SECRET
REPORT ON OPERATIONS ON 3rd to 6th SEPTEMBER BY 1st BATTALION
BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT.
Appendix I Orders were received to move to SLIT TRENCHES from SILESIAN
TRENCH at 1-55 p.m. on 3rd September.
The leading platoon marched off within 10 minutes and reached MALTZ HORN TRENCHES 2-25 p.m. At 3 p.m. the Battalion was ordered to move to NEW TRENCHES South of ANGLE WOOD.
Appendix II The 16th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment had been ordered to move
by communication trenches. We started after them and going across the open got in at the East End as they got in at the West.
The two Battalions had to pass one another in a narrow trench during heavy shelling. Since there was not room for two Battalions in the trench a second line had to be dug behind the first. By good fortune there only ten casualties
Appendix III. 6 p.m. orders came from Brigade that Artillery would bombard
FALFEMONT FARM till 6.30 p.m. That Bedfords would assault from FALFEMONT FARM exclusive to WEDGE WOOD inclusive at this hour in conjunction with the Cheshires on our right passing through the troops holding the first line. Orders were issued to Companies by 6-10 p.m. and the leading platoon of “D” Company moved off by 6-15 p.m.
As they had 1000 yards of open ground to their objective the BARRAGE had lifted long before they could get anywhere near.
Moving steadily forward under Artillery and Machine Gun Fire they were a little too much to the left and passing through the leading Companies of the Warwicks and the 95th Brigade they occupied the line from WEDGE WOOD to sunken road at T.26.C.1/9 thus obtaining a portion of the third objective of the 95th Bde.
Appendix IV. Some 30 Warwicks were found in WEDGE WOOD. They had orders
to retire at dusk. They were relieved and the line was extended to join the 1st Cheshires due West of FALFEMONT FARM about B.2.A.0/5. We now held a front of 12 hundred yards with the Battalion Headquarters in a trench just South of WEDGE WOOD. To enable the Battalion to continue its attack on trenches East of WEDGE WOOD and to get my Companies out of the 95th Brigade area I requested O.C. “A” Company to move South of WEDGE WOOD, but so as to avoid any accident I instructed him to report this intention first to the nearest Battalion Commander. He was informed that the D.C.L.I. and Gloucesters were unable to take over our front and that the D.C.L.I. were expecting a counter attack on their left.
Appendix V. In consequence the 2½ Companies were allowed to remain in the 95th
Brigade area holding the first line. A company of the West Kents was called for to hold a portion of our line while a
Appendix VI bombing attack was made, but this was cancelled on receipt of 15th
Brigade Operation Order No. 58 of 4th September directing a general attack on the 4th at 3 p.m.
Strong patrols were pushed forward from Captain Barnett’s Company. They entrenched that night within 30 yards of the German first line in a very creditable manner. The other Companies also pushed out patrols. Captain Norrish’s Company captured 3 and Lieut. Howard’s Company 1 prisoner without any loss – due to good patrol leading. In accordance with 15th Brigade Operation Order of 4th September orders were issued for an attack on Northern portion of CIRCULAR TRENCH East of WEDGE WOOD.
Appendix VII. “D” Company was to advance from the points they had dug in on the
night 3/4th instant. “A”, “C” and “B” Companies from the front of the 95th Brigade were to “sideslip” and in succession to occupy the pushing off place of “D” Company, to reinforce rapidly.
During the morning our guns persistently shelled the line we were holding, and in spite of several reports, matters remained the same. Finally two of the forward trenches had to be evacuated as the men were all being buried. In doing so the enemy opened with machine guns on them and there were several casualties. Quite apart from its moral effect some 30 men were killed or wounded by our own guns.
The attack started at 3.10 p.m.
A bombing party, consisting of the Battalion and “D” Company’s Bombers, and provided with both “P” and the “Mills” Bombs, followed the first platoon; in addition every man in the ranks carried two bombs. As the whole ground was a series of craters these bombs proved invaluable. The rifle men shot down the enemy as he ran back. Lewis guns also did great execution.
Reinforcements came up on both sides and matters began to look serious. All the Battalion reserves were used up, Headquarters were asked for reinforcements from another Battalion, but the last push just succeeded, and our supply of bombs outlasted theirs.
