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
The total casualties in the 1st Battalion during the consolidation of
Ginchy and the two attacks were: officers, killed 4, wounded 12, total
16; other ranks, killed 80, wounded 431, missing 84, total 595.
THE 4TH BATTALION
[Sidenote: 4th Batt.]
After a course of training with the other battalions of the 3rd Guards
Brigade, the 4th Battalion Grenadiers moved up in omnibuses to the
neighbourhood of Carnoy, where it was employed in repairing a road
running from Carnoy to Wedge Wood. When this work was finished, it
bivouacked in shelters near Talus Boise, about two and a half miles
west of Leuze Wood. On September 9 Captain Mitchell left to take up an
appointment at the Central Training School at Havre.
[Sidenote: Sept. 9.]
On the evening of the 9th the 4th Battalion was sent up to relieve the
47th Brigade, which had just attacked, while the Welsh Guards took the
place of the 48th Brigade. As the attack had succeeded in some places
and failed in others, the front line ran in an irregular pattern; in
some parts large dents had been knocked in the German line, but in
others we had made no progress at all. In the particular section of
the line which the 3rd Guards Brigade was to relieve, the 48th
Brigade, on the left, had secured all its objectives, but the 47th
Brigade, in the centre, had the misfortune to find itself opposite the
Quadrilateral. It could not be blamed for failing to advance, for the
Quadrilateral was one of the strongest points in the enemy’s line, and
contained eight machine-guns. Hence its losses were very heavy and it
was quite unable to make any headway. On the other hand, the 167th
Brigade on its right had been completely successful, and had gone well
forward. So at the close of this attack the left of the 167th Brigade
and the right of the 48th Brigade were in the air, with a space of 600
yards between the two still in the hands of the enemy.
About midnight the 4th Battalion made its way slowly towards Trônes
Wood, and took over the line occupied by what was left of the 47th
Brigade between Guillemont and Leuze Wood, with its left on the Wedge
Wood Road, 500 yards south of Ginchy. The Battalion advanced across
country under a light shell-fire, leaving Guillemont immediately on
its left, and heading direct for Ginchy. On reaching its destination
No. 1 Company got touch with the supports of the 167th Brigade on the
right; No. 2 came next, and No. 3 was on the left, while No. 4
remained in support with the Battalion Headquarters.
[Sidenote: Sept. 10.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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