The history of the 9th (Scottish) Division, 1914-1919

by M.C. John Ewing

From the 17th to the 24th no infantry attacks took place, but relentless artillery-fire persistently swept our trench system and back areas. On the 18th an unlucky shell struck the 26th Brigade H.Q., causing the deaths of Lieut.-Colonel Horn, on his way to rejoin the Seaforths, Major Rose, the B.M. of the artillery, Captain Somers Cocks, the Staff Captain, and the Rev. C. G. Meister. The German advance, which had given the enemy possession of Wytschaete, Wulverghem, Neuve Eglise, Bailleul, and Meteren, had now brought him close to the Kemmel-Mont des Cats Ridge, the retention of which was vital to the security of our grip on Ypres and Poperinghe. A weighty blow had been dealt against the British forces, whose organisation had been gravely affected by the necessity of throwing piecemeal all available reserves into the battle line, and Ludendorff might have realised his dreams if he had returned to the main strategical design with which he began the year. But his gains at the Lys had so far exceeded his expectations that he was tempted to carry on in the north in the hope of securing the Channel Ports, and the two schemes, by offering conflicting prizes, began to lose all measure of co-ordination in the German plans.

During this period the French, relieving the Nineteenth Division, joined up with the Ninth on the right, and on the night of the 19th/20th our front north of Eikhof Farm was handed over to the Twenty-first Division. This included the whole of the front originally held by the Ninth Division, and, although the portion south of the Canal had been heavily attacked time after time, no part of the ground had been lost, except that portion in front of the Corps line which was evacuated in conformity with the army plan. On the 19th the 62nd Brigade was relieved and joined its own division, while the H.Q. and two half battalions of the 146th Brigade came under the orders of General Tudor. The remaining two halves arrived on the 21st and 22nd, and two battalions of the 39th Composite Brigade were transferred to the Twenty-first Division. Other reinforcements arrived; the 4th Tank Brigade (less one battalion and without tanks), consisting of the 5th Battalion, with 30 Lewis Gun detachments, and the 13th Battalion with 47. On the 22nd the South African Brigade, for lack of drafts, became a battalion styled the South African Composite Battalion,[113] and the remaining units of the brigade, which retained its distinctive name under Brig.-General Tanner, were made up of the 9th Scottish Rifles and the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers. The former battalion was thus retransferred to its old division from the Fourteenth, while the latter, a Regular battalion originally in the famous Seventh Division, came from the Thirtieth Division, in which it had served since December 1915.

Another stroke against Wytschaete in co-operation with the French was planned for the 26th, but was anticipated by a great German thrust on the 25th. As was not unusual with the Ninth, its line formed a pronounced salient, and on the evening of the 24th was held from right to left by the 27th Brigade from La Gache Farm to Black Cot, by the 146th Brigade to North House, and the 64th to Dome House, and thence by the 26th (with the “Rifles” attached) to the northern divisional boundary at Eikhof Farm. The 27th Brigade was practically facing south. The Vierstraat line and another from 800 to 1000 yards in rear of it, known as “The Cheapside line,” had been assiduously strengthened, and they were divided into three sectors, of which the right was allotted to the 27th, the centre to the 146th, and the left to the 26th Brigade. Each sector was held by one battalion, deployed in depth in and between the two lines, two companies of each battalion being earmarked as garrison, and the remaining two being at the disposal of brigade commanders for counter-attack. On the right the 12th Royal Scots held the line with the K.O.S.B.[114] in close support and the 11th Royal Scots in reserve. Thirteen Lewis Gun detachments of the 5th Battalion (Tank Brigade) were stationed by Brig.-General Croft on supporting positions on Vandamme Hill. The South African Brigade, now in process of reorganisation, and the remainder of the 4th Tank Brigade were in divisional reserve, the former about Hopoutre and the latter half-way between Reninghelst and Poperinghe. The XXII. Corps H.Q. company, also under General Tudor, was composed mostly of men unfit for active operations, and was in reserve.

Our boundary on the south gave to the French the low ridge running east from Mount Kemmel to Spanbroekmolen, without leaving to them sufficient space in which to deploy troops for its defence. It was unfortunate that this ridge was not in the area of the Ninth; for while it was of little account as regards the defence of Kemmel, it was essential for the protection of our right flank. During the week 18th to 26th, although no serious attack developed, the troops were subjected to great strain owing to incessant and severe shell-fire, and the casualties amongst those in and behind the Vierstraat line were numerous.

KEMMEL AND YPRES FROM THE FREZENBERG RIDGE

Between midnight and 1 A.M. on the 25th a prisoner captured by the French stated that a big onslaught was imminent and would probably take place on the 25th. Before daybreak a thick mist straddled the ground, and at 2.30 A.M. a violent hostile bombardment of gas and H.E. opened along the whole front. Telephonic communication between General Tudor and Brig.-General Croft was sundered at the outset, and the S.O.S. was seen to go up on the French front. At 3.20 A.M. the 4th Tank Brigade was ordered to send up immediately two companies to the Cheapside line, and the South Africans were instructed to be ready to move at fifteen minutes’ notice.

At 4.50 A.M. news came from the French that the enemy’s infantry were attacking, and half an hour later the S.O.S. signal was reported from the front of Wytschaete. Kemmel was wreathed in smoke and large numbers of enemy aircraft circled over both it and Wytschaete, but no definite information reached D.H.Q. until 6.40 A.M., when a belated message arrived from the 64th Brigade to the effect that up to 5.15 A.M. no infantry attack had developed on its front. A few minutes later the C.R.A. reported that the enemy’s barrage had moved forward considerably, and that one of our aeroplanes had dropped word that it extended along the whole front from Ludenhoek to the south-west end of the Dammstrasse. At 7.15 A.M. another message from the C.R.A. stated that the Germans were within 300 yards of Siege Farm, about 2000 yards north-west of our right flank troops at La Gache Farm. This information came as a complete surprise, since no news of an infantry attack on our front had yet reached D.H.Q.

The enemy’s onset in the first instance was directed about 3 A.M. against the Twenty-eighth French Division, and the right of the Ninth held by the 12th Royal Scots. At 5 A.M. there was a determined frontal assault on the 12th Royal Scots, and at one time a lodgment was effected between the centre and right companies, but after bitter fighting the Royal Scots drove off the assailants. About 7 A.M. the K.O.S.B. in the Vierstraat line received word from the Royal Scots that their front was intact, and this information was the more amazing in as much as the K.O.S.B. were themselves hotly engaged with the enemy, while French prisoners under escort were observed in their rear. The Germans had been foiled in their frontal attack, but their onrush had pierced the French on our right and enabled them to turn our flank from the south.

The 12th Royal Scots were entirely cut off, and about 8.30 A.M. the battalion fighting desperately to the end was engulfed by a flood of Germans, here and there a whirling eddy testifying to the fury of a last stand. Only a few isolated groups escaped the clutch of the foe and fought their way through many perils to the Cheapside line. On the left of the Royal Scots, the 1st East Yorks Regiment (64th Brigade) was forced back to Grand Bois, where, encircled by hordes of Germans, it put up a gallant fight. The K.O.S.B. also suffered seriously from the enemy’s turning movement; the two forward companies were virtually annihilated after a fierce resistance, and the battalion H.Q. were surrounded and captured. The remainder of the battalion took up a position on the Cheapside line, which was also held by the 9th K.O.Y.L.I. (64th Brigade), and by Lewis Gun detachments of the 4th Tank Brigade. Two companies of the 11th Royal Scots, the Black Watch, and the 9th D.L.I. were sent up in succession to support and continue this line back towards La Clytte.