Norman Macleod

“ Again and again the Battalion was annihilated, but there were always plenty of recruits ready to uphold the honour of the Regiment. As was once said of the Cameron Highlanders in another great war: "Such troops may be annihilated, they can never be defeated." Nothing better reflects the fine spirit of the young men of Scotland, and their patriotic decision to defend their country at all costs, than the fact that the heavy casualty lists proved the best recruiting sergeant. ”

“ Out of the 1000 men serving then, how many are there still with us in the trenches?
Whatever officers and men there may be, must recall at times the old days which we spent so happily together. The training on the Downs, the long dusty march to Park House: these are now things of the past.
As we wade about in mud and water, it seems like a dream to think of Tower Hill, where we used to lie amongst the trees, well concealed from Generals, and eat our dinners from the cookers, which in those days were strange machines of unknown habits. ”

“ By this time the Army was once more realising the advantages of the rifle, which had for some time been sadly neglected in favour of the bomb, an instrument which is exceedingly useful in trench warfare where the sap-heads and trenches are a few yards from each other, but perfectly useless in more or less open warfare. The average man could not throw a bomb more than 20/30 yards, and at that range it was almost as dangerous to the thrower as to the enemy. It was extraordinary, however, what a hold it got of the troops, a large part of even the home training evidently being devoted to it. ”

“ Who is there left in the Battalion that used to come to the garden at Verquin to listen to the drums and pipes playing Retreat, in the days when we first began to know that we were to take part in one of the greatest battles of the age?
The little broken-down house, which was the Battalion Headquarters at Philosophe the night before Loos, is still there. Quality Street, instead of being a peaceful little village where one lived in comparative safety, is now battered every day by German shells. ”

“ We are proud of the dash and gallantry shewn by the 7th Battalion Cameron Highlanders under your command at the taking of Hill 70 at the Battle of Loos. To command such officers and men is indeed enviable—they have added fresh glory to the Cameron Highlanders, and their deeds will live in history. ”

“ In order to employ the men and keep them fit, we took up athletics very keenly. There were several good athletes who had formerly been prize winners both in the 6th and 7th. Once again we managed to prove ourselves the best Battalion in this respect. Every officer and man had to belong to a team, and there is no doubt that the officers taking a keen interest in the games made all the difference in the results.
Our football team won both in the Brigade and Division contests, and had a very tough fight before they were beaten in the Corps. ”

“ On 22nd February the 15th Division was inspected on Frensham Common by a distinguished French visitor under the most depressing weather conditions, as it snowed and rained alternately throughout the day.
The Battalion left Liphook and arrived at Cirencester on the 25th February. The men were practically all billeted in private houses, and never were they more happy and fit than in this fine old town. Who will ever forget the splendid deer park, with its beautiful woods and long, broad grass rides? But the kindness of the people themselves will always be uppermost in our minds. ”

“ It is difficult to give a general description of the front line in France and Belgium. It ranged from the breastworks and mud of Ypres to the crater areas and sap heads at Hulluch; where mines exploding were a daily occurrence, and the dead formed part of the parapet; or to the shell-hole area of the Somme, where the enemy looked down on the top of us and could get direct observation for his shell fire. Civilians and even Staff Officers doing a tour of the trenches were very properly sent to quiet areas, and so often formed wrong impressions. ”

“ As, however, the 6th Camerons were on our left, some of the men naturally got intermixed with them. The Battalion Headquarters were by this time in the front line, and all the Headquarter officers and men were used in the defence of the line. It was one of the advantages of having the Battalion Headquarters worked more or less on the principle of a Company, that this was so easily carried out: each Headquarter officer had his own section of men, and the men knew under whose command they had to place themselves. ”

“ The crushing defeat of the enemy on 9th April was due to the discipline, hard work, untiring energy, and magnificent gallantry of all ranks. Another page of honour has been added to the glorious record of the Division. The Divisional Commander wishes to thank every officer, N.C.O. and man, and he feels that it is indeed an honour to command the victorious 15th Division."
The signallers and runners during the battle of Arras had a severe time, owing to the heavy shell and machine gun fire. The system of deep buried cable had not yet been developed, all wires being laid over the open. ”

“ The Redoubt was now out of our hands, and the line taken ran just under the crest on the west, and was continued north of Loos by the 46th Brigade. To retire the van was no light task. Two officers, whose names deserve to be remembered, Major Crichton of the 10th Gordons, and Major Barron of the 7th Camerons, volunteered for the desperate mission. They fell in the task, but the order reached the stragglers, and they began to fight their way back. In the midst of encircling fire it was a forlorn hope, and few returned to the British lines on the Hill. ”

“ Do they realise, when the war is over, the longing to see some of their old officers again will be such as to defy description? Do they realise that little acts of unselfishness and kindness, performed every day in the trenches, will be amongst their most treasured remembrances, no matter whether they go out into the world or return to a life of ease and comfort? ”

