[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration:
_To illustrate the Final Advance. Phase IX._
]
[Illustration:
[_Reproduced by permission of the Geographical Section, General
Staff._
]
We must mention that at Feignies Station on this last day we captured an
enemy minenwerfer factory complete. It was an enormous place, with
sufficient ammunition to blow up most of the German Army, and we think
we are probably safe in saying the most valuable single capture made in
a single day by any battalion in the war. It was a pity it could not
have been captured years earlier.
During the whole of this final advance from Niergnies to the
Mons—Maubeuge road the 24th Division advanced during the six weeks a
distance of fifty miles. During the last three days, from
Wargnies-le-Grand to Feignies, our Battalion led the advanced guard over
seventeen miles.
During the six weeks the Battalion captured 250 prisoners, two field
guns, three tanks, one enemy minenwerfer factory, and large numbers of
dumps of all kinds.
Our casualties were 9 officers and 48 other ranks killed or died of
wounds, and 5 officers and 113 other ranks wounded.
PHASE X
FROM THE ARMISTICE TO THE DISBANDING OF THE CADRE
_November 1918–June 1919_
The early morning of November 11 found the Battalion still at La Rolies,
under the command of Maj. R. G. Rogers, the Commanding Officer and
2nd-in-command both being on leave. At 5 a.m. on that date, what was to
be the final march back from the forward area was commenced, and the
Battalion passed through Bavai to Pissotiau, a distance of some seven
miles. On the route the news of the signing of the Armistice was read by
a D.A.P.M. Passing Bavai Station a group of A.S.C. men asked what the
cheering was about, and were told by one of our men that the infantry in
the line were tired out and were being relieved by the A.S.C.
The billets at Pissotiau were very bad and overcrowded, and it is small
wonder that the news of the cessation of hostilities, which arrived
about 1 p.m., evoked no great enthusiasm. To make matters worse, there
was no beer or other suitable beverage with which to celebrate it. There
is a rumour that one officer found a partially filled rum jar and had a
small celebration all to himself, but we take no responsibility for the
story, and give it for what it is worth.
The following day the accommodation was slightly improved. The
inhabitants gave us a warm welcome, and were in no way to blame for our
discomforts.
The ordinary routine of life out of the line was carried on, including
on the 13th a much-needed visit to the baths and an issue of clean
clothing. On the 14th a thanksgiving service was held for the cessation
of hostilities.
On the 17th we left Pissotiau without regret, and marched, hoping for
better billets, about eleven miles to Sepmeries, but found them very
nearly as bad as those we left. The weather for some days had been
extremely cold, and the Battalion had little cause to enthuse over its
first few days of peace.
On the 18th the march was continued to Lourches, where good billets were
found and much appreciated. As the crow flies, the distance between
Sepmeries and Lourches is about eleven miles, but many roads were
impassable on account of destroyed bridges, and the distance covered was
very much greater. In addition to other discomforts, the men’s boots
were in very bad condition, as there had been no fresh issue since the
heavy work of the final advance.
The next day a further move, this time quite short, was made to Bruille.
Throughout the march the most noticeable thing was the large number of
French refugees returning from the occupied territory.
All British and French lorries travelling in a westerly direction were
full of them, and they were making their own way in streams along each
of the main roads, getting a lift here or there from a staff car, lorry,
or transport wagon, and then struggling bravely on on foot, many
bootless and still more hungry.
On November 20 Maj. Brown arrived back from leave and took over command,
and a couple of days later Maj. Rogers went into hospital with trench
fever and did not rejoin us. He commanded B Company for nearly nine
months, and was a most successful company commander, very reliable and
extremely thorough. Lieut. H. G. Michie took over the company for a few
weeks, and then Capt. A. Drumgold, D.S.O., was transferred from C
Company to command permanently. A few days previously, Capt. C. F.
Penton, who commanded D Company from immediately after the Battle of
Loos until he was wounded on the Somme, returned and resumed command of
his old company.
On the 21st we moved a couple of miles to Masny in order to get better
accommodation, and the march to winter quarters was continued on the
25th to Landas, about ten miles, and again the next day, when we had a
short journey to Nomain.
