RETURN TO THE "SALIENT."
About the end of October the Battalion marched one night to Bapaume,
where it entrained for Esquelbecq, north-west of Cassel. On detraining it
marched to billets at Eringhem for two nights. From there the march was
continued to Arneke, and there the men were told that a short stay would
be made, but early the next day orders were received to march to Proven,
just inside the Belgian frontier. On the road, however, fresh orders were
received, and the latter part of the journey, from Wormhoudt, was done by
train.
On arrival at Proven the Battalion occupied Piddington Camp on the
Poperinghe road, and incidentally, renewed the acquaintance of Belgian
mud. After one night there it moved for the next night to bivouacs known
as Sarawak Camp, in the woods north of Poperinghe. This will probably be
remembered as one of the dirtiest camps ever occupied. The last stage of
the journey eastwards was done by train from Proven to Boesinghe.
Arriving at the latter place in the morning, the men proceeded to Hulls
Farm Camp close by, on the Ypres road. This camp was occupied, however,
by the 4th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, which was moving up in the
afternoon to take part in an attack along the Ypres-Staden railway north
of Poelcapelle. Whilst lying in an open field waiting to occupy the camp
a visit was received from a squadron of Gotha bombing planes, and about
20 casualties were suffered. About 5 p.m. the camp was taken over. Here
the Battalion remained for three days, and had considerable experience of
Hun aeroplane bombs, fortunately without further casualties.
Exceptionally large working parties were demanded on each of the three
nights, and their experiences were perhaps worse than those of the tour
in the line which was to follow.
The third battle of Ypres was still in progress at this time, and
Passchendaele had not yet been taken. On the front between the railway
and Houthulst Forest, due north of Poelcapelle, the 149th Infantry
Brigade had attacked and advanced the line slightly. A further attack by
battalions of the 150th Brigade had partially failed, and about the
beginning of November the battalion moved up to occupy the left sector
of the line which was just inside the forest.
The journey up to the front line was far from pleasant. After crossing
the canal it consisted of a six-mile walk along a duck-board track across
one of the most devastated areas on the whole front, and to add to the
difficulties, the enemy's artillery was very active. Owing to lack of
roads for the transport, each man carried four days' rations. The
position consisted of a series of water-logged shell holes, which were
troubled considerably by low-flying aeroplanes. Battalion headquarters
were in a pill-box known as Egypt House, which received very assiduous
attention from the Boche gunners.
As it had been decided to make no further attack on this sector, though
an improved position was desired, the nights were spent in pushing
forward the posts as far as possible under cover of darkness. This was
done very successfully, and the battalion line was advanced during the
tour by 200 yards with very few casualties. Several decorations were
obtained for this work including the Bar to the Military Cross to Capt.
J.F.G. Aubin, M.C., commanding Y Company; and the Military Cross to Capt.
P.H.B. Lyon, commanding X Company. Sergts. Britton and Cruddace were
awarded Bars to the Military Medal.
After four days in the line, orders were received to move back to the
neighbourhood of the canal for two days and then return. In view of the
dangerous nature of reliefs, however, an alteration was asked for and
obtained, and the Battalion completed its tour of six days. On relief by
the 9th Battalion, it moved to Marsouin Farm Camp, near Pilkem, and spent
a very unpleasant morning under fire from high velocity shells.
Fortunately there were no casualties, and in the afternoon after the
relief it again moved to a camp at Elverdinghe for a few nights.
From there it entrained to Watten, and marched to billets at Houlle. Here
a very enjoyable month was spent. The maltery, where W and X Companies
were billeted, was one of the best billets they had been in for some
time. The great feature of this month's training was the sports. After
winning the Brigade Football and Cross Country Cups, the battalion won a
great triumph by obtaining the Divisional Cross Country Shield. This was
given to the unit which had the largest proportion of its ration strength
over the course in a certain time. The percentage obtained, 64 per cent.,
reflected the high state of efficiency to which the Battalion had now
attained. For this high standard, a large amount of credit was due to
R.S.M. G. Perry, D.C.M., who was unfortunately compelled by ill-health to
leave the Battalion at Houlle, and subsequently went home, after nearly
three years' active service. At his best on the parade ground and in his
lectures on the history of his Regiment, his influence continued to be
felt long after his departure, especially as he was succeeded by one whom
he had trained in soldiering, C.S.M. J. Taylor, of X Company.
