The Grenadier Guards in the Great War of 1914-1918, Vol. 2 of 3 — John Shaqi
The Grenadier Guards in the Great War of 1914-1918, Vol. 2 of 3Ponsonby, Frederick
History
The Grenadier Guards in the Great War of 1914-1918, Vol. 2 of 3
Ponsonby, Frederick
Great Britain. Army. Grenadier Guards; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
Lieut.-Colonel C. R. C. de Crespigny, D.S.O. Commanding Officer.
Capt. Viscount Lascelles Second in Command.
Capt. the Hon. W. R. Bailey Adjutant.
Capt. C. N. Newton No. 1 Company.
Lieut. P. M. Walker ” ”
Lieut. A. T. A. Ritchie, M.C. ” ”
2nd Lieut. C. C. Cubitt ” ”
Capt. A. K. S. Cunninghame No. 2 Company.
Capt. M. K. A. Lloyd ” ”
Lieut. T. Parker Jervis (Pioneer Platoon) ” ”
Lieut. N. McK. Jesper ” ”
Capt. W. H. Beaumont-Nesbitt No. 3 Company.
Lieut. H. F. C. Crookshank (Lewis Guns) ” ”
Lieut. M. H. Macmillan ” ”
2nd Lieut. J. Arbuthnott ” ”
2nd Lieut. A. Hasler ” ”
Capt. G. C. FitzH. Harcourt-Vernon No. 4 Company.
2nd Lieut. T. W. Minchin ” ”
2nd Lieut. D. Harvey ” ”
Capt. J. Andrews, R.A.M.C. Medical Officer.
[Sidenote: Sept. 15.]
At 5 A.M. on the 15th the tanks were seen moving slowly forward on the
left flank of the Brigade, but they apparently aroused no suspicion,
and did not attract any fire. Punctually at 6.20, the zero hour, the
two Coldstream battalions started off, and immediately came under a
terrific fire from the enemy’s machine-guns. The unevenness of the
“jumping-off line,” and the total absence of any recognisable
landmarks in that desert of shell-holes, made a certain loss of
direction inevitable. The leaders of the assault were mown down, but
the remainder, undeterred by losses, pushed on until they were within
twenty yards of the sunken road. It was a red-letter day in the
history of the Coldstream, for with the 1st Battalion Coldstream from
the 2nd Brigade there were three battalions of Coldstream all in line.
When they reached the sunken road there was a momentary check, as the
leading companies had lost a large number of officers or
non-commissioned officers. Lieut.-Colonel J. Campbell saw that to
pause for a moment in the attack would mean failure, and dashed
forward. Knowing that in the infernal roar of rifle and machine-gun
fire no commands could possibly be heard, he had provided himself with
a hunting-horn, which he now blew. The familiar sound, piercing the
din, instantly arrested the attention of the men, and they at once
followed their Colonel. Straight into the midst of the enemy they went
with an irresistible rush, and got to work with the bayonet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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