Nomain was a large village which accommodated ourselves and the North
Staffords. It was very similar to any other French village of the same
size, and afforded fairly comfortable billets without being in any way
luxurious. It had the advantage of containing quite a number of passable
football grounds, which were, as a rule, very scarce in this part of the
world. Each company had its own ground and made full use of it. Boxing
and running were also taken in hand, but never attracted the same
popularity as football.
Originally we expected to stay at Nomain for a few days only, and then
to move on to Tournai, but the troops already there, who were to proceed
to Brussels, were delayed from one cause and another, and eventually we
only got into Tournai just in time to make arrangements for Christmas.
While at Nomain we twice had lorries to take some of the Battalion over
to Lille for a joy ride.
Perhaps the outstanding event of the stay at Nomain was the mock
election which was carried on with great enthusiasm for three days. It
was at the time of the General Election at home, and, in order to place
the issues before the Battalion, the Colonel, who had returned from
leave on November 29th, selected five candidates, each of whom had to
undertake to stick to the official programme of the party he was to
represent. The whole scheme was carried through in the spirit in which
it was started, and no attempt was subsequently made to take advantage
of the relaxation of certain points of discipline which was necessary
during its progress. The candidates were: Coalition, Cpl. Wray;
Independent Liberal, Pte. Daft; Labour, Capt. Selfe; Independent (John
Bull Party), Lieut. Jackson, and Discharged Soldiers and Sailors, Pte.
Airs.
The campaign was started by a general meeting, at which each candidate
had ten minutes in which to lay his programme before the constituents,
and then ten minutes answering questions, after which each one carried
on his campaign separately. The issue soon developed into a fight
between Coalition and Labour, and eventually the Labour candidate just
got home, largely, we believe, though we may be prejudiced, by frequent
allusions to the working-man’s beer.
General Morgan attended one meeting and spoke in favour of the Coalition
candidate, who also had the support of Lieut. Fitch, the educational
officer; the latter gave an impassioned harangue of three-quarters of an
hour in broad Canadian dialect, which should have finally convinced any
waverers of the justice of his cause.
There can be no doubt that the great majority of us knew a lot more
about the issues before the electors at home at the end of those three
days than we did at the beginning. The balloting took place on December
12, and in the evening a Battalion Concert was held in the school
building, at which the progress of the count was announced. It was at
this concert that the news was received of the award to Lieut. D. J.
Dean of the Victoria Cross, won two and half months before. The scene at
this announcement has been described in an earlier chapter.
On December 7 His Majesty the King visited Tournai, and eighty-five
officers and other ranks were taken by lorry to represent the Battalion
on the route from Tournai to Lille.
On December 3 the advanced party, which had been at Tournai since our
arrival at Nomain, returned, the move being indefinitely postponed. Only
the billeting officer, 2nd Lieut. W. E. W. Thomas, remained to look
after our interests. The barracks at which the troops were to be
quartered were definitely allotted to the Brigade, but the areas for
officers’ billets and messes were not quite so clearly defined, and
there was a distinct tendency on the part of the unscrupulous to snatch
the best accommodation available. 2nd Lieut. Thomas succeeded quite well
in resisting the attempts of these marauders, but even then some of the
company messes and billets were not as good as they should have been for
times of peace, and on the day of arrival at least one mess had been
annexed by a Divisional Office for its junior clerk!
It was at about this time that we heard of the award of the Croix de
Guerre by the President of the French Republic to 2nd Lieut. Thomas, for
assistance in the evacuation, under heavy fire, of the civil population
from Haussy in October. His perfect knowledge of French was frequently
of great service to us.
Fresh advanced parties proceeded to Tournai on the 17th, and the
Battalion followed the next day, arriving in time for dinners. The town
had been evacuated by the Germans without a fight. The outskirts showed
signs of some shelling, and the bridges over the Scheldt had been
destroyed by the enemy, but the town itself had been very little damaged
except for the railway station and its neighbourhood, which showed every
sign of the effectiveness of our aerial bombing. The cathedral and the
main square seemed to be quite untouched. The population was distinctly
friendly, as was usually the case in all districts which had been in the
hands of the enemy. All the shops were open, and they had succeeded in
collecting very fair stocks.
