It is advisable now to consider the doings of the 2nd Battalion in the immediate neighbourhood of Salonica. The life in this theatre of war was far less full of exciting incident than in France and Flanders, and, after their thrilling experiences in the latter theatre, those men of the Buffs that were still serving in the 2nd Battalion must have looked upon their new work in the light almost of a rest from war, though not from the labour and hardships incidental to it.
Early in the year 1916 the army was contracted into a small line just north of Salonica and was merely a defensive force guarding that base port, but Lt.-General Sir G. F. Milne arranged in May with the French General, Sarrail, that there should be an advance northwards and a greater area occupied, the British army taking the ground to the north and east, and the French the western area. On the 8th of June, therefore, the troops commenced to occupy advanced positions along the right bank of the River Struma and its tributary the Butkova river. In connection with this movement the 85th Brigade, and of course the Buffs with it, brought to an end what was becoming a somewhat monotonous life and, on the 10th June, was ordered to hold forward positions along the right bank of the Struma, with its right on Orljak.
Therefore, on the 17th of the month, the Buffs found themselves at a point three kilometres (say two and a half miles) west of Kopriva, with orders to take up an outpost line to cover the crossings of the Struma. The line taken up by the regiment was about six kilometres long, and as the hills come practically down to the stream, these formed natural positions to take up and indeed had already been used by the French, who had sited and just started a certain number of trenches, which it was decided to complete. The river was found to be fordable almost everywhere. Opposite the battalion front and some seven or eight miles away was the town of Demirhissar, which was occupied by the enemy. The battalion remained in this position till the 15th July and, though there was no actual fighting to do, another enemy soon became very troublesome indeed: the heat down near the river was intense and the local fever soon made itself apparent. This took the form of very high temperatures, very suddenly developed, and was of such common occurrence that the Field Ambulance became congested and the evacuation of the sick a matter of great difficulty. Further, the Buffs were without their Medical Officer for about a week.
The welcome order to move to higher ground came on the 9th July, but it was not till the 15th that the Buffs were relieved by the K.O.Y.L.I., who belonged to the 83rd Brigade. Then they marched to Paprat, a two days’ journey, where an excellent bivouac ground was found and where the weather conditions were very much better. Yet malaria has a nasty way of getting into a man’s system at malarial places and only showing itself later on, probably in a healthy country, and the sickness for the first few days at Paprat only increased instead of diminishing; four officers and many men going sick in the first ten days. On the 30th the battalion moved to Hamzali for work on the roads and to take up a section of outpost line. This place is situated on the same range of hills as Paprat, but is nearer the river. The battalion still continued to lose officers and men from fever. Two companies worked at headquarters and two were in the outpost line employed on the defences there.
Away off to the left and near the Doiran lake the British and French commenced a successful offensive on the 10th August, and this lasted for a week, resulting in the capture of some important positions. While these events were still in progress, the Bulgarians in the Struma valley began to advance, to be accurate on the 17th August. They did so apparently in seven columns, three of them moving southward from Demirhissar towards the Struma river. On the 18th an observation post in the outpost line reported seeing a battalion occupy the village of Barakli Dzuma and a considerable force with guns and transport moving in the direction of Seres. As these movements of enemy troops continued on the following day, and as on the 20th considerable activity of small bodies of mounted men were noticed, apparently reconnoitring the river about Ormanli, and as there was a considerable amount of shelling on this date, Elishan, a village on the further bank of the Struma, was occupied by a company of English infantry.
It appeared at this time to be probable that the Bulgarians might be bold enough to assault the British lines, and every effort was being made to strengthen the defences of the outpost line. The Buffs were terribly weak in numbers. Available men for drafts were, of course, just now required in every part of the world. The Somme offensive was in full swing and men were being killed and maimed there daily. Sickness had thinned the ranks of the 2nd Battalion to a terrible extent, and at the moment when a Bulgarian attack appeared imminent it could only place 185 men in the outpost line with 45 in reserve, though a welcome reinforcement of 123 arrived on the 30th of the month. However, two machine guns from the M.G. Company were attached to the battalion and the defence works were kept in repair and ready for emergency.
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SALONICA: ROAD MADE BY BRITISH