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
Progress towards the first objective was made very difficult by the
failure of the Sixth Division to take the Quadrilateral. As soon as
the attacking lines showed themselves they were met by a sweeping fire
from the enemy’s machine-guns on the right flank, and were mown down.
After the first objective had been entered, and Lieut.-Colonel
Campbell, Coldstream Guards, was organising an attack upon the second
objective, it was discovered that the whole of the first objective was
not entirely secured. An attack was immediately made on that portion
of the line still occupied by the enemy, and Lieut.-Colonel Guy
Baring, who commanded the 1st Battalion Coldstream, in attempting to
gain touch with the remainder of the Brigade from which he had, for
the moment, been separated, left the trench to advance over the top of
the ground when he was struck by a bullet in the head and instantly
killed.
Lieut.-Colonel Campbell then ordered Captain Lyttelton to bomb down
the trench together with a party of the 2nd Irish Guards under
Lieutenant Mylne. But hardly had they started when the Germans came
running down the trench, holding up their hands. They were being
pursued by another bombing party, composed, not of the 3rd Battalion
Grenadiers as might have been expected, but the 2nd Battalion
Grenadiers.
Now that the whole of the first objective was in our hands the advance
towards the second objective at once took place. On the extreme right
no ground could be gained, but farther towards the centre the 3rd
Battalion Grenadiers reached a position which it assumed to be the
second objective, but was in fact, according to the report from the
aeroplanes, half-way between the first and second objectives.
During this last advance Captain Stanhope and Second Lieutenant
Jackson were killed. Lieutenant W. Stainton was reported missing, and
there were several conflicting stories as to what had happened to him.
Second Lieutenants Thrupp and Cassy were wounded, as well as Second
Lieutenant Cornish, who behaved with great gallantry and was
recommended for a Military Cross.
As to whether it would have been possible to push on at once into
Lesbœufs, accounts vary. Certainly those in front thought that had
reinforcements come up the town would have fallen into our hands
without further opposition. It was not known, however, that the right
flank of the Division was absolutely unprotected, and that the farther
the Division advanced the more perilous its position was bound to
become. Even if Lesbœufs had been taken, it is difficult to believe
that it could have been held against counter-attacks with the right
flank thus in the air.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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