
some gallant work was done, notably by the Manchesters on the 25th.
Taking it all round, however, further opposition on the enemy’s part
was but feeble. The most notable event of this period was perhaps
the occupation of Feluja on the Euphrates river on the 19th March,
giving the English, as it did, the control of both the great rivers of
Mesopotamia. The Buffs spent most of the latter end of March in camp
at Hinaidi, just south of Baghdad, and in the careful preparation and
excavations for a permanent camp to be occupied during the rapidly
approaching hot season.
[Illustration: VICINITY OF KUT]
CHAPTER IX
PALESTINE
I. FORMATION OF 10TH BATTALION
At the commencement of the year 1917 another battalion was added to the
Buffs and from that time onward took a very interesting and important
part in the fighting done by the regiment. The first deeds of arms
accomplished by this, the 10th Battalion, were in Egypt and Palestine,
and it may be as well to state baldly what had been happening in this
region from the commencement of the war till the end of the year 1916
and to explain then how the 10th Buffs suddenly came into existence, as
they did, on Egyptian soil on the 1st February, 1917.
As early as November, 1914, the Turk, who claimed to be the suzerain
of the Land of Egypt and had always been jealous of the practical
governorship exercised by the English, had advanced in considerable
force on the Suez Canal; and perhaps it was only the arrival in
the country, soon afterwards, of strong Australian and New Zealand
contingents which had enabled the somewhat meagre garrison to hold its
own. Even as it was the enemy had made a determined attempt to cross
the Canal in February, 1915, and only retired from its neighbourhood in
the following April.
Sir Archibald Murray was appointed to the supreme command in December,
1915, and Sollum, on the sea coast, something over two hundred
miles west of Alexandria, was occupied in March, 1916, because of a
troublesome tribe in those parts called the Senussi, who had been egged
on by our enemies to make themselves a nuisance and who had to be dealt
with. In August, 1916, the Turks had attacked at Romani, near the sea
and a few miles east of the Suez Canal, but they had been badly beaten,
and in September had withdrawn further along the coast to El Arish.
On the 21st December the British occupied El Arish and two days later
Magdhabar. They also carried the Turkish position at Rafa, near the
coast and on the frontier of Egypt and Palestine, on the 9th January,
1917. To follow up these successes and advance on Gaza was now Sir
Archibald Murray’s plan of campaign, and the army under his command was
carefully prepared and reorganized for the adventure.
There was at this time in Egypt a considerable quantity of dismounted
Yeomanry, dismounted simply because of the paucity of horses, and it
was determined to form of them the 74th Infantry Division, consisting
of the usual number of infantry brigades and infantry battalions,
and working entirely on infantry lines, excepting for certain slight
matters such as the use of trumpets instead of bugles and the like.
Every decent soldier is proud of the arm to which he belongs and which
he deliberately joined of his own free will on enlistment or enrolment,
and it is hard on him to ask him to serve in any other, but it has
sometimes to be done, and it has been proved once and again that an
Englishman of pluck, spirit and average intelligence can serve his
country and serve it well under any circumstances. In the Boer War,
for instance, thousands of foot soldiers had to take over horses and
act as mounted men. In the same campaign, after the Boers had lost
their artillery, many of our gunners were formed into battalions of
infantry. In the Great War hundreds of all arms took to fighting in
the air, and, if the navy wanted them, soldiers would man submarines
to-morrow. As a matter of fact, soldiers have in the old days served
on the fleet in the capacity of marines. It being recognized, then,
that if at any time there be a surplus of one kind of soldier and a
deficit of another, that surplus will easily be taught to fight in
other guise than he has been trained to do, the bulk of the Yeomanry
in Egypt changed on the 1st February, 1917, into infantry soldiers.
The county ideas and associations were respected as much as possible,
and so it came about that the Royal East Kent Yeomanry then at Sollum
was amalgamated with the West Kent (Q.O.) Yeomanry quartered at
Matruh, a coast town about 125 miles west of Alexandria; they became
the 10th Battalion of the Buffs, under the command of Major A. O’B.
ffrench Blake, who was appointed Lt.-Colonel in the absence, due to
sickness, of Lt.-Colonel Lord Sackville. The strength of the battalion
was 46 officers and 875 other ranks; A and B Companies were men of
the East Kent, and C and D West Kent Yeomanry. A period of intensive
infantry training now commenced. The 10th Battalion formed part of the
230th Brigade and 74th Division. The other battalions of the brigade
were made from the Sussex, Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry and became
battalions of the same county regiments.
Early in March the battalion moved to Sidi Bishr, near Alexandria, the
move taking no less than thirteen days to accomplish, and here the
battalion was equipped. Drafts of 2 officers and 140 men joined on
the 16th March and these were nearly all Buffs, no fewer than 64 with
previous war service. Thus came into being the 10th Battalion of the
“Old Buffs.”
Its earlier history is as follows: at this time the Eastern Force
under Lt.-General Sir Charles Dobell was concentrated about El Arish,
through which the railway ran, on the northern coast of the Sinai
Peninsula; whilst the Desert Column, under Lt.-General Sir P. Chetwode,
was at Sheikh Zowaid about twenty miles further up the coast towards
Palestine. This column was very strong in mounted men, and some of
them were in advance of Sheikh Zowaid covering the further construction
of the coast railway line, which was being pushed on towards Rafa, the
frontier town of Egypt and Palestine. Murray’s plan was to advance
slowly and steadily up the coast, moving troops forward just as fast
as the railway could be made to supply them. The railhead, by the 16th
March, was at Rafa, and now it became necessary to hold the great
Wadi[18] Ghuzze in order to protect what had been constructed. The
enemy occupied the ground from Gaza through Sheria to Beersheba. Though
the Buffs did not arrive on the scene of conflict at Deir el Belah till
the 11th April, it is as well to state here that in March an attempt
was made on the town of Gaza, and on the 26th of that month it was
actually enveloped; but our mounted troops could not keep the field for
want of water and had to retire across the Wadi Ghuzze while the enemy
was pouring in reinforcements from the north and north-east, so that
a second attempt met with such strong opposition that the whole force
retired over the Wadi and took up a strong defensive position.
II. SECOND BATTLE OF GAZA
The next attempt was arranged to commence on the 15th April and was to
consist of two stages: the first object being the occupation of Sheikh
Abbas and the ridge south of Gaza; then, these points being held,
careful arrangements in every detail were to be made and a supply of
water organized. Meanwhile, however, the enemy was getting stronger
every day, not only in numbers but in the development of his fortified
line. Gaza itself became a very important fortress. On the 15th April
the Buffs were ordered on outpost duty to take a line just north of
the Wadi Ghuzze, and the next day came battle orders and company
commanders went out to reconnoitre the position for the Second Battle
of Gaza.
From Sheria to Gaza is sixteen miles and the enemy was in force the
whole distance. The 52nd and 54th Divisions were told off to seize
what was known as the Abbas Ridge and the 74th (Yeomanry) Division
was detailed as General Reserve; therefore at 1.15 a.m. on the 17th
our brigade left its bivouac and reached its battle position at 4
a.m. The ridge was taken shortly after with very little opposition,
and the remainder of the day and the whole of the 18th were devoted
to consolidating what was won and preparing for further advance by
the 52nd Division on the left and the 54th on its right, which was to
be aided by a containing attack by cavalry. The work was carried out
according to plan, and the task set the troops was found to be a very
difficult one. The casualties were heavy, particularly in the case of
the 54th Division. The cavalry attacked at dawn and achieved success,
but only one brigade of the reserve (74th Division) was utilized this
day and our battalion, bivouacked in a barley field, had merely to
watch the cavalry action in progress.
As a net result of the fighting the 54th Division had advanced as far
as possible without exposing the flank which rested on the 52nd, but
the latter had found such extremely broken ground, which was occupied
by so many nests of machine guns, that its progress had been stayed and
another day’s fighting seemed to be a necessity. Orders were therefore
circulated that all ground was to be maintained with a view to the
renewal of the attack the following morning, namely, the 20th April,
but it appeared that Sir Archibald Murray changed his mind, on the
strong representation of General Dobell that the prospect of success
was not sufficient to justify the great number of casualties bound to
occur. So slow, deliberate trench warfare was decided on until more
reinforcements should arrive, and, on the 23rd, the Buffs occupied a
line in Wadi Ghuzze in the neighbourhood of Tel el Jemmi, and then
commenced a long period of trench digging saddened by the inevitable
conclusion that the great victory, which had been confidently expected
and greatly looked forward to, had failed to eventuate.
The heat was now becoming intense; that scourge of the country, the
hot Khamseen wind, was blowing, work was hard and, what was worse than
anything else, water was scarce. However, after a few days, a move was
made to Shellal and Hisea, still in the Wadi, and here more water was
found and men could indulge in a wash. For a considerable period the
digging of trenches was proceeded with, amidst all sorts of trials and
troubles: the heat grew fiercer and fiercer as the season advanced;
and, with the heat, animal life in the shape of scorpions, lice, flies,
mosquitoes and spiders flourished and multiplied exceedingly. Wadi
Nukahbir runs from near Sheikh Abbas into the great Ghuzze Wadi at
Sheikh Nebhan, and there are many tributary Wadis to Nukahbir. These
smaller nullahs received from our army the names of the tribes of
Israel in order to distinguish them, and the next move of the Buffs,
which took place on the night of the 27th May, was to the Wadi Levi,
which is close to Sheikh Abbas, and from this centre working parties
were sent out day and night to improve the front-line trenches or make
elaborate redoubts in the second line of defence. During the stay in
this Wadi the battalion suffered a good deal from sickness, there being
many cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria; also nearly everybody
developed boils and blains. It was discovered later that the dug-outs
occupied had been previously inhabited by men suffering from the more
serious complaints, but the sores were directly attributable to the
want of vegetables owing to the difficulties of transport. It has
nearly always happened in war time that septic sores have broken out
amongst the soldiers and it has always been from the same cause. Lack
of transport meant amongst many other things lack of vegetable food,
and this in its turn means corruption of the human blood.
On the 28th June, 1917, General Sir Edmund Allenby, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.,
took over from Sir Archibald Murray the supreme command of the Egyptian
Expeditionary Force, and the principal result of this was, to the
Buffs, that their long period of hard digging work was very soon
changed to one of strenuous training. On the 9th July the battalion
left Wadi Levi and marched to a reserve area, and there, after a few
days’ refitting and rest, commenced the practice by day and night of
attacks over open country together with some musketry. On the night
of the 7th August the battalion marched to the sand dunes two miles
south-west of Belah for field firing, and, after another move to the
hills above Belah, the 5th of September found the Buffs commencing to
dig again, the work being done at night at a point near where the Wadi
Ghuzze joins the sea and where sea bathing made a very welcome change
in the mode of life. Signs and tokens were at this time becoming more
and more noticeable that, as the hot summer was nearing its limit, the
new Commander-in-Chief had been arranging for some active and energetic
war business against the enemy and that a fighting period was coming
with the autumn. As a matter of fact, Allenby had early determined to
postpone his great operations till the cooler season. The Turkish front
extended from what was now the fortress of Gaza as far as Beersheba.
There were well-fortified localities all along this line, which was
thirty miles in length. This was a considerable extent to hold, but the
lateral communications were good, and help and reinforcements could
be comparatively easily brought to any particular point on the front
which might be threatened by the English.
Water was Allenby’s trouble. He could not keep the field without it
and it affected his whole plan of campaign. No stroke at all could
be effected without long and careful preparations for the necessary
supply of water, and no preparation, however careful, could make that
supply anything but a meagre one. A pipe-line 147 miles long brought
up what was actually necessary from the Land of Egypt as far as the
Wadi, whence it was camel-borne to the troops. There was, however,
water at Beersheba and the general determined that it should be his.
He would make a tremendous demonstration, in which the fleet would
co-operate, opposite Gaza and cause the enemy to believe that he was
determined to take that place. Then, while this great feint held the
Turks’ attention, he would strike resolutely at Beersheba on his other
flank. There were great difficulties in the way. There were no roads,
which meant that pack animals must carry all necessary stores, and the
country was so cut up by Wadis that even to move these camels and mules
became a very considerable difficulty. The railways were improved:
the coastal line was pushed on to Khan Yunos; another was made from
Dera Belah to a point on the Wadi Ghuzze, and a new one as far towards
Beersheba as was safe. The men were carefully trained to exist on
as little water as possible and to march with empty water-bottles.
Operations were to commence on the 31st October, and cavalry was to
make a wide turning movement and come down on Beersheba from the north
and north-east.
III. THIRD BATTLE OF GAZA
On the 25th October the march south-eastward commenced. It was carried
out by moonlight, and the fourth night brought the Buffs, together with
the bulk of the division, to El Khasif and on the night of the 30th
into their battle position. The march was a memorable one. The ground
varied but was always open, so that movement in line was easy, and the
moon was always shining. The operation seems to have been a triumph of
staff work, and all the units slipped into their allotted positions for
the attack that was to follow without a hitch of any kind. Khasif was
some six miles from the Turkish lines, and, after a quiet day there,
the 230th Brigade moved off at night and got into the places from which
it was to attack at dawn.
The following description of what followed is given by one who was
there: “We reached our jumping-off point about midnight, and at 4 a.m.
on the 31st the advance began with B and C Companies, the unit on our
right being the 25th Royal Welch Fusiliers and on the left the 12th
Norfolks. Our objective being Z.6 Z.7 works. This position consisted
of a line of trenches cut in white lime-stone rock, cleverly sited on
the forward slope of a steep gully. A communication trench ran back
into sloping ground in the rear and the wire was about seventy to one
hundred yards down the sloping front. The leading waves of B and C
Companies came under heavy shrapnel fire almost directly they started
and the battalion suffered about sixty casualties, but, by continuing
their advance and making use of the dead ground, they reached Hill 960,
which was about one thousand two hundred yards from their objective.
It became necessary to bring D Company into the line to fill a gap
caused by the brigade on the right being drawn away. About 10 a.m. the
60th Division, who were on the right of the 74th, took Point 1070,
and at 12.30 the final attack on Z.6 works was begun and, after a
fierce fight, the position was captured. An intensive bombardment had
previously been concentrated on the wire, but it was found to have been
very ineffectual. By 1.30 the outpost line had been thrown out east of
the captured positions and there the men remained for the night. It had
been a very long and trying day’s fighting in the hot sun and wearing
heavy packs and winter serges, which had been issued two days before
the advance.”
* * * * *
In this Third Battle of Gaza 9 men were killed and Lieuts. Garle,
Haughton, Hollom and Stockdale, 2nd. Lieuts. Aylward and Maddick, with
98 men, were wounded, 4 missing, 2 got shell-shock and 2 received
injuries owing to the rough nature of the ground; 122 casualties in
all. On the evening after the fight, news came that Beersheba had
fallen.
On the 1st November the battalion bivouacked in Wadi Saba and were
busied with salvage work, and on the next day at a public parade for
the presentation of medal ribands, Corpl. Webb of D Company got the
Military Medal. In the afternoon a march northward commenced, and on
the 3rd November the battalion relieved the left unit of the 229th
Brigade on outpost line in the vicinity of El Muweileh, which it held
for a day, during which a half-hearted Turkish attack was easily
repulsed and large bodies of troops were observed moving north and
north-east.
During this period the scarcity of water was very severely felt and
men and animals were suffering badly, as the Khamseen was blowing and
all water had to be carried fifteen miles by camel. The available
supply of the necessary fluid at Beersheba had been found to have been
exaggerated by report and to be inadequate to sustain for long a large
force in the field. This fact greatly influenced the Commander-in-Chief
in his plans and determined him to attack Sheria on the 4th or 5th of
November, and Gaza forty-eight hours earlier--this latter operation
being in the nature of a feint rather than a determined attempt at
capture.
At 5.30 p.m. on the 5th November, therefore, the battalion received
orders to go forward, take up an outpost line previously held by
another unit and then advance one thousand yards before dawn. There
were no landmarks in the region and no points on the map which could
be identified, and the greatest difficulty was found in complying with
instructions. A guide was supposed to be provided, but when, after some
trouble, he was found he said he only knew his way to his own brigade
headquarters and from these to the outpost line. Notwithstanding
these troubles the battalion got into position ready for the coming
advance by 3 a.m. on the 6th, but this was not the case with the
units on either flank. Finally, the Buffs started their advance, the
objective being a Turkish trench reported very lightly held, but after
proceeding about five hundred yards, they came under a tremendous fire
from a somewhat unexpected quarter. A fierce fight ensued and the
Suffolk and Sussex men were pushed up into our line to reinforce it,
with satisfactory results, and that portion of the Sheria defences
was captured, after which, while the others pushed on, the Buffs were
withdrawn into reserve in Wadi Union only to be ordered out again at
3 p.m. to fill a gap between two brigades away to the left. The pace
of the attack throughout the day had been abnormally fast and the men
suffered considerably from thirst. That evening the battalion took up
an outpost line on the Wadi Sheria, and, just before dawn, a tremendous
bombardment and explosion was heard from the town which announced that
the capture of the place was complete. The casualties to the Buffs
on the 6th November were fortunately very slight, but Lieut. R. W.
Mitchell was severely wounded and subsequently died of his injuries.
The same day the Turks evacuated Gaza.
On the 10th November the Buffs moved back to Kharm and on the 17th to
Shellal on the Wadi Ghuzze, the reason being that the transport of
the 74th and another division had to be taken away to keep the cavalry
and the 53rd Division in contact with the defeated enemy; so the
remainder of the force had to be near the railway. Lists of decorations
for Beersheba and Sheria were made public on various dates, and the
following were awarded to the Buffs: Military Crosses to Captain D.
S. Campbell and Lieuts. J. A. S. Aylward and M. G. Haughton; the
Distinguished Conduct Medal to Sgt. D. G. Turner; and Military Medals
to Sgt. L. G. Betts, L.-Corpl. W. Timmins, Ptes. C. Hughes, D. O.
Melrose, H. Scott, H. Tidcombe and G. A. Wiles. Another move on the
18th took the battalion to the neighbourhood of Gaza for salvage work,
and on the 23rd came orders for a march to the north.
The general situation, while the Buffs had been without transport at
Kharm and Gaza, had developed considerably. Although the enemy made
attempts to stand, it was necessary for his right flank to retire
rapidly from Gaza, so much so that as early as the 9th November we
had troops at Beit[19] Duras with supports at Mejdel, and as the
enemy’s left flank was retreating towards Hebron, it became a case of
direct pursuit by as many troops as could be fed and watered away from
the railhead. There existed water, but in deep wells, and it takes
much time to draw water from such. This is easily understood if one
considers the actual number of seconds or minutes it takes to draw a
bucket up two hundred feet. If that bucket is drunk by a cavalry horse
it will be found that by the time the five hundredth animal or so of a
cavalry unit is watered, the first is thirsty again. The Turkish forces
were mostly supplied by the railway that comes from the north to the
junction for the Jerusalem line, which is about nine miles south of El
Ramle, and Allenby’s object now was the capture of this junction.
About the 11th November the Turks appeared to be making a final effort
to save Jerusalem, which is a sacred city to them. The resistance
about the Wadi Sukerier was considerable and the Hebron wing of the
enemy’s forces moved towards Beit Jibrin to get more into touch with
their brethren, so that by the 13th the enemy was facing west along
the twenty-mile space between El Kubeibe and Beit Jibrin. Here they
were resolutely attacked on the 13th November and the junction was
occupied the following day, the enemy’s army being cut in two, one
part retreating north and the other east through the hills towards
Jerusalem, in which direction the Turk was energetically followed
up, all going very well until the 23rd of the month, on which date
came a check. By this time our troops, namely, those of the British
forces which could be provided for in the field, were very close to
Jerusalem, the main objective being the road to Nablus. Beit ur el
Tahta was in our hands as well as Kuryet el Enab to the south of it.
Some Yeomanry had got within four miles of the Nablus road, but were
stopped by strong opposition about Beitunia. On the 21st November a
body of infantry was on the ridge where stands Nebi Samwil, about five
miles north-west of the city. On the 23rd and 24th the Turks held a
position west of the Nablus road which was gallantly attacked by the
British, but without success. The road itself proved the deciding
factor in the struggle, because the enemy not only brought up his guns
and machine guns by it, but used it as an artillery position, whereas
our people were on very rough ground and had no road at all. And so it
came to pass that a pause in our hitherto triumphant progress became
apparently necessary. The army must be organized and preparations made
and completed for further efforts. Also reliefs must be brought up,
and thus, as has been said, the Buffs, who were as far back as the
Wadi Ghuzze, got orders to move to the north. The journey was done
by Mejdel, Nahr Sukerier, Junction Station and Latrun to Beit Nuba,
which was reached on the 29th November. The sixty-miles’ march was
accomplished in six days.
It is between the two latter places that the mountainous region
commences and marching becomes climbing, for Jerusalem stands very
high and the approaches to it are by no means a gradual ascent. At
Beit Nuba the battalion was employed on road-making to enable the guns
to move, the result of the Buffs’ labour being known as the New Kent
Road. By the 4th December Allenby had completed his final preparations
and a line was held from Kustol by Nebi Samwil Ridge, Beit Izza and
Beit Dukka to Beit ur el Tahta, the Buffs moving to Kubeibeh on the
6th December. On this day the rains broke and fell consistently and
determinedly for three days and three nights, rendering roads almost
impassable for camel transport, so that the battalion was put on
one-third rations. Observation was most difficult; the bivouacs were
soaked and comfort for the time being abolished. The morning of the 8th
December was fixed upon for the grand attack, and during the previous
night the troops moved into their positions of assembly to take their
share in the Battle of Nebi Samwil.
IV. BATTLE OF NEBI SAMWIL
The 230th Brigade was at dawn to attack some high mountains close to
Nebi Samwil: the Buffs and the Norfolks in the first line, with the
229th Brigade on the right of the Buffs. To reach the position it was
found necessary to move in single file down the slippery slopes of a
great Wadi, and this made the keeping of touch extremely difficult
and the subsequent proper deployment no simple matter. A battalion in
single file in a difficult country will tail out to almost any length.
However, all was well, the job was done and the men deployed along the
lower slopes of the great hill, C Company on the right and A Company on
the left--the ground in their front being almost precipitous. However,
the first wave of troops got half-way up the slope before the dawn
broke and the Turk took in the situation. Then he opened heavily with
machine guns and snipers, both very well concealed. C Company being a
good deal exposed, suffered somewhat severely; but A Company was fairly
well covered by a spur, and the 229th Brigade on the Buffs’ right was
still more fortunate and was able to push on more rapidly, so that the
enemy, fearful for his flank, withdrew and our people successfully
occupied his trenches. No further advance was now possible for some
hours, as a tremendous fire was brought to bear against the assailants.
An attempt was made before dark, as it was incorrectly reported that
the left flank of the brigade was secured by a successful advance of
the 231st Brigade, but this force had in reality failed to clear the
whole of the hill, and consequently the renewed attack of the 230th was
held up till dusk by a sweeping machine-gun fire. A miserable night
was the sequel of this fight: practically no rations, and pouring
rain. In the morning the Sussex Regiment moved through the Buffs and
continued the advance, only to find that the enemy had abandoned the
place during the night. This manœuvre seems to have been a favourite
one of the Turkish forces both in Palestine and Mesopotamia and one
at which they were adepts. At the top of the hill the British troops
got their first view of Jerusalem. By this time the London troops and
the Yeomanry had got across the Nablus road four miles north of the
city, and Welshmen were across the Jericho road to the east of the
town. Jerusalem was isolated; and about noon on the 9th December the
Holy City surrendered. Two days later Sir Edmund Allenby officially
entered the place. The casualties of the Buffs at Jerusalem were 14
men killed and 1 officer and 42 other ranks wounded. Directly after
the fall of Jerusalem, while at Beit Iksa, the 230th Brigade lost its
commander, General McNeill, who was taken to hospital with malaria.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
GENERAL ALLENBY ENTERS JERUSALEM]
On the 13th December the Buffs took over the outpost line between
Nebi Samwil and Beit Hannina, and this period will be difficult to
obliterate from the memories of those who were serving, because the
advance of the armies had now far outstripped that of the railway line
and by this time the winter rains had set in in earnest. The Wadis,
which were practically the only means of communication, were streaming
with mud and water, making the country in the vicinity impossible for
camel transport, with the immediate result that food grew very scarce
and the soldier had to exist on half rations, while tobacco, cigarettes
and matches ran out altogether. The state of things is thus described
by a member of the regiment: “Only those who have been through it could
realize the awful days and nights which the transport men and camels
spent trying to get up ammunition and supplies. The camels falling down
at every turn and preferring to die rather than get up again, while
the natives in charge of them wrapped themselves in their blankets and
howled through the night like a pack of dogs, and many of these too
died.” Donkeys were tried, but without much success. The donkey is a
very hardy beast, but the majority of these came from the warmer parts
of Egypt and they did not thrive.
The military situation in Palestine after Jerusalem became ours was
simply that the portion of the Turkish army, which had retreated
northwards after our capture of the junction railway station, was
now halted on the hills north of Jaffa and Ramle, faced by our 21st
Corps, while the 20th Corps held a position covering the Nablus and
Jericho roads about four miles to the northward and eastward of the
city. To provide for the security of Jerusalem and of Jaffa it was
necessary for these two army corps to advance, and, to enable such
an advance to be successfully carried out, it was necessary first
to undertake an abnormal amount of road-making as well as to make
important arrangements for the organization of the supply of food,
ammunition and all the various military requisites. The 21st Corps
moved north and, supported by the fleet, crossed the Nahr el Auja
north of Jaffa--a difficult job, well carried out. The 20th Corps was
employed meanwhile in minor operations. Thus on the 18th December the
60th Division, on the right of the 230th Brigade of the 74th, attempted
an advance, and at 6.15 a.m. A Company of the Buffs went out in support
of the movement; but the thing was a failure, the Turk having evidently
been quite aware of what was going forward and having made all due
preparations; in fact, A Company had some difficulty in withdrawing,
but happily the casualties were light. But road-making was the usual
fate of the Buffs at this time and the men had long since become
experts at the business. There was no work done on Christmas Day, but
up till then the roads claimed much labour. The 25th itself was one of
the wettest days yet experienced and there were only half rations; but
singing seems to have kept the soldier from feeling his hardships too
acutely, and Boxing Day saw the Buffs in the outpost line again.
V. DEFENCE OF JERUSALEM
Now at this time the enemy had conceived it possible that on account
of our supposed despair at the shortage of rations and difficulty
of transport it would be possible by a resolute attack to recover
possession of Jerusalem, which is a place as sacred to Mahommedans as
it is to Jews or Christians, and so, on the night of the 26th/27th
December, John Turk marched resolutely southwards, astride the Nablus
road, until he came up against the 60th Division, who refused to make
way, and the enemy soon found himself resolutely counter-attacked by
the 10th Irish Division, which was on the left of the 20th Corps.
The struggle lasted three days, for the enemy also attacked the 53rd
Division to the east of Jerusalem, and it was quite evident that the
operation was not a minor affair by any means, but had been carefully
prepared and planned out and was being determinedly attempted. By noon
on the 27th, however, the great counter-attack made by the 74th and
10th Divisions, which was launched at 6.30 a.m., had made itself felt,
and on the following day, this counter-offensive continuing, the 230th
Brigade, Buffs included, of course, was pushed up the centre of the
line towards Ram Allah. Fortunately the day was fine and dry. At first
this forward movement took the Buffs up the valley and the battalion
was in artillery formation, but, later on, broken and rocky ground was
experienced again until there came a rest as darkness fell, and the men
sat down and made preparations for some food. Very soon, however, came
orders to advance in line on Ram Allah, taking direction from the 60th
Division on the right. The companies were somewhat scattered, and in
the stony country with a night as black as pitch it was a terrible job
for the runners to discover the several companies and for them to come
back into touch with battalion headquarters. There were no paths or
tracks and the map was useless. As one who was out that night remarked,
“If you take a line to march on and then bark your shin on a rock,
next have to circumvent a boulder and immediately afterwards fall into
a bog, you are apt to lose your direction.” The Buffs stumbled about
till they reached a large marshy valley, where they came across the
Royal Sussex and learnt that the division was resting close by with no
intention of going on to Ram Allah that night; so an outpost line was
thrown out and the men lay down till dawn. About 8 o’clock next morning
an advance was made straight across a most tremendous country of vine
terraces and walls, and, with but little opposition, A and D Companies
got into the town, a filthy place on the brink of another precipice.
On the top of the hill opposite to it the Turks had several machine
guns and snipers posted and they now began to show some activity, the
Sussex Regiment coming under a fairly heavy fire, so that B Company was
held in readiness to go to their aid, while C and A Companies took post
along the front of the village overlooking the precipice. That night
was as black as the former, and a line of advance allotted to the Buffs
was so precipitous that the battalion formation was bound to get into
some sort of confusion, though every effort was made to keep touch with
the companies and with other units. Opposition had died away, however,
and so ultimately a new outpost line was taken up with the Suffolk
Regiment on the Buffs’ left, and here the regiment remained for several
days. The weather was terribly wet at this time and the ground so
saturated as to be almost impassable for mules.
The Jerusalem-Jaffa road was now in our hands and was the principal
lateral communication. General Allenby now decided that no further
advance was possible or necessary for the present and that his next
task was to drive the enemy over the Jordan. The outpost line referred
to above was relieved on the 3rd January, 1918, and the Buffs went
back to Beit Izza and Beit Likia, the rain still continuing with fury
and the shortage of rations proving still a considerable hardship. The
10th Irish Division had commenced making a new road to supply the front
line and save to some degree the permanent Latrun-Jerusalem one. This
engineering work was called, out of compliment to that division, the
Irish Road, and it now became the scene for some weeks of the Buffs’
activities. The battalion began work on it on the 9th January near Beit
Sirra, and it was not till the 7th March that it took over an outpost
line, this time in front of Lake Balua. This period of labour was
lightened on the 18th January by a parade for the distribution of medal
ribbands, on which occasion Sgt. Turner got the D.C.M., and Ptes. Kite,
C. W. Scott and Betts the Military Medal.
The above-mentioned move was in reality a very complete change from
two months’ heavy work to real soldiering again, even if it were only
infantry soldiering, as the gallant Yeoman of Kent may possibly have
put it. A patrol of B Company advancing from this outpost line found
Yebrud occupied by Turkish snipers and the battalion got orders to
occupy the village by midnight, but it was found to be so strongly held
that the reserve companies had to be absorbed into the line to support
the attack, and it was not till 8 a.m. on the 9th that the place was
occupied and a new outpost line on Burj Bardawile taken up. 2nd Lieut.
F. W. H. Cooper was killed in this affair and Captain Ponsonby and
seven other ranks wounded. Next day the advance continued, the country
getting worse and worse, but more positions were taken in the evening,
A and B Companies having a climb of three and a half hours before
the Turkish trenches and sangars, perched on the forward slope of a
precipice, were theirs. Eight other ranks were wounded. The Buffs were
now three thousand feet up, and it was bitterly cold and wet. Moreover,
the old ration and supply difficulty became once more acute; the stuff
could only be got to the foot of the precipice on which the men were,
and then the tired soldiers, after a heavy day’s work, had to scramble
down to fetch it. On the 11th March El Tel was occupied, which meant
another very stiff climb. After this road-making south-east of El Tel
and on the Nablus road was resumed, and outpost work near Turmus Aya.
A very good piece of patrol work is recorded during this period. It
was carried out by Lieut. Barnard of the Buffs and a few of his men on
the 1st April. These men met an enemy’s patrol and promptly charged
them with the bayonet, though the enemy were backed by machine guns.
The Buff party killed three Turks and had one of their number slightly
wounded.
On the 21st March, 1918, the Germans, who had now been freed from all
anxiety as regards Russia, commenced in France their last stupendous
effort for victory and were so far successful that all troops that
could possibly be spared from other theatres of war were hurried to
the rescue of our Western front. For this reason it came to pass that
early in April it was decided that the 74th Division must be taken from
the Egyptian Force, in which it had served one year, and be shipped
off to Europe, where it was grievously needed. On the 8th of this
month, therefore, the march to the railhead at Ludd commenced, the
Buffs moving by Beitunia and Beit Sirra. On the 13th they entrained for
Kantara, and on the 28th left that place for Alexandria and for France.
[Illustration: SOUTHERN PALESTINE]
CHAPTER X
THE WESTERN FRONT
(_November, 1916, to July, 1917_)
I. SUMMARY OF EVENTS
As has been seen, both Baghdad and Jerusalem fell to British arms
during the year 1917, but other mighty events of war were happening on
the various fronts, and, while England was knocking out the Turk with
her left hand, so to speak, she was still engaged in a furious fight
against Germany on the Western front with her right, in conjunction, of
course, with her faithful allies. Moreover, other things happened in
1917 which very materially influenced the course of the great struggle.
The two most important events were the coming in of the United States
of America and the dropping out of the Russians.
On the 1st February, 1917, Germany very foolishly declared unrestricted
submarine warfare: that is, she issued a notice that, within what
she was pleased to lay down as a War Zone, she intended to sink both
combatant and neutral shipping at sight. This directly brought her into
a state of war, which was declared on the 6th April, with America, and
the first American contingent landed in France on the 25th June, and
on the 27th October infantry and artillery belonging to that nation
were actually in action. Of course, the armies from across the Atlantic
were at first very small, like our own had been in 1914, but, like the
British forces, they swelled with rapidity.
On the 12th March of this year of 1917 a revolution started in Russia
and three days later the Czar abdicated. Notwithstanding this,
however, the Russians, under General Brusilov, commenced a determined
offensive in Galicia, which was at first successful, but which
soon died away. On the 21st October the new government practically
determined on peace, though there was a mutual agreement between the
three countries of England, France and Russia that no one of them would
make peace without the other two. These kinds of arrangements, however,
did not affect the new rulers very much, and, on the 22nd November,
Lenin authorized the troops at the front to negotiate for cessation
of hostilities, and next day he started to work to disband the army.
Preliminaries being signed with the enemy at Brest Litovsk on the 5th
December, it became actually necessary for Rumania to follow suit. On
the 21st June the Order of the British Empire was established.
At the end of October our friends the Italians were suffering disaster
at the hands of the Austrians, and early in November a British force
had to be sent to their assistance.
II. THE 7TH BATTALION--THE ANCRE
Meanwhile war went on steadily in France and Belgium, and the 1st, 6th,
7th and 8th Battalions of the Buffs were all there and taking part; so
we must now take up their history from the 18th November, 1916, which
is the date Sir Douglas Haig assigns as marking the close of that
lengthy struggle called the Battle of the Somme. Of the units mentioned
above, the 7th was the first to participate in a general action, for
it must be understood that fighting in the neighbourhood of the Somme
and the Ancre rivers by no means ended on the fixed date mentioned;
in fact, our 7th found itself in the thick of a fierce battle on the
18th November itself. Sir Douglas Haig, in describing his plans for
the winter, makes it clear that it was desirable to allow the enemy
no respite during the cold season, and he tells us why he resolved to
keep up as much offensive work in the neighbourhood of the River Ancre
as the weather and the state of the ground would allow. In fact, the
German was to have no rest until the new spring offensive was brought
into being, and further operations on the Ancre, as well as many minor
enterprises and raids, were organized to annoy him while, at the same
time, all troops that could be spared from actual touch with the enemy
were to undergo a period of training and refitting as well as the
rest they so much required; for after all rest is only a change of
occupation, just as in civil life a man who daily fatigues his body
rests in a long chair under a tree; so an office man, sedentarily
employed, rests himself on a holiday by a game of cricket or football.
To get back to the history of the 7th Battalion, then, it was on the
16th November that it received a message from its brigadier that
operations might recommence on the following day, and, together with
the 7th Queen’s, it went into trenches in relief of the Cheshire and
Welch Regiments, and on that date 2nd Lieut. I. H. Hess and two men
were killed and six wounded. Near Mouquet Farm and stretching eastwards
from the village of Grandcourt was a trench of the same name, and about
five hundred yards south of it, also stretching east from the southern
edge of Grandcourt, and covering the village of Miraumont, lay a long
trench line called Desiré; both these were occupied by Germans. Facing
Desiré trench, about six hundred yards from it and nearly parallel,
ran the English line called Regina, and in it had been for some few
days the East Surrey and West Kent Regiments. The line was prolonged
to the left by the Queen’s and Buffs on the 17th November, so it came
about that on the morning of the 18th, on which day Desiré was to be
assaulted, the ground was new to these two regiments. Behind Regina
was Hessian trench, and Zollern trench was behind that again. The
ground was very difficult to move over and it was snowing when the
attack began at 6.10 a.m. The enemy opened fire almost at once, and at
6.45 his barrage was intense. No news from the assaulting companies
could be got at the Buffs’ headquarters and several runners were killed
in trying to obtain information; but at last the officer commanding
the Queen’s sent news that the Buffs and Queen’s were in touch and
that they were consolidating. It was, however, only at 6.30 p.m. on
the 19th that the whole of the original objective of the Buffs was
secured by the help of D Company (Captain Wood). The ground over which
the original attack had passed was now examined and the secret of the
heavy casualties discovered: it was found that in front of A Company,
particularly opposite its right flank, a number of shell holes about
thirty yards the English side of Desiré had been improved by the enemy
into most excellent cover and connected backwards to their trenches by
well-constructed narrow slits or passages. The Germans had remained
covered in this place till our barrage lifted over it and then come to
life again, so to speak, and opened quite unexpected and very deadly
fire on every living man who approached. Captain Dyson was killed, and
there remained but one unwounded soldier of A Company. The 7th Buffs’
casualty list for this Battle of the Ancre amounted to 3 officers
killed, 4 wounded and 1 missing, and 23 other ranks killed, 76 wounded
and 124 missing.
A discovery was made by Captain Wood on the evening of the 19th which,
to the disgrace of our enemies be it written, was practically unique in
the history of the war. He found an officer, several men of A Company
and two of the West Kent all severely wounded in a dug-out in Desiré
trench; they had been carried in by the enemy and had been bound up
and treated well by them.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
SCENE ON THE ANCRE]
III. 7TH BATTALION--_continued_
The next important general action in which the regiment was engaged
was the Battle of Arras, which commenced on the 9th April, 1917, and
in which it was represented by its 6th Battalion. The story of the
1st, 6th, 7th and 8th up to that date is consequently not so full
of incident as some other periods, though casualties continued to
occur. For the purposes of continuity, however, it will be as well to
consider a brief account of the doings of each, remembering that Haig
had decreed that the enemy was to have no rest prior to our spring
offensive, which offensive commenced with the said Battle of Arras.
Regular and continuous training for this offensive was, however, to
be the key-note for the winter work of our people. As regards the 7th
Battalion a rest was imperative; it was weak in numbers and much war
worn, and so it, with its brigade, moved away westwards, at first by
bus to Hartonville and then by march route to Candas Beaumetz and
Marcheville, which latter village it reached on the 27th December and
where it remained till the 14th January, 1917, receiving seven new 2nd
lieutenants and a draft of no less than 315 men. On the latter date
the unit moved to Hautevillers. About six weeks were very well spent
in training and refitting in this, the Abbeville district, and the
good work done at this time, together with the arrival of excellent
drafts and several capable officers, resulted in the reproduction of a
very fine battalion. It was on the 11th January that the brigade began
moving towards Albert again, billeting in the wayside villages each
night, reaching Hedauville, which is about three miles north-west of
Albert, on the 16th and remaining there for nearly a month, which was
mostly employed in road-making.
On the night of the 11th February the 55th Brigade relieved the 54th in
the trenches near Martinsart and for a few days were near Mouquet Farm
and the Zollern trench again. 2nd Lieut. Butler was wounded on the 22nd
February.
Although the winter was supposed to be mainly a preparation for a
spring campaign, both the enemy and our people had been fairly busy
ever since the close of the Somme fighting. The Germans, who still
held three lines of defence about the Ancre river, had been busy
establishing a strong fortified position called the Hindenburg Line,
which, starting from the old lines near Arras, ran south-eastward for
twelve miles to Queant and from there west of Cambrai towards St.
Quentin; and this line was connected up with various switches. By means
of continuous offensive work our armies had gradually gained certain
positions about Grandcourt, and the spur which runs northward from
Courcelette towards Miraumont, which gave complete command over the
enemy’s artillery in the upper valley of the Ancre and his defences
about Pys and Miraumont.
On the 23rd February the 7th Buffs took over the advanced line from the
7th Royal West Kent, C Company being on the right front with D on the
left; A right support, B left support; headquarters in Boom ravine.
This relief was carried out by daylight and in full view of the enemy
from the neighbourhood of Loupart Wood, the consequence being that our
men were shelled as they went up and twenty casualties resulted.
It was thought probable about this time that the enemy was withdrawing,
and when the West Kent were relieved they reported signs of a
retirement, so, when night fell, the Buffs were ordered to send out
patrols along the road leading north-east towards South Miraumont
Trench until touch was gained with the enemy, to find out whether
that work had been evacuated and, if so, to occupy it. The darkness
was intense and movement most difficult, but D Company found the
South Miraumont Trench deserted and, in conjunction with a company of
the Queen’s, established posts there. When daylight came C Company,
assisted by A, commenced a complete reconnaissance which was most
admirably carried out under Captain Clapperton of C Company, who, with
Lieut. Hayfield, 2nd Lieuts. Mathias and Church and Captain Row, did
some skilful and useful work. They found Petit Miraumont abandoned by
the enemy, and by evening it was ascertained that Pys and Miraumont had
also been evacuated. When night had again fallen (on the 24th February)
a line was established running along the East Miraumont road as far as
the railway where it passes the village, and this was held by A Company
(Captain Allen) on the right, and C (Captain Clapperton) on the left.
On the 25th news came that the 2nd and 63rd Divisions were about to
advance, one on either side of the 35th Brigade, who prepared to go
forward in their company with the Buffs in front. There was a very
thick fog, and the task of collecting the scattered companies was thus
rendered a most difficult one, but the work was well and comparatively
quickly accomplished and the advance successfully carried out. A
Company covered the advance with patrols while D moved on Pys with the
near edge of Irles as an objective. C Company moved with its left on
the railway, B being held in reserve on the East Miraumont road. The
fog was so dense that compasses had to be used, but, notwithstanding
all difficulties, the several parties all reached their objectives and
gained touch inwards. D had to throw back its right flank to join with
the 2nd Division, which came up much slower. This company was admirably
handled by Captain Wood, but this is also true of all the company and
platoon leaders. In the course of the afternoon the positions gained
were consolidated under a certain amount of shelling and machine-gun
fire from Irles and a position east of Pys. That evening the battalion
was relieved by the 7th Queen’s and went back to the Zollern Redoubt,
after placing to its credit a very fine piece of work.
The early part of March was spent in the same area, that is between
the Zollern Redoubt and Miraumont, but no event of great importance
to the Buffs occurred, though indications were at this time being
observed by the staff of a coming German withdrawal, and on the 14th
March any doubts as to the truth of this conjecture were dissolved and
three days later a general advance of our whole line from Roye in the
south to just south of Arras took place. The enemy had retreated to his
Hindenburg Line. Unfortunately he could not be properly pursued: our
people were travelling over devastated country and smashed and broken
roads, bridges and communications, while the German had of course kept
everything of that sort in his rear in perfect order.
The 55th Brigade, with the Buffs, moved away from the district
altogether, commencing the journey on the 21st March by marching ten
miles to the south-west and billeting at Harponville. On the 25th
they entrained at Saleux for the First Army area, detraining next
day at Steenbecque, south-west of Hazebrouck, and thence marching to
billets at Boeseghem, in which vicinity the battalion remained for a
considerable time, undergoing the usual course of training.
On the 8th April the brigade paraded for the presentation of medal
ribbons, on which occasion Lieut. Hayfield received a bar to his M.C.,
and Captain Wood, 2nd Lieuts. Church, Mathias and Cotching the ribbon
of that decoration. The special training period continued at Boeseghem
until the 20th of the month, on which day the brigade moved by route
march through Bethune to La Bourse; back to Bethune on the 26th, and
finally reached Neuville Vitasse and went into reserve trenches on the
28th. Neuville Vitasse is between four and five miles to the south of
Arras and nearly the same distance from the village of Cherisy.
On the 1st May the battalion took its place in the front-line and
support trenches: A and B Companies relieving the Queen’s, and the
other two companies the Royal West Kent.
IV. 1ST BATTALION
We left the 1st Battalion at Bethune and the trenches in that vicinity.
Though casualties were not uncommon, the 1st December, 1916, was rather
a worse day than most: on that date L.-Corpl. Willey was killed and
ten men wounded, while Pte. Tattersall and 2nd Lieut. Kingham went
down with shell-shock. On the 20th of the month the Buffs got back to
Bethune with a casualty list for the first twenty days of the month of
no less than 12 killed (including C.S.M. Freemen), 31 wounded and 2
shell-shock cases. On the 24th pleasant Christmas gifts in the shape
of decoration ribbons were handed at Bethune to Captain Brown, C.S.M.
Randall, L.-Corpls. Ashdown and Baines and Pte. Higgins.
The beginning of 1917 brought no change except slight ones in the way
of locality, such as a move into huts at Noyelles on the 9th January
and change of trenches. There came a list of mentions in despatches
near the middle of this month, and the names of Lt.-Colonel Green,
Captain Stone, 2nd Lieut. Ford, R.S.M. Harrington and C.Q.M.S. Poole
were included. On the 3rd February C.S.M. Brown, D.C.M., was appointed
Actg. R.S.M. vice Harrington, who went to a cadet school.[20] On the
12th February the battalion was inspected by Sir Douglas Haig. On
the 15th it retired into billets at Robecq, some seven miles further
back than Bethune. The fortnight spent there was passed in strict
professional training for four hours from 8.30 a.m., and equally strict
recreation in the form of cross-country running, boxing and football in
the afternoon.
March brought no relief from the almost daily tale of casualties. On
the 1st of the month headquarters were in the village of Loos, with the
men in the trenches; and by the 17th 2nd Lieut. S. Major and 10 others
had been killed and 35 wounded. On the 18th the enemy carried out a
raid on our trenches and succeeded in getting a footing in them, but
after a short time was ejected leaving 7 dead; but we lost 2nd Lieut.
H. M. Norsworthy and 10 men killed, 2nd Lieut. Hughes and 24 wounded,
besides 8 missing. This raid seemed to have had the effect of raising
and fostering a very firm determination on the part of the Buffs to get
“a bit of their own back,” and on the last day but one of March a party
consisting of Captain Strauss, 2nd Lieuts. Brown, Davis and Griffiths
and a hundred rank and file carried out a successful raid on the German
front and support works, blowing up several dug-outs and bringing back
a prisoner and many trophies. Four of our fellows, however, were killed
and four more died of wounds. 2nd Lieut. Griffith and 29 men were
wounded, and 2nd Lieut. P. W. T. Davis and 7 others originally reported
missing, were afterwards found to have been killed in the action. It
was estimated that about 200 of the enemy were slain during this little
expedition.
On the 1st April the battalion was in support in Loos village,
remaining there seven days, when a return to the trenches was made,
and here the 1st Battalion was still serving when the Battle of Arras
opened on the 9th.
V. 8TH BATTALION
For the most of this period our 8th Battalion were near neighbours of
the 1st, and indeed there were at times meetings between them. On the
18th November it was at Mazingarbe, only three miles west of Loos,
taking its usual trench tours in the “Bis” section. On the 21st Captain
Vaughan was evacuated sick after serving continuously since the unit
arrived in France, and leaving only Lieut. Herapath with this record.
It is interesting to note that, on the 24th and again on the 20th
December, the 1st and 8th Battalions met in combat on the football
ground, the former proving on each occasion too strong. As they were
due in the trenches again on the 22nd December the men kept Christmas
at Mazingarbe on the 20th of the month with great festivity, some of
the 1st Battalion officers dining with those of the 8th. The trenches
were much knocked about by the enemy during the Christmas tour of work,
so much so that the front line almost ceased to exist.
The new year found the 8th in what was called the Village Line, and the
German started the New Year with a heavy dose of gas and lachrimatory
shells, and on the 5th January an extensive raid. Fine work was done
by 2nd Lieut. Darling, who organized and led bombing squads with great
success; by Captain Morley, who, with three men, held a bombing post
although completely surrounded and cut off; and by Pte. Setterfield,
who, being company runner, killed three of the enemy and rescued one
of our own people, while carrying messages. Two days after this fight
the unit moved back to billets in Mazingarbe for training work, the
monotony of which was lightened by regular football.
After another turn at trench warfare a raiding party of 4 officers
and 120 other ranks on the 26th January, all clad in white smocks on
account of the snow, and acting in conjunction with the 12th Battalion
Royal Fusiliers, started at 6.30 a.m. for the German trenches. The
result of this expedition was very satisfactory and was the cause of
great elation to the men. Heavy casualties were inflicted and several
dug-outs were blown in. The wire had been well cut by the gunners and
the enemy’s resistance did not prove very considerable, but 2nd Lieut.
R. G. Phillips was killed and fourteen men were wounded. Unfortunately
most of the Germans were in dug-outs and could not be extracted.
The battalion was in the front-line trenches from the 30th till the
6th February. It was what might be termed a normal tour, but very
cold. In fact, the winter of 1916–1917 was almost a record for bitter
and continuous frosts. The next turn in the rest areas was from the
7th February to the 2nd March, first at Mazingarbe and then at Nœux
les Mines, a little further west. The time was, of course, devoted to
training, and in addition to that work, done under divisional auspices,
special practice was given to 125 picked men as a preliminary to
another raiding expedition. On the 14th February 2nd Lieuts. Sankey and
Darling were awarded M.C.’s for the recent successful little operation.
The battalion came up to the strength of 1056 about this time owing
to the arrival of a draft on the 21st and the fact that a number
of instructors who had been lent to a training battalion, recently
organized, returned now to their own unit. By the end of the month
everybody was well prepared and equipped and very ready for whatever
might befall.
The 2nd March saw the brigade in a new trench line called “Angres,”
taken over from Canadian troops; and a week later it was at Bully
Grenay, three miles west of Loos; but the inhabitants were still in
the place--children and all. It was wonderful how bravely the French
peasants throughout the war stuck to their homes near the firing line,
regardless of roofs broken by shells and the constant danger of being
blown to atoms.
Bully Grenay was, on the 5th April, so heavily shelled that three
companies had to leave the place and the fourth go into the cellars.
2nd Lieut. W. L. Donelan was killed in his billet. Gas shells also came
over and one or two N.C.O.’s were badly gassed. Concerts, however,
which had been arranged for certain dates early in the month, were not
interfered with or postponed. The alternating process of trench work
and so-called rest in billets, roughly week and week about, had been
going on for a considerable time and, in fact, described the life of
the unit during the early part of 1917.
On the 27th March a special party of 125 men of A Company got into
position at 3.30 a.m. Captain Morrell took post in the front line, and
2nd Lieut. Young and party moved across No Man’s Land opposite the
place known as “The Pope’s Nose.” The men moved forward under a perfect
barrage, just as dawn was breaking; but owing to the imperfect light
the two parties converged on entering the enemy’s lines and a certain
amount of confusion ensued. However, no enemy was encountered, though
the left party proceeded some way down the communication trench. A
dug-out was blown in. The Germans retaliated in a half-hearted sort of
way and we had a man killed and two wounded.
On the 8th April our artillery bombardment on Vimy Ridge was very
active and continuous, and reached its maximum about 5.30 a.m. the
following day, which was to the battalion a more exciting one than
can well be imagined by those who have never seen the like; for it
falls to the lot of few soldiers to observe any fighting--that is to
say, fighting not in their very immediate vicinity: the Canadians were
attacking, and our men could tell by the way our barrage was creeping
steadily forward that they were gaining their objective. The Battle
of Vimy Ridge was in progress and the Buffs were watching, as if at a
theatre, while the men of Canada gave a display.
VI. 6TH BATTALION--ARRAS AND THE SCARPE
On the date chosen by Haig to define the end of the Battle of the Somme
the 6th Battalion of the Buffs were at Beaumetz in the Arras district,
and the rest of 1916 was spent in that vicinity and passed without
incident. Roughly speaking, one week the battalion was in trenches and
the next week out; but on the 17th December a move was made to Sombrin,
a few miles west of Beaumetz, for a quiet period of rest, if arduous
work at parades for a new method of attack, bombing, the use of rifle
grenades, musketry, bayonet fighting and physical training can be
called quiet rest. These military exercises were, however, interspersed
with the usual football and other manly relaxations, and, as usual,
Christmas occurred on the 25th December.
On the 9th January, 1917, the battalion being still at Sombrin, the
New Year honours list was read, and the following found themselves
mentioned in despatches: Captains Hunter, Page, M.C., and Ward and
Sgt. Brown. Lieut. and Qr.-Master Linwood was granted the higher
rate of pay. Two days afterwards came a most gratifying inspection
by the G.O.C. 12th Division, who highly complimented the battalion
on its smart and soldierly appearance. This was the occasion of the
presentation of the following awards: bar to Military Medal, Sgt.
Setterfield; Military Crosses to C.S.M.’s Harrison and Maxted; Military
Medals to Sgts. Callaghan, Knight and Ross, Corpls. Alexander and
Richards, L.-Corpls. Ielden and Millington and Pte. Miller. On the
13th January the battalion left for Arras in buses and went into the
trenches in the bitter cold weather which prevailed at this time in
France.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
WINTER ON THE WESTERN FRONT]
Up till the end of March the normal routine obtained. The billets were
at different times in Montenescourt, Noyellette, Givenchy le Noble,
Agnez Duisans and Lattre St. Quentin, all of which places are close to
the westward of Arras except Givency le Noble, which is about fifteen
miles away and where some special instruction in practice trenches was
given.
On the 10th March 20 officers and 650 men, under Lt.-Colonel Cope, left
Agnez Duisans for Arras for work under the orders of the 35th Brigade,
the remainder of the battalion remaining at Agnez Duisans under Major
Smeltzer. Arras was very considerably shelled at this time and a great
deal of work was being done in the town constructing new caves and
greatly enlarging existing ones. These were to be the assembly places
for thousands of troops prior to the great contemplated attack, as well
as a refuge for those inhabitants who had not left the city. Electric
light was installed in these caves and cellars, which were linked
together by tunnels and the whole connected by long subways with our
trench system east of the town. On the 5th April, our 6th Battalion
being then in Arras, a heavy bombardment of the German trenches
commenced, as well as other preparations for Sir Douglas Haig’s spring
offensive. This was the most prolonged and most furious artillery that
had as yet been possible during the war.
On the 9th of the month the Battle of Arras commenced. The brigade was
all formed up in the reserve trenches by 3.30 a.m. The 6th Queen’s
were in first line on the right and the 7th East Surrey on the left.
The 13th Liverpool Regiment of the division was on the right of the
Queen’s, who had the Buffs in support; while the 6th Royal West Kent
supported the East Surreys. At 5.30, the zero hour, the guns opened
an intensive fire on the German lines and at the same time the whole
moved forward to the attack in artillery formation. The Buffs had C
Company on the right and D on the left, with A, plus one and a half
platoons of B, as right support, and the remainder of B left support.
After passing through the Queen’s the first objective (Black Line) was
reached and quickly captured by the Buffs, without much loss. A two
hours’ bombardment of the enemy’s second system of trenches (Blue Line)
followed, and then the barrage lifted and the advance was resumed. More
opposition was now encountered, snipers and machine guns being active
on both flanks. After some stiff hand-to-hand fighting D Company was
able to get round to the flank and, by overcoming concealed machine
guns, which the enemy had pushed forward into shell holes, reached and
captured the point on the Blue Line which was its objective. C Company
on the right was troubled by enfilade machine-gun fire operating on its
right flank from the ruins of Estaminet Corner. By means of Lewis-gun
fire and rifle grenading, however, these were eventually silenced and
the company enabled to proceed. Then the Blue Line was consolidated,
Lewis guns pushed forward and strong points dug. At 2.18 p.m. the 35th
Brigade came up, passed through the 37th and pushed on to the final
objective. The whole attack made on this day was entirely successful,
even more so than was expected. Great numbers of prisoners, machine
guns, field guns and material fell to the Buffs. All objectives
were seized and consolidated and advance parties sent forward. By
the afternoon no enemy was to be found except dead or prisoners in
the “cages” or wired-in enclosures erected for the captured. On the
10th the cavalry went through and reached Monchy le Preux, where the
battalion followed that night, having lost during the whole first
Battle of the Scarpe 2nd Lieuts. R. G. K. Money and T. W. Buss and 23
men killed; Captain Gordon, 2nd Lieuts. Wilks, Good, Figgis, Thornley,
Squire and Baldwin, and 149 men wounded, with 18 missing.
The Buffs were relieved on the 11th and went back into the old German
lines, spending the day in clearing up the battlefield, burying the
dead, forming dumps of tools and wire; after moving forward to the
Brown Line they were informed that the brigade would have to relieve
the 37th Division and part of the cavalry brigade before Monchy. Owing
to perfectly blinding snow and as no guides were available for the
Buffs or East Surrey, these two battalions had, however, to remain
where they were while the Queen’s and West Kent, who got guides given
them, went up into the new line. The next day the Buffs were standing
by in readiness to proceed to Monchy, a German counter-attack being
expected, but they were relieved at nightfall by the 29th Division and
marched back by the Cambrai road to the caves in Arras. On the 14th
they left that ruined city and marched for billets at Montenescourt
with the band playing the regimental march, which is an exhilarating
piece of music, especially on triumphant occasions.
The battalion was out of the line only a fortnight at Noyellette,
Duisan and so on, and was on the last day of April in the front at
Monchy once again, all four companies being under the command of
subalterns, though one of them held the acting rank of captain.
The village of Fresnoy is roughly eight miles north-east of Arras,
and Bullecourt, on the Hindenburg Line, is about the same distance
south-east of the city. Between these two villages, on a fairly
straight line and commencing from the north, are Rœux, Monchy le Preux,
Cherisy and Fontaine lez Croisilles. Monchy and Cherisy are a little
over three miles apart.
On the 3rd May, 1917, Haig attacked the enemy with the Third and First
Armies from Fresnoy to Fontaine lez Croisilles, while the Fifth Army
assaulted the Hindenburg Line about Bullecourt, and together these
forces fought what is known as the Third Battle of the Scarpe. To quote
the Commander-in-Chief’s despatches: “Along practically the whole
of this front our troops broke into the enemy’s position. Australian
troops carried the Hindenburg Line east of Bullecourt. Eastern County
battalions took Cherisy. Other English troops entered Rœux and captured
the German trenches south of Fresnoy. Canadian battalions found Fresnoy
full of German troops assembled for a hostile attack, which was to have
been delivered at a later hour. After hard fighting, in which the enemy
lost heavily, the Canadians carried the village, thereby completing an
unbroken series of successes.” It is necessary to remember that the 6th
Battalion the Buffs was on this date at Monchy, and the 7th opposite
Cherisy.
In this battle our 6th Battalion was very far from being fortunate, and
it is not easy to obtain a correct description of its doings, owing
to abnormal casualties and great difficulty, if not impossibility, of
those in the foremost fighting line communicating with their commanding
officer in the rear. The chief cause of this difficulty was the
darkness, for the zero hour was fixed at 3.45 a.m. The battalion was,
during the preceding night, in shell holes, A being on the right, B
on the left, C supporting A, and D being behind B. Punctually on time
our guns opened, and an intense barrage was timed to lift and advance
one hundred yards every three minutes, and as the guns fired our men
went off into the darkness, too many of them never to see the sun rise
again. Every effort was made to keep communication with them, and 2nd
Lieut. McAuley, the Signalling Officer, with two signallers and two
orderlies, went forward to establish an advanced headquarters in what
was known as Devil’s Trench, but returned at 4.30, no communication
being possible. Two prisoners were sent down and apparently the
battalion was advancing satisfactorily, but nothing definite could be
ascertained. Even later on, when daylight came, gunfire and snipers
made it hard to get any news of how matters were proceeding; but at
dusk it was discovered that the Buffs had suffered much and that the
line in their front was practically as before. It would seem a pity
that the ground was quite unknown to the battalion which had not held
the same position previously and that the orders to attack came so late
that there was no time available for systematic reconnaissance.
