names of those who had distinguished themselves prior to the end
of November 1914, he mentions an officer and N.C.O. of the 10th
Liverpool, and in that of 31st May, 1915, officers and men of the 5th
Royal Lancaster, 10th Liverpool, 4th South Lancashire and 5th Loyal
North Lancashire. Subsequently other names were mentioned for the
Ypres battle and for the battles about Festubert.
The individual battalions were brought together, and the Division
reconstituted as a unit, under Major-General H. S. Jeudwine, in
January 1916. By that date several battalions had few of their
original members on their strength.
In February the Division joined the XIV. Corps south of Arras. At the
end of July they were taken to the Somme. On 30th July the Division
entered the line under the XIV. Corps opposite Guillemont on the
extreme right of the British Army, the French being their neighbours
on the right flank. On 8th, 9th and 12th August the Division attacked
and a certain amount of ground was gained and consolidated, but the
village was not taken. From 16th August to 4th September they were
at rest and then entered the line under the XV. Corps near Delville
Wood. They took part in an attack on 9th September, the “Battle of
Ginchy.”
The despatch from Sir Douglas Haig of 23rd December, 1916, deals with
the Somme battle. Paragraph 29 (Dent’s edition), shows that the 55th
was employed in the big attack by the Fourth Army beginning on 25th
September, now designated the “Battle of Morval.” The objectives
“included a belt of country about 1000 yards deep, curving round the
north of Flers to a point midway between that village and Martinpuich
(55th Division, Major-General H. S. Jeudwine, and New Zealand and 1st
Divisions).” These objectives were gained.
Paragraph 31 states: “On the Fourth Army front on 27th September a
further portion of the enemy’s fourth system of defence north-west
of Gueudecourt was carried on a front of a mile by the 55th and New
Zealand Divisions.” A further “very considerable advance,” was made
in the afternoon and evening.
On the night of the 28th September, the Division left the line and
was ordered to the Ypres salient. The Commander of the Fourth Army
sent them a message which spoke of their good work and their “spirit
of gallantry and endurance.”
The Division was still in the salient when the great attack of 31st
July, 1917, took place. That assault was the beginning of the Third
Battle of Ypres, now “The Battles of Ypres, 1917.”
Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 25th December, 1917, paragraph 41
(Dent’s edition), deals with the initial assault launched at 3.50
a.m. on 31st July, and states: “At 9 a.m. the whole of our second
objectives north of the Ypres-Roulers railway were in our possession
with the exception of a strong point north of Frezenberg, known as
Pommern Redoubt, where fighting was still going on. Within an hour
this redoubt had also been captured by West Lancashire Territorials
(55th Division).” In this attack the Division was in the XIX. Corps,
Fifth Army. See note, Messrs. Dent’s edition, p. 113. The operations
31st July-2nd August are now designated the “Battle of Pilckem Ridge.”
Paragraph 50 of the same despatch gives an account of the attack
launched at 5.40 a.m. on 20th September (the Battle of the Menin
Road Ridge), “a most successful operation,” notwithstanding the
excessively bad state of the ground. “West Lancashire Territorials
(55th Division) found the ground south-east of St. Julien very wet
and heavy after the night’s rain. None the less, they made steady
progress, reaching the line of their final objectives early in the
afternoon.”
Needless to say, the losses of the Division in the Third Battle of
Ypres were heavy.
In the last week of September the Division left the salient after
over eleven months’ service there. They were taken to the Epéhy
district south-west of Cambrai and at once entered the line.
The Division held the right of the battle line when the British
attacked on 20th November, 1917 (the “Battle of Cambrai, 1917”)· In
his telegraphic despatch of 21st November, Sir Douglas Haig said:
“West Lancashire Territorials broke through positions about Epéhy.”
This part of the attack was really a feint or holding attack, but it
cost the Division heavy casualties.
On 30th November the enemy made his great counter-attack with very
strong forces. The Division held the southern part of the British
line where it was attacked. The Divisional frontage was nearly eight
miles, and as it was impossible to man a continuous line, it was
held by posts. Another British division was on the right of the 55th
but it was not seriously involved in the fighting on 20th and 30th
November.
