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Full text of "
The Fifth Leicestershire
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ce)
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Agia -1919.

SHE
Pie eEiGreSTERSHIRE.

A record of the
1/5th Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment, T.F.,
during the War,
1914—1919.

By

Caprain J. D. HILLS,
M.C., Croix de Guerre.

With an introduction by

En eCorcone, Geo. JONES,
C.M.G., T.D., Légion d’honneur (officier).

LOUGHBOROUGH.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED AT THE ECHO PRESS.

1919.

THE FIFTH, LEICES@TERSHIRE:

To
COLONEL HIS GRACE DUKE OF RUTLAND, K.G.,

who has watched over us and lived with us
in all our losses and in all our joys,
this book is gratefully dedicated.

Jib Eas int

- nas a b
yes) AG) tty, Haas 7 . ih
See yen its . :

ke Erb ANC TE

No literary merit is claimed for this book. It is
intended to be a diary of our progress as a Battalion
since mobilisation until the signing of peace, and the
return of the Colours to Loughborough. I have
written the first chapter, the remainder, including the
maps, has been done by Captain J. D. Hills.

This is scarcely the place to attempt an estimate of
what the members of our County Territorial Force
Association, individually and collectively, have done for
the 5th Leicestershire Regiment. | We would merely
place this on record, that there has ever been one keen
feeling of brotherhood uniting us all, from President
or Chairman, to the latest joined recruit or humblest
member of the regiment, whether actively engaged on
the battlefield, or just as actively engaged at home.
Never has the Executive Committee failed us. And
to Major C. M. Serjeantson, O.B.E., we would offer
a special tribute for his untiring work, wonderful powers
of organisation and grasp of detail, and hearty good
fellowship at alf times.

To the men of the regiment we hope that the incidents
which we narrate here will recall great times we spent
together, and serve as a framework on which to weave
other stories too numerous for the short space of one
book.

Coe JONES:

MEADHURST,
UPPINGHAM,

Sept., roro.

AUTHOR’S NOTE.

TuHE following narrative is based mainly on the
Regimental War Diary. For the rest, my thanks are
due to Lt.-Colonels C. H. Jones, C.M.G., T.D., and
J. LI. Griffiths, D.S.O., Major C. Bland, T.D., Captains
D. B. Petch, M.C., J. R. Brooke, M.C., and A. D.
Pierrepont, and R.O.M.S. R. Gorse, M.S.M., for
sending me notes and anecdotes; to Captains G. E.
Banwell, M.C., and C. S. Allen, Corpl. J. Lincoln, and
L/Corpl. A. B. Law, for taking me round the battle-
fields and explaining the Lens fighting of 1917; to
2nd Lieut. G. H. Griffiths, for supplying me with many
of the battle-field photographs; to all officers, N.C.O.’s
and men of the Battalion who have always been ready
to answer my questions and to give me information ;
to Major D. Hill, M.C., Brigade Major, for the loan
of his Brigade documents; and lastly to Mr. Deakin of
Loughborough, for undertaking the publication of this
book and for giving to it so much time and personal
care.

7. D; HIELS:

16, SOMERSET ST.,
LONDON, W. 1.

Sept., 1070.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER.

3. THE SALIENT
4. HOHENZOLLERN
5. FLanpDERS Mup To THE MEDITERRANEAN
6. THE Vimy RIDGE
7. GOMMECOURT
8. Moncuy au Bors
GOMMECOURT AGAIN
10. Lens
Hil, lab, G5)
12, ‘Sir, WBiegis; Iisa
3. CAMBRIN RIGHT
14. GorRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE
15. GorrRE AND ESSARS aT WAR
16. PONTRUET
17. CROSSING THE CANAL
18. FRESNOoY AND RIQUERVAL Woops
19. THe Last Ficutr
20. Homer AGAIN
APPENDIX.
I. Orricers, Fes., 1915
If. Honours
III. THe Capre, 1919

ENGLAND

EARLY EXPERIENCIES

COMO Oo KR & re)

So ©

jit
bh

Ws

ce

ILLUSTRATIONS.

OrFicERS, 1914 (Frontispiece).

R.S.M.s SMALL AND Lovett,
R.Q.M.S. Gorse

YPRES ae

HOHENZOLLERN MEMORIAL

VERMELLES WaTER TOWER

LENS FROM THE AIR

OFFICERS AT MARQUEFFLES

Rep Miri anp RiaumMonr HILyi

HOHENZOLLERN CRATERS, 1917 ...

CompaNy HEADQUARTERS, LOISNE,
GoRRE CANAL

PONTRUET fe

Lieut. J. C. BARRETT, ¥.@.

THE CaDRE AT LOUGHBOROUGH

AND

PAGE.

DK

MANETS:

Ypres DISTRICT

BETHUNE DISTRICT

Attack ON GomMeEcourtT, 1/7/16
Moncuy DIstRIcT

Lens District

ATTACK ON PontRUET, 24/9/18 ...
ApvanceE, 24/9/18 to 11/11/18

PAGE.
44

82

130

154

190
e286
314 & 315

CHAPTER I.

ENGLAND.

4th Aug., 1914. 25th Feb., 1915.

Tue Territorial Force, founded in 1908, undoubtedly
attracted many men who had not devoted themselves
previously to military training, nevertheless it took its
character and tone from men who had seen long service
in the old Volunteer Force. Hence, those who created
the Territorial Force did nothing more than re-organise,
and build upon what already existed. In the 5th
Leicestershire Regiment there crossed with us to France
men who had over 30 years’ service. At the outbreak
of war in 1914, R.O.M.S. Stimson could look back on
36 years of service, and, amongst other accomplish-
ments he spoke French fluently. Other names that
occur to us are Serjt. Heafield, with 28 years, and
C.S.M. Hill with 16 years, both of Ashby, and both of
whom served in the Volunteer Company in South
Africa. R.S.M. Lovett (27 years), of Loughborough,
also wears the South African medal for service in
the same Company. Then there are Pioneer-Serjt.
Clay (27 years’ service), C.S.M. Garratt, of Ashby,
C.S.M. Wade, of Melton, R.Q.M.S. Gorse, of Lough-
borough, Signal-Serjeant Diggle, of Hinckley—all long
service men. The senior N.C.O. in Rutland was C.S.M.
Kernick, who had done 18 years’ service when war was
declared.

The infantry of the 46th (North Midland) Division

THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

be

consisted of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, the
Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, and the Staffordshire
Brigades. Our brigade, the 138th, was commanded at
first by General A. W. Taylor, who was succeeded a few
days before we left England by General W. R. Clifford.
Staff officers changed frequently, and we hope we did
not break the hearts of too many. Staff-Captain J. E.
Viccars survived most of them, and we owe him much
for the able and vigorous assistamce he was always
ready cheerfully to give us.

The 5th Leicestershire was a County Battalion,
organised im eight companies, with headquarters
respectively at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Oakham, Melton
Mowbray, Hinckley, Market Harborough, Mountsorrel,
Shepshed, and one at Regimental Headquarters at
Loughborough. The companies thus were much
scattered, and it was only at the annual training camps
that we met as a battalion.

The Territorial Force was better prepared for mobili-
sation tham is generally supposed, and if the history of
the assembly of the regiment at Loughborough in the
first week, their train journey to Duffield in the second
week, the purchase of horses, the collection of stores,
the requisitions for food and the sharpening of bayonets,
be demanded, it cam be read in the orders printed many
months before war even threatened. The orders were
drawm up by Lt.-Colonel G. German, T.D., our former
commanding officer, now D.S.O., and by his conscien-
tious and indefatigable adjutant, Captain W. G. King
Peirce, who was killed early in the war fighting with his
old regiment, the Manchesters. It is due to these
officers: to record that every detail was studiously fol-
lowed and fownd exactly correct. We heard of one

ENGLAND. 3

officer who, at the time the printed book of orders was
issued, was so fearful lest it should fall into the hands
of some indiscreet or improper person, that he packed
and sealed it, addressed it to his executors, and locked
it up in a safe, so that even sudden death on his part
would not force him to betray his trust.

Of all hard-worked people in the early days it is
possible that upon Major R. E. Martin fell the greatest
share. Not only did he see that supplies were forth-
coming, and that dealers delivered the goods expected
of them, but he set himself to design water-carts, and
troughs-water-feet-for-the-washing-of, and cunningly to
adapt stock material to the better service and greater
comfort of all, many of whom were for the first time
dragged from the civilities and luxuries of home life.

At Loughborough from the 5th to the 11th of August
we did little more than pull ourselves together generally,
and enjoy the good will of the inhabitants, led by our
firm friend, the oft-repeated Mayor, Mr. Mayo, J.P.

It did not demand much wit to foretell that sooner
or later we should be asked to offer ourselves for service
abroad. The question was put for the first time on the
13th of August, at Duffield. A rough estimate was
made that at least 70 per cent. would consent gladly
and without further thought, and of the others hesita-
tion was caused in many cases because men wondered
whether in view of their positions in civil life they had
the right to answer for themselves. — It should be under-
stood that a very large number were skilled men, and
had joined the home army merely because they thought
it a good thing to do. And because they liked it, and
knew it was a good thing to do, they were content to
accept humble places in a force formed for home service

4 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

and home defence only. Also, at that stage it was not
perfectly certain that everyone would be wanted, and
when the question of war service abroad was raised,
and other men were not serving at all, it is only natural
that the thought passed through some men’s minds that
the appeal was not for them. We think that the bat-
talion might be congratulated upon the general spirit
of willingness shown, especially as in the 17th August
when the question was put again more definitely, the
percentage of those ready to extend the terms of service
was estimated at 90.

There were other phases of this call for extension of
service, too numerous to detail here ; for example, on one
occasion we were asked to get six companies ready at
once. This for a time upset everything, for, as we
have said, the original eight companies were taken from
different parts of the county, and there was a strong
company comradeship, as well as a battalion unity ; and
if six be taken out of eight it means omissions,
amalgamations, grafts, and all sorts of disturbances.

We left Duffield on the 15th of August, and marched
to Derby Station. Our train was timed to start at
1] p.m., and seeing that we arrived at Luton at 2 p.m.
the next day, the rate of motion was about 6 miles an
hour, not too fast for a train. But the truth is we did
not start at 11 p.m., but spent hours standing in the
cattle yard at Derby, while trucks and guns were being
arranged to fit one another. As that was our first
experience of such delay, the incident was impressed
upon our minds, and it counts one to the number of bars
we said our medal should have.

As in Loughborough, so in Luton, our billets were
schools. | There was one advantage about the Beech

ENGLAND. 5

Hill Schools of Luton, namely, that the whole battalion
could assemble in the big room, sit on the floor, and
listen in comfort to words of instruction and advice.
But day schools were not intended for lodging purposes,
and here again was displayed Major Martin’s skill in the
erection of cookhouses and more wash-tubs and other
domestic essentials. The moment we got settled, how-
ever happened to coincide with the moment at which
the education branch of the Town Council determined
that the future of a nation depended upon the education
of her children, and thus it came to pass that on the
28th of August we moved out of the schools, and entered
billets in West Luton.

The long rows of houses were admirably suited to
company billets. Occupiers dismantled the ground
floor front and took in three, and generally four men at
various rates. On the 2nd of October a universal rate
of 9d. a day each man was fixed. That made twenty-
one shillings a week towards paying off a rent which
would average at the most twelve shillings. The
billets delighted us, and we hope the owners were as
pleased. We thank them and all we met in those
billeting times for their kind forbearance.

The headquarters and billets of senior officers were at
Ceylon Hall. The building was owned by the Baptists,
and we found their committee most willing and obliging.
On one occasion they lent us their chapel and organ for
a Sunday service, and set their own service at a time to
suit ours, when churches in the town could not help us.

Altogether we were in Luton just 3 months training
for war. To a great extent the training was on
ordinary lines. A routine was followed, and all routines
become dull and wearisome. We had been asked to go

6 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

abroad, we had expressed our willingness to go. This
willingness grew into a desire, which at intervals
expressed itself in petulant words of longing—‘“‘ Are

we ever going to France?’’ The answer was always
the same: ‘‘ You will go soon enough, and you will
stay long enough.’’ This increased our irritation.

Suddenly, on one still and dark November day, parade
was sharply cancelled, we clad ourselves in full march-
ing order, there was just a moment to scrawl on a post-
card a few last words home, tender words were
exchanged with our friends in the billets, and with heavy
tread and in solemn silence we marched forth along
the Bedford Road. There was a pillar box beside the
road. It was only the leading companies that could put
the farewell card actually in the box, for it was quickly
crowded out, and in the end the upper portion of the
red pillar was visible standing on a conical pile of post-
cards.

Never had a field day passed without some reference
to the 16th milestone on the Bedford Road, but on this
particular day orders did not even mention the mile-
stone. This in itself was sufficient to convince us that
real war had at length begun. Long before the 16th
milestone was sighted, we were diverted into a field, our
kit was commented upon, and we marched back to the
same old billets. | For convenience of reference this
incident is entered in our diary as the march to France
along the Bedford Road, and no bar was awarded. The
march formed a crisis in our history, for subsequent to
it leave home was not sought so eagerly. Positively
the last words of farewell had been said, and it was
difficult to devise other forms of good-bye nearer the
absolute ultimate with which to engage our home

ENGLAND. 7

friends, who, to our credit be it said, were just as
anxious as we were.

It was about this time that our attention was drawn to
the anomaly of the discharge rule. A man who had
served for four years could take his discharge as a time-
expired soldier. At the same time men were enlisting
freely. One young man of under 21 was said to have
claimed his discharge on the very day that his grand-
father, newly enlisted, entered upon three days’ ‘‘ C.B.”’
for coming on parade with dirty boots.

It was in Luton, too, that we overcame our distrust
and dislike of vaccination and inoculation against
typhoid. We remember C.S.M. Lovett being inoculated
in public to give a lead to others, and we smile
now to think that in those days it was power of
character and leadership only that accomplished things,
and incidentally made the way smooth for a Govern-
ment’s compulsory bill.

We were inspected several times, in fact so often that
the clause ‘“‘ We are respected by everyone,’’ which
comes in our regimental ditty—(and how could it not! !)
—was given the alternative rendering “‘ inspected.’’
Twice his Majesty the King honoured us with a visit,
and in addition General Ian Hamilton, Lord Kitchener,
and others.

Regiments differ much ; each has its peculiarities. The
5th Leicestershire a county battalion, if in nothing
else, excelled individually in work across country.
Though all may not have been as clever as “ Pat’”’
Collins (G.A.), who acted as guide to the commanding
officer for many months—and we have the commanding
officer’s permission to add ‘‘ counsellor and friend ’’—
there was never any difficulty in finding the way in the

8 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

day or at night. If we may anticipate our early days
in France, a few months hence, we can remember being
occupied all one night in extricating parties of men who
had lost their way hopelessly in open country in the
dark. Those were men who came from a city battalion,
brought up amongst labelled thoroughfares, street
lamps, and brilliantly-illuminated shop windows. We
practised night work at Luton, and all was easy and
natural, though we added to our experiences, as on the
night when in the thrilling silence of a night attack the
fair chestnut bolted with the machine gun; and having
kicked two men and lost his character, reverted to the
rank of officer’s charger.

On a day in October the whole division had entrenched
itself in the vicinity of Sharpenhoe and Sundon. To
enliven the exercise night manceuvres were hastily
planned. Our share was to march at about Il p.m.,
after a hard day and half a tea, and to continue march-
ing through the most intricate country until five o’clock
the next morning. At that time we were within charg-
ing distance of the enemy, and day was breaking.
Filing through a railway arch we wheeled into extended
order and lay down till all were ready. When the
advance was ordered, though we had lain down for two
minutes only, the greater number were fast asleep.
Despite this hitch the position was taken, and then a
march home brought the exercise to an end at 8.10 a.m.
For this operation we voted a second bar to our medal.

To those who knew all the details of the plan the
most brilliant feature was the wonderfully accurate lead-
ing of our Brigade Major, now Brigadier-General Alder-
cron. He led us behind the advanced posts of the
enemy and it was their second line that we attacked.

ENGLAND. 4)

Many officers were joining us. Since war had been
declared ee Gam lanadalew in G-n laiViould, is IR:
Knighton, S. R. Pullinger, C. H. Wollaston, G. W.
Allen, J. D. Hills, and R. Ward-Jackson had all been
added to our strength. Later came D. B. Petch,
R. B. Farrer, and J. Wyndham Tomson, of
whom Petch was straight from school, and
he, with the last two named, served a fortnight in
France before being gazetted. Their further careers
can be followed in later chapters with the exception,
perhaps, of Hills, who himself writes those chapters.
As his service is a combination of details, many of
which are typical of the young officer who fought in
the early days of the war, for general information we
narrate so much. John David Hills, though not 20,
had already seen six years’ service in his school O.T.C.,
including one year as a Cadet Officer. He surrendered
his Oxford Scholarship and what that might have meant
in order to join up at once. He passed through the
battalion from end to end, occupying at various times
every possible place: signalling officer, intelligence
officer, platoon commander, company commander,
adjutant, 2nd in command, and finished up in command
of what was called “‘ the cadre.’’ For some time, too,
he was attached to the brigade staff, and when we add
that he excelled in every position separately and dis-
tinctly, and won the admiration and love of all, we
may spare him further embarrassment and let the
honours he has won speak for him.

Clothing was a lasting trouble. We were now
wearing out our first suits, and from time to time there
confronted us statements that sounded rather like
weather reports, for example—‘‘ No trousers to-day ;

10 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

tunics plentiful.’’ Then the question arose as to whether
a man should wear a vest, and, if so, might he have
two, one on the man, the other at the wash. Patient
endurance was rewarded by an answer in the affirmative
to the first part of the question, but the correspondence
over the second portion has only just reached the
armistice stage.

And as with men, so with animals. ‘‘ The waggon
and horses’’ sounds beautifully complete as well as
highly attractive, but in the army we must not forget
to see that harness comes as well. And this thought,
the lack of harness, carries us to another great event
in our history, the end of the Luton days, the march
to Ware.

Why was the march to Ware planned exactly like
that? It is not in the hope of getting an answer we
ask the question. Waggons and horses and no harness,
and whose fault? Waggons and horses with harness,
and carrying a double load to make up,—no fault, a
but let us set

necessity. Officers away on leave,
things down in order. Barely a fortnight after the
march to France along the Bedford Road, on Saturday,
the 14th of November, a proportion of officers and men
went on leave as usual till Monday, and all was calm
and still, At 1 a.m. on Monday, orders were received
to move at 7 a.m., complete for Ware, a distance, by
the route set, of 25 to 30 miles,—some say 50 to 100
miles. Official clear-the-line telegrams were poured out
recalling the leave takers. Waggons were packed—
(were they not packed !)—billets were cleared, and we
toed the line at the correct time. For want of harness,
the four cooks’ carts and two water carts were left
behind; for want of time, meat was issued raw; for

ENGLAND. 11

want of orders, no long halt was given at mid-day.
One short and sharp bit of hill on the way was too
much for the horses, and such regimental transport
as we had with us had to be man-handled. This little
diversion gave regiments a choice of two systems, gaps
between regiments, or gaps between sections of the same
regiment, and gave spectators, who had come in con-
siderable numbers, a subject for discussion. But the
chief feature of the day was that we reached Ware that
day as complete as we started. We arrived at 7-20 p.m.
except for two Companies who were detached as rear
guard to the Division. The tail end of the Divisional
train lost touch and took the wrong turning, and for
this reason the two Companies did not come in till
11-30 p.m. We understand that the third bar on our
medal will be the march to Ware.

Amongst those who watched us pass near the half-
way post we noticed our neighbour, General Sir A. E.
Codrington, then commanding the London District, who
as an experienced soldier knew the difficulties and gave
us, as a regiment, kindly words of praise and
encouragement.

We have often wondered what was the verdict of
the authorities upon this march. As this is regimental
history only, it may be permitted to give the regiment’s
opinion. We fancied we accomplished passing well
an almost impossible task. It is true that not long
afterwards we were well fitted out and sent to France.
We are persuaded, too, to add here that we said we
owed one thing at least to our Divisional Commander,
General E. Montagu-Stuart-Wortley; we were the
first complete Territorial Force Division to cross the
seas and go into action as a Division against the Ger-

12 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

mans. And it may be that the whole Territorial Force
owe to our General, too, that they went in Divisions,
and were not sent piecemeal as some earlier battalions,
and dovetailed into the Regular Army, or, perhaps,
even into the New Army. We live in the assurance that
the confidence the Army Council extended to us was not
misplaced.

Having rested a day at Ware, we marched to Bishops
Stortford, where we cannot say we were billeted neither
can we use again the word rest, for the town was over-
crowded, and queues were formed up to billets ; queues
composed of all arms of the service, and infantry did not

ce

take the front place. Let us say we were “‘ stationed ”’
there one week. The week was enlivened by strange
rumour of German air attacks, and large patrols were
kept on the watch at night.

On the 26th of November, the time of our life began
when the regiment marched into billets at Sawbridge-
worth. The town was built for one infantry regiment
and no more. The inhabitants were delightful, and
we have heard, indirectly, more than once that they
were pleased with us. We soon learnt to love the town
and all it contained, and we dare not say that our love
has grown cold even now. The wedding bells have
already rung for the regiment once at Sawbridgeworth,
when Lieut. R. C. L. Mould married Miss Barrett, and
we do not know that they may not ring again for a
similar reason. In Sawbridgeworth, our vigorous adju-
tant, Captain W. T. Bromfield, was at his best. Every-
one was seized and pulled up to the last notch of
eficiency, pay books were ready in time, company
returns were faultless, deficiency lists complete, saluting
was severer than ever, and echos of heel clicks rattled

ENGLAND. 13

from the windows in the street. Best of all were the
drums. Daily at Retreat, Drum Sergt. Skinner would
salute the orderly officer, the orderly officer would salute
the senior officer, then all the officers would salute all
the ladies, the crowd would move slowly away, and
wheel traffic was permitted once more in the High Street.

The ordinary routine of military life was broken into
at times by sudden and violent efforts dictated by
lightning ideas of the Divisional or Brigade Staff, or by
the latest news from the front. There was a time, for
example, when we could think of one thing only,—the
recessed trench. That gave place to the half company
trench, a complete system, embracing fire trenches,
supports, inspection trenches, with cook houses, wash
houses, and all that a well regulated house could
require; and so important was it, and its dimensions
so precise, that an annotated copy was printed on
handkerchiefs.

Then came a sudden desire to cross streams, however
swollen, and a party rode off to Bishops Stortford to
learn the very latest plans. We had just received a
set of beautiful mules, well trained for hard work in
the transport. As horses were scarce, and the party
large, our resourceful adjutant ordered mules. Several
mules returned at once, though many went with their
riders to the model bridge, and in their intelligent
anxiety to get a really close view, went into the water
with them.

On another day we did a great march through
Harlow, and saluted Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C., who stood
at his gate to see us pass.

Football, boxing and concerts, not to mention
dancing, filled our spare time, and there was the famous

14 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

race which ended :—Bos, Major Toller, a, 1., BERLIN,
Capt. Bromfield, a, 2. And we are not forgetting that
it was at Sawbridgeworth that we ate our first Christmas
war dinner. Never was such a feed. The eight
companies had each a separate room, and the Com-
manding officer, Major Martin, and the adjutant made a
tour of visits, drinking the health of each company in
turn—eight healths, eight drinks, and which of the
three stood it best? Some say the second in command
shirked.

Officers had their dinner, too. After the loyal toast
there was one only—‘‘ Colour Sergt. Joe Collins, and
may he live for ever!’’ The reply was short—*‘ Gentle-
men, I think you are all looking very well.’’ It was
his only thought, and we were well. We know how
much we owe to him as our mess sergeant; he studied
our individual tastes and requirements, and kept us well
for many months. Good luck to him!

It was not till January, 1915, that a most important,
and as a matter of fact the very simplest, change in our
organisation was made. To be in keeping with the
regular forces, our eight companies were reorganised
as four. This system would always have suited our
County battalion even in 1908, and our only wonder is
that it was not introduced before.

When, on the 18th of February, the G.O.C. returned
from a week’s visit to France, and gave us a lecture
upon the very latest things, we knew we might go at
any time. Actually at noon on the 25th we got the
order to entrain at Harlow at midnight, and the next
morning we were On Southampton Docks.

We left behind at Sawbridgeworth Captain R. S.
Goward, now Lieut. Colonel and T.D., in command of

ENGLAND. 15

a company which afterwards developed into a battalion
called the 3rd 5th Leicestershire. This battalion was a
nursery and rest house for officers and men for the Ist
Fifth. It existed as a separate unit until the Ist of
September, 1916, and during those months successfully
initiated all ranks in the ways of the regiment, and kept

alive the spirit which has carried us through the Great
War.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY EXPERIENCES.

26th Feb., 1915. 16th June, 1915.

AFTER spending the greater part of the day (the 26th
February) lounging about the Hangars at Southampton,
we at length embarked late in the afternoon—Head-
quarters and the right half battalion in S.S. Duchess of
Argyle, left half, under Major Martin, in S.S. Atalanta.
The transport, under Capt. Burnett, was due to sail later
in S.S. Mazaran, since torpedoed in the Channel, but
they embarked at the same time as the rest. Four other
ships containing Divisional Headquarters and some of
the Sherwood Foresters were to sail with us, and at
9 p.m., to the accompaniment of several syrens blowing
““ Farewell,’’ we steamed out, S.S. Duchess of Argyle
leading. The Captain of the ship asked us to post a
signaller to read any signals, Serjt. Diggle was told
to keep a look out and assist the official signaller, a sort
of nondescript Swede or other neutral, like the rest of
the crew. We soon sighted some war vessel, and asked
if they had any orders, the reply being, according to
Serjt. Diggle, “‘No go’’—according to the Swede,
‘““No no.’”’ The Captain preferred to believe the latter,
and as there were no orders continued his course, though
we could see the remainder of our little fleet turn round
and sail back. The weather was appalling, the sea very

EARLY EXPERIENCES. a

rough, and long before we had reached half way we
were all very ill. This was not surprising, as our
transport was built for pleasure work on the Clyde, and,
though fast, was never intended to face a Channel storm.
Each time a wave crashed into the ship’s side we
imagined we had been torpedoed; in fact, it was one
long night of concentrated misery.

We reached Le Havre in the early hours of the
morning, and disembarked, feeling, and probably look-
ing, very bedraggled. From the’ quay we crawled up a
long and terribly steep hill to the rest camp—some lines
of tents in a muddy field. Here, while we waited 24
hours for our left half Battalion, of whom we had no
news, we were joined by our first interpreter, M. Furby.
M. Furby was very anxious to please, but unfortunately
failed to realise the terrible majesty of the Adjutant, a
fact which caused his almost immediate relegation to the
Q.M. Stores, where he always procured the best billets
for Capt. Worley and himself. On the morning of the
28th we received an issue of sheepskin coats and extra
socks, the latter a present from H.M. the Queen, and
after dinners moved down to the Railway Station,
where we found Major Martin and the left half. Their
experiences in the Channel had been worse than ours.
Most of them, wishing to sleep, had started to do so
before the ship left Southampton on the 26th; they were
almost all ill during the night, so were glad to find a
harbour wall outside their port-holes the following morn-
ing, and at once went on deck ‘‘ to look at France ’’—
only to find they were back in Southampton. They
stayed there all day, and eventually crossed the next
night, arriving on the 28th, feeling as bad as we did,
and having had all the horrors of two voyages.

18 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

We were kept waiting many hours on the platform,
while the French Railway staff gradually built an
enormous train, composed of those wonderful wagons
labelled ‘‘ HomMES 36-40, CHEVAUX EN LONG 8,’’ which
we now saw for the first time. Hot in summer, cold
in winter, always very hard and smelly, and full of
refuse, they none the less answered their purpose, and
a French troop train undoubtedly carries the maximum
number of men in the minimum of accommodation.
During this long wait we should all have starved had
it not been for the kindness of an English lady, Mrs.
Sidney Pitt, who, with other English ladies, served out
an unlimited supply of tea and buns to all. Eventually
at 5 p.m. our train was ready, and we entrained—all
except two platoons, for whom there was no room.
The transport was loaded on to flats which were hooked
on behind our wagons, and we finally started up country
at about 7 o’clock. The train moved slowly northwards
all night, stopping for a few minutes at Rouen, and
reaching Abbeville just as dawn broke at 7 a.m. Here,
amidst a desolation of railway lines and tin sheds, we
stayed for half an hour and stretched our cramped
limbs, while six large cauldrons provided enough hot tea
for all. From this point our progress became slower,
and the waits between stations proportionally longer,
until at last we reached a small village, where, accord-
ing to our train orders, we should stop long enough to
water horses. This we began to do, when suddenly,
without any whistling or other warning, the train moved
on, and Major Martin and Captain Burnett, who were
with the horses, only just managed to catch the train,
and had to travel the next stage on a flat with a limber.
At St. Omer we were told where we should detrain, a

EARLY EXPERJENCES. 19

fact hitherto concealed from us, and eventually at 2-35
p.m. in a blizzard and snow storm we reached Arneke,
detrained at once, and marched about five miles to the
little village of Hardifort, where we arrived in the dark.

We were, of course, entirely inexperienced at this
time, and in the light of subsequent events, this, our
first attempt at billeting, was a most ludicrous perfor-
mance. The Battalion halted) on the road in fours
outside the village, at the entrance to which stood a
group headed by the C.O. with a note-book; behind
him was the Mayor—small, intoxicated and supremely
happy, the Brigade Interpreter, M. Lost, with a list
of billets, and the Adjutant, angry at having caught a
corporal in the act of taking a sly drink. Around them
was a group of some dozen small boys who were to act
as guides. The Interpreter read out a name followed
by a number of officers and men; the C.O. made a note
of it and called up the next platoon; the Mayor shouted
the name at the top of his voice, waved his arms,
staggered, smacked a small boy, and again shouted,
at which from three to five small boys would step out
and offer to guide the platoon, each choosing a different
direction. How we ever found our homes is still a
mystery, and yet by 10 p.m. we were all comfortably
settled in quarters. We were joined the next morning
by the two remaining platoons, 2nd Lieuts. Mould and
Farrer.

The billets were slightly re-arranged as soon as day-
light enabled us to see where we were, and we soon
settled down and made ourselves comfortable, being
told that we should remain at Hardifort until the 4th
March, when we should go into trenches for a week’s
instruction with some Regular Division. We _ had

20 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

nothing much to do except recover from the effects of
our journey, and this, with good billets and not too bad
weather, we soon did. The remainder of our Brigade
had not yet arrived, so we were attached temporarily to
the Sherwood Foresters, whose 8th Battalion was also
absent, and with them on the 4th moved off Eastwards,
having the previous day received some preliminary
instructions in trench warfare from General Montagu-
Stuart-Wortley, who spoke to all the officers.

Preceded by our billeting party, which left at 5 a.m.,
we marched from Hardifort at 9 a.m., and, passing
through Terdeghen, reached the main road at St.
Sylvestre Capel, and went along it to Caestre. On the
way we met General Smith-Dorrien, our Army Com-
mander, and while the Battalion halted he talked to
all the officers, gave us some very valuable hints, and
then watched the Battalion march past, having im-
pressed us all with his wonderful kindness and charm
of manner. At Caestre we found motor buses waiting
for us, and we were glad to see them, for though no
one had fallen out, we were somewhat tired after
marching nine miles, carrying, in addition to full march-
ing order, blankets, sheepskin coats and some extra
warm clothing. The buses took us through Bailleul and
Nieppe to Armentiéres, at that time a town infested
with the most appalling stinks and very full of inhabi-
tants, although the front line trenches ran through the
eastern suburbs. Having ‘‘ debussed,’’ we marched to
le Bizet, a little village a mile north of the town, and
stayed there in billets for the night. During the evening
we stood outside our billets, gazed at the continuous
line of flares and listened to the rifle fire, imagining in
our innocence that there must be a ‘terrific battle with
so many lights.

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 21

The next day our instruction started, and for four
days we worked hard, trying to learn all we could about
trench warfare from the 12th Brigade, to whom we were
attached. While some went off to learn grenade throw-
ing, a skilled science in those days when there was no
Mills but only the “‘ stick ’’ grenades, others helped
dig back lines of defence and learned the mysteries of
revetting under the Engineers. Each platoon spent 24
hours in the line with a platoon either of the Essex Regt.,
King’s Own or Lancashire Fusiliers, who were holding
the sector from “ Plugstreet’’ to Le Touquet Station.
It was a quiet sector except for rifle fire at night, and
it was very bad luck that during our first few hours in
trenches we lost 2nd Lieut. G. Aked, who was killed by
a stray bullet in the front line. There was some slight
shelling of back areas with “ Little Willies,’’ German
field gun shells, but these did no damage, and gave us
in consequence a useful contempt for this kind of pro-
jectile. Trench mortars were not yet invented, and we
were spared all heavy shells, so that, when on the 9th
we left Armentiéres, we felt confident that trenches,
though wet and uncomfortable, were not after all so
very dreadful, and that, if at any time we should be
asked to hold the line, we should acquit ourselves with
credit.

Our next home was the dirty little village of Strazeele,
which we reached by march route, and where we found
Lieut. E. G. Langdale who rejoined us, having finished
his disembarkation duties. Here we occupied five large
farm houses, all very scattered and very smelly, the
smelliest being Battalion Headquarters, called by Major
Manin wea ticnne mdes Te Odeurgiatireuse.”’ » The
Signalling offcer attempted to link up the farms by

bo
to

THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

telephone, but his lines, which consisted of the thin
enamelled wire issued at the time, were constantly
broken by the farmers’ manure carts, and the signallers
will always remember the place with considerable dis-
gust. One farmer was very pleased with himself,
having rolled up some 200 yards of our line under the
impression that all thin wire must be German. The rest
of the Brigade had now arrived, and the other three
Battalions were much annoyed to find that we were
already experienced soldiers—a fact which we took care
to point out to them on every possible occasion. Our
only other amusement was the leg-pulling of some news-
paper correspondents, who, as the result of an interview,
made Major Martin a ‘‘ quarry official,’’ and Lieut.
Vincent a poultry farmer of considerable repute !

On the 11th March we marched to Sailly sur la Lys,
better known as “‘ Sally on the loose,’’ where with the
Canadian Division we should be in reserve, though we
did not know it, for the battle of Neuve Chapelle. The
little town was crowded before even our billeting party
arrived, and it was only by some most brazen billet
stealing, which lost us for ever the friendship of the
Divisional Cyclists, that we were able to find cover for
all, while many of the Lincolnshires had to bivouac in
the fields. Here we remained during the battle, but
though the Canadians moved up to the line, we were
not used, and spent our time standing by and listening
to the gun fire. A 15” Howitzer, commanded by Admiral
Bacon and manned by Marine Artillery, gave us some-
thing to look at, and it was indeed a remarkable sight
to watch the houses in the neighbourhood gradually
falling down as each shell went off. There was also
an armoured train which mounted three guns, and gave

bo
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EARLY EXPERIENCES.

us much pleasure to watch, though whether it did any
damage to the enemy we never discovered. Finally, on
the 16th, having taken no part in the battle, we marched
to some farms near Doulieu, and thence on the 19th to
a new area near Bailleul, including the hamlets of Noote
boom, Steent-je (proncunced Stench), and Blanche
Maison, where we stayed until the end of the month,
while the rest of the Brigade went to Armentiéres for
their tours of instruction.

Our new area contained some excellent farm houses,
and we were very comfortably billeted though somewhat
scattered. The time was mostly spent in training, which
consisted then of trench digging and occasionally prac-
tising a ‘‘ trench to trench’ attack, with the assistance
of gunners and telephonists, about whose duties we had
learnt almost nothing in England. General Smith
Dorrien came to watch one of these practices, and,
though he passed one or two criticisms, seemed very
pleased with our efforts. We also carried out some
extraordinarily dangerous experiments with bombs,
under Captain Ellwood of the Lincolnshires and Lieut.
A. G. de A. Moore, who was our first bomb officer. It
was just about this time that the Staff came to the con-
clusion that something simpler in the way of grenades
was required than the ‘‘ Hales’’ and other long handled
types, and to meet this demand someone had invented
the “‘ jam tin ’’—an ordinary small tin filled with a few
nails and some explosive, into the top of which was
wired a detonator and friction lighter. For practice pur-
poses the explosive was left out, and the detonator
wired into an empty tin. Each day lines of men could
be seen about the country standing behind a hedge,
over which they threw jam tins at imaginary trenches,

24 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

the aim and object of all being to make the tin burst as
soon as possible after hitting the ground. We were
given five seconds fuses, and our orders were, “‘ turn
the handle, count four slowly, and then throw.’’ Most
soldiers wisely counted four fairly rapidly, but Pte. G.
Kelly, of ‘‘ D’’ Company, greatly distinguished himself
by holding on well past “ five,” with the result that
the infernal machine exploded within a yard of his head,
fortunately doing no damage.

All this time we were about nine miles from the line,
and were left in peace by the Boche, except for a single
night visit from one of his aeroplanes, which dropped
two bombs near Bailleul Station and woke us all up.
We did not know what they were at the time, so were
not as alarmed as we might otherwise have been. In
fact ‘‘ B’’ Company had a much more trying time when,
a few nights later, one of the cows at their billet calved
shortly after midnight. The Sentry on duty woke
Captain Griffiths, who in turn woke the farmer and tried
to explain what had happened. All to no purpose, for
the farmer was quite unable to understand, and in the
end was only made to realise the gravity of the situation
by the more general and less scientific explanation that
““La vache est malade.”’

On the Ist April we received a warning order to the
effect that the Division would take over shortly a sector
of the line South of St. Eloi from the 28th Division, and
two days later we marched through Bailleul to some huts
on the Dranoutre-Locre road, where we relieved the
Northumberland Fusiliers in Brigade support. The
same evening the Company Commanders went with the
C.O. and Adjutant to reconnoitre the sector of trenches
we were to occupy. It rained hard all night, and was

bo
or

EARLY EXPERIENCES.

consequently pitch dark, so that the reconnoitring party
could see very little and had a most unpleasant journey,
returning to the huts at 2 o’clock the next morning
(Easter Day), tired out and soaked to the skin. During
the day the weather improved, and it was a fine night
when at 10 p.m., the Battalion paraded and marched
in fours though Dranoutre and along the road to within
half a mile of Wulverghem. Here, at ‘‘ Packhorse ’”’
Farm, we were met by guides of the Welch Regiment
(Col. Marden) and taken into the line.

Our first sector of trenches consisted of two discon-
nected lengths of front line, called trenches 14 and 15,
behind each of which a few shelters, which were neither
organised for defence nor even splinter-proof, were
known as 14S and 15 S—the S presumably meaning
Support. On the left some 150 yards from the front line
a little circular sandbag keep, about 40 yards in diameter
and known as S.P. 1, formed a Company Headquarters
and fortified post, while a series of holes covered by
sheets of iron and called E4 dug-outs provided some
more accommodation—of a very inferior order, since
the slightest movement by day drew fire from the
snipers’ posts on “‘ Hill 76.”" As this hill, Spanbroek
Molen on the map, which lies between Wulverghem
and Wytschaete was held by the Boche, our trenches
which were on its slopes were overlooked, and we had
to be most careful not to expose ourselves anywhere
near the front line, for to do so meant immediate death
at the hands of his snipers, who were far more accurate
than any others we have met since. To add to our diff-
culties our trench parapets, which owing to the wet
were entirely above ground, were composed only of
sandbags, and were in many places not bullet proof.

26 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

There were large numbers of small farm houses all over
the country (surrounded by their five-months’ dead
live stock), and as the war had not yet been in progress
many months these houses were still recognizable as
such. Those actually in the line were roofless, but the
others, wonderfully preserved, were inhabited by support
Companies, who, thanks to the inactivity of the enemy’s
artillery, were able to live in peace though under direct
observation. In our present sector we found six such
farms; ‘‘ Cookers,’’ the most famous, stood 500 yards
behind S.P. 1, and was the centre of attraction for most
of the bullets at night. It contained a Company Head-
quarters, signal office, and the platoon on the ground
floor, and one platoon in the attic! Behind this, and
partly screened from view, were ‘‘ Frenchman’s * occu-
pied by Battalion Headquarters, ‘‘ Pond ’’ where half
the Reserve Company lived, and ‘‘ Packhorse’’ con-
taining the other half Reserve and Regimental Aid Post.
This last was also the burying ground for the sector,
and rendezvous for transport and working parties. Two
other farms—‘‘ Cob’? and “ T’’—lay on the Wulver-
ghem Road and were not used until our second tour,
when Battalion Headquarters moved into ‘‘ Cob’’ as
being pleasanter than ‘‘ Frenchman’s,’’ and ‘‘ Pond ”’
also had to be evacuated, as the Lincolnshires had had
heavy casualties there.

The enemy opposite to us, popularly supposed to be
Bavarians, seemed content to leave everything by day
to his snipers. These certainly were exceptionally good,
as we learnt by bitter experience. By night there was
greater activity, and rifle bullets fell thickly round
Cookers Farm and the surrounding country. There
were also fixed rifles at intervals along the enemy’s

ie)
bf

EARLY EXPERIENCES.

lines aimed at our communication tracks, and these,
fired frequently during the early part of the night, made
life very unpleasant for the carrying parties. There
were no communication trenches and no light railways,
so that all stores and rations, which could be taken by
limbers as far as Packhorse Farm only, had to be carried
by hand to the front line. This was done by platoons
of the support and reserve companies who had frequently
to make fwo or three journeys during the night, along
the slippery track past Pond Farm and Cookers Corner
—the last a famous and much loathed spot. There were
grids to walk on, but these more resembled greasy
poles, for the slabs had been placel longitudinally on
cross runners, and many of us used to slide off the end
into some swampy hole. One of ‘‘B’’ Company’s
officers was a particular adept at this, and fell into some
hole or other almost every night. These parties often
managed to add to our general excitement by discover-
ing some real or supposed spy along their route, and
On one occasion there was quite a small stir round

Cookers Farm by “‘ something which moved, was fired

at, and dropped into a trench with a splash, making

its escape.’’ A subsequent telephone conversation
between ‘‘ Cracker ’’ Bass and his friend Stokes revealed
the truth that the ““ something ’’ was “‘ a ———~y great

cat with white eyes.

Like the enemy’s, our artillery was comparatively
inactive. Our gunners, though from their Observation
Posts, “‘O.P.’s,’’? on Kemmel Hill they could see many
excellent targets, were unable to fire more than a few
rounds daily owing to lack of ammunition; what little
they had was all of the ‘* pip-squeak ’’ variety, and not
very formidable. Our snipers were quite incapable of

28 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

dealing with the Bavarians, and except for Lieut. A. P.
Marsh, who went about smashing Boche loophole plates
with General Clifford’s elephant gun, we did nothing in
this respect.

In one sphere, however, we were masters—namely,
patrolling. At Armentiéres we had had no practice in
this art, and our first venture into No Man’s Land was
consequently a distinctly hazardous enterprise for those
who undertook it—2nd Lieut. J. W. Tomson, Corpl.
Staniforth, Ptes. Biddles, Tebbutt, and Tailby, all of
‘“A’’ Company (Toller). Their second night in the
line, in 15 trench, this little party crawled between the
two halves of a dead cow, and, scrambling over our
wire, explored No Man’s Land, returning some half hour
later. Others followed their lead, and during the whole
of our stay in this sector, though our patrols were out
almost every night, they never met a German.

We stayed in these trenches for a month, taking
alternate tours of four. days each with the 4th Lincoln-
shires (Col. Jessop). We lost about two killed and ten
wounded each tour, mostly from snipers and stray
bullets, for we did not come into actual conflict with the
enemy at all. Amongst the wounded was C.S.M. J.
Kernick, of “‘B’’ Company, whose place was taken
by H. G. Lovett. This company also lost Serjt. Nadin,
who was killed a few weeks later.

Although we fought no pitched battles, the month
included several little excitements of a minor sort, both
in trenches and when out at rest. The first of these was
the appearance of a Zeppelin over Dranoutre, where
we were billeted. Fortunately only one bomb dropped
anywhere near us, and this did no damage; the rest
were all aimed at Bailleul and its aerodromes. We all

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 29

turned out of bed, and stood in the streets to look at it,
while many sentries blazed away with their rifles, for-
getting that it was many hundred feet beyond the range
of any rifle.

By the middle of April the Staff began to expect a

possible Geman attack, and we ‘‘ stood to’’ all night
the 15/16th, having been warned that it would be made
on our front and that asphyxiating gases would be
used—we had, of course, no respirators. Two nights
later the 5th Division attacked Hill 60, and for four
hours and a quarter, from 4 p.m. to 8-15 p.m., we fired
our rifles, three rounds a minute, with sights at 2,500
yards and rifles set on a bearing of 59°, in order to
harass the enemy’s back areas behind the Hill—a task
which later was always given to the machine gunners.
In those days it was a rare thing to hear a machine gun
at all, and ours scarcely ever fired. A week afterwards,
when out at rest, we heard that the second battle of
Ypres had begun, and learnt with horror and disgust
of the famous first gas attack and its ghastly results.
Within a few days the first primitive respirators arrived
and were issued; they were nothing but a pad of wool
and some gauze, and would have been little use; for-
tunately we did not know this, and our confidence in
them was quite complete. On the 10th May, just before
we left the sector, we had a little excitement in the front
line. A German bombing party suddenly rushed “ E 1
Left,’’ a rotten little ‘‘ grouse-butt’’ trench only 37
yards from the enemy, and held by the 4th Leicester-
shires, and succeeded in inflicting several casualties
before they made off, leaving one dead behind them.
This in itself was not much, but both sides opened rapid
rifle fire, and the din was so terrific that supports were

30 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

rushed up, reserves ‘‘ stood to’’ to counter-attack, and
it was nearly an hour before we were able to resume
normal conditions. The following day we returned to
the huts, where we were joined by 2nd Lieut. L. H.
Pearson who was posted to ‘‘ A’’ Company; 2nd Lieut.
Aked’s place had already been filled by Lieut. C. F.
Shields from the Reserve Battalion. 2nd Lieut. G. W.
Allen, who had been away with measles, also returned
to us during April.

Our next stay in the Locre huts can hardly be called
a rest. First, on the 12th May, the enemy raided the
4th Lincolnshires in Gl and G2 trenches, where, at
*“ Peckham Corner,’’ they hoped to be able to destroy
one of our mine galleries. The raid was preceded by
a strong trench mortar bombardment, during which the
Lincolnshire trenches were badly smashed about, and
several yards of them so completely destroyed that our
““ A?’ Company were sent up the next evening to assist
in their repair. They stayed in the line for twenty-four
hours, returning to the huts at 4 p.m. on the I[4th, to
find that the rest of the Battalion was about to move to
the Ypres neighbourhood. The previous day the German
attacks had increased in intensity, and the cavalry who
had been sent up to fill the gap had suffered very heavily,
among them being the Leicestershire Yeomanry, who
had fought for many hours against overwhelming odds,
losing Col. Evans-Freke and many others. There was
great danger that if these attacks continued, the enemy
would break through, and consequently all available
troops were being sent up to dig a new trench line of
resistance near Zillebeke—the line afterwards known as
the ‘‘ Zillebeke switch.’’ None of us had ever been to
the ‘‘ Salient,’’ but it was a well known and much

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 31

dreaded name, and most of us imagined we were likely
to have a bad night, and gloomily looked forward to
heavy casualties.

Starting at 6-40 p.m., we went by motor bus with
four hundred Sherwood Foresters through Reninghelst,
Ouderdom, and Vlamertinghe to Kruisstraat, which we
reached in three hours. Hence guides of the 4th
Gordons led us by Bridge 16 over the Canal and along
the track of the Lille Road. It was a dark night, and
as we stumbled along in single file, we could see the
Towers of Ypres smouldering with a dull red glow to
our left, while the salient front line was lit up by
bursting shells and trench mortars. Our route lay past
Shrapnel Corner and along the railway line to Zillebeke
Station, and was rendered particularly unpleasant by the
rifle fire from ‘‘ Hill 60°’ on our right. The railway
embankment was high and we seemed to be unneces-
sarily exposing ourselves by walking along the top of it,
but as the guides were supposed to know the best route
we could not interfere. At Zillebeke Church we found
Colonel Jones, who came earlier by car, waiting to show
us our work which we eventually started at midnight ;
as we had to leave the Church again at 1 a.m., to be
clear of the Salient before daylight, we had not much
time for work. However, so numerous were the bullets
that all digging records were broken, especially by the
Signallers, whose one desire, very wisely, was to get to
ground with as little delay as possible, and wiicn we left
our work, the trench was in places several {cet deep.
The coming of daylight and several salvocs of Boche
shells dissuaded us from lingering in the Salient, and,
after once more stumbling along the Railway Line, we
reached our motor buses and returned to the huts,

32 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

arriving at 5-30 a.m. A May night is so short, that the
little digging done seemed hardly worth the casualties,
but perhaps we were not in a position to judge.

Two days later we went into a new sector, trenches
on the immediate left of the last Brigade sector, and
previously held by the Sherwood Foresters. The front
line consisting of trenches “‘ F4, 5 and 6,”’ ‘‘ Gl and 2,”
was more or less continuous, though a gap between the
““F’s ”’ and ‘‘ G’s,’’ across which one had to run, added
a distinct element of risk to a tour round the line. The
worst part was Peckham Corner, where the Lincoln-
shires had already suffered; for it was badly sighted,
badly built, and completely overlooked by the enemy’s
sniping redoubt on “‘ Hill 76.’’ In addition to this it
contained a mine shaft running towards the enemy’s
lines, some 40 yards away, and at this the Boche con-
stantly threw his ‘* Sausages,’’ small trench mortars
made of lengths of stove piping stopped at the ends.
It was also suspected that he was counter-mining. In
this sector three Companies were in the front line, the
fourth lived with Battalion Headquarters, which were
now at Lindenhoek Chalet near the cross roads, a
pretty little house on the lower slopes of Mont Kemmel.
Though the back area was better, the trenches on the
whole were not so comfortable as those we had left, and
during our first tour we had reason to regret the change.
First, 2nd Lieut. C. W. Selwyn, taking out a patrol in
front of “‘ F5,’’ was shot through both thighs, and,
though wonderfully cheerful when carried in, died a few
days later at Bailleul, The next morning, while looking
at the enemy’s snipers’ redoubt, Captain J. Chapman,
2nd in Command of “ D”’ Company, was shot through
the head, and though he lived for a few days, died soon

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 33

after reaching England. This place was taken by Lieut.
J. D. A. Vincent, and at the same time Lieut. Langdale
was appointed 2nd in Command of ‘‘C.’’ There were
also other changes, for Major R. E. Martin was given
Command of the 4th Battalion, and was succeeded as
2nd in Command by Major W. S. N. Toller, while
Captain C. Bland became skipper of ‘‘ A ’’ Company.

During this same tour, the Brigade suffered its first
serious disaster, when the enemy mined and blew up
trench ‘‘ El left,’’ held at the time by the 5th Lincoln-
shire Regiment. This regiment had many casualties,
and the trench was of course destroyed, while several
men were buried or half-buried in the debris, where
they became a mark for German snipers. To rescue
one of these, Lieut. Gosling, R.E., who was working in
the G trenches, went across to El, and with the utmost
gallantry worked his way to the mine crater. Finding
a soldier half buried, he started to dig him out, and had
just completed his task when he fell to a sniper’s bullet
and was killed outright. As at this time the Royal
Engineers’ Tunnelling Companies were not sufficient to
cover the whole British front, none had been allotted
to this, which was generally considered a quiet sector.
Gen. Clifford, therefore, decided to have his own Brigade
Tunnellers, and a company was at once formed, under
Lieut. A. G. Moore, to which we contributed 24 men,
coalminers by profession. Lieut. Moore soon got to
work and, so well did the ‘‘ amateurs’ perform this
new task, that within a few days galleries had been
started, and we were already in touch with the Boche
underground. In an incredibly short space of time,
thanks very largely to the personal efforts of Lieut.
Moore, who spent hours every day down below within a

34 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

few feet of the enemy’s miners, two German mine-shafts

ce

and their occupants were blown in by a ‘‘ camouflet,”’
and both El left and El right were completely protected
from further mining attacks by a defensive gallery along
their front. For this Lieut. Moore was awarded a very
well deserved Military Cross. .

After the second tour in this sector we again made a

slight change in the line, giving up the ‘‘ F ”’ trenches

and. taking: instead G3; G27 Gta, nelias
‘““H2”? and ‘‘H5,’”’ again relieving the Sherwood
Foresters, who extended their line to the left. | Unfor-

tunately, they still retained the Doctor’s House in
Kemmel as their Headquarters, and, as Lindenhoek
Chalet was now too far South, Colonel Jones had to
find a new home in the village, and chose a small shop
in one of the lesser streets. | We had scarcely been 24
hours in the new billet when, at mid-day, the 4th June,
the Boche started to bombard the place with 5.9’s, just
when Colonel Jessop, of the 4th Lincolnshires, was
talking to Colonel Jones in the road outside the house,
while an orderly held the two horses close by. The
first shell fell almost on the party, killing Colonel
Jessop, the two orderlies, Bacchus and Blackham, and
both horses. | Colonel Jones was wounded in the hand,
neck and thigh, fortunately not very seriously, though
he had to be sent at once to England, having escaped
death by little short of a miracle. | His loss was very
keenly felt by all of us, for ever since we had come to
France, he had been the life and soul of the Battalion,
and it was hard to imagine trenches, where we should
not receive his daily cheerful visit. We had two
reassuring thoughts, one that the General had promised
to keep his command open for him as soon as he should

Ws
“erm ‘estoy “Wy SM <

Wo'd ‘ems “Ga WSs'Y

Barracks, Ypres 1915.

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 35

return, the second that during his absence we should be
commanded by Major Toller, who had been with us all
the time, and was consequently well known to all of us.

Meanwhile we had considerably advanced in our own
esteem by having become instructors to one of the first
“New Army ”’ Divisions to come to France, the 14th
Light Infantry Division, composed of three battalions of
Rifle Brigade and 60th, and a battalion of each of the
British Light Infantry Regiments. They were attached
to us, just as we had been attached to the 12th Brigade
at Armentiéres, to learn the little details of Trench war-
fare that cannot be taught at home, and their platoons
were with us during both our tours in the ‘‘ G’s’’ and
““H’s.”’ They were composed almost entirely of
officers and men who had volunteered in August, 1914,
and their physique, drill and discipline were excellent—a
fact which they took care to point out to everybody,
adding generally that they had come to France “‘ not to
sit in trenches, but to capture woods, villages, etc.’’
We listened, of course, politely to all this, smiled, and
went on with our instructing. | Many stories are told
of the great pride and assurance of our visitors, one of
the most amusing being of an incident which happened
in trench “‘ H2.’’ Before marching to trenches the
visiting Platoon Commander had, in a small speech to
his platoon, told them to learn all they could from us
about trenches, but that they must remember that we
were not regulars, and consequently our discipline was
not the same as theirs. All this and more he poured
into the ears of his host in the line, until he was inter-
rupted by the entry of his Platoon Sergeant to report
the accidental wounding of Pte. X by Pte. Y, who fired
a round when cleaning his rifle. There was no need for

36 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

the host to rub it in, he heard no more about discipline.

Credit, however, must be given where credit is due,
and the following tour our visitors distinguished them-
selves. On the 15th June, at 9.10 p.m., when the night
was comparatively quiet, the enemy suddenly blew up a
trench on our left, held by the Sherwood Foresters, at
the same time opening heavy rifle fire on our back areas
and shelling our front line. | Captain Griffiths, who held
our left flank with “* B’’ Company, found that his flank
was in the air, so very promptly set about moving some
of his supports to cover this flank, and soon made all
secure. Meanwhile Lieut. Rosher, machine gun officer of
the visiting Durham Light Infantry, hearing the terrific
din and gathering that something out of the ordinary
was happening, though he did not know what, slung a
maxim tripod over his shoulders, picked up a gun under
each arm, and went straightaway to the centre of
activity—a feat not only of wonderful physical strength,
but considerable initiative and courage. We did not
suffer heavy casualties, but 2nd Lieut. Mould’s platoon
had their parapet destroyed in one or two places, and
had to re-build it under heavy fire, in which Pte. J. H.
Cramp, the Battalion hairdresser, distinguished him-
self. Except for this one outburst on the part of the
Boche we had a quiet time, though Peckham Corner
was always rather a cause of anxiety, for neither R.E.
nor the Brigade Tunnellers could spare a permanent
party on the mine shaft. Consequently, it was left to
the Company Commander to blow up the mine, and
with it some of the German trench, in case of emergency,
and it was left to the infantry to supply listeners down
the shaft to listen for counter-mining. On one occasion
when Captain Bland took over the trench with ‘A ”’

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 37

Company, he found the pump out of order, the water
rising in the shaft, and the gallery full of foul air, all of
which difficulties were overcome without the R.E.’s
help, by the courage and ingenuity of Serjeant Garratt.

There was one remarkable feature of the whole of this
period of the war which cannot be passed over, and that
was the very decided superiority of our Flying Corps.
During the whole of our three months in the Kemmel
area we never once saw a German aeroplane cross our
lines without being instantly attacked, and on one occa-
sion we watched a most exciting battle between two
planes, which ended in the German falling in flames into
Messines, at which we cheered, and the Boche shelled
us. Towards the end of the war the air was often thick
with aeroplanes of all nationalities and descriptions, but
in those days, before bombing flights and_ battle
squadrons had appeared, it was seldom one saw as many
as eight planes in the air at a time, and tactical forma-
tions either for reconnaissance or attack seemed to be
unknown; it was all ‘‘one man’”’ work, and each one
man worked well.

On the night of the 16th June the Battalion came out
of trenches and marched to the Locre huts for the last
time, looking forward to a few days’ rest in good
weather before moving to the Salient, which we were
told was shortly to be our fate. We had been very
fortunate in keeping these huts as our rest billets
throughout our stay in the sector, for though a wooden
floor is not so comfortable as a bed in a billet, the camp
was well sited and very convenient. The Stores and
Transport were lodged only a few yards away at
Locrehof Farm, and Captain Worley used to have every-
thing ready for us when we came out of the line.

38 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

During the long march back from trenches, we could
always look forward to hot drinks and big fires waiting
for us at the huts, while there was no more inspiring
sight for the officers than Mess Colour-Sergeant J.
Collins’ cheery smile, as he stirred a cauldron cf hot
rum punch. Bailleul was only two miles away, and
officers and men used often to ride or walk into the town
to call on ‘‘ Tina,’’ buy lace, or have hot baths (a
great luxury) at the Lunatic Asylum. Dividing our
time between this and cricket, for which there was
plenty of room around the huts, we generally managed
to pass a very pleasant four or six days’ rest.

CHAPTER III.

SSANEUE, SVANOVUB IN Be
22nd June, 1915. lsiwOct., Loto:

On the 22nd June, 1915, after resting for five days in
the Huts, where General Ferguson, our Corps Com-
mander, came to say good-bye, we marched at 9.0 p.m.
to Ouderdom, while our place in the line was taken by
the 50th Northumbrian Territorial Division, who had
been very badly hammered, and were being sent for a
rest to a quiet sector. At Ouderdom, which we reached
about midnight, we discovered that our billets consisted
of a farm house and a large field, not very cheering to
those who had expected a village, or at least huts, but
better than one or two units who had fields only, without
the farm. It was our first experience in bivouacs, but
fortunately a fine night, so we soon all crawled under
waterproof sheets, and slept until daylight allowed us to
arrange something more substantial. The next day,
with the aid of a few “ scrounged ’’ top poles and some
string, every man made himself some sort of weather-
proof hutch, while the combined tent-valises of the
officers were grouped together near the farm, which
was used as mess and MQuartermaster’s Stores.
Unfortunately, we had no sooner made ourselves really
comfortable than the Staffordshires claimed the field as
part of their area, and we had to move to a similar

40 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

billeting area a few hundred yards outside Reninghelst
where we stayed until the 28th. | The weather remained
hot and fine, except for two very heavy showers in the
middle of one day, when most of the officers could be
seen making furious efforts to dig drains round their
bivouacs from inside, while the other ranks stood stark
naked round the field and enjoyed the pleasures of a
cold shower-bath. We spent our time training and
providing working parties, one of which, consisting of
400 men under Capt. Jeffries, for work at Zillebeke,
proved an even greater fiasco than its predecessor in May.
For on this occasion, not only was the night very short,
but the guides failed to find the work, and the party
eventually returned to bivouacs, having done nothing
except wander about the salient for three hours. | Two
days before we left Reninghelst the first reinforce-
ments arrived for us, consisting of 12 returned
casualties and 80 N.C.O.’s and men from England
—a very welcome addition to our strength.

The time eventually arrived for us to go into the line,
and on the 29th the officers went up by day to take over
from the Sherwood Foresters, while the remainder of the
Battalion followed as soon as it was dark. Mud roads
and broad cross-country tracks brought us over the plain
to the ‘‘ Indian Transport Field,’’ near Kruisstraat
White Chateau, still standing untouched because, it was
said, its peace-time owner was a Boche. Leaving the
Chateau on our right, and passing Brigade Headquarters
Chalet on our left, we kept to the road through Kruis-
straat as far as the outskirts of Ypres, where a track to
the right led us to Bridge 14 over the Ypres-Comines
Canal. Thence, by field tracks, we crossed the Lille
road a few yards north of Shrapnel Corner, and leaving

THE SALIENT. 41

on our left the long, low, red buildings of the “‘ Ecole

reached Zillebeke Lake close to the
white house at the N.W. corner. The lake is triangular

de Bienfaisance,

and entirely artificial, being surrounded by a_ broad
causeway, 6 feet high, with a pathway along the top.
On the western edge the ground falls away, leaving a
bank some twenty feet high, in which were built the
“Lake Dug-outs,’’—the home of one of the support
battalions. From the corner house to the trenches
there were two routes, one by the south side of the Lake,
past Railway Dug-outs—cut into the embankment of the
Comines Railway

and Manor Farm to Square Wood;
the other, which we followed, along the North side of
the Lake, where a trench cut into the causeway gave us
cover from observation from “* Hill 60.’ At Zillebeke
we left the trench, and crossed the main road at the
double, on account of a machine gun which the Boche
kept at the ‘‘ Hill 60’ end of it, and kept moving
until past the Church—another unpleasant locality.
Thence a screened track led to Maple Copse, an isolated
little wood with several dug-outs in it, and on to
Sanctuary Wood, which we found 400 yards further
East. Here in dug-outs lived the Supports, for whom
at this time was no fighting accommodation except one
or two absurdly miniature keeps. At the corner of the
larger wood we passed the Ration Dump, and then, leav-
ing this on our left, turned into Armagh Wood on our
right.

From the southern end of Zillebeke village two roads
ran to the front line. One, almost due South, kept
close to the railway and was lost in the ruins of
Zwartelen village on ‘‘ Hill 60 ’’; the other, turning East
along a ridge, passed between Sanctuary and Armagh

42 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Woods, and crossed our front line between the ‘‘A”’
and “B’”’ trenches, the left of our new sector. The
ridge, called Observatory, on account of its numerous
O.P.’s, was sacred to the Gunners, and no one was
allowed to linger there, for fear of betraying these points
of vantage. Beyond it was a valley, and beyond that
again some high ground N.E. of the hill, afterwards
known as Mountsorrel, on account of Colonel Martin’s
Headquarters, which were on it. The line ran over the
top of this high ground, which was the meeting place
of the old winter trenches (numbered 46 to 50) on the
neht; and) on the left the mewstrenches ses) re ban
etc, built for our retirement during the 2nd Battle. The
5th Division held the old trenches, we relieved the Sher-
wood Foresters in the new ‘‘ Al ”’ to ‘‘ A8,’’ with three
companies in the line and only one in support. The
last was near Battalion Headquarters, called Uppingham
in Colonel Jones’ honour, which were in a bank about
200 yards behind the front line. Some of the dug-outs
were actually in the bank, but the most extraordinary
erection of all was the mess, a single sandbag thick
house, built entirely above ground, and standing by
itself, unprotected by any bank or fold in the ground,
absolutely incapable, of course, of protecting its
occupants from even an anti-aircraft ‘‘ dud.”’

We soon discovered during our first tour the difference
between the Salient and other sectors of the line, for,
whereas at Kemmel we were rarely shelled more than
once a day, and then only with a few small shells, now
scarcely three hours went by without some part of the
Battalion’s front being bombarded, usually with whizz-
bangs. The Ypres whizz-bang, too, was a thing one
could not despise. The country round Klein Zillebeke

THE SALIENT. 43

was very close, and the Boche was able to keep his
batteries only a few hundred yards behind his front line,
with the result that the ‘‘Bang’’ generally arrived before
the whizz. ‘““A6”’’ and ‘‘ A7”’ suffered most, and on
the Ist July Captain T. C. P. Beasley, commanding ‘‘C”’
Company, and Lieut. A. P. Marsh, of ‘‘B’’ Company,
were both wounded, and had to be sent away to
Hospital some hours later. The same night we gave
up these undesirable trenches, together with ‘‘ A5’’ and
“A8”’ to the 4th Battalion, and took instead “‘ 49,’’
“50°” and the Support ‘“‘ 51 ’’ from the Cheshires of the
5th Division. These trenches were about 200 yards
from the enemy except at the junction of ‘49°’ and
“50,’’ where a small salient in his line brought him to
within 80 yards. The sniping here was as deadly as at
Kemmel, though round the corner in “ Al’’ we could
have danced on the parapet and attracted no attention.
On the other hand ‘‘49’’ and “‘ 50’ were comfortably
built, whereas “‘ Al ’’ was shallow and narrow and half
filled with tunnellers’ sandbags, for it contained three
long mine shafts, two of which were already under the
German lines. “‘ A2,” “3” and ‘‘4’’ were the most
peaceful of our sector, and the only disturbance here
during the tour was when one of a small burst of crumps
blew up our bomb store and blocked the trench for a
time. This was on the 5th, and after it we were left
in peace, until, relieved by the Staffordshires, we
marched back to Ouderdom, feeling that we had escaped
from our first tour in the ill-famed salient fairly cheaply.
Even so, we had lost two officers and 24 O. Ranks
wounded, and seven killed, a rate which, if kept up,
would soon very seriously deplete our ranks.

