1st Battalion War Diary, May 1917: Difference between revisions
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|TRENCHES
|19/5/17
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|{{left|[Page title] The Second battle of MONCHY LE PREUX<br>The conditions under which the 1st Battalion the Border Regiment were called upon to go into action EAST of MONCHY LE PREUX in the evening of May 19 1917 were simply these. After the 29th Division had fought itself to a standstill on the night of April 23rd - the date of the first Battle of MONCHY. The remnants of the 87th Brigade dug in where they finally stopped advancing. From these positions they had been relieved, & this line more or less consolidated. [?] these positions were however, distinctly bad from the point of view of observation & the enemy’s in front were very good, it was patent that by means of a short advance, if these positions could be wrested from the enemy the positions would be greatly improved.
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The British line from which the assault was to take place is shown in the attached sketch map. It will be seen that <s>they</s> it presented no systematic or organised trench system for either defensive or offensive action, but were mostly extensions of the "[[dig in|digging in]]" of the <s>assaulting</s> advanced [[troops]] where they were finally held up on 23/4/17. The front line was disjointed, there being no connection <u>at all</u>|offset=5px}}
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|{{left|from North to South across the line running E & W between the two TWIN COPSES. Also, the trenches being cut chiefly through clay or clay and chalk at all points where they passed through depressions they were wet and muddy while in many parts they were shallow, in others deep and very narrow so that passage was difficult also there was no communication through to the front line by day under cover, to SNAFFLE & TWIN TRENCHES. The nearest point to SNAFFLE accessible by day was where CHAIN trench cuts BIT LANE from here it was a case of duck & run and to reach this point from MONCHY village meant going via ORANGE TRENCH, GRAPE TRENCH, RIFLE TRENCH, CHAIN TRENCH, to BIT LANE while to get to D Company’s line the route was via VINE LANE. Battalion headquarters had to be established at the "RED HOUSE" (or THE GOLF HOUSE) MONCHY as there was no other possible place for it there being no dug outs of any sort in the trenches for officers or men.
The objectives of the 87th Brigade were in conjunction with an attack on their right, to attack on the evening of 19/20th May and capture<br>{{8nbsp}}(1) INFANTRY HILL<br>{{8nbsp}}(2) THE BOIS <s>du SART</s> des AUBEPINES,br>
and establish a line of strong points running along a line DEVILS TRENCH. E edge of CIGAR COPSE & BOIS des AUBEPINES. MAY TRENCH LONG TRENCH, TOIL TRENCH.|offset=5px}}
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|East of MONCHY LE PREUX
|May 19/20 1917
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|{{left|<s>The 87th Infantry Brigade</s> 6 Platoons R. Innis Fus, 8 Platoons 1/Border Regt & 1 Coy 2/SWB were given objectives between HOOK TRENCH and BIT LANE and the 1st Battalion The Border Regiment (under command of LIEUT COLONEL A.J. ELLIS D.S.O.) was allotted the line MAY TRENCH NORTH to 50y north of BIT LANE, in DEVILS TRENCH. No attack would take place on the regiment’s left [[flank]].
Consequently objectives were allocated as follows<br>
A Company under command of CAPT. H. BUNTING M.C. would attack & capture the positions in front, push through, and establish<br>
:(1) a platoon strong point about the enemy positions in map square O.2.b.6.5. This platoon was under the command of LIEUT. P. NEW.<br>
:(2) a 2 platoon strong point on the EAST side of the BOIS des AUBEPINES these two platoons were under the command of 2Lt AMSTRONG LW. and 2Lt W.E.B. DUNLOP.
B Company under the command of 2LIEUT F.S. LAYARD M.C. were to capture the enemy positions in front and establish strong points.<br>
:(1) a platoon strong point in the vicinity of the EASTERN edge of the CIGAR COPSE this platoon was under the command of 2LIEUT T.S. MIDDLETON.<br>
:(2) a platoon strong point near the SOUTHERN end of DEVILS TRENCH.|offset=5px}}
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|{{left|C Company, under the command of LIEUT. TE THORBURN BROWN. (K.O.S.B attached BORDER) less one platoon were to extend to their left on the assault taking place to occupy the line vacated by B Coy and "D" Coy under command of <s>Capt</s> CAPT H. PALMER. were to advance over the open from SHRAPNEL TRENCH into the line vacated by A Company.<br>
One Platoon of C Company was lent to "A" company as a carrying party. This platoon was under the command of 2LT S. CAMPBELL. A party of 10 RFs of the West Riding Field Company R.E. under 2LT BALL were also attached as wiring party to A Company.
