HLI Chronicle 1915 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

72 HIGHLA.ND' UUHT 'INFANTRY CHRONICLE.
2nd Battalion News.
THE following account of the doings of the
,2nd H.L.I. from mobilisation up till March
31, 1915, though somewhat bald in detail,
will, .we hope, prove interesting to our readers,
and will undoubtedly be of value to future
'historians of the part played by the Battalion
in the great European war.
The order to mobilise was received at 6
p.m. on the 4th August, ]914, the Battalion
being' then stationed in Stanhope Lines,
Aldershot. Mobilisation was carried out
smoothly and without a hitch, and on the
fifth day they were ready to take the field.
On August 9th they were inspected by
their Majesties the King and Queen. Early
on August 13th the Battalion left Aldershot,
and embarked the same day at Southampton.
Strength-1014 of all ranks. The following
officers embarked with the Battalion:­
Lieut.-Colonel A. A. Wolfe-Murray (commanding)
; Major E. R. Hill (2nd in command);
Major R. E. S. Prentice; Captains R. G. 1.
Chichester, C. R. G. Mayne, D.S.O., A. W.
D. Gaussen, H. H. Stevenson, K. L. Buist,
J. H. Hope (adjutant), F. S. Thackeray;
Lieuts. W. L. Brodie, A. P. D. Telfer-Smollett,
Sir A. C. Gibson Craig, Bart., J. li'D. Latham;
2nd Lieuts. C. W. Hooper, C. J. Wallace,
J. A. H. Fergusson R. C. H. Powell, C. L.
M'Kenzie, R. A. F. 'Whistler, E. R. l\1'Donald,
- Dickson ; Lieut. 'C. L. Cornish (Reserve of
Officers) ; J-ieut. ,J. O'Connell, R.A.:M:.C.
(Medical Officer); Captain and Qnartermaster
J. E. Taylor.,
The Battalion J fOl'med part of the 5th
Brigade, 2nd Division, the otlier regiments
in the Brigade being 2nd Worcestershire Regiment,
2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Light .Infantry, and 2nd Connaught Rangers.
Brigade Commander-Brig.-General R. C. B.
Haking, C.B.
On the follo\ving day they disembarked
'at Boulogne, where they received a very
hearty welcome from the inhabitants. On
the 15th, after being visited by Field-Marshal
Sir J. French, they entrained for Wassigny,
whence they marched to billets at Petit
Verley.
The Battalion remained ,at Petit Verley
from August 17th to 21st. They performed
various drills there, and were most warmly
received by the inhabitants, who presented
them with fruit and fiowers.
On August 21st they marched via Hannappes,
Vencrolles, Etreuy, Fesmy, to La
Groise, where they billeted. The following
day they proceeded via Landrecies, Maroilles,
Noyelles, Leval, to Pont-sur-Sambre, where
they again went into billets. On both these
days the weather was 'very hot and trying,
especially to the Reservists. Continuing their
march on August 23rd, they crossed the
Belgian frontier near Malplaquet, and arrived
in the afternoon at Genly.
At 2-30 a.m. on the 24th they arrived at
Paturage, and at daylight took up a position
covering the town. It was here the Battalion
first came under the German rifle and shell
fire, losing 14 N.C.O.'s and men wounded.
Later in the day they received the order,
with remainder of British troops, to retire,
and did so to Ba vai.
Leaving Bavai early on the 25th, the Battalion
retired through Pont-sur-Sambre, and
bivouacked at Noyelles. On the 26th the
retirement was continued to Barzy, the road
being much blocked by French troops and
transport. On the 27th they retired via
Nouvions to St. Quentin, arriving at the latter
place at 10 p.m., after a 30-mile march. The
Battalion was highly complimented by their
Brigadier on their splendid exertions regardless
of heat and fatigue. On this day they were
warned there was nothing between them and
the Germans, and if necessary they must
ab.andon their transport. .
en the 28th the Battalion made a hot
and distressing march to SenTais, where they
rested the following day, covered by the
French.
The retirement during the' succeeding days
up till September 6th may briefly be des,cribed
as follows :-August 30th, Servais to near
Soissons ; August 31st, across the Aisne' to
Laversine; September 1st, via Villers-Cot·