For the present we were not to be re-engaged upon the Somme, but, transported to Longpré, were moved into quarters for the night of October 1st at Bouchon. The following day we entrained at Longpré and moved to the north. In the early afternoon we passed through Abbeville. The tented dunes of Etaples swarmed with reinforcements. As darkness descended we entered the region of the flats of Flanders. The coast line receded. Boulogne and Calais were left far behind. St. Omer and Hazebrouck were before us. Soon these, too, were swallowed up in the night. At midnight we detrained at Hopoutre and marched away. As dawn was breaking officers and men threw themselves down to snatch a little sleep in billets already provided at Poperinghe, ten miles west of Ypres. From here, after bathing parade, the Battalion marched to “O” Camp, a few miles nearer Ypres and just off the main Poperinghe-Ypres road. This camp consisted of the usual pattern army huts, nearly new, and, being weather proof, provided excellent accommodation, and were much appreciated by the men after their rough experiences of the past two months.
This, then, was our first introduction to the Ypres salient. Many times in the early days we had hovered on its brink, and it seemed strange that we should be only now making its close acquaintance, eighteen months afterwards. Although we felt ourselves a little disappointed with our renewed acquaintance with the Flemish fogs and flats, we gradually adapted ourselves to the changed conditions. A year had made a vast difference in our powers of appreciation. Casting back to those grim days of Festubert there stood out in bold relief pools rotting with dead, trenches constructionally weak, and an enemy gunnery the mastery of which was denied us for many a long day to come. But the passing of twelve months had shown us, week by week, such striking improvements that there was now no limit to our confidence. All these things reacted favourably on our outlook. Our fickle minds recalled only the monotony of the rolling Picard uplands. They were now touched by the vision of a new beauty.
For ten days the Battalion enjoyed immunity from the strain of exacting work. The usual parades were held to preserve discipline and efficiency. After the routine of daily parades and inspections it was customary for a few of us to ride or cycle into Poperinghe, about six kilometres distant. Poperinghe was the point of convergence for the military in the Ypres salient, as Béthune was for the La Bassée sector, Doullens for Arras, and Amiens for the Somme.
One of the first things to meet the eye was the prominence given to “Gas Alarms.” A large notice was exhibited on a building in the main square, where the road to Ypres left the town, which read “Wind Dangerous” or “Wind Safe.” Otherwise its amenities bore comparison with towns of greater pretensions. There was an attractive Officers’ Club, established in a spacious building named Talbot House, after its founder, Colonel Talbot, of an ancient lineage and a staff officer. Here resided the Padre, the Rev. “Tubby” Clayton, who afterwards was to render Talbot House famous as the original home of its illustrious offspring, “Toc H.” This club had the air of quiet decorum associated with its kind, and it was held by the irreverent that any shell—from which, alas, Poperinghe was not immune—from the German “Long Tom,” more impetuous than its fellows and ill-advised enough to invade those awful precincts, would shrivel to impotence in its frigid atmosphere. This was, of course, uncharitable, but the painful fact must be recorded that the younger element preferred the freer delights of Skindle’s and Kiki’s, two restaurants whose air of gay animation made an irresistible appeal to war-worn youth. Here the unheard of luxuries of fresh fish and even oysters were included in a generous menu. These arrived daily, we were informed, by canal from Dunkerque. Here also was established the Divisional Concert Party, which had now attained a high standard of efficiency in the exacting art of entertainment. These played nightly as to the manner born to crowded audiences, whose plaudits testified to the quality of the entertainment and their own high spirits. One of these artists was a young imp of the 4th Loyals, who made up in startling fashion as “Poppy Poperinghe.”
The appointment of Lieut.-Colonel G. B. Balfour to the command of the Battalion, which he had held since the death of Lieut.-Colonel Swainson, and that of Major H. A. Brocklebank as second-in-command, was here confirmed. The appointment of Adjutant was vacant about this time and was not filled permanently until Sergeant-Major J. Way was commissioned and appointed on December 23rd, 1916. Lieut. Mudie held the acting appointment for one period of the interim and probably another officer, whose name does not emerge.
On the 13th the Battalion was inspected by Brigadier-General Stockwell and was complimented on its turnout. The Brigadier took the opportunity of presenting decorations and medals—the Military Cross to Company Sergeant-Major R. A. Williams, the Distinguished Conduct Medal to Private C. Milton, and Military Medals to Second-Lieut. T. H. Middleton, Sergeants H. W. Percival and P. Stalker and Privates W. Nicholson and H. Jackson. At 5.15 p.m. on the 14th we marched to Brandhoek Station and entrained for Ypres, arriving at 7.30. Here we went into quite good billets in the town—or what remained of it—some in the ramparts and the remainder in the school.
Of all the ghostly and melancholy ruins along the western front Ypres stands out almost unchallenged. Right from the beginning it had borne the brunt of the enemy’s insensate fury, and withstood it. It still stood four square to the foe and marked the eastern boundary of that tiny strip of Belgium, still held by the gallant Belgian army on our left and ourselves. The deplorable ruin of its once beautiful structure bore evidence of the cost of its retention. The square and its surrounding buildings, including the ancient and lovely Cloth Hall, were a heap of powdered rubble, with here and there a stark stump of wall and an arched window still surviving. These maimed remnants were periodically repulverised by senseless bombardment by the enemy even as a dog returns to its vomit. I have known no more eerie feeling than that experienced when crossing this desolate square on a quiet night. Many of the houses in the remoter suburbs were less damaged, and their cellars made excellent shelters when the Hun carried out his frequent bombardments of this martyred town. The civilian population had long been evacuated.
The trench system was divided into two sectors, the left, or Potijze, and the right, or Railway Wood. The latter was approached by way of the Menin Gate and road, past the notorious Hell Fire Corner, and over the railway connecting Ypres and Menin in normal times. The trenches were fair and there were some good dugouts.
The communication trenches leading up to the front line, however, left something to be desired. These were named West Lane and Mud Lane (afterwards re-named Beek Trench, so as not to damage the morale of reinforcements!).
On the right of this sub-sector were two or three craters left by previous mine operations, and the width of these craters represented the distance between the enemy and ourselves, who manned the opposite lips. A deathly silence usually reigned at this point, the slightest movement or sound being audible on either side.
Still further to the right the line was incomplete. A line of “grouse butts” connected it with the Menin Road (the left-hand boundary of the Division on our right). These “grouse butts” were not held during the day but were occupied at night by Lewis Gun Sections and carefully patrolled.
When visiting these posts one night Captain R. Gardner was “captured” by the Division on the right and marched down to their Battalion Head Quarters so that his identity might be established!
At 6.30 p.m. on the 15th the Battalion moved off by platoons and took over trenches in the right sub-sector at Railway Wood. On our left were the 8th Liverpool Irish and on our right the New Zealanders. The trenches needed repair and there was not much rest for the Companies. There was some activity by the enemy, who threw over many trench mortar bombs. One of these made a direct hit on one of our cookhouses, killing one man and wounding another. On the other hand our snipers reported having bagged three Bosche. On the night of the 19th we were relieved and marched back to our old billets in Ypres.
Twelve new officers, from the Lancashire Fusiliers, now joined us—Captains F. H. Williamson and F. C. Slater and Lieuts. W. R. Pattinson, G. Topham, J. H. Simpson, Second-Lieuts. C. W. Ford, J. C. Alexander, R. A. Mudie, J. S. Patterson, R. Willett, J. Pearson and A. T. Sheahan. Companies were reorganised—Captain Gardner to “A” Company, Captain Slater “B,” Captain Huthwaite “C,” and Captain Williamson “D” Company. Half the Battalion were moved into the prison along with Battalion Headquarters. These billets were not bad, but cold. Working parties were provided nightly for duty in the trenches. On the 23rd we moved into trenches in the Potijze sector on the left. The weather was bad and much labour was expended in pumping water out of the trenches and in reveting. Everyone wore gum boots, water being over the duck boards. The enemy was fairly quiet, but five of our men were hit by shell fire.
The Brigadier was insistent upon repairs to trenches and to wire, and upon obtaining command of No Man’s Land by constant patrolling. Patrols visited the ruins of Oder House, situated between the lines, and examined (from a respectful distance) a salient in the German lines known as Kaiser Bill.
On the 27th we were relieved and went back to billets in Ypres, moving thence on the 30th to Elverdinghe, a little further to the rear, where we found good billets for all, Battalion Headquarters being accommodated in the chateau. Here a Defence Scheme was in operation, and working parties were provided to maintain the trench system and strong points, and test-manning of these points was carried out periodically. Lieut.-Colonel G. B. Balfour went on leave and Major H. A. Brocklebank took over temporary command. Captain H. Y. Huthwaite reported sick and was transferred to England and later to the Indian Army, greatly to the Battalion’s loss.
The campaign now took the form of monotonous routine, life alternating between the many camps round Ypres—“C,” “D,” “O” and “P,” and quite good they were.
When out of the line the Battalion found a great many working parties for the laying of telephone cables from the Reserve Areas up to Ypres, especially round Machine Gun Farm.
Ypres itself, with an occasional turn in the front line trenches at Potijze, St. Julien and Railway Wood. The Higher Command were curious to learn the composition and quality of the enemy in front, and for some time a raiding party of the 4th King’s Own had been organising and rehearsing a sudden descent on the enemy. These rehearsals were very practical in their value. A replica, as far as possible, of the enemy’s position to be raided was marked out by tapes on the practice ground and times and distances were carefully noted. On December 21st there was a full and final rehearsal at “O” Camp, and the raiding party of 200, under Captain J. A. T. Clarke, were inspected by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Douglas Haig. On the evening of the 22nd the raiders dined in the large hall of the Prison in Ypres, and at 1.30 a.m. on the 23rd they were armed and inspected prior to their departure for the operation. With their faces and hands blacked to minimise refraction of light and to facilitate recognition of their own side during the actual raid, they looked a grim lot. The raiders commenced to leave the Prison in small groups at 3.15 a.m. and journeyed to the “jumping-off place,” a ditch running north and south in the St. Julien sub-sector.
