The Long, Long Trail

 

This extract from the Battalion war diary covers the period 1st April to 9th May 1915. At this time it is engaged in normal trench warfare, in a quiet period between more serious engagements. The battalion was still recovering from its part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, where it had suffered heavy casualties, and this extract leaves the troops in the early stages of the disastrous attack at Aubers.

 

Date	Events
1st April 1915	No 2 Section. Battalion moved into trenches, relieving the Sherwood Foresters.
2nd April 1915	In trenches. Enemy very quiet. Trenches in need of improvement. No cover between fire positions or forts.
3rd April 1915	Battalion was relieved by 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment in the evening. Enemy quiet all day, occasional sniping. Three killed, five wounded. [This is a summary of the casualties during this tour of the trenches: 9715 Pte Robert Clarvis of Frodingham, 9308 Pte John Fogg of Scamblesby and 14099 Pte George Johnson of Warsop Vale, who all died on 2nd April, are buried in adjacent graves in nearby Rue Petillon Military Cemetery]
4th April 1915	Rue De Bois. In billets.
5th April 1915	Started practicing blocking parties - wire cutting etc. [On this day, 8377 Pte Frederick Howes died of wounds and is now buried in Woodgrange Park Cemetery, East Ham; 8524 L/Sgt Harry Knowles of Easton, Northants also died of his wounds. He is buried at Le Treport Military Cemetery].
6th April 1915	Enemy quiet all night - sniping heavy - relieved 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment.
7th April 1915	Enemy shelled billets in rear and guns at Rue De Bois.
8th April 1915	Trench greatly improved and drained. Barbed-wire in front improved.
9th April 1915	Relieved by 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment and returned to Rue de Bois in billets. Four killed, eight wounded. [10480 Pte John Holmes of Colsterworth was killed on 6th April. 16 year old 7744 Pte George Dawson, C Company, was killed on 7th April. 8382 Pte Frederick Short of Cottesbrook and 9665 Pte Tom Simons of Grantham both died on 9th April. All are buried in the 2nd Lincolns plot in Rue Petillon Military Cemetery]
10th April 1915	Rue de Bois. In billets.
11th April 1915	Remained in billets. Brigadier inspected Battalion and showed complete satisfaction.
12th April 1915	Bac St Maur. The Battalion returned to Divisional Reserve, same billets as previous.
13th April 1915	Spent in Platoon drill, Companies under Company officers.
14th April 1915	CO’s ceremonial parade. Owing to heavy rain this could not be continued for long.
15th April 1915	Billets. Route marches Under OC Companies, drill and blocking parties practiced.
16th April 1915	Company officers went down to new trenches Number 6 Section. One killed, one wounded. [20 year old 10817 Pte Herbert Watkins, of Grimsby, is buried in Rue de Bois Military Cemetery]
17th April 1915	Address by Commander In Chief [Sir John French] on the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. Battalion practised attack.
18th April 1915	Battalion the relieved the Sherwood Foresters in Number 6 section trenches.
19th April 1915	Sniping very active all night, especially at stand to arms.
20th April 1915	Patrols reported working parties in enemy's trenches. Sniping active all night.
21st April 1915	Relieved by 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment - went into billets west of Fleurbaix. Three killed, one wounded. [20 year old 14023 Pte Charles Dutton, of Maltby, was killed on 19th April and is buried in Bois Grenier Communal Cemetery, as is 37 year old L/Sgt John Hiley, C Company, of Lincoln, who was killed next day. 9017 L/Cpl William Nicholls who died early on 22nd April is also buried in Bois Grenier Communal Cemetery]
23rd April 1915	In billets. Z Company in close support of Number 6 section.
24th April 1915	In billets. Enemy fired three shells into a billet close to Z Company, killing and wounding some civilians.
25th April 1915	Relieved 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment. Enemy extraordinarily quiet. Enemy's transport heard moving during night.
26th April 1915	Enemy shelled trenches with small HE shell with poisonous fumes.
27th April 1915	Enemy shelled trenches and vicinity of Battalion Headquarters from 11:00am to 3pm. Relieved by 4/KOYLI. At 8pm went into billets north of Sailly. One wounded.
28th April 1915	Moved into billets near Laventie station with one company in reserve at Picantin.
29th April 1915	Enemy shelled Laventie several times during the day.
30th April 1915	Took over trenches in Rue Tilleloy front lines from 1st Royal Irish Regiment. Casualties for month: killed 11, wounded one plus 16.
1st May 1915	During the day and at night enemy showed rather more activity both in shelling and sniping.
2nd May 1915	2pm: trench mortar bombarded the right flank of X Company. One bomb landed in a dugout and wounded five men. Our supporting Battery was turned on to the point from which the mortar fire and silenced it.
3rd May 1915	8pm: Battalion was relieved by 1st Royal Irish Regiment and went into billets at Laventie station. On way out of trenches a machine gun traversing across Rue Masselot unfortunately caught some men of W and Y Companies, two being killed and three wounded. This was the first time the Battalion has suffered casualties during relief. Two killed, at 16 wounded. [8184 Pte George Tripp of Grimsby and 13932 Pte Vervey Bradder, a 34 year-old from Sutton in Ashfield, are buried in Rue Petillon Military Cemetery].
4th May 1915	9:00pm: in billets. Battalion found working party of 400 men, digging assembly trenches near La Cordonnerie Farm.
5th May 1915	2pm: Battalion it moved into close billets south east of Sailly. [7109 L/Cpl Herbert Smith of Thetford died of wounds and is buried in Merville Communal Cemetery]
7th May 1915	Orders for attack on Fromelles are received and issued to Companies.
8th May 1915	11pm: Battalion left billets and marched down to assembly trenches near Rue Petillon, where it formed up ready for attack on the following morning. The Battalion was on the left flank of the second line. W and X companies in front, with Y and Z immediately behind.
9th May 1915	5am: artillery began bombardment of enemy's trenches and on lifting at 5:40am, the 1st Royal Irish Regiment in the front line commenced the attack with the Battalion following close behind. The enemy at once opened heavy artillery and rifle fire. The leading companies of the Battalion were able to advance as far as the trenches immediately in front of our own fire parapet and there found further advance impossible, heavy flanking fire from rifles and machine guns being brought to bear on them. Before this position was reached Second Lieutenant Ayres (3rd Dorsetshire Regiment) and Second Lieutenant Nisbet were killed, and Second Lieutenants Nind and Clifford wounded. [At least 89 other ranks were killed in this attack. 2/Lt Giles Ayres and 2/Lt Robert Nisbett have no known grave but are commemorated on the Ploegsteert memorial to the Missing, alongside many of their soldiers].

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes for Rue Petillon Military Cemetery say that among the other cemeteries that were cleared after the Armistice was "RUE MASSELOT (2nd LINCOLNS) CEMETERY, LAVENTIE, 800 metres North of Fauquissart, where 54 soldiers from the United Kingdom including 37 of the 2nd Lincolns were buried in 1915 and 1918 in an orchard". It is possible that the soldiers mentioned above were among those moved from Rue Masselot.

This is an extract from the battalion war diary which is Crown Copyright. It is held at the Public Record Office, in document WO95/1730.

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