Paragraph 15, 27th September: “The 47th Division on the right of the Guards captured a wood further to the south and repulsed a severe hostile counter-attack”; and later: “The Division made a little more ground to the south, capturing one field gun and a few machine guns.”
Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 19th May, 1916, Messrs. Dent’s edition, paragraph 3, shows that the 47th (Major-General Sir C. St. L. Barter) and 25th Divisions were holding positions on the Vimy Ridge on 21st May, 1916, when the enemy attacked, making “a small gain of no strategic or tactical importance.”
The Division was taken to the Somme, and the despatch of 23rd December, 1916, paragraph 27 (Dent’s edition), shows that as part of the III. Corps, Fourth Army, it was in the attack of 15th September, 1916. “On our left High Wood was at last carried, after many hours of very severe fighting, reflecting great credit on the attacking battalions of the 47th Division.”
Paragraph 31, note, shows the Division was employed on 1st October, 1916, in a successful attack on Eaucourt l’Abbaye and the defences east and west of it.
A week later the Division made an attack on the Butte de Warlencourt, an extremely strong point, but were not successful. Already the mud was making movement almost impossible. The fighting 15th-22nd September is now designated the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, and that between 1st and 18th October the “Battle of the Transloy Ridges.”
The despatch of 25th December, 1917, paragraph 33 (Dent’s edition), contains an account of the Messines battle on 7th June, 1917. “Heavy fighting took place in Wytschaete and further north. London troops (47th Division, Major-General Sir G. F. Gorringe) encountered a serious obstacle in another strong point known as the White Château. This redoubt was captured while the morning was yet young.” The 41st and 47th had further resistance in Ravine Wood, “killing many Germans.” In this battle the 47th Division was in the X. Corps, Second Army.
The 47th Division was in the later stages of the Third Battle of Ypres in the autumn of 1917, see History of the 25th Division, by Col. Kincaid-Smith, Harrison and Sons, page 94. They were in the undesirable Glencorse Wood area. About the third week of August they relieved the 8th Division, and as part of the II. Corps had heavy fighting about 22nd to 24th August when, at serious cost, their line was advanced. On 9th September they took over from the 25th in the same district.
In Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 20th February, 1918, dealing with the “Battle of Cambrai, 1917,” he said, paragraph 11, German attack of 30th November, 1917: “In the northern area the German attack was not launched until some two hours later. This was the enemy’s main attack and was carried out with large forces and great resolution.”
“After a preliminary bombardment and covered by an artillery barrage the enemy’s infantry advanced shortly after 9 a.m. in dense waves, in the manner of his attack in the first battle of Ypres. In the course of the morning and afternoon no less than five principal attacks were made in this area, and on one portion of the attack as many as eleven waves of German infantry advanced successively to the assault. On the whole of this front a resolute endeavour was made to break down by sheer weight of numbers the defence of the London Territorials and other English battalions holding the sector.”
“In this fighting the 47th (London) Division, T.” (Major-General Sir G. F. Gorringe) (which had entered the battle on the night of the 28th-29th November), “the 2nd Division and the 56th (London) Division, T., greatly distinguished themselves and there were accomplished many deeds of great heroism.” After describing attacks made during the day, which were driven back, the enemy’s losses being enormous, the despatch says: “Early in the afternoon the enemy again forced his way into our foremost positions in this locality (west of Bourlon), opening a gap between the 1/6th and 1/15th Battalions, London Regiment. Counter-attacks led by the two battalion commanders with all available men, including the personnel of their headquarters, once more restored the situation. All other attacks were beaten off with the heaviest losses to the enemy.