The “P” bomb proved the greatest value in bringing them out of dug-outs.
In one instance a bomb set fire to a German bomb store. A whole Company was sheltering in a dug-out with 3 entrances, according to the statements of two survivors: not many escaped. The position was held by a German Battalion with M.G. detachment.
Three officers (1 wounded) 128 other ranks and 4 machine guns in good condition were captured and sent back by the Bedfords; others were taken back without passing through Battalion Headquarters. In all I estimate the number of prisoners taken by the Battalion during the three days as 160.
Some were also taken by a party of about 30 Cheshires, under Lt Graves now in Scots Guards (3/3/23), who came up on our left right. Another party of about 50 who came later on our right left also relieved the situation. Apart from this nothing could be seen of any progress on our right, on the left the 95th Bde was not to advance till 6.30 p.m.
We consolidated on a line from the Northern corner of FALFEMONT FARM for 300 yards in a N.W. direction across the Plateau. All opposition had ceased by 5.50 p.m., two Companies of West Kents had joined, in response to my request for reinforcements at 4 p.m. and were pushed forward towards LEUZE WOOD, but were recalled to comply with 15th Brigade wire not to draw on them unless absolutely necessary.
A strong patrol was sent out on the right through the Farm to try and gain touch with the Norfolks. (They gained touch with the 16th Warwicks East of FALFEMONT FARM). The Cheshires dug in about 300 yards S.W. of the W. corner of LEUZE WOOD where they gained touch later on with the 95th Brigade. Eight other German stragglers were taken by the Bedfords on the 5th, and seven wounded Germans were left in a dug-out.
Appendix X. Throughout the 5th things remained quiet except for some shelling by
our guns and a very heavy bombardment by German heavy guns. We buried all our dead and were relieved on the morning of the 6th September.
The Battalion went into action with 20 Officers and 610 other ranks, and came out having lost 17 Officers and 289 other ranks. They fully succeeded in gaining their objective and facilitated the advance on either flank.
The Battalion started with full water bottles on the afternoon of the 3rd and were only able to obtain water again on the morning of the 5th, during this time they made an attack across the open, and the following afternoon made another successful attack.
This lack of water was to a certain extent eked out by soda water, of which the German dug-outs were found to be well supplied when captured.
Sgt. Bush, the Battalion Signalling Sergeant, kept up communication between Brigade and Battalion Headquarters by telephone throughout the operations, except for short intervals. There were two intermediate stations for repair of line. Orderlies were able to follow the line to carry important messages. This was not done by a Brigade Orderly carrying 15th Brigade O.O. No. 59 of 5th September, ordering an attack at once by night on FALFEMONT FARM. It was sent out at 12.30 a.m., and received
Appendix VIII. only received at 8.0 a.m., too late to be acted upon. By night a telephone
line or even string will enable orderlies to find their way however intricate the country may be.
I would also like to draw attention to the necessity of giving Battalion Commanders more time to communicate their orders to subordinates. Not many Battalions could have moved off from a long line of trenches to assault a strong position 1000 yards distant within a quarter of an hour of receipt.
Temp. Captain Barnett led the leading Company and directed those following in a masterly manner, after passing through the trenches of our front line, some 500 yards from where we started, they finished up, each Company, a formed unit on their objective.
A previous attack that morning had failed and the temptation must have been great for men to drop into the front line trench and start firing.
Temp. Capt. Barnett’s Company also led the attack on the 4th against German position N.W. of FALFEMONT FARM. Under peculiarly difficult circumstanced. His Company had been under our own baggage fire from daylight till 3.10 p.m., the last portion of which was intense. Many men had been killed and many buried. It was only by constant digging in that any survived, yet the assault was carried out with the utmost vigour. The capture gained the whole ridge and by drawing off German troops from the quarry near T.26.a.6/2 enabled the 95th Brigade to reach LEUZE WOOD practically unopposed that evening. It also indirectly facilitated the advance of the French troops.
Under the circumstances I should like to recommend Temp. Capt. Barnett for immediate reward, and also Temp. Capt. West, who did equally good work.
All Appendices are with the original War Diary.
W. Allason Lt. Colonel
7th Sept.,1916. Commanding 1st Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment.
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