JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH 1918
_Diary of the War_
[Sidenote: 1918.]
Although fighting went on all down the line, and constant raids were
made, no operations on a large scale were carried out by either side
during the first two months of the year. In March the great German
attack on the Third and Fourth British Armies commenced. The British
positions were penetrated in several places, and a large number of
prisoners were claimed. This initial success was quickly followed by
other victories, and the territory which had been gained during the
last year was lost by the British. Towards the end of March the German
rush was checked, but not until they had nearly reached Amiens.
In Russia peace was signed with the Germans, and hostilities ceased on
the Eastern front.
In Italy attacks on a small scale continued, but no large operations
were attempted.
In Palestine General Allenby continued his advance north of Jerusalem,
and in Mesopotamia General Marshall defeated the Turkish Army at Khan
Baghdadre.
THE 1ST BATTALION
_January 1 to March 31, 1918_
[Sidenote: 1st Batt. Jan. 1918.]
The officers of the 1st Battalion were as follows:
Lieut.-Colonel M. E. Makgill-Crichton-
Maitland, D.S.O. Commanding Officer.
Major Viscount Lascelles Second in Command.
Capt. P. J. S. Pearson-Gregory, M.C. Adjutant.
Lieut. W. H. Lovell, M.C. Lewis Gun Officer.
2nd Lieut. L. G. Byng Transport Officer.
Capt. J. Teece, M.C. Quartermaster.
Lieut. L. de J. Harvard King’s Company.
Lieut. J. A. Lloyd ” ”
2nd Lieut. R. C. Bruce ” ”
Lieut. A. A. Moller, M.C. No. 2 Company.
2nd Lieut. W. U. Timmis ” ”
2nd Lieut. E. G. Hawkesworth ” ”
2nd Lieut. V. A. N. Wall ” ”
Lieut. O. F. Stein No. 3 Company.
Lieut. P. G. Simmons, M.C. ” ”
2nd Lieut. F. H. Ennor ” ”
2nd Lieut. S. J. Hargreaves ” ”
Capt. R. D. Lawford No. 4 Company.
Lieut. R. P. le P. Trench, M.C. ” ”
Lieut. J. F. Tindal-Atkinson ” ”
2nd Lieut. C. C. Mays ” ”
Capt. H. H. Castle, R.A.M.C. Medical Officer.
The 1st Battalion left its billets north of the Scarpe, and went by
train to Fampoux, where it relieved the 12th Battalion Highland Light
Infantry in the line, with three companies in the front trench and one
in reserve. On the 5th it was relieved by the 4th Battalion
Grenadiers, and retired into Brigade Reserve for four days. On
returning to the front trenches on the 9th, a hostile patrol was
observed approaching our lines, and was easily dispersed. One German
appeared without any arms or equipment, and on being challenged gave
himself up: he turned out to be a miserable specimen belonging to the
236th Prussian Infantry Regiment. On the 13th the 1st Battalion again
went into reserve, and on the 16th retired to Arras. During the days
spent in the trenches, one man had been killed and several wounded.
Lieutenant H. B. Vernon, Second Lieutenant J. H. Frere, Lieutenant R.
Echlin, and Second Lieutenant J. R. Nicholson joined the Battalion,
and Major Lord Lascelles left to go through a Commanding Officers’
course at Aldershot. On the 25th the 1st Battalion again went into the
line, relieving the 1st Battalion Irish Guards just south of the River
Scarpe. On the 29th the enemy put down a considerable barrage, lasting
half an hour, of all calibres, including trench mortars, on the front
line where No. 2 Company under Captain Rhodes was posted, and made an
attempt to raid the posts in two places under cover of the barrage.
They were, however, repulsed, and never succeeded in entering our
trenches. A patrol, that subsequently went out, found two dead and two
wounded Germans belonging to the Twenty-fourth Divisional
Sturm-Truppen, and ascertained from one of the wounded men that the
raiders had numbered fifty, but had been prevented from advancing any
farther on account of their barrage shooting short. The casualties in
No. 2 Company were two killed and nine wounded, mostly by shell-fire.
[Sidenote: Feb.]
The 1st Battalion remained in the line until February 3, when it was
relieved by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, and retired into billets
at Arras. After four days’ rest, it returned to the line for three
days, and then proceeded to Gordon Camp, where it remained until the
14th. It spent three more days in the trenches, and on the 18th made a
move to Baudimont Barracks. Captain Pearson-Gregory left, to join the
Headquarters of the 3rd Guards Brigade, and in his absence Lieutenant
Lovell was appointed acting Adjutant. Lieutenant Gascoigne and Second
Lieutenant Ames rejoined the Battalion, and Lieutenant Ennor and
Lieutenant Moller left to take up Staff appointments. After four days
in the support trenches, the Battalion went up into the line on the
27th. During the various periods spent in the front trenches, there
had been a few casualties, but on the whole the Battalion suffered
very little loss during the month.
[Sidenote: March.]
On March 8 Viscount Gort took over command of the Battalion from
Lieut.-Colonel Maitland. A strong German Offensive was now daily
expected, and the Battalion was consequently reduced to fighting
strength, the surplus men being sent to the Guards Divisional
Reinforcement Battalion. But although the enemy’s working-parties
could be distinctly heard, nothing in the nature of an attack from the
enemy took place during the first fortnight in March. The artillery on
both sides was very active, and never ceased sending over shells. On
March 15 the 1st Battalion retired to Gordon Camp, and remained always
on the alert, so that it could be available at three-quarters of an
hour’s notice. Advantage was taken of a week’s rest to have football
matches, boxing contests, and musical entertainments in the evening,
after the day’s training had been done. This undoubtedly freshened up
the men, and helped them to forget the monotony of trench life. On the
20th Captain Greville came from the 4th Battalion to take up the
duties of second in command. On the 21st Major-General Feilding sent
for the Battalion Commanders, and expounded his views on the various
rôles in a counter-attack, which the Division might be called upon to
play. It was of course impossible to issue any definite orders, since
everything depended on where and in what strength the Germans
contemplated making their attack.
OFFICERS WHO TOOK PART IN THE OPERATIONS AT THE END OF MARCH 1918
Lieut.-Colonel J. S. S. P. Viscount
Gort, D.S.O., M.V.O., M.C. Commanding Battalion.
Capt. R. D. Lawford, M.C. Act.-Second in Command.
Lieut. the Hon. P. P. Cary Act.-Adjutant.
2nd Lieut. E. G. Hawkesworth Intelligence Officer.
Lieut. J. A. Lloyd King’s Company.
2nd Lieut. R. C. Bruce ” ”
2nd Lieut. A. Ames ” ”
Lieut. L. de J. Harvard No. 2 Company.
2nd Lieut. J. H. Frere ” ”
Capt. O. F. Stein. No. 3 Company.
2nd Lieut. W. A. Fleet ” ”
Lieut. the Hon. T. G. P. Corbett ” ”
2nd Lieut. C. C. Mays No. 4 Company.
2nd Lieut. G. E. A. A. Fitz-George
Hamilton No. 4 Company.
Lieut. R. F. W. Echlin Transport Officer.
Capt. and Q.M. J. Teece, M.C. Quartermaster.
1st Lieut. C. A. Forgety,
U.S.M.O.R.C. Medical Officer.
On the 22nd Brigadier-General Lord Henry Seymour took with him in
buses the Commanding Officers of Battalions as well as the Company
Commanders, to reconnoitre the ground round Henin. As soon as Lord
Gort returned, the Battalion was ordered to move at half an hour’s
notice in buses to the Mercatel area. At 6 P.M. it reached its
destination, and went into billets in some Nissen huts in the
neighbourhood of that village. Immediately on arrival Lord Gort took
the Company Commanders with him, to reconnoitre the 3rd system to the
north-east of Boiry Becquerelle, and on the 23rd the Battalion went up
into the front line with the King’s Company under Lieutenant Lloyd on
the right, No. 2 under Lieutenant Harvard in the centre, and No. 3
under Captain Stein on the left, while No. 4 under Lieutenant Mays
remained in reserve. Patrols were at once sent out along the whole
front, but discovered nothing, although a number of the enemy had been
seen assembling in the sunken roads leading to Henin.
[Sidenote: Mar. 24.]
On the morning of the 24th the Germans commenced an attack across the
front of the Battalion, and were caught by enfilade fire from Captain
Stein’s Company, which inflicted heavy losses on them as they
advanced. The troops employed by the enemy seemed to have been well
trained in the new method of attack, and men were dribbled forward to
their assembly positions, where they deployed into waves for the
attack, but when they came under our machine-gun, Lewis-gun, and rifle
fire, they soon began to bunch in groups. It seemed as if the enemy’s
troops had started with the intention of carrying out the operation at
the double for the whole 3000 yards. In order even to attempt this,
they must have undergone a considerable training to reach the standard
of physical fitness necessary for such an attack. Round discs were
used to maintain the correct direction, and the flanks of the attack
were marked by flags. In other respects they appeared to have evolved
no new ideas in minor tactics, and the absence of any covering fire
during the advance was most noticeable. Light machine-guns followed up
in rear of the assault, and only came into action to cover the
retirement of the defeated “Sturm-Truppen.”
[Sidenote: Mar. 25.]
On the 25th patrols were again pushed out, and, although the enemy
could be seen moving about on the Croiselles――Henin road, the day
passed quietly. That night, in accordance with verbal instructions
received over the telephone, the 1st Battalion withdrew to the Army
line, commencing the evacuation of the front trenches at 11.30 P.M.
Although the orders for this retirement were originally received at
2.20 P.M., they were subsequently cancelled, and it was not until 1.30
A.M. that the retirement was carried out after verbal orders over the
telephone had been received. The only incident that occurred during
this withdrawal was the approach of an enemy patrol towards the
rearguard platoon of the King’s company, which at once opened fire on
them. The hostile patrol scattered, and the retirement was carried out
without further molestation. Lord Gort kept two platoons from No. 4
Company in their position, to ensure that no troops of the Guards
Division had been left east of the Arras――Bapaume road. He also
telephoned to the officer commanding the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and
satisfied himself that this regiment was conforming with his movements
before he withdrew the rearguard.
The new sector occupied by the 1st Battalion was to the north-east of
Boisieux-St.-Marc, and was held by Lieutenant Lloyd’s, Lieutenant
Harvard’s, and Captain Stein’s Companies, each having two platoons in
close support in shell slits. The 2nd Battalion Scots Guards was on
the right, and the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the left.
[Sidenote: Mar. 26.]
One and a half hours before dawn the next day outpost patrols,
consisting of picked shots, were pushed forward by each Company in the
line, so that any attempt on the part of the enemy to occupy Boiry
Becquerelle might be instantly reported. At 7.30 one patrol sent back
the information that the Germans could be seen, advancing in large
numbers in artillery formation, and covered by a screen of scouts. The
enemy’s aircraft had been busy since the preceding day, in flying over
this area, while the German artillery continued to shell the western
end of Boiry Becquerelles and the Arras――Bapaume road with 5·9
howitzers. These combined efforts of the enemy’s artillery and
aircraft seemed to suggest that, in the opinion of the Germans, the
Guards Division would be compelled, by the situation farther north, to
withdraw. Orders for a farther withdrawal of Seymour’s Brigade were
issued, and were cancelled that evening, as the enemy made no signs of
any further attack.
[Sidenote: March 27-29.]
The enemy put down a heavy and accurate barrage on our front line, in
the morning of the 27th, which lasted about an hour; in the afternoon
it died down, and no infantry attack developed. That night the 1st
Battalion was relieved by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, and went
into support until the night of the 29th. During the relief Lieutenant
J. R. Nicholson and Lieutenant W. U. Timmis were wounded.
[Sidenote: Mar. 30.]
On returning to the front trenches, it found the enemy’s machine-guns
very active. At dawn patrols were sent out 300 yards in front of the
line, and no movement on the part of the enemy was reported.
Everything was quiet until 8 A.M., when the German artillery put down
a heavy barrage on our front trenches. This bombardment was
supplemented by Minenwerfer, and was directed more especially against
certain points, which the enemy evidently considered of tactical
value. The barrage increased in intensity later, and extended to the
back area. Shells fell with considerable accuracy on the front
trenches, and the whole Battalion had a terrible time. But the
Germans, with characteristic thoroughness, were not content with this:
they thickened up their barrage with machine-gun fire, and sent
fourteen aeroplanes to drop bombs behind the trenches. They not
unnaturally thought that, after three hours of a bombardment of this
kind, no one could possibly remain to resist their infantry attack,
but in this they were mistaken. The 1st Battalion remained unmoved.
