6th Battalion on the Western Front (1916-1918): Difference between revisions
6th Battalion on the Western Front (1916-1918) (view source)
Revision as of 21:40, 10 March 2020
, 4 years agoText replacement - "Very lights" to "Very lights"
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During May two officers joined for duty Second-Lieutenants A. D. F Torrance and R. Pugh. On the night of the 6th June the Battalion marched from the camp where for some days past all ranks had been busily engaged in the practice of the attack upon flagged trenches, to Westhoutre and thence by a track to the place of assembly which was reached at 2 am on the 7th, and here all lay down to get what sleep they might This was not for long. However, for [[zero hour]] was announced at 3.10 by the simultaneous blowing up of several mines containing 600 tons of explosive and the immediate opening of a tremendous bombardment from a very large number of guns arrayed along an unusually narrow front ; under this fire the German front line seemed, with its defenders wholly to crumble and vanish.
While waiting for the opening of the bombardment every man had been provided with an extra water-bottle to carry on him bombs tools flares and [[Very lights]] had been issued, and in all this preparatory work R.Q.M.S Farra was of the greatest possible assistance, so that by 6 am the Battalion 23 Officers and 607 other ranks was completed in every particular and ready for the next move Orders for this did not arrive until noon and these were to march to Vierstraat Switch, where by 12.55 all was in readiness for a further advance ; the first and second waves were composed of A Company, (OC Captain Ridley M.C.), on the right, and B Company Lieutenant Gandolfo. on the left ; the third and fourth of "D" Company, Captain Williams and "C," Captain Carr, M.C.
Pushing forward to the Chinese Wall a brief halt was made while the Battalion objective - Van Hove Farm-was pointed out ; the advance in Artillery formation was then resumed, Wytschaete Ridge was crossed and all went well until the companies had reached the eastern slopes of the ridge where they came under a heavy shell fire and began to lose men No pause, however, was made though the advance to the Odonto Line was a long and trying one owing to the great heat but it was carried out in perfect order, thanks in large measure to the admirable leading of the platoon and section commanders.
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