The Seventh Manchesters by S. J. Wilson (top ten ebook reader .txt) π
CHAPTER I.
Holding up the Turk.
In September, 1914, the 7th Bn. Manchester Regiment set out for active service in the East in goodly company, for they were a part of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, the first territorials to leave these shores during the Great War. After many interesting days spent on garrison duty in the Sudan and Lower Egypt they journeyed to Gallipoli soon after the landing had been effected, and took a continuous part in that ill-fated campaign until the final evacuation. The beginning of 1916 thus found them back in Egypt, where they were taking part in General Maxwell's scheme for the defence of the Suez Canal. The things that befell the battalion during this long period have been admirably described in Major Hurst's book With Manchesters in the East, and this short history will attempt to continue the narrative from the point where it left off.
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peppered the H.Q. road with shrapnel, inflicting about a dozen
casualties, while others covered our own forward positions with the same
kind of shell, and so added to the list. I am convinced that there is
nothing more demoralising to a soldier in defence than to come under the
fire of his own guns, so, to say the least, these moments were very
trying. The difficulty of communicating with the rear caused a further
delay in the correction of this serious blunder, and our men had to
maintain a grip on their positions whilst subjected to fire from both
sides, for by this time the enemy had got his guns up, impudently close
to the front line, evidently with a view to a further advance, and was
using them to advantage. Some of them could be distinctly seen on the
outskirts of Logeast Wood, and it was obvious that most of the others
responsible for our discomfort were in the Wood itself. Further away the
roads from Grevillers, Bapaume, Loupart Wood, etc., could be seen choked
with masses of advancing Germans. If only we had had a few 60-pounders,
what perfect execution we should have accomplished. There were batteries
of guns, companies of infantry, columns of transport, staff-cars, and
all the impedimenta of a moving army. I expect the heart of every Hun of
them swelled with the pride of achievement. They were marching to the
last victory that was going to obliterate the hated English and end the
war. They were not yet aware that just here there was a row of troops,
from right to left, New Zealanders, Australians, Yorkshiremen,
Lancashiremen, and Guards, who did not intend to concede another yard of
ground.
How we longed for the heavy guns during the days that followed, but they
could not, of course, come into action until the infantry line had been
stabilised. Weeks later we heard stories of the doings on those roads
behind the lines, and perhaps we should not judge too harshly, for
traffic control was difficult and there was obviously an excessive
demand upon transport. Add to this the disturbing lack of news and the
peculiar shape of the front, for whereas we were facing east, the 62nd
division with the exception of one battalion in Bucquoy were facing
south, and some explanation may be found for the slight degree of
confusion. The divisional artillery, 18-pounders and 4.5 howitzers,
remained faithful to the infantry, and the 42nd gunners never showed up
to prouder advantage than they did during those stern days. It was not
they who had fired upon us. They were too close to us to make any
mistake in that way, for during the heaviest fighting they had their
guns within 1,600 yards of the front line, and where cover was
unobtainable either for gun or man. Needless to say they suffered very
heavily both in personnel and material, for the enemy aircraft soon
found them, and they were hammered and gassed mercilessly. Their forward
observation officers maintained a liaison with the H.Q. of the infantry
battalions, and in addition to courageous work in searching for targets
and correcting gun fire they showed the greatest consideration for our
needs.
Although the 7th occupied a commanding position it was singularly bare
and exposed so that cover was difficult to find. During the first few
hours βDβ company of the M.Gβs. had all their guns but one put out of
action, and almost all their officers and men became casualties. They
had pluckily worked their weapons in the hastily sited positions until
knocked outβnot before, however, they had carried out savage execution
amongst the more venturesome Huns, and they certainly had the effect of
making the remainder hesitate. The nature of the ground made it
difficult also for the battalion observers to work, for it was evident
the enemy F.O.Oβs. were specially searching for such people, and the
moment they fixed up a telescope down came a hurricane of shelling, the
close proximity of the Boche guns making their fire extremely accurate
and deadly. The result was that after the first dayβs fighting, of the
observers only two, Cpl. Maguire and Pte. Wilmer, remained. Not to be
daunted by the fate of their comrades they clung to their task, and
when shelled out of one spot immediately found another. They kept the
enemy under close watch and strung together most valuable chains of
evidence as to their movements, gallant work for which both received the
M.M.
The signallers also suffered heavily. Wires were difficult to keep in
repair but the linesmen continued to go out during the heaviest
shelling, while others maintained a system of lamp signalling to the
brigade behind a pile of ammunition boxes until a 5.9 dropped plumb
amongst them with dire results. Other signallers at once found a new
spot and kept communication going. But these were searching days for
everyone, when physical endurance and mental stamina were stretched to
their furthest limit. As the day wore on, the guns that we had seen in
the distance gradually came into action against us until shells were
raining down continuously on all parts of our line. Obviously, the enemy
infantry had given up the hope of further progress, for our men were
like terriers, keenly watching for the slightest sign of a Hun helmet,
and the artillery were left to do their worst upon us. Just before dusk
the M.O., Capt. Philp, was killed by a shell whilst bending over a
wounded man on a stretcher. No cover could be found for an aid-post, and
it had to be established in the open at a convenient spot on the ground.