Shattered, covered with earth, deafened by the constant explosions,
dazed by the spectacle of maimed and mutilated men, the Grenadiers
hung grimly on to their line, though in some places the trenches were
completely obliterated.
Amongst the casualties at this time were Lieutenant Harvard, who was
killed by a Minenwerfer, and Second Lieutenant Mays, who was mortally
wounded by machine-gun bullets.
At 10.45 A.M. the enemy’s barrage lifted, and was replaced by an
intense machine-gun fire, which swept the parapets. Under cover of
this the enemy’s attack developed, and dense masses of men could be
seen advancing. Under the impression that the bombardment had
accounted for most of the Battalion, and had so demoralised the
survivors as to render them incapable of resistance, the Germans
determined to turn the flank of Seymour’s Brigade, and marched up the
sunken road in close formation. They apparently thought that by sheer
weight of numbers they could gain their object, and when they came in
sight they were met with a withering fire which completely staggered
them. To their dismay they found that not only was the 1st Battalion
waiting for them, but that the men were shooting coolly and
accurately, in spite of the shelling to which they had been subjected.
The attack was stopped, and although the Germans suffered heavily in
their ineffectual attempts to reach our trench, they never succeeded
even in reaching the wire, except at one point opposite No. 2 Company.
When they approached by the sunken road in dense masses, one of their
companies was sent round the south-western edge of the road to carry
out a flanking movement, and about fifty men succeeded in entering
into the front trench, occupied by No. 2 Company. Captain Stein
immediately organised a counter-attack, and in order to cut off any
Germans who might escape, sent Lieutenant Corbett with a party to a
position on the sunken road, where they could fire on the Germans as
they were ejected from the trench. Meanwhile he himself led a bombing
attack down the trench towards the sunken road. This manœuvre was
completely successful, and was undertaken with so much rapidity and
daring that the Germans were not only quickly ejected, but fell an
easy prey to Lieutenant Corbett’s party, as they attempted to escape
down the sunken road. On returning to the trenches, Lieutenant Corbett
was buried by a Minenwerfer, and had his leg smashed. The German
attack had been a costly failure, and, in spite of the three hours’
bombardment and the masses of men employed, not even a dent had been
made in the line. From a wounded prisoner who was taken the next day
it was ascertained that the Germans had employed two regiments (the
452nd and 453rd) in this attack, each having one battalion in the
front line, while a third regiment was to exploit the attack if
successful. Although the infantry attack was effectually arrested, the
enemy maintained a heavy machine-gun and rifle fire until it was dark,
probably with the intention of preventing patrols following them up,
and also to enable them to clear their wounded.
[Sidenote: Mar. 31.]
The casualties in the 1st Battalion were remarkably small, amounting
to 80, with two officers killed and one wounded. The men were all dead
beat after these strenuous days in the trenches, and they had to
remain for another twenty-four hours in the front line. Lieutenant
Vernon came up to command No. 4 Company, and Second Lieutenant Webber
joined No. 3 Company. The next day passed uneventfully except for a
certain amount of shelling. Captain Malcolm was sent up to take
command of the King’s Company.
THE 2ND BATTALION
_January 1 to March 31, 1918_
[Sidenote: 2nd Batt. Jan.]
ROLL OF OFFICERS OF THE 2ND BATTALION AT THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY
Lieut.-Colonel G. E. C. Rasch, D.S.O. Commanding Officer.
Major the Hon. W. R. Bailey, D.S.O. Second in Command.
Capt. A. H. Penn Adjutant.
Hon. Capt. W. E. Acraman, M.C. Quartermaster.
Lieut. G. G. M. Vereker, M.C. Transport Officer.
Capt. F. A. M. Browning, D.S.O. No. 1 Company.
Lieut. M. H. Ponsonby ” ”
Lieut. G. B. Wilson ” ”
2nd Lieut. R. G. Briscoe, M.C. ” ”
2nd Lieut. C. C. T. Giles ” ”
Capt. C. N. Newton, M.C. No. 2 Company.
Lieut. the Hon. F. H. Manners, M.C. ” ”
Lieut. O. Martin Smith ” ”
2nd Lieut. R. H. R. Palmer ” ”
2nd Lieut. H. B. G. Morgan ” ”
2nd Lieut. S. C. K. George ” ”
Capt. G. R. Westmacott, D.S.O. No. 3 Company.
Lieut. S. T. S. Clarke ” ”
2nd Lieut. H. White ” ”
2nd Lieut. F. J. Langley ” ”
2nd Lieut. R. T. Sharpe ” ”
Capt. G. C. FitzH. Harcourt-Vernon, D.S.O. No. 4 Company.
Lieut. R. A. W. Bicknell, M.C. ” ”
Lieut. F. P. Loftus ” ”
2nd Lieut. G. H. Hanning ” ”
2nd Lieut. H. M. Chapman ” ”
Capt. J. A. Andrews, M.C., R.A.M.C. Medical Officer.
Lieut. H. M. Long U.S. Army Medical Staff.
On January 1 the 2nd Battalion marched from Berneville to Arras, and
went into good billets in Levis Barracks. Second Lieutenant J. S.
Carter and Second Lieutenant the Hon. S. A. S. Montagu arrived on the
8th. On the 9th the Battalion went into the line for a tour of sixteen
days, spending alternately four days in the front trenches and four
days in support. The frontage allotted to the Battalion was astride
the River Scarpe, with one company in the village of Roeux on the
north side, and the remaining three companies on the south side of the
river. In many ways the line was convenient, for there was a light
railway as well as a canal, which facilitated the bringing up of
troops and rations to within a mile of the line. There were also
cook-houses, where hot meals could be cooked, and conveyed thence in
hot food containers to the line. Above all, there was a continuous
line of communication throughout the Battalion area; on the other
hand, the trenches had been neglected, and in places were unrevetted.
