BRIGADE ORDERS.
BY BRIGADIER-GENERAL TREVOR TERNAN, C.M.G., D.S.O.,
COMMANDING 123rd (TYNESIDE SCOTTISH) BRIGADE.
HEADQUARTERS, ALNWICK,
5th APRIL, 1915.
219 – Official Correspondence –
Officers Commanding Units will be good enough to give attention to King’s Regulations, para. 1845. Correspondence will be carried on in minute form – each minute being correctly numbered.
T.L.B. SOUTRY, Captain,
Brigade-Major, 123rd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade.
BRIGADE ORDERS.
BY BRIGADIER-GENERAL TREVOR TERNAN, C.M.G., D.S.O.,
COMMANDING 123rd (TYNESIDE SCOTTISH) BRIGADE.
HEADQUARTERS, ALNWICK,
3rd APRIL, 1915.
217 – Northern Command Order –
The attention of Officers Commanding Units is drawn to Northern Command Order No. 514 of the 1st April, 1915.
218 – Extracts from Northern Command Orders –
CORRESPONDENCE –
With reference to Northern Command Order No. 52, dated 11th January, 1915, correspondence intended for the Command Paymaster, Northern Command, should be addressed “Hollycroft,” Wenlock Terrace, and not to Headquarters.
(A.) Northern Command Order, No.510.
PISTOL AMMUNITION OF CERTAIN DATES ON CHARGE –
With reference to Command Order No. 260, 23/2/15, it is pointed out that Returns have not been received by Ordnance Officer, Selby, from all units in the Command. Units who have not already done so will now render such Returns as soon as possible.
“Nil” Returns to be rendered if no Ammunition of the dates specified is on charge.
C.R.N.C. No. 44698 (O.S). Northern Command Order No.511.
STORES – LOSSES OF –
Demands are constantly being received for “Tugs”, with nuts. No. 17 draught pole,” to replace losses. This should not happen if the nuts are properly screwed up with a spanner – they have probably been screwed up by hand in the cases where loss has occurred.
The attention of all concerned is drawn to the necessity for screwing up tightly.
Authority, P. 2/H. 93/666, dated 29th March, 1915.
C.R.N.C. No. 51111 (O.S.). Northern Command Order No.512.
STORES – PRICES OF –
The undermentioned price is published for information:-
INFANTRY EQUIPMENT, PATTERN 1914.
Slings rifle 2s 7d. each.
Authority, 51/15 (Q.M.G.F.b), dated War Office, 29th March, 1915.
C.R.N.C. No. 49336 (O.S.). Northern Command Order No.513.
T.L.B. SOUTRY, Captain,
Brigade-Major, 123rd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade.
BRIGADE ORDERS.
BY BRIGADIER-GENERAL TREVOR TERNAN, C.M.G., D.S.O.,
COMMANDING 123rd (TYNESIDE SCOTTISH) BRIGADE.
HEADQUARTERS, ALNWICK,
2nd APRIL, 1915.
216 – Inoculation – Depot Companies –
Medical Officers attached to Units will be responsible that the Inoculation against Enteric Fever of the Depot Companies of their respective Battalions is carried out as soon as possible.
T.L.B. SOUTRY, Captain,
Brigade-Major, 123rd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade.
Notice.
The Brigade Committee Stores, Newcastle-on-Tyne, will be closed on Monday, 5th, and at mid-day on Tuesday, 6th inst.
BRIGADE ORDERS.
BY BRIGADIER-GENERAL TREVOR TERNAN, C.M.G., D.S.O.,
COMMANDING 123rd (TYNESIDE SCOTTISH) BRIGADE.
HEADQUARTERS, ALNWICK,
1st APRIL, 1915.
214 – Machine Gun Section –
Battalion Machine Gun Sections will be formed at once, but the Non-Commissioned Officers and men will remain attached to their own Company for pay and discipline. They will, however, be accommodated and mess together and form a separate unit for instructional purposes.
Commanding Officers will arrange that pending the issue of guns, the machine gun section is given instruction as far as possible in the general use and capabilities of the gun.
The attention of Commanding Officers is called to “Infantry Training” 1914, Section 8. and Musketry Regulations, Chapter X.
The names of the Officers selected for Battalion Machine Gun Section will be forwarded to these headquarters.
The undermentioned Officer is appointed Brigade Machine Gun Officer:
Lieutenant J.W.E. Murray.
21st (Service) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (2nd Tyneside Scottish).
He will supervise the Battalions and Brigade Machine Gun Training.
Officers Commanding Units will each detail the following to form the Battalion Machine Gun Section and its Reserves:
2 Subalterns.
2 Sergeants.
2 Corporals.
30 Privates.
The Non-Commissioned Officers and Men selected should be young, intelligent, and active, and of very good eyesight.
215 – Extracts from Northern Command Orders –
“LONDON GAZETTE”
The following extracts from the “London Gazette” of Friday, the 26th March, 1915, are published for information:
The Northumberland Fusiliers –
20th Battalion (1st Tyneside Scottish). – Albert Edward Kerr to be temporary Lieutenant. Dated 5th March, 1915.
22nd Battalion (3rd Tyneside Scottish). – Walter Lamb to be temporary Second Lieutenant. Dated 18th November, 1914.
23rd Battalion (4th Tyneside Scottish). – Arthur Octavius Terry to be temporary Lieutenant. Dated 22nd February, 1915.
Northern Command Order No.495.
RETURN OF UNSERVICABLE STORES TPO A.O.D. –
The attention of Officers Commanding is drawn to the instructions contained in Paragraph 54 E.R. Part I, and Paragraph 25 E.R., Part III, regarding the procedure to be followed in returning equipment to Store. In no case should condemned Stores be returned to the Ordnance Depot, York, without the previous sanction of the C.O.O. being obtained.
C.R.N.C. 50791 (O.S.). Northern Command Order No.497.
CHEVRONS –
With reference to the Command Order Number 51, dated 9th January, 1915, notifying the inclusion of a canvas suit in the scale of clothing for Pioneer Battalions, it has been decided that chevrons for canvas frocks will be supplied for wear on the right arm only. Indents to be submitted to the Ordnance Officer in Charge. Clothing Depot, Carlton Street Store, York, accordingly.
Authority, War Office Letter No. 54/Infantry/1258 (R.A.C.D.), dated 26th March, 1915.
C.R.N.C. 40087/6 (O.S.). Northern Command Order No.498.
STATIONARY PURCHASES –
The attention of all concerned is directed to the limitations imposed on the Allowance Regulations on the local purchase of articles of Stationary (including Typewriting Machines, duplicating apparatus, and india-rubber stamps) and on local printing.
During the rapid formation of many new Units last autumn the necessity for such local purchases no doubt arose in certain instances, but the necessity has now ceased and local purchases should not be resorted to.
The prohibition of local purchase extends to Official Text Books and Drill Books. Ample stocks of these are available to meet demands from all entitled to them as a free issue, and the Controller of H.M. Stationary Office has notified that he will be unable to continue to authorise the refund of any money spent in the purchase of these books.
Authority, War Office Letter No. 26/2807 (C.2a.), dated 20th March, 1915.
C.R.N.C. 49818 (A.). Northern Command Order No.499.
ALLOWANCES –
With reference to Army Orders 428 and 496 of 1914, the following three cases not covered by the Army Orders referred to will be dealt with as detailed below:-
In cases (1) and (2), the consolidated allowance of 2/- will be drawn, unless the man is messed regimentally, when lodging allowance will be issuable.
In case (3), allowances will be drawn as for a married man under the general provisions of Army Order 428/1914. (Issues during Sick furlough in cases (2) and (3) are already provided for in Army Order 496/14).
Authority, War Letter No. 46/234 (Q.M.G.F.a), dated 20th March, 1915.
C.R. 50400 (C.P.). Northern Command Order No.503.
BILLETING OFFICERS AND ALLOWANCES –
In reference to paragraph 6 of Army Order 337, dated 27th August, and paragraph 493, Allowance Regulations, the following considerations govern the billeting of and the issue to Officers of Field and Lodging Allowances in particular instances.
As a rule, when their men are billeted, Regimental and other Officers should also be billeted.
When circumstances render it necessary or desirable to allot to them accommodation in unfurnished premises, and they are not in receipt of consolidated pay, they may draw Field Allowance. When no such arrangements have been made for their accommodation, and they are not under canvas or billeted, they may draw Lodging Allowance (if not in receipt of consolidated pay).