The continuous loss of officers at this time was so serious that 2nd
Lieuts. Seago and Sowter were sent for from the detail camp and,
arriving about 10 p.m., were sent forward to reorganize what was left
of the battalion. A bright episode occurred to lighten what must
otherwise be considered as a gloomy day for the regiment, although
it was a costly act of gallantry. Part of the objective allotted to
the Buffs in the morning had been a spot called Keeling Copse, and it
was found, after the battalion had taken stock of its losses, that
2nd Lieuts. Cockeram and Gunther with about forty men and a Lewis gun
had actually got there, only to discover that they were completely
isolated, the enemy having re-formed his line behind them, and both
sides being in their original trenches. Thus three lines of Germans
intervened between this handful of men and their comrades. Nothing
daunted, however, they held their own all day, accounted for many
of the enemy and then, when night fell and they had expended every
cartridge and bomb they possessed, they gallantly fought their way
back again, breaking through one line after another, until at last
the two subalterns and thirteen of their stout lads were enabled to
report themselves to battalion headquarters. Cockeram and Gunther both
received the M.C. for their gallant conduct on this occasion. It is sad
to have to add that Gunther was killed shortly afterwards within half
a mile of Keeling Copse gallantly defending a trench the German was
attacking. Cockeram lived to do good and gallant work later on in the
Flying Corps. The casualties in this terrible action were 2nd Lieuts.
J. H. Dinsmore and H. V. Hardey-Mason killed, and Captain J. B. Kitchin
died of wounds; Captain McDermott and 2nd Lieuts. Williams and Nesbitt
wounded; 2nd Lieuts. C. Warnington, A. Kirkpatrick, H. W. Evans and R.
L. F. Forster, Lieuts. K. L. James, Grant, King and Willis missing,
of whom the first five were found to have been killed; 25 other ranks
killed, 128 wounded and 207 missing.
About 2 a.m. on the 4th the remnant was relieved and got back and, next
day, was reorganized into two companies each of only two platoons, No.
1 Company, 2nd Lieut. Stevens in command, with Sowter, Seago and Sankey
under him; and No. 2 Company, under Captain Carter, with 2nd Lieuts.
Gunther and Cockeram. It was only rested in Arras for forty-eight
hours and then underwent another ten days in the trenches before being
relieved on the 17th, on which day it went to Duisans.
VII. 7TH BATTALION
While the 6th Battalion of the Buffs was suffering as briefly described
above, their brethren of the 7th, on the night of the 2nd/3rd May,
were opposite the village of Cherisy preparing for the attack: A and
B were the assaulting companies, C the supporting company, and D was
in reserve, in shell holes, in rear of the support trench. The Buffs
were on the right of their brigade with the 54th Infantry Brigade
on their right and the 8th East Surrey on the left. The Royal West
Kent supported both Buffs and East Surreys, and the 7th Queen’s were
brigade reserve. The orders given to our battalion were to advance in
conjunction with the 54th Brigade and to capture Keeling Copse.
It must be admitted at once that the attack was a failure, due, in
the opinion of all, to the intense darkness at 3.45. The attack of the
Buffs and East Surreys was successful in itself, however, and both
units showed great dash, but failure on the flanks led to a subsequent
retirement, and it is sad to think that, taking part in what Sir
Douglas Haig describes as a successful battle, both the brigades in
which battalions of the Buffs were serving failed in the part allotted
to them. There seems to be no doubt that the front waves reached their
objectives, but the 12th Middlesex and 11th Royal Fusiliers, both of
the 54th Brigade, failed to get past the wire covering the German front
line. Little opposition was experienced at first, but the second and
subsequent waves came under very heavy fire, causing their progress to
be slow, so that the men who started first were more or less cut off
for a time. The Germans, being unable to reinforce in masses owing to
our guns, dribbled up men from their rear in very small parties. As
regards details of the Buffs’ advance: all companies of the battalion
got clear of the front trench before the enemy’s barrage commenced,
but, owing to the darkness, sections, platoons and companies soon got
mingled up together and at one time part of the Middlesex belonging
to the 54th Brigade came across the Buffs’ front in the dark, but the
error was skilfully rectified.
At the first glimpse of dawn the village of Cherisy was reached and
passed through. As it was entered the right company had touch with
the Middlesex, but on reaching the bed of the Sensée river, which is
just beyond, its officer, Captain Black, discovered that this touch
was lost and that the flank was in the air, though the other was in
proper prolongation of its left-hand neighbouring company. He therefore
determined to halt and form a defensive flank along the road which
runs south-east from the village across the stream. Before this could
be done he was heavily attacked, and the message he sent back to that
effect failed to get through.
Meanwhile the left assaulting company, reinforced by portions of C and
in touch with the East Surreys, gained the first objective, or Blue
Line. D Company had halted, according to order, in what was called the
“Cable” trench, which was perfectly straight and which was found to be
occupied at its right extremity by a considerable number of the enemy,
some of whom the company destroyed or captured, together with a machine
gun. However, the Germans still held one end and a bomb-stop had to be
constructed and an attempt made to progress down the trench; but it was
not until a Stokes gun was brought up that any progress was made, the
work being deep, narrow and difficult to bomb. Thus the situation at 9
a.m. was that Captain Black’s company (A) on the right was still open
to assault and unable to move, thus causing the left, which had gained
certain advantages, to lose ground for want of the support expected
from the Middlesex battalion, while the reserve company was still
struggling for possession of “Cable” trench, and B and C Companies had
both fought their way to the Sensée river.
A little afterwards came an order that the Buffs and East Surreys
were to advance to the Red Line, the West Kents to consolidate the
Blue Line. About 11 o’clock reports came that a general retirement
was taking place, and the enemy established an intense bombardment of
our front line and back area. “Cable” trench was now full of men in
addition to D Company, who had not yet been able to emerge from the
trench; but our own rescuing people were hopelessly intermingled with
the enemy, so that it was impossible to open fire. The Englishmen,
however, who passed over and beyond the trench in their retirement,
were soon rallied and brought back to the original lines, so that in
half an hour or so the situation was well in hand, though “Cable”
trench had been evacuated. An attempt was made at 7.15 p.m. to retake
this, the assaulting battalion being the Queen’s supported by the
Buffs, but the hostile machine-gun and rifle fire was too much and
the attack failed. The Queen’s fell back and the Buffs occupied the
original front-line trenches for the night, having suffered a casualty
list of 2 officers killed, 6 wounded and 4 missing; 25 other ranks
killed, 169 wounded and 174 missing.
VIII. 1ST BATTALION
As this chapter is intended to record the doings of the four battalions
on the Western front for the first half of the year 1917, the record
will now take each in turn from the Battle of Arras up till the 30th
June or thereabouts.
The great war storm that was raging south of that place caused ripples
and splashes to be noticed about Loos and its neighbourhood, and the
1st Battalion was in that village at the opening of the great spring
offensive, having taken its place in the front-line trenches on the
7th April. On the 9th the battalion on the left attempted a raid which
brought on a fierce hostile barrage on all trenches and back areas,
causing the death of four men of the regiment and the wounding of 2nd
Lieut. Harman and six others, and casualties continued at odd times
for several days, the enemy appearing very alert and naturally nervous
owing to the progress of our people to the southward. At 4 p.m. on the
13th the 2nd York and Lancaster Regiment, on the Buffs’ right, advanced
and found that the Germans had abandoned their front-line system. B
Company joined in this movement and occupied German trenches south of
the Loos Crassier, and although the enemy’s rear guard offered good
resistance the British advance was persisted in, and during the night
a new line running south from Harts Craters was established, though it
came under very considerable fire on the 14th. During the following
night strong patrols found no resistance west of the Loos Crassier
railway, and in the morning the York and Lancaster, aided by our B
Company, attacking again, gained the railway and, being then reinforced
by A Company, consolidated the new ground which had been gained and
which included Fosse 12. This was done in spite of two vigorous
counter-attacks.
On the 16th, commencing at noon, the right group artillery bombarded
the area in front, and at 2 o’clock the 8th Bedfords on the right
and the Buffs on the left commenced an advance and gained a sunken
road which was resolutely held by two companies which became involved
in very heavy fighting, so much so, indeed, that at last a short
retirement to the Double Crassier railway line had to be made, a
redistribution of the brigade being arranged after dark; by this
arrangement A and B Companies, which had held the sunken road, went
back into support at the enclosure and at B Keep, at the head of
the Loos Crassier, where they were later on joined by C Company, D
remaining in the front line. On the morning of the 17th, therefore, the
front line was held by the Bedfords on the right, Shropshires on the
left, York and Lancasters right support, Buffs left support. It became
evident now that the Germans had managed to get up more guns, and
the shelling became very severe. A strong reconnaissance towards the
sunken road, made by the Shropshire Light Infantry, met with powerful
resistance, and it was not until the 18th that that regiment, aided
by the Bedfords, were able to make that objective good. The following
casualties were suffered during this combat: Captains A. K. Harvey
James and T. A. Brown, 2nd Lieut. G. B. Saunder and 10 men killed; 2nd
Lieuts. Griffiths, Groom, Walters, Witty and 65 other ranks wounded,
one of whom died of his injuries.
On the 20th the Buffs retired to billets at Les Brebis for a couple
of days and when there received a complimentary letter from the
Commander-in-Chief which was addressed particularly to the 6th and 24th
Divisions, the latter having joined in the advance on the right of the
6th Division. Many honours came to the battalion during this month,
the list being: the Military Cross to 2nd Lieuts. Brown, Griffiths and
Hughes; the Distinguished Conduct Medal to C.S.M. Field; and Military
Medals to Sgts. Edwards, France and MacWalter, Corpls. Brownrigg, Port,
Richards and Stuart, L.-Corpls. Admans and Platts, and Ptes. Carey,
Downes, Eldridge, Martin and Moss.
On the 22nd April the Buffs went back into the front line of the Loos
trenches and there, in three days, lost 2nd Lieuts. L. E. A. S. Bilton
and T. E. G. Bullock and 3 men killed and 28 other ranks wounded.
The month of May was spent partly in huts at Mazingarbe, partly at La
Bourse and partly in the trenches, a toll of casualties being still
exacted by the fate of war. This month brought the M.C. to 2nd Lieuts.
Waters and Worster; the D.C.M. to C.S.M. Vincer; and a mention in
despatches for the Quartermaster, Lieut. Corney, as well as to Sgt.
Chatfield and L.-Corpl. Ayres.
The first eight days of June passed in the trenches at Hulluch and
brought casualties as usual, 2 being killed, 4 died of wounds and 22
getting wounded in that short period. On the 11th a turn came for
the comparative quiet of a week on divisional reserve at Fouguieres,
but C and D Companies went off to Allouagne to train for a raid; so
that when A and B returned to trench work on the 20th these two only
followed three days later. On the 24th a party composed of Captain
Jacob, Lieuts. Buss, Chester, Dyer, Harrington, Marshall, Moss, and
Wyatt, with C and D Companies, made a raid on the German trenches in
the Hulluch sector to obtain identification and inflict casualties,
to capture prisoners, to destroy dug-outs and emplacements, and to
draw the enemy’s attention from other parts of the divisional front.
The companies attacked in three waves. The first wave, under Lieut.
Marshall, crossed over and went straight for its objective, the enemy’s
third line. The second, under Lieut. Moss, followed twenty-five
paces behind the first; and then came the third, under Lieut. Buss,
thirty paces in rear again, accompanied by the Lewis guns. This party
remained in the enemy’s trenches for three and a half hours, doing very
considerable damage and collecting fifteen prisoners and two trench
mortars. Some trouble was experienced in getting the German out of
his dug-outs, but this was effected by means of tear-bombs and mobile
charges. The enemy during this raid was very unsettled. His barrage
was weak and quite general. In fact, he did not seem to know from what
point he was being attacked. Our barrage was excellent. Lieuts. P. C.
Buss and Harrington behaved with the greatest gallantry; the former was
most unfortunately killed and Harrington was wounded twice, but still
continued to lead his men. Besides Lieut. Buss, 8 men were killed;
Lieut. Harrington and 1 man were wounded and missing; Lieuts. Chester
and Wyatt and 62 other ranks wounded; Lieut. Moss and 2 men wounded,
but remained at duty; 17 other ranks missing, and 2 more missing,
believed killed.
The battalion as a whole remained in the trenches till the 29th,
suffering occasional casualties. After that date it returned to
Mazingarbe, but left A Company with the K.S.L.I. and B with the York
and Lancasters.
IX. 6TH BATTALION
After its terrible experiences up to the first week in May there is
but little to relate regarding the 6th Battalion for the remainder
of the first half of 1917. It remained in the trenches for ten days,
during which time careful reconnaissance work was carried out; and
it was relieved on the 17th/18th, withdrawing to Duisans for baths,
refitting and reorganization into four companies again. On the 19th
it went further back to Montenescourt, from which place, on the 24th,
it was removed by bus to Ivergny, twelve miles to the south-west, for
a term of drill, exercises and musketry training. On the 27th 2nd
Lieut. Morley and C.S.M. Pritchard got the M.C., and Sgt. Real, Corpl.
Scott, L.-Corpl. Cooling, Ptes. Middleton and Skinner were mentioned in
despatches. On the 8th June Lt.-Colonel Cope,[21] who had been so long
in command of the battalion, was promoted to command the 115th Brigade,
and a day or two later was awarded the Legion of Honour. On the 16th
June there was a parade to receive medals, when the Military Medal was
handed to Ptes. Atkinson, Brooks, Hardie, Mack, McDonald and Philpott;
to Sgts. Brunger and Wood and to L.-Corpl. Hook. The 19th of the month
found the battalion back in Arras, where it remained for the rest of
the time now under consideration.
X. 7TH BATTALION
The day after its great fight at Cherisy the 7th Buffs, or what was
left of it, was relieved from its place in the trenches and moved to
Beaurains, close to Arras; it remained there and at Boisleux, to the
south of it, for sixteen days, reorganizing and training; it was in
the trenches again on the 21st May and in such close proximity to the
enemy that the Germans could be heard talking. There was a good deal
of patrolling work to do and this was most successfully accomplished,
the line being considerably advanced; but on the 27th 2nd Lieut. S. B.
Johnston and one man went forward from their post to reconnoitre and
were not heard of again.
Up till the 15th June the routine was much as usual; a turn in the
trenches and a turn in reserve; but on this day the brigade retired
some miles into the back area and took up its headquarters at Couin,
the Buffs being at Coigneux.
On the 20th Captain Black was awarded the M.C. for Cherisy, and the
Corps Commander handed M.M. ribbands to C.S.M. Nevard; Sgt. Nash;
Corpl. Hyde; L.-Corpls. Berry and Castleton; Ptes. Davis, Purkiss,
Reynolds, Thirkettle, White and Wise.
The only other point of interest worth mentioning in the history of the
7th up to the end of June is that it won the ten-mile cross-country
relay race for the 26th Division and that its old friends, the Queen’s,
were second.
XI. 8TH BATTALION--BATTLE OF MESSINES
As the 8th Battalion of the Buffs was not in action on the 3rd May its
story must now be taken up from the 9th April, on which date the men
were spectators, from the trenches at Angres, of the victorious advance
of the Canadians, punctuated, as it was, by the steady lifting of the
barrage.
There was much aerial activity at this time on both sides and some
ground fighting in the vicinity, and, on the 14th April, it was found
that the enemy had left his trenches, so at 4 p.m. the brigade moved
forward unopposed and a new position was taken up and patrols pushed
forward. On the following day, the Rifle Brigade pushing through, the
Buffs followed and bivouacked that night at Lievin, which is on the
road to Lens.
The Germans, however, had not retired very far and an attack on
their position was arranged for the 17th. It appears to have been a
poor business, but this was not the fault of the 17th Brigade. The
artillery preparation was a feeble one, because sufficient guns could
not be brought up in time. The enemy at once opened heavy machine-gun
fire from strong points in his line and from Hill 65 outside Lens.
He also shelled the advancing troops heavily, with the result that
both the brigades on the right and on the left were stayed by 10.30,
and, this being the case, it was obvious that the 17th would only be
courting disaster if it advanced alone exposing both its flanks, so
there was nothing to do but to hold the position in which our troops
stood and consolidate as far as possible during the night. The Buffs
had one officer and thirty other ranks put out of action. The relief
came during the night, and the battalion marched away to the westward
into a quieter area. Indeed, this marching, being a more or less new
experience, caused a good deal of inconvenience in the way of sore
feet and fatigue. However, the 21st of the month found the brigade at
Bourecq and a few days later at Erny St. Julien, and at both these
places serious training was undertaken; but the stern business of war
gave place each evening to football, very much to the astonishment of
the Portuguese troops in the district.
On the 28th the men were back in La Bourse and from there to Robecq,
Hazebrouck and Steenvoorde, all in turn. Steenvoorde was a special
training area and most corps took a turn of work there when they could
be spared. This visit of the Buffs lasted a fortnight, and on the 26th
May they were close to Poperinghe. On this day 2nd Lieut. Lilley was
awarded the Military Cross. On the 4th June the wandering troops were
at Heksken, south of Poperinghe, and at midnight on the 5th/6th they
moved from there to a camp situated in a wood where special stores and
ammunition were issued.
The Battle of Messines commenced on the morning of the 7th June and
was fought by General Plumer’s army to capture a ridge from which the
Germans overlooked our lines and much of the area behind them. The
preparations for this offensive action on Plumer’s part had been going
on for a very long time and were thought out with the greatest care
and trouble. The most remarkable point in connection with the battle
was the fact that it opened by a tremendous explosion of nineteen deep
mines, the noise of which was distinctly heard in parts of England. As
far as the Buffs were concerned, the 8th Battalion paraded in fighting
kit at 11.30 p.m. on the 6th June, proceeded to assembly positions
via Dickebusch and spent the middle portion of the night in two great
dug-outs, one of which held four hundred men. At 3.10 a.m. the soldiers
were awakened by the most tremendous explosion they had ever heard in
their lives, and this was immediately followed by the opening of the
barrage. The 17th Brigade was in support near St. Eloi, and at 11.30
a.m. it moved forward to occupy the line already taken up by the 41st
Division, from whence, at 3 p.m., a further attack was launched, during
which the battalion reached its objective, known as the Green Line,
with but few casualties.
The whole of the two following days were spent in the newly taken
positions, being shelled and suffering a few casualties: mostly men of
A Company, which with C was in the front line; Lieut. Sherwill was hit
on the 8th. On the 10th the Buffs were relieved by the 9th Warwicks
with great difficulty: the hostile gunfire being very heavy and causing
several casualties, including Captain A. F. Gulland and Lieut. H. C.
Arnold, who both died of their injuries, and also Lieuts. Curtis and
Hilary, who were wounded but not quite so severely. After a day’s
much needed rest, which was mostly spent in sleep, the battalion at
nightfall relieved the 18th London Regiment at the “triangular dump”
and the 3rd Rifle Brigade in Battle Wood.
An attack on the enemy’s position was arranged for and carried out on
the 14th. The Buffs were told off to take one side of the railway while
the Royal Fusiliers took the other. Battalion Headquarters were in
Larch Wood. 7.30 p.m. was chosen as the zero hour; before this hour a
certain amount of sniping was experienced in getting to the assembly
position, but luckily the enemy’s artillery did not discover our
moving companies. A and C Companies led the advance, each having two
platoons in front line. Our barrage was good though perhaps a little
short at first, and our men kept well up under it, casualties being
small; the guns lifted their range a hundred yards every four minutes.
Six minutes after our opening shot the enemy began his heavy fire on
our assembly positions, but by then our men were clear, or indeed they
would have suffered severely. A Company had for its objective Spoil
Bank, which was about thirty feet high and three hundred yards long
and running parallel to the Ypres-Comines Canal. The bank had been
the object of an attack by some of the 47th Division a week earlier,
but was still in German hands. There was a fine view of the country
beyond the canal from its summit. It was afterwards officially known
as The Buffs’ Bank, out of compliment to the 6th Battalion. A good
deal of savage hand-to-hand fighting took place here, and the success
of the company was very largely due to the extraordinary courage and
initiative of two private soldiers, Dunning and Cornell, who together
rushed a German machine gun in a concrete emplacement, killed the
team, captured the gun, and thus saved the lives and limbs of many of
their comrades of A Company; they were both awarded the M.M. for this
exploit. The other leading company, C, was directed on the tramline and
suffered considerably on the way. The company commander (Captain E. F.
Hall) and all the rest of the officers were hit before the objective
was reached, but 2nd Lieut. Wilkinson was able to remain with his men
until it was taken and consolidated; and it was not till all work was
done and midnight had come that this gallant officer withdrew to have
his wounds dressed, when he had to leave his company under the command
of Sgt. Pells. As soon as C Company had reached its objective, Sgt.
Shute took his platoon about sixty yards ahead of the newly won line
and there cleared a system of dug-outs, killed a great number of the
enemy and brought back four prisoners. Touch was soon obtained with the
battalion on the Buffs’ left, but the other flank was not so easy, and
it was not until morning that the troops on the right were discovered.
While the two leading companies had thus been busy their comrades had
not been idle. D Company had come up behind the Spoil Bank and at the
zero hour two platoons, less one bombing section, had advanced towards
its western edge and cleared up the southern side in conjunction with
A Company, while the bombing squad attended to the dug-outs on top of
the bank, most of which were occupied, there being ten to twelve men in
each. Several of the enemy attempted to escape across the canal at Lock
6, but these were dealt with by men of C Company and no one escaped
that way. Further down Spoil Bank the enemy made a more considerable
resistance, and 2nd Lieut. Paige was killed leading an attack at this
point--in fact he was chasing a platoon of Germans across the canal all
by himself. Many of the enemy then tried to get away round the eastern
edge of Spoil Bank, but these were also shot and a German feldwebel[22]
captured after a really heroic resistance. D Company then dug itself in
on the southern slope of the Spoil Bank, with A Company in support on
the northern slope. Digging in was no very easy matter on account of
the continuous shelling, which the enemy kept up all night; however,
morning found the job satisfactorily completed and the work cleverly
camouflaged from aerial observation, which was a very necessary
precaution, for the hostile aeroplanes showed in the morning very
considerable interest in the exact position of our people. Many times
they swooped right down and fired their machine guns into our trenches.
About 5 p.m. on the 15th the enemy started a heavy barrage and were
seen to be massing on our right, but our guns were at once turned on
these and dispersed the assembly. The Buffs were relieved the same
night by the 2nd Leinsters, and three days later moved to Burgomaster’s
Farm at Dickebusch under Major Vaughan, the commanding officer,
Lt.-Colonel F. C. R. Studd, D.S.O., having been wounded the previous
day. The casualties from the 7th to the 10th inclusive were Captain A.
F. Gulland, who died on the 16th, 2nd Lieuts. Sherwill, H. C. Arnold
(died on the 12th), Hilary and Curtis and 28 men wounded and 4 killed;
but during the 14th, 15th and 16th the loss was more considerable,
2nd Lieuts. Paige, Carlos and Edwards, with 14 men, were killed;
Captain Hall and 2nd Lieuts. Darling, Wilkinson, Young, Lilley, Greig
and Lt.-Colonel Studd, with 89 other ranks, were wounded, though the
commanding officer remained at duty for some time. There were also 4
men missing.
Times in this neighbourhood and at this period were, however, too
strenuous to allow of much rest to anyone, and when the 23rd June
came round again it found the Buffs once more in the trenches and,
forty-eight hours afterwards, under an abnormally heavy fire, which
did little damage to the front line, but found several victims amongst
working parties in rear. 2nd Lieut. J. B. Millard was killed and Major
Vaughan and Lieut. Hancock narrowly escaped from the same shell, and
it is curious that both these officers were slightly hurt by another
one only a few minutes later. 2nd Lieut. A. H. Webb was also killed.
It was decided to push forward certain posts during the night of the
26th/27th, and B Company on the left actually did so and got to the
edge of a wood which was on its front and there consolidated, but
A Company, on the right, found that any advance would be impossible
without heavy artillery assistance. The 23rd of the month brought a
Military Cross for 2nd Lieut. Sherwill. On the 28th relief came in the
shape of the 8th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment, but the change
over was a nasty job. The enemy appeared to have got wind of what was
going forward and opened a heavy fire, wounding Lieut. Newcomb and
three other men. The 29th took the battalion away. It travelled by
train to Reninghelst for the training area round Lumbres, and on the
last day of the month it marched fourteen kilometres to Escocuilles.
[Illustration: THE LOOS CRASSIERS]
[Illustration: SPOIL (OR THE BUFFS’) BANK]
CHAPTER XI
THE WESTERN FRONT
(_Continuation till March, 1918_)
I. 1ST BATTALION
At the commencement of the last chapter the readers were reminded that
the Russians made a separate peace with the enemy towards the end of
1917, and that the Americans having declared war against Germany in
April the vanguard of her troops began to come into action on the
27th October, so that the defection of the one nation was in the end
counteracted by the determination of the other. As has been said,
America at first possessed but a tiny army, and though a few troops
were fighting in Europe at the end of 1917, still her real force could
not make itself felt for months afterwards. Consequently there was an
interval between the collapse of Russia and Rumania and the arrival of
a capable American army. During this space the French and English must
bear the whole brunt of the struggle, and the Germans, whose railways
were planned strategically, with the idea of being able to rapidly
transfer armies from her eastern to her western frontier or vice
versa, were not the people to fail to take full advantage of such an
opportunity.
These facts must be borne in mind in studying what follows. As a
matter of fact, our enemies started on the 21st March, 1918, a mighty
effort to sweep us into the sea and overwhelm the French. This chapter
will therefore continue the story of the doings of the Buffs on the
Western front up to this date. Like the previous chapter, it is a
record of trench warfare varied by fighting and the necessary rest and
reorganization which followed each battle.
The most important action was perhaps that of Cambrai, in which both
the 1st and 6th Battalions took part, and it may therefore be as well
first to continue the narrative of these two units: the village of
Mazingarbe is, roughly speaking, four miles from Loos in the direction
of comparative safety, and this place may be considered as the chief
station of the 1st Battalion up to the 15th November--that is to say,
that it was the resting-place when trenches were not occupied somewhere
near Loos or Hulluch. Of course, there were certain alterations, for
troops took turn to go into the reserve of the division or some higher
formation, and the more important that portion of the army was, the
further back from the front line were stationed its reserves; for
instance, on the 13th July the Buffs went into divisional reserve for a
week at Fouquieres, near Bethune, and for a time in October they were
in G.H.Q. reserve at Flechin.
The most important and the pleasantest change of programme, however,
was a long period of rest at Monchy Breton (about twelve miles west of
Mazingarbe), which is an area set apart for giving a change of scene to
tired troops. The battalion was allowed a month here which, in addition
to training, was devoted to sport and health-giving recreation; a
composite company, under the command of Captain Strauss, it secured the
highest number of marks in the brigade sports and won the divisional
challenge cup for the smartest turn-out and work in an attack scheme.
During the period between the 1st July and the 15th November officers
and men of the 1st Battalion received a considerable number of
decorations and honours: on the 3rd July the Corps Commander inspected
C and D Companies, which had furnished the raiding party on the 23rd
June; after offering his congratulations he presented Military
Medals to Sgts. Cross, Goodall and Poole, Corpl. Sindon and L.-Corpl.
Spenceley, and to Privates Halliday and Searle, all of C Company. In
D Company Military Medals were given to Sgts. Barker, Buss, Evans and
Moorcock, Corpl. Duff, and to L.-Corpls. Curd, Green and Page. During
this period Lieuts. Marshall, Moss and Wyatt were awarded the M.C.,
and Captain Jacobs and Lieut. Worster the clasp to the M.C.; C.S.M.’s
McDonough and Randall received the D.C.M., the latter also being given
a commission and posted to C Company; Pte. Sage received the M.M., and
Corpl. Duff the _Decoration Militaire_ (Belgian).
On the 30th August B Company, having gone to relieve one of the
K.S.L.I., A and D Companies being already in front-line trenches with C
in support, the enemy at 8 p.m. ventured an attack on our three-company
front, which was quickly dealt with by the Canadian gunners and our
Lewis guns. Notwithstanding this repulse another hostile attack was
launched at 2 o’clock next morning, but this again was stayed by our
Lewis guns and we did not suffer much.
Another incident worthy of note was the departure from France of
Captain Birrell, the adjutant, who left the battalion on the 10th
October after no less than two years and ten months’ service on the
Western front and was succeeded by Lieut. Davies. This length of war
service, other than at the base or on the staff, was very exceptional
indeed. On the 1st November the 1st Battalion marched to meet their
comrades of the 6th at Grand Bouret. Early in the month the question of
combined infantry and tank work in the field became an extra tactical
study that all must learn.
As to casualties, they of course continued. There is a horrible
regularity in recording these. Men were always being killed or wounded.
A battle removed a lot of good fellows in a few hours, trench warfare
corroded the battalion strength little by little, and this had to be
patched up either by raw hands from England or men who had already done
their share but, after being invalided, had to come out again. Ten men
were wounded on the 26th August, one killed and five wounded on the
30th. 2nd Lieut. G. E. Sewell died of wounds on the 2nd September and
two men were killed and two wounded on the same day, five more getting
hit on the morrow. Eighteen men of the pioneer company were gassed on
the 5th September. A little bit of joyful news reached the regiment in
the middle of September, namely, that the gallant Harrington, who had
done so well on the 24th June and who had been missing since that date,
was still alive, though a prisoner in Germany. A Company on the 16th
October lost eight men killed and three wounded, the enemy opening a
barrage on our front line at 8 p.m. On the 15th November, Sir Douglas
Haig having planned a further attack on the German lines, the 16th
Brigade, in which the 1st Battalion still served, was attached to the
Third Corps to take part in the same, and the battalion entrained for
Peronne and moved to the forward area on the 17th.
II. 6TH BATTALION
There is a great high road running dead straight from Arras
east-south-east for four-and-twenty miles to Cambrai. Two miles and a
half from Arras along this road lies the village of Tilloy, and three
miles further on Monchy is to the north and Wancourt to the south of
it. Two miles south-east of the latter place and about two miles to the
south of the great road is the scene of the 7th Battalion’s fight on
the 3rd May, 1917--the village of Cherisy. It was round these places
that the 6th Battalion fought and endured up till the 23rd October,
when it retired away west to a more peaceful region for a few days and
there saw a good deal of the 1st Battalion.
On the 1st July the 6th moved from Arras to the Wancourt line, and on
that date it mustered 33 officers, but only 483 other ranks. While
in this sector it was sometimes in front, sometimes in support and
sometimes further back.
Amongst the various excavations of this region is what is known as
“The Long Trench,” which, commencing about 1,200 yards south of
Keeling Copse, runs southward and is continued in that direction by
Tool Trench. In this long work was the 6th Battalion on the 10th July,
when it received orders to raid the enemy’s shell holes east of Tool
Trench at 7.30 a.m. the next day. The enemy, however, had made his own
plans and, taking the initiative himself, attacked at 5 a.m. after an
exceptionally heavy bombardment of guns of all sorts and sizes, smoke
and liquid fire being also used. This heavy rain of projectiles was
directed not only on Long and Tool Trenches, but on the supports. The
infantry attack was directed chiefly on Long Trench, and the Germans
managed to penetrate at one point after feinting or making a holding
attack along the whole front of it. Having effected his penetration he
rapidly deployed and occupied shell holes in rear or on our side. 2nd
Lieut. Stevens, who was holding a post near by, at once realized the
situation and organized and carried out a counter-attack along Long
Trench, and almost at the same time L.-Corpl. Edgington and two men,
who were all on duty with the 37th Brigade Sniping Company, seeing
that the attack was serious, at once dashed up to ascertain the true
situation. These three went up Long Trench for three or four hundred
yards till they reached the point where the break through had occurred.
Here, of course, they came across a lot of Germans who hurled bombs at
them. The corporal, however, was a good and resolute Buff soldier, and
he, posting one of his men in an advantageous position in the trench,
with the other commenced to erect a block or stop in the work. He was
soon joined by 2nd Lieut. Stevens and another man, and between them
they consolidated the block and opened fire at close range on a number
of the enemy. About two hours and a half later on the Buffs tried a
counter-attack which was duly preceded by artillery preparation, but
it failed owing to the heavy machine-gun fire it was subjected to. The
enemy’s aeroplanes were very noticeable during this affair, flying low
over our lines all day, particularly during the attack. 2nd Lieut.
Gunther was killed, as were 9 men; another officer and 26 men were
wounded, and there were 30 missing. Long Trench was recovered a week
later by the 35th Brigade and the Royal West Kent Regiment.
On the 3rd August, at 6 p.m., the Buffs being then in rear in what
was called the Brown Line, the enemy opened a heavy barrage and later
attacked Hook Trench. Two officers and one hundred men of the Buffs
were sent up about 8.30 to aid the Queen’s and West Kent in the front
line. The attack was beaten off and heavy casualties were inflicted on
the enemy, who withdrew, leaving several prisoners. On the 6th August
the whole brigade was relieved and went into Beaurains Camp, near
Arras. 2nd Lieuts. Hunt, Mason-Springgay, Russell and Sowter, with
eighty-six men, who had been training for a raid, proceeded from here
to take their part in an organized minor adventure which took place on
the 9th of the month and which was most successful: the moral of the
enemy had every appearance of being severely shaken and he suffered
heavy casualties; his trenches were entered, many dug-outs destroyed
and eighty prisoners brought back, and it was just a regimental
misfortune that the men of Kent were in the flank which became
subject to the enfilade fire and consequently suffered the following
casualties and failed to get on as far as was hoped.
2nd Lieuts. J. Russell and F. I. Sowter missing, Mason-Springgay
wounded and thirty-five men either killed, wounded or missing. It was
afterwards ascertained that both Russell and Sowter had been killed.
The raid party returned to camp about 3 a.m., played in by the Drums.
On the 24th August, while in the Levis Barracks at Arras, Corpl.
Horton, L.-Corpl. Parker and Ptes. Hoare, Lane and Scott heard they had
been awarded the M.M., and about the same time, while in the trenches
again, news came of a M.C. for 2nd Lieut. Mason-Springgay.
On the 1st September the Royal Fusiliers, aided by the Buffs’ covering
fire, made a neat little raid, sustaining only one casualty and
bringing in twenty-six prisoners; and the next day a telegram came
saying that 2nd Lieut. Stevens had the M.C. and Pte. Barham the M.M. An
attempt was made by the enemy on the 24th to raid the brigade front,
but it was repulsed with loss.
The 3rd October brought the battalion thirty-three casualties,
including 2nd Lieut. Needman killed. This was because the Sussex
Regiment, on the Buffs’ left, made a raid and the German heavily
barraged the latter corps’ lines. Two days afterwards 2nd Lieut. N.
E. FitzRoy Cole and one man were killed in the front line. The 24th
of October took the 6th Battalion off westward, and the 29th found it
billeted at Vacquerie le Bourg.
November opened with more than one pleasant meeting with the 1st
Battalion. The 6th marched to Frevent with this object on the 1st
November, and two drawn matches at football were played between the
units, first at Beaudricourt and afterwards at Vacquerie, but the
real business of life at this time was training and preparation for
a coming attack. On the 16th the battalion entrained for Peronne,
and by the 19th it was in position of assembly behind the village
of Gonnelieu, which is about four miles south of Ribecourt, in the
vicinity of which the 1st Battalion stood. Before describing the parts
taken by the Buffs in the action before Cambrai it may be well to
explain shortly why the battle came to be fought.
It was now past the middle of November and the collapse of the Russians
had already become so apparent that large bodies of Germans had been
withdrawn from their Eastern front to swell the armies in France,
and it was quite clear that more and more would be arriving shortly.
Under these adverse circumstances Haig determined on a surprise attack
on a considerable scale before more reinforcements could arrive, and
so he directed General Byng to attack in front of Cambrai, reckoning
that that portion of the German line was not quite so strongly held
as some others and that it would take the enemy forty-eight hours to
draw troops from other portions of his front to the rescue. Secrecy
and despatch, therefore, were the main points to be considered, and it
was for these reasons that the fight under notice differed from almost
all others in so far that no artillery preparation was to take place,
but the overcoming of wire and other obstacles was to be entrusted
to the action of tanks, and careful arrangements were made for their
initial employment and close co-operation with the infantry. It would
occupy too much space to describe this battle in detail, but it must
be understood that, though the British attack achieved considerable
success at first, the enemy was able ultimately to increase his force
about Cambrai, particularly in guns, and so he managed at last such a
mighty counter-attack that about the last day of the month our original
offensive was perforce changed into a somewhat anxious defensive
operation.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
A NEW TRENCH]
III. CAMBRAI
Now, on the 20th November and following days the Third Army Corps
consisted of the 6th Division, which included the 1st Battalion of
the Buffs, the 12th Division, with the 6th Battalion, and the 20th
Division. This Corps attacked with the 12th Division on the right, the
20th in the centre and the 6th on the left, and the zero hour was 6.20
a.m. Thus it came about that the 1st Battalion moved out preceded by
B Battalion of tanks and in artillery formation from the vicinity of
Villers Plouich.
The first objective, the village of Ribecourt and the spur to the
south-east of it, was soon taken, D Company, which formed the first
wave, securing that portion which was entrusted to the 1st Battalion.
The ground won was known as the Blue Line and was part of the main
Hindenburg entrenchment.
The rest of the 1st Battalion co-operated with the divisional sniping
section and then passed through and secured the second objective, the
Brown or Hindenburg support line, one thousand yards further on.
These positions were taken with small loss, the Buffs only having eight
men killed and thirty-three wounded. This was satisfactory enough, as
the two points which had caused anxiety to the divisional commander
were Couillet Wood and Ribecourt, whereas the first fell to the Buffs
and the latter to the 71st Brigade. The formations adopted were
suitable; the hostile artillery was weak; the enemy was late in opening
fire and it was scattered and inaccurate when opened; the tanks had no
difficulty in crossing the trenches; the enemy appeared to be surprised
and demoralized; the positions were quickly consolidated because there
was no hostile fire, and in fact all was very well. The 6th Division
had a most successful day: the bridge at Marcoing had fallen, and
everything had gone like clockwork; the artillery pushed forward to
advanced positions, as did the machine guns which were brought up by
pack animals. The next morning the Buffs, with the assistance of the
tanks, completed the clearing of Noyelles. This was a creditable bit
of initiative on the part of Captain Moss, who, finding the place but
lightly held, collected a few men and with two tanks captured the
village there and then.
Meanwhile a little further south the 12th Division was equally
successful. During the whole of the 19th, battalion after battalion of
tanks, R.E. equipment, ambulances and so on had been coming up to the
front and, in accordance with Operation Orders, had been doing so in
absolute silence. The scheme for the 20th had included five objectives.
The 37th Brigade was assembled on the right of the 36th and it was to
go forward on a two-company frontage only. The two companies of the 7th
East Surrey were given the task of seizing the first objective, and
the remainder of this battalion was to take the second. The third and
fourth objectives were allotted to two companies each of the 6th Buffs
and the Royal West Kents had the fifth.
The Surreys were quite successful; then the Buffs moved forward in
artillery formation and, crossing the first lines of defence, moved on
with marked success, sending back numerous prisoners and attacking the
Hindenburg Line. There took place some fierce hand-to-hand fighting
and a systematic “mopping up” of dug-outs, but everything went like
clockwork and by the afternoon the battalion headquarters was in
Pam-Pam Farm with three companies holding Lateau Wood and B Company at
Bonavis, though the progress had been delayed somewhat by machine-gun
fire from the two named farms, and the enemy had been difficult to
drive from Lateau Wood. At 3.45 p.m. the West Kent reported to brigade
headquarters that they were in touch with the Buffs and that no enemy
was in sight. The battalion casualties for the 20th were 5 officers
wounded and 105 other ranks killed, wounded or missing, mostly only
wounded.
On the 21st the positions occupied were consolidated. Much movement
of lorries was noticed on this day behind the enemy’s lines. Strong
patrols, however, from the regiment covered the bridges over the
canal. It became apparent on the 23rd that the German artillery had
been considerably reinforced, as the hostile shelling very perceptibly
increased in volume. On this date Captain A. F. Worster of the 1st
Battalion died of wounds. He had been twelve months with the battalion
and was greatly respected and universally loved. He had twice won the
M.C.
On the 26th both battalions were relieved and withdrawn, the 1st into
the Hindenburg Line as divisional reserve, and the 6th into support,
though it sent up strong working parties to labour on the communication
and front trenches for the West Kent Regiment, as a counter-attack
on the part of the enemy now seemed imminent, he having evidently
been greatly reinforced. On this date Lt.-Colonel Green left the 1st
Battalion to assume command of a brigade.
On the 30th November a great German counter-attack was launched.
Being in divisional reserve, the 1st Battalion did not on the first
day suffer much from the shock, though six men were wounded; but the
following morning it reinforced the troops who were now holding the
line round Gonnelieu and La Vacquerie, where the enemy had broken
through the previous day. Here Major B. L. Strauss, who was commanding,
was killed, as were seven of his men, another dying of his wounds.
Captain Allen, the adjutant, was wounded but continued for a while to
command the battalion which duty had devolved on him. Captain Tibbles,
R.A.M.C., Lieut. Blake, 2nd Lieuts. Clark, Fisher and Owen, C.S.M.
Vincer and forty-five others were also injured.
In the evening Captain Pill, R.A.M.C., attached to the Bedfords, took
over medical charge, Allen retired to the dressing station, Major
Hardy, of the York and Lancasters, assumed temporary command and the
Buffs were withdrawn again into divisional reserve to go up once more
in the night of the 3rd to take up a defensive flank on Highland Ridge,
as the enemy had broken through near Marcoing that morning. One company
of R.E. and the Brigade Pioneer Company were attached for aid on
Highland Ridge.
On the 5th December five men were killed and sixteen wounded, one of
whom died the following day, on which date a new doctor, Lieut. McVey,
relieved Captain Pill. Three were killed on the 7th and Lieut. L. F.
Clark died of his hurts; two of the men were lost in the same way on
the 8th. On this latter date the Buffs were relieved from the Ridge and
moved back into trenches in rear of the main Hindenburg system. On the
night of the 9th they moved further back still and on the 11th were
taken twenty miles westward to Courcelles to refit, and Lt.-Colonel
Power, who had commanded the 2nd Battalion at Ypres when Colonel Geddes
was killed, was appointed commanding officer.
[Illustration: CAMBRAI]
The 6th Battalion suffered severely on the 30th November, but showed
that the men were made of magnificent fighting material. The enemy’s
offensive was most successful on the sector which was on the right
flank of the battalion. Here he penetrated right through to the rear,
and the first news the men in the line had of this success was that
their own brigade headquarters was being attacked behind them. This
attempt, however, was beaten off by the staff, the orderlies and the
signallers, though the transport, which was bringing up water and
supplies, was captured. This hostile movement of course exposed the
Buffs’ flank. Dense German masses were successful on the other flank
also, but a ray of light in the gloom was occasioned by a very
successful counter-attack made by the Buffs on Pam-Pam Farm, which
had fallen. This place was recaptured and the enemy’s advance in this
region held up for three hours. Overwhelming masses, however, at last
proved impossible to withstand and the small garrison withdrew fighting
from shell hole to shell hole. The enemy was now on front, flanks
and even in rear, and the struggle was hand-to-hand, obstinate and
desperate. It was a case of the remnants of a fighting unit cutting its
way back through all obstacles to regain a line that was forming in
rear. This was finally effected and the line straightened out, but, as
may be supposed, it was a bloody affair and our casualties numbered 14
officers and 317 other ranks, Major C. F. Cattley, M.C., being amongst
the killed. The new position taken up was successfully held against all
attacks, though it formed a very acute angle, as the divisions on the
right and left had fallen back, leaving, of course, a greatly exposed
salient. The line was held, however, until relief came next day, when
the battalion moved back to the old British front, which was heavily
gassed by means of shells.
On the 2nd December this battalion moved back into billets in
Heudicourt, thence, on the 5th, to Dernancourt and on to Albert, where
train was taken to Thiennes, in the peaceful country some seven or
eight miles south by west of Hazebrouck, for the necessary rest and
refit and to receive and train fresh men from England to fill the
terrible gaps.
IV. 1ST BATTALION
After Cambrai the 1st Battalion, except for a short time near Moreuil,
was kept out of the trenches till the 25th January, 1918, on which
date it relieved the 9th Battalion of the Norfolks at Demicourt, about
half-way between Bapaume and Cambrai. During this interval it had
been lent to the 3rd Division and posted at Ervillers, Noreuil and
Courcelles, all of which places are fairly close together. Christmas
was spent at Courcelles in a quiet and restful manner, and a slight
change of scene occurred soon afterwards by a move to Bellacourt, near
Riviere, which is somewhat nearer Arras. The arrival in this place was
marked by the rejoining of Captain Jones, D.S.O., of the R.A.M.C.,
who, an old, much respected and greatly beloved medical officer to the
battalion, had been over fifteen months absent from his friends.
The New Year brought some honours with it. The late Major Strauss was
gazetted to a M.C.; Sgt. Pass got the D.C.M.; and the M.M. came to
Ptes. Alexander, Elliott, Wilson and Wright; and Lt.-Colonels Green,
D.S.O., and Power, Major Blackall, Lieut. Whitlock, Corpl. Troy and
Pte. May were all mentioned in despatches. The 21st January took this
unit to Fremicourt, near Bapaume, and into divisional reserve, and the
25th, as has been said, back into the dreary trench work again. Captain
Marshall on this date, who had already the M.C., was awarded the D.S.O.
The trench tour was quiet enough, for the enemy was nearly a mile away,
and the battalion was back at Fremicourt on the 3rd February.
Here, or rather at Le Bucquiere close by, on the 8th, a somewhat
startling and apparently an unexpected change of organization took
place which affected nearly everybody in the army. It had been decided
that infantry brigades would be of more use, or at any rate that
certain saving of power would be effected, if, instead of four, they
should consist in future of only three battalions. This resulted in
the disbanding of many brave and tried units which had repeatedly
proved their value. Thus the 16th Brigade lost the 8th Battalion of the
Bedfordshire Regiment which had been comrades of the Buffs, York and
Lancaster and Shropshire Light Infantry since March, 1915, when they
came into the brigade in place of the Leicester Regiment. Of course,
the disbanding of these units did not mean that the soldiers composing
them went home to their mothers. They merely were transferred to other
battalions in the form of huge drafts. Thus our own 8th Battalion of
the Buffs, which had so nobly upheld the ancient honour of the regiment
on many a stricken field, now ceased to exist in the same way as did
the 8th Bedfords, and in consequence the 1st and 6th Buffs became the
richer for strong reinforcements of fighting men. Five officers and 250
other ranks arrived at Le Bucquiere from the 8th for the 1st Buffs.
On the 12th February the battalion went into trenches at Lagnicourt,
near Queant, and it was at this place when it received the shock of the
German great offensive in March. It was in February a quiet and fairly
comfortable place, though on the 14th an unlucky shell killed three
N.C.O.’s of D Company in a dug-out and blew a fourth clean through the
roof. Beugnatre was the rearmost resting-place for Lagnicourt, and each
battalion of the brigade of course took its turn there.
Now that the Russians had finally collapsed and so set free the
enormous hostile armies which, up till now, they had, at any rate in
part, kept occupied, the whole of Central Europe had for some time been
crowded with troop trains bringing division after division from east to
west; these divisions had been specially trained for open as opposed to
trench fighting, and the Kaiser and his staff fondly hoped they would
suffice to drive the French to Paris and the English into the sea,
more particularly as thousands of Russian guns were now available for
German gunners to use on their western foes. It was clear to everybody,
from the Commander-in-Chief to the last recruit from England, that a
great offensive might commence on any day and we were busily engaged
in preparations. Battlefields were made ready for defence, strong
points heavily wired and mine fields laid as protection against tanks.
This attack was expected in the early morning of the 13th March
and the whole British front was covered with a series of listening
patrols, special precautions were taken and all ranks exhorted to quit
themselves like men. On the 19th the rainless spring weather, which had
lasted a fortnight, gave place to mist, with cold showers. On the 20th
before midnight orders came to withdraw all working parties, to man
all battle and alarm posts before dawn, and to be in readiness for the
enemy’s onslaught.
V. 6TH BATTALION
The 6th Battalion did not come into the front line again till the 22nd
January, 1918, on which date it was at Fleurbaix, in the direction of
Armentieres. The interval had been passed round Merville and Estaires.
Some well-deserved decorations came to the unit in January and some
medal ribbons were presented by the Army Commander. Captain Ferrie and
2nd Lieut. Gray got the M.C., L.-Corpl. Parker a bar to his M.M., and
the decoration itself came to L.-Corpl. Clements and Pte. Woodcock. A
little later 2nd Lieuts. Kidd, Stevens and Turk were gladdened with the
news that each had the M.C.; Lt.-Colonel Smeltzer, M.C., was given the
D.S.O., and R.S.M. Jeffrey the M.C.
Though Fleurbaix itself was reached on the 13th January, the battalion
did not move into the front line in that region till the 22nd, and then
it was quiet enough till relief came and a move back some five miles or
so to Sailly, except that there was a certain amount of bombardment on
the 28th, and just before relief was due the next day an enemy’s party
of about twenty attempted a raid on a post known as “Richard.” They
worked round behind this point with a view to cutting off the retreat
of its little garrison, but at the exact moment the relieving party
of Fusiliers arrived on the scene and the raiders, caught between two
fires, were surprised and dispersed.
There was a good deal of work to be done in February in the way of
preparation for the coming assault, and the 6th of the month saw the
battalion in the front-line trenches, after C.S.M. Woodhams had heard
on the 4th that he had got his D.C.M. The 9th of the month brought
the big draft from the now defunct 8th Battalion of the Buffs. This
consisted of 5 officers and 200 men.
Remaining in the same vicinity for many days, now in brigade reserve at
Rouge-de-Bout, then in divisional at Nouveau Monde, and again in the
trenches, all the men’s energies were directed to work at defensive
positions; for the British army and its allies were now for a time
definitely on the defensive and experiencing what may be described as
a lull before the storm. Of course, there still were some few signs
of activity on both sides, for it is not nowadays customary in war to
remain many days in total inactivity. Thus the enemy attempted “Robert”
Post on the 7th March, and next day, after a preliminary artillery
bombardment, the West Kent carried out a successful little raid; but
things at this time were, generally speaking, quiet enough. On the 9th
came a shower of gas shells, but there were no casualties that day,
though on the morrow 2nd Lieut. T. A. Brown was killed and 2nd Lieut.
Barnes wounded.
The British in this region appear to have expected the attack about
the 11th. The enemy was believed to be forming in vast masses on
the immediate front, and the Buffs remained during the night of the
10th/11th in battle formation with patrols going out in front at
frequent intervals. In fact, these night patrols were now in pretty
constant use. On the 16th transport was noticed to be very active
behind the German lines. On the 17th at 10.10 p.m., after a quiet
day, the enemy opened a very heavy artillery fire on the front and
support lines. Two of his patrols, of about thirty men each, attempted
to approach “Richard” and “Reggie” posts, but were driven off by Lewis
guns and rifle fire. 2nd Lieut. C. F. Peters, however, met his death
that night and ten men were wounded. On the 19th March the battalion
was relieved and went into billets at Pont de Nieppe, which is a mile
or two outside Armentieres on the Bailleul road, and there it was on
the morning of the 21st.
VI. 7TH BATTALION
The story of the 7th Battalion from the 1st July, 1917, to the 21st
March, 1918, must now come under consideration. The chief area of its
operations was Dickebusch and its neighbourhood, and the chief event
a great and grim combat at Poelcappelle on the 12th October. It was
on the 3rd July that the 55th Brigade, with the Buffs, railed from
Doullens to join the Fifth Army and went to the Second Corps area,
detraining at Hupoutre and marching to Ottawa Camp at Ouderdom, a
couple of miles west of Dickebusch; and on the 7th it was in the line
again, where things were comparatively lively, especially as regards
gas-shelling, and where much patrolling work was done. A raid was
arranged for the 14th, but had to be abandoned, as the guns could
not come into action on account of the gas, and two days afterwards
the battalion was relieved for a while and went into camp at Chateau
Segard. Very many men were wounded about this period, namely, sixty-one
in seventeen days, which is a high average for trench warfare.
At the commencement of August at Dickebusch the enemy was fairly active
and Captain A. O. Sherren, commanding C Company, was killed on the
3rd and Captain Clapperton wounded the next night. These casualties
occurred in relieving a portion of the line but little known to the
battalion and which had been held by the 30th Division. The Buffs were
back again at Chateau Segard on the 8th and into divisional reserve
on the 10th, on which date an attack was made by the brigade, the 7th
Battalion The Queen’s being in the forefront of the fight and the
Buffs going up in reserve to a place known as Railway Dug-outs, which
was south-east of Ypres. At 6 a.m. orders came to send one company
to support the 8th East Surrey in what was called Crab Crawl Tunnel.
Therefore A Company was despatched, and it was joined in the evening by
B. These two companies, under Major Wood, were in support to the 17th
Brigade of the 24th Division, in which the 8th Buffs were serving.
Directly after this the Buffs were entrained and moved off for a period
of training at Eringhem, nine miles north-west of Steenvoorde, Wood’s
two companies rejoining headquarters at Arbeele on the 13th. On the
15th August Pte. Roberts (since killed in action) and Sgt. Baldry were
awarded the M.M.
Of course, there was a great deal of training at this time, but, even
if the numerous drafts which required teaching and the ever-changing
conditions of warfare had not made this a necessity, still it does
not improve the health nor the spirits of men so often exposed to the
danger of death to encourage or allow periods of utter indolence and
the consequent loafing and brooding. The work at this time was mostly
practising the assault of positions. On the 12th September Captain
Nicholson got the M.C. and L.-Corpl. Streat the D.C.M., and about the
same time eight soldiers got the M.M. and one a bar to the same. On
the 23rd September the Buffs moved by train to St. Jan Ter Biezen,
where, five days afterwards, hostile aircraft dropped bombs into the
camp, doing a very great deal of damage. The men were in huts and tents
and the area a very congested one, which fact probably tempted the
enemy to his enterprise. It was dark when the aeroplane flew over and
it dropped six bombs (two of which were blind) right into the camp,
resulting in the death of 2nd Lieut. R. E. C. Mead and twenty-six men
and the wounding of Lieut. and Qr.-Master Rye, 2nd Lieuts. Malton
and Tyler and sixty-three others. This misfortune had the effect of
disorganizing the arrangement of platoons and sections just at a
time when the regiment was being braced up and perfected in the new
method of attack called “Leap-frog.”[23] However, the training still
went on and, moving by stages, the battalion, with the rest of the
brigade, was on the 11th October opposite the village of Poelcappelle,
because for various reasons, one of which was a desire to assist the
French, our Commander-in-Chief was arranging a considerable offensive
movement before the weather, which had been much against movement, got
absolutely too wet and wintry for any kind of manœuvre.
This offensive operation was made over a six-mile front northwards
from a point east of the village of Zonnebeke and so brought the
55th Brigade to the position indicated. As far as the 55th Brigade
was concerned no circumstances could have been less in favour of a
successful attack, for several reasons: no shelter was to be had for
the assaulting troops, who had to be out in the open, in mud and rain,
close up to the front line and in full view of hostile aircraft, thus
advertising the coming movement, so to speak; much detail in the way
of attack orders was altered and amended at the last moment, and these
details consequently could not be made known to everyone in time, for
the night of the 11th was pitch dark and the various platoons and
sections were scattered about wherever cover could be got--in shell
holes and the like, and so had no chance of receiving detailed orders.
The Buffs’ line was from Gloster House, or Farm, to Poelcappelle
Church; C Company was on the right and D on the left, A supporting C
and B behind D. The objective, together with the battalion area of
activity, is shown on the accompanying sketch map. A and B Companies
were to act as what was known as “leap-frog” companies--that is,
they were to pass the others and go on to the second objective. All
companies were in position by 4 a.m. on the 12th October; outposts
were withdrawn at 5.15; the barrage opened at 5.25, and C and D moved
forward.
All reports agree in stating that our barrage was not a success; it was
erratic and not heavy enough, and when the infantry attack was getting
into difficulties it passed too far ahead. The officer commanding
C Company (Captain Nicholson) reported that the guns opened thirty
seconds too late on his front, that the barrage commenced very thinly
and thickened right on top of the leading troops. D Company got caught
by the enemy’s gun fire as it was waiting for ours to lift and the
whole front line came immediately under very heavy fire, particularly
C, which suffered much from machine guns from the neighbourhood of
Gloster House and from point “37.” D Company got through the houses
and enclosures which were on its front, but, on emerging, met heavy
cross machine-gun fire from Meunier House and the Brewery, and thus our
attack was checked throughout our line. A and B, moving up in rear so
as to keep close, came in their turn under intense machine-gun fire,
B Company especially suffering very severely. These supports were
eventually merged into the leading line and every effort was made to
struggle forward, but the heavy ground prevented anything but laborious
movement which was ill suited to a rain of bullets, and at last things
came to a standstill.
C Company managed to rush one hostile post, where the men captured
a machine gun and turned it very effectually on its late owners.
Captain Nicholson, M.C., who commanded C Company, tried to dig in
where he was, but the ground was terribly swampy for this; however,
he was, about noon, able to report a perceptible slackening of the
enemy’s fire. About this time he noticed 2nd Lieut. Knight with the
elements of A Company about four hundred yards to his right, and he
sent off 2nd Lieut. H. M. Spencer to get touch with him with a view
to together making an attempt to gain ground; Spencer, on his way,
fell, mortally wounded, and Nicholson went out to help him. As he was
doing so he heard a shout and saw that Knight and about thirty men
had been overwhelmed and made prisoners. He could not get back to his
men in time to order them to open fire. This affair caused a gap on
Nicholson’s left and he directed his remaining officer, 2nd Lieut.
Tupper, to form three posts to protect that flank while he himself
established five others on his front. He then attempted to consolidate
these, but the state of the ground prohibited digging. About 2 p.m. a
party of Germans was observed near the Brewery advancing down the main
street of Poelcappelle which had every appearance of a counter-attack
and preparations were made accordingly, but the enemy was successfully
stopped by parties of the West Kent and of the Suffolk Regiment which
were in the village. About 5.30 the enemy shelled our lines and the
village, but defensive posts were established and all was well, though
the bombardment continued during the next day, the 13th, and at dusk
the remnant of the Buffs withdrew to Counter Farm on relief by the 7th
Battalion of the Queen’s.
It is worthy of note that on the 12th and 13th both the Germans and
ourselves were able to attend the wounded by flying a white or Red
Cross flag, white handkerchief or rag. The enemy never fired on a
wounded man. It is eloquent of the state of things during a war
between so-called civilized nations that such should be considered as
exceptional.
[Illustration: POELCAPELLE]
The Buffs’ casualties in this action were: killed, Captain E. B. C.
Burnside, 2nd Lieuts. R. W. Bone, H. M. Spencer and H. Thomas and 52
other ranks; wounded, Captains Blood-Smyth and West, Lieut. Boner, 2nd
Lieuts. Amos and Bull, and 178 men; missing, 2nd Lieut. Knight and 145
men. A Company had left at duty one sergeant and one corporal; B, one
corporal; C, two sergeants and four corporals; and D, one sergeant and
one corporal--no less than 62 N.C.O.’s being amongst the casualties. As
has been seen, several circumstances contributed to prevent this action
from being an entire success, but the chief was the deplorable state of
the ground, which prevented movement and consolidation and which, worst
of all, prevented fire, by clogging up the men’s rifles with mud.
On the 24th of the month the battalion went into billets at Poperinghe,
where nine men got M.M.’s. On the 1st November it moved, by means of
lorries, to Parroy Camp, where it worked on the roads. On that day a
second bar to Captain C. D. Hayfield’s M.C. was announced, as well as
one to Captain A. C. L. Nicholson’s. The M.C. was awarded to 2nd Lieut.
Tupper, the D.C.M. to C.Q.M.S. Burt and Sgt. Pellandine, and the M.M.
to ten more of the men.
A long spell of quiet at Emile Camp now ensued, the battalion being
very weak as regards numbers. It moved up into the forward area,
however, on the 9th December, occupying small posts till the 17th,
when it entrained at Boesinghe for Bayenghem and went into billets.
