The War History of the 4th Battalion, the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 1914-1919Grimwade, F. Clive
History
The War History of the 4th Battalion, the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 1914-1919
Grimwade, F. Clive
Great Britain. Army. London Regiment. 4th (City of London) Battalion; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
With the withdrawal across the Oise the hardest of the Battalion's
fighting in this great battle was finished, though it remained in
contact with the enemy with very little rest. The Division now held
a river front of over nine miles on the south bank of the Oise from
Quierzy to Servais, in addition to the original four miles held by
the 174th Brigade in the Forêt de St Gobain. With this enormous front
in contact with an enterprising enemy no rest was yet to be expected.
The early hours of the 25th March were devoted to sorting out the
hopeless tangle of units which the battle had caused, and at 11.30
a.m. Lieut.-Col. Dann became responsible (in conjunction with the 6th
Dismounted Cavalry Brigade) for the defence of the river crossings at
Quierzy, with a composite force comprising details of four battalions,
reorganised in companies as follows:
1 Coy. representing 2/2nd Londons guarding Quierzy bridge.
1 " " 3rd Londons on its right.
1 " " 8th Londons on its left.
1 " " 2/4th Londons in support.
This company of the 2/4th Londons was the party of 60 which had reached
Besme the previous evening, and was now under 2/Lieut. Griffiths.
The same night (25th/26th March) this composite force was relieved by
the 246th French Regiment and withdrew to Besme to refit, Lieut.-Col.
Dann taking charge of another composite force of troops of the 175th
Brigade. In the meantime the remainder of the 2/4th Londons, which had
formed part of Grover's Force and were now under Askham, took up a
defensive position under orders of Lieut.-Col. Chart, 18th Entrenching
Battalion, east of Manicamp, on the south side of the Canal and the
Ailette River. At night this party was also relieved by Lieut.-Col.
Dann's force and joined the remainder of the Battalion at Besme.
The 173rd Brigade was now entirely extricated from the line, and a day
of reorganisation and collection of scattered details from the various
composite forces, which the needs of the moment had created, was of
urgent necessity. This respite was obtained on the 26th March when the
three original units were reorganised as one battalion, known as the
Fusilier Battalion as follows:
No. 1 Coy.--117 other ranks 2/4th Londons under Capt. Askham.
No. 2 Coy.-- 88 other ranks 2/4th " " 2/Lieut. Blair.
No. 3 Coy.--179 " " 2/2nd " " Capt. Wright.
No. 4 Coy.--189 " " 3rd " " 2/Lieut. Curtis.
Lieut.-Col. Dann returned from the 175th Brigade to command this newly
constituted force. In addition to the Fusilier Battalion, the Brigade
included temporarily the 12th Londons under Lieut.-Col. Bayliffe,
C.M.G., and the 18th Entrenching Battalion under Lieut.-Col. Chart.
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