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  • #76
    Sunday 3rd September 1916 continued

    Guillemont








    20th Div was tasked with taking Guillemont. Zero Hour was noon. 59 Bde reinforced by 6th Bn, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (60 Bde) and 7th Bn, Somerset Light Infantry (61 Bde) attacked the southern endof Guillemont while 47 Bde of the 16th (Irish) Div was attached to the 20th Div from Corps Reserve. 10th Bn, King’s Royal Rifle Corps and 6th Bn, Connaught Rangers advanced before the bombardment lifted thus surprising the Germans at Zero Hour. The KRRC with 10th and 11th Bns, the Rifle Brigade reached their objective, the treet>Hardecourt Roadtreet> in 20 minutes. The KRRC mopped up here while the two Rifle battalions wheeled north to treet>Mount Streettreet>.
    North of Mount Street 6th Connaughts and 7th Leinsters advanced rapidly into Guillemont bypassing the quarry.In the face of heavy artillery and MG fire, the troops consolidated near treet>North Sttreet> and treet>South Sttreet> by 1.15pm.

    The advance resumed at 2.50pm on the Ginchy –treet>Wedge Wood Roadtreet>, which was reached at 3.30pm. 7th Bn, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry moved into the village to assist in consolidation.

    Counter attacks at 5.30 and 6.30 pm were repelled.

    For more detail on the Irish attack see;

    http://forum.irishmilitaryonline.com...t=2354&page=33



    South of Guillemont meanwhile, 5th Div sent 2nd Bn, King’s Own Scottish Borderers to attack Point 48 and Falfemont Farm at 9am in conjunction with an attack from The Ravine by the French 127th Regiment. The French were pinned down by MG fire and the KOSB attack failed disastrously with 300 casualties.

    The attack resumed at noon. 95 Bde with two battalions, 12th Glosters and 1st Duke of Cornwall’s LI, captured the German frontline in the face of enfilading fire from Falfemont Farm. 13 Bde also attacked with 14th and 15th Bn Warwickshire Regt. The 14th managed to enter the complex of trenches south of Wdge Wood. At 12.50pm 95 Bde again advanced and captured the German second Line between Wedge Wood and the south east corner of Guillemont. At 2.50pm they advanced to the Ginchy –treet>Wedge Wood Roadtreet> where they consolidated in contact with 20th Div.

    Meanwhile 15 Bde relieved 13 Bde in the attack on the Wedge Wood- Falfemont Farm line. 1st Bn, Bedfordshire Regt took the wood but 1st Bn, Cheshire Regt and 16th Bn Warwickshire Regt failed in the face of MG fire from positions left uncleared by the French.
    Last edited by Groundhog; 7 September 2006, 16:56.
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    • #77
      Monday 4th September 1916. Day 66

      Ginchy

      9th Bn The Devonshire Regt attacked Ginchy at 8am but were forced back by 9am. At 2pm 21st Manchesters attacked from Delville Wood east bu failed to reach Hop Alley.

      Guillemont

      1st West Surreys (59 Bde, 20th Div) occupied Valley Trench. Two companies of 1st Devons then pushed forward to the edge of Leuze Wood which was under bombardment. When the barrage lifted they entered the wood and consolidated. 59 Bde was relieved late in the evening by two battalions of 49 Bde (16th Irish Div).

      South of Guillemont 5th Div made an attempt to capture Falfemont Farm. 1st Norfolks made the first attempt but, under fire from Combles Ravine, only a few troops entered the farm. 1st Cheshires then sent a company to flank the position while 1st Bedfords bombed south east along the German trench from Wedge Wood. By 4pm the northern and western corners of the farm were taken but another assault by the Norfolks and 16th Warwicks failed.
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      • #78
        Tuesday 5th September 1916. Day 67

        Delville Wood

        In 7th Div 2nd Bn, The Queen’s Regt cleared east of Delville Wood as far as Hop Alley.

        Guillemont

        Falfemont Farm was occupied by 1st Bn, The Norfolk Regt at 3am. Patrols were sent towards Point 48 and the whole objective was cleared by 7.30am. An hour later two companies of 16th Royal Warwickshire Regt established a line down the slope of Combles Ravine and linked up with 95 Bde in Leuze Wood.

        At 4pm 7th Royal Irish Fusiliers was sent by 15 Bde to take Combles Trench south east of Leuze Wood. It should be noted that the Fusiliers were in 49 Bde of 16th (Irish) Div while 15 Bde was part of 5th Div so the Irish were still reinforcing other divisions at this stage. The attack on Combles Trench failed due to wire which was hidden in standing corn. Another attempt at 7.30pm also failed.