The barracks consisted of five massive buildings round an open space or
barrack square. Each battalion had one of the buildings and a portion of
a fourth for its quarters, while the fifth was divided up for use as
class-rooms under the educational scheme and for canteens and recreation
rooms. We do not doubt that the Germans left the barracks in a state of
absolute filth, but at the same time British troops had occupied them
for some weeks, and we do not think that there is any excuse for the
awful condition in which they were when handed over to us.
It is difficult to see that any effort at all had been made to clear
away the rubbish or clean the place generally, and it was in a very
similar condition to the billets at Cambrai, which we had taken over
direct from the Boches.
Needless to say, we very soon made enormous improvements all round, and
in a short time had made the barracks as comfortable as the material
available would allow. In the barrack rooms the stoves and windows were
repaired, the rubbish cleared, and the whole place scrubbed out; broken
bedsteads were repaired where possible, and fresh straw obtained for the
palliasses. A sergeants’ mess and company mess rooms were fitted up, and
proper storerooms made for the Quartermasters’ stores. The recreation
room was taken in hand, furnished comfortably, and a piano obtained;
newspapers and periodicals were provided as far as possible, and a
lending library started with such books as could be collected or
obtained from home. A ping-pong table was put up, and proved a great
attraction, and a wet and dry canteen, including a coffee bar, was run
in the adjoining room. The star turn was perhaps the barber’s shop,
which was fitted up with all modern conveniences, and where one could
get a hair cut and shampoo little inferior to those obtainable in the
West End of London. The Divisional Commander, when he came round to
inspect the barracks, was particularly struck by the barber’s shop, and
remarked to the Brigadier, “This is the Battalion to get things done.”
The company officers’ messes and billets were passable. Battalion
Headquarters, on the other hand, were most luxuriously housed. 21, Rue
de L’Esplanade, was a house containing a “diningroom, two other
reception rooms, conservatory lounge, six bedrooms, bath (h. & c.), and
usual offices, company’s water, electric light and gas,” and the whole
furnished with a comfort which would have done credit to an English
home, and which was most unusual for the continent.
At about 6 p.m. on December 21 the alarming report was brought to
Battalion Headquarters that the barracks were on fire, but on
investigation it proved to be a building in close proximity, part of
which was being used as a hospital, and the remainder—the part which was
on fire—as billets for the 7th Northants, who had only come into the
town and taken up their quarters there that afternoon. The corridor
connecting the hospital with the burning building was quickly demolished
by volunteers, mainly from the 72nd Brigade, and the former was saved,
but the latter was absolutely gutted, in spite of the efforts of the
local native fire brigade. It was a large building, and fanned by a good
breeze the fire raged fiercely for about three hours, and was quite an
impressive sight.
On arrival at Tournai, preparations for Christmas were taken in hand. As
far as the dinners were concerned, we had been told that we could rely
entirely on the Divisional Canteen, but, fortunately as it turned out,
we decided to get what we could on our own, and the only thing which was
left was the most important of all—the beer. This we were most solemnly
assured would turn up without fail in time for Christmas, but on the
morning of the 24th there was still no news of it, and on
representations being made to the Brigade, they realised that the matter
was serious, and obtained a lorry for each battalion to fetch its own.
Lieut. Outram, who went in charge of our lorry, made straight for our
old haunts round Bully-Grenay, where he knew all the breweries, and
arrived back in the very nick of time with a good supply. It afterwards
transpired that the truck containing the Christmas fare for our division
got mislaid on the railway. All our company dining-halls were decorated,
and the dinners of roast pork and beef, with vegetables, plum pudding,
fruit, cigars, and at last the belated beer, were a great success, but
tragedy was only just averted. The beer actually did not arrive until
the dinners had been in progress for half an hour, and only those who
have spent a Christmas on active service will realise what the absence
of beer would mean. As usual the officers and sergeants waited at table.
The dinners were followed by equally substantial teas, and a Battalion
concert, at which the star turn was a short sketch, written by the
Commanding Officer and performed by the officers.
The sketch, entitled “How they spent it,” was most amusing, but, without
any aid from the book, the mere sight of the performers in the most
ridiculous civil attire, borrowed from the local inhabitants, was enough
to send the house into roars of laughter; Mr. Bowen, attired in tall hat
and tail coat, both much too small, over khaki trousers, and with a very
high collar, was perhaps the funniest of the lot. The principal
characters were: an old gentleman, Mr. Fitch; his solicitor, Mr. Thomas;
his sisters, Capts. Penton and Mackaskie; his brother-in-law, Mr. Bowen;
his niece, Mr. Binney; and his profligate nephew “Archie,” Capt.
Drumgold. The acting of the two sisters was really quite clever, and the
sketch was received with shouts of merriment which drowned a good deal
of the dialogue.
On Boxing Day, in vile foggy weather and in a sea of mud, the rest of
the Battalion beat the officers at football by 3–1. It was a very poor
match on account of the weather conditions, but was designed mainly to
work off the effects of Christmas, and was partially successful.
The great thing in these days was education. Lieut. Fitch, who was
appointed educational officer, carried out his duties with the greatest
enthusiasm and energy, and made the scheme a success in the face of many
difficulties. It was decided that the only practical way of running the
scheme was to make the platoon the unit, and the platoon commander
responsible for the education of his command just as he was for its
military training. The educational officer is to be congratulated on the
results. The scheme of education by platoons was originated in our
Battalion, and afterwards adopted throughout the Division.
In connection with the educational scheme, a Dramatic Society was
formed. This was quite voluntary, and attracted many members, who met in
the evenings for the purpose of reading Shakespearean or other plays.
The members were divided into groups, and each group chose its own play.
One of the groups intended producing an abridged version of “Julius
Cæsar,” but the order for a large draft to proceed to the Rhine cut
short the project.
A special group was formed for the production of Arnold Bennett’s
Comedy, “The Title,” which was having an excellent run at the Royalty
Theatre in London. Lieut. Fitch wrote to Mr. Arnold Bennett, who gave
permission for the production of the play, provided that any proceeds
went to charity, and who also sent us a copy of the book.
The reading and rehearsing of the piece was commenced on December 30,
and lasted for nearly five weeks, during which a great deal of real hard
work was put in. Col. Wenyon was producer, and the play was originally
cast as follows:
_Mr. Culver_ LIEUT.-COL. H. J. WENYON.
_Mrs. Culver_ LIEUT. B. HIGGINS.
_Hildegarde Culver_ } their { LIEUT. R. C. C. J. BINNEY.
_John Culver_ } children { LIEUT. F. C. M. CHAUNCY.
_Tranto_ MAJ. H. S. BROWN.
_Miss Starkey_ LIEUT. J. E. JORDAN.
_Sampson Straight_ LIEUT. W. E. W. THOMAS.
_Parlour Maid_ LIEUT. H. R. JAMES.
Two changes had subsequently to be made, which caused a considerable
set-back in the progress of rehearsals. Maj. Brown left early in January
to attend a course at Aldershot, and Lieut. Thomas was claimed by the
Brigadier for an important part in the revue being produced by the
Brigade Concert Party. Lieut. E. O. Goulden took over the part of
Tranto, and Capt. J. H. Selfe succeeded Lieut. Thomas as Sampson
Straight.
The play was produced in the salons at Battalion Headquarters, 21, Rue
de L’Esplanade, on the evenings of February 1, 3, and 4, 1919.
The production was a great success, and well repaid the thoroughness of
the work which was given to it. The whole of the cast did well, the best
performances being perhaps by Col. Wenyon and Lieut. Chauncy.
On the first night most of the battalions and other units in the
Division were represented in the audience; the second performance was
attended by the Divisional and Brigade Commanders and their staffs, and
the third performance, which was followed by a dance, was honoured with
the presence of the nurses from the British Hospital.
