On this day 20th September
1777 – 52nd – American War of Independence - The light Company of the 52nd with a small force under Major General Grey, at night surprised and defeated 1,500 Americans with 4 guns (artillery).
1917 – 2nd Bn OXF & BUCKS LI – LE PREOL.
Lt E H Vigars rejoined from the Base and was attached to C Coy pending posting.
Capt F W C Chippindale proceeded to Headquarters 11th Division to take up appointment of ADC to Major General H R Davies C.B.
The Centre or Canal Brigade front because what it used to be i.e. Posts 1 (Burbure Alley) to Junction of Wolfe Road into front line.
Right Battalion Posts 1-21 during occupation by 2/HLI.
1917–1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion – LICQUES.
All Coys did short period of training in vicinity of Billets.
Ration Strength 24 Officers 573 OR.
1917 – 2/1st Bucks Bn (TF) Oxf & Bucks LI – In huts & billets at AGNEZ-LES-DUISSANS.
1917 – 2/4th (TF) Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – In billets at GOUVES.
1917 - 6th (S) Bn Oxf & Bucks LI heavily engaged in Battle of the Menin Road (3rd YPRES) ATTACK ON EAGLE TRENCH.
Official account by Lieut.-Colonel C. R. C. Boyle, commanding the Battalion:-
At midnight 18th/19th September the Battalion Was disposed as follows :--
B Company (2nd Lieut. Mitchell) holding front line U.23.d.7.4 to U.23.d.4.5, with two platoons. H.Q. and three platoons round Double Cotts (U.23.d.3.8).
C Company (Captain Brooks) in trenches round Au Bon Gite. (U.28.d.7.8).
A Company (Captain Skuce) in trenches round Adelphi (C.3.a.8.9).
D Company (Lieut. Cooke) in trenches near Cork House (C.3.a.3.3).
Battalion H.Q. at Au Bon Gite.
The 19th September was quiet, except for a little hostile shelling. That evening, as soon as it was dark, and companies had got their rations, they moved forward into assembly positions, which had all been taken up by 2 a.m. (20th). A Company lost 10 men in moving up, otherwise there were no casualties in the Battalion.
The disposition of companies was now : A left, C centre, B right, D reserve.
Each of the three front companies formed up in four lines, one platoon in each of the first three lines, and Company H.Q. with one Lewis gun in the fourth line. Each company had a covering party 150 yards to the front.
D Company (in reserve) was formed in columns of half platoons and in two lines ; two platoons in the front line, and one platoon and Company H.Q. in rear.
Battalion H.Q. were at Double Cotts (Twin Cottages).
At 5 a.m. (20th September) 2nd Lieut. Willes (Intelligence Officer) and 8 Scouts took up positions with D Company. 8 Scouts being sent to each of the three attacking,companies.
Touch was obtained with the 12th R.B. on the right, but no touch could be got with the 59th Brigade on the left, and there was a gap of at least 150 yards between.
2nd Lieut. Willes laid out tapes on pegs already provided by the R.E., and led companies to assembly positions.
Zero was 5.40 a.m. 20th September. It was then still dark, dawn just breaking.
At 5.41 a.m. oil drums were discharged at Cemetery (U.14.C.0.0). These lit up the sky and showed my men to the enemy. As soon as the leading lines came over the ridge, into view of Eagle Trench, they came under heavy machine-gun fire from five concrete houses in the trench.
B Company, on the right, caught the worst of this, and soon lost all their officers and most of their N.C.O.'s.
C Company, in the centre, gallantly led by Captain Brooks and 2nd Lieut. Bevington, tried to get on, and were within 60 yards of the trench, when they were finally held up, Captain Brooks being killed on the German wire. 2nd Lieut. Bevington and three or four men succeeded in getting into the trench, but were wounded and could do no more.
A Company got within 70 yards, and were then held up; Captain skuce was mortally wounded.