The battle is described in paragraphs 9 and 10 of the despatch of
20th February, 1918.
Paragraph 9 states: “From the Banteux ravine southwards the divisions
in line were weak and held very extended fronts.” “In view of
the symptoms of activity observed on the enemy’s front, special
precautions were taken by local commanders, especially from Villers
Guislain to the south.” The map opposite p. 163 of Messrs. Dent’s
edition shows the latter portion to have been in the area of the 55th
Division.
Paragraph 10: “Between the hours of 7 and 8 a.m. on the last day of
November, the enemy attacked, after a short but intense artillery
preparation, on the greater part of a front of some ten miles, from
Vendhuille” (on our right) “to Masnières” (on our left) “inclusive.
From Masnières to Banteux, both inclusive, four German divisions
would seem to have been employed against the three British divisions
holding this area (29th, 20th and 12th).” The map above referred
to shows these are from left to right. “Between Banteux exclusive
and Vendhuille one German division and portions of two others were
employed against the northern half of the British division holding
that front (the 55th Division, Major-General H. S. Jeudwine).”
“At the northern end of the Bonavis Ridge, and in the Gonnelieu
sector[7] the swiftness with which the advance of the enemy’s
infantry followed the opening of his bombardment appears to have
overwhelmed our troops, both in line and in immediate support, almost
before they had realised that the attack had begun.”
“East of Villers Guislain[8] the troops holding our forward positions
on the high ground were still offering a strenuous resistance to
the enemy’s attack on their front, at a time when large forces of
German infantry had already advanced up the valley between them and
Villers Guislain. South of this village a single strong point known
as Limerick Post, garrisoned by troops of the 1/5th Battalion (King’s
Own), Royal Lancaster Regiment and the 1/10th Battalion, Liverpool
Regiment (both of the 55th Division), held out with great gallantry
throughout the day, although heavily attacked.
“The progress made by the enemy, however, across the northern end of
the Bonavis Ridge and up the deep gully between Villers Guislain and
Gonnelieu, known as 22 Ravine, turned our positions on the ridge as
well as in both villages.”
Towards the close of the despatch, paragraph 15, Sir Douglas Haig
said: “On the 30th November risks were accepted by us at some points
in order to increase our strength at others. Our fresh reserves had
been thrown in on the Bourlon front, where the enemy brought against
us a total force of seven divisions to three and failed. I do not
consider it would have been justifiable on the indications to have
allotted a smaller garrison to this front.” And again: “Though the
defence broke down for a time in one area the recovery made by the
weak forces still left and those within reach is worthy of the
highest praise. Numberless instances of great gallantry, promptitude
and skill were shown, some few of which have been recounted.”
It would be against the spirit of what has been said in the
introduction if any stress were laid here on what a unit said about
itself, but in view of the discussion which took place on the events
of 30th November it does seem fair to say that in the _Story of the
55th Division_ (_Liverpool Daily Post_ Office), there is quoted a
letter from the Commander of the VII. Corps, under which the Division
was serving on the 30th, in which he said: “He knows that the 30th
November, 1917, in spite of the heavy losses incurred, was a day
which will always reflect credit on the 55th Division. The fact that
not a man returned from the 5th South Lancashire Regiment” (the
battalion next the ravine) “when that battalion was attacked by
overwhelming numbers, tells its own tale.” In a message on another
occasion he said: “It cannot be contradicted by anyone that the
55th saved the day on November 30th, 1917. You got a most infernal
hammering, but you saved the day.”
On 8th December the Division was relieved and shortly afterwards
moved north. After two months’ training, when much-needed drafts were
absorbed, the Division entered the line in the Givenchy-Festubert
area on 15th February, 1918. About this time brigades were reduced
from four to three battalions. The 1/8th and 1/9th Liverpool Regiment
and 1/5th Loyal North Lancashire were taken out of the 55th and sent
to the 57th. In the beginning of 1918 there was difficulty in keeping
second line divisions up to establishment.
