World War 1 time lines – Page 13 – Chris Selwyn's Meanderings

These timelines were distilled from war diaries and books relating to the regiments and the personal memoirs of Reginald & Donald Hunt.

Reggie (Left) and Donald (Right)

1917

September 1

Resting and training

1st to 6th Sep
Bayonet and Physical exercise
Musketry
Rapid loading
Saluting
Bathing
Soccer
Rugby
Trench to trench attacks
Advancing over open ground and making use of shell holes
7th Sep
“Route march to Butte de Warlencourt and went over the ground where the regiment was engaged during the second operations on the Somme in October last year.”
Return march to Achiet-le-Petit
8th to 11th Sep
Boxing match
New assembly formation on a 3 company front
Bathing
Brigade sports (4th SAI did not do well)
Training over ground taped off and representing the ground over which the operation up north will be carried out.
Soccer
Rugby

September 12

Move to Ypres area

12th Sep
Moved to Bapaume West
Camp handed over very clean
13th Sep
Train via St. Pol, Hazebrouck to Godewaersville
Marched to Shrine Camp S.W. of Poperinge
14th Sep
Rested in morning
Moved to Thistle Camp near Brandhoek
15th Sep
Resting
C.O. & 2/Lt. Morrison went up to the trenches & will spend the night there returning tomorrow
16th Sep
NCOs went to Poperinge to see clay model of ground area which forthcoming operation will take place
Lecture on use of Gas Bombs

September 17

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

September 22

Recovery

22nd Sep
Slept until 8am
Moved to ground 200 yds West of Mill Cottage
Breakfast
Marched to crossroads near Thistle Camp
Buses at 2pm to Winnezeele
Moved in to camps Arras No.1 and Arras No.2 North of Winnezeele
23rd Sep
C.O. addressed officers, NCOs and men of the battalion and thanked them for the work done in the operations of 20th/21st
Cleaning clothing & equipment
24th to 25th Sep
Training
Physical drill
Bayonet fighting
German machine gun lecture
Arms drill
Lewis Gun instruction
26th Sep
11 officers unfit for general service struck off of the battalion
Draft of 156 O/Rs arrived
27th Sep
Moved to Ledringhem
Billeted in barns
28th Sep
Football drafts vs. battalion team
29th Sep
Platoon reorganisation
Rugby vs team from the 2nd SAI
30th Sep
Weather lovely
Church parades

September 23

Battle of Polygon Wood

23rd Sep
Moved to camp south of Ypres
24th Sep
Attack practice under the C.O.
Relieved 13th King’s (Liverpool) in the support line
Note received from Major-General C.J. Deverell exhorting the 3rd Division towards the taking of Zonnebeke
25th Sep
H.Q. Moved to Hannebeek Wood
At Battn H.Q. Col. Hunt (C.O.), Capt. Morgan (Adjt), Capt. Whittaker (Asst. Adj.)
26th Sep
Battle of Polygon Wood incl. attack on Zonnebeke
Zero hour: 5.50am
7.10am Message that “B” Coy had reached its objective
9.10am Capt Whittaker visited Coys at Mühle and Tokio farms – Shelling heavy
10.15am C.O. & 2/Lt. Williams started for new line.
10.45am Report from 50th Australian Imperial “Red Line Garrisoned” Casualties high
2.15pm Message from “A” Coy for permission to return to Mühle owing to execptionally heavy shelling. C.O. replied to the effect that “A” Coy must hold on at all costs.
4.0pm Message that only 15 men of “B” Coy left
4.55pm The C.O. of the Suffolks asked for one of our Coys to reinforce his front line. At the same time and enemy counter-attack was spotted massing in front of our line. It was caught by our artillery and smashed up.
9.20pm C.O. went to Bde to report on situation etc.
11.20pm Shelling normal
27th Sep
5.00am Shelling normal
5.25am Lieut. Phipps withdrew his men from Draught House as the Australians had taken over
6.30am Parties of German stretcher-bearers collecting wounded in the rear of their front lines
7.15am Situation unchanged
2.15pm Shelling on Steenbeck Valley and Mühle Ridge rather heavy
6.45pm Counter-attack on left
8.15pm Rations and Lewis guns arrived
8.40pm Shelling less intense
28th Sep
1.45pm Brigade notified us that we would be relieved by 9th Batt A.I.F. on the night of the 29/30th Sept
29th Sep
During the night the back areas were shelled
Front area quieter than usual~
12.5pm The C.O. of relieving Batt visited outr H.Q.
Batt relieved by the 34th Bn A.I.F. complete by 11.55pm
Batt arrived in camp (South of Ypres) at 2.15am
30th Sep
Left camp at Ypres (South)
Moved in buses to Winnezeele

