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Presented to the
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY
by the
ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY
1980
I
THE FIFTH DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
University of Toronto
http://www.archive.org/details/fifthdivisioningOOhuss
Xmas 1917.
By Capt. Keesey, R.E.
THE FIFTH DIVISION
IN THE ^i ■ GREAT WAR
BRIGADIER-GENERAL
A. H. HUSSEY
C.B., C.M.G.
AND
MAJOR
D. S. INMAN
WITH A FOREWORD BY
FIELD.MARSHAL
EARL HAIG OF BEMERSYDE
K.T., G.G.B., K.C.I.E., G.C.V.O., C.B.
4798
Xon^on NISBET B GO. LTa_ «e=^:^^
22 BERNERS STREET, W.I^C*-^^^ ^^"'^^^'^^
'f^' .4-
r-4 r%
L1DRAR7 JAM
First Published in igzi
D
TO THE MEMORY
OF
OUR FALLEN COMRADES
PREFACE
AT the Annual Dinner of the 5th Division held in London on 26th June 1920 the idea was mooted that the history of the Division should be written. Brigadier-General Hussey and Major Inman were asked if they would undertake the work. They have done so, with much diffidence — with what success must be left to the judgment of the reader.
The Authors wish to apologise for any short- comings, mistakes, or omissions which may have occurred. The War Diaries for the first few months of the War are necessarily very meagre, and they have had to rely upon private diaries and accounts kindly lent by Officers, and books already published, for their information. As the War went on, the Official Diaries became much fuller, and the Authors have also drawn largely from their own personal recollections.
They wish to express their thanks to Field-Marshal Earl Haig for having so kindly written a Foreword, to Major-General Romer for his help in the first two chapters, to Major-General Lord E. Gleichen for per- mission to make use of his book, to the Royal Air Force for permission to reproduce photographs taken by them, to Captain Keesey for the frontispiece, to Mrs, Edmond for the photograph of the Staf!, to the publishers, Messrs. Nisbet & Co., for the help they have given and the interest they have taken in the book, and
viii PREFACE
lastly to the many Officers who subscribed towards the expenses of publication.
In conclusion, they wish to say what a pleasure it has been to them to have written the record of a Division, which not only has won such imperishable fame, but was also a very happy home to them during the greater part of the Great War.
A. H. H.
D. S. I.
London, March 1921.
FOREWORD
FOR those who served in the 5th Division during the Great War this Foreword to their divisional history is not intended as an introduction, for they need none, but as a well-earned tribute paid to a very fine and gallant record.
Those who did not serve in the Division will find in this book a full and varied account, covering the whole period from August 1914 to the suspension of hostilities in November 1918, and embracing almost all the greater episodes of the War on the British front in the West.
The Division had its full share in the fighting during the opening months of the War, at Mons, Le Cateau, at the crossing of the Marne and the Aisne, and in the first battles in Flanders. The last battle of the War found it in the forefront of our advance, pressing on in pursuit of the retreating enemy East of the Sambre. In the interval between that early fighting and the final victory many a fine exploit had been set to the credit of the Division. In the Somme battle of 1916, the skilful and successful fighting about Falfemont Farm and Leuze Wood vies with the capture of Morval in its claim on our attention. In the Arras battle, 1917, the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division took part with the Canadians in the storming of the Vimy Ridge, and well upheld the honour of the Old. Country by the share it took in a brilliant Canadian achievement.
X FOREWORD
Later in the same year the Division once more found itself in the old Ypres battlefield. It had heavy fighting there, and was pulled out of the line early in November, only to be hurried ofi to Italy. It returned to France in April 1918 just in time to be sent straight into the Lys battle where, East of the Forest of Nieppe, it helped to stop definitely and permanently the German advance in that direction. Finally, when our turn came to attack again, the 5th Division fought right through the August battle of Bapaume, and was engaged with equal success in all our subsequent advance — until the Armistice.
This brief summary of a splendid tale of achieve- ment gives but an inadequate idea of the courage and devotion displayed through four and a half years of war. A more detailed account will be found in the pages of this book ; but the full story can only be understood by those who know from their own experience what it was our troops were called upon to do, and the spirit in which they accomplished their task. It is with that knowledge, and in the sense of gratitude which springs from it, that I have written this Foreword.
l^jjSA\)J^^^H^ -
\m December 1920.
CONTENTS
I. MoNs — Le Catbau and the Retreat II. The Aisne and La Bass^e Front TTI. November 1914 to March 1915 IV. '« Hill 60," Ypres . V. The Bray Front and Arras VI. The Somme— 1916 VII. The B^thune Front . VIII. ViMY Ridge . IX. Third Battle op Ypres X. Italy . XI. ForAt de Nieppe XII. Final Operations Conclusion Appendix I. Order of Battle
„ II. Composition of Staff Indkx ....
1
22
44
59
82
107
135
151
174
191
208
229
259
262
266
269
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Christmas, 1917 . . . . . Frontispiece
FACINO PAOB
The Staff of the 5th Division, August 1914 . . 16
Lieut. -Gen. Sik Charles Fergusson, Bart., K.C.B, K.C.M.G., etc
Lieut. -Gbn. Sir T. L. Morland, K.C.B., D.S.O. .
Lille Gate, Ypres .....
Maj.-Gen Sir C. T. M'M. Kavanagh, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., etc
Hotel de Ville, Arras ....
Maj.-Gen. Sir K. B. Stephens, K.C.B., C.M.G. .
A SoMME Cemetery .....
Oppy Wood ......
POLDERHOEK ChATEAU (BeFORE) 1
Polderhoek Chateau (After) j AsiAGo Plateau ..... Bridge on River Piave .... Lord Rawlinson's Chateau .... Attack of 28th June 1918 .... Gouzeaucourt ..... Maj.-Gen. J. Ponsonby, C.B., C.M.G., etc.
32
70
78
90
104
126
134
164
182
194 204 220 228 240 254
MAPS
|
NO. PAC 1. MONS . . . . . . |
IK6 PAGE 2 |
|
2. Le Gateau ..... |
10 |
|
3. The Aisnk ..... |
26 |
|
4. La Bassee Front .... |
34 |
|
5. Messines Front ..... |
44 |
|
6. Ypres ...... |
58 |
|
7. "Hill 60" . |
60 |
|
8. Bray Front, 1915 |
82 |
|
9. Arras Front ..... |
96 |
|
10. The Somme, 1916 . . |
108 |
|
11. Falfemont and Morval |
118 |
|
12. ViMY Front ..... |
150 |
|
13. La Coulotte ..... |
. 158 |
|
14. Pi AVE Front ..... |
190 |
|
15. Bois DE Nieppe ..... |
. 208 |
|
16. Attack of 28th June 1918 |
224 |
AT END OF BOOK
1. General Map of Western Front
2. Final Operations
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS OF THE FIFTH DIVISION
Aug. 16
»2t
|
»» |
23 |
|
|
» |
24 and 25 . |
|
|
» |
26 . . . |
|
|
» |
27 to Sept. ;J |
|
|
Sept. |
5 . . . |
|
|
t» |
6 to 9 |
|
|
>» |
13 to Oct. 2 |
|
|
Oct. |
12 to 30 |
|
|
Nov. |
1 to 29 |
|
|
>» |
30 to March 1915 |
|
|
April |
17 . . . |
|
|
1) |
22 to May 24 |
|
|
May |
to July . |
|
|
Aug. |
to Feb. 1916 . |
|
|
March to Jul v |
||
|
July |
19 |
|
|
»> |
27 |
|
|
» |
30 |
|
|
Aug. |
2 to 23 |
|
|
» |
26 |
|
|
Sept. |
3 |
|
|
»> |
5 |
|
|
»> |
25 |
|
|
Oct. to March 1917 |
April 9 „ 23
1914
Division landed in France.
Battle of Mons.
Retreat from Mons.
Battle of Le Gateau.
Retreat from Le Gateau to Tournan Area.
Advance commenced.
Battle of the Marne.
Battle of the Aisne.
Fighting on La Bassee Front.
Messines. Ypres.
Wulverghem Front.
1915
Capture of Hill 60.
Second Battle of Ypres, and Hill 60 Operations
Ypres Front.
Bray Front.
1916
Arras Front.
Into Line — Battle of the Somme.
Gapture of Longueval by 15th Brigade.
Attack North of Longueval by 13th Brigade.
Rest. Belloy-St. Leonard Area.
Lito Line, Maltz Horn Ridge.
Attack on Falfemont Farm.
Gapture of Falfemont Farm and Leuze Wood.
Gapture of Morval.
Bethune Front.
1917
Capture of Vimy Ridge. Operations near La Goulotte.
<>AiA^^lii^i^^^S&ms^^§}^
MAPS
|
NO. 1. MONS ..... |
FACIKG PAGE 2 |
|
2. Le Cateau .... |
. 10 |
|
3. The Aisne .... |
. 26 |
|
4. La Bassee Front |
. 34 |
|
5. Messines Front .... |
. 44 |
|
6. Ypbes ..... |
. 58 |
|
7. "Hill 60" . |
. 60 |
|
8. Bray Front, 1915 |
. 82 |
|
9. Arras Front .... |
. 96 |
|
10. The Somme, 1916 . . |
. 108 |
|
11. Falpemont and Morval |
. 118 |
|
12. ViMY Front .... |
. 150 |
|
13. La Coulotte .... |
. 158 |
|
14. Pi AVE Front .... |
. 190 |
|
15. Bois DE Dieppe .... |
. 208 |
|
16. Attack of 28th June 1918 |
. 224 |
AT END OF BOOK
1. General Map of Western Front
2. Final Operations
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS OF THE FIFTH DIVISION
22i
|
Aug. |
16 . . . |
|
n |
23 . . . |
|
>> |
24 and 25 . |
|
» |
26 . . . |
|
>> |
27 to Sept. 3 |
|
Sept. |
6 . . . |
|
>> |
6 to 9 |
|
» |
13 to Oct. 2 |
|
Oct. |
12 to 30 |
|
Nov. |
1 to 29 |
|
j> |
30 to March 1915 |
|
April |
17 . . . |
|
II |
22 to I\Iay 24 |
|
May to July . |
|
|
Aug. |
to Feb. 1916 . |
|
March to July |
|
|
July |
19 . . . |
|
II |
27 . . . |
|
11 |
30 . . . |
|
Aug. |
2 to 23 |
|
11 |
26 . . . |
|
Sept. |
3 . . . |
|
11 |
5 . . . |
|
11 |
25 . . . |
|
Oct. to March 1917 |
|
|
April |
9 . . . |
|
11 |
23 . . . |
1014
Division landed in France.
Battle of Mons.
Retreat from Mon.s.
Battle of Le Gateau.
Retreat from Le Gateau to Tournan Area.
Advance commenced.
Battle of the Marne.
Battle of the Aisne.
Fighting on La Bassee Front.
Messines. Ypres.
Wulverghem Front.
1915
Gapture of Hill 60.
Second Battle of Ypres, and Hill 60 Operations
Ypres Front.
Bray Front.
1916
Arras Front.
Into Line — Battle of the Somme.
Gapture of Longueval by 15th Brigade.
Attack North of Longueval by 13th Brigade.
Rest. Belloy-St, Leonard Area.
Into Line, Maltz Horn Ridge.
Attack on Falfemont Farm.
Gapture of Falfemont Farm and Leuze Wood.
Gapture of Morval.
Bethune Front.
1917
Capture of Vimy Ridge. Operations near La Goulotte.
MAPS
|
NO. 1. MONS .... |
FAC |
INO PAOK 2 |
|
|
2. Le Gateau |
10 |
||
|
3. The Aisne . . . |
26 |
||
|
4. La Bassee Front |
34 |
||
|
5. Mbssines Front . |
44 |
||
|
6. Ypres .... |
58 |
||
|
7. "Hill 60" |
60 |
||
|
8. Bray Front, 1915 |
82 |
||
|
9. Arras Front |
96 |
||
|
10. The Somme, 1916 |
108 |
||
|
11. Falfemont and Morval |
118 |
||
|
12. ViMY Front |
150 |
||
|
13. La Coulotte |
158 |
||
|
14. PiAVE Front |
190 |
||
|
15. Bois DE Dieppe . |
208 |
||
|
16. Attack op 28th June 1918 |
224 |
AT END OF BOOK
1. General Map op Western Front
2. Final Operations
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS OF THE FIFTH DIVISION
|
Aug. |
16 . . . |
|
>> |
23 . . . |
|
11 |
24 and 25 . |
|
» |
26 . . . |
|
>> |
27 to Sept. 3 |
|
Sept. |
5 . . . |
|
»» |
6 to 9 |
|
>> |
13 to Oct. 2 |
|
Oct. |
12 to 30 |
|
Nov. |
1 to 29 |
|
»> |
30 to March 1915 |
|
April |
17 . . . |
|
» |
22 to May 24 |
|
May 1 |
X) July . |
|
Aug. |
to Feb. 1916 . |
|
March to July |
|
|
July |
19 . . . |
|
» |
27 . . . |
|
» |
30 . . . |
|
Aug. |
2 to 23 |
|
» |
26 . . . |
|
Sept. |
3 . . . |
|
» |
5 . . . |
|
» |
25 . . . |
|
Oct. to March 1917 |
April 9 » 23
1014
Diviwion landed in France.
Battle of Mons.
Retreat from Mons.
Battle of Le Gateau.
Retreat from Le Gateau to Tournan Area.
Advance commenced.
Battle of the Marne.
Battle of the Aisne.
Fighting on La Bassee Front.
Messines. Ypres.
Wulverghem Front.
1915
Gapture of Hill 60.
Second Battle of Ypres, and Hill 60 Operations
Ypres Front.
Bray Front.
1916
Arras Front.
Into Line — Battle of the Somme.
Capture of Longueval by 15th Brigade.
Attack North of Longueval by 13th Brigade.
Rest. Belloy-St. Leonard Area.
Lito Line, Maltz Horn Ridge.
Attack on Falfemont Farm.
Gapture of Falfemont Farm and Leuze Wood.
Gapture of Morval.
Bethune Front.
1917
Capture of Vimy Ridge. Operations near La Coulotte.
xvi CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS
|
May |
3 |
|
j> |
8 |
|
June |
28 |
|
Sept. |
7 to 29 . |
|
Oct. |
1 |
|
»» |
4 |
|
)> |
9 |
|
>i |
26 . |
|
Nov. |
6 |
|
» |
11 to 24 . |
|
» |
27 to Dec. 12 |
|
Dec. 1917 to Jan. 1918 |
|
|
Jan. to March 18 . |
|
|
March 19 to 26 |
|
|
April |
1 to 5 . |
|
5> |
8 to 10 . |
|
>» |
12 |
|
» |
12 to 14 . |
|
June |
28 |
|
Aug. |
8 |
|
)> |
13 |
|
»> |
19 |
|
)> |
21 |
|
» |
23 to 24 . |
|
j> |
26 |
|
» |
30 |
|
Sept. |
3 |
|
»j |
18 |
|
j> |
27 |
|
»> |
30 |
|
Oct. |
20 |
|
5J |
23 |
|
Nov. |
5 |
|
M |
7 |
|
» |
8 |
|
11 |
9 . |
|
» |
11 |
1917 (continued)
Into Line, Oppy-Fresnoy Front.
Operations at Fresnoy.
Capture of German Line, Oppy Wood.
Rest. Le Cauroy and Eperlecques Areas.
Into Line, Ypres Front.
Advance along Reutelbeek.
First Attack on Polderhoek.
Second Attack on Polderhoek.
Third Attack on Polderhoek.
Rest. Westoutre and Nielles Areas.
Entrained for Italy.
1918
Area North of Padua.
In Line on River Piave.
To Area East of Vicenza.
Entrained for France.
Lucheux Area.
Took up Line East of Foret de Nieppe.
German Advance repulsed.
Capture of Line on the Plate Becque.
To Compagne Area.
To Frevent Area.
To Area East of Doullens.
Commencement of Great Advance. Capture of
Achiet-Le Petit. Capture of Tries, and Loupart Wood. Capture of Beugnatre. Advance continued to West of Beugny. Capture of Beugny and advance to East of
Velu. Attack on African Trench. Capture of African Trench, and Beaucamp
Ridge. Capture of Gonnelieu and Banteux. Crossing of River Selle forced. Capture of Beaurain. Foret de Mormal cleared. Capture of Pont-sur-Sambre, and Crossing of
River. Capture of St. R4mi-mal-bati. Line advanced to Damousies-Ferriere. Cavalry
and Cyclists sent forward. Armistice.
THE
S
wliicliein experienc sarvton
that It sort, an( equipped The' cheenng iineveDtf of the travelle( Laiidre (J.O.C,, their hi!
,..i1lttJimM»HH«B«IBS^
THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR
CHAPTER I MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE RETREAT
{For Operations dealt with in this Chapter, see Map 1)
SO many accounts have been written of the mobilisa- tion scenes of the " Contemptible Little Army '* which embarked for France in August 1914, and of their experiences on first arrival there, that it seems unneces- sary to recount these events again. Suffice it then to say, that on the fateful 5th of August the mobilisation of the 5th Division at the Curragh and Dublin commenced, that it was carried through without a hitch of any sort, and that on the 10th the Division was fully equipped and ready to embark.
The troops left Dublin and Belfast amid patriotic cheering and waving of handkerchiefs, and after an uneventful passage arrived at Le Havre in the course of the next two days. Here they entrained and travelled through Rouen and Amiens to the Le Cateau- Landrecies area, arriving there on the 18th. The G.O.C., Sir Charles Fergusson, visited the Brigades in their billets and made them a stirring speech, giving many technical tips about the Germans and how to meet their various wiles. The Division together with
xvi CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS
|
May |
3 |
|
5» |
8 |
|
June |
28 |
|
Sept. |
7 to 29 . |
|
Oct. |
1 |
|
n |
4 |
|
>» |
9 |
|
» |
26 |
|
Nov. |
6 |
|
» |
11 to 24 . |
|
»> |
27 to Dec. 12 |
|
Dec. 1917 to Jan. 1918 |
|
|
Jan. to March 18 . |
|
|
March 19 to 26 |
|
|
April |
1 to 5 . |
|
» |
8 to 10 |
|
» |
12 |
|
j> |
12 to 14 . |
|
June |
28 |
|
Aug. |
8 |
|
j> |
13 |
|
» |
19 |
|
)> |
21 |
|
» |
23 to 24 . |
|
» |
26 |
|
n |
30 |
|
Sept. |
3 |
|
» |
18 |
|
» |
27 |
|
» |
30 |
|
Oct. |
20 |
|
» |
23 |
|
Nov. |
5 |
|
» |
7 |
|
>t |
8 |
|
» |
9 |
|
)i |
11 |
1917 (continued)
Into Line, Oppy-Fresnoy Front.
Operations at Fresnoy.
Capture of German Line, Oppy Wood.
Rest. Le Cauroy and Eperlecques Areas.
Into Line, Ypres Front.
Advance along Reutelbeek.
First Attack on Polderhoek.
Second Attack on Polderhoek.
Third Attack on Polderhoek.
Rest. Westoutre and Nielles Areas.
Entrained for Italy.
1918
Area North of Padua.
In Line on River Piave.
To Area East of Vicenza.
Entrained for France.
Lucheux Area.
Took up Line East of Foret de Nieppe.
German Advance repulsed.
Capture of Line on the Plate Becque.
To Compagne Area.
To Frevent Area.
To Ai-ea East of Doullens.
Commencement of Great Advance. Capture of
Achiet-Le Petit. Capture of Irles, and Loupart Wood. Capture of Beugnatre. Advance continued to West of Beugny. Capture of Beugny and advance to East of
Velu. Attack on African Trench. Capture of African Trench, and Beaucamp
Ridge. Capture of Gonnelieu and Banteux. Crossing of River Selle forced. Capture of Beaurain. Foret de Mormal cleared. Capture of Pont-sur-Sambre, and Crossing of
River.
Capture of St. Remi-mal-bati.
Line advanced to Damousies-Ferriere. Cavalry
and Cyclists sent forward. Armistice.
THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR
CHAPTER I MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE RETEEAT
{For Operations dealt tvith in this Chapter, see Map 1)
SO many accounts have been written of the mobilisa- tion scenes of the " Contemptible Little Army " which embarked for France in August 1914, and of their experiences on first arrival there, that it seems unneces- sary to recount these events again. Suffice it then to say, that on the fateful 5th of August the mobilisation of the 5th Division at the Curragh and Dublin commenced, that it was carried through without a hitch of any sort, and that on the 10th the Division was fully equipped and ready to embark.
The troops left Dublin and Belfast amid patriotic cheering and waving of handkerchiefs, and after an uneventful passage arrived at Le Havre in the course of the next two days. Here they entrained and travelled through Kouen and Amiens to the Le Cateau- Landrecies area, arriving there on the 18th. The G.O.C., Sir Charles Fergusson, visited the Brigades in their billets and made them a stirring speech, giving many technical tips about the Germans and how to meet their various wiles. The Division together with I
2 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
the 3rd formed the II. Corps, commanded by Lieut.- Gen. Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien ; he had succeeded General Grierson, who had died suddenly from heart failure in the train on the way out.
