THE 57TH DIVISION.
The second line Battalion was formed at Blackpool in 1914, and on the
departure of the first Battalion from Tunbridge Wells for France its place
was taken by the second Battalion. For a considerable time it carried out
training at Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Oxted, Maidstone, Canterbury and
Blackdown, from which place it departed on the 17th February, 1917, for
France.
It was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Leggatt, and formed part of
Brigadier-General Paynter's 172nd Infantry Brigade of the 57th Division,
which was a Division composed entirely of Lancashire troops, and a sister
Division to the 55th.
After being delayed for three days at Folkestone, it crossed to Boulogne
on the 20th. The next day it was moved by train to the neighbourhood of
Bailleul, and from there by stages to the village of Erquinghem, south of
Armentières. After a week spent in training, completing equipment, and
reconnoitring the sector to be taken over, it went into the Bois Grenier
sector. During the first tour in the trenches, the front held was twice
extended and eventually it held a front of one and three-quarter miles.
Here the Battalion remained for nearly seven months. The sector had been
held by the New Zealanders, and was one of the quietest on the whole
British front, but orders were now given to liven things up in order to
keep as many enemy troops opposite the sector as possible, and distract
their attention from the impending operations at Messines on the left.
This object was achieved by considerable activity, patrols, and artillery
bombardments. The extent of the front held entailed a good deal of
exertion in the way of working parties, both to prevent the breast-works
from falling into complete decay and to keep the trenches drained; and
though the Battalion was very fortunate and suffered comparatively few
casualties, the numbers steadily dwindled as no drafts were forthcoming.
The enemy had very little artillery opposite this sector, and relied
mainly for his defence on minenwerfers which he used liberally and
skilfully, harassing the Battalion with an exceedingly heavy bombardment
about once a fortnight.
In August, the Commanding Officer left the Regiment and the command was
taken over by Lieutenant-Colonel Manger. The following month the Battalion
was taken out of the line for a rest, and was billeted in the village of
Febvin Palfart. Here it remained for a month reorganising and practising
the attack, special attention being paid to the method of taking "pill
boxes" by encirclement.
In October the "Second Ninth" set out for the Ypres salient, and on
arriving at Proven was accommodated in tents. There it was told that the
Division was about to take part in an attack on Passchendaele, but the
weather conditions were so bad that, after an attack by one of the other
brigades in the Division, the offensive was finally abandoned. The
Battalion then held the shell crater line in front of Langemarck for a few
days at the beginning of November, sustaining a considerable number of
casualties. The Division was then withdrawn and the Battalion was put
into rest billets at Nielles. After about a month spent there in
re-organisation and training for the attack, it moved up to Emile Camp,
just outside Elverdinghe. The weather was bitterly cold and the ground
frozen hard. On Christmas Day the Battalion went into the shell crater
line at Poelcappelle, and spent four days there. The weather conditions
were very severe, snow had fallen, the ground was wet and the machine gun
fire very active. The first week in January the Regiment was once again in
its original sector at Armentières. Here things were comparatively quiet,
though the trenches were in a very bad condition, and the danger of trench
feet was considerable. The Battalion carried out a very successful raid on
the 1st February. Several patrols had been sent out to locate the best
place of entry into the enemy line. After an intense bombardment on the
selected spot, a party was able to enter and secure a few prisoners. This
was the most successful raid the Division had accomplished.
The remnants of the first Battalion left Lisbourg for Steenwerck, where
they spent a few days awaiting the return of the second Battalion from the
trenches. The two units met at Waterlands Camp outside Armentières, and
were united to form one battalion. The union, though imperative, was
distasteful to some, as many officers and non-commissioned officers had to
relinquish acting ranks which they had held for some time, and it perhaps
gave rise to some jealousy which fortunately disappeared in time.
After a few days spent at Waterlands, the Battalion moved into support at
Erquinghem, with one company in the Lunatic Asylum at Armentières, and
after a short stay it did one tour in the line near Houplines, and then
went to Estaires, where it was in support to the Portuguese Army.
This was then a quiet country town in which the shops were still open, and
incidentally doing a very good trade, and it had suffered little from the
effects of artillery. During the next three months it was to be reduced to
ruins. The Battalion was accommodated in a Nissen hut camp just outside
the town, where the company commanders had an opportunity of completing
the re-organisation of their companies.
On the 13th March the non-commissioned officers celebrated the anniversary
of the Battalion's first arrival in France by arranging a kind of concert
in one of the estaminets in Estaires. This was the last occasion before
the Armistice on which such a celebration took place, and it has developed
into an annual reunion of the senior non-commissioned officers.
Towards the end of the month the Battalion left Estaires for the
Armentières front, and on the 21st March Ludendorff's advance commenced on
the 5th Army front, at which time the Battalion was in line in the
Fleurbaix sector. Ten days later the unit was relieved and marched to
Estaires, where it arrived on the morning of the 1st April. Leaving this
town later in the day, it made Haverskerque that night, left there the
next day for Steenwerck, and entrained for Doullens. Detraining at
Doullens at 1 a.m. on the 3rd, the Battalion proceeded by night march to
Sus St. Leger. The night was dark and the roads were in bad condition and
a few men fell out, but on the whole, the march discipline was good. On
the 5th the Battalion moved to Warluzel, where it remained for three days
and then proceeded to Thièvres, staying there four days. These moves
meant a great strain on everyone. To march in full pack on bad roads with
motor lorries splashing mud, day after day, is an ordeal. In each village
a fresh start had to be made. Billets had to be found and allotted, fire
orders put up and billet guards mounted. Latrines and cook-houses had to
be improvised, and the usual foot inspections were made. Besides this the
usual routine returns had to be rendered to people that sat in comfortable
offices, and the men had to do ration fatigues and guards. Though the
difficulties of the companies were great, the difficulties of the
Quartermaster's department and that of the Transport Officer were much
greater. The Quartermaster had not enough room to take the stores he
wished, and the Transport Officer had as much as he could do to carry all
the stores there were.
On the 12th a move was made to Sombrin, and the next day the Battalion
left Sombrin late in the afternoon for an unknown destination. Even the
Colonel did not know, and there was a vague rumour that the Brigade staff
were to look after the unit. The men marched over bad roads and in the
dark, and ultimately they were turned into a wood and told there were no
billets, and they could bivouac for the night. Officers and men lay down
on the damp earth where they were and slept. Fortunately it did not rain.
