A Short History of the 6th Division: Aug. 1914-March 1919
History
A Short History of the 6th Division: Aug. 1914-March 1919
Great Britain. Army. Division, 6th; World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
It is invidious to differentiate among so many carefully prepared and
gallantly executed enterprises, but a reference to the successful
battalion raid of the 11th Essex Regiment on the 24th March, to the
raid carried out by the 14th D.L.I. on the 15th June, in the early
morning which caught the Germans at breakfast, and particularly to the
combined raid by the 2nd D.L.I. and the 11th Essex Regiment on the
28th June, will perhaps be forgiven. The latter was an exceptionally
fine performance. It was carried out in connection with the operations
of the 46th Division already referred to, by one company from each of
the two battalions. Everything possible had been done beforehand to
induce the enemy to expect attack on the front of the Division, yet
these two companies succeeded in establishing and maintaining
themselves for one hour in the enemy's line, though constantly
counter-attacked. They inflicted very heavy casualties on the enemy,
who counter-attacked both over the open and by bombing along the
trenches. It was on this occasion that 2/Lieut. F. B. Wearne, late
11th Essex Regiment, won the V.C. Mention ought also to be made of the
very gallant repulse of an enemy raid by the 1st K.S.L.I. and the 1st
The Buffs on the 7th July. In one post of the 1st K.S.L.I. one wounded
Lewis gunner, the only survivor of his post from the enemy
bombardment, kept his gun in action and beat off the raiders.
On the 25th July the Division was relieved by the Canadians, with a
view to an attack by the latter on Hill 70, and withdrew into rest in
the Monchy Breton area with Divisional Headquarters at Ourton.
A feature of this period of rest was the very successful two-day rifle
meeting, held on the Monchy-Breton Range.
During the month's rest out of the line Major-Gen. Ross left the
Division, being succeeded in command by Major-Gen. T. O. Marden,
C.M.G., on the 19th August, and Brig.-Gen. Feetham, C.B., C.M.G., left
the 71st Infantry Brigade to assume command of the 39th Division, in
command of which he was killed in March 1918.
From the 31st July to the 5th August the 1st Leicestershire Regiment
and 9th Norfolk Regiment were away from the Division, lent to the 57th
Division to assist in a relief at the time of the gas shelling of
Armentieres.
On the 24th to the 27th August the Division was relieving the
Canadians on the Hill 70 front. The month spent in that sector was one
of hard work for all ranks consolidating the newly won position, but
was without important incident.
On the 24th September the Division side-stepped into the Cite St.
Emile sector just north of Lens, and commenced preparations for an
attack north of Lens, to be carried out in conjunction with the
projected attack by the Canadian Corps on Sallaumines Hill. This
project was, however, abandoned, and on the 23rd October the
Division was withdrawn into rest in the St. Hilaire area, west of
Lillers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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