The British Campaign in France and Flanders, 1914Doyle, Arthur Conan
History
The British Campaign in France and Flanders, 1914
Doyle, Arthur Conan
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front
Cornwalls, with the help of a company of the 1st West Kents and the
ever-constant artillery, filled it up during the rest of the day, and
the 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry took it over the same night, the
Cornishmen retiring with heavy losses but a great deal of
compensating glory. The temporary gap in the line exposed the right
flank of the 3rd Worcesters, who were next to the South Lancashires.
They lost heavily in killed and wounded, their colonel, Stuart, being
among the latter, though his injury did not prevent him from
remaining in the battle line. Apart from this action at Lorgies, the
19th Brigade (Gordon's), upon the flank of Pulteney's Corps,
sustained a very heavy attack, being driven back for some distance.
It had been ordered to occupy Fromelles, and so close the gap which
existed at that time between the left of the Second and the right of
the Third Corps, situated respectively at Aubers and Radinghem. The
chief fighting occurred {216} at the village of Le Maisnil, close to
Fromelles. This village was occupied by the 2nd Argylls and half the
1st Middlesex, but they were driven out by a severe shell-fire
followed by an infantry advance. The brigade fell back in good
order, the regiments engaged having lost about 300 men. They took up
a position on the right of the 16th Infantry Brigade at La
Boutillerie, and there they remained until November 17, one severe
attack falling upon them on October 29, which is described under that
date.
On the morning of October 22 the Germans, still very numerous and
full of fight, made a determined attack upon the Fifth Division,
occupying the village of Violaines, close to La Bassée. The village
was held by the 1st Cheshires, who, for the second time in this
campaign, found themselves in a terribly difficult position. It is
typical of the insolent high spirits of the men, in spite of all that
they had endured, that upon the Germans charging forward with a
war-cry which resembled, "Yip, Yip, Yip!" the British infantry joined
in with "I-addy-ti-ay!" the whole forming the chorus of a once
popular Gaiety song. The Cheshires inflicted heavy losses upon the
stormers with rifle-fire, but were at last driven out, involving in
their retirement the 1st Dorsets, who had left their own trenches in
order to help them. Both regiments, but especially the Cheshires,
had grievous losses, in casualties and prisoners. On advancing in
pursuit the Germans were strongly counter-attacked by the 2nd
Manchesters and the 1st Cornwalls, supported by the 3rd Worcesters,
who, by their steady fire, brought them to a standstill, but were
unable to recover the ground that had been lost, though the
Cornwalls, who had {217} been fighting with hardly a pause for
forty-eight hours, succeeded in capturing one of their machine-guns.
In the night the British withdrew their line in accordance with the
general rearrangement to be described. Some rearguard stragglers at
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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