On 20th August, orders were received for an advance in a Northerly direction on the next day. Every one was almost in complete ignorance as to the situation. It was known that the 3rd Division was to march on the right, and that the I. Corps were still farther to the East ; but as to the enemy or the French, there was no information. As this was the first occasion on which the Division was to move as a complete unit, it was lucky that it was to all intents and purposes a " peace march," as it served to give the Staf!s valuable practice, and helped the units to find their legs ; it was a fair test, too, for the Reservists.
The weather on the 21st was fine; the country through which the Division passed looked very smiling with its clean and tidy cottages and farms, fields ripe for harvest, and orchards laden with fruit; and the country people were most attentive in offering drink and fruit to the thirsty men.
The Division billeted that night in and around Bavai, where they were vociferously welcomed. On the following day the march was resumed via Dour and Boussu, the latter part of the journey being through a crowded mining district, full of slag-heaps, mine- shafts, and small houses. The roads were mostly " pave " of uneven sets, with great pits in them, just broad enough for one vehicle, and extremely painful to march on ; on either side of the road, where this villainous " pave " did not exist, it was either deep dust or caked mud, which became a morass after rain. The inhabitants here, most of them able-bodied young
M O N S
Map 1
-1 Milti
iToface p. 2.
1914] MONS— LE CATEAIT AND THE RETREAT 8
men, were very friendly, but nevertheless had the air of being benevolent spectators ; one could not help wondering why they were not fighting in the ranks.
Rumours of the approach of the Germans soon began to come in, and were substantiated by the receipt of orders from the II. Corps for the 3rd and 5th Divisions to hold the straight reach of the Mons-Conde Canal running due West from Mons. The left of the 5th Division was to be on the Pommeroeuil-Thulin road, the right at Mariette in touch with the 3rd Division. The front was divided up between the 13th Brigade (Brig.-Gen. Cuthbert) on the right, and the 14th Brigade (Brig.-Gen. Rolt) on the left, while the 15th Brigade (Brig.-Gen. Lord E. Gleichen) remained in reserve and prepared a defensive line about Wasmes in case the Canal line was forced back. In the 13th Brigade, the West Kents were on the right, with the "Duke's" in support; then came the K.O.S.B. sup- ported by the K.O.Y.L.I. ; and in the 14th Brigade the East Surreys and the D.C.L.I. held the front. Each BattaHon in the front line had a few men thrown across the Canal as a screen.
The morning of the 23rd opened misty and wet, but by 10 a.m. the weather had cleared, and there was every promise of a hot day. The Divisional Mounted Troops, consisting of A Squadron 19th Hussars, under Major Parsons, and the Cychst Company, under Major Burnett, pushed forward to reconnoitre, and quickly came into contact with the enemy, whereupon ensued some spirited skirmishing. Exaggerated rumours of calamities began to come in, but soon authentic reports were received showing that the enemy was advancing in strength. About 1 p.m. an attack developed on the whole front, and both Brigades found themselves
4 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
hotly engaged. The German Infantry made repeated efforts to press the attack home, but the good work of our machine-guns and the steady rifle-fire of the men in the front Hne kept them in check, and they failed to reach the bridges.
About 3 p.m. the 19th Brigade was sent up to extend the line on the left of the 14th, and we appeared to be holding our own, although much harassed by the hostile Artillery. Two hours later, a barricade, which had been erected on the North side of the Canal, was destroyed by Artillery fire, and our troops on that side were compelled to withdraw. A gap also occurred between the two Divisions, and the German Infantry took instant advantage of it, crossing the Canal and penetrating through as far as Wasmes, where they ran up against the Bedf ords and Dorsets of the 15th Brigade, who were holding the line of the railway. The right flank of the Division was thus in danger, and it looked as if a wedge were being thrust in between the 13th and 15th Brigades ; so menacing indeed was the situation that the II. Corps appealed to the I. Corps for help, with the result that General Haking's Brigade (the 5th) was sent by the latter to fill the gap.
After dark, German bugle calls were sounded all along the line, and died away in the distance North- wards ; they appeared to be sounded in order to give the impression that a withdrawal was taking place. Also, refugees came in, among them a priest, who declared that the enemy was retiring to the North, but no credence was placed in their reports.
At 9 p.m. the Brigades on the Canal fell back to the prepared position North of Wasmes, but, although the, distance was not great, the country was so inter- sected with dykes, and the situation on the right flank
1911] MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE RETUEAT 5
was so confused, that it was practically daylight before all units were in position. The superiority of the German Artillery had been much felt during the day. Early in the morning four guns of the 120th Battery had been brought into action on the Canal bank near St. Ghislain, but they had had to withdraw owing to shell and rifle fire ; later another section of the same Battery was brought up ; they suffered many casualties, the CO., Major Holland, being killed, and in the withdrawal in the evening one gun had to be aban- doned. The 119th Battery was sent up to cover the retirement, and did some good execution against hostile columns moving through Pommeroeuil, and the 52nd and 124th Batteries were also moved forward later, but did not come into action. The remainder of the Artillery had been disposed to cover the Wasmes line.
During the night the G.S.0.1 was summoned to Corps Head-Quarters and received orders that a further retirement would be carried out, the general direction of which would be South-West. It looked as if this might be difficult to do, for not only were the Germans likely to make a strong frontal attack, but the evening reports also showed that there were large hostile columns on the left, which might interfere with a re- tirement to the South-West. Orders were accordingly issued, and all Transport directed to march at once.
The new line that had been taken up during the night ran from the small wood on the railway just North of Wasmes, past the railway works to Halte, and back towards Dour station. It was by no means continuous, but consisted of various " points d'appui " and patches of entrenchment ; the field of fire was bad except on the left, where the railway crossed the Boussu road. The ground was a mass of slag-heaps, mine-
w
4 TIIE 5Tn DIVISK
hot] J engtged. T^ ^ ' efforts to presB th< oar michine-guns and in the front line k to reach the bhdge:^.
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6 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
heads, and chimneys, with here and there a green field, the whole intersected with a network of railway lines. The trenches had been dug with the help of some pit-boys, who were at first somewhat unwilUng, but buckled to with a little persuasion. The Dorsets and Bedfords of the 15th Brigade were still holding the railway at Wasmes with the right bent back towards Paturage, the other two Battalions (Cheshires and Norfolks) being kept in Divisional Reserve. On the left of the Bedfords came the 13th Brigade (K.O.S.B. and West Kents, with the " Duke's " and K.O.Y.L.I. in Brigade Reserve). Then came the 14th Brigade (Manchesters, D. C.L.I, and Suffolks, with the East Surreys in reserve). Covering the right were the 28th Brigade R.F.A., and on the left the 27th Brigade R.F.A., while the 15th Brigade R.F.A. and the 108th Heavy Battery were in position on the extreme left.
Very early in the morning the Germans began pushing forward. At first our Artillery and rifle-fire proved too much for them, and they suffered heavy casualties without achieving much result, but the right soon became outflanked, and, under the ever- increasing pressure, began to retire. On the left, too, the situation was threatening, the 14th Brigade being violently attacked about Dour station. A message was received at this time from General Allenby to the effect that his orders were to retire to a line some miles back, but the danger of the 5th Division left being enveloped was so evident, that Sir Charles Fergusson, who had been ordered to hold on in order to cover the withdrawal of the 3rd Division, pointed out in reply that it was of vital importance for the Cavalry to prevent the Germans outflanking us. The Cavalry responded splendidly to this appeal, with great gal-
1914] MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE RETREAT 7
lantry standing their ground until the retirement was well under way. When this retirement took place, about 1 p.m., the Divisional Reserve, consisting of the Norfolks and Chcshires with the 119th Battery, under Lieut.-Col. Ballard of the Norfolks, was ordered to act as a flank-guard. Severe fighting now developed at Elouges and out to the West, and the 9th Lancers, of General de Lisle's Brigade, made a gallant charge against the enemy's guns, but they were held up by wire, and could not get through ; a heavy toll was taken from them, and only a small remnant, under Captain Grenfell, escaped the storm of shells and bullets. Later in the day Colonel Ballard's flank- guard became seriously involved near Elouges, and had some very stifi fighting, the Cheshires losing some five hundred men. The Battery, too, was in trouble ; one Section was detached about four hundred yards to the right, under Lieut. Preston ; they fired on the German Infantry until orders to retire were received, and then came into action again against the German Cavalry, when a machine-gun was brought against them at a range of four hundred yards. Lieut. Preston, though four times wounded, made repeated efiorts to get his guns away, but had to give it up and was eventually taken away in an ambulance. With the other guns the casualties were so great that Lieut.-Col. Ballard ordered their withdrawal ; most of the detach- ments had been wiped out, and it was only a matter of minutes before the rest went. Captain Grenfell, 9th Lancers, with his small remnant of men, saw their dijQiculties and offered to help ; and with their assist- ance the guns were dragged out singly, limbered up, and got safely away. Both Captain Grenfell, who had already been wounded, and Major Alexander,
8 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
the Battery Commander, received the V.C. for their gallantry.
Meanwhile the main column of the Division got clear of the mining area, with its maze of villages and pits, and retired to the vicinity of St. Waaste-La-Vallee, where it billeted. The 3rd Division, in its with- drawal, had crossed behind the 5th, and was billeted, or bivouacked, West of it. The German Cavalry made no attempt to pursue in the afternoon, but heavy firing was heard to the North-West, and a defensive position was taken up for a short time North of Athis. The plight of the unfortunate inhabitants was most pitiful. Mystified children and women, with glazed, resigned eyes, were standing about, and to their anxious inquiries as to why the British were retreating the only answer that could be given was that it was a strategical movement to the rear, " pour mieux sauter."
On the next day the 5th Division was allotted the Bavai-Le Cateau road. In order to use this road they would have to make practically a flank march into Bavai with a superior enemy threatening on the North ; such a march could not but cause the G.O.C. much anxiety. The 14th Brigade, with adequate Artillery, was therefore ordered to form the rear-guard and to occupy a position covering this road, while every efiort was made to get the Transport clear of Bavai as soon as possible. The Germans soon began to make this pressure felt ; some Jaegers attacked, and a couple of field-guns opened fire at a close range — luckily the range was not exact, and there were only a few men wounded. The anticipated danger appeared to be imminent, but the 14th Brigade had no difficulty in keeping the enemy ofi, and the whole column cleared Bavai in safety.
1914] MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE RETREAT 9
The march was then continued in sweltering heat along the dead straight road on the Western edge of the Foret de Mormal, whose tall trees, mostly oak, beech, and hornbeam, acted as a suffocating blanket and kept off any breeze there might be. The roads in many places were blocked with ox-wagons, and streams of refugees trundling along their worldly possessions in wheelbarrows or perambulators ; one had to be hard on them and turn them of! to the side roads till the columns had passed. Engelfontaine and Montay were passed, and Le Cateau was reached in the course of the afternoon. To the disappointment of all, the orders were to continue the retirement next day, and it was not till early in the morning that these were cancelled. Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien had decided that the II. Corps was to stand and fight.
Le Cateau lies in the valley of the Selle River, which is little more than a stream; the rolling, billowy nature of the country, cut up here and there into deep valleys, made the position a difficult one to defend. A spur lay to the East of the village running in a Northerly direction, parallel to the stream, and a similar spur with a branch towards Troisvilles lay on the Western side. The country was principally cornfields, but the corn was nearly all cut and stood in stooks ; the only restriction to free movement of aU arms was an occasional wire fence. Some trenches had been dug by the civilians to the West of the viUage, but they were nothing Uke deep enough and were badly sited ; starting on the right, a little beyond the Reumont-Le Cateau road, the line ran to Troisvilles ; from that place to Caudry it was held by the 3rd Division, and from Caudry to Haucourt by the 4th Division, just arrived from home ; these trenches had been taken up as an
10 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
outpost line during the evening. As soon as it was known that the Corps was to make a stand, the 14th Brigade was allotted the right sector, the 13th the centre, and the 15th the left ; it was a long line for one Division to hold, and the Corps Commander consequently placed the 19th Brigade at Sir Charles Fergusson's disposal. Covering this line was the Divisional Artillery — a Brigade, with a proportion of howitzers, to each sector. Divisional Head-Quarters were at Reumont, where the R.E. constructed a plat- form on one of the houses, whence a view could be obtained of the battlefield.
The disposition of the Brigades was as follows :
14th Brigade — Suffolks, South of the Reumont road, half the East Surreys and Manchesters in support.
13th Brigade— K.O.Y.L.I. and K.O.S.B., the former with their right resting on a point just East of the Reumont road, with the West Kents and " Duke's " in support.
15th Brigade — Bedfords and Dorsets (the latter in Troisvilles in touch with the 3rd Division), with the Cheshires and Norfolks in the second line.
The troops occupied the sodden, cheerless trenches in thick mist ; little could be done to improve them, for there were no entrenching tools available — only a few picks from the neighbouring farms. The battle opened with an unfortunate incident. The D. C.L.I. , two Companies of the East Surreys, and two Com- panies of the Suffollcs, under Lieut.-Col. Longley, which had formed part of the rear-guard the day before, had bivouacked on the outskirts of Le Cateau, S.E. of the
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1911] MONS— LE CATEAU AND TIIE RETREAT 11
town, with a view to joining up with the I. Corps. They were preparing to rejoin the rest of the Brigade and resume the retirement, not having heard of the change in the orders, when, at 6.30 a.m., a sudden volley rang out from the houses just beyond the railway. Men fell in all directions. Taken by surprise and massed in column along the exposed side of the road, there was only one thing to be done they were turned about and doubled to the high ground South of the town. It then became evident that not only was the enemy occuppng the Southern part of the town, but that he also held the railway for a considerable dis- tance to the South. So Lieut. -Col. Longley determined to move still farther South, but each attempt to do so was headed off, until the timely arrival of some of the 16th Lancers of General Cough's Brigade enabled them to rejoin the Division ; but there had been a heavy tale of casualties, the Suffolks alone losing over 200 men. The East Surreys were then ordered up to cover the right flank East of Maurois.
About 6 a.m. the weather cleared, and the German Artillery opened fire, at first with comparatively few guns, but their numbers gradually grew until by noon their superiority was almost overwhelm- ing. The enemy attacked all along our line, but his principal efforts, on the 5th Division front, were against the right and right centre. This was our vulnerable flank, for beyond Le Cateau there was nothing except Briggs' Cavalry Brigade, and they could give little assistance. The L Corps had been heavily engaged near Landrecies, and there was no hope of their being able to come up in time ; the danger of envelopment was so evident that two Bat- talions of the 19th Brigade were ordered up to support
lOllJ MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE RETIiEAT 11
town, with a view to joining up with tlie 1. Corps. They were preparing to rejoin the rest of the Brigade and resume the retirement, not having heard of the change in the orders, when, at 6.30 a.m., a sudden volley rang out from the houses just beyond the railway. Men fell in all directions. Taken by surprise and massed in column along the exposed side of the road, there was only one thing to be done they were turned about and doubled to the high ground South of the town. It then became evident that not only was the enemy occupying the Southern part of the town, but that he also held the railway for a considerable dis- tance to the South. So Lieut.-Col. Longley determined to move still farther South, but each attempt to do so was headed of!, until the timely arrival of some of the 16th Lancers of General Gough's Brigade enabled them to rejoin the Division ; but there had been a heavy tale of casualties, the Suf!olks alone losing over 200 men. The East Surreys w^ere then ordered up to cover the right flank East of Maurois.
About 6 a.m. the w^eather cleared, and the German Artillery opened fire, at first with comparatively few guns, but their numbers gradually grew until by noon their superiority was almost overwhelm- ing. The enemy attacked all along our line, but his principal efforts, on the 5th Division front, were against the right and right centre. This was our vulnerable flank, for beyond Le Gateau there was nothing except Briggs' Cavalry Brigade, and they could give little assistance. The I. Corps had been heavily engaged near Landrecies, and there was no hope of their being able to come up in time ; the danger of envelopment was so evident that two Bat- talions of the 19th Brigade were ordered up to support
tfiJl*
1914] MONS— LE CATEAU AND TH ETREAT 13
*^
though mortally wounded in the ; d, and blind, continued to encourage his men i til he became insensible. As the final German i i came, Major Yate gave an order to meet it with ^ harge, refusing the call to surrender. Sixteen < »f ers and three hundred and twenty rank-and-fi ' - 'f this gallant regiment were captured, and there ere many more killed and wounded.
On the left, the 15th Brigade ^ is faring better at first ; Inchy was in flames, shr J] by both sides, British and German, and the Dorset s ere so happy (1) at Troisvilles that they asked perm sion to counter- attack on that flank, but as the dav ove on the shell- fire increased, they saw the right i -t and then the centre falling back, and finally the 'Ah. Brigade too had to give way. The Norfolks, o the right of the Brigade, stuck to it bravely and covced the retirement of the 13th Brigade, till they were ilcen to form the rear-guard of the Division. The rft of the Brigade followed the K.O.S.B., and fell ^ ' ''i good order to the St. Quentin road, South of .
To turn to the fortimes of the Atillery : —
As stated before, a Brigade of Artleiy (18-prs.), with
a proportion of the Howitzer E' each of the three sectors of th( Battery and 61st Howitzer Bat in Divisional Reserve. On the R.F.A., with the 37th How Le Cateau and the ground V the right of the 400 yard? ^" ret shells.
t
as attached to
'- 108th Heavy
'^ at first kept
' 15th Brigade
ttery, covered
being posted on
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mt on the
) of these
id more
12 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
the right flank. Up to about 11 a.m., however, we seemed to be holding our own in spite of the tornado of Artillery fire. It was about this time that a message was received from the II. Corps saying that the situation was most critical at Caudry (some three miles to the West), and asking if Sir Charles Fergusson could send any assistance. Although the situation on his own front was by no means encouraging, the G.O.C., in view of such an urgent appeal, decided to send the remain- ing two Battahons of the 19th Brigade and a Battery towards Caudry. As the engagement developed on the right front, the trenches, which afiorded little protection to the firing-line, became quite untenable, and the casualties mounted up in an alarming way. Wounded men were coming back in a continuous stream. Strong hostile columns were seen advancing against the whole front, and the direction of the enemy's Artillery fire showed that they were outflanking us more and more ; it seemed doubtful whether our line could hold out any longer. To quote the Commander- in-Chief's dispatch : " It became apparent, if complete annihilation was to be avoided, that a retirement must be attempted, and the order was given to commence it about 3 p.m."
The K.O.Y.L.I., on the right of the 14th Brigade, had in the morning received a written order : " There will be no retirement for the fighting troops — fill up your trenches, as far as possible, with water, food, and ammunition." And later this order was repeated verbally by a Staff Officer. Surrounded on three sides, swept by a concentrated rifle and machine-gun fire from front and flanks, battered by shells, and with their ammunition exhausted, the Battahon stayed to its death, faithful to the order. Lieut. Denison,
1914] MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE RETREAT 18
though mortally wounded in the head, and blind, continued to encourage his men until he became insensil)le. As the final German rush came, Major Yate gave an order to meet it with a charge, refusing the call to surrender. Sixteen Officers and three hundred and twenty rank-and-file of this gallant regiment were captured, and there were many more killed and wounded.
On the left, the 15th Brigade was faring better at first ; Inchy was in flames, shelled by both sides, British and German, and the Dorsets were so happy (?) at Troisvilles that they asked permission to counter- attack on that flank, but as the day wore on the shell- fire increased, they saw the right first and then the centre falling back, and finally the 15th Brigade too had to give way. The Norfolks, on the right of the Brigade, stuck to it bravely and covered the retirement of the 13th Brigade, till they were taken to form the rear-guard of the Division. The rest of the Brigade followed the K.O.S.B., and fell back in good order to the St. Quentin road, South of Maurois.
