7 November 1914

[Chris_Baker]

Official History of the Great War, 1914 volume 2
Page 399, 7th November 1914

Lawford's counter-attack
Lord Cavan had realised that the situation could not wait, and at 4am he despatched 22nd Brigade (14 officers and 1100 men) towards the junction of 3rd Brigade and his own group, about 500 yds NE of Zwarteleen. At 6.15am Lawford sent the Brigade forward in heavy mist against the German trenches, which were partly in the open, partly in projecting salients of woods, only 150 yards away. The 2nd Queens lead, in two lines (including the only survivors of the 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers, no officers and 86 men). The firing of a gun was the signal, but it was indistinguishable in the noise of battle. Only the 1st Gloucesters joined in. It was too foggy to support with covering fire, but the attack was successful: the first enemy trench was occupied, and three MG's captured. All further efforts faltered. At dusk, 4pm, the French had not co-operated, the Brigades flanks were in the air, and the Brigade was withdrawn. The losses were 10 of the 14 officers, and 304 of 1100 men.

This official account does not tell the full story. The losses to 22nd Brigade since the opening of First Ypres had been such that the 1st South Staffords and 2nd Queens temporarily merged, to form the basis of a battalion that made this attack. This is what the official historian refers to as the 2nd Queens, above.

The Brigade had just been withdrawn for thefirst time, and was beginning rest at Dickebusch, when news came through that the cavalry (acting dismounted) were under enormous pressure and it looked as though the enemy might break through them, at Zillebeke. The Brigade was rushed up to Zillebeke in buses, late on the evening of the 6th.

The attack took place on the western edge of Armagh Wood.

From the South Staffords war diary:
About 5am, the Brigade left the field, and went down the path through the woods. Overnight, a gun had been positioned to enfilade the German trench. However, the assistance it gave was slight. The Brigade was deployed, screened from the Germans by a slight rise in the ground. The attack was timed for 6.15am. There was a heavy mist,and it was only just becoming daylight. The 2nd Queens advanced over the rise. German machine guns opened. The second wave came up, and advanced with the first. It was completely successful, and the enemy ran away. There was much shelling, but the Brigade line held on. The Brigade withdrew that night to the level crossing, where it bivouacked.

More than 100 Staffords died in this forgotten attack. A very few have a known grave. The rest are listed on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing.

Captain John Vallentin of the Staffords had already been wounded and was being treated in Ypres. he heard of what was going on, and discharged himself from hospital, to lead the attack. He was cut down by machine gun fire, leading the charge. John was awarded the VC, the only such award to the 1st South Staffords.

When roll call was finally taken, of the more than 1100 men of the battalion that had landed at Zeebrugge exactly a month before, only 43 remained at duty. Every officer had gone, although some returned to duty once their wounds had healed.

And that is why we must not forget the courage and effort of these men of the "old contemptibles".

[Geoff Reeves]

Thanks for posting this, Chris. My area of interest is the 2nd Queen's and I've always wondered if this was the attack in which my Grandfather, a Serjeant with the battalion, was captured. We're not sure when he was captured - only that it was sometime in the first week of November. I suppose it could have been anytime between Gheluvelt and this action but the odds seem in favour of November 7th. (19 men were reported as missing after the 7th versus 5 between Oct 31-Nov 6).

Anyway, I thought this sketch-map, from the 2nd Queen's War Diary, would be of interest.