On the 9th, the 8th KORL are involved in the Battle of Arras in operations around Guémappe and Monchy-le-Preux with Reggie personally leading the Battalion into battle.
Reggie is wounded on the 11th while but remains at duty.
The 8th KORL move back to Arras to recover and are thanked by the G.O.C. 3rd Division. On the 23rd move back to the front east of Monchy-le-Preux and help defend the town from German attack for 3 days.
It is for one of these actions that Reggie is awarded D.S.O. in the 1918 New Year’s Honours.
- 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 - 9th Apr
First Battle of the Scarpe
From the war diary of the 8th King’s Own (Royal Lancaster)
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.
Battalion remained in Assembly positions until about 12noon when orders were received to move forward to the Western Trench of The Harp where the Battalion spent time in consolidating and making a roadway for the cavalry. At 6.35pm being in being in reserve to the 8th Bde orders were received to move forward and attack the Brown Line at 7pm. The Battalion was quite unable to get into position in time as it was full 1¼ miles to the assembly positions. The Gordons who has also received orders to attack being 900 yards nearer were able to attack but failed to get their objective and lost a number of men and three officers. The Battalion moved forward not knowing how far away the line was situated and (on the way Capt. Dickinson was wounded) also what was its objective. On its way it met some of the Gordons falling back but Col. Hunt led the Battalion forward in artillery formation, the enemy bursting shrapnel over the left sections. At this point Col. Lumsden of the 2nd Royal Scots met the C.O. and explained to him that there were scattered units of the 8th Bde some hundred yards away & that the battalion was required to fill a gap caused by his battalion pressing too much to its right. On arrival at the line where the previous troops had formed the scattered units of the 8th Bde & 1st Gordons were found. They were extended by orders of the C.O. & finding the left of the position was in the air the left flank was swung back to run almost parallel to the ARRAS, CAMBRAI road.
The battalion dug in all night making a good trench from which the assault on the Brown Line was launched next day.
- 10th April 1917
Just before the dawn the battalion withdrew to NAMUR TRENCH handing over positions to the 8th Bde. The KING’S OWN and the 1st GORDONS in reserve to 8th Bde. At 6.30 am the 8th Bde attacked and took the BROWN Line. The Battalion remained in NAMUR TRENCH all day trying to get as much rest as possible. In afternoon message received from G.O.C. 8th Bde thanking the battalion for its services and informing it was returned to the 76 Bde. Warning received from 76 Bde to be ready to move at 15 minutes notice.
- 11th April 1917
C.O. left at 3.30 am to attend Bde conference at Bde Headqrs, Feuchy crossroads. Battalion moved at 4.30 am in artillery formation to the BROWN LINE, having received orders to attack & capture GUÉMAPPE. Arrived at assembly trenches just after dawn, which gave the enemy time to observe the men taking up position in the assembly trenches. Second line (D Coy & HdQrs) heavily shelled for a short time. Lt.Col. R.S. Hunt wounded but remained at duty, 2 Lieut W.R. Jones wounded, 3ORs killed & 6 wounded.
Capt. Wallace showed conspicuous bravery by remaining in the shelled trench & amputating the leg of one of the wounded men. Zero hour put off for half an hour, no time to warn C Coy who advanced at original hour 6.30 am. Men were sent back to their trenches, and the Battalion, A&C Coys in front line, B in support and D in reserve, with the 2nd Suffolks on the right and the 10th R.W. Fusiliers in Bde support went over at 7am. Advance went well at first, but when the front line passed the crest of the hill, heavy M.G. fire broke out from the opposite slope, causing heavy losses and holding up the advance on the line occupied by a brigade of the 12th Division who had made and attack on GUÉMAPPE the previous day. Men occupied shell holes, & during the day movement was almost impossible owing to M.G. and very accurate sniping fire. HdQrs in gunpits on crest of hill. No information was received from Coys, so the C.O. and the adjutant went up to the line to find out position of affairs. At 4.30pm the Gordons were ordered to attack, the units occupying the shell holes to join in as the Gordons passed. Attack a failure, barrage having not having touched the numerous enemy M.G.s and the advancing troops coming under a heavy barrage. Casualties in officers were two killed (2/Lts Ellis and Wilkinson) and 11 wounded. Owing to the exhausted condition of all units it was dangerous to hold the line during the night with these units, so 76 Bde were relieved by 9th Bde. The King’s Own part of the line being taken by two Coys of the 10th W Yorks.
