J. Crossley

“ Villages were wiped completely out of existence—Fricourt, Mametz, Carnoy, Maricourt, Montauban, all a tumbled heap of rubble; woods were laid waste. Saddest of all there was not a blade of green grass visible. Trenches were everywhere blown out of recognition. In every direction disused gun pits with piles of empty shell cases showed how the artillery had advanced. Disrupted sandbags littered the broken earth. A poignant reminder that victory is not purchased without cost lay in the newly-delved earth, where blue flags were fluttering over the dead. ”

“ The attack you made on the 31st is worthy to rank with the great deeds of the British Army in the past, and has added fresh glory to the record of that Army.
The courage, determination, and self-sacrifice shown by Officers, Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and men is beyond praise. It is a fine exhibition of true discipline, which comes from the mutual confidence of all ranks in themselves, their comrades, their leaders and those under them. This in its turn is the product of hard training. Your doings on the 31st show how well you have turned this training to account. ”

“ We made Sombrin on the first day after a tiring and dusty march. On the 22nd July the personnel of the Battalion were conveyed by motor bus to Berneuil, the transport moving independently by road. Here we practised the attack by sectional rushes. Before daylight had set in on the 25th the Battalion was on the march, shaping its course through Fienvillers to Candas where other troops, battle-stained and cheerful, laughed at us through the mud and filth which days of incessant fighting had imprinted on their faces. It was the first visible sign of the great offensive. ”

“ The Battalion played no part, save that of spectators, in the Second Army’s capture of the Messines Ridge on June 7th. But before that operation lavish use of scaling ladders and shrapnel helmets was made in our trenches in order to deceive the enemy as to the front from which the expected attack would be delivered. At 3.10 a.m. on June 7th the Battalion saw to the south-east of Ypres nineteen gigantic poppies rise out of the darkness, the firing of the mines upon which the tunnelling companies had been occupied for two years; and even to-day the sight remains imprinted upon the visual memory. ”

“ In the meantime no dejection of spirits must be allowed to usurp the place of contentment and good cheer. The guns were still ranged solidly against the enemy and pulverising his trenches. His own artillery, admittedly well-handled, was redoubling its opposition. More and more troops, eager to win renown, and excited by the unwonted activity, were pouring up towards the line. Defeated and despairing, the Germans, stung to a paroxysm of frenzy, were hurling themselves on their lost positions. ”

“ When taken over there were practically no dugouts and the men not actually on duty had to rest lying in the mud in the trench bottom, not even on duck boards, these luxuries being few and far between.
The bodies of troops engaged in the last assault lay unburied, and the collection of identity discs, the burial of the dead, heavy labour at trench construction, and constant readiness to repel a counter-attack, heat and overpowering smell in the day, and intense cold at night, and, withal, a shortage of water, were the first experiences. ”

“ It was in these trenches that the French army had lived, relieved only at irregular intervals. In the parados men had dug holes, where, two by two, they slept like dogs in kennels, a curtain of rough sacking fixed by a rusty bayonet, serving as a protection from wind and rain and sun. Inside one eats, sleeps, sings, and sometimes dies. The shelters of the officers are a little larger, and the first-aid posts have the choice of security. Each company has its telephone and telegraph instruments. ”

“ Not an inch of ground but was covered by war material and troops resting. Mametz Road presented an unparalleled scene of activity. Never for an instant was it idle. There were up-roads and down-roads everywhere. Ammunition, food, guns went up the one in constant streams; wounded and fatigued men, empty ammunition and ration limbers, came [61] rolling back on the other. Whenever any portion of the road showed signs of wear, either by shell fire or natural attrition, gangs of men from labour battalions set to work, metalling and restoring. These men were nearly all over age. ”

“ Not only in aeroplanes were we seemingly supreme. Observational work by aircraft was necessarily hasty and brief. It was the captive balloon that supplied [62] the more detailed and continuous information. These balloons were connected to earth by telephone. As many as twenty-five could be counted swinging lazily in the breeze. Indeed, the increasing salient of our battle-front, as we bit deeper and deeper into the German defences, could be gauged by the wide crescent of these aerial outposts. ”

