RND at Welsh Ridge, 30 December 1917

[seaJane]

Today in 1917, the Royal Naval Division was holding the allied line at Welsh Ridge.

At dawn a German “hurricane” bombardment took place killing several officers & men.

 

As the bombardment stopped, the Royal Naval Division was attacked. Heavily armed German Stormtroopers wearing snow suits for camouflage had advanced using the bombardment as cover.

 

The RMLI & sailors in the Hood & Drake battalions held & in hand to hand fighting drove the attackers back. The supporting British Army units suffered heavy casualties & the line was breached.

 

Nelson Battalion & the Artists' Rifles counter-attacked, but these counter-attacks stalled.

 

At this point T/Lt Cdr Buckle RNVR, a school teacher pre-war & a Royal Naval Reservist promoted from AB, planned & led new attacks with the Anson Battalion; for this he was later awarded the DSO (by the end of the war he had been awarded the DSO 4 times & MiD 5 times).

 

In two days of hard fighting, the Royal Naval Division suffered 1,420 casualties.
They held Welsh Ridge & fought off an enemy force of 15 battalions.

 

(Text courtesy of HMS KING ALFRED's Twitter feed, edited by me).