Gardenerbill Posted 9 May , 2013 Share Posted 9 May , 2013 B. 5. 13th Day spent in bivouac. Hostile aeroplane over during the morning evidently failed to discern battalion in bivouac. Packs were dumped. White cloth to be worn as a square patch on the back and a white armlet on the right arm, issued. 1910 Bn moved out, H.Q. and one column down the communication trench to A8, the other column in the open. Appendix G. (report on the action) attached. App. G. As the action reports are missing the story will taken up by Lieutenant Colonel Pearse the Battalion C.O. wriiting in the official regimental history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 9 May , 2013 Share Posted 9 May , 2013 I particularly like this paragraph in praise of the cooks: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 9 May , 2013 Share Posted 9 May , 2013 Apologies for the odd size of the photo in the previous post, it's the first time I have attempted to upload an image. If you click on the image it will appear in full so you can read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 10 May , 2013 Share Posted 10 May , 2013 While the East Lancs were having tea! The preliminary barrage lifted at about 2.00 a.m. and the Kings and Lancs Fusiliers advanced. The Germans opened up with rifle and machine gun fire but their positions were soon overrun. The enemy realising what had happened concentrated artillery fire on the 2 hills and the defenders were hit hard suffering heavy casualties. The Germans then counter attacked and although the attack was repulsed the Kings had to pull back and the 9th East Lancs were sent in to support them. (Extract based on the description in 'The Gardeners of Salonika' by Alan Palmer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 10 May , 2013 Share Posted 10 May , 2013 I found this quote in Charles Packers 'Return to Salonika' by someone who was there: ‘The East Lancs advanced in the face of heavy enemy fire over open ground in formation as steadily as though they were on a parade ground’.8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 11 May , 2013 Share Posted 11 May , 2013 This is the description of the East Lancs advance in the Rgimental History Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 11 May , 2013 Share Posted 11 May , 2013 And the next page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 12 May , 2013 Share Posted 12 May , 2013 This is the war diary entry for the 14th: NEAR MACUKOVO 14TH Appendix H. (report on action) attached. App. H. Casualties were Lieut. R.A.B. JAMES and 10 O.R. killed. Lt.Col. S.A. PEARSE, 2/Lt D.H. REYNOLDS and 108 other Ranks wounded. 5 O.R. missing believed killed. CAPT. H.V. LEONARD, 2/Lt. R.F. LEE and 13 O.R. slightly wounded. Total on the 14th 6 officers and 138 other ranks. Having completed the retirement the battalion under MAJOR C.P. FOLEY marched to SMOL RAVINE and bivouacked for the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 13 May , 2013 Share Posted 13 May , 2013 The next day (15th) the battalion was bivouacked near SMOL then a few days later thsi is posted in the diary: 20th S/C 815 received stating that L/Cpl. Whittaker, T. Was brought in by a Patrol of the 11th Welsh. He had been lying wounded in Y ravine for 5 days And was now progressing well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 14 May , 2013 Share Posted 14 May , 2013 War diary entry for the 22nd of September 22nd Company parades for physical training etc. Casualty list altered to:- Believed killed 6 O.R. (five of whom were formerly reported wounded, 1 missing believed killed) Died of wounds 4 O.R. (all formerly reported wounded) 1 O.R. now wounded. (formerly w. & missing). New Lewis guns drawn in place of those damaged in recent fighting. 1915 65th Inf. Bde. orders No. 35 received. These would not be the final casualty figures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 15 May , 2013 Share Posted 15 May , 2013 There is then a rather sad note amongst the other information in the entry for the 28th 28th All quiet. Miltary Medal conferred on No. 13413 Pte. P. Curwen D. Coy. for bravery on 13-14th and 14653 Pte. Griffin C. (D. Coy) for unflagging zeal and extraordinary pluck on attending to wounded on 13-14th. Lt. Col. S.A. PEARSE struck off the strength of the battalion. Remainder of surplus ammunition returned. News received of capture of COMBLES. 500 rounds fired from new Lewis gun to run it in. L/Cpl. T. Whittaker, who spent 5 days in Y ravine before being found, died in hospital. Actual number of officers and men doing duty with the battalion now 15 officers and 433 O.R. 2/Lt E.L.Jones rejoined from hospital. The numbers show how under strength the battalion had become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 16 May , 2013 Share Posted 16 May , 2013 The final casualty figures go to A.G. (army Group?) and another medal is awarded 29th All quiet. 1630 Enemy shelled ravine south of B.5. setting the scrub alight. 13579 Corpl. Bennett C.Coy. awarded Military Medal for gallantry and devotion to duty on 13-14 th inst. Further 500 rounds fired from new Lewis gun. Corrected list of casualties sent to A.G’s. base. Officers killed Lieut. R.A.B. James. Died of wounds 2/Lt. H. YARDE-MARTIN. Wounded – Lt. Col. S.A. PEARSE Capt. H.V. LEONARD 2/Lt. H.D. REYNOLDS. 2/Lt. J.A.G. INNES. O.R. Killed 11. Wounded 141. Missing 1. Beleived killed 5. Died of wounds 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warwick Posted 16 May , 2013 Share Posted 16 May , 2013 I just want to thank you for your posts - while they may not be generating much discussion, I am sure I am not the only one reading them with avid interest. My Great Great Uncle served with the 9th East Lancs, both on the western front and in Salonika, before being posted to Constantinople as part of the occupying forces. I have numerous interesting letters and cards that he wrote throughout his service, and am longing to find the time to research his career properly – but until I find that time, I am constrained to lurking on the GWF and trying to glean as much as I can from others. Keep posting! With thanks Warwick PS - I can't wait to see if his name crops up - will need to dig through the letters and find out the date of his posting to Salonika... