The Army Corps was now on the eve of its first considerable fight. Signs
were not wanting that the Germans meant to break into, or through, a
portion of our line, and the fighting that followed was confined to the
Corps alone. It was in fact the only time during our stay in France that
we conducted a combined operation entirely on our own, so to speak. At
Givenchy in December, Neuve Chapelle in March, Ypres in April, Festubert
in May, and Mauquissart in September, our battles, though on a far
bigger scale, were fought in conjunction with and as part of combined
forces; but on this solitary occasion we had it all to ourselves, and
although it was a purely defensive action the results were highly
satisfactory. We regained all our lost trenches and the heavy losses
were more than repaid by the knowledge gained, viz. that the Indian
Corps as a fighting unit could carry out its own rôle in the war without
exterior assistance, so long as the ranks were not too far depleted to
permit of our holding the front assigned, and we could employ our own
guns as considered necessary.
It was not an unreasonable request we made, that we should not be
expected to do more than our numbers warranted. Let us examine for a
moment the fighting strength of the Indian Corps at this time. It
amounted in rifles to 3500 British and 9500 Indian, and in Reserve about
1750 were available from the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade, which might
mean 1000 rifles. The combined strength therefore was little more than a
British Division.
There was always the argument raised that this number was far under the
“Ration strength,” _i.e._ the number of men for whom rations were drawn.
But without going into details which would not be understood by the
ordinary reader, it may at once be said that the actual troops available
for taking part in any fighting in or near the trenches was as stated
above, and no more could be found.
The preliminary operations which preceded the German attack were
directed against the Bareilly Brigade of the Meerut Division, which was
commanded by Major-General Macbean. On the 21st November the Germans
started a succession of bomb attacks from trench guns against the
section held by the 6th Jats, causing many casualties and destroying the
trenches. This was followed next day by a still heavier bombardment on
the same trenches, and against those occupied by the 58th Vaughan’s
Rifles.
On this night, 22nd-23rd November, in accordance with orders, the Meerut
Division was in process of relief by the Lahore Division, plus a portion
of the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade. By the morning of the 23rd November
the relief had been partially completed, the result being that five
units of the Lahore Division and two battalions of the Meerut were now
in the line. The former from left to right were the 129th Baluchis and
57th Rifles composing the left section; one company Connaught Rangers,
34th Pioneers, and 9th Bhopals formed the centre section; and the 58th
Rifles and a half of the 2nd Black Watch the right section. The other
half of the Black Watch and the 41st Dogras were on their way to their
billets, whilst the 8th Gurkhas and 107th Pioneers were at Gorre, and
the 6th Jats at Festubert.
Pending the completion of the relief by Ferozepore Brigade the command
remained under Major-General Macbean. In order to give a concise account
of what followed, I will describe as a whole the action of the troops
from the time of the first attack on the 23rd November until morning of
24th, when we had completely re-established our position, and then
endeavour to explain in greater detail the part taken by the various
Corps engaged.
At 7.45 A.M. the O.C. centre section reported that the Germans had
broken his line, and a counter-attack was arranged. The 6th Jats were
moved up and the Gurkhas and Pioneers ordered to stand fast. By 9 A.M.
the enemy attack on this portion of the line appeared to be slackening,
but grenade and rifle fire was vigorously kept up. Meanwhile a great
part of the 34th Pioneers, who had been driven from their trenches, was
ordered to make a counter-attack for their recovery; but this attack
never came to anything.
Half an hour later General Macbean was informed that part of the 58th
Rifles had also been driven from their trenches, and this repeated
retirement of our troops was rendering our hold precarious. The
situation was not relieved by the fact that the right of the Connaught
company was by this time being enfiladed owing to the 34th Pioneers’
retirement.
About 10 A.M. the G.O.C.’s Meerut and Lahore Divisions mutually arranged
that the latter’s troops, who would in any case have taken over the
front that night, should move up in support at once, and this was begun.