If accommodation in barracks or in furnished hired premises is available for them, they may not receive either Lodging or Field Allowance.
In no case can billeting money be paid to an officer as an allowance. Vide Command Order 364 of the 12th instant. For an officer to pay the money to his wife would be merely to evade the spirit of that order.
Officers on consolidated pay may nor draw Field Allowance. Vide Regulations quoted in the first paragraph of this order.
C.R.N.C. 46049 (Q.). Northern Command Order No.504.
T.L.B. SOUTRY, Captain,
Brigade-Major, 123rd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade.
(Italy)
The Italian Campaign was seen as a sideshow after D-Day, when the Allies turned their focus on the Western Front. For those involved it was a long punishing struggle. Beginning on the 6th April 1945, the Spring 1945 offensive was given the code name Operation Grapeshot. The winter of 1944-45 was harsh resulting in stalemate and the Allies and German forces were unable to progress. When the offensive began over 600,000 Germans of Army Group “C” defended the Lombardy Plain in northern Italy. They were attacked by over one million Allies of the 18th Army Group. The German Army Group “C” was made up of German and the Italian Social Republican troops. The Allied 18th Army Group consisted of troops from the U.K. and Commonwealth, the U.S., Poland, Italy plus the Italian Resistance, Brazil, New Zealand and South Africa. On the 9th April 1945, Allied troops launched a major attack from Ravena, not far from the east coast, northwest toward Ferrara. After a three-day battle Montese, a town in the province of Moderna, was liberated by Brazilian troops on the 17th April 1945. Bologna, west of Ravena, was encircled by U.S. and Polish forces on the 21st April 1945. The German commanders realised their position was impossible and sued for peace on the 24th April 1945. By the 29th April 1945 the Germans had signed the surrender terms. On the 2nd May 1945 the cease-fire was completed and the long Italian campaign has ended.
In July 1943 Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was deposed by the Fascist Party and King Vittorio Emanual III. He was arrested and held prisoner in the mountains. Hitler’s forces rescued him. Following the liberation of Rome by the Allies, on the 27th April 1945, and the war almost over Mussolini and his mistress Claretta Petacci attempted to escape to Switzerland. The intention was to board a plane and escape to Spain, but were stopped and identified by communist partisans. On the 28th April 1945, Mussolini and Petacci. together with their 15 aides, were shot. Their bodies were loaded into a van and driven to Milan where they were hung upside down from the roof of a service station. As dictator during the Second World War, he overstretched his forces and eventually killed by his own people. The Italian masses greeted Mussolini’s death without regret. Mussolini had promised his people Roman glory, but his megalomania overcame his common sense, bringing them only war and misery.
(Germany)
As a part of the Battle of Berlin, the last major assault on the entrenched defences of city, was the Battle of Seelow Heights. The three-day battle was fought from the 16th to the 19th April 1945 when nearly one million Soviet troops engaged in the bitterest fighting against approximately 110,000 German defenders. Spreading back from the Heights toward Berlin, theGermans had built three defensive lines. Each line consisted of a network of trenches and bunkers, anti-tank ditches and anti-tank gun emplacements. Over half a million shells were fired from approximately 9,000 Soviet artillery pieces in the first thirty minutes of 16th April 1945. Over the next three days both sides suffered heavy losses and by the close of the 19th April 1945 the German defences had effectively ceased to exist.
With the western Allies and Red Army rapidly advancing toward Berlin, Fuhrer Adolf Hitler’s celebration was subdued for his 56th birthday on the 20th April 1945. By this time Hitler was in residence full time in the Fuhrerbunker in central Berlin. He accepted the congratulations of his personal staff and later with some of his circle of Nazi leaders. These included Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler and Martin Bormann, who all offered their obligatory congratulations. In the afternoon, in the ruined gardens of the Reich Chancellery, he awarded Iron Crosses to boy soldiers of the Hitler Youth who were fighting the Red Army on the front line.
With the Allies approaching Berlin from the west and the Red Army approaching from the east, for Germany, the war was coming to a rapid ending. By the 27th March 1945, British-U.S. forces had been held up at the Battle of the Bulge and not crossed the Rhine River. Approaching from the east the Red Army was approximately 40 miles (64 km) from Berlin. Supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower sent a telegram to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, that the Allies would halt at the Elbe River. By this action the Allies allowed the Red Army to take Berlin.
Hitler ordered his commanders to counter-attack and destroy the Belarusian Front of the Soviet Army on the 21st April 1945. Upon hearing the following day that the attack did not take place he went into an immediate rage accusing his commanders of incompetence and treachery. He ended, with a first-time declaration, that the war was lost. Realising there was nowhere for him to go he announced he would stay in Berlin until the end then commit suicide rather than be captured alive.
Luftwaffe chief Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring, had in 1941 been named as Hitler’s successor. Having learnt of the announcement he sent a telegram to Hitler on the 26th April 1945, requesting the agreement be honoured and that he would take over the leadership of the Reich. Hitler was convinced by his secretary Martin Bormann that Goring’s telegram was an attempt to overthrow the Fuhrer. Hitler’s response was that unless Goring resigned with the loss of all his powers he would be executed. Later that day Hitler sacked Goring and was consequently relieved of all his powers. Having done so Hitler promptly issued the order for Goringto be arrested. –
The encirclement of Berlin was completed on the 24th April 1945 when the Belarusian and Ukrainian forces of the Soviet Army linked up.
With the Americans advancing from the west and the Soviets advancing from the east, Germany was effectively divided in two on what became known as Elbe Day. The Americans crossed the Elbe River on the 26th April 1945 and met with the Soviet forces at Torgau, south-east of Belin. Arrangements had been made for the “Handshake of Torgau” to be photographed of the two commanders on the 27th April 1945. With the taking of the handshake photograph it confirmed the encirclement of Berlin was complete. On the same day, the America, British, French and Soviet governments simultaneously released statements with regard to the determination for the complete destruction of the Third Reich.
Nero Decree, or the scorched earth policy, was issued by Hitler on the 19th March 1945. The decree required all German infrastructure destroyed to prevent the Allies using the facilities as they penetrated deeper into Germany. Hitler placed the responsibility for carrying out the decree to his Minister of Armaments and War Production, Albert Speer. Apparently, Speer was appalled by the plan and deliberately did not carry out the order. Having by then lost faith in Hitler, as he considered the Fuhrer to have become insane, Speer requested he was given exclusive power to implement the plan to carry out the decree. Hitler was completely unaware of this until Speer met him on the.23rd April 1945 during his last ever meeting with Hiter. It would appear Hitler went into a rage saying another Nazi leader had let him down, but Hitler did allow Speer to leave the Berlin Fuhrerbunker.
Himmler who had left Berlin on Hitler’s birthday, was attempting to negotiate a surrender with the western Allies on the 24th April 1945. Hitler discovered, on the 28th April 1945, Himmler’s involvement, and he immediately ordered the arrest of Himmler for what he considered to be treason.
Built in March 1938, Dacau was one of the first and longest running concentration camps in Germany. Located in Bavaria, 10 miles (16 km) north west of Munich, Dacau was originally intended to inter Hitler’s Pollical opponents. The camp developed, by the Gestapo SS, into part of the “Final Solution” of the extermination of the Jewish race. On the 29th April 1945 the U.S. Army troops liberated Dacau to find the conditions in the camp to be horrendous, despite the attempt by the Nazi’s to destroy the evidence.
Lee Miller, the U.S. female front-line war correspondent heard that Dacua had been liberated and she wished to record the events. The only problem was that she and her colleague, photographer Dave Scherman, were in Nuremberg, 105 miles (168 km) north of Munich. Driving through the night, in Scherman’s acquired 1937 Chevrolet, they reached Dacau, located on the outskirts of Munich. Upon arrival at the concentration camp they were unprepared for the horrible conditions they encountered. The squalor, the stench of the dead bodies, but the most abiding horror was the starved, broken bodies of the survivors. They left Dacau “gulping for air”, wishing to cover a battle, but in the centre of Munich there was little fighting to report. They were given permission by the U.S. military to use Prinzregentplaz 16, Hitler’s Munich Residence, as a temporary billet. Wishing to wash off the stench of Dacau, her instinctive response was to take a bath in Hitler’s bathtub. Lee placed a framed photograph of Hitler to one side of the bath and placed her muddy boots on the mat. Scherman took a photograph of Lee sitting in the bath, which eventually became the most iconic shot of his career. Ironically it was the 30th April 1945 the photograph was taken, the same day that Hitler committed suicide. Lee continued to report on military events until the end of the war.