“ He came out with the Battalion in 1915, and had taken part in all the fighting in which the Division had been engaged. A quiet, unassuming man, with a strong personality, he was known and loved not only by the officers and {85} men of his own Battalion, but throughout the Brigade. He seldom had a man of his Company before the C.O. In fact, the apparent pain which it gave to "W.G." to think that a man had done anything to bring disgrace on his beloved Company was the greatest punishment that man could have. ”

“ A considerable number of recruits also came from Inverness-shire, including not a few from the town of Inverness, where the Battalion was immensely popular. The Cameron Barracks were, of course, too small to accommodate more than a small proportion of the Battalion, but quarters were found for many in a distillery hard by. Here the comforts of life were lacking, many men having to sleep on a stone floor with only one blanket, but so fine was the spirit of the men that there was little or no grousing. ”

“ There are fresh troops in support of you now, but I want the honour of holding Arras to be yours alone."
General Ludendorff, in his Memoirs, practically attributes the turning point of his hopes of success to the failure of the 17th German Army to capture the heights East and North {14} of Arras, this "in spite of employing a vast amount of artillery and ammunition." I am sure all comrades of the 15th (Scottish) Division will agree that no unit of ours deserved more credit for stopping the Germans in front of Arras than the 7th Cameron Highlanders. ”

“ Only one Company Officer got back. Some more men came in next morning, but the total number that returned from the fight never reached 100. Luckily, several officers and men who had been left out at the transport line form a nucleus round which to reconstruct the Battalion.
To sum up: the enemy's barrage fire successfully annihilated our right and left flank, the evident intention being to surround those left in the centre. All the officers of the front Company being casualties, the line was methodically withdrawn under N.C.O.'s. The support Companies had more or less the same experience. ”

“ It was found almost impossible to keep the men in their billets, as, being much interested in this new experience, they would rush into the streets whenever a shell burst, in order to see the effect, and to collect fragments as souvenirs. They very soon got tired of this habit.
On 21st July Lieut.-Colonel M'Dougall of Lunga, who commanded the 10th Gordon Highlanders, was killed while making a tour of the trenches. He was buried at Houchin with full Military Honours. Colonel M'Dougall was a splendid type of Highland officer and gentleman, and was the first officer casualty in the Division. ”

“ Even Christmas at Allouagne, the concerts in the Recreation Room, and the boxing in the Hospital yard, are beginning to fade away in the distance.
Although we have recently been lucky, yet there are many of our comrades who marched off from Noeux-les-Mines in January, but will never answer their names again at Roll Call. Some have been buried at Loos, within a few yards of where we fought on the 25th, and some have been buried in the trenches.
{38} I often wonder whether the men of the Battalion realise the link that is being formed amongst us. ”

“ A great portion of the Battalion entered Monchy, where they were placed under command of a Colonel of the Essex Yeomanry, who was in charge of the troops there. No one who was in Monchy is likely to forget the sight. The casualties had been heavy amongst both men and horses, some of the latter being literally blown to pieces. Later, orders were issued to O.C. Companies to withdraw and link up with the Gordons from a line about 100 yards in front of the sunken road. ”

“ Justly proud in the knowledge that time cannot wither, nor the centuries deface, the glorious memory of these heroic achievements, every officer, non-commissioned officer and man, whose honour it was to serve with the 7th Battalion, derives his highest pleasure and his truest satisfaction from the reflection that he performed his duty ”

“ It is very difficult even to imagine the misery and discomfort which the men suffered. The so-called trenches were full of water and mud up to the men's knees. It was almost impossible for the ration and water parties to get either up or down.
During the second afternoon of this downpour the German Artillery got on to our front line trench, blew in a machine-gun emplacement and knocked down a considerable portion of the parapet, one man being killed and two wounded. ”

“ Signallers and runners were picked men, as the work was not only arduous and dangerous, but required both judgment and commonsense. We were lucky with the men chosen, as they on this and all other occasions did their work well, showing courage and devotion to duty.
At the close of this phase of the battle, Lieut.-Colonel Crichton went down the line sick, the command of the Battalion being taken over by Major MacLeod. The Battalion was billeted in Arras up till the 23rd April, re-organising and absorbing fresh drafts. ”

“ Twenty-four hours after this these men marched out of Mazingarbe, headed by the pipes and drums, with their buttons cleaned and their equipment polished in so smart a manner that they were mistaken for a new draft, and were greeted with shouts from those whom they passed: "Wait till you have been in the trenches, and you won't look like that." ”

“ The Major in Command and many others become casualties.
This information being received at the Battalion Headquarters, the Commanding Officer decided to go forward and try to re-organise {82} the attack. The communication trench was filled with 9th Gordons, and it became necessary to advance over the open, which was a slow process, as the ground was being swept by machine guns. On reaching the front line it was found crowded with troops, in consequence of the Seaforths, who were in support, having moved forward into the front line when our Battalion had advanced to the attack. ”