During the first four days spent in the front line nothing of
importance occurred, although there were a few casualties caused by
shell-fire. Colonel Lord Ardee assumed command of the 1st Guards
Brigade, replacing Colonel Follett, who had been in command while
Brigadier-General de Crespigny was on leave. Rain fell almost
unceasingly during the four days spent in support, and the trenches
became so impassable that the men had to work day and night to make
them habitable. On the 17th Lieut.-Colonel Rasch went on a month’s
leave, and Major the Hon. W. Bailey took over the command with Captain
Harcourt-Vernon as second in command. The four days in the front line
from the 17th to the 21st were unusually quiet, and the Germans
confined themselves to spasmodic bombardments by trench mortars at
dusk and at dawn. On the 19th the Corps Commander, Lieut.-General Sir
Charles Fergusson (an old Grenadier), visited the Battalion. During
the following days spent in support, there was a heavy bombardment
with gas-shells, and when the next tour of duty in the front line
came, the railway was subjected to heavy shelling. Several gas-shells
fell among Nos. 2 and 4 Companies, which were waiting to entrain, but
owing to good gas discipline the casualties were slight, the chief
injuries being caused to men who were splashed with liquid from the
exploding shells. Several men had to be sent to hospital suffering
from the effects of gas, and Lieutenant M. H. Ponsonby was sent home
for the same reason.
[Sidenote: Feb.]
Owing to the formation of the 4th Guards Brigade in the Thirty-first
Division, the Guards Divisional frontage was readjusted, and each
Brigade, now consisting of only three battalions, had one battalion in
the front line, one in support, and one in reserve, the latter usually
in Arras. The 2nd Battalion was in support from the 2nd to the 5th,
and was chiefly employed on fatigues, digging out forward trenches,
and carrying up wire and duckboards. On the 6th it moved into the
front line, when it had a few casualties. After four days in reserve
at Arras it returned to the support line, and was again occupied in
improving and strengthening the trenches. On the 14th Second
Lieutenant A. P. J. M. P. de Lisle joined from the Reinforcement
Battalion. Rumours of a coming German offensive reached the Division,
and Staff Officers came from all directions, while new trenches in
unexpected places sprang up every night. On the 22nd the Battalion
went into reserve, and spent the following days resting in Gordon
Camp.
[Sidenote: March.]
On March 6 a raid was carried out by the 2nd Battalion. While it was
in the support line, Major Bailey had been told that the Battalion
would be required to carry out a raid when it went up into the front
line, as the Intelligence Branch of the Headquarters Staff was anxious
to obtain information with regard to the coming German offensive. The
place selected for the raid was opposite the extreme left of the
Battalion frontage, and had been chosen partly because the aeroplane
photographs showed that the enemy was thinner there than elsewhere,
and partly on account of some rising ground on the left which would
give partial protection from machine-gun fire. In the original scheme
a silent raid by twenty-four men under Lieutenant Palmer was proposed,
but this was altered later to a raid on a larger scale with an
artillery and trench mortar barrage. In addition to the twenty-four
men from No. 2 Company, eight volunteers from the other three
companies were called for, and the whole party proceeded to Gordon
Camp under Lieutenant Clarke, with Captain Browning, who was an old
hand at raids, to supervise their training. Meanwhile a great deal of
valuable reconnaissance and preparation was carried out from the front
line by Captain O. M. Smith, commanding No. 2 Company. Unfortunately
during the few days before the raid the visibility was good, and
therefore unfavourable for such operations, since the greater part of
the wire-cutting had to be postponed until the day before the raid
took place. In order to deceive the enemy as to the actual place
selected for the raid, wire-cutting was carried out at different
places along the whole Divisional frontage.
The night of the raid proved to be fine and bright. The raiders were
brought up from Gordon Camp in buses, and, after an issue of rum at
advanced Battalion Headquarters, formed up on a tape in No Man’s Land
about 150 yards from the enemy’s trench (the total distance between
the opposing trench lines being 240 yards). At zero hour, 2.40 A.M.,
our artillery put down a barrage on the German front trenches for one
minute, and then lifted it on to the support trenches, where it was
maintained during the raid. At the same time two separate barrages
were dropped on either flank, while suspected saps, machine-guns, and
communication trenches had a standing barrage of Newton trench mortars
and howitzers directed on them. The raiders were divided into three
parties: the right and left parties, each consisting of a sergeant and
eight men, entered the enemy trench simultaneously and immediately
wheeled outwards. The centre party, consisting of Lieutenant Clarke
himself, a sergeant, two stretcher-bearers, and five men, remained at
the point of entry. The orders were that the raid was not to last more
than twenty minutes, and the raiders were to withdraw as soon as a
prisoner had been captured. In order to confuse the enemy great
quantities of coloured lights were sent up along the whole Divisional
front. The enemy were completely taken by surprise, although, as
subsequent examination of the prisoners proved, they had been warned
of the possibility of a raid. The right and left parties had not gone
far before they came upon several small shelters containing Germans.
These were at once bombed and two prisoners were quickly captured. At
the same time a machine-gun mounted on the parapet was taken, and the
team bayoneted. The gun itself was carried back to our lines by
Private Marshal of No. 1 Company. Lieutenant Clarke at once ordered a
withdrawal, as the object of the raid had been accomplished, and the
whole party returned safely with its two prisoners and machine-gun,
having been away for only twelve minutes. Somewhat later the enemy
retaliated with machine-guns, trench mortars, and artillery, but
caused no casualties, and finally the shelling on both sides died down
completely. The prisoners were identified as belonging to the 10th
Imperial Bavarian Regiment; one was a machine-gunner and the other an
orderly. A certain amount of useful information was elicited, but
their knowledge was naturally only local.
With the exception of this raid, nothing of importance occurred at the
beginning of March, until on the 12th Second Lieutenant G. H. Hanning
and Second Lieutenant H. M. Chapman were both wounded by the same
shell. Fortunately they were close to a dressing-station, and were in
the doctor’s hands within ten minutes. On the 13th an attack was
expected, and our artillery fired continual bursts of harassing fire
which brought retaliation from the Germans, during which one sergeant
and three men were wounded. The four days from the 14th to the 18th
were spent in the line, but proved uneventful, and on the 20th the 2nd
Battalion retired to Arras. Next day rumours of a successful German
offensive on a large front reached the Battalion, but nothing definite
was known. Shells fell in Arras, causing many casualties, and the town
began to be cleared of its inhabitants. On the 22nd Lieutenant P. V.