To turn to the fortunes of the Artillery : — As stated before, a Brigade of Artillery (18-prs.), with a proportion of the Howitzer Brigade, was attached to each of the three sectors of the line, the 108th Heavy Battery and 61st Howitzer Battery being at first kept in Divisional Keserve. On the right the 15th Brigade R.F.A., with the 37th Howitzer Battery, covered Le Gateau and the ground East of it, being posted on the right of the Reumont-Montay road, from 200 to 400 yards in rear of the Infantry. The first German shells came from about 5000 yards distant on the slopes North- West of Le Gateau. Some of these Batteries were quickly silenced, but more and more
U THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
German Batteries were brought up, and a heavy fire also opened from the North of Inchy. Our Batteries had to fire in all directions, the most extreme case being that of the 11th Battery, which had in the first place to swing the left half Battery back in order to fire to the right rear, and later to run up a gun to meet an Infantry attack on the right front of the original line. Commencing at between 2000 and 3000 yards, the range quickly dropped, as the enemy advanced, to 1000 yards, and eventually to 600 yards. Casualties mounted up rapidly ; in the 11th Battery every Officer, the two Staff-Sergeants, and half the Sergeants were either killed or wounded, and what with casualties to men, horses, and material, and in some cases to shortage of ammunition, the number of guns in action was gradually reduced, until eventually only five out of the eighteen guns were firing in the Brigade, one in the 11th Battery, and two in each of the 52nd and 80th. Advantage was taken during a cessation of fire to attempt to withdraw the guns to a position farther back, and the limbers and wagon-teams came up, but two teams were at once blown to pieces. In the 52nd Battery it was found impossible to get any of the guns away, so the breech-blocks were removed, and the survivors among the men withdrawn. Eventu- ally the reduced Brigade was re-assembled behind the village of Reumont, and the five guns were brought into action again to cover the retirement of the Infantry. Of the eighteen Officers of the Brigade only four, one Captain and three Subalterns, were left unwounded. The 37th Battery maintained its fire to the end, and was particularly valuable when the Germans had reached the dead ground close in front of our firing-line. In the first attempt at withdrawal
10141 MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE RETREAT 15
four guns were brought away, but when they tried to save the remaining two, all the horses of one team were shot down and the gun had to be abandoned ; the other one, however, was safely brought away. Captain Keynolds and two Drivers, Drain and Luke, received the V.C. for this gallant exploit.
In the centre sector the 28th Brigade R.F.A. took up a very similar position to that of the 15th Brigade, but on the opposite side of the Reumont-Montay road. The German Artillery, after dealing with the 15th Brigade, turned their attention on to the 28th guns, and to such a concentration of fire, our guns, in their exposed position, fighting almost back-to-back, could make no adequate reply. The O.C. the Brigade, Colonel Stephens, with the whole of his Stafi, and two Majors, Nutt and Jones, had been captured in the observation station on the right, and the C.R.A. decided that the only thing to be done was to take advantage of any lull in the firing to get at any rate some of the guns away. Only three could be limbered up, and the horses of one of these were almost immedi- ately shot down, so that only two guns in the whole Brigade were saved.
In the left sector the ground offered greater facilities for concealment than in the other two, and the Battery positions of the 27th Brigade R.F.A. were never ac- curately located ; casualties were therefore compara- tively light, and the Brigade was successfully withdrawn from action on the retirement being ordered.
The 61st Howitzer Battery and the 108th Heavy Battery, which had been kept in reserve at the com- mencement of the action, had taken up good positions and were never discovered by the enemy ; they had been first employed against the enemy's guns in the
16 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
neighbourhood of Forest, and afterwards, when the Infantry gave way in the centre, the 61st Battery established a belt of fire in front of the abandoned trenches, denying the ground to the enemy, none of whom gained the crest while the Battery remained in action. The 108th Heavy Battery moved a Section back to a position North of Maurois when the retire- ment began, one gun of which got stuck in a ditch ; the other Section remained in action against the enemy's guns and advancing Infantry until the end, and this unit was the last to leave this part of the field. The G.O.C., after congratulating them, person- ally gave the order to leave, which they did reluctantly ; they only had nine rounds left, and said they were having " the time of their lives."'
By 4 p.m. the Division was retiring along the St. Quentin road covered by a rear-guard of the Norfolks and some Companies of the 19th Brigade, which were hastily got together and placed under the command of Lieut.-Col. Ballard. Transport, guns, and Infantry were hopelessly mixed up, and the confusion was increased by some of the Transport and troops of the 3rd Division coming on the main road at Maretz. This road presented a truly alarming spectacle ; it was packed with vehicles, double-banked, and moving at a snail's pace with frequent blocks — guns, ambulances, and small bodies of tired Infantry without Ofiicers were crawling along past derelict motor-lorries and wagons. The hungry and exhausted men plodded along in a hopeless way, many men lying down by the roadside utterly worn-out and broken, and every carriage was crowded with wounded, the Artillery outriders and even the horses of the teams being used to carry them. To make matters worse
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191 IJ MONS -LE CATEAU AND THE KETIUvAT 17
a steady rain set in and continued tlirouglioiit the pitch-dark niglit. It is difficult to say what would have happened had the Germans followed up and shelled the road ; luckily the battle had exhausted them too, and they made no attempt to pursue. The Staffs worked hard to improve matters ; organised bodies of the Train were moved off to side roads, and the wandering groups of Infantry were formed into temporary Platoons, and placed under the nearest available Officer. At the cross-roads South of Estrees a short halt was made, and the column was further re-organised. All mounted troops and Train were ordered to continue their march into St. Quentin ; Infantry of the 3rd Division were directed to wheel to the right, and that of the 5th Division to the left ; they were then collected into Brigades, and finally inta Battalions. Throughout the retirement successive positions were taken up by Batteries, Sections, or guns, wherever the ground offered ; that the help thus afforded by the Gunners was appreciated by their comrades of the Infantry was touchingly shown next morning ; exhausted as they were by the long night- march, many a man stepped out from the ranks, as they passed, to silently pat the guns drawn up on the roadside. Daylight of the 27th of August found most of the Transport through St. Quentin, and the Infantry within a few miles of the town. Another rest was allowed and food distributed to the hungry men; but rumours arrived that the Germans were approaching St. Quentin, and the Division had to deploy quickly and get into readiness South of the town, once more becoming a fighting force. Fortunately the rumour was false, the weary and footsore troops were again put on the move, and it was only in the afternoon that
18 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
they finally reached their billets in and around OUezy, having marched some thirty miles in a little over twenty-four hours after a desperate battle. During the night a further retirement via Guiscard and Noyon was ordered, the hour of starting being 5 a.m. The long line of Transport moved ofi at that hour, but shortly came to a standstill, and it was discovered that some of the wagons of the Divisional Ammunition Column had broken down in a narrow part of the road ; there was a delay of almost an hour, and much anxiety was felt, as the rear-guard was holding the hne of the Somme Canal at no very great distance from the blocked Transport. The Germans, however, never came into touch with them, and the rear-guard finally withdrew, after having destroyed the bridges and boats on the Canal. Before coming to Guiscard the 5th Division came on to the main Ham-Noyon road, which was also being used by the 3rd Division, and there was naturally some delay. The Commander- in-Chief, Sir John French, met them here and watched the Division on the march, and called up the Battahon and Battery Commanders in order to express to them his satisfaction, telling them that a message had been received from the French to the effect that the action of II. Corps had saved the left wing of the Allied Armies ; and in truth not only had they held, but they had also broken the German attack, thereby saving Paris. This speech had a most encouraging effect on the exhausted troops.
On reaching Noyon the Division was diverted to Pontoise, where it was to billet. The crossing of the Oise was by a narrow and shaky bridge, which was only just passable for the Transport, and which caused so much delay that the rear-guard did not get into billets
1911] MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE lU/rUEAT ift
for some seven hours after the leading tiuoj^s. 1 J opes of a prolonged rest at Pontoise had been dangled before our eyes, but, as the billets were commanded by high ground, it was thought better to move on to Carlepont ; and here too their hopes were dashed to the ground, as orders came to move on at midnight. The march across the plateau between the Oise and the Aisne was a most trying one, as the weather was extra- ordinarily sultry. The Aisne was crossed at Attichy, and billets were taken up at Croutoy. German Cavalry patrols followed the rear-guard, but made no attempt to delay the march. The next day, 31st August, there was another hot and trying march, with constant halts, to Crepy-en-Valois ; here we had rumours that the German Cavalry had swept round the left flank of the Army and had got in rear of the British ; in fact, a German motor-car did approach our outposts in the dark, and the occupants were killed.
Early in the morning of 1st September the Germans attacked the rear-guard just as the Division w^as moving out of Crepy, but the 13th Brigade repulsed the attack, and then, after falling back through Crepy, took up a defensive position South of the town. The " Duke's '' here put up a very pretty little ambush, capturing a car containing a German General and his Staff. The 15th Brigade, too, with guns and a Squad- ron of North Irish Horse, was sent off to the left to support the 4th Division, which, it was rumoured, was being attacked. Its co-operation was not required, but, as there w^ere again persistent rumours that the German Cavalry were in our rear — ^in fact, a patrol of six Uhlans had got across the river at Meaux — ^the 15th Brigade was detailed to march on the left, while the orderlies accompanying the G.O.C. and the Divisional
20 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
Staff scouted ahead in the woods. However, no Uhlans were met with, and the Division marched without further incident to Nanteuil. On the 2nd the march was continued to Cuisy, and on the 3rd to Boulers, the Marne being crossed at Isles-Les-Villenoy, where the bridges were destroyed after the troops had crossed. Lieut.-Col. TuUoch, the C.R.E., had now become very expert in blowing up bridges, and so many had he demolished that, when the Division had to submit a name for the Legion d'Honneur, Tulloch was unani- mously voted as most worthy to receive the decoration. Eleven bridges in all had been destroyed, and the two Field Companies, the 17th and the 59th, had carried out their task with conspicuous bravery. On the 13th August a Subaltern of the 59th Company had gone back 7 or 8 miles behind the rear-guard in order to complete the destruction of the suspension bridge at Pontoise, which was reported not properly done ; and at Mons a Subaltern of the 17th Company had set off a miss-fired charge with a revolver shot, though he must have been dangerously close to bring off the coup. On this day a German wireless was intercepted ordering their Cavalry to strike at the left flank of the British Army ; firing was heard in that direction, but there were no further signs of an attack.
On the 4th the Division had a trying night-march to Tournans, only 15 miles from Paris, starting at 9 p.m. There were numerous delays caused by one thing or another ; the advance-guard took a wrong turn in the Foret de Crecy, a Battalion fell asleep at the hourly halt and lost touch, and the 3rd Division crossed our road. There was a good deal of straggling, which naturally annoyed the G.O.C. He met one man, a Reservist, crawling along and using his rifle as a
1914] MONS— LE CATEAU AND THE RETREAT 21
support ; to his .stem inquiiy wliy he had fallen out the man re.j)lic(l that he was exhausted ; and well he might have been — for slung over each shoulder was an enor- mous Belgian hare, three huge round loaves took the place of his knapsack, and tied to his belt was a colossal frying-pan.
CHAPTER II THE AISNE AND LA BASSEE FRONT
JiIaPS 3 AND 4
AT Tournans, appropriately so named, the Army was turned about. The retreat was at last over, and late in the afternoon of the 5th of September the joyful order was received, " Army is advancing — Be prepared to move at a moment's notice." The effect was electrical ; the men's spirits rose to the highest pitch, the difference in their bearing on the march was most marked, and there were no stragglers on that day. Perhaps what pleased every one most was the know- ledge that the Germans were now going to suffer for the savage way in which they had burnt and pillaged the farms on their way South, This day brought home to one some of the horrors of war ; wagons, guns, dead horses, and every sort of material lay strewn about the sides of the road ; but the most maddening spec- tacle was the wanton wreckage of the farms and houses ; ricks were burnt, dismembered cattle, pigs, and sheep were flung about indiscriminately, and the stench was appalling ; furniture out of the cottages (much of it old and priceless) was broken and thro'WTi aside ; and perhaps the most blatant sight of all was the pile of empty wine bottles which marked the bivouacs of the retreating savages.
The first part of the march was to Villeneuve, then
ti'T
1914] THE AISNE AND LA BASSI^E FRONT 28
tliroiigli tlio forest of C'r6cy to Mortccrf, and here Ueiul- QuarlopM s<()|)|)ed, the advance-f^uaid (15lh Brifjjade) pushing on 3 miles farther to La Celle. Small parties of stray Uhlans were met with in the forest, but they did not offer any opposition, and evinced no sorrow at being captured. On the 7th the advance was continued to Coulommiers and Boissy-le-Chatel, and on the 8th to Done, where a short halt was made. On passing through Doue the advance-guard (13th Brigade with the 27th Brigade R.F.A.) found themselves opposed by rifle-fire, and had to dei:)loy. It soon became clear that the German rear-guard meant to make a stand, and defend the line of the Petit Morin, evidently in order to cover the crossing of their main body over the Marne. The litli Brigade were brought up, and the two Brigades, well supported by two Brigades of Artillery, plunged into the wooded valley, and occupied the hamlets of St. Cyr and St. Ouen with little opposition ; then, after a pause, they pushed up the steep Northern slopes, gained the top of the ridge, and from there neared the La-Ferte-Boussieres main road. By this time the 5th Division had gained so much ground, that they were some 2 miles in advance of the 3rd Division on the right and the 4th on the left, both of w^hich seemed to be heavily engaged ; and the G.O.C. decided to send the Cyclist Company along the main road to Boussieres, in order to strike at the rear of the Germans opposing the 3rd Division. No sooner were the cross-roads at Montapeine in our possession than the Cyclists were let loose, and in a short time they had captured a hundred Uhlans ; unfortunately some British guns opened an accurate fire on them, killing a few of our Cyclists, and forcing the remainder to retire, with the result that many of the Cavalrymen
CHAPTER II
THE AISNE AND LA BASSEE FEONT
Maps 3 and 4
AT Tournans, appropriately so named, the Army was turned about. The retreat was at last over, and late in the afternoon of the 5th of September the joyful order was received, " Army is advancing — Be prepared to move at a moment's notice/' The effect was electrical ; the men's spirits rose to the highest pitch, the difference in their bearing on the march was most marked, and there were no stragglers on that day. Perhaps what pleased every one most was the know- ledge that the Germans were now going to suffer for the savage way in which they had burnt and pillaged the farms on their way South. This day brought home to one some of the horrors of war ; wagons, guns, dead horses, and every sort of material lay strewn about the sides of the road ; but the most maddening spec- tacle was the wanton wreckage of the farms and houses ; ricks were burnt, dismembered cattle, pigs, and sheep were flung about indiscriminately, and the stench was appalling ; furniture out of the cottages (much of it old and priceless) was broken and thrown aside ; and perhaps the most blatant sight of all was the pile of empty wine bottles which marked the bivouacs of the retreating savages.
The first part of the march was to Villeneuve, then
1914] THE AISNP: and la BASSIilE FRONT 28
througli tlio forest of Ci'6cy to Mortccrf, and here Head- Quarters sto))])ed, the advance-guard (15th Brigade) pushing on 3 miles farther to La Celle. Small parties of stray Uhlans were met with in the forest, but they did not offer any opposition, and evinced no sorrow at being captured. On the 7th the advance was continued to Coulommiers and Boissy-le-Chatel, and on the 8th to Done, where a short halt was made. On passing through Doue the advance-guard (13th Brigade with the 27th Brigade R.F.A.) found themselves opposed by rifle-fire, and had to deploy. It soon became clear that the German rear-guard meant to make a stand, and defend the line of the Petit Morin, evidently in order to cover the crossing of their main body over the Marne. The 14th Brigade were brought up, and the two Brigades, well supported by two Brigades of Artillery, plunged into the wooded valley, and occupied the hamlets of St. Cyr and St. Ouen with little opposition ; then, after a pause, they pushed up the steep Northern slopes, gained the top of the ridge, and from there neared the La-Ferte-Boussieres main road. By this time the 5th Division had gained so much ground, that they were some 2 miles in advance of the 3rd Division on the right and the 4th on the left, both of which seemed to be heavily engaged ; and the G.O.C. decided to send the Cyclist Company along the main road to Boussieres, in order to strike at the rear of the Germans opposing the 3rd Division. No sooner were the cross-roads at Montapeine in our possession than the Cyclists were let loose, and in a short time they had captured a hundred Uhlans ; unfortunately some British guns opened an accurate fire on them, killing a few of our Cyclists, and forcing the remainder to retire, w^ith the result that naany of the Cavalrymen
24 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
escaped. As it was getting nearly dark now the advance was stopped, and the tired troops bivouacked where they stood.
The task of the 5th Division the next day (9th Sep- tember) was to cross the river Marne, and continue to press the enemy. The bridge leading to Mery was found to be intact, and the Division crossed at Saacy without difficulty ; but when the advance-guard (14th Brigade) reached the plateau near Le Limon, it was met with heavy Artillery and rifle-fire, both from Hill 189 (South-East of Montreuil), and from its left front. The position of the 5th Division was at the North end of a big loop of the Marne, some 3 or 4 miles in advance of the III. Corps on the left, who were held up at La Ferte at the Southern end of the loop, and the Germans on the ridge running from La Ferte to Mon- treuil were able to enfilade the left flank of the Division with impunity. In the thick woods it was impossible to say exactly where the enemy was, and a concealed German Battery near Hill 189 seized every opportunity of shelling any of our troops that emerged on to the open ground. It was not till the evening that a flash betrayed the whereabouts of this persistent Battery, and enabled our Artillery to deal with it efiectively. The D.C.L.I. charged through the woods, but were brought up by a hail of bullets from a wood 80 yards on their right flank ; to meet this opposition they had to change direction to the right, so exposing their left flank to the main trenches 300 yards away ; thus they remained on the edge of the wood unable to move. The 15th Brigade was then sent up and de- ployed on the right, connecting up with the troops the 3rd Division ; even so it was found impossible to push on, although the Bedfords and Dorsets, sup-
1914] THE AISNE AND LA HASSI^:E FRONT 2.5
ported by the NorfolkH, managed to reach Bezu, where they dug tlieinsclvcs in in the dusk. In the late afternoon, too, the 13tli Brigade was sent forward into the loop to see if it could get across at the railway bridge and attack the ridge, but nightfall put an end to the battle, and by next morning the enemy had cleared out, after having fought a very successful rear- guard action. In the dark the D. C.L.I, were with- drawn to a road at the back of the position, where an amusing incident occurred ; dog tired, they had thrown themselves down on the road and were soon wrapt in sleep, when a swelling shout, mingled with many in- vectives, aroused the Officers ; at once the Battalion was ordered "Fall in — Fix bayonets — No firing," and they momentarily exjiected a night-attack ; but the shouts came from the men themselves, whose feet, sticking out into the road (as T.A.'s feet always do when wagons or guns are passing), were in jeopardy of being driven over by the G.S. wagon bringing up their rations ! The episode ended in much laughter, and joy at the prospect of biscuits and bully-beef.
These difficulties had prevented much progress being made, and the holding up of the 5th Division, too, had delayed the advance of the 3rd Division.
On the 10th September a start was made at 4 a.m. towards the valley of the Aisne, the 15th Brigade leading as advance-guard, covered by the 3rd Cavalry Brigade. Hill 189 was passed, where stood the derelict German Battery, or what remained of it, with some twenty corpses lying around. The enemy was in full retreat, and the Cavalry had an exhilarating time, bringing in many prisoners ; and occasionally the Divisional Artillery had the chance of shelling a hostile column. During this and the, following day traces of
26 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
the precipitate retreat of the Germans were very- manifest, the roadside was littered with cast-ofi equip- ment, rifles, clothing, etc. The Division bivouacked for the night near Chezy, and continued the march the following day via St. Quentin to Billy-sur-Ourcq without any incident worth recording.
The Sixth French Army was now close on the left, moving towards Soissons and Noyon, and a short march on the 12th, in pouring rain, through Hartennes and Nampteuil, brought the head of the Division to the edge of the plateau overlooking the Aisne Valley. The 13th Brigade, close on the heels of the Cavalry, were the advance-guard, and, as they approached the Aisne, they could see ahead of them the strong position on the Northern bank, 2 miles or so on the other side. The Aisne is a sluggish river, 60 or 70 yards across ; on the North side the hills stand out like a wall, with the thickly wooded spurs dipping down sharply into the valley, while on the South of the river lay the heights of Champagne, practically a tableland, whence a series of ridges sloped down towards the river ; the valley in between these heights was a veritable death- trap ; no living creature could exist there except in the hours of darkness. The German guns posted on the heights commanded all the crossings, and the enemy was fully prepared to hold up by every means the advance of the British. It was clear that a formid- able task lay in front of the Division, and the position was not one to be lightly rushed ; nobody could say whether the German Army were awaiting us, or whether, as at the Marne, they were only rear-guards. Definite orders, however, were received from Corps Head-Quarters that the advance was to be pushed on strenuously.