In fact, the only dug-out in the area was that occupied by H.Q., and it
was shared by Col. Wedgwood of the 6th, so that two battalion H.Q. were
confined in a spot no more than seven feet square, while the entrance
faced the enemy in an exposed part of the road.
Darkness had brought quiet at last, but no rest. Rations had come up and
they had to be distributed. Similarly with ammunition and water. Also
the enemy might attempt a night assault, for it was not to be expected
that he would be satisfied with this very pronounced re-entrant in his
line. The 6th, whose line ran close to the edge of Ablainzevelle, sent a
patrol into the village. The small parties of Boche fled at their
approach and left two M.Gβs. in their hands. Our patrols searched all
the low ground in front but could not find the enemy.
Next morning, March 27th, about 9 oβclock, the battle re-opened with
redoubled vigour. Fresh enemy troops had been brought up and they made a
determined attempt to push forward. A terrific bouncing barrage came
down upon our positions, but the men stood up to it, in spite of the
heavy casualties, and opened fire upon the groups of Boche who attempted
to get across the open. The main infantry assault took place near
Ablainzevelle, and here the 6th had the work of repelling them, but
after some hand to hand fighting the enemy fell back and confined his
energies to sniping and M.G. work. Meanwhile, the landscape was steadily
changing its appearance in the 7th sector. What had once been good roads
and respectable fields were shell-pitted and strewn with debris, a pile
of S.A.A. boxes that had been left behind had been hit and in the fire
that resulted there was a disturbing display of fireworks from the
exploding cartridges. The trees were losing their accustomed beauty,
many having been smashed down completely. But picture the trepidation of
the aid-post detachment, now in charge of Capt. Greville, for they lay
close to a huge dump of shells that was liable to be hit at any moment.
During the quieter days Bucquoy had evidently been an ammunition park,
and as not much of the stuff had been removed, it was an exciting spot
to fight in.
All day this steady pounding continued, and when the enemy infantry
definitely gave up their efforts to get near our line they supplemented
the shelling by an unceasing hail of traversing M.G. fire. Yet, through
this the runners and stretcher bearers performed their appointed tasks,
and there was no period when perfect touch was not maintained between
the C.O. and any part of the front line and also back to brigade H.Q.,
nor were there cases of wounded men being left unduly exposed after they
had been hit. The constant stream of runners, etc., of both battalions
converging on the H.Q. dug-out, exposed to observation as it was, soon
made the truth of the matter plain to the enemy, and he began to pay
attention to it with 5.9βs. An anxious moment came when he hit the
entrance and buried a number of men standing in the improvised steps.
All were extricated, however, and those who were wounded carried away.
The entrance was cleared, steps constructed again, and the work carried
on as usual. βDβ company lost its commander again, for Lieut. Morten was
hit, and this left Lieut. Gresty in charge.
Evening again brought a welcome respite, and it was decided to minimise
casualties by reducing the garrisons of the front trenches, for by now a
sort of trench had been made and a little wire had been put out in front
the previous night. One platoon per company was taken out and sent back,
where they were placed under the command of Col. Blatherwick of the 5th,
who remained in brigade support. Daylight of March 28th brought a
resumption of the enemy effort at least to straighten his line and
masses of Huns could be seen gradually collecting in the Nisson huts. In
the previous days the 18-pounders had kept this spot under fire, but
Col. Bromfield decided to call for howitzer assistance to smash down the
earth walls round the huts, a plan which met with great success. Our
shells dropped plumb amongst them, and Huns could be seen dashing about
in all directions in search of more effective cover. Our shrapnel
barrage had been considerably improved also, and the moment the enemy
left their positions it promptly came down and drove them to earth
again. The 7th were worn out, and the men were losing their spruce
appearance, but rifles and L.Gβs. were kept clean, and amidst the
terrific shelling of that day they asked for nothing better than that
Jerry would try to come across to give them an opportunity for revenge.
The enemyβs guns had increased in number, chiefly the heavy variety, and
it was now his obvious intention to blow us off the ridge. The heavy
pounding never ceased. Many gallant deeds were performed by runners,
stretcher-bearers and ammunition-carrying-platoons through this inferno.
Lieut. Bagshaw was awarded the M.C. for his work in leading ammunition
fatigues, but the supreme decoration of allβthe seal of deathβcame to
a large number of the Fleur-de-lys. Amongst the officersβCapt. Tinker,
Lieut. Walter Thorp and Lieut. Ludlam were killed outright, while
Lieuts. Woods and McLaine were mortally wounded.
After a final effort in the late afternoon to advance against our
positions in a line of small sections, which was met with the usual
devastating fire, the enemy gave it up and occupied the remaining hours
of daylight with fierce shelling. Our heavy artillery had at last
returned and got to work and their shelling began to have effect, for it
was noticeable that the Boche shells were now arriving from a greater
distance than formerly. The 6th had an exciting episode that day. A
party of courageous Germans, led by an officer, had pushed forward and
were throwing bombs amongst them. Lieut. Mall decided this must be
stopped, and he led one platoon over in a short sharp charge. Fifteen
Huns were bayonetted, and Mall returned
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