HLI Chronicle 1915 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

118 HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY CHRONICLE.
5th, clearing up, reorganising, and practising
. bomb-throwing and the use of respirators.
A draft of 88 rank and file joined on the 28th.
The weather remained very good, and the
whole Battalion were able to have bathing
parades and have all clothing fumigated.
During this period the following further
reinforcements joined :-2nd Lieut. R. Murray
(from hospital), Lieut. W. S. Cassidy, 2nd
Lieuts. W. C. D. M'Farland and T. H. F.
Stephen, 2nd Lieuts. Cross man and Fulton
(Royal Scots), 2nd Lieuts. Sime, Peek, and
Aitken (Cameronians), Captain J. A. Balfour,
2nd Lieut. Anderson, and 183 rank and file.
At 7040 p.m. on June 5th the Battalion marched
to Rue de Bois and took over trenches in relief
of the Connaught Rangers (Ferozepore Brigade).
'rhere were no casualties. The following
t,day was very quiet, and at night
work at sanitation, improvement of wire
entanglements, parapets, etc., was carried out.
Casualties :-Rank and file--l killed and 2
wounded. On June 7th there was some
artillery fire, chiefly "pip-sweaks," at the
breastwork in the support line. There was
also some bombing on both sides. Casualties:
-Rank and file-l killed and 2 wounded.
2nd Lieuts. Gunn and 1\:1'Ewan, 3rd Black
Watch, arrived. From June 8th to 20th is a
long record of trench warfare, bombing by
both sides, and artillery fire. The enemy
appeared very "jumpy" On the 15th a
minor operation, in the form of a bomb-party,
was unsuccessful owing to inefficient support
from the 9.2 guns. The casualties during this
period were 5 killed and 53 wounded (rank
and file). On June 8th 2nd Lieut. Foster
(Indian Army) joined for duty; on the 9th
Captain C. A. G. L. Farie, from the Royal
Flying Corps, rejoined; and on June 13th
a draft of 59 N.C.O.'s and men under 2nd
Lieut. Ramsay (3rd Black Watch) joined.
On June 20th the Battalion was relieved by
the 2nd Manchester Regiment, and marched
to La Gorgue, after the longest spell in the
trenches it had yet experienced. '
On the 22nd every man got a hot bath at
least twice. After this, training was carried
out, speeial attention being devoted to (1)
instruction of as many men as possible in
bomb-throwing; (2) respirator drill; (3)
steady drill; (4) short route marches and
march discipline. Battalion sports were held
on the 26th, and aquatic sports in the canal
on the 27th. On the evening of June 29th
the Battalion marched to take over the line
of trenches from the 2nd Manchester Regiment
N.E. of N euve Chapelle on a front of roughly
1100 yards. The dispositions were :-3 companies
in the front line; 1 company (less 1
platoon) in reserve; 1 platoon and 40 men
15th B.L. in "keeps"; 5 machine guns in
firing line and 1 in support. The strength was
556 rifles in the firing line, 90 rifles in "keeps,"
and 148 rifles in reserve. The following day
passed very quietly. Many patrols were sent
out at night, and sniping started with some
success-2nd Lieutenant Cross man claiming
a German artillery observer brought down
from a high tree. Casualties :-Rank and file-­
I killed; 2 wounded. The Battalion remained
in trenches at Neuve Chapelle till
July 15th. Up to the 10th things were very
quiet, sniping and occasional artillery fire
being all there is to record. The casualties
were :--2nd Lieutenant Crossman (on 6th)
wounded; rank and file-I killed, 18 wounded.
On the night of July 9th-10th special precautions
were taken, the enemy being reported
massing in front of Armentieres-La Bassee.
Lieutenant Forster with a patrol got up to the
German wire during the night, and reported on
its strength, etc. On the night of July 11th­
12th the same officer with a pat~ol went up to
the German wire and found the top wire
removed, and heard sounds of loosening sticks.
On the same night a patrol under Lieutenant
Whiteside discovered paths cut through the
German wire. In consequence the Battalion
stood to arms all night, and bursts of rapid
fire were kept up on the German trenches till
1-30 a.m. On Julv 12th a memorial cross
was erected, just E. of Brewery, to the 8
officers and 106 N.C.O.'s and men of the Battalion
who were killed near that spot on }'farch
12th, 1915, and follo\,ling days. The enemy
continued to work very hard in and about
their trenches, possibly with a view to the
offensive, as they appeared to be making new
assembly and communication trenches. On
the night. of the 14th-15th July the Battalion
was relieved by the 1st Manchester Regiment
in continuous rain, and marched to billets at
La Gorgue. They remained there until the
23rd, training especially in bomb-throwing.
On the 23rd they moved into billets at Lavenne,
being in Brigade reserve. On the 26th they
relieved the 4th King's Own in the front line
at Fauquissart, and on July 30th they were
in turn relieved by the 2nd Black Watch and
marched to billets at Epinette-the casualties
during the last half of July being I man
wounded. On August 1st the Battalion
relieved the 2nd Bedfords in trenches at Rue