The trench mortar of the Garhwal Brigade which was helping the
Connaughts, after firing a few rounds, burst. Such were the engines of
war in our possession in those days! General Macbean by these moves
would have ample means to resist any likely attacks, and there was no
further report of the Germans increasing their effort.
A counter-attack was being arranged, when General Egerton commanding the
Ferozepore Brigade arrived at Macbean’s Headquarters. As he was the
Brigadier to relieve him on this front, Macbean asked him to conduct the
operations of this attack, and the 8th Gurkhas and 107th Pioneers were
given him as a reinforcement.
By noon the situation appeared more serious than might be inferred from
the above, as the 34th Pioneers and 9th Bhopals had been forced from all
their trenches, and this, added to the gap caused by portions of the
58th Rifles retiring, left a long line of front trenches in possession
of the enemy. A counter-attack by the 6th Jats was unsuccessful, being
checked by machine-gun fire.
Our Artillery materially assisted in preventing any further enemy
advance, and General Anderson ordered the 1/39th Garhwalis to Gorre, and
the Leicesters and 3rd Gurkhas to be prepared to move from La Couture.
He also directed Macbean to recover the lost trenches and enemy
sap-heads, and the Garhwal Brigade Reserve to move up to the rear of
Macbean’s left.
As the enemy increased in numbers and was plentifully supplied with
bombs, General Joubert in command of the French on our immediate right
was asked to co-operate if it became necessary, and the G.O.C. 8th
British Division offered his Artillery support, but neither of these
aids proved necessary. Whilst matters were thus shaping themselves, the
company of the Rangers had been obliged by the exposure of its right
flank to move to its left into the section held by the 57th Rifles and
129th Baluchis.
The position when General Egerton arrived to take over the direction of
affairs was this. On our left the 57th Rifles and 129th Baluchis stood
firm, whilst the company of the Rangers had moved into this section also
and was defending itself with success. The section was commanded by
Lieut.-Colonel Southey of the 129th Baluchis, and he had, by occupying
some houses in rear of his exposed flank, completely held up the enemy,
and saved any chance of their further advance in this direction.
The whole of the centre of our front trenches to the right, viz. those
formerly held by the 34th Pioneers, 9th Bhopals, and the greater part of
the 58th Rifles, were in German possession. The remainder of the 58th
held on, and the Black Watch on the right had not moved. Seeing how
matters stood I ordered the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade up to close
billets in Essars, to be available as a reinforcement.
Preceded by a heavy and most accurate Artillery fire directed by
Lieut.-Colonel E. J. Duffus and ably supported by two French batteries
which had been sent us by our ever-helpful allies, the Infantry attack
was launched at 4.30 P.M. Portions of the following formed the attacking
party, 8th Gurkhas, 6th Jats, Connaught Rangers, with 107th Pioneers in
support. Notwithstanding that the guns had inflicted heavy losses, as
evidenced by the numbers of dead Germans found in our trenches when we
recaptured them next morning, this counter-stroke was only partially
successful. The 107th Pioneers were now sent to support the right where
the 8th Gurkhas had succeeded in reoccupying a portion of the lost
trenches, whilst some of the 9th Bhopals had also recovered another
portion and the 58th, very materially helped by the Black Watch on their
right, had reoccupied part of their lost line. The Gurkhas assisted by a
detachment of the 6th Jats in this operation captured a few prisoners.
Meantime part of the 107th Pioneers who, as previously stated, had moved
to the right were temporarily held up by a furious fire of bombs, and
were directed to hold on and gain touch with the 58th Rifles.
Egerton also directed the 1/39th Garhwalis to move to the left flank of
the centre section, _i.e._ near where Colonel Southey was holding the
Germans. The plan of the Garhwal attack was formed by Colonel Swiney
after consultation with Colonel Southey and some other officers, and a
suggestion for bombing down the German trenches was first made by Lieut.
Robson, R.E.
