YPRES.
[Sidenote: _October, 1916_]
For the present we were not to be re-engaged upon the Somme, but,
transported to Longpré, were moved into quarters for the night of
October 1st at Bouchon. The following day we entrained at Longpré and
moved to the north. In the early afternoon we passed through Abbeville.
The tented dunes of Etaples swarmed with reinforcements. As darkness
descended we entered the region of the flats of Flanders. The coast
line receded. Boulogne and Calais were left far behind. St. Omer and
Hazebrouck were before us. Soon these, too, were swallowed up in the
night. At midnight we detrained at Hopoutre and marched away. As dawn
was breaking officers and men threw themselves down to snatch a little
sleep in billets already provided at Poperinghe, ten miles west of
Ypres. From here, after bathing parade, the Battalion marched to “O”
Camp, a few miles nearer Ypres and just off the main Poperinghe-Ypres
road. This camp consisted of the usual pattern army huts, nearly new,
and, being weather proof, provided excellent accommodation, and were
much appreciated by the men after their rough experiences of the past
two months.
This, then, was our first introduction to the Ypres salient. Many times
in the early days we had hovered on its brink, and it seemed strange
that we should be only now making its close acquaintance, eighteen
months afterwards. Although we felt ourselves a little disappointed
with our renewed acquaintance with the Flemish fogs and flats, we
gradually adapted ourselves to the changed conditions. A year had made
a vast difference in our powers of appreciation. Casting back to those
grim days of Festubert there stood out in bold relief pools rotting
with dead, trenches constructionally weak, and an enemy gunnery the
mastery of which was denied us for many a long day to come. But the
passing of twelve months had shown us, week by week, such striking
improvements that there was now no limit to our confidence. All these
things reacted favourably on our outlook. Our fickle minds recalled
only the monotony of the rolling Picard uplands. They were now touched
by the vision of a new beauty.
For ten days the Battalion enjoyed immunity from the strain of
exacting work. The usual parades were held to preserve discipline and
efficiency. After the routine of daily parades and inspections it was
customary for a few of us to ride or cycle into Poperinghe, about six
kilometres distant. Poperinghe was the point of convergence for the
military in the Ypres salient, as Béthune was for the La Bassée sector,
Doullens for Arras, and Amiens for the Somme.
One of the first things to meet the eye was the prominence given
to “Gas Alarms.” A large notice was exhibited on a building in the
main square, where the road to Ypres left the town, which read “Wind
Dangerous” or “Wind Safe.” Otherwise its amenities bore comparison
with towns of greater pretensions. There was an attractive Officers’
Club, established in a spacious building named Talbot House, after its
founder, Colonel Talbot, of an ancient lineage and a staff officer.
Here resided the Padre, the Rev. “Tubby” Clayton, who afterwards was
to render Talbot House famous as the original home of its illustrious
offspring, “Toc H.” This club had the air of quiet decorum associated
with its kind, and it was held by the irreverent that any shell--from
which, alas, Poperinghe was not immune--from the German “Long Tom,”
more impetuous than its fellows and ill-advised enough to invade those
awful precincts, would shrivel to impotence in its frigid atmosphere.
This was, of course, uncharitable, but the painful fact must be
recorded that the younger element preferred the freer delights of
Skindle’s and Kiki’s, two restaurants whose air of gay animation made
an irresistible appeal to war-worn youth. Here the unheard of luxuries
of fresh fish and even oysters were included in a generous menu. These
arrived daily, we were informed, by canal from Dunkerque. Here also
was established the Divisional Concert Party, which had now attained
a high standard of efficiency in the exacting art of entertainment.
These played nightly as to the manner born to crowded audiences, whose
plaudits testified to the quality of the entertainment and their own
high spirits. One of these artists was a young imp of the 4th Loyals,
who made up in startling fashion as “Poppy Poperinghe.”
