III. 2nd Battalion
New Year’s Day, 1917, found the 2nd Battalion at Barakli Dzuma, on the eastern side of the River Struma, on the flat ground and under the hills which were occupied by the Bulgarian troops. A more or less quiet time ensued after the raid on “Little Ferdy” trench previously described, though the Buffs made a demonstration on the 8th January in aid of the Middlesex, which regiment carried out on that day a somewhat similar attempt on two trenches on their front. There was, too, at this time a good deal of patrol work done, mostly in the direction of the railway. On the 23rd the battalion, changing places with the 3rd Royal Fusiliers, moved to Ormanli, and a few days later to Lozista, where it remained working very regularly all February. News had arrived on the 9th January of a D.S.O. for Captain Sebastian, and D.C.M.’s for L.-Sgt. Spiller and L.-Corpl. Geohegan. Some little excitement about this time was caused by a rumour that numerous Turks were slipping through our lines and sailing over the lake to join the Bulgarians, but, in spite of several efforts, none were ever caught.
There came a distinct change of scene early in June, and the chief incidents immediately before that date were as follows: on the 4th March the Bulgarians tried to burn the village of Butkova; on the 13th C.S.M. Andrews was awarded the (Italian) Bronze Medal for Military Valour; on the 17th there was heavy shelling on the right of the battalion and the Bulgarians made a demonstration, their infantry advancing to within six hundred yards of our trenches, but we suffered no casualties; and on the 19th the battalion moved to Haznatar, B and C Companies going on three days later to Ormanli to find the guard on Koprivi Bridge. L.-Corpl. Arnold, of D Company, died on the 24th of wounds received when out patrolling. On the 28th and 29th Haznatar was flooded owing to the rising of the river. From the 4th to 14th April the Buffs were at Orljak and then returned to Haznatar. There was always a good deal of patrolling work to be done at this latter place, which was in the advanced British lines, so that casualties from the enemy’s shell fire were not altogether infrequent. For instance, five occurred on the 21st April, one of the men dying of his wounds. On the 2nd May Captain Vertue had a narrow escape and indeed owed his life or his liberty to C.S.M. Andrews. The captain and the sergeant-major were out together, and seeing a Bulgar they fired on him. A minute or two later several of the enemy appeared and then returned the fire; Vertue was wounded, but Andrews immediately picked him up and carried him back. 2nd Lieut. Goodheart was wounded on the 12th.
In the middle of May a minor action was arranged and carried out by the Buffs and 3rd Royal Fusiliers. The latter were on the Buffs’ right and opposite the “Ferdy” group of enemy trenches. During the afternoon of the 15th troops began to get into assembly positions and were ready at 6 p.m. Half an hour later our artillery opened and C and D Companies deployed and advanced, each with one platoon in front extended to five paces; another fifty yards in rear, and the remaining two a hundred yards behind again. These went through the enemy’s line and took what was known as the “Essex” group of trenches, while the Royal Fusiliers on the right took the “Ferdy” group. The Buffs’ casualty list was but six wounded, and several thousand rounds of ammunition and some rifles were found in the captured trenches. Patrols were immediately sent out to front and flanks and the place consolidated, in case of counter-attack, which was, in fact, attempted but without result. On the 27th May the brigade was relieved by the 84th and marched to Orljak.
During the month of May, as has been seen, the casualty list from the action of the enemy was a very small one, but this flat valley of the Struma appears to have been a very unhealthy and malarious place in the summer time and not fitted for even the temporary home of Englishmen. During the month ninety-three Buffs were admitted to hospital, and 63 per cent of the cases were diagnosed as malaria. What was worse, during the following month, though the regiment left the valley, it took the malarial germs with it in the men’s blood, and no less than 240 were admitted to hospital. On the 7th June the battalion left Orljak and marched away, making for the healthy hills. The final object was Paprat, which was reached on the 29th June by a circuitous route, and after a stay of ten days at a place called Vaisili. Here the battalion remained for the whole of the month of July, the men’s health wonderfully improving by the change.