With Germany virtually defeated and the Reich Chancellery besieged, Hitler married Eva Braun in the early hours after midnight on the 29th April 1945. When he heard that Mussolini had been executed it was thought Hitler was determined not to be captured. With Soviet troops approaching, Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide on the 30thApril 1945. He shot himself in the head and she bit into a cyanide capsule. As per Hitler’s instructions their bodies were taken into the garden, doused with petrol and set on fire. Grand Admiral Karl Donitz and Joseph Goebbels assumed the role of Hitler’s head of state and chancellor respectively.
(Pacific)
Operation Ten-Go was the last major Japanese naval operation in the Pacific. The largest battleship in the world, the Japanese battleship Yamato and nine other Japanese vessels sailed from Japan on the 6th April 1945. The Japanese vessels sailed south toward Okinawa and were shadowed by U.S. submarines and flying boat reconnaissance aircraft. Opposing the Japanese battleship and escorting ships were eleven aircraft carriers, 49 assorted naval vessels and 388 aircraft. On the morning of the 7th April 1945, armed with torpedoes and bombs, 280 U.S. aircraft were launched from the carriers. Around mid-day they located the Japanese and methodically attacked Yamato and accompanying ships as the Japanese had no air cover. At around 14.30 Yamato capsized and began to sink and a few minutes later blew up as internal fires had reached the main magazines. The Japanese Army had promised an attack against the U.S. naval fleet at Okinawa during the battle. Approximately 115 aircraft, mainly kamikaze, attacked the U.S. ships. None of the ships were sunk, although moderate damage was inflicted on two and severe damage inflicted on another ship. Approximately 100 Japanese aircraft were lost in the attack. In addition, the Japanese casualties were over 4,000 sailors killed, six ships including Yamato sunk, and one destroyer severely damaged. For the U.S. forces they suffered 97 killed, 132 wounded, ten plus aircraft destroyed, three ships and 52 aircraft damaged.
The tactics for further aerial raids on Tokyo had changed since the last raids in March 1945. The bombers attacked at night and at lower altitude rather than daylight raids and higher altitudes. The Nakajima aircraft factory was bombed twice on separate raids. The first was on the 2nd April 1945 with 100 B-29 bombers attacking. On the second raid 101 B-29s bombed the factory again on the 7th April 1945. On the 3rd April 1945 68 B-29s attacked the urban areas of Tokyo and principally the Koizumi aircraft factory. The final attack of the month was on the 13th April 1945 when 329 B-29s bombed the arsenal area of the city.
(Other Theatres)
In America Franklin D. Roosevelt was the longest serving President of the United States of America. He served for four terms from 1933 until 1945. He was stricken with polio in 1921 and paralysed from the waist down. He fought to regain the use of his legs and was able to walk a little with his legs encased in leg braces and the aid of a cane. Most of the time he was in a wheelchair. His health had started to decline since 1940, mainly due to the fact he was chain smoker which gradually led to heart and blood circulatory problems. Returning to the United States from the Yalta Conference in February 1945, he looked old, thin and frail which shocked many of his fellow Americans. To enable him to rest before another conference in Warm Springs, Geogia, he departed on the 29th March 1945. While sitting for a portrait during the morning of 12th April 1945, he stated “I have a terrible headache”. Immediately after saying that he slumped forward unconscious in his wheelchair, and was carried into his bedroom. Roosevelt died in the afternoon at 3.35 pm and his attending cardiologist diagnosed Intracerebral Haemorrhage, a form of stroke. He was 63 years old. Roosevelt’s deputy Harry Truman became President Truman. Roosevelt’s flag-draped coffin was loaded onto the Presidential Train the following morning for the trip back to Washington. Instead of a full state funeral, as was tradition, a smaller ceremony was proposed as the USA was still at war. His remains were placed in the White House East Room when a simple funeral was held on the 14th April 1945. In attendance were his family, government officials and foreign ambassadors. Roosevelt was transported by train from Washington to his birthplace of Hyde Park, New York and on the 15th April 1945 he was buried. During the 30-day mourning period Germany had surrendered, but the now President Truman ordered all flags to remain at half-mast. Upon being re-elected for his fourth term of office, Roosevelt knew his health was deteriorating. He later admitted that at the end of the war he would resign in favour of his deputy Harry Truman.
In the German-occupied Netherlands Allied air forces commenced Operation Manna and Operation Chowhound. The operations were humanitarian food drops to relieve the Dutch famine of 1944-45. During the last ten days of the European war, British Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and Polish Air Force attached to the RAF, began dropping 7,000 tonnes of food into the still Nazi-occupied Netherlands on the 29th April 1945. Mana ended on the 7th May 1945. Operation Chowhound began on the 1st May 1945.
All the notebooks were written on the right hand page and additions, photos, cartoons or other documents were added to the left hand page.
Book 3.
This continues directly from the previous book.
the trenches for an officers’ bomb-proof.
29th March I now started all spare men on digging out places for proper Bomb-proofs for the men. Nine Ten were made in all to hold 20 men each. They were right under the crest of the hill and safe against anything short of a howitzer. No more trees were allowed to be cut down and I arranged with the French to stop their men from doing it also. We also worked during the night at a supporting point in the wood but this proved very disappointing owing to water lying a foot below the surface. Very few sandbags were available for building up parapets and these were required to build out to the right of 49a. A boggy stream caused great difficulty here but some progress was made. We were warned that the Germans were preparing a gas attack on a large scale but it seemed incredible. A number of their aeroplanes were very active again, the first we had seen for some time.
The ridge behind us was shelled as usual and a few shells fired into 51. I arranged for all the corrugated iron and timber to be brought away from there at dusk and again at dawn, this proved invaluable for the new bomb-proofs.
On the opposite page is a sketch map of the location showing Hill 60, the trenches and Zillebeke.
It was most fortunate this was done as shortly afterwards the Huns heavily shelled 51 now abandoned. This was twice repeated during the day. Our men were delighted with themselves sitting in perfect safety watching the “Hate”. We were again rifle grenaded but had no means of reply. Two men were badly hit. It is the horrid feeling of being left in the lurch while in England it is “Business and Pleasure as usual”. I had another talk with the French Commandant and stayed by special request while they were handing over from one Bn to another. It was very well done. Splendid large scale maps showing every French and German trench were handed over. Between the French and German trenches there were a large number of Frenchmen lying where German machine gun fire had caught them two months earlier in an attack. There were more aeroplanes about again.
I walked with Neville to examine the trenches we had made in the wood A, passing up a glade behind 49 I looked back and saw the German trenches only 100 yards off. It was broad daylight but fortunately no one was on the look out. We were in full view for about a minute.
31st March. There were the usual hates during the day. I took some photos of the trenches and Bombproofs and the work was completed so that the relieving troops could enter by the new comn trench instead of using the French one. In case of attack two if possible should always be available, one to evacuate wounded the other for reinforcements. That evening we were relieved and marched back through Ypres to our old camp. Here some new huts had been built for the Officers and the ground was quite dry and green.
Thursday March 01, (+/- 02.30 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Little Leighs.
Thursday March 01, (05.01 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Stapleford Tawney.
Thursday March. 01, (15.22 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Walthamstow.
Thursday March 01, (16.04 hours) – Batt. 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 V-2 rocket fired, impacted Wickford.
Thursday March 01, (17.25 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 V-2 rocket fired, impacted Horndon-on-the-Hill.
Thursday March 01, (23.07 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 V-2 rocket fired, impacted West Ham.
Part of the unit Battery 444 fired two new test series V-2/V-2s in the first days of March at a place called Armsen (southeast of Verden an der Aller) in the direction of the North Sea, Northern Germany.
Friday March 02, (00.57 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Ashingdon.
Friday March 02, (02.14 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Havering-atte-Bower.
Friday March 02, (05.35 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Epping Forest.
Friday March 02, (05.46 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired impacted Chigwell (airburst).
Friday March 02, (05.47 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Fambridge.
Friday March 02, (08.11 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea, near Southend.
Friday March 02, (09.19 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Brentwood.
Friday March 02, (22.59 hours) – Batt. 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Chigwell.
Saturday March 03, (01.06 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Foulness Island.
Saturday March 03, (03.29 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Theydon Bois
Saturday March 03, (05.55 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Ilford. Ten people dead.
Saturday March 03, (06.10 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea, near Clacton.