On receiving definite news of the situation, and being quite determined
that in this our first fight as a Corps no inch of ground should be
surrendered, I had instructed General Anderson that at all costs the
lost trenches were to be recovered. There was small need perhaps, as he
was not the man to give away anything for nothing in a fight, but my
message was sent through to the troops, and I felt those fine comrades
would uphold the honour of the Corps. Knowing this, Egerton, although he
had already sent off the 39th Garhwalis on their special mission but had
no information of their progress, launched a further attack from his
right flank.
This attack consisted of two companies of the 2nd Leicesters and two of
the 107th Pioneers. The Leicesters effected a lodgment in the enemy’s
trenches but were hard pressed to retain it owing to heavy bombing, and
the 107th were repulsed, but their combined action without doubt
considerably disconcerted the Germans and assisted the 39th Garhwalis
who were advancing up the hostile trenches from the opposite direction.
This was our first attempt on a large scale in clearing the enemy out of
his trenches by bombing along them from traverse to traverse. It has
long since become familiar to every soldier, but in those days at any
rate it was new; and considering the primitive instruments at our
disposal, some lighted with matches, some with port fires, some anyhow,
a large proportion having a tendency to prematurely explode or refuse to
light, and all this done on a freezing night with snow and ice in the
trenches and half a gale of wind blowing, it was no mean performance.
The result of this long-drawn-out contest was that with the hold gained
on our right by the reoccupation of portions of our line by the 107th
Pioneers, 8th Gurkhas, 6th Jats, and a company of the Bhopals, and the
splendid advance of the 1/39th Garhwalis along the enemy’s trenches from
our left, the troops from both flanks joined hands and the entire
position was restored by 6 o’clock on the morning of the 24th November.
The trenches formerly held by the 34th Pioneers and 9th Bhopals were
taken over by the Leicesters and 1/39th Garhwalis. Our losses, however,
were very heavy.
The enemy also suffered considerably, not only in his advance, but
whilst in occupation of our trenches and their vicinity and during our
counter-attack. He had many hours in which to evacuate his wounded and
remove his dead under cover of night, nevertheless he left behind him a
great many of both, showing the hasty nature of his final departure. The
recaptured trenches had been knocked to bits by our well-directed guns,
and the 1/39th Garhwalis secured two trench mortars, three machine-guns,
and a large number of rifles and other equipment, besides four officers
and 100 men taken prisoners.
And thus was Corinth lost and won.
It was our first fight within the Corps, and hence deserves to be told
in full. We learned many useful lessons which I shall try and epitomise,
but first I must tell the story of many gallant deeds by which the
results were obtained. Over forty British officers and 1150 other ranks,
chiefly Indians, was the price we paid that November day, but the
official despatch disposed of the fighting in a few lines and no names
were singled out. Few outside the Corps ever heard of it, but it was the
Indian soldiers’ own fight, and they will often tell of it in the years
to come.
Here is the story. The 34th Pioneers had been the first to feel the
shock; and heavily attacked as they were by grenades, soon had their
left machine-gun out of action. The enemy broke into the trench but the
gun was saved by Havildar Nikka Singh, who, seeing the detachment
overwhelmed, picked up and carried the Maxim through a fierce fire into
the support trench.
Captain Mackain, who commanded the company to the right, behaved most
gallantly. His trench was rushed, but he quickly collected a party and
from behind a traverse defied the enemy advance. From this position he
shot one German after another with his revolver, keeping them at bay
whilst his men maintained a sharp duel. Mackain was at last himself
mortally wounded and carried away by Sepoy Ishar Singh, who received a
reward, but alas the gallant officer did not live to reap his. This is
surely a case for a posthumous reward! Captain G. E. Wilson of this
battalion was prominently brought to notice for his gallantry. He was
wounded and taken prisoner, but eventually returned to England.
The attack on the battalion drove the companies back from their trenches
partly to support trenches and partly towards and into the trench of the
Connaught Rangers on their left. An attempt to retake the lost positions
of the 34th’s trenches was unsuccessful, and eventually this battalion,
and along with them the 9th Bhopals, lost all their line and fell back
in some confusion.