There the battalion remained till over Christmas, after which it led
a somewhat nomadic life--that is, it wandered a good deal about the
region west and north of Ypres. Proven perhaps might be taken as a
centre of the country visited, but early January found the men in the
trenches again near Boesinghe for a few days. There was always a New
Year list of honours during the war, and the commencement of 1918 gave
Lt.-Colonel Ransome, already an M.C., the coveted D.S.O. as well.
Captain Clapperton got the M.C., and Captains Fine and Hallinan (the
battalion doctor), together with Sgt. L. G. Moon,[24] who had died of
wounds, were mentioned in despatches. Further, C.Q.M.S. Wickington got
the D.C.M., he having already received the M.M.
The last day of January the battalion went into billets at Herzeele,
some ten miles west of Poperinghe; and the 11th of February found it
in billets in the back area at Viry Noureuil, where it worked hard on
defensive preparations in the area of the expected battle, for ten days
or so. Then came a very long journey and complete change of scene.
Sir Douglas Haig foresaw that the enemy was likely to throw his
principal weight south of Arras, and most likely about the point of
juncture of the French and English forces, which at this time was about
the River Oise. He therefore very greatly strengthened this threatened
area, and so it came about that the 7th Battalion with its comrades
were carried off in haste to the Liez area on the 26th February, and
set energetically to work in what was termed the battle zone, in
contradistinction to the forward zone, in which the first shock of the
oncoming Teuton armies was to be received.
Liez is about three miles north of the River Oise, and two from the
St. Quentin Canal, which practically here defined the forward line of
defence into which the Buffs moved up on the 13th March and continued
their preparations to receive the enemy. On the night of the 15th a
single platoon, under Lieut. C. W. Jemmett, made a reconnaissance
in force on the canal bridge on the Vendeuil-Chaugny road, in which
Jemmett unfortunately lost his life. The bridge was found to be held in
force. The records of this period are somewhat meagre, as nearly all
the papers referring to it had later on to be destroyed in a hurry to
prevent them falling into the enemy’s hands, but it seems clear that
some casualties resulted from the attack on this canal bridge. On the
20th March came the order “Prepare for Action,” and next morning the
fight commenced.
VII. 8TH BATTALION--BATTLE OF PILCKEM RIDGE
The 8th Battalion after its fight at the Buffs’ Bank enjoyed a good
long rest and pleasant change. It was at Escoeuilles in the Lumbres
area for over a fortnight, and from there went on to the seaside at
Ecault, about four miles south of Boulogne, for two or three days. This
was really an enjoyable holiday; passes were granted into Boulogne,
and the camp authorities were most kind; but all good things come
to an end, and the 16th July found the men on the march again for
Mic Mac Camp and the trenches. It took nearly a week to cover this
distance, as no forced marches were called for, and so, on the 22nd
July, the battalion started on the monotonous old trench work once
more. Headquarters, with C Company, were quartered in a tunnel, some of
these having been constructed of late by regular tunnelling companies
of specially selected troops. This trench tour of the 8th Buffs, which
lasted only six days, was a very strenuous one and occasioned no less
than 160 casualties.
On the 25th one of our own heavy guns dropped a shell on our left
front post and buried it. The post had been held by one N.C.O. and
eight men, and four of these were wounded and the remainder badly
shaken. Gas alarms were very numerous on this date. The following
day was marked by minor enterprises undertaken by units on the Buffs’
left, our artillery opening at 5.5 p.m. The result was satisfactory,
but unfortunately the regiment was unable to take part. On the 27th,
a little before noon, a large shell pierced a tunnel occupied by our
men, killing four, gassing about thirty and causing considerable delay
to the carrying parties by blocking the gangway. On the 28th the Buffs
were back for a day or two at Mic Mac Camp, and on the 31st the Battle
of Pilckem Ridge commenced.
This was a carefully organized attack on our part with a view to
gaining the crest of the high ground east of Ypres, and though troops
were to be engaged all the way from Deulemont to Steenstraat--a
fifteen-mile front--the brunt of the work was apportioned to the 5th
Army under Sir Hubert Gough, acting between Boesinghe and the road
which runs from Zillebeke to Zandvoorde. Thus it came about that on
the 30th July the Buffs moved up to assembly positions in Ecluse
Trench, passing Dickebusch _en route_. Barrage rations were issued
and the men awaited the break of day and zero hour, which was fixed
for 3.50 a.m. on the 31st. They were not in the front line, and one
hour after zero moved up to the position vacated by the 12th Royal
Fusiliers in Canada Tunnel, reaching it without casualties, after
meeting several wounded men from different units of the division, from
whom only garbled accounts of what was going forward could be gleaned.
For the whole of this first day our men lay in the stifling tunnels,
where the heat was tremendous and the odour most offensive. It was not
till 8.30 the next night that the Buffs emerged from their unpleasant
surroundings and pushed forward to relieve the 3rd Rifle Brigade in our
new front line, which was, however, not as far off as had been planned;
for the British advance had been halted by very heavy opposition
from shells, machine guns and rifle fire. The Rifle Brigade proved
very difficult to discover, owing to the darkness and inefficient
guides and, when found, their portion of the new line was far from
comfortable, especially on the left, where D Company was. It proved a
chain of posts in shell holes which were mostly half full of water; the
rain was falling, too, and the hostile shelling was heavy.
However, a welcome relief came on the evening of the following day,
and in the dark, over very heavy and unknown ground, the battalion
stumbled through the night, suffering a few casualties, including
Captain Morrell slightly wounded, until at daylight the men made the
camp again and rested at Dickebusch for some two or three days before
going up into line once more on the 7th, on which occasion battalion
headquarters was established in Canada Tunnel as before.
At 4.35 a.m. on the 10th August, in accordance with orders received,
an attempt was made to capture Lower Starpost, 2nd Lieut. Lowles and
forty-seven men of B Company being detailed for the job. This little
party formed up at 3.45 and was subjected to very heavy shelling while
waiting for the zero hour. Then our barrage opened and three minutes
later the majority of the guns lifted, but one of the batteries failed
to do so for another minute and a half, which mistake cost twelve
casualties and greatly disorganized the party. However, the men
advanced, only to find that, owing to the delay in the lifting of some
of the guns, the enemy was all ready and, having left the dug-outs, was
awaiting what was to come. By this time Lowles and all his N.C.O.’s
except L.-Corpl. Simson were wounded, but the stout lance-corporal
immediately opened fire with his Lewis gun and ordered his men to
charge. The gun jammed almost immediately, and the enemy defended
himself briskly with stick bombs. The remaining one-third of the
party--two-thirds of the original number having dropped--could make no
headway against the strong opposition encountered and returned to the
lines, having had 5 killed, 23 wounded and 3 missing, and having shown
great courage and determination.
From this date until the 21st September life was somewhat monotonous
and consisted, as usual, of work in the trenches and rest in camp in
alternate periods, Larch Wood tunnels being the scene of the one and
Mic Mac Camp and Dickebusch of the other. Clear weather and a bright
harvest moon the first week in September caused the enemy to try
bombing a good many British camps at night from aeroplanes, and the
Buffs experienced this form of annoyance together with other units. On
the 11th September, while moving up into the trenches, two men were
killed and another wounded, and 2nd Lieut. Cooper and R.S.M. Dare were
so badly shaken up that they had to be sent away for a while. The next
day the enemy shelled the ration dump, causing some minor casualties.
L.-Corpl. Bussell and Pte. Gasking later on got M.M.’s for coolness and
bravery on this occasion.
On the 16th September the battalion was put into buses and removed to
Oultersteen, which is three miles beyond Bailleul, and five days later
it entrained for Bapaume and marched to Ypres. On the 27th it marched
to Haut Allaines, on the 29th to Hervilly, and on the 30th took its
place in the line with French on their right, the battalion being thus
at the extreme right of the British line.
The first week in October, in this portion of the line, was devoted
mostly to patrol work, and a few casualties occurred, two men being
killed and another wounded on the 3rd, but the work was the same as
usual. Bernes and Vadencourt were the resting-places, and Ascencion
Wood the chief object of the patrols.
On the 4th November an American officer was attached to the
regiment--one swallow does not make a summer, but this was a welcome
sign of what was to be expected later on. On the 6th one of our
patrols at night, being south of Ascencion Wood, came across a similar
party of the enemy, and both immediately opened fire, the Buffs losing
two killed and five wounded in the little affair. Life towards the end
of the year was uneventful. On the 23rd November a post under Sgt.
Smith was attacked by thirty or forty Germans, but they were driven
off without casualties to us, and one dead officer and a N.C.O.,
badly wounded, were found on our wire afterwards. The average company
strength during the month of November was only eighty-four.
The 3rd December found the battalion in the line again and expecting
a hostile attack, but on the 7th it was back in Hancourt. About
Christmas a good deal of movement on the enemy’s part appeared to be
going on around Bellicourt. The Buffs being then opposite, at Montigny,
Christmas was kept on the 31st of the month at Montigny.
On the 1st January, 1918, the brigade moved back a few miles to
Vraignes, but only for a short time. On the 21st, whilst at Hancourt,
orders arrived that the 8th Battalion of the Buffs and the 12th
Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers were to be disbanded, so, on the 30th,
all employed men of these units rejoined, and on the 6th February the
drafts of men already noted[25] started for the 1st and 6th Battalions.
Thus ended the only 8th Battalion the regiment ever had. Ever since
the 26th September, 1915, when it suffered so severely near Loos, and
when it lost the gallant Romer, this unit had borne a brave share in
the great struggle. Very few, if any, of the men raised by the gallant
Colonel Romer in 1914 were passed on in February, 1918 (Major J.
Vaughan, M.C., being one of the exceptions), but the regimental spirit
was still a living thing, and it was a right and happy order that the
men should remain Buffs and no new badge should replace the ancient
dragon.
CHAPTER XII
THE QUEEN’S OWN RIFLES OF CANADA
As members of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada were fighting from
early in 1915 till the end of hostilities, perhaps the centre of the
war history between the more or less evenly contested portion of the
struggle and the beginning of the end would be a suitable place to
insert a short chapter describing who and what this regiment was and
is, for no war history of the Buffs would be complete without reference
to their allied regiment of Canadian Militia.
This was an existing corps long before August, 1914, and so could
hardly be referred to in our third chapter, which dealt chiefly with
the raising of new units. On reference to the official Army List it
will be seen that, under the headings of certain of our regiments, such
for example as the Somerset Light Infantry, the Suffolk Regiment, the
Black Watch and our own, are entered the words:--
Allied regiment of Dominion of New Zealand.
Allied regiment of Australian Commonwealth, or
Allied regiment of Canadian Militia.
The idea is a very pretty one, naturally induces the very best of
cordial good feeling, and emphasises in a pleasant and soldierly way
the idea of blood brotherhood which exists between warrior Englishmen
and their soldier cousins over the seas.
The regiment is an old one and belongs to Toronto, Ontario. The
foundation of the Canadian Militia was practically laid by the gallant
band of loyalists who, in spite of ill-treatment on the part of old
England to her colonists, stuck manfully to their King during the
American upheaval of the year 1776. This militia turned out again
in the war between England and the United States in 1812, in which
struggle the Canadians saw some great fighting and succeeded in keeping
their country safe and intact in spite of their powerful neighbour.
The actual formation of the Toronto regiment was in 1860, and it first
paraded on Queen Victoria’s birthday of that year. More active service
was experienced during the Fenian raids of 1864, 65 and 66, and in the
Red River rebellion of 1870; but it is not of course possible, nor even
desirable in this place, to give the regimental history as a whole, and
reference is merely made to these campaigns in order to show the reader
that our allied regiment is of no new growth.
As regards recent history, however, it is interesting to note that when
a military contingent was sent to represent Canada at Queen Victoria’s
Diamond Jubilee, one of the units was made up of the Rifle Regiments of
Canada and commanded by Major H. M. Pellatt, for this is a well-known
regimental name. The regiment was also represented in the Boer War.
In 1902 Pellatt, now Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the regiment,
headed the Canadian contingent which attended the coronation of King
Edward VII, and on the occasion took with him, at his own expense, the
regiment’s famous bugle band.
In the summer of 1910 a provisional battalion of six hundred and fifty
men, drawn from the regiment, sailed for England to take part in the
army manœuvres. This was made possible by the generosity and patriotism
of Colonel Sir Henry Pellatt, who bore the entire expense. It is almost
superfluous to add that a hearty welcome awaited these soldiers both on
landing in England and on arrival at Aldershot.
On September 3rd the Canadians performed a thirteen-mile route march
with the Buffs, and in connection with this exercise the following
words were written by a distinguished officer of the Corps: “There
had been a friendly feeling existing between all ranks of these two
regiments since the arrival of the Queen’s Own in England, due to the
fact that they both used the same regimental march. Permission for the
Queen’s Own to use this march had been given by the Buffs over forty
years ago. The friendly feeling between the two units was greatly
strengthened that day, and during the whole of the stay in England the
Queen’s Own were indebted to the Buffs for many acts of kindness and
thoughtfulness.”
Immediately after the return of the battalion to Toronto steps were
taken to bring about an affiliation with the Buffs, but it was not
until 1914 that this was finally accomplished, when the following
appeared in Militia orders: “His Majesty has been graciously pleased
to approve of the 2nd Regiment, Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, being
made an allied regiment of the Buffs (East Kent Regiment).” The annual
mess dinner of the Queen’s Own was held on the 23rd April, 1914, at
the Military Institute, Toronto, and the 1st Battalion dining at the
same time at Fermoy, an all-British cable communication between the
two places was arranged to permit an exchange of messages; the first
time direct cables were sent between Toronto and Ireland. This was made
possible at the request of Sir Henry Pellatt. Cordial interchange of
greetings resulted.
As regards the Great War, which, after all, is what the readers of
this book are primarily interested in: immediately upon the news of
the declaration of war reaching Canada, Lt.-Colonel M. S. Mercer,[26]
Commandant of the Queen’s Own Rifles, offered to his government a
battalion of his regiment for immediate service abroad. Upon the
acceptance by the British Government of one complete division from
Canada with reinforcements for the same, Lt.-Colonel Mercer was
notified that the battalion offered by the Queen’s Own could not
be accepted and that the regiment, with the others, could only be
allowed to furnish 250 volunteers per battalion in accordance with
instructions already issued to all infantry units of the Canadian
Militia. At this time few, if any, in the country foresaw the extent of
Canada’s ultimate effort, and many believed that one division, which
represented the first contingent, would probably be all that would ever
sail for the war. This being the case, and the authorities desiring
that all units of the militia, of which there were 110 battalions of
infantry, should be represented and have an opportunity of furnishing
their quota, it came about that battalions were not raised upon
the regimental system, as was done in Great Britain, but composite
battalions, as forming part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force,
were made up from drafts contributed from the various militia corps
throughout the whole country.
From this it may be seen that the Queen’s Own Rifles did not serve
in the war as a single unit, but as parts of many, and so it may be
easily conceived that portions of the regiment fought in each and all
of the many great battles in which Canada so gloriously distinguished
itself. This fact makes it impossible in this short history to follow
their doings in the detailed manner which is attempted in the cases
of the English battalions. Nevertheless we are able to trace the
Queen’s Own to a certain extent, and we know that about eight hundred
of the regiment were formed at once on the declaration of war into a
service battalion and that very strong representations were made to
the Canadian government to allow this unit to proceed overseas in its
entirety, but that permission was refused.
On the 31st August, 1914, orders were issued that the infantry of the
first contingent would consist of seventeen battalions numbering from
one onward, that twelve of these would be selected for the fighting
division and that the remaining five would form a Canadian reserve in
England. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions were brigaded together,
with Colonel M. S. Mercer as brigadier. The service battalion of
the Queen’s Own was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, together with
detachments from other corps. The contingent spent five months on
Salisbury Plain, was inspected by H.M. The King, accompanied by Lord
Kitchener, on the 5th February, 1915, and embarked for France three
days later, landing at St. Nazaire.
The 3rd battalion soon afterwards was at Armentieres and in the
trenches, to learn the life and duties under the tuition of the
Sherwood Foresters. It was this 1st Canadian Division which fought so
gallantly at the Second Battle of Ypres in April, 1915, only two months
after landing in France, and these were the men that Geddes’ detachment
were so intimately associated with and to whose assistance Captain
Tomlinson’s ill-fated company was sent on the 24th April. The 3rd
Battalion, which included, as we have seen, in its ranks the Queen’s
Own, were very much in the thick of this terrible fight, and two of
its companies, A and B, were fighting actually alongside Tomlinson’s
company, engaged in the same and identical enterprise.
How many of those men who route-marched with the Buffs at Aldershot in
1910 ever dreamed that in less than four years they would be fighting
desperately alongside the old regiment (though, of course, a different
battalion of it) in one of the greatest battles ever contested?
Sixty-one officers and nearly four thousand N.C.O.’s and men of the
Queen’s Own served with this 3rd Battalion during the war, and it was
always commanded by one of the regiment’s own officers.
In October, 1914, it was decided that Canada should furnish a second
division, and one complete company of the 19th Battalion, serving with
this, was furnished by the Buffs’ Allied Corps. This division reached
France in September, 1915.
On the 14th November twelve extra mounted rifle battalions were
authorized for war, and one of them was raised in Toronto and
subsequently fed with drafts from our regiment. These were originally
intended for mounted troops, but were transformed into ordinary
infantry when it was found that that arm was the one most in request.
The men generally went to France as drafts for existing units, but the
4th and 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles became two battalions of the 3rd
Canadian Division which was formed in France in the spring of 1916 and
placed under the command of Major-General M. S. Mercer, C.B.
The 35th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force was raised in
1915 and it also contained a company of the Queen’s Own Rifles, and
indeed in course of time 17 officers and 650 men of the regiment passed
through this particular unit.
Then, again, it was strongly represented in the 58th, 74th, 75th, 83rd,
95th, 166th and 255th Battalions, some of which were draft-finding
units, and others served complete in the war.
In fact, officers and men of the Queen’s Own Rifles found their way
into all units and services of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, which
fought in nearly all the considerable battles on the Western front from
the Second Battle of Ypres up to the armistice; and wherever it fought
it is safe to affirm that some, at any rate, of the Queen’s Own fought
too.
It seems, therefore, almost as impossible to give a list of
engagements the men were present at as it always has been in the case
of the Royal Artillery, which corps, it is well known, is obliged to
fall back on the single word “Ubique” instead of a battle-roll.
The following is a summary of the work done by our Canadian Allied
Regiment and the honours its members won:--
Total enlistments for service overseas 9,104
Killed or died of wounds or disease 1,324
Wounded 3,198
Prisoners of war 117
Granted commissions in the field 257[27]
Number of officers who served in theatre of war 205[28]
Number of officers killed or died of wounds 47
DECORATIONS
Victoria Cross 1
Commander of the Bath 2
Companion St. Michael and St. George 2
Distinguished Service Order 12
Bar to D.S.O. 5
Military Cross 51
Bar to M.C. 11
Commander British Empire 1
Order British Empire 6
Member British Empire 2
Croix de Guerre (French) 10
Croix de Guerre (Belgium) 5
Legion of Honour 2
Médaille Militaire 1
Distinguished Conduct Medal 29
Bar to D.C.M. 6
Military Medal 175
Bar to M.M. 14
2nd Bar to M.M. 3
Meritorious Service Medal 13
Distinguished Flying Cross 2
Besides the battalions alluded to above there was another in which we
are interested, though not connected with the Queen’s Own Rifles of
Canada, except that several of the latter’s officers assisted in the
raising and organization of it: the 198th Battalion of the Canadian
Expeditionary Force was raised in Toronto by men of Kent.
We in England are inclined affectionately to term the Queen’s Own “The
Canadian Buffs,” but this is not its name.
The 198th War Battalion was, like our 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th, a
war unit only, but during its existence it was called by the name of
“Canadian Buffs,” though never formally or officially allied to the old
regiment.
It was commanded by Lt.-Colonel J. A. Cooper and had colours
presented to it on the 1st November, 1916, by Sir John Hendrie, the
Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Ontario, who in his speech on
the occasion laid stress on the honour granted to the battalion by His
Majesty The King, in allowing it to be called by the name of such an
historic regiment.
The Canadian Buffs lost seven officers and ninety-nine other ranks
killed.
CHAPTER XIII
THE END OF THE SALONICA AND MESOPOTAMIA CAMPAIGNS
I. 4TH BATTALION
Before studying the final phases and great events of 1918 in France and
Flanders, and the conclusion of the war in that area, it may be as well
to see how matters ended further afield and in other regions where the
Buffs were engaged. It may be remembered that the 10th left Palestine
in March, when the initial successes of the German offensive rendered
it necessary to reinforce the Western Armies with every available man.
Therefore the continuation of the history of that battalion is similar,
as regards locality, to that of the 1st, 6th and 7th. The 4th remained
in India till some time after the end of the struggle. The 5th endured
a weary time in Mesopotamia, and the 2nd was in the neighbourhood of
Salonica. As far as the 4th Battalion is concerned, with the exception
of the tour of work at Aden, already described, it saw no war as a
unit, though nearly all its individual members at some time or another
were seriously engaged. For instance, when this battalion returned from
the Aden campaign and was stationed at Bareilly, it sent, as well as
detachments to the north-west frontier of India, about five hundred
officers and men to the 5th in Mesopotamia.
In July, 1918, the 4th Battalion proceeded to Multan, in the Punjaub,
and was in this place when news of the armistice reached India. Now,
the great cessation of hostilities brought the blessings of peace to
all the rest of the Buffs, even if it brought no immediate change
of surroundings, but this was not the case as regards the garrison
of India; all sorts of internal troubles were fomented in the great
eastern dependency, particularly in the Punjaub, chiefly because
certain ignorant and foolish folk at home are too full of the sense of
their own importance to leave the ruling of foreign lands to those of
our nation who really know all about it and have made their adopted
country their life study. Troublous times there were, and in May,
1919, six months after war was supposed to have ended, martial law
having been proclaimed, the Buffs were employed on different important
points on the railway line and at Amballa, Lahore and other places.
Another Afghan war, too, broke out and about half the battalion was
employed upon it, both officers and men being called upon to perform
various duties at the front. Headquarters, under Lt.-Colonel Dunstan,
who had succeeded Lt.-Colonel Gosling, remained at Lahore during the
hot weather of 1919. At last, at the end of October, a year after the
European peace, the men were collected, embarked on the S.S.
_Nevasa_ and landed at Devonport in November, after five years’
foreign service, which must be a record, or nearly so, for a strictly
home service unit.
The good work of this battalion is recorded in the following
letter written, just before its departure from India, by the
Commander-in-Chief, General Sir C. C. Munro:--
“Officers, Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men of the
4th Battalion the Buffs, East Kent Regiment. On your departure from
India I desire to place on record my high appreciation of your services
to the Empire during the period of the Great War.
“Many of you, previous to the outbreak of War, had by joining the
Territorial Force already given proof of that patriotism and public
spirit for which the Force has rendered itself so conspicuous.
“On the declaration of War, your ranks were filled by eager
volunteers animated by the same spirit of self-sacrifice. When
called upon to undertake the further obligation of service
overseas your response was immediate and unanimous. By so doing
you set free a large number of regular units for service in the
main theatres of war, at a time when every trained soldier was
of the greatest value. Many of you have seen service, and by
your conduct and bearing have added to the reputation of the
famous regiment whose name you bear.
“Since the termination of active fighting in all the theatres
of war you have been subjected to the further stress of waiting
for your relief. That you appreciated the difficulties which the
authorities have had to face in this respect is clear from the
patience with which you have borne this trying period.
“You are returning to your homes in Kent, and I bid you God
Speed and a Happy Homecoming.
“As an old Commander of a Territorial Division at home I am
proud to have again been associated with you in India.”
The government of India, in a long resolution at Delhi (dated
31.12.19), recorded that:--
“The Governors-General in Council desire to express to all ranks
of the 4th Battalion the Buffs, East Kent Regiment, the thanks
of the Government of India for their patriotic services, which
will long be remembered and will serve as a noble and enduring
example of good citizenship to future generations.”
II. 5TH BATTALION
On the 1st April, 1917, the defeated Turkish 14th Corps was broken
into fragments and driven up the two great rivers and the Diala, while
their 13th Corps was falling back before the Russians, who were coming
down from the hills to the north-east of Baghdad. Our own people were
covering the city from any possible attempt that the enemy might
make down the rivers. On the 2nd April touch was established with
the Russians, so our people from the Diala were withdrawn, a further
advance up both banks of the Tigris considered and, as a preliminary,
about the 8th of the month portions of the enemy were driven over the
Shatt el Adhaim river. The Buffs at this time were at Hinaidi, which
is about two miles below Baghdad, but in view of the contemplated
operations the battalion started for the north on the 3rd April, doing
no less than twenty-six miles the first day, the distance being divided
into two considerable marches. This journey was continued during the
following two or three days, and on the 8th April the battalion was
at Dugamia. It was discovered, however, on this date that over six
thousand of the enemy, with thirty-two guns, had issued from the Jebel
Hamrin and were moving down the right bank of the Nahr Khalis Canal
towards Deltawa. Indeed, by the evening of the 9th they had reached
a point seven miles or so south-west of Deli Abbas. The Buffs, with
the rest of the brigade, were ordered at short notice to Deltawa, in
support of a force under Lt.-Colonel Champain, and a picquet line
was thrown out to the north of the place, Dogras being on the left
and Buffs on the right. The following day it was found impossible
to reach the position which it was intended to occupy, owing to the
presence of several very steep nullahs deep with water, and the brigade
counter-marched and moved through Deltawa.
On the 10th it proceeded to a point opposite Abdullah Effendi and
found the country partially inundated, the banks or “bunds” having
been broken. All this day and part of the next, the enemy continued
his advance down the canal, lured on by our cavalry which retreated
before him; but on the 11th he met with failure, for on that day
British troops, including the Buffs, had been sent up the right bank of
the Nahr Khalis towards Deli Abbas to meet him, while another column,
after a night march from Dogamia, fell upon his right flank. This
latter movement proved a complete surprise, was entirely successful
and resulted in a Turkish retreat, hurried somewhat at first, but
soon covered by an efficient and properly worked rear guard, which
caused the pursuit to be a slow one, though quite continuous. On the
12th the Buffs reached the junction of the Nahr Khalis, with the Nahr
Tahwila, where they bivouacked with B Company, and the Dogras in front
on picquet. The next day the cavalry tried a turning movement, with a
view to reaching the Kifri road at a point behind the retreating army,
but lack of water caused this adventure to fail. The Buffs, leaving
B Company and the Dogras behind, continued the advance with the 13th
Brigade R.F.A. and took up, in conjunction with the 102nd Grenadiers,
a fresh picquet line for the night. The regiment lost two men killed
and nineteen wounded on this date. On the 14th this new picquet line
was sniped all day by a few men supported by a rear guard with machine
guns, and Captain Dolamore of the Middlesex, who was attached to the
Buffs, was killed, thirteen men being wounded. After marching forward
a few miles on the 15th, it was determined to stop the pursuit, as
it was not advisable to enter the hilly country of the Jebel Hamrin,
where the defence would have great advantages; so the original idea
of crossing the Shatt el Adhaim was resumed, those who had interfered
with the scheme having been now driven away. So the marching of the
next two days was in an opposite direction, and on the 18th at 4 a.m.
the Buffs started, in support of the 38th Brigade, for the point where
the smaller stream joined the Tigris, at which place a bridge was
thrown and the crossing at once commenced. The Buffs got over about
noon without opposition, proceeded to Deluiya and at dusk went out on
picquet along the Nahrwan Canal. The Turkish opposition on the left
bank of the Tigris had collapsed and many prisoners were taken. The
following day all available lorries and ambulances spread away over the
country behind the cavalry, with a view to collecting booty, but this
enterprise was of no avail at all: the local Arab had seen to all that
business. The enemy still had some fight left in him on the other side
of the great river, however, and on the 20th April the Buffs marched
up the left bank as escort to the R.F.A. The next day the Turks stood
to fight on the other side of the water, and, their aeroplane having
been destroyed, they were unaware of anything likely to interfere with
their plans on the bank opposite to them; but our guns enfiladed their
position with very marked success and, after this participation in the
action, the troops marched back seven miles to Deluiya. Of course, the
main avenue of communication between the army of Mesopotamia and the
base had always been the river, and the spot up to which the boats
could come with safety was constantly being changed as the armies
advanced up stream. This river-head, as it was called, was the advanced
depot for supplies, and when troops wandered far from river-head they
were badly fed. Consequently, the 22nd April was a red-letter day
because a better and fuller supply of rations was issued, as the boats
now came up to Samjali, where a bridge over the Tigris had been made on
the 19th.
While operations had been going on on the right bank of the main river
it became clear that the other Turkish corps was again issuing from
the Jebel Hamrin, this time down the Shatt el Adhaim, and that it
was advancing against our troops on the left bank. On the 23rd his
leading units had reached Dahuba with the remainder seventeen miles
in rear, and it was determined to endeavour to crush this leading
force before it could be reinforced, so a night march and attack at
dawn was arranged. The enemy’s position ran north-west from the Shatt
el Adhaim, and his right flank was bent back in a northerly direction
in front of Dahuba. Specially detailed parties of a hundred Buffs
and a hundred Dogras, under Captain Jones of the latter regiment,
proceeded in motor-cars to surprise and attack the Turks’ extreme
right at 6 a.m., but our guns had already so cleverly made use of the
surprise element, and with such great effect, that the position had
already been abandoned. The Buffs took up a picquet line, but, being
relieved by the 102nd Grenadiers, they marched back to bivouac on the
river. The next day the pursuit commenced. The enemy was retiring up
both banks of the Shatt el Adhaim, and the British force followed for
three sultry days, reaching Satha on the evening of the 27th. Here the
Turk was close to his Jebel Hamrin, from which hilly region he had
so recently issued, and here, amongst the foothills, he elected to
stand while a strong rear guard covered the withdrawal to his selected
position. Opposite to this the Buffs bivouacked for the night, being
in reserve to the rest of Thomson’s force, which was holding a portion
of our picquet line, about two miles separating our main line from
that of the enemy. Reconnaissance was rendered almost impossible by
reason of the heat and low visibility, besides during the night there
came on one of those dreadful dust-storms so common in these regions,
and this one lasted for about forty-eight hours. The last day of the
month saw a very successful attack made on the position, in spite of
the dust-storm, which, however, greatly assisted the enemy to secure
his line of retreat after he had been defeated. During this fight the
Buffs were in reserve; the 35th Brigade, however, bore their full share
of the victory, which resulted in the capture of numerous prisoners
and trophies. In describing the events recorded above, Sir Stanley
Maude in his official despatches uses the following words: “During
this period of hard marching and heavy fighting the Buffs specially
distinguished themselves on several occasions.” On the 1st May our
aeroplanes reported the enemy seven miles away in full retreat.
Sir Stanley Maude now determined that a redistribution of the troops
for the hot weather was a necessity, and as the resistance of the
enemy was thoroughly broken the chief matter to consider now was the
wellbeing of our men during the trying portion of the year which was
before them. On the 5th May the Buffs marched to Satha, thence on to
Dahuba, and on the 10th crossed the pontoon bridge over the Adhaim,
escorting transport and guns. A certain amount of time was spent at
Bakuba and more at Abu Kamed, on Diala river. At the latter place
the battalion remained all the early summer and was employed chiefly
in digging and wiring. Hot weather in the plains of India, with all
the appliances and inventions of long experience to mitigate the
discomforts of existence, is trying enough, but month after month
of lassitude and exhaustion caused by summer in a burning country
without any such mitigation is a terrible trial to the strongest; the
experience was just one that had to be lived through, and that is all
about it.
Early in August a little break came, bringing with it, at any rate,
a change of scene: our aeroplanes reported that the Turks were
entrenching a position south-west of Shahroban, and it was determined
to occupy that place at once. Therefore on the 13th August the Buffs
with the remainder of their brigade crossed the Diala river to Bakuba,
and then moved towards the north-east and on the 19th reached Misdad
from Abu Jisra without opposition. The next day the brigade moved out
at 4.30 a.m. to march on Shahroban with orders to skirt the town,
the Buffs to go round the south side and the Dogras the north. The
great objective was a certain nullah, and this was occupied without
opposition at 6.35 a.m. Then another period of monotony set in and
until the 18th October the battalion was at Shahroban in Mesopotamia,
and that was all its history.
The Jebel Hamrin, though not a lofty range of mountains, is a very
broken set of hills, and it is from this region that the waters
which feed the canals is obtained. So long as the Turks remained in
possession of these hills, so long had they control of the canals.
Early in October, therefore, it was decided to take over this Jebel
Hamrin, but first to clear the left bank of the Diala from the enemy.
This was done by attacking a position he held near Deli Abbas, on which
occasion all objectives were gained, and the British were enabled to
take up a line astride of the Diala river where it issues from the
gorge of the Jebel, and so gain control of the head waters of the
canals. In connection with these operations the Buffs, who had a series
of canals on their front, began their work on the 18th October by
sending A Company out to seize two bridges--Lieut. Bonner’s platoon
to attack, while that under Sgt. Turnbull occupied a mound close by.
Certain opposition was encountered, but we held the bridges by 10 a.m.,
at which hour no enemy was in sight. Two Buffs were killed and one
wounded. During the evening B Company advanced and took up a picquet
line along the Haruniyah Canal without opposition, C Company took over
the mounds and D was in reserve three hundred yards to the south-west.
The next day picquets were pushed out early and occupied the line of
the Ruz Canal. Meanwhile Egerton’s force had secured the Jebel Hamrin,
and at 3 p.m. the battalion was ordered through the hills. The next day
Kizil Robat was occupied by cavalry and the Norfolk Regiment. The Buffs
had four men wounded while digging, the working party being shelled by
a camel gun from across the Diala. On the 30th October the battalion,
with many others, was issued with winter clothing and settled down
to road-making in the Jebel, for the General Commanding-in-Chief had
decreed that all the communications in this district were to be made
good, the canals bridged in many places and the wild hills penetrated
everywhere by roads fit for wheeled traffic. The enemy tried a
counter-demonstration on the other side of the Tigris, and what was
still a war rolled away to the westward of the troops in which we are
interested.
On the 19th November the army received the sad news of the death by
cholera of their Commander-in-Chief, Sir Stanley Maude--a soldier much
beloved and highly respected by officers and men. He had won the war in
Mesopotamia, and all had gone well there from the moment of his taking
over. He was the son of General Sir F. F. Maude, V.C., G.C.B., the
first commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion The Buffs, which unit was
added to the regiment in 1857.
Towards the end of November the enemy had retired so far both up the
Tigris and the Euphrates that Sir W. R. Marshall, who had succeeded
Maude, considered that the only way to strike him was to attack that
portion of his forces which were holding certain passes in the Jebel
Hamrin and Kara Tepe. There is a stream called the Nahrin which,
flowing from the north, joins the Diala to the east of the Jebel, and
the Turks had flooded the low land east of the junction of the two
streams, so creating a considerable obstacle in connection with any
attack from the southward on Kara Tepe. At midnight on the 2nd/3rd
December the brigade held the left bank of the Diala from Tawila to
Sawaya, with the Buffs in the centre, and the orders were to engage
the enemy’s picquets on the far bank at dawn, while the 37th Brigade
attacked due west from the north of Kizil Robat, but the scheme was
found unworkable in its entirety, simply because the 35th Brigade had
no means of crossing. The fords had disappeared and it was two o’clock
in the afternoon before the Buffs got over, after which the brigade
concentrated again and bivouacked for the night. During the day the
enemy was reported to be retiring on Kara Tepe, having been driven
from the Jebel passes by the 13th Division. On the 4th December the
advance on Kara Tepe continued, the 35th Brigade halting about five
miles short of it. The Buffs were the brigade advance guard during
this day. It was a trying march, for two reasons: water was very
scarce--and it is an undoubted hardship to have to work and march, even
in December, without an adequate supply of water, and also the progress
was terribly slow because the ground was intercepted by nullahs, many
of which had to be filled in and prepared for crossing. At daybreak on
the 5th the march was continued and, after moving about four miles,
water was found in some small nullahs. Here the brigade deployed for
attack, the 37th Dogras leading, with the 2/4th Ghurkas in support,
the Buffs soon coming up in echelon on the right of the Ghurkas. The
attack of the brigade was materially assisted by a flank advance by the
40th (British) Brigade and the whole work proved extremely easy, the
previous marching being the worst feature of the operation. The whole
position was taken and the enemy soon in full retreat on Kifri. The
pursuit was not pushed far, and the Buffs, after passing through a dust
storm on its way to Kizil Robat on the 7th, and after a long and dusty
march the next day, found themselves back in their old camping ground
north of Shahroban.
January, 1918, proved a very wet month, but work of all sorts was
carried on during the early part of the year, and this work included
extensive gardening and farming operations. There is but little to
record for the year 1918; as far as the 5th Battalion is concerned,
their enemy was broken, but the final surrender was not till the end
of October, and in the meantime the men remained for the most part in
the same camp and worked at gardening and also at a new railway which
was in progress. The news of a few honours was received during the hot
weather. On the 21st May Pte. A. W. King was mentioned in despatches;
as were Captain W. A. Harrison, attached from the 4th Battalion, and
Lieut. Weldon on the 11th June. R.Q.M.S. Middleditch, C.Q.M.S. Woodruff
and Pte. Friend all got the Meritorious Service Medal in August.
The news of the armistice with Turkey was received on the 1st November,
1918, and of the armistice with Germany on the 11th. There is nothing
to show that the story about the latter news being received by the men
in silence, and that later on wild cheering was heard but ascertained
to be only because a belated consignment of ration rum had at last
turned up, relates to the 5th Battalion of the Buffs. As after every
war, when peace or its equivalent is proclaimed, the exiled soldier’s
thoughts immediately and naturally turn to home; of course they do.
However that may be, orders came that the Buffs were to be one of the
regiments to remain in Mesopotamia for another hot season.
The cadre of the battalion, a very tiny remnant of those who embarked
in 1914, reached home in January, 1920, under command of Lt.-Colonel
J. Body, D.S.O., O.B.E. This battalion was therefore actually a few
days longer abroad than the 4th. Casualties during the war were 12
officers and 118 other ranks killed; 26 officers and 533 other ranks
wounded. Honours: two D.S.O.’s, one bar to D.S.O., one Albert Medal,
two O.B.E.’s, one M.B.E., six M.C.’s, sixteen D.C.M.’s, one M.M.,
eight M.S.M.’s, five foreign decorations and fifty-two mentions in
despatches.
III. 2ND BATTALION
New Year’s Day, 1917, found the 2nd Battalion at Barakli Dzuma, on
the eastern side of the River Struma, on the flat ground and under
the hills which were occupied by the Bulgarian troops. A more or less
quiet time ensued after the raid on “Little Ferdy” trench previously
described, though the Buffs made a demonstration on the 8th January in
aid of the Middlesex, which regiment carried out on that day a somewhat
similar attempt on two trenches on their front. There was, too, at this
time a good deal of patrol work done, mostly in the direction of the
railway. On the 23rd the battalion, changing places with the 3rd Royal
Fusiliers, moved to Ormanli, and a few days later to Lozista, where it
remained working very regularly all February. News had arrived on the
9th January of a D.S.O. for Captain Sebastian, and D.C.M.’s for L.-Sgt.
Spiller and L.-Corpl. Geohegan. Some little excitement about this time
was caused by a rumour that numerous Turks were slipping through our
lines and sailing over the lake to join the Bulgarians, but, in spite
of several efforts, none were ever caught.
There came a distinct change of scene early in June, and the chief
incidents immediately before that date were as follows: on the 4th
March the Bulgarians tried to burn the village of Butkova; on the 13th
C.S.M. Andrews was awarded the (Italian) Bronze Medal for Military
Valour; on the 17th there was heavy shelling on the right of the
battalion and the Bulgarians made a demonstration, their infantry
advancing to within six hundred yards of our trenches, but we suffered
no casualties; and on the 19th the battalion moved to Haznatar, B and
C Companies going on three days later to Ormanli to find the guard on
Koprivi Bridge. L.-Corpl. Arnold, of D Company, died on the 24th of
wounds received when out patrolling. On the 28th and 29th Haznatar
was flooded owing to the rising of the river. From the 4th to 14th
April the Buffs were at Orljak and then returned to Haznatar. There was
always a good deal of patrolling work to be done at this latter place,
which was in the advanced British lines, so that casualties from the
enemy’s shell fire were not altogether infrequent. For instance, five
occurred on the 21st April, one of the men dying of his wounds. On the
2nd May Captain Vertue had a narrow escape and indeed owed his life or
his liberty to C.S.M. Andrews. The captain and the sergeant-major were
out together, and seeing a Bulgar they fired on him. A minute or two
later several of the enemy appeared and then returned the fire; Vertue
was wounded, but Andrews immediately picked him up and carried him
back. 2nd Lieut. Goodheart was wounded on the 12th.
In the middle of May a minor action was arranged and carried out by the
Buffs and 3rd Royal Fusiliers. The latter were on the Buffs’ right and
opposite the “Ferdy” group of enemy trenches. During the afternoon of
the 15th troops began to get into assembly positions and were ready at
6 p.m. Half an hour later our artillery opened and C and D Companies
deployed and advanced, each with one platoon in front extended to five
paces; another fifty yards in rear, and the remaining two a hundred
yards behind again. These went through the enemy’s line and took what
was known as the “Essex” group of trenches, while the Royal Fusiliers
on the right took the “Ferdy” group. The Buffs’ casualty list was
but six wounded, and several thousand rounds of ammunition and some
rifles were found in the captured trenches. Patrols were immediately
sent out to front and flanks and the place consolidated, in case of
counter-attack, which was, in fact, attempted but without result. On
the 27th May the brigade was relieved by the 84th and marched to Orljak.
During the month of May, as has been seen, the casualty list from
the action of the enemy was a very small one, but this flat valley
of the Struma appears to have been a very unhealthy and malarious
place in the summer time and not fitted for even the temporary home
of Englishmen. During the month ninety-three Buffs were admitted to
hospital, and 63 per cent of the cases were diagnosed as malaria. What
was worse, during the following month, though the regiment left the
valley, it took the malarial germs with it in the men’s blood, and no
less than 240 were admitted to hospital. On the 7th June the battalion
left Orljak and marched away, making for the healthy hills. The final
object was Paprat, which was reached on the 29th June by a circuitous
route, and after a stay of ten days at a place called Vaisili. Here the
battalion remained for the whole of the month of July, the men’s health
wonderfully improving by the change.
August took the battalion into what was to them an entirely new region.
The Allied Army covered Salonica by means of a line north of the town,
and roughly some forty miles away from it, the right of this line
being thrown back about Butkova, Barakli Dzuma and the River Struma.
Up to now this flank had been the scene of the Buffs’ adventures and
activities, but August was to be spent in the main part of the line
and in the vicinity of Lake Doiran. A deep valley or pass runs up
a gentle slope from Lake Doiran towards the east to Dova Tepe, and
thence downward again to Butkova lake and the vale of the Struma. On
either side of this pass are lofty ranges of mountains. That on the
south was in our hands and is the same range on which Paprat stands.
The mountains to the north were occupied by the enemy. The railway,
which passes over the flat land on the eastern side of the Struma,
crosses that stream above Demirhissar, makes a sharp turn westward and
penetrates the valley in question, going on to Doiran. The British line
was just south of this railway and on the foothills of the southern
range of hills which are called the Krusha Balkans. The positions taken
up by the companies were as follows: D Company was on Hairy Hill, B
Company on Lucky Hill, C on Bermondsey Ridge, with A Company in reserve
on a small spur behind it. The enemy at this part of the line was at
some distance away, but he had posts of varying strength in all the
villages north of the railway line. The first work undertaken was the
strengthening of all our defences, which, with the making of the Buffs’
redoubt, was no light labour on account of the hard and rocky ground.
A great deal of reconnaissance was also undertaken mostly in the
direction of Chalki or Cakli Station and village. There is a great deal
of wood, shrub and vegetation about this portion of the country, which
rendered patrolling a matter of some difficulty and danger.
However, on the 25th August a raiding expedition was carried out by C
Company, under Captain Sebastian, having D Company in support; the plan
being that the first-named was to be just south of the Cakli railway
station by 3.30 and that two Lewis guns were to be on Lonely Hill. The
raiders were then to rush the station, turn south-west and clear Cakli
village, push on to Erdzili and Karlu Ovacu and ultimately to withdraw
as soon as the villages were clear, covered by a rear guard. A party of
the enemy was seen by 2nd Lieut. W. G. Neve’s platoon when close to the
railway line and fire was opened through the dense scrub, the Bulgars
at once retiring. Seeing this retreat, Neve at once dashed on ahead of
his men and reached the railway embankment, where he was shot in the
head; he died on reaching the aid post. Our scouts now discovered that
the enemy had retired to a trench four hundred yards north-north-west
of the station, but from there he continued his retreat up a nullah to
Garbali, so the trench was occupied by our people, and from there C
Company turned left for Cakli village; but two platoons had to be left
behind at the station while Sebastian advanced, having scouts out on
his right flank, that is to the north of him. However, he entered the
village unopposed. Here, finding that one platoon would not suffice to
guard it even temporarily, he put two in position and asked for more
men, with the result that Lieut. Marden came up from the reserve with
half the company, one platoon going to the village and the other to
the station. After scouts had been out to reconnoitre north of Stevens
Wood, Sebastian went on and entered the two villages of Erdzili and
Karlu Ovacu and, after reporting his success, got orders to withdraw.
Before these orders came to hand, however, 2nd Lieut. Manning with one
platoon had been sent to take up a position north and north-west of the
villages, and he was told to find 2nd Lieut. Renton, who was in charge
of the scouts. This was the commencement of a hunt for the scouts
in the dense bush. The order to withdraw had come through, but the
scattered men could not be found, though Sebastian sent patrol after
patrol in search. This, of course, had the effect of greatly delaying
the withdrawal, but Renton and his men were found at last and all was
well and a lesson in bush warfare learnt.
The battalion was relieved from this part of the country on the 27th
and for a good many days was on the march again, mostly on the high
ground till Turbes was reached; here work was commenced on the mainline
defences on the right bank of the Struma about Orljak bridge. The
battalion remained at Turbes till the 14th October. Towards the end
of August Lt.-Colonel Thewles, D.S.O., Captain Vertue, M.C., Lieut.
Beswick and L.-Corpl. Boswell were mentioned in despatches.
[Illustration: COUNTRY NORTH OF BAGHDAD]
[Illustration: COUNTRY NEAR CAKLI STATION]
In the middle of October a move was made to Nevolyen and a winter
scheme of work and arrangements commenced. The orders were to
hold a line on the left bank from Nevolyen to Jenikoj, so on the
13th two platoons of C Company proceeded to the former to clear the
village and hold it, while a similar party of the 3rd Royal Fusiliers
occupied Jenikoj and some of another brigade Cuculuk. No opposition was
encountered.
About this time there was established what was called an enterprise
company: that is, one at a time, the companies were struck off all
digging and other work, of which there was a good deal, and was kept
apart solely for patrolling and minor enterprises. On the 25th October
C Company, which had the first turn of this work, sent two patrols to
Papalova to look out upon the enemy. About 7.15 a.m. some fifty Bulgars
approached from Prosenik, but these were driven off.
The battalion remained at Nevolyen till the 14th November, and those
few days were remarkable only for certain actions of minor enterprise
and for scouting. For instance, on the 27th October Lieut. Renton, who
was in charge of the scouts, found signs of the enemy about Prosenik
and fired on one or two of them. Two days later about fifty Bulgar
cavalry and thirty infantry were seen to enter Prosenik by our scouts
who were well handled by Sgt. Rand but eventually had to withdraw,
losing one killed, one wounded and one missing. On the last day of the
month Captain Vertue took C Company out at 3 a.m. to take position
round Papalova and lie in wait for hostile scouts. About 6.15 a.m.
some thirty infantry with a few horsemen appeared and opened rapid
but wild fire. They advanced a little and the company hoped they were
coming right on, but they halted; our platoon, which had observed
them, immediately opened fire with rifle, Lewis gun and grenade. Other
parties, each about the same strength, appeared opposite our other
platoons and similarly fired wildly, but all shortly withdrew and soon
afterwards the enemy opened a small barrage between Papalova and
Prosenik which apparently caught their own people, for shouting was
heard and men were seen to fall. At 9.45 the company was ordered to
withdraw and in doing so was heavily shelled, 2nd Lieut. Young and one
man being wounded.
The 14th November took the Buffs back to billets at Orljak, where
labour and training took place on alternate days for some time. On
the 14th January, 1918, the regiment relieved the 3rd Middlesex in
what was known as the West Line and occupied six redoubts there, on
the improvement of which a good deal of labour was expended and which
was the battalion home till the middle of February, when A, B and C
Companies retired to Orljak on relief, and D Company, under Lieut.
Bremner, became enterprise company in lieu of one of the East Surrey
Regiment. This company soon got busy laying ambushes and so on and, as
usual, watching Prosenik and, for a change, Kalandra as well; but on
the 5th March it got rather into trouble attempting a more extensive
raid with the aid of B Company and one platoon of A. Bremner left
Nevolyen at 8.30 p.m. and, moving by Kalandra and dropping B Company
as supports upon the way, arrived within one hundred yards of the
Bulgar trenches, when a heavy fire was suddenly opened with rifle and
bomb. Lieut. Asprey with four or five men got up to the wire round one
of the posts and were engaged in cutting it when a bomb fell amongst
them, wounding them all but one. Finding that the posts were strongly
wired and the enemy alert, and being hampered by the darkness, Bremner
withdrew, having Lieut. Asprey and six men wounded. The next day B
Company relieved D as raiding company.
On the 27th March the Buffs moved away again, but an incident which
occurred on the 13th to the enterprise company is worthy of record.
Two platoons, under Captain Howgrave-Graham and Lieut. Wilson, lay up
as day ambushes in the vicinity of Prosenik, and they were visited by
small parties of the enemy at 9 o’clock and again at 3.30. Every effort
was made to capture some of these. Wilson with five or six of his
men made a sortie for the purpose, and one of the party was hit by a
Bulgar who had ensconced himself in a cunning spot from which he could
enfilade Wilson’s communication trench. Two stretcher-bearers went out
to fetch in the wounded man, but the wily Bulgarian hit them both.
This seems to have annoyed L.-Corpl. Wykes, who went out to see about
matters. Of course, he too was fired on, but he managed to kill the
troublesome fellow, and then, picking up the wounded Corpl. Stanley,
carried him away. The enemy seeing this, opened heavy fire, but Wykes
was one of those men who like to carry through any job they may
undertake, so he staggered along with his comrade for a thousand yards
till he reached the support sections, the shells screaming and bursting
around him the whole time. Wilson, being now heavily shelled, withdrew.
He was wounded in doing so, but gamely stuck to his job of commanding
his men. Captain Howgrave-Graham, noticing Wilson’s withdrawal,
conformed and the whole party returned to Nevolyen; the supporting
platoon, however, remained at Papalova till evening. The advanced
platoons had, besides Wilson, seven men wounded and Pte. Harrold, one
of the stretcher-bearers, killed. L.-Corpl. Wykes was given the M.M.
for his gallantry and Wilson got the M.C.
The move alluded to above was ultimately to the same neighbourhood
as before, near Lake Doiran, headquarters being at a place called
Grec Avance, but the march took ten days, round by Mirova, Kirkul and
Alexia, and on arrival the old work of patrolling toward Cakli and its
neighbourhood was undertaken anew. The men were in a number of posts,
wired all round, but on the 1st June they were withdrawn a little to
a second line in rear, the wire of the old position being demolished
and the works destroyed. The enemy at this period were observed to be
mostly about the village of Akinjali, near Lake Doiran. A great number
of the Bulgarians were deserting about this time to our lines. No
masses of them came over, but there was a pretty constant dribble. The
old line was reoccupied and the works repaired in August.
The Greek King Constantine having been deposed, the people, under his
son Alexander, had by this time definitely thrown in their lot with
the allies and their armies had now been in the field against the
Bulgarians since the beginning of March. The enemy was obviously losing
heart, as the desertions proved. Victory was crowning the allied arms
at last on the Western front, and a grand general offensive in the
neighbourhood of Salonica was consequently planned to commence in the
middle of September. The part allotted to the British contingent was
the attack and capture of the heights to the west and to the north-east
of Lake Doiran, and in this it was to be assisted by two divisions and
other troops of the Greek army.
On the morning of the 15th September the English General, Sir George
Milne, got orders from the French General-in-Chief of the allies that
the troops were to take the offensive on the morning of the 18th. On
that date the Greeks attacked and pierced the Akinjali outpost line
while the British conformed; with the result that the Buffs took up
position along the railway line on their front, remaining there all
day, but concentrating at 10 p.m. ready for a move. The next day orders
came to take up a line from Akinjali Wood to Lake Doiran, to cover the
retirement of the Greeks and to dig trenches and erect barbed-wire
defences. In this way four days passed, hostile cavalry being seen in
Akinjali on the evening of the 21st. Our line was along the Koja Suju
and at Brest. On the 23rd the regiment, being relieved, marched to
Surlovo and in the evening to Doiran town. On the 25th the battalion
moved to Obasi, but owing to the great congestion of the roads only
reached that place at 8.30 p.m. The next two or three days were spent
in more or less strenuous marching, and on the 26th the advance guard
was held up by machine guns, but these were silenced and the march
resumed. On the 28th the Buffs were back at Obasi and, on account of
the paucity of their numbers, had to be reorganized into two companies
each of two platoons. There had been recently an epidemic of what was
called Spanish influenza, and both the Buffs and the Middlesex Regiment
had suffered considerably.
On the 30th September at high noon hostilities ceased with Bulgaria,
and four days later Sir George Milne’s order of the day read as
follows:--
“Thanks to your gallantry, determination and devotion to duty
the Bulgarian army is now defeated and the Bulgarian nation
has sued for peace. This result has been obtained only by your
extraordinary exertions after three summers spent in a malarious
country and against obstacles of great natural and artificial
strength.
“What appeared almost impossible has been accomplished. I
gratefully thank you all, of every arm and of every rank, for
your steadfast loyalty, your perfect discipline and for the
magnificent manner you have answered to every call made on you.
No one knows better the odds against which you have had to
contend, and I am proud to have had the honour of commanding
you.”
Thus the war history of the 2nd Battalion of the Buffs concludes.
The unit was not kept long in the neighbourhood of Salonica: after a
stay of a few days at Organdzili, doing salvage work, it moved by
stages down to Summerhill, which was reached on the 5th November, for
re-equipment prior to leaving the country. On the 11th it marched
through Salonica to the quay, where it embarked on the S.S.
_Katoomba_ for Constantinople. At 10 o’clock on that date,
Salonica time being, of course, in advance of Greenwich, a telegram
came from the brigade that an armistice with Germany had been declared,
so the journey on the _Katoomba_ was a joyous one. On the 14th
Constantinople was reached and anchor dropped at Stamboul. Next day the
men disembarked and were conveyed by ferry boats to Bryukdere, where
they went into billets and there remained for some little time. On
the 28th November the battalion, 13 officers and 286 men strong, was
inspected by Sir George Milne.
CHAPTER XIV
HOLDING ON
I. PREPARATIONS
It has been noticed that the great German offensive had been foreseen
by our commanders long before the storm actually broke. The transfer
of German divisions from their Eastern to their Western front began as
early as November, 1917, and it was known that the Russian guns and
munitions were at our enemy’s disposal. In fact, it became a question
of the French and English holding their own till the Americans could
make their weight felt, and thus the war was for the present to be
a defensive one and all preparations were made to this end. The
defensive area or belt was divided into the forward, the battle and the
rear zones, and each of these was carefully chosen; but there was a
tremendous amount of work to be done in the way of preparing the ground
to be defended, as well as the construction of roads, railway lines
and so on. The men, too, required much, training in defensive tactics.
The whole military art is not taught in a few months, nor is a man an
educated soldier when he can take his part in a route march or a field
day. Most training had to be imparted during intervals of fighting, and
until now the chief subject of study had been the preparation for the
offensive.
Very early in 1918 the British had taken over from the French another
considerable extension of front, one, in fact, of over twenty-eight
miles, and this brought our line down to the River Oise and gave no
less than 125 miles of country to our care. At the same time the
indications of an imminent attack became more marked than ever,
particularly in front of the 3rd and 5th Armies. Now at this time
the 1st Battalion the Buffs was with the former of these and the 7th
Battalion with the latter. The enemy’s immediate objective would seem
to have been to separate the French and English armies, which joined
where the 7th Battalion was, and to capture Amiens, a very important
centre of communications.
The 3rd Army was under General the Hon. J. H. G. Byng, K.C.B., and held
a front of twenty-seven miles with four Corps; and the 5th Army, under
General Sir H. de la P. Gough, K.C.B., occupied forty-two miles, also
with four Corps. The weakest part of our line perhaps was that portion
so recently taken over from the French, where the defences were not
quite so good as elsewhere.
Sir Douglas Haig reckoned that sixty-four German divisions took part in
the operations on the first day of the battle; “the majority of these
divisions had spent many weeks and even months in concentrated training
for offensive operations and had reached a high pitch of technical
excellence in the attack.” To meet the enemy’s assault the 3rd Army
had eight divisions in line with seven in reserve. The 5th had eleven
divisions in line with six divisions (three being cavalry divisions)
in reserve. Later on, when it was found the enemy was using his whole
strength in the battle, Haig was able to bring eight more divisions
from north to south, and by the end of March the supreme German effort
was broken. This, however, did not result until after a terrible period
of danger had been passed through.
On the 21st March the attack opened after a short but very violent
bombardment and, owing to dense fog, the Germans were able to penetrate
the British front and force the 5th Army to retreat precipitately.
On the 25th of the month the enemy reached Albert, and this day was
perhaps one of the most important in history because Marshal Foch,
by agreement between the Allies, was appointed to the supreme command
of the armies of the West; and from that time onward final victory
was secure, whatever troubles might intervene. On the 27th March the
Germans took Montdidier.
To meet the crisis all the available reserves, totalling 350,000 men,
were hurried to France from England, Palestine and the East, and this
brought the 10th Battalion The Buffs on the scene. The despatch of
American troops was greatly accelerated, so that between 200,000 and
300,000 men a month were embarked for France. The Germans were stopped
before they could reach Amiens by the united efforts of English, French
and American troops, yet another offensive south of Ypres developed on
the 9th April which was only really stayed three weeks later. During
these offensives the German casualties were enormous, but so were ours;
and our loss in guns, aerodromes, ammunition, machine guns, trench
mortars, tanks and rolling stock was stupendous.
It will be convenient now to trace the history of the 1st, 6th, 10th
and 7th Battalions of the Buffs one by one from the 21st March till
the 8th August, the date usually ascribed to the commencement of the
Allies’ great counter-offensive, which, once started, was maintained
without intermission till the end of the war. It may be as well to take
the 7th Battalion last, for it was heavily engaged on the 6th August,
and the 8th of the month found it practically in the midst of a great
battle.
II. 1ST BATTALION
The 6th Division, in the middle of March, held the ground opposite the
villages of Queant and Pronville. The country consists of alternate
long spurs and narrow valleys of down-like country, stretching from
the high land on the west of our forces down to the valley in
which Cambrai stands, and our position was at right angles to or
astride these spurs and re-entrants. There were trenches in a state
of readiness, but the entire scheme of fortification had not been
completed, chiefly owing to a month’s hard frost in January. Still,
the front and reserve trenches were in good order, and there was an
excellent Corps trench called the Vaulx-Morchies line, a little over
a mile in rear of the reserve system. There were, however, hardly any
support trenches and no dug-outs. The 16th Brigade was on the left of
the division. The distance from the front or outpost zone to the battle
line was about two thousand yards on the day of the battle, the York
and Lancaster, on the right, and the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry,
on the left, were in front line, and it happened to be the turn of the
Buffs to be in reserve, where the men were hard at work as usual.
