Fifty Seventh Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Tuesday 25th September 1917

Today is the second anniversary of the Battle of Loos. It seems remarkable, looking back, how momentous an event that attack was. It was the largest battle of the war so far to involve the British Expeditionary Force, the largest battle we as a nation had fought since Waterloo a century before. It involved six divisions and lasted eighteen days. In some ways it seems a life-time ago. Last year the opening day of the Battle of the Somme involved fourteen divisions and the battle itself lasted four and a half months. So far this year we have had the Battle of Arras which lasted for just over five weeks and had a similar number of divisions involved in the opening stages as did the Somme, and now we have a battle in its fifty-seventh day which involved fifteen divisions on the first day. The army has come a long way in just three years, from a war of manoeuvre which the Duke of Wellington would have recognised to a modern killing-match of industrial proportions involving battles of hundreds of thousands of men and weeks of struggle more akin to siege warfare than the battles of old.

Today the struggle has been taken up by 100th Brigade of 33rd Division, which has succeeded 23rd Division in the line on Westhoek Ridge between Inverness Copse and Polderhoek. During the relief of one division by the other, we believe the Germans tried to seize their chance by attacking the newcomers, resulting in 1st/9th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry losing ground. Rallying, the men from Glasgow, retook part of the ground they had lost and, supported by other battalions, any attempt to exploit the gains the enemy had made was extinguished.

Elsewhere, the 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, in the front line between Shrewsbury Forest and Gheluvelt have been under continuous shelling all day. Second Lieutenant N W Rycroft and eleven other ranks have been killed and sixteen other ranks wounded. The adjutant told me on the blower that, incongruously, the battalion transport is well behind the lines at Sint-Jans-Kappel, at the 37th Divisional Horse Show, where, in the cooker and limber competition, the battalion’s entry maintained an unbeaten record!

Second Lieutenant H Hutchinson [X550/1/82]

Finally, we believe that 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 15th Brigade of 5th Division, may well be on its way to Ypres. Today it marched to Tincques, west of Arras, where it took the train to Saint-Omer, then marched to Zudrove, near Setques. Two new officers, Second Lieutenants W W White and H Hutchinson joined today(1).

Second Lieutenant W White [X550/1/81]

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/7/1

(1) Herbert Hutchinson would be killed on 27th September 1918 and is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial 

Presentation to Sergeant Major Hutchinson DCM

Potton School [Z1306/91/24/1]

Sunday 14th May 1916: For some time the children of the Potton Mixed School have been contributing to a fund opened by the headmaster (Mr W Bartle) in order that some suitable gift might be presented to Sergeant Major Hutchinson who was brought up at the school and who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous bravery at the Battle of Loos. As the Sergeant Major was home during last week, he was invited to the school on Friday afternoon to receive the gift. In making the presentation Mr Bartle said it was thought only fitting that something should be done to mark the pride felt in the gallantry of the Potton man who had brought such honour to their ancient town and to the Beds Regiment. The terms of the certificate given to the Sergeant Major needed no comment; he has done his duty as a brave and loyal soldier and his bravery had received the proper recognition and their thanks were due to him, especially as he was a Pottonian. Army orders which confer distinctions upon soldiers tersely and formally express the deeds by which the distinctions are won, but no great gift of imagination was required to compensate for official baldness. The Sergeant Major won his Distinguished Service Medal on the 25th-29th September at Loos when the British made such a gallant effort to break the German lines Actions like those he displayed speak of unusual determination and of a remarkable degree of cool, reasoned courage. Potton might well be proud of its many men serving the country; seven have already laid down their lives – three bearing the name of Hutchinson, R Surtees, W Gates, W Richardson and F Whitfield(1) – all died nobly doing their duty. Self-sacrificing bravery all men appreciate, for were it not for such valiant characters, they would not be where they now were, and when the war is over the men who had done “their bit” must be treated fairly and not as some of those who had returned from the Crimea – retreat to the Workhouse. The school master further said he hoped as time improved, the bag the children and teachers had bought for the Sergeant Major would, on many occasions, be a useful reminder of the deep appreciation and gratitude for the part he so gallantly played in helping to stave off the great German offensive. On behalf of the children and teachers he presented that gift, with a list of subscribers, and he wished Sergeant Major Hutchinson long life and good health and the necessary prosperity to enable him to enjoy the usefulness that the cowhide bag seemed capable of affording (cheers)”.

In accepting the bag the Sergeant Major said: - “Mr Bartle, teachers and children, I have great pleasure in accepting it, especially as it comes from Potton School. As you know I first landed in Belgium and I saw children sitting by the roadside with no one to teach them and that made me determined to fight hard”. He went on to say that it gave him great pleasure knowing that the gift was from the schoolchildren, and the school where he was brought up. He thanked them all most heartily.

Several patriotic songs were sung and three cheers were given for Sergeant Major Hutchinson DCM before dispersing.

Source: Biggleswade Chronicle, 12^th May 1916

(1)  Details on these men are as follows:

• 9271 Private Herbert Hutchinson, 2^nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, died of wounds 24^th October 1914 and buried in Ypres Town Cemetery.
• 8196 Private Charles Nicholas Hutchinson, 1^st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, killed in action 13^th October 1914, commemorated on the le Touret Memorial
• G/8320 Private George Hutchinson, 9^th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, died of wounds 5^th March 1916, buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery
• 2720 Private Richard Barron Surtees, 2^nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, killed in action 28^th April 1915, commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial
• 2654 Private William Henry Gates, 2^nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, killed in action 26^th April 1915, commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial
• 2711 Private Wilfred Ernest Richardson, 2^nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, died 24^th April 1915, commemorated on the le Touret Memorial
• 141584 Private Frederick Whitfield, 21^st Battalion, Canadian Infantry (East Ontario Regiment), died 22^nd April 1916, commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial

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

---

(1) Today’s D39.

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

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