Their objective was to enter the German trenches and penetrate to the Cameron support trench, with a view to killing or taking prisoners and thus securing identification. At 5.25 a.m., under a very effective artillery barrage, our men entered the enemy trenches according to plan and penetrated as far as the support line. These trenches were very badly knocked about by our barrage and, unfortunately, no prisoners were taken and no identifications were obtained, the Bosche evidently having abandoned his trenches when the bombardment commenced. Our casualties were two officers, Second-Lieuts. Smith and Hart, wounded, two other ranks killed, three missing, and thirty wounded. This was a brisk and well carried out minor action, and if the main result was disappointing, this was due to the discretion of the Hun and perhaps defective preliminary action on our part. Registering and preliminary bombardment having been carried out by us for a week the fact of the raid had been effectively advertised. Surprise methods which were adopted later were more successful. Sergeant M. Caddy was killed—a good experienced N.C.O. and a loss to the Battalion.
We must not omit to devote a little space to the remarkable personality of the Corps Commander. The ubiquity of General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston was phenomenal. He was fond of touring the front line, and on coming to a sentry post, to mark his estimate of the importance of that duty, he would stand in front of the bewildered sentry, saying, “I, your Corps Commander, salute you,” and, suiting the action to the word, did actually give the sentry a most ceremonious salute. He was keen on researches on the roofs of and behind cookhouses, while at Battalion parade inspection he made men take off their boots, and exposed officers’ ignorance of the “innards” of a water-cart. That legend should gather round his name is not surprising. He was a fine officer whose sterling work in France commenced with a Brigade in the original British Expeditionary Force.
Wintry weather of the severest description now gripped the land. Snow was frequent and frost so intense that anything liquid was quickly turned to ice. This condition persisted to the end of March, when there was a welcome break.
The Division was relieved early in January, 1917, by the 39th Division. The 165th and 166th Brigades went out at once, but the 164th Brigade, to which we belonged, was kept back in Reserve in view of a possible attack against the junction of the British and Belgian lines north of Ypres; the enemy might raid over the frozen canal. It was bitterly cold in the camps. There was much reconnoitring of the Elverdinghe defences and of the approaches thence to the front line.
On February 3rd the Battalion left “D” Camp and marched by Companies to the Cheese Market, Poperinghe, where it entrained at 5.50 for Bollezelle, arriving there at 10.15 p.m., and went into billets in the village. Here Battalion training was carried out so far as weather conditions would permit, but this training was often reduced to snow shovelling and even to snow balling! On the 7th we returned to “O” Camp, and on the following day the Brigadier presented Military Medals to Company-Sergeant-Major Crichton, Sergeant White, and Lance-Corporals Pedder and Taylor. We were doing well in the football field hereabouts, and defeated the Welsh Regiment, the A.S.C., and the 8th Liverpools in succession.
On February 27th we moved up to Ypres again, but a thaw having set in made road transport and marching extremely difficult. When back in the line we moved over to the trenches in the Left Brigade Sector, and got to know Saint Jean, Wieltje and the trenches immediately north, including a dangerous spot north of Dixmude Gate, known as Well X-Roads. Headquarters were established at La Brique Post. On March 8th, 1917, Major P. E. Robathan, from a New Army Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, was posted to the Battalion and appointed second-in-command. In the trenches a great deal of patrolling and investigation of the “Canadian Dugouts”—the old gun pits dating back to the First Battle of Ypres—which lay half-way between the lines. Lieut. (afterwards Major) J. H. Evans was very active in this patrol work. Trench life on the whole was uneventful, although enemy trench mortars were occasionally active. After the transition period, October to December, 1916, the Battalion had shaken down and the new organization was working smoothly—new commanding officer, new second-in-command, and new adjutant. Reinforcement officers had settled down, and the Battalion was gradually attaining the fine condition it enjoyed before the Third Battle of Ypres.
On April 16th we were relieved by the 10th Liverpool Scottish and proceeded to “Z” Camp. The following day the Battalion marched to Herzeele and went into billets, where a day or two was spent in cleaning up, organization, and bathing. On the 22nd we marched to Buysscheure and stayed the night in billets. The following day the Battalion reached its destination, Moulle, near St. Omer. This pleasant region was all that could be desired. The severe winter had given way to glorious spring, and feathered songsters, no less than ourselves, revelled in its advent. The silence of the clear moonlight nights was varied by the song of the nightingale in almost embarrassing volume.
For some time the Quartermaster, Lieut. J. Crossley, had shown signs of the strain of the campaign, and on May 7th he returned to England for a rest, after two years at the front, and was relieved by Lieut. P. W. Powell.