Another dramatic effort was the revue produced at the Tournai Theatre,
under the personal direction of Gen. Morgan, by the Brigade Concert
Party, and called “Harem Scarem,” or “The Sultry Sultana.” It was
originally intended as a Christmas entertainment, but did not appear
until much later. The delay was partly caused by the funny man, a really
excellent low comedian, carrying his humour to the point of getting
himself demobilised without warning when at home on special leave to
procure properties for the production. As he had one of the longest
parts, and rehearsals were at the time well advanced, his behaviour
caused a serious set-back, and 2nd Lieut. W. E. W. Thomas was roped in
by the General to deputise. In the first act, which represented Diogenes
and the Tub, Gen. Morgan himself appeared most successfully as Diogenes.
As was to be expected with a production under Gen. Morgan, the revue was
very well staged, and had a successful two weeks’ run.
The Divisional Concert Party also appeared at the theatre, and there
were cinema shows in the town to help the troops pass their evenings.
Dancing became very popular with many of the officers, C Company being
pioneers in this respect.
In the earlier stages of the stay at Tournai, training and other work
continued very much as usual, except for the substitution of education
for military training during a portion of the time available, but as
demobilisation advanced and demands for working parties increased, the
number of men available for parade gradually diminished, and after a
time every man had to be used on some form of employment or fatigue.
So much looting from supply trains had been going on, that D Company was
permanently billeted in the vicinity of the station for the purpose of
picketing all trains that came in.
Football was, of course, the principal sport. On arrival we had the
usual difficulty in finding a suitable ground, but we eventually secured
one on the outskirts of the town some little way from the barracks,
which, after sundry shell-holes had been filled in and turfed, proved to
be extremely useful. An inter-platoon competition was held in the
Battalion, an inter-company competition in the Brigade, and an
inter-unit competition within the Division. Our Battalion team was a
very useful one. Coy.-Quartermaster Sergt. Judd in goal, Sergt. Scott at
centre-forward, and the Medical Officer, Capt. Frier, among the
half-backs being perhaps the most prominent. In the divisional
competition we were beaten in the semi-final by the attached army
brigade of artillery, who were a very hot lot, and who, we believe we
are right in saying, eventually won the competition.
The Company Competition was never finished, and the final of the Platoon
Competition between (we believe) Nos. 1 and 13 Platoons ended in a draw
and was never replayed.
Joy rides by motor-lorry became fairly frequent in the later stages at
Tournai. Sometimes these meant a visit to Lille, and at others a trip to
some part of the old battlefields at which the Battalion had fought, and
they included visits to the Salient, the Lens area, the Somme, and a
round trip via Cambrai, Awoingt, Haussy, and Hargicourt to St. Quentin,
and back along the route of the March Retreat to Amiens.
Demobilisation commenced on Jan. 2, and went on steadily until the end
of February. In January 113 other ranks were demobilised, and in
February four officers and 221 other ranks. On February 6 a warning
order was received for ten officers and 200 other ranks to be prepared
to join the 10th Battalion in the Army of Occupation on the Rhine, and
on February 25 the four-company system was abandoned and the Battalion
was reorganised into a draft company under Capt. Penton, and a cadre
company under Capt. Thompson. By the end of February demobilisation was
temporarily complete.
On March 2 five riding horses were transferred to the 9th East Surreys,
who were joining the Rhine Army, fifteen other animals went off by train
for demobilisation, and a further five left to be sold locally; the next
day a further fifteen were demobilised.
A spell of very cold weather was experienced at Tournai, starting with a
heavy snowfall on January 26 and 27, and the snow did not finally
disappear until February 17.
On February 21 the ceremony of the presentation of the King’s Colour
took place, and to enable the Battalion to practise the necessary
ceremonial all our duties were taken over by the 3rd Rifle Brigade from
the 16th to the 22nd.
The ceremony took place on the Champs de Manouvres, and the troops on
parade were the 9th Battalion East Surrey Regiment, the 8th Battalion
The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), under the command of Capt.
C. F. Penton (Lieut.-Col. H. J. Wenyon, D.S.O., being unfortunately
unable to attend), and the 12th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, the parade
being under the command of Brig.-Gen. R. W. Morgan, C.M.G., D.S.O. The
presentation was to be have been made by the Army Commander, Gen. Sir
Henry Horne, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., but he was unfortunately indisposed, and
deputed Lieut.-Gen. Sir Arthur Holland, K.C.B., D.S.O., commanding 1st
Corps, to take his place.
The Brigade was drawn up on three sides of a square, with the Queen’s
Own in the centre. The weather, which had been very wet during the night
and early morning, was brilliantly fine at 11 a.m. when Sir Arthur
Holland arrived, accompanied by Maj.-Gen. A. C. Daly, C.B., Commanding
24th Division and the Corps and Divisional Staffs.
The Corps Commander was received with the General Salute, and the
consecration service then commenced. On its conclusion the Colours were
handed to the Presenting Officer by the Seconds-in-Command, and were
received from him by the Senior Subalterns kneeling on the right knee.
Capt. F. Proctor was acting as our 2nd-in-command, and the senior
subaltern was Lieut. E. O. Goulden, M.C. The Colours were then marched
to their battalions, and received with the Royal Salute.
The Presenting Officer then addressed the parade as follows:
“Brig.-Gen. Morgan, Officers, Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned
Officers, and Men of the 72nd Infantry Brigade. The first thing I have
to do is to apologise for the absence of the Army Commander. He had
fully intended to come, and had been looking forward to the privilege of
presenting these colours, but I am sorry to say he is unwell, and
consequently has been unable to come. I have, therefore, the privilege
of being here in his place, and the honour of presenting the King’s
Colour to the battalions now on parade, an honour enhanced in this case
by the fact that the presentation takes place at the moment of victory,
and to battalions which have fought in this the greatest war in the
history of the British Empire.
“The Colours which I have entrusted to your keeping are the symbols of
your allegiance to your King and to your Country, and as such they will,
I know full well, be honoured and guarded by you on all occasions and at
any price, and that you by your deeds and by your conduct will worthily
uphold the glorious traditions of your regiments, not only in war, but
equally in peace. I want you to remember that the trials which will face
you in peace are as great and more insidious than the trials which you
have so heroically overcome during this war, but if, when you return to
civil life, you face these trials with the same loyalty, steadfastness,
and self-sacrifice which have been the mainsprings of your actions and
the foundations of your success out here, then I am convinced that no
stain will be placed on the fair fame of your regiments by any act of
yours.
“The 72nd Infantry Brigade has a magnificent record throughout this war.
It first fought at Loos in 1915, after a long and trying march up from
the Coast. It was next engaged in the attack on Guillemont and in the
heroic defence of Delville Wood. It was then transferred to the 1st
Corps, and performed fine service during the Vimy Ridge operations, when
just prior to the attack it held the Canadian assault trenches, and
endured with the utmost steadiness the brunt of the German artillery
counter-preparation. The Brigade then moved north, and took a
distinguished part in the Battle of Messines and in the Third Battle of
Ypres. In the Great German Offensive of 1918, the 72nd Infantry Brigade
played a glorious part, holding up many overwhelming attacks, and by its
courage and fighting spirit saving the situation on many occasions.
“To such gallant battalions I, with absolute confidence, entrust these
Colours in the name of His Majesty the King, asking you to remember
that, as they represent all that is most glorious in the past history of
your regiments, so they must be an inspiration enabling you to add to
your Country’s glory in the future.”
Brig.-Gen. Morgan, in a brief speech of thanks, said:
“Sir,—In the name of the 72nd Infantry Brigade, and on behalf of the
battalions on parade to-day, I beg to thank you for the honour done to
them in the presentation of Colours, and for the reference to their
services in your address. These battalions are justly proud of their
record in the war, and, speaking for myself, I have always found it a
very great honour to have them under my command.
“All may soon cease to exist as units, but the Colours will remain as a
lasting symbol of their loyalty and devotion to His Majesty; and, should
it ever be found necessary to reform the battalions, the flags which you
have just presented to them will form a rallying-point round which will
again be displayed that lofty sense of duty, comradeship, and devotion
which has ever distinguished the 9th Battalion East Surrey Regiment, the
8th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment, and the 12th Battalion Sherwood
Foresters.”
Battalions then moved to the Saluting Base, and marched past, after
which the Brigade formed up in line, advanced in Review Order, and gave
a General Salute.
