Historical records of the Buffs, East Kent Regiment (3rd Foot)

by R. S. H. Moody

I. 1st Battalion

At the commencement of the last chapter the readers were reminded that the Russians made a separate peace with the enemy towards the end of 1917, and that the Americans having declared war against Germany in April the vanguard of her troops began to come into action on the 27th October, so that the defection of the one nation was in the end counteracted by the determination of the other. As has been said, America at first possessed but a tiny army, and though a few troops were fighting in Europe at the end of 1917, still her real force could not make itself felt for months afterwards. Consequently there was an interval between the collapse of Russia and Rumania and the arrival of a capable American army. During this space the French and English must bear the whole brunt of the struggle, and the Germans, whose railways were planned strategically, with the idea of being able to rapidly transfer armies from her eastern to her western frontier or vice versa, were not the people to fail to take full advantage of such an opportunity.

These facts must be borne in mind in studying what follows. As a matter of fact, our enemies started on the 21st March, 1918, a mighty effort to sweep us into the sea and overwhelm the French. This chapter will therefore continue the story of the doings of the Buffs on the Western front up to this date. Like the previous chapter, it is a record of trench warfare varied by fighting and the necessary rest and reorganization which followed each battle.

The most important action was perhaps that of Cambrai, in which both the 1st and 6th Battalions took part, and it may therefore be as well first to continue the narrative of these two units: the village of Mazingarbe is, roughly speaking, four miles from Loos in the direction of comparative safety, and this place may be considered as the chief station of the 1st Battalion up to the 15th November—that is to say, that it was the resting-place when trenches were not occupied somewhere near Loos or Hulluch. Of course, there were certain alterations, for troops took turn to go into the reserve of the division or some higher formation, and the more important that portion of the army was, the further back from the front line were stationed its reserves; for instance, on the 13th July the Buffs went into divisional reserve for a week at Fouquieres, near Bethune, and for a time in October they were in G.H.Q. reserve at Flechin.

The most important and the pleasantest change of programme, however, was a long period of rest at Monchy Breton (about twelve miles west of Mazingarbe), which is an area set apart for giving a change of scene to tired troops. The battalion was allowed a month here which, in addition to training, was devoted to sport and health-giving recreation; a composite company, under the command of Captain Strauss, it secured the highest number of marks in the brigade sports and won the divisional challenge cup for the smartest turn-out and work in an attack scheme.

During the period between the 1st July and the 15th November officers and men of the 1st Battalion received a considerable number of decorations and honours: on the 3rd July the Corps Commander inspected C and D Companies, which had furnished the raiding party on the 23rd June; after offering his congratulations he presented Military Medals to Sgts. Cross, Goodall and Poole, Corpl. Sindon and L.-Corpl. Spenceley, and to Privates Halliday and Searle, all of C Company. In D Company Military Medals were given to Sgts. Barker, Buss, Evans and Moorcock, Corpl. Duff, and to L.-Corpls. Curd, Green and Page. During this period Lieuts. Marshall, Moss and Wyatt were awarded the M.C., and Captain Jacobs and Lieut. Worster the clasp to the M.C.; C.S.M.’s McDonough and Randall received the D.C.M., the latter also being given a commission and posted to C Company; Pte. Sage received the M.M., and Corpl. Duff the Decoration Militaire (Belgian).

On the 30th August B Company, having gone to relieve one of the K.S.L.I., A and D Companies being already in front-line trenches with C in support, the enemy at 8 p.m. ventured an attack on our three-company front, which was quickly dealt with by the Canadian gunners and our Lewis guns. Notwithstanding this repulse another hostile attack was launched at 2 o’clock next morning, but this again was stayed by our Lewis guns and we did not suffer much.

Another incident worthy of note was the departure from France of Captain Birrell, the adjutant, who left the battalion on the 10th October after no less than two years and ten months’ service on the Western front and was succeeded by Lieut. Davies. This length of war service, other than at the base or on the staff, was very exceptional indeed. On the 1st November the 1st Battalion marched to meet their comrades of the 6th at Grand Bouret. Early in the month the question of combined infantry and tank work in the field became an extra tactical study that all must learn.

As to casualties, they of course continued. There is a horrible regularity in recording these. Men were always being killed or wounded. A battle removed a lot of good fellows in a few hours, trench warfare corroded the battalion strength little by little, and this had to be patched up either by raw hands from England or men who had already done their share but, after being invalided, had to come out again. Ten men were wounded on the 26th August, one killed and five wounded on the 30th. 2nd Lieut. G. E. Sewell died of wounds on the 2nd September and two men were killed and two wounded on the same day, five more getting hit on the morrow. Eighteen men of the pioneer company were gassed on the 5th September. A little bit of joyful news reached the regiment in the middle of September, namely, that the gallant Harrington, who had done so well on the 24th June and who had been missing since that date, was still alive, though a prisoner in Germany. A Company on the 16th October lost eight men killed and three wounded, the enemy opening a barrage on our front line at 8 p.m. On the 15th November, Sir Douglas Haig having planned a further attack on the German lines, the 16th Brigade, in which the 1st Battalion still served, was attached to the Third Corps to take part in the same, and the battalion entrained for Peronne and moved to the forward area on the 17th.