Jan
February
Mar
Lonsdale Battalion events that took place on 10 February.
For events that took place elsewhere, see our sister project The Great War On This Day
1915 (Wednesday)
1916 (Thursday)
- Aveluy: In the F1 sector. The front is fairly quiet.
- Casualties: One other rank is killed, one wounded and two suffering from Shell Shock.
- “Edge of a night strafe; an anxious time; the people who have been here for months made no proper dug-outs; the Germans are 16 feet underground. Lachrymatory shells,[note 1] 9 inch, filled the valley with dense smoke which entailed the use of gas helmets instantly...This business near us was no small matter. The battalion that got it (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) had been at Loos and Ypres, and never saw anything like it. I hear the Boches have travelling outfits of very heavy guns, which go about and make hay at different points.” – Lt-Col. P. W. Machell[2]
1917 (Saturday)
- Battalion parades in full fighting order and marches to Beaumont Hamel in accordance with Operation Orders received and Battalion Operation Orders No.10 – the 97th Brigade being detailed to drive the enemy from the ridge running out of Ten Tree Alley on the night of the 10/11th.
- Whilst at a quarry in Beaumont Hamel, tea and a ration of rum is issued. Bombs and Lewis Gun ammunition are also issued. At 6pm the first platoon (from D Company), move off from the quarry. Guides are left along the route to be followed up to the tape: 'Wagon Road' – 'Walker Quarry' – Top of 'Walker Avenue' across to 'Gough Post' – 'Franfort Post'. Other platoons follow at an interval of 100 yards along this route.
- C Company under Captain Ross, is the first to move along and takes up this position at the tape.
- B Company under Captain Walker, follows C Company and takes up position on the tape in same formation as Battalion Center.
- A Company Captain Greenhill, follows B Company and takes up position on the left in different formation.
- D Company under Lieutenant Harris, with two platoons closes up in rear and right of C Company to deal with enemy posts, plus two platoons as Battalion Reserve.
- The Battalion is in position at 7.30pm with Headquarters located at 'Frankfort Post'. The Battalion frontage is 350 yards. Zero hour is 8.30pm, when an artillery barrage opens up. On commencement the Lonsdales advance from their position closely follow a creeping barrage towards their objective. The men behaved splendidly and kept well up with the barrage right on to their objective.
- The first message is sent back from the Reserve Company (D) at 9.30pm to say all objectives had been captured and consolidation in progress. The first batch of 35 prisoners are sent back soon after positions are captured and the Commanding Officer, Col. Girdwood, moves HQ forward, examining the ground won and the dispositions of troops.
- Posts are established in front of captured line 'Gunpit Trench' and work is carried out to put position won into a state of defence.
- Two Officers & approximately 100 other ranks are captured by the Battalion and sent back as prisoners of war. One dug-out in which the enemy refuses to leave is bombed, unfortunately catching fire and the enemy inside perishes. Company patrols are sent out and an attempt is made to re-establish communication with the 2nd KOYLI.
- A strongly held enemy post is discovered on left flank. Two Vickers machine guns are sent to the position by the Commanding Officer and under his orders also a Stokes Mortar detachment, under Lieutenant Simcocks, which opens fire on the enemy post.
- Deaths: William Kendrick (27772 Pte.) / Samuel Lakin (15316 Pte.) / Richard Metcalf (33561) [note 2]
1918 (Sunday)
- Battalion is situated in the field. Lt-Col. Beasley, DSO, assumes command of the Battalion.
- Major Lowthian, MC, is at the disposal of the officers commanding companies.
- Battalion involved in specialist training.
Notes
- ↑ A chemical weapon that causes severe eye, respiratory, and skin irritation. It also causes pain, vomiting, and even blindness.
- ↑ Richard Metcalf was killed in action. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
References
- ↑ Record No. DLONS/L/13/13/109
- ↑ Record of the XIth (Service) Battalion (Lonsdale) - In France
Acknowledgements
Various sources contemporary to the war have been used to compile The Lonsdale Battalion On This Day. The majority of the events shown on this day (10 February), including any supplementary notes, enlistments and statistical data etc., have been primarily sourced from the Lonsdale Battalion War Diary (November 1915 to June 1918), Record of the XIth (Service) Battalion (Lonsdale) and abridged material from Timeline and Chronology of the Lonsdale Battalion (September 1914 - May 1915), which are sourced from the original DLONS/L/13/13 Lowther Estate Archives. Events from that chronology are reproduced here with kind permission of Jim Lowther (2016). They are identified and referenced separately by their unique DLONS numbers. Please do not publish these events without prior permission from the Lowther Estate. All casualty names, numbers, ranks, date of deaths and places of burial/commemoration have been sourced from Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19, Volume 39, The Border Regiment and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database respectively.