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

by R. S. H. Moody

The demobilization of such of the men as were miners commenced on the 10th December; but the total dispersal to their homes of an army the size of the British one at this period is a long and tedious job.

VII. 1st Battalion

We left the 1st Battalion in the Malin House area in the vicinity of Dickebusch. It did not immediately take part in the great triumphant and final push, and indeed its history up to the middle of September is not so exciting or full of incident either as that of the sister battalions or as certain periods of its own recent history. It remained in the neighbourhood of Dickebusch, taking its turn in trench work, till the 23rd August; during this period two American companies were attached for a few days, which not only gave our men the pleasure of making new and interesting friends, but was a tangible proof that matters were going well and a successful end to a very awful and strenuous existence fairly in sight; during August, too, came the news of honours, which is always pleasant. First Sgt. Hills got the M.M.; then 2nd Lieut. Lister the M.C. The D.C.M. fell to Sgt. Ayres; and on the 19th there was news of the M.M. for Corpl. Swaine, L.-Corpl. Voyle, and Privates Cook, Dockerill, Lovesey, Stapley and Whiskin.

On the 23rd August the 16th Infantry Brigade was relieved by the 106th American Infantry Regiment and withdrew for training into the St Omer area, the training consisting of the practice of open warfare, and on the 1st September a long railway journey, which was completed next day, took the Buffs with the others all the way to Heilly (between Amiens and Albert). The 16th Brigade spent nearly a fortnight in this neighbourhood, first at Bonnay and then at Fouilloy and Aubigny; and so it was not till the 14th, or five weeks after the British offensive had begun, that the first brigade move was made to Montecourt, the Buffs going to Trefcon, a few miles west of St Quentin. On the 17th the battalion moved to St Quentin Wood and into the battle line after dark, Captain Morley being wounded.

The 1st Battalion, like all the other Buffs in France, was now in the 4th Army, which, as we have seen, was busily engaged in pushing on and fighting its way from Albert to the Hindenburg Line. On the 8th September and following days was fought the great and prolonged Battle of Epehy, the limits of which battle area is officially given as extending from St Quentin (exclusive) to Villers Plouich, a distance of nearly twenty miles as the crow flies. Sir Douglas Haig in his despatches makes use of the words: “Next day at 7 a.m. on the 18th September the 4th and 3rd Armies attacked in heavy rain on a front of about seventeen miles from Holnon to Gouzeaucourt, the 1st French Army co-operating south of Holnon”; and a little later on he writes: “On the extreme right and in the left centre about Epehy the enemy’s resistance was very determined, and in these sectors troops of the 6th, 12th, 18th and 58th Divisions had severe fighting.”

The country over which the 16th Brigade and its immediate neighbours were working during the battle of September may briefly be described as follows: Three miles or so west of St Quentin is a large wood called the Holnon, but sometimes described as the St Quentin Wood. St Quentin itself is commanded to the west and south by high ground; the Hindenburg Line ran just outside this town to the canal at Bellenglise. Holnon village lies in a hollow commanded by Round and Manchester Hills, which latter height lies in the area that was allotted to the French. From the east edge of the wood the ground is a bare slope rising to the high ground overlooking St Quentin. At the highest point and opposite where the centre of the 6th Division was to attack was a network of trenches called the Quadrilateral, which could be reinforced unseen from the enemy’s side of the hill. It was expected that the Germans would stand on the heights commanding St Quentin, but they were reported as being much disorganized and that resistance might not be very obstinate.