1911.1 THE AISNE AND LA BASSfiE FRONT 27
By dusk tlie Cuvalry reported that the bridges had been destroyed, and that they could do no more. There was, however, one left, the Conde Bridge, which was allotted by the II. Corps for the crossing of the 5th Division, but this was held by the Germans. Early on the 13th, the 13th Brigade, led by the West Rents, set out to reconnoitre the river line, and Lieut. Pennycuick, 59th Company R.E., reported two out of the three piers of the Bridge at Missy broken. The time was short, the R.E. had nothing with them but what they carried in their tool-carts, so, with ready resource, after the West Kents had cleared the enemy from the piers, they set to work to build rafts, and by the evening had five ready, two made of planks and three of straw and wagon-covers, in which two Battalions were ferried across. While the 13th were down by the river their Transport was stampeded by shell-fire as it tried to cross the plateau, and many men and horses were killed. The Artillery also found itself being heavily shelled without any chance of replying, as the range to the Chivres heights was too great. The 3rd Division on the right had crossed the river at Vailly, and the 4th Division on the left at Venizel — it was imperative that the gap between these two Divisions should be filled at once. The 17th Field Company R.E. had built a pontoon-bridge at Venizel, and during the night the 14th Brigade got across. The Manchesters and East Surreys advanced to St. Mar- guerite to support the 12th Brigade of the 4th Division, who had seized the high ground about Le Moncel, and soon became hotly engaged in Missy. Captain Johnston and Lieut. Flint, 59th Company R.E., greatly dis- tinguished themselves here, working for all they were worth ferrying the wounded . across and bringing
28 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
up ammunition into the village. Captain Johnston, who afterwards became Brigade-Major of the 15th Brigade and was killed at " Hill 60 " in May 1915, was awarded the V.C, and Lieut. Flint the D.S.O. In the afternoon the German Artillery had grown more active, and big howitzers (8-inch and 5*9) came into play ; it was improbable that a rear-guard should have such heavy Artillery, and the certainty that the Germans were in strength had to be faced. The 14th Brigade made some progress on the left, and were now on the line St. Marguerite-Missy, but the G.O.C. decided that no further advance could be hoped for until the plateau on which stood the Fort de Conde was in our hands. Accordingly, orders were issued for the 13th Brigade to be withdrawn South of the river, and for the 15th Brigade, who had crossed at Venizel, to move through Missy, and, with the 14th, to attack the Chivres Ridge on the 14th. It was difficult to discover the Battalions asleep in the fields in the early morning, and to collect the Brigade together ; St. Marguerite was being heavily shelled, and it was not till 4 p.m. that the two Brigades advanced to the attack. The Artillery crossed the river at Venizel, the only available bridge, in full view of the enemy — fortunately it was a misty morning, and most of the Batteries of the 8th and 15th Brigades R.F.A. got across unnoticed ; the 27th Brigade R.F.A. were in action on the plateau above Missy ; and the 28th Brigade, consisting now of only two guns of the 122nd Battery, had the misfortune to drop one of them in the river while crossing the bridge, which was, however, afterwards recovered by the R.E. Owing to the shape of the ground there was great difficulty in finding positions, the only suitable ones for 18-pounders being right out in the open, firing
1914] THE AISNE AND LA BASSJ^E FRONT 21)
up the Chivrcs valley ; these were occupied, but soon had to be given up when the German fire became too hot. The howitzer positions were an easier job, and the 61st (Howitzer) Battery found an excellent one near St. Marguerite and did some useful work there. It was near here, in some dead ground, that the entire Transport of two Artillery Brigades, together with that of one Infantry Brigade, were assembled together in a mass, when the enemy's guns unfortunately found them out, and created great havoc among them.
As has been said before, it was about 4 p.m. that the Infantry advanced. In the 14th Brigade the Manchesters and D. C.L.I, were in front, with the East Surreys echeloned in the right rear. In the 15th Brigade the Norfolks were leading, then the Cheshires and Bedfords, while the Dorsets remained at St. Mar- guerite and improved the defences there. Progress was very slow, direction was lost in the thick woods, and the men surging inwards on to a horseshoe-shaped road got inextricably mixed up ; a high wire-netting fence, together with some wire entanglements, added to the difficulties. Men began firing at each other in mistake for the enemy, and, though the casualties were few, many men turned about and retired down the hill into Missy ; the stream of men increased, the little village was heavily shelled, and the 15th Brigade lost many men. The attack had been a failure, and the Brigades found themselves back on the St. Mar- guerite-Missy line.
The R.E. had by now built a trestle-bridge near Missy bridge, and in the night Sir Charles Fergusson met the Brigadiers of the 13th and 15th Brigades there, and gave them orders for another attack on the Conde plateau next day. The Artillery started by
30 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
shelling the Chivres spur, but their fire produced little efiect, as the Germans were all hidden and scattered about the wood. The 15th Brigade, with the Norfolks in front and the Bedfords in support, pushed on a short way, but the attack gradually came to a stand- still, whereupon orders were issued to take up a de- fensive line and consoHdate the positions held. The 14th Brigade, reinforced by the West Kents and the K.O.S.B., of the 13th Brigade, garrisoned the line St. Marguerite-Missy, and the 15th Brigade was brought back during the night to Jury, crossing by a pontoon- bridge which had been made between Missy and Venizel ; the remaining two Battalions of the 13th Brigade watched the Conde bridge from the low ground between Sermoise and Chassemy. The troops on the North side of the river were placed under the command of Brig.-Gen. Rolt, commanding the 14th Brigade, Head-Quarters being at an insalubrious farm known as " Rolfs Farm.''
The attack had passed into defence, and for the next fortnight it was stalemate. The Division was astride the Aisne, half the Infantry and two Batteries of Artillery being on the right or Northern side, the enemy trenches 200 to 300 yards from ours, dominating them from the higher ground. The ground was a bog, and in the damp, foggy woods water was struck only a foot below ground ; consequently most of the line there had to be constructed of breastworks, where the men lived in shanties made of faggots and water- proof sheets. It rained incessantly, and our trenches in the low ground were continuously being sniped by the Germans from the heights above ; the woods were daily subjected to searching salvos of shrapnel, up and down, backwards and forwards ; on these occasions
1911] THE AISNE AND LA BASSfiE FRONT 31
the men bolted, like a lot of rabbits, into their little cubby-holes till the storm was over, when a prospecting head was to be seen popping out, followed by another, and another, till it was safe to emerge altogether ; it was a marvel how few casualties there were. St. Marguerite and Missy were fiercely bombarded with H.E. every day ; the Eastern end of the former, where the road turned sharply to the right, was a most " mihealthy " spot, for it was in full view of the Germans, and anything that came in sight of them was instantly shelled; the place was called "Hell's Own Corner.'' The bulk of our Batteries were on the Southern side of the river (some in silent positions in case of counter-attack), covering the front at a range of about 4000 yards ; those on the North side had at last found some good positions, and were never dis- covered by the Germans. It must be remembered that at this period we had no Heavy Artillery, beyond the normal Divisional Artillery, which included the 108th 60-pr. Battery, and a great event was the arrival of some 5-inch howitzers from South Africa ; they were given positions near Jury, whence they plumped lyddite shells around Fort de Conde.
Divisional Head-Quarters were in the school build- ings of Serches, a quiet little hamlet tucked away in a ravine. The Reserve Brigade (15th), at Jury, were given the task of constructing a defensive system on the left bank, under the guidance of Colonel Tulloch, the C.E.E. The Mth Brigade remained on the front until the 24th, when they were reheved by the 15th, Brig.-Gen. Lord Edward Gleichen taking over from General Rolt.
Only one little episode needs recounting. Early in the morning of the 27th of September an Officer's
32 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
patrol of the 13tli Brigade sent in a report that the Germans were seen crossing the Conde bridge in force. Everybody had long felt anxious about the gap between the 3rd and 5th Divisions, and consequently this report caused great commotion. Orders were given to load up and be ready to march at a moment's notice, the 3rd Division and the II. Corps were warned, and the 14th Brigade was moved from Jury to the cross- roads East of Serches ; the 15th Brigade sent one Battalion back to the pontoon-bridge, and even the Cavalry were turned out of their comfortable quarters in Braisnes. But a misty dawn brought forth no Germans ; it was nothing but a scare, brought about by a patrol, who had lost their way, being mistaken in the dark for Germans ; eventually everybody, in a somewhat ruffled frame of mind, returned to their normal stations.
It will not be out of place to quote here Lord French's words ; he says in his Dispatch : " With great skill and tenacity Sir Charles Fergusson maintained this position throughout the whole battle, although his trenches were necessarily on lower ground than those of the enemy on the Southern edge of the plateau, which was only 400 yards away."
At the end of the month orders came that the whole of the 11. Corps was to be moved to another sphere of operations, and there was much surmising as to where this would be. The trenches were taken over by the 6th Division, and, as this was the first occasion on which a Division in close contact with the enemy had been relieved, everybody regarded it as a most critical operation. The problem was to withdraw in the dark without letting the enemy know ; guides had to be provided who had reconnoitred every inch
Russell]
Lieut.-'Jen. Sir Charles Fergusson, Bart., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O., M.V.O.
17c face p. 32.
1914] THE AISNE AND LA BASSliiE FRONT 83
of the ground, and the strictest silence had to be observed. But all went well, the enemy never dis- covered the relief, and in the morning of the 2nd of October the 15th Brigade were across the river, and Sir Charles Fergusson had handed over the command of the Front.
Now ensued a very pleasant week's marching through one of the most beautiful parts of France with grand Autumn scenery. The weather was fine, with gorgeous days and cold nights, and, above all, shells. Missy, and the trenches were left behind. Des- perate secrecy was observed, marching was only by night, and troops were enjoined not to show themselves during the daytime for fear of the enemy's aeroplanes. Evidently some great object was in view, though what it was could only be conjectured. Above was a bright clear moon — ^fortunately night-bombing was unknown then. What caused much joy was that a German wire- less message had been intercepted to say that " all six British Divisions w^ere still on the Aisne." On 7th October the Division entrained at Pont St. Maxence and neighbouring stations ; rumour had it that Calais, or even Ostend, or Bruges, would be the detraining station, but it turned out to be Abbeville — rather a disappointment, as it was hoped it would be farther afield. French motor-buses were to have been ready to take the troops from their billets on to the Dieval area, but they arrived late, and then were too few, so there was great delay, and many of the men had to spend the day and the greater part of the night lying in the fields by the roadside. However, by the afternoon of the 10th the Division was concentrated round Brias. Rumours came that the French were being hard pressed round Arras, that the German Cavalry were trying to 3
34 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
get round our Northern flank, and that Lille was sur- rounded by the enemy, but was still holding out with a few French Territorial Battalions in it. Hence the hurry ; but no one seemed to know anything definite except that the Division would soon be fighting again.
La Bass:^e Front (Map 4)
An early start was made on the 11th of October towards Bethune through the mining district of Bruay. The Corps urged the Division to hurry, but the G.O.C. pointed out that this was somewhat difiicult as our road was being crossed by a British Cavalry Division moving from East to West, and by a French Cavalry Division moving from West to East, while a long French convoy was trying to get through both columns. On Hearing Bethune, the Division was ordered to occupy the high ground South of Hinges, and the Divisional Mounted Troops were dispatched in all haste to the objective. They approached it with every mihtary precaution, watched by an admiring Staff, but, on arrival at the top of the hill, they found to their dis- appointment and annoyance only a French ammunition column peacefully slumbering there ! That night the Division billeted in Bethune, and, during the evening, orders and definite information as to the situation were received. The French Army was being outflanked ; they had been driven out of Vermelles, and, it was believed, out of Givenchy ; the II. Corps, 5th Division on the right, 3rd on the left, was to advance North of the Bethune-La Bassee Canal, and to swing round gradu- ally on to La Bassee, pivoting the right on the Canal.
L A
IflOO
YitreUt —
B A S S E E
1.000 tpoo
ScaU 40.000 Br Line in' 1916-17
FRONT
%,'"'%J'ont Logy
Map 4.
UNeuve I Chapelle
Vchebourb
A
ff^ji-
Indian Viflaye y\
.^(rRic^ebourg ^-^ l,"Avoue'
' 12J Ferme du Soi^ I
Cour xie I Avoi)
Factory
'%a Quinque Rue
Brewer/ Comer^,^ / \ -p^^e^^^J^JSj-a
Lorjiei \:Purts
Festubert
[ To face p. 34.
19U] THE AISNE AND LA BASS^E FRONT 85
The Division was from the outset allotted a very extensive frontage, the original line being from the Canal South of (Uvenchy to beyor^d Richebourg L'Avoue (about 4 miles), but this frontage was very much increased when it was ordered to take over ground South of the Canal as well. The 13th Brigade (Brig.- Gen. Hickie, who had replaced General Cuthbert) was sent to Annequin with orders to act in co-operation with the French troops attacking Vermelles ; to the North of the Canal came the 15th Brigade, and then the 14th, who had the 3rd Division immediately on their left. With such a big front it was only possible to keep two Companies of the Devons (who had recently replaced the Suffolks in the 14th Brigade) in reserve. The Divisional Artillery, which had been re-equipped and brought up to strength before leaving the Aisne area, was disposed to cover this front. Head-Quarters of the Division were at Gorre Brewery.
The country North of the Canal is perfectly flat, with the exception of a slight rise at Givenchy ; near the Canal, on both sides, are some " marais,^' or swampy woods, but farther North it is mostly arable land, inter- sected with muddy dykes, and rows of trees which much impede the view ; to the South are the villages of Cuinchy and Cambrin, and the mining village of Anne- quin with its big slag-heap ; farther on, towards Ver- melles, the ground is of chalk formation, and becomes more undulating.
It was a cold morning on the 12th ; the freezing fog was so thick that one could hardly see 50 yards in front of one. On the right, General Hickie dispatched the West Kents, "Duke's,'' and K.O.S.B. to co- operate with the French ; the 15th Brigade took up the line from the Canal at Pont Fixe with the Dorsets ;
36 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
then came the Bedf ords at Givenchy, and the Cheshires holding Festubert ; the 14th continued the line with the D. C.L.I. , Manchesters, and East Surreys at Richebourg L'Avoue, where, after some fighting, touch was gained with the 7th Brigade of the 3rd Division. During the afternoon the Germans attacked along the Canal bank, but they were repulsed by the Dorsets, Lieut. Roper being killed whilst gallantly leading a bayonet charge.
The night passed ofi fairly peaceably, except for a half-company of the Cheshires, who were captured in Rue D'Ouvert. It appears that a patrol reported Rue D'Ouvert free of Germans, and that this half-company was sent to make sure of the fact, when they found themselves surrounded by superior forces and violently attacked. The brave little band, though they had lost heavily, succeeded in getting into a farmhouse, which they held all day till the Germans set fire to it ; having no water they tried to put the fire out with some wine there was in the farm, but in the end they were com- pelled to surrender, their numbers reduced by this time to thirty.
The 13th October was not a happy day for anyone. In the first place, the 13th Brigade could make little progress South of the Canal ; they were up against an extraordinarily strong position in the famous '" Railway Triangle," which remained in German hands till almost the end of the war ; the empty trucks, from which the enemy fired, had been fortified with stockades of sleepers, and the position was well-nigh impregnable. The French could make little progress against Vermelles, though they made attempts both on this day and the next to capture it. On the left, the 14th Brigade made some progress, but the advance was very slow, for every
1914] THE AISNE AND LA BASSIi:K FRONT 87
house and hamlet had to be foiiglit for. But it was in the centre, on the 15th Brigade front, that the trouble arose. Givenchy was heavily bombarded by the Germans for hours, and rendered quite untenable ; the Bedfords held out gallantly, but, after losing some sixty men, many of the wounded being buried by the falling houses, gradually fell back to the trenches in rear of the village. The Dorsets, who had advanced a bit and dug themselves in, were violently attacked at the Pont Fixe on the Canal, fire being opened on them from their left flank, which was now uncovered, and also from the railway embankment on the South. An act of treachery on the part of the Germans was responsible for many men being killed ; a party of some twenty of the enemy advanced holding up their hands, and, as the Dorsets advanced to take their surrender, these twenty suddenly fell flat down, and a fusillade was opened on our men from a flank. The Battalion retired slowly in admirable order to Pont Fixe, which they still held, though much shaken and pitifully thinned ; they had lost some four hundred casualties ; and two guns of the 11th Battery, which had come up in close support, had also to be abandoned. Colonel Bols, the CO. of the Dorsets, was severely wounded in this attack, and was actually taken prisoner and stripped of his clothing, but in the confusion he managed to crawl away, and regained his freedom, to become afterwards Chief of the Stafi to General Allenby in Palestine.
Reports now came in that the enemy was advancing in large numbers along the Canal bank, and the situation appeared to be most critical. The two Companies of the Devons, which were in reserve, were hurried up to the assistance of the 15th Brigade, but by nightfall things had quieted down, and there were no attacks.
88 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
The next day (the 14th) the remainder of the Devons went up to the 15th Brigade, and a concerted attack by the 13th and 15th Brigades was arranged for the after- noon ; but Httle could be accompHshed. The second French attack on Vermelles had failed, the 13th Brigade could make no progress towards the Triangle, and this prevented the 15th Brigade from advancing ; but the 14th Brigade, with the 3rd Division on their left, made some advance towards the Estaires-La Bassee road. In the evening the French extended their left to the Canal, thus relieving the 13th Brigade, who were sent back in reserve.
The 15th October was comparatively uneventful ; the men were much exhausted by the continuous hard fighting ; but on the left the 14th Brigade again made a little progress, and the 3rd Division gradually wheeled round to the South-East.
The 16th and 17th showed a welcome advance. The whole of Givenchy fell once more into our hands, and the Bedfords, who occupied it, found some of their buried and wounded men there ; Rue D'Ouvert was taken by the Cheshires, Canteleux by the Norfolks, and in the 14th Brigade the D. C.L.I, and East Surreys seized Lorgies ; later, Violaines was occupied by the Cheshires, and the 14th Brigade took Beaux Puits. Astride the Canal, the Devons, who were ordered to make good the bridge on the Canteleux road, came in for some very heavy shelling ; one Company was on the South side, and two on the North side, and as they advanced to their objective a tornado of shells was poured into them, coming straight down the Canal into the ditch they were holding, and setting fire to some stacks behind which they were taking refuge. Under cover of the smoke they fell back, taking their wounded
lUllJ TJIE AISNE AND LA DASSEE FRONT 39
with them, and many acts of bravery were performed there, notably by ]jiciit. Worrall (later in the war CO. of the Bedfords).
La Bassee was now almost within our grasp, and the Corps urged the importance of capturing it, but, although a general attack was delivered on the 18th, no further ground could be gained. The D. C.L.I, in their advance met with a hail of bullets from machine-guns and rifles in a sugar-factory on the Estaires-La Bassee road, and though the place, which was a regular fortress, was bombarded by all our available guns, it resisted our efforts to capture it.
Hitherto the IL Corps had been advancing, even if slowly, but the enemy was now reinforced by appar- ently the Vn. and XIV. Corps, set free by the fall of Antwerp, and on the 20tli of October the whole line was violently attacked. The pressure became greater on the 21st ; the enemy penetrated between the 14th Brigade and the 7th Brigade on their left, and the D.C.L.I. found their flank in the air ; they rushed up a Platoon, which took up a position facing half-left, but they were enfiladed by machine-guns and were forced to retire ; the Manchesters also at Trois Maisons made a fine bayonet charge when the enemy were within 200 yards, but they, too, were caught in enfilade and lost heavily. Early in the morning of the 22nd, when the foggy dawn was just breaking, the Cheshires were surprised while digging, and were driven back to Rue D'Ouvert, taking some of the Dorsets with them, and losing some two hundred casualties ; and the 13th Brigade Battalions, too, which had been sent up to reinforce the 14th, were fiercely attacked, the three Companies in reserve in the 15th Brigade having to be sent to their assistance. Later a counter-attack
40 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
under Lieut.-Col. Martyn (temporarily commanding the 13th Brigade vice General Hickie, sick), composed of the Manchesters, D.C.L.I., and Worcesters, was organised, but they could not gain much ground ; it had, however, the effect of stopping the German pressure for the time being.
The Corps Commander now decided to fall back to a defensive position, which had been partially prepared ; and, accordingly, on the night 22nd-23rd October, the 5th Division withdrew to the line running just East of Givenchy and Festubert, then through La Quinque Rue, and West of the Bois de Biez to Neuve Chapelle. Ow- ing to the heavy fighting and the severe losses of some units, the proper organisation of the Infantry Brigades had to be departed from ; it was necessary, for example, to withdraw the Cheshires and Dorsets from the front line, but they could not be sent to the rear for a real rest because the Division was holding such a wide front and being constantly attacked ; instead, they were billeted in barns round Hamel and Rue de Bethune, where they were being constantly turned out ready to return to the front line in the many critical moments of the next few days. It is interesting to note that these Battalions persistently complained of being fired at by night from the houses in the village, thus starting the delusion which afterwards affected all newly arrived Divisions. The 15th Brigade was re- inforced by the " Duke's," while the Bedfords in their turn had got mixed up with the 13th Brigade.
The French now re-inforced their troops North of the Canal both with Infantry and Artillery, and for a few days they came under the orders of Lord E. Gleichen, but eventually they sent over a General, who assumed full responsibility for the defence of the
1914] THE AISNE AND LA BASS^E FRONT 41
trenchcH hckl by tLcin — roughly from Givencliy (in- clusive) to the Canal.