When the Lys battle broke out the 55th Division was put to as severe
a test as could be imagined, and stood it magnificently. The Division
was congratulated in an order by the Commander-in-Chief, and the
terms of his supplementary despatch, dated 15th April, 1918, could
not have been more flattering. It was as follows:
“The 55th Division at Givenchy, 9th-14th April, 1918.
Headquarters, France, Monday, 1.15 p.m.
“On the morning of the German attack on the 9th April, 1918, the
55th (West Lancashire) Division (Territorial) was holding a front
of about 6000 yards, extending from the La Bassée Canal to just
south of Richebourg l’Avoué, where its line joined that held by the
Portuguese.
“The enemy’s attack on the southern portion of this front was
delivered by all three regiments of the 4th Ersatz Division, which
was well up to strength.
“A captured Divisional order issued by the General Staff of
this German Division, and dated 6th April, 1918, shows that its
objectives were ‘the ground and the British position in the
triangle formed by Givenchy-Festubert-Gorre.’
“The following passages from this captured order are of special
interest.
“‘In our attack our three regiments will be opposed by at most six
companies in front and at most two reserve battalions in Festubert
and Givenchy. One battalion in divisional reserve is south of the
La Bassée Canal, in Le Preol. It will be prevented by our powerful
artillery fire from taking part in the fight for Festubert and
Givenchy. The troops are elements of the English 55th Division,
which, after being engaged on the Somme, has suffered heavy losses
in Flanders and at Cambrai, and was described by prisoners in
March, 1918, as a division fit to hold a quiet sector, that is
below the average quality.’
“The order containing the passages quoted above was distributed
among all officers and under-officers of the 4th Ersatz Division
down to platoon-commanders, presumably with a view to encouraging
the troops prior to their attack, and in the belief that the
opposition met with would not be very serious. If this was his
expectation, the enemy was most signally disappointed.
“Throughout the early part of the morning of the 9th April, the
55th Division beat off all attacks in its forward zone, and
maintained its line intact.
“Later, when the German infantry had broken through the Portuguese
positions on its left, the Division formed a defensive flank facing
north-east on the line Givenchy-Festubert to the neighbourhood of
Le Touret. This line it maintained practically unchanged until
relief, through six days of almost continual fighting, in the
course of which it beat off repeated German attacks with the
heaviest losses to the enemy, and took nearly a thousand prisoners.
“At one time, on the first day of his attack, the enemy’s troops
forced their way into Givenchy and Festubert. Both villages were
shortly afterwards regained by the 55th Division as the result of a
highly successful counter-attack, in which several hundred Germans
were captured.
“All further attempts on the part of the enemy to carry these
positions broke down before the resolute defence of the 55th
Division. Though he succeeded on the 11th April in entering a post
north of Festubert, he was thrown out again by a counter-attack,
and on the night of the 12th April the 55th Division improved its
position in this neighbourhood, capturing a German post and taking
several prisoners.
“Next day, during the afternoon, the enemy heavily bombarded the
whole front held by the Division between Gorre and the Lawe Canal,
and subsequently attacked in strength. He was once more repulsed
with heavy loss by the most gallant and successful defence of a
division which he had been pleased to describe as consisting of
second-class troops.”
The fine conduct of the Division was again referred to in the
despatch of 20th July, 1918, which deals with the Lys battle,
paragraph 51. It was there stated that “Throughout the remainder
of the day, 9th April, the 55th Division maintained its positions
against all assaults, and by successful counter-attacks captured
over 750 prisoners. The success of this most gallant defence, the
importance of which it would be hard to over-estimate, was due in
great measure to the courage and determination displayed by our
advance posts. These held out with the utmost resolution though
surrounded, pinning to the ground those parties of the enemy who had
penetrated our defences, and preventing them from developing their
attack. Among the many gallant deeds recorded of them, one instance
is known of a machine gun which was kept in action although the
German infantry had entered the rear compartment of the ‘pill-box’
from which it was firing, the gun team holding up the enemy by
revolver fire from the inner compartment.”
The losses of the Division at Givenchy exceeded 3000.
The despatch of 21st December, 1918, paragraph 40, shows that in
September there was sharp fighting in which the 16th, 55th and 19th
Divisions pressed back the enemy and “advanced our line close to the
outskirts of La Bassée.”