On March 03 a total of (56) Allied medium bombers mounted an attack of the Duindigt/Haagse Bos, the suspected headquarters in Marlot and the western part of the forested Haagse Bos, where much of the V-2 material was stored. Because of a mistake in the navigation the first bombs were dropped southeast of the Haagse Bos instead of northwest. Many Dutch civilians of the Bezuidenhout quarter were killed by mistake. Later that evening, while the fires from the ill-fated attack were still burning, the Germans fired several rockets to show the Allies that the bombers missed their intended target.
Sunday March 04, (01.32 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Havering-atte-Bower.
Sunday March 04, (08.16 hours) – Batt. 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Chingford. No casualties, but one person killed by falling loose debris approximately 30 minutes after impact.
Sunday March 04, (08.59 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea, near Southend
Monday March 05, (22.29 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Rainham.
Tuesday March 06, (03.02 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted West Ham. Thirty one people killed.
Tuesday March 06, (03.03 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Rainham.
Tuesday March 06, (06.14 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Barking.
Tuesday March 06, (12.25 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Bowers Gifford.
Tuesday March 06, (16.54 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Walthamstow. Five people killed.
Tuesday March 06, (23.13 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Chigwell.
Tuesday March 06, (23.20 hours) – Batt. 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Ilford. Eleven people dead.
Wednesday March 07, (03.10 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Stanford Rivers.
Wednesday March 07, (16.54 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Duindigt, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Waltham Holy Cross. Five people killed.
Wednesday March 07, (21.57 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Ilford.
Wednesday March 07, (23.28 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Dagenham.
Thursday March 08, (00.46 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Chigwell.
Thursday March 08, (03.21 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Writtle.
Thursday March 08, (04.17 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Wassenaar, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea, near Clacton
Thursday March 08, (04.59 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Ilford. Twelve people killed.
Thursday March 08, (09.05 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Wassenaar, V-2 rocket fired, impacted West Ham.
On March 08, 1945, after suffering fuel supply problems and very few rockets, Batt. SS Abt. 500 moved back the old firing Sites at Eelerberg Forest.
Friday March 09, (04.00 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Pitsea. Two people dead.
Friday March 09, (08.31 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Thames Estuary near Southend.
Friday March 09, (13.45 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Waltham Holy Cross. Two people dead.
Friday March 09, (22.54 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted South Ockendon.
Saturday March 10, (01.21 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Brentwood.
Saturday March 10, (04.18 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Rawreth.
Sunday March 11, (07.06 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Foulness Island. Warhead unexploded.
Sunday March 11, (07.34 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted West Ham. Five people dead.
Sunday March 11, (20.39 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Canvey Island.
Sunday March 11, (21.48 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Bulphan Fen.
Monday March 12, (00.18 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Upminster. Five people dead.
Monday March 12, (01.24 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Stanford Rivers.
Monday March 12, (02.02 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea, near Clacton.
Monday March 12, (04.36 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Little Warley.
Monday March 12, (04.43 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Chigwell
Monday March 12, (05.00 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Hornchurch.
Monday March 12, (07.14 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Althorne.
Monday March 12, (08.57 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Stanford-le-Hope (airburst).
Monday March 12, (11.10 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Thorpe-le-Soken. One person killed.
Monday March 12, (21.16 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Epping.
Monday March 12, (23.43 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Nazeing.
Tuesday March 13, (03.23 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Tillingham Marshes (airburst)
Tuesday March 13, (06.24 hours) – Batt. 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Shenfield.
The war diary of Batt. 836 (Art. Reg. 901) stated on March 13, that; “…the long awaited supply train, which had left for Gruppe Süd on March 8, had still not been found.” Instead, a train which had left from Friedrichshafen later on had arrived. As a result, the Batt. 3./836 (Art. Reg. 3./901) launched V-2s against Antwerp.
Wednesday March 14, (00.36 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Havering-atte-Bower.
Thursday March 15, (02.36 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Dagenham, in River Thames.
Thursday March 15, (06.21 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Rayleigh.
Thursday March 15, (23.41 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted River Blackwater, Essex.
Friday March 16, (02.49 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea near Clacton.
Friday March 16, (08.45 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted East Ham. Eight people killed.
Friday March 16, (09.31 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Dengie.
The last rocket from Hachenburg area was launched around 14.58 hrs on March 16, 1945. The failing supply of fuel and Allied advance at Remagen, caused Batt. 836 (Art. Reg. 901) to be the first V-2 launching unit to halt operations.
Saturday March 17, (00.01 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Upminster.
Saturday March 17, (00.50 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Hornchurch.
Saturday March 17, (03.29 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Wennington.
On March 17, 1945, the SS Werfer Battery 500, on orders from Himmler, fired 11 rockets at the Remagen bridgehead, which had recently been captured by the Allies, in an attempt to disrupt the advancing American troops crossing over the Rhine.
Sunday March 18, (00.32 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted West Ham.
Sunday March 18, (01.27 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, exploded in the air in the north of Cranham, England damaging six cottages.
Sunday March 18, (01.55 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier , V-2 rocket fired, impacted Battlesbridge.
Sunday March 18, (+/- 01.58 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Epping.
Sunday March 18, (06:34 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Hutton. Warhead unexploded.
Sunday March 18, (06.39 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Barking.
Sunday March 18, (+/- 12.49 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, (impact unknown – possible air break-up soon after launch)
Sunday March 18, (23.58 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Theydon Garnon .
Monday March 19, (01.27 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Hornchurch.
Monday March 19, (22.14 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Theydon Bois.
Tuesday March 20, (01.22 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Little Warley. Farmhouse demolished. Three people killed and several cattle.
Tuesday March 20, (04.04 hours) – Battery 3/485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted West Hanningfield.
Tuesday March 20, (05.31 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier V-2 rocket fired, impacted Hornchurch. Warhead unexploded.
Tuesday March 20, (07.01 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted High Ongar.
Tuesday March 20, (09.47 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Mayland.
Wednesday March 21, (00.35 hours) – Battery 1/485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Wanstead.
Wednesday March 21, (18.38 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Romford (airburst).
Wednesday March 21, (21.28 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Little Saling.
Wednesday March 21, (22.34 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Woodham Ferrers.
Wednesday March 21, (23.46 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Stanstead.
Thursday March 22, (02.01 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea, near Bradwell.
Thursday March 22, (02.31 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Canewdon.
Thursday March 22, (02.38 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Epping. Four people killed.
Thursday March 22, (05.18 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Buttsbury.
Thursday March 22, (05.43 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Boreham.
Thursday March 22, (05.57 hours) – Batt. 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Leyton (airburst).
Thursday March 22, (06.58 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted River Colne, Brightlingsea.
Thursday March 22, (07.37 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea, near Clacton.
Thursday March 22, (08.07 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Dagenham.
Thursday March 22, (09.45 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier , V-2 rocket fired, impacted Woodham Ferrers.
Thursday March 22, (10.24 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Ilford (airburst).
Thursday March 22, (23.38 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Southminster.
The V-2 launches continued with an average of ten V-2s per day during March. The majority of rockets were fired from Statenkwartier and also a new launch Site southwest of edge of the Haagse Bos. Because the ground was very solid, there were few failures. Of the 217 rockets fired from areas of The Hague during March, no more than 19 failed.
Friday March 23, (03.07 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted North Sea, near Clacton.
Friday March 23, (06.19 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Theydon Garnon.
Friday March 23, (09.35 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Latchingdon.
Friday March 23, (12.21 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Stapleford, (airburst).
Friday March 23, (23.10 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Waltham Holy Cross.
Sunday March 25, (23.59 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Lambourne End.
Monday March 26, (04.36 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Hoek Van Holland, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Hornchurch. Two people dead.
Monday March 26, (08.58 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Navestock.
Monday March 26, (14.37 hours) – Batt. 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Ilford (Airburst).
Monday Mar.26, (19.01 hours) – Battery 1./485 (Art. Reg. 1./902), Den Haag, Statenkwartier, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Romford. Two people killed and thirty-four seriously injured.
Monday March 26, (22.25 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Noak Hill.
Tuesday March 27, (03.24 hours) – Battery 3./485 (Art. Reg. 3./902), Den Haag, Haagse Bos, V-2 rocket fired, impacted Ilford.
