BACK TO THE SALIENT
We returned to Ypres on July 1. Everybody was thinking and talking about
the great Battle on the Somme of which this was the first anniversary;
but before the day was over we ourselves had cause to remember the first
of July.
My diary contains a brief synopsis of the journey:
"July 1st.
"Up 4 a.m. Breakfast 4.40. Marched off from Westbecourt at 6.15. Marched
to Lumbres. The place full of Portuguese. Entrained there. Train left
Lumbres at 10 a.m. Went through St. Omer, Hazebrouck, and Poperinghe. We
got out at Brandhoek, about two miles beyond Poperinghe--nearly at
Vlamertinghe. Marched to Query Camp. Remained here in tents during the
afternoon. The arrangements concerning us seem very vague. Divisional
Staff do not appear to have given very definite orders to General
Stockwell. But one thing is known: we are to relieve the 165th Brigade
in the trenches in the Ypres Salient. At Query Camp we are about three
miles from the German front line, and so well within range of the guns.
They are booming as usual all the time."
In a letter written home from the Ramparts the following day, July 2, I
described our return to the Salient as follows:
"Yesterday, Sunday, was our last day in reserve billets. We rose at 4
a.m. At 6.15 we marched off. We marched to a village about an hour and a
half's march away--a village where there are some Portuguese troops.
There we entrained. We left at about 10 a.m. We travelled to the
railhead where I got off on my arrival on June 5; but this time the
train took us about two miles beyond the station. Then we marched to a
camp about three miles behind the front line. We remained there, in
tents, all the afternoon. Colonel Best-Dunkley came into B Company's
mess tent. He was so taken up with the arrangements which Allen, the
mess president, had made that he remained for tea with us! He was in a
very agreeable mood; he is certainly a man of moods. He tried to put the
wind up me about life in the trenches, but did not succeed. The Adjutant
was there too, also Captain Andrews and an officer from the brigade we
are relieving. Nobody else seemed disposed to come in. The Colonel dined
at Division, which was the other side of some trees; but the Adjutant
remained for dinner with us. Gratton asked me to show my _Middleton
Guardian_ correspondence to the Adjutant, and I did so; he was very
interested. West, the Assistant Adjutant, also read it."
While we were at Query Camp orders came round to all companies that one
officer per company was to be detailed to leave at 5 p.m. and proceed to
the Salient and reconnoitre the trenches. Captain Andrews detailed
Halstead to go from B Company. Ronald went from A, Barker from C, and
Wood from D. They all set off together. Giffin also left us, as he was
detailed to take over billets for us in the Prison.
"At 8.40 we moved off. We went at intervals of three hundred yards
between platoons, with six connecting files. As Giffin had been sent on
much earlier to 'take over,' I was in command of the combined 7th and
8th platoons. I had four sergeants with me--Sergeant Williams and
Sergeant Clews in front, and Sergeant Dawson and Sergeant Baldwin
behind. At first I marched in front, but then Captain Andrews told me to
march in rear of my platoon; so I chatted with Sergeant Baldwin for the
rest of the way. He is twenty years old and has been in the Army since
he was seventeen. He joined the Argyles in 1914, and was stationed in
Edinburgh for some time. Then he was discharged on account of weak
eyesight. But he immediately enlisted again; this time in the
Lancashire Fusiliers. His home is Higher Broughton. His father, who is
forty-nine, is a sergeant in the Manchesters at Salonica; I believe he
said that he was wounded.
"Things were moderately quiet until we reached the (Prison). It was
about 10 p.m. when we got there. Things then became much livelier;
shells were bursting all round. We found the building uninhabitable. The
casualties there during the last few days have been very heavy. One
shell buried a party in the debris; it took four hours' solid digging to
get them out! So it has been decided to abandon the place as a billet.
"We were delayed here because we thought this was our destination; but
we were informed that we were to go on to some ramparts, wherever they
might be! I had not the faintest idea where they were. Anyhow I followed
those in front along the ghastly streets of the city. Shells were
dropping all round. One shell exploded ten yards away. A moment later
Sergeant Baldwin and I noticed one of the men in rear of the platoon
fainting and pulling horrible faces. I asked him whether he was hit. It
appeared that he had got shell-shock. So we got hold of him and called
out for the stretcher-bearers. Meanwhile, we got completely out of the
platoon; they, of course, went on. So we were left behind by ourselves.
A stretcher-bearer turned up in a minute or two; then another. So we got
Private Armstead off to the nearest dug-out we could find; it happened
to be a Brigade Headquarters of some other brigade. There was a Medical
Officer there; so he saw to the man, and gave me a chit to take back
with me concerning him. Baldwin and I thought that we might as well have
a rest for a short time as it was quite comfortable here! So we did. I
happened to have a couple of oranges in my haversack, so we each had
one; we then felt refreshed. At about 11.40 we thought it would not be a
bad idea to get a move on; so we went outside amongst the nasty shells
again. It was decidedly exciting in that we did not know how far we had
to go, or whether we were ever likely to find the dug-outs whither our
platoon had gone! We kept asking everybody we passed whether they had
'seen any L.F.'s?' We thus kept in the right direction as we were
generally told that they had gone over yonder! We came to a spot having
a very sinister tradition attached to it (the Menin Gate). So we doubled
across here as fast as possible! Eventually we managed to find the
dug-outs where our people were. We had arrived safe and sound. So
Baldwin went to his dug-out with the others and I looked for Captain
Andrews and reported to him when I found him. I then went into my
dug-out, which is the same one as his. It is very cosy. I lit a candle
and read the four letters which I had received by the mail which arrived
just before we left the tents, and also the newspapers which you have
sent....