D Company tried to get forward to reinforce and push on, but were unable to do this, and at 6.30 a.m. all companies were in shell-holes west of Eagle Trench, digging in.
It was impossible to get orderlies back to H.Q., and it was not until 7 a.m. that I learned the situation.
The 59th Brigade, on the left, were held up on the same line, and the 12th R.B. on my immediate right.
The situation remained thus during the day, all movement being under the observation of the enemy, who had snipers, on the look-out.
A fresh attack was ordered for 5.30 p.m., the 6th K.S.L.I, to send one company to help to get on, and another to work round the right with the 12th R.B. I was able to send orders to D Company (Lieut. Cook), but I could not communicate with any other officer.
At 5 p.m. the enemy put down a heavy barrage on the line U.23.d.l.4-U.29.b.2.9, but did not attack opposite me.
At 6.30 p.m. our barrage came down on Eagle Trench, and Lieut. Cook collected all men near him, and, with 2nd Lieut. Tapper, went forward. The enemy surrendered to him, and Lieut. Cook took a party and bombed along Eagle Trench, meeting with little opposition until about U.23.b.3.0.5, where his bombs gave out, and the enemy bombed him back. He then sent forward some riflemen to the right flank to hold the enemy, whilst he collected all German stick-bombs and formed a block in the trench, which he held. 2nd Lieut. Tapper, seeing that this attack was succeeding, pushed forward to Louis Farm, taking with him about 20 men of B Company, under Sergeant Walker. Here they linked up with the 6th K.S.L.I. and the 12th R.B.
A line of posts was then dug from Eagle Trench east, along the edge of the Cemetery, and south of the road to Louis Farm, with another line running east of the Cemetery back to Eagle Trench.
I ordered 2nd Lieut. Tapper to withdraw from Louis Farm, and, with Lieut. Cook, to hold the Cemetery with D Company, B Company remaining at Louis Farm.
A Company (2nd Lieut. Scogings) held the block in Eagle Trench.
C Company was still west of the trench.
This was the situation at midnight 20th/21st September.
1777 – 52nd – American War of Independence - The light Company of the 52nd with a small force under Major General Grey, at night surprised and defeated 1,500 Americans with 4 guns (artillery).
1917 – 2nd Bn OXF & BUCKS LI – LE PREOL.
Lt E H Vigars rejoined from the Base and was attached to C Coy pending posting.
Capt F W C Chippindale proceeded to Headquarters 11th Division to take up appointment of ADC to Major General H R Davies C.B.
The Centre or Canal Brigade front because what it used to be i.e. Posts 1 (Burbure Alley) to Junction of Wolfe Road into front line.
Right Battalion Posts 1-21 during occupation by 2/HLI.
1917–1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion – LICQUES.
All Coys did short period of training in vicinity of Billets.
Ration Strength 24 Officers 573 OR.
1917 – 2/1st Bucks Bn (TF) Oxf & Bucks LI – In huts & billets at AGNEZ-LES-DUISSANS.
1917 – 2/4th (TF) Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – In billets at GOUVES.
1917 - 6th (S) Bn Oxf & Bucks LI heavily engaged in Battle of the Menin Road (3rd YPRES) ATTACK ON EAGLE TRENCH.
Official account by Lieut.-Colonel C. R. C. Boyle, commanding the Battalion:-
At midnight 18th/19th September the Battalion Was disposed as follows :--
B Company (2nd Lieut. Mitchell) holding front line U.23.d.7.4 to U.23.d.4.5, with two platoons. H.Q. and three platoons round Double Cotts (U.23.d.3.8).
C Company (Captain Brooks) in trenches round Au Bon Gite. (U.28.d.7.8).
A Company (Captain Skuce) in trenches round Adelphi (C.3.a.8.9).
D Company (Lieut. Cooke) in trenches near Cork House (C.3.a.3.3).
Battalion H.Q. at Au Bon Gite.