A few tents came up very late, and in the darkness they could not be
pitched, but they were spread out and thrown over the men as they lay
sleeping on the ground. Fires could not be lighted as the enemy aeroplanes
would have used them as aiming marks. In the morning the Battalion on
awaking found it was just outside Pas, in what was called Beaucamp Ravine.
Here it remained for two days, and then moved to Hénu, where the men
pitched a camp in a field, and there the Battalion remained for a little
over a fortnight. But it was no rest camp. The weather was very bad and
the ground became wet and sodden. Every alternate day large working
parties, which consumed almost all the available men, were detailed for
work on the rear lines of defence, that were being hastily constructed, in
view of the imminence of a fresh enemy offensive. On the intervening days
training took place. There was a thirty yards' range in a ravine just in
the rear of the camp, where some very interesting competitions took place.
Rifle sections were pitted against Lewis gun sections and it was found
that, in some platoons a rifle section of eight men was able to get as
many shots on the target as the Lewis gun, and it was noticed incidentally
that after two hundred rounds the Lewis gun became far too hot to handle.
It was a much over-rated weapon, and was only effective in the hands of
highly trained men.
Several reconnaissances were made by the officers while at Hénu. The
forward area was visited again and again. Defence schemes were studied and
prepared, but these tended to become a little too complex, and had it been
necessary to put them into operation something would surely have gone
wrong.
The morale at this time was low. The extent of the losses on the 5th and
2nd Army fronts were known. The enemy was using British 60-pounder guns
against the area occupied by the Battalion, but as the enemy gunners did
not thoroughly understand how to set the fuses, the shells were all blind.
The Germans seemed to be able to advance whenever they wished, whereas the
British had miserably failed at Ypres the last year. The men were not in
very good fettle owing to the several recent marches, and the chance of
complete victory seemed to be remote. Nevertheless there were many who
kept cheerful and intended like game cocks to fight to the last.
The first week in May the Battalion went into line at Gommecourt. The
other two units in the Brigade were in the outpost line, and the 9th
King's was in close support in Gommecourt Park. It was accommodated in
what were formerly the front line enemy positions in 1916. It was an
education in military engineering to examine them. The trenches were deep
and wide, and there were traverses every few yards. They were revetted
with hurdles and planks of timber which were kept in position by iron
pickets, which were securely wired to anchor pickets driven sideways into
the walls of the trench. So well anchored were the revetments that in
spite of the continuous bombardments of the Somme Battle they were still
in position. The whole line was stellated with concrete machine-gun
emplacements, which gave a perfect command over the former British front
line trenches. Armoured look-out posts for sentries were at the top of all
the dugout stairs. The dugouts were deeply mined and well timbered, and
would provide shelter for a large garrison.
In front of the trenches was a dense wire entanglement at least twenty
yards broad, and although it had suffered much from artillery fire it was
still an obstacle which was only passable by infantry in certain places
where lanes had been made. Anyone who saw this entanglement did not wonder
why the British attack on the Somme on the 1st July, 1916, failed. Several
graves of the fallen could be seen here and there in the wire.
It was very interesting to walk through the Park. Despite the
bombardments it had undergone, the rides were clearly marked, and several
trees were still alive, including one or two fine copper beeches. Wild
hyacinths and other flowers were blooming in profusion, and a cuckoo, with
doubtful wisdom, persisted in remaining in its usual haunts.
While in this position the whole Battalion was engaged in reclaiming old
trenches, digging new ones, and putting the area in a position of defence
and establishing a central keep.
On the 11th May the enemy shelled Foncquevillers, a village immediately in
rear of the Battalion's position, with gas shells, most of which were
charged with mustard gas, and some of the gas being inhaled by the men of
the Battalion twenty-four casualties were sustained.
Three days later the Battalion took over the front line, the Headquarters
still remaining at Gommecourt, but in another part of the village. The
trenches were very wet, and reminded one of the Loos trenches in 1915. It
was a time of great patrol activity. No one was quite sure where the
Germans were and in what force. Daylight and night fighting patrols
constantly left the British lines, and almost invariably came across
parties of the enemy, but as the enemy was caged in by wire prisoners
could not be obtained.
In this sector the enemy had full observation of the village from
Rossignol Wood, and men from other units were in the habit of betraying
the location of dumps and headquarters by walking along the roads in
daylight instead of through the communication trenches. This enabled the
enemy to note ways of approach which he could shell after nightfall, and
so inflict casualties on working parties. To prevent this, two snipers
were told off to lie in the grass and fire above the head of anyone who
did not keep in the communication trenches. The scheme was efficacious;
the men respected the snipers more than the enemy, and little trouble was
given afterwards by the casual visitor to the sector.
One fine morning the enemy elected to shell Battalion headquarters, to the
great amusement of the companies in the front line. Two out of the three
mine entrances to the dugout occupied by the headquarter's personnel
received direct hits and were blocked. The Second in Command then had the
unpleasant duty of crawling out of the third entrance to see if all was
well. Fortunately nothing untoward had taken place except three slight
casualties.
On relief two companies went to the Chateau de la Haie, and the two other
companies and Headquarters to Rossignol Farm, a large monastic farm of
considerable age. There was an enormous byre partitioned off into several
pig styes, and this was allotted to the officers, one pig stye for each
officer. The War Diary for the next three weeks gives an interesting and
accurate account of what took place, so the following extract is
included:--
May 24th.--Battalion headquarters moved up to Chateau de la
Haie, and Lieutenant-Colonel F.W.M. Drew, D.S.O., being in
need of a rest, was evacuated sick, and Major S.C. Ball, M.C.,
assumed command. While at this Chateau, Battalion headquarters
had the pleasure of being closely associated with the
headquarters of the 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers; and
it is interesting to record that this was not the first time
that the Battalion had the honour of working in conjunction
with this illustrious regiment. Many members of the Battalion
could clearly remember how the 9th had the honour of relieving
the 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers, elements of which were
incorporated in the 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers, after the
Battle of Loos, in the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 1st
Division.
May 25th.--BEER TRENCH.--The Battalion relieved the 1st
Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers in Beer Trench, where "A"
and "D" Companies and the Lewis gunners of "B" were
accommodated. "B" and "C" Companies remained in the Chateau de
la Haie Switch. There was heavy shelling in "A" Company's area
during the evening, but no casualties were sustained. The
Battalion came tactically under the orders of the 170th
Infantry Brigade while in Beer Trench.