Subadar Natha Singh of the 34th behaved with great coolness and retired
his men skilfully, gaining the Indian Order of Merit. Lance-Naik Tota
Singh and Havildar Pala Singh also received the I.O.M. for bravery, and
the same award was given to Sub-Assistant Surgeon Harnam Singh for
devotion to duty at the regimental aid-post. Lieut.-Colonel G. Kelly was
killed whilst leading a counter-attack, and Captain A. Masters, the
Adjutant, shared his fate also. Subadars Natha Singh (No. 1), Ram Singh,
and Jemadar Sundar Singh and sixty other ranks were killed. Five British
and Indian officers and 140 other ranks were wounded and twenty-three
missing.
The company of the Connaught Rangers now found themselves enfiladed from
their right, but fighting steadily moved along the trench towards the
57th Rifles and finally barricaded themselves and held on. I always
admire the short report of Captain G. F. Callaghan, their commander, who
merely says, “We resisted them traverse by traverse but suffered
considerable losses and could inflict comparatively no injury on them.”
Again, “Practically all the bombs were wet and useless.” True, it was
so. We had no provision in our army for such toys. Doubtless the result
of
The cankers of a calm world and a long peace.
This flank, as I have already told, was finally made impregnable by
Colonel Southey of the 129th Baluchis, who with the 57th and his own
battalion never gave the enemy an opportunity of further extending his
gains.
On the right of the 34th Pioneers was the 9th Bhopal Infantry. Numbers 2
and 4 double companies were heavily bombed, and with the retirement of
the 34th on the left, the Bhopals were temporarily isolated and the
battalion was unable to withstand the German rush. One company was
surrounded and the entire line of trenches lost. Later on, part of the
Bhopals under Captain E. H. Apthorpe joined in the counter-attack with
the 6th Jats and helped to recapture a portion of the trench. Their
losses were heavy, including two British officers wounded and three
missing. Indian officers: three killed, one wounded, and two missing;
other ranks, six killed and 208 wounded and missing.
The 58th Rifles on the right of the Bhopals and left of the Black Watch,
as soon as it was reported that our line had been pierced, sent up bombs
and ammunition to the firing-line. Lieut. R. A. Reilly, who carried out
this duty, was on his way back when the covered way along which he was
moving became exposed owing to the retirement of the 9th Bhopals. He and
two of his seven men were killed.
Captain H. L. Baldwin with his company held on to a ditch which
enfiladed the covered way; he was in a very trying position but
continued there throughout the day, and this good soldier then joined in
the counter-attack when he was unfortunately killed. His C.O. wrote of
him in the highest terms.
Captain A. G. Lind and his company with its left flank thrown back held
on, but a machine-gun was brought to bear on them and with very heavy
losses they were forced back. Lind was wounded during a gallant struggle
to stem the enemy advance. About mid-day Captain Bull was sent up to
replace Captain Willis who had been severely wounded, but pluckily held
on to his command and refused to leave till later, when he was ordered
to do so. Bull rallied the right company and, assisted by a party of the
Black Watch who were on his immediate right, secured this, the last part
of the 58th’s trench still in our possession, until 4.30 P.M., when the
battalion joined in General Egerton’s counter-attack. Bull’s conduct
throughout the day was exemplary, and the Section commander brought him
prominently to notice for having held up the German attack on this
flank. With him were fifty men of the Black Watch under Sergeant-Major
Kennedy and of these I will tell farther on.
This counter-attack led by Major Davidson-Houston, the C.O., was a
complete success and a great part of the 58th’s trenches were regained.
Lieut. L. Gaisford, a lad I knew well, was killed as he leaped into the
trench. Major Thomson and Captain Bull were invaluable in keeping the
men in hand during all this troubled fighting. It is worth quoting the
words of the C.O. 58th regarding their comrades of the Black Watch in
this attack, as serving to show the value of example set by the British
soldier. He says:
I was also greatly assisted in this advance on the trench, which was
done without a halt or firing, by four men of the Black Watch,
Privates Venters, Boyd, M‘Intosh, and Stewart; these men came with me
in the final rush from the road, and by their example gave a fine lead
(mark the words) to my Dogra company in front of whom we were. There
being nobody at hand when we reached the trenches, I placed them to
hold a sap which had been cut right into our line, and although bombed
they held on till I could get the men together, after which they
helped me considerably, and by their _sang froid_ and cheeriness,
impressed those round them most favourably.