        Meanwhile 48 and 49 Bdes of the 16th (Irish) Div relieved 59 and 60 Bdes of 20th Div. The posts on the treet>Guillemont-Leuze Wood Roadtreet> were converted into a continuous trench line.

        56th Div relieved 5th Div overnight.
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        • #79
          Wednesday 6th September 1916. Day 68

          Delville Wood

          In 55th Div, 1/6th King’s Regt made an unsuccessful bombing attack at dusk along treet>Wood Lanetreet>. Their sister battalion 1/7th King’s had more success along treet>Tea Lanetreet> at the same time.

          Ginchy

          2nd Bn The Gordon Highlanders supported by 9th Bn The Devonshire Regt attacked Ginchy at 5.30am. The Gordon’s attack failed but the Devons took and held treet>Pilsen Lanetreet> on their left flank. The Gordons attacked again at 2pm supported by two Devonshire companies attacking on t21st Manchesters attacked fhe right in the direction of the Guillemont-Ginchy road. Some men entered the village but were driven outby a counterattack at 4.30pm.

          Guillemont

          7th Royal Irish Fusiliers was still attached to 15 Bde (5th Div) but was relieved by 168 Bde of 56th Div overnight. In the morning 8th Royal Irish Fusiliers relieved 1st Devonshire Regt south of Leuze wood. They advanced across the Combles-Ginchy road and entered Boulee Germna attaux Wood.A counterattack at dusk during the handover to 56th Div forced them back to Leuze Wood where the Fusiliers and the London Scottish drove off the German attack.

          In 16th Irish Div, 48 and 49 Bdes were in the line between Ginchy and Leuze Wood, straddling the railway line. Patrols were suffering heavily from fire from the Quadrilateral redoubt south east of Ginchy. 48 Bde was also subjected to shellfire directed at 7th Division’s efforts.
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          • #80
            Thursday 7th September 1916. Day 69

            Delville Wood

            1/5th South Lancashire Regt and 1/10th King’s were brought forward from 55th Div reserves to dig and occupy a new frontline southeast of Delville Wood.

            At 4pm 2nd Queen’s Regt (7th Div) made another attempt to clear the eastern corner of the wood with rifle grenades. That night 7th Div was relieved in the line by 55th and 16th Divs.

            North of the wood 1/5th King’s (2nd Div) occupied the eastern end of treet>Wood Lanetreet> unopposed.
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            • #81
              Friday 8th September 1916. Day 70

              Mouquet Farm

              After several attempts the Germans recaptured Fabeck Graben.

              High Wood

              1st Div made an attempt to clear the western half of the wood at 6pm. 2nd Bn the Welsh Regt had mixed success with half the battalion achieving it’s objective and the other being held up. 1st Bn, Gloucestershire Regt attacked the south west corner of the wood and cleared it while the 9th Black Watch (15th Div) captured a trench at the west corner of the wood. The Germans counterattacked and a general withdrawal was ordered.

              Delville Wood

              At 1.20am German Counterattack on treet>Wood Lanetreet> and Tea Trench was beaten back with Lewis gun fire. 1/5th and 1/9th King’s joined up in Tea Trench and sent out patrols along North Street and the Flers road. No enemy resistance was encountered.

              Guillemont

              169 Bde of 56th Div attempted to bomb down Combles Trench but were driven back.
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              • #82
                Saturday 9th September 1916. Day 71

                High Wood

                1st Division was still fighting in the area of High Wood. 1st Bn, Northamptonshire Regt, 10th Glosters and 3rd Bn, Royal Munster Fusiliers attacked in the wood. The Northants captured a mine crater blown 30 seconds before Zero Hour but were driven out of it 90 minutes later. The tate>Munsterstate> and Glosters made no headway.

                East of the wood 2nd Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps and 2nd Bn, Royal Sussex Regt in 2 Bde captured part of treet>Wood Lanetreet>, the KRRC linking up with 55th Div troops while the Sussex had to dig a line ti link up with troops in the wood when the attack failed. Nearer Delville Wood, 1/5th and 1/6th King’s bombed forward along treet>Wood Lanetreet> from Orchard Trench.

                Ginchy

                In 47th Bde were 6th Royal Irish Regt, 8th tate>Munsterstate>, 6th Connaughts, 7th Leinsters. There were also two companies of pioneers from 11th Hampshires and the 47th MG Coy. These were the survivors of the capture of Guillemont a week before. The brigade strength was 1300 all ranks.

                48th Bde was formed from 1st tate>Munsterstate>, 7th Royal Irish Rifles and 8th and 9th Bns Dublin Fusiliers.

