september 16th | robert haines | Robert Haines

Simon Haines

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:26:18 +0000

1897-1916 "missing"

6:20 pm

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:00:49 +0000

"I received orders to renew the attack at 6.55 pm. assisted by 2 Coys 6th K.O.Y.L.I. After consulting O.C. K.O.Y.L.I. I arrange that my men should leave X-X trench at 6.55, the two Coys K.O.Y.L.I. leaving A-A trench at the same hour. I considered that this attack had little chance of success, inxt & the short time at my disposal made it impossible for my runners to reach the Coys in time for the men, many of whom were lying in shell holes to be warned in time. Consequently, when the K.O.Y.L.I. who advanced at 6.55 pm. reached X.X. trench my men were still there, Most of my Companys attempted to advance, but the M.G. fire was too strong & the attack broke down."

3:50

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:00:45 +0000

"I received a message informing me that the devision on our right was to attack at 4 pm, & instructing me to co-operate if I thought there was a fair chance of doing it successfully. I did not think there was such a chance for the following reasons:-

I had no time to make preparations or to issue orders.

The artillery preparation was still inadequate.

M.G.s were as active as ever.

I therefore did not attack."

2:40 pm

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:00:41 +0000

"There are large numbers, I believe, lying in No Man’s Land, including several officers. Stretchers are urgently required."

12:20 pm

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:00:36 +0000

"There is very heavy machine gun fire, probably from shell holes or Gird trench to our front and right flank and it is impossible to get on. Barrage did not appear intense enough and there was very little of it to the right of the Ginchy-Gueudecourt road (Watling Street). The line of advance is very open and under machine gun fire all the way."

11:50 am

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:00:33 +0000

"Brigadier-General Wood sent a message urging both battalion commanders, Somerset and Durham, to hang on where they were until the situation could be cleared up on their right, where he had managed to have the bombardment renewed. But doing so had not been easy."

"Considerable difficulty and delay were experienced in getting (messages) through to the artillery as they had to be sent to the divisional artillery and in both cases the line was engaged."

7:39 pm

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:59:23 +0000

"Night had then commenced & parties were sent out to try & collect the various small parties & consolidate the ground won after great difficulty the trench was discovered, enough men were collected to hold with the help of one coy of the K.O.Y.L.I.this line was then held & consolidated until relieved by the 13th Batt. Northumberland Fusiliers in the early hours of the morning just enable the remnants of the balln to get clear over the crest of the hill by daybreak. Our casualties were every officer who went over the parapet 3 were killed, 12 wounded 2 are missing. O ranks casualties were 41 killed 203 wounded 143 Missing. Operation orders enclosed with full account."

"All 43 Brigade battalion commanders including those brought up from the rear to help, were highly critical of the inadequate artillery support which the attackers had been given. Casualties in the brigade were: officers, 17 killed, 47 wounded,3 missing; men, 140 killed, 759 wounded, 457 missing - in all, 67 officers and 1,366 men."

10:20 am

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:59:09 +0000

"Suffering heavy casualties from machine guns on right flank."

9:45 am

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:04:19 +0000

"B C A coys attacked Gird Trench & Gird Support supported by D Coy, but before reaching their first objective, they came under heavy machine gun fire from both flanks which inflicted heavy casualties upon us & we were obliged to dig ourselves in without reaching the objective."

9:25 am

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:01:29 +0000

"Zero was 9.25 a.m. but it did not go well. As the men rose from their trenches they were met by a hail of machine gun and rifle fire, some from the front but mainly enfilading from the right."

6:00 am

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:56:19 +0000

"The British bombardment opened about 6am but it was desultory and too scanty to be effective. A few well directed shots on the German troop reinforcements were noted but before 9 a.m. few were fired. To the left of our line the bombardment had been even weaker."

"Received final orders. I sent for my O.C. Companies and issued my orders. My arrangements were that the attack was to be made in two waves by the companies in the front line. Companies were to right incline on leaving our trench. Company objectives were Gird Support and when Gird Support had been captured to Gird Trench. Each company was to leave a clearing-up party of one bombing squad and six men in Gird Trench and then follow the barrage to Gird Support."

1:30 am

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:52:00 +0000

"No rations had arrived so we moved to the front line and relieved the 42 brigade who had attacked in the morning and had received heavy losses. The line was very vague but we managed to get relief over just before daybreak.

Rations only arrived for 2 Coys the other coys eat their iron rations, the worst difficulty was water which was very scarce."