August took the battalion into what was to them an entirely new region. The Allied Army covered Salonica by means of a line north of the town, and roughly some forty miles away from it, the right of this line being thrown back about Butkova, Barakli Dzuma and the River Struma. Up to now this flank had been the scene of the Buffs’ adventures and activities, but August was to be spent in the main part of the line and in the vicinity of Lake Doiran. A deep valley or pass runs up a gentle slope from Lake Doiran towards the east to Dova Tepe, and thence downward again to Butkova lake and the vale of the Struma. On either side of this pass are lofty ranges of mountains. That on the south was in our hands and is the same range on which Paprat stands. The mountains to the north were occupied by the enemy. The railway, which passes over the flat land on the eastern side of the Struma, crosses that stream above Demirhissar, makes a sharp turn westward and penetrates the valley in question, going on to Doiran. The British line was just south of this railway and on the foothills of the southern range of hills which are called the Krusha Balkans. The positions taken up by the companies were as follows: D Company was on Hairy Hill, B Company on Lucky Hill, C on Bermondsey Ridge, with A Company in reserve on a small spur behind it. The enemy at this part of the line was at some distance away, but he had posts of varying strength in all the villages north of the railway line. The first work undertaken was the strengthening of all our defences, which, with the making of the Buffs’ redoubt, was no light labour on account of the hard and rocky ground. A great deal of reconnaissance was also undertaken mostly in the direction of Chalki or Cakli Station and village. There is a great deal of wood, shrub and vegetation about this portion of the country, which rendered patrolling a matter of some difficulty and danger.
However, on the 25th August a raiding expedition was carried out by C Company, under Captain Sebastian, having D Company in support; the plan being that the first-named was to be just south of the Cakli railway station by 3.30 and that two Lewis guns were to be on Lonely Hill. The raiders were then to rush the station, turn south-west and clear Cakli village, push on to Erdzili and Karlu Ovacu and ultimately to withdraw as soon as the villages were clear, covered by a rear guard. A party of the enemy was seen by 2nd Lieut. W. G. Neve’s platoon when close to the railway line and fire was opened through the dense scrub, the Bulgars at once retiring. Seeing this retreat, Neve at once dashed on ahead of his men and reached the railway embankment, where he was shot in the head; he died on reaching the aid post. Our scouts now discovered that the enemy had retired to a trench four hundred yards north-north-west of the station, but from there he continued his retreat up a nullah to Garbali, so the trench was occupied by our people, and from there C Company turned left for Cakli village; but two platoons had to be left behind at the station while Sebastian advanced, having scouts out on his right flank, that is to the north of him. However, he entered the village unopposed. Here, finding that one platoon would not suffice to guard it even temporarily, he put two in position and asked for more men, with the result that Lieut. Marden came up from the reserve with half the company, one platoon going to the village and the other to the station. After scouts had been out to reconnoitre north of Stevens Wood, Sebastian went on and entered the two villages of Erdzili and Karlu Ovacu and, after reporting his success, got orders to withdraw. Before these orders came to hand, however, 2nd Lieut. Manning with one platoon had been sent to take up a position north and north-west of the villages, and he was told to find 2nd Lieut. Renton, who was in charge of the scouts. This was the commencement of a hunt for the scouts in the dense bush. The order to withdraw had come through, but the scattered men could not be found, though Sebastian sent patrol after patrol in search. This, of course, had the effect of greatly delaying the withdrawal, but Renton and his men were found at last and all was well and a lesson in bush warfare learnt.
The battalion was relieved from this part of the country on the 27th and for a good many days was on the march again, mostly on the high ground till Turbes was reached; here work was commenced on the mainline defences on the right bank of the Struma about Orljak bridge. The battalion remained at Turbes till the 14th October. Towards the end of August Lt.-Colonel Thewles, D.S.O., Captain Vertue, M.C., Lieut. Beswick and L.-Corpl. Boswell were mentioned in despatches.
COUNTRY NORTH OF BAGHDAD
COUNTRY NEAR CAKLI STATION
In the middle of October a move was made to Nevolyen and a winter scheme of work and arrangements commenced. The orders were to hold a line on the left bank from Nevolyen to Jenikoj, so on the 13th two platoons of C Company proceeded to the former to clear the village and hold it, while a similar party of the 3rd Royal Fusiliers occupied Jenikoj and some of another brigade Cuculuk. No opposition was encountered.
