The Grenadier Guards in the Great War of 1914-1918, Vol. 1 of 3Ponsonby, Frederick
History
The Grenadier Guards in the Great War of 1914-1918, Vol. 1 of 3
Ponsonby, Frederick
Great Britain. Army. Grenadier Guards; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
From information obtained from a German prisoner it appeared that the
enemy intended to retake Neuve Chapelle that day at all costs, and that
reinforcements had been sent up to enable them to do so. Major Trotter
with the left half Battalion started off down the road leading past
Brigade Headquarters, where he was joined by Captain Palmer, the Brigade
Staff Captain. No. 4 Company under Captain Lygon was here ordered to
advance in two lines with two platoons of No. 3 under Sergeant Powell
and Sergeant Langley in support. After having gone forward for about
half a mile it came under enfilade fire from the right, which seemed to
indicate that it was not going in the right direction. Captain Lygon
decided to bear to the right, and sent word to Lieutenant Westmacott,
who was farther back with the remainder of No. 3, to swing round in that
direction, as they were all going too far to the left. He himself hit
off a communication trench which led to the front line, but after the
leading half company had passed through, the Germans trained a
machine-gun down this trench, which made it impossible for the remainder
to follow. Half of No. 4 Company and the two platoons of No. 3 therefore
took refuge in a ruined house. Captain Lygon endeavoured to move down
the front trench to the right, but found all farther progress stopped by
a deep stream which cut the trench in two. After several ineffectual
attempts to cross this stream, he turned back, but the German
machine-gun made all attempts to return by the communication trench an
impossibility. His half company was practically caught in a trap, from
which it would be impossible to escape in daylight. There was therefore
nothing to do but to wait until it was dark. Eventually, Lieutenant
Fisher-Rowe, the Adjutant, who had been sent in search of this lost
company, swam the stream, and told Captain Lygon what was happening on
the right.
[Illustration: Battle of Neuve Chapelle. March 12th, 1915.]
Major G. Trotter had been hit in the head by a shrapnel bullet, and
although the wound was not serious it placed him _hors de combat_ for
the rest of the day.
Meanwhile, the remainder of the Battalion, after waiting two hours,
received orders to advance, but after passing the old British line,
instead of keeping straight on, it began to swing to the left, in the
same way as No. 4 had done. Lieutenant Westmacott, observing this, ran
forward to tell the platoons to swing round to the right, but in the
smoke it was not easy for the platoon leaders to make out what exactly
was the objective.
There seems no doubt that for some time the Grenadiers were lost in the
labyrinth of trenches, but in spite of all their difficulties the right
half Battalion succeeded in getting eventually to its proper place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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