The appointment of Lieut.-Colonel G. B. Balfour to the command of
the Battalion, which he had held since the death of Lieut.-Colonel
Swainson, and that of Major H. A. Brocklebank as second-in-command,
was here confirmed. The appointment of Adjutant was vacant about this
time and was not filled permanently until Sergeant-Major J. Way was
commissioned and appointed on December 23rd, 1916. Lieut. Mudie held
the acting appointment for one period of the interim and probably
another officer, whose name does not emerge.
On the 13th the Battalion was inspected by Brigadier-General
Stockwell and was complimented on its turnout. The Brigadier took the
opportunity of presenting decorations and medals--the Military Cross
to Company Sergeant-Major R. A. Williams, the Distinguished Conduct
Medal to Private C. Milton, and Military Medals to Second-Lieut. T.
H. Middleton, Sergeants H. W. Percival and P. Stalker and Privates
W. Nicholson and H. Jackson. At 5.15 p.m. on the 14th we marched to
Brandhoek Station and entrained for Ypres, arriving at 7.30. Here we
went into quite good billets in the town--or what remained of it--some
in the ramparts and the remainder in the school.
Of all the ghostly and melancholy ruins along the western front Ypres
stands out almost unchallenged. Right from the beginning it had borne
the brunt of the enemy’s insensate fury, and withstood it. It still
stood four square to the foe and marked the eastern boundary of that
tiny strip of Belgium, still held by the gallant Belgian army on
our left and ourselves. The deplorable ruin of its once beautiful
structure bore evidence of the cost of its retention. The square and
its surrounding buildings, including the ancient and lovely Cloth Hall,
were a heap of powdered rubble, with here and there a stark stump of
wall and an arched window still surviving. These maimed remnants were
periodically repulverised by senseless bombardment by the enemy even
as a dog returns to its vomit. I have known no more eerie feeling than
that experienced when crossing this desolate square on a quiet night.
Many of the houses in the remoter suburbs were less damaged, and their
cellars made excellent shelters when the Hun carried out his frequent
bombardments of this martyred town. The civilian population had long
been evacuated.
The trench system was divided into two sectors, the left, or Potijze,
and the right, or Railway Wood. The latter was approached by way of the
Menin Gate and road, past the notorious Hell Fire Corner, and over the
railway connecting Ypres and Menin in normal times. The trenches were
fair and there were some good dugouts.
The communication trenches leading up to the front line, however,
left something to be desired. These were named West Lane and Mud Lane
(afterwards re-named Beek Trench, so as not to damage the morale of
reinforcements!).
On the right of this sub-sector were two or three craters left by
previous mine operations, and the width of these craters represented
the distance between the enemy and ourselves, who manned the opposite
lips. A deathly silence usually reigned at this point, the slightest
movement or sound being audible on either side.
Still further to the right the line was incomplete. A line of “grouse
butts” connected it with the Menin Road (the left-hand boundary of the
Division on our right). These “grouse butts” were not held during the
day but were occupied at night by Lewis Gun Sections and carefully
patrolled.
When visiting these posts one night Captain R. Gardner was “captured”
by the Division on the right and marched down to their Battalion Head
Quarters so that his identity might be established!
At 6.30 p.m. on the 15th the Battalion moved off by platoons and took
over trenches in the right sub-sector at Railway Wood. On our left
were the 8th Liverpool Irish and on our right the New Zealanders. The
trenches needed repair and there was not much rest for the Companies.
There was some activity by the enemy, who threw over many trench mortar
bombs. One of these made a direct hit on one of our cookhouses, killing
one man and wounding another. On the other hand our snipers reported
having bagged three Bosche. On the night of the 19th we were relieved
and marched back to our old billets in Ypres.
Twelve new officers, from the Lancashire Fusiliers, now joined
us--Captains F. H. Williamson and F. C. Slater and Lieuts. W. R.
Pattinson, G. Topham, J. H. Simpson, Second-Lieuts. C. W. Ford, J. C.
Alexander, R. A. Mudie, J. S. Patterson, R. Willett, J. Pearson and A.