“ Thus signallers were under the Signalling Officer, runners and observers under the Observation Officer. Each section had its own battle position in defence of Headquarters, and "stood to" morning and evening in these positions under the command of their officers. If Headquarter rations had been left to the four Companies to provide, and there had been no fighting organisation, it would have led not only to great discomfort but to considerable danger, in the event of a successful attack by the enemy, such indeed as that which occurred in March, 1918. ”

“ On the 14th October we were instructed to send over two small fighting patrols, consisting of 1 officer and 4 O.R.'s each. The idea was that, while a raid was being conducted on our right, these patrols should cross "No Man's Land," enter the German trench, and, if possible, seize some identifications. It was not intended that they should search the German trench, but simply rush over and back again. The raid was to be assisted with a preliminary discharge of thermite shells and a ten minutes' bombardment with trench mortars. ”

“ The transport were generally in lines about La Boiselle Crater. Sometimes those in the {67} front line imagined that the transport had a "cushy" time. But one is rather apt to think that the "other man" has the best of a bargain. No doubt they did not suffer the casualties of front-line troops, but their hours were long and weary. By night they struggled up with the rations, etc., often through shell fire, their carts up to the axles in mud, and the mules sometimes being nearly drowned by falling into shell-holes, out of which it was a long and weary business to extricate them. ”

“ The artillery support never came, and we held back the counter attack till 10.30, as we did not wish to advance in case we should walk into our own fire. As a matter of fact not one of our messages ever got through.
About 10.30 a.m. the C.O. received a message from the O.C. "A" Company 6th Camerons, who were on our left, stating that his flank was now in the air, and that the enemy were as far back as Feuchy Chapel Crossroads on his left and rear, and he asked what he should do. ”

“ On the night of the 2/3rd August we took over the trenches for the first time at Maroc, holding the extreme right of the British line. Opposite to us were the now famous Towers of Loos, from which the enemy had good observation over our whole system. The Battalion while in reserve in this sector was billeted in Mazingarbe. While there a Church Parade was held in the grounds of the Chateau, which belonged to a rich mine owner of the district. ”

“ The next day we were relieved by the 8/10th Gordons and proceeded to Eerie Camp. Our casualties were, 4 officers killed, 5 officers wounded, 3 other ranks killed, and 132 wounded. The time was now employed in re-constructing the Battalion and carrying out preliminary training. The Division then received orders to move south.
General Sir H. P. Gough, K.C.B., Officer Commanding the 5th Army, stated in a farewell message to the 15th Division that "he parted with them with great regret. The reputation of the Division has been earned on many battlefields, and has never stood higher than now. ”

“ On the 23rd February we carried out a small raid on the enemy's trenches at 3.30 a.m. The party consisted of 28 other ranks of "A" Company under command of 2nd Lieut. A. R. M'Donald. The raid proved a success. The German trenches were found to be unoccupied, but 4 men were caught in a sap head, one of whom was killed and 3 brought back as prisoners, so we succeeded in getting the identification which was required. Our casualties were nil. For this we received the congratulations of both the Corps and Brigade Commanders. ”

“ About 8 a.m. the Battalion Flag, which consisted of one of the Divisional yellow distinguishing flags, with a patch of Cameron tartan taken from an old kilt sewn on to it, was planted on Hill 70, and remained flying till midnight, when we withdrew. Throughout the operations the flag was carried by Scout-Sergeant Lamb, and on more than one critical occasion he rallied men of all regiments by waving them back to the Hill. This flag has been presented to the Depot, and is now in the Officers' Mess at Inverness. ”

“ THE BRITISH WITHDRAWAL AND GERMAN ATTACK, 28th MARCH, 1918. By the end of December, 1917, rumours began to circulate regarding a great German offensive. Everyone had to sleep with their clothes on, all troops, even in the reserve billets in Arras, had to "stand to" before sun rise every morning until orders to "stand down" were received from Brigade. Sleeping in your clothes is never comfortable or refreshing. ”

“ Semple and Morton, as these two splendid young officers had only on the day before the attack been awarded the Military Cross for their conspicuous gallantry in the raid which had taken place a few days previously. They were killed while the sincere congratulations of all ranks still sounded in their ears. ”

“ For a time our right was insecure, as the Black Watch, who had attacked the village of Guemappe, had not succeeded in holding it, and had been driven out by the enemy. About 12 mid-day a new barrage was formed, under which we pushed forward the posts in the sunken road, advancing to a part of "Hammer Trench." ”

“ No officer or other rank returned from the platoons on the flanks, and out of the 4 Companies 1 officer and about 150 other ranks returned to the switch line. The men at all times shewed a good fighting spirit. The rapid fire, together with the subsequent sniping which was brought to bear on the enemy must have caused him heavy casualties. It was noticed early in the fight that the enemy brought up a light gun with pack animals. He also mounted several machine guns, which caused heavy casualties when the line was withdrawn from the switch line. ”