The next seven days were a lively period for the 5th Division. In the space of sixty days it had fought at Mona, stood the brunt of the battle of Le Cateau, taken part in the terrible retreat, fought again on the Marne and the Aisne, and already on this front had almost reached its limit ; it was now holding a long line with worn-out and exhausted troops, with no re- serves, and was attacked all day and every day. The Division and Brigade Stalls were continually being faced with a crisis ; either a Battalion appealed for help, which could not be sent, or a report arrived that the enemy had broken through ; but the men fought stubbornly, lost trenches were recovered, heavy shelling, wet, and exhaustion were borne unflinchingly, and a standard of human endurance established that no one hitherto thought possible ; the Staffs, too, learnt that though the Germans might capture a trench it did not mean that they could break through. The two most critical periods were on 26th October and 29th October. On the former day the Germans pierced the centre of the 7th Brigade of the 3rd Division, and captured Neuve Chapelle, and at the same time attacked the trenches of the West Kents to the South of the village. Exposed to terrific shelling, with their left flank un- covered, the West Kents immortalised themselves by repulsing the German attack and holding their own ; they lost most of their Officers and were sadly reduced in numbers, but they stuck to their trenches, and were finally brought out of action by two Subalterns, one with two years' and the other with six months' service. The situation at Neuve Chapelle was so critical that Brig.-Gen. Maude (commanding the 14th Brigade),
42 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
with the Bedf ords, Cheshires, and Dorsets, was ordered to counter-attack in co-operation with the 3rd Division, but the situation had meanwhile improved, and the attack was never launched.
The arrival of the Indian Divisions on the 29th re- moved a certain amount of anxiety from the Divisional Staff, although it did not at first help the troops in the trenches. Orders were received for the 5th Division to be relieved by the Lahore Division, and some of the latter's Battahons at once took over the trenches. Early on 29th October the Germans made a fierce attack on the trenches North of Festubert, held by the 1st Manchesters (of the Lahore Division) and the Devons, who had been in the firing-line for practically sixteen days. The attack was repulsed, but was renewed again about 10 a.m. with equal vigour. The Germans continued to shell the trenches, although their Infantry did not advance ; they could be seen digging in and driving saps forward to our lines. In accordance with the plan of relief the 2/ 8th Gurkhas took over during the night the trenches held by the 1st Man- chesters. The Germans resumed their desperate assaults on the 30th, and pressed the Devons and Gurkhas very hard ; at one moment they reached the wire in front of the Devon trenches, but, although almost at the limit of human endurance, the Devons held firm. The attacks continued during the whole morning, after which the enemy gave up his Infantry assault and settled down to bombard our trenches. With the dying down of the Infantry fire it was thought that the crisis was over ; it was therefore a shock when, late in the afternoon, news came from the Devons that the Gurkhas on their left had been driven by shell-fire out of their trenches, which had promptly been occupied
19111 THE AISNE AND LA BASSl^.E FRONT 48
by the Gleniiana. The i-elief had to be suspended, and the Devons were re-inforced by their reserve Company, who restored the situation on the left, while one of the relieving Battalions, the 58th Rifles, recovered the trenches on the right. The Devons had had a heavy toll of losses in the past week : Captains Besley and Elliot, and Lieutenants Ditmas, Dunsterville, and Hancock had all been killed, and many men too — heroes all, of whom Devon may well be proud.
After this the relief was proceeded with, and Major- Gen. T. L. Morland, who had succeeded Sir Charles Fergusson (promoted to Lieut.-Gen.) in command of the Division, handed over to the Lahore Di\T.sion, leaving in six of his Battalions to strengthen the line, together with most of the Divisional Artillery.
In these accounts of lurid battles, and intricate operations and marches, one is apt to overlook the very necessary and excellent work done by the Divisional Supply Column of the K.A.S.C. Never once during the past two months' fighting, during the retreat and during the advance, had the rations failed ; it speaks highly of the organisation, and the devoted work of the Officers, and of the lorry and G.S. Wagon Drivers, many of whom had to run the gauntlet of the enemy's shells and bullets in bringing their loads up to the troops. Nor would any history be complete without paying the very highest possible tribute to the R.A.M.C, who, in their advanced dressing-stations in ruined cottages, nearly always under shell-fire, carried on their noble work night and day, often having to go without sleep for days at a time ; their record of self-sacrificing devotion is indeed a magnificent one.
CHAPTEE III
NOVEMBER 1914 TO MARCH 1915
(Maps 5 and 6)
AT the end of October the Germans opened their great offensive at Ypres, in their vain endeavours to reach the Channel Ports, their attacks extending down to Messines. Sanguinary battles were going on at Ypres, where the immortal 7th Division held the front so heroically against the furious onslaughts of the German hordes, until the I. Corps came to their assistance.
The 5th Division, with no time to rest or recover from their hard fighting, were pulled out from the Neuve Chapelle-La Bassee front and sent up North. In common with other Divisions, they became much split up ; in fact, there was a regular jumble everywhere ; Brigades, Battalions, and Batteries were sent hither and thither to patch up the holes in the strained British front, and many units had no notion to what formation they belonged ; Battalions were attached for a day or two to a Division or Brigade, and then spirited away elsewhere as the circumstances demanded. For some time the Division was one only in name, and it was not till near the end of November that the com- ponent units forgathered together again.
It will be convenient, therefore, to follow briefly the doings of each Brigade separately ; but, before
MESS IN ES FRONT. Map 5.
Dickebusch
'.cale of Mil e^ txq,
ioaooo
1 To /ace p. 4+
1914] NOVEMBER 1911 TO MARCH 1915 46
doing so, it is necessary to glance at the operations of the Cavalry.
On the 30th of October the Cavalry Corps, under General Allenby, were holding a long thin line against overwhelming masses of the enemy, from Hollebeke, South of the Ypres Salient, to Messines inclusive, together with Conneau's French Cavalry ; to their right was the 4th Division of the III. Corps, holding the Eastern edge of Ploegstreet Wood and St. Yvon, facing somewhat North-East. That evening the 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Divisions, under Generals Byng and Gough respectively, were compelled to fall back to the Canal, and Hollebeke was captured by the Germans ; the 1st Cavalry Division, imder General de Lisle, was also hard pressed at Messines, where the Germans, who had gained a footing in the town, were soon driven back again. Early in the morning of the 31st a strong attack forced the Cavalry out of Messines, and at the same time the 4th Division were seriously en- gaged farther South. No supports were available until 11.45 a.m., when the K.O.S.B., the K.O.Y.L.I., and the London Scottish came up, and were sent forward at once to re-capture the ridge. The K.O.S.B. on the right, and the K.O.Y.L.I., London Scottish, and 3rd Hussars on the left, advanced to the attack, and by 1 p.m. had made considerable progress in the Western edge of the town ; but during the night there was another violent attack on the exhausted 2nd Cavalry Division, who were forced back towards Kemmel, thus laying bare the left flank of the London Scottish. The latter at once threw back a defensive flank, but the enemy was by this time round both sides, and a retirement of the whole force became inevitable. In the nick of time the XVI. French
46 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
Corps arrived on the scene, and, together with Conneau's Cavalry, they held the prepared trenches in front of Wulverghem, with the British Cavalry and Battalions of the 5th Division in support. In these two days' fighting there had been many casualties ; the K.O. Y.L.I. lost 5 Officers and 150 other ranks, Captain Carter and 2nd Lieut. Corballis being the only Officers left with the Battalion.
To turn now to the Brigades of the 5th Division :
13th Brigade
The K.O.S.B., after taking part in the attack on Messines, were sent up to Ypres on 5th of November in company with the 9th Brigade to join the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Division, and to take over the trenches South of Hooge on the Menin road. Here they remained for thirteen days in the front line, suffering much from sniping, shell-fire, and " Minnies " ; though there were no regular attacks, the strain on the Officers and men, tired as they were, was very great, and it was with much joy that they were relieved on the 20th and rejoined their Brigade at Locre at the end of November.
The K.O. Y.L.I, and West Kents were likewise first engaged on the Messines front in support of the Cavalry until the middle of the month, when they were also sent up to Ypres, and took part in an attack on Hooge Chateau, occupying the trenches in the thick woods East of Zillebeke. Both Battalions rejoined the Brigade at the end of the month.
The " Duke's " were attached to the 15th Brigade, and went up with them to Ypres, where they v/ere at first in support of the Cheshires and Bedfords at
1914] NOVEMBER 1914 TO MARCH 1915 47
Hooge, and, on the 10th, took over the trenches near Weldhoek Chateau ; here they had some heavy fighting on the 11th and 13th, and lost altogether 14 Officers and 380 other ranks. They were relieved on the 15th by the 11th Hussars, and returned to Locre on the 21st November.
14th Brigade
The whole Brigade was at first kept back as a reserve to the Indian Corps, marching and counter- marching to support or re-inforce any threatened point, until the 7th November, when it was sent up North to take over the trenches at Laventie, relieving the 8th Brigade and part of the Indian front. The fire trenches were in fair order, but there were no communication, support, or reserve trenches, and there was no wire in front ; their line ran along the Rue Tilleloy, from near Fauquissart on the left, to the cross-roads of Chapigny on the right, the German trenches being from about 200 yards distant on the left, to only 25 yards on the right. There is little to record of their week's stay here ; opposite to them were the 32nd Jaeger Regiment, who possessed some active and accurate snipers, and on two or three occasions they were subjected to mild bombardments, but on the whole they had a quiet time, and they were enabled to improve their trenches and put some concertina wire out. These Jaegers were inclined to be facetious, and used to put up a spade on their parapet on which they marked the hits or misses of our snipers, and on the right, where the trenches were so close, some back-chat and mutual taunts w^ere exchanged between the opposing sides. On the 15th the Brigade left, and marched to Meteren, with orders
48 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
to take over the trenches East of Wulverghem from the 39th French Division, which ran from the Wulver- ghem-Messines road to the Messines-Wystchaete road ; there was a perfect network of trenches here, all very- narrow and shallow, and tenanted by many gruesome rehcs of the hard fighting which had taken place. On the 28th November they were relieved by the 15th Brigade, just arrived from Ypres, and sent to the reserve area at St. Jan Capelle.
15th Brigade
The 15th Brigade were at Dranoutre on 1st Novem- ber, and, like the other Brigades, were for the first four days employed in support of the Cavalry and the French. On the 5th they combined with the 7th Brigade (General McCracken) and marched to Ypres, taking with them the " Duke's " and the two K.E. Companies of the Division (17th and 59th). At dusk they relieved the 21st and 22nd Brigades of the 7th Division East of Hooge, with the Bedfords and Cheshires in the front line ; Head- Quarters were at Beukenhorst Chateau, afterwards so well known as Stirling Castle. Nothing much happened till the after- noon of the 7th, when a sudden rifle-fire broke out on the left ; the troops on the left and some of the Bedfords were seen to be retiring, and the enemy broke through ; it seems that an order to retire was given, but by whom no one could find out — possibly by a German in British uniform. Captain Monteith and the Adjutant of the Bedfords quickly rallied the men, and succeeded in driving some of the enemy back, and another party, led by Q.M. Sergeant Byford, charged with a cheer and bayoneted fifteen or twenty Germans in their trenches ;
1914] NOVEMIJER lOlt TO MARCH 1015 49
the 9th Brigade supports also counter-attacked on the left, and the position was restored, twenty-five prisoners being captured. The Bedfords were again heavily attacked on the 14th, the day on which the Flower of the German Army, the Guards, was launched against the front, and, as every one knows, completely repulsed. The lighting on that day on the 15th Brigade front was perhaps not so severe as at other parts ; but in one place the enemy managed to push a machine- gun through the woods, which enfiladed the Cheshires, forcing them and the Bedfords to retire. There was much confused fighting in the woods, and it was only by the grit of the men that the line was held ; among the many instances of individual gallantry one may be mentioned : Sergeant Mart, with only one other man of the Bedfords, succeeded in recovering some of the lost Bedford machine-guns by stalking and rushing the Germans in their trenches. On the 7th again there was heavy firing, but no attack supervened ; in fact, the Germans on the immediate front seemed to have retired a bit. At length on the 20th the two Battalions were relieved by French troops, and on the 21st marched back to Locre ; they had been fourteen days in the front line, and, in addition to the stifit fighting, had suffered much from the bitter cold and wet. At Locre a well-earned rest was enjoyed ; on the 25th the Brigade moved back to St. Jan Capelle, and on the 28th took over the trenches at Wulverghem from the Idth Brigade.
Artillery
The 8th (Howitzer) Brigade remained with the Meerut Division for another month ; at this time the need was much felt for more howitzers, both heavy and 4
f
60 THE 5Tn DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
light, and the Divisional 4-5 Howitzers of nearly every Division were scattered about in different places. The Divisional 18-pr. Brigades (15th, 27th, and 28th) and the 108th Heavy Battery left the Indian Corp^^ on 1st November, and marched to Bailleul ; on the following day they took up positions covering th( Cavalry and French on the Messines front, as follows :
27th Brigade (on the right), near Neuve Eglise. 15th Brigade (centre), West of Kemmel-Neuve
Eglise road. 28th Brigade and 108th Heavy Battery (left)
near Lindenhoek.
A 6-inch gun and a 6-inch Howitzer Battery wer* attached, and were in action also near Lindenhoek later, another 6-inch gun and a Battery of 4*7 gun, (115th) joined, and " D," "J," and "E" Batteries Royal Horse Artillery, also worked with the Di\isioi Artillery during the latter part of the month.
The guns supported the French attacks on Messine on the 6th and 7th November, both of which attack failed, and again the 39th French Division on th 14th. The 8th (Howitzer) Brigade on the whole had quiet time with the Indians, and, with the exceptio of the 37th Battery, which remained with them unt the end of J;v ■' -- r..;.;,w^<\ the rest of the Artiller at the end of N -ing up their positions wit
the others.
By the 29th Novoml>er the Divi-ion v " 'Cte
together again, with the •^^- • ' *ion of the 3^ ... _„iter and the Che>hiros, who ^ weak in numbers th;
they were kept back in Corps Reserve. As the Ui now taken up waj> to be the home of the Division durii
^:.iU
\t<l^
fm\
pow
(CT :«■■-■
1914]
NOVEMBER 1914 TO MARCH 1915
51
the Winter, it merits some further description. It ran from La Petite Douve in a North-Westerly direction up the slope to the Wulverghem-Messines road, and thence along the crest of the ridge East of Wulverghem to Hill 75 — a frontage of approximately 3500 yards. The German line was roughly parallel to ours, at a distance varying from 30 yards on the left to about 800 yards on the Messines road. The trenches were poor ; owing to the water-logged nature of the ground, digging beyond a depth of a foot or two was impossible, and protection could only be obtained from breast- works ; these were neither high nor of sufficient thickness, and in places gaps of as much as 200 yards 27 w separated the occupied portions. Wire entanglements
■ - were practically non-existent, and on dark nights the
lack of them, and the gaps, led to some awkward incidents ; on one occasion a ration party nearly de- livered their loads to the enemy in place of our own troops, but, realising their position just in time, reached our lines from the front. The Messines Ridge completely overlooked the forward area, and rendered movement by day impracticable ; the few communication trenches which did exist were a nightmare of mud and water.
Some 2 miles behind our lines rose the wooded slopes of Kemmel Hill, which afforded grand observa- tion over the enemy's lines, and was a frequent resort of Artillery Officers, Generals, and Distinguished Visitors to the Front. Although bombarded from time to time, the mill on the top of the hill continued working for some considerable time, the farmer being apparently unconcerned by the battle being fought around him.
After the heavy fighting in November in this area both Armies had settled down to their first Winter of
ao THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
light, and the Divisional 4-5 Howitzers of nearly every Division were scattered about in different places. The Divisional 18-pr. Brigades (15th, 27th, and 28th) and the 108th Heavy Battery left the Indian Corps on 1st November, and marched to Bailleul ; on the following day they took up positions covering the Cavalry and French on the Messines front, as follows :
27th Brigade (on the right), near Neuve Eghse. 15th Brigade (centre), West of Kemmel-Neuve-
Eglise road. 28th Brigade and 108th Heavy Battery (left),
near Lindenhoek.
A 6-inch gun and a 6-inch Howitzer Battery were attached, and were in action also near Lindenhoek; later, another 6-inch gun and a Battery of 4*7 guns (115th) joined, and "D,'^ "J," and "E^' Batteries, Eoyal Horse Artillery, also worked with the Division Artillery during the latter part of the month.
The guns supported the French attacks on Messines on the 6th and 7th November, both of which attacks failed, and again the 39th French Division on the 14th. The 8th (Howitzer) Brigade on the whole had a quiet time with the Indians, and, with the exception of the 37th Battery, which remained with them until the end of January, rejoined the rest of the Artillery at the end of November, taking up their positions with the others.
By the 29th November the Division was collected together again, with the exception of the 37th Battery, and the Cheshires, who were so weak in numbers that they were kept back in Corps Reserve. As the line now taken up was to be the home of the Division during
1914] NOVEMBER 1914 TO MARCH 1915 51
the Winter, it merits some further description. It ran from La Petite Douvc in a North-Westerly direction up the slope to the Wulverghem-Messines road, and thence along the crest of the ridge East of Wulverghem to Hill 75 — a frontage of approximately 3500 yards. The German line was roughly parallel to ours, at a distance varying from 30 yards on the left to about 800 yards on the Messines road. The trenches were poor ; owing to the water-logged nature of the ground, digging beyond a depth of a foot or two was impossible, and protection could only be obtained from breast- works ; these were neither high nor of sufficient thickness, and in places gaps of as much as 200 yards separated the occupied portions. Wire entanglements were practically non-existent, and on dark nights the lack of them, and the gaps, led to some awkward incidents ; on one occasion a ration party nearly de- livered their loads to the enemy in place of our own troops, but, realising their position just in time, reached our lines from the front. The Messines Eidge completely overlooked the forward area, and rendered movement by day impracticable ; the few communication trenches which did exist were a nightmare of mud and water.
Some 2 miles behind our lines rose the wooded slopes of Kemmel Hill, which afforded grand observa- tion over the enemy's lines, and was a frequent resort of Artillery Officers, Generals, and Distinguished Visitors to the Front. Although bombarded from time to time, the mill on the top of the hill continued working for some considerable time, the farmer being apparently unconcerned by the battle being fought around him.
After the heavy fighting in November in this area both Armies had settled down to their first Winter of
f^
fa 14
qui of
the- at th the
togetln and the they we now tak»
1914]
NOVEMBER 1914 TO lARCH 1915
53
drainage operations undertake! ailed to make matters ny better.
All through the long Wint nights the R.E. and iantry worked hard to imp )ve the defences, but was a very labour of Sisypt > ; no sooner had one rt been built up, than, woo ^ned by rain, another tion slid down into the wj.l at the bottom of the •h, and the work was end ss. By dint of much work, though, the posit n was gradually im- ed, until, by the Spring, :he conditions in the lies were tolerable, and a 1 ge amount of wire too een put up in front. V ilst the units holding le lived in such condition those in support fared setter ; at first these w e located in positions ehind the line, shelterec rom view as much as Accommodated as th ' were in shallow holes, out of the ground, con< tions were little better e in the front line ; lat , farms, or the remains were lived in ; the^ were usually roofless ■t, having hard fl'' > they were infinitely to the dug-outs, u i< where cellars existed, omparative comi< ■ r Brigade reserves were le villages of Neuve^glise and Dranoutre ; was occasionally h led, and many houses od, but the la1< j )lace was untouched, I so until the J > . i m left the area. The serve was billet cc on Bailleul, in normal iteresting town, lit to troops returning I veritable parnc e. Billets were good, -S of which ill* r. ,ere a good few, much ') supplement t ration fare ; at the Locre road very elcome and necessary he obtained, a le there were facilities other recreati is in and around the
52 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
trench warfare, and, except for one occasion, no attacks were made by either side. On this occasion (14th December) the French XVI. Corps with the British 11. Corps undertook an offensive between HoUebeke and Messines. The role of the 5th Division Infantry was to demonstrate, and to lead the Germans to believe an assault was intended, while the Divisional Artillery, much re-inforced, supported the attack of the 3rd Division, in addition to carrying out heavy bombard- ments on their own front. The attack was a failure ; no progress was made, and, after another attempt on the following day, the operation was stopped.
Although the fighting activity, with this one ex- ception, was small, the period spent in this sector was an extremely arduous and trying one for the troops. There were none of the amenities, such as duck-boards, iron-arch shelters, braziers, etc., which afterwards made life in the trenches bearable ; the Winter was one of continuous rain, and as a consequence the men lived in trenches half full of water and mud, often knee-deep, and the complaint of " trench feet "' became common. Various expedients were tried to minimise this danger, the most successful one consisting of square wooden tubs for the men to stand on, made by the R.E. ; it was necessary to provide a cross-bar of wood for a seat, or the men preferred to turn the tubs upside down and sit on them with their feet in the slush ! But there was very little real sickness, and this was no doubt due to the excellent food and warm clothing provided. The ground near the trenches, which was mostly ploughed land, quickly became a morass, which, owing to the scarcity of hurdles and fascines, made the move- ment of reliefs and ration and fatigue parties a tiring process with many slips and falls, and the many
1914] NOVEMRER 1011 TO MARCH 1915 58
drainage operations undertaken failed to make matters any better.
