The 116th Battalion in France

by E. P. S. Allen

It is hard enough to find your way about in the dark under ordinary conditions, but with a gas helmet on it is absolutely impossible, and in less time than it takes to tell, the greatest confusion arose, and the success of the whole operation hung in the balance. A desperate situation confronted the Battalion; in a little while our artillery barrage would open, and its programme would be carried out while our men were stumbling blindly through the gas fumes, and in due course the enemy artillery would open up in retaliation, and our men, helpless with their gas helmets on, would be wiped out without a chance for their lives. For about thirty minutes the situation was critical and fraught with the greatest difficulties; the darkness, the gas, the fumes, the irregularities of the ground, wire entanglements, ruins, shell holes, all combined to make the assembling of our companies slow and difficult.

Chances had to be taken, and gas helmets were removed, the mouthpiece alone being used, and in this manner, our eyes streaming with tears and nerves strung to the highest pitch, we eventually reached our positions around the Quebec Road about five minutes before zero hour.

Exactly on the stroke of one the barrage opened, falling like a hailstorm on the German front line, which was lit up along its entire length by the bursting shells. It was certainly an unmerciful pounding and seemed to fill us with an ardent desire to get over there, and like Julius Caesar, “negotium finire.”

As the barrage opened “A” Company crept across the Quebec Road through the lanes in the wire which had been previously cut by the scouts, and at zero, plus three minutes, at which moment the barrage lifted off Metal Trench to the Railway embankment, they rushed forward, closely followed by “B” Company on the left and “C” Company on the right. By the time “A” Company reached Metal Trench the Huns had begun to pour out of their dug-outs in which they had taken refuge during the shell storm, and hand-to-hand fighting ensued, in which many of the enemy were either killed or taken prisoners; leaving “A” Company to deal with the destruction of the dug-outs and the capture of the slag heap, as previously arranged, “B” and “C” Companies proceeded to the final objective.

As already anticipated, our greatest trouble was to be from the flanks, and during the final stages of the attack, in which “B” and “C” Companies rushed the embankment, capturing many prisoners, some enemy machine guns came into action and inflicted heavy casualties on us. In spite of this, everything seemed to be happening just in the way we had practised it at Berthonval Farm, even the special carrying parties that were to bring up trench mats for crossing the wire believed to exist around the embankment, arrived, and were much disappointed when they were told they would not be needed. Also the signallers specially attached to Companies for communication with Battalion Headquarters came through, but were unable to use their lamps on account of the smoke and gas.

Considerable trouble was experienced with refractory prisoners, and the evacuation of our casualties was a matter of the greatest difficulty, since by the time “B” and “C” Companies had reached the embankment all sense of direction was lost on account of the darkness and gas fumes, which were now blowing back over the German lines.

The work of destruction completed, the two Companies, “B” and “C”, withdrew as best they could, covered by sections, one from each platoon, acting as a rear-guard.

Observation posts were left on the Railway Embankment at each flank with supporting posts behind them, “A” Company remaining in Metal Trench until “B” and “C” Companies had completed their withdrawal. The observation posts were chiefly organized by Lt. Lennox of “B” Company and Lt. Neil of “C” Company, who were in command of the flank platoons.

“D” Company had detailed parties under Lt. Weber and Lt. Lick, which were to relieve at daybreak the posts left respectively by “B” and “C” Companies. Lt. Lick was, however, killed by a shell near Metal Trench, and his sergeant and corporal wounded. Lt. Weber went up on the left and reached Metal Trench, but at 4.45 a.m. the Germans had counter-attacked in force and our posts withdrew fighting as ordered. When it was learned that Lt. Neil and Lt. Lick were killed and that Lt. Lennox and Lt. Weber were missing a party was sent up Meander Trench to assist the posts. This party got out between Metal Trench and the Railway Embankment just as the Germans began to swarm over it, and also attack from the flank. Our party was obliged to withdraw, taking the balance of the men on the posts with it. Stiff fighting took place all the way back, and many of the enemy were killed.