                49th Bde consisted of 7th and 8th Royal Irish Fusiliers and 7th and 8th Inniskillings.

                The artillery barrage began at 7am on Sept 9th, Zero Hour being set at 4.45pm. The assaulting battalions were sheltered in shallow trenches east and north east of the village. The division formation was front left 48th Bde, front right 47th Bde. Rear 49th Bde. Close to Zero hour orders were issued delaying the attack by two minutes. 48th Bde never received the order and advanced at 4.45. into their own barrage.

                47th Bde’s forward battalions-6th Royal Irish and 8th tate>Munsterstate> walked into the German counter barrage and also suffered heavily from close range MG and rifle fire from German positions south east of Ginchy. These positions were in dead ground and had been overlooked by the artillery barrage. 8th tate>Munsterstate> advanced only 100m. The Connaughts lost two company commanders as soon as they left their trenches. For the 7th Leinsters, Ginchy was the worst day in the battalion’s history. The assembly trenches were soon clogged with casualties, while out in No Man’s Land the living took shelter in shell holes. For the 47th Bde it was a story that many other units had experienced on July 1st. The brigade was pinned down and in fact had to beat off several German attacks until the morning of the 10th. An attempt at support from 7th Inniskillings failed to improve matters. When relieved the Bde had lost 450 men, including the battalion commander of the Royal Irish and his Adjutant. In addition the Inniskillings lost 200 men reinforcing the brigade.

                On the right 48th Bde faced some difficulties too. Finding their positions separated by a wide swathe of ground from the Germans they spent the night before battle digging assembly trenches in No Man’s Land. When the barrage began the 48th suffered casualties fro their own ‘shorts’. Because of course no one had told the artillery that the brigade was now out further forward. The Germans also added to the toll.

                At 4.45 pm the two lead battalions left their trenches-1st tate>Munsterstate> on the left, 7th Royal Irish Rifles on the right. The tate>Munsterstate> were immediately held up by the same German positions that had decimated 47th Bde. All company commanders, but one, were casualties within seconds. One company was commanded by it’s CSM. The rifles were down to 150 men before they even left their trenches and needed to be reinforced by the 7th Royal Irish Fusiliers before they even left their trenches. But the tide of battle now turned in favour of the Irish. The two 7ths broke through the German lines and into the outskirts of the village. German opposition was mortared and at 5.30 pm both Dublin Fusilier battalions took the village and advanced 300m beyond it. Lacking support they were driven back to the village where they consolidated. The assault was costly, both battalion commanders were casualties-1 dead, 1 wounded and the brigade suffered 1,400 casualties overall, including 200 KIA.

                But the battle was not yet over. Ginchy now formed a salient in the German line and it was attacked during the night, with the 48th clinging desperately to the blasted rubble. 8th Irish Fusiliers were sent forward to reinforce the village, where the troops linked up shell holes to form defensive positions. Rations were provided courtesy of the German dead. Having beaten off two counter-attacks, the 48th Bde was relieved by the 3rd Guards Bde on the morning of the 10th.

                One of the 9th Dublins was Nationalist MP Lt. Tom Kettle. He wrote a letter to his brother the night before battle-“Somewhere the Choosers of the Slain are touching, as in our Norse story they used to touch, with invisible wands those who are to die.” His letter proved prophetic for Tom Kettle was to be one of the Chosen. His brother in law Francis Sheehy-Skeffington had been murdered in the Easter Rebellion a few months before. A famous nephew-in-law of both is Conor Cruise O’Brien.

                Another famous nationalist survived Ginchy-Lt Emmet Dalton, earned an MC on the day and lived to fight in the War of Independence and the Civil War.

                Other MC laureates that day were Fr Willy Doyle, Chaplain in 8th Royal Irish Fusiliers and another chaplain Fr Wrafter also merited the MC. Fr Maurice O’Connell received one of 6 DSOs awarded to the Division amongst the 300 decorations earned by the 16th at Ginchy.

                The 16th (Irish) Division suffered heavily during it’s first ten days on the Somme. 650 men were known to have been killed in action, 2800 wounded and another 800 were missing. Officer casualties were over 50%.

                Overnight the Guards Division relieved 16th Irish Div, 1st Welsh Guards took over in Ginchy from 48 Bde while 4th Bn Grenadier Guards took over from 47 Bde in the Ginchy Road-Leuze Wood area.
                Last edited by Groundhog; 9 September 2006, 13:51.
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                • #83
                  Saturday 9th September 1916 continued.

                  Bouleaux Wood

                  Located south east of Guillemont between it and Combles.