D Company South Wales Borders were attached under command of CAPT DAVIES and were set objectives in DEVILS TRENCH, with orders to dig strong points <s>on either side of BIT LANE</s> in this trench about 50y N&S respectively of BIT LANE.
It will be seen that "A" Company was allotted the most difficult task and that the most minute details had to be considered with regard to the BOIS des AUBEPINES which was known to be strong as the front edge of this wood was only about 50y from our front line trench running round the NE corner of TWIN COPSE, and this front edge was discovered, by patrol, to be fortified a new jumping off trench was required for A Coy. <u>behind</u> the original|offset=5px}}
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|MONCHY LE PREUX
|19/20 May 1917
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|{{left|front line so as to allow a safety margin for our barrage & [[artillery]] fire. This trench was therefore dug about 60y inside the copse from the E edge, also the short piece of open ground between CHAIN TRENCH and SNAFFLE TRENCH was to be run through by a communication trench giving a makeshift communication, which was as much as could be hoped for in the limited time. This latter was dug through on the night of the 17th/18th by the S.W.B but the assembly trench through TWIN COPSE was found on taking over the line on the 17th to be very "scratchy" so that A company & 2 platoons of C Coy had to dig all night on the 18/19th to make it tenable by day during the preliminary [[bombardment]].
The relief of the K.O.S.B. on the night 17/18 was only just completed by dawn so that no patrolling or work could be done that night but on the night of 18/19th in addition to work already [?], D Coy established a battalion dump at the junction of ARRON TRENCH and the front line containing 80 coils barbed concertina wire, 10 boxes SAA 10 boxes mills (No 5) hand [[grenade]]s, screw pickets etc. The whole front was also patrolled & positions to be assaulted generally reconnoitred, resulting in this being found to be fairly strongly held with numerous [[machine gun]]s, but not wired with the exception of <s>BIT LANE</s> DEVIL’S TRENCH where it cuts BIT LANE|offset=5px}}
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|MONCHY LE PREUX
|18/19 May 1917
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|{{left|here the S.W.B. found wire running Northwards, and reported it with a request that it should be specially treated before the advance. This was accordingly reported to Brigade HQ.
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At dawn both on the 18th and 19th parties of the enemy had been seen going into CIGAR WOOD and the BOIS des AUBEPINES from shell holes between these two woods. This was also reported, and as a result of these two pieces of information the Commanding Officer sent the a/adjutant (CAPT A.W. SUTCLIFFE M.C.) to Brigade Headquarters with a special message to request that the Barrage might be amended to deal with these two matters, and this was assayed. During the night of the 18/19th barbed wire [?] knife rests had been placed in front of our lines with gaps through which the attacking troops could pass, and these were to be picked up by the wiring wave & carrying parties, carried across to the objectives & assembled in front of the positions being consolidated, concertina barbed wire being run out between the knife rests completing the wiring. Jumping off steps were also dug.
Dawn of the 19th May then, saw all the preparations, so far as the [[infantry]] were concerned completed, men in position & all required stores to hand. The day was perfect a clear bright cloudless sky hot and dry with scarcely a breath of wind & so it continued throughout the day and night. The assault was not to take place till 9PM so final orders etc. were issued. |offset=5px}}
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|MONCHY LE PREUX
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|{{left|Operation Orders were issued as follows<br>
{{8nbsp}}Operation Orders by Lieut Col A.J. ELLIS D.S.O Cmd 1st The Border Rgt.<br>
# The operations already detailed will take place on the 19th May 19th 1917 inst.
# The [[zero hour|hour of zero]] will be 9PM.
# Artillery barrage will be in accordance with artillery barrage programme map already issued. Two trench mortars from O.2.b.O.O will go forward when the barrage has ceased to the strongpoint in the NE corner of BOIS des AUBEPINES.
# At zero if the wind is favourable gas will be discharged into the BOIS du VERT and sunken road north.
# of it in O.3.C. If gas is to be released the code word Folkestone will be sent. If not, code word BOULOGNE will be sent.
# A contact aeroplane will be up shortly after dawn on the 20th inst. Advanced troops will light GREEN flares when the plane calls for them by claxon horn or by firing white lights.
# If for any reason the barrage doesn’t fall, the attack will not take place, but unless something very unforeseen does take place the barrage will fall.
# O/C A&B Companies RASHER (code name for 1st Border Regt) will communicate these orders to the platoons of C Company that are working with them.
(signed) ''AW Sutcliffe'' Capt. A/Adjutant|offset=5px}}
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