At 2 a.m. on the 21st the latter got the order to take up their battle
positions and to be in the Vaulx-Morchies work by 5.30 o’clock, so off
the battalion marched, leaving no one behind at Favreuil except the
company quartermaster-sergeants and spare drummers and bandsmen, who
were detailed as extra runners and stretcher-bearers. While still on
the march, at 5 a.m., the battle opened by a tremendous bombardment
directed on the front system and Lagnicourt trench, and also on the
village of Vaulx. The Buffs were, of course, in ignorance of what was
occurring on their front, but they recognized from the continuous
and tremendous roar that the bombardment was terribly severe, and
themselves suffered casualties. Indeed, the operation of getting
into place was attended with great difficulty, as it was dark and
gas masks had to be worn on the march. By 5.45 all the forward wires
were cut and there was no more telephonic communication. Gas shells
were intermingled with the others, and as the Buffs approached the
scene they found it more and more difficult to get into position,
particularly as it was still dark. However, by 6 o’clock D Company
had got to its place on the Noreuil-Morchies road, A Company to posts
21 to 24 in the Vaulx-Morchies lines, B Company to Macauley Avenue,
while C, the reserve company, filled gaps between post 22 (battalion
headquarters) and the Vaulx-Lagnicourt road. All kits, drums, documents
and such-like possessions had been left behind in camp, and subsequent
efforts to regain possession of these were almost entirely unavailing.
A most anxious and depressing morning followed the battalion’s arrival
in position. Casualties were mounting up from distant shelling: Lieut.
P. W. Newington and six men were killed by a shell which struck
battalion headquarters, but no definite news was received till 10
o’clock. Then the enemy was seen slowly but steadily advancing under a
creeping barrage: now they were moving up the Lagnicourt valley upon
the village; then news came that they had broken through the right of
the 71st Brigade and were approaching “Skipton Reserve”; again they
were in the villages of Noreuil and Lagnicourt; and soon it became
plain that the forward part of the battle zone was in the hands of the
Germans. Moreover, it was equally certain that the troops of the 6th
Division that had defended it had all been killed or captured, for none
returned.
The Buffs, to avoid casualties, had moved into the Vraucourt Switch (as
it was called), about post 7, and had been joined by D Company, who
having got no call from the battalion it was out to support, and being
quite exposed, withdrew when the position seemed hopeless. Two platoons
of B Company were sent up, however, to the aid of the K.S.L.I., and
these were absorbed into the general ruin of the forward troops. They
were under the command of Lieut. T. L. V. Moody and 2nd Lieut. Wotton,
and they never rejoined. A wounded man stated that he had seen Buffs
in “Leeds Reserve,” and that a strong point there was still holding
out. Colonel Smith, who commanded the K.S.L.I. and two platoons of the
Buffs, showed the greatest gallantry and fought his battalion to the
last: not one of his officers who were in the front line ever came
back. Later on it was ascertained that Moody had been killed trying to
lead a break-through instead of surrendering. With reference to this
day’s work in the forward positions, Sir Douglas Haig writes: “The
prolonged defence of these different localities, under conditions which
left little hope of any relief, deserve to rank among the most heroic
actions in the history of the British Army.”
At noon a message came from the brigadier that the enemy was in force
east of Lagnicourt. In fact, he was advancing up both valleys and
endeavouring to cut off those troops which were still holding the
battle zone. The message directed the reserve company (C) to move to
the Vaulx-Morchies line to garrison that part near the Bois de Vaulx.
The move was successfully accomplished, and C Company’s place was
taken by the York and Lancaster headquarters, which had withdrawn, by
machine gunners, sappers and a mixed lot of men from various parts of
the field. C Company patrolled to its right, but failed to find any
friendly troops on its flank. There now came a lull, and it was not
till later that the enemy’s advance recommenced. The orders from the
brigadier were plain and simple: the flanks were to be watched and
every foot of ground was to be disputed. From now onward the position,
as far as the Buffs were concerned, became obscure, but the enemy,
working up the valleys, was gradually outflanking position after
position, causing the defenders to form defensive flanks whenever any
line became threatened. Thus the reserve company of the K.S.L.I.,
leaving Lagnicourt trench, manned Macauley Avenue, and later in the
day a message came from Lieut. Collison-Morley, of the Buffs, that
the enemy was getting round his No. 24 post, and a defensive flank was
formed there. However, the Germans got into the main trench at No. 24
post and for about five hundred yards to the north of it. It appeared
later that the little garrison of No. 24 was safe, having withdrawn to
a position in some shell holes across the valley, and having got touch
of a battalion of Scots Fusiliers on their left. An attempt to eject
the enemy from the Vaulx-Morchies line was made by Lieut. Spence, but
he was wounded in the foot while reconnoitring. A counter-attack was,
however, organized by 2nd Lieut. Rogers of the K.S.L.I., who, with
thirty men belonging to the Brigade Grenade School, had come up as a
reinforcement. Some progress down the trench was made, but it was found
to be occupied for a long extent and so a block was established, for
Rogers could get no further. Lieut. E. Foster Hall was holding the post
on the extreme left and rendered distinguished service throughout.
Meanwhile there had been developments on our right. At 3.30 p.m.
Captain Hamilton reported that the enemy was attacking him there and
that he was not in touch with anybody on that flank; that he had a
very mixed lot of men and no officers, and was short of ammunition.
Now, this particular advance by the enemy failed, notwithstanding very
great courage displayed by the German troops. It could be seen from
most parts of the field, and so came under fire at all sorts of ranges.
Also a counter-attack, by a strong collection of British, got into
and occupied the trench into which a few of the enemy had penetrated.
There were no further determined attacks, and at dusk the fury of the
struggle died away. The Buffs during the day, being in reserve, had
suffered far less than the rest of the brigade and had been called upon
to resist no frontal attack, though towards noon and afterwards their
flanks had always been in danger from the steady hostile advance up
both the L’Hirondelle and the Lagnicourt valleys.
At dusk rations, water, ball ammunition and bombs were sent up. The
remnants of the York and Lancasters and the K.S.L.I., reinforced from
the transport, were reorganized into one unit and were withdrawn and
held in reserve, and at 9 p.m. the brigade front was readjusted. The
remains of the Border Regiment, which had reinforced the 16th Brigade
soon after noon, and a company of the Leicesters held from the right
boundary of the Bois de Vaulx to the Lagnicourt-Vaulx road, and the
Buffs from there to No. 24 post. The night passed quietly and during
it touch was regained with the 71st Brigade on the right, but with no
friends on the other flank because of the gap in our line which was
held by the enemy. A fresh line of defence some one thousand yards in
rear of the Vaulx-Morchies line had been hastily constructed by the
engineers and partially manned by men from the Corps Reinforcement
Camp, and the 40th Division had been pushed forward on the left of the
16th Brigade, but there was a large gap between it and the Buffs, so
that the left flank of the regiment was still unsupported.
The morning of the 22nd was heralded by steady and violent hostile
shelling, but no news reached the Buffs till about nine o’clock. It was
evident, however, that the enemy were upon both flanks in force and
therefore that these were in danger of being turned at any moment.[29]
Defensive flanks were therefore arranged down the communication
trench and the lower Noreuil road. At 10 a.m. the enemy attacked on
the immediate right of the Bois de Vaulx and broke through the front
of the brigade on our right, so a defensive flank had to be made by
swinging the right round to the road just outside the village of Vaulx
to the eastward. A counter-attack made away off to the right gave some
hope for a moment, but it was too far away to relieve the pressure on
what was left of the 16th Brigade, and the enemy quickly reorganized
and pushed forward resolutely and with great vigour to improve his
advantage, causing the right of the new defensive flank to close in. At
2 p.m. a determined attack was made on the Vaulx line where it crossed
the road to Lagnicourt, and a wedge was driven in between the Borderers
and the Buffs. This caused the former regiment to withdraw, and now the
Buffs were left with both their flanks exposed and resting on nothing.
The old simple order was then given out again: “contest every foot of
ground, conform as far as possible with the movement of other troops
and only retire fighting.” Hand-to-hand fighting resulted, in which
Captain Hamilton greatly distinguished himself as a leader.
During the afternoon the regiment formed fresh defensive flanks, one
near the place where the Lagnicourt road leaves Vaulx, and the other
facing west across the spur, because the posts hitherto held in the
valley had been driven in. These movements, as well as others, were
immensely assisted by a machine-gun battalion which showed great pluck
and ingenuity in selecting positions. The Buffs held on till 4.15,
when the enemy launched a very heavy attack on Vraucourt and the ridge
immediately north-east of Vaulx from the L’Hirondelle valley, and this
was attended by low-flying aeroplanes which were very audacious. It
was in and around Vraucourt that the Buffs concluded their two days’
combat. A very lively battle ensued here; as the Germans advanced
up the valley they were met with rapid fire and the fighting was
ultimately at point-blank range. The men were heartened by knowing
that they inflicted many casualties, but at last the Buffs, together
with the rest of the brigade, were forced to commence a withdrawal.
Other troops had all gone, and it became obvious to those on the spot
that to remain longer merely meant to be surrounded by sheer numbers,
so a general retirement to the new army line was ordered. This was
successfully carried out, and the battalion was then reorganized and
placed in support to the 41st Division, which was now holding the line.
The enemy did not attempt any further advance at this time, though
he directed a lively machine-gun fire on men of many units who were
holding various shell holes which existed between the Vaulx-Morchies
and the “Army” lines. At nightfall the 6th Division was withdrawn from
the fighting area and, after marching to Favreuil, was embussed there
for Achiet le Grand, where it arrived about 3 a.m. on the 23rd.
To sum up the Buffs’ experience during the two momentous days, the
21st and 22nd March, the fighting for them meant a process of being
continually outflanked, for that reason forming defensive flanks,
and of their straightening out the line again in conformity with the
movements of other troops whenever such straightening out became a
possibility. These manœuvres were twice carried out at most critical
moments, and on each occasion the enemy suffered severely while the
battalion experienced but little loss. Great credit is due to the
officers and men who rendered this possible by their coolness and
quick grasp of each situation as it arose. The net result perhaps was
that the battalion delayed the enemy on this front for many hours and
withdrew from the fight with less than two hundred casualties, a large
percentage of which were lost with Moody’s party. It was the last unit
to leave Vaulx, as it had been the last to leave the Morchies line, and
it was never disorganized nor out of hand for a moment. “Steady, the
Buffs” is an expression often heard in the army and even outside it; it
has been used in reference to this old battalion through the ages.
[Illustration: LAGNICOURT AND NOREUIL]
* * * * *
Casualty list:--Officers: killed, Lieuts. T. L. V. Moody and P. W.
Newington; missing, 2nd Lieuts. Davison and Wotton; wounded, Lieuts.
Buss and Spence and 2nd Lieut. Froome.
Other ranks: killed, 24; wounded, 112; wounded but remaining on duty,
2; died of wounds, 5; missing, 65, of whom 40 were with Moody; wounded
and missing, 3; missing, believed killed, 1.
* * * * *
For his able handling of the battalion (in the absence of Lt.-Colonel
Power, who had been called to Brigade H.Q.) on the 21st and 22nd March,
Captain H. de R. Morgan was awarded the D.S.O.
The 23rd March was a fairly peaceful day, but in the morning the men
had to get into position and the battalion to push forward patrols
towards Courcelles because the enemy was vaguely reported to be within
three miles of that place. Gun fire was heavy, but no enemy was
discovered in the immediate vicinity. An attempt was made to recover
kits, drums and band instruments from Favreuil, but the searchers were
promptly turned back by the military police. Two sporting drummers,
however, managed to slip through these guardians of law and order and
they rescued the big drum and three side drums. On the 24th the 6th
Division was transferred to the 2nd Army and at 2.30 p.m. the Buffs
entrained for Doullens and next day for Rousbrugge in Belgium, where
they arrived at six o’clock on the 26th and from whence they marched
six kilometres to Crombeke, going into scattered billets near Watow
(some five miles west of Poperinghe).
On the 28th of the month H.M. The King visited Steenvoorde, close by,
and the commanding officer, Lt.-Colonel Power, Captain Hamilton and one
N.C.O., who had done well in the recent fighting from each company,
attended his parade there.
At the very end of the month the battalion moved into the trenches
again at Zonnebeke. A second German offensive, which commenced south
of Ypres on the 9th April, was referred to at the commencement of
this chapter. The 1st Battalion of the Buffs was engaged in no severe
fighting in connection with this phase of the war, though it naturally
joined in the general gradual withdrawal which was rendered necessary.
This withdrawal, as far as it concerned the battalion, commenced on the
15th April, when after a few days of the usual trench warfare, losing
eight casualties, one of which was Lieut. S. W. Taylor killed, and
receiving a couple of drafts amounting to 230 men, it moved to Westhoek
and the neighbourhood, being, in fact, somewhat scattered about to man
several posts which were occupied up till the 23rd. The posts were
heavily shelled on the 17th, with the result that C.S.M. Field and
eleven men were wounded. The situation at this time was that the second
German offensive had developed south of Ypres and that Messines Ridge
and Kemmel Hill had been taken from us, these two positions being of
the greatest importance for the defence of Ypres. Consequently the
troops all round this area were in a somewhat desperate position and,
as Sir Douglas Haig expressed it, “with their backs to the wall.” The
gradual withdrawal of our forces west of Ypres into or immediately
around the ruins themselves resulted; and so it came about that on the
23rd April the Buffs moved by detachments into the ramparts of Ypres.
On that day the place was heavily gassed and twenty-two of our men
were caught in the fumes. On the 26th the K.S.L.I. withdrew from the
front line, leaving the York and Lancasters on outpost duty. After
this withdrawal the enemy advanced very quickly, but they stopped at
the York and Lancaster picquets. There were daily casualties now; men
died by twos and threes and some were wounded more or less severely,
and there was a continuous toll of gas casualties. A big attack was
expected on the 28th, but it did not materialize, for now French
reserves were hurrying up to the threatened portion of our line, and
the second great German effort to wrest a victory before the Americans
were in strength had proved a failure.
The month of May was a remarkable one to the 1st Battalion for the
terrible list of casualties from gas. This mode of warfare began, as
we have seen, at Ypres, and now, after three years of warfare, it
seemed almost as formidable a weapon as ever, notwithstanding the
mask, respirators and so on which had been invented to cope with it.
During this month alone the 1st Battalion counted 119 casualties from
this cause, and the unit was all the month (and up till the 12th June)
either in Ypres or its vicinity. There was, however, a bright side to
life this merry month of May. There was a gracious and fairly liberal
distribution of honours to gladden the hearts of both the recipients
and their friends. These were nearly all awarded for the fighting
at Vaulx, and it is somewhat curious to note how well the number of
awards compares with those given to our 2nd Battalion in 1915 and
in connection with their terrible struggle north and east of Ypres.
This remark is not for an instant to be misconstrued into an opinion
that the 1st Battalion medals were not most magnificently won; it is
only by way of a sigh of regret for the brave 2nd Battalion’s bad
luck. Military Medals were given to Sgt. Morgan, Corpls. Andrews and
Thomas, Ptes. Croft, Highton, Johnson, Kear (attached T.M.B.), Knight,
Rainsbury and Stevenson. A bar to his M.M. to L.-Corpl. Wilson; to
C.S.M. Peters a D.C.M.; to Major Morgan the D.S.O.; to Lieut. Spence
the M.C.; and to Sgt. MacWalter, who had the M.M. already, the D.C.M.
Corpl. Brookman also got the M.M. on the 29th. In addition to the gas
casualties twelve men were killed during May and twenty-three wounded,
as this part of the line, never a quiet one, was the scene at this
period of unusual activity.
At 12.45 a.m. on the 27th May the whole of the back area of the
brigade was very heavily shelled with gas and high explosive for three
hours while the forward area was untouched. A number of direct hits
was obtained on brigade headquarters without damage, and the Buffs
(in reserve) were obliged to wear their respirators for more than
four hours. Meanwhile the enemy attacked the French on our right and
penetrated their line to a depth of about seven hundred yards, but did
not reach his objective. No attack took place on the 6th Divisional
front, but the 71st Infantry Brigade was constrained to form a strong
defensive flank. During the day the French partially re-established
their position and artillery activity continued on both sides,
particularly by the enemy on our back area. During the night the 71st
Brigade relieved the French regiment on their right and, in order to
supply the number of men required by its brigadier, the Buffs were
placed under his tactical orders as his reserve battalion. After this
the enemy became for some days comparatively inactive except for the
shelling of back areas and the use of aircraft, and on the 8th the
brigade retired temporarily to Corps Reserve, moving by train to St.
Omer for a few days’ musketry near that city, and afterwards returning
to Poperinghe. On the 26th the Buffs relieved a French battalion in
the Dickebusch area, taking over a bad line almost unprovided with
wire and with no communication trench, so that movement by daytime
was impossible. Then casualties recommenced and in four days 2nd
Lieut. Thompson (attached from the Queen’s) and three men died, 2nd
Lieut. Collett and seventeen were wounded, and this kind of thing
went on steadily all July, the battalion losing 2nd Lieut. P. V.
Drake-Brockman killed, Captain W. A. C. Hedley, who died of wounds, and
eight men killed, one of whom was buried by a shell. 2nd Lieut. Balding
and fifty men were wounded, fourteen of whom were, however, able to
remain at duty. During June the following were mentioned in despatches
for good work during the German offensive: Lt.-Colonel Power, D.S.O.;
Major Blackall; Captains E. H. Allen, Marshall, D.S.O., M.C., and
Stone; Lieuts. Corney and Froome; Sgt. French; and Ptes. Dewhurst and
Keyes.
Towards the end of July two companies of Americans, numbering 4
officers and 340 men, arrived and were distributed amongst our people
to learn the hang of things and prepare themselves for the early
advance which was now every day becoming more clearly a certainty.
On the 2nd August C Company and No. 7 platoon of B carried out a raid
which was arranged and organized by Captain Moss, M.C., the battalion
being then on the left sector of the brigade front. The 18th and the
100th Brigades on either flank co-operated with demonstrations and
so on, and great help was given by the 6th Divisional Artillery. The
object of the expedition was the capture of prisoners and consequent
obtaining of identification, and this object was very successfully
gained, but at a terrible loss. The story is briefly as follows: two
platoons, commanded by Lieut. Hollis, M.C., had for their objective the
Brasserie, and another, under Lieut. Harper, a certain cabaret; while
No. 7 Platoon, under 2nd Lieut. Lister, was directed on the Brasserie
Farm. The raiders left our trenches at 7.5 a.m., and at the same time
our barrage opened; a trench mortar of ours engaged the objectives
and did great service; the divisional artillery engaged the enemy’s
positions and also put up a smoke screen on the right of the raiders,
and all neighbouring troops rendered assistance. The affair was most
successful and all objectives were gained. The main opposition
came from the hostile machine guns. The enemy lost heavily, several
prisoners were taken and the fact was established that it was the
153rd regiment of infantry in front of our force. After this success,
however, came trouble. It was while returning that the centre and
left parties came under the heaviest machine-gun fire and casualties
became very numerous. Besides, as there were no communication trenches
and our lines were much exposed, the raiders had to scatter into any
available cover there was behind our trench. Owing to the hostile
sniping, which became very active after the barrage had ceased, it was
impossible to remove several badly wounded men, and a machine gun which
had been captured could not be brought in. The casualties resulting
from this minor affair were, in fact, far too high. Captain R. W.
Jones, D.S.O. (R.A.M.C.), Lieut. C. F. G. Hollis and thirteen men were
killed; twenty-seven were wounded, of whom two died, and five men were
missing. The death of Captain Jones was a very sad blow to the Buffs.
With his usual utter disregard for personal safety whenever there was
fighting or his assistance needed, this officer had gone over with
the raiding party and though himself hit in the arm continued to move
about bandaging the wounded until he was again hit, this time fatally.
Except for a period following a wound which he had received on the
Somme, Captain Jones had, at his own wish, remained always with the
battalion since the early days of the war, and no British unit loved
or reverenced their Medical Officer more than the Buffs their dear old
“Doc.” In Lieut. Hollis, too, another very good officer fell. He had
distinguished himself at Cambrai and, poor fellow, was almost back in
safety when he received the bullet that killed him.
On the 5th August the battalion was relieved at night and withdrew to
the Malin House area, and next day H.M. The King visited the Corps,
and two hundred of all ranks, from each unit of the 6th Division, under
Lt.-Colonel R. E. Power, D.S.O., went to greet him.
On the 8th August the Buffs became reserve battalion, but did not
change their position.
III. 6TH BATTALION
On the day that the 6th Division, with the 1st Battalion The Buffs,
were taken from the 3rd Army, namely, on the 24th March, 1918, the
12th Division, which included the 6th Buffs, was posted to it, and so
the regimental history, as far as the 3rd Army is concerned, becomes
more or less continuous. The 1st Battalion left from Favreuil in the
neighbourhood of Bapaume, and the 6th Battalion reached Contalmaison,
ten miles to the south-west of it, on the same day, having moved
rapidly by march and by bus from the neighbourhood of Armentieres. Of
course the rest of the 37th Brigade was with them, and in the evening
the Queen’s and West Kent sent reconnoitring patrols into Pozieres,
which was found to be unoccupied; so at 11 o’clock a line was taken up
in front of Ovillers. On the 25th the Buffs were on the left of the
brigade, joining up with the 63rd Division, the 6th Battalion West
Kents being on the right. Battalion headquarters were at Crucifix
Corner, Aveluy. In the early morning of the 26th it was reported that
the enemy had entered Thiepval and it became necessary to withdraw
across the River Ancre. The Buffs were detailed as rear guard while the
47th Division and the rest of the 12th effected the crossing, and, at
7.30 a.m., the 37th Brigade took up a fresh position opposite Hamel,
the Buffs being in support in front of Mesnil.
On the following day the most extraordinary mistake was made, due to a
false and erroneous report made to brigade headquarters by some unit
or other. The Buffs, as has been seen, were at Mesnil, and there were
some of the 188th Brigade details, including sailors, at the village
of Martinsart, a little over a mile to the southward. An enemy’s
patrol was reported on the road which connects these two, and as this
seemed to imply considerable danger, the men at Martinsart were placed
at the disposal of the brigadier of the 37th Brigade. Then came the
report that Mesnil had fallen to the Germans, and the Anson Battalion
of the Naval Division was ordered to counter-attack the village from
Martinsart, advancing astride the road and engaging the enemy wherever
met. Now, as a matter of fact, a strong reconnoitring thrust had been
made on the line at Mesnil held by the Buffs, but the attack was
completely repulsed by Lewis gun and rifle fire, numbers of the enemy
being killed and fourteen taken prisoner. When the naval battalion
therefore arrived on the scene, eager for blood, it attacked the Buffs’
headquarters, who defended the post with their usual resolution, so
that for a while quite a lively fight between the two raged, each
under the impression that the other force was German, until the error
was discovered. The Queen’s had also been attacked (about 1 p.m.) and
a few Germans entered our lines on the extreme left after a heavy
bombardment, but these were driven off by a counter-attack delivered
by D Company. The enemy having entered Hamel, the Queen’s had to throw
back their flank, but all the dispositions of the Buffs remained
intact at nightfall. A large hostile division had been seen during the
afternoon about Pierre Divion and our lines had been heavily shelled,
this continuing all next day. The Buffs’ casualties on the 27th were
Lieuts. E. F. Henderson and W. T. Score killed, Captain Dixson, 2nd
Lieut. Caney and about twelve other ranks wounded. And next day, the
28th, 2nd Lieut. E. M. S. Hoare and two men were killed by a shell at
the foremost Lewis gun post.
The battalion was relieved late at night by the Oxfordshire Light
Infantry in order to enable it to move further south. Indeed, the whole
division took up position next to the 2nd Division, because a message
had warned everybody that a strong attack was pending, but, after being
in support in Martinsart Wood all the 29th, the Buffs were relieved
and marched back to billets in Warloy, where they remained for three
days of very wet weather, marching to Henencourt on the 2nd April, the
rumour of an attack being still very persistent. In fact, the period
spent at Warloy had mostly been used for work, particularly at night.
On the 5th April Henencourt was very heavily shelled and the divisional
authorities were informed at the same time that it was considered by
the Higher Command that it was intended to attack Amiens on that day.
There was a very thick mist when the firing commenced and this rendered
observation impossible, so the Buffs were ordered to go forward, occupy
the reverse slope of the ridge in front and send patrols on from there.
The battalion started at 7.5 p.m. and moved through an intense barrage
in artillery formation to what was known as the Old Corps Line, which
was west of Albert, and did as it was bid. This day’s fighting is known
as the Battle of the Ancre. At 7.45 the situation being still obscure,
the Queen’s were sent up to support the Buffs, partly, it would seem,
because Henencourt was now no place to rest in, as the shelling was
terrific up to about a quarter-past ten, when it died down somewhat.
The hostile artillery kept both Buffs and Queen’s under very heavy
fire, but no infantry attack eventuated; an hour later, however, news
came that Dernancourt, which is a couple of miles or so away and down
in the Ancre valley, was being very hardly pressed. At 2.30 the Buffs
moved forward over the ridge and occupied some old trenches there.
Here a bitterly cold night was spent; rations were brought up by Lewis
gunners and signallers who had been left behind because they had been
out at training when the sudden order to move came. The morning march
cost the regiment 2nd Lieut. L. J. G. Davis killed, Lieuts. G. C. Allen
and C. S. Newcomb severely wounded (died of wounds), 2nd Lieut. Dorman
slightly wounded, twelve men killed and thirty-three wounded. The enemy
had put down a barrage on the old Corps trenches directly they were
occupied, and fifteen more casualties occurred there. Another fourteen
were killed or wounded on the morning of the 6th, and in the afternoon
the battalion relieved the Queen’s, which regiment had been sent off to
support the 36th Brigade south of Bouzincourt. 2nd Lieuts. Cooper and
Dalton were wounded during the relief.
All this time and for several days the weather had been very wet, and
about now that old and persistent enemy called trench feet began to
raise his head again and there were several cases of this disease in
the battalion about this time. After a day in the front line in relief
of the West Kent, the battalion marched on the 11th to Herissart, which
is some miles to the westward, and there went into billets. The latter
half of April was spent in the regions lying west of Albert. Nothing
of any great regimental importance is to be noted. There were some
changes of scene in so far that Harponville, Mirveux and Acheux were
all visited before the next tour of duty in the line, which commenced
on May Day, when the brigade relieved elements of the 35th and 36th
Brigades in the centre of the divisional front.
This tour lasted only a week and the incidents were not of an uncommon
nature. The enemy tried a little modest raid which was easily repulsed,
but, on the 3rd, Puchevillers was heavily shelled and one projectile
hit battalion headquarters, killing one man and wounding nine others.
After this ensued a week at Acheux, and then the trenches again on
the 13th May. On the 16th D Company carried out a successful little
raid on the enemy with four officers and ninety-six men, who started
at 9.20 in the evening. They advanced in good order and with great
_élan_. All ranks speak very highly of the evenness and accuracy
of the barrage under which they advanced. The first of the enemy
encountered were two listening posts. Their occupants offered no
opposition, but refused to leave them. These posts were unexpected
and only fifteen minutes had been allowed for the work in hand, so
they had to be left. On proceeding, D Company found that it had come
up just when an inter-company relief was in progress, with the result
that the Germans were in greater strength than was anticipated and
considerable opposition was encountered. However, when our right attack
had penetrated the wire the enemy vacated his line, suffering many
casualties as he retired over the open. The left attack was equally
successful or nearly so. Altogether some dug-outs were bombed; a good
deal of damage was done to the trenches by our artillery; and three
unwounded prisoners were brought back, in addition to considerable
casualties as noticed above. We lost four men killed, 2nd Lieut. Davis
and eleven wounded and one missing.
On the 25th the whole division was relieved by the 17th. The battalion
went away west to Puchevillers, where it remained till the 16th June
in G.H.Q. reserve, undergoing special training which included a course
of musketry on the ranges. On the 16th the battalion marched to the
front line, relieving a battalion of the 35th Division on the left
of our divisional front. Next day 2nd Lieut. E. A. M. Stevens, M.C.,
and Pte. Beadle of C Company were unfortunately killed by a shell
at the entrance of C Company’s dug-out. On the 20th of the month,
identification of the hostile units in front being desirable, our
artillery fired on the enemy’s position in the southern portion
of Aveluy Wood, and then the Buffs sent out four strong patrols to
obtain the required information. These, however, met with considerable
opposition, because the Germans occupied certain small posts forward
of their general line and these little places had been overlooked by
the artillery bombardment, so our patrols were fired upon by machine
guns and rifles and, owing to casualties, were unable to complete their
task. 2nd Lieut. E. F. Robinson was killed, 2nd Lieut. Towers and nine
men were wounded and four killed; and at 8.15, in shelling the support
company (D), the hostile artillery obtained a direct hit, killing one
man and wounding four.
On the 22nd the battalion moved to brigade reserve at Senlis, where
working parties, four hundred strong, were found each day, till the
next trench tour, which commenced on the 29th and which was undertaken
under certain difficulties: during the relief, the back areas were kept
under heavy gas-shell fire which affected the movement of the troops;
moreover, when the battalion headquarters of the Buffs were closeted
with the headquarters of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, which it was
relieving, a shell made a direct hit on the spot, and it was only with
difficulty that the double party emerged from the wreckage. The Medical
Officer of the Royal Berkshire was the only one wounded, and he but
slightly.
At 9.35 p.m. on the 30th June the Queen’s and West Kent, with the
Buffs in support, under cover of heavy artillery, trench mortar and
machine-gun barrage, attacked the front-line system of the enemy 1,000
yards north-west of Albert on a frontage of about 1,100 yards with a
view to destroying or capturing the garrisons of the first three lines
of trenches and holding the front line. Practically the Buffs this day
had only to stand to all the time of and after the operation, because
it was completely successful with very little help from them, though
five men were killed and 2nd Lieut. Symonds and thirty men wounded.
The Queen’s, who were on the right, met with a stubborn resistance and
suffered many casualties, and C Company the Buffs went forward to their
immediate support. Notwithstanding these casualties, both the forward
battalions were able at 11.40 to report to the brigadier that they were
consolidating; but at 1.23 on the morning of the 1st July the Queen’s,
who had sent the message earlier that the Bedfords on their right had
been repulsed, reported that they could not hold on without support,
and at 2.10 a.m. the S.O.S. signal was up along the line and the Royal
Engineers acknowledged that they could not do the wiring satisfactorily
on account of casualties. However, the day proved fairly quiet and
the Queen’s and West Kents were reinforced by C Company The Buffs,
while the remainder were in readiness to move forward, and very early
in the morning of the 2nd the battalion relieved the Queen’s in the
right half of the brigade front line. The Germans were now taking the
offensive and towards nightfall very notably so, though they had been
fairly quiet during daylight. At 9.35 p.m. a very intense barrage was
put down along the whole brigade front, followed by a counter-attack
which caused the West Kent on our left to withdraw to the old British
line. Soon afterwards a report was received that the 18th Division on
the right had also withdrawn to the old British line, leaving A, B
and D Companies of the Buffs still occupying the German front line.
The battalion’s casualties this day were 2nd Lieut. Harvey slightly
wounded, two men killed and forty-one wounded.
At 6 o’clock on the morning of the 3rd, whilst the Buffs were still
holding on and defending, in particular, two blocks which they had made
during the night, orders came to withdraw and join the others. This
movement was rendered very difficult owing to the clear visibility of
that particular morning, which caused our men to be observed when about
two-thirds of them had got back into the new or rather into the old
position. Thus the Germans sent up a strong bombing party to destroy
2nd Lieut. Hobbs and the small party with him that had been left behind
to cover the retreat, but the stubborn resistance of this detachment
resulted in there being only two more casualties on account of this
move. In fact, the bravery and devotion of Hobbs was beyond all praise:
entirely regardless of his personal safety, he not only handled his
men to perfection, but himself carried a wounded soldier to safety
under heavy fire and persistent bombing. Lieut. Dudeney also showed his
manhood by his defence of one of the posts against overwhelming odds.
The whole of the battalion’s front was in order by 7.45 a.m., though
the condition of the line was now, it is true, far from satisfactory
owing to the intense bombardment and other causes. That day the 37th
Brigade was relieved by the 36th and the Buffs went into divisional
reserve at Senlis and so remained till the 10th July without any
further incident.
The brigade was now in G.H.Q. reserve in tents south-east of
Harponville and under orders to join the 22nd Corps of the 4th Army.
In consequence of this order it marched to Rubempre on the 13th, and
next day proceeded by bus to Quevanvillers and marched to Rumatsnil
and afterwards to Plachy Buyon, remaining in this district, about ten
miles south-west of Amiens, up to the end of July, or rather until
the 30th, on which date a movement was made by train to Canaples and
thence by route march to Berleaucourt (about twelve miles north-west
of Amiens). On the 2nd August the 12th Division relieved the 58th in
the centre section of the 3rd Corps front, the 37th Brigade being
in divisional reserve. The Buffs, going by bus to a wood on the
Behencourt-Franvillers road, thus came into the neighbourhood of Warloy
once more; but the next day they proceeded to Dernancourt on the
Ancre, and on the 4th relieved a battalion of the United States Army
in the front line. There they remained for three days, when, on relief
by another American unit, they became part of the Corps Reserve at
Franvillers. On the 8th August the battalion moved into trenches south
of Morlancourt with orders to attack at 3 a.m., but this was postponed.
When the second order came the companies told off for the job were
already in No Man’s Land and had to be recalled. The withdrawal was
a very difficult business, and one platoon of D Company, under 2nd
Lieut. Hearson, could not be got back and had to remain where it was
till dusk. Unfortunately the enemy was quite aware of this and opened
machine-gun fire on the party, wounding Lieut. Le May, 2nd Lieuts.
Gray, M.C., and Thornley, and twenty-four men and killing two. Next day
came our British attack.
IV. 10TH BATTALION
In comparison with the other battalions of the Buffs in France the
doings of the 10th during the momentous period between the 21st March
and the 8th August, 1918, were uneventful as, naturally, units which
came from overseas were chiefly used as reliefs and not pushed at once
into the fighting line.
The 10th landed at Marseilles from Palestine on the 7th May and
entrained two days later for Noyelles, near Abbeville, where it went
into billets and instantly began training to fit itself for the methods
of warfare in vogue in the western theatre of war. On the 22nd it
proceeded to Buneville and on the 25th to Izellez Hameau, in the Arras
district, where it was billeted for a month and where it lost its
commanding officer, Lt.-Colonel Lord Sackville, who was sent to do
special work at French G.H.Q. On the 25th June the next move came, this
time to Enguin les Mines, which is about ten miles south of St. Omer;
but on the 10th July the General Headquarters were left behind and the
10th moved by motor bus into divisional reserve at Ham en Artois, then
into brigade reserve at La Perriere. Here the first losses in France
occurred, two men being killed and seven wounded when on a working
party. Finally, till the 4th August, Miquellerie was the home of the
unit. All these above-mentioned places are fairly close together, being
south of the town of Hazebrouck, south-west of Merville and not far
from the River Lys. On the 4th August the right sub-section of the left
sector of the Adjusovres-Averskerque line near St. Floris was taken
over, and now the time was rapidly approaching for the Allies to assume
their turn for offensive work, work which was only to cease with the
complete subjection of all our enemies.
On the 5th August the division on the right of the 230th Brigade had
advanced its line and the Buffs were warned to be ready to do the same
should the trenches in front be found to be evacuated as they had been
on the right. There was no doubt at all at this time that the enemy
was showing every sign of nervousness, but what follows belongs to the
story of the final victorious advance and must be reserved for another
chapter.
V. 7TH BATTALION
Without a doubt the most smashing blow that was dealt during the great
German offensive fell upon the British 5th Army, in the very forefront
of which stood the 7th Battalion of the Buffs. On the night of the
20th/21st March the 55th Brigade was at Liez holding, as its forward
zone, from the village of Travecy, exclusive, up to a point about a
mile north of Vendeuil, which sector was garrisoned by the 7th Buffs,
eleven machine guns, four Stokes mortars, two six-inch trench mortars,
one section of a field company of Royal Engineers, with two infantry
platoons attached. Fort Vendeuil held as a garrison one platoon of
the Buffs’ support company, the section of Royal Engineers, the two
attached platoons and the two trench mortars. These attached platoons
were a divisional idea and were No. 17 or extra platoons of the Buffs
and the Queen’s. They were composed of men who were bad marchers and
were usually employed with the Engineers as unskilled labourers. The
Buffs’ headquarters were at a quarry called “Clarence Keep,” though
it was only protected by a very light trench. It was close to the
Vendeuil-Remigny road and about three-quarters of a mile from the
fort. The two forward companies were: B to the northward, holding the
main St. Quentin road, about half-way to Le Vert Chasseur, down to the
railway station at Vendeuil, with headquarters in the middle of the
village; A carrying on towards the south, holding part of Vendeuil,
the quarry, which overlooked the river, and a post some nine hundred
yards to the south-west of it, which was the company headquarters. C
Company was immediately behind A and B, from near Vendeuil Fort to a
post some fourteen hundred yards behind A’s headquarters. D Company was
further west again and just in front of Poplar and Rouquenet Woods.
Thus the battalion front was enormously extended, there being about
four thousand yards between the right and the left platoons, and the
nearest West Kent post (Le Vert Chasseur) being another twelve hundred
yards away. The fighting strength of the Buffs was only 550, many of
the men being recently taken over from the late 8th Battalion. The
chief unit in the battle zone behind was the 7th Queen’s, and there
was no brigade reserve because the 8th East Surrey happened to be in
divisional reserve. The 4th Dismounted Brigade was attached to the 55th
for the day.
At 4.45 a.m. on the 21st March the enemy’s artillery fire commenced,
and almost immediately afterwards the order to man battle positions
was sent out, but the Buffs were, of course, already in their places.
The hostile shelling was intense and at first many of the shells were
gas-laden. When day dawned it was found that the country was wrapped
in so dense a fog that a man could not see twenty yards in front of
him. It was a misty morning everywhere along our lines on this fateful
21st March, but perhaps in no part lay a thicker blanket of fog than in
the valley of the Oise with its neighbouring canals. It was not long
before the shelling began to cut, as was often the case, the telephone
wires which connected the various distant posts, the first to go being
that which connected “Clarence Keep” with B Company (Captain Chant),
and soon afterwards Captain Fine, who commanded in Fort Vendeuil,
failed to answer calls. Therefore in the morning the situation was very
far from pleasant. Little isolated parties of Buffs were scattered
about the countryside, blinded by fog, deprived of communication with
their neighbours and with the suspicion, which amounted almost to a
certainty, that silently closing in upon them were unknown numbers of
the enemy intent on their destruction. The mist began to clear about
noon, and it was only then that the defenders were able to gain some
notion of the hostile movements which up till then had been screened.
In the meantime the battalion signal sergeant, Browne, with three
men[30] were working desperately to repair the line between “Clarence”
and the Fort, and after four hours’ hard labour communication was
re-established and Captain Fine reported “all correct.”
The first intimation of any hostile infantry on the sector held by
the Buffs came from A Company (Captain Grant) reporting about 10 a.m.
that thirty Germans were about Canal Post, near the quarry. After
this headquarters lost communication with Captain Grant. At 11 o’clock
C Company made out about two hundred of the enemy going north along
the main St. Quentin road. At 11.45 A Company got communication with
C and informed the latter first that there seemed to be much movement
in their rear, and then that they were surrounded; after this the line
“went.” D Company then observed a party of Germans between them and
the Fort, and it was found that some, covered by the fog, had actually
visited the company headquarters and broken the signalling lamp. The
Buffs’ Headquarters now directed D Company to be ready to make a
counter-attack, and at “Clarence Keep” itself the meagre defences were
manned with spare runners, cooks, sanitary men, pioneers, police and
servants, and these prepared to see the matter out. Then the chaplain
and doctor arrived from Vendeuil, where they had been billeted, and
told how B Company had been surrounded, but that Captain Chant had
escaped into the fort. Strong bodies of Germans had come down the road
from the north and surprised the defenders, though some had escaped in
the fog and joined C Company; the enemy had got the two machine guns
which on the left flank of the company had been stationed on the road
and had surrounded the platoon that was there. There was no news of a
party which had been at the railway station.
About this time a bugle sound, evidently German, was heard from the
direction of Ronquenet Wood and a party, seen north of “Clarence
Keep,” was fired on and dispersed. The second in command, too, trying
to get back to report the state of the case to brigade headquarters,
was wounded crossing the open ground near Ronquenet Farm, probably by
the party that sounded the bugle. All this, of course, meant that the
defences had been penetrated during the fog. The length of line held
by the Buffs was roughly a couple of miles, and the posts or platoon
garrisons had on an average about eight hundred yards between them, and
so it came to pass that they were, one by one, isolated and surrounded.
In fact, the Germans tried about 1.30 to assail the Fort itself from
the south and south-west, but by this time the weather was clearer and,
rifles and guns being turned upon them from several points and our
artillery firing at very close range or “over the sights,” this attempt
was abandoned; nevertheless they began to close on “Clarence Keep,”
and later brought up a machine gun which began to fire into the backs
of the men, the garrison being disposed now for an all-round defence.
Several attacks on this headquarters post were beaten off by rifle
fire, greatly due to the gallant behaviour of L.-Corpls. Berry and
Harris.[31]
During the afternoon many hostile aeroplanes appeared on the scene.
These, flying very low, were directing the shell fire by means of
signal, one consequence being the shelling of our guns just east of
“Clarence,” under cover of which shelling hostile infantry worked up
very close and at last caused our gun detachment to surrender. In fact,
the enemy had complete air command in this region. During the whole
afternoon “Clarence Keep” kept up communication with D Company by
flag, and headquarters had seen the Fort signalling to Liez, where the
brigade staff was. The constant message was “counter-attack essential,”
and this was because Captain Fine had been led to believe that the
divisional reserve had arranged to carry one out, in the case of its
being necessary in order to save the Fort. From 6 to 6.30 p.m. an
intense hostile bombardment was directed on Captain Fine’s command,
after which all was silent and it seemed as if the place had fallen,
but it was afterwards ascertained that the little garrison had held
out for another twenty-four hours. A Company was despaired of. The
best that could be hoped was that the men were prisoners; but firing
from their direction was heard up till midnight, and it was supposed
that they were then still refusing to surrender. As a matter of fact,
it was afterwards ascertained that Lieut. Kennett’s platoon fired on
the German transport on the 22nd and held out till the evening of that
day. B and C Companies had lost posts and garrisons and were now but
fragments of the units they had been, but the enemy had not passed and
what they had gained had been won in the morning, when they were so
greatly aided by the fog.
C Company had been especially well handled by Captain Tupper and
had defeated all hostile attempts during the day, and D Company,
under Lieut. Morell, with 2nd Lieut. Halliday to aid him, had made a
fine local counter-attack and driven the Germans back at a critical
time. A project was entertained by the 55th Brigade, when reinforced
by the 4th Dismounted Brigade, for relieving the pressure at Fort
Vendeuil, but this was vetoed by the Divisional General, who issued
very emphatic orders that touch was to be maintained with the brigade
on the right about Quessy, and it was clear that the battle zone of
this latter force was in the hands of the enemy. This order therefore
meant a withdrawal and that those troops in the forward zone of the
55th Brigade which could not be extricated must just surrender or die.
Before withdrawal orders reached the Buffs, they had been busy, under
cover of night, reorganizing, serving out food and ammunition and
digging in.
The first hint of retreat came at half an hour after midnight, when
an officer of the Machine Gun Corps arrived at “Clarence” with orders
to take away the two Vickers guns which were there and with the
information that a general withdrawal had been ordered to a position
west of the canal. This was confirmed shortly afterwards by patrols of
the 7th Queen’s. These patrols had been sent up from the battle zone
by the brigadier to deliver the orders to all the scattered parties of
the Buffs and others which could be reached. Even now Colonel Ransome
would not go back unless the order was confirmed, and his adjutant
bicycled into Remigny to telephone for instructions. He, however,
got a clear and distinct order that the Buffs were to retreat. So at
1.10 a.m. on the 22nd March the battalion headquarters retired by
small parties to the brigade at Liez, after destroying all papers and
leaving behind many useful and pleasant stores. C Company had already
arrived here with fragments of B, and soon after D Company came in, and
before daylight in the morning the battalion had concentrated about La
Faisanderie, but it now consisted of only three companies. The 55th
Brigade Headquarters moved from Liez to Rouez.
It was later ascertained that the 7th Battalion The Buffs was the only
unit of the 3rd Corps that was, on the afternoon of the 21st March,
still holding out in the forward zone, and that its doing so resulted
in other units being enabled to reorganize behind the Crozat Canal. At
2 o’clock in the afternoon the Buffs withdrew into a wood a little to
the south and started to dig in on very empty stomachs. It was not,
however, till 3.30 a.m. on the 23rd March that the battalion occupied
its new position, as it had been called away to the support of the
Queen’s, and indeed very early on this date, too, C and D Companies
had to be again placed at the disposal of the C.O. of that regiment,
in order to fill a dangerous gap that existed between the left of the
Queen’s and the right of the East Surrey.
[Illustration: VENDEUIL]
Everybody prepared himself for a new day’s fighting, the 55th Brigade
being now in support of the forward troops. At 6 o’clock a French
regiment, which had been expected, duly arrived. This unit had been
detailed to make a counter-attack on the town of Tergnier and was to
be supported by the Queen’s, who fought that day under the command
of Lt.-Colonel Bushell. This counter-attack was duly attempted, but
the Frenchmen were very shortly back amongst the Buffs again. They
seemed a fine, resolute lot, and they said they had gone up with only
thirty-five rounds of ammunition per man and had expended it all.
Moreover, they had lost their way in the mist. The story of this
counter-attack is not the history of the Buffs, but it may be here
mentioned that Lt.-Colonel Bushell of the Queen’s was the hero of the
attempt. He appears to have led his own fellows and Frenchmen too with
the greatest gallantry, and he was rewarded with a V.C.
From 8 o’clock in the morning there was confused fighting in the wood,
where nothing beyond a range of fifty yards or so could be observed.
Wounded men kept coming back to where Colonel Ransome’s little party
was, and all brought with them the same tale of the enemy’s steady
advance. Both Captain Morrell and 2nd Lieut. Halliday of the Buffs were
badly wounded. Both were very gallant officers and a great loss at such
a time. It appeared to Colonel Ransome, who commanded the Buffs, that
it was not much use stopping in the wood: nothing could be seen, and
it was thought that its northern edge was being passed by the enemy;
so it was decided to take up two old lines of trenches and pits which
existed in an orchard two hundred yards in rear, and the headquarters
of both Buffs and Queen’s, with all sorts of fragments of companies and
other small units, fell back to this place and there remained all day
fighting a grim battle with the advancing foe. There were nine machine
guns with the party, but only just enough personnel to work them. It
was principally a machine-gun fight and for a long time our weapons
did very well, but the enemy kept bringing up more and more, while
our supply of ammunition began to fail as the afternoon drew on. Every
effort was made to get up more from the rear, but the difficulties
were too great to overcome, and the enemy gradually began to gain
fire superiority. During the afternoon those companies of the Buffs
which had gone forward by direction of the O.C. the Queen’s, as well
as other advanced parties of British troops, had rallied on Ransome’s
position, which proved an invaluable post for the purpose. The opinion
of the brigadier of the 55th Brigade on this point is as follows: “In
the light of subsequent knowledge it is clear that the stand made here
by Lt.-Colonel Ransome’s force was of the greatest value not only to
the rest of the brigade, but to the whole line in this vicinity....
This stand was due in the first place to the skill and foresight of
Lt.-Colonel Ransome in establishing a line outside the wood on which
the withdrawing troops, scattered and disorganized by the confused
fighting in the wood, could be rallied and reorganized. In the latter
part of the work Lt.-Colonel Ransome was assisted principally by Major
Tortise and Captain Snell of the 7th Queen’s, and by Captain Black and
Lieut. Howcroft of his own battalion. All these officers behaved with
the utmost gallantry.”
About 6 o’clock a French battalion which had come up behind the English
party during the afternoon essayed a frontal counter-attack. There was
no artillery preparation. The attempt was beyond praise as regards the
gallantry of the soldiers who made it, but the brave Frenchmen were
met with a perfect storm of machine-gun bullets and they could not go
on. After lying down for a few moments they got up and retired, and
the retirement took the whole of the English first-line troops with
it. This was by no means a misfortune. Anxiety had been felt already
about the possibility of holding the position till nightfall, but it
seemed to be suicidal to attempt to retire before the German machine
guns by daylight. However, fortunately these ceased fire as the hostile
infantry came forward to pursue, and so our retirement was far less
costly than could have been expected. It was a very mixed lot of men
that went back through Rouez Wood. Frenchmen and all sorts of English
units mixed up in great confusion as regards their ranks. A fresh line
was formed inside the wood and Captain Black actually led a small party
forward to check the pursuit, which prevented any great pressure before
darkness set in, and the fugitives were able to collect, reorganize
and march back to Villiguier Aumont. During this final phase Sgt.
Browne and Pte. Coleman, two signallers who had greatly distinguished
themselves on the 21st by mending the line from “Clarence” to the Fort
under quite extraordinary difficulties and heavy shell fire, were
wounded.
The march to Villiguier was without incident, though it was thought by
some that the party was surrounded. On arrival, the details belonging
to the 55th Brigade were directed on to Bethancourt, where Br.-General
Wood, commanding, already was, as was also the 8th East Surrey
Regiment. About 10 a.m. on the 24th March the 55th Brigade was ordered
to withdraw to a line approximately east of Caillouel; here it had the
53rd on its right flank and the 54th Brigade on the left. The Buffs,
who were the supporting battalion of their brigade at first that night,
withdrew later into divisional support, and at 7 a.m. on the 25th the
whole division fell back to the line Grandru-Mondescourt-Appilly and
later to a position covering Babœuf, these retrograde movements being
carried out in good and soldier-like order by platoons in artillery
formation. At 2 p.m. on this day the Buffs were sent back to a position
west of Babœuf, to cover the canal bridge at Varesnes, and later
to Varesnes itself, which was reached at 10 p.m. On the 26th March
the whole of the 55th Brigade marched to Caisnes. The casualties
suffered by the 7th Buffs between the 21st and 26th March amounted
to:--Officers: killed, 1; wounded, 5; missing, 11. Other ranks: killed,
17; wounded, 108; missing, 410. When a force has to retire after
fighting, it is generally quite unknown whether a man who fails to
answer his name afterwards is dead or a prisoner of war. He is simply
described as missing.
By the 28th March the brigade had got to Audignicourt and was in
billets and caves there, but now the scene of its activities was
changed. There was considerable enemy pressure on our defence works
covering the important city of Amiens, and the whole of the 29th
March was spent by the Buffs and their comrades in buses undergoing
a weary journey to help to relieve the situation in that region. On
the 30th the battalion debussed at St. Nicholas, east of Boves, and
marched to Gentelles. In fact, the Buffs and Queen’s had to march
direct from the buses into a support line east of this village. That
night the 55th Brigade took over the front line south-east of Villers
Bretonneux, but for the present the Buffs remained where they were, but
on the 31st moved to a large farm close to the monument which is on
the road which runs south from Villers Bretonneux. This farm was the
battalion headquarters and was in full view from the German position
at Marcelcave, but had never been shelled. After two days the Buffs
relieved the Queen’s in front line and took the left of the brigade
with D Company on right, B on the left and C, which was only two
platoons strong, in reserve.
[Illustration: VENDEUIL TO VARESNES]
At 3.45 a.m. on the 4th April a German prisoner was captured by the
battalion, and this man stated that our enemy was going to attack at
dawn and that, in fact, they were at that moment “standing to.” Notice,
of course, was immediately sent round to everybody and thus an absolute
surprise was avoided, though, of course, the force was always kept
ready for contingencies of the sort. At dawn there was a thick mist
and, communication being otherwise impossible, the Queen’s dropped a
chain of connecting files between battalions and brigade headquarters.
At 6 o’clock the hostile bombardment commenced. It was indiscriminate
shelling followed by rifle and machine-gun fire, and at seven the
attack developed on the Buffs’ front and that of the 35th Australian
Battalion on their left. At or about 9 o’clock the Australian troops
further away to the left fell back, which caused the 35th Australians
and the Buffs to conform, the latter getting back to the bridge over
the railway. One company of the Queen’s was at this juncture put under
the Buffs’ orders, and an hour later a company also of the 2/6th London
Regiment, which had been temporarily placed at the disposal of the
55th Brigade. The Australians withdrew somewhat further, making it
necessary for the left of the Buffs to conform, though the right of the
regiment remained in position. At four in the afternoon the enemy was
seen advancing from the line Marcelcave-Aubercourt, and at the same
time his artillery shelled our people heavily with gas, and the Germans
got round our right flank, causing our whole line to withdraw, but the
Buffs rallied about Villers Bretonneux railway station to cover there a
battery of our artillery.
The casualties of the first week in April were:--Officers: killed, 1;
wounded, 5. Other ranks: killed, 3; wounded, 34; missing, 13.
Early in the morning of the 5th the battalion got orders to move to
Gentelles and later in the day to billets at Boves; it had remained
out by the station all night, because those who bore the orders for
the retirement failed to discover it. The 55th Brigade Headquarters
moved next day to St. Fuscien, and the Buffs and East Surrey were
attached to the 53rd and the Queen’s to the 54th Brigade; but the
several battalions were by now so weak that a composite one had to
be formed under the command of Lt.-Colonel Ransome, D.S.O., M.C., the
Buffs finding two companies and the East Surrey and Royal Berkshire
one company each. The English forward posts in this portion of the
line were now about Gentelles and were manned by the troops in the
neighbourhood till the 12th of April, when the 55th Brigade was
withdrawn, moving by march to Dreuil les Molliens and Cavillon, about
nine miles west of Amiens. The Buffs being close by at Le Mesge.
Ten days’ intensive training was now undergone and then the brigade
returned to St. Fuscien, only to move four days later north-east to
Baizieux to be attached to the 2nd Australian Division. The area west
of Albert was occupied by the 18th Division up till the 12th July, when
it went into G.H.Q. reserve.
The story of the battalion from May Day till this date is lacking in
the tremendous incidents which have been recorded above: the Buffs was
soon again a battalion of four companies--such a loss as even a whole
company was very quickly replaced in these days. A short history such
as this necessarily occupies its available space with the exciting
record of valorous days and strenuous combat and must reluctantly pass
over with only slight allusion the hard, faithful and continuous work
of the draft-finding units in England.
The battalion was a good deal at Lavieville and Baizieux about this
time and, of course, were alternately in front line, support and
reserve. When in the former a good deal of patrolling work was done:
for instance, strong fighting patrols went out on the 3rd June; they
got into their objective, but failed to get identification. On the
6th 2nd Lieut. Richardson with fifteen of C Company’s men had a small
encounter with the enemy. On the 15th a raid was attempted, but, owing
to the enemy’s resistance and the thickness of his wire, the objective
was not reached, though some important information was gained.
Protective patrols also were out nightly early in the month of June and
much digging and wiring work was undertaken, because there were strong
and persistent rumours of a hostile attack, and, as a matter of fact,
on the 16th, three trench mortars, together with some rifle grenades,
played frequently upon B and C Companies, and during the night a
barrage was put down on the battalion, consisting of trench-mortar
and high-explosive fire, which lasted over an hour. On the 30th
June and following two or three days there was some fighting in the
neighbourhood of the 55th Brigade, and indeed their comrades of the
54th were engaged, but the Buffs were at the time in divisional reserve
and did not come into action. On the 12th July the whole division was
relieved and on the 13th marched to Warloy and there embussed for
G.H.Q. reserve at Briquemesnil until the 30th, the time being much
occupied by strict training, as was usual when in G.H.Q. reserve.
On the 30th this spell of peace was over and the Buffs went into line
again on the last day of the month, this time near and a little south
of Warloy, the fighting lines being now at this part of the front
somewhere about thirty miles westward of their position after the
Somme battles of the last year. But by now the great American army was
in France and reinforcements were pouring in. The tremendous German
efforts to snatch victory between the collapse of Russia and their
arrival had failed and our enemy was, so to speak, anxiously looking
over his shoulder towards the dear homeland. By the 1st August he
had already withdrawn from one or two dangerous points in France and
Flanders, and there was a general feeling amongst our people that it
was time he was on the move. However that may be, the 7th Battalion
patrols on the 4th discovered that the Germans were still on its
immediate front, and next day considerable movement was observed in the
hostile lines.
Then, on the 6th August, a most unexpected event took place. For the
last three days the brigade had been warned to expect and to look out
for an enemy’s withdrawal, yet on this morning, before it was fairly
light, the 27th German Division astride the Bray-Corbie road actually
advanced to the attack at a time when we were relieving certain
companies by others. Only a couple of hours or so earlier some of the
Buffs had rushed an enemy’s post and found it empty. The authorities,
being so certain that the German was going, attributed the movement
noticed above as merely a blind on his part to cover an imminent
retrograde movement. The battle that followed, though it commenced
with a German attack on the 6th, lasted some days, and towards the
finish the rôle of the two armies was reversed. It will therefore be
convenient to relate what occurred in the following chapter, which will
deal with the Grand Advance of the Allies.
CHAPTER XV
THE GRAND RESULT
I. 7TH BATTALION: BATTLE OF AMIENS
The 7th Battalion of the Buffs on the morning of the 6th August, 1918,
was holding the brigade frontage which was north of the Bray-Corbie
road and was in a trench which had recently been taken from the enemy
and occupied by an Australian force. South of the road at the time
of dawn a relief of companies was in progress, and the East Surrey
Regiment was experiencing certain difficulties in connection with the
operation. The Germans, discovering this fact, seized the opportunity
to launch a very sudden and resolute attack which succeeded in piercing
the British line. This unfortunate event seems to have been due to a
variety of causes, such as incomplete relief and extension of front,
but the element of surprise figured largely. Our troops were holding
the ground very thinly; the men were anything but fresh; the forward
trenches were knee-deep in mud, and their occupants were expecting
to leave them only for a forward and not a retrograde movement. The
German barrage commenced at 4.20 a.m. No “S.O.S.” signal was made for
some time and the general idea seems to have been that the enterprise
was merely a raid, but the bombardment lasted two hours and cut the
telephone wires, which was the greater disaster because the shape of
the ground forbade visual signalling. After about an hour it became
clear enough that this was no raid, but a determined attempt to gain
and hold on to our trenches and position. The hostile troops succeeded
in penetrating along the road to a considerable distance, about eight
hundred yards, in fact. The south of it being held but lightly, the
34th Brigade was requested to be responsible for this portion of the
line, and a counter-attack by men of the East Surreys was attempted
along the highway itself. At 8.36 it was clear to the headquarters
in rear that part of our old first line was now in the hands of the
enemy; but at 9.45 the Buffs were in the Burke line behind it, had
established posts at all the junctions of trenches, and had pushed
patrols out to the front, after which there was a lengthy bombing
fight for the various trench junctions. During the morning the 55th
Brigade had consisted of two battalions only, because the Queen’s had
been sent back to rest and get fit, prior to our attack on the 8th.
The enemy having anticipated our programme and date of fighting, this
battalion was now ordered to the front again and arrived about noon.
At 4.45 a conference was held, the principal point for consultation
being the possibility of a counter-attack by the 54th Brigade. The
leader of this force objected that he required another battalion to
make such an attempt feasible, but this objection being overruled,
the counter-attack was decided on and one company of the East Surreys
placed at the disposal of the 54th Brigade. During the following night
the lines were subjected to very heavy shelling, but at 4.40 a.m.
the counter-attack was launched and proved a great success, the 54th
Brigade gaining all their objectives, as did the detachment of the East
Surreys; the latter at 5.47 reported themselves as being where they had
been told to go and as having several prisoners and two of the enemy’s
machine guns.
[Illustration: Areas retaken by the various armies August to November
1918.]
The following day saw the commencement of the allied offensive, but the
55th Brigade was practically only represented by the 7th Queen’s, which
battalion had been nursed for the occasion. Extraordinary efforts had
been made to keep the coming operations a dead secret. Only battalion
commanders were supposed to know anything whatsoever about the matter,
and they only the barest outline of the plan. The job the Queen’s were
given was to form the extreme left of the defensive flank of the 4th
Army. The battalion was to be accompanied by certain tanks. The morning
was almost as misty as on that dreadful day, the 21st March. The
tanks failed to turn up and the Queen’s were forced to start without
them. In the fog the battalion appeared to have missed its way, and
while endeavouring to get right again and into good order it suffered
a terrible loss, in that its gallant colonel was mortally wounded.
