The Territorial Divisions, 1914-1918Stirling, John
History
The Territorial Divisions, 1914-1918
Stirling, John
World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
“During these operations the leadership of Brigadier-General G. C.
Sladen, C.M.G., D.S.O., M.C., commanding the 143rd Infantry Brigade,
was particularly noticeable.
“31. The infantry had been waiting for an opportunity to show that
they could worthily emulate the performances of their comrades
in France. When the opportunity came they fulfilled my highest
anticipations.”
Lord Cavan’s despatch of 15th November, 1918, paragraph 2, shows
that three battalions of the 48th Division were taken to France
on 13th/14th September of that year. These were the 1/8th Royal
Warwickshire Regiment, 1/5th Gloucestershire Regiment, and 1/8th
Worcestershire Regiment. They formed the reconstituted 75th Brigade
in the 25th Division, which, after being sadly battered in the
March Retreat, the Lys Battle of April and the German offensive on
the Aisne at the end of May, had been withdrawn from the line and
formed anew. The Division was concentrated in front of Combles on 3rd
October and on the 4th commenced a hard struggle for the capture of
Beaurevoir. This was completed by the 75th Brigade on the 5th after
two previous attempts had failed. Sir A. Conan Doyle, vol. vi. p.
174, speaking of this achievement, says: “Fryell’s 75th Brigade was
now assembled in the dead ground west of Beaurevoir, and at about
6.30 dashed at it with levelled bayonets and a determination which
would take no denial. The enemy were swept out of it and the line
carried forward 500 yards to the east of it.” Another account of
the operation will be found at pp. 187 and 188 of _The Story of the
Fourth Army_, and it is there remarked: “Perhaps the outstanding
feature of the operations was the daylight attack of the 1/5th
Gloucestershire and the 1/8th Worcestershire, which finally captured
Beaurevoir village.” At p. 198 of that work it is stated that the
same brigade and a brigade of the 66th captured Maretz on the 9th.
At p. 227 there is an account of a battle on 18th October when the
75th Brigade, which was temporarily attached to the 50th Division,
again got credit by its capture of La Roux Farm and Bazuel and some
heavy guns. P. 234 shows that the Brigade did fine work on the 23rd
when the 1/8th Worcestershire captured Tilleuls Farm and a battery of
howitzers.
On 4th November, the day on which the last battle of the war
commenced, the Brigade gained great distinction by its capture of
Landrecies, which involved the crossing of an unfordable canal. A
detailed account will be found at p. 252 of _The Story of the Fourth
Army_, and, regarding it, Major-General Montgomery says: “The capture
of Landrecies was an operation beset with many difficulties, but,
thanks to good leadership, the bravery of the troops, and the skill
and devotion of the divisional engineers and pioneers, the 75th
Brigade met with the success and good fortune which such a well
planned and boldly executed operation deserved.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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