September 1915

1^st.Battalion inspected by General Sir Herbert Plumer KCB with the 2^nd Battalion Royal Scots and 4^th Gordon Highlanders. He expressed his satisfaction. The commanding officer and the adjutant reconnoitered the trenched to be occupied next time it goes into the firing line. Classes continued as usual in the morning.

2^nd. Battalion resting. Classes continued as usual in the morning. Ay 5:00 pm the Battalion moved to another rest camp in H 13 C. Great difficulty was experienced in obtaining any form of covering for the men and 6 tents from the officers and hop poles and canvas sufficient for about half the Battalion was secured with difficulty from RE by the evening. It rained incessantly for 24 hours and the bivouac ground became a swamp. Machine gun officer and Sgt. and Sniper officer and Sgt. visited the trenches.

3rd. Spent the day draining the bivouac grounds and putting up fresh bivouac. The rain stopped at about 6 PM. A company and the bombers and snipers bathed at DICKEBUSCH. Too wet for classes.

4th. Classes continued as usual. There were 18 sick which nine was sent to Field Ambulance. As this is nearly twice our usual number of admissions to Field Ambulance for the whole week presumably due to wet camping ground. Lieutenants C. A. B. Cook and E. J. B. King, W. C. Steele and 40 NCOs and men joined the Battalion.

5th. Holy Communion at 8:30 AM. Church parade arranged for 10:30 had to be canceled due to the weather. D company (50 offices and 150 men) worked under R. E. Supervision at I 16 C5 .8. No casualties. Captains Hanley, Williams, Tate and Lieut. Farr reconnoiter trenches. Classes as usual.

6th. Nothing of importance occurred during the day.

7th. Classes continued. Rapid loading, aiming and firing practiced by all companies in all companies route marched. Fine day in the camp dried considerably. Capt. Johnson, Lieut. Townsend and Milland reconnoitered communication trenches to be repaired by the Battalion.

8th. Classes continued. Bombing machine gun musketry and route marching. Captains Wollocomb and Potter reconnoitered the HOOGE position and communication trenches to be repaired by the Battalion.

9th. Company and Pioneer offices went up to reconnoiter in SANCTUARY WOOD to settle accommodations for the Battalion. Lieut. Going, Talbut and Cook went up to reconnoiter the approaches to the firing line from SANCTUARY WOOD. Classes continued as usual. Six offices and 200 men from the A and B companies worked under R. E. Supervision at the MOATED GRANGE in I 16 C and ZILLEBEKE SWITCH. C company worked in Regent Street communication trench. One man wounded in C company.

10th. Classes continued as usual. Sent up loading potties of NCOs and 10 men for each company with a three GS wagon H to draw 5000 sandbags. 53 timbers, 200 sheets of corrugated iron and to take it to SANCTUARY WOOD with an offset for each company and the Pioneer officer will laying out dugouts for the Battalion. An officer and platoon from each company went up during the night to build them during the next day. Also, the pioneers and a party of machine gunners and snipers to build a headquarters dugout.

11th. Classes continued as usual. The same loading parties and materials sent to SANCTUARY WOOD and the same working parties at 2 AM. Orders received in the evening will move up brigade to the HOOGE position in the Battalion to YPRES ramparts tomorrow.

12th. Holy Communion 8:30 AM. Church of England parade service 10:30 AM. R. C. service 9:30 AM. Nothing happened until 4 PM when the usual loading parties was sent off with the 12 G. S. Wagons for materials to SANCTUARY WOOD. At 6:15 PM the Battalion marched off to the YPRES ramparts where it took over from the Royal Irish rifles. The machine gun detachment sent to guns to take from 2nd.  South Lanks Regiment at YEOMANRY POST and one gun to a position in the rear of C3 trench. Working parties returned from SANCTUARY WOOD to the Ramparts. Two men wounded in SANCTUARY WOOD.

13th. Nothing happened during the day at the Ramparts. Working platoons left at 3 AM, also six snipers and six signalers for work at SANCTUARY WOOD. Battalion ordered to do salvage work in brigade area. An officer from each company sent out to mark down serviceable articles in daylight and one platoon per company sent out to collect them at night. A great number of rifles and heaps of equipment and supplies were brought in. One man (machine gunner) wounded during the day.

14th. Nothing happened during the day. Parties engaged in salvage work in one platoon to company and the pioneers, six snipers, 12 bombers and six signalers engaged on completion of dugout in SANCTUARY WOOD. The bombing Sgt. killed in SANCTUARY WOOD during salvage work.

15th. Nothing of importance occurred during the day. One man wounded in SANCTUARY WOOD. Engaged in building dugouts. Three parties from each company now remain in the woods permanently for work. More salvage work carried out.

