Trials of the 8th Battalion

Thursday 26th April 1917

The adjutant of the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, in the front line near Loos, has been in contact again today. The battalion as a matter of course, sends out regular patrols during the night to check its own wire entanglements and the approaches to its own front line. At 11.0 p.m. last night a hostile patrol slipped through a large gap on the Bedfords’ front immediately after the place had been patrolled.

The enemy bombed one of the Battalion’s posts in front of their front-line trench. This caused several casualties. The enemy also took away one man as a prisoner.

Source: X550/9/1

Seventeenth Day of the Battle of Arras

Wednesday 25th April 1917

After the severe fighting of the last two days the front has been much quieter here around Arras today. 17th (Northern) Division of VI Corps attacked again today but made little progress and, we understand, it is to be relieved tonight by 12th (Eastern) Division.

The adjutant of the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, has been in touch to say that they are back in the front line at Cité-Saint-Élie near Loos. The enemy has been very active with artillery, shelling the reserve, support and front lines with 5.9 and 4.2 howitzers from 10.30 a.m. until about half an hour ago.

Source: X550/9/1

The Bedfords and the Battle of Loos

The Attack of the 7th Division at Loos (The Official History of the War - Military Operations in France and Belgium 1915 Vol II)

Sunday 26th September 1915: We have just heard from 2nd Bedfords who yesterday took part in the big push around Loos, intended to break through the German lines. We understand that while gains have been made the break through as yet remains elusive.

21st Brigade, of which the Battalion forms part, was held in reserve, the other two brigades of 7th Division undertaking the initial assault. At about 11.30 a.m. the Battalion, which had proceeded from the village of Vermelles, entered the former British Front Line. They then advanced on a frontage of two companies immediately north of the road from Vermelles to Hulluch(1) [shown in pink on the above plan]

By this time the 20th Brigade, to which they were acting as support, were already a long way ahead. The Battalion moved across and over the former enemy front line [shown in blue on the above plan] practically without casualties. B Company was on the left, D Company on the right, C Company in support and A Company in reserve. As soon as it began to advance across the open behind the German front line, however, it came under a very heavy rifle fire from the direction of the quarries [shown in yellow on the above plan] and the northern houses of Cité-Saint-Elie.

Captain J W Hurrell [X550/1/81]

The Battalion now suffered severely but continued to advance by rushes of small parties until Gun Trench [shown in red on the above plan] was reached. Second Lieutenant Forward was killed and Lieutenant-Colonel Onslow, Captain and Adjutant J W Hurrell, Captain J W Hutchinson, Second Lieutenant H E Mudford and Second Lieutenant R Hopkins were wounded. Sadly, Captain Hutchinson died from wounds later in the day. Between two and three hundred other ranks also became casualties.

Captain J W Hutchinson [X550/1/82]

Two platoons got about 100 yards in front of Gun Trench, but being unsupported had to fall back by ones and twos – Captain J McM Milling and Second Lieutenant R L Shaw were then wounded. So the Battalion remained in Gun trench holding the gun pits north of the road during the afternoon, digging itself in. At dusk the men of the 20th Brigade who were in the trench were sorted out and rejoined their Brigade. All four Battalion Machine Guns were in the trench.

Captain J McM Milling [X550/1/82]

At about 7 pm A and C Companies were withdrawn from Gun Trench and started digging a Support trench about 100 yards in the rear. At about midnight a number of men were seen coming down the Hulluch Road at a double calling out "Don't shoot we're the Gordons"(2); close behind them came a number of Germans. Almost at the same time the Borders(3) holding Gun Trench south of the road began to retire. At once bombs were rained upon Gun Trench and men began to leave it in increasing numbers, falling back on support trench, where they stopped. The Company on the left of B Company was not attacked and stood firm. Two Machine Guns were with the company and remained in action.

Lieutenant R L Shaw [X550/1/82]

A heavy fire was brought to bear from support trench and shortly afterwards a charge was organised, which was completely successful, practically all the Germans in Gun Trench were killed or taken prisoners, including the artillery captain who led the counter-attack. Second Lieutenant T C Pearson and Second Lieutenant K L Stephenson were killed and Second Lieutenant C J Hunter wounded. The left company suffered some casualties from our own shrapnel during this counter-attack. The rest of the night passed quietly. Two Companies were in Gun Trench and two Companies in the support trench.

Second Lieutenant T C Pearson [X550/1/82]

At the commencement of the action. Captain H de Buriatte commanded A Company, Captain J W Hutchinson commanded B Company Lieutenant R O Wynne commanded C Company and Captain J McM Milling commanded D Company. Second Lieutenant R B Gibson and Lieutenant B R Taylor, both of 3rd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, attached, took command of B and D Companies respectively after Captains Hutchinson and Milling were wounded. Second Lieutenant W J Stonier has become Acting Adjutant.

The 2nd Battalion were not the only ones involved in the battle yesterday. The 8th Battalion, which only arrived in France at the beginning of this month arrived in Béthune in the early hours yesterday and just after midday moved towards the fighting. Their Brigade was ordered to support 72nd Brigade, 24th Division, in a move on Hulluch, meaning they were immediately south of the 2nd Battalion.