Sir Arthur Holland congratulated all ranks on their turn-out and
steadiness in the ranks. The parade was then dismissed.
On March 4 the 9th East Surrey Regiment, which had been with the Brigade
since its formation in September 1914, left to join the Rhine Army.
On March 5 orders were received for the reduction of the establishment
to Cadre A, and on March 16 four officers and two other ranks were
demobilised, followed on the 30th by one officer and nineteen other
ranks.
The draft for the 10th Battalion left on March 17, and consisted of
Capt. Drumgold, Lieuts. James, Bowen, Binney, and Beynes, and 131 other
ranks. Capt. Penton, Lieuts. Brunger, Jackson, Gibbons, and Smith, with
the balance of the men, proceeded to the Rhine on their return from
leave. Lieuts. Gobell, Herd, and Lane, with twenty-nine other ranks,
also went to the 10th Battalion on April 10, and a further ten other
ranks on the 22nd. Three officers were demobilised on April 16, and
twelve other ranks on April 24, and this practically reduced the
Battalion to the revised establishment for the permanent Cadre.
Before leaving Tournai a farewell ball was given by the N.C.O.s of the
72nd Infantry Brigade to the inhabitants of the town. It was a great
success, and nearly all the officers and N.C.O.s of the Brigade were
present during the evening, the Brigadier, with a fair Tournaisienne,
leading the grand march at the commencement of the second half of the
programme.
On March 21 the barracks were evacuated, as Belgian troops were coming
in, and the men were billeted in the Chaussée de Lille, Battalion
Headquarters remaining at 21, Rue de L’Esplanade.
On March 26 the Cadre, less the transport who followed on the 28th, left
Tournai and took up its quarters at Lamain, a village four miles west of
the town, just off the main road to Lille. Lamain was a straggling and
thoroughly rustic village, and the men were quite comfortably billeted
by twos and threes about the farm-houses. The stay at Tournai had been
very pleasant, and at first the troops did not much like the change to a
rural life, but they soon settled down.
Joy rides by motor-lorry continued, one of these from Lamain being a
three-day trip to Ostende, Zeebrugge, Bruges, and Blenkenberg. On the
return journey the lorry broke down at Pithem, a village with no
accommodation and some miles from anywhere. The station-master, on being
approached, said that he knew a hotel proprietor in the next town who
would be delighted to put up the party, and wired to this worthy to be
prepared to receive them. On arrival they found the place, including the
hotel, to be in ruins, but no British troops had previously been seen
there, and their arrival was looked upon as a great event. Mine host,
with many apologies for the circumstances which made it impossible to
provide each visitor with a separate apartment, proceeded to do them
very well indeed, and parted from them next day with many protestations
of eternal friendship. The railway officials insisted on giving the
whole party a free warrant home, and so the trip ended very
satisfactorily.
This practically concludes the history of the Battalion overseas. The
Cadre finally left Lamain for home, entraining at Baisieux in two
parties on June 2 and 3. Lieut.-Col. Wenyon went home on leave
separately, and Capt. Proctor was in command, the other officers being
Capt. Mackaskie, the adjutant, 2nd Lieut. George, and Lieut, and
Quartermaster Green, with Regt.-Quartermaster-Sergt. Dunk and some
thirty-five other ranks. The party embarked at Antwerp on the 6th, and
reached Tilbury on the morning of the 7th, after a fine crossing. They
immediately proceeded by train to Prees Heath, near Whitchurch, in
Shropshire, where Lieut.-Col. Wenyon rejoined, and there the transport
was handed in and the whole Battalion finally demobilised.