16th. Nothing of importance occurred during the day. Two men wounded in SANCTUARY WOOD whilst building dugouts. More salvage work carried out. Orders received that the company occupying caseinates in the ramparts and headquarters would move into cellars in YPRES to make room for the 3^rd Divisional staff tomorrow morning at 8 AM. A fatigue party of 200 men sent up in the evening to digging the trench line. The party however went to the wrong rendezvous and the two offices and three NCOs had been sent to reconnoiter the work line in daylight. The party was never found.

17th. Changed headquarters into the RUE DE LILLE  and B Company moved into cellars and the post office and a convent in the same street. The same working party was sent up into SANCTUARY WOOD at night but increased to 300 men. No casualties.

18th. Spent the day cleaning and doing salvage work in the morning and in the afternoon starting at 2 PM moved to SANCTUARY WOOD in small parties of under 10 and NCO until dusk when the parties were increased to one platoon at a time. The Battalion, except for the transport and handover representatives, had all left YPRES by 7 PM. No casualties during the day (although YPRES and the Battalions all around were heavily shelled all day) or during the relief.

19th. A great shortage of material was discovered and though work had not been hindered by this owing to a large supply of sandbags being available yet few dugouts could be improved as only a very few baulks and sheets of corrugated iron were issued. The guns of both sides shelled pretty freely at dawn, especially ours and in the afternoon at about 4:40 PM the Germans opened very heavily on the wood with both high and low bursting shrapnel. The bombardment lasted 1 1/4 hours but we only had one man wounded by a splinter. Two other men were hit by a sniper in a spot when another man had previously been hit. Dug 250 yards of new communication trench

20th. Soon after dawn two men were killed and three wounded by the same sniper as before and afterwards an English bullet fired by the same man was found. It was a new rifle plainly as the grooves were exceedingly well marked on the bullet. Our snipers went up to find him and they succeeded. He was about 30 feet up a tree with a hole board through the tree to snipe through. Tomorrow we are getting the regiment occupying that part of the trench to turn a machine gun on him from both sides as soon as he starts sniping. Dug about 200 yards more of the communication trench and ran it into an old existing one which we had draining.

21st.Our artillery bombarded very heavily for an hour at 4:45 AM just on the left of the brigade front.

22nd. The sniper did not start sniping until 9:30 AM when our sniping officer went up to deal with him in conjunction with the Northumberland Fusiliers. Continued working on the dugouts and the draining of the old communication trench. Very heavy bombardment to the north of the trench for several hours. The sniper’s tree was hit by shrapnel but he was not silenced. Bombardment took place from 4 to 4:45 PM of the trenches in front of SANCTUARY WOOD. One man wounded.

23rd. Continue digging on communication trench and joined the 1st Gordons HQ to main trench. Continue digging on communication trenches day and night. Germans started bombarding before dawn and our guns replied with a 50 minute bombardment chiefly on their guns. Heavy thunderstorms. Arrange for reserve communication and water supply.

24th. Put down flooring boards in communication trenches which was very wet and muddy. Continued work on dugouts and the water supply. Major Greenway and four men wounded by the sniper who got 13 men various units during the day.

25th. Bombardment by our guns started at 3:50 AM. They shelled the Germen front line from 3:50 AM to 5 AM and parts in the rear from 4 to 4:30 AM. Four mines went up at 4:19 AM and two at 4:19 1/2 a.m. and the Royal Scots, the 1st. Gordon Highlanders and the 4th. Gordon Highlanders were assaulted at 4:20 AM. Prisoners and wounded started coming down at about 6:30 AM and continued to do so for about two hours. At about 10:30 AM we heard that the frontline was giving way partly on account of artillery fire and partly from lack of bombs. The battalion bombers assisted in detonating the brigade supply of bombs. About this time orders were received to send a party of bombers and two platoons of support to bomb up the communication trenches leading to the FORT which the 4th.Gordon Highlanders had taken in the assault and had been driven out of it again. The other two platoons of this company (D company) was sent at the same time to relieve the remnants of the 4th. Gordons. In about another hour the company was sent up to garrison B 8 and B 8 support. The communication trenches had all been blown in with trench mortars, heavy and field gun shells and both companies were heavily shelled but managed to stop in the trenches without suffering very heavily casualties. C company was sent up at about 3 PM to reinforce the Royal Scots who had had to retire owing to the fact that the Germans had got between them and the 3th. Gordon. They were also very heavily shelled but did not lose very many men. About 5:30 PM the Battalion was ordered to relieve the Royal Scots in B3, B4 and 1/2 of B7. A company was sent up to 1/2 B4 and B7 and B Company relieved C company in 1/2 B4 and 1/2 B3. They worked solidly overnight and made the firing line continuous. Casualties during the day, five men killed, second Lieut. C. A. B. Cook and 30 men wounded and one man slightly wounded.