Christopher Bushell, V.C., D.S.O., was a very prominent hero in an army
of good soldiers, and his regiment must deeply have felt his loss.
Lt.-Colonel Ransome, of the Buffs, was, immediately the news came in,
placed in command of all troops in the foremost zone, with directions
to clear up the situation and to establish the flank with all speed.
In the words of the official account, “He handled the situation most
ably.” He was well and worthily assisted by Captain Snell, adjutant of
the Queen’s, by Captain Hayfield, of the Buffs, now attached to brigade
headquarters, and by Captain Heath, who commanded the 55th Trench
Mortar Battery.
The following day, the 9th August, the 55th Brigade was squeezed out
as the English armies advanced and so became reserve troops, the Buffs
proceeding to Warloy, where they received two large drafts from home
which were badly needed. Most of these men were miners and munition
workers who all did good work later on. On the 13th August the Buffs
moved into line beyond Senlis and with them went American soldiers,
one platoon being attached to each Buff company, and the Buffs leaving
four platoons of their own in the transport lines. On the 19th, the
battalion having relieved the Royal Berkshire Regiment west of Albert,
its patrols got touch with the enemy in and about that town, and on
the night of the 21st/22nd assembly positions were taken up for battle
almost on the western edge of Albert.
The great battle, or rather series of battles and pursuits, which now
commenced in this area was fully shared in by other divisions besides
the 18th in which the 7th Buffs were serving. Amongst these was the
12th, and in that division was the 6th Battalion of the regiment.
These two Kitchener units, then, were during the latter part of August
and early September serving shoulder to shoulder, or very nearly so.
Therefore before the tale be told of how the enemy was driven from the
Ancre river step by step over the Tortille and back to his Hindenburg
Line, it would be as well to note how the 6th was spending the time
from the 9th to the 21st August.
II. 6TH BATTALION
At 2 a.m. on the former date the battalion, with the rest of the 37th
Brigade, which, it may be remembered, was near Morlancourt, began
to move into its assembly position, but at 3 o’clock a message came
postponing the attack. This message reached the Queen’s and West Kent
in time and these two units were stopped ere reaching their places,
but the Buffs, having a longer approach to make subsequently, had to
leave their assembly positions much earlier in order to get up to the
artillery barrage. Thus it came to pass that the leading companies had
already commenced operations when the important message came and it was
impossible to stop them, so that the battalion had actually penetrated
the enemy’s position at one point when the order for postponement
reached it. These forward troops therefore detailed one platoon to
occupy a quarry, which was handy, and from there cover the retreat of
its comrades. Under cover of this platoon, the remainder withdrew to
their assembly positions, but the men took with them a prisoner and
a machine gun just to show where they had been. The covering platoon
maintained its position. This little error cost one officer and forty
men wounded.
The new zero hour was fixed for 5.30 p.m., at which time the Buffs were
already in assembly position on the right of the line. The Queen’s
and West Kent were to be in position at the zero hour to commence
the assault fifty minutes later. The attack proceeded now according
to plan, and at the correct moment the Queen’s and West Kent advanced
co-operating with the Buffs. Considerable opposition was met with and
a large number of Germans killed and taken prisoner. A quantity of
machine guns and trench mortars and two 77-mm. cannon were captured.
In fact, the whole thing was done in excellent order, and at eight
in the evening all objectives were gained and outposts put out. This
attack seems to have come as a surprise to the enemy, yet, owing to
their numerous machine guns, our casualties were by no means light. The
night was quiet, but at 3 o’clock next morning the Germans tried an
attack with a few troops, but these were repulsed. The casualties of
the Buffs consisted of Captain J. W. Laurie, Lieuts. V. W. J. Hobbs and
R. J. Pavitt and 12 other ranks killed; 11 officers and 145 men wounded
and 56 missing. With this loss the battalion alone was responsible
for the capture of 340 prisoners, a battery of 4·2-in. howitzers, two
minenwerfer, twelve machine guns, two 77-mm. guns and seven light
minenwerfer.
During the 10th the enemy snipers were very active, and as our front
consisted of a series of shell holes linked up, observation on the
enemy’s part was fairly easy, and consequently any movements on our
side very difficult and dangerous. Lieut. D. A. W. Hill (afterwards
died of wounds), 2nd Lieut. Harris and five men were wounded on this
day. The next few days were spent in this same locality, either in
front line or support, and the shelling and sniping continued to be
severe. There was a report on the 15th that the enemy was withdrawing,
but patrols sent out soon found the falsity of this story. On the 20th
the Buffs were in divisional reserve at Treux, on the Ancre, and next
day were attached temporarily to the 35th Brigade, in order to take
part with it in the grand attack on Albert planned for the 22nd, in
which the 18th Division, with the 7th Battalion of the regiment, was
also to be engaged.
III. 6TH AND 7TH BATTALIONS: ALBERT, ETC.
The enemy was holding the line of the Ancre river, using Albert as a
bridgehead. The stream here is only about fourteen feet wide, but it
averages six feet in depth and has nasty marshy edges and approaches.
Thus it is an obstacle requiring the carrying up of bridging material
and so forth. The Germans were nearly all on the eastern bank of the
river, but the cellars and ruins of the town of Albert, even on the
western side, proved to be full of hidden parties cleverly availing
themselves of what were in truth considerable facilities for defence.
The rôle of the 18th Division was to cover the flank of the main
attack of the 4th Army by taking Albert and the high ground beyond it.
The 12th Division was on the right of the 18th and had the task of
capturing the village of Meaulte, a little to the south, as well as
other points. The 35th Brigade, however, was bound for Meaulte and was
in immediate touch with the 18th Division.
The scheme of the 18th Division was as follows: the 55th Brigade was
to capture Albert itself, and the 54th to operate south of that town
and between it and Meaulte. Commencing at zero and for sixty minutes,
all the houses of Albert which were to the east of the river were to
be submitted to a heavy bombardment while the East Surrey Regiment
worked through those to the west of the stream, “mopping up” the small
hostile parties which were reported by our scouts to be there. Then our
artillery was to lift and devote its attention to certain strong points
on the east edge of Albert while the Surrey men crossed the Ancre and
continued their work through the place. Finally, the guns were to lift
again and allow the battalion to complete its job. Then the 7th Buffs
were to come through the town, advance east-north-east till it got
touch with the 54th Brigade, which would be attacking between Albert
and Meaulte, and then to halt with its left flank on the floods. As it
was quite impossible to reckon at what hour the East Surrey would have
finished their work, the Buffs must make their advance without the help
of a barrage.
As a matter of fact, the battalion debouched from the town at 10 a.m.
and touch was got with the 54th Brigade, but then, heavy machine-gun
fire being met with, progress astride the Albert-Pozieres road became
impossible. All the country just outside Albert is dominated by Usna,
Tara and Shamrock hills, which high ground was the especial objective
of the 18th Division. When the Buffs emerged from the streets a false
report was received that Tara Hill was occupied by the 54th Brigade,
and our artillery got orders not to fire upon it. As a matter of fact,
however, the enemy was still there and all their machine guns, which of
course were not interfered with, were free to play on our battalion as
it came on. This state of things caused a halt a little short of the
Blue Line, for which the Buffs were bound, and the brigadier came to
the conclusion that it would be impossible to push on further without
the assistance of tanks and until it was dark. However, at 2.30 a.m. on
the 23rd the Blue Line was made good. The Buffs had suffered about two
hundred casualties, which were immediately made good by men originally
left out of action.
Meanwhile the 35th Brigade, with which for a day or two the 6th
Battalion served, was in position at 1.30 a.m. and endured heavy gas
shelling during the night. 4.45 a.m. was the zero hour, and then the
6th moved forward, C Company being on the left and D on the right
front, A left support and D right. The battalion moved behind the
7th Norfolk Regiment, to which unit had been assigned the first
objective. The 9th Essex was on the right of the Buffs. The whole
operation this day was completely successful, all objectives being
taken and consolidated. The second of these being secured by the 6th
Buffs at 8.35 a.m., though unfortunately the Essex were held up by
heavy machine-gun fire. There is no doubt that the work was done most
creditably; eleven machine guns and fourteen prisoners fell to the
share of the battalion we are interested in, and its own casualties
were light: 2nd Lieuts. Gibbs and Green were wounded, five men killed,
twenty-nine wounded, thirty missing and one gassed. Furthermore, when
the second objective was gained the remainder of the day was quiet.
The following day, the 23rd of the month, revealed the fact, however,
that the situation on the right of the Buffs required much clearing
up, so much so that tanks were sent up to investigate matters, and
preparations were made for forming a defensive flank which necessitated
some small rearrangement of the troops. It is interesting to note that
during this day an aeroplane, in response to a call, managed to drop
three thousand rounds of small-arm ammunition by means of a parachute.
On the 23rd the 18th Division had been busy. As has been seen, the
original objective of the 7th Buffs had been gained at 2.30 a.m., but
this move was chiefly made to enable other troops to get possession of
the hills which up till then had dominated the British front. This was
done, in spite of tremendous difficulties, by the 53rd Brigade with
the 7th Queen’s from the 55th, and it was greatly aided by seven tanks
which had to approach from Meaulte along the east bank of the Ancre.
The work was supported by a brigade of the 38th Division on the left
of the 18th, which brigade had to get through Albert and then more
to the north and pass the floods so close that many men were wading
nearly breast high. Everything now going well, the 55th Brigade, less
the Queen’s, was temporarily withdrawn to divisional reserve west of
Albert. The first stage of the attack had been a marked success, and
all went so well during the time the 55th Brigade was away that when
it returned to the front line in relief of the 53rd, which occurred
on the night of the 24th/25th, it bore orders to push on the advance
relentlessly. This relief was very different from those to which
everyone was so well accustomed. It was a mobile business. No taking
over of dug-outs and trenches, but the 7th Buffs simply walked into the
place of the West Kent on the right of the brigade near the Becourt
Wood and took up the running, so to speak.
[Illustration: ALBERT]
As regards the 12th Division, the 6th Buffs, on the 24th, returned to
their own 37th Brigade, which was ordered to carry on the advance,
relieving the 35th, which had been ahead so far. At 1 a.m. the brigade,
under an artillery barrage, attacked the enemy’s position in front.
At 1.30 the Buffs reported that all was going well but that they were
facing heavy machine-gun fire, and they asked for the assistance of
tanks to clear away certain pockets of the enemy which were giving
trouble. Two hours later the Queen’s reported that their right was held
up, so, at 7 o’clock, three whippet tanks were placed at the disposal
of the brigadier. At 1.30 these tanks, with the West Kent, attacked,
but they were back again in an hour, having completely failed; one
tank had its guns jammed, and one was badly damaged, for on crossing
the ridge they had met with heavy machine-gun and trench-mortar fire.
The enemy was still a force in being and knew exactly where to make a
resolute stand. A consultation now took place as to the best mode of
carrying on the advance on the morrow, and it was determined to leave
the German strong place, which was giving so much trouble, and to pass
on either side of it, so at 9.30 p.m. orders were issued for the task
of the 25th: the Buffs were to advance on the right, and Queen’s on
the left, with the West Kent in support. At midnight the Corps cavalry
was placed at the disposal of the 37th Brigade. It was now found that
the enemy had withdrawn, and it was pretty evident that he had gone
back some considerable distance. On the 25th, therefore, the 36th
and 37th Brigades, with the 35th in reserve, advanced, in order to
maintain their touch with the retiring Germans. The move commenced in
the middle of the night and was quite successful, so that by 5.15 the
Buffs were holding a new line, once more in contact with the enemy,
and with patrols pushed out in front. 2nd Lieuts. Barr and H. J. Hine,
with eight other ranks, were wounded during the morning, Hine unhappily
dying of his wounds. There was no doubt about the enemy’s temporary
stand--indeed, the British line was shelled all day; and at five in
the evening the 55th Brigade came up from the reserve and went through
as an advance guard, in conjunction with similar movements in the
flanks. These troops drove the Germans back about two thousand yards
and consolidated a new line, while the Buffs and Queen’s, with the
West Kent in reserve, held the old one. The tactics of the 25th were
renewed on the 26th. On this day the 36th Brigade took up the advance
guard duties, passed through the 35th and carried on the drive for
about 3,500 yards. The 37th Brigade remained in position. On the 27th
the fighting part of the programme was transferred to the 37th Brigade.
Its units came through those of the 36th and at 4.45 a.m. attacked the
enemy’s position north of the Somme, captured the village of Carnoy and
assisted the 58th Division to take Maricourt. It also took a valuable
position north of Hardecourt. During these operations the brigade had
been assisted by the cavalry, and after so prolonged a period of trench
warfare it was strange to be working with so mobile an arm. The West
Kents reporting themselves at 7.32 as being on their objective, and
the Buffs doing the same at 7.45, the horsemen were sent forward to
occupy the Maurepas ridge far ahead. At 9.20 a counter-attack appeared
to be developing south of Bernafay Wood, and the 35th Brigade was
ordered to send a battalion up to La Briqueterie to be at the disposal
of the brigadier of the 37th, and at 10 o’clock a company of the
Machine Gun Corps was added to his force. At 10.45 the Buffs found
themselves being seriously enfiladed by machine-gun fire, so much so
that their position became untenable and the battalion withdrew in
good and correct order some two hundred yards. About this same time
the cavalry, after reporting that Faviere Wood, between Hardecourt and
Maricourt, was still occupied, had to be recalled as the ground was
impossible to work over, owing to wire, shell holes and trenches. At 2
p.m. the brigade was directed to advance its line sufficiently to join
up with the 18th Division east of Bernafay Wood, and later on a message
came informing the brigadier that the 18th Division intended to attack
at seven that evening, its objective being the east edge of Trones
Wood, and directing that the battalions of his brigade should keep
touch. The casualties to the 6th Battalion the Buffs on the 27th August
were Captain L. P. Figgis and ten men killed, 2nd Lieuts. Findley,
Hobbs, C. Hunt and H. M. Hunt and forty others wounded; twelve men were
missing.
As regards the 7th Battalion, it too was moving forward at 2.30 a.m.
On the 25th August the 54th and 55th Brigades, the latter on the left,
pushed on without much opposition, the Buffs being on the right and
East Surreys on the left of their own brigade. All went well until the
neighbourhood of Montauban was reached, and here the opposition began
to strengthen somewhat, the enemy showing that he thoroughly understood
the scientific use of machine guns in rear-guard action. Lieut. G. B.
Mason, commanding A Company, was wounded crossing the crest north of
Bottom Wood and progress became slow owing to very wet weather, but
by nightfall the battalion had reached a line south of the western
edge of Mametz Wood and were in touch with the troops on both flanks.
The day’s fighting had resulted in an advance of about a mile and a
half. As soon as it was light on the 26th B Company, under Captain A.
J. Whitmarsh, was sent forward to continue the advance, but now the
enemy’s resistance became more stubborn. The ground east of Montauban
was very suitable for machine-gun rear guards, and each little position
occupied by these had to be located before they could be first
outflanked and then rushed in front. Captain Whitmarsh, with A Company
on his left flank, which again kept pace with the East Surreys, took
his own men on with great steadiness and skill, and at about 3.15 p.m.
assaulted the village of Montauban, taking about sixty prisoners and
killing the remainder of the garrison. He was greatly aided by flanking
fire brought to bear by machine guns to the north of him. Whitmarsh was
awarded the D.S.O. for his work on this day. At 6 p.m. the 7th Queen’s
was ordered up as vanguard to the division, the Buffs remaining east of
Montauban, with Bernafay Wood full of Germans just in front of them.
The next day B Company went back to Caterpillar Valley, where C already
was, and these companies were joined by the other two on the 28th, the
whole brigade being on that day withdrawn into divisional reserve.
The fighting described above was quite a revelation to most of the
young officers and men of both the Buffs’ battalions. Long experience
of trench work, only varied by occasional raids or a battle, in the
course of which one side or the other gained two or three hundred
yards, made it difficult for most men to understand what open warfare
really meant, and probably many wondered why such stress is laid in
England on the necessity of field days, with their extensive movements.
Yet now they saw cavalry at work, infantry skirmishing and artillery
galloping into action as if on Salisbury Plain, and behold it was very
good.
On the morning of the 29th August the 54th Brigade advanced with very
little opposition to the western edge of Combles, but was unable to get
further because the enemy still held the ridge where the remains of
Morval stood, and thus threatened the flank of any troops which tried
to move further eastward.
Meanwhile the 6th Battalion, with the 6th West Kent on their left, had
got as far as Maurepas, for that part of the enemy which was opposite
them had withdrawn some distance during the night of the 27th/28th, so
that in the morning these two battalions had pushed on, in artillery
formation, and got into touch again at Maurepas. Here it was found that
there was no sign of troops further to the south: the 58th Division,
which should have been there, had apparently failed to come up. This
meant, of course, that the Buffs had to form a defensive flank in this
direction, but after a while the patrols managed to discover some
Australians. During this day B Company completely outflanked a similar
German unit, taking from it seventy-nine prisoners. Six of our men were
wounded.
The several divisions and brigades relieved each other with great
frequency during the grand allied advance we are describing. Of course,
strong bodies of troops must always be behind those actually in touch
with the enemy, and it was so arranged that everybody should have a
turn at work nearest the foe and then be passed by some of those in
rear, and so take on the business of reserve troops. On the 30th of
August, therefore, the 12th Division was relieved by the 47th, the
24th London Regiment taking the place of the 6th Buffs, who retired to
Faviere Wood and remained there till the 4th September. On that date
the 12th Division relieved the 18th in the left divisional sector of
the 3rd Corps front, the Buffs going into trenches east of Fregicourt.
The 18th Division was now faced with the difficulty of passing the high
ground about Morval. On the 30th an attempt to advance on Rancourt in
conjunction with the 47th was met with very heavy machine-gun fire,
particularly from Priez Farm, which was strongly held by the enemy. It
was therefore found that for the present the pursuing tactics lately in
use must be abandoned and a regular attack undertaken, for here was an
obstinate stand. So on this date the 7th Buffs, with the rest of the
55th Brigade, were hurried up by bus to the neighbourhood of Montauban
and Bernafay Wood, the Buffs being south of the latter place. It was
decided that the 47th Division was to capture Rancourt and to the east
of it as far as St. Pierre Vaast Wood. The 38th Division was to take
Morval and Sailly Saillisel, while the 18th Division was to assail
the north-west corner of St Pierre Vaast Wood and form line facing
north-east across the Sailly Saillisel-Rancourt road, the idea being
to cut off the enemy holding the Fregicourt-Morval position. The 55th
Brigade represented its division in this partition of work, and to the
East Surreys was assigned the assault in the corner of the wood; the
Buffs were to follow them, form to the left and attack northwards, and
the Queen’s to mop up the area north-east of Combles. Smoke barriers
were arranged to cover the movements of the 55th Brigade. The day for
the fight was at first fixed for the 31st August, but the position
appeared so strong and the enemy’s artillery so much more in evidence
than had recently been the case, that it was resolved to first make
exhaustive preparation with artillery and postpone infantry action for
twenty-four hours. The operations necessitated for the Buffs a night
march from their bivouac south of Montauban. Little time was given for
the issue of orders or reconnaissance, and the manœuvre contemplated
was, if not intricate, at any rate somewhat out of the ordinary and
the map issued the only guide to the ground. For these reasons, and in
case of any accident, Colonel Ransome left B Company, under Captain
Whitmarsh, in the assembly area of the East Surrey Regiment. The
remainder were to advance in platoon columns for as long as possible
in order to facilitate changes of direction. The move to the assembly
area was a slow and tedious business; it was intensely dark, roads were
scarce, landmarks few and country pitted with shell holes and strewn
with wire; however, it was accomplished and in time. The next morning
the attack developed according to plan. All accounts of it agree in
according the highest possible praise to the 8th East Surrey Regiment,
which unit bore the brunt of an action which was a complete success,
all objectives being carried with comparatively few casualties. The
principal opposition met with came from Priez Farm, which from the very
start caused much trouble to the East Surreys, which was, however, not
sufficient to stay that regiment’s triumphant progress. The leading
companies of the Buffs were also temporarily held by machine guns
which had allowed the Surrey men to pass them; these guns necessitated
a somewhat wider detour for those that followed than had been
anticipated. However, with considerable management and able leadership,
especially perhaps on the part of Captain Stronge, of D Company, the
difficult advance and still more difficult wheel, during which seven
thousand yards was covered, was accomplished. When near Rancourt C
and D Companies wheeled to the north and occupied the high ground
east-north-east of Fregicourt. The enemy was completely surprised and
demoralized and began to stream away northward from Fregicourt, many
being killed by C and D Companies while trying to escape to Sailly
Saillisel along the valley. The difficult task of seizing the high
ground in rear of the enemy holding Fregicourt was successfully carried
out and the division had done its part in the Second Battle of Bapaume.
The Buffs’ casualties on this occasion were only two; Captain Stronge,
Lieut. Wellman and 2nd Lieut. Lawrence were awarded the M.C. for their
gallant conduct on this occasion.
A very large number of prisoners were taken. Receipts, for instance,
were given to the Buffs for fourteen officers and nearly eight hundred
men, though a good many of these were not actually captured by the
battalion. Captain Whitmarsh, of B Company, was after the action
ordered to send forward two platoons as patrols into St Pierre Vaast
Wood and towards Sailly Saillisel, and as the enemy appeared to be
greatly demoralised the 7th West Kent was ordered to attack the village
at 7 p.m., which move necessitated a further advance on the Buffs’ part
to conform. During the operations between the 22nd August and the 1st
September the 7th Buffs had 3 officers killed and 14 wounded; 26 men
killed, 84 wounded and 55 missing.
On the 2nd the 53rd Brigade passed through to continue the pursuit.
This day was a proud if a sad one for the 7th Battalion, for the
commanding officer, Lt.-Colonel Ransome, D.S.O., M.C., who had so often
led it to victory or stood in the gap during a necessary retreat, was
removed on promotion to command the 170th Infantry Brigade of the
57th Division.[32] Next day Lt.-Colonel Curtis, D.S.O., joined on
appointment to the command. On the 4th September the battalion marched
to Trones Wood, the division, as has been seen, being relieved by the
12th, and it remained there training till the 16th of the month.
Two days after this relief of divisions the 6th Buffs marched into
Riverside Wood on the Tordille stream. While it had been in rear the
other troops had, of course, driven the enemy considerably to the
eastward, for the 53rd Brigade had taken up the pursuit after the
turning of the Morval position. Therefore, when on the 7th the 37th
Brigade advanced through the others to take up the duties of advance
guard to its division, it became its duty to attack a line of trenches
which ran from Heudicourt to Guyencourt, some eight miles east of St
Pierre Vaast Wood. The 6th Buffs moved into its assembly position at
4.30 a.m., having C Company on the left, D on the right, A left support
and B right support. The battalion had the West Kent on its left with
the Queen’s in support, and the objectives were: first, the east edge
of Guyencourt; second, the high ground beyond; and third, the eastern
outskirt of Epehy and the railway east of Peiziere. Both the Buffs and
the West Kent had with them a section of Field Artillery, another of a
Trench Mortar Battery and two sections of the Machine Gun Corps. The
zero hour was 8 a.m., when an artillery barrage commenced. The enemy’s
machine guns were very active from the start, and his artillery fire,
though somewhat feeble at first, gradually increased in density. At
9.30 the Buffs had to report that they were held up by numerous machine
guns opposite their centre and they asked for artillery aid, which was
at once arranged for, with the result that at 10.10 a.m. the battalion
was in possession of Guyencourt. The second objective, the hill line
east of the village, was taken at 11.15 and consolidation commenced.
At 5.50 p.m. orders came to endeavour to make good Epehy and Peiziere.
That evening, patrols were pushing on, and at 8 o’clock both the
leading battalions reported that they were moving forward; but a little
later orders came that the 47th Division would continue the attack the
next morning. The day had been a successful one, but the Buffs had
Captain Tuke, 2nd Lieut. Thompson and twenty men wounded, four killed
and six missing.
The 47th Division experienced some trouble the next day in gaining
their objective, a line of trenches two thousand yards west of the
Hindenburg Line, as the nearer the Germans were driven to their vaunted
series of defences the stronger their opposition became, but at last
the advance, which had been temporarily held up, was successfully
renewed and a line of trenches gained and consolidated. The 12th
Division again relieved the 47th on the evening of the 8th, but the
Buffs were told off as divisional reserve and retired to St Pierre
Vaast Wood, where they remained till the 17th, training, resting and
playing football.
On the 16th of September the 7th Battalion embussed for Moislains and
marched east to Longavesnes in a very heavy rainstorm, and next day the
officers reconnoitred the approaches to Ronssoy from the high ground
near Saulcourt; meanwhile the 6th Battalion was moving into assembly
positions three hundred yards west of Guyencourt, cheered before going
into action again by the news that Lt.-Colonel Smeltzer had a bar to
his D.S.O., and that C.S.M. Coffin and Sgt. Ashby were each to wear the
D.C.M. The enemy’s opposition was now getting quite determined, and
on the 18th it was arranged to assail him in force. For this purpose
the 21st Division on the left, the 18th in the centre and the 12th on
the right prepared to carry on the great eastward push, which had now
gained some five-and-twenty miles from Albert. Put very briefly, the
35th and 36th Brigades captured the villages of Peiziere and Epehy, but
owing to strong machine-gun resistance were unable to make further
headway; so the 37th Brigade went forward at 3.30 p.m. to clear up the
situation. The objectives were then gained and everything settled by 6
p.m.
Also, a couple of miles or so to the south-east, the 7th Battalion
co-operated in an attack by the 55th Brigade on Ronssoy and the
exploitation of the enemy’s position beyond the village. To amplify the
stories of these attacks a little: in both cases it was noticed that
the confidence of our soldiers was supreme; after years of fighting
what had seemed more or less a drawn battle, victory was now daily
crowning our arms, and success was looked upon as a certainty. At 6.30
the 37th Brigade, being then in reserve just north of Guyencourt,
was informed that the Norfolk Regiment on its front was being hardly
pressed. At 8.25 it was reported that our troops were seen retiring
from Epehy pursued by a tank which appeared to be an English one,
manned by a German crew. At 8.40 the brigadier of the 36th Brigade
reported that his troops had gained their first objective, but had
then been heavily enfiladed from the north and by three tanks, one of
them being English; so the West Kent were sent off in this direction.
There is no doubt that the German defence of Epehy was a resolute one
and of a different type to what the British had now become accustomed
to, and the Queen’s battalion, which of course belonged to the 37th
(or reserve) Brigade, was ordered to keep touch with the troops to the
south and, if necessary, to move round south of Epehy to do so; also
a divisional order came to the brigade soon after 9 o’clock that the
Buffs were to be kept in hand. By 10 o’clock the West Kent were in
Peiziere, with their forward company east of the village, though the
enemy’s machine guns and trench mortars were still holding out in the
place. The Queen’s, with a battery, were in action two hundred yards
west of Epehy. It was now decided, as things were not progressing too
well, to attack formally at 3.50 p.m. with the Buffs and Queen’s, so
the barrage started and these two battalions went forward, but both
were held up by machine guns before the objectives were gained. Captain
S. S. Beall, Lieut. R. W. Durdle, 2nd Lieut. A. Mount and eleven men
were killed, twenty-two wounded and two missing.
A considerable amount of dogged attack and equally dogged defence on
the part of the enemy formed the story of the 6th Battalion up to
the end of September. On the 19th the Buffs and Queen’s attacked the
Germans in what were called Mule Trench, Bird Trench and Braeton Post.
The Buffs had been given the two latter as objective. Very considerable
machine-gun opposition was met with, but a line a hundred yards short
of the objective was consolidated at 1.30 p.m. At 7.45 the “S.O.S.”
signal went up from part of the 18th Division’s front and there was
heavy artillery fire on our forward line, but no infantry action
followed. Lieut. Brooke was wounded, one man killed, twenty-seven
wounded and seven missing. The shelling continued next day, one
projectile falling close to battalion headquarters and wounding two
servants and three runners. At midnight on the 21st/22nd, under an
artillery barrage, the West Kent, with D Company of the Buffs, made
another assault which was at first unsuccessful--the opposition being
most resolute. A second attempt, at 3 p.m., had better fortune and a
new position was consolidated. Buffs’ casualties: seven killed and
twelve wounded.
Then the 37th Brigade was relieved by the 35th and the Buffs went
into the sunken road south of Epehy, where a comparatively quiet time
was enjoyed till the 29th, the only time that action was called for
being that on the 27th of the month the Queen’s, who were temporarily
attached to the 36th Brigade, carried out another attack in conjunction
with troops to the north and south of them, and this battalion was
supported by C Company The Buffs in the eastern outskirts of Epehy.
Sgt. Alexander got a bar to his M.M. about this time, and C.S.M. Ashby
and Pte. Bellchambers that medal itself.
Meanwhile the 7th Battalion had been far from idle. In conjunction with
the rest of the 55th Brigade it attacked Ronssoy on the 18th. The work
was at first extremely difficult owing to adverse weather conditions,
which, however, fortunately improved during the day. The attack was
led by the 54th Brigade, who were to capture and pass the village of
Ronssoy. This force was to be followed by the 55th, which brigade was
to emerge from the eastern edge and form up on the Green Line at 100
minutes after zero. This arrangement had the effect of so limiting the
time available to the leading brigade for properly clearing or “mopping
up” the village as it passed through, that it was necessary to warn the
troops following to move to their places by a route south of the houses
and to avoid street fighting as far as possible. The Germans, it was
quite evident, expected an attack on this day and the assembly position
was heavily bombarded, gas shells being so extensively used that
respirators had to be worn for a considerable time. The East Surreys
led its brigade, which was intended to leap-frog or pass through the
54th. The morning was wet and misty, which interfered sadly with visual
signalling and caused some difficulty in keeping the proper direction.
It was soon found that the ground was by no means clear, and machine
guns and snipers gave a great deal of trouble. However, the men of
Surrey pushed on and, emerging from the houses at the stipulated time,
endeavoured to reach the Red Line, but were held up by machine guns
from Lempire and Z Copse. Even the other battalions which followed met
with much trouble in Ronssoy or on its borders, so many little parties
remaining in hiding. The general state of this place at 9 a.m. is
exemplified by the fact that the brigadier, walking alone along the
road, captured thirty-four Germans himself out of various dug-outs.
General Wood threw lumps of chalk and old boots into these places and
took the surrender of the men who came tumbling out. These men were
fully armed, but dazed and cowed. By 11 a.m. the three battalions were
concentrated in the objective trenches and sunken road, but Lempire
and the Copses X, Y and Z still held out. Prisoners informed our
people that the Red Line was only held by two German companies, so
arrangements were made to advance upon it at 5 p.m. under a creeping
barrage. On the right the assaulting troops reached this line in parts,
but on the left progress was very slow, as machine guns in Lempire
enfiladed the advance and the copses gave much trouble; moreover, it
was clear that fresh German troops had come up during the afternoon. At
7 o’clock the attempt had to be abandoned for the time and, to prevent
complete isolation, those parties which had succeeded in getting
ahead were ordered back again. The struggle to get on proved a very
protracted one. It is true that the 53rd Brigade captured Lempire post
on the 19th, but it was not till 7 a.m. on the 20th that the Queen’s
got X Copse and the Buffs Y and Z. The progress of the East Surreys was
stayed by opposition from Duncan’s post. At 10 a.m. the enemy commenced
a very heavy bombardment on our position, causing our advanced posts
to be temporarily withdrawn to avoid casualties. The 53rd and 54th
Brigades attacked the Red Line at 5.40 a.m. on the 21st, and when these
were well up the 55th was brought back into divisional reserve in the
village of Ronssoy. The two first-named found very bitter resistance
and, indeed, only captured parts of their objectives. However, on the
night of the 22nd, the 55th Brigade, marching up again to relieve the
front line, managed to place the Buffs from Cat’s post to Duncan’s
post and the Queen’s to the north of that, the Surreys being in
brigade reserve. The 23rd of the month was a quiet day and devoted to
reconnaissance, and at 6.45 on the 24th the Buffs tried Guillemont
Farm, but failed owing to very strong opposition. During that night the
brigade was relieved by American troops and retired to Combles. It was
afterwards found that this action at Ronssoy had stayed a contemplated
counter-attack on a large scale which had been planned by the enemy,
the 231st German Division having been diverted to Ronssoy and rushed up
to that post of danger by motor buses.
It was on the 28th that the 7th Battalion came up again into the area
of active operations, moving on that day by bus to Guyencourt and
bivouacking in a sunken road two thousand yards east of the village,
ready for an attack next morning, their comrades of the 6th being close
by just outside Epehy. On this Michaelmas Day the 12th Division, with
an American one on the right and the 47th English on the left, attacked
the Hindenburg defences in the neighbourhood of Vendhuille, while the
rôle of the 7th Buffs was to assist in protecting the left flank of the
Americans and to “mop up” Vendhuille village later on.
[Illustration: COMBLES AND MORVAL]
[Illustration: RONSSOY]
The 37th Brigade passed through the 35th with the 6th Buffs on the
right and West Kent on the left. The 9th Battalion of the Essex were
attached to the Buffs and the 6th Queen’s to the 6th West Kent. The
objective of the brigade was a line just west of the St Quentin Canal.
The zero hour was 5 a.m. when, after a short artillery barrage, the
forward move was commenced, the Buffs having A Company on the left, B
on the right, C left support and D right support. Owing to the very
strong resistance of the enemy, mostly by means of machine guns, the
progress was rendered very slow, but at 8.45 the Buffs reported all
going well, and at 9 o’clock the Americans were on all objectives.
As the canal was approached the opposition became stronger, and this
was particularly so at the Quarries, which fell to the lot of the Buffs
to take. Indeed, at 10.30 the battalion had to report its left company
as being held up here. However, delay was the worst misfortune that
befell; gradual advance was made and the objectives were at length
reached about 5 p.m. and consolidated after really stubborn fighting,
which lasted all day without a break. The Buffs were, however, the only
unit of the division that had attained the Blue Line. They captured
120 prisoners and about 40 machine guns, but lost Lieut. H. Thompson
killed, Lieut. Dunkerley wounded, 2nd Lieut. Beard missing and about 40
killed or wounded.
The following day the battalion, working forward, reached the canal
bank, having picked up four prisoners on the way, captured a 77-mm. gun
and bombed many of the enemy’s dug-outs.
The 12th Division was then relieved by the 18th, the 6th Battalion
marching back to Guyencourt, while the 7th, who had marched off at 8.20
a.m. on the 29th and, moving south of Epehy, crossed the Epehy-Ronssoy
road into St Patrick’s Valley, where it halted about 10.10 a.m.
Orders were then received to push on into the Macquincourt Valley
to a position of deployment, but trouble came now and the further
movements of the newly arrived battalion of the Buffs and others were
altered more than once by varying circumstances, the end of the day
coming without any marked episode, and evening finding the men in
Sart Farm and the neighbouring trenches. The Buffs had moved forward
according to order, following the 7th Queen’s, and these were held
up by enemy’s machine guns near Guillemont Farm. Further movements
not being possible, orders came to occupy an area of trenches in
the neighbourhood. An abortive attempt at attack on the Knoll was
commenced soon after one o’clock, but the situation was found to be too
obscure and the fire too hot to advance against, so the brigade settled
into the trenches for the night. During the morning of the following
day an officer’s patrol from A Company pushed on and established a post
in Macquenet trench, and orders came about 1 p.m. to make all progress
possible in the direction of Vendhuille, so by 5 p.m. A Company was
established in Macquenet trench, losing its leader, Lieut. A. N.
Widdop, while moving there, and B and C well forward; but at night the
battalion position was taken over by the East Surreys and the Buffs
were placed in brigade reserve, and on the 2nd October were taken away
to Contay, some ten miles west of Albert, for a fortnight’s rest and
recreation, which of course included training.
An endeavour has been made to trace the history of the 6th Battalion
and the 7th together from the capture of Albert to that of the
Hindenburg Line at Vendhuille, that is from the 22nd August till
the end of September, because during that very strenuous and
historic period the 12th and 18th Divisions, to which the Buff units
respectively belonged, were working hand in hand, supporting and
relieving each other and so on, but from the 1st October till the end
of the war the 6th and 7th were far apart again; the former, together
with the whole division in which it was serving, was transferred to
the 1st Army very early in October, and therefore the area of their
activities was no longer identical, and the 6th Buffs were at Rumegies,
ten miles south of Tournai, when the war came to an end; while the 7th
celebrated that event at the village of Pommereuil, not very far from
Le Cateau. It will therefore be convenient now to complete the war
story of the 6th Battalion and then consider that of their comrades of
the 7th.
IV. 6TH BATTALION
On the 1st October, then, the 6th Buffs proceeded by bus and by march
route into billets at Caucourt, which village may be about twelve miles
or so north-west of Arras, but rest here was for an extremely short
period and the 6th of the month found the battalion in buses again
for Avion, from whence it marched into trenches at Mericourt, just
south-east of Lens. This region was not yet clear of the enemy, who had
been driven back since August considerably further in some directions
than in others. The old and familiar machine gun was soon heard again,
therefore, and they were very active the day after the battalion
arrived, and the usual patrols which went out in front experienced also
their fire on the 8th. However, these patrols established themselves
at Molly Villers, a thousand yards in front of our own line, being
relieved by the West Kent soon afterwards. On the 13th the 6th Royal
West Kent advanced from Mericourt to the Drocourt-Queant trenches,
and they had the Buffs in support during the move which brought both
regiments into this line for the night, the Buffs’ headquarters being
at Floquieres. At this time there was a certain amount of movement
occasioned by the readjustment of the larger commands preparatory to
a grand processional march towards the east; the enemy was at his
last gasp, so to speak, and there was no longer any very strenuous
opposition. The 37th Brigade ultimately concentrated at Auby on
the 18th October and the advance commenced the next day, the units
taking turn to lead and encounter any opposition that might have been
organized. Thus the West Kents led off and the Buffs followed, the
first day taking the brigade to Flines. On the 20th the Buffs led and
advanced as far as Beuvry, arranging the front line at Orchies-Beuvry.
This was a very satisfactory day, because the Buffs were able to set
free hundreds of unfortunate civilians who had been in the power of
the beastly Germans, who, of course, had not actually evacuated the
country which was now being passed over. There was always an attempt
to sting during the great retreat, even if no regular resistance was
made. Thus a soldier was killed on the way to Beuvry, and 2nd Lieut.
Roper-Curzon and four men wounded.
On the 21st the Queen’s led the way, and the West Kent, being in front
on the 22nd, reached the banks of the River Scarpe, where it was found
that all civilians had been released by the retreating German. On the
23rd, when the Buffs were in front, a little more opposition was met
with, in so far that a fairly strong machine-gun fire was encountered
at Cubray; but this was successfully dealt with, heavy casualties
inflicted on the enemy and several prisoners taken. During the night
the Buffs rushed what was in front of them and established themselves
in Haute Rive. Captain H. Hunter, M.C., and nine men were wounded on
this day, the success of which was marred by the death on the same day
of the gallant captain from the result of his injuries.
The enemy were making a better stand now than had been the case
during the last week, and on the 24th it was found that the villages
of Bivridon and Bruille were strongly held. Nothing however at this
time, when success had been ours for days, was at all likely to stop
the British dash. The Buffs attacked at 9 a.m. and so rapidly and
unexpectedly that the enemy was taken by surprise during his breakfast
meal and utterly discomfited, so that our line was established upon the
River Escaut, after capturing some prisoners, four machine guns and
two trench mortars, the Buffs being the first on the whole Corps front
to reach that stream; but they lost 2nd Lieut. J. D. Thornley, M.C.,
and one man killed, Captain Kidd, M.C., Lieuts. Fiske and Hoskyn, 2nd
Lieut. Foreman and sixteen wounded.
The General Officer Commanding the Army Corps appreciated the work done
on the 24th, for he sent a message to the 12th Division: “Please convey
to the officers, N.C.O.’s and men of the 6th Buffs my appreciation of
the well-thought-out plan and good organization and fine offensive
spirit that led to the capture of Bruille on the 24th of October. It
is an operation that reflects great credit not only on all who took
part in it, but also on the brigade and the fine division to which
they belong.” Thus this good and glorious battalion finished up their
war history, for it was its last action. Very few old officers of four
years back, not even perhaps Colonel Eaton himself, could have thought
it possible to manufacture and train a new fighting unit, even though
that unit bore an ancient and honourable name, that could do the deeds
that the 6th Buffs had done, not once or twice, but over and over
again, and could earn at the last such an eulogy from an experienced
general as is quoted above.
The battalion now moved back in support and ultimately found itself
in billets at Coutiches, where it remained till the 10th November,
on which date it marched to Rumegies, so that it was at this latter
village that Armistice Day was spent. The great news came through at
10 a.m., and at 11 o’clock, the hour of cessation of hostilities, a
thanksgiving service was held in front of battalion headquarters, the
commanding officer and the padre both addressing the battalion, which
then marched through the village with its drums beating and the men
singing at the top of their voices. On the 14th of November Captain
Gullick, M.C., 2nd Lieut. Ayres and forty men formed part of a guard
of honour for the Army Commander on the occasion of his entering Mons
accompanied by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. On the 25th the battalion
moved south-west to Auberchicourt, there to be quartered, the time
being taken up with salvage fatigues and the soldiers kept fit by
means of running drill. Christmas Day was properly and religiously
kept, and for once the stereotyped wish of the season contained some
sense in it. The interval between the great peace day and the end of
the year brought some honours to the 6th Battalion which were awarded
at different dates. Thus Sgt. and Acting C.S.M. J. Smith obtained a bar
to his M.M., and Sgt. Sparks and Corpls. Mount and Penfold were given
that decoration itself. Captain Gullick was awarded a clasp to his
M.C., Lieut. Fiske got the M.C. and Pte. Mitchell the D.C.M. L.-Corpl.
McDonald a little later headed a batch by virtue of a clasp to his
M.M., and the following got that coveted decoration for the first
time: Sgts. Fisher, Latter, Odell, Pennell, Shelley and Smurthwaite;
L.-Sgt. Knappett; Corpls. Allbright, Buxton, Holman, Miller, O’Rourke
and Williams; L.-Corpls. Istead, Richardson, Soulsby and Stobart;
Ptes. Brazier, Jones, Setchfield, Smithers and Wise. Also at the end
of the year Lt.-Colonel Smeltzer, D.S.O., M.C., was again mentioned in
despatches, as was Corpl. Pilcher.
V. 7TH BATTALION: THE SELLE, ETC.
The story of the 7th Battalion for October and afterwards is as
follows: on the 16th October, when the well-earned fortnight’s rest was
completed and the unit fit and ready again, it was taken by train to
Roisel and marched to Templeux la Fosse, moving on again on the 18th by
familiar Ronssoy to Beaurevoir, and after a night in billets there to
Elincourt, where the men were interested to find civilians once again.
It was really wonderful how the brave French peasants, both men and
women, clung to their homes. On the 21st to Maurois, four miles further
on, where at last hostile signs were met with once more, shells coming
over and bombs arriving per aeroplane at night time. The next day took
the brigade to Reumont and the concentration area west of Le Cateau.
The 3rd Army was now engaged in important operations in the strip of
country to the immediate north of the region awarded to the 4th, of
which the 18th Division now formed a unit, and on the 23rd October
it fell to the lot of the latter army to attack for the purpose of
protecting the major operations to be carried out by the former. The
country now forming the theatre of operations was widely different
to the Somme Valley and other parts to which the troops had become
so accustomed. The numerous hedgerows and ditches affected the style
of attack and defence. The arrangements for the attack by the 18th
Division on the 23rd October, which formed part of the battle of the
Selle, were made with most elaborate care. The area over which the
advance was to take place was most exactly divided into portions with
an objective at the further end of each portion and, of course, troops
detailed to take each objective; moreover, each piece of ground was to
be gained by a certain time and each halting place left for further
adventure exactly so many minutes afterwards. (See diagram on next
page.)
The 53rd Brigade on the right, with the 54th, less the Northamptonshire
Regiment, on the left, were to make good the first and second
objectives, and the 55th Brigade, with the Northamptonshire and certain
details, were to capture the third, fourth and fifth. The 55th and
Northamptonshires’ attack was arranged to be carried out leap-frog
fashion, so that the ground between the second and fourth objectives
was to be made good by the Buffs and East Surreys, the latter being on
the right. The advance was not to be covered by a creeping barrage, but
was to be proceeded with at the regular rate of one hundred yards in
four minutes, and no one unit, if instructions were carried out, could
ever find itself unsupported by another through advancing too fast.
This leap-frog system of advance obtained even amongst battalions. At
any rate, the Buffs arranged that C Company on the right and B on the
left should be responsible for the ground from the second objective
to a certain line, where A and B should pass through them bound for
the fourth objective, at which the Northamptonshire would leap-frog
the Buffs and go on to the end. A section of machine guns and one
trench mortar was with the battalion reserve and a section of tanks
in the immediate rear; the idea being that any company getting into
trouble was to apply to the commanding officer, who would send tanks
to its aid. Communication was carefully arranged with the accompanying
aeroplanes. The zero hour was 2 a.m.
[Illustration: DIAGRAM OF ADVANCE OF 18TH DIVISION AT BATTLE
OF THE SELLE[33]
Oct. 23rd, 1918
Depart Z+612} +--------------+-----+ 4th Objective:
Arrive Z+492} | | | Northants pass
| 2000 yds | Buffs
| | |
| | |
+--------------------+ A & B pass C & D
| 600 yds | | (Bousies village
| | | | is here)
| | | |
Depart Z+400} +--------------------+ 3rd Objective
Arrive Z+360} | | |
| 1000 yds |
| | |
Depart Z+320} +--------------------+ 2nd Objective:
Arrive Z+200} | | | | Buffs Pass
| 800 yds | | other troops
| | | |
+--------------------+ Buffs forming up
| 2000 yds | line
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
Depart Z+140} +--------------------+ 1st Objective
Arrive Z+100}]
The Buffs arrived at their assembly position at 4.15, suffering
fifteen casualties from shell fire on the way. At five they moved in
artillery formation towards the forming-up line. Before reaching this
the leading companies came under heavy machine-gun fire from the right
flank, the brigade in front having only established the line of the
first objective. This little trouble, however, was obviated by our
aeroplanes dropping bombs on the machine guns. The second objective
was passed at 8 o’clock, or forty minutes late. D Company (Captain E.
V. Morse, M.C.), on the left, cleverly outmanœuvred and captured a
battery of guns, but soon afterwards the captain was killed. He had
ably led his company and dealt with many difficult positions. C Company
also captured its battery, but, after passing the second objective,
the enemy’s opposition stiffened and a great deal of machine-gun fire
came from the village of Bousies. However, at 10 o’clock the leading
companies were close up to the third objective, which, by the way,
should have been reached four hours earlier. At twenty minutes past
ten a message was dropped from the air: “Huns still in Bousies. Our
boys in eastern part ‘mopping up.’ Huns’ transport just galloped from
village.” Ten minutes later Colonel Curtis ordered Captain Whitmarsh
to take command of all troops in the battalion sector and endeavour to
establish the Green Line, or third objective. At 12.30 the officer in
charge of tanks reported that he had been in the village of Bousies
with A Company (the right support) and that he had left that company
there “mopping up” the village. At 2.40 p.m. all the Buffs’ companies
were on a road which is beyond the point where B and A Companies were
to relieve the other two. The battalion was in touch on their right,
but its left flank was exposed, though patrols were busy in this
direction, and these soon reported that the 2nd Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders, though in rear of the Buffs’ position, were pushing
forward. A and B Companies were then directed to hold the road, with
the others in close support. Heavy machine-gun fire was experienced
from the high ground a little distance in front. At 6 o’clock A and
B moved forward and made good their objective by 7.15, and an hour
afterwards were relieved by the Northamptonshire Regiment, the Buffs
going into brigade reserve. Great credit was given in connection with
this day’s work to the accompanying tanks under Lieut. Grey, who very
fearlessly reconnoitred to the front and dealt with the machine-gun
difficulty.
During the afternoon of the following day the Buffs moved into
positions in Bousies and there formed a line of resistance. While still
in this village on the 25th a report came in that the right sector of
the brigade was withdrawing and C Company was pushed forward to deal
with any possible German counter-attack, but found the battalion of
the Queen’s alert for that duty. The Buffs relieved the East Surreys
on outpost duty. On the 26th the brigade on the left made a determined
effort to gain ground, but without much success, owing to the usual
machine-gun fire. The next day the Buffs became divisional reserve in
billets in Bousies, but were back again in forty-eight hours.
There was a considerable pause in the proceedings after the fight just
recorded, and no further advance was made until the 4th November, the
brigade taking its turn with the others both in the front line and
in the trenches, but never very far from the village of Bousies. For
the above-mentioned date, however, another blow had been planned. The
enemy was despairing and discouraged, but must not be given too much
time in which to pull himself together. The task set was very similar
to that of the 23rd October. The 53rd and 54th Brigades were first to
capture Preux and Hecq and get into the western part of the Mormal
Forest, which is a very extensive one, but easy to pass by reason both
of the numerous roads and paths and by the absence of thick underwood.
After this the Buffs and Queen’s were to pass through at a certain
fixed hour. For this purpose Bousies was left at 8.15, two hours after
zero, and a sunken road west of Landrecies reached after a few shell
casualties had been suffered by the way. Here the headquarters of a
Bedfordshire battalion informed the Buffs that the attack on the left
had developed satisfactorily; but the 54th Brigade on the right, having
come up against strong nests or pockets of hostile machine guns just
west of Preux, had made but poor progress through the orchards on its
line. Owing to this the 10th Essex had been unable to reach their
forming-up position, and as it was the Buffs’ job to pass through this
10th Essex they were, of course, looking out for them. The officer
commanding the Buffs therefore decided not to proceed till the Essex
had got on a bit, but put his battalion for a while into the trenches
with the Bedfords, and sent on patrols with a request to be kept
informed of the movements of those they were to relieve. At last, at
12.50, orders came to advance gradually and an hour later to push on
with speed to the third objective, and so, after passing Preux, the Red
Line was reached at 3.40 without further incident. After the morning’s
first stubborn resistance the enemy had, as a matter of fact, retired
hurriedly through the forest and put up no further fight. At 10.50 at
night orders came to continue the advance at 6.30 in the morning, and
at that hour the 8th East Surrey started as divisional vanguard, the
Buffs following at the head of the main guard. Very little resistance
was met with, and the final objective, the bank of the River Sambre at
Sassegnies, was gained about noon.
At 7.50 a.m. on the 6th the 55th Brigade was by arrangement squeezed
out, as it was termed, and so had finished its long fighting record.
The Buffs marched back to Preux tired and very cold and wet, for the
weather throughout these operations had been bad. The 8th of November
took the battalion further back to Pommereuil, and there, as nothing
must be left to chance, immediate reorganization and making up of
deficiencies was commenced. Then came the armistice and with it the
finish of the war record of the 7th Battalion of the Buffs, a record
which is comparable with any battalion in the army and which includes
the First Battle of Albert in 1916, the Battle of Bazentin Ridge,
Thiepval Ridge, the Ancre heights, the Battle of the Ancre, the Battles
of Arleux, of Poelcappelle, St Quentin, Amiens, Second Battle of Albert
in 1918, the Second Battle of Bapaume, the Battle of Epehy, Battle of
St Quentin Canal, the Battle of the Selle and the Battle of the Sambre.
There is not much to record for the remainder of the year. The 7th
Buffs was not one of the units told off to move into Germany on the
13th November; it went into billets at Elincourt, and on the 17th there
took place a brigade thanksgiving service. Then a great deal of salvage
work was done, as was the case with most corps. On the 4th December
His Majesty The King came to Elincourt and passed on foot between the
rows of his soldiers. On the 12th of this month the battalion moved to
Mallincourt, and five days later came a most unfortunate occurrence,
which strikes one as particularly bad luck after the armistice had
been concluded only a month or so. During salvage operations a blind
shell exploded, killing seven men and wounding twenty, as well as four
more who, being only slightly injured, remained at work. There was a
distribution of medals, etc., to the Buffs and East Surreys on the 23rd
December.
VI. 10TH BATTALION
The great Allied advance to victory began with our 10th Battalion near
St Floris, which is seven miles south of the town of Hazebrouck. This
unit and the 74th Division, to which it belonged, was part of the 5th
Army, whose area was considerably north of the country in which the 6th
and 7th Battalions operated. During the very strenuous and important
month of September, however, the division went south to the 4th Army
where the others were, and there saw fighting at the Battle of Epehy
before it returned to its regular area and wound up its military
experiences at Tournai in November.
The advance, as far as the 10th was concerned, commenced on the 6th
August, for on that date an attempt was made to push forward. The
brigade on the right succeeded, but, owing to considerable opposition,
the Buffs were unable to do the same except on their right, where B
Company threw out three posts to keep in touch with the 16th Devons.
The battalion had one man killed and three wounded. The next day,
however, C and D Companies got ahead with but little trouble, and
on the 8th a further advance was made. The companies in front were
now B and C, and they went forward about one thousand yards and
crossed the enemy’s trenches. This progress might perhaps have been
continued had other parts of the British line in the neighbourhood been
equally successful. Next morning, the other two companies being in
front, the advance started again, but A Company was somewhat heavily
counter-attacked on its right flank, which drew back to maintain touch
with the 229th Brigade on its right, which was stationary. However,
at 7 o’clock D and A Companies got on to the west bank of the River
Lys and would have crossed had not all the bridges been destroyed. The
crossing, in fact, had to be delayed till the Royal Engineers brought
up three bridges, which were quickly in place, and then the infantry
dug themselves in on the far bank. The Buffs had six killed and Lieut.
Atkinson and thirteen wounded.
Patrols, working to the front, soon discovered that the Germans, armed
with many machine guns, were prepared to dispute any further progress,
so that an effort made at 9.30 p.m. on the 12th to get forward had
to be a properly organized one. It was extremely dark and the ground
all shell holes and irregularities, so that the attempt to advance
was a failure, though it was the means of ascertaining that it was a
considerable force to which our people were opposite and not merely a
small rear guard, mostly consisting of machine guns. The battalion had
three killed and seventeen wounded, one of whom died, and seven missing.
On the 14th the Buffs were relieved and became supports, and two days
afterwards occupied a reserve line just outside St Venant and facing
east-north-east. Here the men set to work on the reserve trenches
and remained at this job for a week. Soon after this the 10th Buffs
entrained at Lillers for Heilly, and by the end of the month the 74th
Division was down with the 4th Army in the Somme Valley, the Buffs on
the 31st August being at Maurepas, near Combles. It will be remembered
that this was the day first arranged for the fight round Fregicourt,
which was, however, postponed for twenty-four hours; it was in this
fight that the 7th Battalion took so prominent a part in cutting
off the Germans who tried to defend the Morval position on the 1st
September.
It was on the 2nd of the month that the 74th Division made their
attack and the scene was just south of Moislains, some four miles
from the other battlefield. The 229th Brigade, aided by one battalion
of the 230th, made the attack. It failed to reach the objective, the
machine-gun fire being too heavy. The Buffs were in reserve in a valley
to the south-west of Moislains and were heavily shelled all day with
high explosive and gas; two men were killed and Captain Vickery (the
doctor) and twelve men wounded.
The enemy’s rapid retreat did not commence till the 5th of the month;
in the interval the 10th Buffs had, on the 3rd, moved into the front
line, 2nd Lieut. Onions being on that day wounded by gas shell. The
battalion had what was called the Midenette trench in front of it, and
this was reported to be occupied by Germans; but on the morning of the
5th two platoons of C Company, pushing forward to keep touch with the
47th London Division on the left, captured the trench without much
opposition, and at 6 p.m. the battalion advanced, captured another line
and tried to get on still further; but the usual machine-gun opposition
began to get heavy and the whole line remained for the present along
the Peronne-Cambrai road. The next day the advance continued and with
rapidity. The battalion started at 8 a.m. with D and A Companies, C in
support and B in reserve. At 3.45 p.m., finding that the 47th Division
on the left had dropped behind, and having passed through Templeux
la Fosse and reached Longavesne, a halt was called, an outpost line
arranged and a defensive flank formed for security till the Londoners
arrived. Three men were killed and twelve wounded this day.
On the 7th September the 230th Brigade was relieved in the front line
and became reserve to the division, in which capacity it remained for
a couple of days, taking a forward place again on the 10th of the
month and passing, on its way to do so, the village of Villers Faucon.
The ensuing little tour of four days before going into reserve again
at Longavesnes was more or less uneventful, for heavy and consistent
shelling can hardly be termed an event. During this short time Lieut.
Mathews and 2nd Lieut. Jackson were wounded, two men killed and sixteen
wounded, one of whom died.
On the 16th September the battalion moved into the Faustine
Quarries, ready for a further advance. The rain was heavy, and gas
and high-explosive shelling were heavier and aeroplane bombing very
severe. Having taken its place in the front line on the 17th, the 10th
Battalion next day took its share with the 1st, 6th and 7th Battalions
of the Buffs in the Battle of Epehy. The 74th Division on the opening
day of this fight was more immediately successful than the 12th or
18th, which units, it will be remembered, met with considerable
opposition about Epehy and Ronssoy. The 15th Suffolk and 16th Sussex
were to lead the way up to the first objective and the whole began to
move up very early in the morning, which was an exceedingly wet one.
A pitched battle on French soil was a novelty for the 10th Battalion,
and the severity of the opening barrage impressed the men considerably.
The German opposition in this part does not appear to have been quite
as resolute as at most points in front of the Hindenburg Line. At
Templeux le Guerard there are some quarries where pits, refuse heaps
and holes and corners generally, offer an exceptionally good position
for defence, but these were soon given up, as the Suffolk and Sussex,
with the Buffs and Somerset in close support, came resolutely on; these
quarries were passed and the Hargicourt trench, which was the first
objective, taken without a check at 8 o’clock. Here half an hour’s
breathing time was given and then the advance resumed; this time with
the Buffs in front, the next objective being what were called the Zogda
trench and Rifle-pit trench another mile away. Success continued with
the division. The artillery barrage was perfect and the infantryman’s
confidence in it supreme, which is exactly as it should be. The enemy’s
machine guns presented difficulties, and indeed held up the oncoming
line for a little while, but at noon, or soon after, the Zogda trench
was ours and a short further advance commenced. But now the trouble
which was being experienced at Epehy and Ronssoy began to make itself
felt; the stoppage of the 18th Division prevented the left brigade of
the 74th getting on, so there was a check all along the line, which
extended to the Australians on the right of the Yeomanry Division.
About 5 p.m. Very lights were put up on the left of the division,
which meant that a counter-attack was expected. This drew our own
barrage which came down along the line of the second objective. The
Buffs, with others, being by now about three hundred yards in front
of this, were very much in the way, and an immediate withdrawal into
the Zogda and Rifle-pit trenches was the result. An enormous number of
prisoners and considerable booty had been taken. Indeed, many Germans
seemed most anxious to come in and so end their fighting days. Captain
H. L. Allfrey, 2nd Lieut. E. G. Porter and ten men were killed this
day, forty-eight wounded and two missing. The Buffs remained in their
captured trenches for a couple of days and were under a good deal of
shell fire. In fact, eight men were wounded on the 19th.
The next advance was arranged for the 21st, the objective being about
1,200 yards in front of the Zogda trench and up-hill towards Quennemont
Farm. At 5.40 a.m. D and C Companies formed in front line, with A in
support, and advanced to take the Blue Line. The country to be crossed
was like an old-fashioned glacis, very bare of cover and of a more or
less regular slope, the summit of which was well protected by wire
and full of machine guns. The Australians were on the right, then the
230th Brigade and on the left, but a little in rear, the 231st Brigade.
