Historical records of the Buffs, East Kent Regiment (3rd Foot)

by R. S. H. Moody

COMBLES AND MORVAL

RONSSOY

The 37th Brigade passed through the 35th with the 6th Buffs on the right and West Kent on the left. The 9th Battalion of the Essex were attached to the Buffs and the 6th Queen’s to the 6th West Kent. The objective of the brigade was a line just west of the St Quentin Canal. The zero hour was 5 a.m. when, after a short artillery barrage, the forward move was commenced, the Buffs having A Company on the left, B on the right, C left support and D right support. Owing to the very strong resistance of the enemy, mostly by means of machine guns, the progress was rendered very slow, but at 8.45 the Buffs reported all going well, and at 9 o’clock the Americans were on all objectives. As the canal was approached the opposition became stronger, and this was particularly so at the Quarries, which fell to the lot of the Buffs to take. Indeed, at 10.30 the battalion had to report its left company as being held up here. However, delay was the worst misfortune that befell; gradual advance was made and the objectives were at length reached about 5 p.m. and consolidated after really stubborn fighting, which lasted all day without a break. The Buffs were, however, the only unit of the division that had attained the Blue Line. They captured 120 prisoners and about 40 machine guns, but lost Lieut. H. Thompson killed, Lieut. Dunkerley wounded, 2nd Lieut. Beard missing and about 40 killed or wounded.

The following day the battalion, working forward, reached the canal bank, having picked up four prisoners on the way, captured a 77-mm. gun and bombed many of the enemy’s dug-outs.

The 12th Division was then relieved by the 18th, the 6th Battalion marching back to Guyencourt, while the 7th, who had marched off at 8.20 a.m. on the 29th and, moving south of Epehy, crossed the Epehy-Ronssoy road into St Patrick’s Valley, where it halted about 10.10 a.m. Orders were then received to push on into the Macquincourt Valley to a position of deployment, but trouble came now and the further movements of the newly arrived battalion of the Buffs and others were altered more than once by varying circumstances, the end of the day coming without any marked episode, and evening finding the men in Sart Farm and the neighbouring trenches. The Buffs had moved forward according to order, following the 7th Queen’s, and these were held up by enemy’s machine guns near Guillemont Farm. Further movements not being possible, orders came to occupy an area of trenches in the neighbourhood. An abortive attempt at attack on the Knoll was commenced soon after one o’clock, but the situation was found to be too obscure and the fire too hot to advance against, so the brigade settled into the trenches for the night. During the morning of the following day an officer’s patrol from A Company pushed on and established a post in Macquenet trench, and orders came about 1 p.m. to make all progress possible in the direction of Vendhuille, so by 5 p.m. A Company was established in Macquenet trench, losing its leader, Lieut. A. N. Widdop, while moving there, and B and C well forward; but at night the battalion position was taken over by the East Surreys and the Buffs were placed in brigade reserve, and on the 2nd October were taken away to Contay, some ten miles west of Albert, for a fortnight’s rest and recreation, which of course included training.

An endeavour has been made to trace the history of the 6th Battalion and the 7th together from the capture of Albert to that of the Hindenburg Line at Vendhuille, that is from the 22nd August till the end of September, because during that very strenuous and historic period the 12th and 18th Divisions, to which the Buff units respectively belonged, were working hand in hand, supporting and relieving each other and so on, but from the 1st October till the end of the war the 6th and 7th were far apart again; the former, together with the whole division in which it was serving, was transferred to the 1st Army very early in October, and therefore the area of their activities was no longer identical, and the 6th Buffs were at Rumegies, ten miles south of Tournai, when the war came to an end; while the 7th celebrated that event at the village of Pommereuil, not very far from Le Cateau. It will therefore be convenient now to complete the war story of the 6th Battalion and then consider that of their comrades of the 7th.

IV. 6th Battalion

On the 1st October, then, the 6th Buffs proceeded by bus and by march route into billets at Caucourt, which village may be about twelve miles or so north-west of Arras, but rest here was for an extremely short period and the 6th of the month found the battalion in buses again for Avion, from whence it marched into trenches at Mericourt, just south-east of Lens. This region was not yet clear of the enemy, who had been driven back since August considerably further in some directions than in others. The old and familiar machine gun was soon heard again, therefore, and they were very active the day after the battalion arrived, and the usual patrols which went out in front experienced also their fire on the 8th. However, these patrols established themselves at Molly Villers, a thousand yards in front of our own line, being relieved by the West Kent soon afterwards. On the 13th the 6th Royal West Kent advanced from Mericourt to the Drocourt-Queant trenches, and they had the Buffs in support during the move which brought both regiments into this line for the night, the Buffs’ headquarters being at Floquieres. At this time there was a certain amount of movement occasioned by the readjustment of the larger commands preparatory to a grand processional march towards the east; the enemy was at his last gasp, so to speak, and there was no longer any very strenuous opposition. The 37th Brigade ultimately concentrated at Auby on the 18th October and the advance commenced the next day, the units taking turn to lead and encounter any opposition that might have been organized. Thus the West Kents led off and the Buffs followed, the first day taking the brigade to Flines. On the 20th the Buffs led and advanced as far as Beuvry, arranging the front line at Orchies-Beuvry. This was a very satisfactory day, because the Buffs were able to set free hundreds of unfortunate civilians who had been in the power of the beastly Germans, who, of course, had not actually evacuated the country which was now being passed over. There was always an attempt to sting during the great retreat, even if no regular resistance was made. Thus a soldier was killed on the way to Beuvry, and 2nd Lieut. Roper-Curzon and four men wounded.