The 1st Division reported that it had captured Hulluch but these first, optimistic, reports later turned out to be wrong. Believing a great victory was at hand the Commander-in-Chief decide to throw in the two new divisions, 21st and 24th, to secure the crossings over the Haute Deule Canal to the east. The 24th Division accordingly assembled about la Rutoire farm, south of the Vermelles road believing that little more was require of it than a march after a tired and beaten enemy. The reality proved very different and the adjutant of the 8th Bedfords tells us, candidly, that he was very glad that the division’s orders to attack were countermanded due to the lateness fo the hour and the poor visibility.

Sources: X550/3/wd; X550/9/1

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(1) Today’s D39.

(2) Presumably men on 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, 20th Brigade, 7rh Division.

(3) 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment, 20th Brigade.

Plans for the Big Push

The Loos area (Official History of the War: 
Military Operations France and Belgium 1915 Vol II)

Thursday 23rd September 1915: A leak from 7th Division shows the scale of the offensive our forces at Loos are expecting to deliver in the next few days.

1. INFORMATION.

(a) The enemy.

The enemy's defences on our front consist of two well defined systems of trenches. The front system runs west of Fosse No. 8 and follows the ridge southwards towards Loos. 1,500 yards to the east is the second system of trenches running through Haisnes -  Cité-Saint-Elie – Hulluch. Both these systems are protected by wire. The 117th Reconstituted Division is holding the trenches immediately in our front, with its regiments in the following order from the North: - 11th Reserve Regiment, 157th Regiment, 22nd Reserve Regiment. The VIIth Corps is to the north and the IVth Corps to the south of this Division.

(b) Our own troops.

The 1st Division (IV Corps) is on our right.

The 9th Division (I Corps) is on our left.

2. INTENTION.

(a) On conjunction with the French, the 1st Army will assume the offensive on September 25th and advance between Lens and the la Bassée Canal towards the line Henin – Lietard - Carvin, I Corps moving generally on to the line Pont-à-Vendin - Bauvin, IV Corps advancing simultaneously south-eastwards, with its left on Pont-à-Vendin. The Western end of Hulluch is included in the IV Corps area of advance.

(b) The task of the 7th Division is to clear the trenches in front of them; occupy the remainder of Hulluch, Benifontaine, Puits No.13, and Cité-Saint-Elie; and from these places continue the advance on Pont-à-Vendin and Meurchin, seizing the Canal crossings about these places.

(c) Immediately on the right of the 7th Division, the left Brigade of the 1st Division (IV Corps) will advance simultaneously and attack the west end of Hulluch. The boundary between our right and the 1st Division left runs just South of the Vermelles - Hulluch Road.

(d) Immediately on our left the 9th Division will attack the Hohenzollern Redoubt, and thence FOSSE 8, continuing their advance on Haines and Douvrin.

3. 7th DIVISION PLAN.

(a) The 7th Division will be distributed as follows, according to preliminary orders already issued.

In front.

On the right, 20th Brigade Column (20th Infantry Brigade, 95th Field Company, RE, No.1 Mortar Battery).

On the left 22nd Brigade Column (22nd Infantry Brigade, 54th Field Company RE, No.10 Mortar Battery, D Trench Mortar Battery).

In reserve.

21st Infantry Brigade.

Highland Field Company RE

Divisional Mounted Troops (Divisional Squadron and Cyclists - Commander. Major Hall, the King's (Liverpool Regt.).

The Divisional Artillery is under the immediate orders of the GOC I Corps until the advance begins.

After the advance begins, the 14th Royal Horse Artillery Brigade will operate in immediate conjunction with the 20th Brigade Column; and the 35th Field Artillery Brigade in immediate conjunction with 22nd Brigade Column, and the remainder of the Divisional Artillery, including attached Batteries, will be under the orders of the Brigadier General, Royal Artillery, 7th Division.

(b) The 20th Brigade Column will attack the enemy's trenches from the Vermelles-Hulluch Road inclusive to the Slit Work exclusive; and thence move on Hulluch.

The 22nd Brigade Column will attack from the Slit Work inclusive to approximately G.5.c.8.7. and thence the Quarries, Cité-Saint-Elie, and Puits No.13.

From the above places, the 20th Brigade Column will continue its march on Vendin-le-Vieil, and, Pont-à-Vendin and the 22nd Brigade Column on Wingles and Meurchin.

(c) The artillery will bombard the enemy's trenches and positions previous to the assault, under orders of the Corps Commander. A separate daily programme has already been issued.

The action of the Divisional Artillery to cover the actual infantry assault, is shown in the Time Table attached.

After the preliminary bombardment is over, Artillery will be lifted on to objectives further in rear according to the prepared programme.

It may so happen that some points will have to be re-bombarded.

On such occasions the general arrangement will be as follows (unless special orders are issued at the time for counter procedure).

On the obstruction being detected either by sight or by information being sent back, the Artillery bombardment will be ordered on the place from where resistance comes.

This will continue for half an hour, the last five minutes will be intensive.

The Infantry attacking such pints will thus know when the Artillery bombardment is going to cease; even if they fail to note when it actually begins, they will recognise its approaching end by the 5 minutes intensive fire. The infantry may thus be able to gain graound [sic] during the bombardment and will be prepared to rush in directly the intensive 5 minutes fire is over.

This applies to important places.

Small localities must be dealt with by the Forward Observation Officer accompanying the troops.

The Divisional Artillery will push on to closely support the infantry, as soon as possible.

Source: X550/3/wd