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

Well Done Captain Brewster!

Tuesday 17th April 1917

Lord Ampthill has been in contact again this evening, to relate the latest in the little war his battalion, 8th Bedfords, is fighting south of Loos. At dawn this morning, under gruelling artillery fire, the battalion again moved forward down the enemy trenches, using bombs. Whilst A Company was held up by a strongpoint C Company, under Captain G D Brewster, took all their objectives, as well as 27 prisoners and a machine gun with a trench mounting. Captain Brewster and his second-in-command, Second Lieutenant W T Lyons, did “excellent work”, according to Lord Ampthill.

Lord Ampthill [X550/1/82]

For the rest of the day the Germans have bombarded the ground newly taken by the battalion as well as the back areas, with heavy howitzers. In his lordship’s words: “despite casualties and difficulties met with in getting up supplies the ground taken towards Hill 70 was held. In this attack the 1st King’s Shropshire Light Infantry were on our left and also gained their objective. The battalion was congratulated for their good work by the Brigadier and General Officer Commanding 6th Division”. His Lordship’s voice was full of pride.

We have heard that the French have again met with success in their great offensive on the Chemin des Dames. There is talk that by the time the offensive begins again here at Arras the enemy may be under severe pressure in two places fifty miles or so apart and may crack in either one of them.

Sources: X550/9/1

A Successful Raid

Little Willie Trench in red and Hindenburg Trench in blue

Monday 29th January 1917 from our correspondent in the field

The adjutant of the 8th Battalion was on the “blower” to me this morning to tell me what happened in the trench raid which took place just in front of the Hohenzollern Redoubt near Loos in the early hours. The two positions under attack were those called Little Willie and Hindenburg Trench by our troops. Both are shown on the map above.

Our artillery prepared the way at 3.30 and seven minutes later 150 men from C Company under Captain Brewster went over the top. They quickly moved into the enemy’s front line and took it as it was very lightly held. Captain Brewster had strict instructions to limit the raid to 35 minutes duration so he thought it imprudent to penetrate the enemy’s second line trench (Hindenburg Trench).

The captain and his men took two prisoners as well as killing a number of Germans. The men used mobile charges to bomb six German dug-outs so the enemy casualty figures may be much higher. Our own men had one officer very slightly wounded, one man killed(1), one severely wounded and three lightly wounded. Captain Brewster reported that the enemy put up “very poor resistance”. After the raid the Battalion returned to billets.

Source: X550/9/1

(1) This is probably 31133 Private Alfred Edward Hewitt. He is recorded as being killed on 28th January but has no known grave and so was, presumably, left behind in the enemy trenches. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the Missing. No 8th Battalion deaths are recorded for 29th January. 

Instruction in Raiding

Sunday 21st January 1917

The 8th Battalion, who have been in the front line at Loos, were relieved today and have gone into support. Though the enemy has been quiet, the adjutant tells me that our own field artillery and trench mortars have been busy cutting the enemy’s barbed wire with shrapnel. The reason for this seems to be that a trench raid is in preparation. Captain G D Brewster and eighty men have been sent to the divisional school for instruction in the latest techniques for carrying out a successful raid.

Schedule: X550/9/1