On reaching Ouderdom, we found that some huts on

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THE SALIENT. 45

the Vlamertinghe road had now been allotted us instead
of our bivouac field, and as on the following day it
rained hard, we were not sorry. Our satisfaction, how-
ever, was short-lived, for the hut roofs were of wood
only, and leaked in so many places that many were
absolutely uninhabitable and had to be abandoned. At
the same time some short lengths of shelter trench which
we had dug in case of shelling were completely filled
with water, so that anyone desiring shelter must needs
have a bath as well. This wet weather, coupled with a
previous shortage of water in the trenches, and the
generally unhealthy state of the salient, brought a con-
siderable amount of sickness and slight dysentry, and
although we did not send many to Hospital, the health
of the Battalion on the whole was bad, and we seemed
to have lost for the time our energy. | Probably a fort-
night in good surroundings would have cured us
completely, and even after eight days at rest we were
in a better state, but on the 13th we were once more
ordered into the line and the good work was undone,
for the sickness returned with increased vigour.
Between the Railway Cutting at ‘‘ Hill 60°’ and the
Comines Canal further south, the lines at this time were
very close together, and at one point, called Bomb
Corner, less than 50 yards separated our parapet from
the Boche’s. This sector, containing trenches ‘35 ”’
at Bomb Corner, “ 36” and “ 37” up to the Railway,
was held by the Ist Norfolks of the 5th Division, who
were finding their own reliefs, and, with one company
resting at-a time, had been more than two months in
this same front line. On the 11th July the Boche blew
a mine under trench ‘‘ 37’’ doing considerable damage
to the parapet, and on the following night ‘‘ 36’’ was

46 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

similarly treated, and a length of the trench blotted out.
The night after this we came in to relieve the Norfolks,
who not unnaturally were expecting ‘‘ 35°’ to share the
same fate, and had consequently evacuated their front
line for the night, while they sat in the second line and
waited for it to go up in the air. Captain Jefferies with
‘“T)”’ Company took over ‘‘35,’’ while the two damaged
trenches were held by ‘‘B’’ Company (Capt. J. L.
Griffiths), ‘‘A’’ and “‘C”’ held a keep near Verbran-
den Molen—an old mill about three hundred yards behind
our front line—and Battalion Headquarters lived in some
dug-outs in the woods behind ‘‘ 35.’’ Behind this again,
the solitary Blaupoort Farm provided R.A.P. and ration
dump with a certain amount of cover, though the number

2”)

of dud shells in the courtyard made it necessary to walk
with extreme caution on a dark night. In spite of the
numerous reports of listening posts, who heard
‘‘ rapping underground,’’ we were not blown up during
our four days in residence, and our chief worry was not
mines, but again whizz-bangs. One battery was parti-
cularly offensive, and three times on the 15th Capt.
Griffiths had his parapet blown away by salvoes of these
very disagreeable little shells. |One’s parapet in this
area was one’s trench, for digging was impossible, and
we lived behind a sort of glorified sandbag grouse butt,
six feet thick at the base and two to three feet at the
top, sometimes, but not always, bullet-proof.

One or two amusing stories are told about the
infantry opposite ‘‘ 35,’’ who were Saxons, and inclined
to be friendly with the English. On one occasion the
following message, tied to a stone, was thrown into our
trench: ‘‘ We are going to send a 40lb. bomb. We
have got to do it, but don’t want to. I will come this

THE SALIENT. 47

evening, and we will whistle first to warn you.”’ ~All of
this happened. A few days later they apparently
mistrusted the German official news, for they sent a
further message saying, ‘‘ Send us an English news-
paper that we may learn the verity.”’

The weather throughout the tour was bad, but on the
night of 17th/18th, when we were relieved at midnight
by the Sherwood Foresters, it became appalling. We
were not yet due for a rest, having been only four days
in the line, and our orders were to spend the night in
bivouacs at Kruisstraat and return to trenches the fol-
lowing evening, taking over our old sector ‘‘ 50” to
““AT.”? Weakened with sickness and soaked to the
skin, we stumbled through black darkness along the
track to Kruisstraat—three miles of slippery mud and
water-logged shell holes—only to find that our bivouac
field was flooded, and we must march back to Ouderdom
and spend the night in the huts, five miles further
west. We reached home as dawn was breaking, tired
out and wet through, and lay down at once to snatch
what sleep we could before moving off again at 6-30
p-m. But for many it was too much, and 150 men
reported sick and were in such a weak condition that
they were left behind at the huts, where later they were
joined by some 40 more who had tried hard to reach
trenches but had had to give up and fall out on the
way. The rest of us, marching slowly and by short
stages, did eventually relieve the Sherwood Foresters,
but so tired as to be absolutely unfit for trenches.
Fortunately for two days the weather was good and
the Boche very quiet, there was time for all to get a
thorough rest, and by the 20th we had very largely
recovered our vigour—which was just as well, for it
proved an exciting tour.

48 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

The excitement started about a mile away on our left,
when, on the evening of the 19th, the next Division
blew up an enormous mine at Hooge, and, with the aid
of an intense artillery bombardment, attacked and
captured part of the village, including the chateau
stables. The enemy counter-attacked the following
night, and, though he made no headway and was driven
out with heavy loss, he none the less bombarded our
new ground continuously and caused us many casualties.
Accordingly, to make a counter attraction, the Tun-
nelling Company working with us was asked to blow
up part of the enemy’s lines as soon as possible; the
blow would be accompanied by an artillery ‘‘ strafe”’
by us. There was at this time such a network of mine
galleries in front of ‘‘ Al,’’ that Lieut. Tulloch, R.E.,
was afraid that the Boche would hear him loading one
of the galleries, so, to take no risks, blew a pre-
liminary camouflét on the evening of the 21st, destroy-
ing the enemy’s nearest sap. This was successful, and
the work of loading and tamping the mines started at
once. 1500lbs. of ammonal were packed at the end of
a gallery underneath the German redoubt opposite
““Al,’’ while at the end of another short gallery a
smaller mine was laid, in order to destroy as much as
possible of his mine workings. The date chosen was
the 23rd, the time 7 p.m.

At 6-55 p.m., having vacated ‘‘Al”’ for the time,
we blew the smaller of the two mines—in order, it
was said, to attract as many of the enemy as possible
into his redoubt. To judge by the volume of rifle fire
which came from his lines, this part of the programme
was successful, but we did not have long to think about
it, for at 7 p.m. the 1500lbs. went off, and Boche

THE SALIENT. 49

redoubt, sandbags, and occupants went into the air,
together with some tons of the salient, much of which
fell into our trenches. A minute later our Artillery
opened their bombardment, and for the next half hour
the enemy must have had a thoroughly bad time in
every way. His retaliation was insignificant, and con-
sisted of a very few little shells fired more or less at
random—a disquieting feature to those of us who knew
the Germans’ love of an instant and heavy reply to our
slightest offensive action. ‘‘ Stand to,’’ the usual time
for the evening ‘‘ hate,’’ passed off very quietly, and,
as we sat down to our evening meal, we began to
wonder whether we were to have any reply at all.
Meanwhile, three new officers arrived—2nd. Lieut. R.
C. Lawton, of ‘‘ A’’ Company, who had been prevented
by sickness from coming abroad with us, and 2nd
Lieuts. E. E. Wynne and N. C. Marriott, both of
whom were sent to “‘B’’ Company, where they joined
Capt. Griffiths at dinner. They were half way through
their meal when, without the slightest warning, the
ground heaved, pieces of the roof fell on the table,
and they heard the ominous whirr of falling clods,
which betokens a mine at close quarters.

Before the débris had stopped falling, Capt. Griffiths
was out of his dug-out and scrambling along his half-
filled trench, to find out what had happened. Reaching
the right end of ‘50,’ he found his front line had
been completely destroyed, and where his listening
post had been, was now a large crater, into which
the Boche was firing trench mortars, while heavy rifle
fire came from his front line. Except for a few
wounded men, he could see nothing of Serjt. Bunn
and the garrison of the trench, most of whom he soon

50 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

realized must have been buried, where the tip of the
crater had engulfed what had been the front line. For
about 80 yards no front line existed, nor had he
sufficient men in the left of his trench to bring across
to help the right, so, sending down a report of his
condition, he started, with any orderlies and batmen
he could collect, to rescue those of his Company who
had been only partially buried. Meanwhile, help was
coming from two quarters. On the right, Colonel
Martin, of the 4th Battalion, also disturbed at dinner,
was soon up in ‘‘ 49’’ trench, where he found that his
left flank had also suffered from the explosion, but
not so badly. His first thought was to form some
continuous line of defence across the gap, if possible
linking up with the crater at the same time, and, with
this object in view he personally reconnoitred the ground
and discovered a small disused trench running in front
of ‘‘49" towards the crater. Quickly organizing
parties of men, he sent them along this cut, first to
continue it up to the crater, then with sandbags for
the defence of the “‘lip.’’ He himself superintended
the work inside the crater, where he had a miraculous
escape from a trench mortar, which wounded all stand-
ing round him. At the same time, R.S.M. Small,
finding a dazed man of *“‘ B’’ Company wandering near
Battalion Headquarters, heard what had happened,
and without waiting for further orders sent off every
available man he could find with shovels and sandbags
to assist Capt. Griffiths. Half an hour later, Capt.
Bland also arrived with two platoons of ‘‘ C ’’? Company,
sent across from the left of our line, and by dawn with
their help a trench had been cut through from ‘‘ 50”
to ‘49.’ This, though not organized for defence, yet

Hohenzollern Memorial.

The Water Tower and Railway Track,
Vermelles.,

THE SALIENT. 51

enabled one to pass through the damaged area. At the
same time the miners started to make a small tunnel
into the bottom of the crater, so that it would no longer
be necessary to climb over the lip to reach the bomb
post which was built inside.

During the next day we were fortunately not much
harassed by the enemy, and were consequently able to
continue the repair work on ‘‘50.’’ ‘*B’’ Company
had had 42 casualties from the mine itself, of whom
eight were killed and seven, including Sergt. Bunn,
were missing, while in the rest of the Battalion about
30 men were wounded, mostly by trench mortars or
rifle fire when digging out ‘‘50’’ trench. At the time
of the explosion the enemy had thrown several bombs
at ‘‘ A2,”’ and it was thought for a time that he intended
making an attack here, but rapid fire was opened by
the garrison, and nothing followed. On the evening of
the 24th we were due for relief, but, as ‘‘ 50’ was still
only partially cleared, and we had not yet traced all
our missing, we stayed in for another 24 hours, during
which time we thoroughly reorganized the sector, and
were able to hand over a properly traversed fire trench
to the Lincolnshires when they came in. Before we
left we found Sergt. Bunn’s body; he had been buried
at his post, and was still holding in his hand the flare
pistol which he was going to fire when the mine ex-
ploded. The men of the listening post were not found
until some time later, for they had been thrown several
hundred yards by the explosion.

On relief, we marched back to Ouderdom, taking
with us the officers and men of the 17th Division,
who had been attached for instruction during the last

THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

or
bo

tour, and reached a bivouac field near the windmill at
4-30 a.m. Here we stayed 24 hours, and then moved
into the ‘‘E’’ huts—an excellent camp, further E.
along the Vlamertinghe road than that which we had
previously occupied. We were due to remain here for
six days, and accordingly started our usual training
in bomb and bayonet fighting. Meanwhile, Lieut.
Moore and the Battalion Tunnellers were once more
hard at work helping the R.E. in ‘‘ 50°’ and “ Al,”
and on the 30th July two of them, Serjt. J. Emmerson
and Pte. H. G. Starbuck, working underground, came
upon a German gallery. Without a moment’s hesitation,
Starbuck broke in and found that the charge was
already laid, and wires could be seen leading back to
the enemy’s lines. If the Germans had heard him at
work there was no doubt that they would blow their
mine at once, but heedless of this danger, he stayed in
the gallery until he had cut the leads, and so made it
possible for the Engineers to remove the half ton of
‘“ Westphalite ’? which they found already in position,
immediately under ‘‘ 49.’’ For their daring work, the
two miners were awarded the D.C.M., Starbuck getting
his at once, Serjt. Emmerson in the next honours list.
Two nights later the enemy suddenly opened rapid rifle
fire opposite “‘49,’’ which equally suddenly died away, and
we like to think that some Boche officer had at the
same time pressed the starting button to explode his
‘“ Westphalite,’’ only to find that nothing happened.

Towards the end of June, there appeared in the
German official communiqué a statement that the French
had been using liquid fire in the Champagne fighting,
and those who had studied the Boche methods recog-
nized this as a warning that he intended to make use

THE SALIENT. 53

of it himself at an early date. The prophets were right,
and at dawn on the 30th July the enemy, anxious to
recapture Hooge, attacked the 14th Division who were
holding the village, preceding the attack with streams
of liquid fire, under which the garrison either succumbed
or were driven out. At the same time an intense bom-
bardment was opened, and we, whose rest was not due
to end until the following day, were ordered to stand
by ready to move at 30 minutes’ notice. As we waited
we wondered whether the 3rd Battle of Ypres had
begun, there certainly seemed to be enough noise. By
mid-day, however, we had not been used, and as no
news of the battle reached us we were preparing to
settle down again for another day of peace, when at
2-30 p.m. orders came for us to go to Kruisstraat at
once. We marched by Companies, and on arrival
bivouacked in a field close to the Indian Transport Lines,
where we met several Battalions of the 3rd Division on
their way up to Hooge, though they were unable to tell
us anything definite about’ what had happened. The
wildest rumours were heard everywhere, that the Ger-
mans had used burning oil, vitriol, and almost every
other acid ever invented, that the salient was broken,
that our Division had been surrounded. One thing
Was certain—that at 4 p.m. the gunfire had almost
ceased, and there was no sign of any German near
Ypres.

As soon as it was dark we left Kruisstraat and
marched by Bridge 14 and Zillebeke to Maple Copse,
where we were told to bivouac for the night, still being
ready to move at very short notice if required. Here
we found a Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters, from
whom we were at last able to learn the truth of the

54 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

morning’s battle. It appeared that at dawn the enemy,
carrying flame projectors, had crept close up to the front
line trenches in Hooge, and suddenly lighting these
machines had sent a spray of burning vaporised oil over
the trench. The garrison, 14th Division, were surprised,
many of them burnt, and all thrown into confusion,
during which the Boche atacked in considerable force,
drove them out and broke in as far as Zouave Wood.
The left of the Sherwood Foresters had been attacked,
but stood firm, even though the Germans in Zouave
Wood were almost behind them, until General Shipley
ordered the flank to be dropped back to conform with
the new line. A counter-attack was delivered during the
day by two Battalions of the Rifle Brigade, who, relieved
the night before, had marched eight miles out to rest
and eight miles back again at once, and were hopelessly
tired before they started. In spite of this, they
made a gallant effort, and were wiped out almost to a
man in Zouave Wood. At the time of the morning
attack the Germans could if they liked have walked on
into Ypres, for they had broken into the salient, and
there was no other organized line of defence between
them and the town. Fortunately they did not realise
this, or, as is more probable, they never imagined that
their flame attack would prove so successful. Still,
they might make a further effort at any moment, and it
was to meet this that we had been moved into Maple
Copse.

All through the night and the following day there
were continual short artillery bombardments by both
sides, and on four occasions the Copse was shelled with
salvoes of shrapnel in rapid succession. As not more
than half of us had any sort of dug-outs, and the

co
or

THE SALIENT.

remainder had to rely mainly on tree trunks for pro-
tection, our casualties were fairly heavy, and in a short
time we had lost 23 wounded, including H. West, the
mess cook, L.-Corpl. J. H. Cramp, and several other
notabilities. We might, during the day, have built
ourselves some sort of cover, but every available man
had to be sent carrying bombs, ammunition, and trench
mortars for the Sherwod Foresters, whose left flank was
constantly in touch with the enemy. One of these carry-
ing parties found by ‘‘ D’’ Company had the misfortune
to be led by a guide, who lost his way, into the corner
of Zouave Wood, and in a few minutes six of them were
wounded by a machine gun which opened fire on them at
twenty yards’ range; they were carried out by the rest
of the party, who escaped under cover of the brushwood,
but one, Carroll, died a few days later. By the evening
of the 3lst the situation was more satisfactory, and a
new front line trench had been organized west of the
wood, linking up with the Sherwood Foresters, who now
no longer required carrying parties. Meanwhile, it was
discovered that from his newly captured position, the
Boche completely overlooked the track from Zillebeke
to Maple Copse, and accordingly we were ordered to
start at once to dig a communication trench alongside
the track. All that night, the next day, Bank Holiday,
and the following night, we worked till we could hardly
hold our shovels, and by the time we stopped, at dawn
on the 3rd, there was a trench the whole way—not very
deep in places and not perhaps very scientifically dug,
but still enough to give cover. As soon as work was
over we returned to the copse and slept, for at dusk that
night we were to go once more to the line and relieve
the Lincolnshires in ‘‘50’’ to ‘‘ A7.’’ Maple Copse had
cost us altogether 35 killed and wounded.

56 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

We found the trenches very much as we had left them
except that ‘‘ Al’’ had been battered into an almost
unrecognizable condition by the enemy’s latest trench
weapon, the heavy Minenwerfer. Unlike the “* Rum
Jar’ or ‘‘ Cannister,’? which was a home-made article
consisting of any old tin filled with explosive, this new
bomb was shaped like a shell, fitted with a copper driving
band and fired from a rifled mortar. It weighed over
200lbs., was either two feet two inches or three feet six
inches long and nine inches in diameter, and produced
on exploding a crater as big as a small mine. It could
fortunately be seen in the air, and the position of the
mortar was roughly known, so we posted a sentry whose
duty was to listen for the report of discharge, sight the
bomb, and cry at the top of his voice ‘‘ Sausage left ”’
or ‘‘ Sausage right.’’ Our Artillery had tried hard to
destroy the mortar, but it apparently had a small railway
to itself, and moved away as soon as we opened fire.
For retaliation we had nothing except rifle grenades,
which were like flea-bites to an elephant, or the Howit-
zers, who had to be called on the telephone, all of which
took time.

The rest of the line was fairly quiet except for a few
small “‘sausages’’ on trench ‘‘50,’’ and our chief concern
was now the shortage of men. In those days a trench was
not considered adequately garrisoned unless there were at
least three men in every fire bay, so that although we
had many more men to the yard than we have many
times had since, we imagined, when we found it neces-
sary to have one or two empty fire bays, that we were
impossibly weak. So much was this the case, that, on
the night of the 4th August, C.Q.M. Serjeants Gorse
and Gilding were ordered to bring all available men from

THE SALIENT.

the stores at Poperinghe to help hold the line—a most
unpleasant journey because the Boche, always fond of
celebrating anniversaries, commemorated the declaration
of war with a “‘ strafe’’ of special magnitude. As most
of this came between Ypres and Zillebeke, the two
Quarter-master Serjeants had a harassing time, and
did not reach their bivouacs in Poperinghe until 5-15 the
following morning. All through the tour the pounding
of “‘ Al ”’ continued, while our only effort at retaliation
was a 60lb. mortar which the Royal Garrison Artillery
placed in rear of “50” trench. This one day fired
six rounds, the last of which fell in the German front
line, and for nearly twenty-four hours we were left in
peace, while a “‘ switch ’’ line was built across the back
of ‘“‘ Al” salient. All hope of ever recovering the old
“Al” was given up.

Meanwhile, the Division on our left was not being idle.
For the past week our Artillery in the salient had fired
a half-hour bombardment every morning at 2-45, and
on the 9th this was repeated as usual. The Boche had
become used to it, and retired to his dug-outs, where he
was found a few minutes later by the 6th Division, who
had relieved the 14th, and were now trying to recapture
all the lost ground. The surprise was perfect, and the
enemy, never for a moment expecting an attack at that
hour, were killed in large numbers before they could
even “‘stand-to.’’ During the battle 200 of the 4th
Lincolnshires occupied our support trenches, in case of
any trouble on our front, and in the evening the rest of
the Battalion arrived and took over the line, while we
replaced them in Brigade Support—Battalion Head-
quarters, “B”’ and “‘C’’ Companies in the ‘‘ Lake ’”’
dug-outs, ‘* A” and ‘“‘ D”’ Companies in the Barracks
of Ypres.

58 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

During the next six days we were worked harder than
we had been worked before, digging, carrying, and
trench revetting. Fortunately both halves of the
Battalion had fairly comfortable quarters to which to
return after work was over, though those in Ypres lived
a somewhat noisy life. The barracks were Close to the
centre of the town, and each day the Boche fired his
17in. Howitzer from dawn to dusk, mostly at the
Cathedral and Cloth Hall, with occasional pauses to
shoot at the Ecole de Bienfaisance, just outside the
Menin gate. The shell, arriving with great regularity
every 15 minutes, was generally known as the ‘* Ypres
express,’ for it arrived with the most terrifying roar,
buried itself deep in the ground before exploding, and
then made an enormous crater. As it burst, not only
did every house shake, but the whole street seemed to
lift a few feet in the air and settle down again. In the
barracks we had bricks and falling débris from the
Cloth Hall, but nothing more, and these slight disadvan-
tages were easily outweighed by the comfort in which we
lived. Every man had a bed, and, as the barracks’ water
supply was still in working order, we all had baths.
A piano was borrowed from the Artillery, and provided
us with an excellent concert, which was held in one of
the larger rooms, and helped us to forget the war for a
time, in spite of a 40-foot crater in the Barrack Square,
and the ever-present possibility that another would
arrive. Incidentally, the piano became later a cause of
much trouble to us, for the police refused to allow us to
move it through the streets without a permit from the
Town Major; the Town Major would have nothing to
do with the matter, having only just arrived in place of
his predecessor, who had given us permission to have

THE SALIENT. 59

the piano, and had then been wounded (Town Majors
never lasted long in Ypres); and the Gendarmerie would
not accept responsibility, so in the end we had to leave
it in the barracks. The other two companies, though
not so comfortably housed, none the less had an enjoy-
able time by the lake side, chasing the wild fowl, and
watching the shelling of Ypres.

Just at this time several changes took place in the
personnel of the Brigade and the Battalion. First, Brig.-
Gen. G. C. Kemp, R.E., late C.R.E., 6th Division, was
appointed our Brigade Commander in place of General
Clifford, who left us to take up an appointment in
England, having been exactly six months in command.
Capt. Bromfield, our Adjutant, whose health had been
bad for the past month, was finally compelled to go to
Hospital, whence he was shortly afterwards transferred
to England. As his assistant, Lieut. Vincent was also
away sick, Lieut. Langdale was appointed Adjutant,
while 2nd Lieut. C. H. F. Wollaston took the place of
Lieut. A. T. Sharpe as machine gun officer, the latter
having left sick to Hospital at the end of July. Lieut.
Moore sprained his ankle, and 2nd Lieut. R. C. L. Mould
went down with fever, both being sent home, and with
them went 2nd Lieut. L. H. Pearson, who had severe
concussion, as the result of being knocked down by a
Minenwerfer bomb. Capt. Bland became 2nd in com-
mand with the rank of Major, and Captain R. Hastings
and Lieut. R. D. Farmer were now commanding ‘‘ A’’
and “‘C”’ Companies. Capt. M. Barton, our original
medical officer, had come out in June and relieved Lieut.
Manfield, who had been temporarily taking his place.
We had also one reinforcement—2nd Lieut. G. B.
Williams, posted to ‘‘ D’’ Company, who the following

60 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

tour lost 2nd Lieut. C. R. Knighton who sprained his
Ne thereame time Serj Ae) Garatt,ot a

knee.
D’’ in place of C.S.M.

Company, became C.S.M. of ©
J. Cooper, who was sent home with fever.

On the 16th August we went once more to the line for
a six-day tour, which proved to be the first in which our
artillery began to show a distinct superiority to the
enemy’s, not only in accuracy but in weight of shell.
Several 8” and 9.2” Howitzers appeared in the Salient
and, on the evening of the 18th, we carried out an
organized bombardment of the lines opposite “ 50”
trench, paying special attention to the neighbourhood of
the Minenwerfer. The accuracy of these large
Howitzers was surprising, and they obtained several
direct hits on the Boche front line, the resulting
display of flying sandbags and trench timbers being
watched with the utmost pleasure by almost every man
in the Battalion. The enemy retaliated with salvoes of
whizz-bangs on ‘‘ 50,’’ and a few on “‘ A6”’ and “ AZ,”
but did not carry out any extensive bombardment,
though, when relieved by the Lincolnshires on the 22nd,
we had had upwards of 45 casualties. Among the killed
was L/Cpl. Biddles of ‘‘ A ’’ Company, who had risked
death many times on patrol, only to be hit when sitting
quietly in a trench eating his breakfast. This N.C.O.,
old enough to have his son serving in the company with
him, was never happier than when wandering about in
No Man’s Land, either by day or night, and from the
first to the last day of every tour he spent his time
either patrolling, or preparing for his next patrol. Early
in the morning of the 23rd we reached once more the
huts at Ouderdom, having at last had the sense to have
the limbers to meet us at Kruisstraat to carry packs,

THE SALIENT. 61

which at this time we always took into the line with us.
We had been away from even hut civilisation for twenty-
four days—quite long enough when those days have ‘to
be spent in the mud, noise and discomfort of the Salient.

Our rest, while fortunately comparatively free of
working parties, contained two features of interest, an
inspection by our new Brigadier, and an officers’ cricket
match against the 16th Lancers. For the first we were
able, with the aid of a recently-arrived draft of 100 men,
to parade moderately strong, and Gen. Kemp was well
satisfied with our “‘ turn-out.’’ Jt was, however, to be
regretted that the only soldier to whom he spoke hap-
pened to be a blacksmith, for which trade we had the
previous day sent to Brigade Headquarters a ‘‘ nil”’
return. The cricket match was a great success, and
thanks to some excellent batting by Lieut. Langdale, we
came away victorious. The light training which we
carried out each day now included a very considerable
amount of bomb throwing, and it seemed as though the
bomb was to be made the chief weapon of the infantry
soldier, instead of the rifle and bayonet, which always
has been, and always will be, a far better weapon than
any bomb. However, the new act had to be learnt,
and a Battalion bomb squad was soon formed under
2nd Lieut. R. Ward Jackson, whose chief assistants
were L/Cpl. R. H. Goodman, Ptes. W. H. Hallam, P.
Bowler, E. M. Hewson, A. Archer, F. Whitbread, J. W.
Percival and others, many of whom afterwards became
N.C.O.’s. | Every officer and man had to throw a live
grenade, and, as there were eight or nine different kinds,
he also had to have some mechanical knowledge, while
the instructor had to know considerably more about
explosives than a sapper.

62 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

The excitement of our next tour started before we
reached Kruisstraat. All day long (the 28th August) a
single 9.2” Howitzer had been firing behind a farm house
on the track to the Indian Transport Field, and, as we
marched past the position by platoons, all of us interested
in watching the loading process, it suddenly blew up,
sending breach-block, sheets of cast iron and enormous
fragments of base plate and carriage several hundred
yards through the air. We ran at once to the nearest
cover, but three men were hit by falling fragments, and
we were lucky not to lose more, for several of us, includ-
ing 2nd Lieut. J. W. Tomson, had narrow escapes. We
eventually reached the line, and relieved the Lincoln-
shires in Trenches ‘‘ 49’’ to ‘‘ A3.”’ The 3rd Division
had now taken ‘‘ A4’’ to ‘‘ A7.’’ Three days later 2nd
Lieuts. H. Moss, N. C. Stoneham and C. B. Clay joined
us, and were posted to ‘‘A,”’ ‘‘D”’ and ‘‘B’’ Companies
respectively. At the same time 2nd Lieut. J. D. Hills
was appointed Brigade Intelligence Officer, a new post
just introduced by General Kemp.

We suffered the usual scattered shelling and trench
mortaring during the first half of the tour, to which our
Artillery could only reply lightly because they were
saving ammunition for an organised bombardment
further North. However, no serious damage was done,
so this did not matter. The bombardment took place
at dawn on the Ist September, and in reply the Germans,
instead of shelling the left as was expected, concentrated
all their efforts on the “‘ 50,’ “Al ’”’ corner, starting
with salvoes of whizz-bangs, and finishing with a heavy
shoot, 8”, 5.9” and shrapnel, from 10.45 to mid-day.
Our Artillery replied at once, but nothing would stop
the Boche, who had the most extraordinary good fortune

THE SALIENT. 63

in hitting our dug-outs, causing many casualties. 2nd
Lieut. Clay, not yet 24 hours in trenches, was among
the first to be wounded, and soon afterwards Serjt. B.
Smith, of ‘‘B’’ Company, received a bad wound, to
which he succumbed a few hours later. Im © Je
Company, except for C.S.M. Gorse’s and the Signallers’,
every dug-out was hit, and C. E. Scott and F. W.
Pringle, the two officers’ batmen, were killed, while A.
H. Cassell was badly wounded. The officers themselves
had two miraculous escapes. First, 2nd Lieuts. Tomson
and Moss were sitting in their dug-out, when a 5.9” dud
passed straight through the roof and on into the ground
almost grazing 2nd Lieut. Tomson’s side. These two
then went round to wake Capt. Hastings, who was rest-
ing in another dug-out, and the three had only just left,
when this too was blown in, burying Capt. Hastings’
Sam Browne belt and all his papers. Many brave
deeds were done during the shelling, two of which stand
out. TT. Whitbread, of ‘‘ A’’ Company, hearing of the
burying of the two officers’ servants, rushed to the spot,
and, regardless of the shells which were falling all round,
started to dig them out, scraping the earth away with his
hands, until joined by Sergeants Gore and Baxter, who
came up with shovels. The other, whose work cannot
be passed over, was our M.O., Captain Barton. Always
calm and collected, yet always first on the spot if any
were wounded, he seemed to be in his element during a
bombardment, and this day was no exception. He was
everyWhere, tying up wounds, helping the Stretcher
Bearers, encouraging everyone he met, and many a
soldier owed his life to the ever-present ‘‘ Doc.”’

On the 2nd September we were relieved by the Lincoln-
shires again, and once more became Brigade reserve for

64 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

six days—six of the most unpleasant days we spent in
the Salient. First the Railway dug-outs, to which
Battalion Headquarters and half the Battalion should
have gone, had been so badly shelled while the Lincoln-
shires were there that only one company was allowed to
go, while the remainder were sent to bivouac at Kruis-
straat. The fine weather came to an end the same day,
and it rained hard all the time, which would have been
bad enough in bivouacs, and was worse for us who had
to spend most of our day on some working party, either
dug-outs, or trying to drain some hopelessly water-
logged communication trench, such as the one from
Manor Farm to Square Wood. Altogether we had a
poor time, and were quite glad on the 8th to return to
trenches, where we were joined two days later by Lieut.-
Col. C. H. Jones, who had returned from England and
took over command. He had had the greatest difficulty
in returning to France, and it was only when he had
applied to the War Office for command of a Brigade in
Gallipoli that the authorities at last took notice of him
and sent him back to us. On his arrival Major Toller
resumed his duties of 2nd in command; Major Bland
was at the time in England sick.

The arrival of an officer reinforcement was always the
signal for a Boche strafe, and the return of the Colonel
they celebrated with a two days’ ‘‘ hate ’’ instead of
one. ‘“‘Al’”’ and “50” and their supports suffered
most, and much damage to trenches was done by heavy
Minenwerfer, 8” and 5.9” shells. | Towards evening the
situation became quieter, but just before 10 o’clock the
Boche exploded a camouflet against one of our ‘‘ Al”’
mine galleries, and killed three Tunnellers, whose bodies
we could not rescue owing to the gasses in the mine,

THE SALIENT. 65

which remained there for more than twenty-four hours.
The next day the bombardment of ‘‘50”’ and ‘‘ 50S”
continued, and amongst other casualties, which were
heavy, Capt. J. L. Griffiths and 2nd Lieut. R. B. Farrer
of “B’”’ Company were both hit and had to be
evacuated, the one with 13, the other 35 small fragments
of shell in him. The enemy had now become so persis-
tent that we asked for help from our heavy artillery, and
the following day—our last in the line—we carried out
several organized bombardments of important enemy
centres, such as “* Hill 60,’’ to which he replied with a
few more large “‘crumps ”’ on ‘‘50’’ support and was
then silent. In the evening the Lincolnshires took our
place, and, having lost 11 killed and 39 wounded in 6
days, we marched back to rest at Dickebusch huts.

For some considerable time there had been many
rumours about a Coming autumn offensive on our part,
and on the 22nd September, having returned to trenches
two days previously, we received our first orders about
it. We were told nothing very definite except that the
3rd and 14th Divisions would attack at Hooge, while
we made a vigorous demonstration to draw retaliation
from their front to ourselves, and that there would also
be attacks on other parts of the British front. We were
to make a feint gas attack by throwing smoke-bombs
and lighting straw in front of our parapet, to frighten
the Boche into expecting an attack along the “‘ Hill 60”’
—Sanctuary Wood front. Capt. Burnett and his trans-
port were, therefore, ordered to bring up wagon-loads
of straw, much to their annoyance, for they already had
a bad journey every night with the rations, and extra
horses meant extra anxiety. It was seldom that the
transport reached Armagh Wood without being shelled

66 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

on an ordinary night, and whenever there was fighting
in any part of the Salient, the area round Maple Copse
became so hot that they had to watch for an opportunity
and gallop through. In spite of this they never failed
us, and rations always arrived, even in the worst of
times.

On the 23rd there were two preliminary bombard-
ments, one short but very heavy at Hooge, the other
lasting most of the morning on ‘‘ Hill 60’’—a bluff.
During the night it rained and the arrival of our straw
was consequently postponed until the following night,
which proved to be little better. The wagons were late
and there was not much time to complete our task;
however, all worked their utmost, and by 1.0 a.m. on
the 25th a line of damp straw had been spread along
our wire in front of ‘‘50.’’ Unfortunately, the Bat-
talion on our right were unable to put their straw in
position in time, but as the Brigade beyond them had
theirs, we thought this would not make any difference
to the operation. Just before daylight a general order
from G.H.Q. arrived, starting with the words, ‘‘ At
Dawn, on the 25th September, the British Armies will
take the offensive on the Western Front.’’ We felt
that the time had now come when the war was going to
be won and the Boche driven out of France, and some of
us were a little sorry that our part was to consist of
nothing more than setting fire to some damp straw.

At 3.50 a.m. Hooge battle started with an intense
artillery bombardment from every gun in the salient,
and it was an inspiring sight to stand on the ridge
behind “50” trench and watch, through the half-light,
the line of flashes to the west, an occasional glare show-
ing us the towers of Ypres over the trees. The Germans

THE SALIENT. 67

replied at once on ‘‘Al”’ trench, but finding that we
remained quiet, their batteries soon ceased fire and
opened instead on Sanctuary Wood and Hooge. This
was expected, for it was not in the initial attack, but
during the consolidation that the 3rd Division wanted to
draw the enemy’s fire. At a few minutes before six
our time had come, smoke bombs were thrown, and,
though the wind was against us, Col. Jones, feeling that
we must make the biggest possible display, ordered the
straw to be lit. This promptly drew fire, and in five
minutes there was not one single gun on our side of the
Salient still firing at Hooge, they had all turned on us.
At first sight of the smoke several machine guns had
opened fire opposite “50” and ‘‘ 49,’’ but these died
away almost at once as the Boche, thoroughly frightened
at the prospect of gas, evacuated his trenches. _ Half-
an-hour later he actually bombarded his own lines on the
Northern slopes of ‘‘ Hill 60’’ with 11” shells, presum-
ably imagining that we had occupied them. The bluff
was complete.

But such a success cannot be purchased without loss,
and our losses had been heavy. The Staffordshires had
not lit their straw because of the wind, so that the
enemy’s retaliation, which should have been spread along
the whole front from ‘* Al ”’ to “‘ Hill 60’ was concen-
trated entirely on our three trenches “‘ 49,”’ “ 50°’ and
eA i CHa paiva ermin Oem arm e\ jes 10). ”
suffered most. Choked and blinded by the smoke from
the straw, which blew back and filled the trench, their
parapet blown away by salvo after salvo of small shells,
their supports battered with 8” and heavy mortars, with
no cover against the unceasing rain of shells from front
and left, they had to bear it all in silence, unable to hit

68 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.
back. Serjts. J. G. Burnham and J. Birkin were
killed, and with them 10 others of the battalion, while 30
more were wounded. Once more the ‘“ Doc.’’ and his
stretcher-bearers were everywhere, and many who might
otherwise have bled to death, owed their lives to this
marvellous man, who wandered round and dressed their
wounds wherever the shelling was hottest. At the first
opening of the battle our telephone lines to the Artillery
were broken, and for some time we could get no support,
but the Derby Howitzers and one of the Lincolnshire
batteries fired a number of rounds for us, and later,
thanks to the efforts of Lieut. C. Morgan, R.F.A., the
F.0.0., we were able to call on Major Meynell’s
Staffordshire battery as well. By 7.15 a.m. all was
once more quiet, and we spent the rest of the day
evacuating our casualties, and trying to clear away some
of the litter of straw from our trenches.

The following day passed quietly, and in the evening,
relieved by the Lincolnshires, we marched out of
trenches. Ten minutes later the enemy blew up trench
“47°? and opened heavy rifle fire on all sides of the
salient. The Battalion was marching by companies,
and ‘“‘A”’ and ‘‘D”’ had just reached Manor Farm
when the noise began, and bullets fell all round them.
Capt. Jefferies, who was leading, was hit almost at once
and fell mortally wounded, never again recovering
consciousness, and several others became casualties
before the party could reach cover on the far side of the
Farm. ‘“B’’ and ‘“‘C”’ were still in Armagh Wood,
so Colonel Jones at once decided to man the new breast-
work between it and Square Wood, and there they
remained until the situation became once more quiet.
Finally, at midnight, we moved into our Brigade Sup-

THE SALIENT. 69

port positions, Headquarters and ‘‘B’’ Company in
Railway Dug-outs, ‘‘ C’’ Company in Deeping Dug-outs
near the Lake, and the others in Kruisstraat bivouacs.
Even now we were not allowed to live in peace, for the
following morning, at 11.0 a.m., the enemy bombarded
Railway Dug-outs for two hours, firing 90 8” shells, and
(so says the War Diary) ‘‘ plenty of shrapnel.’’ No
one was hit, though Col. Jones’ dug-out and the Orderly
Room were destroyed, and the bomb store, which was
hit and set on fire, was only saved from destruction by
the efforts of C.S.M. Lovett, who with Pte. Love and
one or two others, fetched water from the pond and put
out the fire. From 6.30 to 7.30 p.m. the dug-outs were
again bombarded and a few more destroyed, so that
we were not sorry when, on the Ist October the Wilt-
shire Regiment came to relieve us, and we marched back
to bivouacs at Ouderdom.

On the 2nd, after a farewell address to the officers by
the Corps Commander, the Battalion marched during
the morning to Abeele, where at 3.30 p.m. we entrained
for the South and said good-bye to the ‘‘ Salient ’’ for
ever. We were not sorry to go, even though there were
rumours of a coming battle, and our future destination
was unknown.

so)

CHAPTER IV:

*“ HOHENZOLLERN. ”
Ist Oct., 1915. 15th Oct., 1915
WE journeyed southwards in three parts. Battalion

Headquarters and the four Companies went first,
reached Fouquereuil Station near Béthune after a six
hours’ run, and marched at once to Bellerive near
Gonnehem. Here, at noon the following day—the 3rd
October—they were joined by Lieut. Wollaston with
the machine guns and ammunition limbers which had
entrained at Godewaersvelde and travelled all night, and
at 4.30 p.m., by Capt. John Burnett with the rest of
the Transport. The latter had come by road, spending
one night in bivouacs at Vieux Berquin on the way.
This move brought us into the First Army under Sir
Douglas Haig, who took an early opportunity of being
introduced to all Commanding Officers and Adjutants
in the Division, coming to Brigade Headquarters at
Gonnehem on the afternoon of the 3rd, where Col.
Jones and Lieut. G. W. Allen went to a conference.
Lieut. Allen had become Adjutant when Capt. Griffiths
was wounded, and Capt. Langdale was wanted for
command of ‘‘B’’ Company. Our other Company
Commanders remained unchanged except that Major
Bland returned from England and took charge of “‘ D.’’

The billets at Bellerive, consisting of large, clean

HOHENZOLLERN. 71

farm-houses, were very comfortable, but we were not
destined to stay there long, and on the 6th marched
through Chocques to Hesdigneul, where there was less
accommodation. The following day there was a
conference at Brigade Headquarters, and we learnt our
fate. On the 25th September, the opening day of the
Loos battle, the left of the British attack had been
directed against “‘ Fosse 8’’—a coal mine with its
machine buildings, miners’ cottages and large low slag
dump—protected by a system of trenches known as the
‘“Hohenzollern Redoubt,”’ standing on a small rise 1,000
yards west of the mine. This had all been captured
by the 9th Division, but owing to counter-attacks from
Auchy and Haisnes, had had to be abandoned, and the
enemy had once more occupied the Redoubt. A second
attempt, made a few days later by the 28th Division,
had been disastrous, for we had had heavy casualties,
and gained practically no ground, and except on the
right, where we had occupied part of ‘‘ Big Willie ’’
trench, the Redoubt was still intact. | Another attempt
was now to be made at an early date, and, while 12th
and Ist Divisions attacked to the South, the North
Midland was to sweep over the Redoubt and capture
Fosse 8, consolidating a new line on the East side of it.

Apart from the Fosse itself, where the fortifications
and their strength were practically unknown, the
Redoubt alone was a very strong point. It formed a
salient in the enemy’s line and both the Northern area,
“ Little Willie,’’ and the southern ‘‘ Big Willie,’’ were
deep, well-fortified trenches, with several machine gun
positions. Behind these, ran from N.E. and S.E. into
the 2nd line of the Redoubt, two more deep trenches,
Ne haces sands \S-hace,’ thought to be used for

72 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

communication purposes only, and leading back to
‘“ Fosse’? and ‘‘ Dump ”’ trenches nearer the slag-heap.
The last two were said to be shallow and unoccupied.
In addition to these defences, the redoubt and its
approach from our line were well covered by machine
gun posts, for, on the North, ‘‘ Mad Point ”’ overlooked
our present front line and No Man’s Land, while
‘“ Madagascar ’’ Cottages and the Slag-heap commanded
all the rest of the country. The scheme for the battle
was that the Staffordshires on the right and our Brigade
with the Monmouthshires on the left would make the
assault, the Sherwood Foresters remain in reserve.
Before the attack there would be an intense artillery
bombardment, which would effectually deal with ‘* Mad
Point ’’ and other strongholds. In our Brigade, General
Kemp decided to attack with two Battalions side by
side in front, 4th Leicestershires and 5th Lincolnshires,
followed by 4th Lincolnshires and Monmouthshires, each
extended along the whole Brigade frontage, while,
except for one or two carrying parties, he would keep
us as his own reserve. The date for the battle had not
been fixed, but it would probably be the 10th.
Reconnaissances started at once, and on the &th Col.
Jones and all Company Commanders and 2nds in Com-
mand went by motor ’bus to Vermelles, and recon-
noitred our trenches, held at the time by the Guards
Division. Our first three lines, where the assembly
would take place the night before the battle, were all
carefully reconnoitred as well as the ‘‘Up” and
““Down’”’ communication trenches—Barts Alley, Cen-
tral, Water and Left Boyaus. These were simply cut
into the chalk and had not been boarded, so, with the
slightest rain, became hopelessly slippery, while to

HOHENZOLLERN. 13

make walking worse a drain generally ran down the
centre of the trench, too narrow to walk in and too
broad to allow one to walk with one foot each side.
From the front line we were able to see the edge of
the Redoubt, Mad Point, and the mine with its buildings
and Slag-heap. The last dominated everything, and
could be seen from everywhere. It was not very en-
couraging to see the numbers of our dead from the
previous two attacks, still lying out in No Man’s Land,
whence it had not yet been possible to carry them in.
The party reached home soon after 5 p.m., and a few
minutes later a heavy bombardment in the direction of
Vermelles was followed by an order to “stand to,”’
which we did until midnight, when all was quiet again,
and we were allowed to go to bed.

The following day the remainder of the officers and a
party of selected N.C.O.’s went again to the line to
reconnoitre. While they were away we heard the
meaning of the previous night’s noise. The Boche had
attacked our posts in ‘‘ Big Willie’’ held by a Battalion
of the Coldstream Guards, and after a long fight had
been driven back with heavy losses, leaving many dead
behind them. Both sides had used no other weapon
than the bomb, and our success was attributed to our
new Mills grenade, which could be thrown further and
was easier to handle than the German stick bomb, and
the Coldstreams were said to have thrown more than
5,000 of these during the fight. This little encounter
had two results. First, it definitely postponed our
attack to the 13th; secondly, it brought the Mills
grenade into so much prominence that we were ordered
to practise with that and that only, and to ensure that
during the next three days every man threw them

74 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

frequently. At the same time we were definitely
promised that no other grenade would be issued during
our coming battle.

As it was not intended that we should go into trenches
until the night before the assault, only very few of the
N.C.O.’s and none of the men would have any oppor-
tunity of previously studying the ground. In order,
therefore, that all might be made familiar with the
general appearance and proportionate distances of the
various objectives, a small scale model of the Redoubt
and Fosse 8 was built opposite Divisional Headquarters
at Gosnay, and Sunday afternoon was spent in studying
this and explaining full details to all concerned. In
the evening the Corps Commander, General Haking,
spoke to all officers of the Division in the Chateau court-
yard, and told us some further details of the attack.
We were to be supported by the largest artillery con-
centration ever made by the British during the war up
to that time, and there would be 400 guns covering
the Divisional front. Under their fire we need have no
fear that any machine guns could possibly be left in
‘Mad Point,’’ ‘‘Madagascar,’’ or any of the other points
due for bombardment. At the same time he told us
that if the wind were in the right direction we should
be further assisted by the ‘‘ auxiliary.’’ In this case
there would be an hour’s bombardment, followed by an
hour’s ‘‘ auxiliary,’’ during which time the guns would
have to be silent because High Explosive was apt to
disperse chlorine gas. At the end of the second hour
we should advance and find the occupants all dead.
Attacks at dawn and dusk had become very common
lately and seemed to be expected by the Boche; we
would therefore attack at 2 p.m.

cof
ol

HOHENZOLLERN.

During the next two days we spent most of our time
throwing Mills grenades, and certainly found them a
very handy weapon, which could be thrown much
further than our previous patterns. We also had to make
several eleventh hour changes in personnel, Major Bland
and Lieut. Allen were both compelled by sickness to
go to Hospital—the former to England. It was ex-
ceptionally bad luck for both, to endure the routine of
six months’ trenches and training and then have to leave
their unit on the eve of its first great fight, in which
both these officers were so keen to take part. In their
places Lieut. Hills was appointed to ‘‘ D’’ Company,
but as he was taken by General Kemp for Intelligence
Work, 2nd Lieut. G. B. Williams took command. No
one was appointed Adjutant, and Colonel Jones decided
that as officers were scarce he and Major Toller would
between them share the work at Battalion Headquarters.
Two new officers also arrived and were posted, 2nd
Lieut. G. T. Shipston to ‘‘C ”’ and 2nd Lieut. L. Trevor
Jones to “‘ D’’ Company.

On the 12th, after some last words of advice from
Colonel Jones, who addressed the Battalion, we set off
to march to trenches, wearing what afterwards became
known as ‘‘ Fighting Order,’’ with great coats rolled
and strapped to our backs. The Brigade band accom-
panied us through Verquin, and a Staffordshire band
played us into Sailly Labourse, where General Montagu-
Stuart-Wortley watched us turn on to the main road.
There was an hour’s halt for teas between here and
Noyelles, and finally at 10-5 p.m. we marched into
Vermelles. The next eight hours were bad, for it took
eight hours to reach our assembly position, the third
line—eight hours standing in hopelessly congested com-

76 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

munication trenches, waiting to move forward. For

each carried six sandbags and every

men heavily laden
third man a shovel—this delay was very tiring, for it
meant continuous standing with no room to rest, and
resulted in our arriving in the line tired out, to find that
it was already time to have breakfasts. The Reserve
Line was full of troops, but it was found possible to give
all a hot breakfast, and many managed to snatch a
couple of hours’ sleep before the bombardment opened
at 12 noon.

Compared with the bombardments of the Somme and
the later battles, our bombardment was small, but it
seemed to us at the time terrific, and it was very en-
couraging to see direct hits on the mine workings and
the various trenches. The enemy retaliated mostly on
communication trenches, using some very heavy shells,
but not doing a great deal of damage. At 1 p.m.
chlorine gas was discharged from cylinders packed in
our front line, and at the same time a quantity of smoke
bombs and mortar shells were fired towards the Redoubt
by parties of our Divisional Artillery who were not
covering us in the battle. The enemy at once altered
his retaliation targets, and opened a heavy fire on our
front line, trying to burst the gas cylinders, and suc-
ceeding in filling the trench with gas in three places
by so doing. At 1-50 p.m. the gas and smoke was
gradually diminished and allowed to disperse, and, ten
minutes later, wearing gas helmets rolled on their
heads, the leading waves moved out to the assault.

The start was disastrous. Colonel Martin and his
Adjutant were both wounded, Colonel Sandall was
wounded and his Adjutant killed in the first few minutes,
and the machine gun fire along the whole of our front

HOHENZOLLERN. 77

was terrific. Still, the nature of the ground afforded
them some protection and they pushed forward, losing
heavily at every step, until they had crossed the first line
of the Redoubt. The 4th Lincolnshires and Monmouth-
shires followed, and we moved up towards the front
line so as to be ready if required, and at the same time
a party of our Signallers went forward to lay a line
to the newly captured position. L.-Corpl. Fisher him-
self took the cable and, regardless of the machine gun
fire, calmly reeled out his line across No Man’s Land,
passed through the enemy’s wire and reached the
Redoubt. Communication was established, and we were
able to learn that all waves had crossed the first German
line and were going forward against considerable oppo-
sition. Meanwhile, on the right the Staffordshires had
fared far worse even than our Brigade. Starting from
their second line, they were more exposed to machine
gun fire from all sides, and very few reached even their
own front line, whilst row upon row were wiped out in
their gallant effort to advance.

In case of failure and the consequent necessity of
holding our original front line against strong counter
attacks, it had been arranged that our machine guns
should take up permanent positions in this line. This
was done, and Lieut. Wollaston was supervising the
work of his teams and improving their positions when
he saw that a considerable number of men were coming
back from the Redoubt. Their officers and N.C.O.’s
killed, they themselves, worn out by the exertions of the
past 24 hours, half gassed by the chlorine which still
hung about the shell holes, shot at by machine guns
from every quarter, had been broken by bombing attacks
from every trench they attacked and now, having

78 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

thrown all their bombs, were coming back. The
situation was critical, and Lieut. Wollaston, deciding
to leave his guns now that they were in good positions,
made his way along the trench and tried to rally the
stragglers. Many were too badly shaken to go forward
again, but some answered his call and collecting some
more grenades the little party started back towards the
Redoubt. Lieut. Wollaston was knocked down and
wounded in the back by a shell, but still went forward,
and, reaching the first German line, turned left towards
‘Little Willie,’? which the Boche was still holding in
force. At the same time General Kemp ordered two of
our Companies to be sent up to assist, and Colonel
B’”’ and ‘‘A’”’ to move up. One
message from the Redoubt which reached Colonel Jones

“oe

Jones sent word to

at this time said ‘‘ Please send bombs and officers.’’
Captain Langdale decided to advance in line, and
leaving their trenches the four platoons started off in
that formation. The platoon commanders became
casualties in the first few yards, 2nd Lieut. Marriott
being wounded and the two others gassed, and by the
time they reached our front line the Company Com-
mander was leading them himself. Walking along with
his pipe in his mouth, Captain Langdale might have
been at a Field Day, as he calmly signalled his right
platoon to keep up in line, with ‘‘ keep it up, Oakham,’’
as they crossed our trench. The line was kept, and so
perfectly that many of the stragglers who had come back
turned and went forward again with them. But once
more as they were reaching the German front line came
that deadly machine gun fire, and their gallant Com-
mander was one of the first to fall, killed with a bullet
in the head. C.S.M. Lovett was badly wounded at the

HOHENZOLLERN. ae

same time, Serjt. Franks killed, and the Company,
now leaderless, was broken into isolated parties fighting
with bombs in the various trenches.

‘““A’’ Company followed. Keeping his platoons
more together and on a smaller frontage, Captain
Hastings decided to attempt a bayonet attack against
the German opposition on the left of the Redoubt, and
himself led his men up to the attack. Again Platoon
Commanders were the first to fall, and as they climbed
out of our trenches, 2nd Lieut. Lawton was mortally
wounded in the stomach and 2nd Lieut. Petch badly
shot through the arm. However, this did not delay
the attack, and the Company, crossing the German front
line, quickened their pace and made for the junctions
of “‘ Little Willie ’’ and ‘“‘ N. Face.’’ Once more bombs
and machine guns were too hot for them, and first
Capt. Hastings, then 2nd Lieut. Moss were killed near
the German second line, leaving the Company in the
hands of 2nd Lieut. Tomson and C.S.M. Gorse, who at
once organized the platoons for the defence of the second
line, realizing that it was useless to try to advance
further. 2nd Lieut. Petch, in spite of his wound, re-
mained several hours with his platoon, but eventually
had to leave them. The ground was covered with the
dead and wounded of the other Battalions, Fosse and
Dump trenches were filled with Germans and machine
guns, ‘‘S. Face’’ and both “ Willies’ were full of
bombers, and worst of all the machine guns of Mad
Point, Madagascar and the Slag-heap had apparently
escaped untouched. There was only one thing left to
do, and that to hold what we had got against these
bombing attacks, and consolidate our new position
without delay.

80 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Meanwhile, in addition to our two Companies, there
were several other parties and units fighting in various
parts of the Redoubt, and of these Colonel Evill, of the
Monmouthshires, himself on the spot, took command,
sending down for more men and more bombs. Of these
little parties the most successful was that under Lieut.
Wollaston, who, although wounded, led a bombing
attack into ‘‘ Little Willie,’’ and pushed on so resolutely
that he gained some eighty yards of trench before being
compelled to withdraw owing to lack of bombs and
ammunition. Unfortunately there was no other party
near to help him, or ‘‘ Little Willie ’’ would probably
have been ours. On the right, Lieut. Madge, of the
Lincolnshires, held on for an incredibly long time with
only a few machine gunners far in advance of anyone
else, only coming back after 5 p.m., when he found
that part of the captured ground had been evacuated
by us. Here, too, Lieut. Morgan, of the Stafford-
shire Brigade R.F.A., was killed leading his gunners
forward to help the infantry who were in difficulties.
Some of ‘‘D’’ Company were also in action at this
time. Thirteen and Fourteen Platoons set off, as
originally ordered, under Royal Engineer officers, to
put out barbed wire in front of the Redoubt, but
as they reached our front line were heavily shelled and
lost touch with the Engineers, many of whom were
killed. 2nd Lieut. Stoneham had already been badly
wounded, and Lieut. Williams, with a blood-stained
bandage tying up a wounded ear, was with his other
half Company, so the two platoons were left without
officers. Serjt W. G. Phipps, who was leading, knew
nothing about the wiring orders, having been told
simply to follow the R.E., so he ordered his platoon to

HOHENZOLLERN. 81

collect all the bombs they could find and make for the
Redoubt. Serjt. G. Billings with 14 followed, and the
half Company entered the fight soon after “A”
Company. Their fate was the same. Serjt. Billings,
with Corporals A. Freeman and T. W. Squires, were all
killed trying to use their bayonets against ‘‘ N. Face,’’
and the rest were scattered and joined the various bomb
parties. F. Whitbread and A. B. Law found themselves
in “‘ Little Willie,’ and helped rush the enemy along
it, only to be forced back each time through lack of
bombs. Whitbread was particularly brave later, when
he went alone over the top to find out the situation on
their flank. One other officer was conspicuous, in the
Redoubt, in our trenches, everywhere in fact where he
could be of use—Captain Ellwood, in charge of machine
guns and forward bomb stores, was absolutely inde-
fatigable, and quiet and fearless performed miracles of
energy and endurance.

At 5 p.m., the German bombing attacks increased
in vigour, and this time a large part of our garrison
of the German second line trench gave way and came
back to the original front line of the Redoubt—some
even to our front line. Who gave the order for this
withdrawal was never discovered, but there was un-
doubtedly an order ‘‘ Retire’ passed along the line,
possibly started by the Boche himself. Such a message
coming to tired and leaderless men was sure to have a
disastrous effect, and in a few minutes we had given
up all except Point 60, a trench junction at the N. end
of ‘‘ Big Willie,’’ and the front line of the Redoubt.
In this last there were still plenty of men, and these,
led by a few resolute officers and N.C.O.’s such as
2nd Lieut. Tomson, C.S.M. Gorse, and others, were

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b ilustrate Chapters 1V,V,VI, x XI XII) xIv Bxv,

HOHENZOLLERN. 83

prepared to hold it against all attacks. The original
parados was cut into fire steps, bomb blocks were built
in “* Little Willie ’’ and ‘‘ North Face,’’ and the garrison
generally reorganized. Messages were sent for more
bombs, and these were carried up in bags and boxes
from Brewery Keep, Vermelles to the old front line,
and thence across No Man’s Land by parties of ““C”’
and ‘‘ D’”’ Company.

While this took place in the Redoubt, Colonel Jones
occupied the old front line with “‘ C’’ Company (Lieuts.
Farmer and Shields), and elements of ‘‘ D’’ Company
occupying the bays which were free from gas. The
trench had been badly battered by shells at mid-day, and
there were many killed and wounded still in it, amongst
the latter being Colonel Martin, of the 4th Battalion,
who garrisoned about 100 yards by himself. Shot
through the knee and in great pain, he refused to go
down, but sat at the top of ‘‘ Barts Alley ’’ receiving
reports, sending information to Brigade, and directing
as far as possible the remnants of his Battalion. For
twenty-one hours he remained, calm and collected as
ever, and only consented to be carried out when sure
that all his Battalion had left the Redoubt. Meanwhile
further to the left along the same trench, Colonel Jones
made it his business to keep the Redoubt supplied with
bombs. He was here, there, and everywhere, directing
parties, finding bomb stores, helping, encouraging, and
giving a new lease of life to all he met. Many brave
deeds were done by N.C.O.’s and men and never heard
of, but one stands out remembered by all who were
there. L.-Corpl. Clayson, of ‘‘D’’ Company, during
the time that his platoon was in this trench, spent all
his time out in the old No Man’s Land, under heavy

84 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

machine gun fire, carrying in the wounded, many of
whom would have perished but for his bravery.

With darkness came orders that the Sherwood
Foresters would take over the line from us, but long
before they could arrive our Companies in the Redoubt
were being very hard pressed, and scarcely held their
own. The German bombers never for a moment ceased
their attack, and for some time our bombers held them
with difficulty. Then came the cruellest blow of
fortune, for many of the bags and boxes of bombs sent
up during the afternoon were found to contain bombs
without detonators, many others were filled with types
of grenades we had never seen. In spite of this there
was one officer who always managed to find the where-
withal to reply to the German attacks. Escaping death
by a miracle, for his great height made him very
conspicuous, 2nd Lieut. Tomson stood for hours at one
of the bombing blocks, smoking cigarettes and throwing
bombs. With him was Pte. P. Bowler, who proved
absolutely tireless, while in another part of the line
Pte. W. H. Hallam and one or two others carried out
a successful bombing exploit on their own, driving back
the enemy far enough to allow a substantial block to
be built in a vital place. To add to the horrors of the
situation, the garrison had ever in their ears the cries
of the many wounded, who lay around calling for
Stretcher Bearers or for water, and to whom they could
give no help. The Bearers had worked all day magni-
ficently, but there is a limit to human endurance, and
they could carry no more. Even so, when no one else
was strong enough, Captain Barton was out in front
of the Redoubt, regardless of bombs, and thinking only
of the wounded, many of whom he helped to our lines,

HOHENZOLLERN. 85

while to others, too badly hit to move, he gave water
or morphia. Hour after hour he worked on alone, and
no one will ever know how many lives he saved that
night.

Soon after 6 p.m., the Sherwood Foresters started to
arrive and gradually worked their way up towards the
Redoubt, a long slow business, for the communication
trenches were all choked and no one was very certain of
the route. One large party arriving at midnight
happened to meet Colonel Jones, who advised them to
try going over the top, and actually gave them their
direction by the stars. So accurate were his instructions
that the party arrived exactly at the Redoubt—inciden-
tally at a moment when the Germans were launching a
counter attack over the open. Such an attack might
well have been disastrous, but the Boche, seeing the
Sherwood Foresters and over-estimating their strength,
retired hurriedly. By dawn the Sherwood Foresters had
taken over the whole Redoubt, though many of our
‘““A”’ and ‘‘B’’ Companies were not relieved and
stayed there until the following night. Our task now
was the defence of the original British front line, for
which Colonel Jones was made responsible, and which
we (gannsoned with CC” (Farmer) right, ~“D’’
(Williams) centre, and ‘‘A’’ and ‘‘ B”’ (Tomson) left.
Major Toller, several times knocked down by shells and
suffering from concussion, Lieut. Wollaston wounded,
and 2nd Lieut. Wynne gassed, had all been sent down,
and 2nd Lieut. Williams followed some hours later.
Our only other officer, Lieut. R. Ward Jackson, was in
charge of the Grenadiers, and spent his time in the
Redoubt organizing bomb attacks and posts and trench
blocks, himself throwing many bombs, and in a very
quiet way doing a very great deal.

86 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Twice during the night General Kemp visited the line,
and went round the Redoubt before it was handed over
to the Sherwood Foresters. He wanted very much to
do more for the wounded, but the Stretcher Bearers
were worked out, and though volunteers worked hard
and rescued many, there were still numbers who had to
be left until the following night. Rations were brought
by the Company Q.M. Serjeants under Capt. Worley
to the Quarry—a few hundred yards behind the left of
our old front line—and waited there until parties could
be sent for them, a matter of several hours. How-
ever, they were distributed at dawn, when they were
very welcome, for many had been nearly twenty-four
hours without food. 2nd Lieut. Tomson was one of
of these, remarking, as C.S.M. Gorse gave him some
rum, that he had had nothing since the attack but ““ two
biscuits and over 300 cigarettes !”’

Throughout the following day we remained in our
old front line, listening to the continuous bombing
attacks in the Redoubt, and giving what assistance we
could with carrying parties. The morning was very misty,
and in expectation of a counter attack we were ordered
to keep double sentries, so that the trench was more than
usually full of men, when the enemy suddenly bom-
barded it with heavy shells. There were several direct
hits, and the trench was blown in in many places,
while one shell fell into the middle of a machine gun
team. Serjt. W. Hall, of ~ D”™ Company, €/Carpl
A. F. Brodribb, and Pte. Bartlam were all killed, and
the rest of the team were badly shaken, until C.S.M.
Gorse and Corpl. B. Staniforth came along and helped
to reorganize the post with a few new men. The trench
contained no real cover, and the bombardment lasted for

HOHENZOLLERN. 87

about half an hour; a severe ordeal for men who had
already had a stiff fight followed by a night of bombing.
Many of the telephone lines were broken, and L.-Corpl.
Fisher, who had done such gallant work the pervious
day, was killed entering our trench just after he had
re-opened communication. In the afternoon we were
again bombarded, this time with lachrymatory as well
as H.E. shells, but our casualties were not so heavy,
though the trench was again demolished in several
places. Finally at 11-30 p.m. the Sherwood Foresters
started to relieve us. They arrived in small parties,
and some did not appear until dawn the following day,
so that relief was not complete until 8 a.m. We then
went back to Lancashire trench between the Railway
and Vermelles, where we slept for several hours.

At 2 p.m., motor "buses arrived to take the Brigade
back to Hesdigneul, and made several journeys, but
had not room for all the Battalion, so 70 set off to march
under Major Toller, who had returned to us in
Lancashire trench. It proved to be a dark night, and
the party lost their way slightly in Verquigneul, but
finally arrived singing (led by C.S.M. Gorse) at
Hesdigneul, and reached their billets about midnight.

In so far that Fosse 8 still remained in the hands of
the enemy, the battle was a failure, but in capturing
the Redoubt the Brigade had prevented it being a
complete failure. Though we only held the German
front line and one small point in advance of it, we made
it impossible for the enemy to hold any of the Redoubt
himself, and so robbed him of his commanding position
on the high ground. Our casualties had been heavy,
and the two attacking Battalions had only one officer
left between them, while we in reserve had lost four

88 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

officers and 22 men killed, six officers and 132 men
wounded and 13 men missing. Two officers and 22 men
had been gassed, but presently returned to us. The
causes of our failure were mainly two. First, the
failure of the Artillery to wipe out ‘‘ Mad Point ’’ and
Madagascar and their machine guns; secondly, the gas.
This last was undoubtedly a mistake. It caused us
several casualties ; it made it necessary for the attackers
to wear rolled up gas masks which impeded them, it
stopped our H.E. bombardment an hour before the
assault and so enabled German machine gunners to come
back to their guns, and above all it had a bad effect
on us, for we knew its deadly effects, and many a man
swallowing a mouthful or smelling it became frightened
of the consequences and was useless for further fighting.
There was also the mistake of leaving Fosse and Dump
trenches untouched by the bombardment, because they
were reported weeks before to be shallow and un-
occupied; as it happened we found them full of men.
Finally, there were the bombs. We had been promised
Mills only, and yet found many other types during the
battle. Possibly a shortage of Mills might account for
this, but there can be no possible excuse for sending
grenades into a fight without detonators, and no punish-
ment could be too harsh for the officer who was
responsible for this.

Honours and Rewards were not given in those days
as they were later, and many a brave deed went un-
recognized. There were only nine D.C.M.’s in the
Division, and of these the Brigade won seven, to which
we contributed one, Hallam, the grenadier. Of the
officers, Capt. Barton, Lieut. Wollaston, and 2nd Lieut.
Williams received the Military Cross, and the Colonel’s

HOHENZOLLERN, 89

name appeared in the next list for a C.M.G. It was
not until long afterwards that those who had been with
him began to talk of the splendid deeds of 2nd Lieut.
Tomson throughout the day and night of the 13th,
and he was never one to talk about himself. Had
anyone in authority known at the time he, too, would
have had some decoration.

CHAPTER V.
FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN.

15th Oct., 1915. 28th Jan., 1916.

Tue whole Brigade was left very weak after the battle,
and there was a serious shortage of officers. As
in this respect we, as a Battalion, had suffered least,
we had to supply the needs of other units, and Major
Toller went to command the 4th Battalion, taking with
him 2nd Lieut. Trevor Jones, as they had no subaltern
officers. At the same time 2nd Lieut. H. E. Chapman
was sent to help the 5th Lincolnshires, and Capt.
Burnett and Lieut. Ward Jackson went to Brigade
Headquarters to look after Transport and Bombs, while
their duties in the Battalion were performed by Serjt.
Brodribb and Serjt. Goodman. We could not afford a
machine gun officer, so Serjt. Jacques was made
responsible for the guns until an officer reinforcement
should arrive. AS Band) 1) 2 “Companies
were commanded by Lieuts. Tomson, Wynne, and
Shields, and, as Lieut. Allen was still in hospital, Lieut.
Hills acted as Adjutant. The officers all messed
together at first, and tried to maintain the old cheerful
spirit of the Battalion mess—a little difficult after
losing in one day more than three-quarters of the mess.

On Sunday, General Montagu-Stuart-Wortley came

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. oh

to talk to the Battalion after Church parade, and
congratulated us on the fighting, saying that, consider-
ing the odds against us, he thought we had done very
well indeed. He then went round the ranks talking
to some of the men who had taken part in the battle,
and was very amused by some of the answers he
received to his questions. One soldier, asked what he
had done in the fight, replied that he had ‘“‘ blown half
a Boche officer’s leg off with a bomb.’’ The General
thought this excellent, but wanted to know why he had
chosen half an officer only, and not a whole one.

We stayed ten days at Hesdigneul, and then moved
to Drouvin and Vaudricourt, where the billets were
better, and we were able to have a Battalion officers’
mess. During this time, many reinforcement officers
arrived and two large drafts of other ranks. Two of
our original officers returned—Capt. Beasley, who now
took command of ‘‘ B’’ Company, and Lieut. Knighton,
who returned to ““D’”’ as 2nd in Command. The
remainder were new to us, and were posted as follows :
““ A” Company—2nd Lieuts. M. A. Hepworth, C. H.
Pickworth, and G. Russell; ‘‘B’? Company—2nd Lieuts.
J. W. Brittain and, when they returned, the two officers
lent to other Battalions; ‘* C’’ Company—Capt. S. J.
Fiowler, 2nd Lieuts. A. M. Barrowcliffe and A.
L. Macbeth; ‘‘D’’ Company—2nd Lieuts. A. H.
Dawes, H. W. Oliver, and J. R. Brooke. 2nd Lieut.
C. L. Saunders became Machine Gun Officer. With
these additions we were able to start training again,
and devoted our time to route marching, bayonet
fighting, and, most of all, bomb throwing. At no time
during the war was more reliance placed on bombs,
and scheme after scheme was invented for ‘‘ bombing

92 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

attacks up a trench,’’ to such an extent that the platoon
organisation was now re-modelled with the one idea
of forming bomb parties. The rifle seemed to be
temporarily forgotten.