From March 09 to March 27 at Hellendoorn, Feuerstellung Nr. 412, Batt. SS Abt. 500 launched about 38 V-2 rockets, with 3 failures. On Wednesday, March 28, – Batt. SS Abt. 500 leaves Hellendoorn because of the Allied advance. The unit was split up into various parts that all left the launching area on different days, with different destinations. The third platoon, followed by the first platoon, and then the second platoon of the SS 500 left the area last. Some soldiers of the Batt. SS Abt. 500 were, in the last phase of the war, were equipped with Nebel-Werfers (15 cm, Do-Werfer). They were supposed to travel to Berlin to battle against the Russians. But, the SS 500 soldiers never made it to Berlin and were scattered during the Allied advance.
Also on Wednesday, March 28, Batt. 1./485 (Art. 1./902) and Batt. 2./485 (Art. 2./902) withdrew on to Fallingbostel, 23 miles north of Hanover, they arrived on April 1. One day later, the Batt. 3./485 (Art. 3./902) launched its last two rockets before it also retreated to Fallingbostel.
After the retreat from its operational area in late March 1945, the Batt. 836 (Art. Rgt. 901) originally was to have gathered at BRAMSCHE (about 10 miles west of Osnabruck) for the so-called “Ziethen Undertaking”. The deterioration of the military situation, however, prevented this. Instead, the “Blucher Undertaking” was ordered, in which the units were to move to Celle (about 20 miles north of Hanover). From there the remaining rockets were to be fired against the “Kustrin Fortress” (the polish Kostrzyn of today, about 60 miles northeast of Berlin).
The plan fell apart because of the total breakdown in Germany. As a result, all of Gruppe Süd’s equipment was destroyed in the area of Celle, to prevent capture, on April 7, 1945. SS-General Kammler had already given the order to reorganize the rocket units into infantry regiments. The war diary of the Batt. 836 (Art. Rgt. 901) stated on April 8, that – with all of their specialized equipment destroyed, the FR Gruppe had lost its character as an elite unit. They were now nothing more than an infantry combat group.
There is some information that seems to indicate that Battery 444 fired additional rockets from the area around Verden in Germany as late as April 5-6. In January of 1945 Battery 444, after V-2 ending operations in the Netherlands, moved to Buddenhagen. There this battery was reorganised and renamed with other units into Lehr- und Versuchs Abteilung. A portion of the 444 troops formed one small launching troop and fired rockets from the site at Heek as late as March 27. The other part unit went at the end of February/beginning of March to Rethem for A-4/V-2 test launches. But in Rethem no rocket was fired. Lehr- und Versuchs Abteilung moved deeper into Germany, arriving in a place called Welmbüttel in Schlesig Holstein, northern Germany. The unit had reportedly already fired two new test series V-2s from this area a few weeks earlier sometime in the first days of March at a place called Armsen (southeast of Verden an der Aller) in the direction of the North Sea. Some of the soldiers of that unit had taken quarter in these villages and stayed there after the end of the war. Eyewitness reports said that on Good Friday and Easter there were no firings, but on April 5 the residents saw the first launching of a V-2 from Welmbüttel in Schlesig Holstein, in the direction of the North Sea. On April 6, there was a misfire resulting in a crash near one of the launch Sites.
Eyewitnesses report a total of five rockets fired from these areas. In the following days, all the rockets were moved away from this area and most probably destroyed by the rocket troops near Celle. These last firings are not related to operational attacks. They were only test firings, but they do give an idea of the movements of remnants of Battery 444 (*MG)
From Oct. 7 – Mar. 30, 152 V-2’s crashed in the Antwerp harbour killing 131 workers there.
During the last phase of the operations, the daily rate of fire for Gruppe Süd, due to the problems mentioned above, was clearly lower than that of Gruppe Nord, and amounted to an average of about four rockets per day.
Although the war was ended another accident with a V-2 happened in Holten (Holland). On April 30, at the crossroads of Rijssenseweg/Markeloseweg a “Bomb Disposal Lorry” drove, that carried the highly explosive top of a V-2 rocket. Suddenly it exploded killing 6 people. One of the persons was sitting on the top of the rocket and nothing of him was found anymore. Near the Castle De Waardenborch, there is still a monument remember this accident. By the end of the V-2 campaign about 3172 V-2s where launched.
| Belgium | Antwerp | 1610 |
| Luttich | 27 | |
| Hasselt | 13 | |
| Tournai | 9 | |
| Mons | 3 | |
| Diest | 2 | |
| France | Lille | 25 |
| Paris | 22 | |
| Tourcoing | 19 | |
| Arras | 6 | |
| Cambrai | 4 | |
| England | London | 1358 |
| Norwich/Ipswich | 44 | |
| Germany | Remagen | 11 |
| Holland | Maastricht | 19 |
1915
2nd March 1915. Two officers and 329 other ranks were transferred to the Depot. In order to partially equip the men proceeding to Burmah it was necessary to take practically every serviceable article of clothing from the men transferred to Kendal.
3rd March 1915. The Battalion, consisting of 28 officers and 767 other ranks, left Blackpool in two parties for Avonmouth.
The final destination of the Battalion was changed from Burmah to Poona, Bombay Presidency, India. The Battalion had no mess property, but money grants were received in lieu.
4th March 1915. The Battalion arrived at Avonmouth at noon, and immediately embarked on H.M.T. Dongola, together with a draft of East Lancashire R.E.’s and other drafts proceeding overseas to various places in the East, and Naval ratings proceeding to Aden and Bombay. The transport, escorted by two torpedo boats, sailed at night, but collided shortly after midnight with a steamer in the Bristol Channel off Barry, which necessitated the landing of the troops and women and children in tugs and the ship’s boats at Barry, and the dry docking of H.M.T. Dongola. The Battalion was thanked for its conduct by the Army Council. (Copy of the Army Council’s letter is appended.)
5th March 1915. “C” and “D” Companies were landed at Barry and quartered at the docks; “A” and “B” Companies were taken to Cardiff, quartered at the docks, and most hospitably treated by the National Reserve Detachment of the Manchester Regiment.
6th March 1915. “A” and “B” Companies returned to Barry, the stores were transferred from H.M.T. Dongola to H.M.T. Tunisian, the Battalion embarking on H.M.T. Tunisian the same night, with Captain John Hall as captain of the transport.
7th March 1915. H.M.T. Tunisian left Barry Docks at 10.00 hours, anchored outside owing to the presence of a German submarine in the Bristol Channel, and sailed at 23.00 hours, with all lights out, escorted by two torpedo boat destroyers. Owing to the fusing of an electric wire a fire broke out at the moment of sailing, but was extinguished by the ship’s crew.
8th March 1915. 2/Lieut. G.H. McVittie (Penrith) died from meningitis and was buried at sea. Owing to the danger of submarines, a course was steered well to the West of the usual steamer route, and land was not sighted until Gibraltar, which was reached on the morning of the 12th.
12th March 1915. After six hours the transport proceeded to Port Said, passing the Island of Pantalaria on the morning of the 15th.
19th March 1915. Port Said was reached early on the 19th. Officers and senior N.C.O.’s were allowed two hours ashore, and after coaling, the transport passed through the lines of British and French warships (assembled for the attack on the Dardanelles) and into the Suez Canal.
24th March 1915. Suez was reached the next day, and Aden on the night of the 24th. The majority of the Naval ratings transferred at Aden to the Empress of Japan, which was being employed in maintaining the blockade of German East African ports. Aden was left on the afternoon of the 25th, and on the morning of the 31st Bombay was reached.
31st March 1915. The Battalion disembarked in the evening, and left by train at night for Poona.
S.O Book 136 ½
To 6 March 45
1 March
On duty in am. Left for Brussels at 12.15 arriving there at 230. Shopping then met G & M at Atlanta for tea. Excellent film after tea ‘Pride and Prejudice’ – Greer Garson, Lawrence Olivier. Good dinner
Sherry
Soup
Ham omelette } Red wine
Veal & veg } Champagne
Peach flan }
Coffee
Brandy
After dinner nattered til 11 ocl then to M’s house & so to bed.
To Nil From Nil
2 March
Up at 8.45 and b’fast with Maurice. Left the old city at 10.15 and was back at Corps HQ at 12.15. Rozzer away this morning on a course in UK. After lunch hockey v Signals on our football field – fair game. We won 6 – 3. Scored 4.
Duty after tea. Dinner, oysters and champagne with Nigel (his wife’s birthday) at 8 pm. Ping Pong with Geoffrey Lamb after dinner then over to CE’s caravan to talk about stamps – Wrote A before going to bed – at 12 midnight.
