1st Battalion War Diary, May 1917: Difference between revisions
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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. 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. |offset=5px}}
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|MONCHY LE PREUX
|18/19 May 1917
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|{{left|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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# 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.|offset=5px}}{{right|(signed) ''AW Sutcliffe'' Capt. A/Adjutant|offset=50px}}
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|Field<br>MONCHY LE PREUX
|19/20 May 1917
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|{{left|Arrangements for Barrage had been made as follows.<br>
An intense barrage would fall along the enemy’s front line at zero - this was the signal for the assaulting troops to get out of their trenches & close up to the barrage. At zero plus 5 this barrage would lift to the second line i.e. final objectives, in the case of heavy guns, while a drifting barrage would creep at the rate of [?200y] in 2 minutes back to the final objectives, then heavy & [[shrapnel]] barrages would lift to a new S.O.S line running across all suspected points of danger, at a safe distance from our final objectives. As a result of the patrol report from Capt. Davies commanding the attached company of the S.W.B. with effect that there was wire in front of DEVILS TRENCH N. of BIT LANE special request was made by the C.O that this should be blown to bits before the attack. For this purpose, and also for registration there was intermittent fire from 15 pounders, of shrapnel & HE during the morning of May 19th. At 11.45 am a message was received from CAPT BUNTING o/c A Company that one or possibly two 18 pounders were firing short & in [[enfilade]] of Twin Trench at 0.2.a.7.7. 0.2.a.87 & he enclosed a fragment of shell marked 18. |offset=5px}}
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|MONCHY LE PREUX
|19/5/17
|11.47
|{{left|A message was immediately sent to Brigade reporting this & sending on the fragment of shell. A code message was also sent over the phone.|offset=5px}}
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|13.47<br><s>11.45</s>
|{{left|At 13.47 Capt Davies o/c D Coy S.W.B reported the wire in front of DEVILS trench all uncut and that the nearest rounds had been about 70y short & suggesting that he should alter his plan of attack by [?] [?] his left; attacking with his left on BIT LANE & then on taking DEVILS TRENCH bomb up the requisite distance to establish his post. He was ordered, in the event of the wire not being cut by further efforts, to do this|offset=5px}}
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|15.10
|{{left|LIEUT L. MACHELL was sent in to the front line as Battalion Liaison officer with the telephone there and at 15.10 he reported that as a result of the short shooting of our 18 pds. we had had several casualties in A Coy. 3 in C Coy & our RF including 2 stretcher cases.
Major DOLPHIN o/c 26th Battery R.F.A who was doing F.O.O on SNAFFLE TRENCH at the time corroborated this. This again was communicated by code over telephone to Brigade.
From this time till several hours later nothing of marked importance occurred. The utmost concern was felt for the troops suffering from the erratic shooting of our artillery, & every effort was made to stop it but as no F.O.O or liaison officer was present little or nothing could be done [?] reporting each occurrence immediately to Bde HQ.|offset=5px}}
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|MONCHY LE PREUX
|19/5/17
|20.55
|{{left|The climax came at <s>8.55</s> 20.55 when a messenger arrived from the front line with two messages one in code & one in clear from o/c A Coy stating that at about 8PM (20.00) a [[battery]] of heavies or [[howitzer]]s had opened fire, & the shells had all fallen short, mainly into the new assembly trench dug in rear of our front line & in which our troops were massed for the assault – through TWIN COPSE. As only 5 minutes remained to zero, the commanding officer spoke to the Brigade major in clear as follows.<br>
Heavy battery is firing 100y short of W edge of BOIS des AUBEPINES AAA they must lay?? them at once.|offset=5px}}
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|21.00
|{{left|This message had scarcely been sent when the barrage, punctual to a second, fell, and then gave the signal for the attack to commence [?] [?] was known for some time. Fire of all kinds was heard. Maxim gun, Lewis gun & German machine guns could be heard.|offset=5px}}
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|21.50
|{{left|The Brigade major informed the commanding officer by phone that a [?] [?] had been sent up by the enemy (a S.O.S signal for barrage) apparently in the vicinity of BOIS des AUBEPINES.|offset=5px}}
