III. 2nd Battalion
New Year’s Day, 1917, found the 2nd Battalion at Barakli Dzuma, on the eastern side of the River Struma, on the flat ground and under the hills which were occupied by the Bulgarian troops. A more or less quiet time ensued after the raid on “Little Ferdy” trench previously described, though the Buffs made a demonstration on the 8th January in aid of the Middlesex, which regiment carried out on that day a somewhat similar attempt on two trenches on their front. There was, too, at this time a good deal of patrol work done, mostly in the direction of the railway. On the 23rd the battalion, changing places with the 3rd Royal Fusiliers, moved to Ormanli, and a few days later to Lozista, where it remained working very regularly all February. News had arrived on the 9th January of a D.S.O. for Captain Sebastian, and D.C.M.’s for L.-Sgt. Spiller and L.-Corpl. Geohegan. Some little excitement about this time was caused by a rumour that numerous Turks were slipping through our lines and sailing over the lake to join the Bulgarians, but, in spite of several efforts, none were ever caught.
There came a distinct change of scene early in June, and the chief incidents immediately before that date were as follows: on the 4th March the Bulgarians tried to burn the village of Butkova; on the 13th C.S.M. Andrews was awarded the (Italian) Bronze Medal for Military Valour; on the 17th there was heavy shelling on the right of the battalion and the Bulgarians made a demonstration, their infantry advancing to within six hundred yards of our trenches, but we suffered no casualties; and on the 19th the battalion moved to Haznatar, B and C Companies going on three days later to Ormanli to find the guard on Koprivi Bridge. L.-Corpl. Arnold, of D Company, died on the 24th of wounds received when out patrolling. On the 28th and 29th Haznatar was flooded owing to the rising of the river. From the 4th to 14th April the Buffs were at Orljak and then returned to Haznatar. There was always a good deal of patrolling work to be done at this latter place, which was in the advanced British lines, so that casualties from the enemy’s shell fire were not altogether infrequent. For instance, five occurred on the 21st April, one of the men dying of his wounds. On the 2nd May Captain Vertue had a narrow escape and indeed owed his life or his liberty to C.S.M. Andrews. The captain and the sergeant-major were out together, and seeing a Bulgar they fired on him. A minute or two later several of the enemy appeared and then returned the fire; Vertue was wounded, but Andrews immediately picked him up and carried him back. 2nd Lieut. Goodheart was wounded on the 12th.
In the middle of May a minor action was arranged and carried out by the Buffs and 3rd Royal Fusiliers. The latter were on the Buffs’ right and opposite the “Ferdy” group of enemy trenches. During the afternoon of the 15th troops began to get into assembly positions and were ready at 6 p.m. Half an hour later our artillery opened and C and D Companies deployed and advanced, each with one platoon in front extended to five paces; another fifty yards in rear, and the remaining two a hundred yards behind again. These went through the enemy’s line and took what was known as the “Essex” group of trenches, while the Royal Fusiliers on the right took the “Ferdy” group. The Buffs’ casualty list was but six wounded, and several thousand rounds of ammunition and some rifles were found in the captured trenches. Patrols were immediately sent out to front and flanks and the place consolidated, in case of counter-attack, which was, in fact, attempted but without result. On the 27th May the brigade was relieved by the 84th and marched to Orljak.
During the month of May, as has been seen, the casualty list from the action of the enemy was a very small one, but this flat valley of the Struma appears to have been a very unhealthy and malarious place in the summer time and not fitted for even the temporary home of Englishmen. During the month ninety-three Buffs were admitted to hospital, and 63 per cent of the cases were diagnosed as malaria. What was worse, during the following month, though the regiment left the valley, it took the malarial germs with it in the men’s blood, and no less than 240 were admitted to hospital. On the 7th June the battalion left Orljak and marched away, making for the healthy hills. The final object was Paprat, which was reached on the 29th June by a circuitous route, and after a stay of ten days at a place called Vaisili. Here the battalion remained for the whole of the month of July, the men’s health wonderfully improving by the change.