The 19th September was quiet, except for a little hostile shelling. That evening, as soon as it was dark, and companies had got their rations, they moved forward into assembly positions, which had all been taken up by 2 a.m. (20th). A Company lost 10 men in moving up, otherwise there were no casualties in the Battalion.
The disposition of companies was now : A left, C centre, B right, D reserve.
Each of the three front companies formed up in four lines, one platoon in each of the first three lines, and Company H.Q. with one Lewis gun in the fourth line. Each company had a covering party 150 yards to the front.
D Company (in reserve) was formed in columns of half platoons and in two lines ; two platoons in the front line, and one platoon and Company H.Q. in rear.
Battalion H.Q. were at Double Cotts (Twin Cottages).
At 5 a.m. (20th September) 2nd Lieut. Willes (Intelligence Officer) and 8 Scouts took up positions with D Company. 8 Scouts being sent to each of the three attacking,companies.
Touch was obtained with the 12th R.B. on the right, but no touch could be got with the 59th Brigade on the left, and there was a gap of at least 150 yards between.
2nd Lieut. Willes laid out tapes on pegs already provided by the R.E., and led companies to assembly positions.
Zero was 5.40 a.m. 20th September. It was then still dark, dawn just breaking.
At 5.41 a.m. oil drums were discharged at Cemetery (U.14.C.0.0). These lit up the sky and showed my men to the enemy. As soon as the leading lines came over the ridge, into view of Eagle Trench, they came under heavy machine-gun fire from five concrete houses in the trench.
B Company, on the right, caught the worst of this, and soon lost all their officers and most of their N.C.O.'s.
C Company, in the centre, gallantly led by Captain Brooks and 2nd Lieut. Bevington, tried to get on, and were within 60 yards of the trench, when they were finally held up, Captain Brooks being killed on the German wire. 2nd Lieut. Bevington and three or four men succeeded in getting into the trench, but were wounded and could do no more.
A Company got within 70 yards, and were then held up; Captain skuce was mortally wounded.
D Company tried to get forward to reinforce and push on, but were unable to do this, and at 6.30 a.m. all companies were in shell-holes west of Eagle Trench, digging in.
It was impossible to get orderlies back to H.Q., and it was not until 7 a.m. that I learned the situation.
The 59th Brigade, on the left, were held up on the same line, and the 12th R.B. on my immediate right.
The situation remained thus during the day, all movement being under the observation of the enemy, who had snipers, on the look-out.
A fresh attack was ordered for 5.30 p.m., the 6th K.S.L.I, to send one company to help to get on, and another to work round the right with the 12th R.B. I was able to send orders to D Company (Lieut. Cook), but I could not communicate with any other officer.
At 5 p.m. the enemy put down a heavy barrage on the line U.23.d.l.4-U.29.b.2.9, but did not attack opposite me.
At 6.30 p.m. our barrage came down on Eagle Trench, and Lieut. Cook collected all men near him, and, with 2nd Lieut. Tapper, went forward. The enemy surrendered to him, and Lieut. Cook took a party and bombed along Eagle Trench, meeting with little opposition until about U.23.b.3.0.5, where his bombs gave out, and the enemy bombed him back. He then sent forward some riflemen to the right flank to hold the enemy, whilst he collected all German stick-bombs and formed a block in the trench, which he held. 2nd Lieut. Tapper, seeing that this attack was succeeding, pushed forward to Louis Farm, taking with him about 20 men of B Company, under Sergeant Walker. Here they linked up with the 6th K.S.L.I. and the 12th R.B.
A line of posts was then dug from Eagle Trench east, along the edge of the Cemetery, and south of the road to Louis Farm, with another line running east of the Cemetery back to Eagle Trench.
I ordered 2nd Lieut. Tapper to withdraw from Louis Farm, and, with Lieut. Cook, to hold the Cemetery with D Company, B Company remaining at Louis Farm.
A Company (2nd Lieut. Scogings) held the block in Eagle Trench.
C Company was still west of the trench.
This was the situation at midnight 20th/21st September.
RSS Feed