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diff --git a/18659.txt b/18659.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5d0b9ae --- /dev/null +++ b/18659.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7073 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Seventh Manchesters, by S. J. Wilson, et +al + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Seventh Manchesters + July 1916 to March 1919 + + +Author: S. J. Wilson + + + +Release Date: June 23, 2006 [eBook #18659] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEVENTH MANCHESTERS*** + + +E-text prepared by David Clarke, Paul Good, and the Project Gutenberg +Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/) from page +images generously made available by Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries +(http://www.archive.org/details/toronto) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 18659-h.htm or 18659-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/6/5/18659/18659-h/18659-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/6/5/18659/18659-h.zip) + + + Images of the original pages are available through + Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See + http://www.archive.org/details/sevenmanchester00wilsuoft + + + + + +THE SEVENTH MANCHESTERS + +July 1916 to March 1919 + +By + +CAPTAIN S. J. WILSON, M.C. + +With a Preface by the Hon. Anthony M. Henley, C.M.G., D.S.O. +(Brigadier-General (retired), late Commanding 127th Infantry Brigade) + +And an Introduction by Gerald B. Hurst, T.D., K.C., M.P. +(Lieut.-Col. Commanding the 7th Bn. Manchester Regiment) + + + + + + + +Published by the University of Manchester at +The University Press (H. M. Mckechnie, Secretary) +12, Lime Grove, Oxford Road, Manchester + +Longmans, Green & Co. +London: 39, Paternoster Row +New York: 443-449, Fourth Avenue and Thirtieth Street +Chicago: Prairie Avenue and Twenty-fifth Street +Bombay: 8, Hornby Road +Calcutta: 6, Old Court House Street +Madras: 167, Mount Road + + + +[Illustration: The Hon. A. M. HENLEY, C.M.G., D.S.O. Brig.-Gen. +(retired), late Commanding 127th Infantry Brigade] + + + +The Seventh Manchesters + +Manchester +at the University Press +Longmans, Green & Co. +London, New York, Bombay, Etc. +1920 + + + + +Contents. + + PAGE + +Preface by Brigadier-General A. M. Henley, C.M.G., D.S.O. vii + +Introduction by Lieut.-Col. G. B. Hurst, K.C., M.P. xi + +List of Illustrations xv + +List of Sketch Maps xvi + +Chapter I.--Holding up the Turk 1 + + " II.--Desert Life 16 + + " III.--For France 30 + + " IV.--Holding the Line 34 + + " V.--Belgium 47 + + " VI.--An Interlude 65 + + " VII.--Stopping the Hun 75 + + " VIII.--Worrying the Hun 94 + + " IX.--Hammering the Hun 113 + + " X.--Pursuing the Hun 134 + + " XI.--Aftermath and Home 142 + +Appendix I.--Honours and Awards to Members of the Battalion 144 + + " II.--Members of the Battalion Killed in Action, + Died of Wounds, Missing, etc. 148 + +Index 156 + + + + +Preface. + + +I first met the 7th Manchesters early in May, 1917, when they were +gaining new experiences of warfare on the Western front, not far from +Epehy in the north of France. They, with the rest of the 127th Infantry +Brigade, and in fact the whole of the 42nd Division had already had a +long war experience in Gallipoli and Egypt, but they had only recently +been transferred to France. I was taking up the command of an Infantry +Brigade for the first time. I did not know then what a lucky man I was, +but it did not take me long to find out, and we worked together without +a break from that time until the armistice. + +The writer of this book passes over with considerable sang froid a +certain operation which took place on a June night in 1917. If the 7th +Manchesters, and not only the 7th, but the 5th, 6th and 8th as well will +allow me to say so, I did not enjoy the same complete confidence as to +the result before and during the night in question. The operation +consisted of digging a complete new front line trench, a mile long, on +the whole Brigade Sector, five hundred yards in advance of the existing +front line, and half way across No Man's Land. June nights are short and +it needed practically the whole brigade to get the job done in time. We +had to find not only the diggers, but the covering troops and strong +parties for carrying and wiring. Now four battalions digging on a bare +hillside within point blank range of the enemy's rifles and machine guns +are not well placed to meet attack or even to avoid fire if they are +caught. So everything possible had to be done to avoid raising any +suspicion of what was on foot in the minds of the watchful Germans. The +troops had to work at high pressure and in absolute silence. The R.E. +who were to lay the tapes were the first to go forward after the +covering troops; then came the wire carriers, and, as soon as the R.E. +had had time to get the tapes into position, out went the diggers, who, +after reaching the line, had to be spaced out at working distances along +the whole front. We who stayed behind spent some anxious hours. However +complete the arrangements and however perfectly executed there was yet a +chance that some enterprising and inquisitive German patrol might find +out what was happening in time to give one of their local commanders an +opportunity of hindering our work. We had to make such arrangements as +would give the appearance that we were doing nothing unusual, that we +were in fact excruciatingly normal. There must be neither more noise nor +less than on an ordinary night, and so the artillery and machine guns +must fire their accustomed bursts into the likely places in the German +lines. + +It was a great success. By dawn there was a trench, continuous at least +in appearance along the whole front, at intervals there were rifle and +Lewis gun posts in it; and if there were places where it was preferable +to pass along in the attitude of the serpent after his expulsion from +the Garden of Eden and ever since, there was nothing to show the Germans +which they were. There was wire in front, and the troops got back +without more casualties than averaged as a result of the ordinary +nightly strafes. + +Though we took on many tougher jobs later I was never again anxious as +to the result. + +Our great days were:-- + + Stopping the Germans East of BUCQUOY-- + March 23rd to 29th, 1918. + + The advance West of MIRAUMONT-- + 21st August, 1918. + + The Capture of MIRAUMONT and PYS-- + 24th August, 1918. + + The Capture of VILLERS AU FLOS-- + 2nd September, 1918. + + The Battle of the HINDENBURG LINE-- + 27th September, 1918. + + The Battle of the SELLE RIVER-- + 20th October, 1918. + +In every one of these the 7th Manchesters were called upon to play a +part. Whether their original role in the plan of battle had been to lead +the attack or to act in support they were always in the picture before +the end of the fight. I am not going to pick out this or that as their +finest performances. The reader can choose for himself when he has +finished the book. It is enough for me to say that, whatever task was +given them, they took on cheerfully and carried through magnificently. +Not only that, but they were anxious to go beyond what was demanded of +them, as is well shown by the fighting at La Signy Farm which they +attacked and captured on their own initiative. + +I can only wish them individually the same success in peace as they won +as a battalion in war. I think they will have it. For it takes +first-class men to make a first-class fighting unit. Perhaps many of +them will join again under the old colours. I hope so, and I +congratulate in advance any commander whose good luck it may be to lead +them. + +A. M. HENLEY, _Brig. Gen. (retired)_ + _late Commanding 127th Infantry Brigade._ + +_21st February; 1920._ + + + + +Introduction. + + +Captain Wilson's book continues the story of the 7th (1st 7th) +Manchesters, which is recorded in my own book "With Manchesters in the +East," from July, 1916 until November, 1918. It is written with intimate +knowledge and much understanding, and will be enjoyed by all his +comrades. It was the good fortune of the Manchester Territorials (127th +Brigade) to belong to the first Territorial Division (the 42nd), that +ever left these islands for active service, and this active service +eventually took place on three fronts. The 7th Battalion garrisoned the +Sudan and fought through the Gallipoli campaign. It recruited its +strength at Suez, and then helped to clear the Sinai Peninsula of the +Turks. Finally it served for two and a half years in Flanders. It +translated its motto, "We never sleep" into its daily life. + +This volume will be a useful supplement to any general history of the +War. It is based on the diary of a Regimental Officer, who won +considerable distinction in the field, and whose eyes missed little of +consequence. It is of even more value as evidence of what men of +essentially civilian habits and traditions can achieve as soldiers. The +numbers of the 7th Manchesters were never fully up to strength after +April, 1915, and for many months at a time while in the East they fell +to vanishing point. Yet from the day in September, 1914, when the +original first-line Battalion sailed from Southampton for Port Sudan in +the "Grantully Castle," each successive draft was of the same mould. The +men came from the same neighbourhood, were of the same capacity, and had +been bred with the same ideas. Their devotion was founded on a sense of +duty. They were personally utterly remote from what is called +militarism, and saw little fascination in its pomp. The survivors are +now absorbed once more in the undramatic industry of Lancashire. There +is nothing to indicate to an observer that they have ever left it. The +last time you saw your tramway conductor may have been as a bomber in +"the western birdcage" on Cape Helles; your fellow passenger may have +last talked to you as your "runner," when you tramped along the +duckboards from Windy Corner to Givenchy. What such men did for England +will therefore illustrate for all time the potentialities of a +Territorial Force. + +Captain Wilson's style of expression and cast of thought are, in my +view, true to type. He is the Lancashire man of action, who affects no +literary arts. These pages are bare of heroics. There is a soldierly +brevity in his account of even of the bravest exploit. There is also +plenty of quiet humour. The reader will search vainly for any "villain +of the piece." The "Hun" is to Captain Wilson, as to the normal British +officer, just a "Boche" and no more; to the rank and file he was simply +"Jerry." If you want adjectives, you will have to look for them in _John +Bull_ or listen to speeches in the House of Commons. + +For all who were in authority over him, whether Corps Commanders or +Divisional Generals, Brigadiers or temporary Commanding Officers, +Captain Wilson has a good word. A reader unfamiliar with soldiers' +psychology might deduce that all his superior officers had been +invariably models of judgment and efficiency. He would possibly be quite +wrong; but it is most fitting that this book should be framed on such +lines, for they are the lines which our soldiers have never failed to +accept. The rough is taken with the smooth. If ever there has been +incompetence men have simply blamed the system and cursed the War +Office. If they happened to have been five minutes in France they might +have philosophically added "c'est la guerre." The actual individual +responsible has not been worth worrying about. Thus even with regard to +this mere side issue, the author's story reflects a cardinal attribute +of the national character, and therefore in its essence conveys the +truth. + +In my opinion, it is not, however, the whole truth. There is no reason +why England in her reconstruction should forget that want of sympathy +with the Territorials, which far too often marked men, to whose hands +their fortunes were from time to time entrusted. This vice should be +borne in mind not because the memory is bitter; but because by +remembrance we may make its repetition in later wars impossible. +Territorials ought never to be ousted from the command of their own +units, or to be excluded from staff appointments, merely because they +are not Regulars or because they fail to comply with needlessly drastic +and therefore non-essential codes of discipline. Discipline is, in fact, +degraded into servitude when it becomes a mere fetish. How fallaciously +it may be construed could often be seen in the tendency among powerful +martinets to "drive a coach and four" through the law and procedure +which regulate trials by Court Martial. The need for the +"standardisation" of all infantry units in France was quite genuine; but +unimaginative men in authority could make "standardisation" a burden to +the spirit, and the picture of some men of this class, which is painted +in A. P. Herbert's novel. _The Secret Battle_, is founded on the truth. +We have all seen such cases. The grinding necessities of the Western +front ended the joyous amateurism, which a Territorial unit was able to +preserve through all its vicissitudes in Eastern warfare, but they did +not require the prevailing banishment of individuality and of the +exercise of intellect from Regimental life. + +After landing in France the 42nd Division had to make a new reputation +by rising from the ruck, and it is very notable that the personnel of +the 7th Manchesters, as of the other units in the Division, although +almost completely changed from the personnel of the Battalion when in +Gallipoli and drawn from a later generation of recruits, achieved equal +distinction and much greater technical efficiency. This fact points to +the wonderful resourcefulness of the English people. Historically it +shows how thoroughly our Army of 1917-18 was professionalised. + +The later chapters of Captain Wilson's book detail very brilliant +fighting by our men, which it would be idle and impertinent to praise. +Such "crowded hours" are not, however, and never have been the most +typical of a soldier's life. Infinitely more numerous were the hours of +endurance and privation, which the 7th spent among the broken ravines of +Gallipoli, among the dreary mud flats on either bank of the Yser, among +the desolate craters in front of Cuinchy and Le Plantin. In their +patience and fortitude amid these wastes lies their strongest title to +the gratitude of Christendom. + +Peace is already dimming men's memories of the War as effectually as the +grass is covering the ruins of devastated France. The Manchester +Territorial is back at his job. The broken home no longer feels the same +first poignancy of grief. "Man goeth forth unto his work and unto his +labour until the evening," and it is a good thing for the world that he +does. Nevertheless, all men and women who cherish associations with the +7th Manchesters will, I think, read and re-read Captain Wilson's work +for many years to come. From amid all the hardships and miseries of +soldiering which the Englishman readily forgets, the light of +self-sacrifice shines upon the human race with a never fading beauty. +Herein lies the true romance of war. As the reader turns over the +ensuing pages he cannot but realise something of the cumulative drudgery +and hardships which these men endured for their country. + +To the 7th Manchesters themselves they mean much more. The very place +names of our warfare recall the memory of the comrades whom we have +loved and lost, the early enthusiasms which we shall never feel +again:--Khartoumn, Gallipoli, Shallufa, Suez, Ashton-in-Sinai, Coxyde, +Nieuport, Aire, Bethune, Ypres, Bucquoy, Havrincourt. When we are very +old, many of us will still conjure up the tune of "Keep the Home Fires +Burning" on the lips of tired men beneath the stars on Geoghegan's +Bluff; the thud of the shovel falling upon the sand ridges of Sinai +while a blazing sun rose over Asia; the refrain of "Annie Laurie" sung +by candle-light in some high roofed barn behind the lines in Belgium. + +I hear them now. + +GERALD B. HURST. + + + + +List of Illustrations. + + PAGE + +PLATE I. _Frontispiece_ + Brigadier-General Anthony M. Henley. + +PLATE II. _facing 8_ + 1. Group of Officers. N.B. Fleur de Lys. + 2. Ridge occupied on August 5th, 1916. + 3. Issue of Water: Morning of August 5th, 1916. + 4. In Katia: August 6th, 1916. + +PLATE III. _facing 18_ + 1. Bivouac Shelters on the Desert. + 2. Making the Railway over the Desert. + 3. At El Mazar. + 4. Digging a Well. + + + + +List of Sketch Maps. + + PAGE + +The Sinai Desert 21 + +Nieuport and Coast Sector 57 + +Round about Bapaume 78 + +Attack on the Hindenburg Line, September 27th, 1918 125 + +Area covered during advance of 42nd Division, 1918, + _facing_ 143 + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +Holding up the Turk. + + +In September, 1914, the 7th Bn. Manchester Regiment set out for active +service in the East in goodly company, for they were a part of the 42nd +(East Lancashire) Division, the first territorials to leave these shores +during the Great War. After many interesting days spent on garrison duty +in the Sudan and Lower Egypt they journeyed to Gallipoli soon after the +landing had been effected, and took a continuous part in that ill-fated +campaign until the final evacuation. The beginning of 1916 thus found +them back in Egypt, where they were taking part in General Maxwell's +scheme for the defence of the Suez Canal. The things that befell the +battalion during this long period have been admirably described in Major +Hurst's book _With Manchesters in the East_, and this short history will +attempt to continue the narrative from the point where it left off. + +At the end of June, 1916, the 7th Manchesters made a short trip by rail +along the Suez Canal, the last railway journey they were to make as a +battalion for many a long day. The 42nd Division left the defence of the +southern half of the Canal in the able hands of the East Anglian +Territorials, and journeyed north to the Kantara region. It was not +definitely known why we made this move, but there were persistent +rumours that we were destined for France, where events were speeding +towards a big battle. However, the 7th detrained at Kantara and there +met, for the first time since Gallipoli, the 52nd (Lowland Scottish) +Division. We knew very little of this coastal region of the desert. +Occasional stories had floated down to us to supplement the very meagre +official communiques as to events there, but it was recognised as a +place where opportunities of getting in touch with our invisible enemy +were rather better than in the south. So it was felt that, even if we +did not go to France, life would lose a certain amount of that deadly +monotony which we had experienced for six months. + +It transpired that the 127th Brigade were to relieve detachments of the +11th Division, who, it was openly whispered, were definitely to sail for +France to try their luck in the more vigorous scene of this great +adventure. Most interesting to us was the discovery that we were to take +over posts occupied by the 11th Manchesters, the first Kitchener +battalion of our own regiment. Our astonishment and delight can be +imagined when we saw that they wore the good old Fleur de Lys for a +battalion flash on the puggarees of their helmets--just as we wore it, +but yellow instead of green. + +The battalion marched east along a good road recently made for military +purposes, and eventually reached Hill 70, where the headquarters were +established. Early next morning, garrisons marched out before the heat +of the day to occupy a series of posts arranged in semi-circular +formation between two inundations about three miles apart. "B" Company +took over Turk Top and No. 1 Post. Capt. Smedley, Capt. Brian Norbury, +2nd-Lt. C. B. Douglas, 2nd-Lt. Pell-Ilderton being at the former, while +Capt. J. R. Creagh, 2nd-Lt. Hacker, and later 2nd-Lt. Gresty took charge +of the latter. "C" Company were divided between Nos. 2 and 3 posts, with +Lt. Nasmith and 2nd-Lt. S. J. Wilson at No. 2, and Lt. Nidd and Lt. +Marshall at No. 3. "A" Company, who were responsible for Hill 70, was +commanded by Capt. Tinker assisted by 2nd-Lt's. Kay, Woodward, Wood and +Wilkinson. The officers comprising headquarters were Lt.-Col. Canning, +C.M.G., Capt. Cyril Norbury (second in command), Major Scott +(Quartermaster), Capt. Farrow, M.C. (Medical Officer), Lt. H. C. +Franklin, M.C., Adjutant and 2nd-Lt. Bateman (Signal Officer), while +2nd-Lt. J. Baker was in charge of the Lewis guns of the battalion. "D" +Company were at Hill 40 in a reserve position under the command of +Capt. Higham supported by Capt. Townson, 2nd-Lt's. Grey Burn, G. W. F. +Franklin, Ross-Bain, Gresty, Morten, and R. J. R. Baker. The work of the +transport was divided between Capt. Ward-Jones, and 2nd-Lt. M. Norbury. + +The posts consisted of self-contained redoubts which were capable of +holding out in the matter of food and water for about three days. +They had been constructed at the cost of great labour by the 52nd +Division. Routine was simple, our only duties being to man our posts +before dawn, then improve and maintain the trenches and wire until +about 7 when the sun entered his impossible stage. The same thing +happened in the evening. During the night patrols were executed from +one post to the next. All this carried a certain interest because we +knew that the Turk might come near at any time in the shape of a +flying raiding column to reach the canal. Rumours were frequent of +his proximity, and when Turk Top one night frantically reported +mysterious green lights, out towards the enemy, serious preparations +were made for his reception. The climax came, however, about noon +one day at Hill 70 when those who were not asleep heard, with a +mixed feeling of old familiarity, "s-s-s-sh-sh-SH--flop." Most of +us, after cringing in the usual manner, said, with a relieved air, +"Dud." Then followed commotion. They had arrived and were shelling +the post. The shimmering desert was eagerly scanned by the officers' +field glasses, and all kinds of things were seen and not seen. +Meanwhile someone went to look at the "Dud," and found not a shell +but a large stone, still quite hot. It finally dawned upon everyone +that we were bombarded from the heavens, and not by the Turk. It was +a meteorite, still preserved amongst the battalion's war souvenirs, +which had upset our composure. + +Whilst on duty at these posts we had a visit from the Marquis of +Tullibardine, now Duke of Atholl, of the Scottish Horse, who was +responsible for this section of the Canal defences. Lieut.-Gen. +Lawrence, afterwards Chief of Staff in France, who was in command of the +northern section of the Canal defences also paid a visit, and +remembered us as part of the brigade which he had commanded on +Gallipoli. Important changes took place in the battalion at this time. +Lt.-Col. Canning, C.M.G., relinquished the command, and returned home +for duty in the Cork district. His departure was sorely regretted by all +ranks, for during the twelve months he had been with the 7th, his +capabilities as a commander had only been surpassed by his solicitude +for the men's welfare, so that he had made his way into our hearts as a +popular soldier. Major Cronshaw of the 5th Manchesters succeeded him and +was soon afterwards made Lt.-Colonel. Captain Farrow, M.C., R.A.M.C., +was also invalided home, after having had almost unbroken active service +with the battalion since September, 1914. + +About the middle of July a fairly large column of Turks began to make +their way across the desert from El Arish, intending to strike once more +for the possession of the Suez Canal. They moved with surprising +rapidity and wonderful concealment, and some excitement was caused when +a large enemy force was located by air reconnaissance, so near as +Oghratina Hod, within five miles of Romani, then held by the 52nd +Division. A battle seemed imminent, and this at the worst possible time +in the Egyptian year. A Brigade of the 53rd Division, consisting of +Royal Welsh Fusiliers and Herefords, spent a night at Hill 70 on their +way to occupy a defensive line between Romani and Mahamadiyeh on the +coast. There was an obvious increase in aerial activity on both sides, +and camel and other traffic on the Romani road became more feverish. + +On July 23rd, the 7th Lancashire Fusiliers relieved the battalion in all +the posts and we marched back to Hill 40, where we found the whole +brigade was concentrating. There was much to be done in equipping the +men, and teaching them the correct method of carrying their belongings +on "Mobile Column," for that was what we were destined to become. The +equipment was worn in the usual "fighting kit" manner, with the +haversack on the back and under the haversack the drill tunic, folded in +four. This also served as a pad to protect the spine from the sun. Near +Hill 40 there was a large patch of hard sand which the Scottish Horse, +who were in the neighbourhood, had converted into a football pitch. +Small wonder then that we challenged the owners to a game, and a great +game it was. The Scotsmen had an unbeaten record in Egypt, which they +maintained, but only after a ding-dong game which the battalion never +forgot. + +The next day the Brigade marched forward and made camp at Gilban, about +3-1/2 miles N.E. of Hill 70. An indefinite stay was to be made here, and +defensive precautions were taken, a ring of posts being placed all round +the camp. It was soon found that the principal difficulty was that of +patrolling by night from post to post. On a desert such as this there +were no landmarks of any sort, and as a belt of wire such as we had been +used to at Hill 70 had not been placed between the posts it was by no +means easy to preserve the right direction. As we had reached a +scrub-covered desert, however, this difficulty was easily overcome by +making a sort of track from one post to the next by clearing away the +scrub, and using this to make a clear edge to the track. The battalion +was augmented about this time by drafts from home, and the following +officers rejoined after having been invalided to England in 1915: Lt. +Douglas Norbury, 2nd-Lt. Bryan and 2nd-Lt. L. G. Harris, while a week +previous Major Allan had been posted to us from the 8th Manchesters as +second in command. + +In the army coming events often cast their shadow before them; and this +shadow frequently takes the form of a visit by the Higher Command to the +troops who are to go into action. Hence, when the Divisional Commander, +Major-General Sir W. Douglas, had the 127th Brigade paraded for him at +Gilban, and when he complimented Brigadier-General Ormsby upon the fine +turn out, we gathered that our long period of waiting for the Turk was +over. He told us to husband our water, and these words I am sure rang +through many an officer's head in the following days. The 42nd Division, +he said, were expected to make a great coup, and many prisoners were to +be taken. Two days later the preliminary rumbles of the Battle of +Romani were heard, for the Turk had commenced an artillery and bombing +attack upon the garrisons there. + + +ROMANI AND KATIA. + +The Turkish force, estimated at about 16,000, and much better equipped +than the flying column which had made the first attempt to cross the +canal in March the previous year, had been promised that they should +overwhelm the "small" British garrisons before the Feast of Ramadan. +They would then meet with no resistance and would enter victoriously +into Egypt, a sort of promised land after their hardships across the +desert. Many of them did enter Egypt and reached Cairo, but not in the +way they wished. They were marched through the city as prisoners, and +their presence as such undoubtedly created a profound impression upon +disloyal Egyptians. + +Inspired by a number of German officers, however, they fought well and +vigorously in the early stages of the attack upon Romani. They had been +told that once they got on the hills in the neighbourhood of the British +positions they would see the Suez Canal stretched out below them, and +this probably urged them on to make almost superhuman efforts. In front +of Romani, in the region of the Katia oasis, mobile outposts furnished +by the Australian Light Horse were driven in after hard fighting, and +they fell back to other positions on the high sand hills to the south of +Romani, covering the right flank of the 52nd Division. Meanwhile a +frontal attack was delivered upon the redoubts occupied by the latter, +and the enemy made many brave attempts to reach the summit of Katib +Gannit, a high hill, in shape similar to the Matterhorn, which dominated +the whole desert. He gained a footing nowhere, however, and exposed to +merciless rifle and machine gun fire from the Scotsmen, suffered heavy +casualties. A similar reception was afforded him by the Welshmen of +158th Brigade further north towards Mahamadiyeh. + +It was apparent, however, that the enemy's intention was to force his +way around the southern side and cut the railway and water pipe near +Pelusium behind Romani, and in this part of the battle the Australian +and New Zealand Light Horse, who had had to discard their horses and +fight as infantry, found it difficult to hold their own against repeated +assaults. More terrible than the Turk was the heat and the lack of +water. + +Such is a rough outline of the situation when the 7th Manchesters along +with the remainder of the 127th Brigade were suddenly ordered to +concentrate at Pelusium. The morning of August 4th opened quietly for +us, although gunfire could be heard, and bursting shrapnel could be seen +in the direction of Duedar. We had settled down to ordinary routine, one +company setting out for a short march, and others preparing for kit +inspections and other camp duties, when suddenly, "B" Company received +orders to fall in and move off, and in a short space of time they were +entrained during the heat of the day for Pelusium. Before noon the whole +battalion was collected on what was supposed to be a bivouac area at the +new destination. But we had seen General Douglas going along the train +at Gilban and he said: "Well, good luck lads, make a good bag," so we +were not surprised when we found that settling down for bivouac was not +to be our fate. + +The 5th Manchesters had arrived with us, and the 8th were following on, +while the 6th were already here, having been sent up the previous day. +Our task was to go to the assistance of the Colonials and attack the +Turk on the flank along with the 5th, the 6th and 8th being in support +and reserve. We marched out about 4 o'clock, moving first south and then +south-east. Meanwhile the battle was obviously increasing in intensity, +and when we halted previous to extending, we could see the Turk shrapnel +severely peppering a high ridge in front where a detachment of the +Australian Light Horse, having resumed their horses, were gradually +massing for a charge. + +[Illustration: _PLATE II_ + +1. Group of Officers. _N.B._--Fleur de Lys + +2. Ridge occupied on August 5th, 1916 + +3. Issue of Water--Morning of August 5th, 1916 + +4. In Katia, August 6th, 1916] + +With the 5th on our right we extended into lines about 2,000 yards from +what appeared to be the Turkish position on a ridge to our front. As we +swept into view the enemy opened fire at long range, but very soon it +was evident that they had no stomach left for a further fight. They were +extremely exhausted with their exertions of the previous days, +particularly of the past twenty-four hours, and the sight of lines of +fresh British Infantry moving steadily toward them was more than their +jaded bodies and nerves could stand. As our men climbed the enemy's +ridge white flags began to appear. They were the long white sandbags +carried by every Turk, and very convenient for their purpose. Large +bodies surrendered and they were collected and sent to the rear. +Meanwhile the Colonials had swept round the hill away to the right, and +in a comparatively short space of time about six hundred Turks were seen +being marched back by a few Australian troopers. The enemy's artillery +had ceased fire and were obviously making attempts to escape eastwards, +so with the exception of a few rifle shots from the direction of the 5th +the battle in our sector was over for the day. + +This was the death blow to Turkey's and Germany's hopes of ever getting +within striking distance of the Suez Canal, and a vindication of +Kitchener's principle that British soldiers should get out on the desert +to defend the canal, and not allow the canal to defend them. But more +important still, it was the beginning of that forward move so slow and +weary in its early stages, which later developed into General Allenby's +wonderful sweep through Palestine. + +Before nightfall "C" and "D" Companies established themselves in support +to the 5th Manchesters, who had now joined up with the Australians on +the left, but there was very little possibility of the Turk attacking +again that day, so all the troops were rested, in preparation for a +strenuous attack on the morrow. Sentry groups were posted, and the +battalion sat down and made a scanty meal of bread accompanied where +possible with a mouthful of water. This was the first meal most men had +had since breakfast. Numbers of prisoners came in during the night, +each of them carrying a full water bottle. The Turk knew how to preserve +a water supply, and what was of greater interest to us, he knew where to +get it. It speaks well, however, for the chivalry of the British soldier +that none deprived their prisoners of their water, although they were +probably almost without themselves. This sporting attitude towards the +enemy, the spirit of "play the game" whether fighting the clean Turk or +the not so reputable German, I never failed to observe throughout the +war. + +Stand to at 3.30 the following morning indicated that work was still to +be done, for in the half light, troops of Light Horse could be seen +collecting behind a hill preparatory to a sweep forward. When they +emerged in the increasing light, the enemy could be seen fleeing from a +trench about 1,200 yards away. Very soon word came through that we were +to go in pursuit, and while we were exercised in mind as to what we +should do for water, we were greatly relieved when we were ordered back +to the ridge to fill our bottles. There the welcome sight of camels +loaded with water fantassies met our eyes and the men eagerly assisted +in the work of distribution. Three-quarters of a bottle and a "buckshee" +drink was the ration, and this obtained, men felt more fit for their +labours. Food, however, there was none, and we had to be content with +what remained of yesterday's rations. But it was felt that food was not +so important if only the water would not fail. + +By seven o'clock the whole Brigade were on the move, and in tropical +countries in the hot season, the sun's heat is considerable at this +time. After we had travelled some distance the hardship of desert +marching under these conditions began to really hit us, and undoubtedly +the exertions of the previous day were having their effect. Every moment +the heat increased, the sand seemed to become softer and softer, and the +whole ground sloped gradually upwards. Men dropped and officers had to +use all the powers they possessed to get them on, but many had to be +left behind to struggle along afterwards in their own time. Meanwhile +another long column of prisoners could be seen streaming away towards +Romani, which we were now leaving well to our left rear. The battalion +proceeded over the desert in this manner in artillery formation with +platoons as units, and halting as frequently as possible. After a great +physical effort we reached the base of a hill with a steep soft slope, +and a sort of knife-edge ridge at the top, where an Australian outpost +had been surrounded a few days before. Australian and Turkish dead still +lay as evidence of the fight, and the stench from their bodies produced +by the sweltering heat did not diminish the grimness of the scene. + +This ridge was the battalion's position for the day, so after a short +rest we scrambled to the top and surveyed the desert on the other side, +lying thoroughly exhausted under the almost vertical rays of the sun, +for it was now mid-day. The other side of the hill was exceptionally +steep and dropped into a large hod (plantation of date palms), the first +we had met on our desert travels. In this there appeared to be a well, +and the temptation to go down for water was great, but how could one +struggle up again? An occasional trooper visited this place but none +could persuade their horses to drink, which seemed to indicate that the +water was not good. Out over the desert the cavalry could still be seen +pursuing the enemy, and our guns were occasionally flinging shrapnel +amongst them. + +Strange sights were seen. A captured convoy of Turkish camel transport +was captured, and they presented a very motley appearance. They were +evidently collected from the desert lands of the Turkish Empire. They +had come to the war dressed as for their more peaceful habits, so that +no two men were alike. Several wore brilliantly coloured garments and +head gear. Occasionally a German officer would be seen amongst the batch +of weary prisoners. The navy's assistance in this fighting was marked by +a monitor, miles away, standing as close to the shore as possible, +although to us she appeared like a tiny toy ship. Suddenly a big flash +belched forth, followed a long time afterwards by a roar, which in turn +was followed by a terrific explosion over the desert to the right where +the shell had arrived in the wake of the retreating Turks. One of these +shots at least had been an O.K. as we afterwards discovered, for it had +destroyed a large part of a Turkish camel convoy. At four in the +afternoon the battalion received orders to move on and occupy another +ridge about one and a half miles in front, and "A" Company immediately +set out, moving round the shoulder of our present hill. "C" Company +dropped down the steep slope and waited in the hod for further +instructions. They found there a batch of wounded Turks waiting to be +carried off by the ambulance. It was with some astonishment that they +heard Major Allan shouting to them from above to get back to their +former position, so they struggled up the hill again with a very ill +grace. However, plans had been changed and it transpired that the +Lancashire Fusiliers had arrived and they were to take over our position +while we went back a few yards to bivouac for the night. + +It was now much cooler and men felt disposed to eat their very scanty +meal. Those who had water were fortunate. Just as we were settling down +for the night word came through that Katia was to be taken next day, and +that we should move out at four in the morning. The enemy were believed +to be holding the oasis basin fairly strongly. In our extraordinarily +tired condition, brought about by strenuous exertions and lack of +nourishment, we did not view the prospect with too much confidence, but +hoping that a few hours' sleep might refresh us we rolled into the +shallow scoops we had made in the sand, and lay down to a rather chilly +night, our only extra cover being the khaki drill tunic whose weight we +had roundly cursed during the day. + +At 3 a.m. we prepared to move. In the dim light the eternally-blessed +water camels could be seen wending their way towards our bivouac. As +before there was abundance of volunteers for this vital fatigue, but +most hearts drooped when it was found that the ration worked out to a +pint per man! Officers and N.C.O's. sadly but vigorously emphasised the +extreme urgency of preserving the water supply. Some resorted to drastic +action and insisted that no man should drink at all without first +obtaining permission of his officer, and on the day's business I am +inclined to think that these officers obtained the best results. The +Brigadier came to tell us we had done magnificently, but he said we +should have a worse day to-day; water was to be had at Katia--when we +got there. The men were also warned that it would probably be of little +use to drop out, in fact it might be extremely dangerous, for the +chances of being picked up were rather slight. + +The cheery soul of the British Tommy, however, is proof against all +things, and he started out on this day's trip in the same spirit with +which he tackled all jobs during the war: "It has to be done, so do your +best and put the best face on it." The Fleur de Lys led out the Brigade +and trudged steadily through the soft sand in artillery formation. The +6th gradually got up into a position on our right, while the 5th and 8th +followed in support. The march forward proceeded monotonously in the +increasing heat, the men becoming more and more taciturn as the sun's +power gathered. Allowance of course had to be made for the weariness of +the men and the heavy going. Then a halt was called and we waited for an +hour. It appeared that the L.F's., who formed the left of the 42nd +Divisional front, had been rather late in starting, and it was necessary +to wait for them. Then the forward movement commenced again, and after +some time another long halt was necessary. Our men were now in a great +hollow in the sand in which there was not a breath of wind, and the sun +now at the height of its fury beat down mercilessly. + +There is little doubt that this lying unprotected in the heat simply +sapped our energy, and everyone wished that we could have pushed on +ahead. General Douglas came to cheer the men up, and announced that over +3,000 Turkish prisoners and a large quantity of material had been +captured to date. For the moment, however, men had lost their grip of +interest in such matters, and were chiefly concerned with their own +personal affairs. They behaved splendidly and with great physical effort +resisted the need to drink. Officers were grateful to one or two men in +their platoons who proved a moral support to their comrades by keeping a +cheerful countenance, interposing a ribald remark when things looked +black, and explaining to their weakest pals the rigours of the necessity +in a rougher but more intelligible manner than their leaders could have +done. Such men are invaluable and are always to be found on these +occasions. + +Reconnoitring patrols of Australian Light Horse and Yeomanry passed +through, and from remarks dropped by returning troopers it soon became +apparent that little if any resistance would be met with. A detachment +of Ayrshire and Inverness Horse Artillery were keeping pace with our +column and occasionally they opened fire, obviously upon fleeting +targets of retreating Turks. A thick wood of date palms in the distance +indicated Katia, and all men gazed upon this as the Mecca in which water +was to be found. Some eight hundred yards from this, however, was +another hod which had to be traversed by the 127th Brigade, and as we +were leading, it devolved upon us to make quite sure that it was not +occupied. The 6th and 7th therefore extended and assumed attack +formation to pass through the hod. This was a difficult moment and +tested the fibre of men and the battalion as a whole to the utmost. The +extra physical exertion and the loss of companionship which one gets in +the close formation served almost as a breaking point to endurance. +Perhaps the best summary of the psychology of this period is found in +the words from the diary of one of the officers:-- + + "Then it was that my energy gave out. I moved about along the line + shouting at the men to preserve their dressing and correct + intervals. Much had to be done. We inclined first to the left and + then to the right and it was very trying. Men began to drop and I + could not help them now that I had lost touch with them. Then I + began to lose all interest. I had become purely self-centred--if + the whole platoon had collapsed I am afraid I should not have been + concerned. I had almost got to such a state that if the Turks had + suddenly appeared from the wood I should not have cared what the + consequences were. Yet I was determined not to touch water for I + recognised that that was required for the last extremity. My head + dropped and my knees would not straighten. The load on my shoulders + was ten times its weight. The haversack and tunic on my back seemed + to pull me down, but the greatest weight was an extra haversack + which I had attached to my equipment on the left. It contained all + manner of necessaries and comforts, and ties with home. I was + determined not to part with it, although I confess I was almost + impelled to fling it away. In other words I think I had got to the + limit of my endurance, when a halt was called in the hod. I dropped + under a palm tree with a group of men, slipped off my load, and + then lay quite still for a long time. After a while I had my first + drink of water for that day. We stayed there some time, and one or + two of the men had found a well. But it was brackish and the men + should not have touched it, for it made them worse. Several were + knocked out altogether by it." + +Word had come through that Katia was unoccupied by the enemy, and +although it required a tremendous effort the battalion got together and +proceeded to the final destination in column of route. Although not much +over half a mile those last yards seemed interminable, but in course of +time we were all settled in the cool shade of the hod and were +speculating about water; a problem which seemed to be solved by the +arrival of the camels. When it was found that no fantassie was full and +many were empty it required the utmost exertion of a British soldier's +good temper to prevent him from killing some of the Gyppies who had +accompanied them, for it was obvious that they had been selling water to +men who had dropped out of the column. Then we reflected that these poor +devils needed it badly, so it was hard to apportion the blame. We +wondered, nevertheless, why other camels had been detailed to carry on +an occasion like this, flour, fresh meat (once fresh but now unfit for +consumption) and candles, when they might have been better employed +carrying water! Still, we were thankful to have achieved our task and +although we had lost more than seventy men en route, we were proud to +know that we had arrived the strongest battalion, some having left more +than half their effectives on the desert. + +The day's work was complete when the battalion had formed an outpost +line well in front of the wood, and had dug short section trenches. +Through the night desultory rifle fire could be heard in front where the +mounted troops were still in touch with the retiring enemy. Next day a +serious conflict took place between the cavalry and the Turkish +rearguard at Oghratina, and rumours were prevalent that we had to +continue the forward movement. We were not sorry, however, when it was +found that we were to remain in Katia. During the succeeding days +hostile aircraft were very busy, and dropped several bombs in the +vicinity of the wood, the 52nd Division, who were north of us, suffering +more severely than ourselves. + +Those not on outpost duty took advantage of the rest and made themselves +as comfortable as possible. Stakes sent up by the R.E. were used for +constructing bivouacs, but perhaps the palm trees provided as much +assistance as anything else. Although we had not yet learnt to use the +word "camouflage" we knew its meaning, and whenever we settled down on +the desert we put it into use as a protection against inquisitive +aircraft. At Katia the palm trees gave us all the protection we required +in this way. