More Success for the New Zealanders

Friday 30th August 1918

With Bapaume taken the New Zealand Division was today given the task of taking two villages to the east of the town - Bancourt and, to the north-east of that place, Fremicourt. The villages have duly fallen and the line taken some two thousand yards forward. Sadly, 42nd Division have been unable to take the village of Riencourt. 

Similarly, 38th (Welsh) Division have been unable to take Morval, mainly owing to the strength of the enemy's artillery barrage on any attempt to get forward. The same artillery has rendered impossible the 18th Division's attempts to make any serious advance though a little ground has been made. 

2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment had been ordered to take a sunken lane north of Combles and the attempt was duly made. However, they could get no further than another sunken lane a little way to the west - both shown on the map below. Sadly some nine other ranks have been killed, five are missing and thirty two have been killed. Amongst officers Captain P J Reiss has been wounded and 2nd Lieutenant A D Greenwood has been killed.

Source: X550/3/wd

Composite Brigade

Saturday 20th April 1918

Readers will remember I have referred on a number of occasions to the weakness of the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment following the retreat in March. The same is also true of the other battalions in the 30th Division.

Last evening it was decided to create a composite brigade under Brigadier-General Goodman. It comprises two composite battalions and a full-strength battalion as follows:
- Number 1 Battalion: two companies of 2nd Bedfords and two from 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment;
- Number 2 Battalion: two companies each from 16th Battalion, Manchester Regiment and 17th Manchesters;
- 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment.

The 1st Battalion comprises the following:
- Number 1 Company: A and B Companies, 2nd Bedfords commanded by Captain P J Reiss MM, MC 
- Number 2 Company: C and D Companies, 2nd Bedfords commanded by Lieutenant S E Cline;
- Number 3 Company: commanded by Captain Druitt, Wiltshire Regiment;
- Number 4 Company: commanded by Captain Wilson, Wiltshire Regiment.

This new battalion moved up into the front line again overnight in the region of the Yser Canal at Spoil Bank and Lock 7.

Sources: X550/3/wd

Wednesday 3rd April 1918

The attack planned by the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers took place last evening at Hangard. Progress was made, but owing to the overwhelming superiority of the enemy artillery and machine gun fire, the battalions were ordered to withdraw. Remember, this attack comes at the end of a long retreat by battalions at below half strength. One officer and two other ranks are reported killed, four officers and 48 other ranks wounded with four reported as missing. At ten o'clock last night the battalion moved back to Gentelles.

Today Lieutenant-Colonel Percival received the following letter from the brigadier, L W Sadleir Jackson: "I am enclosing you the result of the operation yesterday evening. I cannot express to you my admiration for the determination, and gallantry displayed by your Battalion. Although the attack made by your Regiment was unable to make headway in the face of overwhelming Artillery and Machine Gun Fire, the manner in which they held their ground is beyond praise and drew the whole of the enemy's strength, so that the troops co-operating on your left were able to get on to the objective. The Northamptonshire Regiment have pushed up on the right, and the whole objective is now in our possession. I mourn with you, for the loss of so many gallant Officers and men, which I fear was inevitable in so stiff an engagement. I hope you will convey to all ranks under your Command, the information that all the objective has been gained, and this is entirely due to their magnificent steadiness and behaviour in the face of overwhelming odds in artillery and machine guns. I hope you will convey the contents of this letter to all ranks in your Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment have now direct observation on Aubercourt".

The 2nd Battalion has maintained its tradition of having an American medical officer - Lieutenant Pomcrantz. A number of officers have rejoined the battalion from leave - Captain P J Reiss, Second Lieutenant F C Baldwin, Second Lieutenant A Baker, Second Lieutenant S H Smith, Second Lieutenant P A Page and Second Lieutenant Cecil Shekury(1). Their presence will be welcomed in this unit, so greatly reduced in strength.

The 4th Battalion as gone into the front line, relieving the Highland Light Infantry at Mesnil. Meanwhile we have learned that 5th Division and the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, is on its way back from Italy to the Western Front.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/3/wd; X550/5/3; X550/8/1

(1) Frederick Charles Baldwin would die on 11th May, Cecil Shekury on 16th April.