The start was made behind a barrage, almost before it was light, and
was successful enough in so far that regular progress was made until
the day broke, when the assaulting troops got among thick belts of
wire near Zoo trench, which, of course, checked the infantry while the
barrage went on. A few men got through the wire, and then the enemy
emerged from his dug-outs and commenced a tremendous fire of shells and
machine-gun bullets. C and D Companies, which were in front, could do
nothing but take cover in shell holes, wait and hope. The supporting A
Company was just as badly off as C and D and could not move, and troops
on the left fell back before a counter-attack, so that the Germans
who made it were, in the nature of things and merely as a result of
their success, now threatening the Buffs in rear and the battalion
was in a tight place; the telephone was disconnected, no movement was
possible, and, though two gallant runners got back with a report of the
situation, both men being wounded over their job, no message could come
up from behind to the forward companies. The troops on the left took
up a new line parallel to the Zogda trench, and when darkness fell the
Buffs managed to get back in small parties to this shelter, having lost
Captain C. E. Hatfield, M.C., 2nd Lieut. H. A. Oxley and 12 men killed,
Lieut. Turnpenny, 2nd Lieut. Hoare and 58 wounded, Lieut. Wilkinson
and 6 other ranks “wounded and missing,” also 20 more “missing.”
After this action the battalion, being relieved by the 15th Suffolk
on the following day, remained in reserve under intermittent shell
fire till the 25th, during which period three more men were killed
and four wounded, one of whom died. The authorities now decided that
the 74th Division would again be required in its own army, so, after
being relieved by American troops, the Buffs entrained at Peronne for
Villers Bretonneux, and again on the 27th at Heilly for Lillers, from
whence the battalion marched to billets at Allovagne and remained
there refitting and so on till the end of the month. The total
casualties during the fighting epoch of the month of September were
very considerable, namely, 11 officers and 218 men killed, wounded and
missing. Previous to his death Captain Hatfield was given the M.C.
for his share in the business, and eleven men the M.M., namely, Sgts.
Denton and English, Corpl. Dunn, and Ptes. Dennett, Dier (both of whom
died), Forscott, Hibbs, Mather, Sidwell, Sutch (R.A.M.C.) and Willis;
and Captain Haughton, M.C., was mentioned in despatches.
On the 1st October the Buffs relieved the 9th Royal Welch Fusiliers in
the Richebourg sector, advancing to the front line just west of Lillers
next day. This was the commencement of a slow but certain push eastward
on the part of the 74th Division, and indeed of the army to which it
belonged. There were many delays. The roads and bridges were destroyed
by the retreating foe, and a delay caused to one unit on account of
either these reasons or by a hostile rear guard meant a check to the
whole movement, for the German resistance was not so wholly broken down
as to render it wise or safe for the pursuers to break their line by
pushing one body of troops in front of another. Sainghin was reached
on the 3rd October and there ensued a halt for some days, chiefly
because the 55th Division on the right was stayed by the La Bassee
Canal. The enemy refused to allow this halt to be a quiet one, and
the troops were shelled pertinaciously and thoroughly. The Buffs took
their turn in front line and in support and, when in the former, sent
out many patrols; in fact, patrolling at this time was kept up both by
day and by night, as it was of the utmost importance to keep in touch
with the enemy. These parties were able to discover some of the hostile
machine-gun nests, and on the 9th of the month our artillery was able
to deal with several of these which had been located.
On the 15th the forward move was resumed and the patrols pushed through
Rosoir. On the 17th, the Suffolks leading and the Buffs following,
Emmerin was reached at 12.10, and the Buffs, passing through, pushed
onward in the afternoon towards the road east of Faches, for the
division was to pass to the southward of the great town of Lille. Owing
to the darkness, progress after leaving the Suffolk was slow and the
road was not reached till 6.30 a.m., after which posts were established
slightly to the east of the roadway. This country had been for four
years in the possession of the Germans, and it is impossible to
describe the joy manifested by the French inhabitants at their release
at last from their horrible servitude. The Buffs never experienced,
nor are they likely to again, such exuberant tokens of welcome and
gratitude as they met with in the neighbourhood of Lille. The Frenchman
feels very deeply indeed, and he is a demonstrative man. The march
continued, every day adding a few miles to the completed journey,
and on the 24th the Buffs were at Marquain, only three miles west of
the city of Tournai. Here it became pretty evident that the enemy
intended making a stand. The shelling, both gas and high explosive,
became very severe; night patrols met with heavy machine-gun fire and
in every detail resistance was stiffening on the line held by the
Germans between our front and the city. Hertain, Marquain and Orcq are
all villages just outside the western edge of Tournai, and all these
were occupied by the English during the last few days of October, and
up till the 7th November the Buffs were first in one and then in the
other, according to the nature of their duty as front-line troops or
reserve. The brigadier-general commanding inspected the 10th Battalion
of the Buffs on the 4th November just as if they had all been at
Aldershot, and he took that opportunity of presenting the M.M. ribband
to Ptes. Mather and Sidwell. The battalion made a very smart appearance
on parade, for the men were ready to enter Tournai and this was not to
be done in a slovenly, untidy manner. On the 8th came news that the
enemy had withdrawn, and the Buffs, moving up at 11.15 a.m., made a
grand entry into the Faubourg de Lille well groomed and turned out and
with the band playing triumphantly. All went very well up to a certain
point, and then machine-gun fire from the town itself commenced. The
German was not so far off, after all, so the march was stayed and all
was war again in so far that street fighting continued during the
night. The British intelligence might have been somewhat at fault when
the Faubourg de Lille was entered in parade style, but it was only a
little premature. The German rear guard quitted the place next day,
but, of course, blew up all the bridges over the Scheldt. The Germans
evacuated the city of Tournai only on the 9th November, and the very
next day it was entered by the good King Albert of the Belgians, who
was accompanied by his Queen. They came to congratulate their faithful
people on their release from German thraldom which had oppressed them
for so long.
The next day was the 11th November and at eleven o’clock in the morning
there was no more war in France nor Flanders, and the Yeoman of Kent
had done his work even if it was not done on horseback. The 10th
Battalion was, on receipt of the great news, in the Faubourg de Lille.
At 11.45 it marched through Tournai and moved away to the eastward,
halting at Montreuil au Bois and Herquecies till, on the 14th of the
month, it reached Barry, where it remained for nearly a month. During
the operations which culminated in the capture of Tournai and which
ended in the armistice, the Military Cross was awarded to Captain J.
I. H. Friend and the Military Medal to Sgt. Rudman and to Pte. Hale.
The casualties were 2 officers and 18 men killed, 2 officers and 71 men
wounded.
On the 7th December a visit was received from His Majesty King George.
It was, at his own request, a very informal affair. The men were drawn
up on each side of the Tournai-Leuze road just outside Barry, and the
King walked quietly down between them, but the welcome he received was
one which it is pretty safe to believe was pleasing to our monarch.
The demobilization of such of the men as were miners commenced on the
10th December; but the total dispersal to their homes of an army the
size of the British one at this period is a long and tedious job.
VII. 1ST BATTALION
We left the 1st Battalion in the Malin House area in the vicinity of
Dickebusch. It did not immediately take part in the great triumphant
and final push, and indeed its history up to the middle of September
is not so exciting or full of incident either as that of the sister
battalions or as certain periods of its own recent history. It remained
in the neighbourhood of Dickebusch, taking its turn in trench work,
till the 23rd August; during this period two American companies were
attached for a few days, which not only gave our men the pleasure of
making new and interesting friends, but was a tangible proof that
matters were going well and a successful end to a very awful and
strenuous existence fairly in sight; during August, too, came the news
of honours, which is always pleasant. First Sgt. Hills got the M.M.;
then 2nd Lieut. Lister the M.C. The D.C.M. fell to Sgt. Ayres; and on
the 19th there was news of the M.M. for Corpl. Swaine, L.-Corpl. Voyle,
and Privates Cook, Dockerill, Lovesey, Stapley and Whiskin.
On the 23rd August the 16th Infantry Brigade was relieved by the 106th
American Infantry Regiment and withdrew for training into the St Omer
area, the training consisting of the practice of open warfare, and on
the 1st September a long railway journey, which was completed next
day, took the Buffs with the others all the way to Heilly (between
Amiens and Albert). The 16th Brigade spent nearly a fortnight in this
neighbourhood, first at Bonnay and then at Fouilloy and Aubigny; and
so it was not till the 14th, or five weeks after the British offensive
had begun, that the first brigade move was made to Montecourt, the
Buffs going to Trefcon, a few miles west of St Quentin. On the 17th the
battalion moved to St Quentin Wood and into the battle line after dark,
Captain Morley being wounded.
The 1st Battalion, like all the other Buffs in France, was now in
the 4th Army, which, as we have seen, was busily engaged in pushing
on and fighting its way from Albert to the Hindenburg Line. On the
8th September and following days was fought the great and prolonged
Battle of Epehy, the limits of which battle area is officially given as
extending from St Quentin (exclusive) to Villers Plouich, a distance
of nearly twenty miles as the crow flies. Sir Douglas Haig in his
despatches makes use of the words: “Next day at 7 a.m. on the 18th
September the 4th and 3rd Armies attacked in heavy rain on a front of
about seventeen miles from Holnon to Gouzeaucourt, the 1st French Army
co-operating south of Holnon”; and a little later on he writes: “On the
extreme right and in the left centre about Epehy the enemy’s resistance
was very determined, and in these sectors troops of the 6th, 12th, 18th
and 58th Divisions had severe fighting.”
The country over which the 16th Brigade and its immediate neighbours
were working during the battle of September may briefly be described
as follows: Three miles or so west of St Quentin is a large wood
called the Holnon, but sometimes described as the St Quentin Wood. St
Quentin itself is commanded to the west and south by high ground; the
Hindenburg Line ran just outside this town to the canal at Bellenglise.
Holnon village lies in a hollow commanded by Round and Manchester
Hills, which latter height lies in the area that was allotted to the
French. From the east edge of the wood the ground is a bare slope
rising to the high ground overlooking St Quentin. At the highest point
and opposite where the centre of the 6th Division was to attack was a
network of trenches called the Quadrilateral, which could be reinforced
unseen from the enemy’s side of the hill. It was expected that the
Germans would stand on the heights commanding St Quentin, but they were
reported as being much disorganized and that resistance might not be
very obstinate.
The 1st and 6th Divisions, in co-operation with the French, were to
capture, on the 18th September, a starting-place for the assault of
the Hindenburg Line, and to do this the 11th Essex had, on the 16th,
after tremendous effort, secured trenches clear of the Holnon Wood for
an assembly position, while with the same object the West Yorkshire
had endeavoured to secure Holnon village, but had only gained a part,
because the French on the right had failed to take the hills. This
failure had its effect on the forming-up arrangements of our troops,
as had the fact that the Holnon Wood had become almost impassable from
gas shells and wet weather, so much so that the 16th and 71st Brigades
had to move round to the north and south of it to get to their places.
This fatigued the troops and rendered communications difficult. There
was not much time for reconnaissance, for the advance had to be timed
in accordance with the movement of the troops to the northward. So
on the afternoon of the 17th the 16th Brigade concentrated west of
St Quentin Wood preparatory to forming up the next morning. The 18th
Brigade had attacked at dawn on the 17th in order to capture the
starting-place for the later date, but without success. It was at
6 p.m. that the brigadier of the 16th went out with the commanding
officers of the Buffs and the York and Lancaster and chose assembly
positions.
On the morrow, with the 71st Brigade on the right and the 16th on the
left, the 6th Division attacked the Quadrilateral, being the point
where the two joined, and the left of the 16th Brigade being on Fresnoy
le Petit. Zero hour was at 5 a.m., the barrage started and the York
and Lancaster Regiment moved to the attack. The Buffs were at the
north edge of the wood and the objective was south of the village of
Gricourt. The York and Lancaster were to capture a line east-south-east
of Fresnoy le Petit, and then the Buffs and K.S.L.I. to pass through
to their objective. Two tanks were taken to assist the attack, but
one failed to start, and the other, after being seen going through
Fresnoy le Petit, was never heard of again. At 6.40 the York and
Lancaster were reported on their objective, and A, B and C Companies
of the Buffs, who had already advanced some distance and suffered a
little from shell fire, prepared to play their part. At first they lost
direction somewhat owing to the darkness and rain, and then discovered
that the satisfactory report about the York and Lancaster Regiment
was not quite accurate and that the whole of its objective had not
been reached; so that the left company of the Buffs had been held up
by machine guns from Fresnoy le Petit, and the support company, after
reaching the outskirts of the village, had had to withdraw somewhat.
All these causes prevented the remainder of the Buffs with the K.S.L.I.
from advancing beyond the position gained by their comrades. Nothing
could be heard or seen of the 71st Brigade, which should have been on
the right, so this flank was exposed and D Company the Buffs had to
be placed on guard there. By evening the different events of the day,
together with the difficulty of maintaining direction in the early
morning, had completely mixed up the units of the 16th Brigade so much
so that the immediate unravelling seemed almost impossible, and the
senior officers at various points had to collect all troops in their
immediate vicinity and take command of them, thus forming temporarily
three composite battalions wherewith to carry on. The 1st Buffs lost 6
officers and 150 men killed and wounded on the 18th.
On the 19th the two more forward of the composite battalions were
ordered to attack again at dawn, but the Germans evidently anticipated
this move, for they opened a very heavy artillery and machine-gun
barrage before the attackers had even started. Fighting went on
throughout the day, the Buffs having seventeen more casualties; but
no success crowned the British effort, and it became evident enough
that the Germans were making a real stand and not merely fighting
a rear-guard action. Indeed, it was very noticeable all along the
line how the opposition to our advance increased the nearer to the
Hindenburg Line we penetrated. Everybody had now experienced heavy
fighting and some battalions had suffered heavy loss, and so it
was determined to remain comparatively quiet for a day or two and
to prepare the way for another regular attack by means of a proper
artillery preliminary work. About this time the officer commanding
received a petition, signed by thirty men, asking that the gallantry
of their company commander might be recognized by the authorities.
Captain W. T. Johnston was the officer concerned, and he was awarded
the Military Cross.
The renewed attack was commenced on the 24th. The 18th Brigade was
on the right and the 16th on the left. The 18th failed to take the
Quadrilateral, which was its objective. The front of the fighting, as
regards the 16th, was allotted this day to the York and Lancaster and
K.S.L.I., the Buffs being in support. It was a very gallant affair and
all objectives were taken, but the right of the brigade was exposed as
it advanced, owing to the Quadrilateral still being in German hands;
so bombing operations on that stronghold were commenced by the Buffs
and K.S.L.I. and most of the northern face was taken. The 3rd Brigade,
assisted by the York and Lancaster, took Gricourt in the afternoon, and
at night the Buffs relieved the K.S.L.I. in first line. The battalion
had a list of twenty casualties.
On the 25th the 18th Brigade made good the objectives before which they
had at first failed. They took the Douai trench, and by midnight the
25th/26th the 16th and 18th, in co-operation, had completed the capture
of the Quadrilateral, which the enemy had considered an impossibility.
Two German counter-attacks on the 16th Brigade were repulsed, though
the enemy managed to rush and to hold one of the forward posts; but the
opposition was now obviously dying down and the German spirit sadly
broken, and our patrols were able to gain further ground. On the 27th a
prisoner was captured, who stated that he was the last patrol covering
the withdrawal of the enemy, and this proved correct, for next day our
people could by no means get touch of him.
The 6th Division was relieved during the 29th and 30th of September by
the 4th French Division, and by this time our posts were round three
sides of the village of Fayet, which was ultimately captured by a
patrol under Lieut. Lushington, and Manchester Hill was in the hands of
our allies. The Buffs went back to camp at Trefcon.
While the fighting recorded above had been in progress on the right of
the British Army, the 47th Division, with the 1st protecting its right
flank and an American force on its left, had by means of a magnificent
attack on the 29th September broken the Hindenburg Line and crossed
the canal, together with the 32nd Division, after which these units
experienced very severe fighting about Ramicourt and Sequehart. It was
therefore necessary that they should rest, and when the 6th Division
had had four days in the back areas, which was largely utilized in
absorbing reinforcements and generally reorganizing, it was ordered to
relieve these others with a view to attacking, on the 8th October, in
the direction of the little town of Bohain.
Therefore on the 4th October the Buffs marched, complete with transport
and all else, to the Bellenglise area and billeted by the banks of
the canal, and on the night of the 5th/6th the 16th Brigade relieved
the 3rd Brigade about Preselles Farm, which is between Ramicourt and
Sequehart and opposite the position to be attacked. This position was
in a country of rolling downs, divided by a valley opening out towards
the British and closed at the far end by a ridge on which stood the
village of Mericourt. In the valley itself stood Mannikin Wood and
other points suitable for hidden machine guns. The 6th Division was
to attack up the left spur which bounded the valley, and the French
up the right one; but our allies had been delayed in passing through
St Quentin and by opposition on the way, and although the whole
operation had been postponed for twenty-four hours, namely from the
7th to 8th October, it was pretty obvious that at first, at any rate,
the British right flank would be exposed. A battalion of the West
Yorkshire Regiment and three whippet tanks had the task of clearing the
valley, but, as a matter of fact, the tanks were knocked out almost
immediately. The 16th Brigade was on the right next the valley, and the
71st on the left next the Americans.
[Illustration: ST. QUENTIN]
On the night of the 7th/8th the Buffs moved up to their forming-up
line for the second time, for when the operation was postponed the
battalion had gone back to Bellenglise for a day, and the marching and
counter-marching had proved a strain on the men. The hour was 5.10
a.m., at which time the Shropshire Light Infantry were to move off and
secure the first objective, after which the Buffs, passing through,
were to go on to the second, which was in front of Beauregard Farm.
The men were not in position till a quarter of an hour before zero, on
account of the darkness and the difficulty of guiding, and Lieut. H. H.
Carter and his batman were killed on the way; but the attack started
in good order, the Buffs having B and D Companies in front line, C
and half A in support and the remainder of A in reserve. The first
objective was soon in the hands of the Salopians and the Buffs quickly
on the move for the second. The shelling was now, however, very heavy
both from the other side of the valley, which had not yet been reached
by the French, and also from Mannikin Wood, in the valley itself, which
kept up fire for some time, in spite of some magnificent work done by
the West Yorkshire Regiment. A counter-attack appeared to be likely,
and Lieut. Stainforth, with the two reserve platoons, was ordered up to
get touch with the front line and reinforce it, if necessary. At 11.45
battalion headquarters, moving forward, found the situation well in
hand on the battalion front, though no reorganization was possible,
as the slightest movement was observed by the enemy from the right. In
fact, A and C Companies were harassed by ·77 guns all day. However,
a defensive flank was formed later on. By 3 p.m. the French, too,
began to advance and completely changed the situation. The West Yorks
pushed up the valley and got touch with them, and so towards evening
the companies were reorganized and patrols pushed forward through
Beauregard Farm and Copse and the line established east of these. By
nightfall Mericourt was taken and the 6th Division had done all it
had set out to do. Captains Hamilton and Moss were both wounded early
in the day, but remained with their companies until the objective was
reached. The latter was again seriously wounded whilst waiting for a
stretcher at battalion headquarters.
The work of the day had hardly been accomplished when orders came for
the 6th Division to take over part of the American front on the left
and hand over some of their own to the 46th Division on the right;
in fact, to side-step to the left, as it was called. As far as the
Buffs were concerned, their reorganization during the night was barely
complete when, about 3 a.m., the 4th Battalion of the Leicestershire
Regiment arrived in relief with orders that they were at once to move
off to a position two miles away to support a new attack, this time
on Bohain, timed for 5.30 a.m., which was to be made by the K.S.L.I.
and York and Lancaster Battalions of the 16th Brigade. This meant,
of course, that a brigade of very tired troops had to move off two
miles to a new position, issue all detailed orders, make elaborate
arrangements and take up position all in less than three hours in pitch
darkness and over unreconnoitred country. It was a most extraordinary
performance, but it was done and the 16th Brigade duly advanced at the
correct zero hour, though the Buffs themselves were not called upon
to take part. Both the 16th and 71st Brigades carried their first
objectives successfully, and the whole operation ended during the
following night by the capture of Bohain, the release of some four
thousand French civilians and the acquisition of considerable war booty.
After returning to Doon Mill, from whence the start on the 9th had
been made, coming back to the front line again and having Lieut. Lloyd
wounded on the 15th, the Buffs on the 16th October were preparing for
another battle. On that date A and C Companies were in billets and
bivouacs east of Bohain, and B and D in the outskirts of Becquiguy,
the battalion being under the temporary command of Major Lord Teynham.
Orders were issued for an attack on the 17th from Vaux Audigny and the
Buffs formed up to the north-west of that place. The objective, or Blue
Line, was a trench system which included the Bois St Pierre and a level
crossing on the railway and was in front of the village of Wassigny.
Then the 1st Division was to pass through and take Wassigny. The Buffs
attacked on a two-company frontage, A on the left, C with a platoon of
B on the right, D in support, and B in reserve.
The morning proved to be one of the foggiest that had been experienced
during the war. Nothing could be seen anywhere and direction was
naturally extremely difficult to maintain. The Buffs had to pass the
village of Vaux Audigny in fours and to deploy outside it. The advance
was made by compass bearings, and more than one instance occurred
of sergeants taking the compasses from their injured officers and
leading their companies on, so that the battalion reached its objective
correctly, which was more than all the troops contrived to do. The
railway which runs from Vaux Audigny to Vaille Mulatre is not by any
means a straight one, but it was of considerable assistance in keeping
direction. With the exception of making it so difficult to keep the
line, the fog was an advantage to the British advance, because parties
of the enemy were come upon unseen and in one or two cases machine
guns were outflanked unobserved. Both the leading companies reached
their objective about 7.30 a.m. Lieut. Stainforth, who commanded C,
found that his flank was exposed, so he at once established a post and
pressed into the service of the defence certain stragglers of the 1st
Division. He remained here himself for some hours and until a battalion
of Cameron Highlanders arrived. Nothing could be found of the 11th
Essex which should have been on the Buffs’ right. They had utterly lost
their way in the fog, though it was afterwards discovered that the men
had resorted to the expedient of attempting to advance arm in arm. Our
artillery barrage was excellent and the enemy’s shelling somewhat light
after leaving the railway station. The hostile machine guns were very
active throughout the fight. At 11.45 a report came that the enemy had
a division in reserve for a counter-attack and preparations were made
to meet it, but nothing materialized; headquarters moved forward, and
the battalion set to work to consolidate. The casualties, considering
the nature of the operation, were slight, though four officers were
killed and one wounded, five of the men killed and thirty-one were
wounded.
On the 19th October battalion headquarters moved back to Vaux Audigny,
and next day the whole battalion was billeted there, and the battle
surplus, as small bodies kept back from action to reinforce in case
of heavy casualties were called, as well as a draft of eighty-eight
men, was sent up. On the 21st the complete unit marched to St Souplet
and was billeted in that village. Two days later the 71st Brigade was
in action again and the Buffs moved up to its support, starting at
very short notice. They bivouacked round Baziel, and on the 25th took
over the line in Bois L’Eveque from the K.S.L.I.; there were three men
killed and fifteen wounded on this date.
[Illustration:
_Imperial War Museum_ _Crown Copyright_
CAMBRAI ON THE MORNING THE ENEMY WAS DRIVEN OUT]
On the 26th the list of Military Medals awarded for gallant conduct
at the Battle of St Quentin on the 18th was issued, and no less
than twenty came to the Buffs, namely: C.S.M. Bones; Sgts. Carr and
Jenkins; Corpl. Millen; L.-Corpls. Cain, Child, Ellis, Hobbs, Hook
and Hutchison; Ptes. Blackford, Brown, Carpenter, Colley, Ericksen,
Stapley, Walters, Whiddett, Wicken and Wright. On this day battalion
headquarters went to Pommereuil.
The 30th of October was the last day of actual fighting that fell to
the lot of the 1st Battalion, and its long record, which as far as
the Great War is concerned began four years before, closed well and
gloriously, for what is termed a minor enterprise was on that date
carried out under the command of a subaltern officer, an enterprise
which in the old days would have made a field officer’s name for
the rest of his service: orders had been received for the relief of
the division, and in order to hand over to the relieving troops a
satisfactory position for continuing the forward movement on the line
of the canal, it was determined to capture on the 30th an important
farm and spur which overlooked the waterway. The business was entrusted
to Lieut. L. W. Barber, M.B.E., of the Buffs, who had at his disposal
B and C Companies and, later on, a platoon of D, also a section of the
Machine Gun Battalion and two light trench mortars. Zero was at six, at
which hour a creeping barrage opened, heavy artillery bombarding the
railway. The attack was made on a platoon frontage, with other platoons
on either flank to protect the advance. The attempt on the farm was
at first frustrated by our own barrage falling too short and causing
casualties in the leading platoon. When it lifted, another was brought
up, but at first could not get in by reason of the hostile machine
guns, and it was not till 10 o’clock that the farm and another behind
it was taken. Meanwhile a separate small body, which had advanced on
the high ground, had also attained its object and had captured some
machine guns, our barrage here being correct. The enemy now heavily
bombarded the farm with medium and light trench mortars and with field
artillery, after which a counter-attack was the cause of the withdrawal
of Barber’s men, but two sections of Lewis gunners and some riflemen
succeeded in preventing the enemy from advancing beyond the buildings.
The last reserves were now brought up and the line reorganized and
reinforced by a platoon of D Company. Under a well-directed bombardment
by our light trench mortars the farm was again attacked and captured
at the point of the bayonet. Two heavy and three light machine guns
were taken and heavy casualties inflicted, and by evening the village
of Happegarbes was practically cleared. Casualties: 2nd Lieuts. Hart,
Herrmann and Simpson and twenty-seven men wounded, eight killed
and four missing. And so the last fight of the 1st Battalion ended
in congratulations, the divisional commander expressing his great
appreciation.
The first few days of November were spent at Fresnoy le Grand and
at Bohain, to which small town the move was made on the 5th. This
early period of the month was brightened by no less than three little
batches of honours awarded, and joy, of course, culminated on the 11th
November, when the officers dined together to celebrate the occasion,
and four days afterwards the battalion commenced its march into Germany.
For their work at St Quentin the following were awarded bars to their
M.M.: Sgts. Goodall, Holloway, Stuart and Swaine; Corpl. Dockerill;
L.-Corpl. Rainsbury and Pte. Wright. The M.M. was awarded to Sgts.
Harris, Lawrence, Morey and Waby; L.-Sgt. Caley; Corpl. Pragnell;
L.-Corpls. Kibble and Elsey and Pte. Shackcloth. For Barber’s fight on
the 30th the M.M. was given to Corpls. Cotton and Oliver and L.-Corpl.
Todman.
The oldest unit of the Buffs was thus the only one to represent the
regiment in the enemy’s country. It had been the first to take part
in the war, though, of course, the battalion, so far as individual
members were concerned, was an entirely different one to that of 1914.
However, the unit was the same one that had fought in Flanders over
three hundred years before, and, being the oldest representative of
the Buffs, it was perhaps fitting that it should have the honour.
Therefore Lieut. Milles was despatched to England to fetch the Colours.
These have not been carried in war since the Zulu campaign of 1879,
as the tactical use of such flags is obsolete; but the Colours were
to be planted on German soil, all the same, so Milles went off on his
mission. It is not necessary here to describe the march, which was
a long one: first of all, the army destined for the Rhine had to be
collected and reorganized into brigade groups with divisional troops;
there were long halts upon the way until the 2nd December, owing
chiefly to the difficulty of feeding the leading troops, because the
railways had been destroyed and, as far as the frontier, roads had been
cratered and bridges blown up.
This crossing of the frontier was made an impressive function by the
Buffs. Colours were uncased, as afterwards they always were on entering
a town, drums were beating, bayonets fixed and the men were beautifully
groomed and turned out--equipment polished, the harness and saddlery
of the mounted men shining, pomp and circumstance of glorious war once
more in evidence. Once across the frontier, the roads were excellent
and delay only caused by the necessity of closing up now and again, as
there was only one road to each division.
It seems a pity that Christmas Day could not be adequately kept by
the Buffs in 1918, but the wherewithal, in the way of extra provisions
and so on, failed to arrive from England in time. However, perhaps
the general joy and triumph which reigned in every heart, even if
the extraordinary reserve of Englishmen failed to show or advertise
the same, compensated for the lack of extra cheer. It was a notable
Christmas, in any case, and could be nothing else. On the 30th December
the battalion was quartered in the little village of Vettweiss,
strength 43 officers, 786 other ranks, and demobilization soon
commenced. During the march into Germany notification of the following
honours was received: M.C. for Captains Barber, M.B.E., Johnston and
Stainforth; Lieuts. Milles and Piper; 2nd Lieuts. Chater and Hendin,
and a bar to the same for Captain G. F. Hamilton; the D.C.M. for C.S.M.
Poole, Sgt. France, M.M., L.-Sgt. Souster and L.-Corpl. J. Smith, M.M.
(since killed in action); and the M.M. to L.-Sgt. Waby.
CHAPTER XVI
CONCLUSION
Except in certain remote places and in India, war ended on the 11th
November, 1918, and, though the said remote spots still found work
for a small number of our English warriors, the demobilization of the
great majority was immediately put in hand. Of course, the old standing
battalions of the Buffs were to remain in being, but most of the
individuals forming them were entitled to discharge, while in the cases
of the 6th, 7th and 10th Battalions, those units which had sprung into
being at the call of duty and patriotism, had done their work and were
now to disappear altogether from the Army List, as the 8th had already
done.
Those men most required in England to carry on her civil business and
trade went back to their accustomed life almost at once, and resumed
old occupations much as if nothing had happened; but the men have been
through experiences undreamt of by even the old regular soldier and
which can never be effaced from memory. The men not belonging to what
were called key industries had to remain with their war battalions
for some months, for the returning to civil life of a vast army is by
no means a light or easy matter to arrange. In the case of the 6th
Battalion demobilization may be said to have commenced more or less
seriously in January, 1919. On the 4th February the King’s Colour
was presented to the battalion, the ceremony being performed by no
less a personage than H.R.H. The Prince of Wales. In March a move was
made from Auberchicourt to Bruille, owing to the return of the civil
population to the former place. The sending home of batches of men
continued pretty steadily all the time and, at the beginning of May,
the battalion consisted of Captain Page, M.C., in command; Captain
Turk, M.C., adjutant; Captain Linwood, quartermaster; Lieut. Hickmott
in charge of the Colours, and thirty-two rank and file. This party
returned in June to Sandling Camp, handed their Colours to the Dean of
Canterbury at a parade which will be referred to later, and was finally
disbanded at the Crystal Palace. The 6th had always been a fighting
unit, and its total casualties numbered 4,864, of which 56 officers and
702 men had actually been killed in action.
The first stages of demobilization in the case of the 7th Buffs were
carried out at Montigny. Somewhat slow at the start, the work took a
turn for the better in January, 1919, and large bodies began to leave
for their dispersal stations. The cadre strength, as laid down in Army
Orders, was reached in April, and all similar parties of the 18th
Division were billeted in Ligny en Cambresis. In early July orders were
received for the sending home and dispersal of the slender relics of
the 7th Queen’s, 7th Buffs and 8th East Surrey; but there was a good
deal of delay at the railhead at Caudry, at Dunkerque, where equipment
was handed in to the Ordnance, and at Boulogne; but, on the last
day of July, Folkestone was reached and the Colour party went on to
Canterbury, where it was billeted till arrangements were made with the
Dean and Chapter to deposit its charge in the great cathedral.
The following extract from the _Kentish Express_ of the 9th
August, 1919, describes the last act of the famous fighting 7th
Battalion, which throughout its career had added so much to the
reputation of the Buffs: “The King’s Colour of the 7th Battalion the
Buffs was deposited at Canterbury Cathedral on Thursday morning for
safe custody by two officers and three other ranks, representing the
cadre of the battalion. Major Peake was in command and Lieut. C. H.
Rowe bore the Colours, while a detachment from the Buffs’ depot, under
Major J. Crookenden, D.S.O. (commanding the depot), formed a guard of
honour. The band of the 1st Battalion, under Mr. Elvin, took up its
position on the nave steps, as did the Cathedral choir, while Dean Wace
was accompanied by Dr. Bickersteth and Canon Gardiner.
“Major Peake asked the Dean to receive the Colours into safe custody.
Dean Wace, in accepting them, said he did so with pleasure on behalf of
the Dean and Chapter, and they would be placed in the Warriors’ Chapel,
the chapel of the regiment.”
* * * * *
Lt.-Colonel Charles Ponsonby in his book, _West Kent (Q.O.) Yeomanry
and 10th (Yeomanry) Battalion the Buffs_, describes the last days of
his unit, and with his permission the following few extracts from his
work are reproduced in this place:--
“On the 15th December we marched to Fresnes, and from there,
after a night at Deux Acren, arrived at Thollembeek and
Vollezeel, two villages about thirty-five miles from Brussels.
“Though many of the railways and roads in the neighbourhood
had been destroyed before the enemy retired, this part of the
country had not been in the fighting area at any time during the
war. But the population had suffered much from four years of
occupation. They had had little food; they had received no money
for troops billeted on them; they had had their men taken from
them to work behind the line or in Germany.... The release from
such an existence, combined with a very real desire to express
their thanks to the English nation, not only for its great share
in winning the war and rescuing their country from oppression,
but also for having provided a haven of rest for so many of
their fellow-countrymen in England, incited the inhabitants of
Thollembeek and Vollezeel to stretch their hospitality to its
utmost limits. They made every effort to make us comfortable in
our billets during the long and rather tedious period of waiting
for demobilization.... Towards the end of January the battalion
was selected to represent the division, and incidentally the
British Army, in a royal review at Brussels by the King of the
Belgians. After a week of preparation we went by motor bus to
Anderlecht, a suburb of Brussels, where we were billeted for
the night. The following day the review took place, and after
two days’ holiday we returned to our Belgian villages.... On
the 27th February the battalion moved to Grammont, a town of
about thirteen thousand inhabitants, and a few days later all
the remaining men (about one hundred and twenty) who joined the
Army after the 1st January, 1916, went off to the 1st Battalion
The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). The battalion was
now reduced practically to cadre strength of four officers
and forty-six men. During the month of March a cordial and
appreciative Order was issued by Major-General E. S. Girdwood
on relinquishing the command of the 74th Division.... On the
termination of hostilities Captain G. H. Peckham received the
M.C., and C.S.M.’s P. Faulkner and L. Salt and Sgts. H. J. Smith
and S. F. Sparrow received the M.S.M.... The act of placing
their colours in Canterbury Cathedral marked the end of the
10th (Yeomanry) Battalion the Buffs. In the short period of its
existence it had fully played its part in the war. Formed on
the 1st February, 1917, it ceased to exist on the 21st June,
1919. It fought in Palestine and France. Its casualties numbered
8 officers and 134 men killed, and 24 officers and 486 men
wounded.”
The 4th and 5th Battalions had, of course, quite a different status to
those alluded to above. They had been for some time and still are[34]
permanent portions of the regiment, and so when war was over they
could not be disbanded, but merely disembodied in the same way that
they were each year after the annual training. As has already been
noticed, circumstances postponed this desirable rest from soldiering
for a very long time. The unrest and continued wars in India and her
frontiers kept the 4th abroad, and the necessity of maintaining white
troops in Mesopotamia had similar results in the case of the 5th. The
former did not embark for home till November, 1919, a full year after
the armistice, and the battalion was disembodied the same month. The
cadre of the 5th Battalion, still under Lt.-Colonel Body, D.S.O.,
O.B.E., a very tiny remnant of those who embarked in 1914, reached home
in January, 1920, and were also, of course, disembodied. The story of
the 3rd or Special Reserve Battalion after the 11th November, 1918,
is as follows: the unit was still quartered in the Citadel at Dover
and was about 1,400 strong, many of the men awaiting demobilization,
and of the officers orders to proceed to India, for which duty they
had volunteered. Towards the end of the month several companies had to
proceed to Folkestone for police duty owing to trouble with certain
leave-expired soldiers, who could not see the necessity of returning
to their units in France. In February, 1919, came orders to move
to the south of Ireland in relief of the 3rd Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders, who had been in that country a considerable time. After
a short period in Kinsale, the 3rd Buffs were quartered in Victoria
Barracks, Cork, and there remained during the summer of 1919, except
that, owing to certain troubles, a tour of duty at Limerick for a
fortnight or so had to be undertaken.
On the 7th September the whole of the men were handed over to
Lt.-Colonel R. McDouall, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., who had just been
appointed to command the 1st Battalion of the Buffs; and as there now
hardly existed such a unit, as far as the necessary soldiers went, the
members of the 3rd were simply handed altogether over to the 1st.
This 1st Battalion had been, in January, 1919, at Vettweiss, in
Germany, about fifteen miles from Cologne, and demobilization was in
progress till the 15th March, on which date eighteen officers and three
hundred men, under Major Lord Teynham, the second in command, were
transferred in one body to the 6th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment.
This left but a strength of forty-six men, but the regular officers, of
course, still remained, as these had cast in their lot with the Buffs
for the greater part of their professional lives, and not for emergency
times only, so every two private soldiers had an officer to look
after them. The ranks, however, were somewhat swollen by the arrival
of the band from England. The cadre was now quartered at Sinzenich
and remained there till the middle of May, occupied in amusements and
recreation and generally having a happy time of relaxation after all
that had been gone through.
On the 22nd May the 1st Battalion landed at Tilbury, having travelled
by Antwerp, and, on the 26th of the month, it was received, welcomed
and entertained by the mayor and officials of the good old city of
Canterbury. It was at last in very truth home again, but the cadre now
consisted of only about twenty men.
With these twenty Lt.-Colonel McDouall, accompanied by his own
adjutant and quartermaster, proceeded in September to Cork and, as
we have seen, took over there the 3rd Battalion in a body. In fact,
only the Permanent Staff of the latter remained to return to Kent.
Soon afterwards the 1st Battalion was again quartered at Fermoy, the
garrison it had left for war five years before. Of the nine hundred
soldiers or thereabouts who marched out of the little Irish town
under Colonel Hill in 1914, five officers and thirty-five other ranks
returned; but these, of course, had not been with their unit during the
whole of the interval.
The names of these forty soldiers are appended:--
Lt.-Colonel R. McDouall, C.B., C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O.
Major R. G. D. Groves-Raines, D.S.O.
Major and Brevet Lt.-Colonel L. W. Lucas, D.S.O., M.C.
Captain H. C. C. Morley.
Captain and Quarter-Master T. Cook.
R.Q.M.S. W. K. Martin.
C.S.M. G. Barrell, D.C.M.
„ J. R. MacWalter, D.C.M., M.M.
„ F. G. Verlander.
C.Q.M.S. G. Bridgland.
“ S. Croucher.
Clr.-Sgt. (O.R.S.) E. J. Evans.
Sgt. A. Burville.
„ J. Cross, M.M.
„ G. Dennis, D.C.M.
„ W. Denny, M.M.
„ E. B. Hills.
„ W. Holmes.
„ J. Mullen.
„ J. Morgan, M.M.
„ J. Stuart, M.M.
L.-Sgt. A. Larkin.
„ G. Russell.
„ C. Truby.
Corpl. W. Adams.
„ A. R. Amos.
„ C. Collier.
„ E. Hall, D.C.M.
„ F. Harvey.
L.-Corpl. S. Clover.
„ A. Forster.
„ W. Phelan.
Pte. H. Barker.
„ W. Bone.
„ E. Downes.
„ H. Staples.
„ F. Stroud.
„ F. Wanstall.
„ E. Wood.
Bdsm. W. Gammon.
The 2nd Battalion came home to England from the Bosphorus in April,
1919, and was quartered in Connaught Barracks, Dover, where it remained
till November of the same year, when, under the command of Lt.-Colonel
Trevor, D.S.O., it embarked at Southampton for India, where it had been
when the war commenced. Multan, in the Punjaub, was the new station
into which the 2nd Battalion of the Buffs settled down to take up the
threads again of routine garrison life in the East. The following
are the names of officers and other ranks who left India in 1914 and
returned there in 1919:--
_Officers._
Captain Peareth.
Captain Howe.
_Other Ranks._
R.S.M. Andrews.
Band-Master Hewett.
R.Q.M.S. Edwards.
O.R. Sgt. Ings.
C.S.M. Cook.
C.Q.M.S. Austen.
„ Blackman.
„ Slender.
Sgt. Ambrose.
„ Coaster.
„ Deeks.
„ Freeman.
„ Hamblin.
„ Manering.
„ McMahon.
„ Potts.
„ Webb.
„ Wilkins.
Corpl. Cornwall.
„ Farr.
„ Robinson.
L.-Corpl. Stubbins.
Dr. Murdock.
„ Stevens.
Pte. Goldsmith.
„ Howland.
„ Levenson.
„ McGann.
„ Spooner.
„ Woodhams.
On the 21st June Canterbury Cathedral was once again, as it had been
many times before, the scene of an impressive military ceremony in
connection with the Buffs. It was a great memorial service at which
every battalion was represented, the grand old church being crowded
with soldiers and their relatives. On this occasion the 2nd Battalion
received back its Colours which had during the long war been in the
safe keeping of the Dean and Chapter. The Colours of the 6th and 10th
were solemnly placed in the custody of the same Church dignitaries, to
be hung upon the walls together with those under which our sires and
grandsires fought. Captain J. C. Page, M.C., who had served so long as
its adjutant, was in charge of the party of the 6th, and Lt.-Colonel
Ponsonby of the brave Yeomen. It was an occasion that those present
will never forget.
The real conclusion of the Buffs’ great war history, however, was
another and still more solemn ceremony and service in the same church:
this was the unveiling of the memorial to our glorious dead, whose
names will be found not only in the Warriors’ Chapel, but in an
Appendix to this book, numbering nearly six thousand. Space will not
permit of a description of this touching service. The unveiling was
performed by Lord Horne, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern
Command, and a full description is to be found in the regimental paper,
_The Dragon_, for September, 1921.
We have merely to note that the celebrated general who unveiled the
memorial, after giving a short account of the doings of the regiment in
the war, made use of the words:--
“There is a record! one and all, Regulars, Territorials, and
those who fought with the Service battalions, all serving,
all nobly maintaining the discipline and traditions of their
regiment, all inspired by the spirit of the Buffs.”
_Veteri frondescit honore._
APPENDIX I[35]
Nominal roll of Officers who were killed in action, or died of wounds
or disease in the Great War, 1914–1919:--
MAJOR-GENERAL
Edward Charles Ingouville Williams, C.B., D.S.O.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL
Julian Hasler.
COLONEL
Frederick Charles Romer, C.B., C.M.G.
LIEUTENANT-COLONELS
Donald Knox Anderson, M.C.
Charles Walter Blackall.
Harold Duke Collison-Morley.
Augustus David Geddes.
Herbert Walter Green, D.S.O.
Henry Denne Hirst.
Harry Fearnley Kirkpatrick, D.S.O.
Nathaniel Newnham-Davis.
Francis Cyril Rupert Studd, D.S.O.
Arthur Philip Hamilton Trueman, O.B.E.
Claude Arthur Worthington.
MAJORS
Cyril Francis Cattley, M.C.
Charles Meredith Bouverie Chapman, M.C., Chevalier
de l’ordre de Leopold, Croix de Guerre (with palms).
James Scholfield Fraser.
Bernard Edward Furley.
Roger Cecil Slacke.
Alfred Soames, D.S.O.
Bernard Lewis Strauss, M.C.
Robert Oscar Cyril Ward.
CAPTAINS
Alan Gordon Acheson Adam.
Hugh Lionel Allfrey.
Victor Arnold.
Maurice Asprey.
Wilfred Saxby Barham.
Stephen Spencer Beall.
Hugh William Brodie.
Theodore Anthony Brown, M.C.
Eustace Bruce Caldecott Burnside.
Benjamin Buss.
Arthur Edwin Cheesman.
Edmund Basil Chichester.
Alfred Sackville Cresswell.
Christopher Edmund Grant Davidson.
William Richard Davis.
Hubert Archibald Dyson.
Lenox Paton Figgis, M.C.
Lawrence Fort.
Edward William Lanchester Foxell.
George Burton Taddy Friend.
Percy Shene Bernard Hall.
Charles Eric Hatfield, M.C.
Anthony May Capron Hollist.
Ralph William Homan.
William Howard.
Herbert Hunter, M.C.
Arthur Keedwell Harvey James.
George Millais James.
George Alfred Prime Jones.
John Kekewich.
Pryce Atwood Clive Kelsey.
Thomas Herbert Kesby.
John Buchanan Kitchin.
John William Laurie.
John Charles Thomas Leigh.
John Herbert Lomax.
Alwyne Travers Loyd.
Harold Lisle Morley, M.C.
Gerald Tassel Neame.
Archibald Edward Osborne (Croix de guerre, with palm).
Dudley George Pearce.
James McBain Ronald.
Kenneth Shelton.
Arthur Oswald Sherren.
Thomas Robert Munro Shervinton.
John Sutton Sill.
Sydney Skelton.
Charles Cecil Stanfield.
Bernard Puckle Steinman.
John Ogilvie Taylor.
Walter Neave Wells.
Alexander Frederick Worster, M.C. and clasp.
LIEUTENANTS
Geoffrey Charles Allen.
John William Butts Archer.
Guy Talbot Baker.
Cyril James Price Tyson Sugar Baly.
Reginald Aubrey Richard Bayard.
Percy Harold Budds.
Geoffrey Walter Melvin Burton.
Edward Henry Underwood Buttanshaw.
Hugh Harry Carter.
Angelo Lycestre Lyne Chamberlain.
William Wetherall Chapman.
Anthony Alfred Cheesman.
Geoffrey William Church, M.C.
Eric Foster Clark.
Nigel Edwin FitzRoy Cole.
Robert James Docking.
Reginald William Durdle.
Laurence Charles Dyer.
Noel Vansittart Earle.
Kenneth Rowley Forde.
Richard Spencer Glyn.
Edouard Herbert Allan Goss.
James Gordon Hamilton Greig.
Charles Herbert Gribble.
Alexander Falkland Gulland.
Arthur Louis Gullick.
Philip Randall Hatch.
William Alexander Cosgrave Hedley.
Edward Francis Henderson.
Howard Dudley Hewett.
Robert Myles Heywood.
Douglas Agar Worsley Hill.
Victor William John Hobbs.
Charles Frederick Griffith Hollis, M.C.
Wilfred George Jackson.
Charles William Jemmett.
George William Ambrose Kingham.
Percy Lambe.
Leslie Arthur Lea-Smith.
Maurice Aden Ley.
Ronald McDougall.
Hugh Stephen Marchant.
Charles Walter Brockwell Marsh.
Ronald Walter Mitchell.
Leonard Morgan.
Fred Naylor.
Roy Nettleton.
Charles Stuart Newcomb.
Percy Wilmott Newington.
Philip Giesler Norbury.
Douglas Horace Gilbert Northcote.
Harry Alfred Oxley.
Reginald James Pavitt.
Joseph Douglas Philips.
Jasper Prescott Phillimore.
Arthur William Ramsey.
Thomas Ruddock.
Cecil Martin Sankey, M.C.
John Scrace.
Eric Sharp.
Lewis Victor Henry Shorter.
James Eliot Stephen.
Stephen Cormack Swayne.
Cedric Charles Okey Taylor.
Frederick George Taylor.
Stanley Waterman Taylor.
William Frederick Taylor.
John George Thorn-Drury.
George Robert Thornhill, M.C.
Joseph Thorp Waite.
Frederick George Wallis.
Arthur Norman Widdop.
Jack Douglas Wild.
Frank Dudley Wilkinson, M.C.
2ND LIEUTENANTS
Harold Norman Adcock.
Charles St. Vincent Allen.
William Hope Amos.
Edward Norman Andrews.
Albert Erskine Carson Archer.
Hugo Cholmondeley Arnold.
John Frederick Baddeley.
Carlyle Bainbridge.
Frank Bernard Baker.
Bertram Stacpoole Bambridge.
Leonard Henry Batson.
Leonard Josiah Baxter.
Frederick Parkman Beagley, M.C.
Robert Gerald Beer.
Lewis Edward Albert Samuel Bilton.
Basil Bernard Blackwell.
Ronald Walter Bone.
Frederick Atkins Booth.
Bernard Geoffrey Bowles.
Guy Bracher.
Horace Leslie Brown.
Thomas Eben Grainger Bullock.
Eric George Bungard.
Percy Charles Buss.
Thomas Weston Buss.
James William Butler.
Charles Caney, M.C.
Ernest Stafford Carlos.
Leslie Guy Carman.
John Metcalfe Chill.
Laurence Fraser Clark.
Stanley Harvey Coates.
Leslie Ernest Combridge.
Frederick William Harvey Cooper, M.M.
Edward Franklin Corner.
Donald Threlkeld Cousins.
Henry George Cox.
John Marr Craighead.
Edward Herbert Cramer-Roberts.
Reginald Crisp.
William Guy Cronk.
Wilfrid Stephen Dann.
Leslie James George Davis.
Percy Warren Theo Davis.
Leslie James Derrick.
John Hastings Dinsmore.
William Lawrence Donelan.
Paris Villiers Drake-Brockman.
Francis Herbert Dungey.
Arthur Edwards.
Spenser Ernest Edwards.
Hubert William Evans.
Thomas Firminger.
Ralph Louis Francis Forster.
Phineas Freedman.
Francis Conrade Shenstone Frost.
Horace John Gates.
George Joachim Goschen (the Hon.).
Norman Greiffenhagen.
Charles Hall.
Douglas William Hammond.
Alexander John Hanmer, M.C.
Harold Victor Hardey-Mason.
Donald Alfred Harnett.
Allan Sydney Hayfield.
Rycharde Mead Haythornthwaite.
Ivan Henry Hess.
Harold Sutton Hilder.
Malcolm Arthur Hills.
Herbert Josiah Hine, M.M.
Siegfried Thomas Hinkley.
Evelyn Melville Shovell Hoare.
Leslie Ebenezer Holyman.
Maurice Pinney Horrabin.
Adrian George Hubbard.
Harold Montague Hunt.
Ernest Stanley Patrick Hynes.
Douglas Peacock Jack.
Henry Croome Jackman.
Basil Lister James.
Kenneth Lister James.
Charles Gordon Jelf.
Howard Fife Johnson.
Sinclair Beatty Johnston.
Athol Kirkpatrick.
Charles William Laing.
Douglas Lambert.
John Elston Lane.
Henry James Little.
William Lawrence McColl.
Stanley Major.
Michael Innes Malton.
John William Mann.
Charles Arthur Stirling Mathias, M.C.
Ralph Edward Culverhouse Mead.
John Barnard Millard.
George Stuart Moke-Norrie.
Roy Granville Kyrle Money.
Thomas Lewis Vyvyan Moody.
Vernon Leslie Morgan.
Frank William Morley.
Eyre Percival Morris.
Eric Victor Morse, M.C.
Reginald Barnes Newton Moss.
Allan Mount.
Henry George Nesbit.
Walter Gregory Neve.
William McDonald Noble.
Mervyn Noott.
Harold Milford Norsworthy.
Alfred Erasmus Stuart Ommanney.
Henry Douglas Osborne.
Jack Brian Paige.
George Alexander Palfreyman.
Leo Bernard Parsons.
William James Leonard Peacock.
Thomas Penington.
Charles Frederick Peters.
Charles Walter Peters.
Reginald Gurwen Phillips.
Basil Horace Pickering.
Edward Crewdson Pitt.
Edgar George Porter.
Charles Ronald Prior.
Stanley Randall, D.C.M., M.M.
Walter Geoffrey Redshaw.
John Sleeman Reed.
George Robert Reid.
Arthur Gordon Richardson.
Frederick Ricketts.
Edgar Francis Robinson.
Hercules Edward Joseph Robinson (the Hon.).
Edward Henry Ronca.
Sidney Rothwell.
Ernest George Routley, M.C.
John Russell.
Cecil Harold Sowerby Ruston.
Edwin Richard Sansom.
George Bertram Saunder.
Harry Sayer.
William Thomas Score.
Millin Selby.
Geoffrey Edward Sewell.
John Stanley Horsfall Shafto.
Ernest Kennedy Smith.
Edward Thompson Smith.
Geoffrey Herbert Smith.
Francis Ingle Sowter.
Hugh Manning Spencer.
Filmer Blake Spicer.
Wallace Henry Squire.
Arthur Renolds Stallworthy.
Douglas Harcourt Stevens.
Edward Alfred Murtagh
Stevens, M.C.
Edgcumbe Leopold Stiles.
Hubert Reginald Stock.
Douglas Mervyn Taylor.
Harold James Taylor.
Heber Thomas.
Harold Thompson.
John Dales Thornley.
Frederick Herbert Trowles.
Thomas William Underhill.
Charles Vincent.
Elton Cyril Wanstall.
Charles Warnington.
Arthur Henry Webb.
James Hoste Welldon.
John Leslie Wellesley-Miller.
Harry Lloyd Wheeler.
William Haffenden Winch.
Noel Ernest Wood.
Reginald Ewart Wood.
Geoffrey Wilfrid Penfold Wyatt.
Philip Harold Ziegler.
APPENDIX II
Nominal roll of Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men who
were killed in action, or died of wounds or disease in the Great War,
1914–1919:--
QUARTERMASTER-SERGEANT
T/200013 Hutchens, G.
COMPANY SERGEANT-MAJORS
G/870 Aldridge, E.
L/8907 Alexander, D., M.M.
L/8781 Baker, F., D.C.M.
L/7809 Banks, W. W.
T/242778 Blackburn, C. S.
T/201 Brunger, T.
L/5726 Cooper, F. W.
S/562 Cornwell, F.
L/8385 Davis, W. S., M.M.
L/8112 Dumbleton, F.
S/410 Field, A. W.
L/6005 Freeman, G.
S/194 Glover, T.
G/206 Holman, E. W., M.M.
G/8798 Kite, T. W.
G/2319 Knight, C. J., M.M.
L/6271 Lond, J. T.
L/7741 McLean, A.
L/7621 Terrell, W.
L/4834 Walsh, J.
L/7619 White, E.
T/240012 Wickens, A. F.
T/240339 Wright, J.
COMPANY QUARTERMASTER-SERGEANTS
T/240440 Back, L.
T/200524 Barr, W. D.
G/3635 Burt, W., D.C.M.
L/9098 Read, S.
L/7817 Rosam, G. W.
T/3148 Screen, F.
T/156 Stone, H. O.
T/270505 Thorpe, C. H.
L/8058 Wilson, G. T.
T/270045 Wolsey, P.
SERGEANTS
T/722 Ades, J.
T/201075 Allwater, E.
S/718 Andrews, W. A.
T/242995 Arter, H.
S/9268 Asprey, W. S.
G/2529 Austen, H. G.
G/6884 Ayres, A. J., D.C.M., M.M.
G/12976 Barnes, R. J.
T/270898 Barnett, C. L.
G/340 Barrett, A. J., M.M.
T/200119 Batchelder, R. H.
G/1373 Batchelor, G., M.M.
L/8158 Beeching, A. J.
T/240242 Benfield, G. S.
G/4275 Betts, F. E.
G/707 Bing, L., M.M.
L/7812 Bishop, G.
L/8917 Bloomfield, J., M.M.
G/12871 Booth, P.
S/32 Brand, B.
T/337 Brazier, W. T.
G/1367 Briers, T.
T/240883 Broadbridge, L. A.
G/2158 Bromley, A.
G/3743 Buddle, J.
L/9747 Bulgin, W. A.
L/6036 Burnett, J. E.
L/9663 Burns, W. P.
G/466 Burton, F. S. H.
G/5148 Butler, W., D.C.M.
S/8696 Butler, W. E.
L/4661 Butterworth, H.
L/6380 Cadman, A. G.
L/10559 Carlin, J., M.M.
L/9439 Carrier, S. W.
G/3605 Casey, W. J.
L/6875 Charleys, W.
G/1289 Clark, F. W.
G/2659 Clarke, S. A.
S/8546 Clayson, J.
G/15733 Clinch, J.
L/8026 Cocks, S. C.
L/8533 Cole, W. A.
G/3164 Connah, H.
L/10550 Cook, E. T.
G/1018 Cook, J.
T/241856 Corrigan, T. M.
G/13673 Couchman, F. W.
T/242964 Cozens, E.
G/3301 Crame, C. J., D.C.M.[36]
G/1959 Cranston, W. T.
L/8014 Crouch, E.
G/6591 Croucher, W. G.
G/212 Culmer, A. T.
T/200300 Dale, H. S.
G/628 Danton, W. F.
G/304 Dennett, W. A. H.
G/14710 Donohoe, R. F. P.
L/5032 Dowman, E.
L/5204 Drummond, J. F. J.
S/9467 Dunbar, E. T.
G/288 Dungey, G. A.
L/9332 Dunk, P. W.
T/504 Dyer, E. G.
G/2663 Eastmond, G. E.
G/1752 Eldred, W. E.
T/242828 Emery, F. J.
G/2782 Everitt, C. F.
T/270843 Farroll, F.
L/9221 Featherstone, J. R.
L/9203 Fogg, A. F.
T/270587 Francis, A. E.
L/8129 Francis, T.
L/7690 Gard, G.
G/17371 Gardner, G.
T/270604 Garland, J. R.
G/1321 Garner, F. W.
L/9310 Glass, A. G.
G/944 Goad, W. T. F.
L/8361 Goddard, H.
T/270020 Godsiff, R. J.
T/2178 Goldsmith, B. H.
G/18668 Goldup, S. F. W.
G/22475 Gosden, A., M.M.
G/3258 Hammond, C., M.M.
L/9575 Harrington, G. J.
L/8406 Harris, J.
L/9275 Harrison, A. W.
L/8975 Hart, J.
G/13761 Hatcher, C.
G/13675 Heskett, F. T.
L/9402 Hills, H. W.
T/200029 Hinchcliffe, W. E.
G/13672 Hoare, F. G.
L/8475 Hoare, H. W.
L/8413 Hogben, W.
L/9041 Hollands, C. S.
L/5990 Holloway, A. J.
T/270196 Holmes, D.
L/8887 Holness, F. E.
G/20245 Honey, F.
T/201128 Hopkins, A.
G/5308 Howard, J.
L/8861 Howlett, E. A.
G/1865 Huggins, A. E.
G/1889 Hyde, A., M.M.
G/3591 Keal, A. C., D.C.M.
G/4227 Keen, J. T.
G/1983 Kelly, G.
G/8066 Kerman, F., M.M.
S/10881 Keywood, S. G.
T/240230 King, T.
G/616 Kingsford, W., M.M.
S/9435 Lakin, C. H.
G/18830 Lamb, E.
L/8011 Lancaster, P. G.
L/8610 Langdon, F. C. A.
G/2042 Langley, G. H.
G/501 Lawrence, E. G.
T/242998 Leman, G. E.
L/9453 Lemar, A. J.
G/1316 Lomax, C. W.
G/3452 Lord, F.
G/469 Luck, F.
G/1385 Lusted, F. A.
S/595 Marchant, A. J.
T/270035 Marchant, E. W.
S/9005 Margrie, M. T.
L/9603 Marsh, A., D.C.M.
G/3126 Matthews, J.
T/270065 May, W.
L/8829 Maycock, G.
L/10011 McNeir, G. A., M.M.
L/8149 Miles, W. J.
G/19120 Mitchell, P.
L/9751 Mitchell, S. M. J.
G/128 Monro, J.
G/4181 Moon, L. G.
G/3526 Morley, A.
L/6174 Murdock, A. J., M.M.
L/7098 Murphy, F.
L/8238 Newing, C.
S/582 North, A.
G/1882 Oxley, J.
G/4002 Page, L.
G/13570 Pain, A. T.
G/1785 Paine, H. J.
G/1221 Palmer, P.
T/270585 Parker, H. W.
S/515 Parsons, W. J.
L/9349 Pascall, P.
T/200597 Payne, C., D.C.M.
G/6494 Pearce, H., M.M.
L/9396 Pennel, W. J.
G/2026 Penny, C. W.
L/8632 Petts, E. H.
G/9154 Phipps, C.
G/6779 Platts, A., M.M.
G/2226 Plowright, A.
L/7851 Port, C. W., M.M.
L/8448 Rope, C.
L/5640 Rumley, C. H.
G/7793 Saggers, A. A.
S/228 Saxby, S. C.
S/193 Sedgwick, G. A.
S/9609 Semark, W. R.
T/1573 Shepherd, A. G.
L/7779 Shrubsole, W.
