The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918Bewsher, F. W. (Frederick William)
History
The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918
Bewsher, F. W. (Frederick William)
Great Britain. Army. Division, 51st (Highland); World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
During this battle the Divisional rear headquarters on the St
Nicolas-Bailleul road--in which the "A" and "Q" offices and a rear
signal office had been established--received a direct hit from a 9-inch
high-velocity gun. The signal office was destroyed, several men and
horses of the signal company were killed and wounded, and ten motor
bicycles were so damaged as to require replacing.
During the month of April 1917 the casualties sustained by the Division
were severe. They were as follows:--
Killed. Wounded. Missing.
Officers 66 140 8
Other ranks 828 2972 482
--a total of 214 officers and 4382 other ranks.
Of individual units the following suffered most severely during the
month:--
6th Seaforth Highlanders 16 officers and 508 other ranks
6th Gordon Highlanders 25 " " 491 " "
7th Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders 22 " " 499 " "
4th Gordon Highlanders 24 " " 575 " "
while the 5th Gordon Highlanders lost 9 officers killed and the 7th
Black Watch 8.
Amongst the wounded were Major Rowbotham, M.C., 9th Royal Scots;
Lieut.-Colonel S. R. M'Clintock, 4th Gordon Highlanders; Lieut.-Colonel
J. Dawson, D.S.O., 6th Gordon Highlanders. The latter was severely
wounded by a machine-gun bullet while gallantly directing the advance of
his leading company. Colonel Dawson's wound kept him out of the field
for the remainder of the war, the Division thus losing one of its most
brilliant commanding officers.
After the completion of the relief of the Division, the following
message was sent to General Harper by Lieut.-General Sir Charles
Fergusson, commanding the XVIIth Corps:--
"I wish to express to the Division through you my congratulations
on the splendid work which they have done in the recent fighting,
especially on Monday, 23rd April.
"Had it not been for the fine fighting spirit of the Division, the
result might easily have been disadvantageous to us. I am proud and
delighted with the Division, as they may be themselves with the grand
fight they put up, and I know when they are rested and reorganised they
will be keen to add to their reputation."
The Commander-in-Chief also wired to General Harper as follows: "The
fierce fighting of yesterday (23rd April) has carried us another step
forward. I congratulate you on the results of it, and on the severe
punishment you have inflicted on the enemy."
The Division remained at rest until 10th May in a delightful area. The
villages had seldom been occupied by troops, and so did not contain
numerous unsightly heaps of empty tins, derelict horse-standings,
salvage dumps, &c., which in most rest areas prevented the men from
shaking off the more sordid atmosphere of war, even when resting behind
the line.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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