No higher tribute could be paid to those four splendid Highlanders. They
all received the D.C.M.
The 58th in the day’s fighting lost three British and one Indian officer
and fifty-three others killed; two British and one Indian officer and
sixty others wounded. Lieut. S. Gordon, Indian Medical Service, and
Lieut. J. Milligan were brought to notice for gallantry in rescuing with
the stretcher-bearers many wounded men. Havildar Indar Singh was
promoted to Jemadar. Jemadar Hawinda behaved with great gallantry in
carrying in under heavy fire his British officer. Both native officers
were awarded the Military Cross.
Holding our extreme right was the Black Watch. You cannot move men of
this stamp, no matter who may be the enemy. Under ordinary circumstances
the battalion would have been more to its left, _i.e._ in between
battalions of Indian troops, but owing to the fact that our right
touched the French left, I had received orders to have a British
battalion next to them. Hence it was the case that the three battalions
on their left were all Indians and it was on these that the Germans
directed their attack.
Such details may appear unimportant to those who count Army Corps by
Divisions and Brigades, but to us who had the task of holding a given
front, they meant much. My Generals and I had many things to think of
which needed no special consideration in other Corps.
The Black Watch were not themselves directly attacked, but by their
assistance the 58th, as already described, reoccupied their lost
trenches. This right section was commanded by Major J. Harvey of the
Black Watch, a first-rate C.O., who was afterwards given a Brigade and
killed in command of it in Mesopotamia. Major A. G. Wauchope of his
battalion, always to the fore when fighting was going on, volunteered to
proceed to the trenches and find out the situation, and carried out his
mission most successfully.
Company-Sergeant-Major J. Kennedy, with fifty N.C.O.’s and men,
accompanied the counter-attack of the 58th Rifles, and this N.C.O. was
one of the first to enter the recaptured trenches, ably seconded by
Sergeant Wilson, Lance-Corporal Melrose, and Private Swan.
Wauchope proceeded with Lance-Corporal Gorrie, a gallant man who was
always volunteering for dangerous tasks, to the firing trench, and
thence to Captain Bull, who with his own men and a few of the Black
Watch was very hard pressed by Germans, who were hurling hand-grenades
amongst them from a distance of only fifteen yards, to which our men
could only oppose rifle fire; nevertheless this fire soon dominated the
enemy, who ceased their bomb-throwing.
Wauchope, accompanied by Lieut. N. McMicking, also of the Black Watch,
and twenty of his men, immediately charged over the eighty yards which
separated them from a German sap, and entering it moved on another
hundred yards, the Huns rapidly retiring and leaving rifles, etc.,
behind them. This small party then returned, and Wauchope made his way
to the O.C. 58th, who thought his whole trenches were reoccupied. It was
found, however, that there was still a gap of 300 yards on the left of
the 58th and between them and the right of the 8th Gurkhas, and this gap
was occupied by only four Highlanders, one of whom was lying wounded.
Many bombs were still falling and the party was withdrawn; this portion
of trench being soon after filled by the Indians from both flanks.
Kennedy, Drummond, and Private Swan received the D.C.M.
Whilst these events were taking place on the right some fine deeds were
being done on our left, which finally regained us all our lost trenches.
Colonel Swiney with his 1/39th Garhwalis, discarding all idea of a
frontal attack over ground white with snow and which showed up every
movement, managed after much difficulty to pick a way through ditches
and bog and assemble immediately on the right of Colonel Southey’s
section, where the 57th Rifles joined the company of the Connaught
Rangers. Swiney was dead against a frontal attack, and General Egerton
left it to him as to how he should move. Present also was a very gallant
officer, Lieut. R. G. Robson, R.E., who suggested an advance along the
lost trenches with bombs. To prove his opinion, prior to the advance he
made a demonstration by moving close to some houses and clearing the
Germans out with bombs: an unselfish and gallant act.