About this time there was established what was called an enterprise company: that is, one at a time, the companies were struck off all digging and other work, of which there was a good deal, and was kept apart solely for patrolling and minor enterprises. On the 25th October C Company, which had the first turn of this work, sent two patrols to Papalova to look out upon the enemy. About 7.15 a.m. some fifty Bulgars approached from Prosenik, but these were driven off.
The battalion remained at Nevolyen till the 14th November, and those few days were remarkable only for certain actions of minor enterprise and for scouting. For instance, on the 27th October Lieut. Renton, who was in charge of the scouts, found signs of the enemy about Prosenik and fired on one or two of them. Two days later about fifty Bulgar cavalry and thirty infantry were seen to enter Prosenik by our scouts who were well handled by Sgt. Rand but eventually had to withdraw, losing one killed, one wounded and one missing. On the last day of the month Captain Vertue took C Company out at 3 a.m. to take position round Papalova and lie in wait for hostile scouts. About 6.15 a.m. some thirty infantry with a few horsemen appeared and opened rapid but wild fire. They advanced a little and the company hoped they were coming right on, but they halted; our platoon, which had observed them, immediately opened fire with rifle, Lewis gun and grenade. Other parties, each about the same strength, appeared opposite our other platoons and similarly fired wildly, but all shortly withdrew and soon afterwards the enemy opened a small barrage between Papalova and Prosenik which apparently caught their own people, for shouting was heard and men were seen to fall. At 9.45 the company was ordered to withdraw and in doing so was heavily shelled, 2nd Lieut. Young and one man being wounded.
The 14th November took the Buffs back to billets at Orljak, where labour and training took place on alternate days for some time. On the 14th January, 1918, the regiment relieved the 3rd Middlesex in what was known as the West Line and occupied six redoubts there, on the improvement of which a good deal of labour was expended and which was the battalion home till the middle of February, when A, B and C Companies retired to Orljak on relief, and D Company, under Lieut. Bremner, became enterprise company in lieu of one of the East Surrey Regiment. This company soon got busy laying ambushes and so on and, as usual, watching Prosenik and, for a change, Kalandra as well; but on the 5th March it got rather into trouble attempting a more extensive raid with the aid of B Company and one platoon of A. Bremner left Nevolyen at 8.30 p.m. and, moving by Kalandra and dropping B Company as supports upon the way, arrived within one hundred yards of the Bulgar trenches, when a heavy fire was suddenly opened with rifle and bomb. Lieut. Asprey with four or five men got up to the wire round one of the posts and were engaged in cutting it when a bomb fell amongst them, wounding them all but one. Finding that the posts were strongly wired and the enemy alert, and being hampered by the darkness, Bremner withdrew, having Lieut. Asprey and six men wounded. The next day B Company relieved D as raiding company.
On the 27th March the Buffs moved away again, but an incident which occurred on the 13th to the enterprise company is worthy of record. Two platoons, under Captain Howgrave-Graham and Lieut. Wilson, lay up as day ambushes in the vicinity of Prosenik, and they were visited by small parties of the enemy at 9 o’clock and again at 3.30. Every effort was made to capture some of these. Wilson with five or six of his men made a sortie for the purpose, and one of the party was hit by a Bulgar who had ensconced himself in a cunning spot from which he could enfilade Wilson’s communication trench. Two stretcher-bearers went out to fetch in the wounded man, but the wily Bulgarian hit them both. This seems to have annoyed L.-Corpl. Wykes, who went out to see about matters. Of course, he too was fired on, but he managed to kill the troublesome fellow, and then, picking up the wounded Corpl. Stanley, carried him away. The enemy seeing this, opened heavy fire, but Wykes was one of those men who like to carry through any job they may undertake, so he staggered along with his comrade for a thousand yards till he reached the support sections, the shells screaming and bursting around him the whole time. Wilson, being now heavily shelled, withdrew. He was wounded in doing so, but gamely stuck to his job of commanding his men. Captain Howgrave-Graham, noticing Wilson’s withdrawal, conformed and the whole party returned to Nevolyen; the supporting platoon, however, remained at Papalova till evening. The advanced platoons had, besides Wilson, seven men wounded and Pte. Harrold, one of the stretcher-bearers, killed. L.-Corpl. Wykes was given the M.M. for his gallantry and Wilson got the M.C.