Seventieth Day of the Third Battle of Ypres

Second Lieutenant P J Reiss [X550/1/81]

Monday 8th October 1917

Again it has been a day of preparation here in the Salient. We have heard that Second Lieutenant P J Reiss MC has rejoined the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment from base along with one other rank.

Sources: X550/3/wd

A Wounded Officer's Description of the Shambles at Cherisy

The ground over which the Bedfords attacked at Cherisy

Saturday 5th May 1917

I have been lucky enough to speak with Second Lieutenant Henry Cartwright of 7th Bedfords about the abortive attack at Chérisy two days ago and here is his story.

“On May 1st D Company, as assaulting company, took up their battle position in the front line. Captain Driver was in command with Second Lieutenants Angas, Lingwood, a newcomer, and myself as platoon commanders. Everything seemed favourable and the general opinion was that it would be easy going. From a sap in our front line we commanded a view over the Bosche lines for miles, a green, undulating country that looked most inviting and made us eager to get there. I was not anxious and windy as on previous occasions”.

“Zero was timed for dawn on 3rd and at 4 o’clock the barrage opened; our signal; out of the trenches we scrambled, up a slope and down into the valley. It was pitch dark and to make matters difficult, there was a ground mist in the low-lying land; touch and direction were soon lost and there were large gaps in our line”.

“As we approached to their lines near Chérisy the wire in front could be seen uncut. The ranks were wavering. Captain Bull and Company Sergeant Major Brand of B Company came up and just as we were discussing the line of advance, I saw a blinding flash, my rifle, smashed to smithereens, was knocked out of my hand and I was hit in the leg. With Company Sergeant Major Brand, wounded in the leg also, I crawled back and just as we reached a trench, Brand was killed by a shell. The most popular and daring man in the Battalion; it seems ironic that he should have been killed just as he had reached some cover. The Medical Officer found me and after putting on a field dressing, I hobbled to a dressing station”.

I have learned more about the Battalion’s losses which have been lighter than in the successful attack on 1st July last year when about a hundred men died. Nevertheless the sting of defeat makes it seem as if losses are far greater than the reality. The following officers have been killed: Captain W H Bull, Second Lieutenant C B Kydd, Second Lieutenant G J Luscombe, Second Lieutenant G Angas and Second Lieutenant E St.H Lingwood. The following officers have been wounded: Second Lieutenant R B Rednall (Signalling Officer); Second Lieutenant S C Tremeer; Second Lieutenant R J Clarke; Second Lieutenant J J Murray; Second Lieutenant W D Oliver Jones; Second Lieutenant H Driver; Second Lieutenant P J Reiss; Second Lieutenant E F Piercy and, of course, Second Lieutenant H Cartwright.

Amongst the other ranks 19 were killed in action, 48 are missing and so either dead or prisoners-of-war, 162 have been wounded, 6 have since died of their wounds, 4 are “missing believed killed” and 3 and wounded and missing. This makes a grand total of 242 officers and men killed, wounded and missing, about a quarter of the Battalion’s strength

Now we turn to developments to the south, around Bullecourt. Last evening the Germans made determined efforts to retake the thousand yards of the Hindenburg Line captured by the Australians over the last two days. These were defeated. Unfortunately, reports of the capture of Bullecourt yesterday by 7th Division seem to have been premature.

Today the Australians have been busy holding their trenches against a terrific German bombardment. 7th Division have been probing the Bullecourt defences where the enemy still seems to be entrenched in strength.

Sources: X550/8/1

Day One Hundred and Four on the Somme

Thursday 12th October 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

Lieutenant-Colonel Poyntz

This morning 2nd Bedfords spent preparing for their attack on Bite Trench. Things did not begin well when the commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel H S Poyntz was wounded whilst explaining plan of attack to company commanders at 11 a.m. 

Second Lieutenant Fyson

A curious incident occurred about this time - a party of Germans (two officers and about fifty men) appeared in Gird Trench without any arms. They made signs of surrender, but hesitated to come over for fear of being shot, Second Lieutenant H G Fyson, however went out and spoke to the German Officer who got back into the trench, but just as he got in, someone fired a shot at him, and after this, naturally they did not surrender and come over to our lines.