The occasion always finds the man, and this occasion found not only a
keen battalion but also a heroic figure in the person of Captain D. H.
Acworth of that good old Frontier regiment, the 55th Coke’s Rifles, and
then serving with the 57th Rifles. Robson and Acworth, with seven
Afridis of the 57th (one or two being 55th men attached), and one
Connaught Ranger, moved along the trench. The attack was entrusted to
two companies of the 1/39th Garhwalis, Major W. H. Wardell’s, with
Captain S. Orton; and Captain Lumb’s, a third being in support. Wardell
was to attack along the trench from left to right, Lumb moving level
with him on his right along a shallow depression some fifteen yards away
and roughly parallel with the trench. Robson and Acworth started their
bombing and continued it for some fifty yards, when owing to bombs
running out and for other causes the bombing ceased, and the attack
developed into a bayonet advance, pure and simple, by the Garhwalis. The
Germans meantime were using bombs very freely.
Wardell’s fine attack, after pushing some distance along the enemy
trenches, began to lose weight; but here Lumb, finding his own shallow
ditch was gradually ending and knowing that his business was to help
Wardell, crossed over with a rush and was into the trenches in the midst
of Wardell’s men. The Garhwalis were now thoroughly blooded and could
not be stopped. Traverses fell in rapid succession and prisoners were
being gathered up at every turn. The opposition was severe, and time
after time as the men sprang up on the parapets or ran along both sides
of the trenches they came under heavy enfilade fire.
When the advance was stayed by the reduction in numbers, Lieut. J.
Welchman joined in with more men, and the prisoners being quickly passed
to the rear, the Garhwalis under Lumb gallantly pushed on, clearing
everything in front of them with the bayonet, till they eventually
joined hands with the 107th Pioneers advancing from the right. Dawn
broke on our now victorious troops, and the Indians had the satisfaction
of knowing that although they had suffered grievously, although some of
their comrades had been forced from their trenches, and that no one
might ever hear of their work, yet it had been finally completed by the
Corps alone.
When Swiney found that the advance was leaving the trenches but sparsely
held, he had sent up Captain J. Lane with reinforcements, and as they
reached a bend in the trench they were furiously attacked by Germans who
held a sap running right into our line. Lane faced this enfilade fire
unflinchingly and managed to close the sap with a barricade, thus
ensuring the safety of the main trench. The Huns left behind them
rifles, tools, and quantities of equipment, some trench mortars and
machine-guns in the hands of the 39th, whilst their dead were strewn
along both sides of and in the recaptured trench. When I heard it I
cheered as if I myself had done the job, although I was safe in a
château miles away with my ear to a telephone, but I could not conceal
my joy at the thought that my brave Indian troops had not lost an inch
of ground.
The losses of the Garhwalis were comparatively light, but the reason was
that the work was swiftly and thoroughly done. The gallant Major Wardell
who had led the first advance was wounded and missing; Captain Orton was
severely wounded; Jemadar Daulat Rawat was killed, and two Indian
officers were wounded, whilst among other ranks eighteen were killed and
thirty-seven wounded.
Captain Lumb and Subadar Dhan Sing Negi received the Military Cross.
Captain Acworth, 55th Rifles, was also given this decoration, and
Subadar Jagat Sing Rawat the Order of British India. The I.O.M. was the
reward of four of the seven men of the 57th Rifles who accompanied
Robson, and the others were given the I.D.S.M.; whilst in the ranks of
the Garhwalis several men received the I.O.M., amongst them a gallant
N.C.O., Havildar Alam Sing Negi, and others the I.D.S.M.
