Digging

Friday 19th April 1918

Today has been unseasonably cold with sleet and even snow at times. The 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment left Erie camp at Brandhoek at ten o'clock this morning and spent their time digging strongpoints between Vlamertinge and Reningelst. 

Source: X550/3/wd

A Third Battalion Round-Up

Monday 16th July 1917

The adjutant of 7th Battalion wired me to mention that Captain D S H Keep was buried this evening in the village cemetery at Reningelst with full military honours, all his Company and most of the officers of the Battalion in attendance.

The 2nd Battalion are well behind the lines at Polincove near Calais. Lieutenant J T Coe has rejoined the Battalion from England and Major R O Wynne has rejoined from 19th Battalion, King’s (Liverpool) Regiment.

The 4th Battalion has been in the front line near Oppy Wood, taken by 1st Battalion last month. Today they have been relieved and marched back to Beverley Camp. They have been joined by Second Lieutenants C H Wareing and A L Gordon from base; Captain A C Croskell and Second Lieutenant T R G Cooke have rejoined from hospital

Second Lieutenant Croskell [X550/1/82]

Yesterday in Palestine 1st/5th Battalion took Holy Communion at 7 a.m. The force selected to raid Umbrella Hill had a rest from their training but a patrol of two officers and six other ra

nks went out into No Man’s Land to the south-east and south-west of Umbrella Hill and, although having to dodge machine-gun bullets on the south-east side, no enemy patrols were encountered.

Sources: X550/3/WD; X550/5/3; X550/6/8; X550/8/1

New Enemy Atrocity

Map of the s'Graventafel Area (here shown as Gravenstafel) - Ypres is to the south-west

Friday 23rd April 1915: Yesterday around five o’clock in the evening a foul thing took place near Ypres, one of the foulest things to happen yet in this foul war. Near the hamlet of s'Graventafel to the north-east of Ypres a greenish cloud was seen to issue from German lines and float with the wind towards our own. It passed through a section of the line held by Moroccan and Algerian troops of French 45th and 87th Divisions. At once men were see to clutch their throats and to fall, gasping for breath and many died. Not surprisingly the rest ran for their lives(1).

It looks very much as if the bestial foe has resorted to even baser methods of slaughter. Experts we have spoken to are of opinion that the green cloud was chlorine gas. It chokes, it blinds and it asphyxiates. The poor men who breathed it did not stand a chance but died, victims of the German chemical industry and German barbarism.

As a result of the French North African troops’ flight a four mile wide gap was left in our lines. This was no doubt the enemy’s intention and they were expected to pour through the gap. However, here the enemy’s treachery worked against him for the gas lingered in the old French trenches and the German troops feared to enter and to share the fate of their original defenders.

Here we are happy to praise the steadfast courage of our Canadian troops. They were next to the French troops who ran, but, despite taking casualties themselves, they stood firm and, by virtue of wetting cloths and putting them over their faces, were able to mitigate, to an extent, the effects of the gas(2). It is feared they have taken grievous casualties as a reward for their bravery.

The adjutant of 1^st Bedfords tells us that they were ordered to march from their rest at Reningelst to Ouderdom in preparation to check any German breakthrough but no breakthrough, thankfully, came.

Earlier that day the Bedfords had been visited by Commander-in-Chief British Expeditionary Force. He congratulatd them on their fine performance at Hill 60.

Source: X550/2/5

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(1)  This was not the first gas attack in history; the Germans had employed the gas against the Russians in January, but the intense cold had prevented it working properly. This was the first successful use of poisoned gas and the first use on the Western Front. The British army would soon begin to use gas itself.

(2)  In fact they urinated on the cloth.

The Bedfords Hold Hill 60

Wednesday 21st April 1915: yesterday at 6.30 pm the Germans made another attack on the 1st Bedfords, holding Hill 60 with 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. This came after a day of interminable bombardment from three sides as the hill sticks out into the German lines. The attack was beaten off as was another at 8 pm. The adjutant reports that casualties on both sides have been very heavy. He adds that German machine guns and now firing into the flank of their position, as mentioned yesterday, this unpleasant situation is known as enfilading fire.

He goes on that German artillery is within thirty yards of the hill, firing at his men at point blank range. Strikes from shells have blown the trench parapet to pieces “mangling the defenders”. Our own artillery dare not fire at these guns for fear of hitting the defenders of Hill 60 and so giving them fire to cope with from a complete 360 degrees. They also seem to be ineffective at taking out the larger German guns, a good way behind the German lines, which are also doing great execution. He tells us that four officers have been killed and eight wounded. Over four hundred other ranks have been killed or wounded, thus reducing the battalion to about half strength. As he spoke to us men from the Cameron Highlanders and 1st Devonshire Regiment were beginning to relieve the battered Bedfords and Surreys who will leave this wasteland of shell craters and corpses to rest and sleep at Reningelst.

Source: X550//5

Things to Do with Rabbit Wire

Wednesday 7th April 1915: The adjutant of 1st Bedfords tells us that the enemy shelled Ypres at about 8.30 a.m. The first howitzer shell smashed up house next to the Battalion Headquarters, the second smashed a house on other side of the headquarters, breaking the H. Q.'s windows and other shells broke up houses in the neighbourhood causing considerable casualties. He also tells us that they have just received word they are to move today from 28th Division back to 5th Division command, moving back to Reningelst, to the south-west of Ypres.

Meanwhile we have heard that Brigadier-General H. E. Watts, commanding 21st Infantry Brigade wishes experiments carried out on the lines set out below and the men practised in the use of wire netting to get over barbed wire entanglements. The system of crossing barbed wire entanglements by means of rabbit wire is as follows: - rolls of wire netting are thrown across the obstacle and form a species of bridge over which the men following can cross. Experiments go to show that it is quite easy for men to cross in this way. The wire netting forms a convenient bridge over the space between the strands, on which the men can place their feet. To obtain the best result it is advisable that the wire should not be cut at all. It does not matter whether the wire is taut or slack.

The length of netting will vary according to the width of the obstacle to be crossed, and is limited by the amount one man can conveniently carry. Thirty feet has been found by experiment to be the maximum an average man can carry and throw into position. This length would enable a depth of eight yards to nine yards to be bridged. Each length or roll has a wooden post or stay at each end to which the wire is fastened. The wire is then rolled tight thus placing one stay in the centre and one at the outside. The most suitable netting is the standard size of two feet six inches or three feet wide, with a one inch mesh.

On reaching the obstacle, the man carrying the roll holds it with both hands - with one hand he holds the outer stay and with the other, with a motion somewhat similar to "putting the shot" or "bowling" heaves the roll over the obstacle. By holding the outer stay the roll is thus caused to unwind as it flies through the air. The actual throwing requires a certain amount of practice in order to ensure its unfolding completely and reaching the other side. The wire must be thrown between the posts. Once it has fallen on to the entanglement it will not be possible in the heat of action to alter its position owing to the barbs on the entanglement. Men must, therefore, be well practised in order that they can ensure throwing it accurately at the first attempt.

Its chief use appears to me to be crossing of secondary lines of entanglements behind the first line of trenches which may be encountered by the further advance, and against which an accurate artillery fire cannot be brought to bear. It would also be most useful in crossing the first line, should the artillery fail to cut this.

Source: X550/3/wd