On the 28th October, as many Units as possible of the
Ist Army were inspected by H.M. The King. Our
Brigade formed a composite Battalion commanded by
Col. Jones, and, with the rest of the Division, and repre-
sentatives of other Divisions, was drawn up along the
Hesdigneul-Labuissi¢re Road. His Majesty rode past
us from Labuissiere and, after taking the salute, came
down the hill again in his car with the Prince of Wales.
He acknowledged our cheers with a smile, and it was
not until afterwards that we learnt of his accident
soon after passing us, and knew the pain he was
suffering during his drive back, pain which he had so
admirably concealed.

After the inspection we sent a large party, six officers
and 230 N.C.O.’s and men, to Sailly Labourse, to carry
gas cylinders and other material to trenches, but except
for this we were spared all fatigues during our period
of rest. A week later we marched through Béthune
and Robecq to Calonne sur la Lys, a little village outside
Merville, where we remained another week before going
to the line. Lieut. Allen rejoined us and became
Adjutant; Lieut. Hills, after a few days with ‘“‘A”’
Company, went to Brigade Headquarters as a Staff
Learner. At the same time, Major Toller returned to
the Battalion as 2nd in Command. After commanding
the 4th Battalion until a new Colonel arrived for them,
he had been posted to the 5th Lincolnshires, and for a
time it looked as though he would be permanently
given command. However, bad luck pursued him,

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 93

and, as two new Colonels arrived for that Battalion
the same day, he again lost his Command. — Consider-
ing that he had commanded us for three months during
the summer with great success, and was easily senior
Major in the Brigade, it was exceptionally bad luck that
he had to wait another eight months before finally
getting his Battalion.

On the 10th November, we were told that we should
once more take over a part of the line, and the following
morning we marched to Lacouture and went into billets
for one night. ‘‘B’’ Co. (Beasley) went on at once
and spent the night in support positions near the Rue
du Bois between Festubert and Neuve Chapelle. The
rest of us moved up the next day and took over our
new line from the Sherwood Foresters the same night.
Battalion Headquarters lived in a little cottage, ‘‘ No.
1°’ Albert Road, two Companies occupied a large farm
house in the same neighbourhood fitted up as a rest
house, one Company lived in a series of curiously named
keeps—‘* Haystack,’’ ‘‘Z Orchard,’’ “‘ Path,’’ and
““Dead Cow,’’ and one Company only was in the front
line.

The Brigade now held the line from ‘‘ Kinkroo,’’ a
corruption of La Quinque Rue, crossing to the ‘‘ Boar’s
Head,’’ and of this we held the stretch opposite the two
farms in No Man’s Land, Fme du Bois and Fme Cour
d’ Avoue. The latter, surrounded by a moat, had an
evil reputation, and was said to have been the death-trap
of many patrols, which had gone there and never been
seen since. The trenches had been dug in the
summer when the country was dry, with no regard to
the fact that in winter the water level rises to within
two inches of the surface of the ground. In conse-

94 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

quence, the trenches were full of mud and water, and
most of the bivouacs and shelters were afloat. The
mud was the worst, for although only two feet deep,
yet it was of the clinging variety, and made walking
impossible, so much so, that many a man has found it
impossible to withdraw his foot, has had to leave his
gum-boot behind, go on in his socks, and come back
later with a shovel to rescue his boot. The water was
deeper and often came over one’s gum-boots and up
to one’s waist, but at least it was possible to walk
slowly through it without fear of getting stuck. To
add to the discomfort of the garrison, the weather was
bitterly cold and often very wet, and though no
Company remained more than 24 hours in the front line,
yet that was long enough for many to become chilled
and so start the terrible ‘‘ trench foot.’’

“Trench foot,’’ as it was called, was one of the
most terrible afflictions of winter trenches. After
standing for a long period in water or mud, or with
wet rubber boots, the feet became gradually numbed
and the circulation ceased, while as the numbed area
increased a dull aching pain spread over the whole foot.
Exercise to restore the circulation would have prevented
this, but for men who were compelled to spend the
entire day in one fire bay, exercise was impossible, and
by evening the numbness had almost always started.
As soon, therefore, as a Company came from the front
line, it marched to the rest house. | Here, every man
was given a hot drink, his wet boots and socks were
taken away, his feet rubbed by the Stretcher Bearers
until the circulation was restored, and then with dry
socks and dry boots he remained for the next 24
hours in the warmer atmosphere of the rest house.

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 95

Should action not be taken in time, and a man be left
for 48 hours with wet boots and socks, the rest house
treatment was insufficient, and he had to be sent to
Hospital, where, if gangrene had not set in, he could
still be cured. Many in the early days did not realize
its dangers, for once gangrene starts, the foot has to
be amputated.

The enemy’s trenches were probably as bad as our
own, and he only manned his front line at night, leaving
a few snipers to hold it by day. These were active
“stand to,

‘ ”

for the first hour or two after morning
but then had breakfast and apparently slept for the rest
of the day, at all events they troubled us no more.
This was a distinct advantage, for it enabled communi-
cation to be kept between posts and from front to rear,
without the orderly having either to swim up a com-
munication trench or run a serious risk of being sniped.
One, Kelly, a famous “‘ D’’ Company character, tried
to walk too soon one morning to fetch his rum ration
and was hit in the knee, much to his annoyance; but on
the whole there were very few casualties. By night,
too, there was not much firing, probably because both
sides were hard at work taking up rations, relieving
front line posts, or trying to get dry with the aid of a

walk “on top. In our case, with 24 hour reliefs,
there were no ration parties, because each Company
as it went to the line took its rations and fuel with it.

Our only communication trench was ‘‘ Cadbury’s,”’

>)

which started near ‘‘ Chocolat Menier,’’ corner of the
Rue du Bois, so called after an advertisement for this
chocolate fastened to the side of a house. It was
even more water logged than the front line, and conse-

quently, except when the ice was thick enough to walk

96 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

on, was seldomused. With a little care it was possible
to reach the front line even by day without the help of
a trench at all, and Lieut. Saunders always used to
visit his machine guns in this way, making the journey
both ways over the top every day that we held the
sector, and never once being shot at.

The Rue du Bois we used as little as possible, for
every other house was an O.P., and the gunners pre-
ferred us at a distance. Ale 8 Wey," 2° (Cayalion, °°
‘“ Trocadero,’’ and ‘‘ Princes ’’ all gave one an excellent
view of the enemy’s front line, and, knowing this, the
Boche concentrated most of the little artillery he used
on this neighbourhood. There was seldom any heavy
shelling, mostly field artillery only, and this of a poor
order, for not only were there many “‘ duds ’”’ in every
shoot, but also the gunners seemed to lack imagination.
So regular were they in their choice of targets, times
of shooting, and number of rounds fired, that, after
being in the line one or two days, Col. Jones had
discovered their system, and knew to a minute where
the next shell would fall. His calculations were very
accurate, and he was able to take what seemed to
uninitiated Staff Officers big risks, knowing that the
shelling would stop before he reached the place being
shelled.

Amongst the new subaltern officers was one unlike any
we had seen before—2nd Lieut. J. R. Brooke. He loved
patrolling for its own sake, and during his first few
days in the line explored everything he could find
including the German wire and trenches. From this
time onwards he spent more of his days crawling about
on his stomach than sitting like a respectable soldier
in a trench, and even when years later he became a

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 97

Company Commander it was found impossible to break
him of the habit. Captains were forbidden to go on
patrol, but this did not matter to him, he would take
a subaltern with him and make the latter write the
report, calling it 2nd Lieut. — and one other Rank.
One would expect such a man to be large, strong, and
of a fierce countenance; 2nd Lieut. Brooke was small,
of delicate health, and looked as though his proper
vacation in life was to hand cups of tea to fair ladies
at a village tea fight.

It seemed probable that we should have to remain in
this sector for the whole winter, and our first thought
was, therefore, how to make the trenches somewhat
more habitable. It was obvious that digging was out
of the question, and that nothing less than a large
breastwork, built entirely above ground, would be of
any use. General Kemp visited the lines several times
before finally deciding on his plan, and then sighted two
works, the front a few yards behind our present front
line, the second just behind what was called the ‘‘ old
British Line,’’ now used for our supports. It was a
gigantic task, and the work was very slow, even though
every available man worked all night. The inside of
the breastwork was to be revetted with frames of
woodwork and expanded metal, and, in order that the
parapet might be really bullet proof, the soil for it had
to be dug from a “ borrow pit ’’ several yards in front.
The soil was sticky and would not leave the shovel,
which added terribly to the work; for each man had
literally to dig a shovel full, walk five or six yards
and deposit it against the revetting frames. For-
tunately for us the Boche did not seem to object to our
work, in any case he left us in peace each night.

98 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

While this was in progress, an effort was also made
to try and drain the area. In many places water was
lying, held up by sandbag walls and old trenches,
actually above the ground level, and it was hoped that
by cleaning ditches and arranging a general drainage
scheme for the whole area, this surplus water might
be drained off, and, in time, the whole water level
lowered. Lieut. A. G. Moore, M.C., who returned
from England at this time, was made “ OLCG-
Drainage,’’ and set to work at once with what men
he could collect, but so big were the parties working
on the breastworks each night, that only a very few
could be spared for this other work, and not very
much could be done.

Soon after Lieut. Moore, 2nd. Lieut. G. B. Williams
also returned to us, and became Battalion Intelligence
Officer, a post now started for the first time. At the
same time four new officers arrived—2nd Lieuts. G.
Selwyn and W. Ashwell to ‘‘A’’ Company, 2nd Lieut.
A. N. Bloor to “B,”’ and 2nd Lieut. V. J. Jones to
““D.”? C.S.M. Gilding and Serjt. Brodribb both left
us to be trained as officers, and their places were taken
by 1©.@3MEss. Johnson who becamen@s5.) inOtma@an
Company, and Corpl. Roberts who took charge of the
Transport. The latter was still under the special care
of Capt. Burnett, although he had all the Transport
of the Brigade to look after.

Our first tour ended on the 25th, when, after 12
days’ mud and frost, we were relieved by the 4th
Lincolnshires, and came back to billets in the Rue des
Chavattes, not far from Lacouture, where Stores and
Transport remained throughout this time. Our
casualties had not been very heavy, and we lost more

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 99

through the weather conditions than at the hands of
the enemy, for Capt. Fowler and several N.C.O.’s and
men, unable to stand the exposure, had to be sent to
Hospital. Our billeting area included several keeps
or strong points—L’Epinette, le Touret, and others—
for which we found caretakers, little thinking, as we
stocked them with reserve rations, that the Boche would
eventually eat our ‘‘ Bully,’’ and it would fall to our
lot in three years time to drive him from these very
positions. The day after relief, the Brigadier went
on leave, and Col. Jones took his place at Brigade
Headquarters—‘‘ Cense du Raux ’’ Farm—somewhat to
the annoyance of one or two of the other Commanding
Officers, who, though junior to the Colonel, were all
“Regular Time-serving Soldiers.”’

Up to this time our covering Artillery had belonged
to another (New Army) Division, but now our own
Gunners took over the line, making it more than ever
certain that we were to spend the whole winter in these
abominable trenches. We were very glad to see our
own Artillery again, for, though their predecessors had
done quite well, we always preferred our own, even in
the days of 15 pounders and 5 inch howitzers. Not
only were they more accurate than other people, but
they were also more helpful, and were obviously intent
on serving us Infantry, not, as some others, on carrying
on a small war of their own. Besides, we knew the
F.O.0.’s so well and looked forward to seeing them
in the Mess, where, between occasional squabbles about
real or imaginary short shooting, they were the most
cheerful companions. Lieuts. Wright, Morris-Eyton,
Watson of the Ist Staffs., Morgan, Anson of the 4th,
and Lyttelton, Morris, and Dixie of the 2nd Lincoln-

100 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

shires, were the most frequent visitors for the “ pip
squeaks,’’ while Lieuts. Newton, Cattle, and F. Joyce
performed the same duties for the Derby Howitzers.
They always took care to maintain their superiority over
the mere foot soldier by a judicious use of long technical
words which they produced one at a time. At Kemmel
they were always “‘ registering’’; at Ypres, as we,
too, had learnt the meaning of ‘‘ register’’ and even
dared to use the word ourselves, they introduced
““bracketing,’’ and as this became too common,
‘calibrating ’’ and so on; the more famous of recent
years being ‘‘ datum point’’ and M.P.I. (mean point
of impact). | Occasionally our officers used to visit the
Batteries, in order to learn how a gun was fired—an
opportunity for any F.O.O. to wreak vengeance on
some innocent Infantry Subaltern, who had dared to
suggest that he had been shooting short. The In-
fantryman would be led down to the gun pit, and told

to stand with one leg on each side of the trail, “‘ so
that he could watch the shell leave the gun’’; some
Gunner would then pull a string and the poor spectator,
besides being nearly deaf, would see some hideous
recoiling portion shoot straight at his stomach, stop
within an eighth of an inch of his belt buckle, and slide
slowly back—a ghastly ordeal.

On the night of the 2nd December, we went once
more to the line and relieved the 4th Lincolnshires in
our old sector, which we found very much as we had
left it, perhaps a little wetter, as it had been raining.
For this tour we slightly altered our dispositions, and
instead of each of the four Companies taking a tour in
the front line, two Companies only would do so for this
tour, the other two doing the same the following tour.

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 101

It was hoped that in this way the garrison would take
more interest in improving their surroundings if they
knew they would return to the same place every other

day. Under the old system, no one took much interest
in a trench which he only occupied for 24 hours, and
would not see again for four days. We did not,

however, have a chance of testing this new arrange-
ment, for at 3-45 the following morning, orders came
that the Division would be relieved the following night,
and was under orders to go to the East. | As soon as
it was dark, the 19th Division took our place in the
line, and we marched back for the night to the Rue des
Chavattes, whence, after ridding ourselves of gum-
boots, sheepskin coats, and extra blankets, we marched
the following day by Locon, Lestrem and Merville to
Caudescure, a little village on the edge of Nieppe
Forest.

We found fairly good billets here, though they were
too scattered to allow of a Battalion Mess, and we spent
a very enjoyable fortnight training, playing football, and
listening to rumours about our destination. | The most
persistent of the last was Egypt, based in the first
instance on a telephone Conversation between a Corps
and Divisional Signaller, overhead by a telephonist at
Brigade, in which the Corps Signaller told his friend
that he had seen a paper in one of the offices which said
that we were to go to Egypt. On the other hand,
Lieut. X of the Lincolnshires had a brother in the Flying
Corps, who had ridden on a lorry with an A.S.C.
Serjeant from G.H.Q., and had been told that all the
Territorial Divisions in India were being relieved by
Divisions from France. Against this was Captain Z’s
batman, who had a friend in the Staffordshires who was

102 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE,

batman to an officer who had a cousin in the War Office,
and he said we were going to the Dardenelles. On
the top of all these came General Montagu-Stuart-
Wortley to inspect us, and, incidentally, to tell us that
he himself had not the slightest idea where we were
going.

On the 19th we moved to the little hamlet of Tannay,
still on the edge of the woods, between Haverskerque
and Thiennes. As we paraded in the morning there
were many who said they could smell gas, but as the
wind was N.E. and the line very far away, we thought
they must be mistaken. However, the next day the
official communiqué told us of a big gas attack at Ypres
on the 9th and 49th Divisions, and though Ypres was
18 miles away, it must have been this that could be
smelt. In these new billets we spent Christmas—the
first Christmas in France for us, and managed with the
aid of plum puddings and other luxuries sent out to us by
the good people at home, to enjoy ourselves immensely.
Not only were many good things to eat sent us, but we
also received some very welcome gifts of tobacco,
cigarettes, books and stationery from the ‘‘ Leicester
Daily Post and Mercury’’ funds. | Both these papers
have been most faithful throughout the war, never
failing to send us ‘‘ themselves,’’ and often adding boxes
of comforts for all. Our celebrations included a Brigade
Football Cup competition, for which we entered a hot
side, including many of ouriold players—‘‘Banger’’ Neal,
““Mush’’ Taylor, Toon, Archer, Skelly, Fish, Serjt.
Allan, Kirchin and others. We met the 5th Lincoln-
shires in the semi-finals and beat them 2—1, and then
turned our attention to their 4th Battalion, who after
beating our 4th Battalion, our old rivals, met us in the

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN, 103

final and went down I—0. ‘The final was a keen, hard
game, played well to the finish, and we deserved our
win. The trophy—a clock, mounted into a French
‘“ 75? shell—was taken back to Leicestershire by Capt.
Farmer when he next went on leave.

On the 27th we again moved, this time to some farms
round Widdebroucq, just west of Aire, to be nearer
our entraining station Berguette, which with Lillers
had already been reconnoitred. As Captains Hills
and Ward Jackson had already gone forward with
an advance party to Marseilles, it began to look as
though we really should go East before the end of the
war—a fact which some of us were beginning to doubt.
Training still continued each day, special attention being
paid to open warfare tactics, which fortunately included
more musketry and less bombing, and we also carried
out a number of route marches and field days. Scouts,
having become obsolete, were resurrected, and Field
Service Regulations rescued from the dim recesses of
valises. It was a pleasant change after the previous
nine months’ trench work.

At last, on the 6th January, we marched to Berguette
station and boarded a long train of cattle trucks, leaving
at 4.40 p.m. The first part of the journey was
uninteresting, but after passing Paris, the train seemed
happier, went quite fast at times, and did not stop so
long between stations. The weather on the 8th was
lovely, and the third day’s travelling under a hot sun
was delicious; doors were pushed back, and those for
whom there was no room on the foot-boards, sat on the
carriage roofs. Finally, at 1.0 a.m. on the 9th, the
train reached Marseilles, and we marched out to a camp
on the west side of the town, in a suburb called Santi,

104 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

where there were tents for all, and a large room for an
officers’ mess. | Here we remained 14 days in the most
excellent surroundings, and with heavenly weather.

The Staffordshires and Lincolnshires had already
sailed for Egypt when we arrived, and a few days later
another ship carried some Padres and other officers of
the Division to the same destination. For the rest of
us there were for the moment no transports, so we had
to wait—not a very terrible task, when our most
strenuous exercise was sea-bathing or playing water
polo, and our recreation consisted of walking into the
town, to which an almost unlimited number of passes
were given. Here, it must be admitted, there was often
too much to eat and far too much to drink, and the
attractions were so great that everybody waited for the
last possible tram back to camp, with the result that this
vehicle arrived with human forms clinging to every
corner of the sides, ends and roof—a most extraordinary
sight. On one occasion two well-known soldiers who
had dined too well and not too wisely, stood solemnly at
the side of the road holding up their hands to a tram
to stop, when a party of lively French scavengers turned
the hosepipe on to them, and they had to be rescued
from the gutter, where they lay with the water running
in at their collars and out at their ankles. The officers,
too, had many popular resorts, such as Therese’s Bar
and the Bodega for cocktails, the Novelty for dinner,
and a host of entertainments to follow, ranging from the
opera, which was first-class, for the serious, through the
> and “‘ Palais de Crystal’ for the frivolous,
to the picture palaces for the utterly depraved.

On the 20th we learnt that our Transport was now

““ Alcazar ’

ready for us, and the following morning we marched to

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 105

the docks and embarked in H.M.T. ‘‘ Andania,’’ late
Cunard, which can only be described as a floating palace,
fitted with every modern luxury. We were all rather
glad to be leaving Marseilles, for it was an expensive
place, and many of the officers were beginning to be a
little apprehensive about the lengths to which Mr. Cox
would let them go. | However, all would now be right,
because once in the desert we should draw extra pay and
find no Bodegas. We were to sail on the morning of

the 22nd, and soon after dawn orders arrived—to

disembark! Sadly we left our palace and walked back
to Santi Camp—now hateful to look upon, as we
realised that within a few days we should be back once
more in the mud, rain, cold and snow of Flanders. The
reason for the sudden change, for taking half the Divi-
sion to Egypt for a fortnight only, was never told us,
but probably it was owing to the successful evacuation
of the Dardanelles. | Had this been a failure, had we
been compelled to surrender large numbers to save the
rest, the Turks would have been free to attack Egypt,
which had at that time a small garrison only. As it
was the Division from Gallipoli went to Egypt, and we
were not wanted.

On the 27th Pte. Gregory, who died as the result of
a tram accident, was given a full military funeral, and
the following day at 4.30 a.m. we left Marseilles for
the North.

CHARI RAVAE

WIGS, \WWIUMINY IRQUDYC1 8.

6th Feb., 1916. 9th May, 1916.

Our return train journey was uneventful until we
reached Paris, where a German air raid started just
as we arrived, and the train was compelled to stop.
We had a beautiful view, and, as the French depended
more on their own planes than on anti-aircraft guns,
it was well worth watching. The French machines all
carried small searchlights, and, in addition to these,
the sky was light up with the larger searchlights from
below, while the efforts of the Boche to avoid the lights,
and the French to catch their opponents, produced
some wonderful air-manceuvering, which ended in the
retirement of the Boche. As soon as they had gone,
our train went on, and we reached Pont Remy station
outside Abbeville at 8-30 a.m. on the 30th—back once
more in rain, snow, and mud.

We marched at once to Yaucourt Bussus, a small
village with comfortable billets, which we occupied for
nearly a fortnight, spending our time training and
playing football. Meanwhile, as the Brigadier and the
two Lincolnshire Battalions had not yet returned from
Egypt, Col. Jones, taking with him 2nd Lieut. Williams
as Staff Officer, went to command the half Brigade
and lived with Captain Burnett at Ailly le haut Clocher,

THE VIMY RIDGE, 107

another small village, to which the Brigadier came on
his return on the llth. While the Colonel was away,
Major Toller took command and Major T. C. P.
Beasley acted as 2nd in Command. For the time no
one seemed to have the slightest idea what was going
to happen to the Division next.

On the l0th we marched to Gorenflos, and the follow-
ing day were taken by lorries to billets in Candas,
where, with an East wind, we could occasionally hear
the distant sounds of gunfire for the first time for two
months. Our new area we found was full of prepara-
tion for something; what the exact nature of this
something might be we did not know. Several large
railways and dumps were being built, new roads made,
and here and there with great secrecy big concrete gun
platforms were laid. Each day we sent large numbers
to work, mostly on the railways, and once more we
heard the words ‘‘ Big Push.’’ We were always
living on the verge of the Big Push, and many times
in 1915 had thought that it had started—at Neuve
Chapelle, Givenchy, Loos—only to give up hope when
these battles stagnated after a day or two. Now there
were preparations going forward again, this time
apparently on a much larger scale than we had ever
seen before, so we felt justified once more in hoping
for the great event. Curiously enough the possibilities
of a Boche big push were never considered, and every-
one of us was firmly convinced that, except perhaps for
a blow at Ypres, offensive action on the part of the
enemy was out of the question. This spirit animated
all our work, which was consequently very different
from our opponents.’ Our trenches always had a
we-shall-not-stay-here-long air about them, his were

108 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

built to resist to the last man. It was the same in
training and in billets, we unconsciously considered
ourselves an advancing army, and thereby, though we
may not have realized it, we ourselves supplied the
finest possible stimulant to our moral.

The IlIrd. Army (Gen. Allenby), to which we now
belonged, introduced at this time the Army School—an
important innovation, shortly taken up by all the other
Armies. This School, first commanded by Col. Kentish
—afterwards Commandant of the Senior Aldershot
School—aimed at training junior officers to be Company
Commanders, who owing to casualties were now hard
to find. The course, which lasted five weeks, consisted
of drill, tactical exercises, physical training, musketry,
bayonet fighting. and bombing, lectures on esprit de
corps—in fact everything that a Company Commander
should know, but many things that in trench warfare
had been forgotten. The Instructors were always up-
to-date, and the best use was at once made of any of
the latest inventions, while the school also kept a very
between all parts of the Army.

efficient “‘ Liaison
Students from one Division would exchange latest
schemes, ruses, and devices with others from another
part of the line, and so no valuable lessons were lost
or known to a few only. Our first students to this
school were Capt. Ward Jackson, who was in charge
of “‘A”’ Company, and Capt. G. W. Allen, the latter
for a special Adjutant’s refresher course. After these,
all the Company Commanders went in turn, first to
Flixecourt, and later to Auxi le Chateau, whither the
school moved in the early summer. There were similar
courses for senior N.C.O.’s, which were of the utmost
value.

THE VIMY RIDGE. 109

Another important innovation at this time was the
introduction of the Lewis light machine gun. The
Maxim, and even the Vickers machine gun had been
found for many reasons unsuitable for infantry work,
being too heavy and cumbersome for rapid movement,
too conspicuous for easy concealment. It was therefore
decided to form Brigade Machine Gun Companies, who
would be armed with Vickers guns, while Battalions
would have Lewis guns only, on a scale of two per
Company, for they were to be considered a company
rather than a Battalion weapon. This light gun had no
tripod, was air-cooled, and fired a pan instead of a belt
of ammunition. It was as easy to carry as to conceal,
and was in every way an enormous improvement on the
““Vickers ’’ from the infantry point of view. Training
in the new weapon started at once, and as 2nd Lieut.
Saunders and Serjt. Jacques were required for the
Brigade Machine Gun Company, 2nd Lieut. Shipston
was made Lewis Gun Officer, with Corporal Swift to
help him, and these two trained as many men as pos-
sible with the two guns issued to us, so that when more
arrived the teams would be ready for them. Captain
Ellwood commanded the Brigade Machine Gunners, and
in addition to our chief instructors, we also sent 2nd
Lieut. Stentiford and 30 N.C.O.’s and men to start the
Company. 2nd Lieut. Stentiford was a new subaltern
officer who, with 2nd Lieuts. T. P. Creed and C. J.
Morris, had arrived while the battalion was at Mar-
seilles.

On the 16th February orders came that at an early
date we should take over the line North of the River
Ancre, opposite Beaumont Hamel, and the following
day several lorry loads of officers reconnoitred the

110 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

country round Forceville, Englebelmer and Mailly
Maillet, where there were some rear defence lines.
Maps of the front were issued, and we were about to
arrange trench reconnaissances, when the orders were
cancelled and we moved instead, on the 20th, to
Bernaville, and joined the rest of the Brigade. The
other Battalions and Brigade Headquarters were in the
neighbouring villages. At this time the people of
Leicestershire were once more very good to us, and our
War Diary contains a note that ‘‘ This day the C.O.
acknowledges with thanks the gifts of 30,000
cigarettes from our 2/5th Battalion, also a hand ambu-
lance from Messrs. Symington and Co., Market
Harborough.’’ The last survived the rough usages of
war for a very long time, and many a wounded man has
been thankful for its springs and rubber tyres.

The rest of the month was spent in doing a little train-
ing and a deal of road-clearing. It snowed very hard
once or twice, and many of the roads became impossible
for traffic, so each Battalion was allotted a road to keep
clean, ours being the main road to Fienvillers, along
which we spread ourselves armed with picks and
shovels, while the village boys threw snowballs at us.
The 5th Division were moving North at the time, and a
whole day was spent by some of the Battalions drag-
ging their transport up a steep hill, a task beyond the
strength of the horses. Fortunately we were spared
this, probably because we took care not to clear the
road to Brigade Headquarters, and so were left un-

touched. During this very bad weather we lost
2nd Lieut. Brooke, who had to go to Hospital with
nephritis.

On the 29th we moved to Doullens, where we spent

THE VIMY RIDGE. lll

an enjoyable week, and were introduced to yet another
innovation. In August, 1915, the French had intro-
duced a steel helmet for their machine gunners, finally
extending the issue to all ranks. This had been found
of the greatest value, and there had been at once a
marked decrease in the percentage of head wounds.
The British helmet now appeared, and was generally
voted, as it first seemed, a hideous flat object, though
some humorists admitted that it might have distinct
possibilities as a washing basin. A few soldiers of
the vainer sort thought they looked more ‘‘becoming”’’
with a ‘‘tin-hat ’’ over one eye, but the vast majority
hated them, and it was with the greatest difficulty that
those to whom they were issued, could be persuaded
not to throw them away. This aversion, however,
soon passed, and within a few months the infantry-
man standing under an aeroplane battle without his
““tin-hat ’’ felt distinctly naked.

It was now definitely decided that we were to relieve
the French in the Neuville St. Vaast-Souchez Sector,
both places where the French had had terrific fighting
the previous year, and consequently a sector with a
bad reputation. The roads were still in bad condition,
and a char-a-banc, full of officers, who tried to recon-
noitre reached no further than the French Brigade
Headquarters and had to return. On the 6th March
we marched to Magnicourt and two days later to
Villers-au-bois, about three miles behind the line, going
up to trenches on the 9th.

Early in 1915 the French line North of Arras had
run through la Targette, Carency and over the East
end of the Lorette heights to Aix Noulette. In May
our allies made their first attack here and, driving the

112 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Boche from the heights, gained possession, after terrific
fighting, of Ablain St. Nazaire, Souchez and Neuville
St. Vaast. Later, in conjunction with our September
attack at Loos, they had again advanced, and finally a
brilliant assault by the Zouaves carried the line to the
Vimy ridge and on to these heights, beyond which the
roads to Lens and Douai lay open. The fighting for
the summit had been severe, and in the end each side
retained its grip on the hill top, the opposing trenches
running 30 yards apart along the ridge. Active mining
operations had started soon afterwards, and shortly
before our arrival the French had been compelled to
give up a considerable portion of their line, and so lose
their hold on the summit. With it they lost also their
view Eastwards, while the Boche, occupying their
evacuated trenches, regained his view of the next ridge
to the West.

This second ridge was more in the nature of a large
plateau, stretching back to Villers-au-bois, and
separated from the Vimy ridge by a narrow steep-
sided valley—the ‘‘ Talus des Zouaves,’’ where the
support Battalion lived in dug-outs. Crossing the
plateau from North to South was the main Béthune,
Souchez, Arras road, on which stood the remains of
an old inn, the Cabaret Rouge, where some excellent
deep dug-outs provided accommodation for the
French Poste de Colonel and an Advanced Dressing
Station. The plateau was two miles wide, and over
the first half (up to ‘‘ Point G’’) ran a long and very
tiring duck-board track; beyond ‘‘ Point G’’ were two
communication trenches to the line. One, ‘‘ Boyau 1,
2, 3,’’ was seldom used, being in bad condition; the
other, ‘‘ Boyau d’Ersatz,’’ was boarded and well cared

THE VIMY RIDGE. 113

for, and used by all. It ran via the Cabaret Rouge
into the Talus des Zouaves, most of the way revetted
with a wonderful ‘‘ wedding arch’’ revetment, and
thence to the front line, passing the left Poste de Com-
mandant. Dihes forward part, of “ Boyau 1; 2, 3,”
East of the ‘“ Talus,’’ was called ‘‘ Boyau Inter-
nationale,’’ leading to ‘‘ Boyau Vincent’’ and so to
the front line past the right Poste de Commandant.
Carency, Ablain and Souchez were houseless, Villers
au bois was little better, and our rest billets were huts
at Camblain L’Abbé, about four miles behind the line.

The Brigade took over the left sector of the Divisional
front and we were allotted the left sub-sector, our right
and left boundaries being the two Boyaus “‘ Inter-
nationale ’’ and ‘‘ Ersatz.’’ The whole relief was to
be kept as secret as possible, and all reconnoitering
and advance parties were given French helmets to wear
in the line, so that the Boche might have no idea what
was going to happen. It was a little disconcerting,
therefore, when a French listening post, two days
before the relief, reported that a Boche had suddenly
looked into their post, and after saying ‘‘ Les Anglais
n’sont pas encore done arrivés,’’ equally suddenly dis-
appeared. In spite of this we were not disturbed
during the relief and by 10-30 p.m. on the 9th had
taken the place of the 68th Regiment, who marched out
at one end of the trench as we appeared at the other,
having told us that we had come to a very quiet sector.
The trenches were in fair condition, though very dirty,
and we had a quiet night so began to hope that the
sector might not be too terrible after all. The next
day the French left the area, leaving behind them two
companies of Engineers to carry on the mining opera-

114 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

tions on the Divisional front. In handing over their
posts the French had said nothing about their country-
men whom they were leaving in the mines, and during
the first night several of them, coming up from below
and talking a strange language, narrowly escaped
being killed for Boche.

The enemy opposite us were very quiet, and obviously
knowing of the relief, were waiting to see what we
should do. With the French there is no doubt that
they had had a tacit understanding not to wage a
vigorous war, though, while seeming inactive, they had
all the time been undermining the French trenches.
With us they were uncertain what to do, so for 24
hours did nothing except fire a few rifle shots, one of
which came through the parapet and killed C.S.M. E.
Thompson, of ‘‘B’’ Company. On the evening of
the second day they went one step further, and threw
a single grenade, received two in return, and remained
quiet for the night. The next morning, the 11th,
they threw six more, all short, and we replied with 10,
five of which fell in their trench and apparently con-
vinced them that we intended war; at any rate they
made no more tentative efforts, but in the afternoon
started more or less in earnest. At 4.45 p.m. they
blew up a small mine opposite ‘‘A’’ Company,
demolished a sap-head, and half buried the solitary
occupant, who escaped with bruises only; after this
they bombed, or tried to bomb us, until 8-0 p-m., while
we replied at the rate of two to one. Unfortunately,
the explosions caused a collapse in our parapet, abane
10 yards of which fell down suddenly, and had to be
re-built during the night.

The following night proved to be still more exciting.

THE VIMY RIDGE. 115

Soon after midnight a French sapper, narrowly escap-
ing several sentries who thought he was a Boche, came
running along the line excitedly waving his arms, and
saying : “‘ Mine, mine, faire sauter, demi-heure.’’ No
one knew what he meant, though we gathered a mine
would probably go up somewhere in half-an-hour,
whether ours or theirs we had not the least idea.
Eventually he was led to Battalion Headquarters, where
he explained that the French were going to blow a
camouflét in half-an-hour. It was already nearly an
hour since he first said this, and nothing had yet hap-
pened, so we hurriedly cleared a small portion of our
front line and waited, while we sent for the Tunnelling
Officer. He arrived, and the ‘“‘ blow’’ was arranged
for 5-0 a.m., at which hour there was a terrific explo-
sion, a forty-foot crater was formed, and another ten
yards of our parapet fell down. Such an explosion
must have been caused by a much bigger charge than
we had laid, so we probably included in our “‘ blow ”’ a
Boche mine laid ready for us. We easily bombed off

ce

a party of his which tried to rush the crater, and spent
the day re-building our fallen parapet.

Rations, ammunition and R.E. material in this sector
” on mule-
drawn trucks along a narrow-gauge Railway from
Mont St. Eloi. Here, at a big Corps R.E. Dump,
the trucks were loaded every evening, the mule teams
hooked in, and the party set off, much harassed at
times by bullets and shells, and seldom reaching home
without losing one, and often two animals. The Dump
in the “‘ Talus’’ also got shelled; but the steep banks
made the danger light and not much damage was done
in this way, though the Boche kept up a prolonged

were brought to the ‘‘ Talus des Zouaves

116 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

bombardment at it with 5.9’s on the evening of the
14th. Except for this, the rest of the tour passed
quietly, and on the following night the 4th Lincolnshires
relieved us, and we went back to rest in Camblain
L’Abbé huts, where we stayed for six days.

Our second tour started on the 2Ist, and from this
day onwards until we finally left the sector, we had a
bad time. Our first trouble was the weather. Alternate
frosts and thaws, rain and snow, soon filled our
trenches with mud and slush, into which parapets and
parados either crumbled gradually or collapsed whole-
sale. No sooner could we repair one length, than
another would give way, and through it all many posts
had to live with water over their ankles and no proper
drying accommodation. There had to be three com-
panies in the line, so 24-hour reliefs were impossible,
and to increase our troubles our stay in a warm climate
had made us less capable of standing the exposure to
cold and wet, and there were many cases of trench
fever, trench foot, and some pneumonia, while the
health of all was considerably impaired. One of the
most pitiful sights of the war was to see 20 of our men
crawling on hands and knees to the Aid Post—their
feet so bad that they could not walk.

Meanwhile the underground war was not as satis-
factory as we should have liked, and the Boche
undoubtedly had the upper hand in the mining. Our
galleries were few and short, and in consequence use-
less for either offence or defence, while his were known
to be near our trenches in several places. In one
place between the right and centre companies the
Lincolnshires had expected a ‘‘ blow ’’ at any moment,
and evacuating their front line, had dug a new trench

THE VIMY RIDGE. 117

ten yards in rear of it. This seemed to have been
sighted in such a haphazard sort of way that it was
at once named the ‘‘ Harry Tate’’ trench by some
humorist, who pictured a Company Commander com-
ing out and saying ‘‘ What shall we do next? Let’s
dig a trench.’’ And so they dug this one—quite use-
less, for it was bound to be engulfed by any mine which
exploded under the front line. The Boche, however,
thought more of the new trench than we did, and the
day after it was built, bombarded it with heavy minen-
werfer shells until it was unrecognisable.

In this state we found it when we came in for our
second tour, ‘* C’’ Company (Farmer) on the right and
““A?’’ Company (Ward Jackson) in the centre. Our
first morning the Boche started just before midday, and
for four hours rained heavy minenwerfer shells on
these two Companies, and particularly on the new
trench. Fortunately there was no one in this, and
equally fortunately most of the shells fell between our
front line and supports; there was a thick mist at the
time, and it was almost impossible to judge their flight.
Through it all Capt. Farmer walked calmly from post
to post, cheering the garrison, and just before the end
of the bombardment at 4-0 p.m., made his way down
the small communication trench towards his support
platoon. Thence he went to call on ‘‘ B’’ Company,
but was caught on the way back by a mortar, which he
probably could not see coming in the mist (for no one
was more accurate at judging their flight than he), and
was killed instantly, being blown out of the trench and
lost for several hours. Captain Farmer was perhaps
the quietest, certainly the bravest, officer of his time,
for he feared nothing, and nothing could shake his

118 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

calm, while it was said of him that he was never angry
and never despondent. When he was killed, “‘C”’
Company lost their leader, and every man his best
friend, while the mess lost one who was the most
cheerful comrade of every officer.

This bombardment left our front line in a terrible
condition, and General Kemp decided to build a new
main line of resistance 50 yards in rear, holding the
front with odd posts only. Meanwhile the front
parapet must be repaired, and the night was spent in
doing this as far as we could—a hopeless task, for the
following afternoon we were again hammered. This
time ‘‘A’’ Company suffered most, and Corporal
Williamson and one man were killed, Serjt. Staniforth
and one other wounded, while the trench was blown in
for several yards and a dug-out demolished. Dug-
outs were few, and consisted only of little hutches
formed by putting a sheet of iron over some slot. Even
Company Headquarters of the centre Company had
little more than this, though Battalion Headquarters
and the other companies had a half-deep dug-out.

The bombardments now became daily, and all our
efforts at retaliation either with artillery or trench
mortars proved entirely ineffectual. There was nothing
we could do except clear as many men as possible
away from the danger area, and come back at dusk to
rebuild our parapet. Towards the end of the tour
the Boche started firing rifle grenades before each
mortar, so that we should stoop to avoid the former
and so miss seeing the flight of the latter. The tour
ended with a four-inch fall of snow on the 26th, which
melted almost at once and filled the trenches with water,
which no amount of pumping would remedy. After

THE VIMY RIDGE. 119

relief we went to the ‘‘ Talus des Zouaves ”’ in Brigade
support, except for ‘‘C’’ Company (Moore), which
went to the Cabaret Rouge—now used as Brigade
advanced Headquarters.

The East side of the valley, where the Support Bat-
talion’s dug-outs had been built, was immune from
German shells owing to the steepness of the hill side,
and here for six days we had comparative rest, except
at nights, when we most of us went digging on the
new line. The Battalion Grenadiers under Serjeant
Goodman particularly enjoyed themselves, and their
dug-out in the valley became a regular anarchists’
arsenal. Fiendish missiles were made out of empty
bottles stuffed with ammonal and other explosives,
which they managed to obtain in large quantities from
the French miners, while the strength of various poisons
and gases was tested against the rats, against whose
habitations they carried on an endless war. A catapult
was erected for practice purposes, and our bombers
became adepts in its use, knowing exactly how much
fuse to attach to a T.N.T.-filled glass beer bottle to
make it burst two seconds after landing in the Boche
trench. The valley was a little dangerous during prac-
tice hours, but nobody minded this so long as the enemy
suffered in the end.

At the same time another innovation was introduced
in the shape of the Stokes light trench mortar—a
stove-pipe-like gun firing a cylindrical shell some 400
yards at the rate of 8 in the air at once. It was simply
necessary to drop the shell into the gun, at the bottom
of which was a striker, and the rest was automatic and
almost noiseless, the shock of discharge being rather
like a polite cough. Brigade Trench Mortar Companies

120 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

were formed, in our case 2nd Lieuts. A. N. Bloor and
W. R. Ashwell, with several other ranks, went to join
the first company.

On the 2nd March, having received a draft of three
N.C.O.’s and 106 men, we went once more to the line
and took over from the 4th Lincolnshires. This time
we were able to have two Companies in front, one in
Boisselet trench, part of the new work, and one in
reserve, a far more satisfactory distribution. The
trenches were still in a very bad state, and it was found
in many places quite impossible to dig new lines,
because the ground had been so shaken by continuous
bombardment for more than a year, that the soil would
no longer bind, and the sides of any new trench
collapsed almost as soon as they were dug. The
tour was fairly quiet, though Boche snipers and
artillery were more active than before, and we reached
Camblain L’Abbé at the end of it without having
suffered any repetition of the trench mortar bombard-
ments.

Our six days’ rest included two big working parties,
two inspections, and one demonstration, to say nothing
of such minor details as church parades, conferences,
baths, and the usual overhauling of boots and clothing.
The work consisted of clearing dug-outs in the Bois
des Alleux, and only lasted two days, after which we
polished ourselves for General Kemp, who inspected us
in a field near Camblain, and said that he was much
pleased indeed with our turnout. General Montagu-
Stuart-Wortley was equally complimentary at the
second inspection, and congratulated all ranks on their
appearance and smartness, which, considering the state
of the trenches, was very creditable. |The demonstra-

THE VIMY RIDGE. 121

tion was particularly interesting, and proved the futility
of the famous German flame projector. As many men
as possible were placed in a trench, while the demon-
strator, standing at 30 feet away with the machine,
turned on the flame. The wind was behind him, and
the flame, with a tremendous roar, leapt out about 30
yards. But the noise was the worst part, for the
burning liquid, vapourising as it left the machine,
became lighter than air, and in spite of all the efforts
of the Demonstrator, could not be made to sink into
the trench, whose occupants were untouched. The
men were all rather amused at the whole performance
and suggested that we should bring the machine into
the line to warm them up on cold days.

On the 12th we marched once more to the line and
relieved the 4th Lincolnshires, this time for a four-day
tour. We found on arrival that the Boche a few hours
previously had blown a large mine in the left sector,
to be occupied by ‘‘ D’’ Company (Shields), so that in
addition to the work on the new trench, we had to
supply many men for repairing this new damage—no
light task, for many yards of our front trench had dis-
appeared. To make work more difhcult the Boche
was continually throwing bombs and rifle grenades to
try and catch our working parties, and it was only
after two days’ vigorous retaliation that we taught him
that it was wiser to keep quiet. The leading spirit in
this retaliation was Captain Shields himself, who would
sit in his dug-out listening for a German bomb. _ If he
heard one he would rush out, coat off and sleeves
rolled up, and throw back as many Mills’ bombs as he
could lay hands on, a formidable attack, for he could
throw a tremendous distance. acl Ibiewt, AN lee

122 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Brodribb was also a keen bomber who would stand at
a post and send back bomb for bomb until he had the
Boche beaten. Meanwhile the Battalion anarchists,
though they had bad luck with the ‘‘ West ’’ spring
gun, which got buried in the bombardment, were very
successful in other ways. Serjeant Goodman, with his
catapult, flinging home-made infernal machines, first
frcm one post, then from another, must have been very
annoying to the German sentries, while Cpl. Archer,
firing salvoes of rifle grenades, eight at a time, always
had a quietening effect on any Boche bomber who
ventured to try his luck in this way. So far as bombs
were concerned we had the upper hand, but the Boche
could always start heavy shelling or mortaring, and
against this we seemed to have no effective retaliation.
He did particularly heavy damage with these one
morning in this tour, a few hours after we had been
visited by General Byng, the Corps Commander, who
went round the front line. On this occasion we had
two killed and six wounded by a direct hit on the
trench, while the F.O.O., who was observing at the
time, was also badly wounded.

Towards the end of the tour the situation became
quieter and we went once more into the Talus to wait
for relief by the 25th Division, whose advance parties
had already visited the line, and who were expected in
a few days. The Boyau d’Ersatz, re-named Ersatz
Alley for the sake of simplicity, had lately been heavily
shelled, and it was therefore decided to open up Boyau
1, 2, 3, as an alternative route to trenches, calling it
““ Wortley Avenue,’’ in honour of the Major General.
Parties from all companies worked day and night at
this, soon making it passable, though it would always

THE VIMY RIDGE. 123

be dangerously exposed to view. Unfortunately ‘‘ A ”’
Company were shelled one day while at work, and we
lost 2nd Lieut. Pickworth, who had to be sent to
Hospital, and eventually to England, with a bad wound
in the lungs.

Meanwhile offensive mining operations were being
undertaken by both sides with increased activity. The
British Tunnellers, who had relieved the French mining
companies, found that in several places, unless they
themselves blew big mines at once, the Boche would
blow them instead, so blew big craters without delay.
To this the Boche retaliated, and for the past week
there had been an average of two mines a night on the
Divisional front, most of them in the sector on our
right. But on the night of the 20th our Brigade was
also involved, and the 4th Lincolnshires lost most of
their centre company in an explosion which demolished
nearly 100 yards of their front line. The shock was
terrific, and could be felt so violently even in our valley
behind, that Captain Barton went to see what had
happened. Some half-hour later, when the Lincoln-
shire C.O. went to the scene of the disaster, he found
the ‘‘ Doc’’ there by himself, digging out an injured
man in the middle of the gap. No British troops had
yet arrived, and his nearest neighbours were the Boche
lobbing bombs from the other side of the new crater.

This latest blow shattered our front line so badly
that it was quite unfit to hand over to a new Division,
taking over this part of the line for the first time, and,
as the Lincolnshires had not enough men to repair it
themselves, we had to help them. On the 21st, there-
fore, when the rest of the Battalion was relieved by the
Lancashire Fusiliers and went back for the night to

124 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Camblain L’Abbé, ‘“‘D’’ Company stayed behind in
the Talus till dusk and then went up to work, spending
the night under R.E. supervision, digging in the gap.
A screen of bombers lay out on the crater lip, while the
rest worked, through mud, water and pouring rain to
try and produce some kind of fighting trench. As fast
as they dug, their new work collapsed, but at last a cut
was made, and by morning there was at least com-
munication across the gap, though the trench was

terribly shallow and gave no real protection. The
following day, ‘‘D’’ Company on lorries, the rest of

the Battalion by march route, we moved through
Cambligneul and Aubigny to Penin-Doffine, where we
were to billet for a rest. ‘‘B’’ and ‘‘C’’ Companies
were with Brigade Headquarters and the Lincolnshires
in Penin. |The Headquarters and ‘‘ D’’ Company had
a large farm, and ‘“‘ A ’’ Company billets in the hamlet
of Doffine.

Here we stayed for a week. A Staff ride under the
Brigadier formed the chief incident in our training,
while our recreation was enlivened by an excellent Bat-

talion Sports Meeting. Great keenness was shown in
every event, and there were consequently some well-
contested races :—‘‘ A’’ and ‘‘C’’ Companies divided
the prizes between them. ‘‘A’’ Company won the
long-distance bomb-throwing, tug-of-war, relay and
stretcher-bearer races, ‘‘C’’ the accurate bomb-

throwing, {-mile, sack and three-legged races. Brigade
Headquarters came to watch, bringing their band with
them, and the General gave away the prizes at the end
of the day. The weather was good and we all spent a
very pleasant afternoon.

The 27th April brought us orders to return again to

THE VIMY RIDGE. 125

the line, this time to work with the Tunnellers, French
and English, in the neighbourhood of Neuville St.
Vaast. The following day the C.O. and most of the
Company Officers went to Mont St. Eloi to recon-
noitre, returning in the evening. | While getting into
a car in St. Elot Colonel Jones was slightly wounded
in the left hand by a six-inch shell, which burst along-

side the car. He was sent to Hospital, but returned
to us ten days later. On the 29th we moved into

Neuville St. Vaast, living in tunnels and dug-outs, and
provided large working parties in the mines. Tactically
we were at the disposal of the 25th Division, to whom
we lent one or two Lewis Gun teams. The work
consisted almost entirely of clearing sandbags from the
mine-shafts and distributing them along our trenches,
as far as possible out of sight. It was hard and
dangerous work, as was proved by an accident which
happened on the 7th May, the night before we were
relieved. The enemy blew a counter-mine close to
one of the saps where ‘‘ D’’ Company were working,
burying the French miners, and completely destroying
the whole sap. Two of the four men at work were
never seen again; the other two, bruised and shaken,
managed to crawl half-naked out of the wreckage.
On the 9th May, after spending a night in tents at
Mont St. Eloi, we went by motor-’bus through Avesnes-
le-comte, Liencourt, Grand Rullecourt, to Lucheux,
where we went into billets. We left at Vimy a party
of 25 men under Lieut. A. M. Barrowcliffe, working
with the R.E. (Tunnellers). | Most of them gradually
became sappers, and we saw very few of them ever
again. During these two last months there had been
only one important change in the personnel. R.Q.M.S.

126 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Stimson, who had been at the Stores since the begin-
ning of the war, and whose knowledge of French had
been as invaluable to Captain Worley as his energy and
skill with ‘‘ mobilisation store stables,’’ returned to
England. C.S.M. Gorse became R.Q.M.S., and in
his place J. Hill became C.S.M. of ‘‘A’’ Company.

CHAPTER VII.

GOMMECOURT.

10th May, 1916. 3rd July, 1916.

The next ten days, spent in Lucheux, were as pleasant
as any in the war. After the mud, cold and damp
of Vimy, we could well appreciate the spring weather, ©
the good billets and the excellent country in which we
now found ourselves. Lucheux, a very old French
village with its castle and gateway, stands on the edge
of a still older forest a few miles North of Doullens,
and the majority of the inhabitants, under the guidance
of a very energetic Mayor, did all they could to make us
comfortable. | Work was not too hard, and our chief
labour was making wattle revetments in the forest—a
good task for a hot day—and practising musketry on a
home-made rifle range outside the village. ihe
mounted officers were particularly fortunate, for the
forest was full of tracks and rides, and each morning
soon after dawn the more energetic could be seen
cantering under the dripping trees in the early morn-
ing May mists—bare headed and in shirt sleeves.

Meanwhile the arrival of some new officers filled the
gaps in the Mess caused by Vimy. First Colonel
Jones returned, with the piece of shrapnel still in his
hand, but otherwise very fit. Soon afterwards two
new officers, 2nd Lieutenants H. A. Lowe and G. E.
Banwell, joined us, and at the same time Capt. R. C.

128 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

L. Mould and Lieut. D. B. Petch returned from
England. Several large drafts of N.C.O.’s and men
arrived, many of them old hands, who had _ been
wounded, some of them more than once, although as
we know well there were many soldiers in England who
had never yet seen a day’s fighting.

Just at this time another important change was made
in our training. |For many months now we had been
taught the bomb to the exclusion of almost every other
weapon, now at last the bayonet was returning to its
former position of importance. The great exponent
of the art of bayonet fighting was a Major Campbell, of
the Army Gymnastic Staff, whose lectures were already
well known at the Army Schools, and who was now
sent round the country to talk to all Battalions. He
had devised an entirely new scheme of bayonet instruc-
tion on very simple yet practical lines, doing “away
with many of the old drill-book ‘* points and parries,”’
and training arm and rifle to act with the eye, not on
a word of command. His powers as a lecturer were
as great as his keenness for his subject, and for two
hours he held the attention of a hall full of all ranks,
speaking so vividly that not one of us but came away
feeling that we were good enough to fight six Boche,
given a bayonet. He was particularly insistent on not
driving the bayonet home too far, and we shall always
remember his ‘‘ throat two inches is enough, kidneys
only four inches, just in and out.’’ His system has
now been adopted throughout the British Army, and
all 1917 recruits were trained in it, but to us it came
none too soon, for we were fast forgetting that we ever
had such a weapon as a bayonet.

On the 20th May our work in the forest came to an

GOMMECOURT. 129

end and, as the Brigade was wanted for fatigues nearer
the line, we moved by Pommera and Pas to Souastre, a
village about three miles from the front trenches. The
Sherwood Foresters were at present holding the
Divisional front, and our chief task in the new area
was digging cable trenches from back Headquarter
positions to forward batteries and observation posts,
building and stocking ammunition and bomb stores, and
"assisting in the construction of numerous gun pits. In
fact, we were once more preparing as fast as possible
for a “big push,’ though at the moment it was not
quite certain who was going to do the pushing ; rumour
allotted this task to the 46th Division. The work was
very hard, for digging a deep narrow trench, or loading
flints at Warlincourt quarries are no light tasks, and
the weather made conditions even more difficult than
they might otherwise have been. One day it was so
hot as to make continuous work for more than a few
hours impossible, while the next, there would be three
or four torrential rain storms, filling all the trenches,
and turning the cross-country tracks to avenues of mud.

However, in spite of our work, we managed to have
some football, and the Divisional Commander once
more presented a cup. We started well, beating the
5th Lincolnshires in the second round, but then found
ourselves opposed to our old rivals, the 4th Battalion,
for the Brigade finals. |The game caused the keenest
excitement, and with the score at two goals all, the
enthusiasm through the second half was immense.
Unfortunately, there is a fate against our defeating the
4th Battalion, and, just before the end, our opponents
managed to score the winning goal.

On the 24th May the heavy rain had made the

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GOMMECOURT. 131

trenches so wet that the garrison was unable to keep
them clear, and in consequence we had to send a large
working party up the line to help the Sherwood
Foresters. The line, which we now saw for the first
time, ran from about half a mile North of Hébuterne,
just East of Foncquevillers, and northwards towards
Monchy-au-bois, held by the enemy. Foncquevillers
was the centre of the position, and opposite it lay
Gommecourt, a small village and Chateau, with a wood
on one flank and the Chateau park on the other—a
strong position strongly held. Further North, Pigeon
Wood and a little salient of trenches called the ‘‘ Z”’
were opposite the left of our Divisional front, while in
the middle of No Man’s Land, which averaged about
400 yards wide, stood the ruins of Gommecourt
Sucrerie, twenty yards from the main Foncquevillers-
Gommecourt Road.

Our trenches were in a somewhat curious condition.
During the winter the Division occupying this sector
had found that they were too weak to hold the whole
trench, so had selected certain positions which they had
strongly fortified and wired, and then filled the re-
mainder of the trench with loose wire. The bad
weather soon caused the disused sections of the trench
to collapse, fixing the loose wire very firmly on either
side. From a purely defensive point of view there was
no harm in this, but any attacking force would need
the whole trench for assembly purposes and to “‘ jump
off,’’ and the work of clearing the long wired-up
sections was very hard indeed. The posts themselves
were well dug and well sighted, there were one or two
good communication trenches, and Foncquevillers, still
well preserved in spite of its proximity to the Boche,

132 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

provided excellent homes for Battalion Headquarters,
support Companies, and even baths and canteen. The
enemy, except for some ‘‘ rum jars’ and heavy trench
mortars from Gommecourt, was fairly quiet on the
whole front, and, except when trousers had to be
discarded to allow of wading in the front line, the
trenches were by no means uncomfortable.

For the rest of May we stayed at Souastre,
occasionally visiting the line with working parties, or
on tours of inspection, but for the most part working
in the Foncquevillers plain, where battery positions
without number were being built. By the end of the
month we learnt the meaning of all these preparations.
Gommecourt was to be attacked in the near future in
conjunction with other greater attacks further South.
The Staffords and the Sherwood Foresters were going
to do the attack with their right on the Sucrerie, their
left on the ‘‘ Z,’’ while the 56th Division on our right
would attack the village from the S.E. The Park,
most of the village, and the Chateau would thus not
be directly attacked, but it was hoped that the two
Divisions would meet on the East side, and so cut off
large numbers of Germans in the isolated area. Our
Brigade was to be in reserve. Meanwhile, a large full-
sized model of the German lines was dug near Lucheux
forest, where the attacking Brigades started practising
at once. Incidentally the model took many acres of
arable land, and, though it was very well paid for, the
French grumbled loudly, and the 46th Division was
known in Lucheux as “les autres Boches.’’

On the evening of the 4th June we moved up through
Foncquevillers, and relieved the 5th Sherwood
Foresters in the right sector, opposite Gommecourt

GOMMECOURT. 133

Park. A road and bank, running parallel with the
front line, and about 300 yards behind it, provided
Battalion Headquarters. Behind this again, the
‘“ Bluff,’’ a steep bank, gave the support Company
a good home. Here we remained until the 21st, with
a two-days’ holiday at Humbercamps in the middle, a
holiday spent in digging cable trenches and carrying
trench mortars and ammunition. It was a long time
to remain in the line, but one Company lived always in
a large house in Foncquevillers, where they were very
comfortable, and could get baths and other luxuries.

The enemy was not very active, and our most im-
portant task was now to prevent him from guessing
our intentions. This soon became impossible, for, in
addition to the ever increasing Artillery, the new cable
trenches, and the Lucheux model, we started to dig a
new line of trenches some 100 yards in front of our
front line, along the attack sector. We, being opposite
the Park, did not have to do this, but the Division on
our right and the rest of our Brigade on the left were
both out digging every night. After the first night it
became exceedingly dangerous, for the Boche, knowing
exactly where we were working, kept up a steady
bombardment on the right with trench mortars, and, on
the left, swept the ground continuously with accurate
machine gun fire. We were ordered to keep all hostile
_patrols out of No Man’s Land, and consequently our
parties were out most of the night. The Boche, how-
ever, showed no inclination to do the same, and, even
though we fixed up an insulting notice board in front
of his wire, never put in an appearance. Incidentally
the back of the board was covered with luminous paint,
and a Lewis gun was trained on it, so that any inter-
ference would have been promptly dealt with.

134 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Before we left the sector we were reinforced by a
draft of eight subaltern officers—2nd Lieuts. A.
Emmerson, F. W. A. Salmon, W. H. Reynolds, A. S.
Heffll, A. W. C. Zelley, M. J. S. Dyson, W. K.
Callard, and S. G. H. Street, while at the same time
we lost 2nd Lieut. Brittain, who went to Hospital and
thence to England.

After practising their attack several times, the
Staffordshires found that they had more tasks to fulfill
than they could accomplish. Accordingly they asked
for help, and were allotted one Battalion from our
Brigade, for which duty we, having suffered least at
Hohenzollern, were chosen. We were to advance as
a ninth wave behind the attackers, carrying stores and
ammunition; while one Company was to dig a trench
joining the Sucrerie to the German front line—a com-
munication trench for use after the fight. As soon as
we left trenches and reached a hut camp at Warlin-
court we, too, started practising for the battle, which,
we were told, would take place at dawn on the 29th
June.

Any account of our doings during this month would
be incomplete without a reference to our one relaxation.
The Divisional Concert Party, started in 1915, had
more or less ceased to exist, but in Souastre in a large
barn, the 56th Divisional troupe, the ‘‘ Bow Bells,’’
performed nightly to crowded houses. Many of us
found time to go more than once, and will always
remember with pleasure the songs, dances, and
sketches, the drummer-ballet-dancer, and the catching
melodies of ‘‘O Roger Rum’”’ and other nonsense.

Meanwhile, feverish preparations were being made
for the coming battle, while the weather was as bad as

GOMMECOURT. 135

possible. There never was a wetter June, and the new
assembly trenches, the recently cleared or newly dug
communication trenches, Derby Dyke, Nottingham,
Stafford, Lincoln and Leicester Lanes, Roberts Avenue
and ‘‘ Crawl Boys Lane,’’ and the cable trenches were
always full of water. Work on the gun pits was
seriously delayed, and many batteries had to move in
before their pits were complete. Fortunately the
enemy’s artillery was not too active, and Foncque-
villers was almost left alone, though he did one day
bombard the. Church. No damage was done, except
that afterwards the one remaining face of the clock
stated the time as 2-15 instead of 11-45, as for the past
many months. The village was full of stores and
explosives, and almost every cellar held a bomb or
ammunition reserve, while the Church crypt was filled
with Mills and Stokes mortars under the care of
Serjeant Goodman.

On the 24th June our Artillery registration started,
and, with early morning bombardments and sudden
harassing shoots at night, we made a considerable
noise—‘‘ the sullen puffs of high explosives bursting
in battalions,’’ as Beach Thomas wrote in the “* Daily
Mail ’’—and clearly showed the Boche that we meant
business. This apparently was the intention of the
Staff, for, as the main attack was to be South of us,
it was the object of the II[Ird. Army to attract as many
enemy as possible on this the extreme flank of the
attack. So successful were we, that we did actually
frighten the enemy into reinforcing the Gommecourt
area with an extra Division—unfortunate for us who
were to attack the place, but doubtless of value to the
4th Army, who would thus have one Division less

136 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

against them. Gommecourt was naturally strong, and
this addition to the garrison made it doubly so, while
the Artillery found it very difficult to destroy the wire
which was thick along the whole front. The trees in
the wood were all wired, and there were strong belts
in front of every trench, so that our field guns and
trench mortars were kept hard at work almost all day
every day in their efforts to cut sufficient gaps for us.
The enemy’s guns replied by registering our communi-
cation trenches, and then remained silent.

The camp at Warlincourt was uncomfortable, and
had no officers’ mess, a luxury which we much needed.
However, Colour-Serjeant Collins displayed his usual
skill, and, while Major Toller fixed up a home-made
marquee of wagon sheets and odd tarpaulins, he
managed to carry on the cooking almost in the open.
In spite of the rain which came through the roof and
under the sides we had some excellent evenings, and
managed to enjoy ourselves. Our work was mostly
training, which now included rapid wiring. In this we
held a competition, finally won by ‘‘ B’’ Company, who
put out a “‘ double apron’ French wire fence 20 yards
long in just over four minutes—a good performance,
though the other Companies declared that this fence
would not have stopped a rabbit, to say nothing of a
Boche. Meanwhile, Major Toller suddenly received
orders to report to the 5lst Division to command a
battalion of the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders,
and, much to his disgust, had to leave us just before
the fight. In any case he would have been out of the
fight, for the authorities had at last realized the mad-
ness of sending a whole Battalion into action, and to
avoid a repetition of the post-Hohenzollern difficulties,

GOMMECOURT. 137

every Battalion was ordered to leave behind, at
Souastre, the 2nd in Command and a proportion of
officers, N.C.O.’s and specialists. These, known as
the ‘‘ Battle Details,’’ were subsequently increased in
number, and later a G.H.Q. publication fixed exactly
who would and who would not accompany a battalion
into battle. As Major Beasley had left us at Vimy and
not returned, Capt. Shields became 2nd in Command
and had to stay behind, a cruel blow to him, for he was
essentially a fighting man. His Company, ‘‘ D,”’ was
taken by Lieut. J. W. Yomson of “A” Company.
Capt. Ward Jackson had “‘A,’’ Capt. Knighton “ B,”’
and| Capt. Moore “©: R:-S.M. R. E. Small was
accidentally wounded during revolver practice, and
during the few weeks that he was away his place was
taken by C.S.M. J. Weir.

During the last two days before the battle the
weather became worse, and the rain fell in torrents.
Ours was a comparatively dry sector of the line, and
yet our trenches were full of water, so that the country
in the neighbourhood of the Somme valley became
impossible. So bad was it that at the last moment the
whole offensive was postponed until 48 hours later—the
Ist July. The attacking Brigades had already occupied
their front line and assembly positions before the new
cancelling order arrived, and the Staff had now to decide
whether to leave them for 48 hours in these hopelessly
wet trenches, or take them back to rest—the latter
course would necessitate two marches, in and out, in
two days. The matter was settled by the Corps Com-
mander, who wished to see another practice attack over
the Lucheux trenches, so the 4th Leicestershires and
4th Lincolnshires held the line while Staffords and

138 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Sherwood Foresters marched back. It was a long way,
nearly eleven miles, from Foncquevillers to Lucheux,
and by the time they returned to trenches on the 30th
they were all very tired. However, every man knew
exactly what to do, where to go and when; the most
minute details had been worked out, and even in-
dividuals as well as sections and platoons had been
given definite tasks, so there was every prospect of a
successful fight the next day. It was true the wire was
in several places uncut, but still there were plenty of
gaps, and this should be no obstacle.

Scon after midnight 30th June/Ist July all the attack-
ing troops were in position, and we moved up to
Midland Trench, an assembly trench running North
and South about 700 yards West of Foncquevillers
Church. ‘‘A’’ Company (Ward Jackson) and ‘‘D”’
Company (Tomson) were in cellars and dug-outs in
the village, since they would be wanted first. There
were many Communication trenches along the front, up
which we should advance, for at the last moment all
were made ‘“‘up’”’ trenches until after the attack;
originally some were ‘‘up’’ and some ‘‘ down.’’ This
eleventh hour alteration caused considerable confusion
later. Meanwhile, throughout the night our gunners
fired continuously on the Boche trenches, villages, and
particularly roads and railways, for we wished, if
possible, to stop all rations and ammunition from
the Gommecourt garrison.

Dawn came at last—a fine day. At 6-24 our barrage
started, far more intense than anything we had used
during the previous days, so that the Boche may have
guessed what was going to happen. Smoke shells were
mixed) with ‘the’ HiES and at’ 7-30) val smokemtrench

GOMMECOURT. 139

mortar screen was put down, and the Infantry ad-
vanced. Four waves crossed No Man’s Land, and then
the smoke blew away and the whole of our attack was
revealed. On the right the Staffords, passing the
Sucrerie, found the German wire still strong, and had
to struggle through where they could, only to find many
enemy with their machine guns undamaged by our
bombardment. On the left the 5th and 7th Sherwood
Foresters entered the Wood and pressed on, leaving the
first enemy lines to the rear waves. But the smoke
had gone and these rear waves had no protection. As
the fifth line left our trenches it was met with machine
gun fire from the North, from the ‘‘ Z’’ and from the
front line, over which the Sherwood Foresters had
passed. None the less the wave struggled on, until
artillery was added to machine guns, field guns from
Monchy enfiladed No Man’s Land, every German
battery sent its shells into the carrying parties, and the
attack was stopped. The two leading Staffordshire
Battalions, except for a few who reached the enemy’s
lines, were held up on his wire or near the Sucrerie,
where many fell. The two leading Sherwood Foresters
had crossed No Man’s Land almost unscathed, had
entered the German lines complete, and were never
seen again. Commanding Officers, Battalion Head-
quarters and their Companies were lost. The other
four Battalions, after losing their leading wave, re-
mained in our front trenches and sent back messages
for more smoke, while here and there gallant efforts
were made by platoons and sections to take help into
the wood.

