At this time an important change took place in the Command of the 11th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Lieutenant-Colonel W. F. Hessey was promoted to Brigadier-General, and given Command of the 110th Infantry Brigade. His place was taken by Major G. H. Brush, Second in Command of the 10th Battalion (Derry Volunteers). The following farewell Order was issued by Lieutenant-Colonel Hessey to his Battalion. “Lieutenant-Colonel Hessey wishes God Speed to all members of the 11th Inniskillings, and thanks them for the loyal support they have given him from the raising of the Battalion to this day. He leaves the Battalion with very sincere regret, but with feelings of great pride that he has had the privilege of Commanding such a fine lot of Officers, N.C.O.’s and men, and that their “esprit de corps” has made the Battalion a worthy part of the 27th Inniskilling Regiment of Foot.” During the following days we spent alternate periods in and out of the trenches, with little excitement to keep our spirits up. On May 16th we again took over from the 13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (Downs), and this time a spell of beautiful weather favoured us and the trenches were quite dry and habitable. We had the usual machine gun fire at night, especially from the direction of Thiepval Chateau, also a large number of shrapnel shells and whizbangs fell in our Sector. The enemy was apparently very busy during the night on his front line opposite our Company. We could hear the sound of picking and shovelling going on, and stakes being driven into the ground. During 18th-19th the enemy gave us little peace, between trench mortars, heavies, and whizbangs. Several salvoes of shrapnel managed to do considerable damage to our inspection trench and Whit Church Street. During a heavy bombardment, while the shells went over and round us at a tremendous rate I was lying flat on my stomach to avoid some shrapnel that burst near. I looked round to see if there were any casualties among the men following, and noticed a head emerging from the earth which had fallen in all round; suddenly there was a splutter, the head moved, and a very solemn voice said “Boys o’ boys it’s aboot time the referee blew his whistle,” his thoughts must have been far away on the Balmoral football ground, perhaps he was thinking of a tough fight Malone v. Queen’s, in the old days.
We were glad to notice that the German trenches opposite suffered severely on the retaliation of our artillery. The following nights were busy putting up wire and sending out patrols. On one occasion a sentry reported having seen an aeroplane fall in flames some distance to the east of Thiepval, just before it fell three planes had been observed very high in the air, and the sound of machine-gun fire heard coming from them.
On the 20th there was considerable enemy machine gun activity, and a very large number of flares were sent up during the night from the German lines. At 9-30 p.m. two red flares were sent up apparently from the German salient opposite “Mary Redan.” Immediately afterwards two salvoes of shrapnel were fired, and appeared to burst in the neighbourhood of “Mary Redan,” while enemy search lights could be seen near Serre.
During the 21st the enemy continued his constant machine gun fire, and at night our wiring parties were much hampered on this account, one being forced to come in. At 10-30 p.m. on the 22nd, red rockets were sent up from the German lines north of the river Ancre. Immediately afterwards a heavy bombardment by enemy artillery began, apparently on our lines in front of Thiepval, which lasted about half-an-hour. We had a more or less quiet day on the 23rd, and on the 24th were relieved by the 13th Royal Irish Rifles. “C” Company was sent to Autile, “B” to South Antrim Villas, and the other two Companies to Mesnil. We spent a pleasant few days in billets, the usual rat hunts and bathing in the Ancre gave plenty of amusement to the men. On May 31st we got our orders to join “D” Company in Martinsart, and the following day moved to Harponville via Bouzincourt and Varrennes, where we rejoined our Brigade, and started Divisional exercises on a large training ground known as the Clairfaye trenches. These trenches had been dug from aeroplane photographs, and were an exact reproduction of the German trenches opposite Thiepval. It was here that we heard the terrible news of the death of Lord Kitchener, to whose genius we owed so much. During our period of training the 107th Brigade held the trenches at Thiepval.
THIEPVAL VILLAGE
On June 15th, at 3 p.m., the Battalion marched off, and with the 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers bivouacked in Martinsart Wood. Martinsart village was already occupied by numerous troops sent up in readiness for the great battle of the Somme. We sent working parties down to Thiepval wood to help in the digging of assembly trenches. Our working party was very unfortunate, and out of No. 11 platoon we had six men wounded, Miller, Lyle, Brown, Galloway, Quinn, and “B” Company also lost eleven men.
On 17th several new Officers joined the Battalion in Martinsart Wood, among them Lieut. J. Marshall, posted to “B” Company, afterwards proved to be the only officer of the 11th Battalion who went over the top on the 1st July without getting wounded. All was bustle and excitement, we heard we were to hold the line from Thiepval Wood to La Boiselle and Fricourt.
On 22nd the Tyrones went into the trenches. We had a fine concert in “D” Company Mess, and I had a last talk to the N.C.O.’s. On 23rd we paraded at 7-45 p.m. and marched to our trenches in Thiepval Wood. Our Company Officers consisted of the following—myself, in command, Captain Ewart, Lieutenants Vance, Ellis, Young, Carson and Murphy. It was a very hot march but a glorious day, and all of us were in good heart. “C” and “D” Companies manned the front line, with “A” and “B” behind, “C” holding from Elgin Avenue to Garden Gate at the head of Cromarty Avenue. “C” Company Headquarters were in Thurso Street, and Battalion Headquarters in Cromarty Avenue. On the 26th, at 2-30, we had planned a gas attack, but there was not much wind, and the gas did not go well. Young and myself happened to be the next casualties, luckily both of us slight. Young was gassed while on duty at a gas cylinder, and I got a touch of shrapnel from a whiz bang. It meant No. 29 C.C.S. for both of us, and very reluctantly we had to leave our men just on the eve of the first and greatest battle ever fought by the Division.