September 30

War diary of the 4th SAI

Signed by D.M.MacLeod Lieut. Colonel Commanding 4th. South African Infantry

September 30

War diary of the 8th King’s Own (Royal Lancaster)

Signed by Capt. Whittaker

October 1

Recovery and return south

1 Oct
Cleaning
C.O. inspected the battalion
Note by H N Morgan with battalion orders by Lt. Col. Hunt
2 Oct
Baths
Brigadier spoke saying how pleased he was with the last battle.
Cricket vs. 10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers
3rd Oct
Divisional General inspected & thanked the 76th Brigade for the good work they did in the recent operations
4th Oct
Long march to billets in Arques
5th Oct
Marched to Wizernes
Train to Bapaume
March back to same camp in Barastre (see 18th Sep)
6th to 10th Oct
In camp at Barastre
Physical training
Games
Close order drill
Musketry & handling of arms
Kit inspection
C.O. and officers visited new front line

October 1

Recovery continued

- - 1st Oct
    Still in Ledringhem
    Training
    - - Physical drill
      - Bayonet fighting
      - Musketry
      - Close order drill
      - Specialist training
    Inter-company football
  - 2nd Oct
    Baths at Arneke
    Inter-company football
  - 3rd Oct
    Training
    - Instruction in German machine guns
    - Lewis guns
    - Artillery formations
    - Bayonet fighting
    - Physical training
  - 4th Oct
    Marched to billets in Houlle
  - 5th to 6th Oct
    Training
    - Artillery formations
    - Marching
    - Bayonet fighting
    - Platoon & Company attack formations
    - Musketry
  - 7th Oct
    Too wet for musketry training
  - 8th to 9th Oct
    Platoon & Company attacks
    Battalion attacks
    Musketry
  - 10th Oct
    Marched to Watten
    Train to Dirty Bucket Corner (well named!)
    Marched to billets at Brake Camp
  - 11th Oct
    Ordered to be prepared to move at a moment’s notice
    Working party of 200 bused to St. Julien. Engaged in carrying material to the front. Returned at 5.30am next morning

October 11

Trenches at Bullecourt

11th Oct
Bussed to camp at Mory
Moved to trenches at Bullecourt
12th Oct
Generally very quiet
Visited by several senior officers
- - G.O.C (General C.J. Deverell)
  - C.O. visited the line several times
  - Divisional General
  - Brigade Major
  - C.O. Gordon Highlanders
  - Army commander (General Allenby)
  - Major James (10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers)
C.O. (Lt.Col. Hunt) left the line for Paris on 18th
19th Oct
Relieved by 10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Train from Ecoust to camp at Mory
20th Oct
Cleaning and inspections
Visit by General Allenby
21st Oct
Football
22nd to 26th Oct
Physical drill
Bayonet fighting
Inter-platoon football
C.O. returned from Paris on the 24th
27th Oct
Relieved the 10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers in the line at Bullecourt
28th to 31st Oct
Snipers active
Enemy shelled communication trenches and support lines
C.O. sent 30 men to practice for a raid
Enemy raided right front post on 31st