All through the long Winter nights the R.E. and Infantry worked hard to improve the defences, but it was a very labour of Sisyphus ; no sooner had one part been built up, than, weakened by rain, another portion slid down into the water at the bottom of the trench, and the work was endless. By dint of much hard work, though, the position was gradually im- proved, until, by the Spring, the conditions in the trenches were tolerable, and a large amount of wire too had been put up in front. Whilst the units holding the line lived in such condition, those in support fared little better ; at first these were located in positions close behind the line, sheltered from view as much as possible. Accommodated as they were in shallow holes, scooped out of the ground, conditions were little better than those in the front line ; later, farms, or the remains of farms, were lived in ; these were usually roofless shells, but, having hard floors, they were infinitely preferable to the dug-outs, and, where cellars existed, there was comparative comfort. Brigade reserves were lodged in the villages of Neuve Eglise and Dranoutre ; the former was occasionally shelled, and many houses were damaged, but the latter place was untouched, and remained so until the Division left the area. The Divisional Reserve was billeted on Bailleul, in normal times an uninteresting town, but to troops returning from the line a veritable paradise. Billets were good, and at the shops, of which there were a good few, much could be got to supplement the ration fare ; at the Asylum on the Locre road very welcome and necessary hot baths could be obtained, while there were facilities for football and other recreations in and around the
54 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1914
town. The many cafes and estaminets provided a further condition of civilisation, and at the " Faucon " in the " Place '' a very passable dinner could be ob- tained.
The Artillery remained in much the same positions as they took up on first arrival, the Batteries in each Brigade relieving each other every second or third night. Activity on both sides was slight ; nearly all firing was done by day, night-firing being very occa- sional ; facilities for close observation were limited, as it was impossible for F.0.0. to approach the line by day ; in some cases farm buildings close up were used as O.P.'s, but the life of a F. 0,0., who had taken up a position on the roof-beam of a barn before dawn and was compelled to remain there until darkness made his return to the Battery possible, was not a happy one. When telephone communication remained intact. Infantry Officers would occasionally observe for the Artillery, but, owing to the want of technical know- ledge and the lack of Artillery maps, the results were rarely satisfactory. The first 18-pr. H.E. shells were issued about this time, and were highly approved of. The wagon-lines were an orgy of mud, horses gener- ally standing in the open up to their hocks in slush. About the end of February the British Artillery was divided up into " Divisional," " Army," and " G.H.Q.," the former consisting only of 18-pr. and 4*5 Howitzer Batteries, and the 108th Heavy Battery consequently left the Division.
The Divisional R.E. had their quarters in Neuve Eglise and Dranoutre, and were fully employed in making fascines and hurdles by day with the help of Infantry fatigue parties, and in improving the trenches by night. Dressing- Stations were established at Neuve
1914] NOVEMBER 1914 TO MARCH 1915 55
Eglise and Dranoutrc, the three Field Ambulances reUeving one another in turn. Divisional Head- Quarters were at first in the Convent at Locre, but moved later to the Chateau at St. Jan Capelle, where they remained for the rest of the time. During the Winter the system of rehefs varied ; at first the front was held by two Brigades, with the 3rd Brigade in reserve, and " triangular " reliefs were carried out ; afterwards the 14th Brigade had a short sector in front of Neuve Eglise, whilst the 13th and 15th relieved each other on the Wulverghem front.
As previously stated, activity was slight ; the enemy's Artillery fire was only occasional, being mostly directed on the trenches, Wulverghem, Neuve Eglise, and Kemmel Hill. Among the German troops opposite were many snipers, who, having the advantage of a slightly commanding position, made things very uncom- fortable for the front-Hne troops ; most of our casualties were caused by their fire, though the shelling of Neuve EgUse contributed to the toll, the 14th Field Ambulance being particularly unfortunate in having a shell fall into their Dressing- Station.
Daily, or rather nightly, patrolling in No Man's Land took place, and the Germans conceived the ingenious idea of tying chickens to their wire, which warned them by their clucking of the approach of our men ; the same thing happened two years later when geese were discovered acting as sentinels in No Man's Land.
On Christmas Day occurred the much-discussed truce, which (leaving aside all questions of right or wrong) gave our troops the unique opportunity of inspecting No Man's Land and the enemy position at their ease. On that day every Officer and man in
5C THE Sxn DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
the Division received a Christmas card from Their ]\Iajesties, and, in addition, a present of a pipe, tobacco, and cigarettes from Princess Mary. The King and the Prince of Wales ^^sit€d the Divisional area on 14th December, the D. C.L.I, on that occasion cheering the Prince as ** Duke of Cornwall " ; and the King of Belgium also honoured the Division with a visit, and inspected the 15th Brigade, who were in reserve in BaiUeul.
Two Territorial Battalions, the 9th London Regi- ment (Q.V.R.) and the 6th Cheshire Regiment, joined the DiNHsion, and were sent into the trenches with the regular BattaHons for training ; the 6th Cheshires were withdrawn on 1st March, and replaced by the 6th King's Liverpool Regiment. Re-inf orcing drafts arrived and brought the Battalions up to an average strength of 850. except in the Cheshires, who still remained at 300. In March, Brig.-Gen. Lord E. Gleichen, having been promoted Major-General and ordered to take over the command of one of the new Divisions forming in England, handed over command of the 15th Brigade to Brig.-Gen. Northey ; about the same time Brig.-Gen. J. G. Geddes succeeded Brig.-Gren. J. Headlam as C.R.A., and Brig.-Gen. Wanless O'Gowan assumed command of the 13th Brigade.
On the 17th February orders were received for the 13th Brigade to join the 2Sth DiWsion (General Bulfin) in the Southern part of the Ypres Salient ; and tea davs later the 15th Brigtuie were also ordered to jean the san\e Division, the exhausted 83rd and Sllli Brigades coming down South to Uke tli«ur phw : at the Siune time the 37th and 65th (Howitaw) Batteries wew sent to the 27th Division.
'ff^"
bspb^
1915]
NOVEMBER 1914 TO RURCH 1915
57
13th and 15th Brigades with the 28th Division
The line taken over ran from the Mound at St. Eloi to the Bluff on the East side of the Ypres-Comines Canal, but early in March it was shortened by the 27th Division taking over the Mound ; it consisted mostly of breastworks, and was commanded by the enemy position at White Chateau opposite the left centre. On the left of the position, at the Bluff, a curious situation existed in the " International " trench ; part of this trench was held by the British and part by the Germans, the occupying troops being divided by blocks ; some wag suggested that the repairs should be undertaken by each side on alternate days ! The trenches were a slight improvement on those at Wulverghem as regards drainage conditions, but the fighting was a great deal more lively. The ground immediately in rear of the trenches was swept by rifle-fire by day and night, and a number of casualties used to occur while reliefs were going on. The enemy's Artillery, too, was very active, using mostly 5'9 or 8-inch Howitzers, of which he appeared to have a great number ; our own covering Artillery was the 28th Divisional Artillery, but they had a miserable allowance of ammunition, which was mainly shrapnel and very little use against the enemy's deep trenches. There was also a Belgian Battery of 75 mm. guns, which apparently had a more liberal supply, most of which was H.E. ; this Battery was frequently called upon by the Infantry, and its rapid fire and satisfactory bursts had a most heartening effect on them.
All was quiet till the 14th March, when the enemy opened a bombardment on the British position from the Canal to St. Eloi ; simultaneously a mine was exploded
56 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
the Division received a Christmas card from Their Majesties, and, in addition, a present of a pipe, tobacco, and cigarettes from Princess Mary. The King and the Prince of Wales visited the Divisional area on 14th December, the D. C.L.I, on that occasion cheering the Prince as " Duke of Cornwall " ; and the King of Belgium also honoured the Division with a visit, and inspected the 15th Brigade, who were in reserve in Bailleul.
Two Territorial Battalions, the 9th London Regi- ment (Q.V.R.) and the 6th Cheshire Regiment, joined the Division, and were sent into the trenches with the regular Battalions for training ; the 6th Cheshires were withdrawn on 1st March, and replaced by the 6th King's Liverpool Regiment. Re-inf orcing drafts arrived and brought the BattaHons up to an average strength of 850, except in the Cheshires, who still remained at 300. In March, Brig.-Gen. Lord E. Gleichen, having been promoted Major-General and ordered to take over the command of one of the new Divisions forming in England, handed over command of the 15th Brigade to Brig.-Gen. Northey ; about the same time Brig.-Gen. J. G. Geddes succeeded Brig.-Gen. J. Headlam as C.R.A., and Brig.-Gen. W^anless O'Gowan assumed command of the 13th Brigade.
On the 17th February orders were received for the 13th Brigade to join the 28th Division (General Bulfin) in the Southern part of the Ypres Salient ; and ten days later the 15th Brigade were also ordered to join the same Division, the exhausted 83rd and 84:th Brigades coming down South to take their place ; at the same time the 37th and 65th (Howitzer) Batteries were sent to the 27th Division.
1915] NOVEMBER 1914 TO MARCH 1915 r,7
13tm and 15tii Brigades with the 28th Division
The line taken over ran from the Mound at St. Eloi to the BkifE on the East side of the Ypres-Comines Canal, but early in March it was shortened by the 27th Division taking over the Mound ; it consisted mostly of breastworks, and was commanded by the enemy position at White Chateau opposite the left centre. On the left of the position, at the Bluff, a curious situation existed in the " International " trench ; part of this trench was held by the British and part by the Germans, the occupying troops being divided by blocks ; some wag suggested that the repairs should be undertaken by each side on alternate days ! The trenches were a slight improvement on those at Wulverghem as regards drainage conditions, but the fighting was a great deal more lively. The ground immediately in rear of the trenches was swept by rifle-fire by day and night, and a number of casualties used to occur w^hile reliefs were going on. The enemy's Artillery, too, was very active, using mostly 5*9 or 8-inch Howitzers, of which he appeared to have a great number ; our own covering Artillery was the 28th Divisional Artillery, but they had a miserable allowance of ammunition, which was mainly shrapnel and very little use against the enemy's deep trenches. There was also a Belgian Battery of 75 mm. guns, which apparently had a more liberal supply, most of which was H.E. ; this Battery was frequently called upon by the Infantry, and its rapid fire and satisfactory bursts had a most heartening effect on them.
All was quiet till the 14th March, when the enemy opened a bombardment on the British position from the Canal to St. Eloi ; simultaneously a mine was exploded
58 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
under the Mound, and a formidable Infantry attack was launched. At the first onset they succeeded in forcing back the troops of the 27th Division on the right of the 15th Brigade, and captured the village of St. Eloi, thus threatening the flank of the 15th Brigade ; supports were rushed up, and the 13th Brigade (in reserve at Kruistraat) moved up their Battalions to be ready for further developments. During the night the 27th Division by a very gallant counter-attack re-captured St. Eloi, and re-established the original line with the exception of the Mound, which remained in the enemy's hands. The Germans appeared to be well acquainted with our dispositions, as, simultaneously with their attacks, a bombardment was opened on Kruistraat ; the Norf oiks, who were on their way up from there for a trench relief, had a lucky escape, as the shell -fire did much harm to the village, and would just have caught them had they been there.
The enemy made no further attempts to take St. Eloi, and, after a short period of liveliness, conditions returned to '' normal."
fi
■I
CHAPTER I^ "HILL 60" YPI S
I
(Maps 6 and 7
"^HE relief of the Division fi'3 Front was completed at tl c on the 6th, General Morlai;! e new sector in the Ypres Sali he new line ran from the Ea loi by the Bluff, " Hill 60,'^ ai rn edge of Armagh Wood, led in position in the right ^ e in the left sector, the lit reserve.
ather conditions were now n lently the state of the tien< b was much better. The orks, were rapidly impr()\ c 'ine of defence, though no ly provided with support .16 taking over of th^ k on " Hill 60 " wci . , g operations, large Infan died nightly by the Eiii'ir stores and dispose of the ['he Engineers and Tf t 1 with cheerful dctniii of April, their preparat
59
the AVulverghem ginning of April, sumed command t.
of the Mound at Zwartelen, to the he 15th Brigade tor, and the 13th Brigade being at
re favourable, and
, and of the troops
(niches, or rather and soon formed
\'ct continuous or
»>itions. preparations for dcd with. As in
y working parties IS to carry up the
.oil from the mine- rials worked gal-
ition, so that, by J I IS were completed,
CHAPTER IV " HILL 60," YPRES
(Maps 6 and 7)
THE relief of the Division from the Wulverghem Front was completed at the beginning of April, and on the 6th, General Morland assumed comm^and of the new sector in the Ypres Salient.
The new line ran from the East of the Mound at St. Eloi by the Bluff, " Hill 60," and Zwartelen, to the Western edge of Armagh Wood. The 15th Brigade remained in position in the right sector, and the 13th Brigade in the left sector, the 14th Brigade being at first in reserve.
Weather conditions were now more favourable, and consequently the state of the trenches, and of the troops therein, was much better. The trenches, or rather breastworks, were rapidly improved, and soon formed a solid line of defence, though not yet continuous or adequately provided with support positions.
On the taking over of the sector, preparations for the attack on '* Hill 60 " were proceeded with. As in all mining operations, large Infantry working parties were required nightly by the Engineers to carry up the necessary stores and dispose of the spoil from the mine- shafts. The Engineers and Territorials worked gal- lantly and with cheerful determination, so that, by the middle of April, their preparations were completed,
60 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
and the scene set for one of the most sanguinary and hard-fought encounters of the War.
From the village of Zillebeke the ground to the South slopes gently up for some 2000 yards to the Zwartelen-Zandvoorde ridge. Eunning approximately from North-AVest to South-East through the position are the roads from Ypres through Verbrandenmoelen to HoUebeke, and from Zillebeke through Zwartelen to Zandvoorde. Between these roads, and roughly parallel to them, runs the double line of railway from Ypres to Comines, which, some 600 yards from Zillebeke, enters a cutting ; this cutting extends beyond the crest of the ridge and is some 15 or 20 feet in depth. The earth excavated has been deposited on either side, and has, in course of time, formed small hillocks. On the West side are two of these hillocks, one a long, irregular mound on the top of the ridge, which, owing to its shape, became known as " the Caterpillar," and the other, a smaller mound some 300 yards down the slope towards Zillebeke, more conical in shape, known as " the Dump."" On the East side of the cutting is a third mound, more or less regular in shape, and situated on the highest point of the ridge. It is this mound of excavated earth that has become famous as " Hill 60.*' To call it a hill gives a somewhat false impression, as, in fact, it is merely a small protuberance on the crest of a gently sloping ridge ; its position on the highest i^ortion of the ridge, however, rendered it an excellent post for observa- tion of the ground around Zillebeke and Ypres.
Prior to the attack. Brigade reliefs had been carried out, and, on April 16th, the 14th Brigade was holding the right sector of the Divisional Front, and the 15th Brigade the left sector, around " Hill 60." The 13th Brigade had been withdrawn on the 10th, and were at
HILL 60.
Map 7,
$00 <iOO 300 zoo 100 0
'^raras
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10,000
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1015]
♦' HILL 00," YPRES
61
Oiuierdom training for the attack. The 15th Brigade tlispositions were : Norfolks on the Went of the railway cutting, Dorsets on the East, at the foot of " Hill 60," and Bedfords and Cheshires continuing the line through Zwartelen to Armagh Wood. Brigade Head- Quarters was at Transport Farm near Zillebeke Lake.
On the night of the 16th-17th the 13th Brigade moved up, the West Kents and K.O.S.B. taking over the trenches in the vicinity of " Hill 60,'* the " Duke's " being held in support at Zillebeke Lake, and the K.O.Y.L.I. in reserve. The 13th Brigade Head- Quarters were located in the railway embankment in dug-outs near Transport Farm. The 15th Brigade adjusted their position around the Hill to allow of the concentration of the attacking troops, but otherwise remained in position ; and their line was strengthened by the distribution of the machine-guns of the 13th Brigade and a Battery of motor machine-guns. The 27th Brigade R.F.A. were in positions near Kruistraat, 28th Brigade R.F.A. near Zillebeke Lake, and the 15th Brigade E.F.A. East of Ypres ; in addition, various other units of Field and Heavy Artillery were placed under the orders of the C.R.A. for the attack. Divisional Head-Quarters were on the Vlamertinghe road, about three kilometres West of Ypres.
On the 17th the day passed quietly until the evening, the Germans being apparently unaware of the con- centration of troops which had taken place. The weather was fine and sunny, and the ground dry. For some half-hour before the attack absolute calm prevailed, hardly a shot being fired by either side. At 7.5 p.m. the first mine under the Hill was exploded, and our bombardment commenced ; simultaneously
1915] "HILL 60," YPRES 61
Ouderdom training for the attack. The 15th Brigade dispositions were : Norfolk's on the West of the railway cutting, Dorsets on the East, at the foot of ** Hill 60,'' and Bedfords and Chcshires continuing the line through Zwartelen to Armagh Wood. Brigade Head-Quarters was at Transport Farm near Zillebeke Lake.
On the night of the 16th-17th the 13th Brigade moved up, the West Kents and K.O.S.B. taking over the trenches in the vicinity of " Hill 60,'' the " Duke's " being held in support at Zillebeke Lake, and the K.O.Y.L.I. in reserve. The 13th Brigade Head- Quarters were located in the railway embankment in dug-outs near Transport Farm. The 15th Brigade adjusted their position around the Hill to allow of the concentration of the attacking troops, but otherwise remained in position ; and their line was strengthened by the distribution of the machine-guns of the 13th Brigade and a Battery of motor machine-guns. The 27th Brigade R.F.A. were in positions near Kruistraat, 28th Brigade K.F.A. near Zillebeke Lake, and the 15th Brigade R.F.A. East of Ypres ; in addition, various other units of Field and Heavy Artillery were placed under the orders of the C.R.A. for the attack. Divisional Head-Quarters were on the Vlamertinghe road, about three kilometres West of Ypres.
On the 17th the day passed quietly until the evening, the Germans being apparently unaware of the con- centration of troops which had taken place. The weather was fine and sunny, and the ground dry. For some half-hour before the attack absolute calm prevailed, hardly a shot being fired by either side. At 7.5 p.m. the first mine under the Hill was exploded, and our bombardment commenced ; simultaneously
62 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
rapid fire was opened by our Infantry and machine- guns along the whole of the 15th Brigade front. The synchronisation was perfect, and the sudden change from absolute calm to pandemonium was most striking. The second and third mines were fired at fifteen-second intervals, and at 7.6 p.m. the West Kents, supported by the K.O.S.B., advanced and captured the Hill, penetrating into the enemy's position some distance beyond the crest. The casualties in this first rush were very Hght, and some of these few were caused by falling debris from the mine explosions. The surprise was complete. Practically the whole of the German garrison on the Hill was destroyed by the mines, and, in addition, numbers of men in the neighbouring posi- tions, rashly exposing themselves in their curiosity to see what had occurred, were caught by the rifle and machine-gun fire. For some little time after the assault the enemy Artillery, realising that an attack had taken place, but not knowing the exact position, fired wildly in all directions. The railway cutting was heavily shelled, as were also the trenches on either side of the Hill, and it was during this bombardment that gas and lachrymatory shells were first used against the Division. Naturally the troops were unprovided with any defence against such barbarous methods of war, and some confusion was caused by the lachry- matory shells, mainly in the Battery positions.
The West Kents and K.O.S.B. were now hard at work consolidating the captured position, and by 12.30 a.m. on the 18th they reported themselves en- trenched on the Hill, with two communication trenches linking up with our old front fine. About 4 a.m. a heavy counter-attack was launched by the enemy, and a fierce struggle ensued : some of the K.O.S.B.,
1916] « HILL 60," YPRES 68
who were entrenching, did not wait to pick up their rifles and bayonets, but rushed at the Germans armed with picks and shovels, which they used with great effect. The enemy were not prepared hghtly to surrender their position, and pressed their attacks with great determination. As the day wore on the fight continued, but by this time our position was known, and was subjected to bombardment by Heavy Artillery and " minenwerfers." Owing to the curve of the salient the enemy w^ere able to bring almost enfilade fire to bear from the direction of Zanvoorde, in addition to the fire from the guns on our front, and the trenches rapidly disappeared under a deluge of high explosive. Overwhelmed by this fire, and taken in enfilade by rifles and machine-guns on " the Caterpillar,"' our troops were gradually forced back, until, by the evening, they were holding a line below the crest. The " Duke's " were brought up from Zillebeke Lake, their position there being taken by the K.O.Y.L.I., and a counter- attack was made at 6 p.m., our position on the Hill being re-established after a stubborn encounter. The enemy Artillery fire throughout the day had been heavy both on our forward positions and back areas. The 13th Brigade Head-Quarters were unlucky in having a shell fall outside their dug-out where some of the Staf! were standing, and the Staff Captain was killed.