To A From A, L, L (cake) (med. supplies!)
3 March Saturday
On all morning and afternoon. Not much happening. John Roberts back from his 3 weeks in UK.
After tea wrote L and had an excellent bath. Moving unfortunately to Tilburg on the 12th – great pity. On duty at 8.15 pm for the night.
To L A From A.
4 March Sun
Church in morning. Nothing exciting – work til dinner. After which I went to bed very early.
To A From A, Aunt D.
5 March Mon
In evening went to see the ENSA variety show with Ingvar and Charles Woodford.
To A From L, B, Papers L
6 March Tues
Dinner with George Holden at Offrs Club. Frightful belly ache after & to bed on return.
To Nil From Nil
7 March Wed
‘Desert Song’ with Edward after tea then night duty. Stum still very unsettled.
To A From A, G, Maps L, Parcel A.
All the notebooks were written on the right hand page and additions, photos, cartoons or other documents were added to the left hand page.
1st March. I was President of a Field General Court Martial sitting from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There were six prisoners. After that the Coy had to be paid, another 2 hrs and the day was nearly over. One of my subalterns (Kirch) had a beautiful pink & white birthday cake. Secretly I think he was rather ashamed of it but the Officers soon relieved him of the sight of it. There were any number of good things about and after a period of scarcity it was tantalising not to be able to eat any but my Little Mary was still qual****. We had never been able to get an issue of any jam other than Tickler’s Plum & Apple. Our Mess Sergt was able to procure plenty of ration marmalade in Bailleul at 1fr 80. An Army Service Corps perquisite. No jam worth eating could be expected to reach troops in the trenches with so many people on the lines of communication.
2nd March. Count Gleichen came round to say good bye he was off to command a Division in England. My billet is a large house close to the station. Von Kluck stayed there during the advance and as they had rather nice linen commandeered it all & sent it to Germany. Their cellar was drunk dry and horses stabled in the garden and courtyard. They left the house in a filthy state.
3rd March. We marched about 8 miles over very bad roads to our “rest camp” near Flamertinge (Vlamertinghe). It consisted of a collection of canvas huts in a field. Thick mud everywhere. The Officers arranged for a Mess in an Estaminet where there were chairs to sit on and a warm stove but at night we returned to the camp.
On the opposite page is a sketch plan of the location south east of Ypres.
4th March. We moved off about 4 p.m. and marched through Ypres to Rosenthal Chateau. It was quite dark as we marched through the town there was a sudden flash and a shell burst over our heads but the bullets lost themselves against the walls. There were a good many bullets whistling down the road but at least everyone was got under cover. The Officers were in two cottages. The men 2 Coys in the Chateau, one in the stables and one in the Chateau Lankhof a short distance further on. All the windows had to be blocked up to prevent any light showing as it was visible from Hill 60 and St. Eloi. The floors were indescribably filthy. We “spring cleaned” as best we could.
5th March. Some very fine bomb-proofs had been built by the French. These were now used as latrines. A nice job the Defaulters had making them habitable in case of shelling. I found men constantly went back there in preference to the latrines 200 yds away in the open where there was a chance of a stray shell. I told the Provost Sergt to put the next man he caught there on sentry to remain there until he caught another man. It stopped like magic the sentry got well chaffed & morale went up a point. The Chateau was slightly damaged by shell fire, a field at the back was pitted with large holes. A few shells burst fairly close during the day but most of them went into Ypres. All the furniture had been removed with the exception of a piano in good order. The men gave it no rest, they had a continuous sing song. In the afternoon I walked up to the trenches with Col Griffith Gen Northey & Andre the French Interpreter. We walked with wide intervals so as not to give too good a target. Still the bullets came quite close enough.
6th March. We continued the cleaning up process Capt Ogden found the top half of a Frenchman where it had been lying for weeks or months about a hundred yards from our cottage. He was proceeding to go into detail when Tabor asked him if he had had breakfast yet. He answered yes why? Because, was the answer if you go on with that yarn you will get mine.
That evening we went into the trenches. We now came into the 20th Division of which all 3 Bdes were changed. They were seasoned British troops from India but Flanders mud and cold had taken all the heart out of them. They were rotten with fever, took over trenches in the dark from the French. These it seems were not the original front line trenches (The French had lost them). They were attacked and driven back. Some trenches of sorts were made but no one knew quite where they were situated. The map in the Bde office was totally wrong. I copied it and then made a fresh survey on the ground. Our trenches were in parts 800 yds behind those shown as held. I made my headquarters in 32a trench but was also in charge of 32b. The sandbags were not bullet proof, there were no bomb proofs and only here and there could men fire over the parapet.
On the opposite page is a sketch plan of the area and a photograph of a trench.
It was really a communication trench, the Germans were holding the far end of it with a narrow barricade in between. It was open to attack simultaneously from front and rear and there was no wire between our lines & the German. No sniping plates had been put in position. It was sometimes known as the International and the Z trench. We worked like demons. The trench was full of water. By making sump pits and channels for the water to run in and clearing out much filth a great improvement was made but there was a constant stream of water coming from the Germans. I could hear the Germans at work the other side of the barricade a yard from me and was afraid they might be preparing a mine. (We were trying to make one towards them from 32a) I decided to evacuate 20 yards of the trench and dam up the water so that if they tried to rush that portion of the trench they would find themselves up to their thighs in mud. A traverse was built with loopholes firing straight down it. (On our return we found the Dorsets had carefully filled in these loopholes and built up the sandbags so that there was no firing over them). During the night there were several sharp bursts of fire & an attack seemed probable. I don’t think they liked our plan of firing whenever a flare went up just before they could.
7th March. After daybreak we could not put in quite so much work but it was steadily continued. We had been issued with “Vigilant” periscopes the first Govt issue of any kind that had been made to the Regt. They consisted of a piece of looking glass 2 inches by one inch mounted so that it could be fixed on a bayonet. Here they proved invaluable tho’ they were broken if left up for more than a few seconds.
8th March. That evening a Coy of the 8th Liverpool Terriers were attached for 24 hr tour of duty. I put a platoon in 32a and sent a platoon of our men into support so as not to be too crowded. The Terriers were told off for all the ordinary duties in pairs with our men so as to give them a good idea of the duties when they should hold a position of the line on their own. (The Dorsets instead of doing this sent them into Dug outs in rear where they could learn nothing). The Ptes were rather of the City clerk type desperately keen to learn. Suddenly about 10 a.m. there was a terrific burst of fire coming from our left. Soon the tops of our sandbags were being ripped to pieces. I thought a General assault was imminent so did the Terriers. I heard one man say “Oh why did that platoon of Regulars go back.” My periscope soon showed me there was no attack being made so I kept everybody under cover until at last the firing died down. Without a periscope countless lives would have been sacrificed. A little later as I was standing by a man looking through a Vigilant fixed on his bayonet a bullet took a large bite out of the bayonet. I felt as if somebody had caught me with a big stone on the back of my head. It was bleeding profusely so I had some iodine put on and had it bound up. (X-rays show a piece of metal still in my head). My eye also was cut sometime during the day without my noticing it and remained troublesome for over a month. The head wound was healed in a week.
On the opposite page is a photo showing the “Effect of one shell on a large house in the Place de la Gare. Myself in foreground with a bandaged head.”
After that the Vigilants were always fixed on bits of stick less visible than a bayonet and quite safe if hit. A German machine gun about the point A was very troublesome so Cpl Chandler lobbed over a few hand grenades which quite shut them up. On the left of the trench they were more amenable and threw over a cigarette and bit of newspaper. From 33 trench inclusive there was another Bde. The sap was a very narrow trench full of water but some men had always to be holding it. At B and C sentries from the other Bde were posted with orders to fire occasionally as the side tracks “led to German trenches”. I had my doubts & caused them to be explored; afterwards as they were knee deep in mud I put on some working parties to make them passable. We were constantly being shot at from the direction of 35 trench. Whether they were overs from the Germans or from the right section of 34 I cannot say but I suspect the latter anyway we had several casualties from the left rear. We naturally expected them from the right rear near A. To make matters worse our own gunners dropped shells into 32b and caused many casualties. (Chiefly 8th Liverpools). We were relieved that evening and marched back with quite a lively dropping of unaimed fire. The Germans seem to be able to expend an infinite amount of ball ammn but is extraordinary how few people get hit. There was one very bad spot. A gap in the Barbed wire near Bn H. Q. upon which evidently several rifles were trained. The Liverpools marched into Ypres from the Chateau giving me the cheeriest of “Good night & Good luck, Sir” as they passed. They seemed very pleased with themselves and almost sorry there had not been a German attack.