August took the battalion into what was to them an entirely new region. The Allied Army covered Salonica by means of a line north of the town, and roughly some forty miles away from it, the right of this line being thrown back about Butkova, Barakli Dzuma and the River Struma. Up to now this flank had been the scene of the Buffs’ adventures and activities, but August was to be spent in the main part of the line and in the vicinity of Lake Doiran. A deep valley or pass runs up a gentle slope from Lake Doiran towards the east to Dova Tepe, and thence downward again to Butkova lake and the vale of the Struma. On either side of this pass are lofty ranges of mountains. That on the south was in our hands and is the same range on which Paprat stands. The mountains to the north were occupied by the enemy. The railway, which passes over the flat land on the eastern side of the Struma, crosses that stream above Demirhissar, makes a sharp turn westward and penetrates the valley in question, going on to Doiran. The British line was just south of this railway and on the foothills of the southern range of hills which are called the Krusha Balkans. The positions taken up by the companies were as follows: D Company was on Hairy Hill, B Company on Lucky Hill, C on Bermondsey Ridge, with A Company in reserve on a small spur behind it. The enemy at this part of the line was at some distance away, but he had posts of varying strength in all the villages north of the railway line. The first work undertaken was the strengthening of all our defences, which, with the making of the Buffs’ redoubt, was no light labour on account of the hard and rocky ground. A great deal of reconnaissance was also undertaken mostly in the direction of Chalki or Cakli Station and village. There is a great deal of wood, shrub and vegetation about this portion of the country, which rendered patrolling a matter of some difficulty and danger.
However, on the 25th August a raiding expedition was carried out by C Company, under Captain Sebastian, having D Company in support; the plan being that the first-named was to be just south of the Cakli railway station by 3.30 and that two Lewis guns were to be on Lonely Hill. The raiders were then to rush the station, turn south-west and clear Cakli village, push on to Erdzili and Karlu Ovacu and ultimately to withdraw as soon as the villages were clear, covered by a rear guard. A party of the enemy was seen by 2nd Lieut. W. G. Neve’s platoon when close to the railway line and fire was opened through the dense scrub, the Bulgars at once retiring. Seeing this retreat, Neve at once dashed on ahead of his men and reached the railway embankment, where he was shot in the head; he died on reaching the aid post. Our scouts now discovered that the enemy had retired to a trench four hundred yards north-north-west of the station, but from there he continued his retreat up a nullah to Garbali, so the trench was occupied by our people, and from there C Company turned left for Cakli village; but two platoons had to be left behind at the station while Sebastian advanced, having scouts out on his right flank, that is to the north of him. However, he entered the village unopposed. Here, finding that one platoon would not suffice to guard it even temporarily, he put two in position and asked for more men, with the result that Lieut. Marden came up from the reserve with half the company, one platoon going to the village and the other to the station. After scouts had been out to reconnoitre north of Stevens Wood, Sebastian went on and entered the two villages of Erdzili and Karlu Ovacu and, after reporting his success, got orders to withdraw. Before these orders came to hand, however, 2nd Lieut. Manning with one platoon had been sent to take up a position north and north-west of the villages, and he was told to find 2nd Lieut. Renton, who was in charge of the scouts. This was the commencement of a hunt for the scouts in the dense bush. The order to withdraw had come through, but the scattered men could not be found, though Sebastian sent patrol after patrol in search. This, of course, had the effect of greatly delaying the withdrawal, but Renton and his men were found at last and all was well and a lesson in bush warfare learnt.
The battalion was relieved from this part of the country on the 27th and for a good many days was on the march again, mostly on the high ground till Turbes was reached; here work was commenced on the mainline defences on the right bank of the Struma about Orljak bridge. The battalion remained at Turbes till the 14th October. Towards the end of August Lt.-Colonel Thewles, D.S.O., Captain Vertue, M.C., Lieut. Beswick and L.-Corpl. Boswell were mentioned in despatches.
COUNTRY NORTH OF BAGHDAD