2nd Bedfords' sketch map of the plan of attack

This might have seemed a good omen. The attack commenced just after 2 pm but owing to the Battalion’s trenches not facing the objective the companies on the left had to make a turn across the enemy's front which was only 250 yards away.

The attack was made in four waves, C and D Companies forming the first two waves, C Company under Lieutenant R Hopkins on the right and D under Captain L F Beal on the left. B Company formed the third wave under Captain E S M Poyntz and A Company formed the fourth wave, in support, under Lieutenant W White. The distance between each wave was one hundred yards.

Second Lieutenant (later Captain) Reiss 

At first all went well on the left until the first wave of attackers reached a small ridge about sixty yards in front , when it came under terrific machine gun and rifle fire from the left and front in Gird Trench, causing many casualties. They pushed on and got within fifty yards of Gird Trench, but the fire was so great that they were held up owing to having so many casualties. Second Lieutenant Fyson, the would-be negotiator of the morning, was killed and Second Lieutenant J Reiss wounded in the first five minutes of the attack. Here the attackers had to lie out until nightfall, as the 17th Battalion King’s (Liverpool) Regiment on their left were also held up and could not advance.

Second Lieutenant L H Bird

Further right, however, C and D Companies made better progress and passed over the Southern end of Gird Trench towards Bayonet Trench. They also came under heavy machine gun fire, this time from Gird Support Trench and got held up. At this time, about 3 p.m., Second Lieutenant Bird and Second Lieutenant Walker, who supervised digging of the assembly trenches last night, were killed.

Captain E S M Poyntz

On B Company reinforcing the attack they pushed on again and captured about 200 yards of Bite Trench, which is a shallow communication trench, much blown in. Seeing that Gird Support Trench and Bayonet Trench were very strongly held and being under very heavy enfilade fire from Gird Support Trench, Captain E S M Poyntz and Lieutenant R Hopkins decided it was useless to attempt to get further, so they dug in along the captured portion of Bite Trench. 

Captain R Hopkins

This they did under heavy enfilade fire. This portion of Bite Trench was converted by B and C Companies into a magnificent fire trench and is very important owing to the observation that can be obtained from it. Half of A Company converted the Southern portion of Gird Trench and placed a block about 70 yards up. An attempt was made to cut a trench from here to contact up to D Company who were isolated and digging in about seventy yards to the West of Gird Trench, but this had to be given up owing to the enemy's fire on this point.

Captain L F Beal

All hopes, I have been told, have given up of trying to get in touch with D Company under Captain Beal, who is isolated with about fifty men. Several messages have been sent, but the runners were either killed or wounded. Eventually 2nd Lieutenant J P Pitts got back to Headquarters with a message and he took back orders for Captain Beal to withdraw to his original position after dark. We hope he finds him.

Second Lieutenant J P Pitts

Thus the attack by 30th Division on Gird Trench has had mixed fortunes. Less has been achieved than was hoped but not everything has ended in failure, with some ground having been taken. On the left of the division 9th (Scottish) Division made an attack towards the Butte de Warlencourt but were only able to progress about one hundred yards due to intense fire.

To the left of 30th Division, 9th (Scottish) Division attacked the Butte de Warlencourt and a small stand of trees known as Little Wood. These places were not taken, but an advance of 200 yards was made

To the right of 30th Division, 6th Division, though not 8th Bedfords, made an attack today on Zenith Trench between Lesboeufs and Gueudecourt but were repulsed. The 8th Bedfords are in front line trenches east of Gueudecourt from which they relieved the attacking battalions yesterday. Other attacks by the Division gained some small success. 12th (Eastern) Division made some small gains also. One of the attacking units was the Newfoundland Regiment, temporarily attached from 29th Division. These men from the wild east coast of Canada suffered terrible casualties in unsuccessful attacks on 1st July. Today they enjoyed a bit more success and have suffered many less casualties. Their bravery in July was an exemplar to all in the army and their work today, though slight in its gains was, we understand, carried out with the same gallant determination.

On the right flank of the British Army on the Somme, 4th Division attacked alongside the French and managed to get five hundred yards forward. Attacks on Rainy, Dewdrop and Spectrum trenches have met with failure, however.

Source: X550/3/wd