Pelly and fifty men who had been transferred from the Household
Battalion joined from the Reinforcement Battalion.
Further disquieting rumours with regard to the German advance were
repeated from mouth to mouth, and became so exaggerated that drastic
and often unnecessary measures were taken to prevent any stores from
falling into the hands of the Germans.
On the 24th preparations were made to relieve the 1st Battalion Scots
Guards in the Army line, from St. Leger running north towards Henin,
but in the afternoon these instructions were cancelled. It appeared
that the enemy had taken Gomiecourt, and was advancing towards
Courcelles. Lieut.-Colonel Rasch received orders to take up an outpost
line on the high ground south-west of Boiry, and went off at once with
the Company Commanders, to reconnoitre the ground and settle the
boundaries.
The following officers accompanied the Battalion:
Lieut.-Colonel G. E. C. Rasch, D.S.O. Commanding Officer.
Capt. G. C. FitzH. Harcourt-Vernon, D.S.O. Act.-Second in Command.
Capt. A. H. Penn Adjutant.
Capt. F. A. M. Browning, D.S.O. No. 1 Company.
2nd Lieut. H. B. G. Morgan ” ”
2nd Lieut. J. S. Carter ” ”
Capt. O. Martin Smith No. 2 Company.
2nd Lieut. S. C. K. George ” ”
2nd Lieut. A. P. J. M. P. de Lisle ” ”
Lieut. S. T. S. Clarke, M.C. No. 3 Company.
2nd Lieut. F. J. Langley ” ”
2nd Lieut. the Hon. S. A. S. Montagu ” ”
Capt. G. B. Wilson No. 4 Company.
Lieut. J. H. Jacob ” ”
Lieut. D. Harvey ” ”
Capt. W. H. Lister, D.S.O., M.C., R.A.M.C. Medical Officer.
All four companies were placed in the front line and told to find
their own supports, but two platoons of No. 1 Company were kept in
Battalion reserve. The line of resistance was just on the forward
crest of a slope. Patrols were at once sent out, and reported the
presence of several units of the Thirty-first Division, still holding
the line in front of the Battalion. In the early morning troops were
observed moving southward across the front, and these proved to be
units of the Thirty-first Division, who had received their orders too
late to withdraw under cover of the darkness. Later in the morning the
2nd Guards Brigade appeared on the right with orders to dig a line, in
continuation of that held by the 2nd Battalion, and to cover the
retirement of the rest of the Thirty-first Division. The remainder of
the Guards Division had had to conform to the retirement on the right,
by withdrawing during the night to a line which prolonged to the left
the new position taken up by the 2nd Battalion, so that at daybreak
all four Guards Brigades were in line between Boisieux-St.-Marc and
Ayette. During the morning several battalions of the Thirty-first
Division passed through the line on the left of the Battalion, and
retired to the rear. All the time the enemy were following close
behind, and about 7 P.M. Captain Martin Smith reported that 100
Germans could be seen advancing on the crest of a hill in front. They
were preceded by machine-guns, which at once opened fire on our
advanced posts, causing a few casualties. This advance on the part of
the enemy was, however, soon arrested by Lewis-gun and rifle fire, and
for the moment no action developed. As soon as it was dark, patrols
were pushed out, and the trench line was wired. At 11.30 P.M. that
night orders were issued for De Crespigny’s Brigade to relieve
Sergison-Brooke’s Brigade, the relief to be complete by 4.30 A.M. The
2nd Battalion relieved the 1st Battalion Coldstream astride the
Arras-Albert railway, with Nos. 1 and 2 Companies under Captain
Browning and Captain Martin Smith on the east side, and Nos. 3 and 4
under Lieutenant Clarke and Captain Wilson on the west side of the
railway line. The new position was difficult to hold, for, not only
did it include three sunken roads and a railway, but it was also
overlooked from the outskirts of Moyenneville and from high ground all
along the front, where a number of deserted huts could give cover to
snipers and machine-guns. During the night it was found necessary to
throw back the right of the line towards the supporting battalion,
which had to send up men to fill the gap made on the right by the
withdrawal of the Thirty-first Division.
[Sidenote: Mar. 27.]
Soon after dawn on the 27th the German infantry appeared, and
evidently intended to continue their advance. The whole method of
attack seemed to have been altered by the Germans. No longer did they
advance in close formation, and offer easy targets to their opponents.
They copied our methods, running forward by twos and threes, until a
sufficiently strong line of men had been built up for an assault, and
all the time feeling for a weak place in the British line. This new
method was difficult to counter in many ways, for not only was there
no target for our artillery but it entailed a great expenditure of
ammunition often with little result. On this occasion, however, the
new German tactics were not attended with any success, for the men of
the 2nd Battalion began shooting steadily and thinning out the enemy’s
ranks with great accuracy. The firing was soon universal down the
whole line, and the Germans found it impossible to make any headway
against the storm of bullets. All four companies had a great deal of
shooting, but especially No. 1 under Captain Browning, since it was
afforded an opportunity of enfilading the Germans, as they advanced
across its front. All the time the enemy’s shells fell on the
trenches, and No. 4 Company under Captain Wilson suffered severely.
Lieutenant D. Harvey was killed by a shell, and Captain Wilson was
badly wounded. About the same time Second Lieutenant de Lisle in No. 2
Company was also wounded. Under the storm of shells and bullets the
men found time to bring down one of the enemy’s aeroplanes which had
ventured down too low. The German attack did not progress in this part
of the line, and the chief thrust drifted farther to the south
opposite the 3rd Battalion Grenadiers and the 4th Guards Brigade.
Second Lieutenant Montagu was sent from No. 3 to No. 4 Company, the
latter having lost two officers.
[Sidenote: Mar. 28.]
The next morning No. 4 Company reported that its patrols had
discovered the enemy lining up within 100 yards of its trench; this
news was at once telephoned to our artillery, which soon dispersed
them with a wonderfully accurate fire. During the morning No. 1 and
No. 2 Companies were heavily shelled, and under cover of this barrage
and of machine-gun fire, parties of the enemy made continual efforts
to penetrate the line, but never even succeeded in reaching the wire.
The Germans had direct observation on the whole of our line, and their
shooting was consequently very accurate. On the other hand, their
abortive attacks over the open cost them dearly, and their losses must
have been very heavy. In the 2nd Battalion that day there were 22
killed and 42 wounded, among whom was Lieutenant J. H. Jacob.