May 26th.--Gas shells known as yellow cross shells, were fired
over "A" Company's sector in the early morning. The men
quickly adjusted their masks, and no casualties were
sustained. The rest of the day passed quietly.
May 27th to 29th.--These days were fairly quiet.
May 29th.--RUM TRENCH.--The Battalion relieved the 2-4th Loyal
North Lancashire Regiment and occupied the reserve position in
the Left Brigade Sector. "B" Company and Headquarters were in
Gommecourt Wood. "A" Company was in the centre with posts in
Gommecourt Trench, and "C" Company was on the left flank in
Pigeon Wood. "D" Company was in reserve with orders to man a
strong point, known as Julius Point, in case of an attack.
Opportunity was afforded of studying the solidarity of the
enemy forms of revetment, their fortified sentry boxes,
observation posts, and the thoroughness of the mined dugouts,
several of which were occupied by the Battalion.
May 30th--31st.--These days were spent in comparative
quietness, and the Battalion furnished several working
parties. There was abnormal sickness during this tour in the
trenches, due in all probability to the effects of gas.
June 1st.--GOMMECOURT.--The Battalion was in reserve to the
Brigade in the Left Brigade Sector at Gommecourt with
Headquarters in the old German support line, north of
Gommecourt Wood, which was renamed Rum Support. The companies
were disposed from right to left in order, "B," "A" and "C" in
Gommecourt Trench and Gommecourt Support. "D" Company was in
reserve. The companies were housed in mined dugouts made by
the enemy, and again evidence of the industry of the Germans
was seen in the mined dugouts, armoured sentry boxes,
substantial revetments and belts of wire entanglements.
At morning "stand to," the enemy put down a barrage on the
Divisional Front. The S.O.S. went up in several places and our
artillery--some of which was immediately in rear--opened with
rapid fire. It transpired later that the enemy raided the
Right Brigade sector without success. The usual working
parties were provided in the evening.
June 2nd.--The IV. Corps Commander visited the Battalion's
sector. The Battalion did considerable work in its own sector
digging rifle slits, and making baby elephant dugouts, besides
providing the Royal Engineers with the usual working parties.
June 3rd.--The day passed in comparative tranquillity. Owing
to the good weather prevailing at this period our observers
were able to observe well behind the enemy lines. Occasionally
they could see small bodies of the enemy moving about and
sometimes horses grazing.
June 4th.--The day was spent very quietly, and there is
nothing of interest to record.
June 5th.--The Brigadier commanding 172nd Infantry Brigade
visited the Battalion and expressed his appreciation of the
wiring done at Salmon Trench. Visibility was very good in the
evening, and several parties of Germans were again seen.
June 6th.--The enemy opened a harassing fire on Battalion
headquarters with 77 m.m. guns and 10.5 c.m. howitzers, firing
with occasional short intervals until 3 p.m.
June 7th.--The day was spent very quietly and there is nothing
of interest to relate.
June 7th--8th.--The Battalion relieved the 2-4th Battalion
South Lancashire Regiment in the left section of the Left
Brigade Front. Companies were disposed as follows:--Left front
company, "A." Centre company, "D." Right front company, "C."
Reserve company, "B." Battalion headquarters were established
in Salmon Trench in the vicinity of a locality known as Salmon
Point.
June 9th.--IN THE LINE.--The enemy displayed more than usual
activity. The Brigadier General visited the sector.
June 10th.--Some rain fell during the day. The enemy displayed
his usual artillery activity. Two enemy aeroplanes, one of
which was a Halberstadter, flew over the Battalion area at a
low altitude for some time.
June 11th.--The day was fairly quiet, our forward posts in
front of Rossignol Wood were troubled by our own artillery
which persistently fired short.
June 12th.--The enemy was noticeably quieter.
June 13th.--The Duke of Marlborough and Mr. Winston Churchill
visited the Battalion sector, accompanied by the Divisional
Commander.
June 14th.--Artillery activity at night has quietened
considerably. Our gunners still continued to harass the enemy
with an occasional _rafale_ from their field guns.
The Battalion found a wiring party to assist the 2-4th
Battalion South Lancashire Regiment to wire Biez Wood. The
Brigadier General visited the sector.
June 14th--15th.--The Battalion was relieved by the 2-6th
Battalion Liverpool Regiment. During the relief the enemy
artillery was very active.
June 15th.--ROSSIGNOL FARM.--On relief the Battalion was
disposed as follows:--"A" and "D" Companies at Chateau de la
Haie; "B" and "C" Companies and Battalion headquarters at
Rossignol Farm.
* * * * *
In May and June the Gommecourt sector was active, and the artillery fire
on both sides was severe. The enemy employed a shell with an instantaneous
fuse called the E.K.Z. fuse, which functioned before the shell buried
itself and so gave the shell a very great splinter effect. It was usual
for the enemy to fire on cross roads and similar targets in salvoes of
four. The British artillery replied and kept up a lively fire most of the
time, and it appeared to have the ascendency. Gas shells were frequently
used on both sides.
Early in July the Battalion came out to rest at Authie, where it was
accommodated under canvas. Here it was that Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Henry
Seymour, D.S.O., of the Grenadier Guards, took command. Training for the
attack took place in some cornfields near to the camp, and particular
attention was paid to the keeping of direction in the advance, the
tactical employment of Lewis guns and the envelopment of machine gun
nests. The fighting had become more open this year than it had been in
1917, and consequently the men had to be kept up to date. To consolidate a
position the men were taught to form platoon strong points with the flanks
refused or bent back so as to be able to meet an attack from any
direction. Unfortunately the corn crops were spoilt by the training of the
troops.
While at Authie, sports took place, and in the Brigade sports the
Battalion secured seven first, eight second, and one third prize. The Army
Rifle Competitions took place here, and No. 6 platoon of "B" Company won
the eliminating competition in the Brigade, but unfortunately failed to
win the Divisional competition.
Then followed a period of meanderings which lasted for a month, and which
at the time were difficult to understand. On the 29th July the Battalion
left Authie and marched to billets at Warluzel by the following route:
Pas, Grincourt, and Couterelle. The march was rather severe as the weather
was very hot, and it needed the greatest firmness on the part of the
officers to prevent the men from falling out. The next day the Battalion
paraded at 6-15 a.m., and marched to Agnez-les-Duisans _via_ Hermaville,
where it arrived in the afternoon.