T. Sheahan. Companies were reorganised--Captain Gardner to “A” Company,
Captain Slater “B,” Captain Huthwaite “C,” and Captain Williamson “D”
Company. Half the Battalion were moved into the prison along with
Battalion Headquarters. These billets were not bad, but cold. Working
parties were provided nightly for duty in the trenches. On the 23rd we
moved into trenches in the Potijze sector on the left. The weather was
bad and much labour was expended in pumping water out of the trenches
and in reveting. Everyone wore gum boots, water being over the duck
boards. The enemy was fairly quiet, but five of our men were hit by
shell fire.
The Brigadier was insistent upon repairs to trenches and to wire,
and upon obtaining command of No Man’s Land by constant patrolling.
Patrols visited the ruins of Oder House, situated between the lines,
and examined (from a respectful distance) a salient in the German lines
known as Kaiser Bill.
[Sidenote: _Nov.–Dec., 1916_]
On the 27th we were relieved and went back to billets in Ypres, moving
thence on the 30th to Elverdinghe, a little further to the rear,
where we found good billets for all, Battalion Headquarters being
accommodated in the chateau. Here a Defence Scheme was in operation,
and working parties were provided to maintain the trench system and
strong points, and test-manning of these points was carried out
periodically. Lieut.-Colonel G. B. Balfour went on leave and Major H.
A. Brocklebank took over temporary command. Captain H. Y. Huthwaite
reported sick and was transferred to England and later to the Indian
Army, greatly to the Battalion’s loss.
The campaign now took the form of monotonous routine, life alternating
between the many camps round Ypres--“C,” “D,” “O” and “P,” and quite
good they were.
When out of the line the Battalion found a great many working parties
for the laying of telephone cables from the Reserve Areas up to Ypres,
especially round Machine Gun Farm.
Ypres itself, with an occasional turn in the front line trenches at
Potijze, St. Julien and Railway Wood. The Higher Command were curious
to learn the composition and quality of the enemy in front, and for
some time a raiding party of the 4th King’s Own had been organising
and rehearsing a sudden descent on the enemy. These rehearsals were
very practical in their value. A replica, as far as possible, of the
enemy’s position to be raided was marked out by tapes on the practice
ground and times and distances were carefully noted. On December 21st
there was a full and final rehearsal at “O” Camp, and the raiding
party of 200, under Captain J. A. T. Clarke, were inspected by the
Commander-in-Chief, Sir Douglas Haig. On the evening of the 22nd the
raiders dined in the large hall of the Prison in Ypres, and at 1.30
a.m. on the 23rd they were armed and inspected prior to their departure
for the operation. With their faces and hands blacked to minimise
refraction of light and to facilitate recognition of their own side
during the actual raid, they looked a grim lot. The raiders commenced
to leave the Prison in small groups at 3.15 a.m. and journeyed to the
“jumping-off place,” a ditch running north and south in the St. Julien
sub-sector.
[Sidenote: _December, 1916_]
Their objective was to enter the German trenches and penetrate to the
Cameron support trench, with a view to killing or taking prisoners and
thus securing identification. At 5.25 a.m., under a very effective
artillery barrage, our men entered the enemy trenches according to plan
and penetrated as far as the support line. These trenches were very
badly knocked about by our barrage and, unfortunately, no prisoners
were taken and no identifications were obtained, the Bosche evidently
having abandoned his trenches when the bombardment commenced. Our
casualties were two officers, Second-Lieuts. Smith and Hart, wounded,
two other ranks killed, three missing, and thirty wounded. This was a
brisk and well carried out minor action, and if the main result was
disappointing, this was due to the discretion of the Hun and perhaps
defective preliminary action on our part. Registering and preliminary
bombardment having been carried out by us for a week the fact of the
raid had been effectively advertised. Surprise methods which were
adopted later were more successful. Sergeant M. Caddy was killed--a
good experienced N.C.O. and a loss to the Battalion.