During the remainder of September pressure was kept up by the I.
Corps, now in the Fifth Army, including the 55th Division. In October
the enemy withdrew slowly, and the Division followed closely on his
heels, driving in rearguards and at times meeting with very stubborn
opposition. On 8th October the III. Corps took control and the same
policy was pursued. The Haute Deule canal was crossed on the night of
15th-16th October after a good deal of fighting. On the morning of
11th November the town of Ath was occupied.
An excellent account of the work of the Division will be found in
_The Story of the 55th (West Lancashire) Division_, by the Rev. J.
O. Coop, D.S.O., T.D., Liverpool, 1919.
The 1/5th Royal Lancaster Regiment, 1/10th Liverpool Regiment,
and 1/5th South Lancashire Regiment were chosen for the Armies of
Occupation.
FOOTNOTES:
[7] The Bonavis Ridge is north-west and Gonnelieu is west of Banteux.
[8] This appears to have been in the area of the 55th Division.
56TH (LONDON) DIVISION, FORMERLY 1ST LONDON. FIRST LINE
The 56th Division does not seem to have been mentioned as a unit till
1916; the reason was that its individual battalions went to France
early in the war, being attached to Regular divisions and, as in
the case of the 55th, many months elapsed before the Division was
concentrated.
Unofficial historians over and over again refer to the splendid
service performed by battalions of the 56th during the critical first
winter of the war, and in the second awful struggle at Ypres in April
and May 1915. Before the Division was constituted as a unit in France
many of these battalions had few of their original members left. Sir
A. Conan Doyle mentions that on 12th May, 1915, before the close of
the battle, the 5th London had only 200 men.
In Sir John French’s despatch of 20th November, 1914, dealing
with the First Battle of Ypres, 11th October to 12th November,
he said, paragraph 10: “In the period covered by this despatch
Territorial troops have been used for the first time in the Army
under my command,” and he mentioned “the London Scottish and Queen’s
Westminster battalions” as among the units actually engaged; both
were afterwards in the 56th Division. “The conduct and bearing of
these units under fire, and the efficient manner in which they
carried out the various duties assigned to them, have imbued me with
the highest hope as to the value and help of Territorial troops
generally.” Events were to prove these hopes well-founded.
Officers and men of the 5th City of London Regiment and of the
9th, 13th and 14th County of London Regiment were mentioned in the
despatch of 14th January, 1915, for good work in the fighting before
that date, and in the despatch of 31st May, 1915, many officers and
men of the 3rd, 4th and 5th City of London and of the 9th, 12th,
13th, 14th and 16th County of London, gained mention; all these
battalions were afterwards in the 56th Division.
In Sir John French’s despatch of 15th June, 1915, paragraph 4,
regarding “The Battles of Ypres, 1915,” which commenced on the 22nd
April of that year with the great “gas attack,” he mentioned two
battalions of the 56th Division. As to the fighting on 8th May,
quoting Sir Herbert Plumer, “A counter-attack was launched at 3.30
p.m.” “The 12th London Regiment, on the left, succeeded, at great
cost, in reaching the original trench line, and did considerable
execution with their machine gun.” As to the 13th May, when another
serious German attack was made “after the heaviest bombardment
yet experienced, ... the 5th London Regiment, despite very heavy
casualties, maintained their position unfalteringly.”
The Division, like other first line Territorial divisions, had their
full share of fighting in the big battles of 1916 and 1917.
Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 23rd December, 1916, paragraph 8
(Dent’s edition), shows that the 56th along with the 46th Division
made the subsidiary attack at Gommecourt, north of the Somme, on
1st July. They were then in the Third Army, VII. Corps. (See 46th
Division.)
The 56th was afterwards sent to the XIV. Corps, Fourth Army, and
took part in the successful attack of 9th September, now officially
the “Battle of Ginchy.” Paragraph 23: “At Ginchy and to the north of
Leuze Wood it met with almost immediate success. On the right (56th
Division) the enemy’s line was seized over a front of more than 1000
yards.” Paragraphs 27 and 28 deal with another successful attack
on 15th September and following days, officially the “Battle of
Flers-Courcelette,” when the Division was again employed.
