Tuesday 28th September 1915: The temporary commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel J C Monteith, has contacted us to tell us of his experiences in the last twenty four hours. He tells us his headquarters is in a dug-out sixteen feet below ground level: “The Huns know how to make themselves safe!”
As we heard from the 8th Bedfords yesterday the trenches around Loos are packed with men and there is often not enough room for units ordered to occupy certain locations. Colonel Onslow tells us that they have been ordered to relieve the 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment but there seems to be no room in the trenches to allow it. Anyway, he went to see the Wiltshire Regiment’s adjutant whom he found “very nervy and terribly anxious to get out of it”. This is because the position is “a rotten one”. He also spoke to the Commanding Officers of the units on either flank of the Wiltshires but found them “a little hazy as to proceedings”.
At this point the Colonel was interrupted by “panicky General Staff Officer - Robinson 1st Army - who thinks my arrangements for defence insufficient! He did not realise that I had a line in front! and further that it is the 4th or 5th line of defence! I forget what "he also" said or did now! Oh yes, he thinks Wiltshires are rather in the way!” This last was related to us in a weary but amused tone.
We understand that 8th Battalion has not moved since the evening of its abortive advance on the quarries in support of the Norfolk Regiment. Battles, of course, are, by their very nature, muddled and confusing. This particular operation, however, we sense from the officers we speak to, seems to be even more muddled than usual. In the two days since the initial attack and our army has made some gains, without achieving the break-through which was desired. It seem likely that the men, now greatly thinned in number and very tired, have achieved about as much as they can and that consolidation will be the next phase(1)
Source: X550/3/wd; X550/9/1
