8th
(Service)
Battalion,
the Northumberland Fusiliers
War diary 1st to 29th September 1916 covering operations at Zollern and Stuff Redoubts, on the Somme
1st September 1916. In billets at Houvin. Training etc.
2nd September 1916. Marched out midnight and entrained at Frevent for Puchevillers.
8th September 1916. Moved to billets at Bouzincourt.
9th September 1916. Second Lieutenant W. Trotter permanently attached to 86th Field Coy. RE.
10th September 1916. Lieutenant A. Angus appointed Intelligence Officer to 34th Infantry Brigade, vice Captain A.E.B. Plummer, appointed Company Commander.
14th September 1916. Second Lieutenant G.W.B. Bradford left to join Royal Flying Corps, on probation.
16th September 1916. 14 other ranks joined for duty.
17th September 1916. Moved to La Boisselle, in Brigade Reserve.
19th September 1916. Second Lieutenants G.T. Sugden and R.G. Browning joined for duty.
20th September 1916. Casualties 3 OR. Lieutenant-Colonel A. E. Williams, 4th Royal Warwicks, attached. 7 OR joined for duty (21.9.16) reinforcements.
22nd September 1916. Moved from La Boisselle to billets at Englebelmer. Second Lieutenants P. Railton and J.R.G. Smith joined for duty (23.9.16).
25th September 1916. Battalion marched out and relieved 6th York & Lancaster on night 25th/26th September, in front line trenches R.33.b.5.9, R.27.d.9.1, R.28.c.21. (ref. map France 57D SE).
26th-30th September 1916. Battalion engaged in an attack on Zollern Redoubt and Stuff Redoubt. Copy of report on operations attached. Casualties approx. 19 officers and 430 other ranks.
Report on Operations for Week ending 30th September 1916
On the night of the 25th/26th September 1916, the Battalion relieved the 6th York and Lancaster Regiment in the trenches, R.33 b.5.9., R.27 d.9.1., R.28 c.2.1. The relief was complete by 3:30am on the 26th September and presented no special difficulties, and only one casualty. The congestion in the trenches was considerable and the fact that packs were being worn made it difficult for anyone to pass up or down.
The night was exceptionally quiet, with a little shelling and rifle fire. A rum issue was made to the troops half an hour before the assault.
The Battalion Headquarters was at Pozieres Cemetery, where also was the 1st Echelon of the Reserve Officers. The 2nd Echelon was at Crucifix Corner.
At Zero hour, 12:35pm, the Troops left the trenches and almost immediately the enemy’s barrage started on the front line, also considerable machine gun fire from the Mouquet Farm and Zollern Redoubt.
An inspection of the ground on the next day showed that many men were killed within 40 yards of our front line and some were hit whilst getting out of the trenches. What now happened is somewhat obscure. There is no doubt that the men pressed on most gallantly and reached approximately the centre of the Zollern Redoubt, at R.27.b.4.6. The number of flags found in the vicinity proves this. By that time, all the officers with one exception, had fallen. Lieutenant R. G. McDonald, the only officer left, found himself with one man at about 200 yards east of R.27.b.4.6. He at once started collecting all the men in his neighbourhood and digging himself in. By night fall he had about 59 men, wounded and unwounded, under his command.
The Platoon of “X” Company, which had orders to keep in touch with the 1st Canadian Division, proceeded in single file up the sunken road which runs due north from R.28.c.3.3. The Platoon Officer and Sergeant soon fell and only five men were left. These under No. 16954 Corporal T. Aitcheson, formed a bombing post at about R.28.a.3.2., and were in touch with the Canadians on their right. Several men actually joined the Canadians in the fighting and two letters have been received from an officer of the 10th Canadian Infantry commending their services.
Meanwhile the Commanding Officer at Pozieres Cemetery waited anxiously for messages, but none were received, although Lieutenant R. G. McDonald sent a message which failed to arrive. At 2:30pm he decided to move his Headquarters to the Zollern Redoubt, which he understood had been taken. Owing however, to heavy machine gun fire from that direction he was obliged to return, after having tried for three hours to get there.
Later at 11pm, he sent Lieutenant F. G. Buckley and Lieutenant J.N. Armstrong to reconnoitre the Zollern Redoubt, with orders to see if they could find anything of the whereabouts of the Battalion. Lieutenant F. G. Buckley returned at 5am on the 27th September, reporting that he could find no trace of the Battalion and that the enemy were in occupation of part of the Zollern Redoubt, which statement was confirmed by Lieutenant J.N. Armstrong.
At 3:30am on the 27th September, the 2nd Echelon of Reserve Officers and men joined Battalion Headquarters at Pozieres Cemetery.
At 6am the Commanding Officer and Signalling Officer, under instructions from 34th Brigade, proceeded to Stuff Redoubt via Chalk Pit and Midway Line. At R.26.b.9.4 the CO observed two machine guns at R.27.a.5.9, was fired on and had no casualties. He reported from there by pigeon and thought it inadvisable to proceed any further by that route.
Meanwhile the 2nd in Command, with Lieutenant F. G. Buckley, was sent to Zollern Redoubt, with orders to collect what men they could find there and reorganise the Battalion further back. They found the redoubt had been vacated by the enemy during the night and from R.27.b.1.7. could plainly see the enemy in Stuff Redoubt, and were fired at by machine guns from that point, which was reported to 34th Brigade. In various shell holes quite a few men were found and these were sent back to Battalion Headquarters. The Commanding Officer later also proceeded to the Redoubt and collected a few men.
During the day and night of the 27th September, about 170 men who had taken part in the assault were reassembled at Battalion Headquarters. These included men used for carrying parties, who were unarmed. In the afternoon of the 27th September, the Battalion came under the orders of the 32nd Brigade and was used as working and carrying parties to the front line, continuously.
On the morning of the 28th September, the Commanding Officer was wounded by a shell.
On the 29th September the Battalion moved back to Ovillers Corner, leaving for Acheux the next morning.
The casualties in these operations were as follows:-
19 Officers 430 Other Ranks. [approximate].
A. H. James Major
Commanding 8th [S] Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
1st October 1916.
This is an extract from the Battalion war diary which is held at the Public Record Office, in document WO95/1821.
Notes:
| Named casualties: |
| None of the men named in this extract died as a direct result of their involvement in this attack. |
| Named officers and men who became casualties later in the war: |
| Second Lieutenant John Smith, 26, a native of Watford, died of wounds on 30 December 1916. He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery. |
| Lieutenant John Armstrong, who reconnoitred the Zollern Redoubt with Felix Buckley, died of wounds on 16 January 1917. 21 years of age and a native of Morpeth, he is buried in Puchevillers British Cemetery. |
| Second Lieutenant George Bradford was killed in action whilst flying as an observer with 15th Squadron, RFC, on 4 February 1917. he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memoral to the Missing of the Flying Services. |
| Acting Captain Ronald McDonald MC, who had been the only officer to survive the initial Battalion attack unwounded, died of wounds on 16 August 1917. Aged 24 and a native of Redcar, he is buried in Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No. 3. |
| Captain Felix Buckley MC, 22, who reconnoitred the Zollern Redoubt with John Armstrong, died of wounds on 17 August 1917. A native of Salisbury, he is buried in New Irish Farm Cemetery. |
| A book, a personal memoir by an officer of the Battalion who was wounded in this attack, appears in this review. |