We must not omit to devote a little space to the remarkable
personality of the Corps Commander. The ubiquity of General Sir Aylmer
Hunter-Weston was phenomenal. He was fond of touring the front line,
and on coming to a sentry post, to mark his estimate of the importance
of that duty, he would stand in front of the bewildered sentry, saying,
“I, your Corps Commander, salute you,” and, suiting the action to
the word, did actually give the sentry a most ceremonious salute. He
was keen on researches on the roofs of and behind cookhouses, while
at Battalion parade inspection he made men take off their boots, and
exposed officers’ ignorance of the “innards” of a water-cart. That
legend should gather round his name is not surprising. He was a fine
officer whose sterling work in France commenced with a Brigade in the
original British Expeditionary Force.
[Sidenote: _Jan.–Feb., 1917_]
Wintry weather of the severest description now gripped the land. Snow
was frequent and frost so intense that anything liquid was quickly
turned to ice. This condition persisted to the end of March, when there
was a welcome break.
The Division was relieved early in January, 1917, by the 39th Division.
The 165th and 166th Brigades went out at once, but the 164th Brigade,
to which we belonged, was kept back in Reserve in view of a possible
attack against the junction of the British and Belgian lines north of
Ypres; the enemy might raid over the frozen canal. It was bitterly cold
in the camps. There was much reconnoitring of the Elverdinghe defences
and of the approaches thence to the front line.
On February 3rd the Battalion left “D” Camp and marched by Companies
to the Cheese Market, Poperinghe, where it entrained at 5.50 for
Bollezelle, arriving there at 10.15 p.m., and went into billets in the
village. Here Battalion training was carried out so far as weather
conditions would permit, but this training was often reduced to snow
shovelling and even to snow balling! On the 7th we returned to “O”
Camp, and on the following day the Brigadier presented Military Medals
to Company-Sergeant-Major Crichton, Sergeant White, and Lance-Corporals
Pedder and Taylor. We were doing well in the football field hereabouts,
and defeated the Welsh Regiment, the A.S.C., and the 8th Liverpools in
succession.
[Sidenote: _Feb.–Mch.–April, 1917_]
On February 27th we moved up to Ypres again, but a thaw having set in
made road transport and marching extremely difficult. When back in
the line we moved over to the trenches in the Left Brigade Sector,
and got to know Saint Jean, Wieltje and the trenches immediately
north, including a dangerous spot north of Dixmude Gate, known as
Well X-Roads. Headquarters were established at La Brique Post. On
March 8th, 1917, Major P. E. Robathan, from a New Army Battalion of
the Royal Welch Fusiliers, was posted to the Battalion and appointed
second-in-command. In the trenches a great deal of patrolling and
investigation of the “Canadian Dugouts”--the old gun pits dating
back to the First Battle of Ypres--which lay half-way between the
lines. Lieut. (afterwards Major) J. H. Evans was very active in this
patrol work. Trench life on the whole was uneventful, although enemy
trench mortars were occasionally active. After the transition period,
October to December, 1916, the Battalion had shaken down and the
new organization was working smoothly--new commanding officer, new
second-in-command, and new adjutant. Reinforcement officers had settled
down, and the Battalion was gradually attaining the fine condition it
enjoyed before the Third Battle of Ypres.
On April 16th we were relieved by the 10th Liverpool Scottish and
proceeded to “Z” Camp. The following day the Battalion marched to
Herzeele and went into billets, where a day or two was spent in
cleaning up, organization, and bathing. On the 22nd we marched to
Buysscheure and stayed the night in billets. The following day the
Battalion reached its destination, Moulle, near St. Omer. This pleasant
region was all that could be desired. The severe winter had given way
to glorious spring, and feathered songsters, no less than ourselves,
revelled in its advent. The silence of the clear moonlight nights was
varied by the song of the nightingale in almost embarrassing volume.
For some time the Quartermaster, Lieut. J. Crossley, had shown signs of
the strain of the campaign, and on May 7th he returned to England for
a rest, after two years at the front, and was relieved by Lieut. P. W.
Powell.