While the French worked up the south side of Combles, the 56th
encompassed it from the north and, on 26th September, met their
Allies in the town. Down to the close of the Somme battles, the
Division, “hard-worked and splendid,” Sir A. Conan Doyle describes
them, “were doing fine work always on the extreme right.”
The fighting between 25th and 28th September has been designated
the “Battle of Morval,” and that between 1st and 18th October, the
“Battle of the Transloy Ridges.”
The despatch of 25th December, 1917, paragraph 13 (Dent’s edition),
shows that the 56th, again in the VII. Corps, Third Army, took part
in the Battle of Arras which opened on 9th April, 1917. Paragraph
14: “By 12 noon the 12th Division had captured Observation Ridge
and, with the exception of Railway Triangle, the whole of our second
objectives were in our possession from south of Neuville Vitasse,
stormed by London Territorials (56th Division), to north of La Folie
Farm.” A large number of prisoners were taken. The 56th had an
extremely difficult task and met with stubborn resistance. As was to
be expected, their losses were considerable.
Paragraph 17: “On 12th April our attacks on Héninel and Wancourt
were renewed, and our troops (21st and 56th Divisions) succeeded in
carrying both villages, as well as in completing the capture of the
Hindenburg line for some 2000 yards south of the Cojeul river.”
Paragraph 27: On 11th May “London troops (56th Division) captured
Cavalry Farm.”
In addition to the actions mentioned in these extracts, the Division
was engaged throughout the Arras operations on many other occasions,
notably on 13th and 14th April and on 3rd May, when one brigade made
an excellent advance. Throughout the battles of Arras the work of the
56th was of outstanding merit.
The fighting between 9th and 14th April is now the “First Battle of
the Scarpe, 1917,” and that on 3rd and 4th May the “Third Battle of
the Scarpe, 1917.”
The Division was employed on 16th August, 1917, in the second big
attack in the Third Battle of Ypres, now “The Battles of Ypres,
1917.” The action of 16th August is now designated the “Battle of
Langemarck.”
Paragraph 46 of the same despatch: “On the right of the British
attack the enemy again developed the main strength of his resistance.
At the end of a day of very heavy fighting, except for small gains
of ground on the western edge of Glencorse Wood and north of Westhoek
by the 56th Division (Major-General F. A. Dudgeon) and the 8th
Division the situation south of St. Julien remained unchanged.”
The losses of the Division on the 16th August were extremely heavy.
In the Ypres battle they were in the II. Corps.
When the Cambrai battle commenced on 20th November the 56th were not
in the main assault on the 20th but kept up a feint or subsidiary
attack on that date.
In the despatch of Sir Douglas Haig, dated 20th February, 1918, as
to the “Battle of Cambrai, 1917,” paragraph 6, he said that the 22nd
November 1917 was spent in organising the ground which had been
captured on the 20th and 21st, carrying out reliefs, etc. “Meanwhile,
early in the night of the 22nd November, a battalion of the Queen’s
Westminsters (16th London), 56th Division, Major-General F. A.
Dudgeon, stormed a commanding tactical point in the Hindenburg line,
west of Mœuvres, known as Tadpole Copse, the possession of which
would be of value in connection with the left flank of the Bourlon
position when the latter had been secured.”
Paragraph 7 deals with the renewal of the British attack on 23rd
November. “Throughout this day also the 36th Division and troops of
the 56th (London) Division (T.) were engaged in stubborn fighting
in the neighbourhood of Mœuvres and Tadpole Copse and made some
progress.”
On the 27th there was again heavy fighting. “During the afternoon
the enemy also attacked our positions at Tadpole Copse but was
repulsed.”
Paragraphs 10-11 deal with the great German counter-attack of 30th
November, and a quotation in which the 47th and 56th Divisions are
both said to have greatly distinguished themselves, is given under
the former. The fine conduct of both divisions could not have been
surpassed.
In Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 20th July, 1918, he gives a
detailed account of the German attack in the Cambrai-St. Quentin
district which commenced on 21st March, and compelled the retreat of
the Fifth Army, and the partial withdrawal of the Third.