9th March. We were billeted in Rosenthal again as before. No attempt had been made during our absence in the trenches by the Dorsets to continue cleaning up. It had been a beautiful place with a lake, places for breeding wild duck & pheasants, a large kitchen garden with lots of glass and magnificent stables. The lake was choked with trees cut down by shell fire and everything else was more or less knocked about. A lot of shell were dropped close to the chateau during the day and one shrapnel struck the cottage I was in. We managed to get some bloaters, these were grilled on an improvised gridiron. They were voted a great success. Later on I was sent for by Br. Gen. Northey to give information regarding the trenches. The man who relieved me reported that he had been attacked soon after we left – I wonder!
On the opposite page is a sketch showing 2 the extraordinary British trenches facing every direction and firing into one another.”
10th March. In the morning I had to go to the Norfolk H.Q. the other side of Ypres as President of a F.G. Court Martial. There were 5 prisoners, rather involved cases and I only just got back in time to march off to the trenches. One man was badly hit on the way up by a stray bullet. I occupied a dugout with Neville, the M.G. Officer some 30 yards behind 31 B. There were gaps of over 100 yds between the trenches on the right and left & no wire up. In fact nothing to prevent the Germans walking through any night they liked. I caused a series of little posts to be made which were subsequently all to be connected up. The trench as usual was under water and a drain 100 yds long had to be cut. The communication trench also required a lot of draining. We started a sap forward to get in closer contact with the Germans. An old trench full of water was found where the dotted line runs. My idea was to get forward on to that line and connect 32b with 32a at the same time preparing a second line in case 32a was rushed on had to be abandoned.
11th March. Soon after dawn going round 29 trench I had to walk over a protruding dead body buried in the bottom of the trench, a horrible idea but later I found it very universally done by other Regts. It was an ideal position for a sniping post and the one rifle with telescopic sights we had was employed there but next day for some unknown reason it was taken away. The Germans dropped about a dozen shell into the middle of a working party some 40 yards from my dug out. They were in a wood but must have been visible from some point in the enemy lines. I hardly expected to find anyone left but they dived into the drain they were making at the first shell and only one man was killed. Capt. Ogden was wounded in the head in 32a trench (the one I got hit in).
On the opposite page is a message to
The Officer Commdg Bedfordshire Regt. The German Trench mortar appears to be fired from a point about 500 yds S.SW of my Trench (32 A).
I am being fired at by rifle fire from my left rear, Sgt Major Watson killed, possibly by people sent in support. Liverpool, very jumpy, should be glad if I could have someone to give me a hand.
C Kennedy 2 Lt. Comdg D Coy
1 p.m.
12-3-15.
12th March. Next morning the Germans started dropping trench mortars into 32a. I sent up Lt. Neville to worry them back with rifle grenades. In the afternoon a message from Lt. Kennedy who since Capt Ogden’s wound was alone in charge that he wanted assistance reached me and I went up to have a look round. On reaching C (on sketch) a trench mortar burst within 10 yards of me and I was covered with debris. They came regularly every eight minutes in all five burst while I was up, all exceedingly close. I found that the right section of 33 trench held by the 5th Fusiliers no longer existed. Our own trench 32a had not been damaged tho’ there were several wounded still there was no means of reaching it under cover now as it was necessary to go through 33 to get there.
On the opposite page is a photo and sketch of an area of trench.
I gave instructions for the breach to be repaired and the communication trench B.D. to be made passable. I sent up a working party with many hundred sandbags and barbed wire with Lt. Moxley of C Coy in charge. Two hours later another urgent message arrived so I went back. The trench mortar had ceased firing. (We had asked our guns to fire a few high explosive shell into the place we made out the fire coming from). They had turned a maxim on to the breech and all working had ceased except filling sandbags in readiness. I had filled my pockets with “Vigilant” periscopes. These I threw across the gap to Neville. All those in the trench had been shot away. Going back along the Fusilier trench I found the first section evacuated, in the next no one on lookout. One man had a periscope but did not know how to use it until I showed him. I asked for the officer in charge and eventually found a subaltern taking his ease in a very comfortable splinter proof. I pointed out the danger of leaving the sections next to the breach unwatched with the German trenches only 30 yards off and suggested that some of his men might assist in repairing the breech which was all part of their trench.
On the opposite page is a Bairnsfather cartoon.
He replied “Oh the Engineers are seeing to that. Our men are too tired”. I pointed out that the Bedfords were the only people about working. No Engineers were there. We had had just as hard a time as they had and the work was very urgent. He said “The Fighting Fifth” are never found wanting”. It was the same Bn which had run away from their trenches on the 7th Nov at Ypres and left us in the lurch. I felt a strong desire to say so but my duty was not to join in a silly wrangle but to get the work done and prevent a disaster. All I said was “Well let us see if you can do as well as the Bedfords”. That evening I heard that Lt. Moxley was killed putting out barbed wire on front of the 5th Fusiliers trenches. a splendid officer and a great loss to me.
On the opposite page are 4 photographs of Ypres and area.
13th March. We were relieved that evening and returned to Rosenthal. In the morning I attended Moxley’s funeral on the Ramparts. As soon as we got back the Huns started bombarding the Chateau grounds dropping some 30 forty pounder shrapnel all round and bringing trees and branches crashing down luckily no building was hit and no damage done.
14th March. There was more shelling and the Coy at Lankhof had one man killed and 2 Officers and 15 men wounded. Lankhof had been much more knocked about than Rosenthal. In fact there was not much left of it. The men were sheltered in the various outhouses. One man was found sitting in a pig sty on a beautiful Louis XIV sofa with curly legs collecting lice off his shirt. Beautifully brocaded chairs were in the cow sheds being gradually broken up. Marching back to the trenches that evening I had a nasty shock there was a whizz and a shell struck the ground 10 yards off. Had it exploded as nine out of ten do I should have been a gone coon but it fortunately did not.
On the opposite page are two photographs of life in the trenches.
My headquarters were in 32b trench and my chief anxiety was to make 32a safe.
15th March. I got hold of a pair of gum boots and spent the day wandering up to my knees in water. During the next 48 hrs Trench B.D. was made into a fire trench and drained. Another good fire trench was made at E.F. and a new communication trench dug between E and D the existing one being undrainable. During the night two men on listening post were caught asleep on their post. Instead of putting them under arrest for trial by F.G.C.M. when Death could be the only sentence the subaltern in charge sent them to put up some barbed wire during the rest of the night. One was killed but the other escaped with a wound. The moral effect on the Company was very good.
On the opposite page is a postcard of Ypres before and after the bombardment.
A dead Englishman was found at E in the old trench and buried. The sap from 32a was prolonged and made into a fire trench joining on to the communication trench running forward from 32b. The other Regts had a sentry whose duty it was to fire up this trench at stated intervals. No wonder the people in 32a had a bad time. They built up a sandbag parapet at the breech decreasing it by 20 yards. The 5th Fusiliers left their side in status quo and eventually as a concession said they would put on 5 men to work if we put on 5 men on our side! The whole of the breech was in their lines and all our men were at work, we had already done half of it. I agreed to save time, and sent in an official report later. I knew it was little use in doing this. Undoubtedly when the O.C. 5th Fusiliers was asked through the G.O.C. his Bde for a report his sense of “Esprit de Corps” would lead him to exculpate his men and the G.O.C Bde with the same ‘laudable’ intention would still further smooth matters so that instead of thanks one is looked upon as an insufferable busybody. While I was in the ambulance on 7th Nov the O.C. 5th Fusiliers came to say goodbye to a Capt in his Regt who was wounded. The Capt said “I saw the Germans coming on in great numbers so I thought it advisable to give the order to retire.” His C.O. said “Quite right old chap I know you did your best.” They were holding the line next to us and knowing there were no supports behind ran back the best part of a mile leaving us outflanked and the guns unprotected. They did not even await the attack tho’ entrenched. And yet some people still call them the Fighting Fifth. I suppose the O.C. 5th Fusiliers thought it was “Esprit de Corps” to stick up for his Capt whatever the circumstances.
