THE CHARGE OF THE ULSTER DIVISION.
ULSTER'S SACRIFICE.
Ah! fair July of tear and sigh
Sad was the news you brought
To many an ancient noble Hall,
And humble peasants' cot,
Within our old courageous land
Of honour, truth and worth
Grave Ulster of the Iron Will,
Proud Province of the North.
H. G. Gallagher.
The following account of the great battle is taken from different
stories and official accounts given by Officers and men who came
through that memorable day. It has been censored by several Commanding
Officers in the Division, who ascertain to the correctness of it in
detail. In a letter received by General Sir George Richardson, K.C.B.,
commanding the Ulster Volunteer Force, from General Nugent, commanding
the Ulster Division, the following passages occur:--
"Before you get this we shall have put the value of the Ulster Division
to the supreme test. I have no fear of the result. I am certain no
General in the Army out here has a finer Division, fitter or keener. I
am certain they will be magnificent in attack, and we could hardly have
a date better calculated to inspire national traditions amongst our men
of the North.[2] It makes me very sad to think what the price may be,
but I am quite sure the Officers and men reck nothing of that."
[Illustration: Map showing the Lines of Advance taken by Ulster
Division, July, 1st, 1916.]
Our Divisional line on the right ran through Moy and Crucifix (see
map), and on the left from "Mary Redan" on the other side of the
river. The 109th Brigade held the line on the extreme right, 9th
Inniskilling Fusiliers, and 10th Inniskilling Fusiliers in front,
with 11th Inniskilling Fusiliers and 14th Royal Irish Rifles behind.
Of the 108th Brigade, our Battalion was on the right nearest the 10th
Inniskilling Fusiliers, then came 13th Royal Irish Rifles with 9th
Royal Irish Fusiliers and the 12th Royal Irish Rifles on the extreme
left. Our Battalion formed "B" and "A" Companies in front, with "D"
and "C" Companies in support, "C" supporting "A" on the right, "D"
supporting "B" on the left. Our object was the line marked "Omagh"
"Strabane." "C" Company was to consolidate "Omagh" and "A" Company
"Strabane." "D" and "B" Companies commanded by Captain Webb and Captain
Craig, "Strabane" and "Enniskillen". That was as far as we had to
go, which meant consolidating the 3rd German line running through
"Coleraine," "Portadown," "Enniskillen," "Strabane," "Omagh." The 107th
Brigade were in support behind the 108th, and we were supported by the
15th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. The object of the 107th Brigade was
then to pass through to the 4th German line, "Portrush," "Bundoran,"
"Derry," and consolidate it. This was as far as the Division was to
go. We were to be relieved by the 49th Division when we had "done our
bit." After an intense bombardment the great day of battle broke in
"sunshine and mist" the mist almost obscuring the brilliant sunshine
as the morning advanced. The previous night had been passed quietly
in the trenches, the enemy submitting in silence to the terrific gun
fire. The German lines were pulverised, shells being discharged at the
rate of 140 rounds of shell per minute. In spite of this their dug-outs
mostly remained uninjured. For half-an-hour it seemed as if the guns
had gathered themselves together for one grand final effort before
the British lines should be let loose on their prey. Presently the
mist cleared away and heavy black smoke clouds could be seen drifting
across the German lines on a slight south-westerly breeze, the result
of the bursting of our heavy shells. This proved small assistance to
us later on, when, with the sun in their faces, our men advanced from
the trenches. At seven o'clock, eight of our 'planes flying over the
German lines were fired at, but not much damage done. The Germans still
lying low, not a single German aviator could be seen at any time that
morning. Soon after 7 a.m. there was a perceptible slackening of our
fire, and at 7-30 a.m. the attack began, our gallant soldiers leapt
from their trenches and advanced against the enemy. The very moment
that our men slipped over the parapet they were met with a hail of
machine-gun bullets and shrapnel played on them. It was then that
Captain Webb, of "D" Company fell, and many others. They advanced in
waves 50 yards apart, and were mown down like hay. "A" Company was soon
wiped out, and "C" Company, supporting it, suffered very severely;
but they pressed on, gaining all their objectives. By this time there
had been a severe thinning out of officers and others in command, and
the men, too eager, shoved on towards the 4th line very quickly, and
got into the fire of our own artillery. Some of "B" and "D" Company
actually got into Grandcourt. A war correspondent said: "The gallantry
displayed by the carrying parties at this part of the fight was most
conspicuous, and tiny escorts showed complete contempt of danger in
bringing prisoners across an area which was being ploughed up by shell
fire. One man, unaided, shepherded across the valley of death a party
of fifteen Germans who showed extreme reluctance to risk the fire of
their own guns; they wanted to lie down and wait. 'Not at all,' said
the Ulsterman, covering them with his rifle, 'just you go across, and
they'll look after you when you get there.' In the course of a brief
conversation several of the prisoners said that the effect of our
bombardment prior to the launching of the attack had been terrific.