During the first week in December the visit of officers to the line
disclosed the new sector to be taken over, which included Passchendaele
village, recently captured by the Canadians. A few days later the
Battalion entrained at Watten for Brandhoek, where it spent a short time
in a hut camp in Divisional reserve. From there it marched up through
Ypres to a camp just west of Potijze Wood, the scene of its first action
in April, 1915. After two days there a further move was made to the
forward area, into a number of shelters known as the Seine area. The next
step was to the front line, which consisted of a series of shell hole
positions on the Passchendaele Ridge. Not only were these uncomfortably
wet, but they were very difficult to locate in the dark, and many will
remember the trouble experienced in selecting the routes from the heap of
debris of what had once been the village church. Battalion Headquarters
were in a German pill-box known as Hamburg. Four days were spent in the
front line, and the Battalion then went to Divisional reserve again at
Brandhoek. After another tour in the line, it again moved to Brandhoek on
Christmas Day, and there completed the 24 days which entitled it to a
similar period of rest and training. The whole tour had been without any
exciting incidents, and casualties were small, in spite of persistent
shelling which made the duck-board tracks (H, K, R.A.M.C., tracks, etc.)
very unpleasant. The Christmas at Brandhoek was thoroughly enjoyed by the
men. On Boxing Day a Christmas dinner was provided, consisting of
turkeys, puddings, port wine, beer, etc., the orderly work being done by
the N.C.O.'s, and the carving by the officers. A visit was paid to the
Battalion here by the Corps Commander (Lieut-Gen. Sir Aylmer
Hunter-Weston), who congratulated the men on their appearance and bearing
immediately after an uncomfortable trench tour.
From Brandhoek the Battalion moved by 'bus to the Steenvoorde area,
where it was accommodated in very scattered billets for about ten days,
during which it was training and resting. It then entrained at Eecke for
Wizernes, near St. Omer, and marched to billets at Acquin. A stay of
about a fortnight there was occupied in the use of an exceptionally good
training area. A return was then made to the former front line, and
detraining again at Brandhoek, the Battalion went this time to another
hut camp known as Toronto. A similar system of reliefs as before was
carried out and the tour was divided up into short periods at Brandhoek,
St. Jean, and the Passchendaele sector. The line was somewhat quieter
than on the previous occasion. The route to and from the trenches was now
a new track called Judah track, a stretch of about three miles, which
reflected great credit on the Pioneer Battalions. From Brandhoek to St.
Jean and the return journeys were usually done by 'bus or light railway.
The tour ended with a night in the cellars in the town of Ypres, and from
there the Battalion marched to Ypres station and entrained to Wizernes
again, and so to billets in St. Martin-au-Laert, a suburb of St. Omer.
These billets were very good, and the advantage of being near a town was
fully appreciated. The story of the Battalion would not be complete
without a reference to the band, which, under the direction of Sergt.
T.O. Hann, M.M., had reached a very high standard, and was second to none
in the Division. With the buglers, whose smart appearance attracted much
attention, a selection of music was played in the town daily at
"Retreat." At this time, also, the Battalion concert party, the "Red
Diamonds," trained by Capt. Cardew and Capt. Lyon, provided several very
good entertainments.
It was now March, and the great enemy offensive on the Somme was
expected. After three weeks, the rest was abruptly terminated by orders
to entrain for Amiens, and about the second week in March the Battalion
marched off from St. Martin, and entrained at Arques. At this time it was
perhaps as efficient as any on the Western front, having had few
casualties during the past year, and also having had a large proportion
of rest and training. The officers knew their men both in and out of the
line, and it was confidently expected that in the coming active
operations great credit would be earned--but the overwhelming disasters
of the next three months were never anticipated.