Home > War Diaries >2nd Battalion, the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
War diary 8th to 14th October 1916 covering operations around LESBOEUFS
8th. Battalion arrived in camp about 4pm. Battalion ---ed? up a good deal. Major A.C. Horsfall joined the Battalion during the night.
9th. Battalion moves up towards the line, across country going via Carnoy, cavalry track and Bernafay Wood. Tea was given to the Battalion at the latter place and guides met Battalion to take them to the Flers line. On the way up the Battalion was shelled, 2/Lt Robertson being wounded. 4 OR were killed and 19 OR wounded, all casualties occurred in the HQ party and No 1 Company. At 5.45pm the Battalion moved up to relieve the Queen’s Westminsters and 8th Middlesex, a complicated relief. Battalions trenches were to the right of Lesboeufs. Relief complete about 2am. Companies were commanded by No. 1 Capt. Gillam; No.2 Capt. Leader; No.3 Major Keats; No. 4 Capt. Davis. Major C.J. Burke was in command of the Battalion, Colonel Bray being left in reserve to replace the Brigadier should he become a casualty.
10th. Battalion in the line most of the day spent clearing wounded left by other regiments. The Battalion suffered a few casualties from shell fire and snipers. 2/Lts W.T.C. Braine and W.F. Simkins were killed, 2/Lt F.C. Glover wounded, 4 OR killed, 32 OR wounded. Lancashire Fusiliers on left, Irish Fusiliers on right.
11th. Battalion in the line. Companies spent most of the time trying to improve their trenches ie deepen communication trenches and improve fire trenches. On the night of 10/11, a CT was started from Thistle to Windy, and it was while starting the work 2/Lts Braine and Simkins were killed. The night was uneventful. The Battalion was very busy preparing for the attack next day. The 1st reinforcements, reserve NCOs and 60 carriers left the Battalion and went down to Bernafay Wood. 2/Lt F.W. Beard killed. 9 OR killed, 39 OR wounded, 2 OR missing.
12th. The 4th Division received orders to attack the “Brown Line” running from N.28.b.81 - N.35.a.8.7 to T.6.a.6.8. The 6th Division on the left, the French on the right. The 4th Division had originally been intended for the attack on Le Transloy but the Division in the line previous to the Division taking over had failed to take the Brown Line. The 4th Division attacked with the 12th Brigade to which the Battalion belonged, on the left, the 10th Brigade on the right and 11th Brigade in reserve. The Battalion and 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers form the assaulting Battalions of the Brigade. The Essex and King’s Own were in Brigade reserve.
The objectives of the Brigade were the first line from N.28.d.2.6 to N.36.c.1.8, the second line (Brown Line) running from N.28.b.8.1 to N.35.a.8.7. The Battalion plus two guns from the MG Company was given the following objectives, ie lines N.35.c.1.8 to N.34.b.7.6 first, and N.35.a.8.7 to N.29.c.3.3 second. The Battalion assembled in Ranger, Windy and Thistle trenches.
The Battalion was commanded by Major C.J. Burke, with Lt (Temp Capt) --- acting adjutant. Lt F.H. King commanded No 1 Company. 2/Lt G.E. Elliott was also with the Company but he was killed in the attack. No 2 Company Capt B.E. Leader, subalterns Lt I.G.P Sleigh and 2/Lts F.B. Leece and P.F. Lambert. Capt Leader and 2/Lt Leece were killed in the attack. No 3 Company Lt G. Sugden was killed in the attack, and Lt Hodge missing. No 4 Company Capt R.N. Davis, Lt J.W. Hodge and 2/Lt E.E. Arkless. Capt Davis was killed and 2/Lt Arkless seriously wounded.
The assault was timed to take place at 2.5pm. The Battalion left their trenches to the second and charged forward with magnificent dash. It took three minutes for the enemy to open his barrage. By that time the Battalion was clear of the assembly trenches and consequently suffered few casualties in reaching the 1st objective. The first report came from No 3 Company on the left, saying they had taken their 1st objective at 2.12pm. The Germans in the front line surrendered freely. The next report came from No 4 Company on the right: a verbal message was brought saying they were on the Brown Line at 2.40pm and were commencing consolidating. After this no information was received at HQ.
At 3.33pm and 3.35pm messages asking for information to No 1 and No 2 Companies (were sent). Answers to these messages were received from Lance Corporal Wilson, No 1 Company, saying that there were no officers or NCOs left and that the Company was in a bad way. A message was also received from Lt Sleigh timed 5.5pm stating that he was at the 1st objective with about 50 of the Battalion and had seen nothing of Capt Leader since the start of the attack. At 4.43pm CSM Pearce sent a message stating he expected the enemy to counter attack. This attack however never came to anything. CSM Pearce was ordered to stay in touch with the Lancashire Fusiliers on our left, establish a firing line and get touch with Lt Sleigh. All these things were accomplished before nightfall. After this things grew quiet and the work of evacuating the wounded commenced. The total casualties for the Battalion during the day were 5 officers killed, 2 missing (Sugden and Hodge), 2 officers wounded (Lambert and Arkless). OR killed 43, wounded 236, missing 54. Major Keats rejoined the Battalion in the evening.
13th. Battalions till in the line. Most of the day spent consolidating the front line and trying to clear up situation. The evacuation of wounded was also carried on the whole day. In the evening the Battalion was relieved by the King’s Own and went back to reserve in the Flers line. Relief complete at 2.5am on 14th.
14th. Battalion in reserve Flers line. Lt Col R.N. Bray rejoined Battalion. The Battalion reorganised into Companies as far as possible. No 1 Company Sgt Bamborough in charge, No 2 Company Lt Sleigh, No 3 Company Major Keats, No 4 Company 2/Lt McNamara (Battalion Signalling Officer). 2/Lt N.H. Rutherford to hospital wounded 9 October.
This is an extract from the Battalion war diary which is Crown Copyright and held at the National Archives in document WO95/2184.