Meanwhile, Capt. Ward Jackson with his Company
Serjeant Major—J. R. Hill—and two platoons (Hep-

140 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

worth and Salmon) went forward with the leading
parties to dig their trench from the Sucrerie. In
spite of the heavy fire, and the losses of the attacking
Brigades, they started work and actually marked out
their trench. But their task was impossible. Capt.
Ward Jackson, hit in the back and shoulder and very
badly wounded, was only saved by Serjt. Major Hill,
who pluckily carried him out of the fight; and, seeing
that the attack had failed, 2nd Lieut. Hepworth ordered
the party back to our lines, where they found the rest
of the Battalion in the support line and communication
trenches, waiting for the Staffordshires to move
forward.

The situation was now critical. So far as we knew,
the attack of the 56th Division on our right had been
successful, yet, if we did not meet them by 2 p.m. on
the far side of Gommecourt, not only would the
operation be a failure, but there was every probability
of their being cut off by the Germans in Gommecourt
Park. An attempt was therefore made to re-organize
at once for another attack, but this was found im-
possible. Our lines, hopelessly sticky from the bad
weather, were now congested with dead and wounded ;
the communication trenches were jammed with stretcher
cases and parties coming in, the “‘up’”’ and ‘‘ down
rules were not observed, and, above all, the enemy’s
artillery enfiladed the front line from the North, the
communications from the East. The Division on our

left did nothing by way of counter battery work, and
we were left to face their opposing artillery as well as
our own. There was also another serious difficulty to
re-organization. The men were too well trained in their
particular duties. A private soldier who has been told

GOMMECOURT. 141

-every day for a month that his one duty will be to carry
a box of bombs to point Q, cannot readily forget that,
and take an efficient part in an ordinary unrehearsed
attack. This, the Staff soon discovered, and, to give
time for all arrangements to be made, a new attack was
ordered for 3-30 p.m. with artillery and, if possible,
a smoke screen.

Meanwhile, the enemy’s artillery was still active, and
we suffered. 2nd Lieut. Callard, a most promising
junior officer, was killed, and with him C.S.M. F.
Johnson of ‘‘C’’ Company. 2nd Lieuts. Russell and
Creed were both wounded, and six men killed and
several wounded at the same time, nearly all by shells
in the communication trenches.

At 3-30 p.m. our Artillery opened once more and
our Companies started forward, only to find that the
Staffordshires made no move. It was not surprising.
Many of them had not yet heard the time for the new
attack, many were too tired to be much use, no one
was really ready though some few tried to leave our
lines. Such an assault was bound to fail, and for-
tunately Col. Jones, who was on the spot and just about
to start with Capt. Allen, received the order to cancel
the attack. It would have been a useless waste of lives,
for no good could have come of such a_ half-hearted
effort. Half-an-hour later the Staffordshires were
ordered to withdraw and the 5th Leicestershires to take
over the front line, while the 5th Lincolnshires came in
on our left and relieved the Sherwood Foresters.

All hope of trying to help the Division on our right
had to be abandoned. They had reached the enemy’s
third line and captured several prisoners in the morn-
ing; some of them actually reached the meeting place,

142 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

but they, too, had to face two sectors of opposing
artillery, for the attack on Serre on their right had
failed, and their carrying parties and all supports for
the leading units were hopelessly enfiladed from the
South. Their losses were very heavy, and in the even-
ing, when it became obvious that we could never help
them, they left the enemy’s lines and returned to their
own trenches. But there was still hope of saving some
of the missing Sherwood Foresters. They were known
to have reached the wood, for their lights had been
seen by our contact patrol aeroplane. Unfortunately at
mid-day this aeroplane ran into the cable of the kite
balloon, and both were out of action for some hours—a
most unlucky accident. In case some of these Sher-
wood Foresters might be still alive, the 5th Lincoln-
shires made another advance at midnight—only a few
minutes after arriving in the line—but found the enemy
present in strength, and lost heavily before they could
regain our lines.

The rest of the night and all the following day were
spent in collecting the wounded and dead from our
lines, from the newly dug and now water-logged
assembly trench in front, and from No Man’s Land.
Once more Capt. Barton displayed the most wonderful
courage, rescuing three men from a shell hole, in broad
daylight, less than 200 yards from the German lines,
and spending the whole day wandering about from one
part to another, quite regardless of the danger so long
as he could find a wounded man to help. The next day
was spent in the same way, and by the evening the
trenches had been considerably tidied up, when, at 9
p.m. we were relieved by the London Regt. (Rangers),
and marched back to Bienvillers au Bois, leaving some

GOMMECOURT. 143

guides behind to help the newcomers. These last two
days cost us several casualties, amongst them Serjt.
R. E. Foster, who was badly wounded by a shell.

After the battle, General Snow, the Corps Com-
mander, sent round the following message :—‘‘ The
Corps Commander wishes to congratulate the troops
of the 46th Division for the manner in which they
fought and endured during the fighting on the Ist
July. Many gallant acts, both by units and individuals,
are to hand. Although Gommecourt has not fallen into
our hands, the purpose of the attack, which was mainly
to contain and kill Germans, was accomplished.’’ To
this was added: ‘* The Major General Commanding
wishes all ranks to understand thoroughly that our
recent attack on the Gommecourt salient in concert
with the 56th Division embraced two purposes : (a) The
capture of the position; (b) The retaining of consider-
able numbers of German troops in our immediate front
in order to prevent them taking part in resisting the
advance of our troops in the South. Although the first
purpose was not achieved, the second was fulfilled,
and there is no doubt that our action on the first
materially assisted our troops in the 4th Army and
contributed to their success. The above to be read to
all troops on parade.”’

In spite of this somewhat comforting message, our
action on the Ist was a failure. This cannot be denied.
The retaining enemy’s troops on our front was done by
our Artillery and other preparation, and the extra
German Division was lured into the line opposite us
at least three days before the battle. Our assault made
not the slightest difference to this. Our object on the
Ist was to capture Gommecourt, and this we failed to

144 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

do. It is comparatively easy to criticise after the
event and find mistakes, but there were one or two
obvious reasons for the failure which were apparent to
all. The rapid dispersal of the smoke barrage, the
terrible enfilade bombardment from the left consequent
on the inactivity of the Division on our left, the failure
of our Artillery to smash up German posts, and in some
cases German wire, and, perhaps the fact- that our
preparations were so obvious that the Boche was wait-
ing for us. But in the face of all this, fresh troops
in ideal conditions might have succeeded. Ours were
tired after their journey to Lucheux and back, had had
to live several nights in hopelessly foul and water-
logged trenches, and, so far from fresh, were almost
worn before they started to attack.

CHAD ER Ville

MONCHY AU BOIS.

3rd July, 1916. 29th Oct., 1916.

NortH of Gommecourt the enemy’s line, after
passing Pigeon wood, ran a few yards West of Essarts
village along the high ground to within a short distance
of Monchy au Bois, then, turning West, made a small
salient round this village, which lay in a cup-like
hollow. Between Essarts and Monchy, and on higher
ground still, stood Le Quesnoy Farm, which, with
some long tall hedges in the neighbourhood, provided
the Boche with excellent and well concealed observation
posts and battery positions. Behind Monchy itself,
and again on high ground, was Adinfer wood, and near
it Douchy village, both full of well concealed batteries,
while the trees in Monchy itself gave the enemy plenty
of cover for machine guns and trench mortars.
Opposite this our line was almost entirely in the open.
From Foncquevillers it ran due North to the Hannes-
camps-Monchy road, more than 1,000 yards from the
enemy opposite Essarts and Le Quesnoy; then, cross-
ing the ridge, dropped steeply to the Monchy cup,
where, at the Bienvillers road, the lines were only 200
yards apart. The only buildings near the line were
the two Monchy mills, North and South, both about
80 yards from the front line and both little more than

146 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

a heap of bricks with an O.P. concealed in the middle.
Just South of the Bienvillers road a small salient, some
180 yards across ran out towards the enemy’s lines,
overlooked from two sides, and always being battered
out of recognition by trench mortars and bombs .

The rest of our front line system was more or less
ordinary—deep trenches with, at intervals, a “‘ ruined ”’
dug-out for Company Headquarters. Owing to the
appalling weather all trenches were very wet, including
the communication trenches, of which there were
several—Chiswick Avenue opposite Essarts, Lulu Lane
alongside the Hannescamps road, with Collingbourne
Avenue branching off it, and, on the Monchy side,
Shell Street in the middle, and Stoneygate Street along-
side the Bienvillers road. The last had been so named
by the Leicestershire ‘“ New Army ”’ Brigade, who had
originally built the trench. Hannescamps, a minute
village, lay 1,000 yards from the line, partly hidden by
a hollow, and, with an excellent bank full of dug-outs,
was a home for Battalion Headquarters and one Com-
pany. Another Headquarters was in Shell Street, and
the Support Battalion, with many batteries and others,
lived in Bienvillers au Bois, about 14 behind the
line. Pommier, la Cauchie, and occasionally Humber-
camps were rest billets still further back. Beyond them
a large farm, la Bazéque, was the home of all the
Brigade transport and Q.M. Stores. Such was the
sector into which the Division went after Gommecourt
to rest and gradually recuperate. Our Brigade had the
Monchy front and the stretch with the wide No Man’s
- Land opposite Essarts; we, as a Battalion, were some-
times North, sometimes South of the Hannescamps
Road, the other Brigades were further North, in the

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MONCHY AU BOIS. 147

Ransart, Bailleulval and Berles area. Here we stayed,
with one rest later on, for eight months.

Soon after our arrival in Bienvillers, we were much
surprised to see Colonel Toller again return to us. We
thought that he really had got a permanent Command
when he went to the Highlanders, but apparently a
former Colonel returned a few days after he arrived
there, and he was consequently sent back. However,
there were now many vacancies in our Division, and
Col. Toller was at once sent to command the 7th Sher-
wood Foresters, the Robin Hoods—an appointment
which poved to be permanent, and which he held for
the next two years. At the same time, Lieut. N. C.
Marriott, wounded at Hohenzollern, returned to us,
and soon afterwards 2nd Lieut. J. C. Barrett joined us
from England, while we lost 2nd Lieut. G. E. Banwell,
who was slightly wounded at Gommecourt, and, after
several efforts to remain with his unit, had to go to
Hospital with a badly poisoned foot. We also lost our
Divisional Commander, Major General the Hon. E. J.
Montagu-Stuart-Wortley, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O.,
M. V.O., who went to England. Before he went, the
following notice appeared in orders :—‘‘ On relinquish-
ing the Command of the Division, General Stuart-
Wortley wishes to thank all ranks, especially those who
have been with the Division since mobilization, for their
loyalty to him and unfailing spirit of devotion to duty.
He trusts the friendship formed may be lasting, and
wishes the Division good luck and God speed.’’ To
quote the Battalion War Diary—‘‘ The Major General
has commanded the Division since 1914; universal
regret is openly expressed at his departure.’”’

The new Divisional Commander, Major General W.

148 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Thwaites, R.A., arrived soon afterwards, and soon
made himself known to all units, introducing himself
with a ceremonial inspection. Ours was at Bailleul-
mont, where we were billeted for a few days, and on the
afternoon of the 13th we formed up 650 strong to receive
him. After inspecting each man very carefully, the
General addressed the Battalion, calling Col. Jones
“Col. Holland,’’ and us the 5th Leicesters, two
mistakes which were never forgotten, though soon for-
given. He congratulated us on our appearance, and
said that he read determination in our faces, promising
to know us better by seeing us in the trenches. We
then marched past him and went home.

Our first few tours in this new sector might well be
described as a nightmare of H,O and HsS._ It rained
very hard, and all the trenches at once became full of
water—in some places so full that the garrison, as the
weather was warm, discarded trousers and walked
about with shirts tucked into sandbag bathing drawers.
Some of the communication trenches were in a_par-
ticularly bad condition ,and worst of all was the very
deep Berlin Trench running alongside the road from
Bienvillers to Hannescamps. A sort of ‘‘ Southend-
pier’ gridded walk had been built into one side of
this about four feet from the floor of the trench, and
in some places even this was covered, so that the water
in the trench itself was nearly six feet deep. Pumps
proved almost useless, and it was obvious that some-
thing drastic would have to be done if we were to
remain in this part of the world for the winter.

The HzS was in cylinders. For some unknown
reason the Special Brigade R.E., or ‘‘ gas merchants ”’
as they were more popularly called, considered the

MONCHY AU BOIS. 149

Monchy hollow a particularly suitable place for their
poison attacks. The result was that we spent all our
rest periods carrying very heavy cylinders into the line
or out again, terribly clumsy, awkward and dangerous
things to carry, while our trenches, already ruined by
the weather, were still further damaged, under-cut and
generally turned upside down to make room for these
cylinders. Then again, the actual gas projection caused
a most appalling amount of trouble. The wind had to
be exactly West, for a touch of North or South would
carry the poison over our miserable little salient, but at
times the wind was due East, and on one occasion it
remained obstinately in the wrong quarter for three
weeks, while we lived in daily terror of some chance
Boche shell hitting one of the cylinders. On several
occasions we had to assist with smoke candles and
smoke bombs, and this, too, caused us much worry.
Perhaps at dusk the wind would be favourable, and
orders would arrive that gas would be discharged at
11-34. At 11-34 we, having heard nothing to the con-
trary, would light our smoke machines, and find no gas
turned on. At 12-55 we should get another message by
some orderly to say “‘ discharge postponed until 12-55 ”
—then, of course, no time to warn anybody, and no
smoke left.

The reason for this delay in the communication of
orders was that our telephones were in a state of tran-
sition. We had discovered that the Boche with his
listening sets could overhear all conversations carried
on by the ordinary field telephone, and consequently it
was absolutely forbidden to use this instrument, except
in emergency, within 2,000 yards of the front line. A
new instrument, the “ Fullerphone,’’ was being intro-

150 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

duced which could not be overheard, but one could not
use it for talking; all messages had to be ‘* buzzed.”’

IS)

Incidentally the ‘‘ buzzing ’’ process produced a con-
tinuous whining noise, and this, in a small Company
Headquarter dug-out, was almost enough to drive the
unhappy Company Commander off his head. The
Fullerphone, too, was very scarce at first, so that
almost all messages had to be sent by orderly, or runner
as he now began to be called. This caused so much
trouble that the next stage was the introduction of codes
and code names. At first these were very simple, we
were ‘“‘ John’’ after Col. Jones, the 5th Lincolnshires
““Sand,’’ from Sandall, etc., while “‘ gas’’ became the
innocent “* Gertie,’’ and to attack was ‘to tickle.”
One very famous message was sent when an expected

gas attack had to be suddenly postponed—‘‘ John can
sleep quiet to-night, Gertie will not tickle.’’ Later we
became ‘‘ Sceptre,’’ when all units in the Division were

called after race-horses, and still later, when Brigade
Headquarters became “‘ Girl,’’ we each had a lady’s
name; we were “ Gertrude.’’ It sounded somewhat
curious to hear a Staff Captain who had lost his
Brigadier ringing up a Battalion Headquarters to ask
““have you seen a ‘Girl’ about anywhere?’’? The
‘“‘ Bab ”’ code was also introduced, a three-figure code
with innumerable permutations and combinations. The
whole thing was very secret, and added much to the
worries of the Company Commander, who not only
had to be careful not to lose the code book, but had
to remember, without writing it down, the Corps code
letter and number for the week.

In the same way the Artillery had all manner of
codes for every conceivable occasion. Various mes-

MONCHY AU BOIS. 151

sages were devised and entered in the Defence Scheme
for retaliation, S.O.S., raid purposes, etc., and woe
betide the luckless F.O.O. or Infantryman who sent the
wrong message. There were ‘‘ concentrates’? and
“Test concentrates,’ and “‘attacks’’ and ‘“‘ Test
attacks,’’ and “‘S.O.S.’’ and many others. If any-
thing serious really happened, the lines were always
broken at once, and there remained only the rockets
and coloured lights. The S.O.S. signal was almost
sacred, not to be used for a hostile raid, or when retalia-
tion was needed, but only in the event of the enemy
massing for a general attack. However, it was once
used—in a rather curious little battle fought on the
4th August, 1916.

Our trench strength at the time was very weak,
because two days later we were to raid the enemy’s lines
opposite Monchy salient, and the raiding party had been
left out of the line at Pommier to practice. At 3-30 a.m.
on the 4th the Boche, either annoyed at our wire-
cutting, or to celebrate his favourite anniversary, the
declaration of war, opened a heavy fire with guns,
mortars, rifle grenades, coloured lights and everything
else imaginable. The noise was terrific, and the C.O.
and Adjutant rushed to the Defence Scheme to find
what was the correct message to send; most of the
noise was at trench 86. They decided to tell the Gun-
ners ‘‘ assist L,’’ but, between F.O.O. and signals, this
reached the Artillery as ‘‘assist 86,’’ which was
meaningless, so they did nothing. Meanwhile, our
Lewis Guns could be heard, so Col. Jones, unable to
telephone to Companies whose lines were all cut, finally
sent the S.O.S. The reply was prompt and terrific.
There was plenty of ammunition, and all the gunners,

152 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

wakened by the bombardment, were only too anxious
to shoot, so that within a few minutes every weapon,
from an 18 pounder to a 12” gun on railway mounting,
was raining shells into Monchy and its surroundings.
It was very effective, but none the less there had to be
an enquiry into ‘‘ who had dared to use the S.O.S.,”’
and, when the facts were all brought to light, the
F.O.0O., Lieut. Cave, partly responsible for the initial
mistake, earned the name of ‘‘S.O.S. Cave,’’ which
stuck to him till he left the Division.

The raid was not a great success. For several days
““C”’ Company, who were chosen for the task, carried
out continuous practices at Pommier, first under Capt.
Mould, and later, when he had to go to Hospital with
septic tonsilitis, under Capt. Shields. Capt. Moore was
at the Army School at the time. The Infantry arrange-
ments were made satisfactorily, but there was little or
no opportunity for the Gunners to observe the result of
their wire-cutting, with the result that, when the party
went over on the evening of the 5th, they found no
gaps. The raiding party advanced in four groups, each
group with bombers, bayonet men, and sappers for
demolition work, and each under an officer—2nd
Lieuts. Steel, Barrett, Heffill and Morris. The party
removed all marks of identification, but wore their
collars turned up, and a small patch of white on the
back of their collars for mutual recognition.

At 11-0 p.m. the party left our trenches and lay out
in front of our wire, waiting for our bombardment,
which 15 minutes later opened on the enemy’s front
line. The shooting was excellent, but the backward
burst from our 6 inch Howitzers caused several
casualties ; amongst others 2nd Lieut. Steel was badly

MONCHY AU BOIS. 153

wounded in the leg. Ne ZERO, Wiles) foriama, Wie
advanced, but found no means of getting through the
wire, while the Boche sent numbers of bombs and rifle
grenades along the whole front. The party acted
very coolly and searched carefully for gaps, but,
finding none, threw their bombs and returned, guided
to our lines by rockets and lanterns. Six men were
missing. A curious thing happened when our search
party, under L/Cpl. Archer, went out to look for
them. A German machine gun, hearing the move-
ment, opened fire, and, at the same moment, our

“Flying Pig ”—240 mm. trench mortar—which had
jammed during the barrage, suddenly went off and
dropped its shell exactly on the gun team. The
following night Cobley’s body, one of the raiders,
was found in a shell-hole, and soon afterwards two
others, Worth and Sommers, returned to our lines,
having been lost the previous night. Barkby was
found dead a day later, and Duckett’s body was buried
by a patrol which found it during the following tour.
The sixth was Private ‘‘ Arty’’ Carr, who returned
unhurt at 11-0 p.m. on the 8th, after three days.
During the raid he had left his party, and, while they
worked to the left, looking for a gap, had gone to
the right, where, outside the raid area, he found the
wire thin. He had entered the German lines,
had some exciting times with a post which he bombed,
and then tried to get out, only to find that he had
moved away from his original gap, and was now
confronted by some very strong wire. He did not
get through until dawn on the 6th, so then lay in a
shell hole until dark, when he started to return. Tired
and somewhat exhausted, he lost his way in the waste

154 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

of shell holes and mortar craters round the Monchy
Salient, and did not finally find our lines until the

8th.
Our total casualties were three killed and one officer
and 15 wounded. To these must be added Captain

Geneval Map ‘o illustvate chapters Vil Vill 81x.

Barton, who had a most unfortunate accident. Always

«6

wanting to be ‘“‘up and doing,’’ he watched the raid
and helped the wounded, standing on our front line
parapet, but, turning to re-enter the trench, slipped

and bayonetted himself in the thigh. It was not a

MONCHY AU BOIS. 155

very serious wound, but would not heal, and he had
to be sent to England. With him we lost another
valuable officer, 2nd Lieut. Williams, who, while acting
as bomb instructor at Brigade Headquarters, met with
an accident, and was wounded in the head. Not long
afterwards, Serjt. Goodman, our chief N.C.O.
Instructor, who was wounded, and lost one of his legs
and part of an arm as the result of a bombing accident
at the Divisional School. During this first month our
casualties, ‘‘ holding the line,’’ were very slight,
though we lost three good N.C.O.’s through shell fire.
Serjt. Shreeves, of ‘“C’’ Company, died of wounds,
Cpl. Ambrose, of ‘‘B’’ Company, was killed outright
near Hannescamps, and later Serjt. W. Gartshore, of
“C”’ Company.

Between raids and gas attacks we were kept hard
at work repairing our trenches. General Kemp was
a sapper before he became an Infantry Brigadier, and
we Were soon instructed in the mysteries of sump-holes,
and “‘batters,’’ interlocking trench floor

“berms
boards, and the correct angles for the sloping sides of
a trench, while anyone who dared to undercut a parapet
for any purpose had better not be present the next time
that the General appeared. As far as possible all
the carpentry work was done by the Sappers out of
trenches and sump-frames were sent up ready made,
also small dug-outs in numbered parts, easily put
together; all we had to do was to dig the necessary
holes. At the same time some genius invented the
‘““A”’ frame, a really wonderful labour saving device.
Hitherto floorboards had been supported on piles and
crossbars, while further and longer stakes were driven
in to carry the rivetment. The new frame shaped like

156 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

a flat-topped letter ‘‘ A,’’ was put in the floor of the
trench upside down. The legs
held the revetment against the
sides, the floorboards rested on
the cross-piece, and the space
between the cross-piece and the
flat top formed a good drain.
These were first used in com-
munication trenches only, where
the Monmouthshires were at
work for us; later we used them in all trenches

wherever possible.

Meanwhile, when not in trenches, we rested, first
at Bienvillers and later at Pommier. Bienvillers had
many good billets, but was too full of our heavy
artillery to be pleasant, for the noise was often very
disturbing. The enemy, too, used to shell the place,
and 2nd Lieut. Shipston had a most remarkable escape
one day when standing in front of a first floor window,
shaving. A whizz-bang hit the window sill and carried
itself, sill and many bricks, between his legs into the
room; he himself was untouched. Another early morn-
ing bombardment found the Doctor in his bath. He
left it hurriedly and hastened, dripping and unclothed,
to the cellar, which he found already contained several
officers and the ladies of his billet. But this stay in
Bienvillers is most remembered on account of a slight
fracas which occurred between Col. Jones and a visiting
Army Sanitation Officer. A full account is given in
two entries in the War Diary. The first, dated the
23rd July, says simply—‘‘ Major T———., Sanitation
Officer, IIIrd. Army, came to look at billets. We
received him coldly, and in consequence got a bad

[ra

MONCHY AU BOIS. 157

report, see later.’’ The second entry, a week: later,
is dated 30th July. “‘ The Sanitary report referred to
came and we replied. The report detailed many ways
in which we, as a Regiment, were living in dirt, and
making no attempt to follow common-sense rules, or
to improve our state. It stated that we had been in
the village three days, and thus implied that there
could be no excuse. Our reply asserted that the in-
accuracy of the report made it worthless. That,
though the Regiment had been there three days, the
Army, which the gallant Major T. represented and
worked for, had been in the village some months.
That Major T.’s party had done nothing to put or keep
the billets in order, to put up incinerators, or in any
way to make suitable billets for soldiers resting from
trench duty. It suggested that Major T. had neglected
his duty, and thus was not in a position to judge a
Regiment. ’’

Pommier was much pleasanter, and was very seldom
shelled. Brigade Headquarters lived there, and, with
the aid of an energetic Mayor and our invaluable inter-
preter, M. Bonassieux, had done much to improve the
billets. There were plenty of civilians who were good
to us, though, to quote the War Diary again, 26th
August, ‘“‘A complaint was made by the Maire that
certain of our officers were bathing in the open, and
that this was not counted amongst the indecencies the
French permitted.’’ At about the same time, during
one of our rest periods, we were inspected by General
Thwaites—a full ceremonial inspection, the first of
many of these much dreaded ordeals. Again it is im-
possible to improve on the account given by the War
Diary. ‘*‘ At 2-30 we were drawn up in close column in

158 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Ceremonial—Companies sized. We received the new
G.O.C. with several salutes, the last was probably the
worst. The Battalion was then closely inspected, and
a few names taken for unsteadiness, dirty buttons,
badly fitted packs, and the like. A slight confusion
between the terms packs and equipment led us to take
off equipment, and we then formed up as a Battalion
in Brigade. We saluted again, this time we had no
bayonets, and then marched past by Companies and
back in close column several times. Then, by a
questionable, though not questioned, manceuvre, we
came back again and advanced in review order. The
Brigade Band was in attendance and played the
Brigade March in place of the Regimental March,
because it did not know the latter. While still in
Ceremonial order, we finished by doing Battalion drill,
under the general idea “keep moving.’ We kept
moving for two hours in all, and it was universally
conceded that the men moved very well. One or two
of the newly arrived officers were unequal to the occa-
sion. It was a good day in the country, and, in the
senior officers, stirred up pleasant memories of old
peace time annual inspections.’’ The exceeding fierce-
ness of the General on this Inspection had an amusing
sequel when, a week later, two of our soldiers were
repairing a road outside the Brigade office. One re-
garded the other’s work for a few minutes critically,
and then exclaimed fiercely, ‘‘ Very ragged, very
ragged, do it again!’’ It is only fair to add, that,
terrible as was the ordeal of a Divisional Inspection,
the General kept his original promise, and spent many
hours in the foremost trenches, ‘‘ that he might know
us well.”’

MONCHY AU BOIS. 159

The evening of this same inspection was one of the
few occasions on which Pommier was bombarded. A
sudden two minutes’ ‘‘ hate’’ of about 40 shells, 4.2
and 5.9, wounded three men and killed both the C.O.’s
horses, ‘‘ Silvertail”’ and “‘ Baby”’; both came out
with the Battalion. We still, however, had some good
animals left, as was obvious at the Brigade Sports
and Race meeting held on the 11th September at la
Bazéque Farm. This was a most successful show, and
the only pity was that we were in trenches at the time,
and so could only send a limited number of all ranks
to take part. The great event of the day was the
steeplechase. The Staff Captain, Major J. E. Viccars,
on ‘‘ Solomon,’’ led all the way, but was beaten in
the last twenty yards by Major Newton, R.F.A.
Lieut. L. H. Pearson was third on ‘‘ Sunlock II.,’’ the
transport Serjeant’s horse. It was a remarkable per-
formance, for he only decided to ride at the last
moment, and neither he nor horse had trained at all.
The Battalion did well in other events, winning Ist
and 2nd places in both obstacle and mule races, and
providing the best cooker and best pack pony; the
two last were a great credit to the Transport Section.
One of the features of the day was the Bookies’ G.S.
wagon, where two officers disguised with top hats,
yellow waistcoats and pyjamas, carried on a success-
ful business as ‘“‘turf accountants.’’ At a VIIth.
Corps meeting, held a fortnight later on the same
course, we secured two places for the Battalion : Capt.
Burnett came home 2nd in an open steeplechase, and
Capt. Moore 3rd in one for Infantry officers only.

During September our Mess, already up to strength,
was considerably increased by a large draft of Officers.

160 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

First we were glad to see Major Griffiths back as
Second in Command, though sorry for Captain John
Burnett, who had to go back to Transport for the time.
With Major Griffiths came 2nd Lieuts. J. R. Brooke,
S. Corah, and W. I. Nelson, while within the same
month, or shortly afterwards, 2nd. Lieuts. L. A.
Nelson, J. H. Ball, P. Measures, T. L. Boynton, W.
C. Walley, W. Lambert, M. F. Poynor, and J. A.
Wortley all arrived. In October also Serjeant
Beardmore, M.M., of ‘‘ C’’? Company, who had latterly
being doing exceptionally good work with the Bat-
talion Scouts, was given his Commission in the Field,
and reposted as a platoon Commander to the old Com-
pany. Capt. Barton’s place as M.O. was taken by
Captain T. D. Morgan, of the 2nd Field Ambulance.
At the same time a stroke of bad luck robbed us of
2nd Lieut. Coles, who was badly wounded. During a
raid of the 4th Lincolnshires in October it was our duty
to cause a diversion by blowing up some tubes of
ammonal in the Boche wire. The party, led by 2nd
Lieut. Coles, was about to leave our trenches when
a rifle grenade or “‘ pine apple ’’ bomb dropped in their
midst and exploded one of the tubes, doing much
damage.

During these long months of trench warfare a
considerable advance was made in the work of the
Intelligence department of the Infantry Battalion. year ago one officer did duty for a whole Brigade,
now each Battalion had its Intelligence officer, its
scouts and observers, and its snipers, sometimes
the last under a separate officer. The duties of the
Intelligence section were many. They must see and
report every little thing which happened in the enemy’s

MONCHY AU BOIS. 161

lines, no small detail must be omitted. The number
and colours of his signal lights on different occasions,
the relative activity of his different batteries and their
positions, the movement of his transport, the location
of his mortars and machine guns, the trench reliefs,
all these must be watched. The immediate purpose
was of course retaliation, counter battery work, the
making of our bombardments more effective by picking
out the tender spots in his lines, and generally
harassing the enemy; but there was a further purpose.
It was particularly necessary that the higher com-
mands should be kept informed of all the big move-
ments of troops, the state of the enemy’s discipline,
etc., and often some little incident seen in the front
line would give the clue to one of these. Lieut. L.
H. Pearson was at this time Intelligence officer,
helped by Serjt. Beardmore, M.M., L/Cpl. Wathey,
Pte. A. E. Gilbert, and others. There was of course
also the humorous side to their work, and many
amusing things were seen, or said to be seen, through
the observers’ telescopes. The old white-haired Boche,
digging near Monchy, who looked so benign that no
one would shoot him, became quite a famous character,
until one day his real nature was revealed, for he shook
his fist at one of our low-flying aeroplanes, and
obviously uttered a string of curses, so one of the
snipers shot him. Then again there was the lady of
Douchy, who could be seen each evening coming out to
hang up the washing; she was popularly known as
Mary, and figured in the reports nearly every day.
With the observers worked the snipers. After
nearly two years, telescopic sights at last appeared,
and we tried to train the once despised ‘‘ Bisley shot.’’

162 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

They were very keen, and had much success, of which
they were duly proud, as their individual reports
showed. ‘‘ We watched for 2 of an hour until our
viggillance was rewarded by seeing a Boche; he ex-
posed half of himself above the parapet, I, Pte. ———,
shot him,’’ so said one report, the name has un-
fortunately been lost. Some snipers even kept a book
of their ‘‘ kills,’? with entries such as ‘‘ June Ist, 9-30
a.m. Boche sentry looking over, shot in shoulder,
had grey hair almost bald very red face and no hat.”’
It was just the right spirit, and it had its results.
Autumn, 1915, saw us hardly daring to look over the
top for fear of being sniped; Autumn, 1916, saw us
masters, doing just what we pleased, when we pleased.

CHAPTER IX.
GOMMECOURT AGAIN.

29th Oct,, 1916. 15th April, 1917.

Many Divisions were now taking part in the Somme
battle for the second time, and as we suddenly left
Pommier on the 29th October—our final destination
unknown—we naturally thought it probable that we,
too, should soon be once more in the thick of the
fighting. However, our fears were groundless, and
we moved due West, not South. Our first night we
spent in Mondicourt, and then moved the next day in
pouring rain to Halloy, where we stayed two days. On
the Ist November we marched 14 miles through
Doullens to Villers L’Hépital, on the Auxi le Chateau
road, where we found our new Padre waiting for us,
the Rev. C. B. W. Buck. The march was good, and
no one fell out until the last half mile, a steep hill into
billets, which was too much for six men; as we had
done no real marching for several months, this was
very satisfactory. There was only one incident of
interest on the way, a small collision between the
heavily laden mess cart and the level crossing gates
at Doullens, due to the anxiety of the lady gate-keeper
to close the gates and let the Paris express through,
a feat which she accomplished, despite all the efforts
of our Transport, which was consequently cut in half.

164 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

The following day it rained again, and we marched
to Conteville, stayed a night, and went on to Millen-
court the next morning. Here we found good billets
and, as we were told we were likely to remain a month,
fixed up a Battalion Mess in the Farm Chateau.
We were soon informed that we had not come to
Millencourt to rest, but to carry out “‘ intensive train-
ing ’’ to fit us for offensive action. This meant very
hard work all the morning, many afternoons, and two
or three nights a week as well. The idea was to devote
the first week to Platoon and Company work, the next
to Battalion drill and training, and to finish our course
with some big Brigade and Divisional days. The
weather was not very good, but we managed to do many
hours work, the usual physical training, bayonet fight-
ing, steady drill, and extended order work, night
compass work and lectures. The most exciting event
was one of the night trainings, when Col. Jones com-
bined cross country running with keeping direction in
the dark. The running was very successful, but the
runners failed to keep direction, and ran for many
miles, getting in many cases completely lost; far into
the night the plaintive notes of the recall bugle could
be heard in the various villages of the neighbourhood.
Soon after our arrival a Divisional Sports Committee
drew up a programme for a meeting to be held at the
end of our training, and to consist of football, boxing,
and cross country running. Eliminating heats and
events had to be decided beforehand, and, with Lieut.
Heffill and Serjt. J. Wardle to look after the boxing,
and Capt. Shields as ‘‘O.C. Football,’ we started
training without delay. At the football we had our
usual luck, for, after a good victory over the 4th

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 165

Lincolnshires, we were once more beaten by our own
4th Battalion. The last game was very exciting, and
feeling ran so high that the language on the touch line
became terrible, and would have shocked even a
Brigadier. The finals of the boxing and cross country
running could not take place until later when we had
left the area. On one or two of the spare afternoons
we managed to get some Rugby football, and had
some excellent games, during which we discovered that
our Padre was a performer of considerable merit.

On the 22nd November we started back Eastwards,
and, after a night at Prouville and two at Fortel,
arrived in the pouring rain at Halloy, where we were
told we should stay for about a week. We were put
into the huts, which were unfinished and entirely unfit
for habitation, while to make matters worse, the field
in which they stood had become a sea of mud. After
the good billets of Millencourt, this change for the
worse produced the inevitable sickness, and, in addition
to many N.C.O.’s and men who went away with fever
and influenza, we lost for a short time Col. Jones, and
several of the officers. Amongst them was 2nd Lieut.
J. R. Brooke, who had long ago been warned against
the danger of again getting nephritis, but in spite of
this refused to stay away from the Battalion, and in-
sisted on braving even the worst weather and the
wettest trenches. About the same time, Captain
Burnett went to England, going to Hospital from the
Army School.

The week in these horrible surroundings was
lengthened to a fortnight, and we were at last able
to hold the finals of the cross country run. Many of
the Battalion entered, and over two hundred came

166 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

home in the time, a very good performance, though
not good enough to win. The boxing tournament was
held still later at St. Amand, and we sent two entries.
In the heavy weights, Boobyer was beaten on points
after a plucky fight, and in the feather weights,
O’Shaugnessy knocked his opponent all over the place,
and won in the second round.

On the 6th December we marched to the Souastre
huts, where the Colonel returned to us, and we once
more began to feel fit; the huts here were not palaces,
but were far better than those we had left at Halloy.
On the 11th we moved up through Bienvillers and went
into our old trenches opposite Monchy. But the recent
heavy rains had undone all the good that we had done
in the early autumn, and they were now in a very
bad state. On the right of the Hannescamps road
they were particularly bad, and Liverpool Street, which
ran from Lulu Lane to the front line, was almost
impassable. There was the same terrible clinging
mud, feet deep, that we had found at Richebourg a
year before, and the old troubles of lost gum boots
began again. Fortunately we were now prepared, and
were able to combat the dangers of ‘‘ trench foot.’’
Each Company had its drying room—a dug-out occu-
pied by the Stretcher bearers, and kept warm by an
ever burning brazier. Here at least once in every 24
hours every man who could possibly have got wet
feet, and every man wearing rubber boots, came, had
his feet rubbed, and was given dry socks and boots,
while at Headquarters and in Bienvillers were large
drying rooms where the wet boots could be dealt with.
In this way we were able to keep almost free from the
complaint, and the few men whose feet did fail were

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 167

all men who had had ‘‘trench feet’’ the previous
winter, and were consequently always liable to it.

All this time it was not only wet, but cold, and after
Christmas it became colder until the first week in
January, when heavy snow fell. Thenceforward, until
the middle of February, there was continuous frost with
occasional heavy falls of snow, though generally the
days and nights were fine and clear. For several feet
down, the ground was frozen hard, and digging became
absolutely impossible. There was now solid ice instead
of water in the trenches, and the front line sentries
found their task a particularly cold one. Fortunately
by this time the trench cook-house was not only an
established thing but had become a very successful
affair, and four times a day hot meals were carried in
tanks and food containers from Battalion Headquarters
to the front line. For this purpose the rectangular
tanks from the cooks’ wagons were used, being carried
by two men, on a wooden framework or stretcher.
Along a road or up a well made communication trench
this was a comparatively light task, but to carry a tank
full of hot tea over slippery shell holes and through
knee-deep mud was a difficult matter, and on more than
one occasion a platoon lost its hot drink at night
through the disappearance of the carriers into some
shell hole. The wonderful thing was that both tea-less
platoon and drenched carriers would laugh over it all.

Christmas Day was spent in trenches. We were
relieved in the afternoon by the 4th Battalion, who had
their festivities on Christmas eve, and went back to
Souastre, where the following day we, too, had our
dinner. Pigs had been bought and killed, and we all
gorged ourselves on roast pork and plum pudding,

168 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

washing them down with beer—a very satisfactory
performance There were also the usual games and
Company dinners, and we all spent a very enjoyable
few days. Later on we managed to arrange a Battalion
concert which was a tremendous success, and voted by
all a most excellent evening; the “‘ star’’ turn was
Colonel Jones, who gave a recitation.

The weather made raids and active operations im-
possible, and though we made all preparations for a
rifle grenade demonstration to assist a Staffordshire
raid on New Year’s night, this had to be cancelled on
account of the snow. Patrols, however, still continued
to tour No Man’s Land in the hopes of finding a stray
Boche, or encountering a Boche patrol. In front of
Essarts the lines were so far apart that there was
plenty of room for a small pitched battle, and night
after night Lieuts. Pearson, Creed, Poynor, and others
visited such familiar haunts as the ‘‘Osier Bed,’’
> (Thistle Patch,*> “Lonely Wiree, and) cther well-
‘known places. The first to meet the enemy was Lieut.
Pearson, who came upon a small party in the ‘‘ Thistle
Patch,’’ who made off rapidly back to their lines. Our
patrol used their rifles, but, though they hit one of the
enemy, failed to take a prisoner, and for a week or two
the Boche did not show himself. Then on the 10th
January, 2nd Lieut. Creed, with a mixed party of scouts
from all Companies, while reconnoitering the ‘‘ Osier
Bed ”’ suddenly found that a party of the enemy was in
their right rear and close to our wire, where four of
them could be seen. Our patrol turned at once and ran
straight at the four as fast as they could, coming, as
they ran, under a heavy fire from a Boche covering
party lying some 50 yards out. Pte. A. Garner was

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 169

killed outright, but the remainder, led by 2nd Lieut.
Creed and Pte. Frank Eastwood of ‘‘C’’ Company,
rushed on and wounded and captured one of the four,
who was found to be the officer. The remainder of the
enemy took the alarm in time and made off. The officer
proved to be an English-speaking subaltern of the 55th
Regt.—our old opponents of Hohenzollern in October,
1915. He was led down to the Aid Post to have his
wound dressed, much to the disgust of Captain Terry,
the M.O., who would have liked to have killed him
outright, though Serjeant Bent, the medical orderly,
took compassion on his shivering prisoner and fed him
on hot tea, and actually gave him a foot warmer!

This little affair caused the Boche extreme annoyance,
and the following day he spent the morning shooting
at Berlin Trench, the Bienvillers road and Bienvillers
itself, round the Church. As we were relieved during
the morning we had to march out through it all, and
found it particularly unpleasant, especially when a shell
hit the R.E. Dump, exploded an ammunition store, and
sent the house at the Church corner several hundred
feet into the air.

At this time there were again several changes in the
personnel. Capt. G. W. Allen went to Brigade Head-
quarters and thence to the Corps School as an In-
structor; Capt. J. D. Hills, who took his place, fell
down and injured his knee so badly that it took him
to England for six months; Capt. Knighton was made
Town Major at St. Amand, and Captain Mould went
to England. Capt. Wollaston rejoined us, bringing
with him 2nd Lieut. Banwell and a new subaltern, 2nd
Lieut. D. Campbell. 2nd Lieut. C. H. Morris acted
as Adjutant. 2nd Lieut. J. R. Brooke paid one of his

170 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

periodical visits to the R.A.M.C., driven thither by
the M.O., who was afraid he would die on his hands,
but returned to us again soon afterwards.

During the last fortnight of January we had several
Units of the 58th (London) Division attached to us for
instruction. They were one of the first ‘‘ second-line ’’
Territorial Divisions to reach France, and were followed
by our own second-line, the 59th, who went for their
initiation to the most Southern end of the British front,
and we consequently did not see them. Nothing of
any note happened during their stay, except a heavy
gas shell bombardment on ‘‘D’’ Company’s (Capt.
Shields’) trenches. The men were all warned in time and
put on helmets, so that we had no casualties. The
shells were almost noiseless, so that when the gas blew
over the crest into ‘‘B’’ Company (Capt. Wollaston),
who were in support, it was thought to be cloud gas
and the Strombos horns were sounded. The flank
Units sounded theirs, too, and Bienvillers took it up,
much to the annoyance of the batteries and staffs who
were thus unnecessarily disturbed, since the Strombos
should never be used for gas shells only. It was a
very natural mistake, but we were severely “strafed ’’
by the authorities; however, as we had no casualties,
and there had been many in other Units, we ended by
being congratulated.

On the 14th February came the beginnings of the
thaw, and with it the first rumours of a German with-
drawal. Three days later the enemy shelled Foncque-
villers heavily, apparently with a view to a raid, or
possibly to deceive us into thinking that he did not
mean to retire. Our guns replied, and the Right Half
Battalion under Major Griffiths, who was already

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 171

quartered in the village, stood to, but nothing happened.
The remainder of the Battalion with the Headquarters
was now in Bienvillers in Brigade reserve. The weather
once more became frosty, and there was a thick mist
almost every day. On the 23rd we relieved the 4th
Battalion, and occupied some 2,500 yards of front line
opposite Gommecourt, where the Huns shelled us at
intervals all the next day, but did no damage. At
midnight 24th/25th the Brigadier had reason to believe
the Boche was going to leave his lines, and a strong
patrol under Major Griffiths went out to reconnoitre.
They cut many gaps in the wire, but found the German
front line still held. At dawn it was very foggy, and
there was some shouting heard in Gommecourt, which
sounded like ‘‘ Bonsoir,’’ but at 7-10 a.m. the enemy
opened a heavy bombardment which lasted 34 hours.
Shells of every kind were fired and our trenches hit
in several places; one man was killed. The next night
patrols were again out and, though it was found that
the Boche had evacuated Gommecourt Park, he was
still in the village, where the following morning dug-
outs were seen to be on fire. Wire was cut and
everything prepared for the advance.

However, the Boche still hung on to his line, and on
the evening of the 26th and at dawn the following
morning our patrols still found him there. 2nd Lieuts.
Banwell and Beardmore and Serjt. Growdridge were
constantly out, waiting for a chance to enter his lines,
but the chance never came, and, on the 27th, we were
relieved by the 4th Battalion, and returned to Souastre.
That evening the Boche retired, and the 4th Battalion
entered Gommecourt. At this point we lost Captain
J. W. Tomson, who had been far from well for some

172 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

time, and now went to England with fever. He had
never missed a day’s work for two years. Lieut. D.
B. Petch took his place in command of ‘‘ A ’’ Company.

The German withdrawal was very slow, and we
spent the next day having baths in Souastre. On the
Ist March we moved into the new front line, round
the East edge of Gommecourt, while the Boche was
still holding Pigeon Wood. The enemy was very
alert, as General H. M. Campbell, the C.R.A., dis-
covered ; he went into the wood, thinking it unoccupied,
and was chased out by a fat Boche throwing ‘‘ potato

mashers.’’ In the evening the Headquarters moved
into a German dug-out, but the enemy still occupied
the “‘ Z.’’ The front line between there and Gomme-

court was filled with deep dug-outs, all connected
underground, so the Boche occupied one end, while
2nd Lieuts. Banwell and Barrett sat in the other, of
the same tunnel. There were many booby traps, such
as loose boards exploding a bomb when trodden on;
trip wires at the bottom of dug-out steps bringing
down the roof, and other such infernal machines. We
were warned of these, and had no casualties.

On the 2nd March we continued to press the enemy,
having as our objective a circle 900 yards round
Gommecourt Church. 2nd Lieut. Corah was slightly
wounded by a sniper, and one or two men were hit with
splinters of bomb, but there were no serious casualties.
Our bombing parties were very vigorous, and in one
case consumed the hot coffee and onions left by a party
disturbed at breakfast. In this bombing work,
Serjeants A. Passmore, Cave and Meakin, Cpl.
Marshall, and L/Cpls. Dawes and A. Carr all dis-
tinguished themselves. Gommecourt wood was soon

ow

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 1

cleared, and by the evening we had gained the whole
of the circular objective. The next morning early the
8th Sherwood Foresters came up to relieve us, but,
though the other Companies were relieved, ‘‘ A’? Com-
pany (Petch) refused to be. They were busy chasing
the Boche, and were quite annoyed when told that they
must come away. Relieved, we marched back to
Souastre.

We stayed at Souastre until the 11th March, and
then moved up once more to the line, taking over 2,600
yards of frontage from the la Brayelle Road to the
Hannescamps-Monchy Road. Our time in reserve had
been spent almost entirely in lectures on the attack,
and on lessons drawn from the enemy’s recent with-
drawal from Gommecourt, and we had more than once
been congratulated on our patrol work, which was
excellent throughout this time. Between Essarts and
Monchy the Boche was still holding his original line,
and though expected to retire at any time, he made
no movement during the three days we stayed in the
line. On the 13th we were ordered, during the after-
noon, to make certain that the enemy were still present,
so 2nd Lieut. T. H. Ball marched up the Essarts Road
with two platoons, until fire was opened on them from
more than one direction, and the strength of the enemy
was apparent. That evening we were relieved by the
Lothian and Border Horse, and marched on relief to
Foncquevillers. The same night, just before midnight,
the Staffordshires made an attack on Bucquoy Graben,
a strong Boche trench, and the outskirts of Bucquoy
village. It was very wet and dark, and the operation
altogether most difficult, so that the Staffordshires,
though they made a very gallant attack, lost heavily
and gained little ground.

174 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

At dawn the following morning, 14th March, we were
ordered to be ready to go and support the Stafford-
shires, but, after considerable uncertainty and waiting,
this order was cancelled. Instead, a flagged plan of
the Bucquoy trenches was made on the plain N.W.
of our village, and here we practised the attack. The
weather was bad, but we managed to make all the
necessary arrangements and do some attack drill. In
the village we had a singular stroke of ill luck. One
solitary German Howitzer shell dropped amongst a
party of ‘D’’ Company, killing Pte. J. T. Allen, who
had done good work in the bombing at Gommecourt,
and wounding six others, one of whom, W. Clarke,
died of wounds afterwards. The practised attack,
which should have taken place from Biez Wood on the
16th, never came off, for it was made unnecessary by
the rapidity of the German retirement.

After this the weather improved, and it was bright
and warm when, on the 17th, we moved during the
afternoon into Gommecourt and came temporarily
under orders of the 139th Brigade. The following day
we moved again, this time to dug-outs and fields 500
yards North of Essarts, country which the enemy had
now entirely evacuated. The villages and farms had
all been very badly battered by our Artillery, and the
Boche had found time to destroy almost everything
before he went, except at Douchy, where there was
some good dug-out timber. Needless to say, the
famous Mary of that village was not to be found. The
French were immensely pleased at regaining part of
their lost territory, though it was a pathetic sight to
see some of the old people coming to look at the piles
of bricks which had once been their homes. Two ladies

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 175

came to Gommecourt with a key, little thinking that so
far from finding a lock they would find not even a door
or door-way—there was not even a brick wall more
than two feet high. Those officers who could get
horses rode round to look at the country which for
nine months we had been watching through telescopes,
and the concrete emplacements of Monchy and le
Quesnoy Farm were all explored, while No Man’s
Land, the only place free from wire and shell holes,
provided an excellent canter. The Companies were
largely employed in road mending, filling up German
mine craters, and making tracks across the trenches
for our Artillery. The enemy seemed to be really on
the move at last, and we were all looking forward to
seeing some new country, but on the 20th the weather
broke, there was another fall of snow, and we were
not sorry to be ordered back to Souastre, where we
went into the huts for two nights.

For the rest of March we were constantly on the
move, mostly by march route. First, on the 22nd, we
marched via Couin and Bus-les-Artois to Bertrancourt,
where we found some huts and much mud. One very
large ‘‘ Nissen’’ hut provided an Officers’ Mess, but
was completely devoid of all furniture until the Colonel
invented some wonderful hanging tables—table tops
hung from the ceiling on telephone wires. Here we
were joined by 2nd Lieuts. C. C. Craggs, S. R. Mee,
and B. G. Bligh, all new-comers. 2nd Lieuts. R. C.
Broughton and A. Ramsden had joined a week or two
before, so we now had our full complement of Platoon
Commanders. Soon afterwards, however, 2nd Lieut.
and A/Adjt. C. H. Morris went to the Indian Army,
and his place was taken by Lieut. L. H. Pearson. In

176 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Bertrancourt we found some German prisoners work-
ing, one of whom obviously received the latest news
from London quicker than we did, for he told us that
as the result of an air raid ‘‘ London was in bits’’!
After one night here we marched via Acheux, Leal-
villers and Arquéves to Raincheval, where we again
stayed one night—a hard frost. The next day we
moved on again, passing through Puchevillers,
Rubempré and Pierregot to Rainnevillers. The march
was made particularly uncomfortable by the number
of different Units on the road, marching in all direc-
tions, and we had to keep big intervals between
Companies.

Rainnevillers was only six kilometres from Amiens,
and many officers availed themselves of this opportunity
of visiting the town. The mysteries of Charlie’s Bar,
Godbert’s, the Café du Cathédral, and other haunts were
revealed for the first time, and proved so attractive that
two senior officers made a very wet night the excuse
for staying in a Hotel. They returned at dawn, but
did not realise how early the Colonel rose, and met him
at the breakfast table, to be congratulated on their
(most unusual) earliness! We stayed here two days,
and the G.O.C. came and presented medal ribbons to
those who had been awarded decorations at Gomme-
court. On the 26th March we ‘‘ embussed ’’ with the
4th Leicestershires, and were taken through Amiens
to Dury, whence we marched a short distance to St.
Fuscien, and went into billets. We were still near
enough to Amiens for those who wished to ‘‘ joy ride’
into the town.

Two days later, on the 28th March, we marched to
Saleux and entrained for the North. Passing through

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. Leg
Doullens we arrived at Lillers early the next morning,
and marched thence to Laires, twelve miles through the
driving rain. We reached billets all wet through.
““B°’ Company followed by a later train, and joined
us in billets just after midnight.

We were now in the 2nd Corps, and, before we had
time to look round our new billets, the Corps Com-
mander, General Jacob, came and was introduced to all
officers, speaking to us in the village school room.
After that we looked round our new quarters and found
them excellent, so settled down to have, if possible,
an enjoyable rest. Marie, of the ‘‘ Cheval Blanc,”’
provided a room where officers might meet and drink
beer, subalterns, of course, champagne, and her name
must be added to the long list of Tina’s, Bertha’s, and
others who all over France welcomed the British officer
so cordially at their estaminets. Meanwhile, we spent
our days training, and particular attention was paid to
route marching, in which we were severely handicapped
by the bad state of our boots. For some reason there
was at the time a shortage of leather, so Serjeant
Huddleston, our shoemaker, could do nothing to
improve matters, and we had to make the best of a
bad job. It was really remarkable on some of the
longer marches how few men fell out considering that
many had practically no soles to their boots. However,
the pleasant billets at Laire amply repaid us for our
other troubles, and we were all sorry when on the 13th
April, 2nd Lieut. Brooke and the rest of us bade fare-
well to Marie and marched to Manqueville.

Here we continued training so far as the weather
allowed, but a considerable amount of rain rather
hampered us. On the 15th we lost Colonel Jones who

178 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

went to England for three months’ rest. With the
exception of a few weeks in 1915 he had been with us
since the beginning, and there was not an officer or man
who did not regret his going. There was never a
trench or post which he did not visit, no matter how
exposed or how dangerous the approach to it. More-
over, he was never downhearted, and while he was in
it, the Battalion Headquarters of the 5th Leicestershire
Regiment was known throughout the Division as one of
the most cheerful, if not the most cheerful, spot in
France. Major Griffiths took temporary command
until, on the 23rd, Major Trimble, M.C., of the E.
Yorks. Regt. arrived from the 6th Division and took
over from him.

CHAPTER X.

LENS.

16th April, 1917. 10th June, 1917.

On the 16th of April we learnt that we were once more
to go to trenches, and the same day we moved to
Annezin, just outside Béthune. The march will always
be remembered on account of the tremendous energy
displayed by Captain Shields, who was acting second
in command. Just before the start he insisted on the
reduction of all officers’ kits to their authorised weight,
thereby causing much consternation amongst those
whose trench kits included gramophones, field boots,
and other such articles of modern warfare. However,
on arrival at Annezin all such worries were dispersed by
the radiant smiles of the ladies at the C.O.’s billet,
with whom all the Subaltern Officers, and one or two
Captains at once fell in love.

Two days later Major Griffiths and some of the
Company Officers went to reconnoitre the area round
Bully Grenay and the western outskirts of Lens, which
we were told would be our new area. The capture of
Vimy by the Canadians a few days before, had made
an advance on Lens more possible than it had ever been
before, and there were many who thought that the
Boche would be compelled to evacuate the town. But
the Germans had not yet any intention of doing this.

180 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Though the Vimy heights were lost to them, they still
held ‘‘Hill 70’’ on the North side, and due West of Lens,
near the Souchez river, Fosse 3 and “‘ Hill 65” were
naturally strong positions. South of this again, and
just the other side of the river, was another small rise,
on which stood an electric generating station, another
commanding position held by the enemy. Our line ran
through the houses of Liévin, across the Lens road,
round the Eastern edge of Cité St. Pierre, and through
Cité St. Edouard to the slopes of ‘‘ Hill 70.”

The whole neighbourhood was covered with coal
mines. | Each had its machine buildings, its slag heap,
and its rows of miners’ cottages, called ‘‘ Corons,’’ all
in perfectly straight lines. The mine complete was
known as a “‘ Cité,’’ and a Cité in the case of a large
mine, covered a considerable tract of country, and had
several hundred cottages. As the mines increased in
number or grew in size, these Cités became more and
more numerous, until when war begam the country was
fast becoming one large town. The trenches ran from
cellar to cellar, through houses, along roadsides, were
very irregular, and mostly short, unconnected and
isolated lengths. | Streets were the only means of com-
munication, and these could not be used except at
night. We were at a great disadvantage in this area.
The Boche had but lately occupied the line we were
now holding; he knew its whereabouts exactly, knew
every corner of it, and could observe it from his heights
on both flanks. We on the other hand never quite
knew where the Boche was living, had no observation
of his front line, and were consequently unable to
retaliate as effectively as we should have wished to his
trench mortars.

LENS. 181

On the 19th of Apnl Lt. Col. J. B. O. Trimble, M.C.,
arrived and took command, and the same night we
marched through Béthune and Noeux les Mines to the
““ Double Crassier’’— a long double slag heap near
Loos— where we lived for two days in cellars and
dug-outs, in Brigade Reserve. The day after we
arrived an attempt was made by the Division on our
left to capture “* Hill 70.’’ It failed, and during the
enemy’s retaliatory bombardment our positions were
heavily shelled, and five men wounded. The next night
we moved back to Maroc and Bully Grenay, where we
stayed until the 23rd, when we relieved the 4th
Battalion in the front line.

Our new sector was one of the worst we ever held.
The front line, ‘‘A’’ Company (Petch), consisted of
““ Cooper Trench ’’—an exposed salient in front of Cité
St. Pierre, overlooked and shelled from every direction
and absolutely unapproachable during daylight, except
for those who were willing to crawl. ‘‘B’”’ and “C”’
Companies (Wynne and Moore) were behind in cellars,
and ‘‘D”’ (Shields) and Battalion Headquarters still
further back in the Cité. On the left could be seen the
low slag heap and railway line of St. Pierre coal mine,
held by our Ist Battalion, under which the 6th Division
a few days previously had lost an entire platoon buried
in a collapsed dug-out.

The tour lasted six days, and at the end of the second
~ D~ Company relieved ““A’” in Cooper trench. It
was originally intended to relieve ‘‘D’’ in the same
way two nights later, but this was impossible, because
we had to take over a new sector of line on the right,
where ““B’’ Company now relieved the 4th Lincoln-
shires, astride the Cité St. Edouard road. The new

182 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

sector was not so exposed to view, and consequently to
shelling as Cooper trench, but had other disadvantages,
chief among which was its peculiar shape. A sharp
pointed salient ran out along the Cité St. Edouard road,
while South of this the line bent back to the right until
it reached the outskirts of St. Pierre.

The shelling was very hot throughout the tour, and,
at night particularly, there was plenty of machine-gun
fire up the streets, which made ration carrying a
dangerous job. ‘‘D’’ Company suffered most in
casualties, nearly all of which were caused by shell fire
on Cooper Trench, where they were unlucky in losing,
in addition to some twenty others, Serjeants Williams,
Queenborough and Goode, all of whom were wounded.
The other Companies had some ten casualties between
them.

All this time the enemy were inclined to be nervous
after our attack on ‘‘ Hill 70,’’ and almost every day
the columns of smoke in Lens showed us where he was
burning houses and stores in case he should be forced
to retire. His Infantry remained comparatively inactive
in the front line, and when one night 2nd Lieut. Banwell
and his platoon of ‘‘C’’ Company raided Cité St.
Edouard Church they found no enemy there.

One humorous episode is handed down concerning
this otherwise rather grim tour. Battalion Head-
quarters lived in a very small cellar—mess and office
below, clerks and signallers and runners on the stairs.
The Boche, the previous occupants, had left a
suspicious looking red and black object on one end of
the table which we used for meals and work. This
took up a large part of our very scanty room, so an
R.E. Specialist was called in to examine it. He

LENS. 183

examined the object, at once condemned the cellar as
dangerous, and advised our immediate departure.
Cellars were hard to find, we consulted another
specialist. His actions are best described in the words
of one of those present: ‘‘ He (R.E.) clears dug-out,
or rather dug-out clears itself, and ties string gingerly
to object; the string he leads upstairs and along a
trench to what he considers is a safe distance. When
all is ready the string is pulled. | Nothing happens.
Suspense—a long pause—two hours—several drinks—
R.E. proceeds to examine result lying on floor—an
improvised lantern used for photography !”’

On the 29th, after a big gas bombardment against
the enemy’s positions in Cité St. Edouard and St.
Theodore, we were relieved by the 4th Battalion, and
went into the St. Pierre cellars—in Brigade support.
The whole place was under direct observation, and
movement by day was impossible, which made our
existence very unpleasant. It was while here that we
began to realize what a magnificent man was Padre
Buck. Nothing worried him, and even Cooper trench
formed part of his parish, to be visited each night. In
St. Pierre he held a service every evening in one of
the cellars, undeterred although on one occasion a shell
burst in the doorway, scattering its bits inside, but
doing no damage.

On the 3rd of May we again relieved the 4th Battalion
and stayed for three days in the Cooper trench sector.
We had a quieter time than before, and only lost one
killed and nine wounded during the tour. Amongst
the latter were L/Cpl. Waterfield and ‘‘ Pat ’’ Collins
the runner, who were both hit by a shell, which burst
on the orderly room. Our chief difficulty was the water

184 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

supply. With the hot weather the demand for water
increased, and it all had to be brought to the line in
petrol cans. Fortunately the limbers could come as
far as Battalion Headquarters, and cans had to be
carried forward from there only; even this took many
men, and our numbers were by no means large.

At the end of this tour, the Brigade went into
Divisional reserve, and we, relieved by the Sherwood
Foresters, went back to Fosse 10, near Petit Sains.
Here we stayed for six days training, playing games,
and, by way of work, wiring a new line of defence.
During this time we lost several officers. Capt.
Wollaston and Lieut. H. E. Chapman went to
Hospital, Lieut. Petch, 2nd Lieuts Clay and Bligh had
already gone, and 2nd Lieut. Hepworth left a few days
later to join the Indian Army. Captain Shields went
on leave and ‘‘D’’ Company was commanded by
Captain John Burnett, who, on his return from England,
had been sent to the 4th Battalion, but soon worked his
way back to us.

It was now our turn to go to the right Brigade sector,
previously held by the Staffordshires, and on the 12th
May we marched up to Red Mill, between Angres and
Liévin. It was a disastrous march, for we were
heavily shelled, and lost L/Cpl. Startin and Pte. Norton
killed, and three L/Cpls., Ellis, Richardson and Roper,
wounded—four of these were ‘‘ No. 1’’ Lewis Gunners.
Once at Red Mill all was well, and for the next two
days we had an enjoyable time. The Mill proved to be
a large red-brick Chateau, now sadly knocked about,
on the banks of the Souchez river. The weather was
bright and warm, so a dam was built, and we soon had
an excellent bathing pool, much patronized by all ranks.

LENS. 185

2nd Lieut. J. C. Barrett was the star performer, and
never left the water, so that those who had nothing
better to do used to “‘ go and see the Signalling Officer
swim ’’—it was one of the recognised recreations of the
place.

At night we provided carrying and wiring parties,
all of which had to go through Liévin, a bad place for
shells. The Church stood at a particularly hot corner,
and here, on the 14th, 2nd Lieut. T. P. Creed, M.C.,
was wounded in the head and foot and had to be sent
to England, a great loss to ‘‘ D’’ Company. We had
two killed and nine wounded about the same time, and
lost amongst the wounded one of our old soldiers,
O’Shaugnessy, the boxer.

On the 15th May we relieved our 4th Battalion in the
right sub-sector, staying there for ten days, with a three
days’ holiday at Red Mill in the middle. We were
very weak, and our strength in trenches was barely 450,
for in addition to casualties we had to send many away

on leave or to courses. Our new sector lay between
the Souchez river and the Lens-Liévin road, while
across the river were the Canadians. Opposite them

and our right flank, was the ridge with the generating
station, opposite our centre Fosse 3 and “‘ Hill 65.”’
Fosse 3 had a large group of mine buildings standing
on a slag heap, which ran Southwards from “ Hill
65,’’ ending above the river with a thirty foot slope.
The Western face was the same height, and at its foot
on our side was a large lake. The Corons were on
the slopes of the Hill and round its base on the Western
side. Those at the bottom we held, but the enemy had
those on the slopes, and one building in particular, the
“L-shaped house,’’ was very strongly fortified. The

186 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

right Company had its outposts in the cellars and shell-
holes round the N. and W. edges of the lake, the centre
and left companies had cellars and trenches, through
the Cités de Riaumont and du Bois de Liévin, down to
the main Lens road. Left Company Headquarters had
a beautiful chateau, with a fruit and asparagus garden,
known after its first occupant as ‘‘ John Burnett’s
Chateau.’’ There were two communication trenches,
one each side of the Riaumont Hill: ‘‘ Assign ’’ on the
South, shallow and unsafe in daylight, and ‘‘ Absalom ”’
on the North. ‘‘ Hill 65’’ dominated everything, and
gave the Boche a tremendous advantage. | We had the
Riaumont hill, 500 yards West of our front line, and
could use the Bois de Riaumont on its summit as an
O.P., but this was always being shelled, and though
the view was excellent, one was seldom left in peace
long enough to enjoy it. Battalion Headquarters had a
strong German concrete dug-out in Li€vin, said to have
been formerly occupied by Prince Ruprecht of Bavaria.

The enemy confined his activity to his artillery, which
hammered our back areas, and his trench mortars,
which constantly bombarded our outposts. A row of
houses along an absolutely straight street forms a com-
paratively easy target, and a cellar is no protection
against a 240lbs. Minenwerfer shell. On one occasion
ithe enemy, starting at one end, dropped a shell on
every house in turn down one side, smashing each
cellar; it was a nerve-racking performance for those
who lived in one of the cellars and had to watch the
shells coming nearer, knowing that to go into the street
meant instant death at the hands of some sniper. The
headquarters of No. 15 Platoon had a direct hit, but
fortunately 2nd Lieuts. Brooke and Ramsden were

LENS. 187

both out crawling about somewhere, and the only
damage was to their dinner. Every mortar, whose
position was known, was given a name and marked on
a map, so as to simplify quick retaliation. | Captain
Burnett spent much time at the telephone demanding
theseslauchterseotue bear?) Bat. o° Pharoah, 7
S Philises Philistine,” “ Moses,.’ “ Aaron,’ etc. etc:
It was impossible to visit any of the outpost line by
day, and those from Battalion Headquarters who
wanted to do so had perforce to go at night. Nights
were dark; the ground was covered with shell-holes,
some of them of great size. Once Major Griffiths,
going out with Grogan, his runner, suddenly dis-
appeared from view in an enormous hole which had
apparently amalgamated itself with some well or sewer.
The Major was almost drowned, but came to the
surface in time to hear Grogan say: ‘‘ You haven’t
fallen in, have you, sir?” He was fished out and
scraped down and went on his way to “‘ John Burnett’s
Chateau,’’ where he was given warmth and comfort,
and whence he eventually returned to Liévin—taking
care to rob the asparagus bed before leaving.
Towards the end of the tour the enemy attempted a
small raid against our somewhat isolated right post,
but was easily driven off by our Lewis guns, and made
no other attempts. On the 25th of May the Sherwood
Foresters took our place, and we marched out to
Marqueffles Farm. The tour had cost us twenty-four
casualties, three of whom were killed; we had some
narrow escapes in the cellars, and were fortunate not
to lose more. ‘‘ D’”’ Company had had a particularly
bad time, and owe much to Serjeant Burbidge, who
seemed in his element in the midst of terrific explosions

188 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

and rocking cellars, and saved many casualties by his
calmness.

Marqueffles Farm stands next to Marqueffles coal
mine, at the foot of the Northern slopes of the Lorette
ridge. |The Companies were all billeted in the farm,
and the officers in tents outside, while a home-made
marquee formed an excellent mess. After our first
difficulty, which was to find the place at all in the utter
darkness of relief night, we spent a very happy twelve
days in beautiful weather. After coal mines and
squalid narrow streets, the woods of Lorette, the little
village of Bouvigny, and the open country were delight-
ful, for the scenery to the south was all very pleasing.
Games of all descriptions were our programme for the
first two days, while our chief amusement was to watch
the enemy’s attempts to hit the observation balloon
above us. His shells, fitted with clockwork fuzes,
burst very high, and were quite harmless.