The 1st and 6th Divisions, in co-operation with the French, were to capture, on the 18th September, a starting-place for the assault of the Hindenburg Line, and to do this the 11th Essex had, on the 16th, after tremendous effort, secured trenches clear of the Holnon Wood for an assembly position, while with the same object the West Yorkshire had endeavoured to secure Holnon village, but had only gained a part, because the French on the right had failed to take the hills. This failure had its effect on the forming-up arrangements of our troops, as had the fact that the Holnon Wood had become almost impassable from gas shells and wet weather, so much so that the 16th and 71st Brigades had to move round to the north and south of it to get to their places. This fatigued the troops and rendered communications difficult. There was not much time for reconnaissance, for the advance had to be timed in accordance with the movement of the troops to the northward. So on the afternoon of the 17th the 16th Brigade concentrated west of St Quentin Wood preparatory to forming up the next morning. The 18th Brigade had attacked at dawn on the 17th in order to capture the starting-place for the later date, but without success. It was at 6 p.m. that the brigadier of the 16th went out with the commanding officers of the Buffs and the York and Lancaster and chose assembly positions.

On the morrow, with the 71st Brigade on the right and the 16th on the left, the 6th Division attacked the Quadrilateral, being the point where the two joined, and the left of the 16th Brigade being on Fresnoy le Petit. Zero hour was at 5 a.m., the barrage started and the York and Lancaster Regiment moved to the attack. The Buffs were at the north edge of the wood and the objective was south of the village of Gricourt. The York and Lancaster were to capture a line east-south-east of Fresnoy le Petit, and then the Buffs and K.S.L.I. to pass through to their objective. Two tanks were taken to assist the attack, but one failed to start, and the other, after being seen going through Fresnoy le Petit, was never heard of again. At 6.40 the York and Lancaster were reported on their objective, and A, B and C Companies of the Buffs, who had already advanced some distance and suffered a little from shell fire, prepared to play their part. At first they lost direction somewhat owing to the darkness and rain, and then discovered that the satisfactory report about the York and Lancaster Regiment was not quite accurate and that the whole of its objective had not been reached; so that the left company of the Buffs had been held up by machine guns from Fresnoy le Petit, and the support company, after reaching the outskirts of the village, had had to withdraw somewhat. All these causes prevented the remainder of the Buffs with the K.S.L.I. from advancing beyond the position gained by their comrades. Nothing could be heard or seen of the 71st Brigade, which should have been on the right, so this flank was exposed and D Company the Buffs had to be placed on guard there. By evening the different events of the day, together with the difficulty of maintaining direction in the early morning, had completely mixed up the units of the 16th Brigade so much so that the immediate unravelling seemed almost impossible, and the senior officers at various points had to collect all troops in their immediate vicinity and take command of them, thus forming temporarily three composite battalions wherewith to carry on. The 1st Buffs lost 6 officers and 150 men killed and wounded on the 18th.

On the 19th the two more forward of the composite battalions were ordered to attack again at dawn, but the Germans evidently anticipated this move, for they opened a very heavy artillery and machine-gun barrage before the attackers had even started. Fighting went on throughout the day, the Buffs having seventeen more casualties; but no success crowned the British effort, and it became evident enough that the Germans were making a real stand and not merely fighting a rear-guard action. Indeed, it was very noticeable all along the line how the opposition to our advance increased the nearer to the Hindenburg Line we penetrated. Everybody had now experienced heavy fighting and some battalions had suffered heavy loss, and so it was determined to remain comparatively quiet for a day or two and to prepare the way for another regular attack by means of a proper artillery preliminary work. About this time the officer commanding received a petition, signed by thirty men, asking that the gallantry of their company commander might be recognized by the authorities. Captain W. T. Johnston was the officer concerned, and he was awarded the Military Cross.

The renewed attack was commenced on the 24th. The 18th Brigade was on the right and the 16th on the left. The 18th failed to take the Quadrilateral, which was its objective. The front of the fighting, as regards the 16th, was allotted this day to the York and Lancaster and K.S.L.I., the Buffs being in support. It was a very gallant affair and all objectives were taken, but the right of the brigade was exposed as it advanced, owing to the Quadrilateral still being in German hands; so bombing operations on that stronghold were commenced by the Buffs and K.S.L.I. and most of the northern face was taken. The 3rd Brigade, assisted by the York and Lancaster, took Gricourt in the afternoon, and at night the Buffs relieved the K.S.L.I. in first line. The battalion had a list of twenty casualties.