British Attack at the Bluff - 2 March 1916

[J Banning]

I was reading Dominiek Dendooven’s excellent little pamphlet booklet “From The Bluff to die Gross Bastion” – a walk around the Palingbeek with particular reference to the 2 March 1916 British attack to recapture the positions the Germans had overrun on 14 February.

On Page 18 in describing the preparations for the attack he says: “…the new steel helmets were another innovation. On the Ypres front they were still rare. To ensure all the soldiers involved in the attack wore a helmet, a collection was organized among other units in the Ypres Salient.”

Has anyone heard of this before and can they confirm any sources that back this up?

By the way, I'd recommend this booklet as excellent value at 3 Euro. I got mine last year from IFF Musuem.

Many thanks

Jeremy

[salientguide]

Jeremy certainly both side adopted steel helmets around the beginning of 1916 and it would have been some time before they could be produced in sufficient numberrs for everyone. Photos of the !st Northumberland Fusiliers of April 1916 show thrm celebrating their success at the Battle of the St Eloi Craters and they are all now equipped with the new steel helmets. Interestingly another photo of men with souvenirs from the action, pickelhaubes, revolvers, gas masks etc shows one with a new German coal scuttle helmet possibly one of the first capturedi bet that got snaffled pretty quick by intelligence for assessment.

So the story certainly sounds feasible. SG

[Ken Lees]

When steel helmets were first issued to the British troops they were handed over from the unit leaving the front lines to the releiving unit. This was until the production rate met the demand for them to be personal issue.

[Guest chrisculleton]

My great-great uncle was a pioneer at Voormeezele around this time; his diary entry for 10th February says:

We have just been issued with steel helmets and I wore mine tonight for the first time.

This was quite timely as his entry for the previous day describes a man of his platoon having..."a narrow shave this morning. A stray bullet went through the top of his cap, cutting a slight groove in the top of his head. Nothing serious and he didn't have to go to the field ambulance."

[J Banning]

Many thanks for these responses.

[bob lembke]

When steel helmets were first issued to the British troops they were handed over from the unit leaving the front lines to the releiving unit. This was until the production rate met the demand for them to be personal issue.

The new German helmets were first handed out at Verdun at about the same time, I believe that the first unit to get them was Sturm=Bataillon Nr. 5 (Rohr) , the famous Storm Battalion Rohr (which my father fought with several times on detachment), and possibly the second was my father's unit, Garde=Reserve=Pionier=Regiment (Flammenwerfer) . But at first the line infantry regiments did the same, as they came out of line they handed their helmets to the men of the relieving unit.

Bob Lembke

[clive_hughes]

Maybe you can correct me here, but doesn't the Official History state that the first use of steel helmets was by mills bombers of the 7th Border Regiment at The Bluff during the various counter-attacks following its seizure by the Germans on 14 February 1916?

The diary of one of the unit's officers, 2nd Lieut. Harold Harding Linzell MC, was edited by M.A.Argyle and privately published in 1981 under the title Fallen on the Somme. Linzell was returning from leave at the time of the first actions, but had been the Battn. Bombing Officer. He turned up on 16th February to find only 6 of the bombing platoon left. He was involved in the operation to regain the captured positions on 2 March, but nowhere does he mention steel helmets.

Linzell was later kia on 3 July 1916 at Fricourt.

LST_164

[uncle bill]

The 6th Dorsets certainly did not have any at that point, nor did they receive any during their stint at The Bluff. The Pioneer battalion of the 29th Division did not receive any until the early morning of July 1st 1916.

[bu6512]

Just reading some old post and would like to add the 6th Dorsets did have some helmets in feb 1916 on their counter attack on the Bluff. It's in the foot notes of the war diary.

[Chris Bent]

I am researching the events of March 2nd, 1916 at the Bluff and the role the King's Liverpool 13th Battalion played. On this day when they were part of the attack on the German lines they were in Kingsway Trench. I have looked at a few trench maps from this area and can't find Kingsway. Does anyone know where it was located? Many thanks. Chris. 

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi Chris, Chasseaud's list gives the spelling as Kingsway / King's Way and if this is the one you want it is around 1.5 km NW of The Bluff.

 

[Chris Bent]

This is perfect. Many thanks. Looks like they were in dugouts at King's Way on March 2nd. I am visiting there at the end of this month with the family of a King's Liverpool soldier. He was injured at Bazentin le Grand on 14th July, 1916 and came home to England never to return. Really appreciate your support. 

[brianmorris547]

Chris

This map is from the February 1916 WD of 3 Div HQ. Courtesy TNA WO 95/1377.

The position is roughly 3 Ks south of Ypres on the N 336 to Warneton. This from the IGN 1:20 000 Poperinge-Ieper 28 1-2.

Brian

[brianmorris547]

You get a better idea from the 1:50 000 Ieper27-28-36. The position is clipped on the 1:10 000.

[Chris Bent]

Brian these are great. I’ll print them off and take with me. It’s two weeks today we go. Should be a very special event for the family of Sam Leavesley.