In the evening of the following day the Battalion paraded and marched to
Arras, entering the city by the Baudimont Gate, and the men were billeted
for the night in the Spanish houses in the Grande Place. In the evening of
the next day the Battalion paraded in the Square and marched to Wakefield
Camp by Roclincourt. While in Arras the troops found an old hat shop and
great amusement was caused by the soldiers arraying themselves in ladies'
hats, which gave them a very strange appearance. A tall silk hat very much
out of fashion was reserved for the officers, which they tried on in turn.
A week or so was spent in training at Roclincourt, and on the 9th the
Battalion took over the outpost zone in the Gavrelle-Fampoux sector. The
companies were taken up to the forward area by a light railway, and this
was the only occasion on which the Battalion was taken to the forward area
in such a manner.
The positions occupied gave a good view over the enemy hinterland. From
the Battalion headquarters at the Point du Jour, factory chimneys could be
seen smoking in several villages behind the German line, and the clock on
Douai Church was clearly visible. Occasionally a train was seen moving,
and now and then a party of Germans was observed. Behind the British line
lay the rolling Artois country which was fundamentally agricultural, and
in front there loomed in the distance an industrial manufacturing
district, which seemed a far-off civilization in contrast to the
devastation behind. It was a time of great aeriel activity on both sides.
Battles were fought at high altitudes, of which one was scarcely conscious
except when one of the combatant machines fell headlong to earth. As a
means of self protection Lewis guns were placed on aeriel mountings, and a
sharp look out was kept for any daring Halberstadter that should venture
too low. The weather at the time was fine, and the tour was regarded as
one of the easiest the men had been called upon to do.
On the 17th August the Battalion was relieved just before midnight, and
marched to Anzin, where it arrived at 4-30 a.m. the next morning, and the
men had breakfast. Later it entrained for Bailleul-aux-Cornailles, where
four days were spent. On the 21st an order was received about 10 p.m.,
(after the men had bedded down) to move at once. The move was quite
unexpected as everyone believed the Battalion was to stay in the village
for several days longer. Kits were hastily packed in the darkness, and in
an hour the Battalion was ready to move. Fosseux was reached in the early
morning, breakfast taken, and the men rested until 1 p.m. In the evening
another sudden message ordered a night march to Boucquemaison, which was
reached early on the 23rd, and the men rested during the day time, paraded
at nightfall and marched to Barly.
These marches were perhaps rather fatiguing, but as they took place at
night and the weather was very pleasant, they were not as bad as they
might have been. The march discipline was excellent and scarcely any men
fell out. The companies as day was breaking presented nevertheless a
worn-out appearance. The men were dusty and tired out as they trudged in
the mist of the morning, with the field kitchen and Lewis gun cart in the
rear. The cooks were doing their best to get the fire lighted to boil the
water for breakfast. The pack animals seemed to wonder what necessity
there could be for all this marching, and the company charger, generally a
very dejected jade, feeling as proud of his position as his mean station
in the equine world would permit, persistently refused to keep his proper
position when a halt was called.
It was during the march to Barly that the men were told, during a halt at
midnight, that victory was certain, and that Marshal Foch had ordered
everyone to advance. This news instantly raised the _morale_ of every one,
and the rest of the journey seemed more pleasant than usual.
THE SECOND BATTLE OF ARRAS.
A day's halt took place at Barly, where the surplus personnel was left
while the fighting men left for Bellacourt. The next day the Battalion
left and, passing _en route_ Ficheux and Blaireville, the villages in
front of which it had spent so many weary months in 1916, arrived at
Mercatel.
On the 27th August the Battalion proceeded, dressed in fighting order, to
the Hindenburg Line, _via_ Henin, and took over trenches in V. 7.c. On the
28th a warning order was received at 6 a.m. that the Battalion would
attack that day. Operation orders followed later. The two leading
companies were to assemble at Humber Redoubt and Mole Lane, and the other
two companies in the rear. The first objective assigned to the Battalion
was Hoop Lane and the second the village of Riencourt. Flanks were given
and zero was fixed for 12-30 p.m.
It was fortunate that a warning order had been given as otherwise the
companies would not have been in position in time. At 12-30 p.m. the
barrage came down and the men commenced to move forward. The going at
first was not easy, owing to the wire and numerous shell holes. Shortly
after zero the contact aeroplane unfortunately received a direct hit by a
shell and crashed to earth. Very heavy machine gun fire was directed
against the leading companies from Copse Trench, which brought about many
casualties. Fag Alley was reached and in its vicinity several machine guns
were captured, and the teams either killed or taken prisoners. From this
point to the first objective the resistance was not so strong, and on
reaching it red flares were lit.
About 1-50 p.m. the Battalion continued the advance from the first
objective, and swung left in the direction of the village of Hendicourt.
The resistance became stronger. The enemy was using his machine guns
boldly. Some of these were outflanked and captured with a few light
minenwerfers. About fifty prisoners, chiefly belonging to the 121st and
the 180th Infantry Regiments of the 26th Reserve Division were taken,
along with a few Uhlans. Eventually the fringe of Hendicourt was reached,
and several men entered the village. As it was reported that there were no
British troops on either side of the village it was decided on the spot to
withdraw to Cemetery Avenue temporarily. "D" Company was endeavouring to
get round the north side of the village but was held up by heavy machine
gun fire from Crow's Nest. Owing to this machine gun fire and to the fact
that the left flank of the Battalion was in the air, and that the British
artillery was shelling the village, it was decided to consolidate Cemetery
Trench. Meanwhile some enemy field gunners were firing at the British at
very close range. By this time the troops had got very mixed up, and it
was essential that the commanders on the spot should organise what men
they found near by. This was done and the Battalion remained in its
consolidated positions until the next day, when at noon it was withdrawn
to Copse Trench and afterwards to a bivouac area at Henin.
Unfortunately, Lord Henry Seymour was wounded on the 28th August and the
command then devolved upon Major Ball. There was a great deal of
re-organisation to be done. The surplus personnel rejoined. Lists of
casualties had to be prepared, ammunition, flares, Verey lights, and iron
rations had to be given out. New platoon rolls had to be made at once.
