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)
- 8th Oct
Major Hunt listed in officers at headquarters of the 4th SAI
Camped near Mametz Wood - 9th Oct
Moved to Bazentin-Le-Grand
Relieved 24th London Regiment in support at High Wood - 10th Oct
Still in trenches at High Wood
2 working parties - 11th Oct
Working parties for ration carrying and trench digging
4th SAI strength going in to action:-
- 20 officers
- 574 Other Ranks
The following messages were received by Capt. Mitchell at 2nd Battalion HQ
- 02:05 pm
Barrage - 02:06 pm
Enemy shelling - 02:07 pm
Our barrage good - 02:08 pm
2nd SAI going over - 02:09 pm
Going over all along the line - 02:11 pm
4th SAI entering front line - 02:12 pm
4th SAI going over & well up ridge - 02:14 pm
Barrage lifting - 02:15 pm
4th SAI going over ridge - 02:18 pm
Men continuing to advance. Scottish moving rapidly - 02:23 pm
Wire to forward observer gone - 02:30 pm
Report from runner:- Our men last seen in vicinity and along ridge to right of Butte but very difficult to see on a/c of smoke. Enemy shelling heavily over our right sector
“Practically no information was received at Bn HQ until a runner arrived from Capt Ross to say he was to right of our original front & near the 1st objective”
“The attack was unable to obtain its objective owing to machine gun fire from our left which simply mowed down our men as they advanced.”
A Wikipedia page on the Butte de Warlencourt.
In his book “The History Of The Transvaal Scottish”, Capt. H. C. Juta describes something of the battle :- “On October 12th, The South African Scottish, under Major (D.R.) Hunt, went over the top under a hail of machine gun bullets falling through the thick mist and smoke; so heavily did they suffer, that they failed to reach the first objective, and were relieved on the 13th when they moved back to High Wood.”
Casualties in the 4th SAI up to 10th Oct:-
| Killed | Wounded | Missing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officers | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| Other ranks | 24 | 98 | 5 |
- 14th to 17th Oct
Camped at High Wood
Parties employed in :-- Burying dead men and horses
- Dugouts
- Digging front line trenches
- 18th Oct
12pm 120 men under Captain Ross sent to support the attack by the 1st SAI on The Tail. Asked to perform a bombing attack on Snag Trench - 19th Oct
4th SAI relieved by 6th King’s Own Scottish Borderers
Proceeded to Mametz Wood
Small parties of Captain Ross’s raiding party returned
The raiding party expedition led by Captain Ross was not successful. - Total of 1150 casualties across the SA Brigade including 45 officers had been incurred between 9th and 19th October.
- 20th to 26th Oct
The KOSBs had only slightly more success than the SAI regiments
Camped at Mametz Wood
Providing working parties - 2nd Dec
Major General Furse G.O.C. 9th (Scottish) Division deprived of his command being superseded by Brigadier General H.T. Lukin (formerly O.C. South African Brigade)
Lt.Col. F.S. Dawson (formerly of the 1st SAI) promoted to command the South African Brigade
The Butte de Warlencourt was never captured during the Battle of the Somme
Further reading
Wikipedia article about the attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt.
Pyramids and Poppies The 1st Infantry Brigade in Libya, France and Flanders 1915-1919 by Peter K.A. Digby. §16 The Butte de Warlencourt
- War diary of the 1/4th Seaforth Highlanders :-
Major R.S. Hunt who was attached to battalion since 9th July left to command 8th Royal Lancashire Regiment - War diary of the 8th King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) :-
Major Hunt joins King’s Own Royal (Lancaster) replacing Lt.Col. G.A. Smith D.S.O
The King’s Own Royal Lancasters had just been commended by Brigadier General R.J. Kentish late commanding 76th Infantry Brigade on their conduct in the Battle of the Somme particularly their part in the taking of Delville Wood in the days after the South African Infantry Brigade had been relieved of their duty in that wood.
At the point that Reggie joined and took command of the 8th KORL, the battalion is stationed at Courcelles just 3 miles from where he left the 1/4th Seaforths and 6 miles away from where Donald and the SAI are recovering from the attack on the Butte de Warlencourt.
The KORL forms part of the 76th Brigade in the 3rd Division.
- 26 Oct
Store in Observation Wood blown up. No casualties. - 27 Oct
Battalion relieved by 1st Gordon Highlanders
Billets in Courcelles
Working party carrying ammunition
- 27th Oct
Moved via Contalmaison and Albert to Millencourt - 28th Oct
Marched to Herissart - 29th Oct
Moved via Puchevillers, Marieux, Mendicourt, Louez into Arras
Men billeted in cavalry barracks - 30th to 31st Oct
Men not allowed out
- 1st to 12th Nov
Training for attack on Serre (Serre-lès-Puisieux) - 12th Nov
Left Bus and marched to Courcelles
- 1st to 19th Nov
Day and night time working parties in Arras - 20th Nov
Moved to Wanquetin - 21st Nov
Men move to better billets. Officers quarters very bad. - 22nd to 31st Nov
Training- Bayonet practice
- Route marching
- Firing from the hip
- Bombing
- Musketry and rapid loading
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