The move alluded to above was ultimately to the same neighbourhood as before, near Lake Doiran, headquarters being at a place called Grec Avance, but the march took ten days, round by Mirova, Kirkul and Alexia, and on arrival the old work of patrolling toward Cakli and its neighbourhood was undertaken anew. The men were in a number of posts, wired all round, but on the 1st June they were withdrawn a little to a second line in rear, the wire of the old position being demolished and the works destroyed. The enemy at this period were observed to be mostly about the village of Akinjali, near Lake Doiran. A great number of the Bulgarians were deserting about this time to our lines. No masses of them came over, but there was a pretty constant dribble. The old line was reoccupied and the works repaired in August.
The Greek King Constantine having been deposed, the people, under his son Alexander, had by this time definitely thrown in their lot with the allies and their armies had now been in the field against the Bulgarians since the beginning of March. The enemy was obviously losing heart, as the desertions proved. Victory was crowning the allied arms at last on the Western front, and a grand general offensive in the neighbourhood of Salonica was consequently planned to commence in the middle of September. The part allotted to the British contingent was the attack and capture of the heights to the west and to the north-east of Lake Doiran, and in this it was to be assisted by two divisions and other troops of the Greek army.
On the morning of the 15th September the English General, Sir George Milne, got orders from the French General-in-Chief of the allies that the troops were to take the offensive on the morning of the 18th. On that date the Greeks attacked and pierced the Akinjali outpost line while the British conformed; with the result that the Buffs took up position along the railway line on their front, remaining there all day, but concentrating at 10 p.m. ready for a move. The next day orders came to take up a line from Akinjali Wood to Lake Doiran, to cover the retirement of the Greeks and to dig trenches and erect barbed-wire defences. In this way four days passed, hostile cavalry being seen in Akinjali on the evening of the 21st. Our line was along the Koja Suju and at Brest. On the 23rd the regiment, being relieved, marched to Surlovo and in the evening to Doiran town. On the 25th the battalion moved to Obasi, but owing to the great congestion of the roads only reached that place at 8.30 p.m. The next two or three days were spent in more or less strenuous marching, and on the 26th the advance guard was held up by machine guns, but these were silenced and the march resumed. On the 28th the Buffs were back at Obasi and, on account of the paucity of their numbers, had to be reorganized into two companies each of two platoons. There had been recently an epidemic of what was called Spanish influenza, and both the Buffs and the Middlesex Regiment had suffered considerably.
On the 30th September at high noon hostilities ceased with Bulgaria, and four days later Sir George Milne’s order of the day read as follows:—
“Thanks to your gallantry, determination and devotion to duty the Bulgarian army is now defeated and the Bulgarian nation has sued for peace. This result has been obtained only by your extraordinary exertions after three summers spent in a malarious country and against obstacles of great natural and artificial strength.
“What appeared almost impossible has been accomplished. I gratefully thank you all, of every arm and of every rank, for your steadfast loyalty, your perfect discipline and for the magnificent manner you have answered to every call made on you. No one knows better the odds against which you have had to contend, and I am proud to have had the honour of commanding you.”
Thus the war history of the 2nd Battalion of the Buffs concludes.
The unit was not kept long in the neighbourhood of Salonica: after a stay of a few days at Organdzili, doing salvage work, it moved by stages down to Summerhill, which was reached on the 5th November, for re-equipment prior to leaving the country. On the 11th it marched through Salonica to the quay, where it embarked on the S.S. Katoomba for Constantinople. At 10 o’clock on that date, Salonica time being, of course, in advance of Greenwich, a telegram came from the brigade that an armistice with Germany had been declared, so the journey on the Katoomba was a joyous one. On the 14th Constantinople was reached and anchor dropped at Stamboul. Next day the men disembarked and were conveyed by ferry boats to Bryukdere, where they went into billets and there remained for some little time. On the 28th November the battalion, 13 officers and 286 men strong, was inspected by Sir George Milne.