Lost Lewis guns and spare parts had to be made up, as well as possible. As
a temporary measure "A" and "C" Companies, now sadly depleted in numbers,
were united to form "X" Company, while "B" and "D" Companies formed "Y"
Company. This scheme was adopted so that the original companies and
platoons would not sink their identities in that of a sister company. This
re-organisation was completed, equipment made up, and all necessary stores
given out within twenty-four hours, and the Battalion was again ready for
action. The bivouac area was vacated at 4 p.m. on the 1st September, and
the Battalion went to the Hindenburg Line, where a few hours were spent.
It left the Hindenburg Line about 10-30 p.m. for Hendicourt. An
unfortunate circumstance, however, had taken place. The intelligence
section, which was to act as guides to take the companies to Hendicourt,
was annihilated by a shell, and as a consequence it was very difficult to
get there to time in view of the lack of guides. The Battalion was piloted
by the Adjutant over numerous broken-in trenches, while enemy aeroplanes
were disseminating bombs quite liberally.
Hendicourt was reached fifteen minutes before zero, which was at 5 a.m.
One company was then ordered to advance in the direction of Riencourt, the
fringe of which village it reached by advancing over the open under cover
of the barrage and, incidentally, encountering the German barrage.
On this day the famous Drocourt-Quéant Switch, the last and perhaps the
strongest line of resistance of the enemy, was completely broken. Months
had been spent on its preparation and in making concrete machine gun
emplacements and belts of barbed wire, and its fall in one day was
remarkable.
Later in the day the companies went forward over the ground captured by
the other units in the Brigade, and one or two patrols were sent out. The
following evening the Battalion was withdrawn to a bivouac area outside
Croisilles, which vicinity was shelled by a 350 m.m. Krupp gun. The
Battalion was reorganised on a four-company basis once more the next day.
On the 7th September the Battalion proceeded, _via_ Hendicourt and
Riencourt, to a reserve position by Cagnicourt, and on the 10th the
Battalion furnished two companies for manning the Buissy Switch in the
rear of Inchy-en-Artois. Battalion headquarters were situated in the
Hindenburg Line and the two forward companies were just on the fringe of
Inchy, and accommodated in what had lately been the headquarters of the
115th Feldartillerie Regiment. The dugout was cut into the side of the
road and consisted of several well-timbered rooms and there were about
four entrances. This dugout was so well fitted that it actually contained
a pump, to ensure an adequate supply of water for the garrison.
On the 11th September there was an attack by other units in the 57th
Division in conjunction with the Guards Division on the east side of Inchy
and Moeuvres, so as to secure the line of the Canal du Nord. The attack
was covered by an intense bombardment of the enemy front positions and
Bourlon Wood, and the advance of the infantry was covered by smoke.
Officers from the Battalion observed the attack from Buissy Switch to note
where lay the enemy barrage lines. The attack at Inchy was, unfortunately,
a failure.
On the 12th the Battalion took over the defence of Inchy. The right
company was located in Grabburg Post, and the left in a shell crater
position by the Agache Springs. The other two companies were in support.
The conditions were bad, and the men in front had to lie in their shell
craters all day. As these generally contained water, the men got very wet.
The village was incessantly shelled and periodically drenched with gas.
Even night brought no respite and the guns still disgorged their fatal
missiles. Some idea of the intensity of the shell fire may be gained from
the following incident.
"A" Company headquarters and one platoon were quartered in a long cellar
belonging to a factory. The cellar was divided into two compartments, and
of these only the one further from the entrance was occupied. While the
shelling was taking place the Company Commander was out interviewing the
Commanding Officer and, returning to his headquarters, he saw shell after
shell burst in the vicinity. When the intensity of the fire was somewhat
mitigated, he returned to company headquarters and there saw a shell had
entered and burst in the empty compartment. When he asked the men about it
they did not know what had happened, and they even had not noticed it amid
the several other shells that had burst close by.
While at Inchy the Battalion had the misfortune to lose its most popular
officer, who was killed while doing a daylight patrol in Pavilland Wood.
He had fought in the first Battle of Ypres in 1914 and had remained in
France until wounded in 1917. Though blind in one eye and deaf in one ear,
he insisted on returning to the battlefield after his wounds had healed.
His conduct stands out in sharp contrast to the thousands who were evading
service at home.
On the 16th September, the Battalion was relieved and marched by companies
to a bivouac area by Bullecourt. On arrival a thunderstorm took place. The
men were soon wet, the ground sodden, and the bivouac sheets caked with
mud. To this was added the fact that fires and lights were not permitted
on account of the enemy aeroplanes. The next day, however, was fine and
everyone quickly dried. Of the village scarcely a vestige remained. Here
and there the foundation of a wall was discernible in the mud. French
villages are usually well wooded, but of all the trees in Bullecourt there
was only one standing, and that had died from the effects of shell fire.
The Battalion marched off next day and entrained by Boyelles, and after a
short journey detrained at Beaumetz. Here the men saw once again the
village they knew so well in 1916. It seemed strange that trains were
running in the station now.
At Beaumetz the Battalion marched past some of its former billets to
Bailleulment. Here a few days were spent in resting and training, and on
the 25th September the Battalion marched to Beaumetz and by train and
route march proceeded to a bivouac area at Lagnicourt.
On the 27th September the Battalion took part in the advance. The men got
to the position of assembly in the Hindenburg Line and then passed through
Moeuvres, crossed the Canal du Nord and advanced in artillery formation
towards the southern corner of Bourlon Wood.
While coming over the crest just north of Anneux "A" Company came under
the direct fire of a 105 m.m. enemy gun, the detachment of which was
firing over open sights, and several casualties were sustained. The
Battalion was soon held up by machine gun fire, but it afterwards advanced
and took up a position between Anneux and Bourlon Wood. The 29th was spent
in re-organisation.
On the 30th the Battalion paraded, and an attempt was made to carry on the
attack. Unfortunately, the suburb of Proville had not been captured, as
had been originally supposed, and the attack could not proceed on account
of the heavy machine gun fire from the houses.
The Battalion was then withdrawn to La Folie Wood, where a few days were
spent in old German shelters. The enemy evidently knew that the wood was
occupied, for he persistently shelled it with his heavy batteries, and the
trees served to intensify the sound of the explosions. Several 18-pounder
guns and a battery of 8-inch howitzers were about a hundred yards or so in
rear of the Battalion's position; and when an attack by one of the other
units in the Division was in progress the noise was intense.
On the 5th October the Battalion took over the outpost zone at Proville,
with headquarters at La Marlière. At this time there were few troops on
the bridgehead east of the Canal de l'Escaut. The area was periodically
searched by the enemy heavy artillery, and the posts at Proville suffered
considerably from minenwerfer fire. On relief the Battalion returned to La
Folie Wood.
