The History of the 2/6th (Rifle) Battalion, "the King's" (Liverpool Regiment) 1914-1919Wurtzburg, C. E. (Charles Edward)
History
The History of the 2/6th (Rifle) Battalion, "the King's" (Liverpool Regiment) 1914-1919
Wurtzburg, C. E. (Charles Edward)
Great Britain. Army. King's Liverpool Regiment; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
From Fampoux a sunken road ran north to Gavrelle. Along this road,
heavily protected by wire, ran the German front line.
Two kilometres behind, and parallel to, this portion of the German line
ran the Roeux--Gavrelle road.
On the left of the sector behind this road rose Greenland Hill, flanked
on its left rear by the spires and roofs of Douai.
The island originally carried the Pelves and Monchy--Le Preux roads
over the Scarpe, but all the bridges being demolished, it was of little
importance, and was merely held by our patrols at night.
From Feuchy to the island was a belt of marshland, bounded on the south
by the Arras--Douai railway line, which roughly defined the German
positions. Over these we maintained a strict watch from the hill north
of the Scarpe.
The right flank of the battalion rested on Feuchy.
Several systems of support trenches ran from north to south down the
sector, the most important one, Stoke Support, running parallel to the
front line, and commanding it from an average distance of 400 yards.
The two main communication trenches were Camel Avenue in the north and
Cam Avenue in the south.
Battalion Headquarters were situated in Cam Valley, a small depression
about 400 yards long and 80 yards in width on the north side of the
Arras road, north-east of Athies.
Athies, in the hands of support troops, was the ration dump for the
sector, and also maintained communication over the river with Feuchy.
A battalion in reserve manned the Arras--Lens railway embankment
between the Scarpe and the Arras road, finding ample and comfortable
accommodation in the numerous "bivvies" and dug-outs covering its
western slope.
From the top of the embankment a fire trench had an excellent command
of the approach from Athies.
Between the embankment and St. Laurent Blangy, two kilometres farther
west, intervened the woods, lakes, and grounds of Blangy Park, giving
cover to our field batteries.
Brigade Headquarters was on the main road St. Laurent--Blangy; while
Quartermaster's Stores and Transport were at Ste. Catherine, north of
Arras.
Relieving troops, rations, and supplies were brought up to the sector
by means of a light narrow-gauge trench railway, which, leaving the
dump and railhead at Anzin St. Aubin, three kilometres north-west of
Arras, struck the Scarpe at St. Nicolas, and, travelling along its
north bank under the cover afforded by the trees with which it was
lined, came to an end just short of Feuchy.
The dispositions of the battalion were--"A" and "C" Companies in
Athies, "B" and "D" in Cam Valley. After being at first in the railway
cutting, Battalion Headquarters moved on the evening of August 1st to
the railway embankment, handing over their old Headquarters to the
Munsters, and taking over from the 85th Canadian Infantry Battalion.
The tour was very quiet, the only incident being some heavy bursts
carried out from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on August 6th by our "heavies" on
the enemy front line.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account