Although fighting went on all down the line, and constant raids were made, no operations on a large scale were carried out by either side during the first two months of the year. In March the great German attack on the Third and Fourth British Armies commenced. The British positions were penetrated in several places, and a large number of prisoners were claimed. This initial success was quickly followed by other victories, and the territory which had been gained during the last year was lost by the British. Towards the end of March the German rush was checked, but not until they had nearly reached Amiens.
In Russia peace was signed with the Germans, and hostilities ceased on the Eastern front.
In Italy attacks on a small scale continued, but no large operations were attempted.
In Palestine General Allenby continued his advance north of Jerusalem, and in Mesopotamia General Marshall defeated the Turkish Army at Khan Baghdadre.
January 1 to March 31, 1918
1st Batt.
Jan. 1918.
| The officers of the 1st Battalion were as follows: | |
| Lieut.-Colonel M. E. Makgill-Crichton-Maitland, D.S.O. | Commanding Officer. |
| Major Viscount Lascelles | Second in Command. |
| Capt. P. J. S. Pearson-Gregory, M.C. | Adjutant. |
| Lieut. W. H. Lovell, M.C. | Lewis Gun Officer. |
| 2nd Lieut. L. G. Byng | Transport Officer. |
| Capt. J. Teece, M.C. | Quartermaster. |
| Lieut. L. de J. Harvard | King’s Company. |
| Lieut. J. A. Lloyd | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. R. C. Bruce | ” ” |
| Lieut. A. A. Moller, M.C. | No. 2 Company. |
| 2nd Lieut. W. U. Timmis | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. E. G. Hawkesworth | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. V. A. N. Wall | ” ” |
| Lieut. O. F. Stein | No. 3 Company. |
| Lieut. P. G. Simmons, M.C. | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. F. H. Ennor | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. S. J. Hargreaves | ” ” |
| Capt. R. D. Lawford | No. 4 Company. |
| Lieut. R. P. le P. Trench, M.C. | ” ” |
| Lieut. J. F. Tindal-Atkinson | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. C. C. Mays | ” ” |
| Capt. H. H. Castle, R.A.M.C. | Medical Officer. |
The 1st Battalion left its billets north of the Scarpe, and went by train to Fampoux, where it relieved the 12th Battalion Highland Light Infantry in the line, with three companies in the front trench and one in reserve. On the 5th it was relieved by the 4th Battalion Grenadiers, and retired into Brigade Reserve for four days. On returning to the front trenches on the 9th, a hostile patrol was observed approaching our lines,
and was easily dispersed. One German appeared without any arms or equipment, and on being challenged gave himself up: he turned out to be a miserable specimen belonging to the 236th Prussian Infantry Regiment. On the 13th the 1st Battalion again went into reserve, and on the 16th retired to Arras. During the days spent in the trenches, one man had been killed and several wounded. Lieutenant H. B. Vernon, Second Lieutenant J. H. Frere, Lieutenant R. Echlin, and Second Lieutenant J. R. Nicholson joined the Battalion, and Major Lord Lascelles left to go through a Commanding Officers’ course at Aldershot. On the 25th the 1st Battalion again went into the line, relieving the 1st Battalion Irish Guards just south of the River Scarpe. On the 29th the enemy put down a considerable barrage, lasting half an hour, of all calibres, including trench mortars, on the front line where No. 2 Company under Captain Rhodes was posted, and made an attempt to raid the posts in two places under cover of the barrage. They were, however, repulsed, and never succeeded in entering our trenches. A patrol, that subsequently went out, found two dead and two wounded Germans belonging to the Twenty-fourth Divisional Sturm-Truppen, and ascertained from one of the wounded men that the raiders had numbered fifty, but had been prevented from advancing any farther on account of their barrage shooting short. The casualties in No. 2 Company were two killed and nine wounded, mostly by shell-fire.