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +Desert Life. + + +On August 14th the 42nd Division moved back to Romani, a further advance +across the Sinai Desert being deemed inadvisable until the railway and +water pipe, which stopped a few kilometres beyond Romani, had been +pushed further ahead. A system of training was started, but as the men +had not recovered from the fatigue of the Katia operations, and the +weather was very trying, vigorous forms of exercise were given up. A +number of men went to hospital with a weakening form of diarrhoea +almost akin to dysentery, while the medical authorities were in a highly +nervous state about cholera of which a few cases had been reported. It +was presumed that this had been contracted from the Turkish prisoners +and their old camping grounds. + +The battalion was augmented slightly at this stage by a draft from +England, while 2nd-Lt's. W. H. Barratt and W. Thorp returned from leave. +Lt. H. C. Franklin, M.C., one-time R.S.M., went into hospital and was +invalided to England, and his place as Adjutant was taken by Capt. J. R. +Creagh, a position he filled admirably for more than two years. Captains +C. Norbury and B. Norbury left the battalion about this time to obtain +appointments in England and France and this entailed a change in Company +Commanders. Captains Tinker and Higham continued to command "A" and "D" +Companies, Lt. H. H. Nidd was given "B" Company, and Captain Chadwick +"C" Company. 2nd-Lt. G. W. Franklin assisted the Adjutant in the Orderly +Room, while 2nd-Lt. F. Grey Burn was employed as "Camel Officer;" new +work brought about by the substitution of camel for wheeled transport. +The bulk of the latter remained at Kantara under 2nd-Lt. M. Norbury, +with Capt. Ward Jones in charge of the Brigade transport; their duties +consisting chiefly in bringing rations, etc., across the canal from the +main station on the E.S.R. and loading them on the trains which ran over +the desert. Wheeled transport could not be employed in the desert +stations as roads had not been constructed. + +We came to know the camel fairly well during the succeeding months, and +he proved a study, perhaps more interesting than his caretaker, a member +of the Egyptian Camel Corps' distinctive in his long blue garrabea. When +a company was on duty at a distant outpost the time for the arrival of +the ration camels was also the signal for the ration fatigue to fall in. +Then the string of animals would leisurely wend their way through the +gaps in the barb wire, their noses held high in an aristocratic leer, +each led with a head rope by a blue smocked Gyppie. The Q.M.S. would +appear: "'Tala Henna, Walad. Barrac Henna'" and so forth. A wonderful +flow of British-Arabic, grinningly comprehended by the natives, always +produces the desired result. The camel gets down in a series of bumps +and not without cautious glances at his head, the men unfasten the +complication of ropes and commence the work of unloading. Somebody +shouts: "Mail up!" and this brings out a number of interested faces from +the entrances to "bivvies." After the rations have been sorted out, word +quickly goes round, "Six to a loaf again, and no fresh meat to-day," so +everyone looks gloomily ahead to the prospect of swallowing quantities +of bully beef and biscuits. Other camels have carried up trench and +wiring materials, and when all are off-loaded they get up wearily and +solemnly depart leaving the outpost to its solitary existence. If there +is only one officer he feels his solitude very much, for in spite of the +camaraderie with the men and particularly the senior N.C.O's. there is a +feeling of restraint due to the requirements of military discipline, and +he misses the value of perfectly free intercourse.[1] + +[Footnote 1: Quoted from an Officer's Diary] + +[Illustration: _PLATE III_ + +1. Bivouac Shelters on the Desert + +2. Making the Railway over the Desert + +3. At El Mazar + +4. Digging a Well] + +It soon became apparent that an advance across the desert in the +direction of El Arish was contemplated, and that the speed of such an +advance would depend upon the rate at which the railway and water pipe +line could be constructed. The function of the troops was to protect it +from raiders so that work could proceed in comfort, a duty shared by the +mounted troops and the 52nd and 42nd Divisions. In September, therefore, +the 7th Manchesters left Romani for garrison duty at Negiliat, about +twenty kilos. further east. About this time Capt. Chadwick, who along +with Lt.-Col. Cronshaw, had been decorated with the Serbian Order of the +White Eagle in long delayed recognition of their magnificent work in +Gallipoli, left the battalion to join the R.F.C. in England and France. +Capt. Townson succeeded him in the command of "C" Company. + +As the health of the desert troops was not good after their long strain +under the tropical sun, a system of rest and holiday cure, suggested by +the medical authorities, was begun. Batches of men and officers were +sent off to Alexandria and encamped at Sidi Bishr, just outside the town +for a week, during which time they were free to do more or less as they +pleased, a concession highly relished by everyone. The sight of +civilisation alone was in itself almost a cure, but the change of the +surroundings, the lack of military duties, the sea bathing, and the +enjoyment of everything that dear old "Alex." could offer worked +wonders. Further, the hot season was drawing to a close and men began to +feel more normal, so that by the end of October the troops were as fit +as they had ever been in their lives. The 127th Brigade were withdrawn +to Romani whilst this work of recuperation was in progress, and the +beginning of November saw us back again at Negiliat. + +Meanwhile, the mounted troops, closely supported by the infantry, kept +constant touch with the Turk. When the railhead reached the outpost line +it was necessary to move the enemy by force and to this end engagements +were fought at Bir el Abd, and at El Mazar, both of which resulted in +the Turk withdrawing upon El Arish. His aircraft was always busy, but +the bombing was not often effective. Even the natives in the E.L.C. +(Egyptian Labour Corps) began to grow accustomed to these raids and +steadily resisted their impulse to dash back along the line when a taube +was sighted. + +The return from hospital of 2nd-Lt. Jimmy Baker and of 2nd-Lt. Joe +Chatterton at this time was greeted with pleasure by the battalion, and +all were interested in the arrival of the new Padre, the Rev. E. C. +Hoskyns. It was not long, however, before he had made himself thoroughly +well-known to every man who wore the Fleur de Lys, and his cheery face +was eagerly welcomed in every "bivvy." During unbroken service with us +until July, 1918, he maintained a proud record of spontaneous popularity +with all ranks, and especially with his brother officers. + +On the night of November 3rd the eastern climate displayed a side to its +character not often revealed. During the previous twenty-four hours we +had witnessed extraordinary flashes of lightning, and this was followed +by a distinct coldness and a few showers of rain in the afternoon, a new +experience which caused much amusement amongst the men. In the evening, +however, matters ripened, and after a joyous display of heavenly +pyrotechnics and thunder all round the blackening, heavy sky, we were +subjected to a violent downpour, accompanied by lurid lightning flashes. +Tremendous hailstones came down, smashing through the few remaining +flimsy blanket shelters that were still standing, so that we were left +in our nakedness to bear the full fury of the storm. We felt that God's +spectacular display on the mountains for Elijah's benefit had been at +least emulated, but it was the still, small voice that was best +appreciated again, when it remarked that it was a good job the cooks had +just finished making "gunfire" or we should never have had a dixie of +hot tea to cheer us up in our discomfort. Although the men had to stand +all night on sentry in the outposts in their wet things they took it +very good-humouredly. + +A fortnight later the battalion moved forward again a few kilometres and +constructed new outpost positions at Khirba, covering a cavalry post +some distance to the south. This was necessitated by the fact that the +Turk was still holding Nekhl in the heart of the Sinai, from whence a +raiding party could easily strike north to cut our communications, for +the railway Was now well beyond Bir el Abd. When not actually on the +outpost line we did a good deal of training, and a range having been +constructed, some useful field firing was accomplished. An exciting +football competition resulted in "C" Company defeating the Sergeants' +team and carrying off the battalion championship. + +A more elaborate forward move commenced about this time, the railway +having reached El Mazar, and when a Brigade of the 53rd Division arrived +to relieve us, we began to gird up our loins and prepare for a stiff +march. We knew, however, that endurance would not be tested as in the +"Katia Stunt" for the weather was so much more favourable. On the +morning of December 3rd, having reduced our stores to mobile column +dimensions, we loaded up the long suffering, but grousing camels, and +marched forth to the cheery strains of a drum and fife band, kindly +provided by the 10th Middlesex. We plugged steadily on through the soft +sand and finally camped for the night inside the outpost line in front +of Bir el Abd. Next day the march continued and we reached Salmana. We +enjoyed nothing better than this new activity, and possibly the most +delightful part of it was the construction of temporary shelters at the +end of the day's work. Perhaps the most trying part was the provision of +the usual protection for a column such as we were, that is the advance, +rear, and flank guards, for this often entailed covering a greater +distance and enjoying less frequent halts. The day following provided a +new interest. We proceeded through a region of sabkhets, which are large +flat stretches of hard ground, the remains of dried up lagoons, for by +this time we were marching almost along the coast. These sabkhets were a +very welcome change from the difficult soft desert sand. Tillul was +our destination and we settled down amongst Argyll and Sutherland +Highlanders of the 52nd Division, who had arrived a few days previously. +Next morning they played us out of the camp with their bagpipes and we +had a good stiff march to El Mazar, and there we fell in with elements +of the other two Brigades. After two days' rest we marched out again and +occupied a position just inside the defensive line, which was then being +held by the 6th and 8th. + +[Illustration: THE SINAI DESERT.] + +The battalion remained a few days in this district, and when not +actually in the outpost line and digging trenches, we were taken out in +front, a company at a time, to act as a protection to the E.L.C. who +were engaged upon railway construction. Whilst on this work we got our +first glimpse of El Arish, the goal to be gained after this heavy +striving across the desert. The Turks were supposed to be holding a +strong position between ourselves and the town, and the idea seemed to +be to push the railway as far as possible, and then eject the enemy so +that work could proceed. Our men were thoroughly impressed with the +wonderful rapidity with which these "Gyppies" accomplished their task. +They were divided up into gangs, each in charge of another native who +had been raised to the dignity of two stripes and a stick. The stick he +used freely on the men who failed to keep up his standard of work. Using +their curious adze-like shovels they pulled the sand into baskets and +ran away with it to where it was required, and whilst they toiled a +simple but noisy refrain was sung to the leadership of the "Ganger." The +whole spectacle presented a seething mass of rapidly-moving, blue +smocked, brown figures, busily working on the bright yellow sand. The +result of four hours of this sort of thing would produce about 500 yards +of good level track including shallow cuttings and embankments. Then the +train would arrive with more sleepers and rails and these would be +carefully but quickly laid in position. + +Another job we had to do in this neighbourhood was digging wells. When +"C" Company went off for a couple of days to do this they discovered +what a formidable business it was. It was necessary to go down to a +depth of about twenty feet, and as the well was sited in very soft sand +the task can be imagined. A huge hole, about forty feet square had to be +made to allow for the slope of the sand, and the deeper we went, the +higher grew the mountains of sand all round the hole, so that the men +had to be arranged on tiers above one another. In this way a shovel full +of sand from the bottom travelled up through various pairs of hands +before it was finally thrown clear. This tedious business continued +until water was struck, and then a corrugated iron frame was sunk at the +bottom, and the tall sides of the well built upon it. After this all the +sand that had been so laboriously chucked out, was heaved back again. A +pump was fixed by the R.E. and troughs made along side, to be filled as +often as the well could furnish sufficient water (in this case twice a +day) for the use of camels or horses. + +At El Maadan an important railhead was being constructed for the storage +of water, which was kept in large and small canvas tanks. We took a +great personal interest in those tanks with our thoughts resting +securely on Katia. Matters were gradually developing towards an +engagement of some magnitude, and it was now known that the general +scheme was for the mounted troops to make a detour in order to turn the +enemy's left flank, whilst the 42nd and 52nd Divisions would make an +advance parallel to the coast. That is to say in effect the infantry +would deliver a frontal attack upon the Turkish troops covering El +Arish. + +It had been further decided that the 127th Brigade together with the 5th +East Lancashires would execute the first shock of the 42nd's effort, so +we had a feeling that once again the Fleur de Lys would be "in the +limelight." During the evening of December 29th there was a rapid and +wonderful concentration of troops of all arms in the hollow ground near +the railhead. The two infantry Divisions were there in force, whilst the +Australian L.H., and N.Z.M.R., together with the Yeomanry were simply +waiting for dusk to move off to their appointed stations. Behind all +this preparation there was a curious feeling that there was no enemy to +fight at all, and betting ran high as to whether we should find any +Turks near El Arish or not. It was suspected in high quarters that the +enemy had got quietly away a few hours before. However, we slept +peacefully until 3 a.m. and then Company Commanders were summoned to a +Conference with the C.O. to receive orders to get ready at once to +march--backwards not forwards! The Anzacs carefully reconnoitring in the +night had finally entered El Arish, and saw no one there except the +native villagers. So "the stunt was a wash-out," the bird had flown. + +The 42nd marched back on December 21st to El Mazar, and faint rumours +began to drift about that day that we were to leave Egypt. General +Douglas commiserated with us for not having had the pleasure of a good +scrap! "But," he said, "never mind lads, you will get more than you want +very soon." Now, what did that mean? Profound speculation as to the +probabilities can easily be imagined. France, Salonica, trouble in +India, Mesopotamia and even an advance into Palestine (scouted as absurd +by most people) were freely discussed. The main consideration just at +present, however, was that the Christmas of 1916 was going to be spent +under much pleasanter conditions than the previous one on Gallipoli, and +concurrent with rumours about fighting there were more substantial +rumours about turkeys, plum puddings and beer. I am glad to say all +three materialised, and these together with Christmas Carols by the +divisional band contrived to produce a Yuletide feeling. In fact +everyone had as good a time as could possibly have been expected in the +desert. Luckily the parcels from home, including comforts from various +institutions, etc., also arrived in time. El Mazar was our abode for +more than three weeks, and we heartily wished a cleaner piece of ground +could have been selected to live upon. In past days the Turk had been +stationed here in force, and he, not being of a sanitary disposition, +had bequeathed to us a store of body lice of new and large dimensions. I +don't think the fighting strength of the 7th, including all live stock, +had ever been so large in its history. A delousing apparatus made from +an old engine and truck was sent up on the railway to cope with the +problem, and perhaps it had some little effect--in helping the young +ones to grow quicker. Most men were agreed that there was nothing to +equal the double thumb action for certain results. Another scourge here, +probably also due to the filthy sand, was the alarming development of +septic sores. These unpleasant things did not require a wound or scratch +to start them, but they broke out themselves as a small blister on any +part of the body. In the case of a good many men it took the form of +impetigo, an extremely uncomfortable sore rash on the face, and both +officers and men appeared day after day on parade with appallingly +unshaven sore chins, and bandages visible on arms or knees, etc. + +During our stay here the news continued to be good. On Christmas Eve the +mounted troops, not satisfied with the Turkish escape from El Arish, +suddenly pounced upon Maghdaba, about twelve miles further south, up the +Wadi, and after a short fierce fight destroyed the garrison, only a few +making their way out of Africa. A more brilliant affair, however, was +the lightning raid upon Rafa, on the border between Sinai and Palestine, +and about thirty miles beyond El Arish, the starting point of the raid. +In a few hours a large mounted column, consisting chiefly of Anzacs had +covered this distance and had taken the Turk completely by surprise. The +enemy put up a stern fight, however, and after his reinforcements had +been destroyed on the road from Gaza he gave in. The prisoners from +these engagements continued to have the desired effect upon the +dissaffected natives in Cairo on their arrival there. + +Less was heard about our leaving Egypt after the New Year, and rumours +received a mortal wound when the Division turned its face to the east +once more and marched up, a Brigade at a time, to El Arish. The 7th +accomplished this march in three easy stages, the first day taking us to +Maadan, and the next to Bitia. A few days' stay here helped us to +appreciate its natural advantages, and as far as the desert went, it +almost had pretensions to beauty. There were glorious palm groves, +bright clean sand to live in, hard flat stretches for football (greatly +appreciated), and a roaring sea close at hand on a wonderful beach for +bathing. If El Arish were in Belgium, Bitia would be "El Arish Bains." +The return of British power to this corner of the earth was epitomised +one day in the sight of a Bedouin caravan pursuing its peaceful purpose. +The old sheik stalked proudly in front, while his family and goods were +disposed on various camels, and a small flock of pretty black goats +pattered along behind in charge of a sturdy brown lad. Surely they at +least had witnessed the Turkish retirement with satisfaction. + + +EL ARISH AND AFTER. + +On January 22nd, 1917, the 7th Manchesters reached their "farthest east" +in the final stage of the march to El Arish. Most of the day's labours +had to be accomplished in a blinding sandstorm, which fortunately had +subsided when we arrived at our destination. As we reached El Arish one +had a curious feeling that the canal zone was being left well behind, +and as far as mileage was concerned it certainly was, since the Suez was +one hundred miles away. Nevertheless, up to now one had felt that really +we were on canal defence, and however far we went out there had been +little change in the country so that one hardly seemed to progress. Now, +all that had been left behind, and we were amongst new scenes. + +This growing impression was completed on our arrival. We pitched camp on +a hill north-west of the town and about six hundred yards from it, so +that we had a perfect view of the place, which resembled a picture out +of the Bible, and was not quite like anything seen in Egypt. It was +obvious we were in a new country--in fact we were knocking at the gates +of Palestine, but no one amongst us knew that an entry was to be made +into that country. The affair at Rafa, for instance, had only been a +raid, and the Turks had once more strengthened the place. British +territory had been cleared of the enemy and it was felt that a system of +frontier defence would be constructed, and small garrisons left to +maintain the boundary. + +Eight months had passed since the battalion left the vicinity of +peaceful civilisation, so to meet it again, crude though it was amidst +the mud huts of El Arish, filled our men with extreme curiosity. The +town was placed out of bounds because of the fear of cholera, small pox, +etc., but there was much of interest to be seen. Groves of fig trees +surrounded the place on the edge of the Wadi, and it was a matter for +speculation as to where they obtained their sustenance for it was +apparently just bare desert. Vines and date palms were also grown, and I +presume these, with fishing, constitute the main source of life to the +inhabitants. The natives, incidentally, had a most pleasing appearance, +and their older men reminded one forcibly of the patriarchs. They had a +strikingly manly and independent carriage, quite different from the lack +of respectability of the lower class Egyptian. There is probably a good +deal of Arab blood in them, which may account for the fearless manner +with which they look the foreigner straight in the face. + +We were not surprised when definite orders arrived to prepare ourselves +for a return to the canal. The transport started first for they were to +trek the distance, while the personnel were to have the pleasure of +riding on a train. The men accepted this statement rather warily for +such a thing had seldom been known during their experience with the +battalion. On January 30th all the animals in the Division assembled +near our camp preparatory to commencing the trek when the aircraft alarm +was sounded. This was immediately followed by eight bombs in quick +succession. One of these unfortunately dropped amidst our transport +column killing two favourite riders, "Bighead" and "Jester" and +destroying two or three mules. Fortunately only one man was injured, and +more luckily still, no bombs dropped in the camp, although they were +near enough to be unpleasant. The day's excitement was later heightened +by a camel going "macknoon" in the middle of the camp. Attacking his +native keeper he broke loose and our men had to "run for it." By an +ingenious manipulation of ropes round his legs, and a well-aimed blow +behind his ear from a tent mallet flung by one of the men, he was +subdued and brought to earth, but not before he had destroyed a "bivvy" +and some tents. Even this did not complete the incidents of the day, for +evening found us clinging with might and main to tent poles, tent +curtains, "bivvy" shelters, etc., while a furious sand storm did its +utmost to fling them down. + +The next day something of a sensation was caused by a sudden order to +furnish one officer and two N.C.O's. per company as advance party to +journey at once to Port Said, there to embark on February 2nd for an +unknown destination. Two days later the battalion entrained in "trucks +de luxe," and after a nine hours' extremely lumpy journey we reached +Kantara. There was a feeling that having helped to escort the railway to +its present destination we had really earned that ride. On the journey +down we met elements of the 53rd Division marching up to take our places +at El Arish, and we shouted greetings and expressions of goodwill to +them. At Kantara a draft from England with 2nd-Lt. G. Norbury in command +joined the battalion. A pleasing feature about this draft was that it +was largely composed of old members of the original 7th who had been +wounded or invalided from Gallipoli, such men as C.S.M. Lyth, Sergeant +McHugh, Q.M.S's. Andrews and Houghton, being amongst its numbers. + +The 42nd Division crossed the Suez Canal for the last time on February +5th, twelve months to the day after the 7th Manchesters had crossed over +to the east side at Shallufa for the first time. The first days march +ended at El Ferdan, very much to the relief of everyone. We had been, +all the way, on a good hard road--a new experience after the life on the +desert--and this brought into play muscles of the leg, not used on the +soft sand. Everyone suffered badly from aching shins and thighs and +very sore feet, so that next day, when the trek was completed to +Ismailia on hot, dusty roads many men fell out, and we were a weary crew +on arrival at Moascar Camp. + +Our three weeks' stay here was occupied chiefly in preparing for our new +scene of activities, now definitely known to be France. Eastern kit was +handed in--helmets, shorts and drill tunics--and the battalion seemed to +have been exchanged for a new one dressed in khaki serge and caps. With +our helmets we lost our flashes, or at least the characteristic Fleur de +Lys, but they were replaced by a divisional flash to be worn on the +upper arm of the sleeve of the jacket. This was a diamond in shape, each +Brigade having its own colour, the Manchesters being orange yellow, with +the number of the battalion indicated on it by a red figure. Being close +to Lake Timsa, we frequently indulged in bathing parades under ideal +conditions, for after all Ismailia is really one of the beauty spots of +Egypt. Complimentary farewell parades were held, one on the occasion of +the visit of General Dobell, and the other a march past the C.-in-C, Sir +Archibald Murray, down the Quai Mehemet Ali in the town. Altogether the +7th enjoyed themselves during these days and made the most of the end of +their long sojourn in the East. We were seasoned troops and were well +conversant with the customs of the country. A few pangs of regret at +leaving these things behind can easily be understood, although an +important consideration, and one that weighed heavily with the men, was +the possibility of getting leave from France, a thing unknown in this +place. Hence it was with mixed feelings that the battalion boarded the +train at Ismailia on the evening of March 1st for a rapid journey to +Alexandria. No time was lost here for we detrained on the quay side and +embarked at once. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +For France. + + +Wearers of the Fleur de Lys gazed their last upon one of the countries +of their toils from the deck of the ship "Kalyan" as they steamed out of +Alexandria harbour on March 3rd, 1917. There were many present who had +accompanied the battalion on their venture from this same harbour nearly +two years before, to try their fortunes upon ill-starred Gallipoli, and +I have no doubt they wondered what these new experiences would bring +them. One thing is certain, however, and that is no one imagined we +should be compelled to continue our wanderings for full two more years +before the last journey home could be made. And yet, so it was. The +Fleur de Lys, for the first time since it had been adopted by the +Manchester Regiment, was borne to the soil of France, the country that +gave it birth, and whose kings wore it proudly for hundreds of years, by +Englishmen who had pledged themselves to fight in and for that fair +land. "Fair Land!" I hear someone scornfully mutter. However much we +were destined in the days to come, when wallowing to our waists amidst +the soil and water of France, to think very much the reverse, it would +be impossible to forget the glory of our Southern entrance to this sad +country. + +The battalion made the trip across the Mediterranean in good company, +for the ship was shared by ourselves and the 8th Manchesters (the +Gallant Ardwicks) commanded by Lt.-Col. Morrough. We had an opportunity +of renewing our acquaintance with Malta, so vivid in its intense +colouring, whilst our escort of torpedo boats was changed. Perhaps the +following extract from an officer's diary will suffice to epitomise +whatever incident there was in the journey:-- + + "... It was more or less boisterous all the way, and on occasion + decidedly so--a vastly different voyage from my journey out. The + much-vaunted German submarine 'blockade' was not conspicuous, for + we neither saw nor heard of a submarine. Undoubtedly, of course, + one is conscious of the menace, and a good deal of what might be + enjoyment of the sea is spoiled by this horror. One thinks not of + the sea as inspiration of sublime thoughts and all things the poets + tell us of, but as a receptacle for submarines ... and for us if we + are hit. It was decidedly disconcerting to contemplate a dip during + the heavy weather. There would be little chance of being picked up + I should imagine. Still, we were able to appreciate the colours of + Malta, the grand snow-capped mountains of Corsica and the + neighbouring islands, while the entrance to Marseilles is a sight I + shall never forget. For colour and form I think it is perfect. In a + sense Plymouth resembles it, but as a cat the tiger. Here the rocks + run down in their limy whiteness sheer to the sea, with chateaux + and churches on impossible peaks, backed by tremendous stern + giants. Why will they not allow us on shore to get a closer + view?... Just above my head the men are concluding a concert with + the 'King,' the 'Marseillaise' (I wonder do they appreciate that + here it was first sung in its grandeur under Rouget de Lisle), and + then with what should be our national song, 'Rule Britannia.' Well + might they sing that with zest after the voyage we have concluded + to-day." + +After standing out in the harbour at Marseilles for 24 hours, we first +set foot in France on March 10th. No time was wasted at Marseilles, and +we were soon entrained for a long journey northward. In the first hours +before dark we were able to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the coast +region near Marseilles. At Orange we halted for a meal at midnight. Next +day was a glorious journey up the Rhone Valley, passing through Lyons, +Chalons-sur-Saone and Dijon. Wherever the train stopped crowds of +enthusiastic French people collected to greet us and the news of the +fall of Bagdad made us doubly important to them, for not only were we +British but they knew we had come from somewhere in the East. + +The following morning we arrived at the environs of Paris, and after a +stay at Juvissy continued our journey past Versailles and on through +Amiens to our destination at Pont Remy, a few miles from Abbeville. It +was pitch dark and raining. Imagine the shock to troops straight from +Egypt, where they had left a beautiful dry climate, when they jumped out +of the carriages into four inches of squelching mud. Then we were told +we had to march six or seven miles through the cold rain to our +billeting area at Merelissart. However, we were amongst new surroundings +and new modes of doing things, and conditions were vastly different from +those we had just left, so the sooner we became accustomed to them the +better. + +Despite the midnight hour everyone found subject for fun in the French +barns and shippons which were to be our temporary homes. Lt. Hodge and +Lt. Taylor who had worked hard allotting the billets for us joined the +battalion here. Lt. Sievewright had rejoined us at Alexandria on the +boat, he having been invalided to England from Gallipoli. Lt. G. Harris +left to take charge of a Divisional Bombing School, and ended his +service with the battalion, although later he became the Brigade +Intelligence Officer, when we saw a good deal of him again. + +After three days the battalion moved back to Liercourt and there the +work of refitting commenced. We had much to learn about organisation and +methods of warfare as practised in France, and vigorous training was +commenced at once. + +Major-General Sir W. Douglas left the division, and his successor, +Major-General Mitford, lost no time in getting us ready for the line. +Just at this time, and whilst Col. Cronshaw and other officers and +N.C.O's. were up in the line for instruction, the German retirement on +the Somme and the Ancre to the Hindenburg line took place. As soon as +brigades were fitted out they lost no time in moving forward into the +war zone, commencing with the Lancs. Fusiliers. At the end of March the +127th brigade entrained for Chuignes and from there the 7th marched +forward to Dompierre, which had been the scene of such heavy fighting +by the French in 1916. We thus got our first impressions of the +devastated area of France, and I am sure there was not a mind in the +battalion into which these impressions did not sink deep. The misery of +it was by no means diminished when we arrived at our destination, for +accommodation had to be found amidst impossible ruins and in the +scattered half-destroyed dug-outs amongst the trenches which +criss-crossed the village. All this had to be done in pouring rain. When +at last we settled down it was found that our new homes were also shared +by huge rats who capered about in a most homely manner. + +Dompierre was our abode for a few days whilst the battalion made daily +excursions through the mud in the direction of Villers Carbonel to +execute road making fatigues. Major Scott concluded his long period of +active service with the battalion about this time, being invalided to +England. His place at the Q.M. Stores was later filled by Lt. Rose of +the R.W.F's. After this period we moved into Peronne, and were installed +in more comfortable dwellings, for although the town had been badly +knocked about, it was possible to find more or less good cover for +troops. The great boon here was the plentiful supply of timber from the +destroyed houses, and every group of men had its roaring fire. The +battalion and indeed the brigade was still on fatigue, repairing roads, +railways, bridges, etc. Meanwhile the division had made its debut in +France, the 125th and 126th brigades having taken over part of the line +during the pursuit of the Hun. + +The 7th suffered their first casualty in the new theatre of war at +Peronne in a rather unfortunate manner. Whilst on a fatigue of salving +telephone wire on the battle-swept ground of Biaches, just outside the +town, Pte. Gibson of "C" company was accidentally killed by a bomb, +whose explosive mechanism he had unwittingly set in action when pulling +up the wire. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +Holding the Line. + + +EPEHY. + +On April 27th, our period of fatigues ended, the 7th Manchesters marched +out of Peronne in the full panoply of war, not gaudy, but serviceable +for modern requirements and not lacking the element of weight, with the +certain knowledge that their next deeds would be accomplished "in the +presence of the enemy." The enemy of 1917 and after was not so elusive +as the Turk of the Sinai, so there was no possibility of marching on and +on and never feeling his force! That night was spent at Villers Faucon, +and next day preparations were completed for relieving the 4th East +Lancs. in the front line trenches east of Epehy. An advance party of an +officer and a few N.C.O's. per company had been sent forward to learn +dispositions and other information about the line, and the thousand and +one minute details about rations, tools, Lewis guns, water, guides, +intervals between platoons and sections, etc., etc., had all been dealt +with when we got on the move once more in the early evening. + +Everyone expected to take over trenches such as we had in Gallipoli or +had read about, but we were rather staggered to find that the battalion +front was not vastly different from the outpost positions we had made on +the desert. This is explained by the fact that the front was just in +process of solidifying from the liquid state as a result of the German +recent retirement to a safe position. The enemy therefore looked calmly +down upon us from his elaborate Hindenburg system of trenches beyond +Vendhuile whilst we expanded our isolated outposts into organised +continuous lines. He himself, however, was also busy digging a sort of +outpost work in advance of the main line of defence, for he had held up +any further British advance principally from a bulwark of land mass +called the Knoll on the western side of the canal, while his main line +was really on the eastern side. + +Because of the disjointed condition of the front there was always a +danger, when going from one company to another, of men wandering into +the Boche lines. This unfortunately did occur one night to a couple of +men of the 7th who had to make their way with L. G. ammunition from the +Quarry to the Diamond (a forward isolated redoubt) for they struck a +wrong direction and walked into a hail of enemy bullets. One was killed +and the other wounded. Pte. (afterwards L.-Cpl.) Summers and Pte. Johns +distinguished themselves on this occasion, for, realising what had +happened, they volunteered to go out and recover the men. After being +away for more than two hours, constantly sniped by an obviously-startled +enemy they found them and were able to bring back the wounded man. +Unfortunately this deed was not recognised by the higher authorities or +they would have been the first to have won distinction for the battalion +in France. + +Little Priel Farm came in for a good deal of hatred by the Boche, and +the variations in its contour was a daily source of interest to the +troops in the vicinity. The battalion observers in the innocence of +their hearts and the zeal born of the new opportunities to put their +training into practice, selected the corner of the garden for an O.P. +and just as things were growing interesting in the field of view of the +telescope, the Hun instituted a "certain liveliness" of a different +sort. Repetitions of this sort of thing convinced the observers that no +useful purpose could be served by staying there, so they +left--fortunately without mishap--and they were eager to inform the I.O. +that their new position was infinitely superior to Little Priel Farm! It +was in this vicinity that Pte. Wilbraham was killed by a shell. This +news saddened the whole battalion, for he was our champion lightweight +boxer, and we had been entertained many a time on the desert by his +clever exhibitions. + +There was naturally a good deal of digging to be done in this sector, +and although relieved eventually in the front positions by the 5th, the +battalion found itself up in the line each night making continuous +trenches. It was in connection with this work that we lost our +brigadier, General Ormsby. On the night of May 1st, he, with a number of +R.E. officers, was examining the position near Catelet Copse when the +Boche suddenly started a short hurricane bombardment. The trench he was +in was only waist deep, and soldier and leader to the end he disdained +to take full advantage of the scanty shelter, preferring to set an +example of calmness and steadiness under fire to his men. A piece of +shell struck him in the head and he died almost immediately. This was a +great blow to the brigade, just at the commencement of their adventure +in the new warfare. It was sadly remarkable, too, that he himself was +the first officer casualty in his brigade. A few days later, during +which time Lt.-Col. Darlington of the 5th assumed command, the new +brigadier arrived--General Henley, D.S.O.--and we were fortunate to keep +him as our Commander until the end of the war. The brilliant record of +the 127th brigade in France is testimony to his qualities as a leader, +and it was not very long before every man and officer in the Manchesters +was proud of him. General Ormsby always remained, however, as a tender +memory to those who had served under him. + +Villers Faucon, which had been the rear H.Q. and transport lines was +invaded by battalion H.Q. and two companies when the battalion moved +back into reserve, but we did not stay long here, because the 126th +brigade required assistance in the completion of their trench system in +front of Templeux, and to do this we had to move into the quarries in +that district. The other two companies carried out similar work in the +vicinity of Lempire and Ronssoy. There was very little of interest +during the succeeding days after which the brigade moved out to Roisel +prior to accompanying the division to the Havrincourt sector of the +front. + + +HAVRINCOURT. + +At the end of May the battalion marched out with the remainder of the +brigade from Roisel and in one day reached their destination behind the +Havrincourt Wood sector. We there remained for a short period in the +region of Ytres and Fins. Little time was lost in the necessary +preliminaries and we relieved a battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's L.I. +of the 21st division in support in the wood. "D" company were early +unfortunate and suffered a number of casualties from heavy shelling on +the shallow trenches which they manned near the western edge of the +Wood. The enemy had noted the continued movement in this vicinity, and +suddenly decided to pay attention to it in the usual manner. This spot +was always remembered afterwards as "Where 'D' Company were shelled." + +Conditions at Havrincourt were rather different from those at Epehy, +although the same characteristics due to recent consolidation still +prevailed. It was more interesting, however, and in many senses more +"livable," a word of deep meaning on the Western front! In the British +lines--the canal, the slag-heap (or more correctly slag-heaps) and the +wood dominated all other landmarks. The canal, a portion of the Canal du +Nord, was in course of construction at the outbreak of war, and its +deep, well-laid bed is one of the engineering wonders of this part of +France. At Havrincourt it first runs west to east and then sharply bends +to the north towards Moeuvres past Hermies. The left of the 42nd +divisional front rested on the bend, after running over a huge chalk and +limestone slag-heap which stands at the corner. Going southwards the +line roughly skirted the eastern edge of the wood which lies upon a +slope facing the east. + +Before their retirement, the Germans had cut down all trees on this +forward slope, some said in order to make use of the timber, others for +tactical reasons, so as to leave us exposed to view. I should say both +reasons weighed heavily with them, but principally the latter, for it +was noticeable that the woods in their own lines had not been so +denuded. Havrincourt village lay behind the enemy's front line on a +ridge that dominated our own positions. Further beyond were Flesquieres, +Marcoing, Premy Chapel and Ribecourt, where the main line of resistance +of the Hindenburg system could be plainly seen, while further over to +the left on the highest ground was Bourlon Wood, which was to become so +famous in the history of the British army. Every day the battalion +observers watched parties of Germans, large and small, working on these +rear trenches apparently quite unconcerned about the fact that they +could be plainly seen. Periodically our air service issued aeroplane +photographs showing the extraordinary development of these trenches, +their elaborate construction, the concrete dug-outs, and solid rows of +heavy barbed wire, until it almost came to be recognised that an assault +upon them would only be attempted by the maddest of leaders, and the +prospect of having to take part in it took one's breath away. + +The chief job of the battalion was to guard by day, and get command of +by night, the large extent of No Man's Land which varied from 400 to +about 1,200 yards across. The day work was easy, but at night it was +fraught with quite interesting possibilities. The Boche was not very +inimical here, and seemed anxious to lull us into a feeling of peace and +security so that, I suppose, he could get safely on with his digging, +for he had still a good deal to do. His outbursts of shelling, +therefore, although at times disagreeable, gave one the impression that +its chief purpose was to remind us of his constant presence. At times, +especially in the evening, it seemed to afford him amusement to dust our +lines indiscriminately with gas shells. Our gunners, however, were not +so lenient and they frequently made excellent use of their good ration +of ammunition, so that we were able to make daily notes of the changes +in the scenery, particularly in Havrincourt village. Considerable +interest was aroused one morning, soon after our arrival, by the sudden +disappearance of Havrincourt Chateau in a cloud of red brick dust and +smoke. This was always a mystery and a frequent source of controversy. +Did the Boche blow it up, and if so, why? Or did it go off as a result +of our shelling, and again, if so, why? Some said they saw +stretcher-bearers moving about amidst the debris afterwards, which +rather indicated the second theory. + +We enjoyed the advantages of a continuous front line here, but naturally +a good deal of time had to be spent in perfecting the system, both in +digging and wiring. The brigade was given an opportunity of leaving its +mark on the war-geography of France, two copses in No Man's Land being +dubbed "Wigan Copse" and "Dean Copse" by the 5th, while we were +responsible for "Manchester Trench" and "Cheetham Hill," "Henley Lane" +serving to keep green the memory of the brigadier. Two great chalk +craters showed up in front, "Etna" and "Vesuvius" respectively, and one +of the jobs of the patrol commanders by night was to find out if the +former was occupied by the Hun. We very soon found that it was, and that +he appeared to use this and the two copses as starting points for his +patrols. Thus, when our parties went out at night, the possibility of an +encounter in No Man's Land was never remote, and indeed there were a few +clashes of this sort. It was all a great education for the battalion, +for such work as this had not often come our way in the Gallipoli days, +and there had been no opportunity of practising it since. It was +considered advisable to get as many officers and men as possible out on +patrol at some time or other, for there was a noticeable difference in a +man's morale, and in his attitude towards trench life, once he had +returned from such an adventure. He was conscious of having in a way +asserted his manhood--more than his pal who had not been out--and the +dim uncertainty of what there might be in front of our wire had gone. He +knew now what was there--nothing. He was acquainted with the ground in +such a way that if the enemy did wish to attack he knew exactly where he +could get him with Lewis gun, rifle or bombs. A spirit of confidence was +thus engendered in the whole battalion, as was eventually shown when a +few ventured out on patrol in broad daylight, and obtained some very +useful results. + +Realistic gas drill was indulged in occasionally at night because the +enemy had an irritating habit of putting over a few rounds of gas, +either shell or T.M., at irregular intervals. He caught out a few of the +East Lancs. by this trick, which naturally produced a state of "wind" in +the division so that everyone was more than ever "gas alert." After a +few nights of gas alarm, in the middle of one of which the transport +officer had to commandeer a fatigue party (in gas helmets) to extricate +a full water-cart from a shell-hole, most of us became "fed up." Another +night someone imagined he felt the pineapple smell of the type of gas +the Hun then used, and the alarm was passed along the front trench. One +of the officers on duty was determined to make sure this time, and +stopped the passing of the message. He made his way along the trench +where the men by this time had assumed their gas helmets, until he came +to one stolid, oldish man who was on sentry, staring truculently out in +front without his gas protection on. "Jones," said the officer, "can you +smell pineapples?" "What, sir," he grunted, "I could if I had a tin of +'em under my nose!" + +One night, while we were in support to the 5th, one of their officers, +in charge of a patrol sent out to investigate the ground around "Wigan +Copse," got into the Copse and discovered a Boche post there. The +startled enemy had apparently made off. The next night the 7th took over +the front line at an unfortunate moment, for the Hun had decided that +"Wigan Copse" must be "retaken" at all costs, and they began the +business with a barrage all over the place but particularly on our front +line, just as we were beginning the relief. It was decidedly unpleasant, +and we had no idea what it was about until we heard the brutes cheering +as they rushed into the empty copse. From a report which we captured +later we found that this was another addition to their long list of +"victories," and I have no doubt that a few iron crosses were doled out +to commemorate the occasion. + +After three and a half weeks' continuous duty in and around Havrincourt +Wood the battalion moved out for a week's rest to Ruyaulcourt in brigade +reserve. It was a pleasant diversion and we made the most of the +glorious weather with football matches and very successful sports, the +latter largely taking the form of comic dress contests. + +The affair of "Wigan Copse," and the constant patrolling activity +exercised by ourselves and the 5th in that direction had induced a +lively interest in this spot, until finally it was decided to raid it, +and the 7th were selected to do the job. As this was the first effort of +this nature attempted in the division there was naturally a good deal of +anxiety as to the result. The 8th were to co-operate with a diversion on +"Dean Copse," and if possible, of course, they also were to obtain +prisoners. "C" Company (Capt. Townson's) were honoured by the C.O. in +having to supply the raiding party of 40 men, and 2nd-Lt. Hodge was put +in charge. His qualities as a leader, and his expert knowledge in +bayonet fighting left him undisputed as the officer most fitted for the +business. He took his men off to Ruyaulcourt, when we had gone into the +line again, and there trained them vigorously "over the tapes" for the +task in hand. Each time he took them "over" they were inspired to a +fiercer zest for the blood of Boche, so that when they returned to the +Slag Heap on the night of July 2nd every man was primed up like a +fighting cock. + +Careful reconnaissance during the preceding nights, and long scrutiny by +day through telescopes and field glasses left no doubt as to the weak +spot in the Hun armour. He had placed low wire in front of the copse but +had no protection on the flanks. A track leading from the front line +showed how his men moved up to occupy this outpost position and also the +probable route taken by patrols. As it also seemed evident that the +copse was held at night only, the plan of the raid was obviously to give +the enemy ample time to settle down in the outpost, and then dispose the +raiding party so as to strike in on an exposed flank. The western side +was selected, because there was little or no danger from the canal, and +it left the 8th a free hand to deal with "Dean Copse." At the appointed +time our men filed quietly along and got into position across the track +without any alarm being raised. Lewis guns were posted at one or two +points to cut off retreating Huns. At 1.8 a.m. exactly, our guns opened +fire, not upon the copse of course, but upon the enemy main lines. A +remarkably good and accurate barrage was put down on the German front +line, which formed a crescent within which lay the two copses, +especially on known M.G. positions; while, by request, the Australian +heavy guns from the next divisional sector northwards joined in with +crumps on strong points behind the front line. Simultaneously the +raiding party leaped up and rushed into the copse like howling +dervishes. Some hours of a deathly, eerie silence, the nerve-racking +quality of which is only known to those who have experienced it, and +made all the more impressive by the fact that it occurred on a front +which is not usually quiet, was followed by a sudden din and an +unexplained mad charge of the hated English. It must have put the fear +of God into the Germans of "Wigan Copse," for they made no effort to +resist and tried to "run for it." In fact one poor devil--a +youngster--who had been lying out in the grass on sentry (but must have +been doing his work rather badly) got up and ran with our men. Hodge +noticing his unusual headgear, seized him by the scruff of the neck and +flung him bodily, rifle and everything, back to his men. No one wanted +him at the moment, for the "fun" in the copse had to be encountered yet, +and he went from hand to hand until one of the covering parties took him +in charge. + +Two more prisoners were secured on the edge of the copse. Several other +Germans who offered resistance were bayonetted while Hodge shot one or +two with his revolver. Then it was discovered that the Hun had not left +himself so badly protected as we had thought. Interlaced among the +branches and shrubs at about five feet from the ground were strands of +barbed wire which caused a few nasty cuts and scratches on the faces of +some of our men. It was found to be impossible to go through the copse +because of this, but Hodge had good reason to be satisfied with the +night's work. He had secured his toll of prisoners as ordered, without +sustaining a single casualty, and had inflicted other casualties on the +enemy, for his men had emptied rifles and Lewis guns at the few flying +Boche and into the copse, so he gave the word to withdraw. The men had +crawled out at the beginning like fighting cocks, but they came back +like roaring lions. They were naturally in a great state of excitement, +because it was their first venture of this sort, and it had been +crowned, after a glorious five minutes' rough and tumble, with +unqualified success. + +2nd-Lt. Hodge was decorated with the Military Cross for this feat--the +first M.C. in the division in France--and this was really the beginning +of a brilliant career for him as a soldier. He was eventually +transferred as a Company Commander to the 5th East Lancs. with whom he +obtained the D.S.O. From there he progressed to Major with the L.F's., +and finally finished the war as Commanding Officer of the 8th +Manchesters, leading back the cadre of that battalion to Ardwick Green +in March, 1919. He is unreservedly one of the officers whom the Fleur de +Lys are proud to claim. + +Sgt. McHugh and Ptes. McLean and Braithwaite received Military Medals on +this occasion, and they also were glad to know that they opened the long +list of decorations that the battalion was to obtain in France. + +I have spent some little time on this "Wigan Copse" raid because it is +an important event in the history of the battalion. The 7th Manchesters +never looked back after that show, and they held up their heads in the +proud consciousness that they had attempted a good thing and had +achieved it. It gave them confidence--for there was a reputation to live +up to, and all felt that they could not possibly fail once a job was +begun. And so it was. Nothing the battalion ever touched in future went +wrong, and there has been no incident in the war which the 7th need look +back upon with remorse or regret. + +Another important event in our life at Havrincourt was the digging of a +new front line about 500 yards in advance of the old one along almost +the whole of the divisional front. The 5th, being the collier battalion, +achieved their part of the business on the Slag Heap, while the 7th and +6th worked on their right. The first night was a great success, there +was not a whisper of protest from the Boche, and we had cut through an +almost continuous line, adequately protected by concertina barbed wire, +and particularly strengthened at various points where posts had to be +held during the next day. The enemy must have rubbed his eyes rather +vigorously next morning when he saw what had been accomplished during +one night. However, he soon began to register on the new trench, and +unfortunately an isolated tree (Cauliflower Tree) helped him in this +work. We were not surprised therefore to have our labours frequently +interrupted on the next night's digging by violent displays of wrath +accompanied by pyrotechnics. One of these was particularly spectacular, +eliciting from a digger the remark: "Wouldn't Jennison be damned jealous +if he was here now!" + +Rumours increased about going out for Divisional rest, until elements of +the 58th (2nd line London Territorial) division began to appear and make +reconnaissances of the front, from which we augured good. One of their +C.O's. on being told that we had arrived in France in March, was quite +delighted, and said he had been searching the British Army for troops +who had come out after they did. They arrived a month before us--but +from England! Nothing pleased Col. Cronshaw better, and he carefully led +him through the exploits of the 42nd from the day they sailed from +England in September, 1914. The London C.O. left the dug-out with a more +or less chastened countenance, and I presume he still continued his +search. + +July 8th was our last day at Havrincourt, and although we were glad at +the time for the promise of a respite from trench duties, we have since +frequently looked back on those sunny days with great pleasure, for by +comparison it was a "bon front," and picturesque withal, which can +hardly be said about any other sector we learned to know. The light +railway was utilised again to take the battalion to Ytres, and after a +night there we marched first to Barastre, and then to Achiet le Petit, +beyond Bapaume. + + +ACHIET. + +The 127th brigade resided under canvas about the battered village of +Achiet le Petit on patches of ground not too incommoded by shell holes. +The war had passed comparatively lightly over this portion of France, +but a short walk westward took one to the battle-scarred fields of the +fierce Somme fighting, and this was useful to us for we could pay visits +to these districts to learn something of modes of battle in those days. +One day, the Brigadier took a number of officers to Thiepval and +recorded his own personal experiences of the fighting around there. On +another occasion a brigade scheme took place on the famous Gommecourt +trenches. We little guessed in those days that we should actually be +fighting for our lives in those same trenches in less than twelve +months. It seemed as though the tide of war had rolled over this ground +for ever, and that the very earth would cry out if it were to hear again +the shrieking and tearing of shells that came to wound it. + +Intensive training was the order of the day, and realising that we had +still much to learn the work was seriously taken up. The men came from +Lancashire, the division had been sorely tested by fire in Gallipoli, +and by endurance in the Sinai, so that hard work under able leadership +was all that was required to uphold the flag of achievement which had +yet received no stain. As the days wore on, and we had almost forgotten +our trench activities at Havrincourt, rumours began to float once more +about an early move, and this move was to be connected with a big stunt +coming off soon "up north." At any rate no one disputed the suggestion +that our next contact with the enemy would probably be of a more serious +nature than the last. + +Let it not be supposed, however, that these rather sordid thoughts +occupied our minds completely whilst we remained at Achiet. Officers and +men took full advantage of the period of rest, and the weather +fortunately was exactly suited to enjoyable life under canvas. The thing +of the moment only concerned us, and this was more often than not an +important football match with another battalion, a game of cricket, a +sports day, a visit to the divisional concert troupe--"Th' Lads"--who +gave some very good shows about this time. Boxing was a great thing, and +Pte. Finch, who was, poor chap, killed and buried in this spot the +following March, knocked out all comers in the divisional heavyweight. +Some of these events took place in a huge crater, which had been +transformed into a sort of Roman amphitheatre, produced by the blowing +up of a large and deep German heavy ammunition dump. In the divisional +sports also, the officers proved that they were at least the most +able-bodied in the 42nd by winning the Tug-o'-War cup. + +On the whole, we look back to the weeks at Achiet as a period of solid +training, plenty of "Spit and Polish," but "lots of fun." On the 1st of +August we got word of the big offensive at Ypres amidst all that +disastrous rain, and we expected to move up there any day. It was not +until three weeks later, however, that we did move, and then it was +known definitely that we were for Flanders. The battalion marched down +to Aveluy, near Albert, on an enervatingly hot day and remained one +night in huts there. The next night they entrained and proceeded to +Poperinghe in Belgium, and so added another country to the list of those +they visited during the war. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +Belgium. + + +YPRES. + +Ypres! That wonderful place, the sound of whose name makes the heart of +the Englishman at home glow with pride, but makes the soldier, friend or +foe, shudder at the mere recollection. It was the scene of much stern +work, and if Belgium has been dubbed the Cockpit of Europe, surely the +"Salient" was the cockpit of cockpits. More men lie buried in that small +patch of ground than one cares to think about, and when instances of the +unreasonableness and veritable folly of war are cited from other fronts, +they can always be equalled by experiences at Ypres. + +In many respects, however, the 7th were lucky in this sector, for we did +not actually go over the top during our stay. Other units of the +division carried out what would be termed minor operations (which are +anything but minor operations to the people concerned), but the 7th +escaped any such work. So far as we were concerned it was a continuation +of line-holding, but under vastly new conditions. It would be useful, +perhaps, to indicate the nature of these conditions. + +As all the world knows the third battle of Ypres commenced on the 31st +July, 1917, preceded by a terrific concentrated bombardment of the Hun +positions lasting about ten days. The effect of this bombardment was to +obliterate all signs of life on that part of the earth, with the +exception of a few horrible, naked, and shattered trees. Nothing green +was visible anywhere. In fact the land looked as though it had been a +very choppy earth-brown sea suddenly frozen to stillness. Everywhere +was shell-holes, shell-holes, shell-holes--large and small. Only by +careful searching could one ascertain where enemy trenches had been. +Dotted about over this terrain were the Hun "pill-boxes," concrete +shelters in which the enemy had made their last machine gun fight. +Whereas at one time they had been skilfully concealed from view, they +were now standing stark above the ground which had been torn away from +them. Some of the pill-boxes, indeed, had been smashed in by direct hits +from the heavies, so deadly had been our gun fire during those ten days. + +The opening of the British offensive had brought bad luck with regard to +weather. The men had gone over in a terrific downpour of rain, so that +all the advantage lay with the defences. The tanks had struggled +wonderfully with the appalling conditions, but the ground was against +them, and most of them were "ditched" before they were knocked out. A +few, however, had got well ahead, until they were out of action, and it +hardly required field glasses to be able to distinguish them within the +enemy's lines, now functioning, by the cruelty of fate, as German +pill-boxes and sniper-posts. Such was the salient in the early days of +September when the 42nd went up to take over the "line." + +It was ascertained that we were to relieve the 15th division, a most +excellent division consisting chiefly of highlanders of the New Armies. +They had fought over this ground in the first days of the offensive, and +after a short rest had come back again to help to hold the positions +taken and to initiate "minor" operations. They were situated astride the +Potijze Road, due east of Ypres, and that is where the advance parties +from each battalion of the division found them. The first impression +was: "What a contrast with Havrincourt!" It was the exact antithesis in +every respect. This was a country where the desire to kill and destroy +had developed to an unimaginable intensity. Nothing of use was to be +left by either side, and every yard of ground almost was searched by the +gunners to carry out their cruel game. + +As evidence of the meaning and determination of the business the +18-pounders were packed axle to axle amongst the mud and shell holes, +ready to bark forth their loud defiance to the Hun. The 4.5 howitzers +were visible in batches at various places. Further back, but still +closely packed were the 6-inch howitzers, the 60-pounders, and the +heavier calibre guns. The huge, ever popular 15-inch and large naval +guns lay beyond Ypres, and were not for the eyes of the ordinary +infantryman, but evidences of their sound work would be found when the +advance continued. It required very little imagination to picture the +German guns similarly placed and in similar numbers, for this offensive +had alarmed the enemy, for did it not threaten the existence of their +submarine bases in Belgium, to say nothing of their hold upon Lille? His +defence was careful, however, as we found to our cost, and, however much +the papers at home kept up the morale of England by sneers at the +"pill-box," the soldier on the spot regarded it with extreme caution and +respect. After all they were the only things that stood the test of this +bashing method of fighting and their very existence, when everything +else was destroyed, was ample proof of the fact. Tacticians from the +highest general to the platoon sergeant tried hard to discover the most +effective and least costly manner of "dealing with a pill-box," and the +highest in the land eagerly snatched at ideas from the man out of the +line if they bore the scent of feasibility about them. + +One never knew if it was in pursuit of the solution of these tactical +problems that the higher command persisted during those sad August and +early September days in their policy of "minor" operations. Certainly no +part of the salient was ever at rest. Local attacks were launched here, +there and everywhere, but comparatively few succeeded, or if they did it +was merely a temporary success. While our advance parties were in the +line the Black Watch and the Gordons of the 15th division, executed a +night attack on "Gallipoli" and Hill 35, a job which had been previously +attempted, and very little advance was made. Those who had reached the +foremost position were immediately expelled or captured, or killed where +they stood, by the Boche counter attack next morning. Losses were very +heavy. + +The 42nd took over the right portion of this front near the Frezenburg +Ridge, and the 61st division the left. Incidentally, the latter again +attempted Hill 35 but with equal success. The 125th brigade was given +one of these unfortunate tasks, with the 6th Manchesters in support. +They were to take the Iberian, Borry and Beck Farms, now no longer +farms, but strong pill-boxes well defended by a system of outworks. They +carried out the job and suffered heavy casualties, so heavy indeed that +they could not withstand the inevitable Hun counter attack which came in +the evening and was delivered by fresh storm troops brought up for this +purpose from the rear. After they had attained their objective they +realised the peculiarity of the strength of the German defensive system. +They were subjected to heavy cross machine gun fire from the enemy +positions which had not been attacked. It was evident that unless these +latter were taken also they could not hold on. In other words, the +policy of local attacks was suicidal and was, in fact, playing into the +German scheme of defence. + +While these things were taking place the 7th had moved from behind +Poperinghe to Toronto Camp near Brandhoek, where it enjoyed its full +share of the evening's excitement from Hun bombing planes. On September +7th, the battalion went by train to Ypres as far as the Asylum, and from +there filed cautiously by platoons through the town, past the ever +famous Cloth Hall, whose scraggy skeleton could be only dimly discerned +in the darkness, and through the Menin Gate. A short distance along the +Menin Road, and then we turned off and eventually got on "J" track--the +interminable length of duck boards that carried generals, privates, +rations, ammunition, runners, artillery observers, and all the other +various persons and impedimenta of war, through the maze of shell holes +up to the forward positions. There were a number of these tracks all +leading out like arteries from the bases of organisation to the front +line. They were labelled at intervals with small boards bearing the +distinctive letter or number of the track painted in white luminous +paint so that they were equally legible by day or by night. These were +the only guides in this desolate waste, and woe betide the man who in +the night came across a spot where shelling had obliterated a good +portion of the track, for it was a difficult job to pick it up again, +and frequently a nerve-racking experience. + +With the exception of a few bursts of 4.2's at intervals none of which +came uncomfortably close, the battalion were fortunate in having a +peaceful passage that night, and the relief of the 7th Lancs. Fus. +proceeded without incident. We were in support in old German positions +just in front of Cambridge Road, headquarters being established in the +shafts of a dug-out which had filled with water. Oh--how we longed for +the comfort of Havrincourt! But we never allowed this thought to cause +depression, for it was all in the game and other men had had much worse +things to do. + +I think the dominant note of our stay in this sector was shelling. It +was an ever present serious factor, and a most disturbing one. Men were +killed and maimed "for doing nothing" so to speak. They were merely on +the spot, and there was nowhere else to go. Tactical reasons demanded +that they should be there, should scratch a little cover and remain, and +there they cheerfully remained--and waited. Officers moved about and +tried to get their men interested in their surroundings, in their +comfort, in their protection, and in the rigging up of a defensive +battle if necessary. The men understood and worked with a will, and +laughter and song rang out over the torn earth. But every man knew that +in a place like this almost anything might happen; however, the worst +would never happen to _him_--the other fellow perhaps, but not him. +That, I imagine, was one of the secrets of sticking it. + +Undoubtedly the Boche was putting up a fight for this bit of ground, and +his guns never ceased, only in the grey hours of dawn was there any +semblance of peace along the front, and then one felt that he had just +temporarily put a hand over the mouth of the guns in a straining +attitude of watching and listening for a movement on our part. A sudden +withdrawal of that hand and they would all bark forth together in a +terrible chorus. It was a strain for all, and faces began to show the +lines of wearing mentality. Our persons lost their spruceness too. There +was mud clinging to us, we were unshaven, equipment hung rather loosely, +but our rifles and ammunition were still as ever, and Lewis guns would +be found in good condition. + +After two nights the battalion occupied the front positions, relieving +the 5th Manchesters, and headquarters were established in a good sound +pill-box at Wilde Wood. Another attack was being planned upon Borry and +Beck, to be carried out by the 5th, with ourselves in support. Meanwhile +our job was to dig new trenches out in front as jumping off places for +the attack. They were successfully completed, but when the enemy saw +them he paid his usual attention to them and as a result 2nd-Lt. +Chatterton (C Coy.) was badly wounded, and eventually lost a leg. He was +an extremely popular figure both with officers and men being known to +everyone as "Joe," and his absence was keenly felt, for he had gone out +originally with the battalion in 1914. + +Luckily the plan of attack was abandoned, and apart from a feeling of +personal relief everyone felt that a wise thing had been done. There was +little hope of the enterprise proving any more successful than that of +the L.F's., especially as similar attempts had just been made left and +right of us and had failed miserably. It was clear that the only way to +ease the situation was to carry out a big attack on a wide front. +Evidences of the imminence of such an attack showed themselves very +soon, for advance parties from the 9th division came up to learn the +front, and they intimated that they had a "big job on." + +One night one of our patrols out in No Man's Land, heard not far from +them, feeble calls for help. Making their way across the shell holes +towards the sound they found a man with a smashed leg and absolutely +exhausted. He was brought in and proved to be an Inniskilling Fusilier +who had taken part in an attack some four or five weeks previously! He +stated that he had kept up his strength by eating the food and iron +rations and drinking the water which he had found upon the dead men +around him. It seemed incredible that such a thing could have happened, +but on making inquiries concerning his division, the number of which I +have forgotten, it proved to be perfectly true. Surely this case +presents physiological and psychical problems worthy of consideration. + +We were relieved again by the 5th and went back to our old support +position. After two days the L.F's. came up again to relieve the +brigade, but the bulk of our battalion continued to go up in the evening +to dig in a corps cable which was being laid as far forward as possible. +By the time we completed the last of our journeys to the east of Ypres, +we were a battalion chastened in body and spirit. Many big gaps had been +made in the ranks, and it was when we settled down to the more +comfortable and peaceful existence that these gaps were keenly felt. A +most noticeable absentee was R.S.M. Hartnett. He had been badly hit by a +piece of shell at Bill Cottage, and later died in hospital at Rouen. +Hartnett's work with the 7th Manchesters has nothing but good to show. +He had been a sergeant instructor with the battalion in pre-war days, +being sent to us by the 1st Manchesters, and had gone out in 1914 to the +Soudan. He stayed on through Gallipoli, and became R.S.M. when Franklin +was made adjutant. A keen, regular, disciplinarian and the scourge of +feeble N.C.O's., he was an untiring worker in entertainments. His song +in Gallipoli--"Oh, Achi, Achi Baba," to the tune of the "Absent Minded +Beggar" will never be forgotten, while some of the sketches that he +wrote and had performed were masterpieces of good humour. C.S.M. Clough, +of "D" company, was appointed as his successor and although the post of +R.S.M. is a difficult one to fill, he did some excellent work, +particularly in the line. + +Toronto Camp sheltered us again for a night or two after which we moved +nearer to Poperinghe. It was evident by now that we were to leave Ypres +altogether, and no one exhibited any regrets, but there was a peculiar +feeling that the division was rather under a cloud, and apart from a +natural partisanship in the matter, everyone was indignant at the +unfortunate opportunities which had been afforded us to make our +reputation in this country. All were emphatic that had we been given a +sporting chance in a general attack, there would have been nothing +wanting in the final result. However, there was a violent spring clean +through the division. The G.O.C. left us, as well as a number of the +staff. In accordance with an army scheme to move round commanding +officers, Lt.-Col. Cronshaw was exchanged for the C.O. of the 8th +Worcesters--Lt.-Col. Carr, D.S.O.