                  At 4.45pm the London Rifle Brigade (169 Bde, 56th Div) advanced from the south eastern edge of Leuze Wood against Loop Trench. They were reinforced by the Queen’s Westminster Rifles (1/16th London Regt) at 11pm. Meanwhile 1/9th London Regt captured the German line in Bouleaux Wood and advanced tate>north westtate> as far as the treet>Morval Roadtreet>.

                  168 Bde meanwhile moved north east and pivoted right, attacking the line from Leuze Wood to the Quadrilateral redoubt which was located east of Ginchy. 1/4th and 1/12th London took part with mixed results.

                  During this attack, Maj. Cedric Dickens was killed. He was a grandson of Charles Dickens.
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                  • #84
                    Sunday 10th September 1916. Day 72

                    Delville Wood

                    164 Bde made an attempt to secure Ale Alley and Hop Alley. Some men entered Hop Alley but were driven out again.

                    Ginchy

                    The Guards Division spent the day fighting offGerman attacks on the village.

                    Bouleaux Wood

                    1/16th Bn, the London Regt attacked south east from Leuze Wood at 7am. The attack was halted by MG fire from Loop Trench and the treet>Combles Roadtreet>. A 100 yard advance by one company at 3pm was beaten back. Likewise an attempt to bomb up the trench leading to the Quadrilateral failed. During the night, the London Scottish attempted to link up between Ginchy and the Quadrilateral but they lost their way and scattered.
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                    • #85
                      Monday 11th September 1916. Day 73

                      Ginchy

                      3 Guards Bde was relieved by 1st Bn, The Grenadier Guards and 2nd Bn The Scots Guards. A certain Je ne sais quoi has been added to the whole tone of the battle, which had been, heretofore, merely an unseemly brawl.
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                      • #86
                        Tuesday 12th September 1916. Day 74

                        Ginchy

                        1st Grenadier Guards captured ground around the Morval road advancing towards Ginchy Telegraph. This location was a piece of high ground east of the village that had been used as a semaphore station during the French Revolution.

                        1/8th Middlesex Regt made some ground south east of the Quadrilateral.

                        6th Division occupied the line between Guards Division and 56th London Division.
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                        • #87
                          Wednesday 13th September 1916. Day 75

                          Ginchy

                          6th Div captured the Leuze Wood Ginchy road but failed to advance to the Quadrilateral. A second attempt at 6pm was equally unsuccessful with 9th Suffolks and 2nd Sherwood Foresters losing 520 men.

                          In the north of Ginchy 2nd Grenadier Guards straightened the line while 2nd Irish Guards made an unsuccessful attempt to take some MG posts on the Ginchy-Morval road.
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                          • #88
                            Thursday 14th September 1916. Day 76

                            Mouquet Farm

                            Two companies of 9th Bn West Yorkshire Regt and two of 8th Duke of Wellington’s Regt (32 Bde, 11th Div) advanced from Hindenberg Trench at 6.30pm. They broke through the front linnea nd captured the redoubt called The Wonder Work. They also captured 250 yards of the Hoenzollern Trench and the line as far as the treet>Thiepval Roadtreet> on the left flank. 6th Bn Green Howards then secured this flank.

                            Ginchy

                            1/2nd London Regt was engaged in digging assembly trenches south of Leuze Wood and parallel to Combles Trench.
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                            • #89
                              Friday 15th September 1916. Day 77 Part 1



                              The week-long Battle of Flers-Courcelette began. It heralded the dawn of modern warfare because on this day the British introduced to the battlefield a brand new weapon known as the tank.


                              Mouquet Farm


                              2nd and 3rd Canadian Divs of the Canadian Corps were in action near here. 8 Bde of the 3rd Canadian Div held the frontline south of Mouquet Farm. 7 Bde was in reserve and it was this brigade that was brought up for the attack at 6pm from Sugar Trench. Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry took McDonnell Trench and the eastern part of Fabeck Graben. You’ll recall that this was the German trench running east from Mouquet Farm to Courcelette. At 6.30pm the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles advanced and pushed westwards along Fabeck Graben. At 8.15pm 49th Edmonton Bn took the Chalk Pit and reinforced the two battalions in the old German line.


                              2nd Canadian Div was astride the treet>Bapaume Road easttreet> of Pozieres. The attck here went in at dawn supported by six tanks. 4 Bde attacked on the right flank with 18th(West Ontario) Bn, 20th(Central Ontario) Bn and 21st (Central Ontario) Bn. 6 Bde was on the left with 27th (City of Winnipeg), 28th (tate>North Westtate>) Bn and 31st (tate>Albertatate>) Bn.