But our stay in Marqueffles was not merely a rest,
we were there to practice for an attack to be made
shortly on Fosse 3. A plan of the Fosse and its
trenches was marked out, and each day the assaulting
Companies, ‘‘ B’’ and ‘‘ C,”’ practiced their attack over
it, until each man knew his task exactly. In addition
to this “‘C’’ Company were able to scale the Marqueffles
slag-heap, and so prepare themselves for Fosse 3,
whose 30 feet they would have to climb in the battle.
General Kemp had had to go to Hospital with a
poisoned foot and Colonel Thorpe, the Divisional Staff
Officer, who took his place, came often to watch our
practice, making on the last occasion a very encoura-
ging, if somewhat bloodthirsty speech. Through it all
we enjoyed ourselves immensely. For a _ change

LENS. 189

canteen stores were plentiful, and a generous supply of
cigarettes, beer, and other luxuries, did much to raise
our spirits. The officers, too, had many pleasant
evenings, and, on more than one occasion, the night
was disturbed by the old familiar strains of ‘‘ Come
Landlord fill the flowing Bowl,’’ ‘‘ John Peel,’’ and
other classical ditties.

On the 6th of June we moved up to Liévin and took

over the line from the 5th Sherwood Foresters. For
the first time the officers were clothed exactly as the
men. “D™” Co. (Burnett) was in front, “A’’ Co.

(Broughton) in support, and ‘‘B”’ and ‘‘C’’ (Wynne
and Moore) in the row of houses just west of Riaumont
Hill. These had hardly settled down before a shell
burst in the doorway of ‘‘C’’ Company Headquarters
killing Serjeant Harper, the Lewis Gun N.C.O., and
wounding six others, amongst them another Gunner,
L/Cpl. Morris. At the same time 2nd Lieut. A. L.
Macbeth had to go to Hospital with fever; Capt. Wynne
was also far from well, but refused to leave his
Company on the eve of the attack.

The final preparations were made on the night of the
7th/8th, when two parties went out to cut wire, 2nd
Lieut. Banwell and 2nd Lieut. C. S. Allen. The first
party: found some thick wire, placed their ammonal
tubes and successfully blew several gaps. The others,
under 2nd Lieut. Allen, found no uncut wire, so brought

their tubes back. Everything was ready by dawn on
the 8th, and Zero was ordered for 8-30 p.m. the same
day.

For several days the Monmouthshires had been at
work deepening “‘ Assign ’’ trench, and had done much,
but it was still shallow, and there is no doubt that as

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SKETCH MAP To ILLUSTRATE FIGHTING AT LENS
- MAY, JUNE 1917 -

LENS. UN)

‘““B”’ and ‘‘C’’ Companies came up it between 5.0 and
6.0 p.m., they were seen from the top of ‘‘ Hill 65.”
For as ‘‘B’’ Company passed the group of cottages
South of Riaumont Hill, the Boche opened a heavy fire
on the trench and dropped a shell right amongst the
Company Headquarters. Capt. Wynne was untouched,
but his Serjeant-Major, Gore, and his runner, Ghent,
both first-class soldiers, were killed by his side.
Assembly was complete by 6.0 p.m. and “B,”’
“Cy with Zero in some short lengths of trench, dug amongst the
houses at the East end of “‘ Assign’’ trench. ‘‘A”’
Co., who were to carry ammunition and stores for the
attackers, formed up near Battalion Headquarters, in
the group of houses half way up the trench. Capt.
Wynne, though worn out with fever, and hardly able
to stand, still stuck to his Company.

At 8.30 p.m. the barrage opened, and the attack
started. Almost the first shell exploded some ammuni-
tion dump on the far side of the slag heap, and the
whole battle was lit up by the gigantic fire which
followed. Against the red glow the black figures of
““C”’ Company could be seen swarming up the slag-
heap, clearing the two trenches, ‘‘ Boot ’’ and ‘‘ Brick,’’
on its summit, and sweeping on to clean out the dug-
outs beyond. There were many Germans on and
around the heap, and in a short time between 80 and
100 were killed, nearly all with the bayonet. Serjeant
Needham stormed a trench mortar emplacement, him-
self accounting for most of the crew. Serjeant Roberts,
formerly of the Transport, and with his Company for
the first time, was much annoyed to find a bayonet
through his arm, but did not stop until he had dealt

192 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

with its owner and any of his friends he could find.
Pte. Tookey and many others showed splendid dash,
bombing dug-outs, bayonetting stray Huns, and
occasionally taking a prisoner or two. — But the central
figure of the fight was 2nd Lieut. Banwell. Armed with
a rifle and bayonet he simply ran amock and
slaughtered some eight of the enemy by himself, while
their leader he ran to the edge of the slag-heap and
kicked over the side into the lake, where he broke his
neck and was drowned. Altogether this Company took
eight prisoners and destroyed three machine guns and
two trench mortars.

Meanwhile the attack on the left had failed. At
Zero Captain Wynne led ‘‘B’’ Company from their
trenches and advanced towards the ‘‘ L-shaped ’’ build-
ing. They had hardly started before their ranks were
swept from end to end with machine gun fire from the
houses to their left and front. Capt. Wynne and 2nd
Lieut. R. B. Farrer were killed, 2nd Lieut. W. I.
Nelson was wounded, and the company had no officers
left. Still, under the N.C.O.’s, they tried to push
forward, only to meet with more losses. They were
compelled to stop, and, under Serjeant Martin, the
senior N.C.O. left, began to dig a line a few yards east
of their starting trench. Serjeant Passmore, who was
acting Serjt.-Major, Serjts. Kemp, Thorpe and Hibbert
were all wounded, L/Cpl. Aris and nine others killed,
and more than half the Company wounded. For some
time Battalion Headquarters knew nothing of this
disaster, and it was only when the Signaller L/Cpl.
Woolley came back to report, that Col. Trimble heard
what had happened. He at once ordered ‘‘ D’’ Com-
pany to fill the gap, so as to protect the left flank of

LENS. 193

*““C”’ Company, which he knew must be seriously
exposed.

‘““A°’’ Company, carrying ammunition, had also
had their casualties, and 2nd Lieut. Broughton,
after being hit more than once, eventually had
to leave them. He had been personally organizing
most of the parties, and during the battle was every-
where, quite regardless of danger. Consequently,
when he went, ‘“‘A’”’ Company became scattered ;
parties which had delivered their ammunition did not
know where to go; and some of them, a few under
Serjeant Putt and Pte. Dakin, wandered into the slag-
heap and took part in the battle, helping to kill some of
the Boche there. ‘‘D’’ Company lost two killed and
ten wounded, for their position, joining the two flanks,
was exposed to a considerable amount of enfilade fire.

As soon as they had cleared the summit of the slag-
heap ‘‘C’’ Company started to consolidate ‘‘ Boot ”’
and “‘ Brick ’’ trenches, while the most forward of the
attackers formed a protective screen. Their position
was precarious. They were exposed to heavy fire from
the generating station and ‘‘ Hill 65,’’ while unable to
keep a watch on the low ground of the Souchez river
valley or East of the slag-heap, where numbers of
Boche could assemble unseen. The ‘“‘ L-shaped ”’
building, too, was a thorn in their left flank. Still they
were well established, when Col. Thorpe and Captain
Wade, the Brigade Major, came round the line and
looked at our new positions. They left the slag-heap
just before dawn, and a few minutes later, when they
were talking to Capt. Moore in his headquarters in the
cottages below, a runner came in to announce a big
Boche counter-attack. It was still too dark to see

194 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

much, but our sentries could make out large numbers of
men closing in on them from three sides, and fire was
opened. The Boche dropped into shell holes, but
continued his advance steadily, making use of all
available cover. ‘‘C’’ Company, finding their rifles
useless and very short of ammunition, waited until they
came near enough to start bombing, and then gave
them a volley of Mills grenades. But once again we were
ruined by the inefficiency of those in rear; the bombs
had no detonators. In a few minutes the Company
would have been completely surrounded, so slowly and
in good order they withdrew, first to the edge of the
heap, and then down to the cottages at the bottom.
One group of men stayed for an incredibly long time on
a ledge partway down the face, but in the end they too
had to come away. During the night the Company
lost one killed and twenty-eight wounded, five of whom
stayed at duty; two others were badly wounded during
the counter-attack, were subsequently captured, and
died as prisoners in Germany—Privates A. Beck and
R. Collins. At the time, the withdrawal from the slag-
heap seemed like a defeat, but, had we stayed, our
casualties would have been far worse and the result the
same; for with daylight, nothing could have lived on
the heap, so long as the Generating Station and ‘‘ Hill
65’? remained in German hands.

The night after the battle we were relieved by the
5th Lincolnshires and marched out to Red Mill again for
a few days’ rest. We were congratulated by the
General on the fight, and Captain Moore and ‘‘C”
Company came in for special praise for their work with
the bayonet. Capt. Wynne and 2nd Lieut. Farrer
were buried in Bully Grenay, and Lieut. N. C.

LENS. 195

Marriott took over ‘‘B’’ Company. For the last
twenty four hours it had been commanded by Lieut.
Petch, who returned from Hospital in the middle of
the battle. He now went to ‘‘A’’ Company again,
and was promoted Captain. Lieut. Marriott got his
Captaincy a few weeks later. Capt. Shields returned
from leave and took command of ‘‘ D”’’ again, while
Capt. Burnett went to Headquarters.

CHAPTER XI.
ISQUEIL, (05)

13th June, 1917. 4th July, 1917

THosE who had hoped for a rest after the battle were
disappointed, for, on the 13th of June, we once more
went into the line opposite Fosse 3. The enemy
seemed to have recovered from our attack on the 8th,
and we spent a quiet five days, gaining no ground and
suffering practically no casualties. Towards the end
of the tour the Canadians gained a footing on the
Southern corner of the slag-heap and established a post
there, and at the same time took the whole of the
Generating Station and the high ground round it. _ It
seemed improbable that the Boche could hold Boot and
Brick trenches much longer, so the General brought the
5th Lincolnshires into the line on the evening of the
18th to make a new attack on Fosse 3. This attack
was to take the form of a large raid.

Leaving ‘‘A’’ Company (Petch) in close support in
Cité des Garennes we went out to Red Mill while the
attack took place, and the following day, the 19th, the
Lincolnshires sent us down 24 prisoners to guard.
Their raid had been a great success, they had cleared
the slag-heap and the machine buildings and _ killed
many Boche as well as taken prisoners. As a result
of this the Lincolnshires were able to move into Boot

gut, (69), 197

and Brick for their outpost line, and here on the 20th
we relieved them. Twice during the relief the S.O.S.
Signal was fired by our posts in the front line on account
of suspected counter-attacks, but our artillery replied
so promptly and so efficiently that nothing materialized.

Our second night in the line was disastrous. During
this fighting round Lens, any progress made was the
result of minor operations, raids and even patrol fights,
and there was seldom a large scale battle. It was
naturally difhcult to keep all units informed of the latest
progress, and this difficulty was particularly great in
our case, when trying to maintain liaison with the
Canadians. The Souchez river was the boundary
between the two corps, and made it impossible for us
to visit their front line troops. We had therefore to
rely on Division and Corps headquarters keeping each
other posted as to the latest progress, and on more
than one occasion this liaison broke down, and we
suffered very heavily.

At dusk on the 2Ist we received a message, and at
once warned all ranks, that the Special Brigade R.E.
were going to carry out a gas bombardment of the mine
buildings of Fosse 3. Projectors would be fired by
a Company operating with the Canadian Corps, from
whose front the buildings could be best attacked. The
wind was satisfactory, and the buildings were at least
150 yards away from our nearest trenches, so there
seemed no need of any special precautions. ee:
Company, occupying Boot and Brick trenches, heard
the familiar explosion as the projectors went off, and
waited to hear them fall in the buildings. Instead,
they fell in our trenches, several hundred of them; in
a few seconds, and before any warning could be

198 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE,

shouted, the trenches were full of phosgene, the
deadliest of all gasses. | Officers and men worked hard
to rouse those resting, and, in particular, 2nd Wieut:
Banwell taking no heed for his own safety, went every-
where, rousing, rescuing and helping the badly gassed.
But it was too late, and all through the night and next
morning casualties were being carried out to Liévin and
down the line. 2nd Lieuts. Craggs and Macbeth both
went to England, and, almost the last to leave the slag-
heap, 2nd Lieut. Banwell. His great strength had
enabled him to survive longer than the others, but no
constitution could stand all that phosgene, and during
the morning he suddenly fainted, and had to be carried
down. By the time he reached Liévin he was almost
dead, and the Doctors held out no hope of his recovery.
However, fed on oxygen and champagne he lasted a
week, and then, to everybody’s surprise, began to
recover. The greatest surprise of all was when this
marvellous man refused to go to England, but preferred
to remain in Hospital in France until fit enough to
rejoin his own Battalion. With the exception of Capt.
Moore, who was fortunately on leave at the time, ‘‘ C”’
Company was wiped out and temporarily ceased to exist.
Twenty-four died from the poison, and in all sixty-two
others of the Company went to Hospital. Most of these
found their way to England, though one or two, such
as Serjt. Needham and L/Cpl. Tookey, both fighting
men, preferred to remain and return to us. sD
Company also had their losses, and Serjeant Sullivan
and nine others were gassed, ten others wounded. The
rest of the Battalion escaped untouched.

The following night the 8th Sherwood Foresters came
into the line, and we went back to Marqueffles Farm.

HILL 65. 199

Our losses had been heavy and so far we had had
practically no reinforcements, so had to reorganise our
three remaining Companies with three platoons each
instead of four. We were also becoming short of
officers, having lost eight and only received one
reinforcement—Lieut. R. J. H. F. Watherstone, who
came to us from England.

We spent two days resting and cleaning ourselves,
and trying to recover from the effects of the battle,
before starting on any more serious work. On the
Sunday, at Church Parade, General Thwaites came and
spoke to us, congratulating us once more on the 8th,

and praising especially ‘‘C’’ Company for their
bayonet work. He was very angry indeed about the
gas disaster and explained the cause. It appeared

that the Company carrying out the operation had never
been informed of our occupation of the trenches on the
slag heap, and that, when they said they were going to
bombard the mine buildings, they meant the whole
area, including these trenches, which they imagined
were still held by the enemy.

The whole Division was now very weak, for the
series of small battles during the past six weeks had
been expensive. However, the higher authorities
considered we were still fit for battle and decided to give
us one more show, before sending us to some quiet
trenches to recuperate. The objective this time was
SO eee INCH erAGyacentamands. Advance
trenches and the outskirts of the Cité du Moulin—the
last of the Cités outside Lens itself. Three Battalions
would attack, ourselves on the right, our 4th Battalion
in the centre, and the 5th S. Staffordshires on the left.
Practice started at once over a flagged course, and our

200 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

new Brigadier, General F. G. M. Rowley, CoMEG-, Jot
the Middlesex Regiment, came to watch us at work.
Our formation differed slightly from that used in
previous fights, for we gave great prominence to the
‘“Moppers.’’ Several times lately the leading waves
of an assault had gone straight to their final objective,
consolidated, and then found themselves cut off by
parties of the enemy, over whom they had passed during
the advance. Now a line of ‘‘ moppers ’’ was detailed
to follow ten yards behind each wave, with orders to
mop up everything and leave no living Boche anywhere
behind the assaulting troops. in sour (case: > Des
Company (Shields) would mop up, ‘‘A’’ and “B”
(Petch and Marriott) would make the attack, while two
Companies of the 4th Lincolnshires were detailed to
assist us with carrying parties.

While we were practising this, on the 25th the troops
in the line made further progress, somewhat lightening
our task, but not necessitating any alteration in our
plans of attack. The battle was ordered for the 28th
June, and the previous evening we moved up Assign
trench to our assembly positions, Boot and Brick
Trenches on the slag heap. We were to relieve partly
Lincolnshires and partly Monmouthshires, and for some
reason or other there was confusion among the guides.
Those detailed for ‘* A’’ Company wanted to lead them
to the right instead of the left of the assaulting frontage,
while ‘* B”’’ Company had “‘ A’s”” guides. Fortunately
Capt. Petch was able to catch his platoons in time, and,
dismissing the guides, sent each to its correct position.
Serjeant Putt, who had started first, he could not warn
in time, but fortunately this N.C.O. knew enough of the
plans to know that he was being led wrongly, and so

HILL 65. 201

retraced his steps and rejoined the rest of his Company
on the slag-heap. ‘‘ A’’ Company were in position by
10.0 p.m., but the other companies were seriously
delayed and wandered about most of the night under
guides, who took them the wrong way. To add to the
confusion our liaison with the Canadians again broke
down, and without any warning the Division on our
right suddenly launched an attack. Barrages followed
by both sides and the noise continued throughout the
night. Long after the attack was over the noise went
on, for every few minutes some post would get nervous
and send up an S.O.S. signal, immediately calling
down a barrage, to which the other side would reply in
kind. All this took place on the other side of the
Souchez river, but we came in for much shelling, and
the relief was not finally complete until 5.0 a.m. At
dawn we were all in position. ‘‘B’’ Company
(Marriott) was on the right with a frontage from the
Souchez river to the Southern edge of the mine
buildings ; ‘‘ A ’’ (Petch) was on the left, with the length
of the buildings as their frontage; ‘‘ D’’ (Shields)
assembled under the slag-heap behind’them. Zero was
ordered for 7.20 p.m.

The original plan had been for the assaulting
Companies to leave their assembly trenches a few
minutes before Zero, and, moving forward carefully, to
form up for the attack a few yards in front. At 7.0
p-m. it was still, of course, bright daylight; the enemy
had two observation balloons up, and there were several
aeroplanes about. It seemed that any such movement
must be noticed. However, fate was on our side,
and at 7.15 p.m. a rain storm burst over the country,
completely obscuring the view, and by Zero the assault-

202 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

ing troops were lying out ready. They had not been

seen.
At 7-20 p.m. the rain stopped, the barrage started,
and we went forward. At the same time real and

dummy gas attacks were made North of the Liévin-
Lens road, and the enemy must have wondered very
much where the main attack would be. The result was
satisfactory ; we met no real barrage and no very heavy
machine gun fire, though there was a considerable
amount of scattered shooting of both kinds. This did
not delay our advance, though 2nd Lieut. Dawes was
wounded and had to leave his Company. Our only
difficulty was the mine building, through which ‘A ”’
Company were supposed to advance; this was found to
be impenetrable, and Captain Petch had to send half his
Company through ‘‘ B’’ Company’s frontage, and half
through the 4th Leicestershires, so as to avoid it.
‘“ Adjunct ’’ and ‘‘ Adjacent ’’ trenches were reached
practically without loss, but the enemy did not stay to
receive us, and we found them empty. At 7.40 p.m.
Yates, the ‘“‘A’’ Company runner, reached headquarters
with the news of the success of the battle.

Adjacent, trench was organised as our new outpost
line and several strong points were built along it. We
also secured the Western end of ‘‘ Almanac,’’ a com-
munication trench running N.E. alongside the railway.
Halfway up this trench a deserted Boche machine gun
post would have provided us with an excellent forward
post, but unfortunately it was in our defensive barrage
line and we were not allowed to occupy it. We had,
therefore, to content ourselves with collecting the sou-
venirs, which included a telephone, and to come away.
We had several casualties while consolidating, and lost

HILL 65. 203

another officer, 2nd Lieut. M. J. S. Dyson, who was
slightly waunded by a stray shell. ““B’’ Company
lost Cpl. Baker wounded, and L/Cpl. Snow of “A”’
was also hit, in addition to two killed and twenty-five
others wounded in the Battalion. |The scattered shell-
ing became somewhat more concentrated after our
arrival, but did not stop our consolidation, which went
forward rapidly with only one pause. About 8.0 p.m.
there was a terrific rainstorm and everyone stopped
work to put on waterproof sheets. The enemy must
have done the same, and it was curious to notice how
the battle stopped while everybody sheltered, for while
the rain lasted there was complete silence, and neither
side fired a shot.

Our task the next morning was to discover how far
the Boche had retired. The Canadians South of the
river had pushed on to the outskirts of Cité St. Antoine,

almost in Lens itself, and, with ‘‘ Hill 65’’ in our
hands, the German positions in the Cité du Moulin
were overlooked from everywhere. Patrols were sent

forward to investigate, and 2nd Lieut. Brooke, with
some of ‘‘D’’ Company, pushed forward up ‘‘Almanac’’
trench as far as the Arras road. Here they caught
sight of a Boche patrol, which promptly fled as fast as
possible. Except for this, the day passed quietly, as
did the following morning.

The afternoon of the 30th, however, was far from
quiet, and for several hours our new line was heavily
shelled. In addition to the usual field batteries, there
was one heavy gun which fired continuously on ‘“‘A”’
Company’s lines, obtaining a direct hit on Company
Headquarters. Capt. Petch and 2nd Lieut. Campbell
were both buried but not seriously hurt. Serjt. Ault,

204 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

the acting Serjeant-Major, Wheeldon and Stevenson,
the two runners, all three old soldiers of exceptional
abilitv, were killed. Raven, another runner, was
wounded, Downs had already been hit, and was again
severely shaken, but both these stayed at duty, while
they helped Lilley and Balderstone, who pluckily came
along, to dig out those who were buried. In all twenty-
eight were wounded, making our casualties for the
battle three officers and ninety other ranks. That
night the 4th Lincolnshires relieved us, and we went
into Brigade reserve, two Companies in Cité des
Garennes, the other in Liévin.

A few hours after relieving us the Lincolnshires made
another attack, but failed to gain much ground, and
met with considerable opposition from the neighbour-
hood of the Arras road. Their casualties were
consequently heavy, and they asked to be relieved again
the following night, so we were ordered to go up once
more and take over their new line. Guides were to

have met us at the ‘‘ Broken bridge ’’ near ‘* Adjacent ”’
trench, but only those for “‘A’”’ and ‘* B’’ Companies
arrived, and for several hours Captain Shields waited
with ‘“‘ D’’ Company, not knowing where to take his
men. Apparently there had been some further opera-
tions, and the Lincolnshires had been shelled, in any
case no guides appeared, and it was nearly dawn. At
last, Capt. Shields, knowing that in a few minutes he
would not have time to reach the front line, even if

ce ’

guides did arrive, gave the order to ‘‘ about turn,’
and marched back. This caused considerable discus-
sion at Battalion Headquarters, and Brigade finally
decided that Col. Trimble should take over the line

with two companies of the 4th Lincolnshires in front

HILL 65. 205

4c ”»

in the outpost line, two of our Companies in ‘‘ Acorn
and “ Adjunct,’’ and one Company of ours under the
slag-heap. We were all well dug in, and consequently
did not lose very heavily when the following day, the
2nd of July, we were shelled continuously for several
hours. Our telephone lines were almost all cut, so that
messages had to be sent by the runners, whose task
was far from pleasant on these occasions. Throughout
these two months of fighting in Lens the runners, both
Battalion and Company, had proved themselves to be
very fine soldiers. | We relied on them almost entirely
in battle, for telephone wires never lasted long, and
pigeons, once released, did not return. But the
runners never failed, and what is more were always
cheerful. | Cheerfully they crawled along some exposed
street, or dodged round houses in the Cité St. Pierre,
cheerfully they faced Assign trench and Liévin corner,
and equally cheerfully they crossed the slag-heap, often
having to go actually through a barrage to reach their
destination. Grogan, Collins, Sullivan, Raven, Kil-
coyne and others, always ready and always willing, they
would work till they dropped, and the Battalion owes
much to their courage and endurance.

The 3rd of July passed quietly, and that night we
were relieved by the 25th Canadians and marched to
Aix Noulette, where we embussed and went to Monchy
Breton for a rest.

CHAP TE Ree

Sit) ELIE LEFT.

4th July, 1917. 23rd Nov., 1917.

WE stayed for three weeks at Monchy Breton and
enjoyed ourselves immensely, with good weather, good
billets and plenty of games. The Headquarters lived
and messed at M. le Curé’s, where they consumed a
disgraceful amount of strawberries and cream, while
the other officers under Captain Burnett messed
together in another house. But the chief feature of
this period of rest was the Divisional Rifle meeting, a
regular Bisley meeting, which took place at the end of
it. It was a triumph for the 5th Leicestershires, for
we carried off amongst other trophies the G.O.C.’s Cup.
R.S.M. Small, D.C.M., had one ‘‘first’’ and two
““seconds,’’ Corporal F. H. J. Spencer, M.M., one
“first ’? and one ‘‘ second,’’ in the individual competi-
tions, while Serjt. Clancy and Pte. F. Bindley won the
assault course and individual “‘ pools.’ On the second
day ‘‘A”’ and ‘‘ B’’ Companies each got third place in
the Company Assault Course and Snap-shooting
Competitions, and ‘‘C’’ was second in the Company
““ Knock-out ’’ and third in the ‘‘ running man’’ com-
petitions. In this last Pte. Pepper won third place
in the pool. Finally our officers’ team won the
revolver shoot. The rifle shooting throughout both

bo |

ST. ELIE LEFT. 20

days was of a very high order, but the same cannot be
said for the revolver work, and we only won this last
competition by being not quite so terribly bad as
anybody else.

On the 20th of July we received orders to go into
action again—this time to a quiet sector near Hulluch—
and the following day we moved to Vaudricourt. The
C.O. and most of the officers went by motor-’bus
through to Philosophe to reconnoitre the new line; the
rest of the Battalion set out under Captain Burnett to
march. The previous evening had been spent in
celebrating our rifle-shooting victories and we felt like
anything rather than marching twenty miles under a
blazing July sun. Those who took part in it will never
forget that march; it was worse than ‘‘ Luton to
Ware’’ in 1914. Packs seemed heavier than ever
before, the hill at Houdain was too much for many,
and the beer and white wine of the previous evening
proved stronger than march discipline, and many fell
out. We finally crawled into Vaudricourt at 4-0 p.m.
—tired out.

The following evening our Transport lines and
Quartermaster’s Stores moved to Labourse and we went
into the line, relieving the 2nd York and Lancaster
Regiment in the Hulluch right sector. For six days
we lived in tunnels, with a front line which consisted of
odd isolated posts at the end of each passage. The
old front line trench seemed to have disappeared
entirely. We were not much worried by the enemy, in
fact, except for one trench mortar near Hulluch, called
the ‘‘ Goose,’’ he kept very quiet. At the end of the
tour we were relieved by the 4th Battalion and went into
billets at Noeux les Mines.

208 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Noeux was not shelled during our stay, so we had
a peaceful time, though one officer was somewhat
troubled on waking the first morning to find attached
to his house the following notice : ‘‘ THis Cross Roaps
1s REGISTERED. No Parties To Hatt Here.’’ We did
not stay long, however, for on the 30th July we were
suddenly ordered to move to Fouquiéres to prepare for
a coming raid, and marched there during the afternoon,
Battalion Headquarters to the Chateau, Companies to
the village. | For some reason best known to himself
the billeting officer had billeted all officers with the
wrong companies, but this was soon rectified, and we
were very comfortable.

Our coming raid was to be carried out against the
enemy’s trenches West of Hulluch on a frontage of
300 yards. The sector chosen was bounded on the
North by Hendon and on the South by Hicks Alley,
while Herring Alley was in the centre. There were
three German lines, and on the left a small extra line
between the first and second, which we named Hinckley
Trench. The scheme was for two Companies to take
and hold the German third line, one Company to mop
up behind them, and the fourth Company to follow
with some Engineers to demolish dug-outs. One of
the forward Companies would have to send a special

party to deal with the ‘‘ Goose’’ trench mortar. All
wire cutting would be done by the Artillery, who were
allowed a fortnight for it, so that they might not excite
the enemy too much by heavy shooting. During this
time we were to detail an officer to stay in the line,
watch the shooting, and patrol the gaps at night. We
would also practise the attack over a flagged course.

The flagged course was set out very elaborately at

St. ELIE LEFT. 209

Hesdigneul, and not only was each trench shown, but
small notice boards denoted the position of every
supposed machine gun, trench mortar, or deep dug-out.
Practices took place first by day and finally by night,
for the raid was to be a night attack, and various
lamp signals were arranged to assist the withdrawal.
The position of Hulluch village was indicated on the
practice ground by a large notice board—HuLtLtucu—
which probably gave any spies there might be in
Hesdigneul a very fair idea of what was intended.

Meanwhile, we _ received various reinforcements.
Lieut. G. E. Russell returned, 2nd Lieut. W. M.
Cole came from the Artists’ Rifles, 2nd Lieuts. R. W.
Edge, IT. R. L. Gibson, R. B. Rawson, €. P. Shilton,
R. W. Sanders, L. W. Mandy, and J. S. Plumer came
to us for the first time from England. At the same
time a large party of men, arriving at Monchy Breton,
had enabled us to reconstitute ‘‘ C ’’ Company, so that
we now had four Companies of three platoons each,
and enough officers for two Battalions. Lieut. Pearson
went to Hospital and thence to England, and Capt.
Wollaston acted Adjutant. The Company Commanders
were unchanged.

For the second week of our fortnight we slightly
relaxed the vigour of our practices, and devoted more
time to musketry, bombing, and training the demolition
parties for their work. The officers to take part in the
raid were also chosen, and various tasks allotted to
the others. Capt. Shields with 2nd Lieut. Cole and
““D”’ Company would make the right attack; Capt.
Petch with 2nd Lieut. Gibson and ‘‘ A’’ Company, the
left. “‘B’’ Company (Capt. Marriott and 2nd Lieut.
C. S. Allen) would be the supports, and the two

210 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

demolition parties would be found by “‘C”’ Company
under 2nd Lieuts. Lowe and Edge. 2nd Lieut. Plumer
was detailed to take a party of ‘““D’’ Company to
destroy the ‘‘Goose.’’ Lieut. G. E. Russell was
‘©©.C. Searchlight,’’ and various other officers were
chosen to count the raiding party when they returned.

Meanwhile, up in trenches the most wonderful work
was being done by 2nd Lieut. Brooke and six other
ranks of ‘‘D’’ Company—L/Cpl. Clapham, Ptes.
Haines, Hanford, Johnson, Mason, and Rolls. This
was the party left in the line with the Staffordshires
to observe the wire cutting and patrol the gaps. At
first, 2nd Lieut. Brooke spent his days with the
F.O.O. and confined his patrolling to the hours of
darkness, but later he was out in front both day and
night. On two occasions he came into contact with
the enemy. First, on his very first patrol, he had
just reached the enemy’s wire, and was trying to find
a way through, when the enemy opened a heavy fire at
close range. L/Cpl. Clapham was killed, shot through
the head, and it was only with the utmost difficulty
that the rest of the party escaped with their lives.
The second encounter was in daylight. The Stafford-
shires had reported that they believed the German front
line to be unoccupied, so on the 13th August, in the
middle of the afternoon, 2nd Lieut. Brooke crossed
No Man’s Land, passed through the wire and entered
the Boche front line. He was just exploring it when
a very surprised German came round a corner and
saw him. 2nd Lieut. Brooke at once left the trench
and took shelter as quickly as possible in a shell hole
outside. A perfect shower of bombs and rifle grenades
were thrown after him, but he was untouched, and
regained our lines without a scratch.

PY OP 2s OF Chua 6 D3 Oe Oe 211

On the 14th August, after a very happy fortnight at
Fouquieres, we moved to the huts at Noyelles,
where the special stores for the coming raid were
issued. At the same time all pay books, badges,
identity discs and personal kits were handed in, and to
each man was issued a small round cardboard dise
with a number on it. The following morning we
paraded at 10 a.m., and marched through Vermelles
to Lone Trench and Tenth Avenue, where we were to
wait until it was time to assemble. On the way, ‘““B”
Company had a serious disaster. A shell, intended for
one of our batteries West of Vermelles, fell on the
Company as they were passing the Mansion House
Dump. They were marching in fours and had prac-
tically a whole platoon wiped out, for eleven were
killed and fourteen wounded. Amongst the killed was
Freddie Chambers, self-appointed Company humorist,
and one of the best known and most cheerful soldiers
in the Battalion.

Our Patrol party was waiting for us in Lone Trench,
but their report was far from satisfactory. 2nd Lieut.
Brooke declared that there were by no means enough
gaps, in fact none at all on the left, and Colonel
Trimble asked for the raid to be postponed. Mean-
while, 2nd Lieut. Brooke went off to the front line,
where he finally was able to convince the Divisional
Intelligence Officer that there were not sufficient gaps,
and at the last moment, as the Companies were pre-
paring to move to their assembly positions, the raid
was postponed for 24 hours. Accordingly we spent
the night in our somewhat cramped surroundings in
Lone Trench, and the following day the Artillery con-
tinued to cut the wire, this time with better success.

212 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

One of the original objects of the raid had been to
detract attention from a Canadian attack on “ Hill
70’’ to be made at the same time. This attack we
watched from the back of Lone trench, and later in
the day were able to give material assistance. The
German counter attack came from behind Hulluch, near
Wingles, and the troops for it assembled and started
their attack in view of our posts. Captain Ellwood and
his machine gunners at once got to work and did terrific
execution, being chiefly responsible for the failure of
the enemy’s efforts, and enabling the Canadians to hold
the Hill.

So successful was the wire cutting on the 16th, that
our patrol reported all ready for the raid, and ac-
cordingly we moved at dusk to our assembly positions.
One alteration in the plan of attack had to be made
at the last minute. Jt had omginally been intended
that the attacking platoons, after passing in file through
our wire, should spread out in No Man’s Land into
lines. As the German wire was only cut into gaps
and not obliterated, it was now decided that platoons
should keep in file until through that belt also, and
spread out on entering the front line. Bridges were
placed over our front line, all faces were blackened,
and by 10-30 p.m. all were ready for Zero, which was
to be 10-58 p.m.

The barrage started promptly, and the advance
began. The enemy’s wire was a little thick on both
flanks, but all passed through fairly easily and entered
the front line, where, as arranged, each man shouted
to show he had arrived. Two enemy were found and
killed, but much of the trench was full of wire. The
attackers passed on rapidly to the second and third

ST. ELIE LEFT. 213

lines, finding the wire thicker in front of each line, but
finally reaching their objective and building bombing
blocks. It was a dark night, and to avoid losing touch,
Captains Petch and Shields had arranged to call each
other's names as they went forward. Suddenly
Captain Shield’s voice stopped with one last cry, and
Captain Petch hurrying to the spot found he had been
hit by a shell and terribly wounded in both legs.
However, his Company reached the third line, and the
party under 2nd Lieut. Plumer set out to destroy the
Goose.

Meanwhile, the mopping up and demolition continued
behind the attack. Several Germans were found and
killed in the second line, but on the whole very few
enemy were seen, somehow they had managed to
escape. Probably there were many tunnels, and in the
dark it was quite impossible to tell what was a tunnel
entrance and what merely a dug-out. Many of the
latter were destroyed by ‘‘C’’ Company, though they
lost 2nd Lieut. Lowe, who was slightly wounded,
through being too keen to watch the effect of one of
his own Mills bombs. Corporal Tunks and Pte. Baker
did particularly good work with these demolition
parties.

Back at Battalion Headquarters was a listening set,
and this managed to overhear the German Company
Commander’s telephone report to his headquarters.

“ We are being attacked, . . . . front line penetrated,
second line wrecked ... . third line entered
send up two sections.’” The two sections came

in two parts. A strong bombing attack was made up
Hicks Alley which was held by our bombing party at
the newly built block; at the same time our left was

214 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

attacked over the open. ‘‘A’’ Company were ready
for them, and Lilley, the Lewis Gunner, soon accounted
for many and broke up the attack. ‘‘ D’’ Company
also had some fighting, in which both 2nd Lieut. Cole
and Serjeant Growdridge distinguished themselves.
The time finally came for the withdrawal, and the
special flare lights were fired. Unfortunately they
failed to light, and messages had to be sent at once
to the raid area. The enemy were held off while the
withdrawal was carried out, and by 2-0 a.m. the 17th
the majority of the raiding party had returned. Captain
Shields was carried in by C.S.M. Passmore, who very
gallantly stayed out some time after the others were all
back, but nothing could be found of Capt. Marriott
or 2nd Lieut. Plumer and the ‘‘ Goose ’’ party. Capt.
Marriott had been last seen in the second German line,
but he had been missed in the withdrawal, and was
never seen again. We brought no prisoners and no
identifications, though one man brought back a rifle and
another some papers from a dug-out. Several of the
enemy had undoubtedly been killed, but no one had
thought to cut off shoulder straps or search for pay
books. At 3-0 a.m. we returned to Noyelles, where we
spent the day cleaning and repairing our clothing.
The raid had not been a success. We lost Captain
Marriott, 2nd Lieut. Plumer, and seven men missing,
whom we never heard of again. Three more men were
known to be killed, and three others were afterwards
reported prisoners, while no less than fifty-one were
wounded. Capt. Shields, the most cheerful, strenuous,
and popular of Company Commanders, would never
fight again. He reached Chocques hospital with one leg
almost blown off and the other badly shattered, and

ST. ELIE LEFT. 215

the Doctors decided to amputate the one at once. It
is still recorded as a unique feat, that throughout the
operation neither the patient’s pulse nor temperature
altered, thanks to his wonderful constitution. The
other leg soon healed, and within a few months he was
hopping over fences in England in the best of spirits.
““B”’ Company had lost their second Company Com-
mander in two months. Like his friend Capt. Wynne,
Captain Marriott had soon won his way to the hearts
of his Company, with whom he rose from Platoon
Commander, while in the Mess he was one of the
merriest of companions and the friend of all.

There is no doubt that the enemy had been prepared
for us. The rapidity with which his barrage started,
the partly wired trenches, empty dug-outs and absence
of garrison all pointed to this. He probably waited for
us at his tunnel entrances, and hurried away as soon as
we arrived; the few we found were those who had been
too slow in getting away. As far as we ourselves were
concerned, we only made one mistake—failing to bring
back any identification. Apart from this all ranks had
worked well, and we were congratulated by General
Thwaites on our efforts.

Five days after the raid we relieved the 4th Leicester-
shires in a new trench sector, the “‘ St. Elie left,’’ and
for nearly three months the Brigade remained in this
same part of the line. The sector had its name from a
much battered coal mine, the Cité St. Elie, which stood
just inside the German lines opposite. About five
hundred yards on our right, the Vermelles-Hulluch road
crossed No Man’s Land, while a similar distance on our
left, Fosse 8 and its slag heaps formed the chief
feature. All through 1916 active mining operations had

216 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.
been carried out along the whole front, and though
there was now a deadlock underground, the craters
still remained a bone of contention; each side tried to
retain its hold on the near lip. Our right Company
held a line of six of these craters, joined together,
called ‘‘ Hairpin’’ on account of their shape on the
aeroplane photographs. The centre Company held
another group called Border Redoubt, consisting
amongst other things of two enormous craters, the
Northern and Southern. Between these two groups
lay ‘‘ Rats’ Creek,’’ a short length of trench, 200 yards
from the enemy, and without a crater. The left Com-
pany held another isolated post—‘* Russian Sap ’’—500
yards from the centre and not connected with it by any
usable trench. The old front line between Border and
Hairpin, via Rats’ Creek, a distance of 400 yards,
could be used by liaison patrols at night, but was
impossible by day.

The various posts in ‘‘ Hairpin ’’ were connected by
an underground tunnel with four exits to the trench,
while another with two exits did the same for Border
Redoubt. From each of these, a 300-yard tunnel ran
Westwards to what had been the old support line,
where they were connected underground by another
long passage—Feetham Tunnel. Border tunnel led to ‘‘ Rats’ Creek.’’ At various
points along these tunnels exits were built up to
fortified shell holes, occupied by Lewis gun teams; these
were our only supports. Down below lived Company
‘Headquarters, the garrison, one or two tunnelling
experts and the specialists, stokes mortars, machine
gunners and others. It was a dreadful existence. The
passages were damp and slippery, the walls covered

Si. ELIE END: 217

in evil-looking red and yellow spongey fungus, the roof
too low to allow one to walk upright, the ventilation
practically non existent, the atmosphere, always bad,
became in the early mornings intolerable, all combined
to ruin the health of those who had to live there. But
” were

ce

not only was one’s health ruined, one’s “‘ nerves’
seriously impaired, and the tunnels had a bad effect on
one’s moral. Knowing we could always slip down
a staircase to safety, we lost the art of walling on top,
we fancied the dangers of the open air much greater
than they really were, in every way we got into bad
condition.

The entrance to this tunnel system was at the end
of our only communication trench, Stansfield Road, a
deep well-gridded trench running all the way from
Vermelles. Battalion Headquarters lived in it, in a
small deep dug-out, 200 yards from the tunnel entrance,
and at its junction with the only real fire trench, O.B.1,
the reserve line. In this trench the reserve Company
lived in a group of dug-outs, near the Dump, called
Exeter Castle. The left Company, with one platoon in
Russian Sap and the remainder back in O.B.1, alone
had no tunnels. But after our first few tours, the
system was altered, and the support Company, living
in tunnels, provided the Russian Sap garrison. Bat-
talion Headquarters had a private tunnel, part of the
mining system, leading to Feetham, which could be
used in emergency, but as this was unlit, it was quicker
to use the trench. The main tunnel system was lit, or
rather supposed to be lit, with electric light. This often
failed, and produced of course indescribable chaos.

Although the tunnels had all these disadvantages, it
is only fair to say that they reduced our casualties

218 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

enormously, for during the three months we lost only
three officers slightly wounded and eighteen men; of
these at least four were hit out on patrol. We also
managed to live far more comfortably as regards food
than we should otherwise have been able. Elaborate
kitchens were built in Stansfield Road, and hot tea,
soup, the inevitable stew, biscuit pudding, and other
““luxuries,’’ were carried up in hot food containers to
the most forward posts. The only difficulty was with
Russian Sap, for its approach, Gordon Alley, was in a
bad state; but as the garrison was there at night only,
they needed nothing more than ‘‘ midnight tea,’’ and
this could be taken to them over the top.

A light railway ran all the way from Sailly Labourse
to Vermelles, and thence to the various forward dumps,
ours at Exeter Castle. Rations and R.E. material
were loaded at Sailly, taken by train to the Mansion
House Dump at Vermelles, and then by mule-drawn
trucks to the front. The Exeter Dump was lively at
times, especially when a machine gunner on Fosse 8
slag heap, popularly known as Ludendorf, was pointing
his gun in that direction. But beyond a mule falling
on its back into O.B.1, we had no serious troubles, and
got our rations every night with great regularity.

The enemy were not very active, although they were
reported to be the 6th Bavarians, ‘‘ Prince Rupprecht’s
Specials.’’ An occasional patrol was met, and our
parties were sometimes bombed, but on the whole the
Boche confined his energies to machine gun fire at
night, scattered shelling at any time, and heavy trench
mortaring, mostly by day. Fortunately there was not
much mortaring at night, and what there was we
managed to avoid by carefully watching the line of

ST. ELIE LEFT. 219

flight, as betrayed by the burning fuse. These heavy
mortar shells with their terrific explosion and enormous
crater were very terrifying, and few soldiers could face
them with the indifference shown to other missiles.
One exception was L/Cpl. Robinson of ‘‘ B’’ Com-
pany who, with his Lewis gun team, treated them with
the utmost scorn, and used to fire ‘‘ rapid ’’ with a rifle
at them, as they came through the air.

All this time the system of holding the Brigade sector
was to have two Battalions in the line, one in Brigade
support, and one resting at Fouquiéres. Thus, one
rested every eighteen days for six days, while one’s
trench tour was broken by six days in the middle in
Brigade support. This last meant Battalion Head-
quarters and two Companies in Philosophe, the re-
mainder in Curly Crescent, a support trench several
hundred yards behind O.B.1. Philosophe was a dirty
place, but had the advantage of being much less shelled
than the neighbouring Vermelles, and we were not
much molested.

Fouquiéres was always pleasant. The Chateau and
its tennis court and grounds made a delightful Battalion
Headquarters, and the Companies had very comfortable
billets in the village. We played plenty of football, and
were within easy reach of Béthune, at this time a very
fashionable town. The 25th Divisional Pierrots occu-
pied the theatre which was packed nightly, and the
Club, the ‘‘ Union Jack’’ Shop, and other famous
establishments, not to mention the ‘‘ Oyster Shop,”
provided excellent fare at wonderfully exorbitant prices.

During these three months we received many new
officers, some of them staying for a few days before
passing on to Tank Corps, Flying Corps, or Machine

220 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Gun Corps, others proving themselves worthy of our
best traditions. One party in particular, 2nd. Lieuts.
F. G. Taylor, H. C. Davies, G. K. Dunlop, and W. R.
Todd, provided four who came to stay, a very valuable
asset, when so many merely looked in for tea and then
went away. Others who came to fight were 2nd Lieuts.
W. Norman, A. J. Mace, J. S. Argyle, C .D. Boarland,
J. G. Christy, A. Asher, A. M. Edwards, and, later,
Lieut. P. Measures, who had been with us in 1916 for
a few weeks. Col. Trimble and Capt. Moore each had
a month’s leave, and Major Griffiths, after commanding
during the Colonel’s absence, went to Aldershot for a
three months’ course. Capt. Burnett became 2nd in
Command with the acting rank of Major. Capt. Hills,
the Adjutant, returned from England and resumed his
duties, while Captain Wollaston took charge of “‘B”’
Company for a short time, and then went to the Army
School, where he stayed as an Instructor and was lost
to us. Captain Barrowcliffe came to us for a short
time in command of ‘‘D’’ Company, but then went
to the Army School, and handed the Company over to
Lieut. Brooke, who had been granted an M.C. and
three weeks’ leave for his Hulluch patrols. 2nd Lieut.
Campbell went to Hospital with the results of gas
poisoning and had to go to England, whither also went
2nd Lieuts. Rawson and Gibson who were invalided.
A great loss to us was our Doctor, Captain Morgan,
who had been with us for many months and was now
sent to Mesopotamia, and was replaced by a succession
of stop-gaps until we finally got the invaluable W. B.
Jack. There were changes, too, in the ranks. Most
important was the departure of R.S.M. Small, D.C.M.,
our Serjeant Major since mobilization. He had been

Si. ELIE LERT. 221

unwell for some time and at length had to go to
Hospital and home to England. Debarred by his age
from taking a Commission, for which he was so well
suited, he had rendered three years’ very faithful service
to the Battalion, untiring alike in action and on the
parade ground, and popular with all, officers, N.C.O.’s
and men. He was succeeded by C.S.M. H. G. Lovett,
formerly of ‘‘B’’ Company, and latterly serving with
the 2nd/5th Battalion. At the same time, Serjt. N.
Yeabsley, a very capable horseman and horse master,
came to us from the 4th Battalion as Transport
Serjeant.

This long tour of trench warfare was not entirely
devoid of interest, and several little incidents occurred
to break the monotony. The first was a big “‘ strafe ”
on the 25th of August, when for some unknown reason
the enemy shelled Stansfield Road very vigorously, and
obtained a direct hit on ‘“‘ C’’ Company Headquarters.
Lieuts. Banwell and Edge were occupying the dug-out
at the time, and were both shaken, though the former
as usual did not take long to recover. Lieut. Edge,
however, was sent to the Stores for a time and for
some months acted as Transport Officer. On another
occasion, 2nd Lieut. Norman was firing rifle grenades

from “‘ Hairpin’’ craters, when he received one in
reply, and had to go to England with one or two pieces
in him.

Except for these two incidents, all other excitement
occurred in No Man’s Land, where we had patrols
every night in the hopes of catching a Boche. The first
to meet the enemy was 2nd Lieut. Mandy, who was
almost surrounded by a large party of them just North

of Northern crater. He managed to fight his way out,

222 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

though for a time he lost one of his party, Pte:
Brotheridge, who did some fighting on his own and
returned to us at dawn. After a time, tired of finding
no one, our patrols became more venturesome, and
most nights entered the German lines at some point or
other. ‘A’ and ‘‘C’’ Companies worked mostly
round the Hairpin craters, and Lieuts. Banwell and
Russell, 2nd Lieuts. Dunlop and Norman, all explored
the enemy’s front line. On one occasion Capt. Petch
himself accompanied Lieut. Russell and Serjeant Toon
to look at the enemy, and for a change found his front
line held. They were caught peering over the parapet,
and got a warm reception. Both officers were slightly
wounded and had to go to England. Meanwhile, Lieut.
Banwell took command of ‘‘A’’ Company. He, too,
on another occasion explored the same piece of trench
and found it empty, nor could he attract any enemy,
though he and his party shouted, whistled and made
noises of every description.

Border Redoubt and Rats’ Creek were the hunting
ground of ‘‘ B’’ and ‘‘ D’’ Companies, and here Lieuts.
Ball and Measures more than once nearly captured a
Boche post. But the enemy was too alert, and slipped
away always down some tunnel or deep dug-out. But
the best patrolling was done from Russian Sap, by 2nd
Lieut. Cole and his gang from ‘‘ D’’ Company, in-
cluding Serjt. Burbidge, Cpl. Foster, L/Cpl. Haynes,
Ptes. Thurman, Oldham and others. They had very
bad luck, for on two occasions they lay in wait for the
enemy in his own front line and he never came, though
he had occupied the post the previous night, and the
party, wet through and frozen, had to return empty
handed except for a bomb or two.

ST. ELITE LEFT. 223

There was one other unusual occurrence before we
left the St. Elie sector. We were visited one day by a
local newspaper reporter, Mr. Wilkes of the ‘‘ Leicester
Mail,’’ who came to see us in trenches, and was intro-
duced to the tunnels and all the ‘‘ grim horrors’’ of
trench warfare. It seemed curious to see a civilian in
a grey suit, adorned with a steel helmet and box
respirator, wandering about the communication trenches.

On the 14th of November, while in Brigade Support
at Philosophe, we were ordered to reconnoitre the
“Hill 70’ sector, with a view to taking over the line
from the Sherwood Foresters. The same day we
moved to some particularly cold and uncomfortable
huts at Mazingarbe, going to the line the next night.
Our route lay along the main Lens road past Fosse III.
and Fosse VII., then by tracks past Privet Castle to
Railway Alley. This endless communication trench led
all the way past the famous Loos Crucifix, still stand-
ing, to what had been the front line before the Canadian
attack. Thence various other alleys led to the front
line. Our new sector was by no means luxurious.
There was a front line trench and portions of a reserve
line, all rather the worse for wear, while the communi-
cation trenches, ‘‘ Hurrah’’ and ‘‘ Humbug ’’ Alleys,
were unspeakably filthy. The whole area at the top
of the hill was an appalling mess of tangled machinery
from Puits 14 bis, battered trenches, the remains of
two woods, Bois Hugo and Bois Razé, and shell holes
of every size and shape. There was mud and wet chalk
everywhere, and a very poor water supply for drinking
purposes. What few dug-outs existed were the usual
small German front line post’s funk holes, and all faced
the wrong way. It was a bad place. There was, how-

224 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

ever, one redeeming feature. From the hill we could see
everything, Hulluch, Wingles, Vendin and Cité St.
Auguste lay spread out before us; we could see the
slightest movement. Behind the hill, Support Com-
panies were out of sight, and those not actually in the
front line could almost all wander about on top without
fear of being seen. Furthermore, there were no tunnels.

We spent all our time working, for there was much
to be done. Our chief tasks were clearing out existing
trenches and digging new communication trenches
where they were wanted. Digging was both difficult,
for the ground was sodden, and dangerous on account
of the number of ‘‘ dud ’’ shells and bombs everywhere.
Two men of “B”
plosion of a grenade which one of them struck with a
shovel, and the next day Captain Moore had a miracu-
lous escape. Clearing the trench outside his Company
Headquarters, at the junction of ‘‘ Horse’’ and
“Hell” Alleys, he put his pick clean through a Mills
bomb ; fortunately it did not explode. Padre Buck also
had a busy time, for there were many unburied dead

Company were injured by the ex-

still lying about. Hearing of one body some sixty yards
out in No Man’s Land, where it had been found by a
patrol, the Padre went out with his orderly, Darby,
to bury it. It was a misty morning, and they were un-
molested until suddenly the mist lifted and they were
seen. Darby was wounded in the head, and they were
heavily fired on, but this did not worry the Padre, who
brought his orderly back to our lines, and came in
without a scratch.

We remained only seven days in this sector, and
did not come into contact with the enemy at all at
close quarters. A few bombs were thrown in the Bois

So. PETE LEFT. 225

Hugo trenches, and a raid by the 11th Division on our
right caused a considerable amount of retaliation to
fall on our heads, but on the whole the enemy was
quiet, and we had practically no casualties. There was
not time to learn the ground well enough to do any
extensive patrolling, though Lieut. Watherstone earned
the Divisional Commander’s praise for a bold recon-
naissance from the Bois Razé. The transport had as
bad a time as anyone, bringing rations on the light
railway through Loos, which was never a_ pleasant
spot. Once again a mule succeeded in falling into a
trench, and it took R.S.M. Lovett and a party of men
more than an hour to extricate it.

The 4th Battalion took our places at the end of the
tour, and we marched back to Mazingarbe. Our
billets had been slightly improved, and Headquarters
now had a house in the Boulevard, commonly called
““Snobs’ Alley.’’ While here a new horse, a large
chestnut, which arrived for the Padre, caused con-
siderable commotion in the Regiment. First he bolted
with the Padre half-way from Mazingarbe to Labourse,
when he finally pulled him up and dismounted. He
then refused to move at all, and went down on his knees
to Padre Buck, who was most disconcerted, especially
when the animal moaned as though truly penitent. The
next day the Adjutant tried to ride him, and once more
he bolted. This time his career was short, for horse
and rider came down on the Mazingarbe cobbled high
road, and the Adjutant had to go to Chocques hospital
with a broken head, and was away for a week.

During his absence we lost Colonel Trimble, who,
much against his will, was ordered to take command
of his own Battalion, the Ist East Yorkshires. He had

226 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

been with us for seven months, and we were all very
fond of him and very sorry indeed when he had to go.
Worse still, there seemed no chance of Col. Jones
returning to us. For six weeks, September and
October, he had been close to us in Noeux les Mines,
attached to the Ist Battalion, and more than once had
come over to see us, but now the 6th Division had
moved away and we did not know their whereabouts.
The matter was finally settled by the arrival of a new
Commanding Officer in the same car which came to
fetch Col. Trimble. Lieut. Colonel R. W. Currin,
D.S.O., of the York and Lancaster Regiment, had come
to take command.

CHAPTER XIII.
CAMBRIN RIGHT.

ist) Dee, LOLT: 12th April, 1918.

COLONEL Currin, our new Commanding Officer, was
a South African, a large man of enormous physical
strength. He at once terrified us with his language,
which can only be described as volcanic, and won our
respect by his wonderful fearlessness. Of this last
there was no question. In trenches, he would wander
about, with his hands in his pockets, often with neither
helmet nor gas-bag, and quite heedless of whether or
no the enemy could see him. More than once he was
shot at, and more than once he had a narrow escape at
the hands of some hostile sniper, but this appeared to
have no effect on him, and after such an escape he was
just as reckless as before. He had withal a kind heart
and a great sense of humour.

A few days before his arrival we had moved from
Mazingarbe to Drouvin and Vaudricourt, and here we
were now warned that on the Ist December General
Thwaites would inspect the Brigade in review order.
A rehearsal was carried out in a field near Noeux les
Mines, a rehearsal so amusing in many ways, that the
Colonel loved to tell the story of what he called his first
experience with the 5th Battalion: ‘‘On approaching
the parade ground I sent forward A

, who was

228 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

acting Adjutant, to find where we were to fall in. My
Adjutant was in Hospital as the result of falling off his
horse. When I reached the field, I saw an officer
galloping about waving his arms, but whether he was
signalling to me, or trying to manage his horse I could
not tell, so sent Burnett to find out. Burnett’s horse
promptly stumbled, fell and rolled on him, so I went
myself and found the luckless A
managing his pony. I told him to dismount, while I
marched the Battalion into place, but subsequently
found he had not done so because he couldn’t!
Eventually the Serjeant-Major seized him round the
waist, someone else led the pony forward, and A

quite incapable of

was left in the Serjeant-Major’s arms and lowered to
the ground. All this in front of the Brigade drawn up
for a ceremonial parade!’’ The parade itself also had
its amusing side, chiefly owing to the ignorance of
certain Staff Officers on matters of drill. However,
a friendly crump, arriving in the next field, put an end
to the proceedings, and we marched home.

After all this bother the actual inspection was cancelled
and we went into trenches again instead. Our sector
this time was Cambrin, called after the village next
North of Vermelles, and the sector immediately on the
left of our last—St. Elie. On the morning of the Ist
of December we marched to Annequin, on the Beuvry-
La Bassée Road, and relieved some Loyal North
Lancashires, Worcestershires and Portuguese in the
Brigade support positions. |The Headquarters and two
Companies were in Annequin village, the other two
Companies in two groups of dug-outs, ‘‘ Maison
Rouge’’ and ‘‘ Factory,’’ about 500 yards East of
Cambrin. We only stayed here twenty-four hours and

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 229

then went into the front line, ‘‘ Cambrin Right ’’ sub-
sector.

Cambrin Right was very like St. Elie Left with the
good points left out. The right Company had tunnels
but they were not safe, though just as smelly as our
old ones. It was the same on the left, while in the
centre, there were deep enough tunnels, but they were
unconnected with anything and unlit. The front line
consisted mostly of craters, a large series of which
occupied what had once been the MHohenzollern
Redoubt. At intervals along the lips were odd posts,
each at the end of a short trench leading back into
Northampton trench or the tunnel system. The right
group of tunnels, the Savile tunnel, started half-way up
Savile Row, a communication trench which had
originally run from the Reserve line to Northampton
trench, but now stopped at the tunnel entrance. The
centre group had no name, started from Northampton
trench, and had no proper communication trench. The
left group was the “‘ Quarry ”’ tunnel system, starting
from the old quarry and running leftwards from the
Northern edge of the Hohenzollern craters almost to
our posts opposite Mad Point. The left Company
had no posts actually on crater lips, though they had
one or two craters in No Man’s Land. S Ouatny 7
Alley led to the ‘Quarry ’”’ and a newly dug trench
ran from this to Northampton near the centre tunnels,
but it was in bad condition and seldom used. As a
rule, those who wished to visit the centre went through
either Savile or Quarry tunnels to get there. One other
trench led forward from the Reserve Line, Bart’s Alley,
but this ended in a large pile of sandbags and one of
the Tunnelling Company’s private entrances to the

230 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

mining galleries. Between the Reserve Line and
Northampton a few ends of gas piping, sticking out of
the ground, showed where our 1915 front line had been,
from which we had attacked on the 13th October. The
two flank Company Headquarters were in the tunnels,
the centre Company in a deep dug-out in Northampton
trench. The Reserve Company, with one platoon of
each of the front line Companies, lived in the Reserve
Line.

The Reserve Line was about the best trench in the

sector. It was deep, well traversed, and had many
good dug-outs. It also contained our cook-houses and
dumps. The light railway from Vermelles, on which

came rations and “‘ R.E. material,’’ ran along behind it,
so that Company Quartermaster Serjeants could deliver
their rations to the reserve platoon of their Company,
and there was no fear of a carrying party from another

ce ”

Company “ pinching ’’ some of the rum. Westwards
from this trench ran three communication trenches, all
in good condition, Bart’s Alley, Left Boyau and Quarry
Alley, all leading to the Vermelles broad guage rail-
way line, whose hedges concealed Sussex trench. Here,
in some very elegant, but not very shell-proof dug-outs,
lived Battalion Headquarters. The officers’ bedrooms,
and the Mess were on one side, the offices on the other.
Here, Corporal Lincoln and Pte. Allbright, the Orderly
Room clerks, took it in turn to look after the papers,
keep the fire alight and generally make a happy home
out of a crazy shanty with a wobbly roof and a door
facing the Boche. | Many would have preferred to go
elsewhere in case of shelling, but these two never left
their papers, though more than once the roof came
perilously near being whisked off by some whizz-bang.

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 231

Philosopher James Lincoln was particularly imperturb-
able, as he sat surrounded by pipes and_ beautifully-
sharpened pencils, discussing the weather and _ the
crops with any who chanced to pass by.

Further down this same trench Serjeant Archer and
“Buller ’’ Clarke looked after the bombs, not quite
such a popular weapon now-a-days, and the Pioneers
under Serjeant Waterfield and L/Cpl. Wakefield had
their home next door. Here also was Serjeant Wilbur
and that very hard working body of men the Signallers,
“strafed ’’ by everybody when telephones went wrong,
and seldom praised during months and months without
a mishap. Then came Serjeant Major Lovett in a small
dug-out by himself, and near him Serjeant Bennett and
the Regimental Police; the latter in trenches became
general handy men, carrying rations, acting as gas
sentries, and doing all the odd jobs. Round the corner
a large dug-out with two entrances provided the
Canteen with a home large enough to contain, when it
was procurable, a barrel or two of beer. L/Cpls.
Hubbard and Collins and the runners lived wherever
they could find an empty shelter, and as usual spent
most of their time carrying messages or showing
visitors round the lines.

There was one other trench, Railway Alley. This,
like its namesake to ‘‘ Hill 70,’’ was of enormous
length. It started at Cambrin, passed the Factory and
Factory Dug-outs, and, following the Annequin-Haisnes
Railway to its junction with the Vermelles Line, acted
as dividing line between the two halves of the Brigade
Sector. From the left Battalion Headquarters to the
front line, an often much battered part of it, it belonged
to the left sector. Our Headquarters had a private

232 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

trench running to it, ‘‘ Kensington Walk,’’ deep and
completely covered with brushwood by way of
camoullage.

In the St. Elie sector we had been three months
almost without an incident of any importance ; we were
only six weeks in Cambrin, and every tour contained
some item of interest. We started disastrously. On
the night after relief Lieut. Watherston was visiting
‘“B’’ Company’s posts in the centre sector, when a
party of the enemy crept up to and suddenly rushed
the Lewis Gun Section he had just visited. Lieut.
Watherston turned back, drew his revolver, and rushed
into the fight, but was himself shot through the head
and killed instantaneously. He had fired three shots
with his revolver, but was unable to stop the enemy,
who, having wounded the sentry and blown the N.C.O.
off the firestep with a bomb, now escaped, taking the
Lewis Gun with them. The N.C.O., Cpl. Watts, got
up and gave chase, but lost touch with the enemy
amongst the craters, and after being nearly killed
himself had to return empty-handed. Our predecessors
in the line seemed to have made no effort to wire this
part of the line at all, presumably thinking the line of
craters a sufficient protection. A few nights later 2nd
Lieut. Boarland reconnoitred the whole area with a
patrol, and found that not only had the Boche got a well-
worn track across No Man’s Land between two craters,
but close to the raided post had fitted up a small dug-
out with a blanket and a coat in it. This would, of
course, have been impossible had the previous occupants
of the line done any patrolling; we suffered through
their gross negligence.

Towards the end of the same tour, the enemy made

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 233

another very similar attempt against our extreme right
posts held by “‘A’’ Company. L/Cpl. Beale and Pte.
Foster were with their gun on the parapet, when they
were suddenly rushed by three or four of the enemy
who had crept close up to them, and were on top of
them before they could open fire. L/Cpl. Beale used
his fists on a German who seized him round the throat,
but was then shot in the chest and fell backwards on
the rest of the section who were coming to help. The
Germans tried to carry off the gun, but Foster put up
a fight, and they dropped it just outside the trench.
However, one of them managed to knock Foster on the
head, and, before help could arrive, he was carried off
as a prisoner. Once again we suffered through the
carelessness of our predecessors, for in this case, too,
there was no protective barbed wire. We spent every
night of the tour wiring hard, but could not of course
finish the whole sector in five days.

The tour also contained a very severe Artillery and
Trench Mortar bombardment, which seriously damaged
our left and centre trenches. But more serious than
this was the loss to ‘‘B’’ Company of L/Cpl. J. T.
Pawlett, one of the best Lewis Gun N.C.O.’s in the
Battalion, who was mortally wounded during the
shelling. A few days later we lost another excellent
Eewis Guny N-©:O., © /€pi- Stredder, of “_D°*’ Com-
pany, who went to England wounded, fortunately not
very seriously.

The tour ended on the 8th, and for the next six days
Wwe remained in Brigade Support, Annequin, Maison
Rouge, and Factory Dug-outs. Even here we were
not left in peace, for on two occasions the enemy
opened very heavy bombardments against the Cambrin

234 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

sector. The second occasion, the night of the 12th/13th
of December, this was so terrific, and so much gas
was used, that we had to ‘‘ stand to”’ at midnight,
while many messages, ‘‘ Poison Cambrin”’ etc., were
flying about. The damage to trenches, and more par-
ticularly to the tunnels, caused by this bombardment
was very great, as we soon learnt when, two nights
later, we returned to the line. Savile tunnel was blown
in in several places, and the Company Headquarters
completely cut off and unusable. The tunnel entrances
were shattered, and the whole system so badly damaged
as to be almost useless except as dug-outs for the
various posts. Quarry tunnel was not so_ badly
damaged, but several of the left posts had been isolated
by having the main connecting tunnel blown in behind
them. Fortunately the front line trench on the left was
still in existence, and could be used instead of the
tunnels. Finally, Northampton trench was literally
obliterated in the centre, and a famous ‘“‘ island ”’
traverse, no small earth-work, so completely wiped out
that we could never afterwards discover its exact
whereabouts.

Once more we had bad luck at the start of the tour,
for we had only been a few hours in the line when a
shell on Quarry Alley caught a small party of men
coming down. Signaller Newton and Stretcher Bearer
Cooke were killed outright, and Serjeant Woolley,
acting Serjeant Signaller while Serjeant Wilbur was
away, was wounded and had to go to Hospital. In
addition to the wiring we now had the tunnels to dig
out, and there was so much work to do that we had to
have assistance from Brigade; this took the form of
a Brigade Wiring Platoon and a Company of Mon-

CAMBRIN RIGHT, 235

mouthshires. On one occasion these two parties, both
saw fit to imagine each

ae ’

of course working ‘‘.on top,’
other were Boche, and a small fight ensued. For-
tunately no one was injured, though one of the Mon-
mouthshires was only saved from a bullet through the
head by his steel helmet.

The rest of the tour passed off quickly, and the irre-
pressible Capt. Brooke and 2nd Lieut. Cole of ‘“‘D”’
Company started once more wandering about No Man’s
Land and the enemy’s lines. They did the most in-
credible things, and gained invaluable information about
the enemy, though awkward questions were often asked

cc

about the name of the ‘“‘ one other rank ’’ who, accord-
ing to the patrol reports, accompanied 2nd Lieut. Cole
on these expeditions.

Our Christmas “rest ’’ was spent in Beuvry, and
here we arrived on the 20th of December at the end of
our second tour. Our first duty was to inspect a large
draft of 140 N.C.O.’s and men who had come to us
while we had been in the line. Most of them came
from the 11th (Pioneer) Battalion of the Regiment, and
were men of good physique, very well trained, and
excellent alike at drill, work, games, and in the line.
During the whole time we were in France we never
had a better draft than this. Meanwhile, although the
enemy were apparently willing to allow us a Christmas
rest, and kindly refrained from bombarding our billets,
the higher command were not so gracious, and we had
much work to do. Ever since the defection of Russia,
the Staff had realized the possibility of a German
offensive on a large scale, and every effort was being
made to organize our defences. With this object, a
new “‘ village line ’’ had been built, including Cambrin,

236 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Annequin, Vermelles and other villages, and this had
now to be wired. Accordingly, on the night of the
22nd/23rd December, the whole Battalion marched up
to this line by parties, and worked hard for several
hours putting out a ‘‘double apron fence.’ So well
had Major Zeller and his Engineers organized the work,
and so well did the Battalion work, mainly thanks to
the newly arrived Pioneers who were experts, that we
did an incredible amount during the night, and received
the congratulations of the G.O.C. on our efforts.

