The_Poppy_September_2012_Part1.pdf - The Western Front ...

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4th Bn Royal Fusiliers at Mons on 22nd August 1914 Action at Reutel on 4th October 1917 on 7th May 1942, age 26. He is buried in Kirkee War Cemetery, grave 8.B.8, approximately 100 miles southeast of Mumbai. On mobilisation at the outbreak of war, the 1st Battalion was stationed at The Curragh but left Ireland on 7th August 1914 to land in France at le Havre on 13th August 1914. Forming part of 14th Brigade in 5th Division the 1st Battalion concentrated with the rest of the Division around Landrecies between 16th and 20th August 1914. During 1914 the Division took part in the Retreat from Mons at Mons (23rd-24th August), Élouges (24th August), le Cateau (26th August) and Crépy-en-Valois (1st September). The Division then saw action in the Battle of the Marne (6th-9th September) and the Battle of the Aisne (13th-20th September) before arriving in Flanders to take part in the Battles of la Bassée (10th October-2nd November), First Ypres (5th-19th November) and Nonne Bosschen (11th November). During the spring of 1915 the Division was engaged in the Capture of Hill 60 (17th- 22nd April), the Second Battle of Ypres (23rd April-1st May), Gravenstafel Ridge (23rd April) and St. Julien (24th April-5th May). Following a restructuring on 12th January 1916, the 1st Battalion was transferred from 14th Brigade in 5th Division to a re-designated 95th Brigade in the same division. The newly formed Brigade saw action during 1916, in the Battles of the Somme at High Wood (20th-25th July), Guillemont (3rd-6th September), Flers-Courcelette (18th-22nd September) and Morval (25th-26th September). In the spring 8
of 1917, the Brigade fought in the Battles of Arras at Vimy Ridge (9th-14th April), la Coulotte (23rd April), the Third Battle of the Scarpe (3rd-4th May) and Oppy Wood (28th June). During the Third Battle of Ypres the 1st Battalion was in billets at Méteren on 1st October 1917, training for the forthcoming attack on the Broodseide Ridge on 4th October 1917. Enemy aircraft were very active dropping bombs on the outskirts of the town but no casualties were sustained. On the 2nd October about 130 bombs were dropped on the transport line killing four men and wounding seven others with two horses killed. The battalion left Méteren at 7.00 a.m. and after a long journey, including a lengthy period of rest, reached the reserve position in Sanctuary Wood at 7.30 p.m. Soon after arriving, the enemy put down a heavy barrage between 8.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. but fortunately no serious damage was done. During the 3rd October, the battalion remained in Sanctuary Wood, under intermittent shelling, for most of the day before moving off to relieve the 1st East Surrey Regiment in the front line at 7.30 p.m. The operation was carried successfully and despite encountering a heavy barrage at Black Watch Corner, the battalion formed up in the assembly trenches by 11.30 p.m. for the forthcoming assault. The dispositions of the battalion for the attack were as follows: Right Boundary - Jut Farm Left Boundary - Reutel - Black Watch Corner Road Battalion HQ – Pill Box at Cameron House Right Assaulting Coy – ‘A’ Coy (2nd/Lt. G.F. Clarke) Left Assaulting Coy – ‘B’ Coy (Capt. R.H. Hughendon) Close Support Coy – ‘D’ Coy (Capt. J.N. Baines) Reserve Coy – ‘C’ Coy (2nd/Lt. B Dench) 100 yards east of Cameron House The night passed quietly except for odd shelling and hostile machine gun fire that mortally wounded 2nd/Lt. G.F. Clarke at around midnight. Command of ‘A’ Coy was taken over by 2nd/Lt. G.P. Crouch at about 5.15 a.m. and Lt.-Col. C.B. Norton went round the assembly position to see all company commanders before the attack. At 5.30 a.m. the enemy opened up a heavy barrage on the back areas and assembly positions but at 6.00 a.m. the divisional artillery countered that made the hostile enemy barrage appear feeble by comparison. The assaulting waves went over in perfect formation at 6.00 a.m. but met considerable opposition from infantry machine guns and pill boxes in Cameron Covert. Coupled with enfilade fire from Polderhoek Château, this opposition delayed the assaulting waves and they lost touch with our barrage. After severe fighting, the enemy was driven from Cameron Covert with 200 prisoners taken and 15 machine guns captured. Great assistance was rendered during the latter stages of the attack by three tanks that came along the Reutel Road. No further opposition was encountered from enemy infantry until the final objective on Juniper Hill was reached, when it was found impossible to consolidate the third portion of the objective due to enfilade machine gun fire and accurate artillery caused by direct observation from the Château Spur. The remnants of assaulting companies kept in touch with the Brigade on our left and side-stepped to the north of the Reutel Road. From 7.30 a.m. onwards the enemy barrage became very heavy. No definite news was being received at HQ from the companies due to the majority of the officers becoming casualties and runners being either killed or wounded by machine gun fire of shelling. Hostile artillery fire continued intensely for the next 13 hours but slackened off between 6.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. Enemy machine gun also slackened at about 7.00 p.m. that allowed Lt.-Col. C.B. Norton to make a personal reconnaissance of the objective line. He discovered that a gap of about 400 yards had been established between remnants of the battalion’s companies in touch with 21st Division on the left and the battalion on the right south of the Reutel Beek. To cover this gap all available troops in the vicinity of Cameron House, around 150 men, were formed up on the line of the original assembly position. 9
Page 1 and 2: THE NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN FRONT
Page 3 and 4: Bridgeen Fox 1932-2012 It is with t
Page 5 and 6: Dedications As a mark of respect to
Page 7: Every few years, there was to be an

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