O.C's Report on Actions of the 25th

D.2. 26^th Septr 1915

Copy Report by OC 9^th K.R.R.C. on Operations 25-9-15

At 5:25 AM I was requested by the O.C 9th Rifle Brigade to support his attack on the line 24 to 42 and I ordered the O.C Coy that was occupying S23 to send forward two platoons to reinforce this line have to take the other two platoons into S20 S21 and to hold them in readiness to reinforce. This movement was carried out at once and at 5:35 AM hearing that support was urgently required in 04-24 I ordered these two patterns to advance to this line avoiding the crater as far as possible. This movement was at once carried out and reported to Brigade Headquarters.

At 6:00 AM the 9th Rifle Brigade sent back for further reinforcements especially bombers and in anticipation of sanction I ordered the Company behind the embankment N of railway to hold their bombers ready to move if ordered. As further pressing messages for reinforcements continued to come in from 9th Rifle Brigade I got into communication on the telephone with the Brigade Major and he gave me instructions to use my own discretion.

Accordingly at 6:45 I sent 20 bombers with large supplies of bombs and buckets from bomb stores in Cambridge Rd. To assist the right flank of 9th Rifle Brigade where from accounts received it appeared that enemy bombers had intervened between them and the 5^th Ox&Bucks LI. I might point out that at 6:30 AM all telephonic communication with the brigade was cut off and was not reestablished (and then for only a short time) until the late afternoon.

At about 7:00 AM information came in that the 9th Rifle Brigade we're giving ground and I accordingly ordered up the company that was in F.12 to move up and hold H 20 and to reinforce or if necessary counterattack on 04-24 and to take up further reserves of bombs from bomb stores. I also at the same time sent the machine gun to hold the South side of crater. I also sent the company from the Cambridge Rd. embankment to hold frontline of our trenches in H19. Both these movements were carried out and reported to the Brigade at 7:35 by runner. Captain J. Christie who was in command of the Company was holding H20 after a personal reconnaissance moved his company forward and held the German trench north of crater nearly to Point 17 and also dug himself into the South a long old German trench parallel with H20. At that time the crater was vulnerable owing to the fire from our own artillery and the machine gun fire from points 17.25. 25 – south of Oskan Farm.

By 8:30 AM what remainder of the 9th Rifle Brigade and my first supporting company (with exception of isolated parties which hung on till dusk) had been driven out of both first and second line of German trenches and at 9:30 I received orders from the Bde Major (message time to 8:30am) but I was to remain in Garrison of our original line and that Somerset LI we're coming up to recapture German trenches. I accordingly ordered Captain Christie to to withdraw his men within our own lines and to hold H.20.21 and supporting trenches in rear.

At 9:30am I ordered Coy and A2 to reinforce A1 and H22 with two platoons. At about 10:00 AM a message received from Brigade that Oxc&Bucks LI and 9^th K.R.R.C would hold original line from H17 to H20 and crater other orders and that no further advance would be made until information received from 5^th Shropshires. This line was accordingly held until Bttn was relieved by 6th somersets and Durhams. During the whole of this time the trenches were subjected to severe enemy bombardment which continued until the battalion was moving out.

Prior to the relief the wounded were brought in from crater and in front of trenches and the dead were collected and buried. Relief was completed at 9:30. I regret to report that casualties were heavy. (See War Dairy).

Overview of the Battle of Bellewaarde

Second attack on Bellewarde (Courtesy of London WW1 Memorial website)

With the aim of diverting German troops away from Loos when the British attack went in there on 25th September 1915, there were three subsidiary attacks by the British, the largest being the Second attack on Bellewaarde in the Ypres salient.

At 4.20am this attack was launched on a 2000 yard front from Hooge to the Bellewaarde Ridge. On the right the 3rd Division went forward with 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers from 9 Brigade, 1st Gordon Highlanders and 4th Gordon Highlanders from 8 Brigade and 2nd South Lancashire and 2nd Royal Irish Rifles from 7 Brigade. Their advance astride the Menin road was preceded by the firing of two pairs of mines. The German front line south of the road  was taken in the first rush but no further progress could be made whilst north of the road, uncut wire and German machine guns prevented 7 Brigade from capturing Hooge Chateau and the strongpoint at south-west corner of Bellewaarde Lake. In the afternoon a  heavy German bombardment of the captured trenches followed by a strong bombing assault resulted in these positions being evacuated and 3rd Division falling back to their own front line.

42 Brigade of 14th Division attacked on the left with 5th Shropshire Light Infantry, 5th Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry and 9th Rifle Brigade in front. The German front line was taken at three separate points across the Bellewaarde ridge, but Bellewaarde Farm was not captured. There followed a number of attempts to bomb the enemy out of the intervening stretches of their front line but the inferiority of British grenades at this stage of the war meant that these were unsuccessful. Again in the afternoon  a strong German counter attack developed which fell hardest on 9th Rifle Brigade near Railway Wood. 9th King’s Royal Rifle Corps, also of 42 Brigade moved up in support but both battalions were driven back to their own line. However they did manage to keep possession of the new mine crater.  Eventually 5th Shropshire Light Infantry and 5th Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, further south, were forced to withdraw. No ground was gained and the casualty list was long. Over 2000 among the ranks of 3rd Division and nearly the same number for 14th Division.