T/201239 Simmons, A. J.
G/13685 Slocombe, C. G.
G/1802 Smith, E. C.
L/7142 Smith, E. E.
G/5705 Smith, F.W., M.M.
L/9285 Smith, H. J.
G/4500 Smith, H. T.
L/8019 Smith, W. T.
L/9157 Stevens, A. F.
L/8046 Stroud, W. F.
S/715 Styles, J.
L/8529 Sutton, G.
G/2786 Tapsell, A.
L/7206 Taylor, H. E.
L/10218 Taylor, W. J. S.
G/589 Terry, H.
G/2236 Treversh, T. H.
G/994 Trigg, A. E.
S/7746 Tulett, W. G.
G/1407 Turner, C.
G/4665 Turner, W. A.
G/851 Twelftree, A. T., M.M.
G/2561 Upton, P. C., D.C.M.
G/13746 Vandepeer, S. L.
G/9314 Vaughan, G. H.
L/6163 Viggers, J., M.M.
T/2459 Walker, H. J. G.
G/13680 Watson, H. B.
L/10044 Watts, A. H.
T/200014 Welch, F.
L/6992 Welsh, A. C.
G/1637 West, W. D.
G/3569 Whipps, A., M.M.
G/6046 White, E. G.
G/13557 Wickham, W. E.
G/3677 Wilbourne, A. H.
L/9673 Williams, E. A.
G/3576 Williams, R. C.
L/8664 Wills, J.
G/447 Winter, A. E.
L/9817 Wood, A., M.M.
L/8906 Woolley, P.
G/69 Woolston, C. F.
G/12521 Wright, G. F. E., M.M.
L/9289 Young, H. E.
LANCE-SERGEANTS
G/2635 Brewer, E.
G/346 Bushell, S.
G/2258 Chapman, A. H. R., D.C.M.
G/3345 Childs, E. O.
G/3555 Cleave, E.
G/3254 Collier, G. W.
G/2315 Copus, W. H.
G/3896 Craven, H. S.
L/5995 Duff, W. G., M.M.
G/5521 Finnes, E.
G/5774 Ford, F.
L/9049 Freemantle, E. L.
G/1233 Gillett, W. G.
G/13036 Goodsall, G. B.
T/241291 Green, J. B.
L/4611 Hazelton, G. E.
G/1682 Huntley, P. J.
G/1074 Jenner, D. P., M.M.
G/2099 Langhelt, S.
G/18771 Lee, W.
L/8470 Lowe, F. S.
G/173 Manser, J.
G/1097 Mantell, B. G.
G/1655 Matthews, F.
G/3644 McCluskey, H.
L/9009 Meloy, G.
G/15649 Morgan, J. H.
G/8900 Mount, G. H.
L/8032 Mummery, W.
G/3557 Neville, J. W.
G/4538 Oates, W. T.
G/15754 Quaife, T.
G/9259 Riley, J. H.
G/15674 Rowland, C., M.M.
L/10272 Savage, E. J.
G/1128 Scruby, J.
L/9852 Smith, H. J.
G/8334 Spencer, H.
L/8708 Spice, P. M.
S/8355 Spicer, W. F.
L/5943 Taylor, J.
G/8037 Tierney, M. P.
G/1143 Tomlins, A. J.
G/1892 Vyse, H. F.
G/803 Weaver, H. W.
G/3491 Wilby, A. C.
CORPORALS
G/18767 Aitchison, A. J.
T/203604 Andrews, W. V.
G/13807 Baillie, A. P.
T/6054 Baldwin, W. A.
S/24 Banks, J. E.
G/3041 Banwell, F. N.
G/17883 Barnes, G. F.
G/84 Bayley, T. W.
L/9902 Beale, C. L.
G/4236 Bennett, J. A.
T/270991 Betts, J. P.
G/14145 Bettles, L.
G/18823 Biggs, H. N.
T/2067 Binks, G.
G/13021 Blackett, J. T.
G/15553 Bones, W., M.M.
G/3500 Bowyer, W. T.
G/614 Bray, G. V.
G/13014 Bright, J. H.
G/21828 Brooks, L.
G/2122 Broom, J.
L/6014 Brown, P.
T/204454 Buckell, W. G.
T/203647 Bullinaira, G. W.
T/1367 Burchett, A. E.
G/8657 Carr, S.
G/4308 Cavey, A. E.
G/1721 Chapman, F. H.
G/3655 Charlesworth, J.
G/13452 Chatfield, A. W.
T/240552 Checksfield, F. H.
G/7509 Clark, E. E.
G/1156 Clarke, F. E.
L/9804 Cockerill, W. J.
L/6984 Colley, J. T., M.M.
L/7825 Collins, H.
S/10746 Cook, F. J.
G/6615 Cook, H. J.
G/3072 Cooper, J. H.
L/7738 Cooper, S.
L/6707 Cotter, W. R., V.C.
G/20111 Cox, E. A.
G/3282 Cox, H. E.
G/7783 Cox, T. H.
L/7185 Crayford, W.
L/9337 Cremer, W. J.
G/12818 Croucher, W. S.
S/9623 Curd, S. P., M.M.
G/11748 Cushion, A. J.
G/3300 Dale, J.
G/1756 Danks, C.
L/7237 Davey, T.
L/8722 Denton, A. L.
L/9208 Dobson, T. H.
T/265244 Dobson, W. T. F.
L/9765 Dorman, L.
L/8510 Dray, T.
G/3969 Drayson, W. C.
G/8135 Drury, W.
L/8367 Duckworth, A. P.
G/4338 Dyer, F. E.
G/17617 Eales, J. A.
G/300 Edmonds, J.
G/5503 Evans, R.
G/8976 Faulkner, A. E.
L/9320 Finnis, A. A.
G/8995 Flory, S. B.
G/11674 Floyd, C. W.
G/1850 Fowler, P.
G/19122 Freeland, P. A.
G/20886 Fuller, E. M.
G/1684 Garrett, C.
G/1875 Giles, O. R.
G/3504 Hammond, H. H.
L/8211 Hannaford, R.
L/9767 Harden, H. J.
G/5559 Harding, E. E.
L/9094 Hare, S.
G/7785 Hargreaves, T. W.
T/201920 Harlow, W. A.
G/60 Harris, F.
G/20108 Hastings, R. W.
G/2897 Heal, J.
T/204464 Heasman, A. A.
G/1958 Hoare, R. A.
T/240075 Hodge, F. S.
G/771 Hogben, A.
G/8367 Hogben, J.
G/8183 Holliday, W. T.
T/207404 Hoose, W. H.
G/460 Hopper, G.
G/1866 Hopper, J. H.
G/593 Howe, F.
G/26593 Hozier, R.
G/2810 Huckstep, W. H., M.M.
L/6553 Hurst, W. J.
L/8578 Jackson, G.
T/3224 James, R.
G/3430 Jarrett, W., M.M.
G/1403 Jeffery, C. J.
L/9845 Jeffreys, F. W.
G/1800 Jope, R.
T/270181 Keen, T. S.
T/1015 Kempton, C. E.
G/1317 Kendrick, H.
G/884 Kerslake, E. P.
G/5335 Kingsford, A. C.
G/12687 Langford, H. S.
G/954 Langston, A. G.
G/13580 Lashmar, H.
G/2464 Lawrence, E. F.
G/2270 Laws, R.
G/2578 Lee, W.
L/8976 Levenson, H.
L/8426 Limpus, C.
G/5564 Link, A. E.
G/18775 Lloyd, F. G.
G/24673 Loveday, A.
T/1638 Luckhurst, H.
G/434 Maloney, A., M.M.
L/9197 Mannings, C.
L/8939 Martin, H.
G/118 Martin, L. E.
G/18812 Martin, T. D.
G/402 Maxted, A. E.
G/9561 Maynard, A.
G/12975 Millgate, H. J.
G/564 Minter, P.
L/9166 Mitchell, M.
G/13669 Moore, P.
G/115 Moore, W.
G/3527 Morley, G.
S/9063 Morris, E. W.
T/270267 Mussared, S. H.
G/5059 Naylor, A. W. H.
G/4029 Neal, C. H.
L/4520 Neely, D.
T/240393 Nickalls, A. D.
G/677 Noakes, J. H.
L/9934 Page, F. T., M.M.
L/6660 Palmer, W. J.
L/9246 Pankhurst, H.
S/10373 Parker, E. E.
L/8549 Parsons, E. J.
L/5520 Peake, A.
G/9 Pellatt, W. G.
L/9728 Perkins, W.
L/10342 Pettman, A. T.
G/682 Plumbridge, E.
G/530 Preston, J. W.
T/200030 Purser, F. C.
L/9544 Ralph, F. E.
G/514 Rendell, R. F.
G/2024 Russell, J. L.
L/6109 Sales, T. W.
G/9430 Saunders, F.
G/581 Scott, E.
L/5118 Seager, W.
S/823 Sharp, B. H.
T/200148 Simmonds, T. G.
L/10442 Simpson, S.
G/495 Simpson, T. R.
L/9759 Smith, W.
L/8093 Smith, W. G.
G/3187 Snell, C. A.
S/260 Stone, W. H.
G/5803 Stonham, C. T.
L/8263 Stroud, L.
G/3329 Summers, E.
G/22390 Swan, E.
T/200593 Tanton, E. F.
G/14796 Taylor, G. T.
G/13497 Taylor, H.
G/590 Terry, S.
L/9737 Thompson, A. E.
G/20966 Thompson, G., M.M.
G/3554 Thompson, J., M.M.
G/7754 Tillstone, C.
G/5338 Tuck, E. C.
T/1710 Tyrrell, F. W.
G/2603 Tutthill, W.
T/203979 Voller, F. J.
G/10206 Waldron, A. W.
G/13677 Warren, S. J. R.
L/9754 Weeks, F.
T/270838 Wells, A. W.
L/10424 Wells, W. D.
L/8832 Westacott, E.
G/1868 Wickens, H. H.
G/339 Williams, A.
G/11177 Williams, F. W.
T/270055 Woollett, W. A. R.
T/1621 Wordsworth, F.
LANCE-CORPORALS
L/10279 Abbott, E. W.
G/5053 Ackerman, L. L.
G/5490 Addley, J. H.
L/10028 Ahearn, H.
G/731 Aitken, W. W.
G/8532 Alborough, F.
G/3411 Allen, E. A.
G/13700 Allen, S.
G/2566 Amos, P. W.
G/1498 Anderson, O.
L/9826 Anderson, W.
G/3211 Ansell, F. O.
G/5553 Appleton, T. E.
G/15735 Apps, E. A.
G/124 Argrave, F. S.
G/539 Arman, C.
G/6688 Arnold, L.
G/6798 Ashdown, G.
G/946 Ashford, T. W.
G/23747 Axtell, R. P.
G/3128 Babbage, H. A.
S/10707 Back, W. F.
G/13145 Bagnall, H.
L/9592 Bailey, A. E.
G/2051 Bailey, R. G.
G/338 Baines, T.
G/4744 Baker, G. E.
G/4210 Baker, W.
L/8799 Baldock, J.
G/17710 Baldwin, C. H.
G/449 Baldwin, J. W.
G/18137 Barden, G.
G/2606 Barnard, A.
G/4732 Barnard, W. J.
G/2263 Barnes, E.
T/270631 Barratt, D. F.
G/12739 Barrett, C. A.
L/8967 Batchelor, A.
G/3596 Batt, A. H.
G/6365 Beach, H. A.
G/257 Beeching, A. O.
G/1008 Bell, J. A.
L/9977 Bellamy, V. S.
L/9185 Benge, W. C.
G/20203 Beresford, T. M., M.M.
G/1831 Berry, D. W.
G/5282 Best, C.
L/9364 Bevan, G., M.M.
T/240411 Bevan, F. H.
L/8284 Bishop, F.
G/18689 Blackford, C. S.
G/138 Blown, J.
G/5535 Bloxam, F.
G/8697 Blunden, P. C.
G/18720 Bolst, N. J.
L/7608 Bone, D.
L/9198 Booth, W. H.
G/6489 Borley, A. L.
G/6490 Borley, S. J.
L/9667 Boxall, L.
G/1060 Bradford, C.
G/838 Brasher, W.
T/206093 Breckon, T.
G/2652 Brenchley, G., M.M.
L/9450 Bridgland, H.
G/20957 Briggs, E. W.
T/470 Bringlow, T.
G/2500 Brockman, G. P.
L/10492 Brome, H.
L/8936 Brook, R. E.
G/8385 Brooks, G. R., M.M.
L/9225 Broughton, A.
S/7033 Brown, C. D.
G/2336 Brown, E. G.
G/146 Brown, J.
S/886 Brown, R. J.
G/12746 Brown, W.
L/7716 Browning, J. W.
G/10270 Buckland, W. E.
G/18980 Bugg, J. W., D.C.M.
T/2408 Burgess, C. D. W.
L/9719 Burgess, J. H.
L/9089 Burrows, J.
S/10621 Burton, W. C.
G/1000 Butcher, A. H.
G/6547 Butler, H. H.
G/18989 Caress, J. T.
G/15855 Carey, A. V., M.M.
G/1997 Carey, G. J.
G/3663 Carr, C. T.
G/2309 Castle, E. H.
G/11676 Castle, T. W.
G/7583 Catling, F.
T/270364 Cavell, J. L.
G/4673 Chandler, C.
G/12947 Chantler, T. W.
G/8975 Chapman, B. F.
L/10075 Chapman, E.
G/6681 Chapman, H. V.
G/1059 Chapman, J.
G/14154 Childs, J. A.
G/3565 Christmas, J. W.
G/12690 Clack, E.
T/241341 Clappinson, J. G.
G/13329 Clark, W. H.
L/9192 Clarke, A. R.
T/241240 Clarkson, H. J.
G/7332 Clifton, F.
L/8334 Cole, H. W.
G/3062 Coleman, P. W.
G/8753 Coles, H. W.
G/4523 Collins, H. H.
L/10118 Conrade, A. E.
G/9042 Constant, J.
T/270936 Cook, W. J.
G/14967 Coombes, T. J.
G/8989 Coombs, F.
L/6341 Cooper, E.
L/8921 Cooper, H. W.
G/9756 Coppen, C. H.
L/10577 Cork, F.
G/1049 Corsan, J.
G/11553 Couldridge, H. A.
G/293 Court, F. D.
L/9505 Cox, G. H.
G/1119 Cox, T. H.
T/240051 Cramp, C.
T/241261 Creek, G.
G/1245 Crick, C. G.
G/7 Croft, J. F.
G/2094 Cronin, W. E.
G/3908 Crook, H.
G/6814 Crossley, J. W.
L/8865 Crouch, W. J.
L/8407 Cullen, A., M.M.
G/12501 Cummings, P. J. D.
G/11678 Curzon, R.
G/18748 Dagg, C. C.
L/8536 Dale, G. W.
G/864 Daniels, A. H.
G/2568 Darrell, G.
G/4315 Davies, R.
L/6861 Davis, R. F. L.
G/14421 Davis, T. G.
G/4601 Day, A.
G/12820 Deacon, F.
G/1883 Denney, F.
L/9525 Dennis, T. A.
G/4265 Dennis, W.
S/9875 Deverson, L.
L/8696 Doherty, A.
G/839 Dommett, J. S.
G/718 Dove, G.
G/18958 Downham, W.
L/8663 Drury, F.
L/6842 Dunn, W. J.
T/240455 Dunnett, F.
L/9985 Dunnings, W.
G/902 Durbridge, A.
L/9851 Dyer, F. J.
G/1228 Eade, F. G.
G/7703 Eacott, H. V.
G/13194 Eddy, A.
G/12821 Edwards, W. W.
L/8539 Elms, W. L.
G/5283 Eve, W. E. E.
L/9861 Fagg, J. T.
L/9843 Farrell, W.
S/649 Fayers, W. E.
L/9919 Fedarb, R. A.
S/268 Felton, H. W.
S/820 Field, W. E.
G/3002 Finn, J. W.
G/20207 Fleming, J.
G/3510 Floyd, G. T.
G/3155 Ford, E. G.
L/8690 Foord, W. H.
G/15783 Foote, S. A. L.
L/9043 Forster, W. G.
G/17605 Foulsham, J. H.
G/4802 Fox, G. E.
G/12683 Franklin, T.
L/10041 Fray, P. E.
G/3422 Fricker, H. A.
G/4730 Friend, H. C.
L/9894 Fruin, T. E.
L/8163 Fuller, J. G.
G/343 Fuller, R. J.
G/3696 Gascoine, C. H. G.
G/6959 Gaskell, J.
G/3907 Gaston, G. E.
L/9429 George, F. E.
G/3502 Giles, E. A.
L/8972 Gilham, A.
G/24273 Gilham, B. E.
G/1510 Gilson, H. W.
G/1667 Gledhill, G.
G/566 Glover, J.
L/8558 Goatham, C.
G/1727 Goddard, H. C.
L/9036 Godden, A. E.
S/10806 Godin, A. E.
G/4375 Goldfinch, N.
G/20815 Goldsmith, V. A.
T/200097 Goodall, G. H.
G/18946 Grand, F.
T/203643 Green, A.
T/241232 Green, A.
T/3281 Green, F.
G/792 Griggs, T. J.
T/1335 Grossman, L. H.
L/9313 Gunn, A. E.
G/3130 Halfacre, S.
L/8484 Hall, G. A.
G/6363 Halliday, W.
G/2142 Halsey, C.
L/10040 Hamblin, C. C.
T/203572 Hammond, T.
L/9449 Hankins, J. J. F.
T/270053 Hardaker, J. H.
L/9732 Hare, F. W.
S/10810 Harris, H.
G/2254 Harrison, R.
G/470 Hatcher, E. S.
G/847 Hatter, C.
L/9427 Hawkes, F.
L/8547 Higgs, F.
T/242936 Hill, F. J.
S/8398 Hines, H. T.
L/9862 Hinkley, F. R.
T/270789 Hoare, F. D.
L/9015 Hoare, W. R.
G/22495 Hoath, R. L.
G/2268 Hobbs, W.
G/17755 Hockley, C. H.
T/241674 Hodges, H. E. G.
G/13617 Hodgkins, P. W.
G/8980 Hollands, F. T.
G/3990 Hollman, A. L.
G/6827 Holt, C. F.
G/15808 Holtum, L. E.
G/3668 Hooker, W. J.
T/240382 Hopcraft, A.
G/622 Horne, G.
G/5334 Horswell, F.
G/945 Hoskins, C.
G/4888 Hover, E. A.
G/18874 Howard, H. J.
G/386 Huggin, B.
L/6814 Hughes, G.
T/203948 Hunt, H. O.
G/18793 Hurry, J. D.
G/20816 Hurst, A. E.
G/2333 Hutchinson, F. F.
L/7546 Hutchinson, H. J.
L/6719 Iddenden, E.
G/8905 Ide, L. G.
L/7640 Ireland, W.
G/8499 Jackson, A. C.
T/240840 Jagelman, S. A.
G/13225 James, T. H.
G/4067 Jannoti, L.
G/2822 Jarman, W. T., M.M.
G/13095 Jeffrey, R.
G/1389 Jenkins, A. C.
L/7624 Jennings, C.
T/203570 Jode, E.
L/9268 Johncock, R. M.
G/1301 Johnes, G. W.
L/8784 Johns, F. G.
G/8824 Johnson, H. R.
T/243007 Johnson, W.
L/5959 Johnson, W.
G/246 Jones, N. A.
G/9025 Jones, W. G.
G/2761 Jordan, A.
T/1791 Jordan, G. H.
L/9031 Judd, E.
L/9706 Judge, F. T.
G/15632 Keates, A., M.M.
G/3137 Keefe, W.
G/6277 Keen, L. R.
G/4108 Keen, T. W.
G/6153 Kendall, J.
L/9485 Kennett, T.
L/7595 Kesby, W. W.
G/1769 Kilby, W.
G/13676 King, J.
G/1538 King, P. J.
L/7854 Kingdom, C.
G/11792 Knight, A. E.
G/9127 Knight, A. S., M.M.
T/242678 Knight, A. E.
T/3589 Knight, G. A.
G/474 Knight, V. J.
G/5133 Knight, W. J.
G/4569 Lake, H. J.
L/9878 Lake, J. A.
G/18045 Lamb, H. C.
G/2996 Lambert, C.
L/7200 Lambkin, W.
T/176 Lawford, P. J.
L/8520 Lawson, W. H.
G/5224 Leach, C. W.
G/7015 Ledger, R.
L/8154 Lee, C. S.
G/26638 Lee, J. S.
G/2579 Lee, T.
G/13892 Lishman, J.
G/7148 Lloyd, A. F.
G/4814 Lond, A. R.
G/19145 Long, J. S.
G/9727 Lott, W.
G/9048 Low, S. J.
G/11928 Lucas, F. C.
G/452 Luck, G., D.C.M.
L/7772 Lusted, A. P.
L/10154 Malnick, G.
G/1728 Mandale, J. T.
G/25 Mann, H.
T/270592 Marsden, W. G.
L/7653 Marsh, A.
L/9781 Martin, F. A.
L/6523 Martin, J. B.
G/2455 Martin, L. F.
G/14206 Mason, G. E.
G/10081 Mason, W.
G/3044 Mather, F.
G/8459 Maxted, H. J.
G/4123 May, A.
G/8529 May, W. E.
L/8871 McAlpine, A. W.
L/8527 McDonald, W. G.
L/6370 Mepham, H. F.
G/15646 Mercer, P.
S/53 Merrick, W.
T/202957 Miller, G. T.
G/2524 Miller, J. T.
G/12974 Millgate, W.
L/7548 Mills, P. J.
S/648 Mills, R.
T/200642 Milton, H. T.
L/8868 Minter, E. W.
L/8833 Mitchell, L.
L/8767 Morgan, F.
G/25406 Morgan, T. Ll.
S/10666 Moss, W.
G/6229 Mott, J.
G/4107 Moyce, H. S.
L/10181 Moys, H. W.
G/4870 Mundy, W. V.
G/749 Murch, H. W.
L/9743 Murrell, A. J.
G/527 Newble, E.
G/13566 Newman, P. C.
G/1266 Newton, H. H.
G/14460 Newell, F. G., M.M.
G/1020 Nichols, A. V.
G/1141 Nickes, E. E.
T/6136 Norfolk, S.
L/9502 Nutley, F. E.
G/4176 O’Connor, E. J.
G/2292 Orsler, H. J. E.
T/240752 Osborne, H.
L/9263 Osborne, T. E.
S/349 Ovenden, H. J.
L/8660 Page, S.
G/7881 Palmer, J. E.
L/10204 Palmer, J.
G/13148 Palmer, L. G.
L/8548 Parker, L.
G/132 Parsons, H.
G/14466 Patching, W. M.
G/5577 Pearce, S. G.
G/6316 Peerless, V., M.M.
L/8611 Penfold, H.
S/10278 Perrem, S. W.
G/18973 Perry, J.
G/225 Petts, W. C.
G/3455 Petty, J.
G/6812 Phelps, A. J.
L/9713 Philpott, G.
L/8713 Phipps, F. E.
G/8273 Pike, A.
G/5223 Pile, W. J.
L/9834 Poole, J.
G/278 Poole, T.
G/2551 Pooley, J. P.
L/6477 Potter, J. T.
G/6802 Povey, S. A.
L/8552 Powell, P.
G/4322 Pyle, H. W.
L/8916 Quinnell, O. J.
T/6137 Quinton, L. L.
G/1797 Randall, P. A.
G/4725 Raper, W.
G/9320 Rayner, F. W., M.M.
G/20113 Read, F. G.
G/4392 Read, S. T.
G/3484 Reed, J.
G/5558 Reeves, W. F.
G/15669 Reid, G. H. S.
G/12959 Rich, G. E.
G/5872 Richardson, E.
T/203977 Richardson, G. H.
G/1262 Richardson, H.
T/243012 Richardson, P.
T/265243 Ride, H. J.
L/10001 Rigden, G.
T/270584 Roberts, K.
G/2172 Robinson, C. W.
G/6921 Robson, C. M.
S/10613 Rogers, F. C.
L/9106 Roots, A.
G/6632 Rosendale, F. W.
G/89 Rowe, H.
S/9359 Ruane, B. T.
G/6543 Rudland, G.
G/852 Ruffett, G. H.
S/10969 Russell, A.
T/200204 Russell, F.
G/1140 Russell, J. A.
S/10560 Russell, J. H.
G/13314 Rutter, W.
G/15805 Salame, J.
G/3399 Saunders, F. St. J.
G/6067 Saunders, H. P.
L/10035 Savage, F.
S/10430 Savage, R. S.
L/9979 Sayer, H. G.
G/1942 Scott, J. E. R.
S/637 Scriven, W. T.
G/15812 Scutt, V. A.
L/9783 Seath, T. W.
L/10373 Setterfield, W.
G/1520 Sewell, L. D.
L/9980 Shapcott, R. C.
G/4707 Shaxted, W. H.
S/8999 Shea, O.
G/2546 Sherwood, C.
G/9735 Shillits, W. H.
L/7648 Ship, F. A.
G/4022 Shipp, D.
G/20801 Shirley, C. H.
T/243013 Shoveller, H. J.
L/8397 Shrubsole, J.
G/17628 Sines, H.
G/12932 Sizer, C. A.
S/10813 Smallwood, A.
S/10400 Smith, A. E.
L/10036 Smith, A. T. J.
G/3032 Smith, F.
T/1093 Smith, F. G.
G/24040 Smith, H. D., M.M.
L/9656 Smith, J. G.
G/3961 Smith, J. H., D.C.M., M.M.
L/8029 Smith, T.
T/1790 Smith, V.
G/2667 Smith, W. E.
L/8823 Solley, W.
G/3906 Solly, G. C. L.
G/5389 Sonntag, F.
T/200817 Spain, A. C.
G/9053 Spanner, C. E. A.
T/1068 Spice, A. S.
L/7724 Spillett, V.
L/7625 Squires, R.
G/23604 Stace, G. W.
L/7740 Standen, F. E.
L/9808 Stanley, L. G.
L/9363 Startup, A.
G/13355 Stauffer, R.
L/8381 Stedman, G.
L/8819 Stevens, A. S.
G/13379 Stone, A.
S/158 Stone, W.
G/77 Storr, P. F.
L/9091 Stratford, E. W.
L/6985 Street, F. D.
T/204442 Street, R. H.
L/6850 Streetley, A.
G/2912 Stribling, C. H.
L/9098 Stuckey, A. J.
L/8359 Sutton, A. G. L.
G/10213 Swallow, T. H.
G/23845 Swann, P. F.
L/8515 Tabrett, H. J.
L/7988 Tabrett, S.
L/10226 Thomas, E. S.
G/4567 Thomas, W.
T/242822 Thompson, F.
G/510 Thompson, P.
G/4520 Tibbles, J.
T/203050 Timson, M. S.
G/6278 Tookey, A. H.
T/1358 Topham, G.
G/15019 Tupper, J.
G/8829 Turner, F.
L/9132 Tutt, G.
G/15700 Uden, R.
G/3078 Vickery, H. H.
L/9550 Veitch, G. A.
S/153 Warren, M.
L/9338 Watson, E.
G/3412 Watts, R. H.
L/5728 Webb, C.
G/13258 Webb, G.
L/9911 Webster, C.
G/885 Weeden, H. E.
L/4580 Weller, F.
L/6938 Wells, A. L.
S/10416 Wells, G.
T/206013 Welsh, W.
G/1425 Weston, W.
L/7766 Wheeler, F.
G/19495 Wheeler, F.
G/1308 Wheeler, J. A.
G/67 White, A.
G/3361 White, F.
S/8453 White, T.
G/3475 Whitman, A. E.
G/8841 Whybourn, J.
G/1676 Wilkinson, N.
G/584 Willey, A.
G/13747 Williams, A.
G/9755 Williams, F.
G/9815 Williams, F. C.
G/12786 Williams, H. S.
G/20116 Williams, P. J.
G/2234 Williams, W.
G/18674 Wilson, B.
L/8827 Wilson, S., D.C.M., M.M.
L/9936 Winfield, S. J.
G/3710 Wise, D. W., M.M.
S/710 Wisking, G.
G/1326 Wood, C. V.
G/5870 Wood, E. F.
L/10462 Wood, T. J.
G/13861 Woodley, W. J.
G/12968 Woods, A. W.
G/840 Woodward, L. C.
G/12964 Worsfold, A.
L/8540 Wyatt, G.
L/6570 Wynder, J.
G/543 Young, T.
S/10601 Youngs, A. B.
DRUMMERS
L/8113 Beer, W. E.
L/8199 Bingham, A. W. G.
L/9622 Dundas, R. S.
L/7785 Firks, E. H.
G/6090 Gallow, A. E.
T/1023 Joy, W.
L/8309 Penn, A. G.
L/8569 Royes, E. G.
L/9078 Rye, T. E.
T/153 Saunders, W. C.
L/7813 Sharp, T. A. F. J.
L/5753 Smith, W. A.
L/9136 Summers, H. R.
G/10838 Tyler, F. W.
L/8965 White, W. J.
PRIVATES
G/9221 Abbott, A. L. V.
G/3342 Abbott, E.
G/15761 Abbott, J. S.
G/14138 Abbott, V. F.
G/4189 Abbott, W.
G/22404 Abel, C. W.
G/8373 Abel, R.
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G/25652 West, F. W.
G/5613 Westbrook, W.
G/17392 Westlake, H. G. S.
L/5748 Weston, F. J.
G/7068 Whale, R. F.
G/26642 Wheatley, A.
L/10276 Wheatley, A. J.
T/206156 Wheatley, H.
G/3334 Wheeler, C.
G/8574 Wheeler, F. G.
G/392 Wheeler, I. A.
L/10209 Whenham, H. S.
L/8620 Whiddett, G.
G/6843 Whitby, G. E.
G/8624 White, E. E.
L/7918 White, G. T.
G/20008 White, J. A.
G/13260 White, J.
G/6889 White, J. F.
G/17491 White, L. V.
G/21833 White, L. S.
G/20177 White, N. E.
G/2559 White, P.
G/17471 White, R. W.
S/245 White, R. H.
G/1987 White, W. E.
G/5454 White, W.
L/9440 White, W. D.
L/9522 White, W. J.
S/10367 White, W. T.
T/1167 Whitehead, A.
G/11100 Whitehead, J.
G/19030 Whitehead, L.
G/11669 Whiteley, G.
G/22145 Whiteman, W.
G/12940 Whiting, C. A.
L/8811 Whittingham, C. E.
G/404 Whittingham, G. H.
G/14889 Whittington, G. W.
G/3962 Whittington, H.
L/9347 Whyatt, S. A.
S/334 Whybrow, W. J.
T/2103 Wickens, F.
L/10039 Wicker, H.
T/1160 Wickham, T. H.
G/20183 Wiffen, E.
G/2286 Wiffen, T.
G/2900 Wigg, G. A.
G/14557 Wigg, W.
T/204112 Wilber, T.
G/13959 Wilbraham, W. J.
G/8005 Wilcox, A. H.
G/12863 Wiles, A.
G/5721 Wiles, H.
G/2841 Wiles, L. W.
G/18677 Wiles, P. H.
G/1774 Wilkins, H.
L/8100 Wilkins, J.
G/6523 Wilkinson, E. W.
G/1124 Wilkinson, W. J.
G/308 Willard, J.
G/9030 Willard, M. W.
G/1551 Willard, R.
G/2227 Willett, H.
L/9323 Willey, C. F.
G/25565 Williams, A. J.
T/1422 Williams, B. J.
L/10316 Williams, C.
G/1087 Williams, C. D.
G/4178 Williams, E.
G/12719 Williams, E. A.
L/8974 Williams, E. C.
G/405 Williams, E. H.
G/21199 Williams, F. A.
G/20054 Williams, G.
T/206029 Williams, G.
S/249 Williams, H. E.
G/14256 Williams, J.
L/9961 Williams, J.
L/6049 Williams, J. A.
G/6504 Williams, P.
G/1107 Williams, T.
L/9690 Williams, T. D.
G/6834 Williams, W.
G/17477 Williams, W. C.
S/8322 Williams, W. G.
G/26567 Williams, W. S.
G/1664 Williamson, H.
G/40 Willis, H.
L/10511 Willis, J.
G/4676 Willis, T.
G/23944 Willis, T.
G/3955 Willis, W.
G/8917 Willmore, G. H.
G/18871 Willmott, F.
G/17407 Willoughby, L. J.
G/9020 Wilshire, C. E.
G/17 Wilson, A.
G/3445 Wilson, A.
G/1084 Wilson, A. E.
G/23943 Wilson, F. W.
G/29262 Wilson, H.
G/303 Wilson, H.
G/9888 Wilson, H.
G/6660 Wilson, H.
L/10605 Wilson, H. P.
G/5506 Wilson, H. W.
S/10777 Wilson, J. C.
G/17385 Wilson, R.
G/5671 Wilson, R. H.
G/4820 Wilson, S. H.
G/14565 Wilson, T.
G/11866 Wilson, W.
S/10848 Wiltshire, H. W.
L/10070 Winch, J.
G/13289 Winch, O. E.
G/1355 Winchcombe, A. J.
G/5247 Winchester, W. S.
G/5867 Winder, C.
G/7565 Winkley, J. R.
G/9558 Winson, L.
G/6372 Winter, A. E.
G/7505 Winter, W.
G/12573 Winterbottom, F.
G/6522 Winterbottom, R.
G/17676 Winterflood, W.
G/21187 Wisbey, L.
L/8345 Wisdom, W.
L/8239 Wise, W.
G/13611 Witch, P. C.
G/22700 Wollett, E. E.
G/13307 Wood, A. E.
L/9065 Wood, A. H.
L/9869 Wood, C. E.
G/585 Wood, D.
G/5064 Wood, F.
G/9388 Wood, H.
G/729 Wood, H.
G/1957 Wood, H. J.
G/20839 Wood, H. T.
G/3718 Wood, J.
G/26440 Wood, L. A. G.
G/8581 Wood, R. G.
L/9182 Wood, R.
G/5541 Wood, T.
S/341 Wood, W. C.
G/8852 Wood, W. F.
G/3940 Wood, W. H.
G/14135 Wood, W. H.
S/10588 Wood, W. J.
G/48 Woodcock, E.
T/1132 Woodcock, N.
G/18926 Woodfield, W. C.
G/1086 Woodhouse, R. W.
G/10135 Woodland, E.
G/15718 Woodland, H.
G/4086 Woodley, F.
G/13180 Woodman, W. T.
G/323 Woods, E.
G/6788 Woodward, A.
S/216 Woodward, A. J.
S/10736 Woodward, B. J.
G/14952 Woodward, F. J.
G/1921 Woodward, H.
G/5606 Woodward, H. H.
L/8516 Woodwards, F. J.
G/15719 Woolf, J. W.
L/10385 Woolgar, C. M.
L/9956 Woollett, H.
T/1411 Woollett, T.
G/8044 Woolley, W. H.
L/10502 Woolven, S.
G/14494 Woplin, J.
G/20033 Worley, B. E.
G/1701 Wormald, S. O.
G/17470 Worman, A. A.
G/987 Wormley, H.
T/240190 Worsley, C.
G/4302 Worster, D. E.
L/9071 Wotherspoon, A. W.
G/13383 Wraight, A. B.
S/352 Wraight, G. A.
L/6991 Wraight, W. G.
L/10046 Wraith, J. A.
T/203618 Wratten, A.
G/5178 Wrench, G.
G/1065 Wretham, A.
S/10637 Wright, A.
L/7568 Wright, A. E.
G/14580 Wright, E.
G/20021 Wright, E. V.
S/379 Wright, F. G.
G/4661 Wright, F. W.
L/7680 Wright, G. T.
G/20908 Wright, H. C.
S/420 Wright, H. H.
G/29257 Wright, J.
G/3204 Wright, J. G.
L/9101 Wright, R. L.
T/20061 Wright, T.
S/10468 Wright, W. G.
G/1790 Wright, W. H.
G/3355 Wyatt, G. E.
G/2849 Wyatt, W.
G/1435 Wyborn, C. G.
G/8930 Wyeth, J. T.
G/7223 Wyett, H.
G/13354 Yates, A. A.
G/14031 Yates, A.
T/241546 Yates, J.
G/10373 York, A.
G/6088 Young, C. T.
G/3056 Young, F.
S/87 Young, F. G.
T/2427 Young, F. G.
G/6635 Young, H.
G/8160 Young, J.
T/201043 Young, S. W. T.
G/14287 Youngman, G.
G/24721 Zealey, G.
APPENDIX III
REWARDS
ALL RANKS
(The ranks shown are those held at the time of award)
V.C.
Cotter, W. R., L.-Corpl., 6707.
K.C.B.
Bainbridge, Major-General E. G. T., C.B.
Lynden-Bell, Major-General Sir A. L., K.C.M.G., C.B.
C.B.
Hill, Lt.-Colonel H. C. de la M.
Lynden-Bell, Major-General A. L., C.M.G.
McDouall, Br.-General R., C.M.G., D.S.O.
K.C.M.G.
Lynden-Bell, Major-General A. L., C.B., C.M.G.
C.M.G.
Finch Hatton, Lt.-Colonel E. H., D.S.O.
Hulke, Lt.-Colonel L. I. B.
McDouall, Colonel R., D.S.O.
Porter, Br.-General C. ’L., D.S.O.
Vyvyan, Colonel Sir C. B., Bart., C.B.
C.H.
Perrott, Colonel Sir H. C., Bart., C.B.
C.B.E.
Findlay, Colonel H.
McDouall, Lt.-Colonel R., C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O.
D.S.O.
Barnard, Major W. G. F.
Beevor, Lt.-Colonel M.
Body, Captain J.
Chapman, Major G. A. E.
Crookenden, Major J.
Friend, Lt.-Colonel R. S. I.
Green, Lt.-Colonel H. W.
Groves-Raines, Captain R. G. D.
Hayfield, Captain C. D., M.C.
Kirkpatrick, Lt.-Colonel H. F.
Lee, Major G., M.C.
Lucas, Major L. W., M.C.
Marshall, Captain F. A. J. E., M.C.
Morgan, Major H. de R.
Porter, Br.-General C. ’L.
Potter, Captain H. B.
Power, Lt.-Colonel R. E.
Sebastian, Captain E. G.
Smeltzer, Lt.-Colonel A. S., M.C.
Stronge, Lt.-Colonel H. C. T., M.C.
Studd, Lt.-Colonel F. C. R.
Thewles, Lt.-Colonel H. A.
Trevor, Major W. H.
Whitmarsh, Captain A. J.
CLASP TO D.S.O.
Body, Lt.-Colonel J., D.S.O.
Kirkpatrick, Lt.-Colonel H. F., D.S.O.
Ransome, Lt.-Colonel A. L., D.S.O. (Dorsetshire Regt.).[37]
Smeltzer, Lt.-Colonel A. S., D.S.O., M.C.
SECOND CLASP TO D.S.O.
Curtis, Lt.-Colonel H. M. C., D.S.O. (6/N. Staffordshire Regt.).[37]
O.B.E.
Body, Lt.-Colonel J., D.S.O.
Booth, Major W. H., D.S.O.
Dixon, Captain G. S.
Eaton, Lt.-Colonel W. A.
Forwood, Major H., D.C.M.
Gosling, Lt.-Colonel G., T.D.
Messel, Lt.-Colonel L. C. R., T.D.
Raikes, Lieut. W. O.
Ternan, Major H. A. B.
Trueman, Lt.-Colonel A. P. H.
Ward, Captain H. E.
M.B.E.
Barber, Lieut. L. W.
Beale, Captain G. S.
Corney, Lieut. A.
Cree, Captain H. F.
Filmer, Captain W. G. H.
Hardy, Major H. S., M.C.
Marshall, Lieut. F. A. J. E., D.S.O., M.C.
Mockett, Captain V.
Munday, Lieut. W. T.
Silverwood-Cope, Captain A. L.
Thomson, Captain A. B.
Watson, Captain F. W.
Wilkins, Captain D. A.
Wilson, Lieut. C. E.
M.C.
Allen, Captain J. F. W.
Anderson, Captain D. K.
Anderson, 2nd Lieut. L.
Asprey, 2nd Lieut. P. R.
Aylward, Lieut. J. A. S.
Baldry, No. G/1851 C.S.M. P. W., M.M.
Barber, Lieut. L. W.
Beagley, 2nd Lieut. F. P.
Beswick, Captain A. H.
Birrell, Captain W. R.
Black, Captain C. K.
Bond, 2nd Lieut. H. G.
Bremner, Lieut. C. J.
Brice, Captain M. M.
Brock, Lieut. A. G.
Brown, 2nd Lieut. G.
Brown, 2nd Lieut. T. A.
Campbell, Captain D. S.
Caney, 2nd Lieut. C.
Carles, Captain C. W.
Carter, Captain E. A.
Cattley, Captain C. F.
Causton, Captain L. P.
Chapman, Lieut. C. M. B.
Chapman, Lieut. E. R.
Chater, 2nd Lieut. E. C.
Chilvers, 2nd Lieut. J. E.
(Christopherson, Rev. N. C.)
Church, 2nd Lieut. G. W.
Clapperton, Captain T.
Clarke, Lieut. A. H.
Clouting, 2nd Lieut. C. E.
Cockeram, 2nd Lieut. P. A.
Connell, Lieut. W. C.
Corrall, Captain W. R.
Cotching, 2nd Lieut. E. G.
Dangerfield, 2nd Lieut. P.
Darling, 2nd Lieut. W. H. J.
Davies, Captain B. E.
Davis, 2nd Lieut. W. C.
D’Elboux, Lieut. R. H.
Emery, Major T. S.
Farmer, 2nd Lieut. T. C.
Ferguson, 2nd Lieut. D. G.
Figgis, Lieut. L. P.
Fine, Captain H.
Fiske, Lieut. C. W.
Fox, 2nd Lieut. P. R. H.
Friend, Captain J. I. H.
Gerard, 2nd Lieut. G. V.
Gold, Lieut. H. A.
Grant, 2nd Lieut. D.
Gray, 2nd Lieut. W. R.
Greig, Lieut. P. H.
Griffiths, 2nd Lieut. F. H.
Gullick, Captain C. D.
Gunther, 2nd Lieut. N. O. F.
Hale, Lieut. F. W.
Hall, 2nd Lieut. E. Foster.
Hamilton, Lieut. G. F.
Hanmer, 2nd Lieut. A. J.
Hardy, Captain H. S.
Harrison, No. 8798 C.S.M. A.
Hatfield, Captain C. E.
Haughton, Lieut. M. G.
Hawkins, No. 2948 R.S.M. A.
Hayfield, 2nd Lieut. C. D.
Hendin, 2nd Lieut. D. W.
Hicks, 2nd Lieut. P.
Holder, Lieut. F. D.
Hollis, 2nd Lieut. C. F. G.
Howcroft, Lieut. G. J.
Howgrave-Graham, Captain A. H.
Hudson, 2nd Lieut. F. N.
Hughes, 2nd Lieut. J. H.
Hunter, Captain H.
Jacobs, Lieut. B.
Jacobs, Lieut. I. A.
Jeffrey, No. S/191 S.-M. W.
Jessel, Lieut. G.
Johnston, Captain W. T.
Jones, 2nd Lieut. G. M.
Jones, 2nd Lieut. H. L.
Kenchington, Captain A. G.
Keown, Lieut. R. W.
Kidd, Lieut. L. G. M.
Laverton, Captain W. R. C.
Lawrence, 2nd Lieut. W. B.
Lee, Captain G.
Liles, 2nd Lieut. R. W.
Lilley, 2nd Lieut. A. A.
Lindley, Lieut. G.
Lister, 2nd Lieut. D. S.
Lucas, Captain L. W.
McCallum, Lieut. A.
Macfadyen, Lieut. W. A.
Marchant, Captain F. O.
Marchant, 2nd Lieut. S. H. S.
Marshall, Lieut. F. A. J. E.
Mason-Springgay, 2nd Lieut. W. H.
Mathias, 2nd Lieut. C. A. S.
Maxted, No. 141 C.S.M. G. W.
Milles, Lieut. H. L.
Mitchell, Lieut. H. V.
Morley, 2nd Lieut. H. L.
Morrell, Captain F. A.
Morse, 2nd Lieut. E. V.
Moss, Lieut. V. Newton.
Nicholas, Captain W. L. J.
Nicholson, 2nd Lieut. A. C. L.
Page, Captain J. C.
Pannell, 2nd Lieut. H.
Parnis, Lieut. W. H.
Peake, Captain W.
Peckham, Lieut. G. H.
Piper, Lieut. J. D.
Pritchard, No. 635 C.S.M. W. J.
Prothero, Captain L. E. A.
Ralph, No. 6170 C.S.M. E. W.
Reader, 2nd Lieut. C. H. A.
Reid, Lieut. T. R.
Routley, 2nd Lieut. E. G.
Sandilands, Captain R. B.
Sankey, 2nd Lieut. C. M.
Scarlett, Captain Hon. P. G.
Shafto, 2nd Lieut. J. S. H.
Shaw-Lawrence, 2nd Lieut. L. E.
Sherwill, 2nd Lieut. A. J.
Smeltzer, 2nd Lieut. A. S.
Spence, Captain F. A.
Stainforth, Captain A. G. C.
Stevens, 2nd Lieut. E. A. M.
Stevens, 2nd Lieut. G. E. W.
Stevens, Lieut. H. F.
Stevens, 2nd Lieut. W. T.
Strauss, Captain B. L.
Stronge, Captain H. C. T.
Tatam, 2nd Lieut. V. G. H.
Temple, 2nd Lieut. W. H.
Thornhill, Lieut. G. R.
Thornley, 2nd Lieut. J. D.
Toynbee, Lieut. J. W. H.
Tupper, 2nd Lieut. H.
Turk, 2nd Lieut. J.
Tyrrell, Captain G. Y.
Vaughan, 2nd Lieut. J.
Vertue, Captain N. G.
Walters, 2nd Lieut. W. M.
Weare, Captain F. G. C.
Wellman, Lieut. R. S.
Whitaker, Captain F.
Whitmarsh, Captain A. J., D.S.O.
Wilkinson, 2nd Lieut. F. D.
Williams, 2nd Lieut. W. T.
Willis, Lieut. L. C.
Wood, Captain C. J.
Wood, Captain Ll.
Worster, 2nd Lieut. A. F.
Wort, Captain P. C.
Wray, 2nd Lieut. A. M.
Wyatt, 2nd Lieut. M. J.
CLASP TO M.C.
Black, Captain C. K., M.C.
Gullick, Captain C. D., M.C.
Hamilton, Captain G. F., M.C.
Hayfield, Lieut. C. D., M.C.
Jacobs, Captain B., M.C.
Kidd, Captain L. G. M., M.C.
McCallum, Captain A., M.C.
Morrell, Captain F. A., M.C.
Moss, Captain V. Newton, M.C.
Nicholson, Captain A. C. L., M.C.
Toynbee, Captain J. W. H., M.C.
Tupper, Lieut. H., M.C.
Worster, 2nd Lieut. A. F., M.C.
SECOND CLASP TO M.C.
Hayfield, Captain C. D., M.C.
Nicholson, Captain A. C. L., M.C.
WARRANT AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN
D.C.M.
NAME. RANK. REGTL. NO.
Adams, J. T. L.-Corpl. 135
Amos, E. T. Pte. 9904
Andrews, A. W. R.S.M. L/7051
Ashby, F. C.S.M. G/15767
Atkinson, J. Pte. 240261
Avis, H. J. Corpl. 1519
Ayres, A. J. Sgt. G/6884
Bacon, F. N. Sgt. G/3494
Baker, F. Sgt. 8781
Barrell, G., M.S.M. C.S.M. L/9036
Barton, L. R. W. Pte. 200105
Batchelor, C. C., M.M. Sgt. G/3377
Bigg, W. J. L.-Sergt. L/8893
Bloomfield, F. Pte. 10017
Bridges, F. Pte. 1153
Brooker, J. G. C.S.M. 511
Brown, A. C.S.M. 8021
Bugg, J. W. Pte. 18980
Burt, W. C.Q.M.S. 3635
Butler, W. Sgt. 5148
Carey, F. W., M.M. L.-Corpl. 5800
Carpenter, J. C.S.M. 6541
Caselton, T. G. C.S.M. G/1940
Chapman, A. H. R. L.-Sergt. 2258
Coffin, W. C.S.M. G/1985
Coleman, A. C., M.M., M.S.M. Pte. 1898
Cooper, H. Pte. 7636
Court, E. J. T. Sgt. 8999
Crame, C. J. L.-Corpl. G/3301
Dennis, G. W. Corpl. 9038
Dines, D. W. R.S.M. 5957
Field, W. J. C.S.M. 8213
Forwood, H. Sgt. 8560
France, M., M.M. Sgt. G/12873
Geoghegan, J. L.-Corpl. 4659
Gettins, F. L.-Sergt. 1663
Goldfinch, A. H. Sgt. L/8205
Gurney, A. Pte. 241138
Hall, E. Pte. 9051
Hall, F. L.-Corpl. 242905
Hamer, T. Sgt. 4267
Hickson, H. C. C.S.M. 242779
Hoddinott, H. H. Pte. 243
Hodges, F. Pte. 10464
Jagger, J. J. L.-Corpl. 242907
Joy, H. Sgt. 983
Keal, A. C. Corpl. 3591
Lawrence, H. J. C.S.M. 241496
Lever, H. Sgt. 206086
Luck, G. L.-Corpl. 452
Lucy, S. L.-Corpl. 8077
McDonough, W. H. C.S.M. 9074
McNeir, J. M. Sgt. 8922
MacWalter, C. C. L.-Sergt. 8669
MacWalter, J. R., M.M. Sgt. 9682
Marsh, A. Corpl. 9603
Mason, L., M.M. Pte. G/4269
Mitchell, A. Pte. 206128
Mordey, P. Corpl. 8777
Neve, G. S. L.-Corpl. 8740
Newham, M. H. C.S.M. 241481
Newman, H. J. L.-Corpl. L/8801
Norrington, V. Corpl. G/4202
Ongley, A. V. Corpl. 9905
Page, R. E. C.S.M. 5777
Parsons, J. Pte. G/1295
Pass, W. W. Sgt. L/8270
Payne, C. Sgt. 200597
Peet, S. T. Pte. 3265
Pellandine, P. N. L. Corpl. 1341
Pells, T. R. Sgt. 1433
Peters, W. C.S.M. 201277
Phillips, H. T. Sgt. 1022
Poole, J. T., M.M. C.S.M. L/9405
Port, E. G. C.S.M. 6605
Randall, S. C.S.M. 9703
Reed, W., M.M. C.S.M. G/1147
Robinson, H. S. L.-Corpl. 1542
St. John, F. R. Sgt. 1111
Saunders, A. J. C.S.M. L/6243
Sheward, A. Pte. S/10800
Simkins, F. C. L.-Corpl. 1723
Simmons, A. C. Corpl. 9239
Smith, J., M.M. L.-Corpl. G/3961
Smith, V. R. Sgt. 8926
Smith, W. Pte. 5589
Souster, A. L.-Sergt. L/7613
Spiller, W. C., M.M. L.-Sergt. 9872
Spurgeon, C. Pte. 1402
Steel, G. J. L.-Sergt. 3620
Stewart, T. G. Sgt. G/2542
Streat, W. J. Pte. 5277
Swinyard, G. A. Sgt. 240072
Tamblin, W. H. Corpl. 957
Thorne, E. P. Pte. 1667
Tritton, G. A. Corpl. 4545
Turner, D. G. Sgt. 27052
Upton, P. C. Sgt. G/2561
Vincer, P. A., M.M. C.S.M. 7967
Waby, R. W. Sgt. G/3424
Westwood, J. Pte. 2432
Wickington, H. G., M.M. C.Q.M.S. G/1300
Wilson, S. Pte. L/8827
Woodhams, H. Sgt. G/9884
Wright, H. C. C.S.M. 5781
CLASP TO D.C.M.