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|22.5
|{{left|Pte Crook, an orderly who had been sent up to S.W.B (D Coy) arrived back at headquarters & stated that he had arrived at the front line just in time to see the attack start & the men go over. They went over splendidly, officers leading & the rear parties picked up the wire trestles & carried them forward.|offset=5px}}
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|MONCHY LE PREUX
|19/5/17
|22.30
|{{left|The Brigade major reported that he had had a report passed from the [[gunner]]s that our attack was held up between CIGAR COPSE & the BOISE DES AUBEPINES <s>at 1015</s> – the very spot that the C.O had requested should be particularly treated by the barrage, & the barrage altered to accomplish this. |offset=5px}}
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|23.12
|{{left|The G.O.C. Brigade telephoned for any news we had. None was to hand however. The C.O therefore decided to send the a/Adjudant – CAPT A.W. SUTCLIFFE M.C. round the front of the battle to ascertain the situation & report. He accordingly moved off with two orderlies at 23.18.|offset=5px}}
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|20/5/17
|00.15
|{{left|Capt H BUNTING M.C. reported at Battalion Headquarters, wounded in the eye by a bomb. He reported that our attack was completely spoiled by our own barrage, it <s>completely</s> absolutely failed to do any damage to the Boche defences, knock out machine guns, or keep the enemy’s heads down & by shelling our own men disorganised the attack. The companies had however led on & reached close to their objectives, where in "A" company’s case they were met by a line of enemy bombers who rained bombs on them. Capt BUNTING therefore started to organise flanking attack when he was hit by an enemy bomb cutting his eye which temporarily blinded him just before he was hit, however, he saw 2LIEUT E.B. DUNLOP standing up just close to the enemy trench with a rifle picking off the enemy who were throwing the bombs.|offset=5px}}
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|MONCHY LE PREUX
|20/5/17
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|{{left|Whilst doing so this gallant officer was killed. The R.E. officer Lt BALL had been killed by our barrage before he left our front line. CAPT DAVIES, Capt H. PALMER, 2Lt DURHAM were also known to be casualties. Lt DANIELLI reported that he was carrying on as o/c D Company – his company being in position & in touch with C Coy on left but no touch with right, front or rear |offset=5px}}
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|1.30
|{{left|As the general situation by this time clearly indicated that the attack had not succeeded the Commanding Officer sent a message to the senior officer in the firing line Lt T.E. THORBURN BROWN, who, tho’ wounded in the early <s>afternoon</s> morning of the 19th was still carrying on as o/c C Company, to make every effort before dawn to get everyone back to our original front line & reorganise for defence in case of counter attack.
Reports came in to the effect that B Company’s attack had also been held up. 2LT MIDDLETON killed, 2LT CRAINE wounded & 2LT LAYARD M.C. o/c company wounded & missing, also the S.W.B. attack had failed Capt Davies being wounded & missing.|offset=5px}}
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|3.10
|{{left|Capt AW SUTCLIFFE M.C. returned from front line & amplified his message of 00.50AM stating A Company had been held up at the edge of BOIS des AUBEPINES by strong bombing party in the strong point. There CAPT BUNTING M.C wounded, no news of Lt ARMSTRONG. B Coy attack had failed, having met with very heavy machine gun fire from between CIGAR COPSE and BOIS des AUBEPINES, LT LAYARD had been wounded & was missing. 2LT MIDDLETON killed. 2LT CRAINE wounded. 2LT RAE was safe, & had [?relined] all available men to the original front line & was reorganising.
With regard to the plight of A Company very little was known. Lt DUNLOP was known to be killed, most of his men casualties. Lt P NEW was seen leading on his platoon but as they too came under very severe machine gun fire it was feared that he too had been killed & most of his platoon become casualties.
C Company had extended to fill up the vacated lines as far as possible but two platoons supporting the advance of A. Coy had been badly cut up.
D Company. CAPT H. PALMER had been wounded, also Lieut DURHAM they had been under heavy fire while in trenches, & came under a barrage on moving over the open to occupy the vacated front line. Lt DANIELLI was in charge of the company, what was left of it, in the front line, reorganising for defence. The whole line was being put in a state of defence, [[Vickers machine gun|Vickers guns]] put in the line where weakly held. D Company S.W.B had lost CAPT DAVIES wounded & missing|offset=5px}}
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