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
The enemy could be seen streaming away, and the rifle-fire consequently
dwindled to nothing. The ground was torn up by shellfire, so that all
landmarks were obliterated, and the dead and dying were lying about in
large numbers everywhere. Major-General Capper sent an order to the
Battalion to support the Scots Guards by attacking a point in the German
line to their right. The order was received by Lieutenant Westmacott,
who found that the situation had so altered since the order was written
that it would mean having his right flank in the air, and exposed to
enfilade fire. He therefore consulted Colonel Wood, commanding the
Border Regiment, who also thought the time had passed for an attack of
this nature, and advised him to remain where he was in support of the
Scots Guards.
Not entirely convinced, Lieutenant Westmacott ran back to consult Major
Duberly, and met him as he was coming up with the Adjutant, Lieutenant
Fisher-Rowe. All three officers returned to the firing trench to discuss
the point again with Colonel Wood, and although Major Duberly was at
first strongly in favour of carrying out the order, it was eventually
agreed that to take on the attack ordered some hours ago, under entirely
different conditions, would mean practical annihilation.
Soon afterwards orders were received for the Battalion to withdraw to
the original line fifty yards in rear, where they remained for the
night. The only officers left with the Battalion were Major Duberly, in
command; Lieutenant Fisher-Rowe, Adjutant; Lieutenant Ethelston, King's
Company; Second Lieutenant C. G. Goschen, No. 2; Lieutenant Westmacott,
No. 3; Captain Lygon, No. 4; and Second Lieutenant Duberly with the
machine-guns.
During the night Major Duberly and Captain Lygon went up to reconnoitre
the Royal Scots Fusiliers' trenches, from which the Battalion was
expected to attack the next morning. On their return Major Duberly went
to Brigade Headquarters to discuss the situation with General Heyworth,
who decided to go round the trenches himself. He accordingly started
off, accompanied by Captain Lygon, and having visited the front trench
gave orders for the Grenadiers to relieve the Royal Scots Fusiliers on
the right of the line, with a view to attacking Moulin du Piètre.
[Sidenote: Mar. 13.]
Unfortunately the rations had only just arrived, and were being
distributed when the orders were received. As it was essential that this
move should be accomplished before daylight it was impossible to see
that each man received his rations before the Battalion moved off. They
started at 3.30, led by Captain Lygon. Owing to the darkness and the
lines of trenches to be crossed, progress was necessarily slow. Though
the distance was only 1000 yards, the constant climbing in and out of
trenches in the dark, the shell-holes, and the remains of barbed-wire
obstacles, made it seem interminable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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