They had been in the front lines, and while they had a reserve supply
of food, our barrage fire had prevented them getting any water. Their
machine-guns, they said, had been protected by being placed in deep
dug-outs, and were brought up and used against our troops when they
advanced." Within an hour and a half after the opening of the battle
our men had taken five lines of German trenches and captured several
hundred prisoners, advancing wave after wave like an irresistible
tide. We were in advance of the Division on our left, who were to take
Beaumont Hamel, and consequently the whole left flank was exposed to
batteries of machine-guns: it was through this that the 12th Battalion
Royal Irish Rifles suffered so severely, also the 9th Royal Irish
Rifles, who supported them. "The men advanced as if on parade; one or
two remembering the ancient watchwords, sang out "Dolly's Brae" and
"No Surrender," but for the most part they kept the stiff upper lip
and clenched teeth that meant death or victory." There was no thought
of giving way, merely duty to be done and a task to be completed. Into
the very furnace heat of the German fire our gallant lads went, and
as shot and shell raked their ranks, others pressed forward to take
their places. From both flanks they were enfiladed by machine-gun
fire. On the right, Germans lying low in dug-outs came up from the
cellars in Thiepval village with machine-guns and poured a hail of
bullets into the 109th Brigade and 108th Brigade from behind. "As they
emerged from Thiepval Wood they fell in hundreds, the German fire at
this point being protracted and perfect." The trees were slashed and
cut till nothing but bare stumps remained. No one could cross that No
Man's Land and escape the fire; even the wounded were shot through
and through on the ground as they lay. The 107th Brigade, passing
through in support to the 108th, did magnificent work. All day long
the remnants of the battalions held on to the lines of the German
trenches which had been captured, though nearly all the officers were
gone, but no supplies of bombs or ammunition could be got across. In
the evening, about six o'clock, a big German counter-attack was made,
and we had to fall back, leaving our wounded, who were too bad to be
moved, in dug-outs. These advanced points could not be held for long;
the enemy might be killed and captured, but the place had developed
into a dangerous salient, while the flanking fire from right and left
made the position a terrible one, the Division on either side being
held up by unsurmountable obstacles. The order to retire was given, and
on Saturday night, July 1st, we were once more on our old front line.
Apparently all the sacrifice had been in vain. At 1 o'clock on Sunday
afternoon the remnants of the 107th Brigade and all that was left of
our battalion and the 13th Royal Irish Rifles counter-attacked and
easily retook the three German lines. The crucial point was the ridge
that ran through "Omagh," and unless that could be held we could not
hope to hold Serre and the line to La Boiselle. On the left, Beaumont
Hamel commanded all, and on the right Thiepval village was the strong
point. Unless these were captured our divisional line became a salient
raked by machine-gun fire. The 32nd Division actually passed through
Thiepval village, but the Germans, who were hidden in the cellars and
concrete dug-outs, allowed them to pass, and then came up from behind,
and the casualties were appalling. The 12th Royal Irish Rifles and the
9th Royal Irish Fusiliers, on our left, were practically wiped out. The
Germans staked all on holding the ridge. 70 of the 15th Royal Irish
Rifles and 113 of our 11th Battalion answered their names on Saturday
night, and that was before the fierce fighting of Sunday. One of the
most remarkable facts was the enormous number of slightly wounded men
among our casualties; and as for the medical organisation, nothing
could surpass it; no tribute could be great enough for the divisional
medical staff. It was a magnificently heroic fight, and one of which
Ulster has every reason to be proud.
THE RED HAND OF ULSTER.
SOMME--JULY 1ST, 1916.
When one great wave has shatter'd
A coast that gleamed in light,
We look, and share the wonder,
Amazement and affright;
But what can hide its grandeur,
And what can veil its might?
* * * * *
On grey and heathy hillsides,
In valleys bowered in leaves;
In wide and flowery meadows,
Where peaceful sheep and beeves
Strayed thro' the days of waiting,
No change the eye perceives.
The mist-clouds veil the mountains,
The mist-rains drift and wing
Across the ancient castle,
The homely cot, where cling
The climbing sprays of woodbine,
Where wild birds hop and sing.
* * * * *
Now comes the news of battle--
The long-awaited roll
Of our great Western rampant--
A wall of thews, and soul--
And Ulster's sons are writing
Their names upon a scroll.
That rain-swept mist-land gathers
Before their eyes, as forth
They sweep--the watched-for Ulsters,
For honour of the North;
For Freedom's best and dearest,
For Britain's word and worth.
That wave of Northern valour
Is like the advancing tide,
And nought can cool or curb it,
And nought can change its stride;
In "Derry," "Enniskillen,"
And Omagh they reside!
'Tis Lurgan and Dungannon,
Armagh and proud Belfast,
St. Johnston, Londonderry,
And Donegal's grey vast
That flit before their vision
As trench by trench is passed.
The roar of bursting cannon
Breaks voices faintly heard--
The voices of their youth-time,
Familiar jest and word;
But, hark! the call is "Onward!"
And visions grow more blurred.
* * * * *
Hurrah! the drive so eager,
So long-continued, deep,
The firmly-driven bayonet,
The stumble and the leap
Grow less intense; the foeman
Has wavered in the sweep!
And in the lone, grey cottage
A trembling hand essays
To hold the fateful message
Which speaks a proud son's praise:
"He nobly did his duty,
And fell--there is a haze....."
Read in another homestead--
A loftier home, now chill;--
The page tells of a soldier
Who led his men, until
There came the hue of sunset--
He lives in honour still.
"Dead," do you call these heroes?
Dead?--who have given birth
To all that makes life living--
To all that is of worth;
No, never, never write it--
This "death" is Freedom's girth!
This wounding is for homeland--
For Britain's winsome weal--
Through all the years advancing,
A theme for song, a peal
That swings in jubilation--
How Ulster met the steel!
How Ulster claimed the expected,
Already-given cheer;
How Ulster's hand directed
The torch which yet shall sear
The remnant of the Prussian,
And make the future clear!
WILLIAM J. GALLAGHER.
Galdonagh, Manorcunningham,
Co. Donegal.
10th July, 1916.
(Published by permission of the Author.)