[Sidenote: Mar. 29.]
The following day was quieter, as the main German attack was made
farther south, and advantage was taken of this lull in the offensive
to relieve some of the officers in the front line. Major the Hon. W.
R. Bailey went up to take the place of Lieut.-Colonel Rasch, and
Lieutenant Acland, Lieutenant Manners, Lieutenant Lubbock, Second
Lieutenant Sharpe, and Second Lieutenant Pelly replaced Captain Martin
Smith, Second Lieutenant Carter, and Second Lieutenant Montagu, who
went down to the first line transport for a rest. Forty other ranks
were also relieved every night in the same way.
[Sidenote: Mar. 30.]
After two hours’ very heavy shelling on the 30th, the Germans made two
very determined attacks on the Divisional front, but were repulsed
with heavy losses. These attacks were not directed against the portion
of the line occupied by the 2nd Battalion, which was not therefore
engaged. Later on, however, the enemy launched two faint-hearted
attacks on the Battalion, one up the railway, and the other west of
the railway, and about a dozen Germans succeeded in getting a foothold
in a post held by No. 3 Company, from which most of the occupants had
been blown by shell-fire. They were promptly ejected, and the post was
re-established. Lieutenant Manners and Second Lieutenant Langley were
wounded, and the total casualties that day were 10 killed and 35
wounded. In the evening Lieutenant Palmer was sent up to relieve
Lieutenant Clarke.
[Sidenote: Mar. 31.]
After a quiet day in the line on the 31st the 2nd Battalion was
relieved by part of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards and 2nd Battalion
Coldstream Guards, and went into Brigade Reserve, Nos. 2 and 4
Companies in huts near Boiry St. Martin, and the remainder of the
Battalion in a camp between Heudecourt and Blairville.
THE 3RD BATTALION
_January 1 to March 31, 1918_
[Sidenote: 3rd Batt. Jan.]
ROLL OF OFFICERS OF THE 3RD BATTALION AT THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY
Lieut.-Colonel A. F. A. N. Thorne, D.S.O. Commanding Officer.
Major R. H. V. Cavendish, M.V.O. Second in Command.
Capt. the Hon. A. G. Agar-Robartes, M.C. Adjutant.
Lieut. C. H. Bedford Intelligence Officer.
Lieut. E. W. Seymour Assistant Adjutant.
Lieut. F. J. Heasman Transport Officer.
Lieut. R. W. Parker Quartermaster.
Lieut. E. G. A. Fitzgerald No. 1 Company.
Lieut. W. Champneys ” ”
2nd Lieut. E. D. Tate ” ”
2nd Lieut. P. J. M. Ellison ” ”
Capt. L. Holbech No. 2 Company.
Lieut. A. H. S. Adair ” ”
2nd Lieut. G. A. I. Dury ” ”
2nd Lieut. W. A. Pembroke ” ”
2nd Lieut. P. Durbin ” ”
Capt. N. C. Tufnell No. 3 Company.
Lieut. A. C. Knollys, M.C. ” ”
Lieut. G. W. Godman ” ”
2nd Lieut. W. B. Ball ” ”
Capt. C. W. Carrington, D.S.O. No. 4 Company.
2nd Lieut. F. S. V. Donnison ” ”
2nd Lieut. C. L. F. Boughey ” ”
2nd Lieut. E. J. Bunbury ” ”
2nd Lieut. N. C. Bennett ” ”
Lieut. H. C. Fish, U.S.R. Medical Officer.
Capt. the Rev. S. Phillimore, M.C. Chaplain.
The 3rd Battalion went into the line near Fampoux from the 2nd to the
4th, placing No. 2 Company under Captain Holbech and No. 4 under
Captain Carrington south of the River Scarpe, with No. 3 under Captain
Tufnell north of the river, and No. 1 under Lieutenant Fitzgerald in
reserve. The front line was held by posts which were in good order,
but it was bitterly cold, and there was snow on the ground. After two
days in support the Battalion retired to Arras for eight days. On the
14th Lieut.-Colonel Thorne, in the absence on leave of the Brigadier,
took command of the Brigade, and Major Cavendish commanded the
Battalion. On the 17th the Battalion returned to the trenches. A thaw
having now set in, the trenches became mere drains, and required a
great deal of work to keep them habitable. The four days subsequently
spent in support were made unpleasant by the gas-shells, with which
the Germans searched the back area.
[Sidenote: Feb.]
After four more days in reserve the Battalion returned to the trenches
on February 1, when it came in for a severe bombardment with
gas-shells, which caused 104 casualties; most of these occurred while
the gas-shell holes were being filled in, as it had not been realised
before that there was any danger of gas-poisoning while the men
performed this work, and masks were therefore not worn. After the
usual four days in support and four days in reserve, the Battalion
began another tour of duty in the front trenches on the 15th. Patrols
went out every night under Lieutenant Bedford or Second Lieutenant
Durbin, to ascertain the effect of our trench mortar fire on the
enemy’s wire, in view of a raid being undertaken. After four more days
in reserve the Battalion again retired to Arras.
[Sidenote: March.]
The same routine was followed during the first three weeks in March,
and the days spent in the front line proved uneventful. Rumours of a
German offensive movement became more persistent every day, and it was
perfectly clear that in the course of the next week the enemy would
commence their great attack. Every possible precaution was therefore
taken, and the men in the front line were always looking out for any
sign of hostile movement. The German attack actually began at dawn on
the 21st, when the 3rd Battalion was in reserve at Arras. The
companies were marching off to do their training, when several shells
fell in the town, causing four casualties in No. 1 Company. Orders
were then received that there was to be as little movement as possible
in the town, so that training was confined to musketry and gas drill
carried out in the barrack-rooms. At 5.30 on the same evening the
Battalion was ordered to move at once to the Mercatel area. There it
remained the next day, ready to move at a moment’s notice, and the
Company Commanders took advantage of this pause to reconnoitre the
third system of trenches, in front of Neuville Vitasse and north of
Henin-sur-Cojeul. Meanwhile Brigadier-General Sergison-Brooke had been
gassed, and the command of the Brigade had devolved on Lieut.-Colonel
Follett.