                              4 Bde’s objective was the Sugar Factory roughly half way from Pozieres to Courcelette. The front line was cleared in 15 minutes and by 7amtreet>Factory Lanetreet> trench was reached and the 20th Bn cleared the Factory.


                              6 Bde reached it’s objective by 7.30am. 28th Bn took a strongpoint on the Ovillers Courcelette track and then moved up McDonnell Trench. They moved beyond Gunpit Trench and established MG posts on the sunken road running from Courcelette to Martinpuich.


                              The six tanks were outpaced by the infantry advance. Of the three supporting 4 Bde, one ditched before crossing the Canadian line and the other two reached the Sugar Factory to find it already taken. In 6 Bde all three tanks broke down in McDonnell Trench.


                              By 9.30am, 6 Bde had linked with 15th Div on it’s right flank an da German counter attack was repelled.


                              At 6.15pm, 5 Bde attacked Courcelette with 22nd (Canadien Francais) and 25th (Nova Scotia Rifles) Bns. The village fell easily.
                              Last edited by Groundhog; 15 September 2006, 23:04.
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                              • #90
                                Friday 15th September 1916. Part 2


                                Martinpuich

                                Martinpuich lies south of the treet>Bapaume Roadtreet> between it and High Wood. It was captured by the 15th (Scottish) Division.

                                45 Bde attacked on the right with 11th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and 13th Royal Scots in front and 6th Bn, Cameron Highlanders in support. The bombardment had neutralised most resistance though the Argylls had to bomb the Germans out of Tangle South Trench as well as some fighting on the sunken Longueval road.

                                46 Bde attacked with 10th Scottish Rifles, 7th and 8th Bns King’s Own Scottish Borderers and 10/11th Highland Light Infantry. In support were 12th Bn, Highland Light Infantry, 6th and 7th Bns, Royal Scots and attached from 23rd Div 9th Yorks & Lancs. Their objective was treet>Factory Lanetreet> nort of Martinpuich which was captured at 7am. 46 Bde was supported by two tanks. One tank was hit at the departure point and the other silenced the enemy in Bottom and Tangle Trenches, then entered the village where it attacked some MG posts before returning for fuel.

                                At 9.20am the artillery barrage lifted from Martinpuich and both 45 and 46 Bde sent patrols into the village. At 10am 10th Scottish Rifles dug in along it’s objective. By 3pm the Germans had evacuated Martinpuich with 6th Bn, Cameron Highlanders occupying the north east of the village. 46 Bde quickly consolidated the ruins and set up posts facing Courcelette. At nightfall 9th Yorks & Lancs and 12th Bn, Highland Light Infantry occupied the line in touch with the Canadians in Gunpit Trench. On the right the Cameron Highlanders linked with the Green Howards of 50th Div south east of Martinpuich.



                                50th Division was in action between High Wood and Martinpuich.

                                The division started with 149 and 150 Bdes in the attack. 149 Bde attacked roughly northwards towards the German defences east of Martinpuich at 6.20am. 1/4th and 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers had taken Hook Trench by 7am. By 8am they were under enfilade fire from High Wood and 1/4th Northumberland Fusiliers were ordered to help 47th Div by bombing towards the Wood. 1/5th and 1/6th Northumberland Fusiliers were sent to reinforce the attack. By 10am the sunken road east of Martinpuich had been reached by 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers. 1/6th was providing flank protection tate>north westtate> of High Wood where heavy fighting continued.

                                150 Bde used two tanks to support it’s attack. The first was blown up while attacking Hook Trench, the brigade’s first objective. The other drove on to the eastern outskirts of Martinpuich where it destroyed three German MG posts before returning to refuel.

                                150 Bde’s infantry assault consisted of 1/4th East Yorkshire Regt, 1/4th and 1/5th Grenn Howards attacking in line. 1/5th Durham Light Infantry was in support. By 7am they were in Hook Trench and then moved on to Martin Trench. By 10am 1/4th East Yorkshire Regt had reached parts of the third objective, the Starfish Line in the eastern outskirts of Martinpuich. Here the attack started to falter. The East Yorks, with it’s flank unprotected, was forced to withdraw to Martin Trench. Two battalions were sent from reserve (151 Bde) but by 3.30 pm all 150 Bde troops had evacuated the Starfish Line and were back in Martin Trench and Martin Alley.

                                At5.45 pm 150 Bde was ordered to attack Prue Trench which lay beyond the Starfish Line in order to link up with 15th Div troops in Martinpuich. This attack at 9pm stopped well short of the objective and the troops dug in.





                                Last edited by Groundhog; 16 September 2006, 15:36.
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