The brave Robson was killed a month later, and hence did not live to
receive a well-merited honour. Colonel Swiney was promoted Brevet
Colonel for his initiative, gallantry, and skill. And last, but greatest
of all who fought that day, was Naik Darwan Sing Negi: first in the
advance and first to rush each traverse, wounded in the arm and twice in
the head, this heroic son of Garhwal continued to fight to the end, and
was the second recipient of the coveted Victoria Cross. How well earned!
In his village of Kabartir, north of the Pindar River, amid the wild
regions of the great Himalayas, often will be told the tale of how
Darwan Sing upheld the prestige of his race and gained fame for the
regiment in which he served.
Colonel Swiney’s report is a document which will be preserved in the
regiment as a memento of many brave men and the brave deeds they
performed that night. Did space permit I would like to name them, but
the battalion will treasure them all.
The 39th Garhwal Rifles was raised at Almora in 1887 as the 2nd
Battalion of the 3rd Gurkha regiment; became 39th (the Garhwali)
regiment of Bengal Infantry in 1890, and received its present name in
1901. A second battalion was added in 1901.
A part of No. 3 Company Sappers and Miners was engaged in the centre
section repairing loopholes, etc. Captain E. H. Kelly, R.E., was in
command, and finding no officers he took charge of the troops in his
vicinity. He was severely wounded by hand-grenades, being hit in the
head, shoulders, hand, and leg, but was nevertheless able to reach the
support line. The Corps of Royal Engineers never says die.
The Leicesters in their counter-attack with the 107th Pioneers lost
Captain H. Grant, killed whilst leading his company in the charge, and
2nd Lieut. M. Seton-Browne was also killed at the head of his platoon
just as he had reached the enemy trench. No. 8224 Lance-Corporal G.
Grey, Sergeant P. Forster, and three men were brought to notice for
their fine example. The latter received the D.C.M. Major H. Gordon was
in command of this attack and received the D.S.O. Throughout the time
the Leicesters served with me in France this splendid Corps shared the
brunt of every fight in which their Brigade was engaged. Its sterling
grit was recognised by none more than the Indian soldiers.
As already described, one company of the Connaught Rangers was fighting
next to the 34th Pioneers, whilst six officers and 300 rifles were in
support of the 8th Gurkhas in the counter-attack. These latter were met
by a heavy cross-fire from machine-guns. Notwithstanding this a part of
them reached the objective. Major W. Hamilton, Captain R. G. Eyre, and
Lieut. J. Hume, the only officers with one company, were wounded, whilst
fifty-five men were killed or missing and fifty-three were wounded, and
the detachment had to withdraw. The three officers named above were
brought to notice.
The 57th Rifles, who held fast to their trenches on our left, did right
good work though sharing none of the glory. The C.O. reported during the
fighting: “I am trying to improve my trenches, but have no large-sized
spades or shovels. A telephone is urgently needed. We want some
sandbags—most urgent. Also a lot of bombs. Without these and the
sandbags it is difficult sometimes.” Splendid fellow! What a commentary
on the state of affairs; little he dreamed his words would be repeated
for those to read who know nothing of how the fight was waged in the
snow-clad trenches of 1914. Ours were held, as a 57th man said to me
after the fight, “with our bare hands; we had nothing else.” Captain
Indajit Singh, the medical officer of the battalion, was killed while
coolly carrying out his duties behind the firing-line. A brother
officer, Major P. Atal, I.M.S., in medical charge of the 129th Baluchis,
was also killed with him. Both had gained the respect of their Corps by
the fearless discharge of their duty to the wounded.
The 8th Gurkhas, who had suffered so heavily on 30th October and had
hardly a British officer of their own remaining, proved their grit on
this occasion of their counter-attack by recapturing a portion of the
lost trenches. Major K. Cassels, although himself wounded, managed to
hold on to his command and the battalion suffered the further following
losses: Lieut. D. S. Macpherson, son of a gallant soldier, was killed;
Major R. W. Elliott also lost his life; both of these officers belonged
to the 7th Gurkhas. Lieut. Peploe, 6th Gurkhas, was wounded and Lieut.
C. Maxwell of the 8th was missing. It is thus made clear how the
original officers of the battalion were fast disappearing.
