Battle of Menin Road Ridge

  • 17th Sep
    Battalion viewing clay model at Brigade H.Q.
    Battalion marched to railway siding and entrained
    Line shelled by enemy so battalion detrained and marched 2km along main road to Ypres & the Menin Gate.
    Guided to trenches North of Frezenburg
    Major D.R. Hunt not in list of officers taking part in the attack (but see next month)
  • 18th Sep
    Barrage on the enemy
    Enemy retaliated on Frezenburg and Square Farm
  • 19th Sep
    Artillery very active
    Enemy retaliation
    Hard rain but men cheerful & eager
  • 20th Sep
    Zero hour 5:40 am
    As barrage stopped men went over the top
    Enemy barrage but men had already cleared assembly positions
    6.10 am Borry farm captured
    7.30 am Mitchell’s Farm captured
    7.35 am Beck House captured
    7.45 am HQ moved to Borry Farm
    9.45 am Message received that enemy massing for counter-attack on left front
    Counter-attack beaten off by artillery and rifle-fire
    3.00 pm Enemy opened strong barrage
    Officer casualties : 2 killed, 5 wounded
    Intermittent shellfire through the night
    L/Cpl W.H. Hewitt of the 2nd SAI won V.C. for his attack on a pill-box
  • 21st Sep
    THE BATTLE OF PASSCHENDAELE, JULY-NOVEMBER 1917 (Q 2870) South African Scottish troops carrying a wounded German on a stretcher during the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, 21 September 1917. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205079732


    Enemy dropped bombs on Beck House and Borry Farm
    5pm Ordered to evacuate half the regiment but enemy activity stopped all movement
  • South African Scottish troops wait in a support trench, east of Frezenberg Ridge. Battle of Menin Ridge Road. 22 September 1917.

    22nd Sep
    Regiment relieved about 4am