26th.  Worked all day on the firing line and communication trenches and at night on the end of the B4 salient which had been too badly damaged by the previous days bombardment to be occupied. At about 11 PM our bombers saw some Germans just in front of them and bombs them back to their lines. Lieut. Farr and Sgt. Remnant, the bombing office and Sgt. reaching the German and trench in the enterprise. Lieut. Farr was badly wounded in the leg by a shell splinter just after getting back to lines. This enterprise started a large artillery duel as news reached the brigade that we are being attacked and they sent the SOS signal around the field batteries who immediately open rapid fire which spread to the heavy artillery. A great deal of confusion started amongst the working parties in the rear of the firing line and the ration parties at the dump but all was quiet again in about three quarters of an hour. Another working party was out at the time making an old sap into a firing trench; this work had to cease temporarily. The firing line was blown in in several places again but was repaired by dawn. Casualties chiefly owing to this bombardment. Capt. A. E. Bulloch RAMC and second Lieut. H. P. Oche and two men killed. Lieut. Farr P.W. and 22 men wounded. Second Lieut. G. C. Redpath slightly wounded. The medical officer who had been continuously with the battalion since September 14, 1914 was killed by a stray bullet on the dumping grounds. The Germans had their frontline very badly knocked about by the bombardment and a lot of dead was seen next morning in front of the trenches.

27th. Worked hard at the trenches in the daytime which was very quiet and at night (also quiet) the nose of the B4 salient was finished and occupied. The sap in B3 was to have been wired and converted into a fire trench but the snipers of the enemy were too active and the night so light that work was slow and the R. E. Party did not get the wire out. Casualties; Lieut. Talbot and one a man killed, second Lieut. A. D. Herbert wounded.

28th. Nothing happened during the day except the work on the trenches and salvage work was carried out as usual. After dark a party working on the point of B4 salient met the Germans and bombing and rifle fire broke out. The commanding officer ordered the guns to fire shrapnel and to ease down as the firing and bombing in the trenches quieted down. The brigade however sent the SOS signal which was answered with great effect by the guns. They did a great deal of damage to the Germans frontline working parties in front of the trenches leaving many corpses on the ground as visible next morning. A fair amount of confusion however was caused by the sudden outburst amongst fatigue and working parties in the rear of our own firing line but as far as could be ascertained none of these belonged to the Middlesex Regiment. Casualties during the day, one man wounded.

29th. Nothing happened during the morning or the afternoon but at about 4:30 PM the enemy sprung a mine on the left of the battalion front. Shortly afterwards the enemy’s bombers rushed across from the northern side of the crater into the back of B4 (our left trench) clearing the trench before our bombers could get into action. Our bombers stopped them and the line was adjusted across the salient from POLLOCK STREET through B2S to the middle of B7 (the right trench of the next Regiment) but leaving a gap between us and the Suffolks on our left from the Central Avenue. Orders were received from the brigade to organize a counterattack as soon as possible.

30th. After working all night for the arrival of an adequate supply of bombs it was decided to attack at 2 PM with an inadequate supply by high authority. Owing to the HAC not getting up into the line in time it was put off until 3 PM. Our bombardment of the enemy’s trenches started at 3 PM and lasted for one quarter of an hour. It was very effective but did not cut the barbed wire of the front line. At 3:15 the bombing columns advanced to the attack. Good progress was made along B4 by the Middlesex and by the Suffolks along the north of the salient but the Royal Scots was very soon held up by wire blocks in the trenches. From this time forward there was a constant succession of checks along the advancing front owing to the shortage of bombs and on account of this shortage in about 4:30 PM the various columns were ordered to dig in its most advanced position that they had arrived at and keep their bombs to repel a hostile bomb attack. Without a small supply of bombs for this purpose we might be driven out of the trenches altogether. This order was carried out in the position then ran from 25 yards from the crater in B7 through BS$, B2S, POLLOCK STREET, CRABSTON TERRACE which line was consolidated and is now held. Our casualties for the whole two were as follows;

six offices in 33 men killed

eight offices in 119 men wounded

117 men missing

Considerable damage appears to have been done by hostile machine guns from the list of the crater. Previous orders to the 60-pound trench howitzer battery were given to devote its attention to the crater. This weapon however broke down after one round. There is little doubt that, had we had an adequate supply of bombs in the first instant, the whole of the lost trench would have been quickly and easily recaptured.

Two lines were ordered to be dug and wired during the night. This was done with the help of R. E. and 4th. South Lanks but the R. E. arrived too late to the the front line. It was noticed by an officer who rushed to the front at the moment of the first sign of alarm that the garrison of B4 was in the trench still. They had not left their position and had been killed by the enemy bombs. The conduct of second Lieut. R. P. Hallowes was an example to all. He showed great coolness and resolution on this and previous occasions. When mortally wounded he still went on encouraging his men. His last remarks being “men we can only die once, if we have to die, let us die like men – like diehards!

Strength: 14 officers, 540 men

Recommendations;

VC. Lt. R. P. Hallowes

D.C.M.            Sgt. Rennant, L/Sgt. Davis, A/Sgt. Lansworth, Pte’s Granger, Tanner, Wildman.

Mentioned in Dispatches    Cpl. Simmons, Pte Simonds