“ This, then, was our first introduction to the Ypres salient. Many times in the early days we had hovered on its brink, and it seemed strange that we should be only now making its close acquaintance, eighteen months afterwards. Although we felt ourselves a little disappointed with our renewed acquaintance with the Flemish fogs and flats, we gradually adapted ourselves to the changed conditions. A year had made a vast difference in our powers of appreciation. ”

“ Every evening until the 19th the Battalion paraded as strong as possible for work in the forward area. Intense activity was apparent everywhere, and there were visible signs that operations on a large scale were in early contemplation.
The objective of the Flanders offensive was the freeing of the north-west of Belgium. The attack was delayed, partly owing to the vastness of the preparations to be made on ground largely overlooked by the enemy, partly to the policy of associating the hard-hit French with the work of freeing part of Belgium. ”

“ The subsequent careers of the two Divisions—the 51st and 55th—on the Western Front, both of which won outstanding reputations, serves but to emphasise the sentiments of respect for a fine Division, which were ours throughout the time we had the unique honour of serving with them. Times were changing, and we were to get back to our own Lancashire formation. What was to be our last stay in Hénencourt was very short, and on the 3rd the Battalion girded itself together and set off on a series of marches, by fairly easy stages, for its new destination. ”

“ The new bivouacs were devoid of any comfort whatsoever. A few shelters were improvised for the night, but very few enjoyed satisfactory shelter. Funkholes were dug at irregular intervals, in case the enemy opened artillery fire. In the murky and rainy night, when men arrived in driblets from heavy working parties, covered with mud from head to foot, limping with fatigue, and hungry as only men are hungry when much strenuous labour is required, there were often no means of showing these poor wretches the many pitfalls that lay in their path. ”

“ Snipers crept out to position on spoil heaps, from which they kept down enemy observation prior to the attack, and kept down enemy fire during the attack, by firing on such targets as exposed themselves.
At 6 a.m. visibility became very poor, a slight rain falling. Our own Stokes Mortars fired intermittently on the crater areas up to the time when the rockets were fired at zero hour. One of our aeroplanes flew low over the craters, drawing only a very slight machine gun fire. On the firing of the rockets at 7.20 a.m., the assaulting troops immediately advanced under splendid leadership. ”

“ The 8th Liverpools commenced to arrive and moved two Companies to the old fire trench, and one to support. Battalion Headquarters got into touch with the firing line through Lieut. Taylor, the Bombing Officer. Lieut. A. A. Wright, in charge of the Machine Gun Section, was ordered to reinforce the firing line. This move commenced, but could not be completed and the machine guns were buried as the result of enemy shell fire. All the Companies concerned exhibited great gallantry and performed their duties with devotion, and showed fine discipline and steadiness, and excellent fighting qualities. ”

“ On the 21st we relieved the 6th Black Watch in Authuille village, with “C” Company in Mound Keep, the time being devoted to cleaning shelters and putting up wire beds. The enemy put over thirty-two shells in the vicinity of Mound Keep, which seemed to be intended for MacMahon’s Blockhouse. No shell hit the building and no casualties or damage was done. We marked Christmas Day by moving into the front line in relief of the 4th Loyals, and the Germans shelled Martinsart and killed one of our mules. We were thankful to find the trenches comparatively dry, and after being worked at, habitable. ”

“ It was not to be expected that men fresh from the country, many of whom had never seen an express train before, could carry out these duties on a section of line such as the one for which the Battalion was responsible, without some casualties occurring. During the time the Battalion was employed on this duty several good men lost their lives in the service of their country, who would no doubt have preferably made the same sacrifice, had the opportunity been given them, against a more vulnerable foe than an express train. ”

“ On the evening of the 8th the Battalion relieved the 4th South Lancashire Regiment in the right sub-sector of the Potijze Sector, and started work immediately on the trenches and patrolling. During the night of the 11th the battalions on our left and right made raids on the enemy line, and we suffered a few casualties in consequence. During the night of the 13th our patrol of two officers and three other ranks encountered a strong enemy patrol of fifteen to twenty men and dispersed them. ”

