The 23rd (Service) Battalion Royal Fusiliers (First Sportsman's): A Record of its Services in the Great War, 1914-1919Ward, Fred W.
History
The 23rd (Service) Battalion Royal Fusiliers (First Sportsman's): A Record of its Services in the Great War, 1914-1919
Ward, Fred W.
Great Britain. Army. 23rd Royal Fusiliers; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
Again slipping back at night, a position was taken up near Beaucourt
sur Ancre. From this position the Battalion again moved back and
occupied the old British trenches known as White City trenches near
Beaumont Hamel. In spite of many heavy enemy attacks this position was
held until the Battalion was relieved by New Zealand troops.
_On relief it marched out to the wood at Mailly-Maillet only four
officers and seventy men strong._
Resting at Englebelmer for a day or so, it was again moved into the
front line at Aveluy Wood, where a German attack was beaten off, the
enemy being badly mauled. During the fighting round Gueudecourt,
Brigadier-General Barnett-Barker was killed, and, as senior Colonel in
the 99th Brigade, Lieutenant-Colonel Winter assumed command, the
command of the 23rd Royal Fusiliers devolving upon Major Lewis.
In his anxiety to hold up the enemy for as long as possible and to get
the battalion back safely to a line being formed behind him, Major
Lewis was taken prisoner at Eaucourt l'Abbaye. The command then
devolved upon Captain C.H. Bowyer, who kept it until the return of
Lieutenant-Colonel Winter, who rejoined the Battalion on General E.
Ironside (now General Sir E. Ironside, who earned fame in Russia)
taking over the Brigade.
It only remains to add that the gas casualties from March 12 onwards
amounted to 11 officers and 240 other ranks, while the casualties in
action from the 22nd to the 31st were:
Officers killed 1
" wounded 2
" wounded and missing 1
" missing 10
Other ranks killed 15
" wounded 59
" wounded and missing 6
" missing 210
During the early part of April the Battalion was busy in moving, being
in turn in Hedeauville, Beauval, Houvin, Houvigneul, Ivergny,
Coullemont, La Cauchie, and on the 14th relieved the 1st Coldstream
Guards in Brigade Reserve in front of Blaireville. Two days later it
was in the front line, right sub-sector, in front of Adinfer, doing
alternate front line and support duty until the end of the month.
It was not until May 12 that the Battalion marched back to billets at
Berles au Bois, where training was carried on until June 7. On that
date it relieved the 1st Grenadier Guards in the Ayette left
sub-sector. Relieved on the night of June 10-11, it marched back to
reserve position near Monchy au Bois, going into the line again in the
Ayette sector on the night of 13th-14th.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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