The actual Christmas festivities had to be held on
Christmas Eve, as we were due to go into trenches
on the morning of Boxing Day. Everything combined
to make the day a great success. Plum puddings
arrived from England, large pigs, which Major Burnett
had been leading about on a string for some days, were
turned into the most delicious pork, and there was
plenty of beer. The Serjeants’ Mess also had a very
lively dinner in the evening, though one Company
Quarter Master Serjeant spent much of his time
dragging the Beuvry river for his Company Serjeant
Major whom he had lost. This Warrant Officer was
eventually discovered asleep in an old sentry box, with
his false teeth clenched in his hand. The Germans,
in spite of their boast, dropped in a message from an
aeroplane, ‘‘to eat their Christmas dinners in
Béthune,’’ caused no disturbance, and did not show the
slightest sign of being offensive. Christmas, 1917, was
unique in one respect. We produced a Battalion
Christmas Card for the first and last time during the
war. It contained a picture, drawn by 2nd Lieut.
Shilton, of a big-footed Englishman standing on a
slag-heap, from which a Hun was flying as though
kicked. It was very popular.

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 237

Boxing Day, for us ‘‘ Relief Day,’’ was bitterly cold,
and an occasional blizzard made getting into trenches
all the more difficult. The ground was covered with
snow, and each night there was a bright moon, so that
the snipers of both sides were on the watch day and
night for the slightest movement. Our snipers claimed
to hit several of the enemy during the tour, but we,
too, had our losses. First, F. Eastwood, M.M., of
““C”’ Company, a soldier who had scarcely missed a
day since the beginning, was shot through the head
and killed outside ‘‘C’’ Company Headquarters in
Northampton trench. A few nights later, on the 30th
December, Lieut. P. Measures, commanding ‘‘B”’
Company, was sniped while fixing a sniper’s post in
the front line, and also killed instantly. He had not
been with us very long, but both he and Lieut.
Watherston had proved themselves very keen subaltern
officers, and both had been praised by the General for
their work on patrol. Lieut. T. H. Ball temporarily
took command of ‘‘ B’’ Company.

Whenever work was possible—it was often too light
even at night—we worked at two new _ trenches,
““ Cardiff’? and “ Currin,’’ connecting Bart’s Alley
with Savile tunnel, as an alternative to Savile Row.
These had been dug by the Monmouthshires, and now
had to be wired, and here, also, we suffered at the
hands of a German sniper. Serjeant W. E. Cave, a
very fine N.C.O. of ‘‘A’’ Company, was killed with
a wiring party, and one or two others had narrow
escapes. The New Year, 1918, was ushered in with
several bursts of machine gun fire at midnight, but
nothing of importance occurred.

Our stay at Annequin was once again disturbed,

238 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

this time more disastrously than before. A curious
accident occurred on the 6th of January, when three of
our aeroplanes collided and fell near the village. The
enemy as usual opened fire at once with one or two
batteries, and an unlucky shell fell amongst our
Headquarter runners as they were leaving their billet.
The two Corporals escaped, Collins with a slight wound
and Hubbard untouched, but W. Raven, M.M., was
killed outright, and A. Grogan, D.C.M., F. Smith,
H. Eady, and H. Kirby, so badly wounded that they
died soon afterwards. It is impossible to estimate the
amount of work that these runners had done for the
Battalion, not only as message carriers, but some of
them as personal orderlies to the C.O. and other
Headquarter Officers. In Lens they had proved them-
selves not only capable of wonderful endurance, but
to be possessed of the greatest courage, fearing neither
the enemy himself nor his barrages. To lose so many
at one blow was indeed a severe loss for the Battalion.

After this, there followed two comparatively quiet
tours in trenches with the usual six days at Beuvry in
between them. The enemy’s snipers were mastered,
and we suffered no more casualties at their hands, but
our bad luck still pursued us, and on the 10th and 11th
January the left of the Reserve Line was badly battered
by trench mortars. The left half Battalion cook-house
was blown in, and Serjeant Growdridge of ‘‘ D’’ Com-
pany was killed, while several others were wounded.
In Serjeant Growdridge, ‘‘D’’ Company lost a most
capable platoon Serjeant, the leader of many a daring
and successful patrol, and of the highest courage in
battle. On the 20th of January we were relieved by
the 11th Division, and, after spending one night in

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 239

Beuvry, marched through Béthune to Busnettes, be-
tween Chocques and Lillers, for a long rest.

We stayed at Busnettes for three weeks, training and
playing games, and doing our best to recover from the
ill effects of tunnels and wet trenches. Our training
was carried out on various areas round Chocques and
Allouagne, and near the latter was a good rifle range,
over which we practised for the Associated Rifle
Association (A.R.A.) Competition. This competition
was for a platoon, and included rifle and Lewis gun
shooting and bayonet fighting, fire discipline and
control, and the general principles of the advance. The
platoon had to fire at various ranges, advancing from
one to the other, and bayoneting sacks on the way.
There were Battalion, Brigade, and Divisional Com-
petitions, and to the Divisional winners the A.R.A.
were to present silver medals. In the Battalion com-
petition, No. 1 Platoon of ‘‘A’’ Company, under 2nd
Lieut. Roberts and Serjeant H. Beardsmore, was
victorious, but the other competitions could not be
held until February, after our next move. Finally, this
same platoon, beating the other Battalions in the
Brigade, beat also the Staffordshires’ and Sherwood
Foresters’ best platoons, and carried off the silver
medals.

At this time there were several important changes in
the Battalion. First, we were very glad indeed to see
Captains Tomson and Petch back again with us, the
former to command “‘ B,”’ the latter to ‘‘ A ’’ Company.
At the same time, Capt. Barrowcliffe returned to the
Royal Engineers. Lieuts. C. S. Allen and R. W. Edge
went to England for six months, and 2nd Lieut. Todd
became Transport Officer. We also received a large

240 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

draft from the 2nd/5th Battalion. Finding that it was
impossible to obtain sufficient recruits to supply all
the Battalions formed at the beginning of the war, each
Brigade was now reduced to three Battalions, and we
lost from our Brigade the 4th Lincolnshires. In the
59th Division, the 2nd/5th Leicestershires were broken
up and divided into drafts for the 4th Battalion and
ourselves. Capts. J. A. Ball and W. H. Oliver, Lieuts.
S. G. H. Steel and A. D. Pierrepont, 2nd Lieuts. A. B.
Bedford, H. Coxell, K. Ashdowne, and, later, A. E.
Hawley and Everett came to us, bringing with them
200 N.C.O.’s and men. Amongst the latter were
several Serjeants, one of them, Serjeant T. Marston,
M.M., destined to add further laurels to the honours
he had already won with the 2nd/5th. There were also
several ‘‘old hands’’ who returned to us, amongst
them, Privates Garfield and Law of “‘D’”’ Company,
both original members of the 1914 Battalion. These
reinforcements enabled us to form again four platoons
per Company, and we became once more a full
Battalion.

Another batch of reinforcements, which arrived at
Busnettes, contained several drummers of the Ist and
3rd Battalions. We already had a few, and L/Cpl.
Perry was given the rank of Serjeant Drummer and
formed a Corps of Drums. With Drummer Price,
an expert of many years’ service with the side drum,
and L/Cpl. Tyers, an old bandsman, to help him, he
soon produced an excellent Corps, and all of them
worked hard and keenly to make a good show. Within
a week they played us on route marches and appeared
at guard-mounting. Within two months they played
at Mess, and the Fifes gave several very good concerts.

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 241

While in the Busnettes area, we were in Reserve for
the Ist Army, and in case of attack were liable to be
sent to support the Portuguese on the Neuve Chapelle-
La Bassée front. In case of this, the C.O. and Adjutant
spent a day reconnoitering the Locon, le Hamel, le
Touret area and its keeps and strong points, many of
which we afterwards occupied when the Portuguese had
been driven out.

On the 8th of February, we moved to Fiefs through
Lillers, and the following day marched to Reclinghem
in the Bomy training area. The march took the form
of a tactical field day, and we ended by taking up an
outpost position on the river Lys at Reclinghem, where
‘““B”’ and ‘‘D’’ Companies and Headquarters were
billeted. The other two Companies were at Vincly,
a little more than a mile further South. A fortnight
later, to the great regret of all ranks, Colonel Currin
had to leave us, after being only three months in
command. During this time we had become very fond
of him, and there is no doubt that his never-failing
cheerfulness, his reckless courage, and the atmosphere
of “‘the fighting spirit’’ which always accompanied
him, did more than anything else could have done to
raise our ‘‘ fighting spirit’’ to a high pitch. His
successor, Lieut. Col. G. B. G. Wood, D.S.O., of the
Lancashire Fusiliers, had commanded the 2nd/5th
Battalion until he was wounded, and now, returning
to France, was sent to us as his Battalion had been
broken up.

Towards the end of February, the Staff became more
than ever convinced that the enemy intended making
a big spring offensive, and our training was devoted
almost entirely to counter-attack practice and the re-

242 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

taking a line of trenches which had been temporarily
lost. We had several large field days near Bomy, with
this as the general idea, and would have had several
more had not the Division been suddenly recalled to
the line. On the Ist March, in a snow storm, we
marched to Ligny-les-Aire, and the next day moved on
again to Ecquedecques, where we stayed three days.
Our billets were fairly comfortable, but there were very
few for the officers; this, however, was soon righted
after the first night, when we discovered many officers’
billets occupied by Serjeants of an A.S.C. Company

who were permanent “ garrison’ of the village.

On the 5th of March we marched through Lillers and
Béthune again to Beuvry and, after staying one night
there, moved the following day to Annequin and Sailly
Labourse, where we were responsible for the defence of
the Annequin locality. The Ist Corps scheme of defence
was a series of fortified localities, Philosophe, Cambrin,
Annequin, Noyelles, and many others further West as
far as Vaudricourt. Each locality had its trenches,
dug-outs, stores of ammunition and rations, and was
ready for defence at any moment. The German
offensive was expected to start any day, and the
““wind ’’ was terribly ‘“‘up.’’ This, however, did not
prevent the Infantry from amusing themselves when-
ever possible, and though the higher authorities may
have been sleeping in their boots, we managed to get
some football. General Rowley gave a cup for a
Brigade Company Competition, and, while at Sailly, our
‘““A’’ Company beat Brigade Headquarters in the
‘‘final,’’ after which ‘‘ Tinker ’’ Evans, the captain of
the team, received the cup from the Brigadier.

The following morning we went once more to the

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 243

line, back into the familiar Cambrin right sector.
Unfortunately there was now a change. The En-
gineers, in an endeavour to make Headquarters less
elegant and more shell-proof, had thrown up so much
white chalk, that they had attracted the attention of
the German artillery, who had promptly shelled the
place out of existence. The Headquarters now lived in
the old left Headquarters under Railway Alley. We
had only two Companies in the line, one in support,
and one in Reserve near the Factory; we were thus
organized ‘‘in depth ’’ to meet the coming offensive.
The enemy’s artillery had certainly become more
active during our two months’ absence, and he was
now using far more gas shells than before. These
were of three sorts: ‘‘ Green Cross,’’ the most deadly,
was filled with phosgene; ‘‘ Blue Cross,’’ the least
harmful, with arsenic; both these were very light
gases and soon blew away. Far more dangerous were
mustard shells, which now made

the ‘‘ Yellow Cross,’
their appearance in ever increasing numbers. The
mustard hung round the shell holes and was not blown
away; in cold weather it had no effect, but as soon
as the sun came out it became exceedingly powerful.
A mustard shell falling on frozen snow might have no
effect until the thaw came several weeks later, when
it would be just as powerful as if it had only just been
fired. temporary blindness and loss of voice, burns and bad
blisters. Much of it was fatal. During this tour,
however, we did not suffer any casualties, and nothing
of any importance occurred until our last morning
before relief, the 16th of March.

At about 1-0 a.m. on this morning, Privates Culpeck

244 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

and Johnson were sentries together at one of ** D”’ Com-
pany’s Lewis gun posts. Hearing a noise in the wire,
one of them challenged, and, receiving no answer, fired
his Lewis gun. Two minutes later, two Boche, one an
unwounded warrant officer, the other a wounded soldier,
were being escorted down Railway Alley to Head-
quarters. Neither of the two prisoners would say
much, but what they did say still further confirmed the
opinion of the Staff that the attack was soon coming.

‘* Brigade Support ’’ now consisted of the Head-
quarters and two Companies in Sailly Labourse, the
remainder at Windy Corner near Factory Dug-outs.
To this last area went Major Griffiths and the Right
Half Battalion. They had an unpleasant time and were
more than once heavily shelled, on one occasion having
a narrow escape. The officers were sitting in a dug-
out when an armour piercing field gun shell passed
through the roof and out of the door, hurting no one.
Major Griffiths and 2nd Lieut. Dunlop received slight
scratches, as also did Adams, one of the batmen, but
no serious damage was done. After four days of this,
the 5th Lincolnshires relieved us, and we marched to
Beuvry to be in Divisional Reserve. While here, the
new Battalion distinguishing marks arrived from
England, and were taken into use—a half-inch yellow
ring, two inches in diameter—worn just under the
shoulder on the sleeve. They were rather bright at
first, and earned us the name (amongst other ruder
epithets) of the ‘‘ Corn-plasters.’’

On arrival at Beuvry we were told that the Major
General would inspect us at Fouquiéres two days later,
the 22nd of March. This was considerably more
alarming than the prospect of the German offensive,

on

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 24

and we at once started training, cleaning equipment,
and revising our platoon organisation. Meanwhile,
the offensive did begin in the South, and the Boche on
the morning of the 22nd actually launched a big raid
against the Divisional front. However, the Inspection
was not postponed, as we had hoped, and for several
hours we performed at Fouquiéres. Our ceremonial
was by no means bad, considering we had done none
for months it was very good, but what most pleased
General Thwaites was our organization. In vain he
tried to find mistakes. Soldier after soldier was asked
‘““Who is your Section Commander? ’’ ‘‘ Who takes
charge if he is killed? ’’ “‘ When will it be your turn
to take charge?’’ etc. etc., and soldier after soldier
answered promptly and correctly. The result was a
good word for all of us, and we went back to billets
much relieved and feeling quite elated.

Meanwhile, the morning’s raid had left a prisoner in
our hands, and he had now caused about as much
sensation as one man could, by stating quite definitely
that the Boche would attack from the la Bassée Canal
to “Hill 70”’ on the 25th of March with three
Divisions. We went into the Cambrin sector again on
the 24th, this time with three Companies in the line.
News of the disaster to the 5th Army in the South had
reached us, and what with Generals coming round to
pay farewell visits, and conferences every few hours,
everything was as depressing as possible. Curiously
enough we were not depressed, and, though most of us
regarded the attack as a certainty, the private soldiers
were particularly more cheerful than usual. Late at
night we were ordered to withdraw all except the tunnel
sentries from the front line, so as to minimise the

246 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

casualties during the enemy’s preliminary bombard-
ment, and to concentrate everything on the defence of
the Reserve Line, which must be held at all costs.’
Some of the N.C.O.’s and men grumbled a little at
what they called giving up the front line, more
especially as patrols reported that the enemy was busy
strengthening his wire, which did not seem the prelude
to an attack. Finally, by 2-0 a.m. on the 25th all
was ready. The Staff at Corps Headquarters, ten
miles back, slept in their boots, all support and reserve
Battalions moved to ‘‘ battle’’ positions and stood to,
we in the line behaved very much as usual. All waited
for dawn.

Dawn came at last—the quietest since war began, not
a shot was fired. Morning followed and high noon, still
no movement; the Staff breathed a sigh of relief, the
Infantry groused, and we occupied our front line,
preparing to pass a normal night. However, this was
not to be. We had scarcely posted our night sentries
when at 8-30 p.m. came another message to say that the
prisoner who had originally caused the alarm had
remembered that the attack was for the 26th, not the
25th. All precautions were to be taken as for the
previous night. With this arrived a long epistle from
the Intelligence department, showing that various new
dumps and camouflaged screens had been seen in the
German lines, motor transport had been increased,
etc. etc. etc.—all tending to confirm their wretched
prisoner’s statement. Once more we evacuated our
front line, once more we waited and once more we were
disappointed. The 26th was as quiet as the 25th, and,
except for a humorous telephone message from ‘‘ C ”’
Company, which caused much laughter as far back as

oa

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 247

Divisional Headquarters, there was nothing to disturb
the morning’s peace.

The following evening the 11th Division took over
our sector, and we marched out—the Headquarters and
Left Half Battalion to Sailly, Right Half to Labourse.
It was a cold and rather miserable night, for, owing
to a sudden move of our Q.M. Stores to Noeux les
Mines, we had no blankets. Meanwhile, all schools and
classes were closed, and those students who had not
been taken to stop the German advance on Amiens
returned to us. The situation was serious, and another
blow was expected at any moment in the neighbour-
hood of Vimy. The Canadian Corps was chosen to
oppose this, and we were consequently ordered to
relieve any units of that Corps still left on ‘‘ Hill 70.”
But on the 28th March before relief had started the
expected attack came—at Oppy. It was a miserable
failure, we lost a few front line trenches, but our line
stood firm; however, the Canadians were wanted in a
hurry and we were sent up to relieve them at once.
The other Battalions went into the front line, we
relieved the 46th Canadians in support round Loos
Crassier and Railway Alley. Relief was complete by
10-35 p.m., an almost incredible performance, con-
sidering that there had been no time for reconnaissance
and practically no arrangements made for guides.

It had rained hard throughout the relief, but our first
two days im the line were dry and warm, and we
managed to dry our clothing and make ourselves fairly
comfortable. The enemy after the failure at Oppy was
very quiet on our front, though his documents cap-
tured in that battle showed that, had he succeeded in
his first day’s attempt, the second day was to include

248 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

an attack on the Hulluch front. So the ‘state of
readiness’’ in the Cambrin sector had not been
entirely without justification. On the 3lst the weather
broke again, but this did not prevent the Padre holding
his Easter services at each of the Company Head-
quarters. The following evening we relieved the 5th
Lincolnshires in the ‘‘ Hill 70” right sub-sector.
Our new sector was very much the same as the “* Hill
70 left,’’ which we had held in November. The
reserve line was the main line of defence, and was in
fairly good condition; the front line was shallow, wet,
and dangerous. Opposite our right and centre was
Cité St. Auguste, strongly held by the enemy; opposite
the left, Bois ‘‘ Dixhuit ’’ and a broken down farm.
There was one tunnel, ‘‘ Hythe,’’ leading from the
reserve line to a railway cutting in the front line, but
except in cases of extreme emergency this was not
intended to be used by the Infantry. Battalion Head-
quarters occupied a small and evil smelling German
dug-out on the reverse slope of the hill. Our tour
lasted eight days, and almost every hour was eventful.
We started the tour with a gas bombardment soon
after relief on ‘‘C’’ Company’s support platoon, who
occupied an old “ pill-box’’ near Cité St. Pierre
dynamite magazine. The gas appliances were defective
at the dug-out entrance, and several men were slightly
gassed. At 8-0 a.m. the following morning, the 11th
Division on our left carried out a very successful raid.
This did not in itself affect us very much, but a bomb-
dropping aeronaut during the raid observed large bodies
of troops massing near Meurchin, a large town behind
Hulluch. Immediately the old alarm about a coming
attack was renewed, and we once more were ordered

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 249

to be in readiness. However, by evening as nothing
had happened, we resumed normal conditions.

This same evening we were given an entirely new
scheme of defence, consequent upon the failure of our
trench system to stop the enemy’s advance in the
South. The front line was to be held by isolated obser-
vation posts only, and there was to be no garrison
within effective trench mortar range of the enemy. We
were to consider the Reserve or ‘“‘ Red’’ Line the line
of defence, and this must be rebuilt if necessary, to
ensure that it was everywhere out of reach of the
enemy’s minenwerfer. Our chief difficulty was to find
accommodation for the front line troops as they were
withdrawn; however, we cleared out old dug-outs, and,
after a few days of terribly hard work, were able to
comply with the order.

Meanwhile, the enemy’s artillery became very active,
and in addition to frequent gas bombardments of Loos
and the Crassier, he harassed our transport very badly
as they came along the main road. Some of this gas
blew back over our lines, and for several hours we
lived in an atmosphere of gas, scarcely noticeable,
but none the less dangerous.

The 5th of April was particularly noisy. At 3-0 a.m.
we discharged a large number of gas projectors on to
Bois “‘ Dixhuit’’ and Cité St. Auguste, to which the
enemy replied by shelling our reserve line, fortunately
doing no damage. In the evening, however, he replied
in earnest, and, just after ‘‘C’’ Company had relieved

‘ ”

““B”’ in the front line, he put down a ‘‘ box barrage
round their posts. Coloured lights were fired in all
directions, the noise was terrific, and Captain Moore,

expecting a raid, sent the ‘‘ S.O.S.’’ This was promptly

250 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

answered, and within a few minutes the gunners were
hammering away vigorously at the enemy’s lines, until
he stopped shooting. Our front line was damaged in
many places, but by extraordinary good fortune we
escaped without a casualty. During the day, however,
‘““A4’’ Company lost another very good N.C.O. in
Serjeant Putt, who was wounded and had to go to
Hospital.

Throughout the 6th the shelling of Loos continued,
and the following morning, in retaliation to a heavy gas
projection on our part, the enemy turned his attention
again to our front line. This time we were less
fortunate, and a Lewis gun post of “‘ D’’ Company
was wiped out by a direct hit: two of the gunners,
C. H. Payne and T. P. Hardy; were killed: In) the
evening, in spite of a slight West wind, the enemy
poured blue cross gas shells into Loos, and much of
the gas again drifted back across the lines. During
the night, Lieut. Banwell, exploring the enemy’s lines,
single-handed ran into three of the enemy, who were
almost on top of him before he could use his weapons.
However, he managed to make his way out, and re-
turned to our lines, having lost nothing worse than a
little breath.

On the 8th of April, the enemy’s artillery was never
silent. Mustard gas was fired into the plain East of
Vermelles and Philosophe almost without intermission,
while Mazingarbe and Les brebis were similarly bom-
barded, only with larger shells. 2nd Lieut. Todd and
Serjeant Yeabsley were both gassed with the transport,
the latter so badly that he was several weeks in
Hospital. The following morning in a thick mist the
enemy attacked the Portuguese and drove them from

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 251

their trenches, pushing his advance Westwards towards
Estaires and Locon. The mustard gas bombardment
of the plain still continued, but the front lines were
comparatively quiet. That night we were relieved by
the 4th Battalion, and went once more into Brigade
support. After relief, Capt. A. G. Moore, M.C., and
forty-three other ranks were sent to Hospital with gas
poisoning. This was not due to any one bombardment,
but to the fact that for the past week ‘‘ Hill 70’’ had
hardly ever been entirely free from gas, and though
never in very large quantities this had gradually taken
effect. Capt. Moore was sent to England, where for
some months he was seriously ill with gas poisoning,
and never returned. He and Capt. Shields commanded
Companies longer than any other officers in the
Battalion. No amount of tedious trench warfare could
shake their enthusiasm or damp their spirits, “‘ soft
jobs
simply stayed with their Companies until wounds took

”?

and six months’ rest were not for them; they

them to England—a really magnificent record.

For three days we remained in support, and the whole
time the plain behind us was full of gas. The Artillery
suffered most heavily, for they could not always wear
their masks, and after the first 24 hours there was a
continuous stream of blinded gunners helping each other
back along the road to Philosophe—a terrible sight.
We too had several casualties, for the platoons, on
their way to bath at Les brebis, had to pass across the
plain. At Philosophe we lost two mules, through a
direct hit with a heavy shell, and the driver, H. Gamble,
was very lucky to escape with nothing more than a bad
wound. It was a miracle he was not killed. On the
12th the battle became quieter, and that night, relieved

252 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

by the Canadians, who arrived very late owing to a
railway accident, we marched out to Bracquemont.
Before we went the Germans to the North had advanced
so far that we could see their lights in our left rear.
Béthune, too, was in flames, so we were not sorry to be
leaving the sector. Most thankful of all were the
transport drivers, for there are not many worse places
than the Loos road, and few more desolate spots than
Philosophe coal mine on a dark wet night, when the
wind is making the loose sheets of iron rattle, and the
horses have “‘ got the wind up.”’

CHAPTER XIV.
GORRE AND ESSARS Al PEACE.

12th April, 1918. 10th Aug., 1918.

BRACQUEMONT was sadly changed. Instead of the
gay, almost fashionable suburb of Noeux les Mines,
with numbers of people in the streets, it was now a
wilderness of empty houses; the only sign of life, the
piteous little groups of women and children waiting by
the roadside for some French car to come and take them
to a place of safety. The miners alone remained.
Inspired by Clemenceau, who had visited the place a
day or two before, they were working day and night,
regardless of bombardments and nightly bombing raids.
The furnaces at the Noeux Mines could be seen for
miles round, and were a constant mark for every
German gun and aeroplane, but still the plucky miners
carried on their work, knowing that on them alone
depended the coal supply of France. We _ were
billeted in the Convent formerly occupied by the
Casualty Clearing Station. The following morning the
Drums gave a short concert in the Bandstand, and after
dinner we were taken by lorries to Hersin Coupigny.

Hersin Coupigny was still fairly thickly populated,
but the news from the Merville and Kemmel area where
the enemy seemed to be making good progress, together
with the arrival each evening of a few high-velocity

254 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

shells, were fast driving the inhabitants to seek safety
further West. | We remained here until the 24th of
April, the first few days in huts, the remainder in the
Tile Factory. It was not an enjoyable rest—in fact
jt was no rest at all. All ranks were ready to move at
short notice, and one expected almost hourly to be sent
forward to fill some new gap in the line.

Pamphlets poured in—‘‘ How to fortify farmhouses
for defence ’’—‘‘ Notes on recent German offensives ”’
—Plans of rear defences. Generals made speeches
telling the troops to be brave, artillery officers recon-
noitred new gun positions miles behind the lines, and
the entire Labour Corps seemed to be digging “ last
ditches.’’ It was all very depressing, and many men
were heard to remark that they wished the Boche would
attack, so that there might be an end of words, and a
chance for a few deeds. No one doubted that the
Division was perfectly capable of looking after itself and
dealing with any German attack.

- Then came Influenza, and with it the end of all chance
of immediate action for the Battalion. Officers and men
were attacked alike, and in a few days more than 250
were sent to Hospital. Fortunately a temporary place
was fitted up at Bruay, and the majority of cases were
dealt with there and not sent down the line, where they
would have been irretrievably lost. The cause of the
complaint will be for ever a mystery; its symptoms were
temperature—weakness, fainting and loss of voice.
Some blamed the gas, others the huts, and others the
Bracquemont hospital buildings. |The Medical Officer,
wise man, would give no opinion. The weather was damp
and raw and at times very cold. Consequently no one was
very sorry when, on the 24th, the Brigade marched to

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 255

Bruay. The Battalion and a 9” high velocity German
shell arrived in Bruay about the same time and found
the place deserted. Several houses had been hit, and
the inhabitants had wisely decided to take no risks, so,
with the exception of the colliers, had all gone. This
made billeting very difficult. Buildings were all locked
up and no one had the key. Eventually everybody
was squashed into the Girls’ School—the officers
occupied one of the dormitories, and, though uncom-
fortable, all had at least shelter from the rain which fell
in torrents. At intervals a tremendous roar followed
by a crash announced the arrival of what became known
as “‘another toute suiter’’; fortunately no one was
hurt. The following day the Brigade moved into
Fouquieres ; the 4th Battalion occupied the old Hospital
huts, and we shared the remainder of the village with
the 5th Lincolnshire Regiment. Battalion Headquarters
were in the Chateau, still occupied by the two ladies,
now the only civilians left in the village. With the
most wonderfully cheerful courage did these two remain,
though their servants had gone, though food was almost
unobtainable, and though there was seldom an hour
without a shell falling in some part of the village or
its surroundings. The Battalion was exceedingly lucky
and escaped with practically no casualties; not so the
4th Battalion, which lost several men in the huts.
Most of the influenza cases now returned, and we were
once more strong enough to take the field. On the
26th we lost Captain and Quartermaster A. A. Worley
who went to England never to return. |For some time
his health had been bad, but though unfit for duty he
had refused to leave the Battalion until he had seen the
stores properly organized for battle. Except for a

256 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

short stay in England in 1917, he had been with us
since the beginning. His one thought was always for
the welfare of the Battalion, and no one ever gave more
devoted service than he did. His place was taken in
June by Captain and Quartermaster W. A. Nicholson,
of the Essex Regiment. During the interval the duties
were very ably carried out by R.Q.M.S. Gorse.

On the 24th of April the Sherwood Foresters and
Staffords had taken over the line from Route ““A”’
Keep to the Canal just South of Locon. Four days
later we were ordered to relieve the Sherwood Foresters
in the right half of the left sector. | Various recon-
noitering parties went up beforehand, and at dusk we
moved off by platoons through Béthune and Essars.
The former town had already suffered very badly. All
roads through the centre were completely blocked, and
troops had to find their way round its Western edge
and past the Prison. Civilians had all been evacuated
and the only permanent occupants were the Tunnelling
Company assisted by some French colliers. The route
to trenches was the main road through Essars, and
parts of this were constantly ‘“‘harassed’’ by the
enemy’s artillery. The Battalion was _ particularly
unfortunate on this first relief. Headquarter Officers.
were riding, and, in passing the column, had just come
level with the head of ‘“‘ C’’? Company, when the enemy
suddenly opened fire on the road with a field battery.
Captain Banwell was thrown from his horse which was
hit, and the remainder of the chargers immediately
bolted across a field. The plunging animals and the
shells (about 50 of which were fired in two minutes)
threw the leading platoon of ‘“C’’ Company into
confusion, and, as the ditch at the side of the road gave

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 257

no cover, the casualties were high; but for the coolness
of the Platoon Commander, 2nd Lieut. H. Coxell, they
would have been higher still. |The rear platoon of
““B”’ Company also suffered heavily. The shells were
gas, and those men who were hit had small or no chance
of putting on their masks. Captain Jack, the Medical
Officer, was as usual wonderfully calm, and quite
regardless of his own personal safety, succeeded in
getting several men under the wall of a house, where
he was able to dress their wounds. The remainder of
the relief was carried out without molestation.

Our new sector was very different from anything we
had previously seen. The front line—practically the
outpost line—marked the limit of the German offensive
in April; on the right was Route ‘‘ A ’’ Keep, one of the
old 1915 strong points with two concrete machine-gun
emplacements. It was now a mere heap of shattered
trees, shattered trenches and the usual remains of many
fights, for in 20 days it changed hands nine times. The
Staffords captured it for the last time on the 29th of
April, and from then onwards it remained British. The
line then ran between Loisne Chateau and Raux Farm
—our old Brigade Headquarters of 1915, now a German
machine gun and trench mortar nest—to the S.W.
outskirts of Le Touret and on to the canal at Mesplaux.
Except for the old keeps at intervals, it consisted
entirely of a few small holes dug more or less at
random, with little or no wire in front. Behind this,
along the whole Divisional front ran the Liverpool Line
or Reserve Line, slightly deeper and better sighted
than the front line, and defended by the ‘‘Beuvry river,’’
a small stream running between steep banks and
reputed to be uncrossable by tanks. Gorre and Le

258 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Hamel villages came behind this line, and provided
Battalion Headquarters with cellar accommodation, and
the Support Battalions with billets of a sort.

Farms in the front line were not too plentiful, and
Company Headquarters usually consisted of a hole 4ft.
by 2ft. by 2ft. into which the Company Commander
could just squeeze himself, and curl up his feet to avoid
having them kicked and trodden on by the men passing
along the ditch outside. Rations came to Gorre and
Essars by rail and limber, and were carried forward by
hand over the top to the front line. Except for
occasional bursts of fire on certain roads and villages,
particularly Essars and Gorre, the enemy was on the
whole quiet. | These were small gas bombardments,
and one or two really bad days, but for the most part
it was a quiet sector, except round Route A.

Behind the villages came the La Bassée Canal with
all the bridges mined and demolition parties ready to
blow them up in the event of a hostile attack. The
idea of course was that they should be blown after the
last Englishman N. of the Canal had either been killed
or had crossed it. That the bridges would get
demolished all right, none of us ever doubted for a
moment; we were equally certain that this would take
place on the first alarm of any attack, and those of us
who happened to be on the North bank would thus be
compelled to fight to the end or swim. Fortunately
these warriors were never called on to perform.

Vaudricourt Park was the rest area. At first, bell
tents and a few bivouacs were all the available cover,
but in time, as corrugated iron could be sent down from
old horse lines in the forward area, messhuts, cook-
houses and canteens were built. There were no long

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 259

spells of wet weather and when it was fine the Camp
in the Park was delightful. It was never shelled and
never bombed, and it is hard to imagine a better place.
Verquin and Vaudricourt provided the necessary
estaminets and the soldiers could obtain as much vin
blanc (or ‘‘ Jimmy Blink’’ as it was more popularly
called) as they desired; while one Bertha made large
sums of money by inserting a slip of lemon peel into a
glass as cheap champagne and selling it to officers at

ae

an exorbitant price as a ‘‘ champagne cocktail.’’ The
country round provided good ground for a sports meet-
ing, in which ‘“‘A’’ Company were victorious, while
““D” Company managed to finish a close second in
most events. Lieutenants Everitt and Quint and
Private R. O. Start were the chief runners, but large
numbers took part and tremendous keenness was
displayed by all. There was cricket almost every day
in the Park, and great enthusiasm was shown in the
Battalion Championship, won by Headquarters.

From the beginning of May to the middle of August
the Brigade never left these two sectors, Gorre and
Essars, and during this time there was no change in
the front line. It was seldom that anything happened
of sufficient importance to find its way into the day’s
communiqué, but every tour was full of interesting
incidents, all of which show how the warfare was
rapidly changing.

Our first relief was remarkable for the fact that we
took over at Battalion Headquarters two cows (and
with them a daily supply of fresh milk), for whom
L/Cpl. ‘‘ Pat ’’ Collins was self-appointed cowman—
while the left Company found a plentiful supply of eggs.
A stray mule was found wandering round the outposts

260 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

on the ‘‘ wrong ’’ side of the Beuvry river, while in the
farm actually in the front line we discovered still alive
after 21 days without food—a cow and calf, two
bullocks, an old white horse and a pig; they were in
a terrible condition of starvation and had to be killed
by the Intelligence Officer, 2nd Lieut. Hewson, who
found it a most unpleasant task. There were of course
many dogs—one, at a cottage in no man’s land, being

particularly unpleasant for patrolling. In addition to
Lance-Corporal Collins’ cows, two others and a goat
were led out by Private Muggleton. The goat came

to an untimely end, being done to death in Vaudricourt
Park by its Company Commander, outside whose tent it
was noisily bewailing its captivity.

In front of us, there was little or no wire, and our
first encounter with the enemy was on the 6th of May
when a Corporal and three men of ‘‘ D’’ Company went
out to wire their post and marched straight on toa patrol
of about 15 enemy waiting for them. The enemy opened
fire at close range and the wiring party threw down
their wire and replied. Two of the party were hit in
the first few seconds and a third—Private Smith—who
had come to us from the 2nd/5th in January—was
attacked by two Germans and carried off struggling.
The Corporal fired at the enemy who then made off,
leaving one dead man behind them. The Platoon
Commander (2nd Lieut. W. M. Cole) came up and, after
assisting the wounded back, set off to look for Smith.
Except, however, for the dead man, nothing could be
found of the enemy, and by dawn the search was given
up as hopeless. The following night Smith returned.
It appears that the enemy meeting more opposition than
they expected, made off as soon as they had got their

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 261

prisoner, and, as there were plenty of bullets about, the
remainder of the patrol, leaving prisoner and escort to
follow as best they could, hurried back to their lines.
Smith watched his chance; suddenly stooping, he
kicked one man amidships, siezed his rifle, gave the
other a jab with the bayonet, and ran for his life. He
got away, but had to lie up until the next evening to
get back. For this he was awarded the Military
Medal.

The following tour, in the Gorre right sector,
was very successful until the last two days when
Battalion Headquarters received the just punishment for
tempting fortune too far. Both 4th and 5th Battalions
had their Headquarters in the cellar of Gorre Chateau—
cramped and stuffy at any time, and in the hot weather
unendurable. Our Headquarters, therefore, cleared
out a room on the first floor for a mess—it had a carpet
and other luxuries, and its only blemish was a shell-
hiole in the corner of the window. With great pride
we invited Brigadiers and others to our new mess, until
on the 17th of May the crash came. The enemy had
fired several salvoes towards the Chateau during the
afternoon, and at 8-15 p.m. he started in earnest. The
wood, the Chateau and the corner by the Church were
shelled unceasingly—first with 77 and 105 m.m. shells—
later on with 5.9’s. The mess was knocked in, the
wood was filled with gas, the kitchen and signal office
both had direct hits. |The Transport had a terrible
time on the road, and it was only the devoted work of
the Transport Officer, 2nd Lieut. W. R. Todd, with his
drivers, particularly Hill and Randall and the Provost
Serjeant Bennett, which enabled rations to be taken up.
An advance party of Stafford Officers got to the cellar

262 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

and couldn’t leave it for two hours, until finally Colonel
Wood took them up the line himself, returning alone
through the wood.

The Companies were comparatively immune except
near the ‘‘ Tuning Fork.’’ General Thwaites was visit-
ing the line at the time and had a narrow escape
himself, while his A.D.C. was badly wounded.
Towards morning the shelling somewhat subsided, but
one very unlucky shot hit the cellar ventilator and filled
it with gas. Then came the sun and with it the
mustard; not very many mustard shells had been fired,
but, as the day advanced, the heat kept drawing the
gas out of the ground and the Chateau became a death
trap. We all cleared out early and went into the fields,
but even so it was too late; many men’s clothes were
tainted, and by 6-0 p.m. all the servants and more than
half the other Headquarter details were blind and had
to go. Serjeant Bent, of the Regimental Aid Post,
and Allbright, the Orderly Room Clerk, were amongst
those who went down. Our Medical Officer (Captain
W. B. Jack), Intelligence Officer (2nd Lieut. J. A.
Hewson) and Lieut. K. Ashdowne all went to Hospital,
while the 4th Battalion lost all their Headquarter
Officers. By night the Commanding Officer was unable
to speak, the Adjutant half blind, and the Padre was
doing everybody’s job with his wonderful energy. It
was a very sorrowful Battalion Headquarters that
handed over to the Staffordshires and found its way
slowly back to Vaudricourt.

Soon after that—on the 29th of May—‘‘C”’
Company had another gas misfortune while in support
in Gorre village. Their house was heavily shelled with
mustard, and though all men were taken out as soon

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 263.

as possible 40% of the Company, together with 2nd
Lieuts. H. Coxell and O. Darlington had to be
evacuated. There was so much gas at this time that
special compartments were set apart for gassed men
and gassed clothing on the Fouquieres-Le Quesnoy-
Kantara Dump light railway.

Towards the end of the month the crops began to get
very high, and by the first week in June hardly a day
passed without some daylight patrol taking advantage
of them. Captain Banwell first made the experiment.
Accompanied by his runner, Smiles, he visited the
““ crashed ’’ aeroplane just N. of the Rue du Bois and
found a most elaborate German night post in a tree,
with wires to machine gun posts. His example was
followed on the $th of June by 2nd Lieut. Cole, who
went out one morning with Lance-Corporal Thurman

and a party from ‘“‘D’”’ Company. They crawled
through some wire and found themselves close to a
German shell-hole post. 2nd Lieut. Cole himself

reconnoitred this post, and finding the sentry dozing
called up his Corporal. The latter hit the sentry on
the head with his rifle ‘‘ to attract his attention ’’ (so
read the patrol report), and leaning over the hole
whispered ‘“* Ici yer ——er.”’ The Boche, however, was
too frightened to “‘ici’’ and looked like giving the
alarm, so 2nd Lieut. Cole jumped down and fired his
revolver to hurry him along. This caused a considerable
disturbance. Two German Machine Gun posts only a
few yards away joined in the fight and for a moment
things looked bad for the patrol. The latter, finding
they could not get a prisoner, made a note of his
Regiment, shot him, and made off under a heavy fire
from the machine gun posts. They all got away safely.

264 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

The Corps Commander described 2nd Lieut. Cole’s
work as ‘‘a very fine piece of patrol work, and called
for courage, initiative and cunning of a high degree.”
Ten days later—on the 19th of June—the enemy
suddenly shelled the ‘‘ Tuning Fork Switch”’ trench,
and this very gallant young officer was _ badly
wounded in the arm. He was taken down to the
Casualty Clearing Station at once, but in spite of all
the Doctors’ efforts, blood poisoning set in, and on the
29th Lieut. Maurice Cole died. The same evening he
was awarded the Military Cross for his patrol fight. He
lies now in Pernes cemetery. No officer was ever more
loved by his men, and justly so, for he was not only
their leader in danger, but their first friend in difficulty.
In the Mess ‘‘ Bill ’’ Cole was as popular as in the field.
Patrolling was not confined to these two Companies,
and many officers and men spent quite a large propor-
tion of their time crawling through the corn. Chief
among these were 2nd Lieuts. Asher, Argyle, Boarland,
Christy, Davies, Serjeants T. Marston, M.M., Haines,
Foster, M.S.M., P. Bowler, T. Tunks, T. Needham,
Clamp and others.

With the hot weather the La Bassée Canal became a
very useful asset, and not only were there constant
bathing parties, but it was actually possible at the end
of July to hold a swimming gala in the ‘‘ Brewery
Reach.”’ There were several well contested races and
diving competitions, uninterrupted by hostile aircraft,
and a very pleasant afternoon (considering the Boche
were less than a mile away) was spent in this way. The
chief race was won by Signaller Stanton.

Towards the end of July, as there was no sign of the
long expected German attack, preparations were made

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 265

for the coming winter. Houses were reinforced, and
had concrete houses built inside them, and some very
comfortable Headquarters were built in- this way.
Perhaps the best of these was the Battalion Head-
quarters of the Route A sector—a cottage on the banks
of the canal and screened from any observation by the
woods. It had its own bathing place (where Serjt.
Wilbur nearly got drowned) and its own _ private
approach by the tow path—incidentally, of course, its
own mosquitoes, but one got used to them in time.

On the 13th of July we lost Captain Banwell, who
went into hospital for a few weeks with his fifth wound—
an aeroplane bullet in the stomach. It was not at all
a slight wound, but he managed to persuade the Pernes
Doctors that it was, and so contrived not to be
evacuated beyond the C.C.S. He eventually returned
in August, and after a few days as A.D.C. to General
Rowley, who was then Commanding the Division, went
off on a month’s leave to get fit.

On the 6th of August the Staff had reason to believe
that the Boche might be contemplating a withdrawal
that morning, and we were asked to make sure that
we could still get in touch with the enemy. Accord-
ingly, Lieut. Pearson, Lance-Corporal ‘‘ Anty’’ Carr
and Pte. Ferrin, all of “‘A’’ Company, crawled out at
dawn towards the ruined houses and battery positions
opposite Route A Keep. It was the anniversary of
Carr’s 1916 experience and before they went several of
his friends jestingly warned him not to be captured this
time. The patrol crawled via several dykes and got
close to the house without disturbing anyone, until, to
get a better view Lieut. Pearson knelt up to use glasses.
A machine gun then opened fire on them at close range,

266 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

so they returned. On the way back they were suddenly
fired at by a post in their path—the occupants must
have been asleep on the way out. Pte. Ferrin was
hit and died almost at once, but the others tried to bomb
the enemy out, and, finding they could not, decided to
lie still until evening. However, the enemy proved
more resolute than usual and soon surrounded and
captured the whole party. The fight was seen by
several of the front line posts and also by a patrol of
““D”’ Company under 2nd Lieut. Christy. This latter
was quite unable to give any help as it was itself having
very great difficulty in getting away from two large
Boche patrols who were trying to cut it off. A few
days later, while we were in support at Le Quesnoy,
the enemy started his withdrawal, and the Gorre-Essars
front once more became a battle sector.

CHAPTER XV.

GORRE AND ESSARS AT WAR.

10th Aug., 1918. 12th Sept., 1918.

THE enemy started his withdrawal North of the Lawe
Canal, and it was not until the latter half of August
that the Gorre sector was affected. | However, all
preparations for more open warfare were made, and the
supply of rations and ammunition was reorganised in
such a way that either limbers or pack animals could
be used at short notice. During our tour in the Right
Sector from the 14th to 18th of August all rations for
‘“ Route A’’ were taken up to forward Company Head-
quarters on mules and ponies; the latter, under the
skilful handling of their drivers, showed a most
admirable fortitude in the face of machine-gun fire.
Each night a little column of heavily laden ponies under
Corporal Archer or Lance-Corporal Foster could be seen
moving slowly along the Tuning Fork Road, first with
rations then with water; towards midnight they
returned (‘‘ drivers up’’) at a much brisker pace.

On the 18th we left trenches and came into support
for three days at Le Quesnoy. Colonel Wood was
away Commanding the Brigade for a short time and
Major Griffiths was in Command. All available men
were set to work cutting the corn, which was now
ripe and would soon spoil if not cut and carried in.

268 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Bayonets took the place of scythes as the latter were
almost unobtainable, and it was surprising to find what
progress was made with these weapons. In a few
days several train loads were sent down on the light
railway to Fouquiéres. All this time the news from the
South was most encouraging. The great attack of the
8th had freed Amiens and each day brought us news of
further successes. On the 20th the Staffordshires on
the left found some of the enemy’s advanced posts
unoccupied, and the same day prisoners taken on the
Lawe Canal spoke of an impending retreat to the Le
Touret-Lacouture line. On the 21st the Commanding
Officer returned, and the same day the Brigade moved
into and occupied the old German front line near Cense
du Raux Farm. That night we relieved the 4th
Battalion in the old Right Sector and occupied the
Liverpool Line as Support Battalion to the other two,
both of whom were in and forward of the old front
line. On the 22nd General Rowley decided to have one
outpost Battalion for the whole frontage, and the
following day we took over the line from the junction
with the 55th Division (in the old front line E. of
‘“Route A Keep’’) to the junction with the Sherwood
Foresters N.E. of Le Touret village.

On the extreme right we had pushed forward across
the road where they were opposed in the centre by
Epinette East Post, and on the left by some houses in
the Rue itself, to both of which the Boche was still
clinging tenaciously. On the left the line was continued
by ‘‘ D’’ Company (Lieut. T. H. Ball in the absence of
Captain Brooke) who held positions astride the Rue du
Bois. |The extreme left platoon was about 200 yards
up the Rue de Cailloux and occupied one of the old

GORRE AND ESSARS AT WAR. 269

keeps in the Sailly—Tuning Fork—Vielle Chapelle Line.
Here, and on the Rue de L’Epinette, the enemy was
active with snipers and trench mortars—in the centre
things were very quiet. ‘‘C’’ Company (Hawley)
and ‘‘ B’’ Company (Tomson) were in Support in the
old front line; Battalion Headquarters lived in Loisne
Railhead ’’ for the light railway. There

Chateau, now ‘
was no front line in the old sense—it was simply
‘“ outposts ’’ as laid down in Field Service Regulations.
Very few of the Company Officers had had any previous
experience of this work, but Colonel Wood soon put
us straight, and organized things himself. He was
absolutely indefatigable and day and night was up in
the line sighting good positions and studying the enemy.
The latter were distinctly alert as they showed by their
behaviour on the 24th and 25th when we not only made
no pnogress, but had several casualties. First, on the
extreme right, an ‘‘ A’’ Company patrol tried to recon-
noitre the Epinette East Post by night. They were
seen and fired at heavily and had to come back leaving
one of their number dead behind them. Soon after-
wards, in an attempt to recover his body, Lance-
Serjeant Clamp was himself hit and died a few hours
later. ‘““A?’’ Company could ill afford to lose this
N.C.O., who had shown himself as gallant a leader in
battle, as he was an efficient instructor on the Parade
Ground. The following morning, accompanied by
his runner, Lance-Corporal Collins, and the Adjutant,
the Commanding Officer started on a tour round the
outpost line. He visited ‘‘ A’’ Company’s posts and
passed on to ‘‘D’’ Company. On reaching the Rue
du Bois he got on to the road, and, as it was misty,
started to walk Westward along it. Whether the little

270 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

party was seen or not will never be known; what
happened would seem to show that they were. They
had not gone seventy yards before a ‘‘ whizz-bang ”’
burst a few yards North of the road hitting a Stretcher
Bearer. Another followed, this time the burst was
only a few yards behind the party. The others escaped,
but Colonel Wood was hit in the back of the head and
was thrown stunned on to the road. More shells
followed, and the three lay in a ditch till it was over,
and then made their way back to Battalion Head-
quarters. The Colonel refused to be carried and walked
all the way to the Aid Post, where the Doctor found
that a shell splinter had grazed the back of his skull,
and had only been prevented by the steel helmet from
doing more damage. The Colonel wished to remain
with the Battalion, but the Medical Officer was
obdurate, and he was finally evacuated, and a week
later sent to England. | He had been in Command only
a short time, but we had learnt in that time what a very
gallant soldier he was, and how his one care was to
make us the first Battalion in the Division. His place
was taken by Major J. L. Griffiths who had been Second
in Command since 1916, while Captain John Burnett
took over the latter’s duties.

The same afternoon we had further bad luck. On
the extreme left No. 13 Platoon (Christy) had been very
actively sniping the enemy on the Cailloux Road, and
soon after midday, came the retaliation in the form of
heavy shelling which lasted about an hour. There was
little cover, and one post was wiped out, including a
promising young soldier, Lance-Corporal Harries,
whose name had been recommended for a Commission.
2nd Lieut. Christy managed, in spite of the difficulty of

GORRE AND ESSARS AT WAR. 271

moving men in daylight, to get the majority of his
Platoon out of the Keep, and took up positions on either
flank; this action undoubtedly saved many casualties.
Corporal Hamill, one of the old soldiers of the
Battalion and a well-known long distance runner, was
killed at the same time. The Platoon was naturally
rather shaken, and its place was therefore taken by a
Platoon of *‘C’’ Company. The following night we
were relieved by the Sherwood Foresters and went back
to Vaudricourt. The Relief was carried out without
interference from the enemy except for Battalion Head-
quarter Officers, who had to leave Loisne Chateau at
the gallop. Salvoes of whizz-bangs were arriving at
frequent intervals, and there was just time to mount
and gallop 300 yards down the road between the bursts.

The next six days at Vaudricourt were delightful;
we all needed a rest, and the weather for once was
excellent. At this time Major General W. Thwaites,
C.B., who had Commanded the Division since 1916,
was appointed Director of Military Intelligence at the
War Office, and his place was taken by Major General
G. F. Boyd, C.M.G., D.S.O., D.C.M. It is impossible
even now to estimate all that General Thwaites did for
the Division, and it was very bad luck for him that
he had to leave just at the time when the Division was
to reap the fruits of his training. He took us over after
the Gommecourt battle, and we were tired and weak,
as is to be expected after heavy casualties; if he had
stayed another month he would have seen us doing as
no Division had done before. There are many of us
who would cheerfully have been “‘ crumped ”’ to escape
a ‘‘G.O.C.’s Inspection,’’ but we have lived to be
thankful even for these; they made our Platoon and
Company organisation perfect.

i)
“J
wo

THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

On the 30th we all went and listened to a lecture on
Co-operation with Tanks, given by an Officer who had
taken part in the recent fighting down South. It was a
bloodthirsty and blood-curdling recital, and at the end
of it we all felt ready for an enormous battle, provided
we could have a tank or two to help. The following
day, being the Brigade Boxing Tournament Finals,
some of the N.C.O.’s and men got an opportunity of
slaking their battle lust. This they did very success-
fully, as at the end of the day we were equal with the
5th Lincolns, who had previously always been winners.
Serjeants Wardle, Ptes. ‘‘ Mat ’’ Moore and Martin, all
won their weights, and in addition Serjeant Wardle won
the open catch weight championship. This N.C.O.
then challenged any one of the 5th Lincolns’ side to
fight a ‘‘one round ’”’ deciding bout, and, beating his
opponent, won the day for the Battalion. The
Brigadier gave away the prizes and also the Sports Cup
which we had won. There was a very gratifying
predominance of ‘‘ yellow rings’’ throughout this part
of the proceedings.

The following day—the Ist of September—we
returned to trenches, and went into support with
Battalion Headquarters in Le Quesnoy and the Com-
panies in and around Gorre village. As the new
Divisional Commander had not yet arrived Brigadier
General Rowley was still in command of the Division
and Lieut.-Colonel Foster, of the 4th Battalion,
commanded the Brigade. The Germans were with-
drawing very slowly, and by the 3rd the Staff decided
that as soon as the 5th Lincolnshires had gained ‘‘ Rum
Corner ’’ on the Rue du Bois, where the Boche had a
strong pill box, we should go forward with a barrage

GORRE AND ESSARS AT WAR. 273

with Princes’ Road as our objective. Orders did not
arrive until after midday and then Rum Corner had not
fallen; it was, however, expected to fall by 4-0 p.m.,
and our attack was ordered for 8-0 p.m. the same
evening. There was no time for reconnaissance and
little for getting out orders, but we managed to arrange
for an assembly position and a barrage, which was to
advance in jumps of 100yds. every 4 minutes. Every-
body had a hurried tea and set out between 5-0 p.m.
and 6-0 p.m. for the line. It was not very satisfactory
and we were all glad when, owing to the stout
resistance of Rum Corner the advance was postponed
until 5-15 the following morning—the 4th of September.
It was a warm night and the Companies remained in
the trenches round Loisne and were able to have a good
meal before starting. Late that night the 5th Lincoln-
shires reported the taking of the ‘‘ Corner,’’ so that all
was now ready for the battle. We did not expect
much resistance. Shortly before midnight fresh orders
arrived making our objective the old breastwork
through Tube Station and Factory Post (the support
line in 1915). If possible we were to push patrols on
to the old British front line in front of Fme. Cour
D’Avoué and Fme. du Bois.

Soon after 4-0 a.m. we were all in our assembly
positions—the three attacking Companies along a line
running N. and S. about 300 yards E. of Epinette
Road, with our left just North of Rue du Bois; the
Support Company 100 yards behind them. “DD”
Company (Brooke) was on the right with orders to
protect that flank, if necessary facing right to do so as
they advanced, ‘‘A’’ Company (Petch) was in the
centre, and ‘‘ B’’ Company (Pierrepont) left, astride the

274 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Rue du Bois, ‘‘ C’’ Company (Hawley) was in support.
Battalion Headquarters were in Epinette East Post
with an Orderly Room and rear Headquarters in Loisne.
About an hour before we were due to start a curious
thing happened: It was suddenly discovered that a
considerable number of the 5th Lincolnshires were now
some distance E. of our ‘‘ jumping off line,’ and con-
sequently beyond where the barrage was due to start.
The Brigadier tried to get the barrage advanced, but it
was found impossible to tell the Artillery in time, and
in the end the Lincolnshires, much to their disgust, had
to be withdrawn. As their leading men had gone as far
as Princes’ Road, it did not look as though we should
have much opposition that far at all events.

Promptly at 5-15 a.m. the barrage came down and
the advance began. Princes’ Road was reached and
crossed, the breastwork was found empty, and, after
a short pause in the latter, the right centre Companies
went on to the old front line. The left Company had
slightly more difficult ground, and arrived half-an-hour
later; nowhere had a German been met, though one or
two had been seen making for the Aubers Ridge. It
was a bloodless victory, and by 7-0 a.m. the Battalion
was occupying the identical sector that it occupied in
1915. The barrage had not been needed, but it was
none the less very useful, for we all learnt how close we
could keep and how to judge the “‘ lifts.’’ | Consolida-
tion was not a difficult matter except on the right flank,
where we could not until evening get touch with the
55th Division. It was consequently necessary for ‘‘ D”’
Company to swing back their right through Tube
Station and Dead Cow Post and face South. On the
left Colonel Currin with his Sherwood Foresters was in

nN
“I
or

GORRE AND ESSARS AT WAR.

touch with us at the Factory Keep. Battalion Head-
quarters moved up just before midday to a small shelter
200 yards west of Princes’ Road. In most of the

captured dug-outs the following notice was found :—
Dear Tommy,—

You are welcome to all we are leaving, when we
stop we shall stop, and stop you in a manner you
won’t appreciate. FRITZ.

It was neatly printed in English block capitals and
caused much amusement. The whole day was in a
way one great joke—the un-needed barrage, the empty
trenches, these farewell notices, all combined to make
us very happy.

At first we thought we were going to be let off
without any retaliation at all, but the following morning

ae ”

at ‘“‘stand to’’ a fairly heavy barrage came down for
half-an-hour on the breastwork support line—presum-
ably to break up any intended attack. ‘‘ B’’ Company
Headquarters most unluckily received a direct hit
causing six casualties. Two Serjeants who could ill
be spared, A. Cross and E. Bottomley were both badly
wounded, the latter mortally; two servants, C. Payne
and L. Brotheridge, were wounded not very seriously,
and the two runners, G. S. Bott and G. Dewsbury were
hit, Bott so badly that he died in Hospital. These two
runners, inseparable friends, had long been associated
with ““B’’ Company Headquarters, and had always
done yeoman service, for there was probably never a
better pair. In the afternoon orders came that we
should be relieved at dusk by the 19th Division, but
that we must be certain that we were in touch with the
enemy when handing over. Accordingly orders were
sent up to Captain Petch to try and locate the exact

276 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

position of the enemy. At first the patrol sent out was
unable to draw fire, so, taking C.S.M. Passmore, Serjt.
Bowler and others with him, Captain Petch went out
himself, and the two waved their arms and shouted to
imaginary platoons to make the enemy think an attack
was coming. The ruse was successful, a machine gun
opened fire from close quarters. The two dropped into
a shell hole and started to crawl their way back; there
was plenty of cover, and if they had been patient all
would have been well. Unfortunately C.S.M. Passmore
thinking it was sufficiently dark, got up and walked
towards our lines. He was hit and killed outright.
This warrant officer joined us at Gommecourt in 1917;
his energy and fearlessness at once brought him to the
front, and he soon rose from Serjeant to be Company-
Serjeant-Major. His place in ‘‘A’’ Company was
taken by Serjeant Wardle, of ‘‘C’’ Company. As soon
as they were relieved Companies marched to Loisne
Chateau, where they were to entrain. Trains were not
ready, but after a long wait, the well-nigh frantic
efforts of Captain Schiller produced them, much
to everybody’s delight, and somewhere about midnight
we marched back to Vaudricourt Park.

Two days later the new Major-General was intro-
duced to us, and at once won his way to our hearts by
his wonderful charm of manner. He must have been
surprised to see outside the mess a long line of horses
and mules all waiting saddled up. We had arranged
an officers’ paper chase and every officer attended ; those
who couldn’t find chargers had perforce to ride mules.
The hares (Captain Burnett on ‘‘ Mrs. Wilson’’ and
2/Lieut. Todd on the frisky black) were given ten
minutes’ grace and then, led by ‘‘ Sunloch’’ (Lieut.-

GORRE AND ESSARS AT WAR, 277

Colonel Griffiths ‘‘up’’) the rest of us swung out of
the Park and off towards Labuissi¢re. The pace was
very hot and most of us soon dropped behind, though
the mules, keeping as usual all together and led by
Padre Buck, managed to stay the whole course. Four
riders, finding they were getting left behind, started to
make a short cut through Hesdigneul and there on the
village green met the hares on the way home. It was
a dramatic moment witnessed by large crowds of
gunners, and Lieut. Brodribb on the Colonel’s pony,
and Lieut. Hawley on the faithful and well-intentioned
““Charlie,’’ dashed after the hares. The effect,
however, was somewhat spoilt by ‘“‘Lady Sybil,’’ unused
no doubt to audiences, throwing the Adjutant over her
head on to the middle of the green. The hares were
finally caught after a 9-mile run within a few hundred
yards of home. It was a great performance.

Our stay at Vaudricourt was not a long one, and we
soon moved to Béthune, preparatory to entrainment for
the South, for it was now no longer a secret that we
were going down to fight a real battle at last. The
new General introduced a “‘ Blob’’ formation, which
was both easy and effective, and we practised this once
or twice outside the town. Our first line transport was
also reorganised in such a way that each Company had
its own two limbers with Lew's Guns and ammunition,
bombs and all necessaries. On one small Field Day
the Signallers with their flags turned out as Tanks, and
we practised everything as realistically as possible. We
were all very keen, and better still, very fit; in fact,
the Battalion never looked in better form than on one
of these training days when we marched past the
Brigadier.

. 278 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

From the 9th to the 11th of September we remained
in Béthune, a depressing town now, to those of us who
had known it in its days of prosperity. We managed
to have one very good concert in the Barracks and it
was surprising how much really good talent we found,
conjuror, humourists and sentimental singer were all
ready to amuse us. At midnight 11/12th we fell in on
the Parade Ground and marched to Chocques—the
irrepressible Drums giving us one or two tunes on the
way. It rained hard at the Station and there was a
terrible shortage of accommodation. At length, with
much shoving, swearing and puddle-splashing we got
on board, and at 4-0 a.m. left the Béthune Area. We
had been on the Lens-La Bassée Sector for seventeen
months : we never saw it again.

CHAPTER XVI.
PONTRUET.

14th Sept., 1918. 25th Sept., 1918.

Our journey Southwards was uncomfortable and
uneventful. The only remarkable feature was the
acrobatic skill displayed by the mess staff, transferring
meals from the kitchen-cattle-truck to the officers mess-
cattle-truck. Even at the usual speed of a French troop
train, it is no easy task to drop off the train with a
pile of plates in one hand, a dish of potatoes in the
other, walk fast enough to catch up the carriage in
front, and finally, in spite of signal wires, sleepers and
other pitfalls, deliver all safely at the ‘‘ Mess.”’ Yet
this was done not once but often. | We spent the whole
day in the train passing St. Pol, Amiens, and Corbie,
and finally towards evening reached Ribemont, where
we found our billeting party waiting for us. Billets
consisted of some distant dug-outs across a swampy
moor, and the recent rains had made what few tracks
there were too slippery for the horses. It was all very
unpleasant, and we spent a cold and cheerless night.
““ A ’’ Company, which had remained at Chocques doing
loading duties, did not arrive until midnight—very wet
and tired.

The next day was bright and warm, and we soon
discovered that the two villages, Treux and Buire would

280 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

hold Headquarters and half the Battalion, so moved
into them without delay and evacuated all except the
more sumptuous and easily approached dug-outs. We
were now fairly comfortable, and our only grouse was
the absence of any canteen or even French civilians for
miles and miles, and the consequent lack of tobacco,
beer and other little luxuries.

Our move had brought us into General Rawlinson’s
Fourth Army, and, as we were apparently not needed
at once for a battle, we started vigorous training.
Route marches, and even “‘ field-firing ’’ practices were
carried out, and there was one big Divisional Field
day, which ended triumphantly with the Brigade and
Battalion Staffs picking mushrooms on the final
objective. Meanwhile the Second in Command’s
Department under Major Burnett fixed up baths and
other comforts for us and, by the 18th of September,
we were really very comfortable. This same day we
were ordered to move at short notice.

Motor lorries took us on to the main Amiens road at
Corbie, and turning East along it we jolted and bumped
and splashed our way through Brie-sur-Somme to
Tertry. The country—what we could see of it in the
dark—seemed to consist of a barren waste of shell
holes with here and there a shattered tree or the remains
of some burnt-out Tank standing forlornly near some
dark and stagnant swamp. Villages were practically
non-existent, and Tertry was no exception, but we soon
settled down under waterproof sheets, corrugated iron
and a few old bricks. The transport under Major
Burnett and Serjt. Yeabsley came all the way by road,
and arrived some hours later; but much of our stores
had to be left behind with two storemen in Buire.

DIRECTION OF

PONTRUET. 281

Many efforts were made during the following months
to retrieve these stores, but it was not until after the
armistice that we were finally successful.

We were now [Xth. Corps, and found our neighbours
were old friends from the Béthune area—the Ist and 6th
Divisions. The Transport lines and ‘‘ battle details ”’
of the Ist and 11th Battalions of the Regiment were
quite close to us, and we paid several calls. On the
20th, Captains Tomson and Banwell returned from
leave, much to the delight of their Companies, for the
following day we went into trenches, relieving the
14th and 45th Australians in the Hindenburg Outpost
line, that they had so brilliantly captured a few days
before. We were in Brigade support along Ascension
Ridge, called after a farm of that name, and the other
two Battalions held the line in front of us.

In their attack, the Australians had pushed forward
further than anyone else, while the English troops on
their right, after some very hard fighting, had been
held up by the village of Pontruet. Consequently there
was a sharp bend in the line, and the Australian right
flank, though on high ground, was somewhat exposed.
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282 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

The enemy still held posts on the ridge close to the
Australian front line, and were known to have several
posts in Forgan’s trench, which was the Southward
continuation of our front line across the valley.
Pontruet was overlooked from everywhere, and con-
stantly bombarded by our Artillery, so it did not seem
likely that it held many Boche. The Sherwood
Foresters held the right of the Divisional line and
joined with the Ist Division on the high ground South
of the village. There was no sign of any intended
operation, and it certainly looked as if we could not
move until the troops on our right had advanced.
Accordingly on the 22nd the Adjutant rode back to
Brie to go on leave. Capt. Banwell, really a “‘ battle
detail,’’ went up to assist the Headquarters, while the
other ‘‘ details ’’—Major Burnett, Captain Petch, Lieut.
Pierrepont, 2nd Lieuts. Edwardes, Griffiths, Taylor,
C.S.M.’s Cooper and Martin—remained with the Q.M.
Stores.

No sooner had the Adjutant gone, than orders came
for a battle. At dawn on the 24th the Division on
our right was going to advance, and the 46th Division,
by way of assisting them, was to capture Pontruet and
hold Forgan’s trench as a final objective. The 138th
Brigade were chosen for this fight, and General Rowley
decided to use one Battalion only—ourselves. We were
to attack the village from the rear, by advancing into
the valley from the North and then turning West,
while one Company turning East would capture and
hold Forgan’s. There was little time for preparation,
so Colonel Griffiths called a Company Commanders’
meeting, reconnoitred the village from above, and
decided on his plan of attack. At the same time a

PONTRUET. 283

runner was sent after the Adjutant, and found him just
boarding the leave train. It was a near thing, but not
for anything would he have missed the next few weeks.

The Colonel’s plan was as follows :—To assemble
the Battalion in lines of platoons in fours facing South,
just behind the right of our front line. ‘‘ A ’’ would be
on the right, “‘D” on the left. At Zero all would
move forward wth a barrage, keeping about 50 yards
distance and interval between platoons. All would cross
the Bellenglise road and finally, when the leading
platoons were level with the farther, i.e., South, edge
of Pontruet, ‘“‘A’’ and “‘ B’’ would turn to the right,
sweep through and reform on the West side of it.
““D”’ would turn left and capture Forgan’s trench,
having a platoon of ‘‘C’’ Company to help them.
The rest of “‘C”’ would assist which ever party seemed
to be in difficulties. The Headquarters would move to
the high ground, whence the fight would be visible,
and there was every hope of opening signal communica-
tion with the attacking Companies. Artillery arrange-
ments were made accordingly, and bombardments
ordered for the’ supposed posts in Forgan’s. Un-
fortunately, much against our wishes, and in opposition
to the Brigadier’s scheme, a heavy smoke barrage was
to be placed on the Western edge of the village. A
West wind would make this a thick blanket and
seriously hinder our advance, and West winds are very
common; however, we could not alter this part of the
scheme. The Sherwood Foresters were ordered to
assist by pushing up to the village after we had
captured it. Zero would be 5-0 a.m. on the 24th of
September.