“ Practically no casualties were sustained. What it must have been like for the Companies out in the open can only be imagined, but in the Battalion Headquarters’ dugout, with entrance conveniently facing the enemy, the occupants waited, with what philosophy they could, for a shell to intrude and sever their connection with the Third Battle of Ypres. ”

“ In the fighting in the German trenches the enemy had the advantage of an adequate supply of bombs, whereas our supply became exhausted and the bombers were handicapped owing to forward ammunition dumps having been destroyed by the enemy’s artillery. The deciding factor, however, appeared to be the withering cross fire which the enemy was able to bring to bear upon our troops when crossing no man’s land. ”

“ The favourable features of the ground were everywhere transformed into miniature fortresses of amazing strength, from whose loop-holed bastions machine guns in countless numbers pushed their deadly muzzles.
August, 1916
The sector of trenches occupied by us lay on the extreme right of the British position, before Guillemont. On our right were the 156th Regiment of Infantry, 10th Corps, French Army, and on our left the 8th Liverpools. Guillemont was marked for early attack, but the time was not yet. Artillery activity on both sides was continuous. The enemy appeared to be nervous. ”

“ Here men are reading, others are writing home those few words which mothers, wives and sweethearts alone cherish for their preciousness. There a stretcher-bearer is binding up a wound. By raising the head a strip of blue sky can be seen. Yes, the sky can be blue at the front, the flowers can bloom, and the birds can sing. ”

“ For ten days the Battalion enjoyed immunity from the strain of exacting work. The usual parades were held to preserve discipline and efficiency. After the routine of daily parades and inspections it was customary for a few of us to ride or cycle into Poperinghe, about six kilometres distant. Poperinghe was the point of convergence for the military in the Ypres salient, as Béthune was for the La Bassée sector, Doullens for Arras, and Amiens for the Somme. ”

“ Much time was spent in removing mud from equipment and clothing. This tenacious element, matter in the wrong place, added considerably to the difficulties of marching. On this day we marched back to trenches and relieved a unit of the 153rd Brigade on the left of “F.1” sector at Aveluy. Three Companies were in the firing line and one in support. The front line was divided into three groups, the spaces in between being impassable owing to mud. The trench in the middle of the salient was badly smashed up by a bombardment a few days previously. Battalion Headquarters were at Lower Donnet. ”

“ Sweat ran down and grooved the dirt upon their foreheads and cheeks. Many lacked full equipment. Battalions came out under the command of subalterns, careworn and ageing. Limbers and wagons were rushing up towards the line with food for the men and ammunition for the guns. In happy contrast to the stricken remnants returning from battle were our fresh troops pouring in as reinforcements.
From Méricourt we marched to Méaulte, near Albért, where the Town Major had a particularly trying experience in accommodating Battalion after Battalion in a very restricted area. ”

“ Vickers were situated, caused great difficulty in obtaining the necessary number of men to recruit its ranks up to war strength. In addition to this, the constant withdrawal of men—chiefly those formerly employed by Messrs. Vickers—who had already undergone a lengthened period of training, and of whom several had become efficient N.C.O’s, was a severe handicap. The result of these conditions was that the Battalion was not sufficiently up to strength to proceed overseas with the remainder of the Brigade, the units of which commenced to leave Sevenoaks during the second week in February, 1915. ”

“ At midnight on the 24th March our Artillery opened a heavy barrage of all calibres, including trench mortars, machine guns, rifle grenades and thermite, on the enemy trenches, and a successful raid was carried out by the 5th King’s Liverpool Regt. on our left, and nine prisoners were taken. Enemy retaliation was practically nil. On examination, these prisoners stated that an attack was imminent. In view of this statement the 5th Lancashire Fusiliers were ordered up to the Village Line to strengthen the defences, one Company being attached to our Battalion. ”

“ The enemy wire was found to be very thick and generally unbroken, and his barrage was quickly put down on our front line and approaches. This barrage increased as time went on; guns from both flanks evidently being brought into action. The Right Flank made good progress in spite of strong [103] opposition, and all but gained their final objective. The Centre Company from the start encountered heavy machine gun fire, and when they reached the enemy immediate support line, were met with showers of bombs and rifle grenades, the enemy making a very stubborn resistance. ”