My periscope was broken by a bullet in 32a during the morning. Luckily I had a spare glass. Later on a stone caught me a crack on the head without breaking the skin. The Huns were occasionally sending over a trench mortar these were very largely filled with flints and old nails. We replied with rifle grenades using up all those available and a very nice trench howitzer was placed in position near 32b and three rounds fired out of it by 2/Lt. Kennedy. (He had to sit on it when firing to keep it from flying up.) Unfortunately there were no more in the country and it was sent away to be re-bored so as to take some other type of amtn. It was exactly the thing we wanted most but I never saw another. In this manner we managed to prevent the Germans having it all their own way. A party of Territorial Engineers was at work on the sap towards the Germans and in trying to pump out the water I proposed to show them the new way back. There was a check when I was at E and zip a bullet just missed my nose. Looking up I noticed that there was a hole in the trench wall about one foot across made by a succession of rifle bullets evidently all fired off a rest. It caused a parados to be built up to catch these bullets in future.
16th March. The Huns continued trench mortaring us the next day and did some damage to the communication trenches. A body was seen to be lying in the breech. The 5th Fusiliers said they had accounted for all their men and he was certainly not one of ours. He proved on examination to be one of the 5th buried by an explosion of a trench mortar with others two days before and now thrown up by a fresh explosion. We found the benefit of the new ones. I took a couple of photographs in the morning (see 3 pages back). In the 48 hrs out of 60 men in 32a there were 15 casualties so we were very lucky considering what we had gone through. That night we marched back to Ypres. There was a certain liveliness on the way. The bullets humming past sounded just like a swarm of bees.
17th March. Eventually at 1 a.m. we reached the Cavalry Bks at Ypres and slept on soldiers plank beds. In the morning I had a cold bath with the men all round me (no privacy) but it was the first time I had had my clothes off for 14 days and no doubt many envied me. That afternoon we marched out to the Huts near Vlamertinge and within half an hour the men had found an old football and at once started a game. The ground had dried up wonderfully with a fortnight’s fine weather and the camp was quite a pleasant place. We had the same mess in an Estaminet. We were told that after we left Rosenthal for the trenches a shell struck the cottage we lived in and killed a Capt in the Dorsets. Quite a galaxy of Generals headed by Plumer came round to pat us on the back. As far as I was able to make out from individuals who were subsequently in the trenches 29 to 32 nothing was done to improve the position after we left. It was none too safe there in case of a real German push. The Staff had just seen the Dorsets with a group of 20 Coy officers & when our four lined up they wanted to know where all the others were. In six weeks we had lost over 20 officers, killed, wounded, frostbite and illness.
18th March. My birthday. Actually had a hot bath. A very cold day with snow on the ground. The men were marched off in parties to a school a mile away which had been converted into a bathing establishment, here after a wash in hot water they were given a clean set of underlinnen, unfortunately lice abounded not only in their clothing but also in the straw on which they slept so the relief was only a very temporary one. Still it probably kept the scourge under.
19th March. Another bitterly cold day. I rode in to Poperinghe with Col Griffith and had lunch and tea there.
20th March. Was President of a F.G.C. Marshal at Bde H.Q. while I was away General Smith Dorian came round and in an address told the men that The Norfolks and ourselves were the two best Regts in the Army. He was sorry he had to take us away from in front of Messines where we had done so well but it was the highest compliment he could pay us. He required some Veteran Battns on which he could absolutely rely to restore the British ascendency. He also said that we were considerably hampered by the strikes at home only six guns were available where 120 had been promised.
21st March. We marched into Ypres after dark and were billeted in a large house near the station. A shell had smashed up the back premises otherwise it was undamaged. The living rooms were covered with tapestry and the doors were inlaid. There was even a bath room, tho’ unfortunately the discharge pipe was choked. I slept on the floor in a room with Capt Edwards.
On the opposite page are three photographs of Ypres.
The men were accommodated in the Inf Barracks. These were practically undamaged by shell fire. The Town was full of civilians and business was flourishing. Many booths having been built up on the site of burnt houses – chiefly for the sale of pastry to the troops.
22nd March. I took the opportunity of going to an eye specialist as my eye had been violently inflamed since 8th March (when I was slightly wounded). He said it was a slight cut and it ought to be quite well in a fortnight. In the meantime I was to bathe it. How could I in the trenches!
On the opposite page is a sketch plan looking south and a photograph.
In C Coy out of 150 men in February only 80 were left of the originals tho’ drafts kept us up to strength. I looked at the Cloth Hall and St. Michael’s Church. The damage done is irreparable. Little more than the bare walls are standing.
23rd March. We only had 5 Coy officers left (20 short). Col Griffith not considering this sufficient for a tour in the trenches borrowed 4 officers from the Q.V.R. to make up the numbers a little.
During the night there was very heavy rifle fire and twice I came down thinking the Germans must be almost in the Town it sounded so close. There was also much big gun firing but nothing came of it. That evening we took over trenches 43 to 51. I was to be especially responsible for 49 to 51. 51consisted of a log hut for officers and a collection of esquimaux like huts made of branches of trees and turf for the men, not even splinter proof. Just before we arrived a shell splinter penetrated the officers log hut and a shell demolished a hut with three men in it. Strange to say only one of them was hurt. The march up was wonderfully free from stray bullets and the trenches tho smelly and wet were 50 to 150 yds from the Germans with a little barbed wire in between. There was comparatively little firing, in fact it seemed quite a haven of rest.
On the opposite page is a sketch plan showing Bedford bomb proof location.
24th March. In the morning I had a long talk with the French Commandant and was very favourably impressed. They belonged to the famous Iron Corps which took part in the battle of Metz and later in the fights for Verdun. It was most interesting comparing notes. We both agreed on points which formerly would have been considered rank heresy.
49 trench was absolutely enfiladed by the German trenches behind Hill 60 and being on the slope of a hill it was very difficult to make tenable except by building up high traverses and deepening the trench. As it had originally been made without traverses, it was found best to build the traverses over the trench making a small tunnel to pass through. Twelve were made altogether. These gave far better protection than the ordinary type of traverse could afford but were rather awkward for men with packs
on.
On the opposite page are two photographs, one of 49 trench
During the day drainage was worked at, the parapet thickened and sniping posts selected. I made a sketch of the trenches and decided on making a new communication trench to 50 trench and to prolong an existing French 2nd line one. The ridge behind us was very freely shelled at intervals and any individual showing himself there always caught it. That night there was a heavy down pour.
25th March. We carried on all day with the same work and constructed a number of splinter proofs in the trenches for the men. During the morning Lt. Tabor was wounded in the head while fixing an iron sniping plate. (He is still on sick leave 20.6.15) shelling of the ridge continued. The Cheshires relieved us that evening and we marched back to Ypres to the same billets. Just before leaving we wrapped some handbills announcing the fall of Przemysl in stones and threw them into the German trenches.
26th March. The following afternoon I bicycled out meeting Weatherby the Bde Major and an R.E. Officer on the way. I was not happy about the gaps between 48 & 49 and saw no object in a certain support trench which was supposed to be held. We wandered over the ground till after dark then returned having meanwhile fixed up a satisfactory scheme. Six North Stafford Officers were attached to us to bring up to our numbers (4 have since been killed, one sent back ‘nervous’ 20.6.15)
27 & 28 The next two days we stayed in Ypres except for heavy firing at night and an odd shell which nobody troubled about we might have been in London, that evening we returned to the same trenches. No coal or coke was sent up to the trenches for 48 hrs. This was due to a colonel in the A.S. Corps at Poperinghe who considered that his representative a Qr Master Sergt at Ypres was issuing more than was necessary and cut off all supplies. How we would have liked to put him in the trenches for 48 hrs to see how he would like the bitter cold. It is so easy to stop supplies when you are 20 miles back in a comfortable office. I sent in a report to Gen Northey before we left for the trenches.
29th March. The Cheshires told us that they had been trench mortared but of course could not reply as we had none. We were also greeted with rifle grenades and had some casualties. We fired off about half a dozen in reply and then had no more nor could any fresh ones be procured and yet the English papers were full of accounts of men striking for an extra penny an hour. The Cheshires M***** **** had buckled too and done a vast amount of work. I could hardly believe my eyes. A lot of it was hopeless, for instance they cut down so many trees that the Germans could see right through the wood and 51 became a death trap. They also made two trenches in the wrong places but it was so delightful to find someone outside our own Regt actually doing some work. Their new Colonel who always went round the trenches himself was of course the moving spirit (since killed). I had already selected a site closer to. Here this volume of text ends. It continues immediately at the beginning of the next book.
On the back two pages are two photographs of building bomb proof shelters and a newspaper cutting.
The Bay Museum & Research Facility 