In his 2007 Ph.D thesis, “British Cavalry on the Western Front 1916-1918” , David Kenyon writes (included as a more authoritative account of the cavalry charge on Monchy-le-Preux that Reggie writes about in his own memoirs, see below):-
These three regiments [10th Hussars, Essex Yeomanry and 3rd Dragoon Guards] moved forward over prepared trench crossings in the Wancourt-Feuchy line at around 8:30am. 10th Hussars and Essex Yeomanry of 8th Brigade on the left (north), intending to circle around between Monchy and the Scarpe, while 3rd Dragoon guards of 6th Brigade headed south of the village. Emerging south of Orange Hill they advanced at the gallop, in line of troop columns, with one troop advanced as scouts. An advance in brigade strength like this was a rare enough sight to make a significant impression on the watching infantry. Capt. Cuddeford of the Highland Light Infantry (15th Div.) was witness to this advance:
During a lull in the snowstorm an excited shout was raised that our cavalry were coming up! Sure enough, away behind us, moving quickly in extended order
down the slope of Orange Hill was line upon line of mounted men covering the whole extent of the hillside as far as we could see. It was a thrilling moment for
us infantrymen, who had never dreamt that we should see a real cavalry charge, which was evidently what was intended.
- 12th April 1917
Relief complete 1 am. Battalion returned to dugouts in The HARP arriving about 5 am finding rations waiting & the cookers up with hot tea & rum. The day and night spent resting.
- 13th April 1917
Battalion remained in dugouts in the HARP. Day spent in making first lists of casualties, in reorganising & in making up ammunition bombs &c. At 9.15 pm the Battalion moved in platoons at 200 yds distance. D Coy leading followed by HdQrs, A, B, C back to ARRAS via FIFTEEN STREE[T] & the Rue de St. QUENTIN. Battalion in billets & cellars in ARRAS. Fuel provided and the men went to sleep warm & comfortable.HdQrs in No33 Rue D’AMIENS. Battalion settled in billets by 11.0 pm.
- 14th April 1917
Day spent in resting & cleaning up. C.O. [Reggie] to F.A [Field Ambulance] to have eyes attended to. Casualties during operations 8th – 11 April.
Officers killed Lieut. E.J. Fielder Other Ranks 2/Lt J.F. Sparks Killed 38 W.M. Higson Wounded 164 F.J. Wilkinson Missing 28 H. Ellis Wounded Capt. J.R. Dickinson 2/Lt. H.T. Martin A.H Giteham J.G. Lindsay H.W. Cook E.J. Bradshaw A.C.H. Jarrett W.R. Jones Wounded at duty Lt. Col. R.S. Hunt Capt A.H Pollock 2/Lt H. Young
- 15th to 22nd Apr
Battalion in billets in Arras
Attack 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]On the 11th April, the 37th Division had taken Monchy-le-Preux.
- 23 Apr
Moved to trenches N.W. of The Harp - 24 Apr
Occupied part of BROWN LINE H28D4.9
Moved to trenches east of Monchy at O2A
Reggie’s personal memoirs records and I suspect it was this action to which he refers:-
I got the D.S.O. for a little place called Monchy Le Preuse [sic] 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.
Worse than the fighting was the stink, we fought knee deep in dead horses, hundreds of them in that shattered village.
The 10th Hussars, Scots Greys, + Oxford Yeomanry had galloped the village 4 days before; taken it, + tried to push on dismounted [see description above for 11th April for a more accurate description of the cavalry charge at Arras], but they were pushed back instead. Meanwhile the Germans had rained shells on the village, slaughtered the led horses by hundreds.
I saw it all clearly from a nearby hill which we, infantry, had taken the day before. (I had been put in command of the 8th Battln of the Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment).
I remember Bulkeley-Johnson being killed, an old friend of mine. He commanded the Scots Greys, + was Brigadier of that Brigade.
He galloped up to see what was going on just after the Cavalry had dismounted, + had about 400x to go to reach the village, he, his trumpeter, + a fellow carrying his Brigadier-General’s red flag. A shell burst, + there was no trace whatsoever of all three men, nor of the horse, just plain obliteration.
So that’s how it came about that a little while after I had to retake that salubrious spot
- 25 Apr
Royal Welch Fusiliers HQ joined Battalion HQ (theirs being heavily shelled)
Communication very difficult because lines keep getting shelled
Overnight took up a trench O2d2.5 to O2d0.8 - Night of 26th/27th Apr
At 11.30 pm enemy attacked
Attack repulsed
Battalion “Stood to” all night in case of another attack - 27th Apr
HQ heavily shelled - Night of 28th/29th Apr
Incessant rifle fire and machine guns very active - 29th Apr
Situation normal - Night of 29th/30th Apr
Attempt to get in touch with post on Bit Lane failed - 30th Apr
Situation normal - Night of 30th/Apr 1st/May
Finally got in touch with post on Bit Lane
Enemy still very active with rifle and machine guns - 30th Apr
War diary of the 8th KORL signed by R.S. Hunt Lt.Col. 8th K.O.R.L.
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