As soon as it was dark on the 23rd, Captain Banwell

284 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

taped out a ‘‘jumping off’’ line for the leading
platoons. There was some unpleasant shelling at the
time, but he completed his task successfully, and also
taped out the route to this assembly position. At mid-
night, relieved by the 6th South Staffordshires (Lister),
we mached off after an issue of hot tea and rum to
the assembly ground, leaving great coats behind and
wearing fighting order. On arrival we found that the
Lincolnshires had been raided in their North end of
Forgan’s trench a short time before, and, as there
might still be some of the enemy near the trench, ‘‘ D”’
Company were ordered to form up in it, instead of on
the top. It was not a dark night, and had we been
seen assembling all would have been lost. There was
some scattered shelling, and Lieut. Brodribb, command-
ing ‘“‘A’’ Company, was wounded in the leg. He had
it dressed at the R.A.P., and, finding he could still
walk, rejoined his Company before the advance began.
In absolute silence we lay in shell holes waiting for
Zero. A mist had started to blow up from the valley,
and the Battalion was almost invisible. Here and
there a few heads, the muzzle of a Lewis gun, the end
of a stretcher might be seen just above the ground,
and occasionally one could see the tall figure of Capt.
Tomson, imperturbable as ever, walking quietly round
his Company with a word of encouragement for all. As
the time went on, the mist became thicker and thicker,
and by 4-50 a.m. platoons and Companies were unable
to see each other. The shelling had ceased, it was
very quiet.

Punctually at 5-0 a.m. the barrage opened, and the
advance started. The timing of the Artillery was
perfect and, with the road to guide them, ‘‘ A’’ Com-

PONTRUET. 285

pany on the right swept across the Bellenglise road,
keeping close to the barrage. By 5-14 a.m. No. 1
Platoon (Quint), which was leading, was ready for the
right turn. The rest of this Company followed, and,
though No. 4 Platoon (Dennis) slightly lost direction
for a time, they soon regained their place, so that the
whole Company was ready to turn together. It was
still half dark, and, as we had feared, the smoke
barrage blew across and shrouded us in a thick blanket
of fog. During their advance, ‘‘A’’ Company had
found the machine gun and rifle fire very hot from their
left flank, apparently from Forgan’s trench, and had
already lost Serjt. P. Bowler, who was killed outright.
They had met no enemy outside the village, and could
mot see more than a few yards through the smoke. The
other Companies were out of sight.

Turning into Pontruet, ‘‘A’’ Company found it full
of the enemy. Odd lengths of trenches here and there,
cellars in every direction were filled with bombers and
machine gun teams, some facing West, others, who had
realised our intentions, facing East. Led by Lieut.
Brodribb and their platoon commanders, ‘“‘ A’’ Com-
pany dashed in with the bayonet. Here and there a
bomb was thrown down a cellar, or a Lewis gun turned
against some party which resisted, but for the most part
the bayonet was the weapon of the day. The enemy
were scattered, a few tried to fight, but large numbers
were killed trying to escape, while 120 were captured,
and 50 more driven into the Sherwod Foresters’ lines.
The work on the North side was the easiest. Here,
small parties led by 2nd Lieut. Dennis, who was
slightly wounded, C.S.M. Wardle, Serjt. Toon, and
others carried all before them, cleared the lower road

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PONTRUET.

PONTRUET. 287

and the cemetery, and formed up outside the N.W.
corner, where they were joined by their Company
Commander.

In the centre there was more fighting, and while
L/Cpls. Downs and Starbuck and Pte. Meakin led their
parties through with tremendous dash, one Lewis Gun
section under Dakin, a ‘‘ No. 1’’ Lewis Gunner, found
itself held up by a strong German post. The “‘ No. 2”’
was killed, and Dakin himself was shot through both
thighs almost at once, so that there was no one left
to work the gun. However, Hyden, an untrained
soldier, came forward and fired the gun, while Dakin,
bleeding freely and with both thighs broken, lay beside
him and corrected stoppages, until he succumbed to his
injuries.

The Company’s heaviest losses were on the Southern
or upper side of the village. For, in the $.W. corner,
the Germans had two lengths of well defended trench,
supported by a block house, and against these 2nd.
Lieuts. Aster and Quint and Corporal Tyers led their
men. The two officers were killed almost together at
the second trench, but the Corporal broke clean
through, only to be shot through the head when almost
outside the village. Seven others of this same gallant
party were killed at this corner, and the remainder,
unable to deal with the blockhouse, fought their way
through to the main part of the Company.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Battalion had been far
less fortunate, and, with no road to guide them, had
been baffled by the fog. 2nd Lieut. Lewin and Serjt.
Harrison with a small party of ‘‘ B’’? Company crossed
the valley and, turning right, followed No. 1 Platoon
into the Southern half of the village. They were too

288 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

small a body to clear the blockhouse corner, and first
Serjt. Harrison, then 2nd Lieut. Lewin were killed as
they gallantly tried to get forward. Two others of
their men were hit, and the rest were scattered.

One platoon of ‘‘B’’ Company remained intact.
2nd Lieut. Cosgrove, finding he could not keep direction
and advance at the required pace, dropped behind.
Stopping every few yards to take a compass bearing,
this officer finally brought his platoon to its allotted
turning point and entered the village. Following the
lower road, the platoon split into two halves and
‘‘mopped up” anything left by ‘‘A’’ Company,
making sure that the whole of this side of the village
was absolutely clear of the enemy. 2nd Lieut. Cosgrove
with his two sections joined Lieut. Brodribb outside
the village. Corporal Barber with his Lewis gun
section took up a position inside near the Cemetery.

The rest of ‘‘ B’’ Company and the left half Battalion
fared badly. Forgan’s trench, supposed to be held by
a few odd posts, was strongly manned from end to end.
It was wired in front and lateral belts had been placed
at frequent intervals across it. It would have been a
stiff task for a Company to take it with a direct frontal
attack; to “‘ work up’’ it was impossible. None the
less, ‘‘ D’’ Company (Brooke) did their utmost. Led
by their Company Commander in person, the Company
left the trench at Zero and started to work along it.
There was wire everywhere, and the going was very
bad on top, so that many men of the rear platoons
dropped back into the trench and made their way along
it—a fatal mistake. On nearing the Bellenglise road
this Company was met with a perfect hurricane of
machine gun bullets from three guns in a nest near the

PONTRUET. 289

road. Captain Brooke was hit but continued to lead
his men, and, ably backed by Serjt. Darby, made a
gallant attempt to rush the position. The men still in
the trench could give no assistance, and though two
prisoners were taken the rush failed, and the German
machine guns remained unharmed. Captain Brooke
was twice hit again and with 2nd Lieuts. Sloper and
Buckley, who were both wounded, had to leave the
fight. Serjt. Darby and L/Cpl. Smith had been killed
close to the enemy’s guns, Serjeant Sullivan was
wounded, and for the moment the Company was leader-
less. Lieut. Corah came up to take command, but by
the time he reached the head of the Company it was
too late to act, and Forgan’s trench remained full of
the enemy.

The occupants of Forgan’s, mostly machine gunners,
appear to have realised almost at once the direction
of our attack, and opened a hot fire on our left flank
as we crossed the Bellenglise road and set off across
the valley. ‘‘A’’ Company felt this severely, but far
more severe were the losses of ‘“C’’ Company and
those platoons of ‘‘ B’’ which did not make their turn
into the village. These were nearer to Forgan’s
trench, and both lost heavily. The mist and smoke
were very thick, connecting files were useless, and
the various officers, collecting what men they could find,
made their way as far as possible in the right direction.
Lieut. Hawley with the bulk of ‘‘C’’ Company found
a few of the enemy still in the Eastern end of Pontruet,
turned them out, and occupied a trench along the edge
of the village, facing East. Further South along this
same trench another party of ‘‘C’’ under Lieut. Steel
made use of a small road bridge, and took up a position

290 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

facing the same way. The rest of the Company
followed Lieut. Barrett and Serjt. Spencer and reached
the far side of the valley, being joined on the way by
some of ‘‘B’’ Company. A few yards up the bank on
the Southern side, Lieut. Barrett found to his surprise
a trench across his route. The fog was still thick, and
this puzzled him—it had been newly dug during the
night—but, as it was full of Germans, he rushed fie
got inside, and turned towards Forgan’s. He was hit
doing so. Reaching Forgan’s, this party, in which
Serjeant Spencer was conspicuous, quickly disposed
of three German machine gun posts and their teams,
but were then themselves fired at and bombed from
several directions. Undeterred, Lieut. Barrett, though
again wounded, drew his revolver and with it held up
one bombing party, while Serjeant Spencer dealt with
another. A bomb burst close to Lieut. Barrett’s pistol
arm and put it out of action, and by this time he was
becoming exhausted. Calling his N.C.O.’s together,
he explained what had happened and gave them careful
directions as to how to get out, himself quite calm the
whole time. Acting on his instructions, those of the
party who were left cut their way out; Lieut. Barrett,
refusing help, started to crawl through the wire, and
was again wounded. He eventually reached the R.A.P.
literally covered with wounds. Contrary to the
Doctor’s expectations, however, he not only lived to
receive his Victoria Cross, but soon made a complete
recovery.

At the same time, Captain Tomson, finding his Com-
pany now consisted only of his signallers, runners, and
batmen, and unable to find out where the rest had gone,
determined to try and rush the machine guns which

PONTRUET. 291

were keeping up such a steady fire close to his left flank.
His little party forced their way through some wire and
found themselves opposed by three guns. With a
shout of ‘‘Come along Tigers, show them what you
can do,’’ Captain Tomson led them straight at the
enemy. Two of the gun teams were overcome, but
the third could not be reached, and fired at them point
blank. L/Cpl. Signaller J. Smith was wounded and
fell, Captain Tomson, bending down to tie him up,
was shot through the head. Only two men got away,
leaving their leader, now dead, in a small shelter outside
the trench. Smith, mortally wounded, refused to be
taken away, saying ‘‘ Leave me with Captain Tomson,
I shall be all right’’—and there he died next to his
Company Commander. So perished the kindest hearted
and bravest gentleman that ever commanded a Com-
pany in the Regiment. Calm, cheerful, with a friendly
word for all, Captain Tomson was the father of his
men, and a warm friend to his brother officers and
INAGZORS:

By 6-30 a.m. it was daylight, but the fog and smoke
still lay like a thick blanket along the valley, hiding the
village and all that was going on there. It was not
until 7-45 a.m. that the wind blew this away, and we
were at last able to see how we had fared. The village,
with the exception of the blockhouse corner, was in
our hands. ‘‘C’’ Company were holding more than
half its Eastern side, while ‘‘A’’ and part of ‘‘B”’
had reformed after the attack and were dug in just
outside the N.W. corner. The only troops actually in
Pontruet were those with Corpl. Barber at the Ceme-
tery. The road leading West from the village was
thronged with prisoners and stretcher bearers making

292 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

their way towards the large crater on the main road,
used as a Company Headquarters by the Sherwood
Foresters. Captain Jack had established his Aid Post
at the bottom of the little valley running down to the
road, and here, helped by the never-tiring Padre Buck,
was busily employed with our wounded.

In Forgan’s trench there was a deadlock. Across
the valley and on the Southern slopes it was still full
of the enemy, who had many machine guns. Daylight
made an attack over the open by ‘‘D’’ Company
impossible, for as soon as anyone was seen to leave our
lines he was at once fired upon. Every effort was made
with bombs and rifle grenades to dislodge the German
machine gunners from their posts on the main road,
but, though Serjts. Marston and Haynes and L/Cpl.
Thurman did their utmost, no progress could be made.
Here, therefore, ‘‘ D’’ Company had to stay through-
out the day, almost powerless to help, except by
harassing the enemy with stokes mortars from the high
ground. With daylight, the enemy also had complete
command of the Eastern edge of Pontruet, and Lieuts.
Hawley and Steel had to lie very quiet; the slightest
movement attracted the attention of the snipers in
Forgan’s.

At 8-0 a.m. the battle was practically at a standstill,
and the C.O. sent the Adjutant forward to see what
could be done to improve our position. The enemy’s
artillery was now fairly quiet, and, except for the one
machine gun post near the blockhouse, there seemed to
be no’ Germans in Pontruet. ‘‘A’’ and ‘‘B’’ Com-
panies had exhausted all their grenades and Lewis gun
ammunition in their efforts to capture this one post,
but had failed, and our only hope was now that a Ist

PONTRUET. 293

Divisional Tank would do it for us. This Tank was
seen coming up from the West, and, to attract its
attention, we waved our helmets on our rifles. It turned
towards us, but suddenly broke down, and soon after-
wards was put completely out of action.

At the same time, efforts were made to signal to
Battalion Headquarters for ammunition, but the signal
apparatus had all been destroyed in the fight. The only
flag available was one of the ‘‘ red, white and black ”’
Regimental flags, which the Adjutant happened to have
in his pocket, and though this was vigorously waved,
it could not be seen. A runner had to be sent instead.

Meanwhile, though we had practically cleared the
village of the enemy, we were not, as far as we knew

at the Western end of it, holding it very strongly. The
only post known to ‘‘A’’ Company was Corporal
Barber’s at the Cemetery. ““C”’ }Company were
supposed to be ‘‘ somewhere at the other end,’’ but no
one quite knew where. However, with Corporal
Barber was a ‘‘C’’ Company soldier—Coles—who
undertook to find his way back to his Company. Our

idea was to form a line through the village at once,
and, when ammunition arrived, push the line through to
the far side. Coles found ‘“‘C’’ Company, but so hot
was the sniping from Forgan’s, that any idea of moving
men in that direction had to be abandoned, at any rate
until darkness. Coles himself was unable to return,
so that the exact position of ‘‘ C’’ Company was never
known at Headquarters.

On the return of the Adjutant, Battalion Head-
quarters moved up to the valley next the R.A.P. At
the same time a large supply of ammunition and bombs
was brought up as far as the crater. Colonel Griffiths

294 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

himself set off to visit ‘‘ A’’ Company, but he had not
gone many yards along the road before he was heavily
sniped by the enemy machine gunners. The latter had
established several posts on the high ground S.E. of
Pontruet, and were now making the road impassable.
For a long time the Colonel, making use of shell holes,
tried to make his way to the village, but every time he
was ‘‘ spotted ’’ and finally he had to return. Ammuni-
tion carrying parties lost very heavily and never got
near our companies; the village seemed to be completely
cut off from us. To add to our discomfort the enemy’s
artillery was again active and gas shells were fired
wherever movement was seen. The Headquarters and
the R.A.P. were frequently bombarded. At the same
time the enemy’s infantry started to dribble back by
Forgan’s and the new trench, into the S.W. corner of
the village, probably to counter-attack. Observers saw
this movement from the Tumulus Ridge, and, as soon
as Corpl. Barber’s post could be withdrawn, the
suspected area was heavily shelled by our gunners, and
no attack developed.

During the afternoon, the Headquarters, finding that
in their new position they were in touch with
neither Brigade Headquarters nor their Companies,
moved back to the hill-top. Captain Jack and the
Padre remained with the R.A.P., though their valley
was almost continuously shelled, and never entirely free
from gas. The devoted work these two did that day
is beyond description and too great for praise.

At 4-0 p.m., as our position was materially
unchanged, we received orders for a fresh advance, to
be made in conjunction with one Company of the 6th
Sherwood Foresters. | Our objective was to be a line

rc

PONTRUET. 295

along the Southern edge of the village, to link up with
““C’”’ Company, or at least to extend to where we
imagined ‘‘C’’ Company to be. Captain Pink, of the
Sherwood Foresters, commanded the Company which
was to help us, and no one could have worked harder
than he did to make our advance a success, but the
uncertainty of “‘C’’ Company’s exact position, and the
impossibility of sending them any orders, made our
task very difficult. Late in the afternoon we at last
got news of Lieut. Steel. In spite of shells and
machine-gun bullets, a runner came along the main road
from St. Héléne to the crater. This runner, Private
F. Lane, had had to crawl 250 yards across the open
under direct observation, had had to kill two Germans
before he could get clear of the village, and had then
run the gauntlet of shells and bullets along the road—
all this alone. Not content with having delivered his
message, he refused to rest, and, though exhausted,
made his way back by the same way that he had come.
We now knew where Lieut. Steel was under the bridge,
but still we knew nothing of the main part of ““C”
Company.

At 7-30 p.m., as it was getting dusk, the combined
advance started without a barrage. It was a big
frontage for so small a force and parties lost touch with
each other amongst the ruins. ‘‘A’’ Company’s left
kept close to the Sherwood Foresters, but the outer
flanks of both were ‘‘in the air,’’ for ‘‘C’’ Company
could not be found. It was dark when the South side
of the village was reached, and it was found terribly
difficult to keep direction amongst the ruins and
trenches. A Lewis Gun Section, under C.S.M. Wardle,
disposed of the only party of the enemy who were
encountered, but the post near the Blockhouse could not

296 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

be found. Finally at 9-0 p.m. the Sherwood Foresters
fell back to Fourmi trench near the main road, and
2nd Lieut. Dennis, now commanding “‘ A’’ Company,
ordered his platoons to return to their former positions.
We had accomplished nothing.

The original plan had been that we should be relieved
as soon as it was dark, but our present line was so
uncertain that the relieving Battalion refused to take
it over as we had it. The men were tired out, and it
was impossible to expect them to make another attempt
to form a line round the village. “C’’ Company
were found, but too far North to link up with the
others. Eventually, at 2-0 a.m. on the 25th, we were
ordered to withdraw all our Companies and evacuate
the village. This we did by 4-0 a.m. What was left
of the Battalion then marched back to where we had
left our greatcoats, while the Sherwood Foresters took
over the line north and west of Pontruet. The Adjutant
saw the last parties out of the village, and the Colonel,
though tired out, insisted on going round the lines and
visiting each platoon as it came in.

The following day we received this message from
General Boyd :—

“Please congratulate Lieut.-Colonel Griffiths and
the 1/5th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment on the good
fight they put up yesterday, and tell them I am quite
satisfied. They captured many prisoners and
accounted for numbers of the enemy. Owing to
unexpected reinforcements they attacked an enemy
twice as strong as themselves, and moreover in a
strong position. Although we did not reach our
objective, the enemy was prevented from reinforcing
the troops opposed to the Division on our right.

(sd.) G. F. BOYD, Major-General.

PONTRUET. 297

We had lost one Company Commander and three
subalterns killed, one Company Commander and _ six
subalterns wounded. Of the rank and file, thirty were
killed, of whom three were Serjeants, one hundred were
wounded, and eight were missing. But we had proved
that five platoons could clear a village held by three
Battalions (so said one of the prisoners) of the enemy ;
we had shown that when N.C.O.’s became casualties,
private soldiers were ready to assume command and
become leaders, and, most important of all, the battle
had proved to each individual soldier that if he went
with his bayonet he was irresistible.

CHAPTER XVII.
CROSSING THE CANAL.

25th Sept., 1918. 4th Oct., 1918.

Tur two days following this action were spent in
refitting and re-organizing what was left of the
Battalion. All available officers from the “ battle
details’? were ordered to join us, and Captains Petch
and Banwell resumed command of their Companies,
while Lieuts. Hawley and Corah took over ‘“‘ B”’ and
‘““D.’’ Major Burnett also came up and, though we
were still in trenches and holes in the ground, managed
to produce hot baths for everybody. The line was very
quiet, the weather .warm, we needed a rest, and for
two days we had it. The Brigade was to be relieved by
the Staffordshires on the evening of the 27th, and our
first orders were to go into various trenches and dug-
outs round Grand Priel Farm. These orders, how-
ever, were cancelled before relief, and we were allotted
instead a quarry and some trenches just North of le
Verguier.

Up to the evening of the 26th all had been very quiet
and there was not the slightest sign that any active
operations were intended. | However on this evening,
the Transport drivers, bringing up rations, told us that
all the roads behind the lines were thick with guns,
lorries and waggons, all moving up. At the same

CROSSING THE CANAL. 299

time Colonel Griffiths returned from a Conference, with
some orders so secret that they were told to no one.
The following day we saw that during the night many
new batteries had taken up positions on the Ascension
Ridge, guns had been carefully camouflaged, men
hidden away in copses, and all was still very quiet.
The same day, officers of another division came up
reconnoitering—all with considerable secrecy—though
one was seen to be carrying a map with a red line on
it, somewhere four miles East of the St. Quentin Canal.
The following night more batteries silently took up
their positions; large bomb, water and ammunition
dumps were made wherever a house or copse would
screen them from the enemy’s aircraft, everything was
being prepared for some gigantic enterprise. As we
went out to le Verguier, we passed some of the
Staffordshires going to the front line. It was a very
dark night, but we could see that they were carrying
more than usual and that their equipment looked very
bulky. They were wearing life belts.

The secret could now be kept no longer, and as soon
as possible orders were made known to all. They
were brief: ** The 46th Division will on a certain date,
as part of a major operation, cross the St. Quentin
Canal, capture the Hindenburg Line, and advance to a
position on the high ground East of Magny la Fosse
and Lehaucourt (2 miles E. of the Canal).”’

The St. Quentin Canal, or Canal du Nord, as it is
called further North, runs for the most part North and
South. At Bellicourt, opposite the Americans, 1,000
yards North of our sector, it enters a tunnel and is for
a considerable distance underground. At Bellenglise,
opposite the right of our Divisional sector, it takes a

300 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

sharp turn to the East, and runs, past Lehaucourt and
le Tronquoy, for 24 miles before again turning South.
The main Hindenburg Line followed the line of the
Canal, just East of it. The Americans would attack
the line above the tunnel, and North of them British
Divisions would continue the advance far to the North.
The 46th Division would attack with its right on
Bellenglise, and a gap of 1,000 yards from its left to
the Americans. South of us no attack would be
necessary; for, once across the Canal, our right flank
would be defended all the way to le Tronquoy by the
Canal itself and this portion of the Hindenburg Line,
which we should ‘ roll up’’ from the flank. Tanks
could not cross the Canal except over the tunnel at
Bellicourt. | Consequently the IXth Tank Battalion,
allotted to our Division for the attack, would advance
with the Americans, and, once in Bellicourt, turn south
and join us to assist in the advance to the village
objectives and the heights. To the Staffordshire
Brigade was alloted the crossing of the Canal and the
taking of the Hindenburg Line. Then, after a pause
to allow the Tanks to come round, the Sherwood
Foresters on the right and our Brigade on the left
would sweep on, still under a barrage, to the final
objective. We should have to deal with Magny village,
the Right Brigade with Bellenglise and Lehaucourt.
On the final objective there would be another pause,
then, if all had gone well, the 32nd Division would
come through to the ‘‘ Red’’ Line of exploitation—
another two miles still further East. Maps were issued
with the objective of each unit shown in colour. The
Staffordshires had the ‘‘ Blue,’’ which was the Hinden-
burg Line, and the ‘‘ Brown’’ further E. to hold till

CROSSING THE CANAL. 301

we came up; the 4th Leicestershires had the ‘‘ Yellow,’’
which included Knobkerry Ridge, the 5th Lincolnshires
the ‘‘ Dotted Blue ’’—just beyond Magny village; we
had the last of all, the ‘‘Green’”’ line, including a
sunken cross-roads, an old mill on some very high
ground, and a small copse called Fosse Wood. It was
argued that by this time either the attack would have
failed and we should not be wanted, or, if successful,
there could not be very much resistance; we were very
weak after Pontruet, and this was considered the
easiest task. The day chosen was September 29th—
the time, dawn.

Outside le Verguier there runs a muddy lane with an
old quarry beside it. In this quarry, in an _ evil-
smelling but very deep dug-out lived Battalion Head-
quarters ; everybody else occupied trenches in the fields
round about. On the opposite side of the lane was a
battery of 9.2’s, firing almost continuously day and
night, making it almost impossible to reach the Head-
quarters, and quite impossible to ride down the lane.
Altogether our surroundings were unpleasant. The
enemy soon made them worse, for about an hour before
dawn on the 28th he suddenly put over a few small
shells, apparently high explosive, round ‘‘B’”’ Com-
pany’s trenches, while one or two also fell round ‘‘ C”’
and ‘“‘A’’ Companies. Finally he pitched three clean
into the quarry, and the sentry woke up to the fact
that they were not only high explosive, but contained
a very fair percentage of mustard gas. It was about
an hour before the discovery was made and still longer
before all troops were moved away. ‘‘ C’’ Company
wisely took no risks and were soon across the road, and
“‘A”’ and “D” were practically unaffected. ‘‘B’’

302 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE,

Company, however, were not warned, and it was nearly
two hours after the first shell had come before they were
finally moved grumbling to another area. Apparently
no one was gassed, but we knew mustard only too well
and feared very much what the enemy would bring
forth. However, at 9-0 a.m it came on to pour with
rain, and we got more hopeful.

At 11 o’clock Col. Griffiths, taking the Adjutant and
Company Commanders with him, set off to a Conference
with the Tank officers at Brigade Headquarters. The
enemy were shelling le Verguier, the 9.2’s were firing
vigorously, it was pouring with rain, and the horses
were very nervous. The ride was consequently exciting.
Led as usual by “‘ Sunloch,’”’ the party galloped past the
9.2’s and halted at the entrance to the village to try and
“time ’’ the Boche shells. One came, they dashed in,
turned the corner and just got clear in time; the next
shell skimmed over the last groom’s head and wounded
a German prisoner.

Our conference with the Tank officers caused a slight
alteration 1n Colonel Griffiths’ plan of attack. He had
intended to advance with two companies in front and
two in support, but finding that a three company
frontage was more suitable for Tank co-operation, this
was adopted—‘‘A’’ Company (Petch) to be on the
right, ‘“C’’ Company (Banwell)) to be in the centre,
and ‘“‘D’”’ Company (Corah) on the left. ‘“B”
Company (Hawley) would be in support. The front
line Company Commanders arranged rendezvous with
their Tank Commanders, and we rode back.

By evening our worst fears had been realized, and
forty-five of ‘‘ B’? Company had to be sent to Hospital,
too blind from the mustard gas to be of any use.

CROSSING THE CANAL. 303

C.S.M. Wardle and about five men from each of the
other Companies had also to go, while Headquarters
lost Mess Corporal J. Buswell. As we had lost L/Cpl.
Bourne a few days before, this left us rather helpless,
and, but for our energetic Padre-Mess-President,
should probably have starved. | We had one consola-
tion. Towards evening on the 28th the rain stopped,
the weather brightened, and there seemed to be every
prospect of a fine Sunday. Bombs, flares and extra
rations were distributed at dusk, and we turned in for
the night during which, except for a few aeroplane
bombs, the evening left us in peace.

At 5-0 a.m., Sunday, the 29th of September, the
barrage started. There was the usual thick morning
mist, and even at 7-0 a.m. we were unable to see more
than a few yards in any direction. Even gun flashes
could not be seen, and the only intimation we had of
the progress of the fight, was the continuous ‘‘ chug-
chug-chug,’’ of the tanks, moving along the valley
North of us, completely out of sight. As we were not
due to move until 9-0 a.m. we spent the time having
breakfasts and reorganizing the remains of ‘“‘B”’
Company. Lieut. Hawley, with the aid of the recently
returned C.S.M. J. B. Weir, D.C.M., formed one large
platoon with as many Lewis Guns as_ possible.
Between 7-0 and 8-0 a.m. the mist lifted once for a few
seconds only, and, looking Northwards we could see
the top of the next ridge. Along the skyline as far
as the eye could see from West to East stretched a long
column of horses, guns and wagons—moving forward.
Below them, in the shadow, moved a long procession of
Tanks. Then the mist closed down and we saw no
more.

304 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

As soon as breakfasts were finished, picked N.C.O.’s
and men were sent forward to get in touch with the rest
of the Brigade and reconnoitre roads forward to the
Canal. At 7-45 a.m. came a message from Brigade
Headquarters, to say that, as the mist was worse
further East, we had better start moving at once.
Parade was accordingly ordered for 8-30 a.m., instead
of 9-0 a.m., and we tried to form up in a field near the
quarry. The mist was so thick one could not see from
one end of a Company to the other, and it was nearly
nine o’clock before Capt. Jack and his orderlies with
their medical box appeared in the field, and we were
ready to move off. Even so, we had to leave the mess
staff behind, but the Padre promised to bring them
along.

At 9-0 a.m. we moved off in single file, Col. Griffiths
leading, and the Companies following in the order
A,” ~ ©,” ~~ DD,” Battalion Headquarters, and * B:”
It was terribly difficult to keep touch, as, with many
oaths, we stumbled over ditches and holes until we
reached the lane from le Verguier to Grand Priel. Here
we picked up the Headquarter horses, and also were
much cheered by some wounded soldiers, who told us
the Boche was running away for all he was worth.
Unfortunately our column was cut in half by some
artillery coming down the line, who passed between
““D” Company and Headquarters. Alongside us,
moving on the same track, were the 5th Sherwood
Foresters, also bound for the ‘‘ Green Line’’; their
‘“‘all up’? was passed to the head of our column, and
the Colonel, thinking we were intact, moved on. At
Ascension Farm, the Adjutant was sent in to report to
Brigade Headquarters and the Colonel struck off into

CROSSING THE CANAL. 305

the mist, marching entirely by compass bearing.
Periodically he and Captain Petch stopped to check
their direction and then moved slowly on again; there
was some barbed wire and the horses were sent back.
Eventually, after crossing the old front line and going
half way down the next slope the Colonel halted, and
allowing the Companies to form up by platoons, waited
until it was time to go on. He judged that he should
be somewhere near the original starting line of the
Statfordshires. ‘‘C’’ and ‘‘D’’ Companies came up
but there was no Battalion Headquarters and no “‘ B”’
Company—incidentally no Adjutant. The latter,
coming out from Brigade Headquarters, found that the
Battalion had gone and tried to ride after them. He
merely succeeded in getting into a wire entanglement
and having no groom had to leave his mare. With
Lieut. Ashdowne, the Intelligence Officer, and Scout-
Corporal Gilbert—the only ones left of Battalion Head-
quarters—he went on, hoping to catch up the Battalion
before they reached the Canal. Fortunately at 10-45
the mist blew right away, and the sudden daylight
which followed showed him where the Battalion lay; it
also showed the Staffordshire’s starting tape only 60
yards from where the Colonel had halted.

Until 11-20 we sat in the sun and waited in the hopes
that some of the missing people might join us. We
held a short Conference, and the Colonel decided that
if there was any more fog or difficulty of any sort,
Company Commanders should make their way at once
to their places in the ‘‘ dotted blue’’ line. Scouts were
sent out to reconnoitre Canal crossings, and as soon
as the barrage started for the 4th Battalion’s advance,
we moved forward in rear of the 5th Lincolnshires.

306 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

There was some scattered shelling, but our formation
—lines of platoons in fours—was found very suitable.
On reaching the Canal the two right Companies crossed
by the remains of an old dam, the left by Riquerval
Bridge, and all formed up in the ruins of the famous
Hindenburg Line on the far side. It had been terribly
battered, and here and there the remains of its
occupants showed how deadly our barrage, and how
fierce the assault of the Staffordshires had been. As
we reached the Canal a single Tank was seen coming
down from the North, another followed and then
others; ‘‘ our’’ Battalion had crossed successfully at
Bellicourt, so the battle must be going well.

After a short pause, the advance up towards Knob-
kerry Ridge started. | As we crossed Springbok Valley
we could see the 4th Battalion consolidating their
newly-won positions on the top, and there was little
opposition from this quarter. On our right, however,
there seemed to be a stiff fight going on in Bellenglise,
and several dropping shots from machine guns fell
round us. We deployed into the ‘‘ blob’’ formation,
before ascending the ridge, and for the next half-mile
our advance was worthy of a plate in Field Service
Regulations. In front the Colonel, with his eye on
Magny village, kept the direction right. Behind him
the three Companies deployed, their ‘‘ distance ’’ and
“interval” perfect, and working so well together that
if one was checked for a time, the others saw it at once
and conformed. Behind the centre a small red cross flag
and the “red, white and black ’’ marked the position
of the Regimental Aid Post and Battalion Head-
quarters. The latter’s flag was already becoming
famous; it was the one with which ‘A ”’ Company had

CROSSING THE CANAL. 307

tried to signal from Pontruet. A few yards short of
the summit of the Ridge we halted and lay down again
while the 5th Lincolnshires did their advance. While
we were here, the Tanks came up, and so excellent
had been the liaison, that from the Tank which stopped
behind ‘‘ A’’ and ‘‘C’’ Companies stepped the officer
with whom they had arranged details the day before.

At about 1 o’clock we moved on again—our centre
through Magny la Fosse and our Flank Companies on
each side of it. The fight in Bellenglise seemed to be
over, and for the moment things were very quiet.
Swarms of prisoners, waving their arms, were seen
coming from various trenches and the village; no one
was looking after them, we were all much too keen on
getting forward. Here and there, when a few Boches
showed signs of getting into a trench instead of
keeping to the open, some soldier would administer a
friendly jab with the bayonet to show them what was
expected of them. The Tanks came along behind us,
meaning to form up in Magny woods, and wait there
till we went on. As the Lincolnshires got their
objective without trouble, we moved close up to them
and once more lay down to wait for 1-40 p.m., the time
for our own barrage and advance.

Unfortunately, though screened from the East, the
corner of Magny Woods, was visible from the South.
Across the Canal on the high ground, some German
gunner must have seen the Tanks assembling, and,
finding no attack was coming his way, started to shoot
at point blank range at our right flank. The right
and centre became very unpleasant, and there was a
veritable barrage round ‘“‘A’’ Company. Through it,
very hot and very angry at being shelled, suddenly

308 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

appeared Padre Buck, a heavy pack of food on his
back, and behind him the Regimental Serjeant-Major
and the missing Headquarters. He had found them
near Ascension Farm and knowing enough of the plan
of attack, had ‘‘ sweated’’ them along as hard as he
could. It is impossible to imagine what we should
have done without runners, signallers or batmen, to
say nothing of the food. As we were now only 600
yards from our final objective the Padre and Captain
Jack went off to find a Regimental Aid Post and finally
settled in a small dug-out in a sunken road just outside
the village.

At 1-40 p.m. our barrage started and our advance
began; our shelling was slightly ragged in one or two
places, but for the most part it was very accurate—
wonderfully so, as guns were firing at extreme range.
On the right ‘‘A’’ Company working along, and on
both sides of an old trench, reached their objective
without difficulty except for the shelling which, aimed
at the Tanks, was falling all round the Company.
Captain Petch, after L/Cpl. Downs and others had
removed some twenty-one Boches from a hole under the
road, made his Headquarters there, went round _ his
outposts, and sent patrols out to his right flank, where
the Sherwood Foresters, delayed in Bellenglise, had not
yet reached Lehaucourt. They soon came up, however,

and our right flank was secured. In the centre ““C”’
Company had even more shells and did not have the
satisfaction of evicting any Boches. They reached

their objective and put outposts round the Mill and
along a sunken road to connect with ‘‘ A” Company.
The protective barrage was still in front of them, and
through it, in the direction of Levergies, could be seen

CROSSING THE CANAL. 309

several German batteries limbering up. One was quite
close. This was too much for C.S.M. Angrave and
Serjeant Tunks, who collected some twenty men and,
regardless of the barrage, took advantage of the cover
of a sunken road running East, and pushed forward.
They could not cross the open, but, using their rifles,
drove off the gunners and killed the horses, so that the
battery remained in our hands. This very enterprising
party then went on under Serjeant Tunks and had a
look at Levergies, finally returning after it was dark.
Behind ‘‘C’’ Company, the Colonel and Adjutant
after lying for some time in a small hole, and wondering
whether they would be rolled on by one of our Tanks,
or hit by the shells aimed at it, finally planted their flag
outside a little dug-out on the N.E. corner of Magny

Woods. However, the Colonel would not rest here,
but was off again at once to see how we had fared. He
first met Captain Banwell looking for a ‘‘ success

rocket ’’; this sounded satisfactory, and, as about the
same time, Lieut. Hawley appeared with ““B”
Company, and we once more had a “‘ reserve,’’ all
looked well. On the left—‘‘ D’’ Company (Corah),
after chalking their names on a battery of deserted
whizz-bangs, collected a Boche officer and some 50 men
from a 4.2 gun battery without any trouble; hurrying
on, they found some 20 others trying to blow up a 5.9
Howitzer in Fosse Wood, demonstrated that this could
not be allowed and took them all prisoners; then,
without further opposition, they dug in round the E.
side of the wood and continued the line Northwards to
the Divisional boundary. After visiting these, the
Colonel went off to look at the left flank, and here,
except for an Australian Machine Gun Section under a

310 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Serjeant there was no one. The Americans were not
up to their objective, they had not even taken Etricourt,
and for nearly a mile back our left was ‘‘in the air.”’
Worse still, the Australian Serjeant had just been
ordered to withdraw; the Colonel pointed out the
situation, and the Serjeant, dying for an excuse to stay
where he could see enemy to shoot at, called back his
men and said ‘‘he’d stay as long as we wanted him.”
It was not very satisfactory, but we could do nothing
else except pray hard for the arrival of the 32nd
Division. When the Colonel arrived back at Battalion
Headquarters we thought at first that our casualties
had been very light indeed, but it was not long before
we got some bad news. On our right flank the Tanks
had suffered heavily at the hands of the German
gunners on the Le Tronquoy high ground, and one of
them, disabled and. on fire, was a mark for several
German batteries. Some of the crew managed to
escape, but others, too badly wounded, were left
inside; one crawled to our Aid Post. Padre Buck heard
of this and at once went off to the rescue. The shelling
was very heavy, and he was hit almost at once and
wounded in many places. He was carried back to the
Aid Post, but died soon afterwards, conscious to the
last, but not in great pain. The Padre had been with
us two years, and during all that time, there was never
a trench or outpost that he had not visited, no matter
how dangerous or exposed. In addition to his
Chaplain’s duties, he had been O.C. Games, Recreation
Room and often Mess President—a thorough sports-
man and a brave soldier, we felt his loss keenly.
Meanwhile every effort was being made to tell
Brigade of our success, and, while one aeroplane with

CROSSING THE CANAL. 311

British markings bombed us (in spite of numerous red
flares), another took down a message from the
‘“Popham’’ sheet, which Serjeant Signaller Wilbur
was operating. Soon after 4.0 p.m. Captain D. Hill,
the Brigade Major, appeared and told us that the 32nd
Division would soon arrive, and at 5-15 p.m. their
leading Battalions came through us. However, they
found it was now too late to go forward, so put out
Outposts just in front of our line. Their appearance
provoked the Boche to further shelling, and an unlucky
hit killed Serjeant Taylor, an experienced and valuable
platoon Serjeant of ‘‘C’’ Company. Serjeants
Marshall of ‘‘C’’ Company and Clarke of “‘D”
Company, were also wounded, but our total casualties
for the day were under 25. We had reached our
objective at all points and captured 8 guns and about
100 prisoners. The Division altogether had taken 4,000
prisoners and 80 guns and had smashed the Hindenburg
Line.

Though the machine-gun fire from low flying
aeroplanes was somewhat troublesome at dusk, we had
a quiet night after the battle, and were able to
distribute rations and ammunition to the companies
soon after midnight. At the time, we hardly gave a
thought to this last, but it was a feat deserving of the
highest praise. We had advanced some four miles
into the enemy’s country across a canal, and by dusk
bridges and roads had been built sufficient to enable
horse transport to carry rations and ammunition to the
most advanced units. Ours were delivered just outside
Battalion Headquarters, and the Companies fetched
them from there. The admirable organization of the
Staff, and the skill and pluck of our Transport Drivers,

312 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

had enabled us to go into action carrying only our
rations for the one day—very different from the
Germans in their March offensive, when each man was
loaded up with food for five days.

The following morning, the 32nd Division continued
the advance, with a small barrage, against Sequehart,
Joncourt and, in the near centre, Levergies. The
enemy had found it impossible to remain in their
positions at Pontruet and South of the Canal, and
hustled by the Ist and French Divisions, had evacuated
them. The French were now therefore continuing our
line Southwards from Lehaucourt. The attack started
at dawn and soon afterwards the valley past Fosse Wood
was thronged with Whippet tanks and cavalry, waiting
in case of a possible ‘‘ break-thnough.’’ It was the first
time most of us had seen Cavalry in action, and they
made an imposing sight as they filed along the valley in
the morning mist. At the same time several batteries of
Horse Artillery trotted up and taking up positions near
our ‘‘D”’ Company, opened fire to assist the attack.
Levergies, overlooked from two sides, was soon taken
and several prisoners were captured on the left, but
elsewhere the enemy had been strongly reinforced, and
the attacks on Sequehart, Preselles and Joncourt broke
down under heavy machine gun fire. Apparently a
stand was to be made along the ‘‘ Fonsomme ”’’ trench
line—running N. and S. along the next ridge. After
waiting all day, the Cavalry and ‘‘ whippets ’’ slowly
withdrew again in the evening.

That night and the following day, as the 32nd
Division had now definitely taken over the outpost line,
the Companies were brought into more comfortable
quarters near Magny la Fosse and Headquarters moved

CROSSING THE CANAL. 313

into an old German Artillery dug-out on the hill. In
these positions ‘“‘A’’ Company had the misfortune to
lose Serjeant Toon, a most energetic and cheerful
Platoon Serjeant, who was wounded by a chance
machine-gun bullet, but otherwise we had a quiet time.
Reorganization and refitting once more occupied our
minds, and, as “‘B’’ Company’s gas casualties had
made them so weak, all ‘‘ battle details ’’ were ordered
to join us. The following day they arrived under
C.S.M. Cooper, who resumed his duties with “‘D”’
Company. 2nd Lieuts. Todd and Argyle also rejoined
us from leave, and the Stores and Transport moved up
to Magny village. The same afternoon there was a
Battalion parade and General Rowley complimented us
on our work during our two battles. He had visited
Pontruet since the attack and was unable to find words
to express his admiration for our fight in the village.
The arrival of the “‘ Daily Mail,’’ and the discovery that
at last the name ‘‘ North Midland ’’ figured in the head
lines cheered us all immensely, and the fall of St.
Quentin to the French gave a practical proof of the
value of our efforts. We were all very happy and
said ‘‘ Now we shall have a good rest to re-fit.’’
Nothing, however, appeared to be further from the
intentions of the Higher Command, and on October
2nd the other two Brigades came through us to take
over the line from the 32nd, and again attempt to break
the “‘ Fonsomme’’ Line—on the 3rd. The French
would attack on the right, the 32nd Division would be
responsible for Sequehart, and the 46th, with Stafford-
shires on the right and Sherwood Foresters on the left,

would sweep over Preselles, Ramicourt and Mont-
brehain, and make a break for the cavalry and

Uf) SOLESMES

Aisomvicte

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La Carer

SKETCH MAP

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316 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

‘‘ whippets.’? Joncourt had already been captured and
the left flank was therefore secure. Our Brigade was
in support, and would not be wanted to move until 8-0
a.m. There was not much time for making prepara-
tions, and the Artillery, who had particularly short
notice, spent the night before the battle getting into
position near our Headquarters.

Once more a thick morning mist covered our attack
and the first waves, advancing with the barrage at
dawn, quickly got possession of Preselles and the
Fonsomme Line, killing many Germans and taking
large numbers of prisoners. | There was considerable
resistance in the centre, but the Sherwood Foresters,
led by such men as Colonel Vann, disposed of it, and
by 10.0 a.m. all objectives were gained and everything
ready for the Cavalry. Meanwhile, soon after 8-0
a.m., the Battalion was ordered to move up at once and
support the Staffordshires. | We were to be under the
orders of General Campbell, but would not be used for
any purpose except holding the Fonsomme Line, to
which we were now to go. We had been warned the
previous evening that, if used at all, it would be on the
right flank, and reconnoitering parties had already gone
forward to get in touch with the Staffordshires ; these
had not yet returned, so we started without them.

Soon after 9-0 a.m. we left Magny la Fosse and
moved down the hill towards Levergies, which we
decided to leave on our right flank, as it was full of
gas. We were in lines of platoons in fours—‘‘ D”’
Company (Corah) and ‘‘ C”’ (Banwell) leading, bound
for the Fonsomme Line, ‘‘ A’’ Company (Petch) and
‘““B”’ (Hawley) following with orders to find support
positions to the other two. The Headquarters moved

CROSSING THE CANAL. 317

by the railway line N.E. of Levergies to take up a
position as near as possible to the Support Battalion
Headquarters of the Staffordshires. All went well until
the leading Companies were beginning to climb the hill
E. of Levergies, when a runner from Brigade Head-
quarters caught us up with a message to say that the
32nd Division had not taken Sequehart in the first
attack, and that it was uncertain in whose hands the
village now was. Every effort was made to warn the
Companies, but we could not reach ‘“‘D”’ and “A”’
in time, and we could only hope that if Sequehart was
still in the enemy’s hands, they would be warned of it
in time to deploy their right platoons, which would
otherwise march in fours close to the edge of the village.

Sequehart, however, if not at this time actually in
our hands, was at all events clear of the enemy, and
our right flank had no trouble. The mist and smoke
made communication between the Companies very
difficult, and so each moved, more or less independently,
to its allotted station. ‘‘C’’ was the first to reach
the ‘‘ Fonsomme Line,’’ only to find that the line was
nowhere more than six inches deep, and, except for its
concrete machine gun posts, was only a “ big work ”’
when photographed from the air. Captain Banwell
accordingly took up his position in a sunken lane
running between Sequehart and Preselles. Meanwhile,
the other leading Company, ‘‘ D,’’ had moved too far
to the left, a very fortunate circumstance, because
Colonel Griffiths was able to change their direction and
dispose them facing right, to form a defensive right
flank opposite Sequehart. ““B”’ Company was also
ordered to face right in support to ‘‘ D’’ Company.
‘“ A” Company, however, had not made the same error

318 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

as ‘‘D,’’? and Captain Petch, keeping his direction,
found, as ‘‘C’’ Company had, that the ‘‘ Fonsomme
Line ’’ gave him no cover. He, therefore, occupied
the same sunken lane, about 300 yards south of “‘C”
Company. Soon afterwards an intercepted message told
Captain Petch of our changed dispositions, and, to
protect his right, he too moved his Company to conform
with ‘‘D.’’ Battalion Headquarters had by this time
occupied a large bank at the bottom of the hill, where
Colonel White, of the 5th South Staffordshires, had
already planted his flag.

From our new positions we had an extensive view
to the East. Mannequin Ridge was on the right
flank with Doon Hill at the end of it, held by the
enemy, though we could see the Staffordshires holding
the ridge. In the foreground was a valley, and on
our left another ridge stretching from Preselles to
Ramicourt. The Staffordshires did not appear very
numerous for their large frontage, and it was clear that
unless the Cavalry appeared soon, there was danger
that they would be counter-attacked. But at 10-0 a.m.
the leading Cavalry were only just beginning to appear
over the Magny heights. The enemy was fairly quiet,
except for one field gun, 2,000 yards away on our
extreme right, beyond Sequehart. C.S.M. Angrave
kept sniping at the gunners, who replied to each of his
shots with a whizz-bang.

It soon became obvious that so long as the enemy
remained on Doon Hill, the Cavalry could not
advance, and shortly after midday we _ received
orders to place two Companies at the disposal of the
137th Brigade, to assist in an attack on the Hill.
Colonel Griffiths decided to use ‘“‘A’’ and ‘‘D”

CROSSING THE CANAL. 319

Companies, and Captain Petch and Lieut. Corah
were at once summoned to Headquarters, when we
were told the attack was to be made by the North
Staffordshires, Colonel Evans, and that our Companies
would be in support. Accordingly Colonel Grifhths
and the Company Commanders set off for Colonel
Evans’ headquarters while the two Companies moved
over the open to ‘‘C’’ Company’s sunken lane, where
they formed up for the attack. A few of ‘‘A’’ Company
under 2nd Lieut. Whetton crossed the lane and reached

the Staffordshires’ front line. There was no fixed
time for the assault, but the hill was to be shelled by
our Artillery until 2.30 p.m. This shelling ceased as

our Companies reached the lane, nearly a mile from
the objective, and Colonel Evans tried in vain to have
it renewed.

Meanwhile the enemy had been assembling out of
sight behind Mannequin Ridge, and now suddenly
attacked the Staffordshires heavily, driving them from
their positions on the crest. At the same time the
valley was swept from end to end by bursts of machine
gun fire, and it was obvious that an advance across the
open could only be made with very heavy loss. Colonel
Griffiths wished to stop the attack at least until
Mannequin Ridge was retaken, but, before anything
could be done, the enemy opened a heavy artillery
barrage on the lane, and the Colonel was _ badly
“wounded. Some of ‘‘A’’ Company had pushed
forward a little, and Captain Petch and 2nd Lieut.
Dennis managed to find some cover for No. 4 Platoon
about 200 yards East of the Lane. It was now about
3-0 p.m. and Colonel Evans, probably intending to
alter his plans, sent for the Company Commanders.

320 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

As they arrived a shell fell on the party, killing the
Colonel, Lieut. Corah and 2nd Lieut. Christy, wound-
ing Captain Petch. A few minutes later 2nd Lieut.
Mace was hit in the leg with a bullet, and both he and
Captain Petch were sent down. ‘‘D’”’ Company was
officerless, “‘A’’ had three isolated groups, two
forward and unapproachable, the third under 2nd
Lieut. Edwardes in the Sunken Lane. There were no
orders and no one knew what to do, so C.S.M. Cooper
collected “‘D”’ and 2nd Lieut. Edwardes and C.S.M.
Smith collected all they could find of *“‘A,’’ and both
prolonged ‘‘C ’’ Company’s line to the left. The lane
here was less sunken than on the right, and the cover
was very poor, affording little protection against the
enemy’s shells, which came from front and flank.

We were now very short of officers. The Adjutant,
Captain J. D. Hills, was in command, with Lieut.
Ashdowne as Adjutant; 2nd Lieut. Argyle was acting
Liaison Officer with the Staffordshires, so there was
no one else except the M.O. at Headquarters. Captain
Jack, it is true, was a host in himself, for, when not
tying up the wounded, he was always ready with some
merry remark to cheer us up; we needed it, for our
railway line was as heavily shelled as the sunken lane.
In addition to the killed and wounded the Companies
had also lost two new subaltern officers who had joined
the previous day and gone away slightly gassed, while
2nd Lieut. Griffiths, who had gone forward with the
reconnoitering parties, had not been seen since.
Captain Banwell was therefore alone with ‘C”
Company. Lieut. Steel was at once sent to command
““D,” and, on arrival at the sunken lane, at once
received a shell splinter in the leg; fortunately, how-

CROSSING THE CANAL. 321

ever, this was not serious, and he and C.S.M. Cooper
were soon hard at work straightening out the
Company. This Warrant Officer and C.S.M. Smith
of ‘‘A’”’ Company were admirable; it was largely due
to them that both Companies, badly shaken after their
gruelling, were within a few hours once more fit for
anything. Our shortage of officers was likely to
continue, for our only “* battle detail,’’ Major Burnett,
had just gone to England, to the Senior Officers’
School at Aldershot. Our casualties during the after-
noon included one who could ill be spared. A direct
hit with a shell on ‘“‘C’’ Company Headquarters
wounded C.S.M. Angrave in the back. He died a few
days later. One of the original Territorials, he had
served with us the whole time, and even four years
of France had failed to lessen his devotion to ‘“‘C”’
Company.

Soon after 3-0 p.m. General Campbell himself rode
up to Battalion Headquarters and after explaining the
situation, pointed out the importance of holding a little
group of trenches on some high ground three-quarters
of a mile E. of Preselles. Accordingly ‘““B”’
Company (Hawley), now only 25 strong, were sent
there with two Lewis Guns; at the same time some of
the Monmouthshires were sent to help him. Mean-
while, all the afternoon and evening, the enemy kept
making small attacks on Mannequin Ridge and
towards Sequehart; several of these were broken up
by Artillery fire, and after his first efforts he had no
further successes. Our Cavalry, having arrived too
late in the morning to pass through when the enemy
was really disorganized, waited all day in the valley
behind Preselles, and after losing several men and

322 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

horses in the shelling, had once more to withdraw at
dusk. Their horses were sent back, but as many
men as could be spared were sent up dismounted, with
rifles and bayonets, to help hold the ‘‘ Fonsomme
Line ’’ in case of strong enemy counter attacks. They
did not move up until dark and, of course, could not
find the “‘ Fonsomme Line,’’ any more than we could
in the morning, so started to dig where they could.
Fortunately the Commanding Officer, going round the
line, found them, and, sending one party up to help
““B’’ Company, who were now alone, he and Captain
Banwell guided the rest across the valley, where they
could find some cover on the hill side. | Had they been
allowed to remain where they had started to dig, they
would probably have suffered very heavily in the
morning from the Ridge opposite, whence the enemy
would have had a beautiful view of them.

Rations arrived soon after dark. During the after-
noon 2nd Lieut. Todd had reconnoitred a route for his
limbers, and, after a narrow escape from some heavy
shells, had managed to find a passable road. With the
limbers came also 2nd Lieut. Griffiths, who had been
wandering all over the countryside in his efforts to find
us. By midnight the companies had their rations and
their mail, and, even in the sunken lane, a smile could
be seen here and there. The night was quiet, and
we were able to collect all scattered parties and see
what our casualties had been. Fortunately the loss
of other ranks was not in the same proportion as of
officers, but we had started so weak that we could ill
afford to lose the seven killed and 30 wounded which
were our total casualties for the day. ‘‘A’”’ and ‘‘D”’
Companies had been hardest hit and Lance-Corporal

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CROSSING THE CANAL. 323

Meakin was amongst the killed; Serjeant Ward had
been wounded, Serjeant Peach of ‘‘ B’’ Company had
also been killed, while ‘‘C’’ Company, in addition to
their C.S.M., lost Serjt. Bond gassed and Cpl. Foulds
wounded.

At dawn on the 4th, as there was no sign of any
attempted counter-attack on the part of the enemy,
most of the dismounted cavalry were withdrawn, and
“ we remained in our positions of the previous day. The
morning was slightly misty and Battalion Head-
quarters had one bad scare. The Commanding
Officer and Adjutant were out looking for new
quarters, when they suddenly saw coming over the hill
W. of Sequhart—behind their right flank—a number
of Germans in open order. A battery of 60 pounders
in Levergies saw them at the same time and opened
fire at point blank range. It was fully five minutes
before a few leisurely French soldiers appearing over
the same crest, showed that the Germans were merely
a large batch of prisoners collected by the French at
dawn. Throughout the day the enemy shelled various
parts of the back area, and in this respect Headquarters
came off worst, being more bombarded than even the
sunken road. The bank under which they sat did not
give them much cover, and the Boche managed to
drop his shells with great accuracy on the Railway line
and even hit the R.A.P. By the afternoon they were
so tired of being chased backwards and forwards
along the bank that they followed the example of the
M.O., who with a wonderful display of calmness, which
he did not in the least feel, sat reading a book of poems
and refused to move. He admitted afterwards that
he had not read a line, but it looked very well, and as
usual he kept us all cheerful.

324 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Late im the afternoon the long expected orders for
relief came and we learnt that we were to come out
that night with the Staffordshires. ‘‘B’’ Company
on the left were actually relieved, but the other
Companies had merely to wait until the front line
Battalions were clear and then march out. The Boche
shelled Headquarters once more just as they were
going and fired a considerable amount of gas Shells
all over the countryside, but mo ome was hurt, and
eventually, some by Magny, some by Joncourt, all
arrived at the little village of Etricourt. Some of us
rolled into dug-outs, some into ruined houses, some in
the road; all of us murmured ‘‘ Now we shall have
our real rest at last,’” and went to sleep—tired out.

CHAPTER XVIII.
FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS.

5th Oct., 1918. 1th Oct., 1918.

OnE night was all we spent in Etricourt, bitterly
cold but quiet and unmolested by the enemy. The
following day, the 5th of September, was bright and
warm, SO we at once set about improving our surround-
ings, started to bring some of our stores from Magny
La Fosse, and were just beginning to think we might
make the place fairly comfortable, when orders came
for another move. There was going to be another
battle, and, though we were not taking part, our area
was wanted for a Support Division, so we were to go
back across the Canal, and take over some shelters in
the old front line trench on the Ridge. This sounded
rather cold, but at all events we were going backwards
to that long expected rest; not too soon, for at midday
an observation balloon made its appearance, and _ its
section chose Etricourt for their home, with the result
of course of annoying the Boche to such an extent that
he fired some shells over the village. At 5-0 p.m. we
fell in and marched by Riquerval Bridge over the Canal
and up to the Ridge, passing the Brigadier on the
main road by the Canal, and found the Brigade we
were to relieve, sitting very comfortably in their shelters
and huts. Unfortunately they had no intention of

326 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

moving until the following morning. It was now
6-30 p.m. and would soon be dark, so we were faced
with two alternatives—one to sit on the road, send
for the Staff, and wail loudly, the other to help our-
selves.

The other two Battalions chose the former; we, being
now very old soldiers, chose the latter. An open patch
of ground with some good large shell holes was before
us, we had a tool cart with us, and here and there
might be seen a sheet or two of corrugated iron. Long
before it was dark a thin curl of smoke coming out of
the ground, a snatch of song, or someone grousing
in a loud voice, were the only indications that there
were four Companies of Infantry living there. The
officers were a little less fortunate; knowing that there
were bell tents coming on the limbers, they waited for
them. At last they came, and very good tents, too,
but someone had forgotten to bring the poles. In
spite of this, we were soon all under cover, and in
Headquarter Mess were actually having a hot dinner
when the Staff arrived and informed the other two
Battalions that they would now (in the dark) have to
make the best of whatever cover they could find.

The following morning our tent poles arrived, and,
having planted the red, white and black flag outside
the C.O.’s, tent and mounted guard, we felt quite
respectable again. By the afternoon we had so far
increased in pride that the Drums not only blew
“ Retreat,’’ but gave us an excellent concert while the
guards were changed. We expected every hour or so
to get orders to go back to some place of greater
comfort for our rest, but thought it best to take no
risks, and, on the morning of the 7th, gave everybody

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 327

a hot bath. Two wagon covers and a cooker on the
Canal worked wonders in this way. This day we
lost two more officers—2nd Lieut. Whetton went on
leave, and Lieut. Steel had to go to Hospital as the
wound in his leg would not heal. ‘‘ B’’ Company,
being little larger than an ordinary Platoon, Lieut.
Hawley was transferred to “‘D,’’ and 2nd _ Lieut.
Cosgrove commanded ‘‘ B.’’ Captain Banwell had 2nd
Lieut. Griffiths in “‘C’”’ Company, and 2nd Lieuts.
Edwards and Dennis were still with ““A.’’ There
were no other Company officers, as 2nd Lieut. Argyle
was kept at Headquarters for Intelligence work.
Fortunately 2nd Lieut. Todd still remained to look
after the Transport, which throughout the fighting had
been excellent, and Capt. Nicholson, though suffering
from “‘ flu,’’ stuck nobly to his work and looked after
our comfort at the Stores.

Just after 10 o’clock on the 7th, orders came from
Brigade for a move on the following day—forward,
not further back, and once more our hopes of the
promised rest were dashed. This time the attack was
going to be made by the other Divisions, and the 46th
was to move at Zero to some asSembly areas round
Magny La Fosse, and wait there in case the enemy
were sufficiently ‘‘broken’’ to allow of a general
advance. Zero was five minutes past five—a most
uncomfortable hour for a move, especially as break-
fasts had to be eaten beforehand. Almost everybody
was in bed before orders came, but there were some
who had no sleep that night: the Orderly Room pro-
ducing operation orders, the Quartermaster’s depart-
ment (whose wagons arrived at 3-0 a.m.!), and the
cooks getting breakfasts ready, were the most unlucky,

328 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

but so well did all ranks and all departments do their
work, that at 5-0 a.m. the Battalion fell in ready to
move. Packs had been stacked, ammunition and bombs
distributed, most important of all, we had had a
good breakfast. There is no doubt that our discipline
and spirit were never better than during those strenuous
weeks.

Seldom has more bad language been heard than on
that early morning march down to the Canal again.
It was half dark and there were Units assembling and
marching in every direction. Eventually, finding we
should be late at the starting point if we waited for
the Regiment which should have been ahead of us,
we decided to go on at once, and set off down the
rough and slippery track to Riquerval Bridge. All went
modertately well until a ‘‘C’’ Company limber stuck.
Before it could be drawn clear, a Company of another
Regiment marched up and round it, entirely preventing
our efforts to free it. Curses were loud on both sides,
but nothing could equal the flow of language that the
two Company Commanders flung at each other over the
heads of their perspiring Companies.

Eventually the limber was on the road again, and we
reached the Bridge, near which the Boche every few
minutes dropped a shell. This fact, coupled with a
long line of Artillery horses going to ‘‘ water,’’ and
the Brigadier trying to get his Brigade across the
Canal, produced an effect which completely eclipsed the
limber scene. However, as we crossed, the Boche
stopped shelling, daylight came and we found the road
good, though traffic made the rate of march very slow.
The blaspheming consequently subsided, and, finding
a field track going in the right direction, we continued

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 329

our march at a fine pace until we reached our assembly
position—an open stretch of ground on the South side
of the Magny-Joncourt Road. Along this road were
batteries of heavy guns, standing almost wheel to wheel
and firing rapidly, so, in view of possible retaliation,
the Companies were scattered over various little groups
of trenches in the neighbourhood. The cookers came
up and we prepared to make ourselves as comfortable
as possible, while we once more had the pleasure of
watching the Cavalry waiting to be used, and once
more saw them go slowly back.

In the afternoon we moved into the next valley East-
if wanted; there

”)

wards, so as to be nearer the ‘‘ line
was also better and less scattered accommodation.
Gun pits, dug-outs and the inevitable grassy bank pro-
vided all we wanted, and when, an hour later, some
few gas shells fell in the valley, we were all snugly
under cover. All that is to say except the cookers and
with them Serjeant Thomson and his cooks; these were
in a shallow sunken road, and had a shell within a few
yards of them, fortunately doing no damage. Thinking
it best to take all the rest we could, we had the
evening meal early, and long before it was dark most
of the Battalion were asleep. The Commanding
Officer himself retired before 9-30 p.m., and was conse-
quently fast asleep when, soon after 10-0 p.m., a
runner appeared with the usual ‘‘ B.G.C. will see all
The rendezvous this

”»

Commanding Officers at once.
time was Preselles, some two miles away across
country. It was a dark night, but with the aid of a
compass he found his way there all right and received
orders from General Rowley for an immediate move.
The Brigade was to relieve a Brigade of the 6th

330 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Division in the right British sector next the French;
the Battalion would relieve the West Yorks R. in
the right sub-sector. The following morning the
Brigade would move forward into Mericourt which was
supposed to have been evacuated by the enemy; we
were to be ‘‘ squeezed out ’’ by the 5th Linc. R. and
French joining hands across our front, and would
come into support. Guides would meet us for the relief
at Preselles at midnight, October 8th/9th.

The Commanding Officer at once hurried back to the
Battalion and verbally issued relief orders while the
Companies were falling in. In a little more than half
an hour all were ready to move, and Companies
marched independently to Preselles, where, under cover
of the hill side, the Battalion assembled soon after mid-
night. There were no guides, so, after waiting some time
in vain, the C.O. once more went to Brigade Head-
quarters and asked for instructions. He was given a
map reference—supposed to be that of the Battalion
Headquarters of the West Yorks., and once more the
Battalion moved off. In single file, with no intervals
between platoons for fear of losing touch, and a very
uncertain knowledge of the position of the enemy, we
marched slowly across country towards where we hoped
to find Battalion Headquarters. Reaching the famous
sunken road of the battle of the 3rd, we halted while
a search was made; we had come to the place referred
to on the map, there was nothing there. Fortunately,
just as we were wondering what on earth to do, two
W. Yorks. guides appeared, led us to their Battalion
Headquarters, and soon afterwards the Companies
disappeared Eastwards.

Battalion Headquarters was in a small cellar under

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 331

an isolated house just outside Sequehart on the Preselles
Road. It was a most extraordinary relief in many
ways, and perhaps the most extraordinary part was
the scene in that Headquarters. There were four of
us with the M.O., five West Yorks., a French Inter-
preter, a Padre, and an indescribable heap of runners
and signallers, to say nothing of batmen, in a cellar
which might have held four people comfortably. On
one of the beds in the corner lay an officer. Noticing
that he was not wearing W. Yorks badges, we asked
who he was. They did not know, he had been there
since they came in and had never moved; ‘‘ perhaps
he was gassed or dead,’’ they remarked casually. This
was typical of how we all felt, much too tired to worry
over other people’s troubles. As it happened he was
not dead, and, though to this day we have never dis-
covered who he was, he eventually disappeared—going
out to look for his own Regiment. For some hours
we sat in the most terrible atmosphere waiting for the
relief to be finished, and at last, just as dawn was
breaking, as three Companies had reported that they
were in position, we agreed to take over the line, and
the W. Yorks. marched out—to take part in some other
battle further North. As soon as they had gone, the
C.O., with a map in one hand and a slice of bread
and jam in the other, went up to look at our front line
and see whether the Boche had really left Mericourt.
The Battalion sector was astride the Sequehart-Meri-
court Rioad which ran due East along the valley South
of Mannequin Ridge. Sequehart village and the valley
were both full of mist and gas which hung about in
patches, and made walking very unpleasant. There
were many German dead round the village and in the

332 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

concrete emplacements of the Fonsomme line, and the
fighting in this part must have been heavy. Keeping
to the main road, the C.O. found ‘“‘ B’’ Company
at a small cross-roads about one mile East of Seque-
hart; ‘‘A’’ Company, according to the West York-
shires, should also have been here, but as this was the
Company which had not yet reported ‘‘ relief complete,’’
he was not surprised when he could not find them.
At the next cross-roads, half a mile short of Mericourt,
were ‘‘C’’ and ‘‘ D’’ Companies on the right and left
respectively of the road. Small patrols had already
been out towards the village and had not found any
enemy, and both Companies were now engaged in
finding the Units on their flanks. On the left a post
of the Lincolnshires was soon found, and on the right
the French were only a few yards away. The liaison
here was perfect. After an exchange of courtesies by
the Company Commanders, the flank posts fraternized
vigorously, and the Frenchmen, by producing some
““ Jimmy Blink,’’ cemented the Entente Cordiale.
They were in great spirits, and since dawn had been
formed up with bayonets fixed, waiting to make an
attack; ‘‘ Zero’’ hour had not been told them, but
that did not worry them in the least. To improve the
co-operation between us, the French sent a platoon
under a Subaltern officer to work with us.

By 6-30 a.m. the mist had lifted enough for us to.
see Mericourt village plainly, and a strong patrol under
2nd Lieut. Griffiths was sent out to reconnoitre it.
They met with no opposition. A few minutes later, a
mounted Officer of the Staffordshires, without stopping
at our front line to ask about the situation, rode into
the village. We were all much too interested in

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 333

watching to see what became of him, to think of
warning him that the Boche might still be there. Soon
afterwards, as there was still no sign of the enemy,
‘““C’’ Company moved into and occupied the East side
of the village, and ‘‘ B’ ’and ‘‘D’’ Companies moved
on to the West edge. Messages were sent back to tell
Brigade that we held Mericourt, and to bring the
Headquarters up there—at present they were about
three miles back. From ‘“‘C”’ Company’s position on
the high ground East of the village we looked across
a large valley, at the North end of which could be seen
Fresnoy le Grand; along the bottom ran the main
Fresnoy - St. Quentin Railway, and on the other side
a collection of small copses was marked on the map
as Bois D’Etaves. Nowhere was there the slightest
sign of the enemy. In view of the fact that we were
particularly ordered to be in Support if an advance
was made, the C.O. would not push on further without
orders from the Brigadier. Meanwhile, he went off to
look for the missing “‘ A’’ Company, leaving the three
Companies, “B,’’ “‘C”’ and ‘“D,’’ holding the
village and watching the valley.