"As regards the papers--they are very interesting indeed. The
Mesopotamian Commission Report seems to have caused a great sensation. A
good many public men are censured. I am glad to find that the one
reputation made, or rather restored, is that of Earl Curzon! I have been
discussing it with Captain Andrews at breakfast this morning. We had
breakfast in the mess dug-out at 12 this morning. The other B Company
officers stayed in bed for breakfast.
"There was an inspection of box-respirators and rifles this afternoon. I
inspected my own platoon, which is now 7 again! with Sergeant Baldwin. I
happened to remark to him that I presumed that he was now platoon
sergeant of this platoon. He said that he was. 'That's all right,' I
replied; and he smiled. Then Giffin, who must have overhead our remarks,
approached and, in his imperious way, said: 'Sergeant Baldwin, you're
only in charge of 7 Platoon temporarily, until Sergeant Butterworth
comes back; you're not platoon sergeant. You understand that, Floyd?' he
concluded, turning to me. I think it a bit thick that one cannot choose
one's own platoon sergeant....
"Halstead has not yet turned up, and we now learn that the three others
(who went with him), have not returned to their respective companies.
When I was in that Brigade dug-out last night the M.O. casually remarked
to me that he had attended to four officers, who appeared to belong to
our brigade, at about 6 in the evening. They were all wounded; one was
very bad. In the light of the present situation it certainly looks as if
they must have been the unfortunate four. So Captain Andrews has sent
Giffin down there to inquire. It looks serious.
"It is now 6 p.m. I must close. Captain Andrews says that I had better
warn you that you must not expect letters very frequently now, as it is
not easy to get them off from here. We are going further up to-night.
But do not worry; it is as safe there as here!"
A postscript to this letter states: "It is as I surmised. Halstead,
Barker, Ronald, and Wood are all wounded--by the same shell."
The _Lancashire Fusiliers' Annual_ thus sums up the events of July 1 and
the fate of these four officers:
"On July 1st, the Battalion returned to the forward area. We were to
have gone into our old billets in the Prison and the Magazine, but, as a
17in. shell had just landed in the Magazine and the foundations of the
Prison had been shaken by 8in. duds, it was impossible to do so. Half
the Battalion therefore found billets in the Ramparts, etc., the other
half and Headquarters went back to Goldfish Chateau. During the
afternoon of July 1, the Battalion suffered the most severe loss it had
suffered for some time. Four officers, Lieut. W. C. Ronald, Lieutenant
H. A. Wood, Lieutenant J. Halstead and Second-Lieutenant H. A. Barker,
one officer from each Company, had started up to reconnoitre the line.
At Wells Cross Roads a shell landed and wounded all four.
Second-Lieutenant Barker died of his wounds a month later, but the other
three have all recovered."
The _Lancashire Fusiliers' Annual_ goes on to say that "On July 2nd the
Battalion moved up into the Potijze sector. We had a hot reception, the
enemy sent over 1,500 shells all round Battalion Headquarters between
midnight and 5 a.m." But, as the following extract from my diary will
show, the move took place while I was otherwise engaged:
"July 2nd.
" ... There came an order for a working party of one officer and twenty
men to report at Potijze dump at once. So Captain Andrew detailed me to
take Sergeant Baldwin and twenty men of 5 Platoon. We went by the
Water-pipe track across the open, in broad daylight. Enemy observation
balloons were up all the time and spotted us. A few shells were fired,
but nobody was hit. When we got to Potijze the men were given material
to take to Pagoda Trench; so we proceeded there in small parties. We got
to Pagoda Trench at 7.30; but enemy observation balloons were still up,
and a few bullets whizzed over the trench, so it was not yet safe to
work. We accordingly sat in the trench and waited. Darkness fell upon a
beautiful summer evening before the observation balloons disappeared. At
9.30 we decided that it was safe to begin work. The work to be done
consisted of repairing duck-boards. It did not require much supervising,
especially as representatives of the Royal Engineers were managing it,
so Baldwin and I sat down and chatted most of the time. As a matter of
fact, we had six men too many; so they had nothing to do. One or two
machine-gun and rifle bullets whizzed past while we were there, but no
one was hit. We stopped at 11.30 and filed back down the communication
trench through Potijze Wood. Coming round the corner here--near Bottle
Wall--we were shelled rather badly; the shells were bursting very near
us--one within six yards--but none of my party were hit. An R.E. officer
close by was wounded. We got back to Potijze dump at 12 midnight. I
reported to Captain Andrews, who was there in a dug-out. The Company had
moved up while we had been on this working party. I saw my party into
their new dug-outs here, and then came back and spent the night in the
officers' dug-out at Potijze with Captain Andrews, Giffin, and Gratton.
Allen was with a working party and did not return until 3 a.m.... Shells
were falling round our dug-out all night. One shell blew a dug-out, a
few yards away, to pieces, killing two, wounding two, and causing
shell-shock to the remaining man--all of 5 Platoon (Allen's platoon).
Two more B Company men were wounded on fatigue near St. Jean. A good
many transport men and horses, and men of other units, were killed and
wounded near. It was what might be called a rough night in the Ypres
Salient! Morning (July 3) dawned bright and clear.
"A message came to us at 5 a.m. that I must proceed to Bilge Trench to
be temporarily attached to D Company in Wood's place. At present C
Company (Captain Mordecai) are in the front line, with their
headquarters in the Estaminet (the deep tunnel dug-out beneath Wieltje).
D Company (Captain Bodington) are in support in Bilge Trench. Colonel
Best-Dunkley calls it the front line, and considers it such in his
dispositions. A Company (Captain Briggs) are in reserve. And B Company
(Captain Andrews) are in Potijze dug-outs. Battalion Headquarters are
close to Potijze."