Bombardment by Machine Guns

Saturday 2nd December 1916: From our Correspondent in the Field

As we mentioned in yesterday’s despatch the 8th Battalion have moved into the front line near Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée. The day, the adjutant tells me via telephone, is cold and misty. The enemy has been quiet but now that darkness has fallen enemy machine guns have been bombarding the back areas around Windy Corner. They do this by elevating their barrels like howitzers and letting off streams of bullets that fall well behind the lines.

Source: X550/9/1

Defending Givenchy and Cuinchy

Monday 15th November 1915: We have received the following defensive plans for the 2nd Bedfords, an extract from more detailed instructions for the whole brigade.  No doubt the Germans have something nearly identical for their own defences!

Action to be Taken in Case of Attack

(a) All Troops in the Sectors will at once stand to arms in fighting order.

(b) Battalion Commanders will

(i). immediately inform the Artillery

(ii). Inform Brigade Headquarters by wire and messenger.

(c) The front line will be held at all costs. Should any portion of the front line be occupied by the enemy the remainder will be held, and a local counter-attack at once made to expel the enemy from that part of the line which he has gained possession. The Support Companies may be used to reinforce the front line in case of necessity. A supporting platoon of centre and left battalions of both sectors will always stand to arms in the support trench in the vicinity of the craters, carrying picks and shovels ready to move forward at once should the enemy explode a mine. The reserve company will be moved up to the vicinity of the support line and kept in hand for offensive action.

(d) Should the enemy obtain a lodgement in our line troops to the right and left of the broken line will assist the local counter attacks by pushing bombing parties down the trenches on the flanks of the attackers.

(e) If something more than a local counter-attack by the troops actually in the front lines is required to dislodge the enemy, it will be organised and prepared by the Brigadier General Commanding. The success of the local counter-attack is dependent on the attack being launched at once before the enemy has had time to settle himself in any way in the captured portions of the trench.

(f) All the garrisons of keeps will, in case of an attack, stand to their posts and will in any event hold on to their posts tenaciously at all costs so as to form pivots to assist further counter-attacks.

(g) Brigade Headquarters will be established at Windy Corner(1),Divisional Headquarters at le Quesnoy.

(h) Action of Reserves. The battalions in le Quesnoy and Essars move up at once along North bank of the canal, Commanding Officers coming to the permanent Brigade Headquarters on Canal Bank.

(i) Artillery. Battalion Commanders are in close touch with the Officer Commanding Artillery, and Artillery Brigade Commanders with Brigade Headquarters.  Officers Commanding sub-sections will send the following message to Artillery "S.O.S. "B" 2 "B" 3 etc as the case may be, and will then keep the batteries informed of the progress of events.

Maintenance

The Officers Commanding battalions finding the garrison of the keeps will be responsible that they are kept in a good state of repair and in a thoroughly defensive condition.

They will see that a reserve of 300 rounds per rifle - two days rations and water and a supply of bombs are maintained. The posts will be visited by an Inspecting Officer daily and all will stand to their battle posts twice daily.

Source: X550/3/wd

(1) In Cuinchy, today the site of the Guards Cemetery.

The East Anglian Royal Engineers and Their Monorail

Tuesday 6th July: The 1st/1st Field Company, East Anglian Royal Engineers are at Gorre in northern France, near the town of Béthune: They have taken over the work and supervision of the 2nd Line Defence known as The Village Line, with support points at Cambrin, Pont-Fixe and Windy Corner, Cuinchy (which already existed but had become into a bad state of repair). These were reconstructed and new works made.

Deep dugouts with ferro-concrete walls and roofs were constructed. Walls were loopholed and barricaded with sandbags and second roofs of ferro-concrete to the cellars were made and the cellars where the levels of floors permitted were defended by loopholes for rifles and machine-guns. The houses on the Cambrin-Pont-Fixe Road and the Pont Fixe-Windy Corner Road were also defended in a similar manner.

 A simple design of monorail has been erected in Hertford Street Trench for means of transport. The principle points in the design of the rail are that it can be erected in any good communication trench and will carry any load of reasonable dimensions not exceeding 250 lbs at a fast walking speed and little labour. The most usual loads are found to be dixies(1), rations, ammunition, bombs, sandbags and wounded men. A special stretcher was designed for the latter to overcome difficulties of suspension and taking wounded round trenches, which zig-zag in shape rather than linear. A special chair was also designed for the same purpose and can be adjusted to any angle according to the requirements of the wound, This chair can be handled by one man. The increase of speed and reduction of labour in using the rail have been most marked.

Source: WW1/WD3

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(1) Mess tins

2nd Battalion Casualties at Givenchy

Lieutenant T G M Horsford [X550/1/82/23]

The Centenary of the Battle of Waterloo

Friday 18th June 1915: Captain Foss, adjutant of the 2nd Bedfords has today given us the casualty figures for the action at Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée between 15th and 17th. Lieutenant T. G. M. Horsford was killed by a shell in his dugout and was buried behind Scottish Trench. Second Lieutenant W. H. Fox was killed by the same shell and buried in the same place. Both Lieutenant C. W. Macfie and Second Lieutenant L. Turnbull were killed in the crater and their bodies have not been recovered(1).

Lieutenant G. M. Fleming, Royal Army Medical Corps, was killed by a shell whilst attending to a case at the Regimental Aid Post. He is the second medical officer to be killed with the battalion this year, and is buried “in the country at Windy Corner”(2). 18 other ranks were also killed.

Lieutenant C. H. Brewer was wounded by shrapnel and Second Lieutenant F. Powell wounded twice in the crater. Five other officers were wounded along with 72 other ranks. 27 other ranks are missing

Source: X550/3/wd

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(1) None of these officers has any known grave and they are all commemorated on the le Touret Memorial

(2) Where he remains – his grave is in the Guards Cemetery at Windy Corner, Cuinchy.

Another Trench Poet

Thursday 29th April 1915: From Private S Jeffs comes the following written today “while back in billets for a little rest”.

Springtime is near, the winter is o’er,

And when shall I see the dearly loved shore,

Of beautiful England, the land of my birth,

The dearest of lands on the face of the earth?

When this great war is over I hope to return,

With all speed again to the land where friends yearn;

For I known they will welcome me with smiles on their face,

So God protect England, the loveliest old place.

And when I get back, if needed again,

I would fight for my King and Country the same,

As young fellows ought who have never yet known,

The price of their Country and King on the throne.

So young men of England, answer the call,

For your country now needs you, one and all,

And then at the end of this terrible woe,

You may say thank God I was among them to go.

God Save the King!

Source: Bedfordshire Times 30th April 1915

(1) 3/7196 Private S. Jeffs of the 2nd Battalion was killed in action at Festubert on 17th May and is buried at the Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy.