May–June, 1917
On the evening of the 8th the Battalion relieved the 4th South Lancashire Regiment in the right sub-sector of the Potijze Sector, and started work immediately on the trenches and patrolling. During the night of the 11th the battalions on our left and right made raids on the enemy line, and we suffered a few casualties in consequence. During the night of the 13th our patrol of two officers and three other ranks encountered a strong enemy patrol of fifteen to twenty men and dispersed them. Life hereabouts alternated between the trenches in the Potijze Sector and billets in Ypres, and was of a more or less routine character. The Battalion played no part, save that of spectators, in the Second Army’s capture of the Messines Ridge on June 7th. But before that operation lavish use of scaling ladders and shrapnel helmets was made in our trenches in order to deceive the enemy as to the front from which the expected attack would be delivered. At 3.10 a.m. on June 7th the Battalion saw to the south-east of Ypres nineteen gigantic poppies rise out of the darkness, the firing of the mines upon which the tunnelling companies had been occupied for two years; and even to-day the sight remains imprinted upon the visual memory.
On the evening of June 9th a smart little raid was carried out to ascertain if the Messines operations had resulted in any transfer of enemy troops from other areas. A party of thirty other ranks of the Battalion, under Second-Lieut. J. C. Alexander, entered the German lines at Ibex Trench, capturing six Germans and killing three others, with no casualties amongst our men. This was a most successful operation. Second-Lieut. J. Alexander was awarded the Military Cross for his leadership, while Lance-Corporal C. F. Cooper and Private J. McAlarney each received the Military Medal for bravery displayed during the raid.
On the morning of the 11th the Battalion marched to Poperinghe, entrained for Esquelbecq, and thence by route march to billets at Bollezeele for training. On the 13th, after cleaning up and bathing parades, Companies were inspected by the Commanding Officer, Lieut.-Colonel G. B. Balfour. On the 16th we moved by road to billets and bivouacs at Grand Difques (Headquarters and “B” Company) and Petite Difques (“A,” “C” and “D” Companies), and Battalion training was resumed in the familiar downlands west of St. Omer. The training was of a more advanced nature than in April, and included Brigade field-days with preparation for offensive warfare on a large scale. Training was generally completed by the early afternoon, so that many hours of sunshine remained to be enjoyed each day.
July, 1917
On June 30th Companies were inspected, and the transport moved by road to Wallon Cappel en route for the line once more, while on July 1st the Battalion marched to Lumbres and entrained for Brandhoek, relieving the 4th Liverpools at Derby Camp. On our return to the forward area we found great activity everywhere: formation of dumps, preparation of gun positions, construction of tracks leading towards Ypres through the country between Vlamertinghe and Brielen.
On the 2nd we relieved the 6th Liverpools in the Wieltje right sub-sector of the line, and commenced work on trenches, sand-bagging and repairing wire. The usual patrols were sent out nightly. There was increasing activity and unrest on both sides, and we received a heavy bombardment on the 3rd when the Brigade on our left carried out a raid. On the 7th the Brigade on our right carried out a successful raid on the enemy trenches, and he retaliated with a gas-shell bombardment. On July 9th we were relieved by the 4th Loyals and proceeded to billets at Derby Camp.
Nominally in billets, but truly in name only. July 9th to 19th—a period of intense strain. Companies lived in dugouts and strong points between Derby Camp and Ypres. About 7 p.m. “A” Company (Captain R. Gardner, M.C.), like all the others, used to parade for a night’s work in the trench area east of Ypres—mostly carrying up materials and munitions from dumps at Potijze and St. Jean to selected positions for new dumps in the front line system—very trying, as Ypres and the forward area were shelled with gas the whole time and the parties had to work for long periods in box respirators. In the end the allotted tasks were all carried out, with heavyish casualties from shell fire and mustard-gas poisoning; mustard gas began to be very bad from that point onwards. On getting through the gas area to the west of Ypres again the working parties not infrequently received salvoes of machine gun fire from hostile aeroplanes a mile or so from their dugouts. Breakfast on return (5 to 6 a.m.): sleep 6 a.m.—dinner (12 to 1 p.m.): afternoon spent in administration and “paper” warfare with higher authority; then back again to Ypres about 7 p.m. Ypres a grim sight: a mass of flames from burning dumps. Every evening until the 19th the Battalion paraded as strong as possible for work in the forward area. Intense activity was apparent everywhere, and there were visible signs that operations on a large scale were in early contemplation.
The objective of the Flanders offensive was the freeing of the north-west of Belgium. The attack was delayed, partly owing to the vastness of the preparations to be made on ground largely overlooked by the enemy, partly to the policy of associating the hard-hit French with the work of freeing part of Belgium. Three armies were to be employed in the attack—the Second and Fifth British Armies and the First French Army. Refitting and organization proceeded apace, and on the morning of the 23rd Brigadier-General Stockwell addressed all Officers and N.C.O’s regarding the forthcoming operations. On the 26th Companies were inspected and addressed by the Commanding Officer, Lieut.-Colonel G. B. Balfour, and on the evening of the 29th the Battalion, in fighting order with packs, proceeded to the concentration area.
We concentrated, under cover, in an assembly area just south of Vlamertinghe and were ordered to get as much rest as we could during the 30th. Some no doubt, slept as ordered, and others, like Julius Cæsar’s troops before the battle with Ariovistus and his Germans in 58 B.C., began to think of making their wills.