The 1st Battalion
1st Batt.
After ten days' rest spent in billets at St. Vaast the Battalion went in pursuit of the retreating Germans, and marched to Escarmain, which was being shelled by the enemy. On the 4th the 1st and 2nd Guards Brigades attacked, while the 3rd Guards Brigade was in Divisional Reserve. The Battalion moved by companies at 200-yards intervals to Mortre Farm, where it bivouacked in the orchard, moving on again in the afternoon to Villers Pol. Here orders were received that the Battalion was to go through the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards and to continue the advance.
List of Officers who took part in the Operations from November 4 to 7
Nov. 5.
At 2.15 A.M. the Battalion moved out from Villers Pol with intervals of thirty yards between platoons, and marched to La Buvette cross-roads, where a halt was made, and the Lewis guns were taken off the limbers. Directed by two guides from the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, the Battalion made its way across country to a bridge, where a long halt was made to find the Headquarters of the 3rd Battalion Grenadiers—no easy matter in the dark. The Battalion eventually managed to get into position close behind the front line posts. No. 2 Company, under Lieutenant Kennaway, was on the right and in touch with the 2/20th London Regiment from the Sixty-second Division; No. 3 Company, under Lieutenant Challands, on the left in touch with the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards; No. 4 Company, under Lieutenant Freeman-Greene, was in support; and the King's Company, under Captain Spence, was in reserve.
At 6 A.M. the advance began. Rain fell and continued intermittently during the three days' operations. The advance was much hampered, especially in the initial stages, by a creeping barrage put down by the Sixty-second Division, without any warning having been given to the Battalion. The going was very heavy, and the very enclosed country, intersected by thick hedges and wire fences, made it difficult for the companies to keep their directions. Little opposition was encountered, until the leading platoons reached Amfroipret, when one German officer and five men were taken prisoners in the village. Immediately east of the village and in the wooded country south of the railway, the Battalion began to encounter the enemy's rear-guard, but after driving it in some way the advance came to a standstill about the line of the road from Bout la Haut to Cambron Farm. The extraordinary difficulty of locating a hidden enemy in such an enclosed country made the advance hazardous, and the Germans appeared to be holding very strongly with machine-guns a line some five hundred yards east of this road. Lieutenant Kennaway, with No. 2 Company, attempted to secure the cross-roads in front of him, and failed to make any headway against the enemy's machine-guns. During this gallant attempt Lieutenant Lamont, who was with the leading platoon, was killed, in addition to many men.
The situation was not without anxiety, for on neither flank could any British troops be seen. It looked as if the Battalion had been going on too fast for the rest of the line, and Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey decided to wait until the situation on the right developed. No. 2 Company accordingly dug in where it was, and the King's Company was moved to Cambron Farm to fill up the gap there was between the right of the line and the Sixty-second Division. The situation on the left required some adjustment, for the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards had been apparently held up, and No. 3 Company had to be responsible for that flank of the Battalion. About mid-day a company of the Scots Guards came up through the village, and occupied Bermeries without opposition, making the left flank once more secure. This enabled No. 4 Company to push forward through the orchards and drive out an enemy's post, but again the enemy's machine-guns prevented any farther advance. The difficulties in this action were that, when once a company or platoon had been sent off anywhere, it could not be found again owing to the enclosed nature of the country. No communication between the various parties was possible, and the operations therefore developed into small isolated parties fighting independently of each other. The Germans began to shell the village with heavy shell during the afternoon, and the front line posts were fired on at close range by field artillery. During the evening No. 3 Company took over the outpost line from No. 4 Company, which was withdrawn to cellars in the eastern end of the village.
Lieut.-Colonel Bailey received orders for a farther advance next day, and the King's and No. 2 Companies were to secure the cross-roads, if possible during the night. It was, however, so dark, and the enemy was in so great strength, that the operation was not attempted that night. Brigadier-General Heywood, commanding the 3rd Guards Brigade, was wounded in the evening, and the command devolved upon Lieut.-Colonel Stirling, commanding the 2nd Scots Guards.
Nov. 6.
