Thirty Eighth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Thursday 6th September 1917

Two small unsuccessful attacks have been made today, another go at Hill 35, this time by 2nd/5th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and a raid by 5th Seaforth Highlanders of 51st (Highland) Division on the enemy-held portion of Pheasant Trench.

42nd (East Lancashire) Division made a much larger attack, 125th Brigade assaulting strong-points known as Iberian, Borry and Beck House Farms. Beck House was taken, despite galling machine-gun fire from the wretched Hill 35, but a counter-attack succeeded in regaining it. The fire from Hill 35 then switched to the other attackers, causing them to withdraw. However, a short advance of about 150 yards by 1st/5th Lancashire Fusiliers has been consolidated, we are led to believe.

Thirty Seventh Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Captain L F Beal [X550/1/82] 

Wednesday 5th September 1917

61st (South Midland) Division made another piecemeal attack on Hill 35 today, the 2nd/6th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment being selected for the task. They succeeded in capturing an outpost but were unable to hold it.

The adjutant of 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, tells us that Captain L F Beal MC has joined from the 2nd Battalion. He will be an acting major and act as second-in-command.

Sources: X550/3/wd; X550/7/1

Thirty Fifth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Monday 3rd September 1917

The only action here today has been another attempt by 61st (2nd South Midland) Division, to take Hill 35 from the enemy, having obtained a foothold on it a few days ago. Their efforts, sad to report, do not seem to have been crowned with success.

6th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 37th Division, are at Mount Sorrel south-east of Zillebeke. They have had a petty officer and eight sailors attached for the day to learn what it is like in and near the front line.

8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, are in the support trenches at Hill 70 near Loos-en-Gohelle. This evening the adjutant contacted your correspondent on the blower with news that Captain G D Brewster and Second Lieutenant T A Jones were both wounded in no man’s land by a German grenade whilst on patrol in the early hours this morning. They did, however, obtain valuable information for their pains.

Sources: X550/7/1; X550/9/1

Thirty Third Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Saturday 1st September 1917

Two small, but stiff, fights have rent the air in different sectors of the Ypres battlefront today. 24th Division in the infamous Inverness Copse found themselves under attack, but managed to throw the attack back. Meanwhile 61st (2nd South Midland) Division further north launched an attack on Hill 35, managing to occupy a portion of it. As one of my football-minded colleagues put it - Great Britain 2, the Kaiser 0.

7th Battalion are hard at work practising for their next attack. They are at a village called Buysscheure well to the west of Ypres and in France. They have been undertaking a new form of attack, developed from experience in their recent fighting.

The 8th Battalion are in trenches south-east of Lens. Their total strength, the adjutant tells us, is 40 officers and 856 other ranks. They have received 22 men back from hospital but the grim weather in August has sent 45 of their fellows thither. 1st/5th Battalion, in far-away Palestine, reports that there are, on average 35 men in hospital at any one time at the moment, but thanks to reinforcements. Their strength has risen from 16 officers and 707 other ranks on 1st August to 27 officers and 855 other ranks as of yesterday.

Sources: X550/6/8; X550/8/1; X550/9/1