When Cambrai fell on the 9th October the Battalion left for the Cantaing
area and on the 11th moved to a bivouac area by Inchy. The next day it
marched to Hermies, and there entrained for Bethune, where it arrived next
day and marched to Douvrin.
It was now almost three years since the Battalion had been in the vicinity
of Bethune, but there were still some present who could remember how the
Battalion in the spring of 1915 had marched for the first time to the
trenches in front of this town. The next day the Battalion went by motor
lorries through Locon and other places the men had known so well in 1915
and, debussing near Laventie, the Battalion marched via Fromelles to Le
Maisnil en Weppes. Passing through what was formerly no man's land at
Laventie, the men were able to recognise the places they had held in the
trenches in the early part of the year.
LILLE.
Three days were spent at Le Maisnil, during which the seizure of Lille was
carefully studied by the officers and orders were given as to the mode of
procedure should the enemy evacuate the town. On the 17th October at 1-15
p.m. the Battalion paraded in fighting order and advanced to the
deliverance of the city. There was at this time a vague report that the
enemy had departed, but it was not known to what point the British troops
had then attained. There might have been troops between the Battalion and
the enemy, and there might not. Road mines and "booby" traps were to be
expected. The Battalion arrived at Haubourdin at 4 p.m., where there was a
halt for a meal. On reaching the suburbs of Lille advance guards had to be
sent out, as any point of vantage might have concealed an enemy machine
gun. The canal on the west of the city was reached about 5 o'clock. The
bridges had all been blown up, but the Pont de Canteleu, though broken in
two and half in the canal, afforded a means of crossing one at a time.
At this bridge the greatest excitement prevailed. Crowds of women were
singing the "Marseillaise." They surrounded the troops and could not be
prevented from kissing the soldiers. So great was the crowd that the
passage of the troops was impeded. Eventually the companies reached their
allotted stations and formed guards on the various gates to prevent all
egress. In this way the Battalion was the first infantry to reach the
city. Actually the first to enter was "D" Company.
Here was a city without civil administration. The late authorities had
been the Germans, and they had gone. There were no police and no post; the
streets were unlit and the trams had long since ceased to run; garbage was
deposited in the street and there putrified. There was a great shortage of
food. The shops were empty, hundreds had died of want, and the strength of
the inhabitants was very low.
For three days the Battalion remained on guard at the gates to prevent all
egress of the inhabitants, as there were some residents in the city that
the French authorities wished to arrest, and so it was necessary to
prevent their escape before the French police arrived. Out of the men not
actually on duty, a guard of honour was found to accompany M. Clemenceau
on his triumphal entry into the city on behalf of the French Republic. It
was an inspiring occasion, and the greatest enthusiasm prevailed. The
Battalion on the 21st marched through Lille, being met by "A" Company at
the Porte des Postes, to Ascq, where it stayed the night. The next day it
moved to Willems on the Belgian frontier.
TOURNAI.
On the 24th October the Battalion took over the outpost zone at Froyennes
by Tournai. This was a new kind of warfare. There were no trenches, no
enemy line and no clearly defined British line. Sentry groups were located
in houses, behind hedges and perhaps in a ditch on the side of the road.
Sentries kept a look-out from a skylight window or gap in the hedge.
Civilians were living in the same houses as the troops and some of these
appeared rather friendly towards the enemy. One woman actually wished to
take some washing to the Germans in Tournai. For the most part these
civilians were women, and the soldiers admired their wonderful courage.
Even though they were in the centre of the fighting they did not lose
heart and there was no panic.
In the right company area was situated a chateau which had formerly been
the headquarters of General von Quast, the commander of the Sixth German
Army. Company headquarters were in the next chateau, the Chateau de
Froyennes, belonging to the Germiny family, and the then occupier,
Mademoiselle Thérèse de Germiny, who had remained, lent her boat to the
Company, and several men were able to row on the ornamental lake which was
situated at the side of the chateau in a beautiful park. One platoon was
quartered in a restaurant which had a beautiful and rustic garden, though
it was too near the enemy for the men to really enjoy the comfort it
afforded. Another platoon found in a laundry a number of clean white
shirts which the men readily donned.
Though the Germans had been defeated, they still continued to indulge in
a lavish expenditure of ammunition. Probably they were firing so as to use
up their remaining shells before evacuating. Day after day the park
belonging to the Froyennes Chateau was searched by all manner of shell. So
intense was the fire that it reminded one of the terrible moments of the
Somme Battle. The Hospital or Convent in which one of the companies was
located was subjected to incessant minenwerfer fire.
It is interesting to record that "A" Company elected to do the full tour
of four days in the front position with the intention of spending all the
next tour in support, an eventuality which did not take place as the
Armistice intervened.
Coming out from Froyennes the Battalion was shelled on the road. Little
did anyone think that night that the Battalion had finished with shell
fire. For the men the war was over. Their last time in action was passed.
Among those that trudged wearily out of action that night were a few who
had landed at Le Havre with the Regiment more than three and a half years
before. Though they did not realise it until much later these men were the
lucky ones who were to survive the war.
The Battalion marched to Cornet and the next day to Hellemmes, outside
Lille, for a period of rest. Here the men were quartered in a cotton
spinning factory, the machinery of which was all utterly destroyed, and
every man had his own bunk. The officers were billeted in private houses
in the vicinity. While on parade on the morning of the 11th November it
was announced to the men that the Armistice had been signed. The news of
the cessation of hostilities was received by the soldiers without any
manifestation of the joy or excitement that marked the occasion at home.
The parade continued and the rest of the day was spent quite as usual. The
news for which the men had waited so long seemed when it came to be almost
too good to be true.
Some there were--savages by nature--who were not altogether glad. They had
been taught to kill, and they wanted to kill. They thought the Germans had
not been punished enough for their crimes and atrocities, and that the
enemy country ought to suffer the same devastation as France. In the main,
however, the men were glad that the war was virtually over. They would
soon be able to return to their homes and live with their loved ones
again. On the night of the 13th the reality of the terms of the Armistice
was evidenced by the returning British prisoners of war from the German
lines. A picquet was posted on the main road outside Battalion
headquarters, and on arrival returning prisoners were escorted to a billet
which was prepared for them. Fires were burning in the billet, and all of
the late prisoners were supplied with a bed. A hot meal, tea and a rum
ration were served to them as they arrived. By midnight about eighty had
come through. The majority of them arrived in an exhausted condition,
having marched between forty and fifty kilometres. Many were the stirring
and pitiful stories recounted by these unfortunate fellows of the harsh
treatment which they had received during their period of captivity. The
ensuing days of the month were spent at Hellemmes under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson for a few days, and afterwards
Lieutenant-Colonel M.E. Makgill-Crichton-Maitland, D.S.O., of the
Grenadier Guards, took command.