--and bade a sad farewell to the 7th on +September 20th. The men sent a good many regrets after him, for he had +done sound work, and had had a big hand in the creation of the fair name +of the Fleur de Lys. We were pleased later to see his name in the +honours list for a D.S.O. in recognition of his work with the 7th +Manchesters. + +On that day the battalion marched to Winizeele and there we were joined +by the new C.O. A sort of kinship sprang up when it was discovered that +he had been wounded at the landing on Gallipoli with the Worcesters of +the famous 29th division. + + +NIEUPORT. + +It was now apparent that our destination was north, one more step in the +direction of Blighty, towards which we had constantly moved since +leaving El Arish. But it was as near as we ever should get until the +final crossing. We were to join that small, isolated batch of the +British Army which had taken over the coastal sector from the French +with such high hopes in the middle of the year. Ever since the first +furious German onslaught in 1914, when the Kaiser had come in person to +see his myrmidons seize the coast road to the Channel Ports, and when +they met the wonderful defence of the Belgian and French troops +culminating in the flooding of the Yser lowlands, the Nieuport sector +had settled down to a quiet front. + +The intention was for the British Fourth Army, under General Rawlinson +to steal quietly in, and on an appointed day to startle our friend the +enemy by a quick turning movement along the coast, which, worked in +conjunction with the Ypres offensive would free Ostend and Zeebrugge. A +far-reaching conception, but unfortunately doomed from the first by its +over-importance. The Hun had found out. Someone had told him there were +British soldiers on the coast, so he stampeded--not in the way we should +have liked but in a disastrous manner for ourselves. It had been part of +the scheme to preserve the secrecy of this movement by not bringing up +the guns when the infantry came, for there is nothing like gun positions +for "giving the game away." So soon as the German knew, however, that +the British had arrived, up came his guns very quickly, for he was well +aware that they had not come for a rest, especially in view of other +activity near Ypres. + +The 1st division had taken over the Coastal sector with the 32nd +division in front of Nieuport on their right. On the coast the line ran +through the sandhills on the east side of the Yser, while on the right +of this the ground was very low lying and was largely flooded from the +five canals which converge near the town. In July the Huns smashed down +all the bridges over the river with shell fire and then attacked in +overwhelming numbers, with the result that amongst the sand dunes, being +unsupported either by artillery or infantry, the battalions on the east +of the river were completely blotted out. Very little progress, however, +was made against the 32nd division, and their line remained more or less +intact. It was impossible to retake the lost ground, for the wide river +mouth had now to be crossed. This incident altered the whole face of the +situation, for a general advance over the inundated sector alone was out +of the question, and the scheme was given up. A number of guns was +brought up to form an effective background to the infantry and that was +as far as matters developed. + +When the 42nd arrived they found, by a curious chance, the 66th division +in charge of the coast sector. This division was composed of the 2nd +line battalions of our own units, so there was a tremendous amount of +interest in each other displayed by both sides. Friends met friends, and +opportunities for these meetings were further afforded by the fact that +most units relieved their own 2nd line battalions. + +The 7th, after a novel experience of being carried up to the coast on +motor 'buses from Winizeele, were "debussed" at Coxyde, where they +billeted themselves comfortably in the deserted houses. The Boche had +paid this place some attention prior to his attack in July, and had not +really left it alone, so that the civilians had made a rather hurried +departure. A few had elected to remain, and were to be seen walking +furtively about the streets with that curious strained look that the +war-driven peasantry of France and Belgium always wore. Here we met the +2nd battalion of the Manchesters, and were glad of the opportunity to +make their acquaintance. A 7th officer, then Capt. L. Taylor, was +amongst them and it may be mentioned here that later in the war he added +lustre to the Fleur de Lys by winning, with the 2nd Manchesters, the +Military Cross with two bars, which decorations he fortunately lived to +carry home after the conflict. Whilst here the 2/7th being anxious to +prove their mettle, challenged us to a game of football, from which we +carried off the honours by a comfortable margin. Needless to say, this +match excited considerable enthusiasm. + +After a couple of days we took over the brigade support position, where +we were charmed to find ourselves living in huts amongst the sandhills +behind Oost Dunkerque Bains. There was a fly in the ointment, however, +for the enemy knew about this camp, and being in possession of a couple +of high velocity 5.9 guns for which this place was a suitable target, he +pooped them off at us occasionally in the evening time. The night before +we came, indeed, a shell dropped upon a hut occupied by 2/6th Manchester +officers, killing four of them. Although we were worried this way, there +being little feeling of security under a thin wooden or canvas roof, +we fortunately sustained no casualties. On October 2nd we took over the +front line from the 5th, and were now in the unique position of being +the left battalion of the whole Western Front. + +[Illustration: NIEUPORT, AND COAST SECTOR.] + +It was an extraordinary place to fight in--like having a real war at +Blackpool amongst the houses along the front. Nestling in the corner +made by the mouth of the Yser and the coast, is the seaside resort +ostensibly belonging to the town of Nieuport, for it is called Nieuport +Bains. The war had arrived here suddenly, apparently, for an engine and +trucks still stood in the station, much battered now of course, while +every cellar was filled with most expensive furniture which the people +in their rapid flight had been unable to remove. All the houses had been +of the new and large type, particularly those overlooking the promenade, +but they were now skeletons of their former glory, and to see property +of this kind in such a state only served to bring home still more +forcibly the cruel destruction of modern war. The French had made this +front, and with typical French ingenuity they had connected all the +cellars of the houses and so constructed a perfectly safe communication +trench to the front line. This C.T. was continued backwards as a sort of +tunnel along the beach, but it was really a camouflaged trench, just +covered with a layer of sand. Flash lamps were thus greatly in demand on +this sector. As well as watching the Hun on land we were expected also +to keep a look out to sea for submarines and any other vicious craft, +and the two posts allotted this duty were armed with wonderful pom-pom +guns that no one had the courage to experiment with. Still "the man +behind the gun" had a comfortable feeling of importance so long as there +was nothing to shoot at. In that eventuality one trembles to think what +might have been the effect upon himself and the remainder of the crew. + +Patrolling was also a queer business. In warmer weather it was +accomplished in bathing costume and tin hat, with revolver between the +teeth or behind the ear, but cold nights discouraged these efforts, and +we sneaked about on our side of the river wondering what we could do. +We were now at the seaside and there was the usual crop of mad holiday +projects. One of these was to experiment with a new gas to be projected +into the Boche front trench across the river. Then Lt. Morten was to +pilot a boat over, hop into the said trench, and return in possession of +a "gassee" from whom the results would be studied. Morten went down the +line with a sturdy crew of A.B's. from "D" company to practise rowing, +but luckily that was as far as the scheme progressed. Then we had our +sea-serpent. An odd sentry or so had sworn to having seen a boat on +successive nights knocking about the river. A careful look-out was +instituted, but no one in authority caught a glimpse of this "mystery +ship." After six days of this sort of thing we were surprised to find +ourselves relieved by the 20th D.L.I. of the 41st division. They had +just arrived from Ypres and the 42nd were to take over the sector on the +right. The 127th brigade, however, went out into reserve at La Panne and +there we had a splendid time. + +It was about this time that the new divisional commander +arrived--Maj.-Gen. Solly-Flood, D.S.O., who was destined to raise the +fair name of the 42nd to rank with the proudest of the British Army. He +had been for a time the director of training at G.H.Q., and this fact +filled us with awe but none the less with pleasure, for every sensible +soldier knows that success in the field is the product of good training. +We expected strafe upon strafe whilst out of the line, but it was a joy +to find that the new commander knew that the best results are obtained +by instructing everyone down to the meanest soldier in his job rather +than by bullying. What could the Manchesters better wish for then, than +to have Generals Henley and Solly-Flood? It was indeed a lucky chance +that had brought us under his command. The 7th were also able to welcome +an old friend in Major Hurst who suddenly rejoined the battalion from +England about this period. + +La Panne had not altogether lost its characteristics as a pleasure +resort, for it was the place where the tired officers of the Belgian +Army came for a rest cure. King Albert and the Queen frequently stayed +at their residence here in their usual quiet, simple way. The Belgians +told you with pride how their monarch could at any time be seen walking +by himself about the streets of the town or along the country roads like +any other officer in the army. A story was told how a couple of young, +dashing French flying officers met the Queen on the beach one day but, +not recognising her, started a conversation. She, seeing the possibility +of a good joke, invited them to her home, and they gleefully accepted. +Picture their consternation when they were presented to the King! +Altogether we spent an extremely pleasant fortnight in this place, and +it was by way of a study in contrasts that October 20th found us +installed in the Redan on the opposite side of the river from Nieuport. + +This town is a sister in misfortune to Ypres, but the destruction was +even more complete because it was almost in the front line, and shells +of all calibres dropped in it well-nigh continuously day and night. +Peace-time bridges, of course, had been obliterated, but soldiers had +built others to connect up the front line defence, which was east of the +river, with the rear. Who will ever forget Putney Bridge? Lancashire men +who knew nothing of its parent in London, had now perforce to take a +lively personal interest in this wobbly structure. There were two others +but they were not so famous as this because they were not so frequently +used. Many things can be camouflaged to deceive aircraft, but I think a +bridge over a river would tax the most ingenious in this art, hence, +although hidden from direct observation from the enemy lines, the Hun +had the exact position of these bridges, and, what was more +disconcerting, he also had the exact range. So he "dusted" them at +irregular intervals with various calibres, and trips across resembled +the noble game of running the gauntlet. This portion of night reliefs +was naturally particularly exciting. The late Lt.-Col. Marshall, V.C., +when second in command to the 6th L.F's., provided an amusing story for +the division one day when a couple of officers failed to salute him in +the middle of Putney Bridge, he walking calmly across, and +they--obviously hurrying. He pulled them up and strafed them duly, then, +to force his point, he stood on the bridge and caused them to pass him +two or three times in a dignified manner and salute him correctly. +Luckily the Boche did not interfere in this little humorous interlude. + +The Redan was a large triangular redoubt, with the base resting on the +river and having an artificial moat through the middle and on its other +two sides. It had been built many years ago to defend Nieuport and in +this war had played its part. The enemy had paid a good deal of +attention to it with heavy shells so it was considerably knocked about. +Most of the concreted dug-outs, however, were still intact, and they +served to house a good portion of the 7th in their support position. +Headquarters inhabited the ever famous Indiarubber House. This resembled +an innocent barn in appearance, and the Hun had hit it hard many many +times, but his shells had only bounced harmlessly off the solid +concealed concrete--hence its name. The French, in the quiet days, had +"done themselves well" here, and we thanked them for the excellent +supply of electric light which they had handed over. + +It was when we took over the front line, however, that the real meaning +of the Nieuport sector was revealed. The ground was torn and devastated +like the Salient, but here the destruction and misery was increased by +floods, ever present in a greater or less degree. It had been impossible +to dig in the low ground, so the defences consisted of breastworks which +had been very much battered since the enemy had established his +superiority here in guns. Over this area the Boche had uninterrupted +observation from the ruins of Lombaertzyde, which lay on slightly higher +ground just within his lines. It was thus practically impossible to move +about by day, for the sight of khaki brought down a hurricane of whizz +bangs, special batteries being apparently told off for sniping of this +nature. Further, as we lay in a very sharp salient just here our men +could be plainly seen behind the breastworks by the enemy on their right +rear, and these people indulged in long range machine gun sniping. +Since our purpose was a "peaceful" one in this sector, we could see no +value in inviting the enemy to indulge in artillery and M.G. target +practice on us, so we lay "doggo" during the day. Everything had to be +done at night, and runners to the companies found this their busiest +time, wading thigh-deep through stretches of water, and picking their +way amongst innumerable shell holes in search of Company Headquarters. +This front also lent itself to heavy trench-mortar work by the Hun, and +"minnies" were constantly stealing over with evil intent to batter down +our flimsy breastworks. Battalion H.Q. and the signallers will probably +not easily forget the morning when they found themselves the objective +in this kind of work. One shot dropped plumb on the H.Q. concrete +shelter, half removing the roof and scattering the contents of the +orderly room in a disrespectful manner, whilst the next one pushed in +the signaller's dug-out, wounding L.-Cpl. Wild. It was the sang-froid of +a/R.S.M. Clough on this occasion, coupled with his sound work generally +in the line, which earned for him the Belgian Croix de Guerre. + +Although the casualties were nothing like so numerous, still our men +agreed that for general conditions they preferred the Ypres sector to +this, and it certainly was a most depressing spot. One of the great +troubles was the number of canals, which, owing to the destruction of +the dams and locks, etc., were now affected by the tides, causing them +to overflow and flood our defensive works. This was another source of +glee to the Hun, and he played a most amusing game--to himself--of +allowing us to build up a dam and then promptly knocking it down with +5.9's and 8"s. One night, a new officer to the 7th, 2nd-Lt. J. H. Milne, +was in charge of a working party on one of these jobs when they were +suddenly subjected to heavy shelling. The dam was smashed and Milne +found his party broken up on each side of the canal. Realising that one +or two of the men on the opposite side of the canal to himself had been +hit, he, along with Sgt. Heath and Pte. Titchener, scrambled across, +although the shelling had not ceased, and looked after them, getting +them to places of safety. Milne received recognition for this, while +Sgt. Heath and Pte. Titchener were awarded Military Medals. + +On the night of November 1st a most unfortunate incident occurred. We +were out in support again and were to relieve the 5th the following +night in the front line, the usual advance parties having been sent up. +Lt. Sievewright had gone up for "B" company, and whilst there some +scheme had been suddenly formed to go out a short distance to examine +new wire that had been put up. The party had ventured out beyond the +wire, however, and were suddenly assailed with a hurricane of bombs from +what appeared to be an enemy patrol or covering party. Sievewright and +two officers of the 5th were killed and two other ranks wounded. It was +an exceedingly unfortunate event for it was quite an impromptu venture +and it would appear that the usual patrol precautions had not been +considered so seriously as they would ordinarily have been. This was a +strange front, however, and extraordinary things happened, our brigade +not being the only one to suffer from mishaps, for on another night the +commanding officer of the 8th L.F's., whilst visiting his outposts +wandered into a Boche post and was never seen again, while the late +Lt.-Col. Marshall, V.C. (previously mentioned) did the same thing, but +after a short scrap with a Hun he managed to get away. + +We had the 2nd Matrosen (Naval) division in front of us, and they were +really an enterprising lot. Undoubtedly our pressure upon Paschendaele +was making the German nervy on this sector, and he was under an +obligation to keep alive and display a vigorous activity. Further, his +morale was considerably heightened by the Teutonic success in Italy +which his wireless sets were busy blazoning forth to all the world. This +will account, therefore, for the sudden arrival of an enemy patrol +outside one of our isolated posts one night. They flung in bombs over +the scanty wire, inflicting casualties, and then rapidly departed. This +was a sting which had to be avenged, and while the 5th were in they +took first toll by meeting a Hun patrol in No Man's Land, and after +fighting it out returned triumphant with two prisoners, who proved to be +Bavarians, thus giving a valuable identification. When we took over, our +chance came very soon for a patrol was met on the same game as before. +The result was discomfiture of the enemy and the capture of a wounded +petty officer of the Matrosens. From these two events we could +approximately deduce the enemy divisional boundary. The next night, +determined to assert our superiority over the Boche, another of our +patrols from "A" company, journeyed forth, got through his wire, located +a post, and then filled it with bombs. + +After seventeen days of amphibious soldiering in front of Nieuport we +were relieved by the 125th brigade, and went back for a welcome rest to +huts near Coxyde. Rumours drifted around about accompanying the 41st +division to Italy, but they did not materialise. Bitterly cold weather +suddenly arrived, however, which made us aware of the flimsiness of the +French huts in which we dwelt. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +An Interlude. + + +The 42nd division added to its list of new experiences when it was +relieved at Nieuport, by a division of French troops. We afterwards +heard that they had demonstrated their capacity for common sense in +warfare by evacuating all the horrible ground in front of the Redan, +which we had clung to with characteristic British bull-dog tenacity. + +Lt.-Col. Carr, D.S.O., having proceeded on leave, Major Allan commanded +the battalion during the succeeding days. It was found later, however, +that the C.O. would not return, having been placed on the sick list at +home. The division was destined for Bethune and it was a very pleasant +five days' march that took us to that area. On the first day, Nov. 16th, +passing through Leffinckoucke, near Dunkirk, we reached Teteghem, while +the next day took us to Esquelbec, just outside Wormhoudt. The following +two days required only short distances to the Hazebrouck district, but +the fifth day was longer, and, marching past the divisional commander in +Aire, we arrived at Mazinghem, a small village just off the main Lillers +road. + +The battalion spent a few days here, and a really happy time it was. The +villagers had not become blase to British soldiers, and they gave our +men a hearty welcome in their billets. It was with no small pride that +the cure, with whom the padre and myself were lucky enough to be +billeted, informed us that General Petain had at one time spent many +happy days in his house, for his uncle had been the cure here. Whilst in +this village we received the news of the wonderful Cambrai attack by +General Byng, and we had a curious feeling that he had no right to do +that without asking the 42nd to help him, for we naturally possessed a +fatherly interest in Havrincourt and all its works. The first flush of +news gave us no details, and we were perplexed to know what had happened +to "Jerry's Wire" which we knew was formidable enough. Then the stories +of tanks upon tanks drifted through, and we began to understand it. + +It was here that Lt.-Col. Bromfield, of the Leicestershire Regt. first +saw the 7th and assumed command. He was due for leave, however, and had +just emerged from a trying time at Paschendaele, so Major Allan was soon +left in charge once more. We did not remain long at Mazinghem for our +duty was to relieve the 25th division in the line at Givenchy, before La +Bassee. As everyone knows, this was one of the sectors of the original +British line so that everything connected with it was essentially +English. Since the fighting at Festubert in 1915 comparative peace had +reigned along this front and we were content to allow it to remain so +after our noisy experiences at Ypres and Nieuport. + +Givenchy was once a mining village situated on a spur of the Aubers +Ridge, which, running west to east, looks down upon the flat ground, +stretching uninterruptedly northwards through Festubert, Neuve Chapelle +and Laventie towards Armentieres. Someone had facetiously suggested in +the trench diary (a beautifully bound document that had been handed down +from battalion to battalion from early days) that "Givenchy Church be +kept in a state of repair for the Huns to register on," and therein lies +an important fact. Had the church tower been standing, and one could +have got into it, a glorious view of a large part of Northern France +would have been obtained. Looking eastwards one saw La Bassee half +concealed by thick woods while to the northeast were the outskirts of +Lille. Southwards and south-west were the mining villages of the Lens +district with their huge conical fosses. In other words, Givenchy was an +important tactical point and the fiercest efforts of the Boche in 1914 +had failed to move British troops from it, although at the end of the +fighting it lay in a very sharp salient, which was only straightened out +after Festubert in 1915. + +Since those days typical old-fashioned trench warfare had prevailed. +There were wonderful ramifications of trenches, front line, duplicate +firing line, support trenches, reserve trenches, and numerous +communication saps, all built on the old style with numerous sandbags. +On the flat ground to the north it had been impossible to dig down for +defence, and both sides had built up earthworks on the somewhat marshy +ground, so that sandbags were again the most noticeable feature. Running +behind the breastworks in this portion was a convenient +trench-tramway--for rations, ammunition, etc. To the south of Givenchy +were the famous La Bassee Canal and the brickstacks. + +When mankind started to fight each other under the earth, as well as on +it and above it, No Man's Land in front of Givenchy began to be really +churned up. Huge craters had been blown up by both sides in such numbers +that they formed the most distinctive feature of this part of the line. +The whole of the ground across the ridge between the lines presented the +appearance of a model of the Alps on a rather large scale. These craters +had to be carefully represented on all trench maps, and they bore +distinctive names such as Warlington Crater and Red Dragon Crater. Both +sides had pushed forward saps as far as possible through this difficult +ground both for observation and sniping purposes. Great mine shafts +extended under No Man's Land, and the curious could go down these and +listen to the Huns knocking about and digging above. + +The great advantage of the quiet nature of this front was the +possibility of daylight reliefs, so it was in the afternoon of November +27th that the 7th dribbled across "Westminster Bridge" over the canal, +and took over the support positions evacuated by the 1st battalion +Wiltshire Regt. in the vicinity of "Windy Corner." We were astonished to +find cottages and rows of houses, very little damaged, within 600 yards +of the front line, and we reposed comfortably on wire beds inside them +instead of in holes in the ground. In fact, across the canal, just +behind Harley Street, and at an equal distance from the front, there +still lived a Frenchman with his wife and kiddie, who dispensed eggs and +chips to hungry Tommies! Surely this must be a "bon front." I am afraid +things looked vastly different after the Hun attempt to smash through +the 55th division here in the following April. It was with the +probability of this attack in view that the 42nd division began to +stiffen the defences, and as well as holding the line we interested +ourselves in digging, concreting and wiring. + +G.H.Q. were convinced that Germany would in the Spring make a supreme +effort to break up the Western Front before the American Army became an +effective force in the field. The offensive spirit was to be kept in our +pockets for a short time, and we were to turn our attention to the +defensive idea. They had also decided that a system of "defended +localities," skilfully sited and constructed, would be the most +effective method of breaking up the attacking hordes. That is, the +British front would consist of a series of posts, each self-contained, +but mutually supporting, that would act like a huge breakwater to the +Hun waves. In accordance with this general idea, the line near La Bassee +was reconstructed, and a good deal of hard work was put in during those +winter weeks. Later, when we heard how well the 55th division had +stopped the enemy in the localities that we had done so much to perfect, +we felt a good deal of pride and satisfaction that they had proved a +success, and complimentary messages were exchanged between Maj.-Gen. +Solly-Flood and Maj.-Gen. Jeudwine, commanding the 55th division. A +combination of the work and fighting qualities of Lancashire men had +been too much for the Hun. + +It must not be imagined that it was all a bed of roses on this front, +for the enemy had his unpleasant moments, particularly at night. There +was a steady flow of irritating casualties, and when Corporal O'Connell +and Pte. Bowie of the regimental police were killed at headquarters one +night, we felt that old familiar faces might not be so permanent amongst +us as might be supposed. The cruel disruption of war was ever present. +Still we had the satisfaction of knowing that the Boche received as much +and more than he gave. The battalion snipers occasionally registered +hits, and in this type of warfare there was plenty "of good sport" to be +had owing to the short distance across No Man's Land and the large gaps +in the sides of the enemy trenches. Our gunners also indulged in sniping +with good results, and it was exciting to watch the rapidity of the +sequence of two or three grey figures jumping out of a trench and the +bang, bang, bang of an 18 pounder shell or two in their close vicinity. +But our excitement must have been as naught compared with that of the +aforesaid grey figures! + +The reliefs in this "model sector" came round like clock-work. A +battalion did four days in the front line, four days in support, four +days in the line, and then four days in brigade reserve. After +thirty-two days of this the brigade went out for sixteen days in +divisional reserve. It was all so beautiful and soothing that it seemed +as though the problem of perpetual motion had been solved and the war +had come for an eternity. The enemy did the same thing, and we knew when +he did it. He left us alone on relief days and we returned the +compliment. Thus on December 9th we effected a peaceful passage into +brigade reserve at Gorre Chateau. In a noisy sector this chateau and all +the village in the vicinity would have been reduced to ruins, but here +the civilians had not been interrupted in their daily work, and the +chateau itself was a wonderful billet for troops, accommodating the +whole battalion comfortably. In fact, nearly twelve months later orderly +room received bills for the use of the electric light in the officers' +mess! + +Whilst here Major Allan was sent to hospital, from which he was +eventually invalided to England, and did not return to the battalion +again. He had had a long, useful career with the 127th brigade since the +middle of 1915. Family affairs had caused the regretted departure of +Lt. G. W. Franklin, and his place at the head of the transport was taken +by Lt. Wilkinson, after a brief period of duty by Lt. C. R. Thorpe. Col. +Bromfield returned from leave just after we went into the line again at +Givenchy after the four days' rest. This spell in the line was marked +principally by cold, frosty weather and most of the battalion figured in +the trenches in wonderful fur coats popularly known as leather jerkins. + +The Manchester brigade were fortunate again in being out in divisional +reserve for 'Xmas. Excellent fare was provided for the 7th in the shape +of turkeys, pork, 'Xmas pudding, extra vegetables, barrels of beer and +extra rum rations, so that hilarity was the order of the day. There +being a good deal of snow about at this time tactical exercises +frequently took the form of inter company snow-ball fights. To have +Major Hurst with us during this period previous to his departure on +Courts-martial work could not have been more opportune, for he had ever +been most energetic on the social side of the battalion. With +reminiscences of his impromptu concerts and lectures on Gallipoli and in +Egypt we knew we should not look in vain for something from him. His was +the master-mind behind this Yule-tide festivity, while a delightfully +funny sketch written by him in which Gwendoline de Vere of Greenheys +Lane figured prominently, gave the officers and sergeants of the 7th an +opportunity of displaying their dramatic skill. The inhabitants of +Bethune, where most of the brigade were in billets at this time, will +not easily forget the efforts of the 127th brigade to make the most of +its 'Xmas rest. The Boche made unpleasant contributions to the +proceedings by way of long range shelling by day and bombing by night, +but although the 8th and the civilians suffered somewhat by these +displays, the 7th escaped practically unhurt. + +In the opening days of the New Year we returned to the line in the +Brickstacks sector south of the canal, and the heavy snow and frost +having been succeeded by a sudden thaw accompanied by rain, the +condition of the trenches in the low ground can be better imagined than +described. Leather jerkins were quickly supplemented by "boots, gum, +thigh," and the British soldier came to assume the appearance of a +Yarmouth fisherman. Runners, etc., arriving at company H.Q., would first +demand from the harbour master permission to navigate their course +through the troubled waters, while facetious notices indicated times +when pleasure boats could be taken out. This amphibious warfare was +extremely unpleasant, and it further delayed the work on the new +defensive positions. Captain Jimmy Baker and Lt. Jack Morten, whilst on +a midnight prowl in No Man's Land almost met with disaster, and the +performance came to an undignified close after they had extricated one +another from deep muddy water to make their way back to dock minus gum +boots. We knew that the Huns must be in a similar predicament, for their +ground was equally low, and we could only laugh when on one occasion +dawn revealed one or two of them jumping about in the open in attempts +to dry their clothes and to restore life to their numbed bodies. It +hardly seemed the game to fire upon them. + +Kindness to a German is often misplaced, as we found when his +"travelling Circus" of heavy trench mortars arrived. Having +unobtrusively got these weapons into concentrated positions near his +support line he suddenly loosed them all off one afternoon at an +extremely annoying and rapid rate of fire, peppering all the trenches +that we had spent such time in getting into habitable condition. It was +a nerve-racking experience while it lasted but the 7th stuck to their +posts ready to meet any Hun attack should it develop. What the enemy had +really intended was never quite understood, but a small party of Boche +got across No Man's Land that night. One of "B" company's posts saw +them, however, and attacked them. One German got into our trench and +Pte. Saunderson chased him but failed to get him. Jerry, in his hurried +departure, left behind him his cap and one or two other articles and +these, together with a collection of battered trenches and a few slight +casualties, were the only souvenirs we got out of this "stunt," with the +exception of the M.M. awarded to Pte. Saunderson, for his plucky +conduct. The divisional commander was in the battalion area at the time, +and he afterwards sent us a congratulatory message on the steadiness of +the men, a compliment of which we were justly proud. + +On January 22nd we moved out to Le Preol into brigade reserve. The 7th +were particularly fortunate in coming out of the line at this time, for +we did not go in again before the whole division was relieved. After our +allotted period at Le Preol it was the brigade's turn for divisional +reserve, and this was accompanied by another move back to Hingette, near +Locon. One of our functions in this position was to back up the +Portuguese if they should be attacked, for they lay on the left of the +42nd. This entailed a careful reconnaissance of all the ground behind +their positions, and the siting and construction of defended localities +in that area. So the battalion found itself digging and wiring once more +in new soil. + +The 55th division, having recovered from the severe handling they had +received in the enemy reply to "Cambrai," eventually took over the line, +and on February 12th the 7th marched back to Burbure, near Lillers. The +end of the 42nd's tour of duty in this sector had been marked the +previous night by a highly successful raid by the 9th Manchesters which +had taken the Boche completely by surprise, and had furnished quite a +number of prisoners and machine guns. The warning rumblings of the +German offensive storm now steadily increased to a marked degree. His +guns were growing in number, range and activity, and what had once been +peaceful back areas were steadily becoming more uncomfortable. This was +displayed all along the front, so that it was impossible to deduce from +that fact alone where his blow would fall. There was a good deal of +suspicion, however, about the Portuguese front, and the duties of the +42nd, as 1st Army reserve, were clear if the attack took place there. + +Eventually the division, without having to move again, became G.H.Q. +reserve, which meant that we were liable to be sent to any part of the +British line when Germany commenced to strike. With the aid of motor +buses, parties of officers and men made reconnaissances of the defended +localities behind the Loos and Hulluch sector, so that by now we were +more or less conversant with the larger part of the 1st Army front. The +divisional commander lectured officers and N.C.O's. of all brigades +concerning the work of defence, and it was about this time that he +instituted the divisional motto:--"Go one better"--which was taken up +and acted upon with such popular enthusiasm by everyone connected with +the 42nd. In fact, if a coat of arms of the East Lancashire Division had +been designed in 1918, the following three features would have stood out +clearly:-- + +[Illustration] + +During the month of February the drain upon the manpower of the British +Empire caused by the war made itself apparent. It was found to be +impossible to maintain in the field four battalions per brigade, and a +reduction to three was ordered. Then took place the solution of a most +confusing Chinese puzzle. Some battalions were broken up, and the +fragments sent to others either in the same division or in other +divisions, while in the case of many units, particularly territorials, +there was a transfer of a sort of cadre which was amplified to full +strength in its new division. The 42nd division lost the 6th L.F's., the +4th East Lancashires and the 9th Manchesters, and the 8th Manchesters +were transferred to the 126th brigade, which was now composed of 5th +East Lancs., the 8th and 10th Manchesters, while the 127th brigade was +left with the 5th, 6th and 7th Manchesters. A whole company of seven +officers and 200 men of the 2/10th Manchesters from the 66th division +came to wear the Fleur de Lys, and we were glad to welcome them as +comrades. In the heavy fighting that followed they proved themselves to +be good stuff of the regular Oldham type, while they themselves forgot +their natural initial heart burnings and grew proud of the Cap badge and +flashes that they had adopted. + +Our period of rest was divided between Burbure and Busnes, and in both +places the mesdemoiselles and the estaminets were a source of real +delight to the men of the 7th. As might be expected, some good, solid +training was achieved, and this was interspersed by most enjoyable +football competitions and cross-country running. In fact, the middle of +March found the division extremely fit. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +Stopping the Hun. + + +"Good God! What is the matter with the Boche to-night?" Such were our +ejaculations on the night of March 21st at Busnes. The coming of +darkness had brought with it the long-drawn out, familiar "A-zoom, +a-zoom--CRASH--CRASH--CRASH," of enemy planes but in closer proximity +than ever before. Previously they had confined their attentions to +Bethune each night, but on this particular evening Lillers was the +objective, and plane after plane came over maintaining an almost +continuous bombardment throughout the night. An ammunition train +standing in the station, was hit, and the terrific explosions that +followed at irregular intervals accompanied by huge fires added to the +evening's excitements. Next day, wires from G.H.Q. enlightened us. The +German offensive opened on the morning of March 21st, the fifth and +third armies being engaged. The front line defence had been overwhelmed, +but we were led to suppose that the enemy was being held up amongst the +defended localities. + +We afterwards learnt that intensive bombing of back areas and +particularly of railheads and junctions had taken place that night in +the whole of the British area. One of the objects of this was to impede +the movements of reserve divisions, and when it is known that detailed +instructions had been issued for the entrainment of the 42nd at Lillers +in case we should be required at some distance, such a policy as this is +easily understood. But the German had reckoned without the London +omnibus driver, who before the war had served another kind of "General." +Arrangements were rapidly completed in twenty-four hours, so that on +the morning of March 23rd the whole division, in battle order, found a +huge fleet of buses ready to convey them to--"Somewhere in France." The +French villagers smiled confidently at us as we journeyed northwards in +the direction of the Portuguese front, but they did not know, poor +souls, that this was the only way the large convoy could "about turn," +nor did they know, although perhaps they guessed, that the Portuguese +front would collapse the following month and they would be fleeing for +their lives before the blonde beast. We eventually turned our faces +south and rode the whole of that day without stopping over the dusty +roads of France. The Hun had been extraordinarily lucky in weather, +there having been hardly a drop of rain for more than three weeks, so +that the ground was perfectly dry for his operations. + +Nightfall found us still travelling, and the day of 24th March had +almost broken before we "debussed" to find ourselves in the devastated +area of the Somme lands, near the village of Ayette. There was no rest +to be had. Uncertainty as to the situation in front and also as to the +future possibilities necessitated an immediate adoption of tactical +positions, and the 127th brigade took up a defensive line, on an outpost +principle, to cover the ground between Ablainzevelle and Courcelles. +Until this had been achieved no man was able to turn his thoughts to +sleep, in fact the sun had been up some hours before this was possible. +The day produced a complexity of events in the handling of which Col. +Bromfield proved himself to be at once human and masterful. In the first +place, a "battle surplus" had to be decided upon. This was a small group +of officers and men, selected as far as possible from each rank and from +each type of specialists, who remained behind the line whilst the +battalion was in action. In the event of the battalion being obliterated +by casualties, they would form the nucleus of a new unit. Choice +generally fell upon those who were considered due for a rest from the +line. When the necessary officers and men had been abstracted the +Company Commanders were Capt. Tinker, "A," Capt. Nidd, "B," 2nd-Lt. +Harland, "C," and Capt. J. Baker, "D." Headquarters comprised the C.O., +Capt. J. R. Creagh, Adjutant; Lt. C. S. Wood, Signals; and Lt. S. J. +Wilson, I.O.; while Capt. Philp, the M.O., and Padre Hoskyns were in +confident control of aid post arrangements. + +We had now become a part of the third army, and as such we were destined +to remain until the conclusion of the war. General Byng was not a +stranger to the 42nd, for it was as a part of his corps on Gallipoli +that they made their first fight against the Turk. As the reports have +it, "the situation was obscure" on this portion of the third army front. +As far as we were concerned the 40th division had experienced a very +severe handling but were still fighting gamely. They had recaptured Mory +twice and were now expected to be in possession of the greater part of +the village, while the Guards on their left were only yielding ground +inch by inch. What had happened to the right of this was not very clear. +The orders of the 127th brigade were to go up and relieve some fragments +of the 40th division in Mory on the night of the 24th, and when darkness +fell we set out with this object in view, but such plain, +straightforward work as that was not to be achieved in these queer days. +Events moved quickly and a change in the situation was an hourly +occurrence; it therefore devolved upon unit commanders, and as far as +possible commanders of higher formations to act with initiative and +resource. + +[Illustration: ROUND ABOUT BAPAUME] + +The head of the brigade column had reached Gomiecourt when word was +received that the enemy was attacking again, and there were vague +reports that Behagnies had either been captured or was being hard +pressed. It was considered inadvisable to continue the journey to Mory, +and more important to hold up this possible enveloping movement. We were +therefore deflected to the right, and then those things were done which +we used to practise on the desert, but never expected to put into use in +France. We moved across the open in artillery formation by battalions +and finally deployed into a defensive position. Meanwhile the guns +were hammering away at S.O.S. speed from their hastily improvised +positions either on or near the roads. The difficulty of all this work +was not diminished by the darkness, and it was with some astonishment +that we found the 125th brigade coming through our lines diagonally. One +or two stragglers from other divisions came in and told stories of heavy +enemy attacks, but a gunner major rode back from the front on a white +horse, and said the situation was not so bad as these men's reports had +intimated. Still, there seemed to be a good deal of confusion, and the +7th were somewhat bewildered, not knowing quite what to expect next. +Meanwhile they longed hard for daylight in order to get their +whereabouts and some idea of the lie of the land. + +As daylight approached on the 25th it was obvious, from the increasing +proximity of rifle fire on our left, that Mory had fallen and the line +was falling back steadily. Quiet seemed to reign now, however, in the +direction of Behagnies. We later discovered that the L.F's. had received +orders to push on and cover the Behagnies-Sapignies Road, and this they +had successfully achieved in the night. At the same time the 126th +brigade was in touch with the enemy in front of Ervillers, so that on +the morning of the 25th all three brigades were in the front line and +were rigging up an impromptu battle with the Hun. The enemy soon made +his intentions clear and he commenced a vigorous assault. What troops +still remained of the 40th and other divisions, when they found that the +42nd were in position, gradually dribbled through in search of a +long-delayed and well-earned rest. They had been fighting without +respite since the morning of the 21st. The 6th Manchesters were now on +the right of the division in the vicinity of Bihucourt, but they were +uncertain as to the state of affairs on their right. As a matter of +fact, although we were not aware of it at the time, Bapaume had been +taken and a large gap had been left in the line south of our right +flank, through which the Huns were pouring in victorious mass. The New +Zealand division and one brigade of Australians, with the 62nd division +on their left were hurried forward, and after very severe fighting +stopped the enemy rush about Hebuterne, some miles westward of the +position we held on March 25th. + +Meanwhile we were in blissful ignorance of our hazardous position and +the Manchesters were preserving strict guard over an exposed right +flank. The 6th came in for a good deal of heavy fighting in the vicinity +of Bihucourt, but they held the village all day. The headquarters of the +7th was in an old shallow dug-out close to the light railway that had +been constructed from Achiet-le-Grand to run eastwards in the direction +of Bullecourt. This railway wound its way through a sort of valley to +the north of which lies Gomiecourt and to the north-east Mory. Due east +on higher ground are Behagnies and Sapignies where the L.F's. were +making such a fine stand. This high ground continues southwards towards +Bihucourt and Bapaume, and it was along this ridge that most of the +day's fighting took place. + +During the previous night the 7th had been spread out fanwise in +out-posts covering the shallow valley, and it was not long after +daylight before the enemy began to drop shells indiscriminately about +this ground. "C" and "D" companies were ordered forward to assist the +5th and "A" and "B" were left in support. Tanks came up and they +courageously crawled out over the ridge and did some very sound work +before being knocked out by guns which had been brought up to unwonted +proximity. It was whilst crawling out to rescue a wounded man of the +crew of a tank that Sergeant Heath, M.M., was mortally wounded. The +127th brigade could not be driven from their positions and they dug +themselves in, in small section posts, confidently awaiting nightfall +and the next day's fight. The attacks died down and when darkness came, +digging parties went up to assist in the work of consolidation. Events +as described above, however, had decided otherwise, for about 10 p.m. a +divisional staff officer arrived with orders to fall back to a line of +defence between Logeast Wood and Courcelles. + +Casualties had been fairly heavy in this day's work. Capt. J. Baker and +2nd.-Lt. B. Taylor had gone down wounded, while Col. Bromfield, Capt. +Creagh and the M.O. had all been slightly wounded by a shell which +knocked in the entrance to the headquarter's dug-out. They remained at +duty, although the C.O. suffered considerably from an internal bruise in +the stomach which made it impossible for him to walk without assistance. +The arrangements for clearing the wounded became confused when +Gomiecourt was evacuated, for there the Advanced Dressing Station had +been established. Then it was that the Padre displayed his vigour, +courage and resource. He commandeered a hut close to Achiet and had a +large number of wounded from various battalions collected there. +Eventually he was able to get an ambulance which carried many of them +back to the Casualty Clearing Station, but this process suddenly +stopped. All sorts of conveyances were then seized and men were +gradually carried back. When the order to withdraw became known matters +were critical, but the Padre continued his labours. Difficulties were +not diminished when the Hun commenced to drop 5.9's near this spot. +Hoskyns was slightly wounded, but he was bound up and carried on his +self-appointed task until some time after the last of the brigade had +gone by, leaving him with no one in front but the Hun. Not until the +last man had been carried safely off did he leave this place, and then +he collected various stragglers and marched them up as a platoon to join +their own units! This, and his continuous plucky and considerate work in +tending bodily as well as spiritual needs during the next few days +obtained for him a well-earned M.C. + +The night of the 25th-26th was even more strenuous than the previous +one. About 11.30 p.m. the withdrawal commenced, and was very skilfully +carried out, so skilfully, in fact, that the German battle outposts +could be heard firing intermittently for hours after our troops had +retired. After steady plugging, man-handling everything, we reached a +system of admirably prepared trenches north of Logeast Wood. The pioneer +battalion 7th Northumberland Fusiliers, who had come to the division in +February, had been working upon them all day, and, excellently sited as +they were, they inspired everyone with a great feeling of confidence. +Men took a lively interest in their posts, and after a considerable +amount of organisation sentries were mounted and the battalion settled +down for a rest until the enemy should arrive. It was now 3 a.m. At this +hour it so happened that the division had received another urgent order +to fall back still further. Staff officers made their way on foot +through the congested roads behind the front and searched dimly for the +various brigades, a most uncertain task in view of the rapidity of +events. We were found eventually and the brigade major aroused us from +slumber to transmit the news. + +Once again the 7th rose up, shouldered their burdens, and strode +backwards. "What are we going back for? What does it all mean? We held +up Jerry yesterday--why retire?" It all seemed very unsatisfactory and +we were very tired. Food had naturally been scanty and only obtained in +snatches, but much energy was being consumed. It was a disappointed +battalion that straggled wearily through Logeast Wood. We were only just +in time, however, for advance parties of the enemy were already entering +the east side of the Wood as we emerged from the south-west side. Here +we found some explanation of things. Col. Wedgewood, of the 6th, +reported bodies of the enemy moving forward to strike in on our southern +flank, and this news had the effect of an electric shock amongst us. +Col. Bromfield at once ordered positions to be taken up to face the +enemy who were advancing from the south and south-east. "A" and "D" +companies moved out quickly to seize the high ground and one or two +Lewis guns opened fire at the bodies of grey figures in the distance. +Meanwhile, however, the brigadier had decided to cover the +Bucquoy-Ablainzevelle road, and so touch up with the 62nd division, who +had some hours previously occupied a position from Hebuterne to Bucquoy, +and were at that moment resisting violent efforts on the part of the Hun +to turn our right flank. It was, therefore, in the latter village where +we met the gallant Yorkshiremen of the 2nd line West Riding +Territorials. Gen. Henley personally assisted in getting the platoons of +"B" and "C" companies into position, and then "A" and "D" companies were +ordered to withdraw to their line. + +When the withdrawal had been completed the 7th were on the right of the +division, with the flank resting on the edge of Bucquoy village. The +road from Bucquoy to Ayette, which was almost south to north, is an +important one and is marked by a row of trees on each side. As one walks +from Bucquoy along this road, another road branching off to the right +from the edge of the village is seen leading down to Ablainzevelle. The +road junction marks the highest portion of ground in the vicinity, and +there is a long sweep eastwards towards Logeast Wood and +Achiet-le-Petit. It was when we noticed the latter place that the whole +irony of the situation broke upon us. Eight month's ago we had been +enjoying a blissful period of rest on this self-same spot, and such +features as we now gazed upon had merely been used for the purpose of +containing a supposed enemy in the working out of a tactical exercise--a +sham fight. Now--the enemy could not be more real or more alive. He was +here with the sole intent of destroying us by any possible method if we +would not vacate our position. What happened? + +The 7th was assured that this was at last the spot where resistance +would be offered. There were no trenches, and the men lay out in the +open on the sloping ground east and south of the Ablainzevelle road, +with intent to dig in as soon as possible. "C" company were on the +right, and they were rather fortunate in being on the site of an old +camp, because in these days of modern war it is necessary to dig a hole +in a tent even, as a safe-guard against bombing. "C" company then +disposed themselves amongst these circular holes, and later found them +useful protection when the heavy shelling commenced. "B" company, in the +centre, were totally exposed, while "A" company on the left, in touch +with the 6th, were almost as bad, although two platoons were able to +make use of the sunk road. "D" company were behind in support and could +occupy portions of an old Boche trench running east and west. +Headquarters lay out in the Ayette road at first until an old Boche +dug-out, not completed, was found farther up the road, and then they got +into it. Platoons had barely been allotted their areas when clumps of +Huns began to appear on the ridge we had just vacated. They proved to be +teams of light machine gunners, and without preliminaries in the matter +of searching for cover, they promptly opened fire, and soon there was a +perfect hail of grazing bullets swishing over the battalion area. German +officers calmly walked about directing operations and the whole scene +resembled a "stunt on the pictures" rather than modern war. They had +made a mistake, though, and if they were seeking dramatic effect it was +only short lived. Our men were delighted at the perfect target they +presented on the skyline, and rat-tat-tatted merrily in reply to the Hun +swish. By this time also "D" company of the Machine Gun battalion had +taken up a position and they also joined in the conversation. The enemy +then considered the advisability of concealment, and he disappeared from +view. Small parties of his infantry meanwhile had dribbled forward, +considerably helped by old systems of trenches which extended down into +the low ground. Our men were ready, however, and met them with a heavy +fusillade whenever they showed themselves. + +Between Logeast Wood and Ablainzevelle was a camp of Nisson huts, which +had been protected against bombing, in the usual manner, by thick walls +of earth round each hut. The enemy was now making the fullest possible +use of these, for they afforded him most excellent protection. Luckily +they were on a piece of ground fully exposed to us, and we were able to +get some idea as to his movements in that direction. It was soon evident +that they were to be utilised as a stepping stone to a further advance. +First, light M.G's. and snipers were brought up, and these dribbled out +of the huts into Ablainzevelle, where they established themselves to the +discomfort of our men, for they were well on our left flank and could +take some of our position in enfilade. The battalion suffered a number +of casualties from this cause. Unfortunately also, our guns had not got +a clear conception of the state of affairs, and one battery fairly +peppered the H.Q. road with shrapnel, inflicting about a dozen +casualties, while others covered our own forward positions with the same +kind of shell, and so added to the list. I am convinced that there is +nothing more demoralising to a soldier in defence than to come under the +fire of his own guns, so, to say the least, these moments were very +trying. The difficulty of communicating with the rear caused a further +delay in the correction of this serious blunder, and our men had to +maintain a grip on their positions whilst subjected to fire from both +sides, for by this time the enemy had got his guns up, impudently close +to the front line, evidently with a view to a further advance, and was +using them to advantage. Some of them could be distinctly seen on the +outskirts of Logeast Wood, and it was obvious that most of the others +responsible for our discomfort were in the Wood itself. Further away the +roads from Grevillers, Bapaume, Loupart Wood, etc., could be seen choked +with masses of advancing Germans. If only we had had a few 60-pounders, +what perfect execution we should have accomplished. There were batteries +of guns, companies of infantry, columns of transport, staff-cars, and +all the impedimenta of a moving army. I expect the heart of every Hun of +them swelled with the pride of achievement. They were marching to the +last victory that was going to obliterate the hated English and end the +war. They were not yet aware that just here there was a row of troops, +from right to left, New Zealanders, Australians, Yorkshiremen, +Lancashiremen, and Guards, who did not intend to concede another yard of +ground. + +How we longed for the heavy guns during the days that followed, but they +could not, of course, come into action until the infantry line had been +stabilised. Weeks later we heard stories of the doings on those roads +behind the lines, and perhaps we should not judge too harshly, for +traffic control was difficult and there was obviously an excessive +demand upon transport. Add to this the disturbing lack of news and the +peculiar shape of the front, for whereas we were facing east, the 62nd +division with the exception of one battalion in Bucquoy were facing +south, and some explanation may be found for the slight degree of +confusion. The divisional artillery, 18-pounders and 4.5 howitzers, +remained faithful to the infantry, and the 42nd gunners never showed up +to prouder advantage than they did during those stern days. It was not +they who had fired upon us. They were too close to us to make any +mistake in that way, for during the heaviest fighting they had their +guns within 1,600 yards of the front line, and where cover was +unobtainable either for gun or man. Needless to say they suffered very +heavily both in personnel and material, for the enemy aircraft soon +found them, and they were hammered and gassed mercilessly. Their forward +observation officers maintained a liaison with the H.Q. of the infantry +battalions, and in addition to courageous work in searching for targets +and correcting gun fire they showed the greatest consideration for our +needs. + +Although the 7th occupied a commanding position it was singularly bare +and exposed so that cover was difficult to find. During the first few +hours "D" company of the M.G's. had all their guns but one put out of +action, and almost all their officers and men became casualties. They +had pluckily worked their weapons in the hastily sited positions until +knocked out--not before, however, they had carried out savage execution +amongst the more venturesome Huns, and they certainly had the effect of +making the remainder hesitate. The nature of the ground made it +difficult also for the battalion observers to work, for it was evident +the enemy F.O.O's. were specially searching for such people, and the +moment they fixed up a telescope down came a hurricane of shelling, the +close proximity of the Boche guns making their fire extremely accurate +and deadly. The result was that after the first day's fighting, of the +observers only two, Cpl. Maguire and Pte. Wilmer, remained. Not to be +daunted by the fate of their comrades they clung to their task, and +when shelled out of one spot immediately found another. They kept the +enemy under close watch and strung together most valuable chains of +evidence as to their movements, gallant work for which both received the +M.M. + +The signallers also suffered heavily. Wires were difficult to keep in +repair but the linesmen continued to go out during the heaviest +shelling, while others maintained a system of lamp signalling to the +brigade behind a pile of ammunition boxes until a 5.9 dropped plumb +amongst them with dire results. Other signallers at once found a new +spot and kept communication going. But these were searching days for +everyone, when physical endurance and mental stamina were stretched to +their furthest limit. As the day wore on, the guns that we had seen in +the distance gradually came into action against us until shells were +raining down continuously on all parts of our line. Obviously, the enemy +infantry had given up the hope of further progress, for our men were +like terriers, keenly watching for the slightest sign of a Hun helmet, +and the artillery were left to do their worst upon us. Just before dusk +the M.O., Capt. Philp, was killed by a shell whilst bending over a +wounded man on a stretcher. No cover could be found for an aid-post, and +it had to be established in the open at a convenient spot on the ground. +In fact, the only dug-out in the area was that occupied by H.Q., and it +was shared by Col. Wedgwood of the 6th, so that two battalion H.Q. were +confined in a spot no more than seven feet square, while the entrance +faced the enemy in an exposed part of the road. + +Darkness had brought quiet at last, but no rest. Rations had come up and +they had to be distributed. Similarly with ammunition and water. Also +the enemy might attempt a night assault, for it was not to be expected +that he would be satisfied with this very pronounced re-entrant in his +line. The 6th, whose line ran close to the edge of Ablainzevelle, sent a +patrol into the village. The small parties of Boche fled at their +approach and left two M.G's. in their hands. Our patrols searched all +the low ground in front but could not find the enemy. + +Next morning, March 27th, about 9 o'clock, the battle re-opened with +redoubled vigour. Fresh enemy troops had been brought up and they made a +determined attempt to push forward. A terrific bouncing barrage came +down upon our positions, but the men stood up to it, in spite of the +heavy casualties, and opened fire upon the groups of Boche who attempted +to get across the open. The main infantry assault took place near +Ablainzevelle, and here the 6th had the work of repelling them, but +after some hand to hand fighting the enemy fell back and confined his +energies to sniping and M.G. work. Meanwhile, the landscape was steadily +changing its appearance in the 7th sector. What had once been good roads +and respectable fields were shell-pitted and strewn with debris, a pile +of S.A.A. boxes that had been left behind had been hit and in the fire +that resulted there was a disturbing display of fireworks from the +exploding cartridges. The trees were losing their accustomed beauty, +many having been smashed down completely. But picture the trepidation of +the aid-post detachment, now in charge of Capt. Greville, for they lay +close to a huge dump of shells that was liable to be hit at any moment. +During the quieter days Bucquoy had evidently been an ammunition park, +and as not much of the stuff had been removed, it was an exciting spot +to fight in. + +All day this steady pounding continued, and when the enemy infantry +definitely gave up their efforts to get near our line they supplemented +the shelling by an unceasing hail of traversing M.G. fire. Yet, through +this the runners and stretcher bearers performed their appointed tasks, +and there was no period when perfect touch was not maintained between +the C.O. and any part of the front line and also back to brigade H.Q., +nor were there cases of wounded men being left unduly exposed after they +had been hit. The constant stream of runners, etc., of both battalions +converging on the H.Q. dug-out, exposed to observation as it was, soon +made the truth of the matter plain to the enemy, and he began to pay +attention to it with 5.9's. An anxious moment came when he hit the +entrance and buried a number of men standing in the improvised steps. +All were extricated, however, and those who were wounded carried away. +The entrance was cleared, steps constructed again, and the work carried +on as usual. "D" company lost its commander again, for Lieut. Morten was +hit, and this left Lieut. Gresty in charge. + +Evening again brought a welcome respite, and it was decided to minimise +casualties by reducing the garrisons of the front trenches, for by now a +sort of trench had been made and a little wire had been put out in front +the previous night. One platoon per company was taken out and sent back, +where they were placed under the command of Col. Blatherwick of the 5th, +who remained in brigade support. Daylight of March 28th brought a +resumption of the enemy effort at least to straighten his line and +masses of Huns could be seen gradually collecting in the Nisson huts. In +the previous days the 18-pounders had kept this spot under fire, but +Col. Bromfield decided to call for howitzer assistance to smash down the +earth walls round the huts, a plan which met with great success. Our +shells dropped plumb amongst them, and Huns could be seen dashing about +in all directions in search of more effective cover. Our shrapnel +barrage had been considerably improved also, and the moment the enemy +left their positions it promptly came down and drove them to earth +again. The 7th were worn out, and the men were losing their spruce +appearance, but rifles and L.G's. were kept clean, and amidst the +terrific shelling of that day they asked for nothing better than that +Jerry would try to come across to give them an opportunity for revenge. +The enemy's guns had increased in number, chiefly the heavy variety, and +it was now his obvious intention to blow us off the ridge. The heavy +pounding never ceased. Many gallant deeds were performed by runners, +stretcher-bearers and ammunition-carrying-platoons through this inferno. +Lieut. Bagshaw was awarded the M.C. for his work in leading ammunition +fatigues, but the supreme decoration of all--the seal of death--came to +a large number of the Fleur-de-lys. Amongst the officers--Capt. Tinker, +Lieut. Walter Thorp and Lieut. Ludlam were killed outright, while +Lieuts. Woods and McLaine were mortally wounded. + +After a final effort in the late afternoon to advance against our +positions in a line of small sections, which was met with the usual +devastating fire, the enemy gave it up and occupied the remaining hours +of daylight with fierce shelling. Our heavy artillery had at last +returned and got to work and their shelling began to have effect, for it +was noticeable that the Boche shells were now arriving from a greater +distance than formerly. The 6th had an exciting episode that day. A +party of courageous Germans, led by an officer, had pushed forward and +were throwing bombs amongst them. Lieut. Mall decided this must be +stopped, and he led one platoon over in a short sharp charge. Fifteen +Huns were bayonetted, and Mall returned triumphantly with the officer +and one man as prisoners. They proved to be Jaegers, and although the +officer told us nothing the man was very voluble. It was some comfort to +find that of one fresh battalion that had entered Ablainzevelle, about +forty only remained. A couple of packets of Woodbines were found in the +pockets of the officer--loot from the canteen at Achiet-le-Grand. The +soldier told us that this form of German enterprise was reserved for the +officers. + +This day, March 28th, marked the end of the heavy fighting. The German +thrust had been checked, and the effort to reach the Coast had failed. A +glance at the map will show that, had the advance continued here the +Arras position would have been seriously threatened, and the Germans +would have been well on their way to Abbeville and the Channel Ports. +That night the 7th were overjoyed to hear that they were to be relieved. +The L.F's. took over the brigade sector, but the relief had been ordered +so suddenly that there was no time for reconnaissance, with the result +that it was almost dawn before the last platoon of the battalion had +struggled over the crest line to the old system of trenches 1,500 yards +further back in dead ground. Heavy rain, during the evening had +converted these neglected trenches into veritable ditches of mud. A few +cubby holes had been constructed by the previous occupants, and filled +with mud though they were, our men dropped into them and fell fast +asleep. It was the first undisturbed sleep they had had for nearly a +week, a period which had seemed more like a month. During the afternoon +the battalion received orders to furnish a billeting party which had to +proceed to Gommecourt. Billeting--this was indeed bliss. They received a +rude shock on arrival however to find that the word was a misnomer. We +were to relieve the 15th Hampshires of the 41st division, who had just +been hurried back from Italy. They occupied trenches on the edge of +Gommecourt village in support to the front line, which was only about +400 yards away. The astonishment of the battalion on arrival about 3 +a.m., on March 30th, when they found the nature of their new +headquarters, can be easily imagined. They were indeed "fed up"--back to +the old game, mucking about in a muddy trench, keeping a keen look-out +when on sentry (for owing to a gap in the front line a portion of our +position virtually was front line), and still shell dodging. We were +also becoming rather disreputable for the weather had broken, and mud +became the ruling element. In this manner, Easter Sunday was spent. But +there were cheering rumours about going back for recuperation, and these +kept our spirits up. + +April 1st--All Fools Day--we might have known. The brigade went back to +the old spot and thus settled all rumours for the present. Our work was +not yet done. The 7th went to the support trenches they had recently +vacated, but the 41st divisional R.E's. had been busy upon them during +our absence, and a few habitable bivvies had been made. The 5th and 6th +were further back behind Essarts. The Hun had converted Essarts into a +perfect hell, and at irregular intervals he subjected it to tremendous +bombardments with his largest guns, particularly during the night. Our +transport knew something about this, for their road passed through the +village when bringing up rations at night. In this connection Lieut. +Wilkinson distinguished himself by the courageous manner in which he +got his column through during the most anxious moments. His job at this +time was not an enviable one, but we could always rely upon his arrival +each evening, very seldom late, with his store of rations, water, rum +and bundle of letters. After three days in reserve the brigade took over +the front line, in practically the same position as before, but there +had been a readjustment of divisional boundaries, so that we were now on +the left, while the 125th brigade were on the right, and their line ran +in front of Bucquoy. The 7th were in support at first, so we only moved +about 400 yards to trenches vacated by the 8th Manchesters. + +At dawn on April 5th the Hun commenced to send over thousands of gas +shells in the direction of Essarts. It was a dull, misty +morning--perfect conditions for this form of devilry--and we could hear +the brutes whistling and whining over our heads for more than three +hours. The intention was, of course, to silence our guns, and the object +of this was to make an attack upon Bucquoy all the easier. He came over +at the L.F's. and there was heavy fighting all the morning, but he did +not progress much. The 8th L.F's. suffered severely, losing all their +officers, including Lt.-Col. Davies (previously of the 6th Manchesters), +who was killed. The enemy's intention had been to take the village and +push on with a view to straightening the line, but he only captured the +eastern portion of the village, and that only after very heavy losses. +Similar progress had previously been made against the division on the +right, and this made the L.F. situation impossible. We afterwards learnt +that a large number of gas casualties had gone down from the Essarts +district. In their solicitude during the bitterest days the division had +called upon the battle surplus of each unit, and had made a composite +battalion of them to act in reserve amongst the trenches N.E. of +Gommecourt. These people, as well as the gunners, came in for the gas +shelling, and it was very disappointing to hear of our own men, like +C.S.M. Shields, Sgt. Tabbron, etc., who had been left behind as battle +surplus, going down gassed. Fortunately, most of them rejoined the +battalion later. During this day's fighting some L.F's. were staggered +to find an old French woman in a cellar in Bucquoy, and they had the +utmost difficulty in persuading her to leave her "home." That was her +abode and she was prepared to live in it whatever the conditions. + +The next few days resulted in a complete victory for mud. Rain +continued, and work as we would the conditions could not be conquered. +Men stood in it, and when they could, slept in it. To move about meant +wading through it, in places up to the thighs, and this was steadily +wearing out the last flicker of humanity and grit in our men. Casualties +were also increasing. Lieut. Bateman was wounded in Essarts whilst on +his way back to the battalion from a Course, and in "B" company 2nd-Lt. +Woodworth was hit. Eventually we relieved the 5th in the front line near +Ablainzevelle, where we found the trenches in an even worse condition, +if that were possible. Real joy possessed our souls, although it is +doubtful whether at the time we were capable of appreciating it, when +the news was definite that the division was to go right out for a rest. +On the night of April 7th, the 2nd 7th West Ridings (62nd division) came +up and relieved us, and the Fleur de Lys set their faces joyfully to the +west and marched off in good spirits, although with exhausted bodies, +conscious of having done their duty in stopping the mad rush of the +Huns. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +Worrying the Hun. + + +Never since the weary entry into Katia did the 7th Manchesters present +such a sorry appearance as they did when they straggled into Soustre in +the grey hours of April 8th. It was an effort to drag one leg in front +of another, and our feet were sodden and painful. Almost every particle +of clothing and equipment was smothered with red, clayey mud, and thin, +tired faces were covered with a many days' growth of beard. Here we +struggled into a row of lorries and were carried off to Vauchelles to be +housed in huts vacated by some army school. After a good meal and a +sleep we were roused in the middle of the afternoon to be told that +another move had to be accomplished. With imprecations on the staff and +all its works we fell in and marched off to Louvencourt to occupy +billets, and were at last assured that we had settled for a rest. + +The next few days we spent in recuperation and cleaning up. The rapidity +with which the men recovered their smart appearance was one of the +striking features of the war, and indicated the wonderful desire for +fitness that the Britisher had acquired in his soldiering days. Col +Bromfield, however, had not been able to withstand the strain, and to +the regret of everyone departed to hospital with pleurisy, a +circumstance made all the more depressing when we learnt that his return +was highly improbable. A more popular C.O. never commanded the 7th, and +we were always proud of his high opinion of us. In his dealings with all +ranks, from the second in command to the lowest private, he had ever +proved himself a perfect gentleman, while his control of matters during +the most anxious times inspired an unswerving confidence. As a gallant +leader and commander his name stands high in the records of the +battalion. + +It was by no means certain that the enemy would not open out with +another onslaught on this front, for he was making desperate efforts to +reach Amiens further south, and a break through here would make his task +much easier. With the assistance of Chinese labour lines of trenches had +been dug, and they were speedily wired in by batches of Royal Engineers +and Labour Corps. The first system to be defended if the front line +collapsed was called the Purple Line. Behind that was the Red Line, +while further back still was the Brown Line, protecting Doullens. It was +here during these troubled days that the historic meeting took place +between Sir Douglas Haig and Marshal Foch, when the latter took over +supreme command. As well as regaining lost energy the 42nd division had +to be responsible for a portion of the Red Line in the event of a break +through, so at various times parties of officers and N.C.O's. made trips +to it for reconnaisance purposes, and schemes were evolved for the +possible disposition of companies and the siting of L.G. posts, etc., +under the leadership of Major Higham, now commanding the battalion. + +After a week at Louvencourt we moved up into the line again, the +division relieving the 37th division in the Hebuterne and Rossignol Wood +sector. No one was sorry to get into a fresh part of the line. We felt +that we did not wish to see the Bucquoy-Ablainzevelle road again! For +some time now the 42nd had been one of the divisions of the IV. Corps, +commanded by Lt.-Gen. Harper, the one-time commander of the famous 51st +(Highland Territorial) division, and as such we were to remain until +Germany was defeated. We were in goodly company, for the other divisions +were the New Zealanders, the 37th and eventually the 5th, but we were +never put to shame at any time. Indeed, the spirit of "Go one better" +was always amplified by deeds, and by none more assiduously than the 7th +Manchesters. + +Hebuterne and the immediate district was the "happy hunting ground" of +the division until the final grand hunt in August. As in 1914 the +village stood on the high-water mark of the advancing tide of Huns. In +their last effort they had captured it but the Australians had driven +them out again. If a visit be paid to this part of France the reason for +its importance to either side will be seen at once, for it stands near +the northern end of a commanding ridge which runs north and south, and +from which good observation is obtained for many miles in all +directions. This was the ridge over which the Huns had swarmed in March, +to be thrown back again, after a severe dispute, by the newly arrived +Anzacs, so that the present position was good for us but poor for +"Jerry." Hebuterne was the culminating point of a very pronounced Hun +salient, and our line swept round in a noticeable curve from the corner +of Bucquoy to Beaumont Hamel, almost touching the south-eastern edge of +the village. Looking north was the famous ground where Gommecourt had +once stood. In 1917 the French had decided that Gommecourt should be +preserved in its battle-scarred state as a national monument, for the +blood of many brave soldiers had there been shed during the fierce Somme +fighting of 1916. Notices were put up, huge white boards with black +printing in French and English, enjoining no one to interfere with the +trenches and wire, etc., but to leave things just as they were. Oh, the +irony of it! Here was the Hun again pounding, pounding with fierce wrath +and insistent desire to smash his way through. Those self-same notices +were shell-shattered, while in his zeal to destroy the dug-outs which he +knew so well in Gommecourt, for he had made them, he dropped, in one +morning, more than thirty 15-inch shells in the village. To the right of +Gommecourt could be seen the naked stumps of Rossignol Wood, a beautiful +name reminiscent of delightful summer evenings. But the song of the +nightingale was now gone, and the only tunes to be heard were the deadly +rat-tat-tat of Boche machine guns and the fierce hissing of our shrapnel +bullets through the decayed undergrowth, the time for this devil's +music being regularly thundered out by the crash, crash, of heavy +howitzers. + +East of our ridge, and parallel to it, was a long gentle valley. In the +old days the Germans had been content to build their trenches half-way +up the eastern slope, and the French had faced them on the opposite +side, but now the Huns in the foolish arrogance of their hearts must +needs swarm over the whole valley, and offer themselves and their works +as targets for our searching gun-fire. On the summit of their ridge and +due east of Hebuterne is Puisieux-au-Mont, in almost the same condition +of devastation as Gommecourt, while further beyond, the trees of Achiet +can be seen. During the summer months those who wished could reckon up +the times of arrival and departure of trains at the German railhead at +Achiet, for the smoke from the engines could be distinctly observed. +Night after night our planes droned heavily over to the accompaniment of +wonderful displays of "flaming onions," parachute flares, searchlights, +and anti-aircraft gun-fire, and bombed these back areas with +demoralising effect. Further along the enemy ridge to the right, and +closer in, was what the trench maps grimly described as "Serre (site +of)." If you want testimony of the complete destructive power of British +shell-fire, go to Serre. The roads round about were marked on these +maps, but ironically labelled "Damaged by shell-fire." I think the word +"obliterated," openly admitted in the case of one or two, would have +applied to all. In other words the whole terrain bore the traces of the +thunderous days of 1916, and nothing of value was left standing. Thus, +when keen observers set their maps and scanned the low ground for Mark +Copse, Luke Copse, Touvent Farm, Observation Wood, or Red Cottage, there +was nothing visible. It was all a myth. Further south the masses of +white chalk thrown up by the historic crater at Beaumont Hamel were +useful for they served as a landmark and helped to locate other points +of interest. + +Compared with the enemy we were in a relatively happy position. The +ridge which contained the front line shielded all the immediate back +area from direct observation, so that even the garrisons of the support +trenches could wander about in the open, while if there was "nothing +doing," the men back in reserve could lie out in the long grass and bask +in the sunshine. This was all very comforting and relieved the strain of +war very considerably, but the advantages in the matter of organisation +were illimitable. Rations came up in the middle of the day, and the +limbers and water carts, in singles of course on account of balloon +observation, trundled up the road in the afternoon to a point within +four hundred yards of the front line! As the men put it "We were +laughing"--especially when the enemy once or twice attempted a relief +before darkness over their exposed ground, and were severely knocked +about for their pains. + +But to return to Hebuterne and the days of our first acquaintance with +it. Many people were convinced that the Hun would attack again, and our +higher command had found support for this gloomy prospect amongst their +archives, so that we were enjoined to remain on the strictest qui vive. +The first day's work consisted in re-organisation of the line, based +upon the principle of defence "in depth." This meant that a battalion, +for instance, did not expose the whole of its personnel in the front +line to be obliterated in the first shock of attack, but they must be +disposed in the best tactical positions, with a slight garrison in front +and the remainder ranged along behind. Speaking very generally a unit +was made responsible for the defence of an area, and the principle of +defence was to hold it, not by successive lines of defence, but by a +series of mutually supporting posts arranged chequerwise and in depth. +This arrangement was intended to break up the enemy's attack formation, +to stop parts of it and to allow other parts to advance, but to advance +only in such places as would make them most vulnerable to +counter-attack. This principle applied also down to the company and even +the platoon. It is easily seen that a good deal of organisation was +demanded from the battalion commander, while the smallest unit +commander, perhaps a lance-corporal, was left with much responsibility. +In view of the possibly impending attack, Hebuterne was hurriedly put +into a sound state of defence by the untiring energy of Gen. Henley and +his subordinates. Whilst all this was going on our patrolling was +excessively active, and every night No Man's Land fell into our hands +right up to the enemy posts. If possible we were to "Snaffle a Hun" with +a view to identification and information about the supposed attack, and +when it was discovered that the Boche was too alert in spite of +persistent small attempts by the Manchesters and the L.F's. this was +regarded as good proof by the attack theorists. However, nothing +materialised beyond the steady arrival of Boche shells of all calibres, +and we were not sorry. + +When the brigade moved out into reserve the 7th had to dig themselves +into the earth near Chateau-de-la-Haie north of Sailly-au-Bois. In less +than twenty-four hours small groups of men had made a hole for +themselves, covered it with an elephant shelter, and camouflaged it with +sods. It was heavy work while it lasted, but it was necessary to work +quickly because of hostile aircraft. A neighbouring battery of +60-pounders were righteously indignant at our invasion, but still the +staff said we were to go there, and there we went. On the other hand it +was by no means comforting to realise that once the Hun spotted the +60-pounders we should be partakers in the unwelcome attention that would +probably follow, so we were quits anyhow. Luckily the enemy did not see +us, or he was displaying a lofty contempt, for after five day's +residence the battalion moved up into the line at Gommecourt, having had +no mishap. During this period our lists of "Bucquoy decorations" came +through, and they were very gratifying. In addition to the M.C's. +already mentioned, Capt. Nidd and 2nd-Lt. Harland were similarly +rewarded for their work as company commanders. Sgt. McHugh, who had +acted as C.S.M. of "C" company, received a bar to his M.M., and Sgt. +Heath, who had died of wounds, was decorated in like manner. +Twenty-four other men received the Military Medal, their names being +recorded in the appendix at the end of the book. + +On April 30th the new C.O., Lt.