At 7-30 the leading platoon of the 5th Linc. Regt.
came up on our left, and about an hour later the
French started their advance, and, passing Mericourt
on the South side, deployed down the slopes towards
the Railway line.

As soon as General Rowley heard that Mericourt
Was in our hands, he rode up to the village and
reconnoitred the valley and Fresnoy himself from ‘‘C ”’
Company’s high ground. Seeing that the French were
meeting nothing more than machine gun fire, and were
apparently making good progress, he ordered Captain

334 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Banwell to move at once into Fresmoy; there was no
one else available at the moment, so we ceased to be
in Support. The main road had been blown up in
two places, but there were no other obstacles, and the
Company reached the town without difficulty. The
machine gun fire had been very heavy from the
Bois D’Etaves on their right and from the Railway
embankment, but they had had no casualties, and
passed rapidly along the streets, finding no enemy, but
meeting to their surprise several civilians, who, over-
joyed at their ‘‘ deliverance,’’ were doing all they could
with cups of coffee to welcome their rescuers.

For four years these unhappy people had lived under
the heel of the German, and the rotting carcases of
six-months’ dead horses which littered the street showed
what life they had lived during that time. They had
been taught to hate the English, whom they only
knew as night-bombers, and yet, when the Boche was
being hunted out and offered to take all civilians back
to safety in motor lorries, 300 men, women and
children, headed by the Deputy Mayor, heroically
refused to leave their town, preferring, as they said,
to risk the bombardment and the “brutal English ”’
than to remain one day longer in slavery.

At 9-0 o’clock, other Units made their appearance
in Fresnoy, and the 5th Lincolnshires, with two Com-
pany Headquarters in the Quarry just outside the S.W.
corner of the town, pushed some platoons through to-
wards the Eastern edge—on the right of our ‘‘C-”’
Company. Capt. Nichols of this Battalion had his
Company round the large house used by the Germans
as a Hospital, but, except for this, no one seemed
inclined to push forward in any strength. At 11-0 a.m,

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 335

the Brigadier moved his Headquarters into Mericourt,
and the Boche, presumably thinking the village was
now as full as it was likely to be during the day, shelled
it vigorously with gas and High Explosive. He paid
particular attention to our ridge of observation, and,
having pounded us off this, proceeded to hammer the
other end of the village, whither we had moved for
greater comfort. At the same time several salvoes
were fired into Fresnoy. Soon afterwards a message
from Captain Banwell told us that, with the exception
of the Railway and Station, the whole town was in our
hands. He had tried hard to reach the Railway Em-
bankment from his side of the town, but the machine
gun fire was very hot, the ground absolutely open,
and after losing Gosden, a Lewis Gunner, killed, and
one or two men wounded, had decided to wait for some
Artillery. Meanwhile, the French had reached the
Railway further South, so the C.O .sent Lieut. Hawley
with half ‘‘D’’ Company to try and take the Station
from this side. He moved off to do so at midday,
leaving C.S.M. Cooper to command the other half
Company. ‘‘A’’ Company (Edwards) now arrived,
and, with ‘‘B’’ Company (Cosgrove), dug themselves
into a bank on the South side of Mericourt village.
Lieut. Hawley and his party made their way rapidly
down to the Quarry, and keeping just inside the
Southern outskirts of the town, soon found the French
left flank, from which they were able to reconnoitre the
Railway Station. This last seemed to be the only place
where the enemy was still offering any resistance, and
there were apparently three machine guns somewhere
near the Base of a large factory chimney in the Station
yard. Lieut. Hawley divided his party into two, and

336 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

while he himself gradually worked his way direct, the
other party under Serjt. Marston, M.M., armed with as
many bombs as they could carry, rapidly made their
way round towards the enemy’s rear. The Boche
apparently thought he would soon be turned out, and
some twenty of them, hurried along by one of our Lewis
Guns, managed to escape before we arrived. However,
they did not all get away, and when Serjt Marston
lobbed his bombs on to them from behind and the others
came up in front, they found five Germans still sitting
there with their gun. These were promptly captured
and sent down, and the town was now entirely in our
hands.

Between 5-0 and 6-0 p.m. we received orders that the
5th Lincolnshires would take over the whole of the
Railway, and that we were to come back into Mericourt
and rest as much as possible. At the same time the
enemy started to bombard Fresnoy with every available
gun and howitzer. For an hour gas and high explosive
shells fell in every corner of the town and its immediate
surroundings. Capt. Banwell, who was returning to
his Company from Headquarters, and the C.O., who
was trying to find ‘‘D’’ Company, both had a very
unpleasant time. One runner with the orders for the
relief did manage to reach ‘‘D’’ Company without
being hit, and soon after 8-30 p.m. they moved out from
Fresnoy and dug into a bank just outside Mericourt.
““C”’ Company, however, no one was able to find; it
was a dark night and consequently very difficult to keep
one’s direction amongst the little streets and sunken
lanes in the Northern end of the town, where they had
taken up their position. The C.O. himself spent a
large part of the night looking for them without success,

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 337

but one of the messages, which he left at every post and
Headquarters he called at, eventually found its way to
Capt. Banwell, and between midnight and 1 a.m. on
the 10th “‘C’’ Company at last came out and occupied
a bank near ‘‘D’’ Company. Most of us had not
had any sleep since we left our ‘‘ shell-holes ’’ Camp at
dawn on the 8th—some of us none since the 7th, and
when we finally lay down, tired out, we slept far into
the next day.

Soon after midday on the 10th Major R. S. Dyer
Bennet reported for duty and took over command of the
Battalion, Capt. Hills resumed his former duties of
Adjutant, and for the next few weeks we had no
Second in Command. At the same time orders came
that the Brigade would continue its advance on the
*‘ leap-frog ’’ principle. Each Battalion would be given
a definite objective for the whole of the Brigade
frontage, the rear Battalion passing on to the next line
as soon as each objective was gained. We were now
rear Battalion, and moved after dinners to the Railway
Cutting just outside Fresnoy on the Bohain line, where,
while we waited for further orders, we had teas and
distributed rations for the following day. The Lewis
Gun limbers and cookers were now allotted to Com-
panies, and the remainder of the lst Line Transport
occupied a field close to us. 2nd Lieut. Dunlop,
D.C.M., and 2nd Lieut. Taylor returned from leave and
went to ““D” and “‘C’”’ Companies respectively.
Lieut. Ashdowne again became Intelligence Officer and
2nd Lieut. Argyle returned to ‘‘B’’ Company. Each
Company had now two officers and ‘‘ C ’’ Company had
three. Soon after six o’clock we had orders to move
at dusk to the line of the Aisonville-Bohain road, now

338 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

held by the 4th Battalion, and push forward from there
to the edge of the Bois de Riquerval. At the same time
a patrol of Corps Cyclists was being sent along the
main road towards Regnicourt, and if they reported that
the enemy had evacuated this village, our orders were
to advance during the night to a line running South-
wards from there, through the Bois, to gain touch with
the French at Retheuil Farm. At a Company Com-
manders’ Conference, held as soon as these orders were
received, Major Dyer Bennet decided that if Regnicourt
was clear of the enemy, ‘‘C’”’ and ‘‘ D’’ Companies
should advance up the main road as far as the village,
and, on reaching it, turn Southwards into the Bois,
spreading out along the line of our objective. “A”
Company, keeping touch with the French, were to
advance up the ‘‘ ride’’ on the Southern boundary of
the Brigade, while ‘‘ B’’ Company, followed by Head-
quarters, would go straight through the wood in the
centre. We would all form up in the present positions
of the 4th Leicestershire and start our advance without
a barrage at 2-0 a.m.—the 11th of October.

As soon as it was dark we moved off with our Lewis
Gun limbers and medical cart, keeping as far as possible
too cross-country tracks and avoiding all main roads.
There was some gas hanging round the Bois D’Etaves,
but we were not worried by this, and soon reached the
Seboncourt-Bohain Road, held by the 5th Lincolnshires.
From here onwards the route was not so easy to find,
but we managed to take our limbers to within a few
hundred yards of the 4th Battalion Headquarters and
here, after distributing Lewis Guns and Ammunition to
Platoons, the Companies were met by guides and moved
forward to their assembly positions. | Meanwhile

Lieut. J. C. Barrett, W.¢.

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 339

Battalion Headquarters moved into the farm house
already occupied by the 4th Battalion. In the cellar
we found, in addition to the usual Headquarter Officers,
a French Interpreter, and part of a French Liaison
platoon, no air, very little light, but plenty of tobacco
smoke. Soon after we arrived a message from Brigade
told us that the Cyclists had met with no enemy as far
as Regnicourt, but had found a patrol of about twenty
in that village and had been fired on by them. We were
discussing this, when suddenly there was a scuffling
averhead and we were told that there was “‘ something
ticking somewhere,’’ and that everyone had left the
house. The cellar occupants were not slow to follow,
and thinking of time-bombs and infernal machines
managed to empty the cellar in a record time. We
settled down uncomfortably under a _ hedge, and
prepared to read and write orders with a concealed
electric torch—the maximum of discomfort. However,
we did not have to stay there long, as a runner came to
tell us that the origin of the “ ticking ’’ had now been
discovered, and, as it was nothing more formidable than
the recently wound up dining room clock, we returned
to the cellar. Major Dyer Bennet, arguing that, if the
Cyclists could get as far as Regnicourt, we should reach
our objective without difficulty, decided that the attack
should be carried out as arranged, and, sending the
Adjutant to find the 6th Division, moved up himself to
the Aisonville Road, leaving only the Aid Post and some
Signallers and servants at the Farm.

The Aisonville Road ran almost due N. and South
along a valley; between it and the edge of the Bois de
Riquerval was open ground for about 300 yards sloping
gently up to the wood. A small cottage marked the

340 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE,

start of ‘‘A’’ Company’s “ ride,’’ and the stretch of
road immediately N. of this was deeply sunken. | Here
‘“A’’? Company formed up and tried to find the French
who were considerably further South than we expected.
Incidentally they were not as far forward as we were,
and the Boche enfiladed the road about midnight with a
whizz-bang battery from the South. ‘‘ B’’ Company
formed up in an isolated copse about 100 yards East of
the road into which the 4th Battalion had made their
way during the afternoon. The left half Battalion
remained along the road bank and in a dry ditch 50
yards W. of it, near to the junction with the Regnicourt
Road up which they were to advance. There was one
solitary house, protected by the hillside, which provided
Company Headquarters with a certain amount of cover.
The night was dark and the enemy, except for the
whizz-bangs on ‘‘ A’’ Company, very quiet.

Soon after midnight the Adjutant returned from the
6th Division. He had found that the Ist Leicester-
shires were on their right flank, and that they were
going to continue their advance at 5-15 a.m. on the
llth. | Major Dyer Bennet therefore decided to post-
pone our attack until that hour, so that we might all go
forward together. In any case it seemed likely that this
would be a better plan, as it would be daylight soon
after the advance started; and, on so wide a frontage,
it would have been almost impossible to maintain
direction in the woods by night, especially without a
moon. At 5 o’clock we were all formed up along the
road, Battalion Headquarters close to ‘‘ A ’”’ Company,
and at 5-15 a.m. in absolute silence and without a
barrage we started to climb the rise towards the edge of
the wood.

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 341

The left half Battalion along the Regnicourt Road
made most progress without meeting any opposition.
‘“D”’ Company leading, they advanced by platoons on
both sides of the road, keeping touch with the Ist
Battalion on their left, and had gone nearly a mile
before they were checked by machine-gun fire ahead of
them. Half-way from their starting point to Regni-
eourt stood a little group of houses at the top of a
small hill, and from here, as well as from the thick
scrub and undergrowth which covered the country on
both sides, the enemy’s machine gunners had a good
target. Thinking that this was probably some small
post left behind by the Boche as he retired, and knowing
that the cyclists had been through the previous night,
Lieut. Hawley decided to attack at once, and ‘‘D”’
Company, making use of all the cover they could find,
worked their way up the hill and soon captured the
house. One German came out into the road with his
machine gun and started to fire at them point blank,
but the leading Platoon got their Lewis Gun into action,
and, knocking out the Boche, captured the gun. The
two leading Platoons of ‘‘ D’’ Company had deployed,
and, with 2nd Lieut. Dunlop on the left of the road and
the others on the right, tried to continue their advance.
Seen from below, the group of houses had seemed to
be on the top of the hill, but beyond them the road,
after a slight dip, rose again to a ridge 300 yards
further East, and here the enemy were in considerable
force. Several gallant attempts to advance were
frustrated by very heavy machine gun fire, and having
lost Serjts. Bradshaw and Dimmocks killed, and several
others wounded, the Company was compelled to remain
lying flat just beyond the houses. One little party had

342 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

taken cover in the ditch along the roadside and were
seen by the German machine gunner. The ditch became
a death trap. Hodges and Longden, the runners, and
Maw, the Signaller, were killed, and Hall, another
runner, badly wounded; Serjt. Foster and L/Cpl.
Osborne, both of whom had done particularly good
work, were wounded, and the casualties were very
heavy indeed. In half-an-hour this Company lost 10
killed 14 wounded and one prisoner. It was obvious
that the Cyclists had never been further than these
houses, which they must have mistaken for Regnicourt,
and their report was consequently worthless.

Capt. Banwell now arrived with two platoons of ‘‘C’’
Company, and thinking it possible that the Companies
on the right might not have got as far even as ‘“‘D”’
Company, decided to protect the right flank from any
possible counter-attack. | He sent off Serjt. Tunks and
No. 11 Platoon to prolong ‘‘ D’’ Company’s line to the
right; they did this and managed to advance a few
yards further before being compelled to dig in and keep
very flat by the enemy’s machine guns. later 2nd Lieut. Griffiths followed with his platoon, to
work Southwards into the woods to try and find the
centre Company, or at least discover how they were
situated. They managed to advance about 400 yards
before they too met with fierce opposition, and had
three men cut off and captured by a strong party of
Boche concealed in the undergrowth. Eventually,
unable to find any trace of ‘‘ B’’ Company, 2nd Lieut.
Griffiths decided to ‘‘dig in’’ where he was, and by
doing so extended ‘‘ C’’ Company’s line still further to
the right, bending back slightly to protect the flank.
At 8-0 a.m. the lst Battalion on the left had reached

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 343

the same line and were similarly held up. Capt.
Banwell therefore reported to Headquarters that further
advance without artillery support was impossible, and
that “‘C’’ and ‘‘D’”’ Companies were holding a line
running Southwards for 400 yards from the group of
houses, into the Bois de Riquerval, and would wait
there for instructions.

Meanwhile the centre and right had fared even worse.
In the centre ‘‘B’’ Company, formed up originally in
an isolated copse, moved forward at 5-15 a.m. in two
parties towards the main part of the wood. The left
hand party under 2nd Lieut. Argyle had plenty of cover
for the first half-mile and pushed on rapidly, until,
coming over a small crest into the open, they too met
with heavy machine-gun fire. | After several ineffectual
efforts to advance, they dug themselves in and remained
there for the rest of the day, replying to the Boche fire
with their Lewis Guns, but with no visible effect. (It
was afterwards discovered that this party were less than
100 yards behind 2nd Lieut. Griffiths’ platoon, unable to
see each other owing toa ‘‘ fold’ in the ground). The
other half Company under 2nd Lieut. Cosgrove started
their advance across an absolutely open patch of
ground, sloping gently downwards towards the centre
of the woods. They had gone a few yards when the
daylight showed their position to the Boche, and for the
next half-hour they suffered heavily. Lying on the
forward slope, with no cover, they saw 50 yards away
on their right two small but deep trenches. | One man
tried to run there and was hit a few yards from them;
another had better luck and got there safely, through 2
perfect stream of bullets from three guns. 2nd _Lieut.
Cosgrove himself was badly wounded and had to be

344 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

carried out, so also was Serjt. Muggleston. The others,
some crawling and some running, gradually collected in
the two trenches and remained there for the rest of the
day.

On the extreme right ‘‘A’’ Company (Edwards)
made no headway at all. Between the road and the
edge of the wood was about 150 yards of open ground,
across which ran a Z-shaped hedge, while, at the point
where the ‘‘ ride’? entered the wood, stood a Chateau
and a large black hut commanding all the country
round. Daylight came soon after they left the road
and with it a burst of heavy machine-gun fire from the
Chateau at close range, which split the Company into
three parts. Headquarters and one platoon found some
cover round the litthe house on the corner where they
started; near them in a bank was 2nd Lieut. Dennis
with his platoon, while the remainder, under Cpls.
Thompson and Shilton, were in the Z-shaped hedge,
unable to show themselves without being fired at. On
their right the French had captured Retheuil and Forte
Farms.

At 5-20 a.m., Major Dyer Bennet, finding it impos-
sible to see anything of ‘‘A’’ and ‘‘ B’’ Companies,
decided to advance his Headquarters, keeping as far as
possible to the centre of the Brigade frontage. Accom-
panied by the Adjutant, R.S.M., a few runners, and the
French Interpreter, he set off for the edge of the wood,
which was reached without loss; but the enemy’s
machine guns at the Chateau, 200 yards away on the
right, and slightly below us, plainly told us that ‘‘ A ”’
Company had not gone forward. A similar distance
away on the left, concealed by a wall and the corner of
the wood, another gun was firing across at ‘“‘B”’

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 345

Company, who could be seen on the opposite hillside
trying to reach the cover of their two trenches. The
Headquarter party was too small to be able to help, so
while the Adjutant went back to try and find some
reinforcements, the Interpreter, Henri Letu, made a
most gallant reconnaissance into the woods to see if he
could gather any information. The ‘‘ reinforcements ”’
consisted of a platoon of French soldiers, a Lewis Gun
team of the 4th Battalion and two signallers. At the
same time the M.O. and Intelligence Officer (Lieut.
Ashdowne) arrived, and the latter, taking two men with

ce

him, soon drove out the enemy from the “‘ corner wall ”’
post on the left. The Battalion Headquarter flag was
hung out in a conspicuous tree, signal communication
was opened with the original Headquarter Farmhouse,
and at about 8 o’clock the party was still further
reinforced by the arrival of Cpl. Thompson and No. 1
Platoon of ‘‘A’’ Company, whom the Adjutant had
discovered under the ‘‘Z’’ shaped hedge. All these
movements had to be carried out with great care, as
any visible activity at once drew fire from the Chateau.

This Chateau Major Dyer Bennet now decided to
attack, and soon after 9.0 a.m. a party consisting of
No. 1 Platoon and some Frenchmen set off under the
Adjutant to do so. Cpl. Shilton and a few men were
sent through some gardens to engage the enemy on
their right flank; the Lewis gun, under Cpl. Thompson,
went through the woods to try and attack the buildings
from the rear; the Frenchmen advancing still further
into the woods, protected the left flank. Cpl. Thomp-
son’s party were soon engaged. They had pushed
forward rapidly for about 50 yards when suddenly Pte.
Underwood, who was leading, jumped behind a tree

346 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

and fired. Nine Boches seemed to come out of the
ground almost at our feet, and for a few minutes there
was some lively fighting round the trees. The Germans
managed to kill Pte. Blythe, a very old soldier of the
Battalion, and then made off, leaving one wounded man
behind them. This little fight had given the alarm to
the party in the Chateau, and though Cpl. Thompson
pushed forward with great courage it was too late to
catch them, and we entered the house and grounds with-
out further opposition. The fall of the Chateau enabled
the remainder of “‘ A’’ Company to advance and occupy
the edge of the wood, which they at once did, putting
out several posts round the buildings. The Adjutant’s
party then returned to Battalion Headquarters which
had been left very weak during the attack. | Soon after-
wards, as the situation now seemed fairly satisfactory
the wounded prisoner was sent down under the 4th
Leic. Lewis Gun Section, who were no longer required.

At 10-0 a.m. we were just considering the possibility
of pushing forward still further when a sudden burst of
machine gun fire, sweeping low over our positions, drove
us to cover. The French had apparently been counter-
attacked out of Retheuil and Forte Farms and the
Boche from these new positions overlooked us
completely. Under cover of this fire a strong hostile
counter-attack was launched against the Chateau, and
‘“A’’ Company were once more driven back to the
road, leaving several men prisoners behind them. But
the road too was now overlooked and, though sunken,
was no protection, so that, unable to stay in it, they
moved to a small bank on the W. side of it and dug in
there. 2nd Lieut. Edwards was wounded and sent
down, and the Company was commanded by 2nd Lieut.

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 347

Dennis. At Headquarters, L/Cpl. Exton, who had just
arrived with a message from ‘‘ B’’ Company, was killed
and a stretcher-bearer badly wounded. Capt. Jack,
the M.O. went off to tend the latter, and was himself
badly hit in the body; another stretcher-bearer was hit
trying to get to him, and for a short time he had to be
left. A few minutes later the enemy’s fire slackened ;
the M.O. was carried away, and, though he lived to
reach the Ambulance, died there in the evening.
Captain Jack had been with us just a year, and we felt
very keenly the loss of his cheerful presence at Battalion
Headquarters, for he was one of those men who: were
never depressed, and even in the worst of places and at
the worst of times used to keep us happy.

The Adjutant now went back again to the old Farm
House to see if he could find out what had happened to
the other two Companies. The 4th Leicestershires had
been relieved, and the 5th South Staffordshires had
taken over the Farm and were now preparing to relieve
us in the line if possible. Captain Salter was there
from Brigade Headquarters and undertook to send relief
orders to the Left half Battalion, whose position was
now known.

Meanwhile the South Staffordshires moved up to the
copse whence ‘‘ B’’ Company had started, and a Com-
pany occupied the line along the bottom of the ‘‘Z’’
hedge to the ‘‘ wall and corner’’ position—i.e., about
200 yards behind the line held by Battalion Head-
quarters and ‘“‘A’”’ Company. The relief of the Left
half Battalion, though difficult, was carried out in day-
light, and was complete by 11-30 a.m., largely owing to
the energy of the Staffordshire Company Commanders.
Crossing the crest by the group of houses was by no

348 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

means an easy matter, and both relievers and relieved
had to crawl through the scrub, in which 2nd Lieut.
F. G. Taylor of ‘‘C’’ Company did particularly good
work, while for ‘‘ D’’ Company C.S.M. Cooper worked
magnificently. Three Platoon Serjeants had become
casualties and this Warrant Officer did all their work
himself, rendering invaluable assistance to his Company
Commander.

The relief of Battalion Headquarters and the Right
half Battalion was impossible during daylight, and the
G.O.C. 137th Infantry Brigade took over the command
of the line as soon as our “‘C”’ and ‘‘ D’’ Companies
were relieved, while the rest of our Brigade moved back
into billets at Fresnoy le Grand; we were to follow
when relieved. Meanwhile, arrangements were being
made for some Artillery and Tank support, and it was
proposed to try a further advance during the afternoon.
At the same time the Chateau was recaptured from us,
the position on the edge of the wood had become so
badly enfiladed that the Headquarters moved out and
started to dig a new line in the open, where, as the
Staffordshires were holding the ‘‘ wall and corner ”’
position, we were fairly safe. About mid-day, however,
as tthe enemy had become quieter, we returned once
more to the edge of the wood. It was never very
comfortable in this isolated position, but Lieut.
Ashdowne and R.S.M. Lovett showed the most
wonderful coolness, and were continually out looking
for new positions or watching the flanks. At 2-0 p.m.
the Staffordshires received orders that they would have
the help of two Tanks for their attack, which would
start at 4-0 p.m. from the isolated copse. At about
3-0 p.m. the enemy again started to enfilade our wood

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 349

position so badly, that for the last time we decided to
leave it and came back to our line in the open, which
we deepened as quickly as possible; it was hard work
as the men had to dig with their entrenching tools
as they lay flat. We had not, however, been long in
this position before the Staffordshires behind us with-
drew to form up for the attack, and, though the party
at the “‘Z’’ hedge remained, the other party left the

*“wall and corner’’ unprotected. Meanwhile, thinking
that, if not relieved soon, we should be surrounded from
the right flank, Major Dyer Bennet went back to
reconnoitre some deep short lengths of trenches about
100 yards in rear, deciding that if the attack did not
prove successful he would bring Battalion Headquarters
back into them.

At 4-0 p.m. there was no sign of the attack. Instead,
a German machine gun crew returned to the now empty
“wall and corner’ position and started to enfilade our
left flank, making the hill side almiost uncrossable. The
C.O. decided to withdraw at once, and at 4-30 p.m. the
runner, Blindley, set off with the message. It was a
hazardous journey, but he succeeded in crawling to
within a few yards of the end man and passed a
message along. Steadied by the R.S.M., the party
started one by one to withdraw, while the enemy kept
up a heavy fire at them. For a moment it looked as
though it would be impossible to get back, but Pte.
Caunter—Lewis Gunner of No. 1 Platoon—calmly
mounted his gun and ‘“‘ traversed ’’ the whole edge of
the wood. The Boche were silenced for the moment,
and the party, making a rush at the same time,
managed to reach the trenches in safety. Last of all
Caunter calmly picked up his gun and came away

350 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

himself, fired at, but never hit. Half-an-hour later two
tanks appeared, and keeping on the West side of the
Aisonville Road, climbed the rise towards Retheuil
Farm. Whether the enemy imagined a general attack
was coming, or merely wanted to make the road
dangerous, is not known, but at 5-0 p.m. he started to
bombard the area at the foot of the ‘‘ Z ’’ shaped hedge,
where a Company of Staffordshires, our Battalion Head-
quarters, and our ‘‘A’’ Company were all gathered,
and for nearly an hour gas and H.E. shells of every

calibre fell all round. There was little or no cover,
and had the shells been all H.E. the casualties would
have been tremendous. As it was we escaped lightly,

but the valley became full of gas and we could see
nothing. The position was bad, so Major Dyer Bennet
ordered a general withdrawal to a line along high
ground on both sides of the Aisonville-road—the
remains of ‘‘B’’ Company under Lieut. Ashdowne to
the left and ‘“A’’ Company to the right. Here we
once more dug a line of pits, and by 7-30 p.m. had our
new position in fighting condition, while a succession of
explosions, coming from two blazing heaps near
Retheuil Farm, showed how the Tanks had fared. The
whole of these operations had been most difficult and,
in addition to those who had been conspicuous in the
attack on the Chateau in the morning, many other
N.C.O.’s and men showed the utmost courage and
coolness. A/C.S.M. Smith, of ‘‘A’’ Company, and
Serjts. Wilbur and Swift and Cpl. Hubbard of Battalion
Headquarters, worked particularly well.

At 8-0 p.m. we were relieved by the 5th South
Staffordshires and, after placing Lewis Guns on the
limbers, which had been waiting all day for us behind

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 351

the farm, went to Fresnoy. It can hardly be called a_
march, and few of us remember much about it. Those
on horses slept, those on foot walked in their sleep and
woke up whenever there was a halt, because they hit
their heads against the haversacks of the men in front.
Soon after 11-0 p.m., tired out, we reached Fresnoy
and dropped down in the billets the Right half Battalion
had found for us, murmuring as we did so—‘‘ Now we
shall have our rest.”’

CHAPTER XIX.
THECAS DT AiG Bis

12th Oct., 1918. llth Nov., 1918.

TuHE following day—the 12th of October—our hopes
of the long expected rest were still further raised by the
news that General Rowley was going to England on
leave, for we all knew that he would never be absent if
there were any prospect of a fight, and we accordingly
began at once to make ourselves comfortable. Fuel
was plentiful, and baths were soon fitted in ‘“‘C”
Company’s factory, while in another part of the same
building we found and used an excellent concert room.
R.S.M. Lovett also went on leave, taking with him to
Loughborough one or two small battle trophies, includ-
ing our Headquarter flag, which had seen so much
fighting during the past few weeks. Many of ‘“‘B”’
Company’s gassed men now returned, and these, with
a large draft of N.C.O.’s and men, proved a welcome
reinforcement, but we still had very few officers. The
new draft was composed mostly of young soldiers who
had not seen service before, but fortunately this did not
matter, as we still had a number of our experienced
junior N.C.O.’s left, and some ‘‘ new blood’? was
useful.

Meanwhile the Staffordshires stayed in the line, and,
as by the 13th there was no prospect of their being

THE LAST FIGHT. 353

relieved, we were not surprised on the 14th to receive
some more battle orders, and consign our rest hopes,
like their predecessors, to an early grave. It appeared
that all frontal attacks on Riquerval Wood had proved
disastrous, and, although the 6th Division on the left
had reached the outskirts of Vaux Andigny, our
Divisional front was still the same as we had left it on
the 11th. The new attack, to take place on the 17th,
would therefore be directed against the North West
flank of the wood, and would be made by ourselves and
the 139th Brigade, while the Staffordshires made a
frontal display. The French, on the right, were making
a similar movement, and there would be a general
attack North of us. It was hoped that by the end of
the day, or before if possible, the French and ourselves
would meet on the East side of the woods at Mennevret,
and so cut off any Germans who remained on the
Staffordshires’ front. The actual objective for the
Brigade was the same Regnicourt road up which the
Left half Battalion had advanced on the 11th; this was
to be taken by the other two Battalions, while we were
kept in reserve near Vaux Andigny.

The usual reconnaissances were carried out on the
15th, and the following morning the customary distribu-
tion of bombs, flares, rockets and other warlike
paraphernalia took place. This was done with great
regularity before every battle, and yet on reaching an
objective we could never find the required rockets. The
men carrying them seemed invariably to become
casualties. It was the same with equipment and other
mecessaries—we started the day with everything and
ended with nothing. A very welcome issue was the
new map of Riquerval Woods, made from the most

354 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

recent aeroplane photographs, and accurate; the old
one, compiled from a pre-war survey, still showed as
thick forest the ground where the Boche had cut down
every vestige of a tree, and its imaccuracies in this
respect had been one of our greatest difficulties in the
previous battle. With the map came an issue of
officers, five reporting during the afternoon, but as they
were all new to the Battalion, they remained with the
Stores.

Our march to the Assembly position was tedious, but
we were not worried at all by the enemy, for, to avoid
Bohain, which was at this time frequently shelled, a
track had been taped out across country. As we were
the first to use this, we escaped the usual slipping and
ploughing through mud, which are a bad feature of
most tracks in autumn. Lewis Gun limbers and Tool
carts went by the road and reached the Andigny-
Becquigny Railway line—our assembly position—before
us, so that as each Platoon arrived it was able to collect
its guns and tools and move straight to its position.
We rapidly dug ourselves some excellent cover, and
were able to take no notice of some four point twos
which arrived during the night, though the other two
Battalions, who had to assemble near the Andigny Road,
suffered fairly heavily.

At 5-20 a.m. on the 17th the barrage opened and the
battle began in a mist, which was thicker even than
usual. Many Tanks accompanied by the Highlanders
of the Ist Division, came through our position and
passed down the hill towards Andigny, but of our own
Brigade we could see nothing, and could only judge by
the lessening of the enemy’s machine gun fire, that the
attack was successful. It must be admitted that our

THE LAST FIGHT, 355

attention was somewhat distracted by the appearance of
a hare, rather frightened by a Tank, and we forgot the
battle to give chase. It was a short but exciting run,
and the victim was finally done to death by ‘‘D’”’
Company and provided the Serjeants with a good
dinner. It was not until 10-0 a.m. that we first learnt
how the attackers had fared. On the right our Brigade
had taken their Regnicourt road objective, but in the
fog several posts of the German front line had been
missed and were still causing trouble, preventing the
complete capture of the village of Andigny les Fermes,
the left of our objective. In the same way the 6th
Division had missed posts in the two farms Gobelets and
Bellevue on their front, and we were ordered to send
two companies to clean up these places and generally
assist with the left of the attack. A few minutes later,
however, this order was cancelled, as the 5th Lincoln-
shires and 6th Division both reported that they now
held all objectives. Instead, ‘‘B’’ Company (Pierrepont)
and ‘‘C’’ Company (Banwell) were placed at the
disposal of Colonel Wilson of the 5th Lincolnshires,
to exploit his success and patrol the Mennevret
road to meet the French, and at 11-30 a.m. these two
Companies moved off to the old German front line and
waited there for instructions. Col. Wilson decided to
use one Company only, and at 2-0 p.m. Capt. Pierre-
pont moved his Headquarters into Andigny les Fermes
and sent off a strong patrol under 2nd Lieut. Davies
towards Mennevret. As the enemy was still holding
the woods in considerable strength, and the first mile of
the road was under direct observation, the patrol met
with heavy machine-gun fire at once, and 2nd Lieut.
Davies returned for the time, preparing to make another

356 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

attempt when the advance of the Divisions on our left
had made it impossible for the Boche to remain in his
positions near the E. edge of the village. Half ‘*A”’
Company had already been attached to the 4th
Leicestershires for carrying work, so that we had now
only ‘“D’”’ Company (Hawley) and the remainder of
‘“A ’’ Company with Battalion Headquarters. No more
orders came for us, and during the afternoon, as the
sounds of war had become more and more distant,
Cavalry and Whippets had disappeared Eastwards and
there was nothing to do, we lay and basked in the sun,
which was very hot and pleasant.

At 6-0 p.m., just as the Boche started to fire gas
shells into the valley up which all troops had to pass
to reach Andigny les Fermes, orders came that we
should take over the Brigade front. Accordingly, “‘ A ”’
and ‘‘D’’ Companies were sent to relieve the 4th
Battalion on the right, “‘“C’’ Company was made
responsible for Andigny les Fermes, and the extreme
left was held by ‘‘ B’’ Company, whose duty it still was
to find the French. The relief in the village might have
been a very lengthy and difficult proceeding had not
Capt. Nichols, of the Lincolnshires, taken great trouble
to co-ordinate the work of all their three Companies,
and so been able to hand over to Captain Banwell a
single complete scheme of defence. Our Headquarters
moved into the sunken road between Regnicourt and
Vaux Andigny. It was a dark, foggy and bitterly cold
night, and, experts as we had now become in the art of
living in banks and sunken roads, still it was impossible
to be comfortable, and German waterproof sheets spread
over slots cut in the banks, failed most miserably to
keep us warm. Transport arrived before midnight and

THE LAST FIGHT. 357

the drivers, as usual, saved us endless carrying parties
by taking the limbers right up to Company Head-
quarters in the village. They were unmolested by the
enemy, and 2nd Lieut. Davies, seeing this, made another
attempt to reach Mennevret. His patrol made much
more progress, and was only held up at La Nation, a
cross-roads a few hundred yards from his goal, but here
he met with bombs and more machine guns and had
once more to fall back.

At 1-0 a.m., the 18th, we were ordered to take over
the line on the East side of the village from a Battalion
of the Ist Division, who had relieved the 6th Division
and were now on our left flank. For this purpose the
luckless ‘‘ D’”’ Company, who had just settled down
after relieving the 4th Battalion, had to move across
our front and take over the new line, which consisted of
four large shell holes and a shallow sunken lane. In
spite of the difficulties of darkness and fog, relief was
complete before dawn when the Ist Division moved
forward towards Wassigny, and we were able to look
round our new sector. We found a ghastly relic in the
sunken lane where a German cooks’ wagon had been hit
by one of our shells as it tried to escape, and now, in the
early morning light, the scattered remains of wagon,
horses and cooks, all smashed up, were a horrible sight.

At last, at 5-30 a.m., 2nd Lieut. Davies and Serjt.
Whitworth met the French near Mennevret, and after
an enthusiastic exchange of greetings, accompanied by
much handshaking, arrangements were made for
establishing a line along the Nation road, and so cutting
out the other two Brigades, who for some time past
had been arguing vigorously as to whose duty it was
to fill the gap between ourselves and the French. At

358 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE,.

the same time a single weak-looking Boche came out of
the now completely surrounded Riquerval Wood and
surrendered to ‘‘C’’ Company, into whose cellar Head-
quarters he was at once escorted. Here, while being
questioned by two officers, neither of whom could speak
German, he absent-mindedly picked up a German
grenade which was lying on the floor, creating, of
course, an immediate disturbance. Revolvers appeared
on all sides, and the visitor’s life was nearly ended, but
as it was really absent-mindedness and not the fighting
spirit which prompted him, peace was soon restored,
and he explained that there were 24 others who wished
to surrender. He wanted to go back and fetch them,
and seemed in fact quite pained when we would not let
him and sent him down instead. A few minutes later
a battery of 8in. howitzers with tractors and motor
lorries came along the main road as far as the end of
the village, having been told that the road was clear up
to Andigny les Fermes. The Colonel of R.G.A. who
commanded was surprised to hear of the 24 Boche, who
for all we knew might be within 100 yards of his lorries,
but instead of withdrawing for the time, he set off with
Capt. Banwell into the woods to look for them, happy
as a schoolboy engaged in some forbidden adventure.
They found no one, but probably, if there were any at
all, they had by this time surrendered to the Stafford-
shires.

From dawn until 10-30 a.m. the enemy bombarded
our village with gas and H.E., and the Brigade Major
(Capt. D. Hill, M.C.) who tried to go round the front
line posts at this time had an unpleasant journey, while,
shortly after him, the C.O. and Adjutant were similarly
treated and had to hurry in a most undignified manner

THE LAST FIGHT. : 359

through an orchard. However, no damage was done,
and, when at midday we were relieved by the Stafford-
shires, we had had no casualties. As we marched out
past the little group of houses on the Regnicourt Road,

‘where ‘“‘D’’ Company had fought so gallantly on the

llth, the Burial Party were just burying Serjeants
Bradshaw, Dimmocks and the others in a little cemetery
which had been made in one of the cottage gardens,
and they lie now within a few yards of where they
fell. The rest of the march was a cheerful affair, for
it was a bright afternoon and we were not as tired
as usual after a battle. Drums and Band came out to
meet us, the people of Bohain greeted us on the way,
and our old friends in Fresnoy gave us their customary
warm welcome. Here we were a little more crowded
than before, but still had plenty of room, and could
look forward to a comfortable rest. The following
day, after a full Divisional Church Parade to return
thanks for our victories, we were definitely promised
a fortnight’s rest, and General Boyd and many others
went home on leave.

For the rest of the month the Battalion remained
in Fresnoy le Grand, training, refitting, and playing
games. Here, t:-Col) A. J. Digan, DiS:©:, of the
Connaught Rangers came to command us, and Major
R. N. Holmes, M.C., of the Lincolnshires to be 2nd
in Command. As we had already Major Dyer Bennet
and the Adjutant, who had ‘‘ put up’’ crowns before
going on leave, as aspirants for this piosition, Major
Holmes was transferred to the 137th Brigade. Lieut.
T. H. Ball returned from leave, and in addition to the

‘five, nine other officers arrived, including Capt. E. G.

Snaith, M.C., from the 2/4th Battalion, and the two

360 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE,

‘“ old hands ’’ Lieut. C. S. Allen and 2nd Lieut. J. A.
Hewson. Capt. Snaith went to ““A”’ Company, and
the other two became Signalling and _ Intelligence
officers respectively as soon as active operations began
again. Our work consisted of steady drill, musketry
and, in the evenings, lectures, the best of which were
Col. Jerram’s on the ‘‘ Royal Navy,’’ and the Brigade
Interpreter M. Dovet’s on ‘‘ French Army Life,’’ the
latter was particularly interesting. The Drums now
under Serjt. Drummer Price performed on _ every
possible occasion, and made an excellent display with
the two new Tenor Drums which had arrived during
the fighting, and now appeared in public for the first
time. The weather throughout the fortnight was not
perfect, but might have been far worse, and we were
able to play games almost every afternoon. Our
fixtures included two fcotball matches against the
French. The first, at Seboncourt, was against the 55th
Infantry, whose liaison platoon had done such splendid
work at Riquerval, and the game, thanks to the efforts
of Start and Corporal Shirley Hubbard, ended in a
victory, 5-l—a fact which merely increased the fervour
of the welcome we received from our opponents. A
few days later some French sappers came to play us
at Fresnoy, and they, too, were defeated, 5-0, in an
excellent game watched by many people. The language
on both these occasions would sound as foreign in
London as in Paris, but this did not in the least diminish
the cordiality of the Entente. In this way the fortnight
soon passed, and on November Ist we left Fresnoy.
Our first move was to Becquigny, where we arrived
soon after midday, and found good billets with plenty
of accommodation. In the evening, orders came that

THE LAST FIGHT. 361

at an early date the [Xth. Corps, with Ist and 32nd
Divisions in front and 46th in Reserve, would attack
the German positions on the Sambre - Oise Canal, which
had been holding out for the past ten days. The next
day the officers rode through Molain to Ribeauville and,
leaving horses there, reconnoitred an assembly position
North of Mazinghien. The C.O. and Company Com-
manders then went foward and reconnoitred a second
position near Rejet de Beaulieu, about 1,000 yards
West of the Canal. On the 3rd, orders arrived for
the attack to take place the following morning, and at
5-0 p.m. we moved off in pouring rain through Vaux
Andigny to a bivouac position near the Railway
North of Molain—a bad march, for the roads were
very muddy and hopelessly congested with traffic, and
the men heavily laden. It rained hard all night, but a
small house for Headquarters, and the usual tents and
““bivvie ’’ sheets kept out some of the wet, and we
should have been far worse in the open. Unfortunately,
2nd Lieut. J. A. Hewson, who had never really re-
covered from his gassing in May and had returned
before he was fit, had to leave us, unable to stand the
exposure in such weather. It was very bad luck, for
there was never a keener officer.

At 5-45 a.m., the 4th, the battle began, and we fell
in outside Headquarters, having previously had hot
breakfasts and distributed large numbers of bombs
and flares, also a generous supply of sickles and bill
hooks, as the country was reported to be full of
hedges. We marched at once to our first assembly
position, Mazinghien, and at midday, as the battle
reports were good, moved forward again, passing the
Brigadier in the village; he seemed very cheerful, and

362 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

we saw several droves of German prisoners, so con-
cluded that everything must be satisfactory. In order
to avoid the main roads, the C.O. led us round to
Beaulieu by a field track which he had reconnoitred ;
unfortunately the night’s rain had made the going very
heavy, and this not only tired the men, who were
heavily laden, but also proved difficult for the limbers,
several of which stuck and had to be man-handled.
At Beaulieu we had dinners and rested while parties
reconnoitred the Canal crossings and discovered various
pontoon bridges built by the Engineers soon after the
attack. As no orders came, we waited here until soon
after 3-0 p.m., when we were sent forward to support
the 2nd Brigade on the right flank of the advance.
The C.O. with the right half Battalion crossed the
Canal opposite Bois L’Abbaye, and pushed on into the
village untroubled by shell fire, which was at the time
mostly directed against the left half Battalion, which,
with Battalion Headquarters, crossed further South.
The country beyond was very thick, and by the time
the left Companies reached L’Ermitage it was almost
dark, and consequently communications were difficult
between the two half Battalions, more particularly as
the C.O. was separated from his runners and signallers.
The Companies at L’Ermitage dug themselves in and
were fairly comfortable, but they were not destined
to remain so for long, for orders soon came that they
would relieve the 2nd Brigade. These orders, however,
were cancelled before being sent out, and instead the
Brigade was ordered to relieve the Ist Brigade, who
were on the left. The reason for this was that the
32nd Division, who were on the left of the Corps
attack, had not yet reported the capture of all objec-

THE LAST FIGHT. 363

tives, and it was consequently necessary to secure the
Ist Division’s left flank. While, therefore, the other
two Battalions took over the line facing East, we found
a defensive flank facing North—the Battalion being
organized in depth on a single Company front. ‘“‘A”’
Company (Snaith), with ‘‘B’’ Company (Pierrepont)
in close support, was a few yards South of the main
Catillon - La Groise Road; behind them came ‘‘C”’
Company (Banwell), while Battalion Headquarters and
“D”’ Company (T. Ball) remained in Bois L’Abbaye.
These positions we occupied all night.

At dawn the following day the advance was con-
tinued by the 137th and 139th Brigades who passed
through us, but, as the 32nd Division had still no
definite information, we maintained our defensive flank
position—a ludicrous performance in view of the
streams of unmolested traffic which passed along the
road in front of us. Later in the morning, however,
““B” and ‘““C’’ Companies were sent forward to
occupy the line that the Lincolnshires had held during
the night, where they found no cover except one large
farm house which the Boche was shelling heavily. It
was raining hard, and for some time they sat in the
fields hoping for the rain or the shelling to stop; the
latter did eventually cease, but not until a large shell
had gone through the roof of the farm house, making
it uninhabitable. During the afternoon the weather
became so appalling that they all moved into houses in
Meziéres and spent the night there, while the remainder
of the Battalion concentrated in Bois L’Abbaye.

The battle still went on the next day in the pouring
rain, and our Brigade moved slowly forward in
Divisional support, halting for dinners at Erruart, and

364 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

reaching Prisches late in the afternoon; our only
excitement throughout the day was to watch a battery
of 60 pounders get into difficulties in a muddy field. At
Prisches we learnt that Cartignies had been cleared by
the other Brigades, and we were accordingly ordered to
move up at once and take over the outpost line which
was now just West of the Petite Helpe river. We
moved off in fours along the road, and in the same
formation marched into Cartignies, a village full of
civilians and blazing with lights, although a German
machine gun less than 400 yards away kept sending
bullets over the main street. No one seemed very
certain where the outposts were, nor who was respon-
sible, so we mounted some sentries in the best positions
we could find, and soon after midnight Colonel Digan,
who had been to Brigade Headquarters, held a con-
ference and explained the next day’s plan of attack.
It was now obvious that the Boche was in full retreat.

The weather the next day, the 7th of November, was
fortunately much better, and we moved down to the
Petite Helpe soon after dawn. Patrols had been out
during the night to look for crossings, but beyond
reporting that the main road bridge had been blown
up, which we already knew, they gathered no informa-
tion of importance, so ‘‘C’’ Company, who were
leading, had to make use of tree trunks and cross as
best they could. However, the Engineers soon
appeared, and the rest of the Battalion crossed by a
pontoon bridge. With the French on the right and
Lincolnshires on the left, ‘‘D’’ Company (T. Ball) and
‘“C”’ Company (Banwell) now pushed forward rapidly,
and in spite of a thick mist had soon gained the first
two objectives and reached the road running North

THE LAST FIGHT. 365

and South through a group of houses called Cheval
Blanc. Battalion Headquarters and the right half
followed, and at midday were quartered in a group of
farm houses about 600 yards West of Cheval Blanc,
where they were joined by Capt. Hills, who returned
from leave and resumed his duties as Adjutant. As
soon as they had had dinners, ‘‘ A’’ Company (Snaith)
and *‘ B’”’ Company (Pierrepont) moved forward so as
to be in closer support to ‘‘C’’ and ‘‘ D’’ Companies
respectively.

After passing the second objective, the leading Com-
panies soon began to meet with opposition, and a
machine gun cleverly concealed at the next cross-roads
made further advance by ‘‘C’’ Company impossible.
As the Lincolnshires were similarly held up on their
left, the flank could not be turned. ‘‘ D’’ Company,
however, pushed forward further in the mist, and,
though there was plenty of machine gun fire, it was
unaimed and did no damage. The leading Platoon,
under 2nd Lieut. Bettles, crossed a valley and started
to climb the rise beyond, on the top of which they
expected to find the main Avesnes Road. Suddenly,
as they burst through a hedge almost on the road,
they came upon a German four gun field battery—
officers and men standing round their guns, apparently
not expecting any attack, and horses tethered near by.
The platoon rushed in with bayonets, captured or killed
all they could find and, led by 2nd Lieut. Bettles,
dashed across the road into some houses on the far
side, where they saw some enemy. 2nd Lieut. Bettles
was killed with a pistol bullet, but the Boche were
driven out, and Lieut. Ball came up and started at once
to consolidate his captured position. One officer, 29
men and eight horses were sent down as prisoners.

366 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

‘“D’’ Company’s position was precarious. Right
and left, German machine gunners held the main road,
and shooting along it made crossing impossible, while
at the same time they took care to prevent any attempt
on our part to move the captured guns. This we found
impossible, so set about rendering them useless, and
had. already removed breach block and sights from one
when a counter attack was launched from the South
East. This was beaten off, but Lieut. Ball, unable to
find troops on either flank and already short of ammuni-
tion, sent back 2nd Lieut. S. D. Lamming on a
captured horse to ask for help. Before, however, he
could return, the enemy, intent on recapturing his guns,
made two more counter attacks in rapid succession, in
the second of which, after losing several men, including
Bolton, who had never left his Platoon during four
years’ service, killed and L/Cpl. Thurman wounded, the
little isolated party fired the last of its ammunition and
had to withdraw. The Boche recaptured his battery,
and, after firing one or two rounds into Cheval Blanc,
took away the guns.

At 2-0 p.m., Battalion Headquarters moved up to
Cheval Blanc, but the attacking Companies still re-
ported that they were unable to advance, and, to add to
our difficulties, we were not in touch with the French
on our right nor could our patrols find any trace of
them. On the whole of our front the enemy had
probably not more than eight machine guns, but so
cleverly were they placed and so well were they served
that we found it impossible to dislodge them with our
weapons. Artillery or better still Stokes mortars would
no doubt have cleared the country very quickly, but
these were not for the time obtainable, so, until they

THE LAST FIGHT. 367

arrived, Col. Digan determined to make every effort to
find the French and protect the right flank. Capt.
Pierrepont was ordered to send out frequent patrols
towards Etroeungt, and, as we now had no Battalion
reserve, Col. Digan asked for two Companies of the
4th Battalion to help us. These soon arrived, and while
one, Capt. Holden’s, remained with us at Cheval Blanc,
the other, Capt. Scaramowicz’s, took up a defensive
flank position along the Brigade Southern boundary.
At last, just as it was getting dark, Capt. Pierrepont
reported having found the French in Etroeungt, and so
this flank was now secure, though it had cost us the
loss of 2nd Lieut. Byles and Serjt. Stretton who were
both wounded. In spite of this, the forward Companies
were still unable to advance, and we remained in these
positions all night.

In view of the fact that the Boche was now running
away, our casualties during the day had been heavy,
and the Staff therefore decided on a different plan for
the next morning. The Cavalry were to come up at
dawn and we were not to move until they had recon-
noitred the country, so that if they reported the enemy
still holding out, the Artillery would be ordered to cover
our advance with a small barrage. There was no doubt
that the German retreat was continuing and that this
was only a temporary check, for all night long the
sky Eastwards was lit up with enormous flashes, as
dumps, railways, cross-roads and bridges were blown
up. This demolition was one of the most remarkable
features of the Boche retreat, for hardly a road junction
in the country was left untouched, while Railways were
so cunningly mined that every single line had to be
relaid. The consequent delay to our communications

368 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

was appalling, and though, thanks to the Engineers and
Pioneers, our Ist line Transport always reached us by
the evening, and field batteries advanced almost as
quickly as we did, yet our heavy Artillery was days
behind us, and there was always a shortage of
ammunition.

As ordered, the Scots Greys’ patrols rode through our
lines at dawn the next day, November 8th, and found
the enemy’s machine guns still very active in the same
positions. The barrage was therefore arranged, and,
covered by these very few shells, “‘A’’ and ““B”
Companies pushed forward, only to find that the Boche
took as little notice of the barrage as he did of our
rifle fire. On the left, as before, the attack was soon
held up, this time with considerable loss to us, for the
Boche allowed ‘‘A’’ Company to come close to his
guns before opening fire. When he did, 2nd Lieut.
Coleman and ten men were wounded and three men
killed, and though the others made a most gallant
attempt to rush the enemy with the bayonet, they were
held up by hedges, and compelled to dig in once more
and wait. On the right, however, we had better
fortune. 2nd Lieut. Davies and the leading platoon of
‘““B”’ Company reached the Avesnes main road, and
in spite of very heavy machine gun fire managed one
by one to make their way across. Once on the far side,
this Platoon Commander, ably helped by L/Cpl. Sharpe,
Pte. Beaver and others, soon worked his way from
house to house until at 11-0 a.m. the Boche, finding
we had a firm hold on the main road, withdrew all his
guns. While this took place, Colonel Jerram from
Divisional Headquarters visited us, bringing the news
that the German envoys asking for an Armistice had
been taken through the French lines.

THE LAST FIGHT. 369

As soon as they found the Germans had gone, the
leading Companies pushed rapidly forward, with orders
to establish an outpost line along the Zorees-Semeries
road as soon as possible, in which position we were
told we would be relieved by the 137th Brigade. At
the same time, ‘‘ D’’ Company moved into the houses
on the Avesnes road near where they had captured and
lost their battery, and ‘‘C’’ Company occupied the
farm house which had held them up so long, being
welcomed with coffee and cognac by the inhabitants, who
had remained in the cellar. A troop of Scots Greys
was also attached to us to act as mounted orderlies, a
task which up to the present had been very efficiently
performed by our grooms—Huntington, Dennis, Rogers
and others. At dusk, as the leading Companies were
within a few hundred yards of the Zorees road,
Battalion Headquarters and ‘‘C’’ Company moved to
the cross roads on the Avesnes road, and occupied a
large farm, where the two attached 4th Leicestershire
Companies were also billeted. Except for distant ex-
plosions in the East, it was a quiet night, and the M.O.,
Capt. Aylward, to prove we were really winning the
war, solemnly went to bed in pyjamas regardless of the
proximity of the enemy. Soon after midnight, “‘ B”’
Company reached their outpost line, and at 7-0 a.m.
the following morning, ‘‘A’’ Company were also in
position, and we sent off Lieut. Ashdowne to billet for
us in the area to which we were told we should go as
soon as relieved.

The country here was in a pitiable state, for the
Germans as they retired carried off everything—live-
stock, vehicles, all food, and most of the male popula-
tion. The civilians that were left behind took refuge

370 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

in the cellars during the fighting, coming out as soon
as the Boche had gone, and bestowing kisses and cups
of coffee with great liberality on the leading platoons
as they entered each farm house or hamlet. The feeding
of all these people had to be undertaken by the British
Army, and as our advance continued the French Mission
were kept very busily employed.

The Brigade relief was already in progress when, at
10-0 a.m., November 9th, it was cancelled, and instead
we were ordered to push forward at once and establish
a new outpost line East of Sains du Nord—a small
town through which the Cavalry had passed in the
morning. The right half Battalion was ordered to con-
centrate in Zorees, while the rest of us with the two
Companies of the 4th Battalion formed up near Battalion
Headquarters, had dinners, and at 2-15 p.m. moved off.
As we did so, an amusing incident occurred. A certain
Company Commander, picking up his box respirator,
found that he had thrown it off into a patch of filth;
copious oaths followed, and he vowed that he would
murder the next Boche he saw. Some half hour later,
as we entered Zorees, a cyclist patrol met us, escorting
one undersized little prisoner, splay footed and be-
spectacled. The Company was delighted, and with
one accord hailed their Commander with cries of
““Now’s your chance, Sir.’’ No other enemy were
seen, and we marched straight into Sains by the Rail-
way station, to receive a welcome from the civilians
which rivalled even Fresnoy in cordiality. They
thronged the streets with flags and great bunches of
chrysanthemums which they showered upon us, so that
by the time we reached the Mairie we looked like a
walking flower show—every man having a flower in his

THE LAST FIGHT. 371

hat. The 4th Battalion Companies found the outposts,
and we billeted in a large factory which had been used
as a Hospital, while Battalion and Company Head-
quarters occupied various magnificent Chateaux.

Throughout the following day, November 10th, we
remained inactive, unable to move because our supplies
and rear communications could not move at our pace
owing to the German demolitions. All day long reports
came in from the East showing the hopeless state of
confusion to which the German Army had come.
Civilians told us of Artillery drawn by cows, airmen
reported roads congested with traffic and columns of
troops, it really looked as though at last we should
have a chance of delivering a crushing blow. Late
that night came the telegram ending hostilities, and the
chance was gone for ever.

CHAPTER XX.

HOME AGAIN.

Ith Nov., 1918. 28th June, 1919

For the first few days after the signing of the
Armistice we remained in Sains, the outpost line was
maintained, roads to the East were reconnoitred, and
everything was made ready for a resumption of
hostilities. But it was soon obvious that the Germans
had no more fight im them, and our only interest was in
whether or no we should form part of the Army of
Occupation. It was known that the 4th Army was
going to Germany, and some of us hoped to go with
it, but it was not to be, and we were transferred to the
3rd Army, XIIIth. Corps. When we went, General
Rawlinson, genuinely sorry to lose us from his Army,
expressed his appreciation of our services during the
past three months, in a farewell letter, copies of which
were given to all ranks. Soon after our transfer, we
moved to the Landrecies area, and went into billets in
the dirty little town of Bousies.

Our duties were now threefold—to clean up France,
to get demobilised, and to amuse ourselves in our spare
time. Cleaning up was a gigantic and not very pleasant
task, for rt meant filling up shell holes, collecting empty
bully-beef tins, and generally becoming scavengers.
Demobilisation, though more congenial, was at first

HOME AGAIN. 373

inclined to be slow, and it was with considerable
annoyance that we saw among the first to go, young
men who had joined us since the Armistice, because
‘“pivotal.’’ Coal-miners were soon called
for, and under this heading we lost many of our oldest
and best soldiers, so that by Christmas the Battalion
was no longer the same. To amuse us, various sports
meetings were arranged—all rather hampered by the
weather, though we managed to gain much credit in
football and running, while the Divisional Rugby foot-
ball side won the Corps Championship. In these games
we were lucky to have the assistance of a new Padre,
the Rev. H. P. Walton, who came to take the place
of Padre Buck. Concert parties became more
numerous, and, in addition to the ‘‘ Whizzbangs,”’ who
worked very hard, the Brigade had a show of their
own, known as the ‘‘ 138’s.”’

While at Bousies we marched one Sunday to Lan-
drecies, where H.M. the King paid a visit. It was an
informal affair, no guard of honour and no lining the
road, and none of us will ever forget the scene. The
King of England followed by his officers, all on foot,
walking down the little street of the old French’ town,
while both pavements were packed with soldiers and
French civilians, who cheered, shouted, sang and
rushed into the road to gain a nearer view of His
Majesty.

they were

In January we moved to Pommereuil, a clean little
village, where Mayor and people did their utmost to
make us comfortable. Here, under the new scheme,
demobilisation became more rapid, and the older soldiers
were sent home in consideration of their service. We
also learnt for the first time that the Battalion was to

374 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

be reduced to a Cadre, and all short service or retainable
soldiers would be sent to the 11th Battalion on the
Rhine. Before this last move could take place, we
moved again—to Solesmes, where we stayed for a
fortnight and then moved to St. Hilaire. A new feature
was now introduced in the “‘ amusements ’’ department,
which was much appreciated by all of us. Once or twice
a week we were given one or two motor lorries to take
parties to Douai, Valenciennes or the recent battlefields.
We had many pleasant trips, and saw several towns
in France which we should never otherwise have seen.
At St. Hilaire the C.O. left us to rejoin the Connaught
Rangers, and we were reduced toa Cadre, consisting of
five officers, forty-six men and the Colours. A large
draft of 200 all ranks, with Lieuts. Steel, Ashdowne,
Todd, Dunlop, Argyle and other officers who volun-
teered for further service, went to the 11th Battalion,
and the rest were demobilised. The Cadre was chosen
so as to include as far as possible W.O.’s, N.C.O.’s,
and men of long and distinguished service, who would
form a suitable guard for the Colours; at the same time
we tried to have representatives of each of the larger
towns in Leicestershire, and in this we were successful.
In April we moved to Inchy Beaumont, where we
stayed until the Cadre finally went home in June.
Wagons and all transport were sent to Caudry, and we
settled down to a wearisome existence, having too little
to do. Cricket succeeded football, and we beat the
4th Battalion at both, and had several other victories.
Finally, on the 28th of June, leaving Capt. Nicholson,
2nd Lieut. Griffiths, R.Q.M.S. Gorse and 11 others with
the stores, the remnant of the Battalion sailed for
England, landed at Dover, and reached Leicester the

HOME AGAIN. 375

same night. The next day the Mayor (Ald. Coltman)
and people of Loughborough turned out to give us
welcome, and our long months of waiting in France
were soon forgotten in the fervour and enthusiasm of
the greeting we received, as we marched through the
old town and placed our Colours in the Hall. Six
weeks later the baggage guard returned, and the
Battalion was finally disembodied.

376

APPENDIX I.

OFFICERS WHO SAILED TO FRANCE WITH THE REGIMENT,

FEBRUARY,

Lieut. Colonel C.

195:

H. Jones.

Major R. E. Martin.
Captain and Adjutant W. T. Bromfield.

AS COMPANYS
Major W. 8S. N. Toller.
Captain P. C. J. R. Rawdon

Hastings.
Lieut. A. T. Sharpe (Machine
Gun Officer).
Lieut. J. D. A. Vincent.
2nd Lieut. D. B. Petch.
2nd Lieut. J. W. Tomson.

» Bea O MEANY.

Captain J. L. Griffiths.
Lieut. A. P. Marsh.
Lieut. E. G. Langdale.

2nd Lieut. C. H. F. Wollaston.

2nd Lieut. C. W. Selwyn.
2nd Lieut. R. B. Farrer.

Transport Officer
Quartermaster
Medical Officer

“Cc” COMPANY.
Captain T. C. P. Beasley.
Captain C. Bland.

Lieut. R. D. Farmer.

2nd Lieut. G. Aked.

2nd. Lieut. G. W. Allen.
2nd Lieut. R. Ward Jackson.

“D” COMPANY.

Captain H. J. F. Jeffries.
Captain J. Chapman.
Lieut. A. G. de A. Moore.
2nd Lieut. R. C. L. Mould.
2nd Lieut. C. R. Knighton.
2nd Lieut. J. D. Hills.

a J. Burnett.
Lieut. A. Worley.

tiem (Gi, dBi, JBL. eae R.A.M.C.

AMPIPIBINID IDS. Ue

HONOURS.

U.C.

Lieut. J. C. BARRETT.—Pontruet, Sept. 24th, 1918.

C.M.G.
C. H. Jones. R. E. Martin.
D.8.0
W. S. N. Toller. J. L. Griffiths,
M.C. & BAR.
G. B. Williams. D. B. Petch.
G. E. Banwell. A> 1D), Jebniley
M.C.
A. G. de A. Moore. A. E. Brodribb.
M. H. Barton. W. B. Jack.
C. H. F. Wollaston. Cc. B. W. Buck.
A. N. Barrowcliffe. S. G. H. Steel.
T. P. Creed. A. H. Hawley.
J. R. Brooke. K. Ashdowne.
R. H. Stentiford. ee alle
C. F. Shields. S. D. Lamming
W. M. Cole. C. Hi. Davies.
H. G. Lovett.
D.C.M. & BAR.
T. Tunks. A. Wilbur.
D.C.M.
H. G. Starbuck. A. Passmore.
W. H. Hallam. J. B. Wear.
R. E. Small. ©. W. Jordan.
J. Emmerson. F. Lane.
C. Hurley. W. Toon.
E. M. Hewson. J. Wardle.
J. Hall. H. G. Lovett.
T. Needham. J. Cooper.
A. Brooks. W. Hubbard.
M.M. & TWO BARS.
T. Marston.
M.M. & BAR.
J. Burbidge. W. Lilley.
R. Downs. F. W. Gorf.

A. Thurman.

J. 2 Koott:
W. A. Berridge.
H. Beardmore.
G. A. Bent.
W. Braybrook.
F. Clapham.
E. Diggle.

E. Foulds.

R. Goodman.
C. B. Love.
M. O’Brien.
W. Pickering.
T. Slaymaker.
B. Staniforth.
T. Hawkesworth.
F. Eastwood.
A. Passmore.
J. Meakin.

T. Marshall.
H. Dawes.

A. Carr.

J. T. Allen.

EK. V. Woolley.
E. Crow.

J. W. Putt.

A. Hickling.
W. E. Lester.

J. Cooper.
W. Fairbrother.

AnAr matador >> moe Ome AM ap

M.M.

R. Hollingsworth.

. W. Martin.
W. Tookey.
. W. Stone.
. Andrews.
. Mackey.
. Whitmore.
. O. Pickles.
. Raven.
H. Bullen.
. Cato.
5 al, Chwilloyia.
E. Palmer.
Baker.
5) les Je\aaaunole
. R. Smith.
/. Bennett.
Balderstone.
. Pollard.
Ryder.
. Starbuck.
Hyden.
G. Barber.
. Bloodworth.
. Wedge.
. Dawson.
. B. Garrett.
. Satchwell.

M.S.M.
H. Foster.
R. Gorse.
C. F. Bailey.

A. Hewerdine.
W. Smith.

G. W. Tomblin.
L. F. Crocker.
E. Cooper.

H. Edge.

W. Mouldsworth.
S. W. Taylor.
W. Orton.

W. Powell.
Daniels.
Coles.
Holmes.

B. Haynes.
Emmitt.
Bedford.
Smith.
Thompson.
H. Caunter.
. Bindley.

H. Fortnum.
. Redden.

. Sharpe.

. Beaver.

. Shepherd.

. Parker.

. Randall.

PAR PRM RS ROO Be op

H. Robinson.
. Yeabsley.

Zita

MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES.

C. H. Jones (2).
W. S. N. Toller.

W. T. Bromfield.
J. L. Griffiths (2).

E. G. Langdale.

C. H. F. Wollaston.

M. H. Barton.

A. G. de A. Moore. —

J. D: Hills’ (2):
J. Burnett (2).
C. F. Shields.
G. W. Allen.
T. W. Tomson.
W. R. Todd.
F. G. Taylor.

W. Fisher.
H. Swift.

ihn ia\s
de

Archer.
A. Walton.

T. Foster.

SeEumste
. F. Marston.

Lincoln.

. J. Williamson.

379

FOREIGN DECORATIONS.

FRENCH.

Légion d’Honneur (Officier) C. H. Jones.
Croix de Guerre (with palm) L. H. Pearson.
Croix de Guerre (with silver

star) ..: fis .. A.D. Pierrepont J. Whitworth.
Croix de Guerre (with bronze
star) ... ao sop dig ID), TERNS W. Green.
Medaille Militaire .. H. Angrave.
BELGIAN.
Décoration Militaire Pe Nen Valour.

EEN DEX une

THE CADRE AND EQUIPMENT GUARD.

Major J. D. Hills, M.C.
Captain G. E. Banwell, M.C.
Captain C. S. Allen.
Captain and Quartermaster W. A. Nicholson.
2nd Lieut. G. H. Griffiths.

R.Q.M.S. Gorse, R. L/Cpl. Underwood, A.
Col.-Serjt. Hanson, A. W. on Caunter, J.
Corpl. Lineoln, J. Pte. Lewis, B.
Serjt. Yeabsley, N. » Olarke, G. L.
Pte. Hughes, E. Corpl. Baker, A.

» Ribbons, F. Pte. Deacon, W.

, Rawlings, G. ,, Morley, G.

» Mutton, EH. Se euumits Gs

» Nichols, L. L/Cpl. Tookey, J.

, Hewerdine, A. Pte. Wormleighton, R.

Major LS 10: =, isieeie, Wve dip

,» Bradshaw, R. » Myers, J. T.
Corp]. Bartram, E. », Godsmark, G.
Serjt. Sills, R. Corpl. Mead, B.
Pte. Rock, F. L/Cpl. Law, A. B.

,» Webbs, H. -p _dalemrats,, dis

PEERUOG ELS ARIEAt Pte. Allen, W.

», Riley, 8S. » Moule, F. T.

» Beards, A. Corpl. Goss, J.

= Brampton, I. Cc: Pte. Smith, EH. A.
Sig. Rollson, E. » Neaverson, R.
C.Q.M.S. Hurst, A. » Hayward, J. R.

Serjt. Slaymaker, T. » Ratcliffe, G.

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