KEY MAP SHEWING APPROXIMATE POSITIONS OF BATTLE FRONTS OCCUPIED BY THE 42ND DIVISION (E. Lancs. T.)
MOVEMENTS FROM OUTBREAK OF WAR UNTIL ARMISTICE
| 1914-1915 | ||
| Sept.-May | British Army of Occupation in Egypt, and on Suez Canal Defences. | |
| 1915-1916 | ||
| May-Jan. | M.E.F. | At Cape Helles, Gallipoli Peninsula. |
| 1916-1917 | E.E.F. | Suez Canal Defences and Sinai Peninsula. |
| Jan.-Feb. | Advance through Romani to El Arish. | |
| 1917 | ||
| Feb. and March | B.E.F. | Arrived at Marseilles and proceeded to neighbourhood of Abbéville. |
| May | In the line at Epéhy and Lempire. | |
| June | ” ” Havrincourt Wood and Trescault. | |
| Aug. and Sept. | ” ” Ypres. | |
| Sept. | ” ” Coast Sector, Nieuport Bains. | |
| Oct., Nov. | ” ” Nieuport and St. Georges. | |
| Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb., 1918 | ” ” Opposite La Bassée. | |
| 1918 | ||
| Mar., April | ” ” Ervillers, Bucquoy. | |
| May, June, July | ” ” Bucquoy, Gommecourt, Hébuterne. | |
| Aug. | Advanced through Miraumont, Riencourt, Villers-au-Flos. | |
| Sept. | ” ” Havrincourt Wood to Welsh Ridge. | |
| Oct. | ” ” Esnes, Beauvois, across R. Selle. | |
| Nov. | ” ” Le Quesnoy, Mormal Forest to Hautmont. | |
| Nov. 11 | Stood fast on line of Maubeuge—Avesnes Road. |
ILLUSTRATIONS
| Facing page | |
| MAJOR-GENERAL SIR WM. DOUGLAS, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O. | [Frontispiece] |
| MAJOR-GENERAL A. SOLLY-FLOOD, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. | [iv] |
| CAPT. W. T. FORSHAW, V.C., 1/9TH BN. MANCHESTER REGT. | [46] |
| LIEUT. A. V. SMITH, V.C., 1/5TH BN. EAST LANCS. REGT. | [57] |
| PTE. W. MILLS, V.C., 1/10TH BN. MANCHESTER REGT. | [116] |
| SGT. E. SMITH, V.C., D.C.M., 1/5TH LANCS. FUS. | [157] |
| LC.-CORP. A. WILKINSON, V.C., 1/5TH BN. MANCHESTER REGT. | [187] |
| LIEUT.-COL. P. V. HOLBERTON | [131] |
| THE DIVISIONAL COMMANDER AND BRIGADIERS | [242] |
| EGYPT AND SUEZ CANAL | [18] |
| GALLIPOLI: C. HELLES AND KRITHIA NULLAH SECTOR | [19-29] |
| C. HELLES AND GULLY RAVINE SECTOR | [48-60] |
| SINAI PENINSULA | [76-83] |
| COLOURED PLATE: DIVISIONAL FLASHES | [84] |
| BELGIUM: YPRES SECTOR | [98-104] |
| NIEUPORT SECTOR | [105-108] |
| FRANCE: LA BASSÉE SECTOR | [114-118] |
| THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE, MARCH 1918 | [130-131] |
| GOMMECOURT—HÉBUTERNE SECTOR, APRIL-AUGUST 1918 | [142] |
| THE BRITISH ADVANCE: MIRAUMONT—TRESCAULT | [148-166] |
| ” ” THE HINDENBURG LINE | [172] |
| ” ” ACROSS THE R. SELLE | [182-186] |
| ” ” FORÊT DE MORMAL AND HAUTMONT | [192] |
| MAPS | |
| KEY MAP | [x] |
| GALLIPOLI: CAPE HELLES | [22] |
| TRENCH MAP | [34] |
| FRANCE: THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE, 1918 | [128] |
| THE BRITISH ADVANCE, 1918, FIRST STAGE | [171] |
| ” ” ” FINAL STAGE | [179] |
THE 42nd (EAST LANCASHIRE) DIVISION
CHAPTER I
LANCASHIRE AND EGYPT
(August 1914—May 1915)
For a week or two there had been talk of war and of the likelihood of England being involved. The prospects and possibilities formed an interesting topic of conversation and speculation. We leant over the sheer side of the precipice and caught glimpses of the black chasm below, but few really doubted the soundness of the fence over which we peered.