Training as usual was continued as it was not realised at the time that
the fighting was finished. The parades took place in the vicinity of Fort
Macmahon, which had been used by the Germans as quarters for prisoners of
war. The conditions inside the fort were terrible and constituted strong
evidence of the sufferings the prisoners of war must have endured. In view
of the imminence of demobilisation, education classes were started, and
much good work was done in this direction. In the evenings concerts and
parties took place, and friendships soon sprang up between the soldiers
and the Lilloises.
ARRAS.
It was soon decided that the Army was to be used for salvage work on the
devastated area, and accordingly orders came for a move to the Arras area.
On the 3rd December the Battalion left Lille, and after a march of roughly
15 miles it reached Carvin and spent the night in some German ammunition
huts in a wood. The next day the Battalion passed through Lens, and one
was surprised to see how near the Highlanders must have got to the town at
the Battle of Loos. After leaving Lens the Battalion marched right through
the centre of the district in which the Vimy Ridge Battles had taken
place. The whole region was now desolate and deserted. After a march of
twenty-one miles three of the companies marched to their billets at Etrun
without the loss of a single man. This was a striking example of the
efficiency of the Battalion and the standard of its march discipline.
A few days were spent in billets at Etrun and then the Battalion moved to
a Nissen hut camp a short distance away at Maroeuil. Twelve months ago the
Battalion had spent a night at the camp on its way to Lisbourg. The camp
had been empty for some months and was in a bad condition, so that a
great deal had to be done to make the huts habitable. Beds and tables had
to be constructed, cook houses established and ovens built. Duckboard
tracks had to be laid as the ground was muddy. In this work the men were
assisted by some German prisoners who worked very well and thoroughly. No
enmity was evinced by the men, who would give the prisoners food if not
watched. So soon had the British soldiers forgotten their hatred of the
Germans. The Battalion was given a large area to clear and every day large
parties were engaged on salvage work. The afternoons were devoted to games
and some very keen football matches took place.
Christmas time was an occasion for great rejoicing. A competition for the
best decorated dining hut was held. Materials were not easily available
and the ingenuity of the officers was taxed to the utmost. One company
commander had a scenic artist among his men and he managed to secure an
ample supply of paint. Others telegraphed to England for table decorations
and some things could be bought in Arras. One sergeant-major borrowed bed
sheets from some lady friend and these served as table cloths. The dining
huts were consequently well decorated and comfortable, and eventually "B"
Company secured the prize. Christmas Day was one of feasting. A cross
country run the next day, in which all from Commanding Officer downward,
took part wore off any evil effect.
Early in January a "Colour Party" left for Liverpool, where it received
the colours of the Regiment from the Lord Mayor on the 7th January, and
later brought them to the Battalion.
Demobilisation commenced in January, and by the end of February the
disintegration of the Battalion was proceeding rapidly. The numbers
dwindled so steadily that at length parades ceased. Men who had served
and lived together for so long were parting and might perhaps never see
each other again. Friendships of months' standing were now to come to an
end. No bugle would ever call these men together again. They were each to
return to their civilian life once more, and there seek their several
fortunes.
The members of the Battalion took different paths. A large contingent
ultimately made its way to Egypt as part of the garrison there. Others,
members of the cadre, came home with the Colours in June and were received
with due honour by the Lord Mayor. One or two isolated members crept up to
the Rhine Army, where they had the pleasure of seeing the result of their
comrades' work, and the Germans dejected and defeated. It was indeed
gratifying to see British soldiers quartered in Bonn University, that home
of "kultur" where the late Kaiser Wilhelm was educated. A reunion took
place in St. George's Hall on the 30th May, 1919. Afterwards the Battalion
ceased to exist as infantry, as the War Office changed it to a Battalion
of Royal Engineers called the 2nd Battalion West Lancashire Divisional
Royal Engineers, to which several of the officers transferred.
The work of the Battalion is done. By the bravery and industry of the
officers and men, by the soldierly spirit with which all were imbued, by
the discipline and good comradeship which kept all together working in
harmonious union, the Battalion earned for itself a high reputation for
efficiency in every direction. The work it was given to do has been done
in a cheerful and thorough manner, and let there be inscribed, with due
honour, upon the list of the illustrious regiments which have deserved
well of their country, the name of the 9th Battalion of The King's
(Liverpool Regiment) Territorial Force.
APPENDIX.
_List of Decorations earned by officers and men while serving with the
Battalion._
A BAR TO THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER.
Lieutenant-Colonel LORD H.C. SEYMOUR.
THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER AND THE MILITARY CROSS.
Captain R.C. WILDE.
THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER.
Major-General F.W. RAMSAY
Lieutenant-Colonel H.K.S. WOODHOUSE
Lieutenant-Colonel F.W.M. DREW
Major F.S. EVANS
Major J. MAHONY, R.A.M.C.
THE MILITARY CROSS AND A BAR.
Captain E.H.G. ROBERTS
Captain C.G.R. HILL
Lieutenant S.H. RANDALL
Lieutenant A.O. WARDE
THE MILITARY CROSS.
Major J.W.B. HUNT
Major P.G.A. LEDERER
Captain S.T.J. PERRY
Captain E.L. MACKENZIE, R.A.M.C.
Captain W. RAINE
Captain A.G. WARDE
Captain E. PAYNE
Captain L.L.S. RICHER
Captain L.S. ELTON
Captain F. ATKINSON
Captain G.F. BUCKLE
Captain C.B. JOHNSON
Lieutenant R. DARLING
Lieutenant G.E. MORTON
Lieutenant A.C. SHEPHERD
Lieutenant F.E. BOUNDY
Lieutenant R.C.H. ELLAM
Lieutenant A.M. ADAMS
Lieutenant W.L. GELDERD
Lieutenant W.G. HARRISON, R.A.M.C.