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 17 May , 2013 Share Posted 17 May , 2013 Warwick, thank you for your post, it is always pleasing to find that somone is taking an interest. You are the first forum member I have come across with a specific interest in this battalion. I have learned a great deal about them over the last year or so, from posting here but mostly from studying the war diary and official history, both of which are available for study in the Lancashire Regiments museum up at Preston. I have photographed about 75% of the battalion war diary and all of the section on the 9th battalion in the official history of the regiment. If you let me have the name of your Great Uncle I could have a look through and see if I can find a mention, if he is a commissioned officer there is a good chance, other ranks less so. There are 2 other posts on the war diary I have done that follow on from this one. You can find them in the Salonika sub forum if you page down a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 17 May , 2013 Share Posted 17 May , 2013 The next day a couple more medals: 30th 0620. All quiet. Explosions observed in ravine between the DORSAL 0400. and DOUBLE HILL. Five shells dropped on A.8. and three behind A.10. 0730. Patrol of 1 officer and 9 men sent out to investigate cause of explosions. Returned 2310 hours without success. 2/Lt V.C. WITHAM awarded D.C.M. Pte. E. WILLIAMS B Coy. awarded D.C.M. Major L.H. TRIST rejoined from hospital Rendered by CAPT. H. VERDON LEONARD D.C.M. Distinguished Conduct Medal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 18 May , 2013 Share Posted 18 May , 2013 The next significant entry on the 10th of October is for yet another medal: MORGANS RAVINE 10 th Ref. 22 Div. Map ARDZAN district 1:30,000, the battalion now occupies the following positions in Brigade Reserve. A. Coy. B.3. B. Coy. B.4. C. Coy. BAYES’ RAVINE. D. Coy. B.5. (In battalion reserve to 14 th King’s (Liverpool) Regt.) N0. 9/1479 Sgt. McMillan A. Awarded Military Medal for bravery and resource on 13/14 Sept. Capt. and Adjt H.V. LEONARD rejoined from hospital. 2240 Artillery fire on DOLDZELI RIDGE. “Secret” Brigade Orders No. 38 received ref. “Cutting Out” expedition to be carried out by 9 th KING’S OWN REGT. and 12 TH LANCS. FUS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warwick Posted 18 May , 2013 Share Posted 18 May , 2013 Hi Mark, My Great Great Uncle was John Stephen Oldham ("John" to his father, "Jack" to his sister and "Derek" to the rest of the world as this was his stage name by which he is best known/remembered!). He was an officer and won the Military Cross whilst in on the eastern front. The letters I have indicate that he arrived in Salonika around the time of the great fire (early August 1917) and was at No 2 Base Depot Salonika (Summerhill Camp) and had been posted to the 9th battallion from the 3rd, having served on the western front. He appears to have been sent up the line around the 20th September 1917, and in his letters he talks of fellow officers Peltzer and Stephens... Will find out more once I find time to delve in more depth through his letters... Kind regards Warwick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 19 May , 2013 Share Posted 19 May , 2013 12th 1900 Enemy dropped 6 5.9 shells on A.6. 1930 Stretcher Bearer class started. Reinforcements 154 O.R. from 3 rd ® Bn. East Lancashire Regt. joined the battalion. Details 19 O.R. re-joined from hospital. The reinforcements brought up to bring the battalion up to strength resulted in my Grandfather being transferred from the 11th (reserve) battalion of the Loyal North Lancs to the 3rd (reserve) Battalion of the East Lancs and that is why Machukovo is significant in his story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warwick Posted 20 May , 2013 Share Posted 20 May , 2013 Mark, Thank you for your responses on the PM system... you have inspired me to dig out my GG Uncles letters and start to sort through them...(years 1917, 18 and 19 are now in alphabetical order - years 14, 15 and 16 to go...) your second to last post mentions "Capt. and Adjt H.V. LEONARD" who has rejoined from hospital. In a letter home on Christmas day 1917, my GG Uncle comments "This tour has had a little cloom cast over it by one of our popular officers called Lenny being killed three nights ago. He was such an awfully nice chap and he got a machine gun bullet through the heart" could this be the same man? Warwick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 20 May , 2013 Share Posted 20 May , 2013 Warwick It's not Captain Leonard, there is an entry on the 20th December: Lieut L.A. Lenny was killed whilst in charge of a working party by M.G. bullet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 20 May , 2013 Share Posted 20 May , 2013 The final word on Machukovo must go to Lt Col Pearse writing in the regimental history: We suffered heavily at Macukovo, but what matters that? We were prepared to do so, and there was not one of us who had not felt a sense of relief at realizing that the fear of losses , which at one time , thanks to peace-time theorists, field-day tactics and penmen pandering to too impressionable public, had hung like a paralysing miasma over the British Army, had been blown away by the first shot fired in the Great War. The sound, time honoured doctrine of our race, that losses count for nothing if the object be attained, had come once more into its own. We do better than merely count and mourn over our fallen; we are proud of them and triumph in their fall. I suspect that this was written after the war when people had started to question the tactics that lead to the heavy losses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 21 May , 2013 Share Posted 21 May , 2013 To follow the exploits of the 9th E Lancs in November 1916 to January 1917 click the link below: http://1914-1918.inv...howtopic=186493 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 14 September , 2016 Share Posted 14 September , 2016 Resurrecting this topic as it is 100 years ago today that the action at Machukovo took place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 20 November , 2016 Share Posted 20 November , 2016 I describe Macukovo from an East Lancs perspective here: http://www.kaiserscross.com/304501/552343.html Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 2 June , 2017 Share Posted 2 June , 2017 Resurrected for forum pal @Peach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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