Mark Hone Posted 6 January , 2014 Share Posted 6 January , 2014 On 6th July 1915 the 1st Rifle Brigade and 1st Somerset Light Infantry attacked a section of German trenches east of the Yser Canal near Pilkem. The attack was successful but the two attacking battalions suffered heavy losses from German shelling and counter-attacks. During the night of 6/7th July they were relieved by 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers (attached to 11th Brigade for the attack) and elements of 1st Royal Warwicks. Around noon on 7th the Germans launched a heavy bombardment of the British positions preparatory to furher counter-attacks. One shell hit the slit trench on the canal bank acting as 2nd LF HQ. The CO, Lieutenant-Colonel C. J. Griffin, the Adjutant and several other officers were wounded. They included Acting Captain William Appleby, Commander of A Company, who was blinded. As I mention on another thread, William Appleby was an old boy of Bury Grammar school, Lancashire, and a founder member of our school cadet corps in 1892, acting as its first bugler. I would like to visit the site of the action on one of our future school battlefields tours. However, the otherwise excellent LF Regimental History does not include a map of the battlefield. I wonder if any Pals who have researched the units who took part might have come across a sketch map or similar. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 6 January , 2014 Share Posted 6 January , 2014 Mark, A cropped map from the RB, hope it helps. The action was against International Trench. Let me know if you would like the full map and accounts from the RB on the action. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 6 January , 2014 Share Posted 6 January , 2014 Brigade diary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 6 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2014 Thank you so much for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 6 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2014 Andy, I've tried to PM you but your inbox is full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 6 January , 2014 Share Posted 6 January , 2014 Hi Mark, Emptied some of my inbox now, give it another try. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 6 January , 2014 Share Posted 6 January , 2014 Mark, Have been sending some of the material through, I have rather a lot digging through my files including a whole load of aerial shots, if these are of interest to you??? taken in June and early July 1915. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malte Znaniecki Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 Hi Mark, here is a map from a German post war book, showing the area on July 6th 1915 before the attack was started regards Malte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 7 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2014 Thank you so much for all your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malte Znaniecki Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 Mark, if you would like to read the texts of some German regimental histories (translated to English in mastermade quality) from Regiments of the German 46th and 45th Reserve.Divisions as also from German 51st Reserve-Division ... just say HELLO, I am ready for that ! Could be interesting as well because they were opposite all the best Malte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 7 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2014 Amazing-I am very interested in German accounts. I do have two friends (one a native speaker) who could manage the originals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 From Brigade material showing the trenches held by the Lancs Fusiliers after the attack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malte Znaniecki Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 Mark, one question ... Would you like these texts to be attached to this thread ? If you want to read them at home with a cup of tea and some bisquits ... you better send me an adress to deliver to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 Mark, All battalion & brigade material sent to you, interestingly going through the C.R.A. material they moved an 18 pounder into the front line trenches to deal with the farm. Malte, I would love to read the German Regimental material regarding this action if you could be so kind, pm being sent with my e-mail address. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malte Znaniecki Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 Absolutely Superb ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 8 January , 2014 Share Posted 8 January , 2014 Andy, very good of you to post the diagram. There were several examples like this during 1915. Mountain guns were used as well as field guns in this role. Wheels were often covered in sacking or other material to minimise any noise when the guns were manoeuvred into positon. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 8 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 8 January , 2014 Fantastic stuff. The 18 pounder is referred to in the LF Regimental History. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 8 January , 2014 Share Posted 8 January , 2014 Robert, Another such example of this is six 18 pounders were dug into the front line parapet at Bois Grenier for the 2nd Rifle Brigades subsidiary attack for Loo's on the 25/9/15, two in the Bridoux Salient, one in the Well Farm Salient, two West of Well Farm and one East of Le Bridoux to fire direct on the enemy's parapet. The 18 pounder referred to in the C.R.A. for the attack on 6/7/15 was commanded by 2nd Lt. N.P.A. Robinson from 135th Battery, R.F.A.. He gives a detailed account of his actions prior to the gun being moved into the trench and how the move was accomplished if it is of interest. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 8 January , 2014 Share Posted 8 January , 2014 Maybe relevant or useful information in my article on my (no longer updated) Diggers website. http://www.mausershooters.org/diggers/E/activiteiten/06071915/welkom.htm Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 8 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 8 January , 2014 Thanks, Aurel, more fascinating information. This is turning into a major stop on my next battlefields tour! I am assuming that the site of International Trench is now covered by the industrial estate but it can't be far from Yorkshire Trench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 8 January , 2014 Author Share Posted 8 January , 2014 Here is a picture of Captain William Appleby, who was wounded in the 6th/7th July attack. A pre-war regular NCO, he was, I believe, the first Bury Grammar School old boy to see action in the Great War, receiving a battlefield commission after the battle of Le Cateau. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 8 January , 2014 Share Posted 8 January , 2014 Another few snippets for you Mark. The 11th Brigade were the far left troops of the whole British Army with the French on their left. The selection of International Trench was in effect the choice of the French. Shortly before the 4th Division took over the line in that locality, Colonel Dechiselle of the Zouaves, commanding the Zwaanhof Farm Sector, planned an operation for the capture or Fortin 17. The whole essence of his plan was a suprise attack to be delivered by night in complete silence, without artillery preparation. The operation was never carried out, being aniticipated by the handing over of the sector. Major-General H.F.M. Wilson, the 4th Divisional Commander, did not disguise his profound uneasiness about the proposed operation. In his opinion the tactical situation on the left could be satisfactorily improved by undertaking a larger operation. He would greatly have preferred to gain ground more slowly and less expensively by sapping and mining forward. General Prowse, the 11th Brigade Commander, selected the 1st Rifle Brigade to make the attack. The operation was postponed from its initial June date, General Wilson wrote to VI Corps submitting a reasoned protest that if the operation succeeded it will probably be at a high cost to men and that it did not appear to him to be the best method of attaining the objective. There is no record of a reply to his letter concerning the operation. All the Rifle Brigade officers effectively became casualties within 5 minutes. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 30 July , 2014 Author Share Posted 30 July , 2014 Thank you all for your previous help on this. On my October tour I would like to get as close as possible to the scene of 2LF's action and in particular the location of the slit trench near the canal in which the battalion HQ was hit by a German shell and Bury Grammar old boy Captain William Appleby seriously wounded. I will have Linesman on duty. I hope to hold a short act of remembrance there but realise we might be dodging juggernaut lorries rather than enemy fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 31 July , 2014 Share Posted 31 July , 2014 Readers may also be interested in the activities of 20th (Light) Division in this same area in the early months of 1916, in this topic: Left of the Line, April 1916? 12th Battalion, King's Liverpool Reg There was much to-ing and fro-ing with the outposts on the extreme left end of the line changing hands. Contains some good trench map detail that is relevant here too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 31 July , 2014 Share Posted 31 July , 2014 (edited) Posted the two sketch maps side-by-side in the other Topic and it looks so handy & dandy I thought I'd repeat it here! Indulge me! Cheers, Mark German version (courtesy Malte Znaniecki) British version (Courtesy of Andy Pay) Edited 4 January , 2017 by MBrockway Images rescaled to once more appear side by side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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