Wright, H. C. C.S.M. 5781
MILITARY MEDAL
Abbott, B. E. J. C. P. Pte. G/22354
Abbott, J. T. Pte. 2440
Admans, S. A. L.-Corpl. 4217
Akers, B. J. L.-Corpl. 6556
Alexander, D. L.-Corpl. 8907
Alexander, F. P. Pte. G/15501
Allbright, T. L.-Corpl. G/26624
Allen, E. Pte. G/13261
Allen, G. E. Pte. 799
Allen, R. T. Corpl. 26591
Alsing, H. L.-Sergt. 1088
Ambers, F. D. L.-Corpl. G/1419
Anderson, A. A. L.-Corpl. G/540
Anderson, G. H. Pte. 883
Andrews, W. Corpl. 12943
Arman, W. Pte. 12980
Ashby, F., D.C.M. C.S.M. G/15767
Ashdown, C. Pte. 5855
Ashton, O. Sgt. 6003
Ashwell, W. E. Sgt. G/855
Atkinson, E. T. Pte. 1513
Austin, C. J. L.-Corpl. 12355
Ayres, A. J., D.C.M. Sgt. 6884
Baines, W. Pte. 10950
Baker, F. G. Pte. 8943
Baker, J. W. Pte. 10932
Baldry, P. W. Sgt. 1851
Barge, L. Pte. 1780
Barham, A. L.-Corpl. 20125
Barker, H. B. Sgt. 9577
Barnes, A. E. Pte. G/14040
Barrett, A. J. Sgt. 340
Barrett, F. R. L.-Corpl. 8343
Bartlett, W. L.-Sergt. G/11422
Barton, C. Pte. 1036
Batchelor, C. C. Corpl. 3377
Batchelor, J. G. B. Sgt. 1373
Beaumont, G. Pte. 2531
Bedford, S. V. Pte. G/14671
Bellchambers, F. J. Pte. G/8018
Beresford, T. M. L.-Corpl. 20203
Berry, G. E. Pte. 3237
Beslee, L. Corpl. G/2649
Best, W. Pte. 242088
Bethell, A. Pte. 1677
Betts, J. P. Pte. 270991
Betts, L. J. Sgt. 270760
Bevan, G. Pte. 9364
Bignell, F. Pte. 5263
Bing, L. Sgt. 707
Birchett, G. E. Pte. 9650
Black, J. Pte. 5936
Blackford, J. H. Pte. G/14241
Blackshaw, B. Pte. 7564
Blake, E. W. L.-Corpl. L/8588
Bloomfield, J. Sgt. L/8917
Boarer, W. Pte. 21069
Bolden, H. L.-Sergt. 1650
Bones, J. R. C.S.M. L/8522
Bones, W. Corpl. 15553
Bosely, P. H. Pte. 8229
Bourner, G. L.-Corpl. 8973
Bradley, A. Pte. 9399
Brazier, L. F. Pte. G/22060
Brenchley, G. Pte. 2652
Bridger, A. Pte. 17685
Brisley, A. T. Pte. 270125
Broadhurst, J. Pte. G/14592
Brookman, A. T. Cpl. G/15503
Brooks, G. R. Pte. 8385
Brown, H. Pte. G/22360
Brown, W. Pte. G/1411
Browne, G. L.-Sergt. 3232
Browning, A. Pte. 959
Brownrigg, P. D. Corpl. 6593
Brunger, W. T. Sgt. 781
Bullen, G. S. Pte. 21227
Burden, C. C. Sgt. L/8220
Bushell, F. E. F. Pte. 15564
Bushell, P. C. Pte. 2130
Buss, F. Sgt. 9981
Bussell, C. W. L.-Corpl. G/20197
Buxton, E. L.-Sergt. G/1243
Buzzard, J. L.-Corpl. 1838
Cain, J. C. L.-Corpl. G/2137
Caldwell, K. Pte. G/6770
Caley, B. L.-Sergt. G/7949
Callaghan, A. V. Sgt. 8181
Carey, A. V. L.-Corpl. G/15855
Carey, F. W. L.-Corpl. 5800
Carlin, J. Corpl. L/10559
Carpenter, F. L.-Corpl. G/5501
Carr, J., M.S.M. Sgt. L/8908
Caselton, T. G., D.C.M. C.S.M. G/1490
Cheshire, C. E. Sgt. 270743
Child, A. E. L.-Corpl. G/6696
Chivers, F. Pte. 8551
Clark, A. Pte. G/1975
Clements, C. W. Corpl. S/9983
Cochrane, G. L.-Corpl. 6364
Coleman, A. C. Pte. 1898
Colley, J. Corpl. 6984
Colley, W. Pte. S/8555
Collins, H. H. L.-Corpl. G/17393
Condray, T. B. Corpl. 6634
Cook, F. W. Pte. G/12814
Cook, W. F. Pte. G/8510
Cornell, W. Pte. 10769
Cotton, G. S. Corpl. G/979
Cotton, W. R. L.-Corpl. G/2727
County, S. W. Pte. 201544
Coxall, W. E. Pte. 11937
Creasey, F. W. J. Corpl. G/1459
Cremer, A. H. Corpl. G/7649
Croft, W. J. Pte. S/9428
Cross, J. Sgt. 9339
Cude, R. Pte. G/2192
Cullen, A. L.-Corpl. 8407
Curd, S. P. L.-Corpl. 9623
Curling, J. Corpl. G/13003
Daniel, N. Pte. 2622
Daniells, F. W. L.-Corpl. G/1162
Davis, J. W. Pte. 1886
Davis, W. S. C.S.M. 8385
Dennett, G. C. C. Pte. 271029
Denny, W. Sgt. 6812
Denton, W. W. Sgt. 270122
Dier, F. J. Pte. 270082
Dockerill, L. T. Pte. G/21070
Doddington, T. Pte. G/11225
Downes, E. Pte. 10019
Dowse, E. Sgt. 11008
Draper, A. Pte. 5299
Duff, W. G. Corpl. 5995
Dunn, W. A. H. Corpl. 270227
Dunning, G. Pte. 1626
Dykes, H. L.-Corpl. G/19175
Earl, F. L.-Corpl. 9822
Edwards, W. A. Sgt. 8512
Eldridge, E. G. Pte. 9979
Ellen, A. Pte. 8800
Elliott, E. Pte. L/6769
Ellis, T. F. Pte. G/25331
Elliss, F. H. L.-Corpl. 573
Elsey, T. L.-Corpl. 265246
Elson, A. Pte. 1712
Elson, F. Sgt. 4709
English, R. T. Sgt. L/9927
Ericksen, A. B. Pte. 204252
Evans, F. C. Sgt. 8155
Farmer, H. T. Pte. G/25191
Farrier, W. J. Sgt. G/13562
Feaver, S. S. Corpl. 9609
Finnis, A. W. M. Pte. 8500
Fisher, A. W. Sgt. G/2331
Flight, P. T. Pte. 5575
Flowers, C. L.-Corpl. G/7339
Folley, C. A. Pte. G/11896
Forscott, H. A. Pte. 21092
Fox, A. H. Sgt. 35
France, W. Sgt. G/12873
Franks, A. J. Pte. 5568
Friend, T. J. Pte. 3681
Fuller, E. Pte. 3214
Fullerton, A. Pte. G/1448
Gafney, A. Sgt. 1298
Galloway, G. H. Sgt. G/11537
Gambell, H. D. Pte. 6063
Gardiner, W. Pte. 2723
Garlinge, W. J. Pte. 5196
Gasking, E. A. Pte. G/9461
Gavin, T. A. Pte. 20
Gee, A. W. Corpl. G/14608
George, F. I. Sgt. G/1146
Gingell, A. H. Pte. G/14750
Goddard, H. Pte. 2604
Godden, A. Pte. G/13650
Goldfarb, C. Pte. G/25211
Goodall, T. B. Sgt. L/8066
Gosden, A. Sgt. G/22475
Green, H. L.-Corpl. 12740
Green, M. E. L.-Corpl. 3529
Gundlach, R. T. L.-Corpl. G/639
Hale, B. G. Pte. 24233
Hall, C. S. Pte. 5272
Halliday, C. A. Pte. 13898
Hammond, C. Sgt. 3258
Hammond, H. Pte. 13052
Hanlon, H. Pte. 26625
Hann, A. J. Pte. 206153
Hardie, F. Pte. 7697
Hardiman, E. G. Pte. G/15610
Harman, G. Pte. G/13047
Harman, G. W. L.-Sergt. G/7855
Harrigan, J. Pte. S/8104
Harris, A. J. Sgt. L/9771
Harris, E. Pte. 26632
Harris, W. O. L.-Corpl. 3245
Harrison, J. Pte. G/14716
Hart, R. S. Pte. 3111
Harwood, A. Sgt. 277
Haskell, L. V. Corpl. 8693
Hawkins, P. Corpl. 5269
Hay, J. W. Pte. 243155
Heathfield, S. Pte. 8836
Hewett, W. C. H. Corpl. 203636
Hibbs, H. G. Pte. 270665
Hierons, R. L. Pte. G/5696
Higgins, C. Pte. 4206
Higgins, J. Pte. 2825
Highton, H. Pte. 13906
Hills, F. Sgt. L/9407
Hills, W. G. Corpl. 7626
Hinkley, S. H. Corpl. L/8599
Hinton, P. H. Pte. 271039
Histed, W. C. Pte. 8498
Hoare, W. J. Pte. 8293
Hobbs, W. Pte. G/13045
Holloway, G. R. Sgt. L/8120
Holman, E. L.-Sergt. G/3115
Holman, E. W. Sgt. 206
Hook, J. T. L.-Corpl. G/9425
Hook, W. Pte. 18754
Hope, H. Pte. 12540
Horton, J. Corpl. 9937
Howard, F. Corpl. 5048
Howard, H. Sgt. 9088
Hubberstey, R. Sgt. 1659
Huckstepp, W. H. L.-Corpl. G/2810
Hudson, E. W. Pte. 2598
Hughes, A. Pte. 336
Hughes, C. G. Pte. 271040
Hunt, J. W. Pte. 6076
Hutchison, M. W. L.-Corpl. G/25367
Hyde, A. L.-Corpl. 1889
Ielden, R. C. L.-Corpl. 1767
Imber, R. Pte. 1710
Impett, S. A. Corpl. G/420
Istead, E. J. L.-Corpl. G/6383
James, A. C. L.-Corpl. 20014
Jamieson, G. Pte. 9909
Jarman, W. T. Pte. 2822
Jarrett, W. L.-Corpl. 3430
Jarvis, W. Pte. 7969
Jenkins, F. J. Sgt. L/9928
Jenner, D. P. Corpl. 1074
Jenrick, G. W. Pte. 7655
Johnson, A. Corpl. G/18520
Johnson, S. Pte. 13900
Jones, A. C. Pte. 10277
Jones, C. Pte. 58149
Jones, G. Pte. 11303
Jordan, C. Pte. 714
Justice, C. Pte. 5266
Keats, A. L.-Corpl. 15632
Keen, G. A. Pte. S/10420
Kempton, A. E. L.-Corpl. G/15633
Kennett, A. E. Pte. 2152
Kerman, F. Pte. 8066
Kibble, T. W. L.-Corpl. G/7707
Kingsford, W. Pte. 616
Kingsnorth, W. F. Corpl. 376702
Kitchingman, L. C. L.-Corpl. 8947
Kite, W. R. Pte. 270458
Knappett, C. H. Sgt. G/1480
Knight, A. L.-Corpl. 9127
Knight, A. E. Pte. 11792
Knight, C. J. Sgt. 2319
Lake, G. Pte. 2005
Landen, A. Corpl. 204566
Lane, W. A. Pte. 10885
Langley, C. E. Pte. 5321
Langton, W. Sgt. 9637
Latter, W. G. Sgt. G/4092
Lawrence, H. W. Sgt. 265241
Lawrence, J. T. Pte. 1872
Leech, W. H. B. Pte. G/13061
Lockwood, J. Sgt. 3151
Loram, W. H. Sgt. 8973
Lovesey, C. Pte. 21103
Luchford, A. Pte. 1038
McDonald, A. Pte. 3894
Macdonald, A. A. Pte. G/8208
McGregor, J. C. Sgt. 206088
Mack, E. F. Pte. 8023
McNeir, G. A. Sgt. L/10011
MacWalter, J. R. Sgt. 9682
Malcolm, J. A. L.-Corpl. G/653
Maloney, A. Corpl. 434
Marsh, C. A. Pte. 1871
Marsh, J. W. Pte. 6732
Martin, G. Pte. 6600
Martin, W. Pte. 8782
Mason, L. Pte. G/4269
Mather, A. Pte. 270753
Matthews, F. L.-Sergt. G/1665
May, W. Pte. L/8219
Medgett, A. Sgt. 220
Melrose, D. O. Pte. 270630
Millen, E. F. Corpl. 240941
Miller, H. Pte. 555
Miller, J. Corpl. 203589
Millington, H. J. Pte. 7897
Minns, H. F. Pte. 7846
Moorcock, F. C. Sgt. 1349
Moore, N. Sgt. 3673
Morey, E. L. Sgt. L/7083
Morgan, J. W. W. Sgt. L/9191
Morris, C. J. Pte. 26650
Morrow, F. Pte. G/2169
Moss, A. J. Pte. 8079
Mount, W. A. Corpl. L/10082
Murdoch, A. J. Sgt. 6174
Mutton, C. J. L.-Corpl. 6908
Myers, W. J. Pte. 3652
Nash, G. H. Sgt. 19121
Nevard, A. C.S.M. 3229
Neville, H. W. Sgt. 269
Newell, F. G. L.-Corpl. G/14460
North, H. Pte. 5886
Odell, E. F. Sgt. G/1232
Oliver, J. Corpl. G/6233
O’Rourke, J. Corpl. G/1478
Ottaway, C. J. Pte. 2506
Ozenbrook, J. W. Pte. G/23606
Page, F. T. Corpl. 9934
Page, G. A. Sgt. 9801
Palmer, L. P. Pte. G/17438
Park, D. Pte. 8422
Parker, F. W. L.-Corpl. G/498
Parrott, G. F. Pte. 5432
Payne, E. J. Pte. G/3461
Peach, A. J. L.-Corpl. 22412
Pearce, H. Sgt. 6494
Peattie, F. Sgt. 6470
Peerless, V. L.-Corpl. 6316
Penfold, J. Corpl. G/12663
Pennell, R. H. Sgt. G/18563
Phillips, J. Pte. 8116
Phillips, J. A. L.-Corpl. 6486
Phillpott, D. Pte. 7944
Pickering, H. Pte. G/19129
Pickford, R. E. Pte. G/17441
Platts, A. L.-Corpl. 6779
Poole, J. T. Sgt. 9405
Port, C. W. Corpl. 7851
Potter, A. G. Sgt. 1054
Powdrill, T. B. Pte. 202928
Powell, E. A. L.-Corpl. G/1589
Pragnell, W. J. Corpl. G/13306
Prebble, F. R. L.-Corpl. G/659
Price, W. Pte. G/9956
Purkiss, W. Pte. 990
Rainford, J. Pte. G/375
Rainsbury, C. L.-Corpl. 242321
Rand, F. C. Sgt. L/10038
Randall, T. E. Sgt. 9703
Ratti, R. A. G. Corpl. 20243
Ravenscroft, F. Corpl. 1731
Rayner, F. W. L.-Corpl. G/9320
Reed, W. W. Sgt. G/1147
Reeves, J. Corpl. 13068
Reynolds, A. W. Pte. 2773
Richards, G. T. Corpl. 6625
Richards, J. H. Corpl. 10478
Richardson, W. L.-Corpl. G/23924
Ride, S. E. Pte. 265245
Roady, T. J. Pte. 8303
Roberts, A. B. Pte. 8935
Roberts, B. R. Pte. 1666
Rose, H. L.-Corpl. 4329
Rose, W. C. Corpl. 4741
Ross, A. G. Sgt. 2260
Rowland, C. Corpl. 15674
Rudman, J. B. Sgt. 270221
Russell, E. M. Sgt. L/9075
Sage, W. C. Pte. 12715
Saunders, G. E. Pte. 10292
Saunders, H. Pte. G/17456
Schofield, F. B. L.-Corpl. G/23929
Scott, C. W. Pte. 270928
Scott, H. Pte. 270269
Scott, S. Pte. 7767
Scrivener, F. Pte. 10105
Seager, R. Pte. 15681
Searle, J. V. Pte. 12880
Seath, S. Pte. 148
Setchfield, E. Pte. G/23611
Setterfield, A. V. L.-Corpl. 347
Setterfield, J. E. Pte. 5456
Setterfield, W. Pte. 10
Shackcloth, E. Pte. G/22266
Sharp, T. Pte. 874
Sharp, W. J. Pte. G/26582
Shaw, T. Pte. 5394
Sheen, C. L.-Corpl. 6919
Shelley, W. J. Sgt. 240668
Sidwell, F. Pte. L/10660
Sindon, G. Corpl. 8891
Smith, F. W. Sgt. 5705
Smith, H. Pte. 7628
Smith, H. D. Pte. G/24040
Smith, J. Sgt. S/R11074
Smith, J. H. Pte. G/3961
Smithers, E. G. Pte. G/22478
Smurthwaite, J. T. Sgt. 206148
Snook, C. Pte. 13248
Soulsby, J. C. Corpl. G/14914
Spalding, R. Pte. 2778
Spark, J. G. Sgt. G/13170
Spenceley, F. V. Pte. 728
Spiller, W. C. Sgt. 9872
Stapley, B. J. Pte. 203963
Steed, A. Pte. G/597
Steeting, R. L.-Corpl. 18687
Stevens, A. E. L.-Corpl. 5268
Stevenson, G. E. Pte. 1489
Stevenson, M. Pte. 896
Stobart, T. W. Pte. 265341
Stone, T. G. Pte. 203492
Streat, C. Pte. 10486
Stuart, J. F. Corpl. 10026
Swain, F. G. Pte. 17610
Swaine, H. F. L.-Corpl. 20162
Tamblin, W. H., D.C.M. Corpl. 957
Tapley, E. Pte. G/26557
Taylor, B. L.-Corpl. 5233
Thirkettle, J. Pte. 2839
Thomas, M. L. Corpl. 241641
Thompson, G. Pte. 20966
Thompson, J. Corpl. G/3354
Tidcombe, H. J. Pte. 265063
Tidey, J. S. Pte. G/8988
Tillier, S. V. Pte. G/24274
Timmins, W. Corpl. 270040
Tinmouth, F. L.-Corpl. 5429
Todd, F. Sgt. 8277
Todman, J. L.-Corpl. G/23935
Towersey, J. T. H. Pte. G/13382
Treadaway, A. E. Pte. G/17401
Tress, W. G. Sgt. 4455
Trew, E. C. Pte. 42015
Trigg, W. J. Sgt. 9435
Turner, J. L.-Corpl. S/R10695
Twelftree, A. T. L.-Sergt. 851
Tyler, H. N. Pte. 32566
Viggers, J. Sgt. 6163
Vincer, P. A. C.Q.M.S. 7967
Voyle, J. H. L.-Corpl. 42440
Waby, R. W., D.C.M. L.-Sergt. G/3424
Wakeham, S. W. L.-Corpl. G/673
Walker, A. E. L.-Corpl. G/4076
Wall, W. J. Corpl. 260
Wallace, R. L.-Sergt. 25149
Walters, C. Pte. G/2269
Walters, H. Pte. G/14568
Warner, W. J. L.-Corpl. 10482
Watkins, J. Pte. 814
Watts, F. G. Corpl. L/8717
Webb, H. R. Corpl. 270814
Whall, R. L.-Corpl. 2279
Whiddett, G. Pte. G/4929
Whipps, A. Sgt. G/3569
Whiskin, E. W. Pte. G/6031
White, W. A. L.-Corpl. 2248
Wicken, P. C. Pte. G/12941
Wickett, S. L.-Corpl. G/13991
Wickington, H. G. Corpl. G/1300
Wiles, G. A. Pte. 270212
Willcocks, P. R. Pte. 421
Williams, F. J. Corpl. L/10246
Williams, J. Pte. G/21464
Willis, A. W. Pte. 270872
Willis, C. W. L.-Corpl. 5092
Wilson, S., D.C.M. Pte. L/8827
Wire, H. L.-Corpl. 15714
Wise, D. W. L.-Corpl. 3710
Wise, W. Pte. G/2504
Wood, A. Sgt. 9817
Wood, E. C. L.-Corpl. 10059
Wood, H. H. L.-Corpl. G/11670
Woodcock, J. Pte. G/42
Wraight, H. Pte. G/2509
Wren, W. H. Corpl. 6635
Wright, G. Pte. G/20179
Wright, G. F. E. Sgt. 12521
Wright, J. Pte. G/6329
Wykes, F. H. L.-Corpl. G/5587
Wynne, A. Pte. 10760
Wynne, T. W. Sgt. 10652
CLASP TO MILITARY MEDAL
Alexander, F. P., M.M. Pte. G/15501
Ashwell, W. E., M.M. Sgt. G/855
Barton, C., M.M. L.-Corpl. 1036
Bellchambers, E. J., M.M. Pte. G/8018
Berry, G. F., M.M. L.-Corpl. 3237
Bloomfield, J., M.M. Sgt. L/8917
Browne, G., M.M. Sgt. 3232
Cremer, A. H., M.M. Corpl. G/7649
Cude, R., M.M. Pte. G/2192
Dockerill, L. T., M.M. Corpl. G/21070
Farmer, H. T., M.M. Pte. G/25191
Galloway, G. H., M.M. Sgt. G/11537
Goodall, T. B., M.M. Sgt. L/8066
Hardiman, E. G., M.M. Pte. G/15610
Harris, W. O., M.M. Corpl. 3245
Holloway, G. R., M.M. Sgt. L/8120
Impett, S. A., M.M. Sgt. G/420
Kingsford, W., M.M. Sgt. 616
Macdonald, A. A., M.M. L.-Corpl. G/8208
Mason, L., D.C.M., M.M. Pte. G/4269
Parker, F. W., M.M. Pte. G/498
Pickering, H., M.M. Pte. G/19129
Purkiss, W., M.M. Pte. 990
Rainsbury, C., M.M. Corpl. 242321
Reeves, J., M.M. Sgt. 13068
Reynolds, A. W., M.M. Pte. 2773
Setterfield, W., M.M. Sgt. 10
Smith, C., M.M. L.-Corpl. 14635
Smith, J., M.M. C.S.M. S/R11074
Spenceley, F. V., M.M. L.-Corpl. 728
Stapley, B. J., M.M. Pte. 203963
Stuart, J. F., M.M. L.-Sergt. 10026
Swaine, H. F., M.M. Sgt. 20162
Tapley, E., M.M. Pte. G/26557
Wilson, S., D.C.M., M.M. L.-Corpl. L/8827
Wood, H. H., M.M. L.-Corpl. G/11670
Wright, J., M.M. L.-Corpl. G/6329
SECOND CLASP TO MILITARY MEDAL
Kingsford, W., M.M. Sgt. 616
MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL
Ambrose, J. L. Sgt. 8534
Austin, F. H. Col.-Sergt. L/8328
Back, A. E. Q.M.S. L/8910
Banks, E. R. Pte. 10049
Barden, E. T. Pte. 240073
Barrell, G. C.S.M. L/9036
Bennett, S. G. Sgt. G/1278
Benstead, C. S. Pte. 240113
Bishop, C. U. C.Q.M.S. 240525
Blackman, H. E. C.Q.M.S. L/8364
Bloxham, B. N. C.S.M. G/4865
Bolton, E. L. R.S.M. L/5504
Brooks, F. H. C.Q.M.S. G/3305
Brown, F. F. Sgt. 7629
Bryant, G. Pte. 240248
Campbell, H. Corpl. 4848
Carr, J. Sgt. L/8908
Clem, F. Q.M.S. S/589
Clift, W. B. Sgt. 243307
Coleman, A. C., M.M. Pte. G/1898
Constable, D. W. Sgt. 243277
Cox, H. W. G. Pte. 738
Dann, F. C.Q.M.S. G/2633
Darby, J. R. Pte. S/600
Denness, S. W. Pte. 240419
Dowse, E., M.M. Sgt. L/11008
Drew, A. L.-Sergt. G/21837
Dunn, G. W. H. Sgt. G/538
Edwards, W. S. R.Q.M.S. 6397
Ephgrave, C. F. Pte. G/21598
Faulkner, P. C.S.M. 270032
Fielding, A. W. R.Q.M.S. G/1765
Filby, A. F. Sgt. G/22333
Flannery, J. M. Pte. 241095
Flynn, J. P. Sgt. L/7089
Follett, S. H. C.S.M. L/6942
Ford, H. G. Sgt. 240364
Friend, E. A. Pte. 200581
Gibson, A. Sgt. L/9484
Glover, F. Sgt. G/13686
Graves, F. R. Sgt. 10264
Hamblin, I. C. Corpl. L/8825
Hayman, W. C. L.-Corpl. G/9312
Hearne, H. W. Sgt. 200585
Hemens, W. G. C.Q.M.S. 242934
Hill, E. B. Sgt. 8373
Holloway, T. R.S.M. L/3589
Hutchison, T. E. Pte. 6589
Ings, G. F. Q.M.S. L/7201
Jenkins, A. R. C.Q.M.S. G/1258
Johnson, A. W. Pte. G/824
Jones, H. A. R.S.M. L/2954
Julian, C. C.Q.M.S. G/3656
Lockyer, S. Sgt. G/15727
Martin, W. K. R.Q.M.S. L/5886
Maulkin, A. G. Sgt. 200712
Middleditch, F. J. Q.M.S. 240048
Milnes, N. C.Q.M.S. 241649
Mount, A. E. Sgt. 4231
Munting, A. C.Q.M.S. 200342
Ousley, F. W. Sgt. G/13631
Page, W. E. R.Q.M.S. 20497
Pegrum, F. W. Pte. 240472
Perry, E. R. C.Q.M.S. 240456
Pursehouse, W. H. Pte. G/18750
Richardson, J. H. S. Pte. 240421
Ronketti, P. A. C.Q.M.S. 20491
Salt, L. C.S.M. 270013
Slender, A. F. C.Q.M.S. L/8725
Smith, H. J. Sgt. 270715
Smith, W. H. -- 6192
Sparrow, S. F. Sgt. 270432
Talbot, W. E. Sgt. 240372
Taylor, A. J. Pte. G/19355
Terry, B. N. Sgt. 241016
Thomas, W. R.S.M. G/36901
Trafford, W. G. Sgt. G/1804
Turmaine, F. W. C.Q.M.S. L/6662
Usherwood, A. E. Sgt. 203054
Webb, J. H. C.Q.M.S. 3858
Wiggs, E. S.M. --
Williams, A. Pte. G/19585
Williams, T. E. Sgt. 200497
Wood, F. C. S. C.S.M. 200034
Woodruff, C. J. C.Q.M.S. 200526
Wyles, H. C.S.M. 200333
APPENDIX IV
FOREIGN DECORATIONS
ALL RANKS
(The ranks shown are those held at the time of award)
BELGIUM
ORDRE DE LEOPOLD
Chapman, Captain C. M. B., M.C.
Lee, Captain G., M.C.
Lynden-Bell, Major-General Sir A. L., K.C.M.G., C.B.
Trevor, Major W. H., D.S.O.
ORDRE DE LA COURONNE
Trevor, Lt.-Colonel W. H., D.S.O.
CROIX DE GUERRE
Blake, Lieut. H. E.
Chapman, Captain C. M. B., M.C.
Hadaway, No. L/7799 Pte. G. E.
Histed, No. L/8498 Pte. W. C., M.M.
Lee, Major G., D.S.O., M.C.
Lynden-Bell, Major-General A. L., C.B., C.M.G.
Taylor, No. G/3420 Sgt. R.
Toynbee, Lieut. J. W. H., M.C.
Trevor, Lt.-Colonel W. H., D.S.O.
DECORATION MILITAIRE
Diddams, No. G/3462 L.-Sergt. H. S.
Duff, No. 5995 Corpl. W. G., M.M.
Poole, No. L/6487 C.S.M. E.
EGYPT
ORDER OF THE NILE
Lynden-Bell, Major-General A. L., C.B., C.M.G.
FRANCE
LEGION D’HONNEUR (COMMANDEUR)
Bainbridge, Major-General Sir E. G. T., K.C.B.
Lynden-Bell, Major-General A. L., C.B., C.M.G.
LEGION D’HONNEUR (OFFICIER)
Bainbridge, Major-General E. G. T., C.B.
McDouall, Lt.-Colonel R., C.B., C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O.
LEGION D’HONNEUR (CHEVALIER)
Chapman, Major G. A. E., D.S.O.
Crookenden, Major J., D.S.O.
Lee, Major G., M.C.
MEDAILLE MILITAIRE
Fletcher, No. 976 Sgt. E.
Hawkins, No. 5269 Corpl. P.
Hinkley, No. L/8599 L.-Sergt. S. H.
Orwin, No. 8045 Pte. H.
Spiller, No. 9872 Corpl. C. W.
CROIX DE GUERRE
Asprey, Captain P. R., M.C.
Bainbridge, Major-General Sir E. G. T., K.C.B.
Burge, Captain M. R. K.
Cremer, No. 9337 Corpl. W. J.
Hickman, Lieut. F.
Kenchington, Captain A. G., M.C.
Knight, No. 3588 Pte. E. J.
Lynden-Bell, Major-General Sir A. L., K.C.B., K.C.M.G.
Neale, No. 5018 Pte. P. J.
Osborne, Captain A. E.
Ponsonby, Captain C. E.
Power, Lt.-Colonel R. E., D.S.O.
Rand, No. L/10038 Sgt. F. C.
Soames, Lt.-Colonel L. H.
Whitaker, Major F., M.C.
Wilson, Lieut. A. J.
ORDRE DU MERITE AGRICOLE
Scarlett, Lt.-Colonel the Hon. P. G., M.C.
MEDAILLE D’HONNEUR AVEC GLAIVES
Bushell, No. G/8588 L.-Corpl. C. W.
Chapman, No. L/9636 Corpl. F.
George, No. G/9303 Corpl. H.
Harrigan, No. S/8104 Pte. J.
Millen, No. 240161 C.Q.M.S. A. H.
Rainford, No. G/375 Pte. J.
GREECE
GREEK MILITARY CROSS
Cook, No. L/7907 C.S.M. F. R.
Edwards, No. 6397 R.Q.M.S. W. S.
Thewles, Lt.-Colonel H. A., D.S.O.
GREEK MEDAL FOR MILITARY MERIT
Barnard, Major W. G. F., D.S.O.
Manning, Lieut. W.
ITALY
ORDER OF THE CROWN OF ITALY
Lynden-Bell, Major-General Sir A. L., K.C.M.G., C.B.
Trevor, Lt.-Colonel W. H., D.S.O.
Wilson, Lieut. C. E.
SILVER MEDAL FOR MILITARY VALOUR
Henriques, Captain B. L. Q.
Macdonnell, Lieut. R. G.
Peareth, Major A. J.
BRONZE MEDAL FOR MILITARY VALOUR
Andrews, No. 7051 C.S.M. A. W.
JAPAN
ORDER OF THE RISING SUN
Lynden-Bell, Major-General Sir A. L., K.C.M.G., C.B.
ROUMANIA
ORDER OF THE CROWN OF ROUMANIA
Jude, Captain P.
MEDAILLE BARBATIE SI CREDINTA
Butler, No. 22401 Pte. G. W.
Butler, No. 14975 Pte. R. L.
Piggott, No. G/17893 Pte. E. W.
RUSSIA
ORDER OF ST. ALEXANDER NEVSKY
Paget, General the Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur, P.C., G.C.B., K.C.V.O.
ORDER OF ST. VLADIMIR
Lynden-Bell, Major-General A. L., C.B., C.M.G.
ORDER OF ST. STANISLAS
Vyvyan, Colonel Sir C. B., Bart., C.B., C.M.G.
CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST. GEORGE
Heasman, No. 9632 Pte. F.
St. John, No. 1111 C.S.M. F. H., D.C.M.
MEDAL OF ST. GEORGE
Crame, No. G/3301 L.-Corpl. C. J., D.C.M.
Hannaford, No. 8211 L.-Corpl. R.
Hills, No. 9402 Cpl. H. W.
Munday, No. 203 Pte. A.
Rose, No. 10223 Sgt. H.
Smith, No. 8926 Sgt. V. R., D.C.M.
Waghorn, No. 8796 Pte. G. J.
SERBIA
ORDER OF THE WHITE EAGLE
Barnard, Captain W. G. F., D.S.O.
Lynden-Bell, Major-General Sir A. L., K.C.B., K.C.M.G.
Paget, General the Hon. Sir Arthur, P.C., G.C.B., K.C.V.O.
CROSS OF KARAGEORGE
Lawson, No. 5691 Pte. W.
Twort, No. 2133 Pte. R. T.
SILVER MEDAL FOR VALOUR
Bebb, No. G/6676 Pte. J. E.
Hedger, No. 04888 Sgt. C. O.
GOLD MEDAL
Ransley, No. 1217 Pte. H.
APPENDIX V
MENTION IN DESPATCHES
OFFICERS
(The rank is given as stated in the _Gazette_; in the case of more
than one mention the highest rank is given)
NAME. RANK.
Adamson, G. R. 2nd Lieut.
Allen, C. V. Captain
Allen, E. H. Captain
Allen, J. F. W. Captain
Anderson, D. K. Major (2)
Archer Houblon, H. L. Captain (2)
Bainbridge, E. G. T. Major-General (4)
Barnard, W. G. F. Lt.-Colonel (2)
Barris, J. A. Captain
Beale, G. S. Captain
Beevor, M. Lt.-Colonel (3)
Beswick, A. H. Lieut.
Blackall, C. W. Lt.-Colonel (2)
Blake, N. G. Lieut.
Blood-Smyth, H. B. Captain
Body, J. Lt.-Colonel (4)
Bowden, E. M. Major
Brackenbury, E. A. Captain
Brodie, H. W. Captain
Carman, L. G. Lieut.
Cattley, C. F. Captain
Chamberlain, A. L. L. 2nd Lieut.
Chapman, G. A. E. Major (2)
Clapperton, T. Captain
Clouting, C. E. 2nd Lieut.
Collison-Morley, H. D. Lt.-Colonel
Corney, A. Lieut. & Qr.-Mr. (2)
Corrall, W. R. Lt.-Colonel (3)
Couchman, C. C. Lieut.
Cree, H. F. Captain
Crookenden, J. Major
Dangerfield, P. 2nd Lieut.
Davidson, C. E. G. Captain
Davies, B. E. Captain (3)
Dawson, W. F. Major
Digby, R. L. Lieut.
Dixon, G. S. Captain
Dolamore, A. W. Captain
Dyson, H. A. Captain
Elmslie, W. F. Lt.-Colonel
Essell, F. K. Lt.-Colonel
Fay, C. R. Captain
Ferguson, D. G. 2nd Lieut.
Filmer, W. G. H. Captain (2)
Finch Hatton, E. H. Br.-General (2)
Findlay, H. Lt.-Colonel (2)
Fine, H. Captain
Fish, A. L. Lieut.
Fisher, C. J. Major
Ford, H. F. P. 2nd Lieut.
Fort, L. Captain
Forwood, H. Major
Foster, F. W. Captain & Qr.-Mr. (3)
Fraser, J. S. Major
Friend, R. S. I. Lt.-Colonel
Froome, H. A. J. 2nd Lieut.
Furley, B. E. Major
Geddes, A. D. Colonel
Goss, E. H. A. Lieut.
Grant, L. B. Major (2)
Green, E. C. Captain
Green, H. W. Lt.-Colonel (2)
Greenway, C. D. K. Captain (2)
Groves-Raines, R. G. D. Captain
Hall, E. F. Captain (2)
Hamilton, G. F. Lieut.
Hammond, G. F. Lieut.
Hardy, H. S. Captain
Harper, N. A. Lieut.
Harrison, W. A. Captain
Hasler, J. Br.-General (2)
Hatfield, C. E. Captain
Hayfield, A. S. 2nd Lieut.
Hayfield, C. D. Captain (2)
Hedley, W. A. C. Captain
Henriques, B. L. Q. Lieut. (2)
Hill, H. C. de la M. Colonel
Hollebone, E. G. Captain
Homan, R. W. Captain
Hulke, L. I. B. Lt.-Colonel
Hunter, H. 2nd Lieut.
Jackson, J. V. R. Captain
James, A. K. H. Captain
James, G. M. Captain
Jelf, C. G. 2nd Lieut.
Jude, P. Major
Keasley, W. E. Lieut.
Keble, T. H. Captain
Keown, R. W. Captain
Kirkpatrick, H. F. Lt.-Colonel (4)
Lamarque, W. C. Captain
Laverton, W. R. C. Captain
Lea-Smith, L. A. Lieut.
Lee, G. Major (3)
Lilley, A. A. 2nd Lieut.
Linwood, N. Captain & Qr.-Mr.
Lomax, J. H. Captain
Lucas, L. W. Lt.-Colonel (4)
Lynden-Bell, A. L. Major-General (10)
McCallum, A. Captain
McDermott, W. K. Lieut.
McDonnell, R. G. 2nd Lieut.
McDouall, R. Br.-General (6)
Macfadyen, W. A. Captain
Marshall, F. A. J. E. Captain
Marsh-Smith, C. W. Captain
Mockett, V. Captain (2)
Morgan, H. de R. Major (2)
Morrell, F. A. Captain
Nicholas, W. L. J. Lieut.
Nicholson, A. C. L. 2nd Lieut.
Northcote, D. H. G. Lieut.
O’Neale, G. Captain
Overy, T. S. Captain
Page, J. C. Captain (2)
Peake, W. Captain
Peareth, A. J. Major (2)
Phillips, F. Captain
Pinhey, R. A. Captain
Pittock, J. A. Lieut. (2)
Porter, C. ’L. Br.-General (8)
Power, R. E. Lt.-Colonel (4)
Prothero, L. E. A. Captain (2)
Rawkins, R. A. Lieut.
Reed, A. H. Lieut.
Sargent, L. C. Major
Scarlett, P. G. Captain the Hon. (2)
Smeltzer, A. S. Lt.-Colonel (4)
Soames, A. Major
Stone, W. T. Captain (2)
Stronge, H. C. T. Lt.-Colonel (2)
Strudd, F. C. R. Lt.-Colonel
Taylor, C. C. O. 2nd Lieut.
Ternan, H. A. B. Major (2)
Thewles, H. A. Lt.-Colonel
Thomas, D. V. Captain
Thomson, A. B. Captain
Thornhill, G. R. Lieut.
Toynbee, J. W. H. Lieut.
Trevor, W. H. Lt.-Colonel (4)
Trollope, A. G. Lt.-Colonel
Vaughan, J. Captain (2)
Vertue, N. G. Captain
Ward, H. E. Captain
Ward, R. O. C. Captain
Weldon, S. W. Captain (3)
Wilkinson, F. D. Lieut.
Williams, W. T. 2nd Lieut. (2)
Whitaker, F. Major
Whitlock, C. S. 2nd Lieut.
Whitmarsh, A. J. Captain
Wilson, C. T. N. W. Captain
Wort, P. C. Lieut.
Worthington, C. A. V. Lt.-Colonel
WARRANT AND N.C.O.’S AND MEN
NAME. RANK. REGTL. NO.
Akehurst, W. C.Q.M.S. 270725
Anderson, H. Pte. 9290
Andrews, A. W. R.S.M. L/7051 (2)
Appleton, C. Pte. G/2052
Arundell, S. R. Pte. 242911
Atkinson, J. Pte. 240261
Ayres, A. J. L.-Corpl. 6884
Bacon, E. Corpl. G/13353
Barnes, H. J. Pte. L/10185
Barnes, J. S. L/Sergt. G/8537
Barton, L. R. W. L.-Corpl. 200105
Bebb, J. E. Pte. G/6676
Beverley, H. Pte. L/8497
Bingham, C. F. C.S.M. 265106
Bishop, C. C.Q.M.S. 240525
Blacknell, E. J. Dr. 240039
Blanch, W. E. Pte. G/8455
Borton, E. Sgt. 241861
Boswell, A. L.-Corpl. 10086
Boswell, T. A. L.-Corpl. L/9446
Boyes, G. Pte. 206102
Bradley, E. J. Pte. 241432
Bray, G. V. L.-Corpl. 614
Brett, C. S. R.S.M. L/7906 (2)
Brown, F. F. Pte. 7629
Brown, W. Sgt. 6020
Burberry, D. Sgt. G/428
Buzzard, J. L.-Corpl. 1838
Campbell, F. Pte. 241014
Carpenter, H. F. Sgt. 270618
Chapman, F. L.-Corpl. L/9636
Chatfield, G. E. Sgt. 9710
Clancey, J. Pte. 2183
Clarke, J. W. L.-Corpl. 240422
Cleave, E. L.-Corpl. 3555
Collings, B. Pte. G/22217
Constable, D. W. Sgt. 243277
Cook, F. R. C.S.M. L/7907
Cooling, C. L.-Corpl. 719
Cullen, A. L.-Corpl. 8407
Dewhurst, W. Pte. S/10935
Dixon, E. F. Pte. 484
Driscoll, F. Corpl. 9066
Dunster, R. E. Sgt. 201187
Duff, W. G. Dr. 5995
Ferry, T. H. Pte. 6652
Foley, P. G. Sgt. 270049
Forrest, A. H. Pte. 4412
Fraser, F. G. Corpl. 9226
Freeman, H. Sgt. L/8192
French, F. W. C.Q.M.S. L/8071
Freshwater, T. Pte. L/10501
Friend, E. A. Sgt. 200581
Garlinge, W. J. Pte. 5196
Gibson, V. D. C.S.M. 241021
Gilbert, B. Corpl. 270746
Gilbert, F. T. Sgt. L/8546
Gittings, W. G. Pte. G/876
Goldfinch, A. H. Sgt. 8205
Graves, F. R. Corpl. 10264
Greenless, T. L.-Corpl. 270275
Gundlach, R. T. L.-Corpl. G/639
Gunn, A. E. Pte. 9313
Gurney, A. Pte. 241138
Hackney, P. Sgt. 200615
Hall, F. Corpl. 242905
Hall, W. E. Corpl. G/12913
Harrington, T. F. R.S.M. 8890
Hart, E. G. Pte. G/3435
Harvey, J. W. Pte. 242932
Harvey, O. F. C.Q.M.S. 270024
Heaver, H. W. Sgt. 200329 (2)
Hemens, W. G. C.Q.M.S. 242934
Hickson, H. C. C.S.M. 242779
Hill, H. W. Corpl. 9402
Hills, J. Pte. 8703
Horton, H. G. Pte. 5091
Howard, H. Sgt. 9088
Hull, F. V. C.Q.M.S. 240047
Ings, G. F. R.Q.M.S. 7201
Ivory, S. Corpl. 13292
Jagger, J. J. L.-Sergt. 242907
Jenrick, G. W. Pte. 7655
Jordan, S. Pte. 241875
Karop, A. Sgt. 242980 (2)
Keyes, F. G. Pte. G/12834
King, A. W. Pte. 24290
Kingsford, A. R.Q.M.S. 27004
Kirkbright, W. S. L.-Corpl. 290090
Lambeth, G. Pte. L/9648
Lawrence, H. C.S.M. 241496
Lawson, W. Pte. G/5691
Linstead, W. Pte. 364
Lockyer, H. J. Sgt. 8055
McCann, J. E. Pte. S/145
Maloney, H. J. Pte. L/8152
Marshall, A. E. Pte. 243290
Martin, H. J. C.S.M. 8357
Matthews, T. F. H. Pte. G/882
May, W. A. Pte. 8219
Meggett, W. A. Sgt. 240381
Middleton, J. Pte. 8826
Monger, J. H. R.S.M. G/1460
Moon, L. G. Sgt. 4181
Moore, S. Sgt. 1379
Morgan, J. W. W. Pte. 9191
Mosto, R. W. Pte. 6712
Neville, H. W. L.-Sergt. 269
Newham, H. C.S.M. 241481
Page, F. H. C.S.M. 7763
Page, W. E. C.Q.M.S. 20497
Payne, E. J. Pte. G/3461
Peattie, F. Sgt. 6470
Perry, E. R. C.Q.M.S. 240456
Pilcher, A. C. Corpl. S/160
Poole, E. C.Q.M.S. 6487
Potts, A. J. Sgt. L/8898
Prebble, S. Sgt. G/2549
Purser, L. J. Sgt. 242947
Read, W. R. Corpl. 8974
Real, W. A. Sgt. 10382
Reardon, A. Pte. 270478
Reed, W. N. C.S.M. G/1147
Ronketti, P. A. C.Q.M.S. 20491
Rose, H. Corpl. 20282
St. John, F. R. R.S.M. 240118
Sanger, A. H. T. R.S.M. L/5692
Saunders, A. J. C.S.M. L/6243
Scott, F. F. Sgt. 91
Seath, S. Pte. 148
Setterfield, A. V. Pte. 347
Sharpe, W. J. Sgt. 241199
Sibun, J. Sgt. L/8337
Simmonds, F. T. J. Corpl. G/15862
Simmons, A. C. Sgt. L/9239
Skinner, W. J. J. Pte. 559
Smith, C. Pte. 242956
Spargo, H. T. Pte. 202952
Stocks, J. Corpl. G/1829
Swinyard, G. A. C.S.M. 240072
Thorpe, C. H. C.Q.M.S. 270505
Trick, F. W. Sgt. 243082
Turmaine, F. W. C.Q.M.S. L/6662
Turnbull, G. Sgt. 242782
Vincer, P. A. Sgt. 7967
Wall, W. J. L.-Corpl. 260
Wanstall, F. N. Pte. G/7628
Ward, J. Sgt. 8438
Wicken, P. C. Pte. G/12941
Wickington, H. G. Sgt. 1300
Willis, F. E. Col.-Sergt. 240043
Wren, W. H. Corpl. 6635
APPENDIX VI
MENTION “B” (FOR RECORD)
OFFICERS
NAME. RANK.
Bayard, R. Br.-General
Burge, M. R. K. Lieut. (2)
Butler, E. M. Lieut.
Cobbe, C. C. Major
Cowell, A. V. Lt.-Colonel
Dauglish, G. V. Colonel
Dimmock, F. M. Captain
Groves-Raines, R. G. D. Major
Gullick, H. T. Major
Hardy, H. S. Major
Hart, N. S. Captain
Hirst, H. D. Lt.-Colonel
Hulke, L. I. B. Lt.-Colonel (2)
Jackson, H. W. Captain
Kingsland, C. P. Major
Knight, L. C. E. Major
Mantle, H. Lieut.
Meakin, G. A. Captain
Messel, L. C. R. Lt.-Colonel
Moilliet, E. L. Lieut.
Palmer, V. T. D. Captain
Parry, E. C. M. Captain
Pearson, R. F. Colonel
Phillips, W. A. Captain
Pike, H. E. Lieut.
Port, J. Captain
Sparrow, H. F. Lt.-Colonel
Tait, G. M. Captain (2)
Tattersall, J. C. Major
Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, H. E. Major
Tylden, W. Major
Tylden-Pattenson, A. H. Major
Ward, H. E. Captain
Wilkins, D. A. Captain
Williams, M. S. Major
Williams, R. W. Captain
WARRANT AND N.C.O.’S AND MEN
NAME. RANK. REGTL. NO.
Allen, W. G. Pte. 6266
Ball, G. E. Sergt.-Major 6127 (2)
Bosanquet, B. R.S.M. L/10853
Brown, C. R.S.M. L/8652
Buckley, J. W. C.S.M. 200055
Butler, G. E. Q.M.S. 6388
Carpenter, C. K. S.M. 6124
Cavanagh, J. T. Pte. G/17555
Cooke, W. H. R.S.M. L/2531
Cooper, A. C. Sgt. 8874
Coopey, T. G. C.Q.M.S. 204472
Corke, W. S.M. 6132 (2)
Cufflin, J. Corpl. L/10750
Cumbley, S. G. -- 6122
Dewey, H. J. S.M. 6129 (2)
Early, J. H. C.Q.M.S. 1461
Fisher, A. E. S.M. 6227 (2)
Fox, F. W. C.S.M. 200004
Gilmore, F. Q.M.S. 6125 (2)
Glover, H. Q.M.S. 6241
Gordon, C. J. Q.M.S. 8307
Hanson, H. E. Q.M.S. 6283
Hartridge, W. F. Q.M.S. 8544
Hayes, S. H. S.M. 6130 (2)
Hayhow, A. Q.M.S. 7845
Johnson, H. Pte. 19204
Jones, S. J. Sgt. 53090
Kendall, S. C. Q.M.S. 8117
Kinnear, G. V. Q.M.S. 6119
Knott, R. H. Q.M.S. G/6370
Kottaun, W. F. Corpl. 19318
Latham, G. F. Q.M.S. 36902
Laver, G. H. S.S. G/5953
McKeen, J. J. Sgt. 200062
McVey, J. -- 6195
Martin, R. C.S.M. 5003
Masters, F. A. R. Q.M.S. 8543
Milnes, N. Sgt. 241649
Mousley, G. S. Pte. 11103
Musty, W. J. Q.M.S. 6010
Pearce, W. S. Q.M.S. 8858
Potter, T. S.M. 6131 (2)
Revell, D. R.S.M. TR.10/16001
Ritchie, F. J. Q.M.S. 8810
Roberts, T. Q.M.S. 6123 (2)
Robinson, J. Q.M.S. 7924 (2)
Rowe, H. J. -- 8116
Rudge, T. Pte. 19206
Scott, W. J. C.Q.M.S. 265108
Scragg, F. C. C.Q.M.S. G/21586
Shoobridge, C. S. L.-Sergt. 203601
Smith, H. Pte. G/17556
Smith, S. Q.M.S. 6120
Stace, C. Q.M.S. 5986
Streten, A. J. Q.M.S. 6253
Thomas, W. S.M. 36901
Waterfall, F. Q.M.S. 8545
Watson, J. W. L.-Sergt. S/708
Weeks, E. O. Sgt. 5458
Wellington, E. E. Q.M.S. 5951
Whittard, R. H. Q.M.S. 6182
Woodgate, H. B. Sgt. G/9185
Woodman, J. H. C.S.M. 203428
APPENDIX VII
The following serving officers of the 1st and 2nd Battalions were
awarded brevet rank for service in the field:--
_Brevet Colonel_:
Major and Bt. Lt.-Colonel C. ’L. Porter.
_Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel_:
Majors R. Bright, H. Findlay, H. W. Green, L. W. Lucas, R.
McDouall, C. ’L. Porter, H. B. Potter, R. E. Power, L. H.
Soames, H. A. Thewles and W. H. Trevor.
_Brevet Major_:
Captains W. R. Corrall, A. G. Kenchington and the Hon. P. G.
Scarlett, and Lieut. A. S. Smeltzer (on promotion to Captain).
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS
Mrs. Adam
Sir Sidney Alexander, Kt., M.D.
Captain H. E. Allen
J. E. Amos, Esq.
Rev. G. Archer, M.A.
Major H. L. Archer Houblon
P. R. Asprey, Esq., M.C.
Major-General Sir E. G. T. Bainbridge, K.C.B.
Captain H. H. C. Baird, D.S.O.
Mrs. Baly
Colonel A. S. Barham, C.M.G., V.D.
Captain S. L. P. Barker
Lt.-Colonel W. G. F. Barnard, D.S.O.
J. J. Beall, Esq.
R. Beer, Esq.
Major M. Beevor, D.S.O.
J. P. Bell, Esq.
Mrs. Charles Blackall
Major H. Blackburn
Maurice L. Blaxall, Esq.
Colonel J. Body, D.S.O., O.B.E., etc.
Major W. H. Booth, D.S.O., O.B.E.
Colonel Sir Theodore Brinckman, Bt., C.B.
Mrs. Anthony Brown
R. G. Bullock, Esq.
Major G. K. Burge
Major E. B. Burns
Edwin Buss, Esq.
A. G. Butler, Esq.
Marquess Camden
Major A. F. Campbell-Johnston
Captain L. P. Causton, M.C.
W. C. N. Chapman, Esq.
Borough of Chatham
W. E. Church, Esq.
C. J. Clark, Esq.
G. Foster Clark, Esq.
Major Eric Clarke
D. C. Coates, Esq.
Major C. C. Cobbe
Colonel A. H. Coles, C.M.G., D.S.O.
Major A. E. Colley
Mrs. Collison-Morley
Captain C. L. Connellan
Colonel F. S. W. Cornwallis, C.B.E., D.L., etc.
Captain and Bt. Major W. R. Corrall, M.C.
W. H. Cronk, Esq.
Major J. Crookenden, D.S.O.
J. C. T. Crozier, Esq.
Major V. T. Dampier Palmer, O.B.E.
Colonel G. V. Dauglish
Mrs. C. L. Davis
G. T. Davis, Esq.
J. E. W. Dell, Esq.
Mrs. Docking
J. A. Druce, Esq., J.P.
Mrs. Dungey
Lt.-Colonel F. M. Dunstan, T.D.
Major F. Bradley Dyne
Lt.-Colonel W. A. Eaton, O.B.E.
Major R. P. S. Elderton
Colonel F. K. Essell, C.M.G.
Lt.-Colonel C. S. Fellows
Mrs. Figgis
Br.-General E. H. Finch Hatton, C.M.G., D.S.O.
Colonel H. Findlay, C.B.E.
W. R. Findlay, Esq.
Mrs. FitzRoy Cole
Borough of Folkestone
Mrs. Forde
J. Fort, Esq.
E. Foster Hall, Esq.
P. R. H. Fox, Esq., M.C.
Mrs. Fradgley
Lt.-Colonel R. S. I. Friend, D.S.O.
H. H. J. Froome, Esq.
Walter Furley, Esq.
Mrs. Glyn
Mrs. Goff
Colonel Viscount Goschen, C.B.E.
L. A. Goss, Esq.
Mrs. Gould
Mrs. Green
Mrs. Greig
Major A. C. Grigg
Lt.-Colonel R. G. D. Groves-Raines, D.S.O.
Major H. T. Gullick
D. H. Hamill-Stewart, Esq.
Captain G. F. Hamilton, M.C.
Captain J. Hamilton
Egerton Hammond, Esq.
Major H. S. Hardy, M.B.E., M.C.
Colonel the Rt. Hon. Baron Harris, G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., etc.
Miss E. J. Harris
Captain N. S. Hart
Major G. T. D. Hickman
Br.-General R. A. Hickson, C.B.
George Hilder, Esq.
Br.-General H. C. de la M. Hill, C.B., C.M.G.
Mrs. W. Hinkley
Mrs. Hirst
Mrs. Hollis
Mrs. Hollist
Mrs. Homan
Colonel J. F. Honeyball
Captain G. R. Howe
T. Rowlatt Hubbard, Esq.
Lt.-Colonel L. I. B. Hulke, C.M.G.
Mrs. Ingouville-Williams
Major J. V. R. Jackson
Colonel W. E. R. Kelly
Mrs. Kelsey
G. F. Kingham, Esq.
Major C. P. Kingsland
A. Kitchin, Esq.
C. R. B. Knight, Esq.
Lt.-Colonel L. C. E. Knight
Mrs. Laing
Captain W. C. Lamarque
H. Lea-Smith, Esq.
Major G. Lee, D.S.O., M.C.
Mrs. Harry Lee
A. C. Leney, Esq.
Colonel D. F. Lewis, C.B.
D. S. Lister, Esq., M.C.
J. H. Loudon, Esq.
Major and Bt. Lt.-Colonel L. W. Lucas, D.S.O., M.C.
G. L. Lushington, Esq.
Major-General Sir A. L. Lynden-Bell, K.C.B., K.C.M.G.
Lt.-Colonel R. McDouall, C.B., C.M.G., etc.
W. A. Macfadyen, Esq., M.C.
S. W. Marchant, Esq.
Major R. G. A. Marriott, D.S.O.
Rev. W. Mathias, M.A.
Major G. A. Meakin
Lt.-Colonel L. C. R. Messel, O.B.E.
J. W. Millard, Esq.
Viscount Milner, K.G., G.C.B., etc.
G. H. Mitchell, Esq.
Lady Mitchell
Mrs. Monins
Captain J. E. Monins
Mrs. G. Moke-Norrie, C.B.E.
Captain H. C. Morley
E. Morgan, Esq.
H. de R. Morgan, Esq.
Captain H. de R. Morgan, D.S.O.
G. J. Nettleton, Esq.
J. H. Newcomb, Esq.
J. Newton Moss, Esq.
Captain W. H. Nicholas
Mrs. Noott
Cecil Norman, Esq.
Lady Northcote
Captain C. H. P. O’Hagan
F. J. Oliver, Esq.
Rev. E. A. Ommanney, M.A.
H. D. Oxley, Esq.
General the Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur Paget, P.C., G.C.B., etc.
Captain A. J. Peareth
T. N. Penlington, Esq.
Lt.-Colonel F. Phillips, D.S.O., M.C.
R. H. Plumb, Esq.
Major G. A. Porter
Lt.-Colonel R. E. Power, D.S.O.
Mrs. Prescott-Roberts
Captain R. K. Price
Captain T. R. Price
P.R.I. 1st Battalion The Buffs
P.R.I. 2nd Battalion The Buffs
P.R.I. 3rd Battalion The Buffs
P.R.I. Depot The Buffs
Lady Raines
Captain L. A. Ramsay
Lt.-Colonel A. L. Ransome, D.S.O., M.C.
A. H. Reed, Esq.
Major F. S. Reeves
Captain N. D. Rice
Mrs. Romer
Mrs. J. McB. Ronald
W. E. Rootes, Esq.
John Russell, Esq.
A. H. Ruston, Esq.
Mrs. Kennedy Sandilands
Borough of Sandwich
G. E. Sankey, Esq.
W. Sankey, Esq.
G. D. Saunders, Esq.
Captain W. Stewart Savile
Captain and Bt. Major the Hon. P. G. Scarlett, M.C.
J. Scrace, Esq.
Millin Selby, Esq.
A. R. Sewell, Esq.
E. B. Sewell, Esq.
Mrs. Sherren
Mrs. Shervinton
H. J. Skelton, Esq.
Major L. Howard Smith
Lt.-Colonel H. F. Sparrow
Mrs. Spicer
Mrs. Stallworthy
Lt.-Colonel G. N. Stephen
Miss Taylor
G. Hutton Taylor, Esq.
W. Taylor, Esq.
Major H. A. B. Ternan, O.B.E.
Major and Bt. Lt.-Colonel H. A. Thewles, D.S.O.
Captain A. B. Thomson, M.B.E.
G. Thorn-Drury, Esq., K.C.
F. E. Thornhill, Esq.
Mrs. Tomlinson
Miss Tomlinson
Major F. W. Tomlinson
Lt.-Colonel W. H. Trevor, D.S.O.
Major H. J. Trueman
Colonel Sir Courtenay B. Vyvyan, Bt., C.B., C.M.G.
Mrs. J. T. Waite
F. N. Walker, Esq.
G. S. Wallis, Esq.
Mrs. Eldred Warde
Mrs. Warnington
R. M. Watson, Esq.
Mrs. Webb
R. M. Webster, Esq.
J. T. Welldon, Esq.
Captain T. Wheler
Captain F. Whitaker, M.C.
Captain D. A. Wilkins, M.B.E.
Miss Willats
Mrs. Williamson
J. R. Willows, Esq.
Mrs. Wolstenholme
R. G. Wood, Esq.
[Illustration]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A letter from Lt.-Colonel R. McDouall.
[2] To commemorate the connection of the Buffs with Christ’s College, a
gold beaker has recently been presented to the 1st Battalion by Sir A.
E. Shipley, G.B.E., Master of Christ’s College.
[3] Julian Hasler recovered from his wounds, rejoined the battalion in
December and was given command of the 11th Brigade in February, 1915.
He was unhappily killed on the 26th April, 1915. His fine fighting
qualities ensured his success as a soldier, whilst his great personal
charm secured him many more firm friends than most of us can claim; his
death was deeply mourned not only by the regiment, but throughout the
army.
Born on the 16th October, 1868, he joined the Buffs in 1888. He
saw service in Chitral (1895), N.W. Frontier (Malakand, etc.,
1897–8), South African War (1899–1902; brevet major), N. Nigeria
(1903, Kano-Sokoto campaign), N. Nigeria (1906; in command; brevet
lieutenant-colonel). He was promoted brevet-colonel 11th January, 1910.
[4] Robert George Kekewich, second son of Trehawke Kekewich, of
Peamore, Devon, was born on the 17th June, 1854, and joined the Buffs
on the 2nd December, 1874. He fought in the Perak expedition of 1875–6,
and in the Soudan, 1884–5, where he gained a brevet majority. He was
employed as D.A.A.G. in the Soudan campaign of 1888, and afterwards
as military secretary to the C.-in-C., Madras, and was engaged in the
operations in Burma 1892–3. He was promoted into the Loyal Regiment
(North Lancashire) and commanded the 1st Battalion of that regiment in
the South African War. He commanded the garrison during the siege of
Kimberley; received the rank of brevet-colonel and the C.B., and in
August, 1902, was specially promoted major-general. He was appointed
colonel of the Buffs on the 5th October, 1909.
[5] Arthur Henry Fitzroy Paget, eldest son of General Lord Alfred
Paget, was born on the 1st March, 1851, and entered the Scots Guards
in 1869. He served in the Ashanti War, 1873; in the Soudan, 1885; in
Burma, 1887–8, and again in the Soudan in 1888–9. He commanded the
1st Scots Guards in the South African War and later the 20th Brigade,
being specially promoted major-general. He commanded the 1st Division
from 1902–6, during which time he received the C.B. and the K.C.V.O.
and was promoted lieutenant-general. He was made a K.C.B. in 1907,
and the following year was appointed G.O.C. Eastern Command. He was
an Aide-de-camp General to His Majesty from 1910–14. In 1912 he was
appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief the Forces in Ireland and
advanced to the dignity of Privy Councillor, and the following year
was promoted general and received the G.C.B. In January, 1915, General
Paget was sent on a Special Mission to Russia and the Balkan States and
was received by the Tzar of Russia and the Kings of Roumania, Bulgaria,
Servia and Greece. The following year he was sent by His Majesty King
George V to convey the Field-Marshal’s baton to the Tzar of Russia. In
1917 he visited Verdun, representing His Majesty, to confer on that
town the Military Cross.
[6] Captain Blackall, an old Militia and Special Reserve officer,
was killed on the 24th March, 1918, whilst attached to the 4th South
Staffordshire Regiment.
[7] “Other chambers in College were occupied by officers of the Buffs,
and these officers had their ante-room in VIIth Chamber and their mess
in College Hall. Hence the small oak shield, carved with the Buffs’
Dragon, which may now be seen on the north side of the Hall. This was a
parting gift from Captain F. W. Tomlinson.”--_The Wykehamist_, No.
538, February, 1915.
[8] This half-company, under Major R. E. Power, had not rejoined
the battalion the previous night, having been detailed to occupy an
unfinished trench in the front line. Lieut. J. W. Butts Archer was
killed whilst superintending a working party.
[9] Augustus David Geddes was born on the 6th June, 1866, and joined
the Buffs on the 5th February, 1887; he was adjutant of the 2nd
Battalion from 1898 until 1900, when he was severely wounded, in the
South African War. After being some years on the staff, he was promoted
to command the 2nd Battalion in 1911.
[10] No. L/8907 Pte. David Alexander served in France continuously
throughout the war until he was killed a few weeks before the
Armistice, having won the Military Medal and attained the rank of
company sergeant major.
[11] In those days many firms promised extravagant terms to those of
their employees who enlisted, but in many cases such undertakings were
not fulfilled. Messrs. Cory and Son, let it be said to their undying
credit, played the game throughout by their men and their dependents,
and were moreover the most liberal supporters of any fund that was for
the benefit of the battalion.
[12] The Dean, the Very Rev. Henry Wace, D.D., in arranging the service
wrote as follows: “I assure you we regard it as one of our first and
most honourable duties in the Cathedral to welcome the County Regiment.”
[13] “A4 Boys” were lads of eighteen passed fit, but retained at home
for a year on account of age.
[14] Claude Arthur Worthington, son of Captain Arthur Worthington of
the Buffs, who carried the Colour into Sevastopol, was born on the
25th May, 1874, and joined the Buffs in 1898. He served with the 2nd
Battalion in the South African War, acting as adjutant from February to
May, 1900. He was later adjutant of the 2nd Battalion from 1905–8.
[15] This operation was known as “mopping up” and really meant
finishing and completing work that the leading troops had to leave
undone, such as the capture of men remaining in the dug-outs and so on.
[16] The following is an extract from a letter to Sir Courtenay Vyvyan
(late the Buffs) from the A.A.G. 6th Division:--
“Your old battalion is going very strong. It is commanded by
Green, and Gould is second in command. Otherwise I don’t suppose
you know anyone. They did splendidly on the Somme and never lost
their discipline for a moment. I saw them on parade after the
fight of the 13th/18th September, when they only had 314 men
left, and they might have been parading for the King’s birthday.
It really was a magnificent sight.”
[17] This Union Jack now hangs in Canterbury Cathedral, it having been
later on presented to the battalion as a trophy; later on still it was
handed over for safe custody to the Dean and Chapter and accepted by
them at a grand ceremony held in the Cathedral at which were present
many of the Buffs, particularly of the 5th Battalion, amongst whom was
Captain G. K. Harrison, the man who had hoisted it on the 11th March.
[18] Wadi is the Arabic for watercourse or river-bed; as a rule
innocent of water, but occasionally, during the rains, rushing torrents.
[19] Beit is the Arabic for house, and so comes to mean village.
[20] These cadet schools were started after the war had been some time
in progress, and when they were established commissions were no longer
given except to graduates.
[21] This officer belongs to the Royal Fusiliers and went to France
as adjutant to the 8th Battalion of that regiment, being promoted to
command the 6th Buffs in March, 1916. He twice won the D.S.O.
[22] Regimental sergeant-major.
[23] For an example of the “leap-frog” method, see pp, 385–7.
[24] No. 4181 Sgt. Moon had been recommended for the V.C. the previous
August for gallant conduct at Zillebeke, where he received his death
wounds.
[25] See page 269.
[26] This officer was killed in action at Sanctuary Wood on the 3rd
June, 1918, as major-general commanding the 3rd Canadian Division.
[27] B.E.F., 42; C.E.F., 215.
[28] These were actually officers of Q.O.R. before leaving Canada, and
are separate to above.
[29] This was the first practical illustration of the German method of
infiltration which had lately been introduced and which now influences
our own tactics. Blobs of Germans with light guns could be seen
advancing wherever they could make progress--wherever they saw a “soft
spot.”
[30] One of these, Pte. A. C. Coleman, won the D.C.M., the M.M. and the
M.S.M.
[31] These two young men served right through the war from the landing
of the battalion till the armistice, and always with distinction. They
both got bars to their M.M.’s for this day’s work.
[32] Captain and Brevet Lt.-Colonel A. L. Ransome, D.S.O., M.C., went
to France at the beginning of the war as adjutant of the 1st Battalion
of the Dorsetshire Regiment, and after serving as Brigade Major of the
15th Infantry Brigade was appointed Commanding Officer of the 7th Buffs
in February, 1916, with which he served without a break till September,
1918.
[33] Z + a number means that number of minutes after zero hour.
[34] This was written before the 5th Battalion ceased to exist as such.
[35] The appendices have been compiled by Major F. W. Tomlinson, Hon.
Sec. of the Buffs’ History Committee, with the assistance of Miss
Olive Tomlinson and Major E. F. Gould, to whom he offers his grateful
thanks, as well as to the War Office and Officer in Charge of Records.
The names of the dead have been taken from the official lists, but
corrected and amplified as far as possible; they correspond with
the names in the Roll of Honour which is to be placed in Canterbury
Cathedral, in the Warriors’ Chapel.
[36] Medal of St. George, 3rd Class.
[37] Both these officers won clasps to their D.S.O. whilst commanding
battalions of the Buffs.
Transcriber’s Notes:
1. Obvious printers’, punctuation and spelling errors have been
corrected silently.
2. Where hyphenation is in doubt, it has been retained as in the
original.
3. Some hyphenated and non-hyphenated versions of the same words have
been retained as in the original.
4. Italics are shown as _xxx_.
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