RONSSOY
The beginning of April found the 145th Brigade round Villers-Faucon in
support to the other two Brigades who were fighting their way forward
beyond Epéhy. On the 4th the Battalion received orders in concert with
the remainder of the Brigade to take the three villages of Ronssoy,
Basse Boulogne and Lempire. These three lie closely clustered together
at the head of a valley with an undulating rise to the east. It was
arranged to capture them by an encircling movement from the south and
west. Snow fell heavily throughout the 4th, and frustrated all
attempts of the Company Officers who had gone forward to see the lie
of the land. A cold, dense mist wrapped everything in still greater
obscurity when the Battalion moved off from Villers-Faucon at 2 a.m.
The narrow sunken lanes, with numerous steep little hills, were
clogged with snow. In spite of this we neither lost direction nor
time, but reached the rendezvous at Templeux Wood by 4 a.m. Touch was
obtained with the 8th Warwicks in Templeux village, who were
prolonging the attack on the right, and with the 4th Oxfords on the
left. The Companies were silently deployed a few hundred yards east of
the wood. As the fighting was open and no elaborate defences were
expected, each Company had a frontage of 200 yards, and was drawn up
in depth with six waves each of two lines, the distance between the
former being 50 yards and between the latter 25 yards. The village of
Ronssoy was 1,600 yards away; between it and the attackers was a
girdle of little woods, still untouched of green, and a number of
small intersecting lanes and ditches. The enemy's outposts, as far as
was known, were about 1,000 yards away, running north-west and
south-east to cover the village. The morning was ideal for surprise,
provided that mistakes were not made in the mist; for that reason no
barrage would be provided unless called for by signal rockets.
We must now follow the fortunes of the three Companies, who began
their advance at 4.30 a.m. B Company, on the right, had only gone 200
yards before enfilade fire was directed at them through the darkness
from the slag-heaps on the right. A platoon was detached to deal with
it, and its garrison, fearing encirclement, gave themselves up to the
8th Worcesters, who were coming up on the other side. Another 800
yards advance disclosed a further obstacle: the wire of the German
outposts with well-manned trenches just behind. A Lewis gun was
brought into action, gaps were cut, a barrage called for, which
descended on the enemy at 5.45 and shortly afterwards the position was
gained without any hand-to-hand fighting. The Company now turned to
its fourth task of protecting the flank of the Battalion, and dug
themselves in on a line just east of the captured slag-heap. A Company
under Captain Challoner, in the centre, also ran into the wire of the
same position rather further north, but were able to break through
without much difficulty. Then, led by Captain Challoner with great
dash and determination, they pushed on rapidly through the eastern
outskirts of the village, seized the cemetery, and there divided. One
platoon joined hands with the 7th Gloucesters, whose successful attack
from the west had put them in possession of the joint hamlets of
Lempire and Basse Boulogne. The remainder, moving to the right,
occupied a bank 800 yards south-east of the village, which had been
designated beforehand as the left of the new outpost position. This
long advance of 1-1/2 miles over unknown country with the successful
division of forces just after the assault, when disorganisation is
most wont to occur, reflects the highest credit on all concerned.
Captain Challoner, who kept the firmest grasp throughout, and both
inspired and controlled his men, well deserved the Military Cross
which was awarded a few days later. A fine example of initiative was
shown by Sergt. Millican, whose Platoon Commander was killed as the
village was entered: taking charge instantly he led his men with
distinction throughout the rest of the fight.
To D Company on the left fell the lion's share of the fighting and of
the booty. Approaching unobserved almost to the south entrance to the
village, they overwhelmed two hostile posts in the first light of
dawn, killing every man among them and taking two machine guns. Though
their flank was for the moment open, as the Oxfords were held up on
the edge of Ronssoy Wood, they burst into the village. Here was the
wildest confusion. No attack had been expected in the wild weather,
and the enemy were in their cellars and dugouts just sitting down to
breakfast. Figures could be seen running about outlined in the snow;
at a corner of the street a sergeant-major was shouting and beckoning
to his men to fall in round him. D Company, wild with excitement,
hunted them through the cellars and lanes and made a great slaughter.
The dead lay all about the streets and in the bombed dugouts. Lieut.
Rogers, O.C. No. 16 Platoon, was reputed to have killed eight himself.
Those Huns who escaped ran pell-mell singly or in groups up the hill
and along the Hargicourt road, flinging away their packs, with which
the slope was littered. Captain James, who had led the Company so
gallantly and successfully, got them together and wheeled round to
the east of the village in the chance of exploiting still further the
result achieved. Through the clearing mist a battery could be dimly
seen on the ridge 1,000 yards away limbering up and then disappearing
over the crest, and it seemed possible to advance there, and thus
command a view into Hargicourt. Unfortunately at this moment our
barrage, by some unexplained mistake, fell upon the eastern exit of
the village, causing several casualties. Part of the Company,
therefore, made its way to its alloted position in the outpost line.
The remainder cleared up Ronssoy, and found all kinds of booty. Soup,
coffee, bread and sausages were all ready in the dugouts and were
consumed by the victors. A mail had just come in, and the letters lay
about unopened. The equipment and packs were examined with keen
interest. Everything was new and of the best material, for the Huns
had just come from Russia, and had been hastily fitted out for the
Western Front. In every pack, in addition to the usual articles, were
a change of underclothing and three pairs of socks. One fortunate
sergeant found a bottle of whisky in a dugout, which was quickly
shared; it was not till afterwards that he discovered that it was not
legitimate loot, but the property of the Brigade M.G. officer, who had
appropriated the dugout and most incautiously left unguarded his
treasure, which he had brought up with him in the attack. At the other
end of the village a lively dispute was going on with the Oxfords, who
were found carrying off the two machine guns captured when the
outposts were rushed. The men were wonderfully excited and delighted
at their achievement, and have always declared since that it was the
best fight they have ever had in France.
The enemy's artillery had been active throughout the attack, but
ineffective, as it was without direction. It had shelled Brigade
Headquarters and the ground in front of Templeux Wood, but had never
overtaken the attack. Throughout the day 5.9-inch shells were poured
into Ronssoy, but did no damage whatever, as the men were either in
the unlocated outpost line, or withdrawn well west of the village. A
patrol of C Company managed during the day to get up to the ridge and
look into Hargicourt, in front of which the enemy were visible,
digging actively. Once or twice small patrols of Uhlans rode along the
skyline, the first enemy cavalry that had yet been seen. No
counter-attack of any description was attempted, and it was clear that
the enemy rearguards, who were not in great strength, had been
seriously inconvenienced by this surprise capture of their positions.
General Fanshawe, who, as usual, was not far behind, soon came up, and
after going over the village said he had not seen a better day's work
since he had been in France.
The casualties in officers were heavy, which is explained by their
conspicuous gallantry in leading and directing their commands over the
unfamiliar country. Four were killed or died of wounds; 2nd Lieuts.
Garside, Heppell, Hunt and Bostock; while Captain James and 2nd Lieut.
Rogers were wounded. Other ranks escaped very lightly with 9 killed
and 39 wounded.