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
On learning this, Brigadier-General Corkran decided to employ some
companies from the battalions in reserve to fill up the gap, and
accordingly instructed Lieut.-Colonel Maitland to send one company to
support the 4th Battalion Grenadiers and another company to the Welsh
Guards. No. 2 Company, under Captain Graham, was despatched to Arrow
Head Copse in support of the 4th Battalion Grenadiers on the right of
the Brigade, and while going on ahead to find Lieut.-Colonel Lord
Henry Seymour, Lieutenant E. King was hit by a rifle bullet in the
leg, and Lieutenant E. B. Shelley and Lieutenant Llewellyn were
wounded shortly afterwards. Captain Vaughan, with No. 3 Company, was
instructed to place himself under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel W.
Murray-Threipland, while the rest of the Battalion remained a little
distance behind in case of emergency.
Hardly had the Welsh Guards finished their relief, when they were
attacked, and had to fight hard to maintain their position. Coming on
in great force as early as 3 A.M., the Germans began to press back the
right of their line from the sunken road. Every available man had been
hurried to the front line, where the casualties were thinning out the
ranks to an alarming extent, and even the 100 Grenadiers who had been
sent up as ammunition carriers had to be put in as supports. The Welsh
Guards had lost a good many officers and N.C.O.’s, and matters were
beginning to look serious when Captain Vaughan arrived with No. 3
Company of the 1st Battalion Grenadiers, having passed through a
barrage of 5·9 shells near Trônes Wood in artillery formation. He was
at once sent off by Lieut.-Colonel Murray-Threipland to take over the
line on the right of the Welsh Guards and relieve the Munster
Fusiliers, who had had some very heavy fighting and were much shaken.
Second Lieutenant Stein went on with the leading platoon, and the
relief was carried out by sections and completed by noon.
It was anything but a pleasant position, as both flanks were in the
air, and the Company was occupying an extended front at right angles
to the trench occupied by the Welsh Guards. Captain Vaughan was told
that the attack would probably come from the left, and made his
dispositions accordingly. He placed two sections in shell-holes in
échelon on the left, and established a double block at that end of the
trench with a strong bombing section, supported by a Lewis gun; the
other Lewis gun he stationed on the right flank. Second Lieutenant
Sharp was in charge of the left of the Company and Second Lieutenant
Stein of the right.
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