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)
Signed by R.S. Hunt Lieut. Colonel 8th Bn. King’s Own (R.L.) Regt
Signed by Ewan Christian Lt. Colonel Commdg 4th South African Infantry
- 1st to 5th Apr
Night work parties on trenches - 6th to 7th Apr
Exchange of shelling
Boys moved to cellars - 8th Apr
Moved to assembly trenches
Increase in casualties
Putting bridges and ladders in place and cutting wires
- 1st to 5th Apr
Working parties at “Y” Huts - 6th Apr
2nd, 3rd & 4th regiments inspected by General Smuts - 7th Apr
Moved to billets in Arras
Major D.R.Hunt not in list of officers going forward - 8th Apr
Moved to billets south of the Scarpe river
Fatigues bringing up ladders & bridges to front line
From the war diary of the 8th King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) for 9th April 1917
Battalion in brigade reserve. 76th Brigade assaulted the enemy trenches and carried all objectives. The Gordons assisted by B Coy of the King’s Own who rendered valuable service, taking the first line well within stated time. The 10th RW Fusiliers then passed through & then captured the Black Line at 7.45am. A Coy The King’s Own, then going forward to the second German line as a carrying party. at 8.15am the 9th Bde attacked at took Tilloy & The Harp. At 10.40am one platoon of the King’s Own was placed at the disposal of 8th Bde for carrying ammunition.
From “The History of the South African Forces in France” by John Buchan :-
As regards the South Africans, whose advance was
literally unbroken, the casualties were far less than the
number of prisoners. The enemy was demoralized
by our barrage, and then surprised and routed by the
steady infantry pressure behind it.
- 10th Apr
Placed at disposal of 4th Regiment AAA
Received orders to relieve the 10th Brigade at Blue Line
Stayed in railway cutting
Battalion strength: 18 officers, 418 ORs - 11th Apr
Orders to occupy Brown Line from Point du Jour to Cam Trench
Moved forward at 2 pm
Several inches of snow
Confusion about whether to send out a patrol - 12 Apr
Order for C.Os to meet at H15C55
Target for the day was to attack and take a line held by Germans to the east of Fampoux
Battalion crossed Athies-Fampoux rd at H15C95.55 and turned east.
Proceeded across ground towards Fampoux and entered village around 3.45pm
Started to move out of the east of Fampoux around 4.50pm but came under heavy machine gun fire from several directions
Attack failed due to machine gun
Furthest anyone got was Brown’s Copse (now a British cemetery)
Withdrew to a trench held by 4th Divn on the eastern edge of Fampoux
All companies report attack held up - 13 Apr
South African Brigade relieved by the 26th Brigade at 1.30am
4th SAI strength at 9 am: 12 officers, 207 ORs
Casualties:- Killed: 2 officers, 22 ORs
- Wounded: 4 officers, 172 ORs
- Missing: 6
4th SAI strength at 8 pm: 12 officers, 220 ORs
- 14th Apr
Gas shelled soon after midnight - 15th Apr
Relieved by 6th Gordon Highlanders
Returned to Arras
Men billeted in Hospice (des Viellards?)
Officers in 36 Rue Gambetta
The attack failed because of General Allenby’s failure to plan an effective barrage on the German lines ahead of the attack.
As a result of this fiasco, General Allenby was relieved of his command of the 3rd Army, recalled to England and was eventually given charge of the Egyption Expeditionary Force.
- 15th to 22nd Apr
Battalion in billets in Arras
Attach practice on the racecourse - 16th Apr
Message received from G.O.C. 3rd Div “The G.O.C. desires to express his admiration of all ranks during the recent operations”
O.C. [Reggie] returned from F.A. [Field Ambulance]
- 16th Apr
Moved to hutments south of Acq - 17th to 20th Apr
At Acq
Baths - 21st to 26th Apr
Moved to Monchy-Bréton
Occupied Monchy with the 3rd SAI
Lt.Col. D.M. MacLeod returned on 24th Apr and assumed command of the 4th SAI on 25th Apr after recovering from injuries at Delville Wood in July 1916
On the 11th April, the 37th Division had taken Monchy-le-Preux.
CGS: I suspect it was this action in defence of Monchy-le-Preux that Reggie refers to in his memoirs :-
I got the D.S.O. for a little place called Monchy Le Preuse just outside Arras. I was told to take it. My Battalion did. We took it & held it for 3 days. I took 884 lads & 27 officers into action, & on relief had 23 men left, & 3 officers besides myself, all of us bleedy-bloody.
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