In this counter-attack the 6th Jats lost nearly 200 men. Captain Dudley
was killed; Lieut. Cockburn earned the Military Cross for his gallantry
in driving the Germans from traverses; Captain Moore and Major Dundas
were wounded.
The 107th Pioneers had failed at first to reach the enemy trenches in
their attack with the Leicesters, but had eventually reached them and
were slowly moving north, where they met the Garhwalis coming from the
other side. During the fighting Major Bruce and seventeen men were
killed; Captains Davis, Mangin, Turnbull, and McLaughlin and Lieut.
Wallis were wounded, besides one Indian officer and forty men. Subadars
Hashmat Dad Khan, and Labh Singh received the I.D.S.M.
There remains one splendid deed to be recorded, and that is how a very
gallant gentleman died, but left behind him an immortal name on the list
of heroes who have won the Victoria Cross.
A detachment of the 34th Poona Horse, one of the regiments of the
Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade, had been sent up as a reinforcement on the
23rd November and was in the trenches of the Ferozepore Brigade. A
German sap ran right up to our line and exposed it to fire. Guarding the
junction was Lieut. F. A. de Pass with a small party. One of this party
volunteered to move along the sap and reconnoitre it. It was found that
at twelve paces away the sap turned and there was a loopholed traverse
guarded by Huns. From this coign of vantage they continued throughout
the day to fling hand-grenades into our trench: there were no grenades
to reply with, and de Pass and his men had to stick it out, losing
several wounded.
He, however, was determined that the Germans should be turned out, and
at dawn next day, with two sowars, he crawled up the sap, inserted a
charge of gun-cotton against a loophole of the traverse, and the
explosion which followed wrecked the traverse and laid bare a wide gap,
exposing its site to fire from our trenches. A grenade hurled at his
small party was fortunately ineffective, and for twenty-four hours the
enemy was quiet.
The very next day in broad daylight this gallant soul, accompanied by
Private C. Cook of the 7th Dragoon Guards, went out and carried in a
wounded sepoy under a heavy fire for a considerable distance.
Unbounded courage and compassion joined.
On the 26th November de Pass found that the Germans had repaired their
destroyed traverse, from which heavy bombing was again proceeding, and
our parapet was being knocked to bits; moving to the evil spot, he saw a
sniper behind the loophole of the traverse and at once tried to pick him
off, but was instantly shot dead. He was honoured in death and gazetted
to the Victoria Cross as a reward from the King he had so faithfully
served. The I.D.S.M. was conferred on his companions in peril, Sowars
Abdullah Khan, Firman Shah, and Fateh Khan of the 34th Poona Horse.
Private Cook received the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
Colonel Grant, 8th Gurkhas, who commanded the centre section, had a very
difficult task as will be readily understood, but he carried it out with
resolution.
Brigadier-General Egerton readily undertook the task he was asked to
perform by General Macbean. His two Staff officers, Major Sangster, 2nd
Indian Lancers, and Captain Stewart, Cameron Highlanders, well earned
the praise he gave them.
The German attack was made by the three battalions of the 112th Regiment
of the Twenty-ninth Division, XIVth Army Corps, as evidenced by the
killed, wounded, and prisoners, with the 170th Regiment in support; and
although their numbers were inferior to the troops we eventually brought
against them before our line was re-established, they had the
superiority in guns and men on the front first attacked.
During the fighting, although of course I had not been in the trenches
myself, I had followed, as far as this could be done from a distance,
the trend of the battle. In the grounds of my Headquarters was a tower,
built for purposes other than those to which it was put this freezing
night. It was on high ground, in fact the only high ground within range
of our front, and from this vantage point I watched from dusk till dawn
the progress of the fight, only varying my vigil by constant visits to
the telephone in the house to keep in touch with Divisional
Headquarters. I can remember no occasion in my life when I felt more
acutely the desire to succeed, for where my Corps was in the grips of
death was my entire world.
Sir John French sent us his hearty congratulations on the results of the
fighting.