11th July 1916

Trones Wood  - 11th July 1916: - During the day our "hold" of Trones Wood materialised under 89th Bde., but about 10pm was again not satisfactory.

Dispositions of 17th Bn. King's at 10pm:

1 Company in trench N - W and Sunken Road.

1 Company (remnants of) in Dublin Street.

2 Companies in Dublin & Casement Streets.

Battn. H.Q. in Paviere Support

At 10:15 p.m. I received orders to take my 2 Companies from Dublin & Casement Streets to Trones Wood, clear up the situation there, and remain there. No time was to be lost, as the situation was precarious. Time being of importance, I telephoned to my 2 Company Commanders (Capt. Brinson and Lieut Thompson) that I would meet them on the Briqueterie Road at Dublin Street in 10 minutes, and for them to have their Companies ready to move. The Companies were ready when I arrived, and I spent 5 minutes explaining briefly to the Officers my intentions. I mention this to emphasise the intelligence and skill of Capt. Brinson and Lieut Thompson in carrying out my orders, (as I shall describe later), with so little preparation and explanation.

10.30pm: 2 Companies moved off in on a slight cutting in the Briqueterie – Maricourt Road, a short distance N. of Dublin Street, straight for the S.E. corner of Trones Wood, the trees of which stood out against the sky.

The question of what is the best formation for troops to adopt whilst moving across a shell swept zone is always a moot one. My experiences leads me to the conviction that "petits paquets" are the best, especially by night.

I, myself, with a special party of 8 scouts, walked straight to the S.E. corner of TRONES WOOD, somewhat in advance of and on the right flank of the 2 Companies.

Within about 200x of that point, I collected my party in a shell hole and explained what I wanted, namely to slip quietly into the wood and look out for Machine Guns. This they did, bumped into a Machine Gun, and four of them were killed or wounded, I went into the wood and met my Company Commanders, who had also succeeded in entering the wood and lining up their men on the alignment shown on the sketch D-C. We all got busy digging and by 4am next morning were down six foot. A small attack was made on us about 1am from the east, which failed.

I'll transcribe this typed text for you:

I should like again to praise my Officers for their great skill and bravery in personally tracing the trench line. It afforded good protection from the East, S.E., and North. Sent. patrols went twice to get in touch with the 90th Right in the south, but on each occasion was fired on by Germans and the 90th King's.

I should have stated that I met the senior Officer of the two Companies of the Second Battn. Bedfordshire Regt. about midnight on the 11/12th in my hole in Trones Wood. This Officer explained his positions to me, which were as shown on sketch, viz:- a wedge of about 80ʸ from A to B into Trones Wood, the remainder of his men being in Trones Wood.

This was the only British "hold" on Trones Wood at about 11:30 P.m. on the night of 11th July when the 2 Coys 17th King's took up the line D to C. Whilst getting on to this line D to C, my 2 Companies encountered no organised opposition, though dug-outs were entered and a few Germans killed. The essence of my original instructions was "not to attempt too much" but "make sure what we did get". These instructions were admirably carried out.

12th July 1916

Trones Wood  - 12th July 1916: At dawn on 12th July the situation was very satisfactory and but for a very intense artillery bombardment I felt there was no chance of our being ousted. As a matter of fact, men had to be withdrawn Northwards temporarily from the southern piece of trench owing to heavy shelling there or at least thinned out.

At about 7:30 a.m. I went back to H.Q. at the Briqueterie. Plans were then made to further strengthen the 89th Bde. hold on Trones Wood, and it was decided:-

12th July. 1 P.M.

1. Join up C to A - i.e. the Bedford wedge and 17th trench.
2. Wire the whole front Q.A.C.D.

At 1 p.m. I met the Officers of the 2nd Battn. Bedfords and my own at point P, having been appointed O.C. Trones Wood. Small covering parties were put out, and digging and wiring put in hand by parties of 2nd Bedfords and 17th King's. There was a considerable amount of sniping from the very dense woods in front, but the covering parties were so well handled that I do not think the Germans had an idea what was being done.

12th July 6pm:  Firing and digging complete all day an intermittent bombardment was kept up on the south part of Trones Wood and our heavy guns "strassed" the centre and north of the wood, paying particular attention to the strong point on the eastern edge, where the Guillemont Road strikes the wood.

Twice during the night of the 12th the Germans made half hearted attacks on our line C.I.G., and southwards, and appeared surprised to find wire and organised opposition. On one occasion a party got hung up in the wire/disposed of by a Lewis Gun.

About midnight 12th July, 1 Company 4th R West Kents relieved 2 Companies of 17th King's, and 1 Company ditto, the 2 Coys (both considerably reduced) 2nd Battn Bedfordshire Regt.

I myself reported personally at the Briqueterie to 89th Bde. H.Q. and my Companies moved to Trones Wood about dawn. The 2 Companies of my own Battalion and still more so, the 2 Companies 2nd Bedfordshires had had a rough time.

The Officers and men behaved magnificently.