Before dawn on the 19th the 13th Infantry Brigade were withdrawn, except the Q.V.E., who were left under the command of the 15th Brigade, and the G.O.C. of the latter assumed responsibility for the front. The East Surreys of the 14th Brigade had also been attached to the 15th Brigade, and they, with the Bedfords, took up the forward positions. No respite was given to these troops, who were continually subjected to bom-
64 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
bardments and bombing attacks ; and the casualties mounted up steadily.
During the night the activity increased, and through- out the 20th furious attacks were made, mainly by bombing, on our position. In repulsing these attacks the East Surreys immortalised themselves, and for their magnificent conduct on this day Captain G. R. Roupell and Corporal Dwyer of this Battalion were awarded the V.C. Their losses were heavy, amounting to some 250 men, including the CO. (Major W. H. Paterson) and the Adjutant, both of them owing to Battalion Head-Quarters being blown in. Later, when in rest at Ouderdom, the BattaHon was visited by the Corps Commander, who complimented them on one of the finest actions of the War, and told them that, when in reply to a query, he informed Sir John French who was holding the line, the latter remarked, " Thank God ! the East Surreys are there. ""
Nightfall brought no relief. The enemy, in spite of severe losses, continued to attack the Hill with fury.
Our troops there were rapidly diminishing owing to casualties, until at length only one Officer and a handful of men remained in the position. This Officer (Lieut. Woolley, Q.V.R.) displayed the utmost gallantry, and continued to hurl bombs and encourage his men, with such effect that the position was held against all attacks, until supports could be rushed up to re-inforce the line. This action earned for Lieut. Woolley the distinction of being the first Territorial Officer to be decorated with the V.C, and for his BattaHon undying fame.
Still the battle continued, and the tenacity with which the position was maintained was almost super- human. Trenches or breastworks were practically non-
1915J " HILL 60," YPRES 65
existent, as, no sooner were they made, than they were obliterated by shell and " minenwerfer " fire. Amid the debris of the mine explosions and innumerable craters of shells and bombs, over ground covered with our own and the enemy dead and wounded, the fierce hand-to-hand struggle had swayed to and fro for more than three days ; but still the Hill was held. The losses on both sides had been heavy, and on the 21st the Devons were attached to the 15th Brigade and relieved the shattered Battalions on the Hill.
On 22nd April the focus of attention on the Salient of Ypres moved farther North, as on that day commenced the second great struggle for Ypres and the Channel Ports.
About 5 p.m. the Germans, unable to attain their ends by fair means, resorted to the use of poisonous fumes, and released a cloud of chlorine gas against the Allied Front from Bixschoote to Langemarck. They hoped by this means completely to overrun the Allied position, and advance victoriously on Calais. But once again they made the fatal mistake of under- rating their opponents. The history of this and subse- quent attacks, and the glorious record of the troops who, half suffocated, stemmed the rush of the Kaiser's hordes, are written elsewhere. But there was one result of the employment of gas which must be re- ferred to here. Up to this time real hatred of the enemy had formed no part of the British soldier's fighting equipment. Campaigning in another nation's country, the destruction of hearths and homes had not touched him as it had the soldier of our Allies, and he had treated the German as a more or less honourable opponent (as witness the Christmas Day episode). Now, however, a change appeared. After witnessing 5
66 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
the results of this latest abomination, there was born in the heart of every man such a hatred of a dastardly enemy as nothing else could have engendered. This was a consequence which had not been fully reckoned on by the Germans, but which was perhaps as far- reaching as any, and cost them dear. The effect was immediate ; few prisoners were taken in the subsequent operations in this area, and the determination to over- come such a barbarous foe at all costs was inestimably strengthened.
The 13th Brigade, who had been resting at Ouder- dom, were setting out in the evening to relieve the 15th Brigade, but, when on the road, received orders to march and report to the 1st Canadian Division to the North of Ypres. On their arrival in this area they found that the French Front had been broken, and that the Germans were advancing towards the canal South- East of Boesinghe. The Canadians were also being heavily attacked, and had to throw back their left wing to cover the flank. With a view to easing the pressure on this flank, the 13th Brigade, in conjunction with other troops, were ordered to carry out a counter- attack Northwards along the line of the Ypres-Pilckem road : at the same time the French were to make an attack, in order, as far as possible, to regain their position. The attack was ordered for 3.45 p.m. (23rd), but it was impossible to get the troops into position until 4.15 p.m., at which time the assault was launched. The 13th Brigade attacked on the West side of the Pilckem road on a two Battalion front ; the K.O.S.B. were on the right and the West Kents on the left, with the K.O.y.L.I. and Q.V.E. in support. Owing to the difficulties of communication the arrangements for Artillery support were not completed in time, with the
1915] " HILL 60," YPRES 67
result that, when the attack commenced, there was no supporting fire. The guns, however, soon commenced firing, and greatly facilitated the advance, doing an enormous amount of damage to the enemy, who were more or less in the open. The ground over which the K.O.S.B. had to move was open, and, having suffered heavy casualties from the numerous machine-guns brought forward by the Germans, they were brought to a stand before they had advanced very far. On the left the ground was more enclosed, and the West Kents made good progress, but, as their attack was pro- ceeding, the French, attacking from the East, moved completely across their front, and masked their fire. At dusk the position gained was consoHdated. There was a good deal of confusion in the front line, as the French Zouaves had got mixed up with our own troops, whilst, on the right, near the Pilckem road, the line ran back and was very sketchily garrisoned. During the night the 4th Rifle Brigade was attached to the Brigade, and relieved the K.O.S.B. and the West Kents in the line, the BattaHons of the 13th Brigade remaining in support. On the 24th the French carried out an attack on our left, and some ground was gained. Orders were received for two Battalions to be moved to occupy the trenches on the Wieltje-Poelcapelle road, and the K.O. Y.L.I, and Q.V.R. were sent to take over the position. At the same time the K.O.S.B. and West Kents were moved up from farther back into the close support position. By evening the Allied Line ran from Zonnebeke through St. Julien to the canal South-East of Boesinghe ; and the Germans were still attacking vigorously. On the 25th another violent attack was made on the Canadians and their line was forced back. On the 13th Brigade front the trenches held by the
68
Tllft 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
Rifle Brigade were very heavily shelled, but no assault developed.
On the 26th the Lahore Division arrived, and launched an attack at 2 p.m., which was driven back by gas, and the line remained unaltered.
On the 27th the 13th Brigade were relieved by the Lahore Division. They did not, however, return to the Division at once, being kept in the area North of Ypres, and were constantly moved from place to place as the situation demanded, finally rejoining at Ouder- dom on 4th May.
The line now ran some thousand yards South of St. Julien. The German attack still continued, whilst practically all the available reserve British troops had been used up. A glance at the map will show that the position of the 5th Division and the other troops in the South-East portion of the Salient was fraught with considerable danger. A further advance by the enemy in the North, or a successful attack about St. Eloi, would render the withdrawal of troops East of the Ypres-Lille road a matter of extreme difficulty, if not impossibility. On instructions from the Higher Command, therefore, provisional orders had been issued for the evacuation of the forward positions, and for the retirement to a line running East of Ypres ; but, thanks to an improvement in the situation farther North, these orders were later cancelled.
Although on the 5th Division front the retirement did not take place, a withdrawal of the line from our left was decided on, the trench in Armagh Wood on our extreme left being the pivot of the movement. A new line was prepared running from Armagh Wood, East of Sanctuary Wood and Bellewarde Lake, to near Frezenburg.
■•:Bi|i«^'""
excel*'* Ob1«)^
Mkfkmm
■mmmi
Mmm
•^i*-;
»i »■"■■■
151
HILL 60, • YPRES
69
WTiile the events narrated above were taking place,
e fighting round "' Hill 60 " had abated in fury,
ough counter-attacks took place from time to time.
he 15th Brigade still maintained their position on the
ill, but at a considerable cost. In order to give some
•hef, the Camerons from the 27th Division were
ttached to the Brio:ade for a few davs, and did most
xcellent work.
On 1st May gas clouds were launched by the rermans against the Dorsets, who were holding the osition ; this Battahon sufiered heavily from the gas, >sing some 300 men, but gallantly maintained their jie.
During the night of -Ith-Sth May the Dorsets were eUeved by the *' Duke's,''* who had been lent to the 5th Brigade, and withdrew to Larch Wood. The 'Torfolks were now holding the line to the right of the utting, and the Bedfords the line from Zwartelen to Irmagh Wood.
At 8.35 a.m. on 5th May the Germans again released i cloud of gas against our positions on the Hill. The Duke's "' lost very heavdy from the gas, and the lalf-suifiocated remnants of the Battahon were over- vhelmed by the Infantry attack which followed. At :he first alarm the Dorsets had been rushed up to re- inforce, and succeeded in maintaining our original line for some 80 yards to the East of the railway cutting : t>ut the Germans obtained possession of our front-line positions, from *" Hill 60 " to Zwartelen, and were now able to take the Bedfords and Dorsets in enfilade. Some two hours later they released another cloud of gas against the Bedford positions in Zwartelen, and succeeded in driWng them out of the village.
In the meantime, orders had reached the Cheshires,
68 THfi 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
Rifle Brigade were very heavily shelled, but no assault developed.
On the 26th the Lahore Division arrived, and launched an attack at 2 p.m., which was driven back by gas, and the line remained unaltered.
On the 27th the 13th Brigade were relieved by the Lahore Division. They did not, however, return to the Division at once, being kept in the area North of Ypres, and were constantly moved from place to place as the situation demanded, finally rejoining at Ouder- dom on 4th May.
The line now ran some thousand yards South of St. Julien. The German attack still continued, whilst practically all the available reserve British troops had been used up. A glance at the map will show that the position of the 5th Division and the other troops in the South-East portion of the Salient was fraught with considerable danger. A further advance by the enemy in the North, or a successful attack about St. Eloi, would render the withdrawal of troops East of the Ypres-Lille road a matter of extreme difficulty, if not impossibility. On instructions from the Higher Command, therefore, provisional orders had been issued for the evacuation of the forward positions, and for the retirement to a Une running East of Ypres ; but, thanks to an improvement in the situation farther North, these orders were later cancelled.
Although on the 5th Division front the retirement did not take place, a withdrawal of the line from our left was decided on, the trench in Armagh Wood on our extreme left being the pivot of the movement. A new line was prepared running from Armagh Wood, East of Sanctuary Wood and Bellewarde Lake, to near Frezenburg.
1915] " HILL 60," YPRES 69
While the events narrated above were taking place, the fighting round " Hill 60 " had abated in fury, though counter-attacks took place from time to time. The 15th Brigade still maintained their position on the Hill, but at a considerable cost. In order to give some relief, the Camerons from the 27th Division were attached to the Brigade for a few days, and did most excellent work.
On 1st May gas clouds were launched by the Germans against the Dorsets, who were holding the position ; this Battalion suffered heavily from the gas, losing some 300 men, but gallantly maintained their line.
During the night of 4th-5th May the Dorsets were reheved by the " Duke's," who had been lent to the 15th Brigade, and withdrew to Larch Wood. The Norfolks were now holding the line to the right of the cutting, and the Bedfords the line from Zwartelen to Armagh Wood.
At 8.35 a.m. on 5th May the Germans again released a cloud of gas against our positions on the Hill. The *' Duke's " lost very heavily from the gas, and the half-suffocated remnants of the Battahon were over- whelmed by the Infantry attack which followed. At the first alarm the Dorsets had been rushed up to re- inforce, and succeeded in maintaining our original line for some 80 yards to the East of the railway cutting : but the Germans obtained possession of our front-line positions, from " Hill 60 " to Zwartelen, and were now able to take the Bedfords and Dorsets in enfilade. Some two hours later they released another cloud of gas against the Bedford positions in Zwartelen, and succeeded in driving them out of the village.
In the meantime, orders had reached the Cheshires,
70 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
who were in reserve in and around Ypres, to move up and counter-attack the Hill ; this Battalion had been out all night digging trenches near Hooge, and had only arrived back at dawn. They were directed to move to BattaHon Head-Quarters in Larch Wood, but on the way General Northey detached one Company to take up a position covering Zillebeke and the Lake, as there were no troops between the Germans and that village ; the remaining three Companies proceeded by the Kne of railway to Larch Wood. The gas clouds had almost disappeared and caused no trouble to these troops ; in fact, the mist that remained somewhat screened their movement.
On their arrival the situation was as follows : Immediately to the East of the cutting the Dorsets, consisting of but 3 Officers and about 100 men, held the original position; from their left, to a point some 150 yards East of the Zillebeke-Zwartelen road, our Hne had been completely broken, but the Bedfords maintained the position thence to Armagh Wood. The Germans were pouring a heavy fire into the Bedford trenches from flank and rear, and endeavouring to extend their captured position Eastward : parties were also advancing down the slope towards Zillebeke, and some of the enemy were in possession of a farm between Larch Wood and the front line.
The Cheshires re-inforced the Dorsets in the line and formed a defensive flanl^ facing East, from the front line to the Eastern edge of Larch Wood. Two Companies then deployed between the railway and the Zwartelen road, and commenced an advance with the object of re-capturing the position. They suffered considerably from rifle and machine-gun fire, the CO. (Colonel Scott) being killed, but by 1.30 p.m. they had
Speaight\
Lieut.-Gen. Sir T. L. Morland, K.C.B., D.S.O.
VTo face p -,o
1915] "IITLL CO," YPRES 71
driven the Germans back, and were occupying the old support trenches. They were unable to advance farther, but the gap was now filled, and the situation was more secure , the 6th Liverpools had also come up, and were placed in Larch Wood as supports.
On the left the Bedfords had put up a most gallant resistance, and maintained their trenches East of Zwartelen. The trenches held by the enemy in Zwar- telen formed a salient into our line, and it was only by erecting a parados, under heavy fire at close range, that the Bedfords were enabled to make their position tenable. They had sustained considerable loss, and the Company of the Cheshires, which had been covering Zillebeke, was moved up to re-inforce them.
About 9 p.m. three Battalions of the 13th Brigade came up from Ouderdom with orders to counter-attack and re-take the Hill. These troops had only been withdrawn from the fighting North of Ypres on the 4th, the units had not been made up to strength, and the men were far from fresh. The counter-attack was arranged to take place at 10 p.m., after a twenty- minute Artillery bombardment. The night was dark, and this, and the irregularities of the position, rendered the forming up extremely difiicult. At 10 p.m. the attack was launched, the K.O.S.B. on the right directed on the Hill, and the K.O.Y.L.I. on the left directed on the position thence to Zwartelen. The bombard- ment had been ineffective, and the K.O.S.B. were soon held up by rifle and machine-gun fire. On the left the K.O.Y.L.I. formed up, and attacked from a position in rear of the Cheshires, with the result that some confusion occurred ; after a short delay they continued their advance. What actually occurred is not quite clear ; some were driven back, but the greater part of
72 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1 -.
two Companies completely disappeared ; they probal v advanced too far and were surrounded. By midni^zt all troops had fallen back to the positions held pDr to the attack.
The following day was spent in consolidating te position and re-organising units which had becoie mixed in the fighting. Enemy Artillery fire continud to be heavy, and there was much bombing and snipii^ in and around the old front line. Preparations wc3 made for a further counter-attack, to take place dawn the following morning ; the objective was or original Hne from the railway to Zwartelen, and tis was to be obtained by bombing along the trench -a from either flank.
At 4 a.m. the Cheshires commenced the attack fro i the railway end, and, after hand-to-hand fightii succeeded in reaching the point of the salient Zwartelen. The trenches here were practically bac to back, and a heavy fire was opened on them from tb East side of the salient at point-blank range. Attackd from three sides, they were forced back out of tb village, but succeeded in establishing a block in tb trench West of it, which they maintained. Thu some hundred yards more of our line was restore^ The Royal Irish Rifles of the 3rd Division wei reheving the Bedfords to the East of Zwartelen, bii as the relief was not completed until 4.30 a.m., tb attack from that flank never got going.
In consequence of the exhaustion of the Battalioi of the 13th and 15th Brigades, the 3rd Middlese: Royal Irish Rifles, and South Lancashires were ler to the 15th Infantry Brigade to effect much-neede reUefs. The Royal Irish Rifles relieved the Bedford as referred to, and, after another day of Artillery ai;
8IliJ|f^ ^■
tKinniuia-iL
1915]
HILL 60," YPRES
78
bombi^ activity, the other two Battalions were moved up to ue " Hill 60 " area, and the shattered remnants of the 3th and L5th Brigades were withdrawn.
Th battle of " Hill 60 " had now come to an end. After hree weeks of very severe fighting we had gainec no ground ; in fact, we had lost that portion of ou position astride the Zwartelen road, which, althouh it was of little tactical importance to us, when occup.'d by the Germans became a continual source of troub and annoyance. Being sHghtly in rear of our posit] iS farther East, it became a nest for German snipe , who made movement by daylight in these trencjes a dangerous proceeding unless strict pre- cautiris were taken. The losses on both sides had been heav;' the casualties of the L3th Brigade in the original attac 17th to 19th April, amounted to 62 Officers and 00 men, and those of the 15th Brigade in the perio 1st May to the 7th were 33 Officers and 1553 men. The losses of the Germans were certainly as heav as, if not heavier than, our own.
7 H results of the battle of " Hill 60," however, mus ot be judged by territorial gains or losses. When take the Hill position formed a sharp and pronounced salie into the enemy's lines. Certainly it was on ^ ' round, but the eminence was not sufficient to command over the neighbouring German lines, open to attack on three sides, and with the n Artillery very greatly superior both in number and alibre, the position was extremely costly to hold. ^* i only due to the incomparable gallantry and ^ i determination of the British Infantry soldier tha he Hill was held as it was. The effects of the ope tion are to be looked for elsewhere than on the bat red mound by the railway. Coming, as it did,
Thu Ger
72 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
two Companies completely disappeared ; they probably advanced too far and were surrounded. By midnight all troops had fallen back to the positions held prior to the attack.
The following day was spent in consolidating the position and re-organising units which had become mixed in the fighting. Enemy Artillery fire continued to be heavy, and there was much bombing and sniping in and around the old front line. Preparations were made for a further counter-attack, to take place at dawn the following morning ; the objective was our original line from the railway to Zwartelen, and this was to be obtained by bombing along the trenches from either flank.
At 4 a.m. the Cheshires commenced the attack from the railway end, and, after hand-to-hand fighting, succeeded in reaching the point of the salient in Zwartelen. The trenches here were practically back to back, and a heavy fire was opened on them from the East side of the salient at point-blank range. Attacked from three sides, they were forced back out of the village, but succeeded in establishing a block in the trench West of it, which they maintained. Thus some hundred yards more of our line was restored. The Koyal Irish Rifles of the 3rd Division were relieving the Bedfords to the East of Zwartelen, but, as the relief was not completed until 4.30 a.m., the attack from that flank never got going.
In consequence of the exhaustion of the BattaHons of the 13th and 15th Brigades, the 3rd Middlesex, Royal Irish Rifles, and South Lancashires were lent to the 15th Infantry Brigade to effect much-needed reliefs. The Royal Irish Rifles relieved the Bedfords, as referred to, and, after another day of Artillery and
1915] " HILL 60," YPRES 78
bombing activity, the other two Battalions were moved up to the " ]iill 60 " area, and the shattered remnants of the 13th and L^th Brigades were withdrawn.
The battle of " Hill 60 " had now come to an end. After three weeks of very severe fighting we had gained no ground ; in fact, we had lost that portion of our position astride the Zwartelen road, which, although it was of little tactical importance to us, when occupied by the Germans became a continual source of trouble and annoyance. Being slightly in rear of our positions farther East, it became a nest for German snipers, who made movement by daylight in these trenches a dangerous proceeding unless strict pre- cautions were taken. The losses on both sides had been heavy ; the casualties of the 13th Brigade in the original attack, 17th to 19th April, amounted to 62 Officers and 1300 men, and those of the 15th Brigade in the period 1st May to the 7th were 33 Officers and 1553 men. The losses of the Germans were certainly as heavy as, if not heavier than, our own.
The results of the battle of " Hill 60," however, must not be judged by territorial gains or losses. When taken, the Hill position formed a sharp and pronounced salient into the enemy's lines. Certainly it was on high ground, but the eminence was not sufficient to afford command over the neighbouring German lines. Thus, open to attack on three sides, and with the German Artillery very greatly superior both in number and calibre, the position was extremely costly to hold. It was only due to the incomparable gallantry and dogged determination of the British Infantry soldier that the Hill was held as it was. The effects of the operation are to be looked for elsewhere than on the battered mound by the railway. Coming, as it did.