Lieutenant W.J. LUNNON
Lieutenant L.T. LOCAN
Lieutenant A. ROE
Lieutenant W. DAVENPORT
Lieutenant A.T. BARKER
Lieutenant C. STENT
Lieutenant E.H. MAXWELL
Regimental Sergeant-Major F.W. MILLER
Regimental Sergeant-Major D. ROBERTS
Company Sergeant-Major F.E. ASH
THE DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL, MILITARY MEDAL AND A BAR.
Sergeant W. GRIFFITHS.
THE DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL AND THE MILITARY MEDAL.
Company Sergeant-Major J. MCCARTEN
Sergeant H. WILLIAMS
Sergeant H. CHISNALL
Sergeant J.S. MORGAN
THE DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL.
Company Sergeant-Major P. BYRNE
Company Sergeant-Major J. OWENS
Company Sergeant-Major T. BRAMMER
Sergeant R. WILLIAMS
Sergeant A. BENNET
Sergeant J. MIDGHALL
Lance-Sergeant J.W. HEAP
Private W. SMITH
Private F. FOWLER
THE MILITARY MEDAL AND A BAR.
Sergeant R.D. WALKER
Sergeant L.L. DELMAS
Sergeant L. BENTLEY (D.C.M. with 4th Kings)
THE MILITARY MEDAL.
Company Sergeant-Major MEADOWS
Sergeant GILMARTIN
Sergeant P.J. HALL
Sergeant E. JONES
Sergeant MCCARTHY
Sergeant SHAW
Sergeant W.T. POPE
Sergeant R. LEE
Sergeant C. MADDEN
Sergeant STAPLETON
Sergeant MCNIFFE
Sergeant T. BALL
Lance-Sergeant PENNINGTON
Lance-Sergeant B. MADDEN
Lance-Sergeant W. MAWER
Corporal WINROW
Corporal E. HYLAND
Corporal H. READ
Corporal W. GRIFFIN
Corporal BROWN, R.A.M.C.
Corporal J. CLARKE
Corporal LEATHER
Corporal L. JONES
Corporal J. CORLESS
Corporal A. SALMON
Corporal W.H. COCKAYNE
Corporal J.R. SERVICE
Lance-Corporal A. HILTON
Lance-Corporal H. COOPER
Lance-Corporal H. JOHNSTONE
Lance-Corporal A. OTTY
Lance-Corporal SHIELDS
Lance-Corporal MARCHBANK
Lance-Corporal LEWIS
Lance-Corporal WESTWOOD
Lance-Corporal RAINFORD
Lance-Corporal H. MONTGOMERIE
Lance-Corporal T. GILL
Lance-Corporal J. TAYLOR
Lance-Corporal W. SALMON
Private W. WILLIAMS
Private A. TURNBULL
Private W. HANKEY
Private R. NAPIER
Private W. TYLDESLEY
Private W.W. OSWALD
Private T.W. MEERS
Private T.V. ANDERSON
Private T. BUXTON
Private J. DILWORTH
Private J. HANNA
Private W. HOPLEY
Private T. LLOYD
Private W. BLEASDALE
Private FOULKES
Private MORRIS
Private SHALLCROSS
Private ENTWISTLE
Private MCDONALD
Private WALKER
Private BROUGH
Private E.O. PARRY
Private MOTTRAM
Private T. HUGHES
Private H. WALMESLEY
Private MULLARD
Private T. HARRISON
Private F. LAMB
Private G. CLUES
Private J. JALLIMORE
Private W. BOYD
Private C.L. ALLEN
Private J. STURDY
Private J. PETRIE
Private W. BECKWITH
Private R. YATES
Private C. MOSLEY
Private J.C. HOWES
Private H. BAILLIE
Private A. ROWLANDS
Private R. HALL
Private E. HIGGINBOTTOM
Private H. LAWRENSON
Private F.C. MULVEY
Private A.E. PEARCE
Private A. COPPACH
Private T. GROOM
Private C.H. HOOPER
Private A. MARSH
Private J. TYSON
THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL.
Regimental Quarter-Master-Sergeant A.J. FORD
Regimental Quarter-Master-Sergeant W. O'BRIEN
Company Quarter-Master-Sergeant A. JONES
Sergeant W.G. EDINGTON
Sergeant T. MUNCASTER
Sergeant GRAHAM
Sergeant CONOLLY
Sergeant H. KENNISTON
Lance-Corporal R. GRAYSON
FRENCH DECORATION. MEDAILLE MILITAIRE.
Company Sergeant-Major P. BYRNE
BELGIAN DECORATION. CROIX DE GUERRE.
Corporal H. READ
RUSSIAN DECORATION. CROSS OF SAINT GEORGE.
Sergeant H. CHISNALL
MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES.
Major-General F.W. RAMSAY, D.S.O.
Lieutenant-COLONEL LORD H.C. SEYMOUR, D.S.O.
Lieutenant-COLONEL F.W.M. DREW, D.S.O.
Lieutenant-COLONEL H.K.S. WOODHOUSE, D.S.O.
Lieutenant-COLONEL C.G. BRADLEY, D.S.O.
Major J.W.B. HUNT, M.C.
Major F.S. EVANS, D.S.O.
Major S.C. BALL, M.C.
Major J. MAHONY, D.S.O., R.A.M.C.
Major P.G.A. LEDERER, M.C.
Major N.L. WATTS
Major A.W. FULTON
Captain B.W. HOWROYD
Captain J.H. HALLIWELL
Captain D.H.D. WOODERSON, R.A.M.C.
Captain H.H. COVELL
Captain E.D.H. STOCKER
Captain W.R. PERRY
Captain R.C. WILDE, D.S.O., M.C.
Captain E. ASHTON
Captain C.B. JOHNSON, M.C.
Captain A.G. WARDE, M.C.
Second-Lieutenant C. NOTT
Regimental Sergeant-Major F.W. MILLER, M.C.
Regimental Quarter-Master-Sergeant A.J. FORD
Company Sergeant-Major J.C. WARD
Company Sergeant-Major J. OWENS, D.C.M.
Company Sergeant-Major R. GRAYSON
Company Sergeant-Major J.J. SNAITH
Company Quarter-Master-Sergeant A. JONES
Company Quarter-Master-Sergeant J. MEADOWS
Sergeant J.E. SMITH
Sergeant T. BALL, M.M.
Corporal R.L. ROBERTS
Lance-Corporal E. MOSS
Private W.J. HANNA
Private A. BOWYER
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