OFFICERS WHO TOOK PART IN THE OPERATIONS AT THE END OF MARCH 1918
Lieut.-Colonel A. F. A. N. Thorne, D.S.O. Commanding Battalion.
Capt. the Hon. A. G. Agar-Robartes, M.C. Adjutant.
Lieut. E. W. Seymour Assistant Adjutant.
Lieut. E. G. A. Fitzgerald Intelligence Officer.
Capt. R. W. Parker No. 1 Company.
2nd Lieut. E. D. Tate ” ”
2nd Lieut. P. J. M. Ellison ” ”
Capt. L. Holbech No. 2 Company.
Lieut. G. A. I. Dury ” ”
2nd Lieut. W. A. Pembroke ” ”
Lieut. G. F. Pauling, M.C. No. 3 Company.
Lieut. A. C. Knollys, M.C. ” ”
Lieut. E. N. de Geijer ” ”
2nd Lieut. P. Durbin ” ”
Capt. C. W. Carrington, D.S.O. No. 4 Company.
Lieut. W. G. Orriss ” ”
2nd Lieut. N. C. Bennett ” ”
2nd Lieut. R. Van T. Ranney ” ”
Lieutenant H. C. Fish, U.S.R. Medical Officer.
At 3 A.M. on the 23rd Lieut.-Colonel Thorne received verbal orders to
bring up the Battalion at once, and to relieve the remnants of the
93rd Brigade in the line, but on reaching Boyelles he found that this
Brigade had only just taken over the line and required no relief. He
therefore withdrew the front companies, Nos. 1 and 4, and placed them
in the support trenches, occupied by the West Yorkshire Regiment,
which consequently had to retire into reserve. This manœuvre was
carried out under heavy shelling, during which Lieutenant Seymour was
wounded. That evening No. 2 Company under Captain Holbech and No. 3
under Lieutenant Pauling went up into the front trenches, the
remainder of the Battalion being in support. The next day these two
companies moved back from the railway cutting, which was being heavily
shelled, and occupied the support trenches. The Germans could be seen
advancing by twos and threes with the object of forming a sufficiently
strong line to attack, but they were scattered by our rifle fire
before they could complete the assembly. At night patrols were sent
out to obtain identifications but were not successful, since the enemy
had had time to remove their dead and wounded.
[Sidenote: Mar. 25.]
It was reported that Ervillers had been taken by the Germans; and
there seemed every probability that the line held by the Guards
Division would have to be withdrawn. A retirement to the Adinfer line
being shortly expected, one officer per company was sent back to
reconnoitre these trenches. There was little doubt that the Germans
were massing their men in front of the line held by the 3rd Battalion,
and Lieutenant Pauling reported that they were dug in not fifty yards
away, dressed in pack order. The men were quite confident in their
ability to stop any advance on the enemy’s part, but it was essential
that the Guards Division should conform to the movements of the other
troops in the line. At 10 P.M. orders were received cancelling all
previous ones, and instructing the Battalion to retire to a new line
not yet dug. The withdrawal was carried out without hurry, companies
retiring at half-hour intervals, and the Lewis-gun sections remaining
till the end. The new trench line, composed of slits only, was at once
begun, and was completed by the next morning. During the withdrawal
Lieutenant Pauling and Second Lieutenant Durbin were killed by the
same shell. They were both first-rate officers who could be ill
spared, the former having already gained the Military Cross.
[Sidenote: Mar. 26.]
Nothing of importance occurred during the 26th, although the Germans
were seen in large parties in Hamelincourt and Moyenneville. All day
shells continued to fall, but no infantry attack developed.
[Sidenote: Mar. 27.]
On the 27th the 3rd Battalion was relieved by the 2nd Battalion
Coldstream Guards, and went into Divisional support, where it took up
a position in an old German line on the ridge just south of Boiry St.
Rictude with all four companies in the line. At 11 A.M. the East
Yorkshire Regiment, which was in the front line, was attacked by
Germans in mass formation, but held its ground. The enemy, however,
was able to creep round in rear and cut it off. This movement placed
the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards, on the right, in a perilous position,
and forced it to retire. All the time the German artillery shelled the
back area, and particularly the valley in which the 3rd Battalion
Headquarters was situated. As the East Yorkshire Regiment also
retired, the trenches held by the Battalion became the front line. The
Germans now determined to pursue their success, and advanced with
confidence towards No. 2 Company, but were met with an accurate and
steady fire from the Lewis and machine guns, which staggered them and
decimated their ranks. The fighting became general all along the line,
but although the Germans fought with great courage they were unable to
make any impression on the Battalion frontage. The casualties among
our officers were very high, Captain Parker and Second Lieutenant Van
Ranney receiving severe wounds from which they never recovered.
Captain Carrington, Lieutenant Knollys, Second Lieutenant Bennett,
Second Lieutenant Tate, and Lieutenant Fish, the American Medical
Officer, were wounded. Among other ranks the casualties were 30
killed, 90 wounded, and 4 missing. The attack now drifted down towards
the right, where the 4th Guards Brigade was posted, and the German
troops opposed to the 3rd Battalion did not appear to be anxious to
renew their attack. That night a somewhat complicated relief took
place. Nos. 3 and 4 Companies were relieved by two companies of the
13th Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment; No. 3 passing into
support, and No. 4 relieving another company of the York and Lancaster
Regiment which prolonged the line to the right, and took the place of
No. 2 Company. Just before dawn No. 3 Company moved up to get touch
with the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards, and placed three platoons in
the front line with one in support. All these moves were successfully
accomplished by daybreak.
[Sidenote: Mar. 28.]
Although the Germans had lost very heavily in their attack on the
27th, they had not abandoned the idea of forcing back that part of the
line. Early the next morning a heavy barrage was put down by the enemy
on our trenches, and soon afterwards a force of about 200 Germans
attacked No. 4 Company and the 13th Battalion York and Lancaster
Regiment in four waves. So determined was this attack that the Germans
succeeded in getting into the posts in the front line. Lieutenant
Fitzgerald, who was in command of No. 4 Company, quickly organised a
counter-attack from the support platoon of the York and Lancaster
Regiment, and, having launched this, organised a second counter-attack
from the platoon in support of his own Company, which he led himself.