A word here will not be out of place on the services to the Battalion of
Lieut.-Col. H. J. Wenyon, D.S.O. He joined the Battalion as a platoon
commander immediately after the Battle of Loos, and succeeded Capt. Wood
in command of A Company at the end of May 1916. After six months
attached to the staff he returned as 2nd-in-command in August 1917, and
assumed the command on the departure of Lieut.-Col. N. I. Whitty,
D.S.O., in December 1917, and continued to hold it until the disbanding
of the Cadre in June 1919. His period of command included, in addition
to the trench warfare in the devastated area in the early part of 1918
and at Lens in the summer, the fifteen days’ continuous fighting which
started with the great enemy attack on March 21, and also the final
advance from Cambrai in October and November. In both these battles the
success with which the Battalion fought was largely due to the untiring
energy and splendid example of the Commanding Officer. He earned the
D.S.O. at Inverness Copse in September 1917, and a bar to it for his
great work during the March Retreat, and was subsequently awarded the
Ordre de la Couronne and the Croix de Guerre by the King of the
Belgians. Whatever he undertook, he carried through with a determination
and energy which communicated itself to all ranks under him, and because
he expected nothing but the best from everyone, he got the best.
It would be possible here to mention the names and services of many
officers, warrant officers, N.C.O.s, and men which have not been
specifically mentioned in this narrative, but if the list were once
commenced, it would be difficult to know where to stop, and the
inclusion of some names and exclusion of others might appear invidious.
We feel, however, that the mention of two names will not be out of
place.
Regt.-Sergt.-Maj. F. Greenaway, D.C.M., who came out with the Battalion
as a L.-Sergeant, continued (with one break of a few months during which
he was at home on the sick list) to serve with it until after the
Armistice. He did most gallant work on the Somme, and was awarded the
D.C.M. for bravery during the Ypres fighting of 1917. He was a most
popular Company-Sergeant-Major of A Company for over a year, and took up
the duties of Regimental-Sergeant-Major when Regt.-Sergt.-Maj. Rankin
was killed in May 1918.
Sergt. William Carr, M.S.M., also came out with the Battalion, and he
never left it except for periods of short leave until he was demobilised
in January 1919. He took over the duties of Orderly Room clerk
immediately after the Battle of Loos, and was from then onwards a great
mainstay to many successive adjutants. He knew the regimental number,
name, initials, and history of nearly every man who ever served with the
Battalion. On receiving a query from the Record Office _re_ one, say,
Pte. Jones, the Adjutant would inquire if Sergt. Carr remembered him,
and the reply would probably be, “Yes, sir, No. 4286 Pte. Jones, P. He
joined us at Messines, and was transferred to the Labour Corps when we
were at Hulluch.” A lion for work, he never spared himself under any
circumstances, and his services to the Battalion can hardly be
estimated. His Meritorious Service Medal was a very well-earned
decoration.
The last act before the final demobilisation of the Cadre was the
escorting of the King’s Colour to the Regimental Depot at Maidstone on
June 14, 1919.
The journey of the escort party of Non-Commissioned Officers, under the
command of 2nd Lieut. F. H. George, M.M., was made with very little
ceremony, and was unknown to all but a very few of the thousands who had
served with the Battalion. Yet it was an important event, for at the
moment when the King’s Colour was finally handed over at Maidstone, the
8th Battalion The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) was
disbanded—as a military unit. Officers and men who had served with and
loved the Battalion had marched out into their new walks of life, and
were scattered through the length and breadth of the country and
throughout the Empire. Yet among these thousands there is not one who
does not feel that with its disbanding the Battalion has completed only
its first great task, and that other duties lie ahead which will still
test its powers to the utmost. In the war the real strength of a
battalion could be gauged from the conduct of its men when detached from
their unit. During the final advance some of the greatest work of all
was that done by isolated parties of young soldiers under the command of
junior non-commissioned officers, working often for many hours on
difficult patrol work, without any possibility either of keeping touch
with their comrades or of being directed or observed by their superior
officers.
Now in the difficult days of peace there are isolated posts in all
corners of the world being attacked, consolidated, and held by small
parties of our old Battalion. The qualities of endurance, loyalty,
steadfastness, and self-sacrifice which enabled the Battalion to work
together as one man during the fighting in France, will still weld
together the detached units and maintain the Battalion as a living force
in the world for all time. Should it ever be found necessary to reform
the Battalion as a military unit, the King’s Colour will, in the words
of Gen. Morgan, previously quoted, “form a rallying-point round which
will again be displayed that lofty sense of duty, comradeship, and
devotion which has ever distinguished the 8th Battalion The Queen’s Own
(Royal West Kent Regiment).”