It poured with rain all night. The Battalion formed up south of the railway on the line of the forward posts, with the King's Company, under Captain Spence, on the right; No. 4 Company, under Lieutenant Freeman-Greene, on the left; No. 3 Company, under Lieutenant Challands, in support (their position north of the railway being taken over by the Welsh Guards), and No. 2 Company, under Lieutenant Kennaway, in reserve. The King's Company and No. 2 Company were ordered to make good the line of the Bavai—Queve-au-loup road, where Nos. 2 and 3 Companies would advance through them, and secure the last two objectives. The King's and No. 4 Companies were comparatively fresh, as they had had some hours' rest in barns and cellars during the night, but Nos. 2 and 3 Companies were soaked through by the rain, and tired out after a hard day constantly on the move and a night spent in digging in on the outpost line. At 6 A.M. the advance began, and was again most difficult, on account of the enclosed country. The Battalion met no opposition until it reached some high ground, when the leading platoons came under a very heavy machine-gun fire from the far side of the valley, and a harassing fire from field-guns. No. 4 Company was temporarily checked, but the King's Company, under cover of the houses and hedges along the Mecquignies road, seized the crossing over the river, and worked up till it got in touch with a company from the Sixty-second Division on the right. This advance through houses was well carried out, and the Lewis gunners performed wonders in getting their guns into houses. One party of German machine-gunners was shot down in the church tower. No. 3 Company was halted on the road, and No. 2 Company in reserve moved up to the cross-roads at Bavisiaux. The grounds of Mecquignies Château were strongly held by machine-guns, but after a sharp fight the King's Company drove out the enemy and seized the Château. In this fighting Second Lieutenant A. D. Anderson was killed, while gallantly leading his men to the attack. Lieutenant Freeman-Greene, seeing the King's Company advance up the farther slope, at once began to push on with No. 4 Company, and in spite of a hail of machine-gun bullets reached the line of the river with little loss, and gained touch with the left of the King's Company. After this the fighting became very promiscuous, and platoons became scattered among the orchards and fields of the Château. Touch was established with the Welsh Guards, who had been temporarily checked in Buvigny, and who were now moving on, and the enemy seemed to be retiring all along the line. Lieut.-Colonel Bailey was ordered to push on and try and seize the line on the Bavai road before night, and he accordingly moved up No. 2 Company to the Château grounds. The King's and No. 4 Companies had in the meantime made good the high ground north of the Château, driving out some advanced posts of the enemy. No. 3 Company was ordered to move through Mecquignies village and to seize the orchards north-east of the village. This it succeeded in doing, meeting with little opposition. The King's and No. 4 Companies at once prolonged the line to the left, and pushed out patrols to the east. This line was consolidated, and as the night was very dark no farther advance was considered advisable.
The 466th German Regiment which opposed the advance fought extremely well, and was cleverly handled by its commander, who thoroughly understood how to fight a rear-guard action. The wet weather and the mud made these operations peculiarly trying to men who had had little training in close country fighting, but the discipline in the Battalion was so good that each platoon, however isolated, could be relied on to act intelligently. The scenes in the various villages were most touching, for the civilians who emerged from cellars and underground dug-outs all acclaimed the men as their deliverers, and were highly excited in their joy.
Nov. 7.
Early on the 7th the 1st Battalion Scots Guards advanced through the Battalion, which was withdrawn to Amfroipret. Lieut.-Colonel Bailey issued the following message to the Company Commanders:
Please let all ranks know that I consider the advance on the 5th and 6th to have been carried out excellently in spite of very heavy going and the difficulties of keeping direction. On the 5th Nos. 2 and 3 Companies, though they had little fighting, had a thoroughly miserable and uncomfortable time, which as usual was borne with the greatest cheerfulness. The King's Company and No. 4 Company were better off, as they got a few hours' rest under cover.
On the 6th, in spite of very heavy machine-gun fire from front and flank and most difficult country, the King's Company and No. 4 pushed ahead and drove in the rear troops of the enemy, thus making good the passage of the river Du Moulin de Bavai. The greatest credit is due not only to the fine fighting powers of the men but also to the good leading and forethought of the leaders.
The two days' fighting were unsatisfactory as far as the killing of Germans was concerned, and the conditions miserable from the start to finish, but the Battalion, as always, went quicker and farther than any other Battalion in the Brigade, and the distance you went undoubtedly helped the 24th Division by threatening the communications of the enemy, holding the ground north-west of Bavai, and causing them to retire. You have well kept up the traditions of the Regiment and maintained the Grenadier spirit—the most magnificent in the world. I congratulate officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, and I know that you will never fail.
W. R. Bailey, Lieut.-Colonel,
Commanding 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
On the 9th the Battalion marched to La Longueville, and the 1st Guards Brigade entered Maubeuge. On the following day it reached Douzies, where the news arrived that the Armistice had been signed. On the morning of the 11th the Battalion paraded, and the Commanding Officer read out the official telegram declaring the Armistice to be in force.
Operations
November 1-11, 1918
Emery Walker Ltd.
2nd Batt.