These counter-attacks were completely successful, and ejected the
enemy, who made haste to retire some 400 yards. In order to ensure the
stopping of the German attack, should it succeed, Captain Holbech had
in the meantime made a strong point in rear of No. 4 Company. Another
bombardment by the enemy seemed to indicate the imminence of a further
attack, but the evening passed off quietly, the shelling being merely
the fringe of the barrage, put down by the enemy farther to the right.
There were further casualties among the officers: Lieutenant Orriss
was mortally wounded, and Second Lieutenant Ellison was also wounded.
[Sidenote: March 29-31.]
The 3rd Battalion was then relieved by the 1st Battalion Scots Guards,
and went into Brigade Reserve. No. 3 Company remained in slits along
the ridge during the day of the 29th, but was withdrawn at night. On
the 30th the 3rd Battalion returned to the front line, but except for
a certain amount of shelling nothing of importance took place.
THE 4TH BATTALION
_January 1 to March 31, 1918_
[Sidenote: 4th Batt. Jan.]
At the beginning of 1918 the officers of the 4th Battalion were as
follows:
Lieut.-Colonel W. S. Pilcher, D.S.O. Commanding Officer.
Major C. F. A. Walker, M.C. Second in Command.
Capt. C. R. Gerard, D.S.O. Adjutant.
Capt. M. Chapman, M.C. Intelligence Officer.
Lieut. I. H. Ingelby Act.-Quartermaster.
2nd Lieut. G. W. Selby-Lowndes Transport Officer.
Capt. H. H. Sloane-Stanley, M.C. No. 1 Company.
Lieut. E. R. D. Hoare ” ”
Lieut. C. E. Irby, M.C. ” ”
Lieut. E. H. Tuckwell, M.C. ” ”
2nd Lieut. R. B. Osborne ” ”
Capt. C. E. Benson, D.S.O. No. 2 Company.
Lieut. the Hon. C. C. S. Rodney ” ”
2nd Lieut. T. T. Pryce, M.C. ” ”
2nd Lieut. R. L. Murray-Lawes ” ”
Capt. G. C. Sloane-Stanley No. 3 Company.
Lieut. the Hon. A. H. L. Hardinge, M.C. ” ”
2nd Lieut. D. J. Knight ” ”
2nd Lieut. C. J. Dawson-Greene ” ”
Capt. B. C. Layton No. 4 Company.
Lieut. F. C. Lyon ” ”
Lieut. N. R. Abbey ” ”
2nd Lieut. G. R. Green ” ”
2nd Lieut. R. D. Richardson ” ”
Captain N. Grellier, M.C., R.A.M.C. Medical Officer.
On January 1 the 4th Battalion went by train to Athies, and moved into
the support line with three Companies near Northumberland Lane, and
one Company attached to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
Lieut.-Colonel Pilcher was at the time on leave, and the Battalion was
commanded by Major Walker. On the 5th three Companies were moved up
into the front trenches with one Company in reserve. On the following
day Company Sergeant-Major W. Stretton, Lance-Sergeant C. Hatton, and
Lance-Corporal W. Long, all non-commissioned officers of great
gallantry and experience, were killed by a Grenatenwerfer, while
Captain Layton of the same Company was wounded. There was a hard frost
followed by a heavy fall of snow, and a German mistaking his way in
the snowstorm walked into our lines, and was taken prisoner. On the
9th the 4th Battalion was relieved by the 1st Battalion, and retired
into the support line, where it remained till the 13th.
A thaw now began and caused much damage to the trenches in many
places, especially where they were not revetted. The following
officers joined the Battalion: Lieutenant T. W. Minchin, D.S.O.,
Lieutenant M. D. Thomas, Second Lieutenant M. P. B. Wrixon, and Second
Lieutenant R. M. Meikle. The four days spent in the front line from
the 13th to the 17th were a time of hard frost, followed by a thaw,
which made the trenches almost impassable. The enemy sent over a large
number of gas-shells, but thanks to the masks there were no
casualties. The Battalion was relieved by the 3rd Battalion Grenadier
Guards, and marched to Fampoux, where it entrained for Arras. There it
was placed in billets in the prison, with Battalion Headquarters in
the Rue Gaugières. On the 25th it was sent up as support Battalion to
the right sector, and came in for a heavy bombardment of gas-shells.
The trenches were now in a deplorable condition, and constant fatigue
parties had to be supplied for their improvement.
[Sidenote: Feb.]
On the night of February 2 a successful raid was carried out by
Seymour’s Brigade, and four prisoners were captured, but with this
exception there was little activity in the front line, and the work of
repairing the trenches was proceeded with unmolested. On the 5th the
Battalion again retired to Arras for a week’s rest, and occupied its
old billets. The Battalion transport, inspected by the Brigadier, was
reported to be the best in the whole Division, and Second Lieutenant
Selby-Lowndes, the transport officer, received great credit for its
high state of efficiency.
A decrease in the supply of men for the Army made it necessary to
reduce the fighting strength of divisions, and it was therefore
decided to reduce each brigade in the Army by one battalion. A new
Brigade, consisting of the 4th Battalion Grenadier Guards, 3rd
Battalion Coldstream Guards, and 2nd Battalion Irish Guards, was
therefore formed and placed under the command of Brigadier-General
Lord Ardee. It was with much regret that these Battalions had to leave
the Guards Division, in which they had fought for so long.
Major-General Feilding sent the following message to Lieut.-Colonel
Pilcher:
I cannot tell you how sad I am that your Battalion should
have to leave my Division. Throughout the time that the
Battalion has been under my command it has maintained the
great traditions of the Brigade of Guards.
Formed as it was during the war, it was able at once to take
its place equal in efficiency and smartness to any Battalion
in the Division. It has been a great grief to me that I have
not been able to be present to bid you farewell and thank
all ranks for their services, and wish you all good luck in
the future.
[1] See 1st Battalion account.
[2] Captain Sir A. Napier, Bart., was the only officer who
had taken part with the 2nd Battalion in the operations on
July 31.
END OF VOL. II
_Printed by_ R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, _Edinburgh_.
Transcriber Note
Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like
this_. Obvious printing errors, such as spaces missing between letters
and final stops missing at the end of abbreviations, were adjusted.
Misspelled words and names were not changed.
Anchors and footnotes were numbered in sequence; notes were moved to
the end of the volume.
The illustration of The Earl of Cavan was moved to follow General
Order 73.