1
74 THE 5th |\aSION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
five davs be .opening of the great German drive
for Ypres ana i v ^ haiinel Ports, there is httle doubt that it was iu tat sphere that the results were felt. Complete sinprie as it was, it certainly succeeded in pinning . ble number of enemy troops to
their groun^ -o there is no doubt that it neces-
sitated cert; .fications in the original German
plans, in th; destined for the operations farther
North had t rted to re-inforc€ and replace those
shattered in tketonstant attacks and counter-attacks on the Hill. Oly when the full facts are known will it be possible tr^ve an answer to the question asked by many at — " Was it worth it ? "
The witharawl of the troops from the Gheluvelt Polygon Wood tea had in the meantime taken place. The retirementi«vas most skilfully and successfully carried out. andlt was some time before the Germans realised what h4 occurred.
On 8th conform wii onslaught a of Wieltje
ing re-adjusted their positions to V hne, the enemy made a furious e British position in the vicinity zenburg. Fighting continued in 7th, but no material success was in spite of the employment of
1915]
"HILL 60." YPRES
Since the conchisioii of the fii^"
1914 the town had been left in com, had been Uttle shelled. On our airiv
1915 many of the houses were in good r town presented the nsnal aspect ol c. battle zone. Many shops were s":"'' conist, and the grocer who did bus.: Place," being particnlarly enterpr:
the Army's needs. Other places which memory are the excellent American I de la Gare," the tea-shop in the '* r barber's shop in the same street, whe: continued shaving though shrapnel his roof, and that favourite rendexvou Xord," near the station. The popnb place was enhanced by the presence of : ^ (whom Rumour later declared to be srie^ the meals and exhibited the greatest ; troops in occupation.
There were many comfortable and the Cavalry and Inf-^ — excellent accommodation fc : masbas, and their personnel and st
In the middle of April the aecoL commenced suddoih' with an outbrn^ large number of guns of all caH^T'^^ eluding 1.5-inch Howitzers. Much immediately resulted, the bursts of tL bemg particularly awe-inspiring. It w sight to see two or three houses c<dlap cards when struck by one of thes*^ a cloud of red-brick dust roee L the doomed city. The Quartern::- hurriedlv evaciUKted to the units' T
rs m
-d
: ". the
e in the
f tobac-
f^^'inde
_ for
rei m m the
le ** rue
* the
letor
. .: on
iotel du
':;tter
sels
o sa¥ed
to the
res lines
74 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
five days before the opening of the great German drive for Ypres and the Channel Ports, there is httle doubt that it was in that sphere that the results were felt. Complete surprise as it was, it certainly succeeded in pinning a considerable number of enemy troops to their ground, and also there is no doubt that it neces- sitated certain modifications in the original German plans, in that troops destined for the operations farther North had to be diverted to re-inf orce and replace those shattered in the constant attacks and counter-attacks on the Hill. Only when the full facts are known will it be possible to give an answer to the question asked by many at the time — " Was it worth it ? "
The withdrawal of the troops from the Gheluvelt Polygon Wood area had in the meantime taken place. The retirement was most skilfully and successfully carried out, and it was some time before the Germans realised what had occurred.
On 8th May, having re-adjusted their positions to conform with the new line, the enemy made a furious onslaught against the British position in the vicinity of AVieltje and Frezenburg. Fighting continued in this area until the 17th, but no material success was gained by the Germans, in spite of the employment of gas and masses of Heavy Artillery.
Foiled in their attempts to capture Ypres the Germans, with characteristic childish spite, were en- gaged in the systematic destruction of that unhappy town. The use of incendiary shells caused fires to break out in several places, and for three or four days the town was in flames. By night it formed an un- forgettable scene, the shattered tower of the Cloth Hall standing out gaunt against the crimson background of the conflagration.
1915] "HILL 60," YPRES 75
Since the conclusion of the first battle of Ypres in
1914 the town had been left in comparative peace, and had been little shelled. On our arrival there in March
1915 many of the houses were in good repair, and the town presented the usual aspect of civilian life in the battle zone. Many shops were still open, the tobac- conist, and the grocer who did business in the " Grande Place/' being particularly enterprising in catering for the Army's needs. Other places which remain in the memory are the excellent American Bar in the " rue de la Gare," the tea-shop in the *' rue de Lille," the barber's shop in the same street, where the proprietor continued shaving though shrapnel w^as bursting on his roof, and that favourite rendezvous, the " Hotel du Nord," near the station. The popularity of the latter place was enhanced by the presence of two fair damsels (whom Rumour later declared to be spies), who served the meals and exhibited the greatest friendship to the troops in occupation.
There were many comfortable billets in the town, and the Cavalry and Infantry Barracks provided excellent accommodation for the Engineers and Quarter- masters, and their personnel and stores.
In the middle of April the second bombardment commenced suddenly with an outburst of fire from a large number of guns of all calibres, up to and in- cluding 15-inch Howitzers. Much damage and loss immediately resulted, the bursts of the 15-inch shells being particularly awe-inspiring. It was no uncommon sight to see two or three houses collapse like a house of cards when struck by one of these projectiles, whilst a cloud of red-brick dust rose high in the air over the doomed city. The Quartermaster's stores were hurriedly evacuated to the units' Transport lines in
76 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
the area around Ouderdom, and as many of the troops as possible were moved into the old casemates in the Ramparts, which afforded a very fair measure of protection.
The pHght of the civilians was pitiable. Numbers fled from the town carrying what belongings they could, and the roads to Vlamertinghe and Dickebusch presented a heart-rending spectacle. Others took refuge in the cellars ; some of these made their escape later, but a number perished owing to the houses and cellars being blown in. The lot of the aged and infirm, and the sick, was terrible, as, unable to do anything for themselves, they had to wait in the pitiless rain of shells until arrangements could be made to move them. The conduct of the Sisters who tended to these, moving from house to house along the shell-swept streets, was magnificent, and was a superb example of xmselfish devotion.
The bombardment continued daily, the number and natures of the guns used by the Germans being ex- tensive and peculiar. In accordance with his habit of finding nicknames for the unpleasant implements of warfare, the British Soldier set to work to name his new acquaintances. Sound was the basis of these names, and soon one heard of " The last tram Home " (15-inch Howitzer), " Bouncing Bertha," " Whistling Willy," " Perishing Percy " (the H.V. gun) — the last named became very familiar, owing to our meeting with its relations on many fronts later in the War.
Within a month or six weeks Ypres was reduced to a mass of smouldering ruins. Houses had disappeared, and only in the case of a few of the stronger buildings, such as the Cathedral, the Cloth Hall, the Barracks, and the Prison, could the original be recognised. For
1915] 'HILL r.o," YPRES 77
the accommodation of troops, only the casemates, and cellars here and there, remained ; but for reserve troops Ypres had ceased to be a desirable locality, and alternative positions had to be found outside the town. The civilians had all gone, and the streets were deserted except for the passage of troops and Transport, who did not spend more time than necessary in traversing the stricken town.
On 24th May commenced the fighting which may be said to terminate the second battle of Ypres. Early in the morning a gas attack was made on the British positions from Hooge to Wieltje, accompanied by the usual intense Artillery fire. A number of trenches near Hooge were lost, and a gap existed at this point for some time, which caused disquietude to the 15th Infantry Brigade on the left of the Divisional Line. During the next day the line was re-established.
Throughout the operations in April and May the Divisional Artillery were constantly and heavily shelled both by gas shells and H.E. Owing to the commanding positions held by the enemy the conceal- ment of Batteries was extremely difficult, and few escaped detection. No large dumps were kept at the guns, and ammunition supply was carried out from the rear echelons by day or night as the situation de- manded. In spite of the difficulties by which they were hampered, they never failed when called upon, and throughout showed the greatest gallantry in serving the guns, whatever the conditions. When the need arose they switched their guns to fire on the enemy masses attacking farther North, and did much execu- tion. The 37th Battery, which was attached to the 28th Division and engaged on, the front about Wieltje, did particularly effective work, firing on an average
78 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
600 rounds daily — at that time an unprecedented expenditure.
A feature of this period was the bombardment of all the roads and other prominent places within the Salient, which continued day and night. Through this rain of shells the Battalion and Battery Transports had nightly to proceed with their loads of stores and ammunition. Many acts of bravery were performed in this connection, and it is the proud boast of these men that never did the supplies fail to arrive, though rarely a night passed without casualty to men, horses, or vehicles. In order to avoid Ypres, and that dread of Transport Ofhcers, the " Menin road,'' tracks were made across country, and bridges were built over the canal South of Ypres, which, when completed, rendered the task of supply less hazardous.
Towards the end of May the units of the Division had been re-organised into their proper formations, and the 13th Brigade held the sector South of Woor- mezeele through St. Eloi ; the 14th Brigade the sector in the centre, astride the Comines Canal ; and the 15th Brigade the " Hill 60 "—Armagh Wood sector. The fighting on our own front had died down, and the period until the end of July was one of comparative quiet, if such a term can be applied to the SaUent at this time ; but to our left fighting occurred at Hooge from time to time.
Mining activity continued in St. Eloi and " Hill 60 ** areas, and, later, one of the first Tunnelling Companies, consisting of miners from home, untrained in anything else, came up and commenced operations in Armagh Wood. The only operation of importance took place at St. Eloi in June, when the enemy exploded a mine under the trench held by the K.O.Y.L.I. astride the
<
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t:so
19 wi
i«i
insi
HILL «ft,"- ^TRES
7t
JJBe road. Tlie Camfmaj jmiMw^ tiie tEoiek alinort annflribrticd by tiie mine md Ike ahower ol pswing bIcpm cjMiiied by i^ bnk Ae enemy was pve- YOitod firom ftJloiniig up bis tmrrjum by Ae bcary c€f¥mng fire opened by tiie tnxips on aAsr flank.
After tbe end ol May tiie Gorman AitiDefv &re decreased eonndend^, hak, as fur as Uie Inimmiry was concealed, tins was eoantexbalaneed by ibe increase in "' minenwei&T " ; many of ibe latter were in action akng tiie front, tbe besviest tjpes bong mndi in evidence. Tbe effiect ai tbese ^oiec^iles on Ae bieaafr- woiks was a^alfii^ a direct bit mabing a gjxp of 15 feet or moie in tbe defences ; biddly tiie sbooiling was erratic, altboi^L on one occasion, near " HiH 60/' many of tte Xorfolks and Dorsets were literally blown out of tKeii trendies, and the latter demotiahed. Our ofwn armament ol treneb-mortars was confined to coie or two amateur weapons of the drain-pipe order, firing canisters or <dd jam-tins filled with explosive and sbrapnel bnllets, atones, or boot-nails. Owing to tiie retaliation provoked bv their uae, tboee operating tbem were verv nnpopular with tbe occupants of tbe various trenches, and ctHisidarable cunning was needed before tbe Officer-iu-Cbarge could get tbem into action.
Tbe Batteries were only occasionally shelled : tbeir allowance of ammunition was wretchedly insufficient, and on occasions they were unable to fire at all in retaliation, when called upon by tbe Infantry — a very disheartening state of afiairs for botb arms.
It was during this period tbat the *' Haison " between the Artillery and the Infantry, which developed into that complete understanding, friendship, and mutual confidence between the two, and which was so marked a feature of the Division in later operations.
1915] "HILL fiO," YPRES 79
Lille road. The Company holding the trench was almost annihilated by the mine and the shower of paving stones caused by it, but the enemy was pre- vented from following up his success by the heavy covering fire opened by the troops on either flank.
After the end of May the German Artillery fire decreased considerably, but, as far as the Infantry was concerned, this was counterbalanced by the increase in ** minenwerfer " ; many of the latter were in action along the front, the heaviest types being much in evidence. The effect of these projectiles on the breast- works was appalUng, a direct hit making a gap of 15 feet or more in the defences ; luckily the shooting was erratic, although on one occasion, near " Hill 60," many of the Norfolks and Dorsets were literally blown out of their trenches, and the latter demolished. Our own armament of trench-mortars was confined to one or two amateur weapons of the drain-pipe order, firing canisters or old jam- tins filled with explosive and shrapnel bullets, stones, or boot-nails. Owing to the retaliation provoked by their use, those operating them were very unpopular with the occupants of the various trenches, and considerable cunning was needed before the Officer-in-Charge could get them into action.
The Batteries were only occasionally shelled ; their allowance of ammunition was wretchedly insufficient, and on occasions they were unable to fire at all in retaliation, when called upon by the Infantry — a very disheartening state of affairs for both arms.
It was during this period that the " liaison '' between the Artillery and the Infantry, which developed into that complete understanding, friendship, and mutual confidence between the two, and which was so marked a feature of the Division in later operations,
80 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
was first established. An Artillery Ofiicer in direct communication with the guns was attached to each BattaHon Head-Quarters, thus enabling Battalion Commanders and Artillery Brigade and Battery Com- manders to keep close touch with each other, without having to communicate through Brigade or Divisional Head-Quarters — an obvious advantage, especially dur- ing operations. The 15th Brigade suffered a spell of particularly bad luck, losing both their G.O.C. and Brigade Major within a short period ; Brig.-Gen. Northey was wounded by a rifle shot when walking between his Head-Quarters and the trenches, and his wound, though fortunately not a very severe one, necessitated his evacuation ; his valuable services were thus lost to the Division, but he was destined to win greater fame as the conqueror of German East Africa. Captain W. H. Johnston, V.C, who had won his V.C. at Missy, was killed by a sniper when in the trenches near Zwartelen ; the gallantry and resource constantly displayed by him had earned him great popularity in the Brigade, and his loss was keenly felt by all ranks.
Towards the end of July the Division was relieved by the 46th Division, and withdrawn to the area between Poperinghe and Hazebrouck ; great secrecy was observed and all marching done by night. Here we remained for about a week, and the opportunity for exercise after the prolonged tours of trench duty was most welcome ; parades and recreations filled the day, and the 15th Brigade held a most successful Gymkhana. This was the first rest the Division had had since embarking from Ireland in August 1914, and was all too short.
Major-Gen. T. L. N. Morland was promoted to the
1915] "HILL 60," YPRES 81
Command of the X. Corps, then in course of forma- tion, his place in command of the Division being taken by Major-Gen. C. T. McM. Kavanagh.
After many run;ours, orders were received for the Division to proceed to the Somme area to reheve the French, and the entrainment was carried out on the last days of July and the first days of August. We turned our backs on Ypres without regret.
CHAPTER V
THE BRAY FRONT AND ARRAS
(Maps 8 and 9)
AFTER detrainment at the beginning of August, the Division was concentrated in the area be- tween Bray and Querrieux, and preparations were immediately commenced for the relief of the French troops holding the front from the Somme to near La Boisselle. In the first few days of August the reliefs were completed, the 14th Brigade taking over the sector on the right from the Somme, near Frise, to a point North- West of Maricourt, the 13th Brigade thence to the top of the ridge overlooking Mametz, and the 15th Brigade the left sector through the Bois Fran9ais to the " Tambour," between Fricourt and La Boisselle. On our right the French held the line South of the Somme, and on our left were the 51st (Highland) Division, who, with ourselves, formed part of the newly formed X. Corps.
The terrain was the typical undulating country of Picardy, open, with woods dotted about here and there. Our extreme right rested on the marshes of the Somme at the Moulin de Fargny, where the river makes a horseshoe bend towards the North ; on the left bank of the Somme lies the village of Frise, which was held by the French, and on the right bank lie the \dllages of Vaux and Curlu, facing each other on
1915] THE RRAY FRONT AND ARRAS 83
either side of the horscHhoe, while at the top is the Moulin de Fargiiy. From the high ground ju.st above Vaux we could distinctly see the German Company Head-Quarters in Curlu, with the sentry walking up and down outside, and a cow tethered in the field behind ; no doubt from Curlu they could see all that went on in Vaux. The space between the two villages is a large expanse of marsh, in which no permanent defences could be formed ; in order to defend this gap, punts were used by night to patrol the marshes, armed with rifles and a machine-gun. From the Moulin de Fargny Northwards runs a ravine, known, owing to the shape of a wood situated therein, as " Y '' Wood ravine. Along the West side of this ravine ran our line, whilst the opposing forces occupied the East side ; at the river end was situated the Chapeau de Gendarme, a curious-looking bluff of chalk, shaped like a cocked hat, of which the Germans held the top, with a listening post half-way down, within a few yards of a post of ours. From the top of " Y '' Wood ravine the line ran about 200 yards East of Maricourt Wood, and then, making a sharp bend to the West, continued some 300 yards North of the wood and village. To the West of Maricourt a valley runs to Carnoy, and thence North- West to Fricourt ; to the North of this valley the ground rises gradually to the ridge on which is situated Montauban and the road thence to Mametz, a village on the Western end of the spur. Owing to the prominence of a group of apple-trees midway along this ridge it was known as the Pommier Ridge ; in connection with these apple-trees a rather amusing incident occurred. For many weeks they were used by our Artillery for registration purposes, until it became a daily habit ; one night the Germans felled
84 THE 5th DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
and removed the trees, and the ensuing consternation of F.O.O/s the following morning was most enter- taining to those not directly concerned. The width of No Man's Land varied generally from 50 to 150 yards, but at the Chapeau de Gendarme and the Bois Frangais the lines were very close together ; at the latter place the distance was less than 5 yards, and it was almost like the mythical position where the British and Germans took it in turns to use the same loophole.
Observation was excellent from our positions, the whole of the enemy's front-line system and much of his rear areas being plainly visible ; in this respect we had the superiority, as, owing to the high ground in rear of our forward positions, practically the whole of our back areas was free from enemy observation, except from balloons and aeroplanes.
Up to this time the Division had always been in areas where the digging of trenches was impossible, and consequently the defences taken over from the French came as a revelation. The front-Hne system consisted of firing, support, and reserve trenches, with many communication trenches in between, and also long hoyaux by which the lines could be approached from the rear. The trenches themselves were 8 to 10 feet deep, dug in the clay and chalk, which was the nature of the soil in these parts ; the freedom of move- ment and greater protection which they afforded was a much-appreciated novelty after the low breastworks of Flanders. The line was completely continuous along the whole front, and the trenches were well supplied with dug-outs and shelters ; many of these latter gave protection against the lighter natures of shells, whilst some were even furnished with bunks made of timber
^
19151 I'M 10 BHAY FltONT AND ARRAS 86
and rabbit wire, and lined with wood — comforts hitherto undreamt of.
On our arrival, the trenches were clean and dry, and our first impressions were that they were ideal ; later, our views regarding the desirability of clay and chalk as a ground to dig and maintain trenches in underwent a very great change. It is, in fact, doubtful which of the two necessitated most work during the winter months, either the breastworks in the Northern area, or the trenches in the area of the chalky ground extending from Vimy Ridge to the Sonime. Some of the communication trenches extended for a long way in rear of the line, and it was possible to approach all parts by daylight, under cover all the way. At one point, near the Bray-Fricourt road, a trench had been dug sufficiently deep and wide for a horse to be ridden along it, a refinement never met with on any other front.
As regards fighting activity the situation was very quiet indeed, shells were few and far between, and practically no sniping w^as being done ; mining w^as in progress near the Carnoy-Montauban road, at the Bois Franyais, and at the " Tambour " near Fricourt ; but, except in these places, the troops at first had a most peaceful time — so peaceful, indeed, that in the millpool at the Moulin de Fargny, which w^as in our front line, fishing was indulged in.
The Infantry reliefs took place before the Divisional Artillery arrived in the line, and for one or two days the French Artillery covered the front. By them an elaborate scheme of Artillery retahation had been worked out, w^hich in a great measure accounted for the general calm prevailing ; the Germans were permitted to fije two shells on to each sector per day ; as soon as
1915]
THE BRAY FRON
line
and rabbit wire, and hitherto undreamt of.
On our arrival, the trenr ' and our first impressions w later, our views regarding tb chalk as a ground to dig arid underwent a very great chanfn which of the two necessitate winter months, either the bi. area, or the trenches in the art-a extending from Vimy Ridge t<. the communication trenche> in rear of the line, and it w;, parts by daylight, under cf., point, near the Bray-Fricourt i > . dug sufficiently deep and wide i along it, a refinement never w front.
As regards fighting activity i ' quiet indeed, shells were few practically no sniping was beinii progress near the Carnoy-M' Fran9ais, and at the ''TarnL,. except in these places, the trc^ peaceful time — so peaceful, ind at the Moulin de Fargny, whidi fishing was indulged in.
The Irfnntrv reliefs too]
u mtfc
\rt.r
ili or,
V ■.tlUT'w,
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Mn
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86 THE 5th division IN THE GREAT WAR [1915
they were impertinent enough to exceed this allowance word was sent by the Infantry to the Artillery, who immediately opened a burst of rapid fire with their 75's on the German trenches opposite ; if the Germans still persisted, the Frenchmen kept up their barrage until the hostile shelhng had ceased. In the same way the shelling of any village in our line immediately drew a counter-blast on to a village in the German line ; thus, Mametz was shelled in retaliation for the shelhng of Carnoy, Montauban for Marioourt, and Curlu for Vaux; this scheme was retained with modifications throughout our stay in the area.
The Divisional Artillery, on arrival, took up positions in the valley North of Suzanne, behind the crest of