CHAPTER I
“17TH OF MARCH MEN”
At the annual dinner in London on St. Patrick’s Day the survivors of those who constituted the original 1st Battalion of the Civil Service Rifles commemorate the historic day on which the Regiment first sent a Battalion on active service—the 17th of March, 1915.
It was hardly realised when that Battalion went to France that it would soon become the highest of distinctions in the Regiment to be described as a “17th of March man,” but this distinction is fully recognised now, and he is a much envied man who has the right to attend the Annual Commemoration Dinner.[10]
[10] This dinner was instituted on the 17th March, 1916, in the Reserve Battalion Camp at Hazeley Down, Winchester, where already a number of the originals who had been wounded, had returned. To Captain G. C. Grimsdale fell the honour of taking the chair at the first of these functions, which it was decided should be held annually so long as any “17th of March men” should live to attend them.
There were about 1,100 all ranks who, after eagerly awaiting, during seven long months of training, the summons to join the B. E. F. in France, achieved their ambition on St. Patrick’s Day, 1915, and entrained at Watford in the early hours of the morning. Throughout their stay in Watford, where they had been billeted since November, 1914, they had received the warmest hospitality, and it is not surprising, therefore, that their pride in going to the front was tinged with regret at leaving such good friends.
After a roundabout journey, Southampton was reached at 11.0 a.m., and the Battalion had to confine itself for the rest of the day to a few hundred yards of quay, impatiently awaiting embarkation, which was not carried out till dusk. Four boats were used—the Balmoral, City of Chester, Jupiter and Munich—boats used in the piping times of peace for pleasure trips along the coast. There were no bands playing, no cheering crowds, but just three or four bored officials, embarkation officers, and dock policemen. Thus the 1st Civil Service Rifles,[11] under the command of Lieut. Colonel A. M. Renny, left England, having on board the four boats thirty officers, 1,046 other ranks, and 78 horses.
[11] See Appendix for list of officers.
In addition, Captain H. B. Farquhar had taken a small advance party some days earlier.
On the whole the Civil Service Rifles were not favourably impressed with Havre where the battalion disembarked at about 9.0 a.m. on the 18th of March, the chief disappointment, perhaps, being that there were little or no signs of the Great War. No welcoming crowds of pretty French girls were there to meet them, and almost unnoticed they marched through the town and up the hill which led to the camp above Harfleur. Here the troops, perspiring after the steep climb, in what they thought was full marching order, learnt that there were many more things for the unfortunate Infantry soldier to carry in France. Winter clothing was issued, and although it was very welcome on that bitterly cold afternoon, the weight of it made everyone look forward with more than usual keenness to the coming of Spring.
A bitterly cold night was spent in the tents, and at 3.0 p.m. on the following day, the Battalion made its first acquaintance with the troop trains of the B. E. F.—the men’s compartments of which bore the now familiar legend:—