-Col. Manger, of the Durham L.I., +arrived. A regular soldier of many years' standing, he was pleased to be +sent again to a territorial battalion, for he had learnt the value of +these troops whilst commanding the 2nd 9th King's Liverpool Regiment of +the 57th division. He joined the battalion at Gommecourt and Major +Higham immediately went down for a rest. There was very little of +outside interest during the succeeding days beyond the usual work of +consolidation and keeping the enemy under closest possible observation. +Still, the battalion was glad to be relieved on May 6th, the whole +division coming out for a good period of rest. + +The 127th brigade were given camp areas around Henu, divisional +headquarters being at Pas. We made the most of these May weeks, filled +with delightful sunshine, and, as events worked out, it was as well we +did, for it was the last long rest period we were to get until after the +armistice. Important changes took place in the battalion about this +time. Major Higham and Capt. Townson, both pre-war officers of the 7th, +severed their active service connection with us by being invalided to +England, the former's place being taken by Major Rae of the Liverpool +Scottish. Amongst a draft of officers that we received from a division +that had been broken on the fifth army front was Capt. Allen, M.C., +whose original unit was the 6th Manchesters. He was put in command of +"A" company. R.S.M. Anlezark, of the 1st battalion, was posted to us for +duty, and A/R.S.M. Clough succeeded R.Q.M.S. Ogden, who had returned to +England after a long period of hard and useful work with the 7th. It was +not many weeks after this period of rest that another long-standing and +popular officer was lost to the 7th; this was Capt. Nidd, M.C. We had +always known that his grit and determination exceeded his physical +capacity, but his splendid sense of duty led him to ignore this fact, +although it was common knowledge that had he so wished he could have +been invalided out of the army long before. After severe trials on +Gallipoli, a campaign he went through from June to the evacuation (he +was one of the very few men to whom that evacuation was irksome), he had +had a relapse in hospital in Egypt for some weeks. The Bucquoy fight, +however, had proved too much for him, and he never really recovered from +the ill-effects of it. This was accentuated by the death of two of his +near and dear friends--Lt. W. Thorp for whom, as one of his subalterns, +he had a particular esteem, and Capt. Tinker. The latter was a pre-war +officer of the 7th, while Thorp had gone out to the Sudan in the ranks, +served through Gallipoli with distinction (vide Major Hurst's book) and +then received a commission early in 1916. Capt. Tinker's record with the +battalion was one of steady confidence. After being invalided to England +from a wound received on Gallipoli, he rejoined in Egypt in Feb. 1916, +and was immediately given command of "A" company. From that day he had +always been amongst us, and, except when on leave or on a course, he was +with his company, in the line or out of it. In fact, it was a record of +"full steam ahead" until the day he was killed amongst his men. What +Tinker was to "A" so was Nidd to "B" company, and his greatest regret, +when at last hospital claimed him, was in leaving the men whom he knew +so well. His departure was followed by a long illness, and it was a +great blow to his friends to hear of his death after the armistice in +his own home at Cheadle Hulme. His name can be added to the long list of +victims of the great German offensive in March. + +Strict training was indulged in during these weeks, and in addition hot, +laborious days were occupied by rehearsals of the manning of the Red +Line in the neighbourhood of Souastre, to say nothing of skeleton +counter-attacks upon Beer Trench, Rum Trench, and Stout Trench, near +Gommecourt. We never knew the point of these names unless they were to +act as a stimulant to the vigour of our thrusts, the troops labouring +under the delusion that the trenches were filled with the liquids +indicated. At all events they were not there during the rehearsals in +spite of the hot weather. But if these diversions caused us to attain +the boiling point of excitement, the arrival of General Byng on May 21st +to witness a special stunt by the 7th almost burst the thermometer. A +source of some interest was the presence of an American battalion +consisting of raw troops of three weeks' New York training, to which the +127th brigade was acting as godfather. They worked diligently and with a +keen appreciation of any hints supplied to them by their British +friends. Also, not to be outdone by our frequent displays of football, +they regularly utilised our ground for baseball, of which game they +possessed a few brilliant exponents. We soon grew to like our new +allies, and we were rather sorry when they departed to join their own +division. + +On June 6th the 42nd division took over the line once more and were not +relieved of responsibility of the front until Sept. 6th, sixteen days +after the big offensive had commenced. The 7th occupied the part of the +front which we knew so well at Hebuterne, relieving a battalion of the +New Zealand Division. The "Diggers" had worked hard upon these trenches +with the result that they were now in excellent condition. A good spell +of weather also assisted in the comfort of the troops. Col. Manger's +policy was to give the Hun no rest, and he began to put his principles +into practice at Hebuterne. As soon as we arrived, a thorough +reconnaissance of the enemy positions was made, and we began to make +preparation for a raid of some magnitude. This was carried out by "B" +company, of which Capt. Grey Burn was now in command, and the officers +selected to go over with the raiders were Lieut. Wender, D.C.M., who had +previously served with the 1st Battalion in Mesopotamia, 2nd-Lt. Milne +and 2nd-Lt. Goodier. Goodier had been a sergeant in "C" company, and for +his excellent services at Bucquoy had been recommended for promotion in +the field to the commissioned ranks, a distinction which came through +while we were at Henu. + +It was known that the enemy held his front line in a series of isolated +posts, each armed with light machine guns. Curiously enough, whether +through lack of material or not we never knew, he paid little or no +attention to wiring in these days, except in utilising what old wire lay +about. One of these posts was located within one hundred yards of our +front line in Fusilier Trench, and this, it was decided, should be +raided. At 1 a.m. on the morning of June 16th a three minutes' shrapnel +barrage was opened on the enemy's trench, while a box barrage of H.E. +was placed all round the portion to be raided. At the end of this time +the boys leapt over in four parties, three to make for the trench and +the fourth to act as support and as a covering party for withdrawal. +Then it was found that the shelling had hardly been sufficient for +numerous enemy flares went up, throwing daylight over the whole scene, +and our men were greeted by heavy machine gun fire. Wender, who was on +the right, jumped over first and rapidly dashed off for the Boche +trench, leaving his men well behind. He was never seen or heard of +again, and it must be presumed that he was killed in the trench. Goodier +got his men across on the left and they jumped into the trench, only to +find it filled with concertina barbed wire, so they came out again and +worked their way along the top to the centre, being by this time heavily +bombed. They came to a party of Huns who immediately fled, but Goodier +seized one and he and his now tiny party returned triumphantly with +their prisoner and with fragments of bombs in their bodies. Milne, +having ranged over part of the Boche trench to find no one, covered the +withdrawal and then brought his party in. It was an extraordinary show +in which everyone had displayed considerable pluck, and the taking of +one prisoner had just converted it into a success, but we had sustained +a large number of casualties, most of them, fortunately, only slight. Of +the officers, Goodier was scratched, and Milne had a bullet through his +arm, whilst among those who were not actually with the raiders Lt. C. S. +Wood, the signalling officer, was somewhat badly wounded, his work being +taken over later by 2nd-Lt. Smith, and Lt. S. J. Wilson was slightly +wounded. 2nd-Lt. Goodier was awarded the M.C., Sgt. Fleetwood and Sgt. +Green the D.C.M., while five others received the M.M. for this night's +work. This was the concluding page of our first chapter in the front +line, for we then moved out to Sailly in reserve. + +When the brigade went into the line again it was to take over the sector +to the right of Hebuterne on the ridge previously mentioned. The most +important feature about this part of the line was La Signy Farm, which +lay just below the crest on the eastern side of the ridge. The ruins of +the farm building were in Boche hands, but the eastern side of the five +hundred yards square hedge that surrounded the grounds ran along our +front line. North of the grounds our line was echeloned forward and then +ran due north to the corner of Hebuterne. Skeletons of large trees stood +up like tall sentinels over the piles of bricks and stones which had +once made up the farm buildings. At the farthest corner of the hedge was +a shell-pitted patch of ground in a slight depression marked on the map +as Basin Wood. This was known to be honeycombed with deep dug-outs and +galleries and was therefore a frequent target for our heavy howitzers. +Further south the two opposing lines were almost parallel as far as the +vicinity of Watling Street--then a Boche trench. In the dead ground +behind our line was Euston Dump, which had gone up with a tremendous +roar in the early days of the March fighting, leaving a large hole. +Stoke's mortar shells, "footballs," etc., were scattered about in all +directions. Not far away from here was the Sugar Factory, which, from +the attention it received, the Hun regarded as more important than we +did. + +The C.O. maintained his policy of worrying the Hun in every possible +manner, the fullest use being made of the artillery liaison officers and +the Stokes and Newton trench mortars for this purpose. Every night +little strafes were planned which must have kept Fritz in a constant +state of speculation as to what might happen next. To assist in these +annoying tactics a special company of R.E., whose particular devilry was +gas, came up and dug in 1,000 gas projectiles behind the support lines. +On two separate nights, after everything had been considered favourable, +they gleefully let them off at La Signy Farm and its environs, and then +disappeared down their dug-outs to gloat over the picture of choking and +writhing Huns. We consoled ourselves with the probability that the enemy +had sustained more casualties than we had. + +On July 8th Corps had a sudden recurrence of "attackitis," and, +doubtless at the instigation of a junior intelligence officer, they sent +out a frantic request to "all whom it may concern" to ascertain who the +enemy were in front. They had feared a relief by large German soldiers +who were anxious to smell the blood of the Hated English. This message, +or an adulterated form of it, filtered "through the usual channels" and +so reached the 7th in the late afternoon. Two hours before darkness it +had been answered in the following manner. + +Reconnaissance had indicated an enemy post within eighty yards of our +line close to where the Serre road crossed it, but it was protected by +concertina barbed wire. "D" company were holding that part of the line, +and they were asked to furnish a party prepared to go over almost at +once for a Hun. An enterprising artillery liaison officer, Lt. Bates, +obtained permission to make use of a couple of 4.5 howitzers which he +said were new and very accurate, and these, firing graze fuse shells at +his correction would smash the wire. The only place from which +observation on this wire could be obtained was in our front line +directly opposite to it, and here a temporary O.P. with telephonic +communication to the battery was rigged up, the garrison of this part +being moved off left and right for safety. It was a nerve-racking +experience in that O.P., as may be gathered from the fact that we were +trying to hit an object less than 70 yards away! It took over an hour to +get a satisfactory result, and then 2nd-Lt. Gorst, Sgt. Horsfield and +seven other men, in shirt sleeves and armed with revolvers, hopped +quickly over, ran along a shallow trench or ditch, and entered the Hun +post. It was empty with the exception of one dead man who had just been +killed by one of our shells. He was quickly carted back, but with great +difficulty for he was a big heavy fellow, while Gorst and Horsfield +searched along the trench both ways for more Huns. None were to be +found, however--evidently our inexplicable shelling had scared them off +altogether. Still the dead man was good enough for the purpose, for he +furnished the required identification, and his regiment was immediately +wired to H.Q. There had been no relief, so calm reigned once more. + +The spirit of "Go one better" inspired Lieut. Wilkinson and a few of his +transport men to perform deeds of "derring do" in the line, for one +night they came up and captured a German G.S. wagon from No Man's Land. +It lay just in front of our line near the Serre Road and had evidently +been abandoned during the New Zealand counter attack in March. A bridge +of duck boards was put over the trench and Wilkinson and his men went +out and skilfully dragged their prize back to safety. Its arrival at the +transport lines next morning was naturally the occasion for great +rejoicing and hero-worship, after the sensation caused by dressing up +the driver in a Boche tin hat and great coat. On another night Sgt. +Aldred with a small party made an exceptionally plucky effort to enter +an enemy post and was afterwards awarded the M.M. After eight days of +such work as this in the front line we moved out to Bus in divisional +reserve to enjoy a most pleasant few days under canvas. + +We lost Padre Hoskyns at this period. He had received an order which +filled him with chagrin to report for duty as Senior Chaplin to the 6th +division, so he journeyed at once to the divisional H.Q. and told the +major-general he would sit on his doorstep until he got permission from +him to stay with the battalion. Efforts were made but they were of no +avail, and a more peremptory order than the last was received, so he +took a sorrowful farewell and departed, followed by the regrets of the +whole battalion, and indeed of a good number of the division. "Some have +greatness thrust upon them," was applicable in his case, for he had not +sought promotion but preferred to remain a "parish priest" and live +amongst the men. Much the same remark applied to the C.O. who, in the +absence of General Henley at Divisional Headquarters, was called upon +to take command of the brigade during the succeeding weeks, for he +always expressed his preference for battalion work. Owing to the fact +that Major Rae was in hospital at this time with the "flue," Capt. +Creagh assumed command of the battalion, and Lt. Barratt being on a +month's leave in England, Lt. Wilson was temporarily appointed Adjutant. +Capt. Palmer, an old officer of the 7th, who had been carrying out +important work in England since his recovery from a wound obtained in +Gallipoli on June 4th, returned to us some weeks previous to this and +was put in command of "C" company. + +During our period in reserve the 126th brigade had continued our +worrying tactics and had attempted to raid La Signy Farm. They found the +place strongly held, however, and after repeated efforts to get to the +Hun positions had been forced to abandon the attempt. When we took over +the front line from the 10th Manchesters for a continuous spell of +sixteen days, we found that we were expected to co-operate at once in a +forward movement with the New Zealanders, who were in the Hebuterne +sector, and who intended to occupy a shorter line across the valley. The +first day, July 19th, found us making preparations for this operation at +express speed ready for evening. Lieut. Edge, an old second line +officer, was put in charge of a party supplied by "C" company, and they +were expected to capture and hold a Boche post about 500 yards away. It +was decided that the silent method would be the best, so artillery +support was declined. Edge displayed consummate skill and patience in +carrying out this hazardous enterprise, and his difficulties were not +lessened by disturbing events on both flanks. All along the New Zealand +front, from Hebuterne to Rossignol Wood, an advance was taking place, +while immediately on the left the 6th were moving forward and in the +process had met with considerable resistance so that a pitched battle +had arisen. To add to the troubles the Naval Division on our right had +selected this night for a raid near Beaumont Hamel, accompanied with +noise, with the result that the Hun put down his protective barrage all +along our ridge. Our front line was packed with men who were to go over +and dig a communication trench and generally assist in the consolidation +when the post had been captured, and how they escaped casualties from +this shelling was nothing short of a miracle. Meanwhile, Edge and his +men were creeping steadily forward, and were encountering difficulties +amongst huge shell holes, loose tags of wire and a very irregular hedge +which they were trying to follow as a guide. Eventually they reached the +post and took the enemy completely by surprise. A short rush carried +them in and one Boche was captured, but the rest got away in the +darkness, leaving their gear behind them. The consolidating party +followed up quickly, and covered by a protective screen who lay out well +in front in the vicinity of Red Cottage, they dug L.G. positions, fire +steps for riflemen and placed coils of wire out in front and on the +flanks. A good deal of the C.T. was also dug--quite sufficient at any +rate to enable a careful man to crawl down to the new post in daylight. +It was a good night's work, and earned a well-deserved M.C. for Lieut. +Edge and M.M's. for Sgt. Banahan and three others. + +Next day, brigade considered the necessity for careful consolidation of +the ground gained by the 6th and 7th, but Capt. Creagh intimated that he +wished to make his position more secure by capturing the Triangle, a +strong triangular redoubt which lay in the grounds of La Signy Farm, and +which dominated the post we had just taken. Permission was granted to +carry out this enterprise, and once more preparations were rushed +forward and orders made out for the operation to be accomplished that +night. This time "D" company, temporarily commanded by Lt. Douglas, was +selected to provide the attackers. They were back in reserve, close to +Batt. H.Q., and on suitable ground for carrying out a quick rehearsal. +Also it was decided that the best method of clearing the Boche would be +by bombing. The battalion bombing officer was Lieut. Gresty, who +belonged to "D" company, and he was put in command of the attacking +party, 2nd-Lt. Gorst, at his own request, being detailed to assist him. + +The post captured the previous night was the "jumping off" place, and +the plan was to work along the enemy trench to the right, clear it by +bombing, and so get to the Triangle. The whole operation was a huge +success, and never did the eager fighting qualities of the Fleur de Lys +show up to prouder advantage than in the display given by "D" company +that night. The unexpected direction of approach took the enemy +completely by surprise, for our men had not proceeded far before they +caught a working party out in the open. There was a short scrap, but +most of the poor Jerries had no weapons handy, and they ran off +squealing and chattering like a lot of monkeys, leaving their dead and +wounded behind. Our men pushed on quickly, anxious to make the fullest +possible use of the surprise element, until the northern corner of the +Triangle was reached. Here they split up into two parties, Gresty +continuing the original direction, and Gorst turning along to the right. +The latter party found the trench strongly occupied, but the enemy were +so oblivious of what was happening that they were busy "dishing out +stew" for the evening meal. When they were surprised a few of them +indeed showed plucky fight, hurriedly seizing bombs and throwing them +wildly in the direction of the attackers. Others succeeded in grasping +their rifles, and Gorst received a nasty bullet wound in the shoulder, +but not before he had accounted for one or two Huns with his revolver. +Sgt. Horsfield, who understood perfectly the meaning of "Carry on, +Sergeant!" continued this part of the show, and the Huns were chased +along the trench to the western apex. Here a pitched bombing battle +ensued, and very soon the enemy got out and raced across the open in the +direction of the farm. Meanwhile, Gresty had led his men over a sort of +switch back trench, for it had been so heavily pounded by our Newton +T.M's. that it was difficult to make it out at all in the dark. +Nevertheless they struggled along, and finding the far corner of the +Triangle occupied, quickly bombed the enemy out of it and proceeded to +consolidate. At the same time other parties, each of one N.C.O. and six +men, had been detailed in the work of manning various posts en route, +digging L.G. emplacements, and wiring and constructing of communication +trenches. In fact, in a very short time the whole place, which had been +a Hun strong point, was swarming with British soldiers busily working to +turn round the defences. + +Just as dawn was breaking a few Huns effected an entrance into one of +the trenches and commenced to bomb the post at the far corner, whereupon +the late Lce.-Cpl. Lockett of "C" company, who was in charge of the post +at the apex, took a couple of men and promptly counter attacked them. +Their leader, an N.C.O. with the Iron Cross and another man were +captured, while the rest made off again. Lce.-Cpl. Lockett was awarded +the D.C.M. for his sensible and courageous action. A good many +casualties must have been inflicted on the enemy during this night's +work for they left a number of dead and wounded behind, whilst several +others suffering from slighter wounds must have got away. They left +booty in our hands, and the large number of rifles and machine guns +alone indicated the strength of the garrison. Our men obtained plenty of +souvenirs, but they were sensible enough to hand over anything of +military value, which was returned to them after examination by +competent authorities. Useful disposition maps, and intelligence +reports, to say nothing of piles of letters and post-cards were thus +sent up for inspection, while during the next few days when visiting the +area occupied by "D" company one was greeted by the unwonted scent of +cigar smoke, for the Hun was ever a connoisseur on cheap cigars. + +Heavy rain during the following days converting our new trenches into a +quagmire, the necessity for digging and cleaning up became all the more +urgent, although it entailed a heavy strain upon the men under most +uncomfortable conditions. As "B," "C" and "D" companies had each "had a +stunt" and covered themselves with glory, it now remained for "A" +company to do likewise. Their turn came on the night of July 27th, when +it was decided to push forward and occupy Cetorix Trench, about 300 +yards beyond the Triangle, and so make our position even more secure. +Unfortunately there was very heavy rain in the early evening, but the +party went out, and after a serious dispute with the enemy, in which +2nd-Lt. Goodier, M.C., was wounded again, gained their objective. What +was supposed to be a trench, however, was found to be a sunken road, +frightfully shell-pitted, and in a most appalling condition of mud and +water. It was not considered worth holding and the whole party was +wisely withdrawn. + +The La Signy Farm fighting was not yet over, for on the morning of +August 3rd, while "B" company were in the front line, the enemy put down +a heavy barrage on all our positions, particularly on the Triangle. +Then, just as dawn broke, a party of about forty Huns rapidly started +across No Man's Land, but the 7th were too much for them. They stuck to +their posts and rapidly emptied Lewis guns and rifles amongst them, and +when they were sufficiently close greeted them also with bombs. The +Boche became disorganised and scattered, some groping about for gaps in +our hastily constructed wire, but it was a hopeless business and the +remaining plucky ones cleared off in disgust. Then Lt. Pell-Ilderton +followed out with a small party, and finding a couple of dead brought +them in. The Huns had carefully removed all evidences of identification +before the venture, but one man had a black and white cockade in his +cap, which proved him to be a Prussian. As the previous division was +known to be Wurtemburger, we immediately notified this fact to H.Q. +Further proof was afforded by a slightly wounded Boche who, having +apparently got lost, had wandered into a post occupied by the 6th. + +That day we were relieved by the L.F's. and went back into divisional +reserve, this time to billets in Louvencourt, and there received +congratulations from various people for our excellent work during the +last long spell in the line. The final incident furnished Col. Manger +with an extra battalion motto: "What we have, we hold." For the attack +on the Triangle, Military Crosses were awarded to Lieut. Gresty and +2nd-Lt. Gorst, while Sgt. Horsfield, who had already earned the D.C.M. +and Belgian Croix de Guerre when with the 9th Manchesters, received a +Military Medal. Five other ranks were similarly decorated. + +The battalion was augmented about this time by the arrival of the cadre +of the 2nd 7th Manchesters. The 66th division had suffered severely in +March and as it was undergoing re-organisation, all the second line +units, or what remained of them, were sent to the 42nd division. Capt. +Nelson also returned after a long absence since his wound in May, 1915, +and was given command of "A" company, Capt. Allen, M.C., having been +detailed to take charge of a divisional L.G. school. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +Hammering the Hun. + + +SERRE RIDGE AND WARLENCOURT. + +After a fortnight at Louvencourt the brigade went into the line again on +August 18th, this time on the right of the divisional front. During our +period in reserve important events had taken place south of the Somme. A +lightning stroke, chiefly delivered by the Canadian Corps who had been +suddenly and secretly rushed down from the Lens area, had altered the +whole aspect of the war, for the German Army, which not long before had +entertained such high hopes of reaching the coast and Paris, was driven +to anxiously defending his line. Weak spots in the Hun armour were being +sought out and pierced so that on the whole the enemy was having a bad +time. Anticipating trouble on the third army front he had withdrawn his +outposts to a safer line all along the Ancre and up to Puisieux, and our +men had been able to walk cautiously forward several hundred yards. + +Such was the situation when the 7th took over the front line, at the +moment quite unsuspicious of the stirring events in which they were +shortly to take a share. Major Rae commanded the battalion, the C.O. +being away on Paris leave, while Capt. Barratt had resumed the duties of +Adjutant. The Company Commanders for this tour of duty were Lt. C. B. +Douglas, "A," Capt. Grey Burn, "B," Lt. Abbott, "C" and Capt. J. Baker, +"D." Suddenly, without previous warning, operation orders were received +on August 20th for a big attack to commence along the whole army front +the following morning. This was rapid work indeed, and the hurried +state of preparation can be better imagined than described, especially +in view of the extraordinary nature of the barrage which called for most +accurate timing and an elaborate barrage table. The manner in which +Major Rae and Capt. Barratt swiftly dealt with all these details and +communicated their wishes to the people concerned, a task of no small +magnitude under more favourable conditions, calls for the keenest +appreciation from all who took part in that first important battle. + +The division expected to cover, in the first day's fighting, the large +mass of high ground which is flanked on its western edge by Serre and +overlooks Miraumont on the eastern side. A Prussian division was known +to be defending this part of the line. The 7th were to take part in the +initial assault in the right brigade sector, while the 125th brigade +were on the left. A thick mist enshrouded the land in the early morning +of August 21st, and doubtless many men on both sides thought of the +similar conditions which prevailed on the 21st of another month when the +Hun attacked with such terrible results. Here was the revenge and it was +to take place, curiously enough, under like circumstances. At 4.50 a.m. +the attack commenced, preceded by a short but destructive barrage over +the enemy position. For the Fleur de Lys "C" and "D" companies led off, +their objective being a part of the sunk road running across the front +from Puisieux to Beaumont Hamel. It was impossible to see more than +forty yards, and this rendered control by the officers practically out +of the question. The section commanders, however, in many cases +Lance-Corporals and even privates, rose magnificently to the occasion, +with the result that touch was maintained and the direction of advance +preserved. Short, sharp struggles took place at various points, but the +Boche were overpowered, and eventually a good line was established on +the objective. "C" company lost 2nd-Lt. Harland, M.C., and Lt. +Lofthouse, both wounded, while "D" company, although keeping their +officers, had Sgt. W. Brown killed. + +The next phase of the battle comprised the attack of "A" and "B" +companies who passed through the first objectives and advanced to the +top of the ridge. Lieut. H. N. Kay of "B" company was shot dead at close +range during the clearing of a dug-out in the early stages of this +fight, while later on this company suffered heavy casualties, Sgt. +Green, D.C.M., M.M., being killed and Sgts. Guttery and Gleeson wounded. +On reaching the final objective Lt. Douglas carried out work of the +greatest value in the organisation of his company. In spite of the +strongly increasing enemy shell-fire he moved about amongst his men with +such coolness and disregard for personal danger that his example +inspired the men for the strong counter attacks which later took place. +For his splendid leadership and initiative he was afterwards awarded the +Military Cross. Capt. Grey Burn and his company on the right were having +an awkward time from enemy snipers, but he organised his now small +numbers very carefully, and personally kept the enemy under close +observation. Seeing an enemy concentration in progress, evidently for a +counter-attack, he quickly gave information, and the gunners were able +to disperse the enemy with a very effective barrage. + +The conduct of all ranks during the counter-attack, which was launched +early in the afternoon, was so splendid that it broke up the Hun effort. +Later in the day the enemy made another attack with a strong body of +picked storm-troops from another division brought up specially from the +reserves, but the greeting they received from our rifle, Lewis gun, and +machine-gun fire caused enormous casualties, and the attack collapsed. +Capt. Grey Burn was decorated with the M.C. for his share in this +splendid day's work. The ground captured in the first day's fighting, +representing an advance of 5,000 yards, was consolidated and held for +the next two days, during which time the left of the division was +executing a turning movement to encircle Miraumont from the north. The +work of the signallers, under Lt. Smith, cannot be too highly praised +for their contribution to the success of this battle, because +communications throughout the operation were excellent and twice served +to bring down a barrage in short time, so assisting the infantry to +smash the enemy attacks. The stretcher bearers nobly performed their +work under most trying conditions, what with the heavy mist followed +later by intense heat, the badly broken ground and the long distances +they had to carry the wounded under shell fire. Lce-Cpl. Twist, M.M., of +"D" company, performed prodigies of strength and valour in this way, +receiving a bar to his M.M., and Pte. Greer, M.M., of "B" company, +proved an able second to him. Lt. Stanier was badly wounded whilst with +"A" company, losing the sight of one eye. + +The next movement was the crossing of the River Ancre in the early hours +of August 23rd. This was well done by "B" company, "A" company, now +under the command of Capt. Nelson, being in support with "C" company. +During the advance, and with the co-operation of the East Lancs. north +of Miraumont, large bodies of prisoners were cut off and rounded up on +the far side of the Ancre. When the ground had been made good and it was +ascertained that the Hun had definitely retired, it was thought that the +day's work was done. This, however, proved to be wrong, as a further +advance to Warlencourt was ordered, and it was to commence as soon as +possible. The 6th moved off about dusk with the 7th in support, and +although the right flank was exposed this did not hinder the advance. +The greater part of the movement was carried out in darkness and over +strange ground, but the leadership was very skilful and the brigade came +in contact with the enemy on the outskirts of Warlencourt about 10.30 +p.m. Boche M.G. nests quickly opened a terrific fire, but few casualties +were caused. A rapid deployment took place and positions quickly +occupied in case of a surprise. The enemy fire, however, increased in +intensity, and the cover afforded being of the scantiest, it was decided +to withdraw a short distance to a line of trenches and there await +daylight. Fortunately no serious losses had been incurred, and when dawn +broke it was found that the enemy had retired still further during the +night. + +At this point the division was pinched out of the line by the Naval +Division on the right and the N.Z. Division on the left converging +across our front in the next day's advance, and we were enabled to take +advantage of a short respite from the struggle. The vigour and +effectiveness of the 42nd division's attack has been since proved by an +unexpected tribute from the enemy. The following extract from +Ludendorf's "Memoirs of the War, 1914-1918," Vol. II., page 692, refers +to the fighting at this time:-- + + "On August 21st the English attacked south of Arras between + Boisleux and the Ancre.... As the offensive developed, the enemy + succeeded on the north in pushing us back from the Ancre. At this + point a Prussian division ... given a sector covered by the river, + had failed badly. This threw the whole line into confusion.... The + situation there became extremely critical about August 25th." + +The 7th marched back a short distance to Irles, and made themselves +comfortable in the German dug-outs there for a day and a half. Looking +back over those days of new experiences for the battalion one realises +the valuable work accomplished by Lt. Wilkinson and his transport +section. When out of the line he invariably carried off the honours in +the "spit and polish" transport competitions frequently held in the +division, but it was on difficult occasions such as these that he showed +up to prouder advantage. The transport lines had been brought up to +Colincamps, and the distance from there to Warlencourt was about twelve +miles. The roads were in an impossible condition so that all supplies +had to be carried on pack animals, and the fact that nothing failed +reflects the greatest credit upon the administrative arrangements of +Capt. and Q.M. Wood and the transport officer. + + +VILLERS-AU-FLOS. + +During our few hours' absence from the line the Naval Division had been +in some heavy fighting as we saw when we arrived on the night of August +27th in the support position near Loupart Wood. Skilfully sited machine +guns had taken terrible toll of the brave naval men, and their bodies +still lay where they had fallen, so that one of our first jobs was to +bury them. The front line ran along the western outskirts of +Ligny-Thilloy, but it was suspected that the enemy would not make a +vigorous stand here. His shelling was particularly beastly, however, and +if he did intend to retire further he was at least taking the necessary +artillery precautions. By August 30th preparations were complete for +another forward move, but early morning showed us that the Hun had gone, +so we were merely required to follow him up. + +The pre-arranged plan was carried out, and after the 127th brigade had +made good the high ground east of Thilloy, in face of some opposition, +the East Lancs. came through and took up the advance on what had now +become a one brigade front. They had not gone far before they +encountered the enemy in strength holding Riencourt, and they promptly +attacked it. The 8th Manchesters bore the brunt of this attack and they +suffered very heavily, little ground being gained. A brilliant night +show by the 10th the next night, however, subdued Riencourt, and this +rendered the line sufficiently straight to be able to continue the +advance. The 127th brigade took over the front again and rapid +preparations were made to co-operate in an attack which was to take +place along the whole army front. It was now clear that our higher +command were not disposed to allow the enemy to settle anywhere, if +possible. It promised to be ding-dong work amidst ever-changing scenes, +with the guns making the most of their opportunities and struggling over +the torn ground behind the infantry as best they might. But the supply +services experienced the biggest demand upon their wits and resources, +uprooted from their comfortable and secure villages and cast out upon +the shelterless land of the devastated area just like the infantry. +Their work was wonderful, however, and very rarely had Tommy occasion to +grouse about either the quality or the quantity of the food that was +served up to him under these trying conditions. It was common knowledge +that when the Boche had come over in March, he had not been so well +treated, and had been forced in the urgency of his plight to eat horses +and mules killed in the fighting. + +It was evident that we had now got the full measure of our foes, and +were in the comfortable position of being able to give battle when and +where we pleased, and be practically confident of success. The front was +becoming shorter also, with the result that a divisional sector was +considerably smaller than formerly, and this entailed of course longer +periods out of the line for the soldier. Leave also continued to flow, +and proved an important factor in keeping up the morale of the troops. +How different from the old days, when we used to advertise our +intentions to the Hun when a stunt was impending by stopping leave in +the army concerned! Capt. Grey Burn, M.C., went to England for a month +on August 31st, and Lt. S. J. Wilson was put in command of "B" company +for the coming operations, while in the continued absence of Capt. +Palmer, Lt. Hammond was in charge of "C" company. Lt. Smithies, recently +joined from the second line, took over the duties of intelligence +officer. Col. Manger was required to temporarily command the 126th +brigade, and this left Major Rae in command of the battalion once more. + +The next village in our line of advance, now practically due east, was +Villers-au-Flos, and this, with the high ground beyond it, was to be +taken in the first stride of the coming battle, a matter of 2,500 yards. +After this the L.F's. would leap-frog through and exploit success as far +as possible. This time the 5th and 6th were detailed to execute the +first shock of the assault with the 7th in close support. As a matter of +fact "C" company were sent forward to act under the orders of the 5th in +view of the extra opposition which was expected on the right sector. On +the night of September 1st the remainder of the battalion, in order "B," +"A," "D," companies moved up close to Riencourt, to occupy old, shallow +trenches, and await the needs of the brigade either during or after the +assault. + +Soon after dawn the barrage opened, and simultaneously the Manchesters +advanced accompanied by a single tank. The New Zealanders were carrying +out a similar task on the left, while the 17th division had to get +through Beaulencourt and over a large stretch of bare country on the +right. The 6th Manchesters progressed in fine style, and everything went +according to plan. The enemy put up a stiff fight for it and hung on to +the last in the cunningly concealed machine gun posts. It was in this +part of the fighting that Lieut. Welch (a one-time 7th officer) with a +section of Stokes' mortar men performed a gallant deed that earned for +him the D.S.O. The progress of events on the right, however, was not so +clear and straightforward. As was expected the 5th encountered strong +opposition, for they advanced along a double row of old German trenches +which contained a large number of dug-outs, and disconcerting masses of +wire at irregular intervals. It was thus difficult to maintain cohesion +in the attack, while every dug-out contained machine gun crews who had +been unharmed by the barrage, and who, owing to the delay in getting +ahead, had been able to come out and man their positions without +interruption. The 5th, therefore, lost heavily, particularly on their +right flank, and before very long "C" company of the 7th found +themselves in the front, almost isolated, and taking a stern part in the +assault. + +They pushed on until all the enemy trenches had been cleared to the +south-east corner of Villers-au-Flos, and then stayed in order to get in +touch with the remnants of the 5th on their left, after which Lieut. +Hammond reported progress. In view of the danger from this flank, for we +were already well ahead of the troops on our right, "B" company was +ordered forward to protect the southern and eastern sides of Riencourt, +and so prevent any Hun attempt to get in behind our forward line. Later +it was found that the 5th positions required more strength, and "A" +company were sent up for that purpose, while Capt. Baker was ordered to +take his company to form a defensive flank behind the 6th, for the New +Zealanders were still echeloned to the rear. Evening of September 2nd +thus found the 6th at the tip of a sharp salient, and the enemy still +very active in front, with his shelling steadily increasing in +intensity. "B" company were thus ordered to continue the advance on the +right and attain the final objective, slow and complicated work for it +all took place in the dark. First the 1,500 yards from Riencourt to "C" +company had to be traversed, and from there it was another 1,000 yards +to the required position; meanwhile the enemy was continually shelling +with 5.9's at important points and with whizz-bangs promiscuously. +Nothing was known of the enemy in front, and the situation on the right +was equally obscure. Patrols worked cautiously ahead however and +fortunately no opposition was encountered, so that the final objective +was made before dawn. + +As daylight broke on the 3rd Sept. it was found that the next village, +Barastre, had been rapidly evacuated by the enemy who had left a +quantity of material behind him. Although the men were dog-tired "B" +company sent out a large fighting patrol to try to get in touch with +him, but they traversed well beyond Bus, the next village, and returned +according to orders without seeing him. Meanwhile a squadron of cavalry +(Scots Greys) had been ordered up, and they preceded the advance of the +125th brigade who by this time were marching through in accordance with +previous plans. They encountered Hun rearguards near Ytres, but the +attack was resumed at once, and in the course of the next two days the +enemy was pressed back into the Hindenburg system in the vicinity of +Havrincourt. + +The Manchesters had now the opportunity of seeing how great an +organisation must follow in the wake of advancing infantry. First came +the field guns, drawn by teams of mules, followed by the 6-in. +howitzers, bouncing along in jolly fashion over the uneven roads behind +motor lorries containing their ammunition. Then the observation balloons +appeared, still observing, at a height of about 100 feet, being pulled +steadily by motor conveyances. Intermingled amongst these were staff +cars, ambulances, motor lorries for all purposes, infantry transport, +D.A.C. waggons and various other impedimenta of a moving army. Most of +these people took up their abode around Barastre, occupying old British +huts, or erecting tents and bivouac sheets, so that ground which twelve +hours previously had been Hun land, gingerly approached by us, had +become a huge camp seething with an active soldier population of +Britishers. + +On September 6th the division came out for a long-delayed rest, and +marched back to Warlencourt in Corps reserve. A few tents were provided, +but only a small portion of the battalion could be accommodated in them, +so it was necessary to dig in once more. There was quite a quantity of +material about, however, and it did not take us long to make ourselves +weather-proof and more or less comfortable. Fortunately, the Huns had +not had time to destroy the two wells in the village, although the +explosive charges had been laid, so that water did not prove the +difficulty it might otherwise have done. A special order of the day from +the brigadier admirably epitomised our feelings of satisfaction with our +work in the war up to this date, so it would be as well to quote it at +length:-- + + + MANCHESTERS, + + You have added a new anniversary to those which your gallantry has + already made famous. On 4th June, 1915, in Gallipoli, you forced + your way like a spearhead into and through line upon line of + Turkish trenches. On 25th March, 1918, at Achiet and Bucquoy, you + stemmed and stopped the onrush of the tide of Huns that was to have + found its way to the Coast. + + Yesterday, after three months of unbroken fighting in trenches and + in the open, and in face of stubborn resistance by Huns more than + equal in numbers, you stormed and took Villers-au-Flos with the + utmost dash and determination; a feat which would have been notable + if performed by battalions at full strength and fresh from a period + of rest. + + When Manchester hears of this new proof of your prowess, she may + well be as proud of her sons as I am of commanding such soldiers. + + ANTHONY HENLEY, _Brig.-Gen._, + Commanding 127th Inf. Brigade. + _3rd September, 1918._ + + +The fortnight at Warlencourt was spent in refitting, and intensive +training in attack. One day was occupied by a demonstration of an +assault by a company, using live ammunition. This was carried out by "D" +company in the presence of the corps commander and large numbers of +officers and N.C.O's. of the division, and was followed by educational +criticism by the General. + + +THE HINDENBURG LINE. + +It was obvious that all this had a specific purpose, and we were not +left long to wonder what the purpose was. A tremendous battle was +brewing, and rumours placed its magnitude at from three army fronts to +the whole allied front. Anyhow, the chief thing that concerned us was +that the 42nd was to take part in the cracking of the hardest nut in the +German defence, namely, the Hindenburg system. The enemy had had three +weeks in which to consolidate his already perfected ramification of +trenches and dug-outs, and there was no doubt as to their determination +to definitely stop the British advance there. If this failed they had +lost the War. + +On September 22nd the division marched up, and took over the front from +the 37th division, the 125th brigade occupying the forward positions +just east of Havrincourt Wood. The 7th found themselves out in reserve +just north of the Canal du Nord behind Hermies, and it was pleasing to +see the old haunts again. Men thought grimly of the experiences we had +been through since those happy days more than a year ago, and these +sights served to call up the memory of many a pal who had since made the +big sacrifice. And now, perhaps, we should get an opportunity of seeing +those mysterious lands beyond Flesquieres, Marcoing and so on, that we +had gazed upon so long. As far as possible training was continued and a +certain amount of company re-organisation took place. Owing to the +weakness of companies they had been reduced to three platoons, some of +these being much below strength. Reinforcements had been expected, but +they did not materialise to an appreciable extent. However, the +exigencies of the task in hand demanded that the four platoon formation +should be adopted in spite of the small numbers. In view of this, +therefore, it was necessary to crowd in rapid training in attack on this +principle, so that each man should be well acquainted with his function. +After the battle surplus had been eliminated the company commanders were +as follows:--"A" company, Capt. Nelson, "B" Lt. S. J. Wilson, "C" Capt. +Allen, M.C., and "D" Lieut. Gresty, M.C. Lt.-Col. Manger commanded the +battalion, while Capt. Creagh had returned and was Adjutant. Two days +before the attack Capt. Nelson went into hospital with dysentery which +had frequently recurred in a violent form during the preceding weeks. A +slight re-adjustment was thus demanded amongst the officers to give +every company a fair share of leadership and Lieut. Hammond was sent to +command "A" company. + +Briefly the plan of attack was as follows. The divisional frontage was +covered by the 125th brigade on the right and the 127th brigade on the +left, with the remaining brigade in support. As far as the 127th brigade +was concerned, the attack was to be accomplished in five bounds. The +first objective, along the whole of the brigade front, was the work of +the 5th Manchesters, and consisted in capturing the German front line +which ran chiefly along Chapel Wood Switch. The next four objectives, +called for convenience the Red, Brown, Yellow and Blue Lines, were to +engage the attention of the 7th on the right and the 6th on the left of +the brigade front, and were to be taken by the leap-frog method by +companies. Thus, in the 7th, "C" company's objective was the Red Line, +"A" the Brown, "D" the Yellow, and "B" the Blue Line. These lines were +by no means parallel to one another, their shape being largely +controlled by the configuration of the ground and the German trenches. +It is also important to note that the Hindenburg system was being taken +in enfilade on this part of the front. Two or three great parallel +trenches ran along in the direction of the advance, and they were full +of deep dug-outs capable of holding thousands of men. Our main security +lay in the fact that a simultaneous attack was taking place along a +widely extended front, and the enemy would not be able to fill these +dug-outs with counter-attacking troops drawn from other fronts. + +[Illustration: ATTACK ON THE HINDENBURG LINE, SEPT. 27th, 1918.] + +Space does not allow of a detailed description of the orders for attack, +but it can easily be imagined that they were pretty considerable in view +of the heavy work to be accomplished by the artillery. As this portion +of the German line was known to be powerfully defended by large numbers +of troops, extensive trench systems, dug-outs and wire, it was part of +the strategy of Foch to concentrate artillery here, and records showed +that on the two days September 27th and 28th shells were consumed at an +unprecedented rate. In our sector alone, the programme comprised the +capturing of 3,500 yards in depth of the most strongly defended ground +in France, including the vicinities of the famous Highland and Welsh +Ridges of terrible memory in the Battle of Cambrai. Every yard of this +ground was subjected to a continuous creeping shrapnel barrage lasting +for almost three hours, while moving steadily ahead of this was a +terrific bombardment by all calibres from 4.5 howitzers upwards upon the +enemy's main trenches and supposed defence points. The brigade frontage, +measured north to south, was 1,250 yards, and this was equally divided +between the 6th and 7th. As we were going over one company behind +another, each company was responsible for nearly 700 yards--a very large +front considering our depleted numbers. There is no doubt, as far as we +were concerned, the task looked formidably ambitious. + +On the morning of Sept. 26th final operation orders were issued, and +that night we moved up to our assembly positions in a huge dug-out near +Femy Wood, capable of holding the whole battalion. It was slow work +moving along the canal and across the Trescault-Havrincourt road, and it +is not surprising that eventually the intervals between platoons closed +up and the four companies were strung out in one long line. The +confidence felt in the success of the operations, was evident by the +fact that the 6-inch howitzers were installed in front of the Trescault +road within 500 yards of the enemy. Whilst we were assembling there +were motor lorries on the road unloading stacks of ammunition for them! +By the time the battalion had been packed into the dug-out dawn was +swiftly approaching, which meant the commencement of the battle, for +Zero for the third army was 5.25 a.m. The VIth corps, the 62nd division +of which touched up with our left, were to have three hours' fighting +before we commenced, and for this reason we welcomed the shelter of the +dug-out while it was in progress. The configuration of the ground was +responsible for the manner in which the battle was to grow along the +whole front. The advance of the 127th brigade was to take place along +the shoulder of a long hill running broadly east to west. North of this +high ground was a long valley stretching through Ribecourt towards +Marcoing. Another shoulder similar to but higher than ours flanked the +valley on the north, and it was this, together with the commanding +village of Flesquieres, that the VIth corps were to make good before our +attack commenced. Again, the 125th brigade, who were on our right, and +also on the higher part of the shoulder, were to open the 42nd +divisional assault half an hour ahead of ourselves. + +About 8 o'clock "C" company led the way out of the dug-out and took up +their assault positions near the front line. At the appointed hour, +following behind the 5th, they moved forward to the attack, in the +formation which we had practised so frequently, and which was the most +suitable for the large frontage that had to be covered. All four +platoons were in line, and each platoon was divided into four sections, +the two rifle sections on the flanks, and the two L.G. sections in the +middle and echeloned to the rear. This was the artillery formation +useful for covering the ground previous to the actual assault, each +section moving in file (_i.e._, two ranks) well opened out. When close +to the enemy position the platoons extended and formed two lines, with a +L.G. in the centre of each line, and riflemen on the flanks. Every +Company went over in this formation, and strict orders were issued that +no man was to enter the enemy trenches for the purpose of covering the +ground, but to keep out in the open, otherwise great confusion would +arise, and officers would lose control of their men. + +Misfortune greeted "C" company from the start. Capt. Allen, M.C. and +2nd-Lt. Ray were killed immediately, and casualties were soon very +heavy. It was evident the enemy was making the most of his superior +position and the clear sweep of ground. The remnants of the company +pushed on, however, and reached their objective. "A" company followed +and they also suffered severely from the moment they advanced out of +Ferny Wood. Then it was noticed that most of the machine gun fire was +from the right flank, and our men were being subjected to a terrible +enfilading fire as they moved across the open. All the officers became +casualties, Lt. Hammond wounded, 2nd-Lt. McAlmont wounded, 2nd-Lt. T. +Woods wounded, and 2nd-Lt. Carley, killed. The few men of the company, +now led by C.S.M. Joyce, reached the Red Line and joined "C" company, +which, Lt. Edge, M.C., having been hit, was now under the command of +2nd-Lt. Jones. It was impossible, with the small number of men, +scattered over a wide front, to continue the advance for the moment. "D" +company, moving up according to programme, were treated similarly to the +previous two companies and men began to drop long before they +anticipated meeting any resistance. Thus, before they had gone very far +2nd-Lt. Thrutchley and 2nd-Lt. Wright were wounded, which left Lt. +Gresty, M.C. and 2nd-Lt. Milne to carry on the leadership, a task which +they performed in fine style. They quickly arrived at the Red Line, and +then took cover for a short period. Soon after this, "B" company came +along, but on nearing the Red Line, they found many men of "D" turned +about firing rifles and L.G. towards their right rear. It was now +obvious that the ground to the right of us had not been cleared at all, +and the enemy was left free to work his will upon us from the higher +ground. By this time a tank had arrived and materially assisted us in +dealing with the problem. Gresty then decided to push on and his company +mounted the rising ground in front. From this point they unfortunately +swerved to the left, probably being influenced by a road which ran +diagonally across the front towards Ribecourt, but nothing could stop +their irresistible dash. As they crossed this road Milne, with a handful +of his platoon, added to our already considerable number of prisoners, +by capturing a large crowd of Huns. + +With characteristic impetuosity, reminiscent of the La Signy Farm days, +Gresty and the men of "D" following up under the barrage, rushed across +the Brown Line and made for the Yellow Line. They were now only a small +gallant band but they were undaunted. Prisoners captured were told to go +down to the rear, which they did right gladly without an escort, so that +the assaulting party who now in formation and well-nigh in size, began +to resemble a Rugby football team, could preserve their strength. Two 77 +m.m. guns lay in their path, and at their approach the Boche gunners +spiked them and made off, leaving them an easy prey to the 7th. After +this, Gresty decided that he was on his objective, as indeed he was, but +he was more or less in the 6th sector, and when he was quickly joined by +a company of the 6th he began to realise it. There was trouble on his +right, however, as well as from the front, and the small party of men +were disposed to defend the ground they had captured, a difficult enough +task in view of the fact that they had to find positions to face in two +or three different directions. Touch was obtained with the 62nd division +in Ribecourt, and it was found that the VIth corps had had great success +in their part of the battle, so that already the advance was proceeding +towards Marcoing. + +"B" company's effort was really a separate story. As soon as "D" company +had disappeared over the crest in front of the Red Line they continued +the advance. 2nd-Lt. Pearson was on the extreme right and he had been +instructed to keep touch with the L.F's. From the beginning, however, he +had not seen them, and his platoon was moving along "in the air," and +naturally meeting with strong resistance. They had not expected to meet +the enemy for another 1,500 yards if events had worked out "according to +plan," but they were now fighting them at every step. Gallant deeds were +performed in dealing with Hun machine guns, and many prisoners were +taken, but greatest of all were the achievements of Pte. Jack White. +Single-handed he rushed a machine gun post, bayonetted the man on the +gun and pursued the remainder of the team with fire, inflicting +casualties. Later on he again rushed forward alone to a strongly held +trench, but was killed practically on the parapet. His name was +recommended for a V.C., but unfortunately nothing more was heard of it. +In view of the heavy casualties, Lt. Wilson went across to Pearson and +told him to close his platoon slightly towards the left, in order to +keep a cohesion in the company, for it was evident that the Hun +resistance promised to be strong, and there was no hope now of +assistance from the right flank. In this manner the high ground near the +Brown Line was reached, but the company was suffering from fire both +from the front and the right flank. 2nd-Lts. Siddall and Gapp were +wounded, as well as three platoon sergeants, and there was no knowledge +as to what had happened to "D" company. At this moment the Germans +developed a counter-attack from the right in a manner to be expected +from an intelligent and courageous enemy. The obvious thing for them to +do was to cut in behind "B" company's right flank and attempt to regain +a footing in "Unseen Trench" which had just been taken from them. From +an offensive force we were suddenly transformed into a defensive force, +and the men were still out in the open. Wilson drew back his right flank +so as to face the Huns, but kept his left in touch with the 6th on the +road in front of the Brown Line, and from this position, the men being +disposed in shell holes, "B" company held up the enemy attack and +defended the ground won. The Huns were on higher ground and when they +had been finally driven to earth they kept up vigorous sniping at very +close range, a form of fighting that we returned with interest. Pearson +was hit in the stomach and later died on the way down, so that Wilson +and C.S.M. Shields were left to control the remainder of the company. + +The arrival of 2nd-Lt. Smith with signalling apparatus enabled +communication to be obtained with battalion H.Q. Lt. Wilson outlined +the situation and was told in return that the L.F's. had not yet reached +Boar Copse, having met with powerful resistance. He was further ordered +to hang on to his position and wait until the L.F's. had drawn up in +line. Meanwhile a company of the 5th was sent up to strengthen the +flank. Continuous touch by means of patrols were kept with the enemy, +and his movements were carefully watched. Within 300 yards were a couple +of German 77 m.m. guns, pluckily worked by the gunners at point blank +range until our machine gunners, who had now arrived, co-operated with +L.G's. from the 6th and ourselves in putting them out of action. They +were taken by the 10th in the night. Meanwhile Gresty and the company of +the 6th on the Yellow Line had been ordered to fall back 300 yards to a +less isolated position, and a sound front and flank was thus +established. + +The battle had now reached a stage when the next move would be ordered +by the brigade or even by the division. Careful observation of the enemy +led us to suppose that he was weakening and Gresty and Wilson intimated +that when the L.F's. arrived at the Brown Line, having re-organised +their companies, they should be prepared to continue the advance in the +7th sector. Division had decided otherwise, however, and had ordered up +a battalion of the 126th brigade. Rapid preparations were made for a +night attack to complete the divisional task, the 10th Manchesters to +cover the 127th brigade front and the L.F's. to continue on their right. +Before nightfall, the enemy having withdrawn from the trenches +immediately in front, "B" company pushed on again and established a good +line running north and south in front of the Brown Line, and touching up +with the L.F's. who had now arrived. This considerably simplified the +work of the 10th, who were able to assemble in the night on an even +front. + +The night attack was a success. The Huns were evidently demoralised and +put up no fight at all, surrendering in large batches without firing a +shot when our men arrived at their dug-outs, so that the Blue Line was +made good before dawn. Then came the work of exploiting success, and on +the 42nd divisional front this was carried out by the 8th Manchesters, +and the 5th East Lancs., the 126th brigade having taken over the front +during the afternoon of Sept. 28th. They were able to make good progress +over Welsh Ridge before encountering serious resistance. Later in the +day the New Zealand Division marched through to follow up the enemy, so +that the 42nd could go down for a rest. Gladly did the Fleur de Lys pack +up their traps and march back over the ground that had recently seen +such stern work. The brigadier had been up and personally thanked Lts. +Gresty and Wilson for the work achieved by "D" and "B" companies, +remarking that having seen the ground, and knowing the difficulties +which had to be encountered, he thought all the men were heroes in +having accomplished so much. Such praise coming from so sound a soldier +was naturally received with gratitude and pride, and we felt that once +again the name of the 7th Manchesters had been scored honourably and +deeply in the records of warfare. The battalion reassembled in the big +dug-out and there realised sadly the abundance of accommodation now +afforded. + +It had been a glorious fight but won at a terrible cost. Out of the 450 +or so men who went over there had been more than 300 casualties. Of the +sixteen officers who started out four only remained. 2nd-Lt. Pearson's +death was particularly sad. He had gone out in the ranks in 1914 with +the 7th, and had been twice wounded on Gallipoli, after which he served +continuously with the battalion till the winter of 1917, when he went +home for a commission. He had returned as an officer only a few weeks +previously, and in this fight proved himself a courageous and skilful +leader of men. + +About 600 prisoners had been taken by the battalion, as well as the two +field guns, large numbers of machine guns and other booty. More +important was the death-blow to the German resistance. The Hindenburg +Line had been smashed, the enemy was obviously demoralised, and they +were in full flight for the next piece of ground which could offer a +suitable position for delaying our rapid advance. The awards to the 7th +for this battle included a bar to his Military Cross for Lt. Gresty, and +Military Crosses for Lt. Wilson, 2nd-Lt. Milne, 2nd-Lt. Siddall, and +2nd-Lt. Thrutchley. C.S.M. McHugh, M.M., C.S.M. Tabbron, and Sgt. Mather +received the D.C.M., while twenty N.C.O's. and men obtained the M.M., +Pte. Greer being given a bar to his M.M. + +The following Special Order of the Day indicates the value of the work +done by the Manchesters in this day's fighting:-- + + + _29th September, 1918._ + + MANCHESTERS, + + For the second time in this month of September you have struck the + enemy a heavy blow. It has brought us appreciably nearer to the + complete victory which our country is determined to achieve. + + I do not yet know the full amount of our booty. It can be estimated + from the two miles of our advance, and from the prisoners, + considerably more than a thousand in number. + + I wish to record my admiration for the splendid behaviour of all + ranks. The victory was won under conditions of exceptional + difficulty, and, as at Villers-au-Flos, against an enemy superior + in numbers to the attackers; and it was won by the magnificent + determination and devotion of the troops. + + ANTHONY HENLEY, _Brig.-Gen._, + Commanding 127th Inf. Brigade. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +Pursuing the Hun. + + +THE SELLE RIVER. + +Yet again the vicinity of Havrincourt Wood was the abode of the 42nd +division, and having been supplied with tents we set about the task of +refitting and reinforcing. Companies once more attained a strength of +about 100, and as the new men largely consisted of troops drafted from +non-infantry units, principally A.S.C. from England, and men out for the +first time, it was necessary to push along vigorously with training, for +it was certain that we should be wanted again for fighting very soon. +Returns from leave, etc., caused the following arrangement of company +commanders:--Lieut. Douglas, M.C., "A" company; Capt. Grey Burn, M.C., +"B"; Lieut. Gresty, M.C., "C," and Capt. J. Baker, "D"; while Capt. S. +J. Wilson, M.C., was detailed to battle surplus. In the absence of Col. +Manger on English leave, Major Rae assumed command of the battalion, +while Capt. Barratt resumed the duties of adjutant, Capt. Creagh having +gone to England on a senior officers' course. + +When the division broke up camp on October 8th and marched up the line +to get into closer support, the situation was roughly as follows. Since +the battle on the Hindenburg Line the enemy had had no rest, and in +spite of the difficulties of the ground (in one place a canal running +north and south intervened) the N.Z's. and divisions right and left, had +made steady progress, inflicting terrible casualties on the Boche who +were sturdily resisting every yard of ground. To the north, Cambrai was +still in the hands of the Hun, and from the continual fires seen in +that direction it was obvious that he was wreaking characteristic +vengeance on the helpless town. The part of the Western Front between +Cambrai and St. Quentin was recognised as the key to the whole situation +so that naturally exertions were gigantic by both sides. Foch maintained +his artillery concentration in this sector and undoubtedly one of the +greatest wonders of that year of wonders, 1918, was the manner in which +the guns obtained their never-ending supply of ammunition. The steady +pounding never ceased day or night, and when infantry action took place, +the noise welled up to terrific barrage speed for hours on end. When the +nerve-shattered German soldier pathetically walked over to our lines one +morning with hands up and exclaiming "Kamerad, too much shell!" he was +surely expressing the enemy point of view. The line had thus been pushed +on to the western outskirts of Solesmes, and troops in this area were +now waiting for the fall of Cambrai and Douai to continue the pressure. +When these events took place preparations were made for another battle. + +During the battalion's march forward there was considerable +night-bombing by enemy aircraft, and on the first night Sgt. Riley, an +old member of the battalion, was killed and several men of H.Q. wounded +by bombs on their bivouac. It was a fair country that the 7th were now +approaching. After seven months' campaigning in the dismal devastated +lands of the Somme regions the sight of whole houses with chimneys and +roofs, and smoke exuding from them in the correct manner, was as welcome +as an oasis to the thirsty traveller in the desert. Here were billets, a +word of which we had almost forgotten to use. But picture our excitement +when we saw a real live civilian. The sight of these things probably +brought home to our men the full meaning of the German defeat more than +anything else. The 127th brigade spent a few days under most comfortable +conditions in the village of Beauvois on the Cambrai-Le Cateau road, +residing in houses, almost complete with furniture. A few of the +villagers had courageously remained behind, taking cover in their +cellars while the fighting and shelling took place above their heads. A +good deal of wanton destruction had been carried out by the retiring +Hun, but on the whole the countryside presented a normal appearance, a +most welcome sight to eyes wearied with the scenes of devastation, and +an important factor also in keeping up the morale of the troops. + +Eventually the N.Z's. were relieved, and it was found that a very +skilful and determined enemy lay in front. Subsequent events, indeed, +showed that the strongest remaining division in the German army, the +25th division, had been put into this sector. They had been conserved +during the recent fighting, and on the prisoners who were captured +clothing and equipment were brand new. They had a proud record extending +right through the War, and claimed they had never received a beating +from any British troops. (They were soon to meet their Waterloo.) The +126th brigade were detailed to deliver the first shock of assault. Their +objective included, after crossing the Selle River within point blank +range of the German M.G's. and rifles, a deep Railway Cutting east of +the main Solesmes road, Belle Vue Farm, and the ground immediately +beyond the railway. The 127th brigade were to go through when these +positions had been made good and occupy the high ground overlooking +Marou, a small hamlet on the final objective, which was to be taken by +the 6th Manchesters. + +The battle opened at dawn on October 21st, and after very heavy +fighting, in which one exceptionally large number of the enemy stood and +fought hand to hand and were killed with the bayonet; the 126th brigade +took all their objectives in splendid fashion. Then came the +Manchesters, the 6th on the left, the 5th on the right, and the 7th in +close support. The 6th advanced well, but the 5th quickly had trouble +being held up owing to the troops on their right not keeping up. The +enemy was fighting well, his infantry and machine gunners being +particularly stubborn and covering their retirement very skilfully. +Machine guns swept the advancing lines of the 5th, and the bare high +ground to be crossed left them very exposed to exceedingly heavy +enfilade fire. It was during this portion of the fight that Pte. +Wilkinson of the Wiganers obtained the V.C. for message carrying. Five +of his comrades had been killed within a few yards after starting on the +same mission. Wilkinson volunteered to be the sixth to make the attempt. +He was entrusted with the task and got through. + +The 7th were now drawn into the battle, and "D" company advanced to form +a defensive flank for the right company of the 5th. With this help the +line was advanced, but it could not reach the final objective and so +link up with the 5th who had already reached and occupied Marou. "A" +company had advanced in support to the 6th and took up their allotted +positions, forming four defended localities in depth ready to make a +defensive flank if necessary. The 62nd division on the left had pushed +through Solesmes and had made good the high ground to the east of that +town, joining up with the 6th Manchesters. At 4.30 p.m. a further +barrage was put down for the 5th division and the 5th Manchesters to +continue the advance. The latter, however, were very weak, having +suffered heavy casualties, therefore "C" company of the 7th went forward +and advanced to occupy the final objectives. The enterprise was entirely +successful, and a machine gun nest, which had caused most of the trouble +on the right, was captured, the garrison surrendering as prisoners. A +dangerous counter-attack was repulsed by "C" and "D" companies and then +the line was secured, and junction made with the 5th in Marou. Enemy +artillery fire had been heavy during the day, and Battalion H.Q. in a +deep ravine suffered severely from large calibre shells, so that they +moved forward in the night to a healthier spot near the 6th H.Q. The +positions were maintained all next day until relieved by the 125th +brigade. + +Luckily in this show our casualties were light, totalling a loss of +about 40 other ranks, very few being killed. The action of Capt. Baker +in forming the defensive flank for the 5th undoubtedly restored an +uncertain position, and materially assisted in the further advance. We +were all pleased when he was awarded the Military Cross for this and +general good work throughout the War with the 7th since June, 1915. The +pace and power of the attack can be gauged by the fact that six +battalions of the redoubtable Hun 25th division, in spite of their proud +record, were obliterated, and three days after the battle the division +was disbanded and absorbed in another. The destruction of this division +was an achievement of which the 42nd were justly proud. The motto of "Go +one better" had been "put over" the Boche in an unmistakable manner. + +On October 23rd the division marched back to Beauvois again, the N.Z. +division having once more taken up the pursuit of the enemy, following +him vigorously to the vicinity of Le Quesnoy. The IVth corps were going +well, and all through these operations it was a noticeable feature in +the situation maps of the third army front published from time to time +that they always occupied the most advanced positions, and seemed to +perform the function of the spear head of the attacks. + + +MORMAL FOREST. + +As the line of advance for the 42nd division lay through the huge Mormal +Forest, our training at Beauvois was largely in wood fighting. We were +making preparations for what was to prove the last battle of the War. +Col. Manger returned from leave and resumed command of the battalion, +while Major Rae remained on battle surplus where, unfortunately, his old +illness recurred and he had to go to hospital and eventually to England. +His excellent work with the 7th, however, had been recognised for he was +awarded the D.S.O. after the Armistice. Capt. Grey Burn, M.C., was +promoted to Major and became second in command of the 5th L.F's. "B" +company being taken over by Capt. Branthwaite, a recently joined 2nd +line officer. Capt. D. Norbury, having returned from a tour of duty at +home, was made O.C. "A" company, while Capt. S. J. Wilson, M.C., +commanded "C" company. + +The battalion marched out on the evening of November 3rd to take part in +the work of exploiting success after the N.Z. division had smashed the +enemy line. The attack commenced on the morning of November 4th, and +after fierce fighting, and only after the garrison had been completely +surrounded, Le Quesnoy was captured. The "Diggers" followed up +vigorously and chased the Huns through a large part of Mormal Forest. +Meanwhile our job was to "keep closed up" as far as possible and be +ready to continue the pursuit, with the 126th leading and the 127th in +support. The first night was spent at Viesly, and the second at Pont a +Pierre, just south of Salesches. The next day the weather completely +broke down, and we moved forward in pouring rain, over the recently +captured ground, arriving late at night in a thoroughly soaked condition +at the tiny village of Herbignies on the western edge of the Forest. +Here we found most of the civilians had remained through the fighting, +and they told excited stories of the happenings. Small children toddled +about the houses while Boche shells were still bursting not very many +hundred yards away. It seemed a most extraordinary situation after the +loneliness of war as we had always known it. These things had been the +monopoly of the soldiers, but here were women and children trespassing +upon our preserves. It helped us to realise the true tragedy of War. + +That night the 126th brigade took over the front, a sketchy business in +view of the position, and the N.Z's. marched back. One of the officers, +during the day, had called out to us in characteristic Colonial fashion, +"Well, boys, are you going up to finish it?" whereupon one of the men +replied with Lancashire directness, "Ay, we started it, so we may as +well finish it." There was a good deal of peace-talk flying about. +German prisoners had admitted that they could not go on much longer, +while rumours about conferences were very prevalent. Still, until we got +orders to stop fighting, this job had to continue, and that was the +chief consideration for us, although the order to cease fire would have +been keenly appreciated. + +Early morning found us on trek in a steady downpour of rain which made +our already wet clothes more and more sodden. In this doleful fashion we +splashed along over the muddy forest tracks to get close to the East +Lancs. who were carrying out an attack. The 8th Manchesters had a +particularly stern time, encountering nests of machine guns which had +not been cleared from their exposed flanks, so that they lost very +heavily. Nevertheless, the attack was eventually pushed home, and the +Huns were dislodged. Subsequent events revealed that from this moment +the German retirement became a scurry of a disorganised rabble. The +roads were blocked by their hurrying transport, and personnel simply +made the best use of their legs, scampering across country where it was +impossible to march on the roads. The civilians told us that utter +confusion reigned everywhere. Our foremost troops undoubtedly met +determined resistance from the machine gunners, but they were probably +blissfully ignorant of what was taking place behind them. + +As far as the 7th was concerned November 6th was one of the most +miserable and trying days ever experienced. In the middle of the morning +we arrived at our position, where we stayed during the whole of the day +in a bitterly cold rain with no possibility of shelter. When it was +ascertained that the enemy had been dislodged we made a few fires and +tried to restore life to our numbed bodies. The divisional commander, +having seen our condition, and realising that very few in the brigade +would be fit for fighting after two such days, ordered up the 125th +brigade, who had had an opportunity of getting dry and warm. We marched +joyfully back in the middle of the night to Le Carnoy and there spent +two days in billets. + +The advance of the 42nd was now rapid. Hautmont, a fairly large +manufacturing town, was captured after street fighting, and by the +evening of November 9th an outpost line had been established south-east +of Maubeuge. The 7th meanwhile had marched up through the forest and +were billeted in the small village of Vieux Mesnil. Here we received +official orders to stand fast on the morning of November 11th. At 11 +a.m. the battalion paraded outside the church and there the bugles +sounded "Cease fire" for the first and last time during the War. The men +took the news very quietly. We were too close to actual events to give +ourselves over to the mad demonstrations of joy such as took place in +spots more remote. At the same time everyone experienced a curious +feeling of calm satisfaction that an unpleasant task had been +accomplished. The 42nd division had taken part in two great drives, the +clearing of the Turk from British territory in 1916 and the clearing of +the Hun from allied territory in 1918. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +Aftermath and Home. + + +The division concentrated at Hautmont, and on November 14th the 7th +marched into this town, and there occupied billets close to the Square. +We now had an opportunity of realising the manner in which the Hun had +delivered his last expiring kicks. Delay action mines had been placed +under the railway at various points, and although one of the terms of +the Armistice demanded that they should be indicated and removed, many +were too near the time for explosion to allow of their being touched. As +a result the railhead could not proceed beyond Caudry for some time, and +it was necessary to convey supplies over a considerable distance by +road. As arrangements had also to be made to feed the civilians, and +repatriated prisoners of war, who now began to stream across the +frontiers in an appallingly emaciated condition, some idea will be +gained of the difficulty of keeping the troops sufficiently rationed. +The men of the 7th, however, realised this and took a common sense view +of the matter. + +In the second week of December the 42nd division marched up into Belgium +to Charleroi, the 127th brigade being quartered at Fleurus, a delightful +village about six miles out of the town. Here the men of the 7th had a +most happy time, for the villagers welcomed us right gladly and made us +extremely comfortable in our billets. Turkeys, beer, extra vegetables +and rum once more figured in the 'Xmas fare and it was with really +rejoicing hearts that the Fleur de Lys spent their last Yuletide away +from home. "C" company maintained the prowess of the battalion by +securing the divisional prize for the best decorated dining hall. +Later, chiefly through the efforts of C.S.M. Branchflower and Sgt. +Aldred, M.M., we carried off the divisional cup for boxing. + +On 'Xmas Eve the first of a series of events at once sad and joyful +began to occur. Long-standing friendships and partnerships were rapidly +broken up by the departure of drafts for demobilisation. Every few days +parties went off, and one saw old faces gradually disappear from our +ranks. The return, in the midst of glorious weather, of Capt. Barratt +and Lt. Gresty, M.C. from Manchester, with the battalion colours was the +occasion for a splendid ceremonial parade in which the Belgians took a +lively interest. It was a proud moment when they were safely deposited +in the officers' mess, and everyone took a share in their due honours. + +The final stage in the long adventurous career of the 7th Manchesters +during this great war was completed on March 31st when the cadre of the +battalion, led by Brevet Lt.-Col. Manger, arrived at Exchange Station, +Manchester, and amidst a tremendous and enthusiastic concourse of people +proudly made their way through the city to Burlington Street, to deposit +the colours in their home at the depot. The following Saturday evening a +reception was held, when large numbers of men and officers with their +friends united once more to do honours to the record of their battalion. + + +[Illustration: AREA COVERED DURING ADVANCE OF 42nd DIVISION, 1918.] + + + + +Appendix I. + +HONOURS AND AWARDS TO MEMBERS OF THE BATTALION. + +OFFICERS. + + +Fawcus, Major (Actg. Lt.-Col.) A. E. F. Distinguished Service Order. + Military Cross. + Legion d'honneur. + Mentioned in Dispatches, + Gallipoli (twice). + Mentioned in Dispatches, + France, June, 1918. +Manger, Major (temp. Lt.-Col.) E. V. Brevet Lieut.-Colonel. + C.M.G. +Hodge, Lieut. (Actg. Lieut.-Col.) A. Distinguished Service Order. + Military Cross. + Mentioned in Dispatches. +Canning, Lieut.-Col. A. (Attached) Order of St. Michael and + St. George (3rd Class + or Companion). + Mentioned in Dispatches. +Cronshaw, Major (Actg. Lt.-Col.) A. E. Distinguished Service Order. + Royal Serbian Order of the + White Eagle. + Mentioned in Dispatches, + France, 7.11.17. +Carr, (Actg. Lieut.-Col.) H. A. Distinguished Service Order. + Mentioned in Dispatches, +Brown, Major J. N. Brevet Majority, 3.6.15. + Distinguished Service Order. + Royal Serbian Order of the + White Eagle (4th Class). + Japanese Sacred Treasure + (3rd Class). + Mentioned in Dispatches, + 16.3.16, E.E.F. 25.9.16, + E.E.F. 16.1.18, E.E.F. +Burn, (Actg. Major) F. G. Military Cross. + Mentioned in Dispatches, + France, 6.7.17, and + Egypt, Dec. 1917. +Creagh, Major P. H. Distinguished Service Order. + Mentioned in Dispatches, + 26.8.15, E.E.F. 11.12.15, + E.E.F. +Scott, Major & Quartermaster J., D.C.M. Order of the British Empire. + Mentioned in Dispatches, + Gallipoli, E.E.F., 10.4.16. +Rae, Major G. B. L. Distinguished Service Order. + Mentioned in Dispatches. +Staveacre, Major J. H. Mentioned in Dispatches, + 26.8.15. + (_Killed in Action_). +Creagh, Capt. (Actg. Major) J. R. Mentioned in Dispatches, + 7.11.17, 18.11.18. +Chadwick, Capt. G. Royal Serbian Order of the + White Eagle (4th Class). +Hayes, Capt. F. Military Cross. + Mentioned in Dispatches, + July, 1916; July, 1917. +Nasmith, Capt. G. W. Order of the British Empire. + Mentioned in Dispatches. +Thorpe, Capt. J. H. Order of the British Empire. + Mentioned in Dispatches. +Whitley, Capt. (Act. Lt.-Col.) N. H. P. Military Cross. + Croix de Guerre, France. + Crown of Italy. + Mentioned in Dispatches, + Gallipoli, E.E.F. +Farrow, Capt. J., R.A.M.C. Military Cross. +Nidd, Capt. H. H. Military Cross, + (_Died_). +Williamson, Capt. C. H. Military Cross. + (_Killed in Action_). +Baker, Lieut. (Actg. Capt.) J. Military Cross. +Collier, Capt. H. Mentioned in Dispatches. +Kirby, Capt. E. T. (C.F.) Military Cross. +Hoskyns, Capt. E. C. (C.F.) Military Cross. +Norbury, Capt. C. Mentioned in Dispatches, + 24.5.18. +Norbury, Capt. M. Mentioned in Dispatches, + 16.1.18. +Branthwaite, Capt. R. H. Mentioned in Dispatches, + 7.11.17. +Douglas, Lieut. C. B. Military Cross. +Edge, Lieut. N. Military Cross. +Goodall, Lieut. J. C. Military Cross. +Goodier, 2nd-Lt. A. Awarded Commission in the + Field. + Military Cross. +Gresty, Lieut. W. Military Cross and Bar. +Harris, Lieut. L. G. Military Cross. +Siddall, 2nd-Lt. J. R. Military Cross. +Wilson, Lieut. (Actg. Capt.), S. J. Military Cross. + Mentioned in Dispatches, + 8.11.18. +Franklin, Lieut. H. C. Military Cross. + Mentioned in Dispatches, + 10.4.16. +Allen, Capt. C. R Military Cross. + (_Killed in Action_). +Bagshaw, Lieut. K Military Cross. +Welch, Lieut. (King's Own) Distinguished Service Order. + Mentioned in Dispatches. +Gorst, 2nd-Lt. H. Military Cross. +Milne, 2nd-Lt. J. H. Military Cross. + Mentioned in Dispatches. +Harland, 2nd-Lt. J. A. Military Cross. +Thrutchley, 2nd-Lt. F. D Military Cross. +Woodworth, Lieut. F. T. K. Mentioned in Dispatches, + 8.11.18. +Thorp, Lieut. W. T. Mentioned in Dispatches, + 24.5.18. + (_Killed in Action_). + + +NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN. + +Abbreviations: + + M.M. = Military Medal. +D.C.M. = Distinguished Conduct Medal. +M.S.M. = Meritorious Service Medal. + + +276236 Aldred, Sgt. J. M.M. + 1070 Anlezark, R.S.M. W. M.S.M. + +275726 Bailey, Pte. S. M.M. +275782 Banahan, Sgt. J. do. +275021 Bamber, Sgt. F. D.C.M. + M.S.M. +275039 Booker, L/c F. W. M.M. +276702 Botham, Pte. W. E. do. +275889 Bowman, Pte. J. do. +276845 Boydell, Pte. J. do. +276327 Bradshaw, Pte. W. do. +276418 Braithwaite, Pte. T. do. +276264 Broughton, Cpl. A. do. + + 280 Calow, Sgt. Mentd. in Dispatches. +275125 Clavering, Sgt. H. M.S.M. +275103 Clough, R.Q.M.S. S. Croix de Guerre (Belgian). +276047 Collinge, Pte. H. M.M. + 1536 Connelly, Pte. J. Mentd. in Dispatches +275724 Conry, Pte. R. E. M.M. +276151 Craven, L/c A. do. + +303461 Daley, Sgt. W. M.M. + 51167 Davies, Pte. W. T. do. +276842 Dearden, Pte. R. do. +275141 Downs, Pte. A. do. + +300991 Eastwood, Cpl. W. M.M. +276856 Edwards, Pte. R. do. + +275173 Fidler, Sgt. W. M.M. + 105 Fielding, Sgt. W. Mentd. in Dispatches +275161 Fleetwood, Sgt. A. D.C.M. + 1904 Franks, L/c J. Mentd. in Dispatches. + +275201 Gammond, A/Sgt. T. A. M.M. +375395 Green, Sgt. J. W. D.C.M. + M.M. + (_Killed in Action._) +277007 Greer, Pte. A. M.M. and Bar. +276028 Gregory, Cpl. B. M.M. +276254 Goffey, Sgt. W. do. + +275218 Hadfield, Sgt. A. M.M. + 57548 Halfhide, Pte. C. do. +295015 Hand, Sgt. A. D.C.M. + 5211 Hartnett, R.S.M. N. (_Died of Wounds._) + Mentd. in Dispatches. +276486 Hayhurst, Pte. M.M. + 42732 Heasman, L/c A. D.C.M. +275524 Heath, Sgt. F. (_Died of Wounds._) + M.M. and Bar. +275256 Holbrook, Sgt. J. D.C.M. +550239 Horsfield, Sgt. D.C.M. + M.M. + Croix de Guerre (Belgian). +276171 Hyde, L/c L. M.M. + +276424 Jackson, L/c E. (_Died of Wounds._) + M.M. +276973 Jennions, Pte. H. do. +376666 Jolley, Sgt. J. do. +275281 Joyce, C.S.M. M.M. + Gold Medal of St. George + of Russia (2nd Class). + +276640 King, Cpl. A. W. D.C.M. + +276648 Latham, Pte. H. M.M. +275319 Lockett, Cpl. S. (_Died of Wounds._) + D.C.M. +276719 Lyons, Pte. C. M.M. +276482 Lynn, Sgt. H. do. +275326 Lievesley, Sgt. J. L. do. + +275705 Macguire, Cpl. A. M.M. +275822 Mather, Sgt. D.C.M. + 2409 McCartney, L/c H. S. (_Killed in Action._) + Mentd. in Dispatches. +275935 McClean, Pte. T. M.M. +275355 McHugh, C.S.M. D.C.M. + M.M. and Bar. +400535 Moore, Pte. T. C. M.M. +276020 Morris, L/c G. do. + 40 Mort, L/Sgt. W. D.C.M. +275365 Mottram, L/Sgt. G. M.M. +275704 Mullin, Pte. C. M.M. + +275397 Ogden, R.Q.M.S. M.S.M. + Mentioned in Dispatches. + +275426 Parker, Sgt. G. M.M. + 40849 Parkin, Pte. I. do. + 12782 Pickering, Pte. W. do. + +276932 Quinn, Pte. J. D.C.M. + + 49738 Reeves, Pte. E. M.M. + 2263 Richardson, Pte. M. D.C.M. +276535 Riley, Pte. J. G. M.M. +275468 Riley, Sgt. R. do. + (_Killed in Action._) + 48576 Rotham, Pte. J. M.M. + 37647 Rourke, Pte. A. do. + +275509 Sanderson, Pte. G. M.M. + 57229 Shaughnessy, Pte. W. M.M. +275495 Shields, C.S.M. J. M.S.M. + Mentd. in Dispatches. +275513 Snadham, Cpl. J. Mentd. in Dispatches. +376453 Standring, Cpl. W. M.M. + 233 Stanton, Sgt. J. Mentd. in Dispatches. + 57216 Stubbard, Pte. R. M.M. + +275571 Tabbron, C.S.M. D.C.M. +276540 Thorpe, Sgt. H. M.M. +303634 Titchener, Pte. E. do. +275883 Titterington, L/Sgt. H. L. M.M. +277020 Twist, L/c T. M.M. and Bar. + +275590 Walsh, Pte. J. M.M. +275604 Walton, Pte. F. G. do. +275646 Warrington, Pte. W. do. +277635 Wisken, Pte. A. do. + (_Died of Wounds._) +275627 White, Cpl. F. D.C.M. + Mentd. in Dispatches. +275632 Wilkinson, Pte. H. M.M. + 51624 Wilkinson, Pte. J. do. +275952 Wilmer, Pte. R. do. +295025 Wood, Cpl. T. D.C.M. + + + + +Appendix II. + +MEMBERS OF THE BATTALION KILLED IN ACTION, DIED OF WOUNDS, MISSING, ETC. + + +As these lists may not contain the names of all those members of the +battalion who made the supreme sacrifice, I tender my apologies to the +friends and relations of those whose names have been omitted. Some +difficulty has been experienced, however, in making the lists as full as +they are. + +S.J.W. + + +OFFICERS. + +Allen, Capt. C. R., M.C. Killed in Action 27.9.18 +Bacon, Lieut. A. H. Killed in Action 7.8.15 +Brown, Lieut. T. F. Killed in Action 30.5.15 +Carley, Lieut. Killed in Action 27.9.18 +Cooper, Lieut. C. M. Killed in Action 20.10.18 +Dudley, Lieut. C. L. Killed in Action 4.6.15 +Freemantle, Lieut. W. O. Killed in Action 4.6.15 +Granger, Lieut. H. M. Killed in Action 29.5.15 +Grant, Lieut. R. W. G. Killed in Action 25.5.17 +Kay, Lieut. H. N. Killed in Action 21.8.18 +Lomas, Lieut. F. Killed in Action 4.6.15 +Ludlam, Lieut. E. W. Killed in Action 28.3.18 +McLaine, Lieut. D. Died of Wounds 2.4.18 +Nidd, Capt. H. H., M.C. Died of Sickness contracted + during the war 4.3.19 +Pearson, Lieut. H. Killed in Action 27.9.18 +Philp, R.A.M.C., Capt. Killed in Action 27.3.18 +Ray, Lieut. H. M. Killed in Action 27.9.18 +Rylands, Capt. R. V. Killed in Action 29.5.15 +Savatard, Capt. T. W. Killed in Action 29.5.15 +Staveacre, Major J. H. Killed in Action 4.6.15 +Sievewright, Lieut. M. J. Killed in Action 2.11.17 +Thewlis, Lieut. H. D. Killed in Action 4.6.15 +Thorp, Lieut. W. T. Killed in Action 28.3.18 +Tinker, Capt. A. H. Killed in Action 28.3.18 +Ward, Lieut. G. H. Killed in Action 4.6.15 +Williamson, Capt. C. H., M.C. (R.F.C.) Killed in Action 27.3.17 +Wender, Lieut., D.C.M. Killed in Action 16.6.18 +Wood, Lieut. A. S. Died of Wounds 29.3.18 + + +NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN. + +_Killed in Action._ + + 1533 Abercrombie, Pte. E. 16.12.15 + 5204 Adamson, Pte. C. 27.9.18 + 1665 Adderley, Pte. E. 4.6.15 +275740 Alman, Pte. T. 14.9.17 + 490 Anderson, Cpl. R. 4.6.15 + 2045 Anderton, Pte. F. + 1740 Ayres, Pte. W. A. 4.6.15 + + 1355 Bailey, Pte. W. 4.6.15 + 2348 Bain, Pte. T. P. 4.6.15 + 2403 Balon, Pte. E. 29.5.15 + 2215 Banks, Pte. A. 4.6.15 + 1968 Bannan, Pte. 4.12.15 + 3014 Barber, Pte. S. 10.8.15 + 1888 Barks, Pte. F. C. 7.12.15 + 27504 Barnes, Pte. J. H. 8.9.17 + 1347 Barnett, Pte. I. 29.5.15 + 52996 Barratt, Pte. R. 21.8.18 +275059 Barrow, L/c T. E. 8.9.17 + 74429 Barry, Pte. R. J. 21.8.18 +276522 Bedford, Pte. F. A. 27.9.18 + 2009 Bell, Pte. A. 4.6.15 +275823 Bennett, Cpl. C. 27.9.18 +276100 Bennet, Pte. R. 5.4.18 + 1941 Bent, Pte. W. 16.9.15 + 1228 Berry, Cpl. J. 4.6.15 +275956 Beswick, Pte. R. 27.9.18 + 2438 Billington, Pte. H. 4.6.15 + 59824 Bincliffe, Pte. A. 27.9.18 +276693 Bland, Pte. H. W. 28.3.18 + 980 Bleasdale, Pte. W. 30.5.15 + 2018 Boardman, Pte. A. H. 19.9.15 + 2143 Bouchier, Pte. G. C. 4.6.15 + 896 Bowe, Pte. G. 4.6.15 + 49841 Bowling, Pte. T. 27.9.18 +277064 Boyd, Cpl. H. 2.9.18 + 1873 Bridge, Pte. E. 7.8.15 + 3456 Bright, Pte. W. 18.9.15 + 1009 Bromley, L/c E. 31.5.15 +276676 Brookes, Pte. A. 28.10.17 + 1617 Brookes, Pte. J. 4.6.15 +275929 Broughton, Pte. V. 28.3.18 + 1534 Brown, Pte. E. 4.6.15 + 2290 Brown, Pte. G. 4.6.15 + 2257 Bruce, Pte. W. 31.5.15 + 1730 Buckley, Pte. W. 5.6.15 + 1712 Burgess, Pte. A. 5.6.15 + 1197 Burgess, Pte. J. 4.6.15 +276966 Burns, Pte. R. 28.3.18 + + 2336 Callaghan, Pte. H. 9.6.15 +275111 Calardine, L/c J. 25.3.18 + 2192 Callon, Pte. J. W. 4.6.15 + 76918 Carr, Pte. A. E. 21.8.18 +276657 Castrey, Pte. E. 28.10.17 + 1431 Cavanagh, Pte. F. 4.6.15 + 1402 Cawley, Pte. B. 8.8.15 + 2255 Chadwick, Pte. C. 4.6.15 + 1277 Chadwick, Pte. W. 18.9.15 +275968 Chappell, Cpl. J. H. 25.8.15 + 2070 Chappell, Pte. L. 4.8.15 + 2363 Clare, Pte. H. 4.6.15 + 2125 Clarke, Pte. E. E. 4.6.15 + 2311 Clime, Pte. J. 4.6.15 +276697 Colley, Pte. W. J. 27.9.17 +275110 Collier, L/c C. 27.8.17 + 1662 Collins, Pte. R. C. 4.6.15 + 2011 Collins, Pte. W. 31.5.15 + 4084 Connor, Pte. J. 1.9.16 + 164 Cookson, Sgt. S. R. 29.5.15 + 1948 Cott, Pte. T. 4.6.15 + 1897 Cousell, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 1212 Cox, Pte. J. 31.5.15 + 24754 Croughan, Cpl. C. 27.9.18 + 3033 Cunnington, Pte. R. 8.8.15 + +276265 Darbyshire, Pte. H. 6.5.17 + 2333 Davies, Pte. C. 13.5.15 + 74436 Davies, Pte. G. 20.10.18 + 1931 Davies, Pte. T. A. 4.6.15 + 2098 Dawson, Pte. T. B. 29.5.15 +275130 Day, Pte. H. G. 18.8.18 + 2831 Dean, Pte. H. 7.8.15 + 1772 Dillon, Pte. H. 4.6.15 + 2247 Ding, Pte. W. H. 30.5.15 + 61024 Dodd, Pte. J. 27.9.18 + 1301 Dodds, Pte. J. E. 4.6.15 + 1145 Doolen, Pte. R. J. 4.6.15 + 2315 Draper, Pte. J. E. 4.6.15 + 2457 Driver, Pte. R. 18.9.15 + 74406 Duckley, Pte. L. 8.10.18 +275140 Dyehouse, L/c W. H. 27.9.18 + 74435 Dyke, Pte. F. G. 20.10.18 + + 268 Eardley, Pte. G. 4.6.15 + 77445 Edgerton, Pte. G. J. A. 10.6.18 +276670 Elphinsone, Pte. R. J. 28.3.18 +276593 England, Pte. E. 8.9.17 + 2077 England, Pte. W. 4.6.15 +277013 Evans, Pte. G. 29.10.18 + + 2478 Farrar, Pte. A. 7.8.15 +275910 Farrington, Pte. A. 2.9.18 + 1921 Fawdrey, Pte. G. 4.6.15 + 2432 Finch, Pte. H. B. L. 4.6.15 + 2364 Fitchett, Pte. F. 4.6.15 + 2130 Fisher, Pte. B. 29.5.16 + 2217 Fisher, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 1700 Fitzsimmons, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 37736 Fletcher, Pte. E. H. 27.9.18 +275171 Foden, Sgt. W. 27.9.18 +275163 Ford, Pte. P. 27.9.18 +276513 Ford, Pte. R. 14.9.17 +276602 Forester, Pte. J. H. 3.5.17 +275970 Franklin, Pte. L. 11.9.17 + + 2302 Gamble, Pte. 4.6.15 +275190 Gardener. Pte. W. 27.9.18 + 38692 Garratt, Pte. J. 11.9.18 +276558 Garrett, Pte. A. 6.1.18 + 2176 Gibbons, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 1926 Gillibrand, Pte. A. 4.6.15 + 39393 Gilbert, Pte. R. 27.9.18 + 2212 Goulding, Pte. P. 4.6.15 + 2362 Graham, Pte. J. A. 31.5.15 +276999 Graham, Pte. W. H. 8.9.17 + 2397 Grainger, Pte. H. M. 29.5.15 + 2399 Green, Pte. J. D. 4.6.15 +375395 Green, Sgt. J. W., D.C.M., M.M. 21.8.18 + 1313 Gresty, Pte. F. 13.7.15 + + 1397 Hall, Pte. C. 13.7.15 + 41749 Hall, Pte. H. 14.6.18 + 1352 Hallam, Pte. F. 4.6.15 +275981 Hamilton, Pte. G. 26.6.15 + 3205 Hammersley, Pte. J. 19.9.15 +276861 Hampson, Pte. J. 29.3.18 + 1720 Hargreaves, Pte. H. 4.6.15 + 2450 Harling, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 2378 Harrison, Pte. E. 13.5.15 + 3416 Harrison, Pte. H. N. 16.9.15 + 1369 Harrison, Pte. T. S. 9.11.15 + 1259 Heath, Pte. G. 4.6.15 + 2401 Hewitt, Pte. W. 4.6.15 + 57162 Higham, Pte. T. 27.9.18 + 1627 Hinchliffe, Pte. W. 4.6.15 + 1799 Hilditch, Pte. 4.6.15 + 49513 Hills, L/c G. G. 21.8.18 + 60404 Hindly, Pte. J. B. 21.8.18 + 2164 Hobbs, Pte. T. 31.5.15 + 2386 Holland, Pte. J. H. 4.6.15 + 238 Holdercroft, Pte. F. 4.6.15 +275264 Hodgkins, Pte. W. 23.5.17 + 49511 Hodgkinson, Pte. J. D. 9.6.18 + 1178 Hodson, Pte. F. 4.6.15 + 3287 Hollingworth, Pte. D. 7.8.15 + 1856 Holmes, Pte. S. 4.6.15 +275013 Holt, Cpl. J. 27.9.18 + 54400 Hope, Pte. J. W. 27.9.18 + 2413 Horrocks, Pte. W. E. 7.8.15 + 1358 Horrox, Pte. W. 29.5.15 + 25300 Hughson, Pte. G. 27.9.18 + 2351 Hunt, Pte. F. 4.6.15 + 1922 Hunt, Pte. S. A. 4.6.15 + +276634 Ikin, Pte. J. W. 6.5.17 +275876 Ingram, Pte. H. 6.1.18 + +276054 Jackson, Pte. J. 18.4.18 +276433 Jackson, L/c J. 4.6.15 + 203 Jackson, Pte. J. S. 4.6.15 + 2313 Jennings, Pte. W. G. 12.6.15 + 1520 Jepson, Pte. W. 8.8.15 +276659 Johnson, Pte. J. H. 30.3.18 + 750 Jones, Pte. H. 4.6.15 + 1823 Jones, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 50338 Judge, Pte. M. 26.9.18 + + 3669 Kaufmann, Pte. S. 5.12.15 + 1118 Kearney, Pte. A. D. + 51893 Keeber, Pte. H. 27.9.18 + 1935 Keeble, Pte. F. 29.5.15 + 1841 Keegan, Pte. G. 29.5.15 + 1663 Kellett, Pte. W. 4.6.15 + 1674 Kelly, Pte. H. 29.5.15 + 2026 Kelly, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 1331 Kenyon, Pte. A. 31.5.15 + 74471 Kerfoot, Pte. F. 1.7.18 + 2360 Kershaw, Pte. J. H. 4.6.15 + 2125 Kidd, Pte. T. 3.8.18 + + 1748 Lamb, Pte. R. 4.6.15 + 1807 Laver, Pte. H. 8.8.15 +275318 Lawton, Sgt. C. H. 8.11.17 + 1570 Lee, Pte. J. M. 13.8.15 + 3207 Lee, Pte. W. H. 24.12.15 + 1898 Lees, Pte. W. 4.6.15 + 3532 Leigh, Pte. W. 18.8.16 + 44370 Livesley, Pte. W. 27.9.18 + 2282 Lomas, Pte. F. 4.6.15 +275330 Lomas, Pte. G.A. 28.3.18 + 1296 Longshaw, Pte. R. 4.6.15 + 2374 Lowerson, Pte. H. 4.6.15 + 2160 Lyons, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 2416 Lyons, Pte. T. 9.10.15 + 1923 Lythe, Pte. F. 8.8.15 + + 1945 Maley, Pte. E. 4.6.15 + 1282 Manley, Pte. J. N. 16.8.15 + 40717 Mallis, Pte. G. W. 12.9.17 +275360 Martin, Pte. W. H. 23.5.17 + 2177 Marvin, Pte. G. 4.6.15 + 42547 Mason, Pte. J. 27.9.18 +275865 Master, Pte. E. H. 28.3.18 +276302 Mates, Cpl. J. 23.8.18 + 2409 McCartney, L/c H. S. 7.8.15 + 1361 McClure, Pte. E. 8.8.15 + 19434 McKeown, Pte. E. 22.7.18 + 1647 McKie, Pte. W. K. 4.6.15 +276874 McVey, Pte. J. 5.4.18 + 1442 McWilliam, Pte. R. 4.6.15 +276175 Mellor, Pte. G. 5.4.18 + 1681 Merriman, Cpl. R. 4.6.15 +276096 Metcalfe, Sgt. F. E. 9.9.18 +275887 Milligan, Pte. A. J. 26.6.18 + 2408 Milligan, Pte. J. 31.5.15 +276612 Milward, Pte. K. 18.4.18 + 42526 Mitchell, Pte. H. 27.9.18 + 252 Molyneux, Pte. H. S. 7.8.15 + 85281 Morrell, Pte. J. 27.9.18 + 1874 Morris, Pte. A. 4.6.15 + 1906 Moisey, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 74459 Myers, Pte. R. 21.8.18 + + 42166 Nevin, Pte. J. S. 27.9.18 + 2455 Newbold, Pte. S. 28.5.15 + + 1485 Oarkinson, Pte. A. C. 29.5.15 + 2428 Oates, Pte. L. 30.5.15 + 3298 O'Brien, Pte. A. 18.9.15 +276431 Oldham, Pte. W. 1.9.18 +276288 Ormerod, Pte. A. E. 29.3.18 + + 1695 Page, Pte. A. 4.6.15 +295017 Parsons, Cpl. F. N. 23.7.16 + 1278 Passant, Pte. R. 31.5.15 + 48 Peacock, Pte. W. H. 4.6.15 + 891 Pearce, Pte. F. 4.6.15 + 51741 Pearson, Pte. G. 27.9.18 + 2454 Phillips, Pte. J. P. 31.5.15 + 2300 Pickles, Pte. W. 4.6.15 + 2119 Pope, Pte. W. 4.5.15 + 2132 Raper, Pte. A. E. 4.6.15 +275481 Rawlings, Pte. H. 9.10.17 + 2044 Rawlinson, Pte. W. R. 4.6.15 + 1671 Rawson, Pte. W. 21.5.15 + 1258 Rhodes, Pte. J. W. 4.6.15 + 2805 Rideal, L/c J. H. 8.8.15 +275468 Riley, Sgt. R., M.M. 8.10.18 + 1991 Roberts, Pte. A. 18.8.16 + 1283 Robertson. 29.5.15 +276473 Rogers, Pte. S. 27.8.19 + 10788 Rogerson, Pte. W. H. 27.9.18 +276039 Rosewell, L/Sgt. A. 21.8.18 + 2355 Royle, Pte. F. E. H. 4.6.15 + 1689 Russell, Pte. W. H. 30.5.15 + +276630 Salter, Pte. H. 30.4.17 + 2003 Sanderson, Pte. J. 13.5.15 +276241 Scraton, Pte. C. 27.9.18 +276888 Shaw, Pte. B. 21.8.18 +276551 Shearere, Pte. G. 30.3.18 + 2033 Shepherd, Pte. J. E. 30.5.15 + 2243 Shipley, Pte. J. E. 16.10.15 +276533 Sidebottom, Pte. H. 29.11.17 +275506 Smith, Pte. H. 4.4.18 + 3018 Smith, Pte. M. 16.9.15 + 1673 Smith, Pte. R. S. 31.5.15 + 2245 Smith, Pte. W. H. 29.5.15 + 1657 Smith, Pte. W. H. 29.5.15 + 1187 Stanton, Cpl. W. 7.8.15 + 1956 Starkie, Pte. C. 4.6.15 +275489 Steel, Pte. R. 6.5.17 + 29421 Stott, Pte. A. 20.10.18 + 2369 Super, Pte. C. 26.5.15 +276967 Sweeney, Pte. J. 21.8.18 + +275903 Tanner, Sgt. A. 27.9.18 +275550 Tanner, Sgt. E. 13.5.18 +277005 Tardoe, Pte. P. 29.3.18 + 57266 Taylor, Pte. H. 27.9.18 +276421 Taylor, Pte. J. 24.10.18 +276240 Taylor, Pte. J. H. 10.6.18 + 1846 Taylor, Pte. S. 31.5.15 +276410 Thomas, Pte. J. A. 18.8.17 + 57453 Thompson, Pte. S. E. 21.8.18 + 1040 Thompson, Pte. T. 29.5.15 +275558 Thornily, Pte. B. 13.5.18 + 57442 Timothy, Pte. E. 27.9.18 +275866 Titterington, Cpl. F. 27.9.18 + 3021 Twigg, Pte. F. A. 7.8.15 + + 1943 Vardon, Pte. C. 31.5.15 + 1413 Verity, L/c J. 4.6.15 +277759 Vickers, Pte. J. H. 5.4.18 + + 1835 Walker, Pte. R. 4.6.15 + 2057 Walker, Pte. S. 29.5.15 +275606 Wallace, L/c E. 7.1.18 + 1775 Walley, Pte. H. 4.6.15 +275597 Ward, Pte. J. 5.4.18 + 2322 Watmough, Pte. A. 4.6.15 +275793 Watmough, Pte. W. 5.4.18 + 2270 Webb, Pte. S. 4.6.15 + 521 Webster, Sgt. H. 29.5.15 +276962 Welsh, Pte. R. 3.5.17 + 1893 Whelan, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 1725 White, Pte. R. 29.5.15 +202152 White, Pte. J. 27.9.18 + 2261 Whitely, Pte. J. B. 7.8.15 + 55933 Whittaker, Pte. A. T. 27.9.18 +276605 Wilbraham, Pte. T. 30.4.17 + 2335 Wild, Pte. G. 21.7.18 + 2226 Wilde, Pte. H. J. R. 29.5.15 + 1573 Williams, Pte. A. 4.6.15 +295119 Williams, Pte. J. 1.6.17 + 1354 Williams, Pte. R. 29.5.15 + 2458 Williams, Pte. W. V. 4.6.15 + 1311 Wilson, Pte. L. 4.6.15 + 2406 Winter, Pte. D. 29.5.15 + 714 Winterbottom, L/c G. 31.5.15 + 57246 Wittle, Pte. F. 27.9.18 + 1939 Wood, Pte. A. 31.5.15 + 3642 Woodward, Pte. H. 1.12.15 +298004 Wookey, Pte. A. J. 27.9.18 + 1924 Worrall, Pte. S. 29.5.15 + +275716 Young, Pte. G. + 8002 Young, L/c H. 27.9.18 + + +_Dead--Presumed Killed in Action._ + +1976 Duffy, Pte. 4.6.15 +1903 Haydock, Pte. J. 4.6.15 +1535 Hunt, Pte. H. 4.6.15 +1603 Makin, Pte. A. W. 4.6.15 +1965 Moore, Pte. G. 4.6.15 +2079 Newman, Pte. G. E. 4.6.15 +1960 Newman, Pte. G. E. 4.6.15 + 69 Plan, Pte. R. 4.6.15 +1434 Tearsley, Pte. A. 4.6.15 +1646 Williams, Pte. S. 4.6.15 + + +_Dead--Sickness._ + + 2515 Ashton, Pte. C. B. 16.10.15 + 2274 Boden, Pte. G. C. 5.11.15 + 2554 Clare, Pte. H. 18.8.15 + 3271 Couper, Pte. G. 30.7.16 + 3275 Edwards, Pte. J. 8.8.15 +275252 Hardy, L/Sgt. A. 1.3.19 + 37791 Leach, Pte. R. 14.11.18 + 3051 Oldfield, Pte. W. F. 12.10.15 + 1701 Redford, Pte. S. F. 27.5.16 + + +_Died in Egypt._ + +1180 Beckett, Pte. R. 8.2.16 +4361 Hind, Pte. W. 26.9.16 +2099 Kenyon, Pte. F. 26.12.14 +4176 Stocks, Pte. T. 29.5.15 + 932 Williams, Pte. F. 21.1.15 +2368 Wood, Pte. E. 4.6.16 + + +_Died._ + +276353 Berry, Pte. J. 28.1.18 +275051 Blackledge, Pte. 6.2.18 +275083 Brewer, Pte. M. C. 18.9.18 + 3325 Ebourne, Pte. W. 22.1.17 +276587 Haslewood, Pte. T. 23.3.18 + 2326 Keogh, Pte. F. 22.5.15 +276559 Norton, Pte. J. 20.8.17 +276297 Vipond, Pte. A. 7.10.17 + + +_Died of Wounds._ + + 74412 Baker, Pte. H. 10.10.18 +276623 Bamber, Pte. M. 19.4.18 + 1958 Bancroft, Pte. J. W. 23.9.15 + 1738 Barton, Pte. T. 25.5.15 +275035 Beckett, Pte. J. 3.11.17 + 2178 Boaley, Pte. A. 29.5.15 + 74408 Bridson, Pte. R. 25.7.18 +275068 Brown, Sgt. H. 22.8.18 + 2402 Brown, Pte. J. W. 30.6.15 + 1780 Burr, Pte. H. 14.5.15 + 756 Butcher, Pte. H. 7.8.15 + 2436 Byrne, Pte. T. 17.6.15 + + 2268 Carpenter, Pte. C. +275109 Carroll, Sgt. J. 27.3.18 +275108 Cavanagh, Pte. J. 29.3.18 + 2381 Chantler, Pte. J. 21.4.15 +276626 Clegg, Pte. H. 4.11.17 +275104 Cliffe, Pte. G. 6.4.18 + 1479 Connell, Pte. A. 27.8.15 +276595 Cookson, Pte. W. 23.7.18 + + 3080 Dale, Pte. H. 24.7.15 +275133 Davidson, Pte. S. 1.6.17 +276974 Davies, Pte. G. 5.9.17 + 3035 Davies, Pte. H. 31.7.15 +276434 Doherty, Pte. T. 11.11.17 +295030 Daley, Pte. A. 14.4.18 + +277565 Earnshaw, Pte. N. 22.8.18 + +275937 Fairhurst, Pte. F. 28.3.18 +276960 Finch, Pte. S. 25.3.18 + 53904 Forbes, Pte. W. 25.8.18 + +276680 Gibson, Pte. F. 26.4.17 + 27515 Gibson, Pte. J. 3.4.18 + 42683 Goddard, Pte. T. 23.8.18 +275188 Golton, Pte. J. 25.5.17 + 48689 Greenhalgh, Pte. J. 30.7.18 + 1455 Gregory, Pte. J. 14.10.15 + +276345 Harrop, Pte. W. 2.9.18 + 5211 Hartnett, R.S.M. 19.10.17 + 2014 Hazeltine, Pte. J. R. H. 29.5.15 +275254 Heath, Sgt. H., M.M. 24.4.18 +295073 Heyward, Pte. S. 10.6.17 + 2655 Hunt, Pte. W. 2.6.15 + +276424 Jackson, L/c E., M.M. 27.3.18 + 1858 Jacques, Pte. G. 8.8.15 +295038 Johnson, Pte. A. 5.1.18 +276286 Johnson, Pte. R. 28.3.18 +275791 Jones, Pte. J. 6.4.18 + +275307 Kay, Pte. R. 6.4.18 + + 295 Leigh, Pte. E. 8.8.15 +275319 Lockett, Cpl. S. E., D.C.M. 27.9.18 + 1179 Lowrey, Pte. H. 31.5.15 + + 3662 Marshall, Pte. R. 13.12.15 + 1821 McCleod, Pte. A. 27.5.15 + 1500 McHugh, Pte. H. 28.6.15 +276350 Midgeley, Pte. T. 28.9.18 + 2433 Milligan, Pte. A. 28.5.15 + 2002 Millington, Pte. T. 15.6.15 +276414 Minns, Sgt. W. 28.3.18 + 1761 Minshall, Pte. F. 5.6.15 + 3038 Mitchell, Pte. H. 17.9.15 + 2269 Moran, Pte. J. 4.6.15 + 1598 Morris, Pte. E. 29.5.15 + 1265 Morris, Pte. H. 19.7.15 + 38 Munday, Sgt. F. 10.6.15 + +276519 Norman, Pte. E. 25.8.17 + 429 Nuttall, Pte. H. W. 29.5.15 + + 1561 Pannell, Pte. T. 9.8.15 + 1821 Parsonage, Pte. A. F. 4.6.15 + 1438 Pease, Pte. W. S. 30.6.15 +277763 Pender, Pte. W. 16.4.18 + 176 Percival, Pte. J. 15.6.15 +276912 Platt, Pte. W. C. 25.8.18 +276432 Prendergast, Pte. 25.8.18 + 2316 Powell, Pte. A. E. 29.5.15 + + 1401 Reid, Pte. J. 30.10.15 +276645 Roberts, Pte. J. 5.5.17 + 2067 Ross, Pte. C. 25.8.15 + + 2965 Salt, Pte. G. 5.11.15 + 1929 Slowe, Pte. J. W. 4.7.15 +276368 Sparling, L/c P. 22.8.18 + 1937 Sowden, Pte. W. P. 15.6.15 +276321 Stahler, Pte. J. 20.10.17 + + 2375 Thomas, Pte. E. 20.7.15 +276987 Treadway, Pte. T. 22.12.17 +275566 Taylor, Pte. J. W. 5.4.18 + +275790 Wakefield, Pte. G. 29.9.18 +275603 Walker, Pte. J. W. 4.4.18 + 1357 Walsh, Pte. M. 11.6.15 +295023 Ward, Pte. A. 12.11.17 + 1788 Ward, Pte. J. 1.6.15 + 2296 Wilde, Pte. J. F. 15.9.16 + 1699 Winstall, Pte. H. 13.8.15 +276635 Wisken, Pte. A., M.M. 22.8.18 + 2347 Wolstencroft, Pte. R. K. 29.5.15 + 2121 Wrigley, Pte. J. 22.6.16 + + +_Reported Dead._ + + 1441 Downey, Pte. O. (no date) +275223 Hilton, Pte. W. (no date) + + +_Missing._ + + 1148 Balf, Pte. C. 4.6.15 + 2323 Bracegirdle, Pte. L. 7.8.15 + 1793 Harrison, Pte. W. 4.6.15 +276230 Johnson, Pte. W. A. 16.6.18 + 569 Kirkby, Pte. H. 4.6.15 + 2206 Krell, Pte. J. 7.8.15 + 3231 Stoddart, Pte. L. 7.8.15 + 2007 Tracey, Pte. + 1614 Wakefield, Pte. A. 4.6.15 + 2172 Wallace, Pte. G. 4.6.15 + 1262 Williams, Pte. H. 4.6.15 + 267 Worrall, Pte. J. E. 4.6.15 + + + + +Index. + +(Italics signify that the person mentioned has been killed or has died +of wounds) + + +Abbeville 32, 90 + +Abbott, Lt. 113 + +Ablainzevelle 76, 82-84, 88, 90, 93, 95 + +Achiet 44-46, 80, 81, 83, 90, 97, 122 + +Aire 65 + +Albert 46 + +Albert, King 60 + +Aldred, Sgt. J. 108, 143 + +Alexandria 18, 29, 30 + +Allan, Major 5, 65, 66, 69 + +_Allen, Capt. C. R._ 100, 112, 124, 128 + +Allenby, Gen. 8 + +Americans 102 + +Amiens 32, 95 + +Ancre 32, 113, 116, 117 + +Andrews, C.Q.M.S. 28 + +Anlezark, R.S.M. W. 100 + +Armentieres 66 + +Arras 90, 117 + +Asylum 50 + +Aubers Ridge 66 + +Australians 80, 85, 96 + +Australian L. H. 6, 9, 13, 23 + +Aveluy 46 + +Ayette 76, 84 + +Ayr & Inverness H. A. 13 + + +Bagdad 31 + +Bagshaw, Lt. K. 89 + +Baker, Capt. J., 2, 19, 71, 77, 81, 113, 120, 134, 137 + +Baker, Lt. R. J. R. 3 + +Banahan, Sgt. J. 108 + +Bapaume 44, 79, 80, 85 + +Barastre 44, 121, 122 + +Barratt, Capt. W. H. 16, 107, 113, 114, 134, 143 + +Basin Wood 104 + +Bateman, Lt. H. M. 2, 93 + +Beaulencourt 120 + +Beaumont Hamel 96, 97, 107, 114 + +Beauvois 135, 138 + +Beck Farm 50, 52 + +Behagnies 77, 79, 80 + +Belle Vue Farm 136 + +Bethune 65, 70, 75 + +Biaches 33 + +Bihucourt 79, 80 + +Bill Cottage 53 + +Bir el Abd 18, 20 + +Bitia 25 + +Blatherwick, Lt. Col. 89 + +Boar Copse 131 + +Borry Farm 50, 52 + +Bourlon Wood 38 + +_Bowie, Pte. J._ 68 + +Braithwaite, Pte. T. 43 + +Branchflower, C.S.M. 143 + +Brandhoek 50 + +Branthwaite, Capt. R. H. 138 + +Brickstacks 67, 70 + +Bromfield, Lt.-Col. 66, 70, 76, 81, 82, 89, 94 + +_Brown, Sgt. W._ 114 + +Bryan, Lt. C. 5 + +Bucquoy 82, 83, 92-96, 99, 101, 122 + +Bullecourt 80 + +Burbure 72, 74 + +Burlington Street 143 + +Burn, Capt. Grey 3, 16, 102, 113, 115, 119, 134, 138 + +Bus 121 + +Busnes 74, 75 + +Byng, Gen. 66, 77, 102 + + +Cairo 6, 25 + +Cambrai 65, 126, 134, 135 + +Cambridge Road 51 + +Canal du Nord 37, 123 + +Canning, Lt.-Col. A. 2, 4 + +_Carley, Lt._ 128 + +Carr, Lt.-Col. H. A. 54, 65 + +Catelet Copse 36 + +Caudry 142 + +Cetorix Trench 110 + +Chadwick, Capt. G. 16, 18 + +Chalons-sur-Saone 31 + +Charleroi 142 + +Chateau-de-la-Haie 99 + +Chatterton, Lt. J. 19, 52 + +Chuignes 32 + +Cloth Hall 50 + +Clough, Q.M.S. S. 53, 62, 100 + +Colincamps 117 + +Corsica 31 + +Courcelles 76, 80 + +Coxyde 56, 64 + +Creagh, Capt. J. R. 2, 4, 16, 77, 81, 107, 108, 124, 134 + +Cronshaw, Lt.-Col. A. E. 4, 18, 32, 44, 54 + + +Darlington, Lt.-Col. 36 + +_Davies, Lt.-Col._ 92 + +Dean Copse 39, 41 + +Dijon 31 + +Division 1st 55 + +Division 5th 95 + +Division 6th 106 + +Division 9th 52 + +Division 11th 2 + +Division 15th 48, 49 + +Division 17th 120 + +Division 21st 37 + +Division 25th 66 + +Division 29th 54 + +Division 32nd 55 + +Division 37th 95, 123 + +Division 40th 77, 79 + +Division 41st 59, 64, 91 + +Division 51st 95 + +Division 52nd 1, 3, 4, 6, 17, 22, 23 + +Division 53rd 4, 20, 28 + +Division 55th 68, 72 + +Division 57th 99 + +Division 58th 44 + +Division 61st 50 + +Division 62nd 83, 86, 94, 129, 137 + +Division 63rd (Naval) 107, 117 + +Division 66th 56, 74, 112 + +Division N.Z. 79, 85, 95, 102, 107, 117, 120, 132, 134, 136, 138, 139 + +Divisional Motto 73 + +Dobell, Gen. 29 + +Dompierre 32 + +Douai 135 + +Douglas, Maj.-Gen. Sir Wm. 5, 7, 12, 24, 32 + +Douglas, Lt. C. B. 2, 108, 113, 116, 134 + +Doullens 95 + +Duedar 7 + +Dunkirk 65 + + +East Lancs. 4th 34, 73 + +East Lancs. 5th 23, 43, 116, 118, 132, 140 + +Edge, Lt. N. 107, 108, 128 + +E.L.C. 19, 22 + +El Arish 4, 18, 22-27, 54 + +El Ferdan 28 + +El Maadan 23, 25 + +El Mazar 18, 20, 24 + +Epehy 34-37 + +Ervillers 79 + +Essarts 91-93 + +Euston Dump 104 + + +Farrow, Capt. J. 2, 4 + +Femy Wood 126, 128 + +Festubert 66, 67 + +Finch, Pte. 46 + +Fins 37 + +Fleetwood, Sgt. A. 103 + +Flesquieres 38, 123, 127 + +Fleurus 142 + +Foch, Marshall 95, 126, 135 + +Franklin, Lt. H. C. 2, 16 + +Franklin, Lt. G. W. F. 3, 16, 70 + +Frezenburg 50 + +Fusilier Trench 103 + + +Gallipoli 1, 4, 18, 28, 30, 34, 45, 53, 54, 70, 77, 101, 107, + 122, 132, 133 + +Gapp, Lt. 130 + +Gaza 25 + +_Gibson, Pte._ 33 + +Gilban 5, 7 + +Givenchy 66, 67, 70 + +Gleeson, Sgt. L. 115 + +Gomiecourt 77, 80, 81 + +Gommecourt 45, 91, 92, 96, 97, 101 + +Goodier, Lt. A. 102, 103, 111 + +Goore 69 + +Gorst, Lt. H. 105, 108, 109, 111 + +_Green, Sgt. J. W._ 103, 115 + +Greer, Pte. A. 116, 133 + +Gresty, Lt. W. 2, 3, 89, 108, 109, 111, 124, 128, 129, + 131, 132, 134, 143 + +Greville, Capt. 88 + +Grevillers 85 + +Guttery, Sgt. 115 + + +Hacker, Lt. R. N. 2 + +Haig, F.-M. Sir Douglas 95 + +Hammond, Lt. 119, 120, 124, 128 + +Harland, Lt. J. A. 77, 99, 114 + +Harley Street 68 + +Harper, Lt.-Gen. 95 + +Harris, Lt. L. G. 5, 32 + +_Hartnett, R.S.M., N._ 53 + +Hautmont 140, 142 + +Havrincourt 36, 37-44, 45, 48, 51, 66, 121, 123, 126, 134 + +Hazebrouck 65 + +_Heath, Sgt. F._ 62, 63, 80, 99 + +Hebuterne 80, 82, 95, 96, 98, 99, 102, 104, 107 + +Henley, Brig.-Gen. A. M. 36, 45, 59, 82, 83, 99, 106, 122, 132, 133 + +Henu 100, 102 + +Herbignies 139 + +Hermies 37, 123 + +Higham, Major C. E. 3, 16, 95, 100 + +Highland Ridge 126 + +Hill 35: 49, 50 + +Hill 40: 2, 4, 5 + +Hill 70: 2-5 + +Hindenburg Line 32, 34, 38, 121, 123-133, 134 + +Hingette 72 + +Hodge, Lt. A. 32, 41-43 + +Horsfield, Sgt. J. 105, 109, 111 + +Hoskyns, Rev. E. C. 19, 77, 81, 106 + +Houghton, C.Q.M.S. 28 + +Hulluch 73 + +Hurst, Major G. B. 1, 59, 70, 101 + + +Iberian Farm 50 + +Indiarubber House 61 + +Irles 117 + +Ismailia 29 + +Italy 63, 64 + + +Jeudwine, Maj.-Gen. 68 + +Johns, Pte. 35 + +Jones, Lt. 28 + +Joyce, C.S.M. 128 + +"J" Track 50 + +Juvissy 32 + + +Kantara 1, 17, 28 + +Katia 6, 11-15, 23, 94 + +Katib Gannit 6 + +_Kay, Lt. H. N._ 2, 115 + +Khirba 20 + + +La Bassee 66, 68 + +Lancs. Fusiliers 4, 11, 12, 32, 43, 50, 51, 53, 60, 63, 73, 79, 80, 90, + 92, 93, 99, 111, 114, 119, 121, 124, 127, 129, 131, 137, 140 + +La Panne 59 + +La Signy Farm 104, 107, 108, 111, 129 + +Laventie 66 + +Lawrence, Lt.-Gen. 3 + +Le Carnoy 40 + +Le Cateau 135 + +Leffinckoucke 65 + +Lempire 36 + +Lens 66, 113 + +Le Preol 72 + +Le Quesnoy 138, 139 + +Liercourt 32 + +Ligny-Thilloy 118 + +Lille 49, 66 + +Lillers 65, 72, 75 + +Little Priel Farm 35 + +_Lockett, Lce.-Cpl. S._ 110 + +Locon 72 + +Lofthouse, Lt. 114 + +Logeast Wood 80-85 + +Lombaertzyde 61 + +Loos 73 + +Loupart Wood 85, 118 + +Louvencourt 94, 95, 111 + +Ludendorf 117 + +_Ludlam, Lt. E. W._ 90 + +Lyons 31 + +Lyth, C.S.M. 28 + + +Maghdaba 25 + +Maguire, Cpl. A. 86 + +Mahamadiyeh 4, 6 + +Mall, Lt. 90 + +Malta 30 + +Manchesters, 5th 7, 8, 12, 36, 40, 43, 52, 53, 58, 63, 73, 91, 94, 119, + 120, 124, 127, 131, 136, 137 + +Manchesters, 6th 7, 12, 13, 22, 44, 50, 73, 79, 80, 87, 90, 91, 107, + 108, 119, 120, 124, 126, 129, 130, 131, 136, 137 + +Manchesters, 8th 5, 7, 12, 22, 30, 41, 43, 73, 92, 118, 132, 140 + +Manchesters, 9th 72, 73, 112 + +Manchesters, 10th 73, 107, 131 + +Manger, Lt.-Col. E. V. 100, 102, 106, 111, 119, 124, 134, 138, 143 + +Marcoing 38, 123, 127, 129 + +Marou 136, 137 + +Marseilles 31 + +Marshall, Lt. J. 2 + +_Marshall, Lt.-Col._ 60, 63 + +Mather, Sgt. 133 + +Maubeuge 140 + +Maxwell, Gen. 1 + +Mazinghem 65, 66 + +McAlmont, Lt. 128 + +McHugh, C.S.M. S. 28, 43, 99, 133 + +_McLaine, Lt. D._ 90 + +McLean, Pte. T. 43 + +Mediterranean 30 + +Menin Gate 50 + +Merelissart 32 + +Milne, Lt. J. H. 62, 63, 102, 103, 128, 129, 133 + +Miraumont 114, 115, 116 + +Mitford, Maj.-Gen. 32, 54 + +Moascar 29 + +Moeuvres 37 + +Mormal Forest 138-141 + +Morrough, Lt.-Col. 30 + +Morten, Lt. J. 3, 59, 71, 89 + +Mory 77, 80 + +Murray, Gen. Sir A. 29 + + +Nasmith, Lt. G. W. 2 + +Negiliat 18 + +Nekl 20 + +Nelson, Capt. D. 112, 116, 124 + +Neuve Chapelle 66 + +New Zealand M. R. 7, 23 + +_Nidd, Capt. H. H._ 2, 16, 77, 99, 100, 101 + +Nieuport 54-66 + +Norbury, Capt. B. 2, 16 + +Norbury, Capt. C. 2, 16 + +Norbury, Capt. D. 5, 138 + +Norbury, Lt. G. 28 + +Norbury, Lt. M. 3, 17 + + +_O'Connell, Cpl._ 68 + +Ogden, R.Q.M.S. 100 + +Oghratina 4, 15 + +Oost Dunkerque Bains 56 + +Orange 31 + +_Ormsby, Brig.-Gen._ 5, 36 + +Ostend 55 + + +Palestine 8, 25, 26 + +Palmer, Capt. F. C. 107, 119 + +Paris 32, 113 + +Pas 100 + +Paschendaele 63, 66 + +_Pearson, Lt. H._ 129, 132 + +Pell-Ilderton, Lt. 2, 111 + +Pelusium 7 + +Peronne 33, 34 + +Petain, Gen. 65 + +_Philp, Captain._ 77, 81, 87 + +Pont a Pierre 139 + +Pont Remy 32 + +Poperinghe 46, 50, 54 + +Port Said 28 + +Portuguese 72, 76 + +Potijze 48 + +Premy Chapel 38 + +Puisieux 97, 113, 114 + +Putney Bridge 60 + + +Rae, Major G. B. L. 100, 107, 113, 114, 119, 134, 138 + +Rafa 25, 27 + +Ramadan 6 + +Rawlinson. Gen. 55 + +_Ray, Lt. H. M._ 128 + +Redan 60, 61, 65 + +Red Dragon Crater 67 + +Rhone 31 + +Ribecourt 38, 127, 129 + +Riencourt 118-121 + +_Riley, Sgt. R._ 135 + +Roisel 36, 37 + +Romani 4, 6, 10, 16, 18 + +Ronssoy 36 + +Rose, Lt. & Q.M. 33 + +Ross-Bain, Lt. 3 + +Rossignol Wood 95, 96, 107 + +Ruyaul Court 40, 41 + + +Sabkhet 20 + +Sailly-au-Bois 99, 104 + +Salesches 139 + +Salmana 20 + +Sapignies 79, 80 + +Saunderson, Pte. G. 71 + +Scott, Major J. 2, 33 + +Scots Greys 121 + +Scottish Horse 3, 5 + +Selle River 134-138 + +Serre 97, 105, 106, 113, 114 + +Shallufa 28 + +Shields, C.S.M. J. 92, 130 + +Siddall, Lt. J. R. 130, 133 + +Sidi Bishr 18 + +_Sievewright Lt. M. J._ 32, 63 + +Smedley, Capt. 2 + +Smith, Lt. 103, 115, 130 + +Smithies, Lt. 119 + +Solesmes 135, 137 + +Solly-Flood, Maj.-Gen. 59, 68 + +Somme 32, 76, 96, 113, 135 + +Souastre 94, 101 + +Stanier, Lt. 116 + +St. Quentin 135 + +Sudan 1, 53, 101 + +Suez Canal 1, 4, 6, 8, 26, 28 + +Summers, Lce.-Cpl. 35 + + +Tabbron, C.S.M. 92, 133 + +Taylor, Capt. L. 56 + +Taylor, Lt. B. 32, 81 + +Templeux 36 + +Thiepval 45 + +Teteghem 65 + +_Thorp, Lt. W._ 16, 89, 101 + +Thorpe. Lt. C. R. 70 + +Thrutchley, Lt. F. D. 128, 133 + +Tillul 20 + +Timsa Lake 29 + +_Tinker, Capt. A. H._ 2, 16, 77, 89, 101 + +Titchener, Pte. E. 62, 63 + +Toronto Camp 50, 54 + +Townson, Capt. E. 3, 18, 41, 100 + +Trescault 126 + +Triangle 108-111 + +Tullibardine, Marquis of 3 + +Turk Top 2, 3 + +Twist, Lce.-Cpl. T. 116 + + +Vauchelles 93 + +Vendhuile 34 + +Versailles 32 + +Viesly 139 + +Vieux Mesnil 140 + +Villers-au-Flos 117-120, 122, 133 + +Villers Carbonel 33 + +Villers Faucon 34, 36 + + +Ward-Jones, Capt. A. 3, 17 + +Warlencourt 113, 116, 117, 122, 123 + +Warlington Crater 67 + +Watling Street 104 + +Wedgwood, Lt.-Col. 82, 87 + +Welch, Lt. 120 + +Welsh Ridge 126, 132 + +_Wender, Lt._ 102, 103 + +Westminster Bridge 67 + +_White, Pte. J._ 130 + +Wigan Copse 39-42 + +_Wilbraham, Pte. T._ 35 + +Wild, Lce.-Cpl. 62 + +Wilde Wood 52 + +Wilkinson, Lt. 2, 70, 91, 106, 117 + +Wilkinson, V.C., Pte. 137 + +Wilmer, Pte. R. 86 + +Wilson, Capt. S. J. 2, 77, 103, 107, 119, 124, 130, 131, 132, + 133, 134, 138 + +Windy Corner 67 + +Winizeele 54, 56 + +Wood, Lt. C. S. 2, 77, 103 + +_Wood, Lt. A. S._ 90 + +Wood, Capt. & Q.M. 117 + +Woods, Lt. 128 + +Woodward, Lt. 2 + +Woodworth, Lt. F. T. K. 93 + +Wormhoudt 65 + +Wright, Lt. 128 + + +Ypres 47-54, 55, 60, 62, 66 + +Yser 55 + +Ytres 37, 44, 121 + + +Zeebrugge 55 + + + +Printed by Shadwell & Son Ltd. +41, Granby Row, Manchester + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEVENTH MANCHESTERS*** + + +******* This file should be named 18659.txt or 18659.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/6/5/18659 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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