HLI at Passchendaele

[MParnham]

My grandfathers brother (Pte George P Taylor) served in the HLI 9th Battalion. He died on the 25th Sept 1917 during the 3rd battle of Ypres. Does anyone know what they were doing that day or for the few days before? Does anyone have a relevant map?

Many thanks

Martin

[Ryukyu]

From the War Diary of the 9th (Glasgow Highland) Battalion Highland Light Infantry – “the Glasgow Highlanders”

1914 to 1919.

[25 September 1917: front line at Polygon Wood]

Impossible to get runners beyond support line by day.

About 5.30am hostile barrage renewed and enemy attacks on a front of about 2 miles.

We break up his attack on our front and drive him back with Lewis gun and rifle fire, except on our Right where he gained a footing in the Queens strong point and we lose several men and had several (say 20 captured.)

Enemy aeroplanes were flying very low over our lines co-operating with his attacking troops. None of ours appeared until 8am. Front line was reinforced by part of C Coy and a few men of B Coy. A party from Headquarters managed to get water and rations from JACKDAW DUMP.

Ewan

[cockney tone]

Martin,

just to add a bit more to what Ewan posted, in Passchendale the Day by Day Account by Chris McCarthy it states;

The relief of the 23rd Division (X Corps) by the 33rd Division continued. During the relief the Germans attacked along the whole divisional front.

100 Brigade, (33rd Division); At 5.30am the 1st Queens and part of the 9th HLI were driven back and the Germans occupied the position. On the left the 2nd Worcesters and the 4th Kings (98 Brigade, 33rd Division) lost no ground.

At 9am a company of the Queens was able to push forward and retake the original support line and at the same time the HLI succeded in recapturing part of the ground lost on their right. Meanwhile small arms fire from the Worcesters and Kings brought any attempt by the enemy to improve his position to a halt.

It was a tuesday and records the weather as temp 75 f, mist, with nil rainfall.

Hope this makes sense, sorry but cannot help with a map but I am sure another Pal will be able to assist in due course,

Regards and good luck with your research,

Scottie.

[MParnham]

From the War Diary of the 9th (Glasgow Highland) Battalion Highland Light Infantry – “the Glasgow Highlanders”

1914 to 1919.

[25 September 1917: front line at Polygon Wood]

Impossible to get runners beyond support line by day.

About 5.30am hostile barrage renewed and enemy attacks on a front of about 2 miles.

We break up his attack on our front and drive him back with Lewis gun and rifle fire, except on our Right where he gained a footing in the Queens strong point and we lose several men and had several (say 20 captured.)

Enemy aeroplanes were flying very low over our lines co-operating with his attacking troops. None of ours appeared until 8am. Front line was reinforced by part of C Coy and a few men of B Coy. A party from Headquarters managed to get water and rations from JACKDAW DUMP.

Ewan

Ewan - thank you very much - reading between the lines it sounds pretty awful.

Martin

[MParnham]

Martin,

just to add a bit more to what Ewan posted, in Passchendale the Day by Day Account by Chris McCarthy it states;

The relief of the 23rd Division (X Corps) by the 33rd Division continued. During the relief the Germans attacked along the whole divisional front.

100 Brigade, (33rd Division); At 5.30am the 1st Queens and part of the 9th HLI were driven back and the Germans occupied the position. On the left the 2nd Worcesters and the 4th Kings (98 Brigade, 33rd Division) lost no ground.

At 9am a company of the Queens was able to push forward and retake the original support line and at the same time the HLI succeded in recapturing part of the ground lost on their right. Meanwhile small arms fire from the Worcesters and Kings brought any attempt by the enemy to improve his position to a halt.

It was a tuesday and records the weather as temp 75 f, mist, with nil rainfall.

Hope this makes sense, sorry but cannot help with a map but I am sure another Pal will be able to assist in due course,

Regards and good luck with your research,

Scottie.

Many thanks Scottie - It is strange to think of this battle in hot weather, my mental picture had been one of cold and mud!

Martin

[Dolus]

Private 332800 (formerly 6059) George P Taylor (born Leeds, enrolled Doncaster according to SDIGW) is listed in the appendix to the recently published history of the 9th HLI "Come On Highlanders" by Alec Weir. Pages 237 to 244 of the book relate to what the 9th HLI were doing at the end of September 1917 - pitched in at one of the most intense 3rd Ypres efforts to push the Germans back just to the south of Polygon Wood (more or less at where the Hooge Crater cemetery now stands. Corporal John Hamilton of the 9th HLI was awarded a Victoria Cross for his part in this battle on 25/26 September 1917, and although he himself survived, the 9th HLI lost about 450, killed, wounded and missing. Those killed, including Private Taylor, are nearly all commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial to the missing. Zillebeke.

[greatspywar]

Hello Martin,

It was wet and cold most of the time... . Of course some stages were sunny and dry, but due to the heavy artillery bombardments all the creecks and streams where flooding the country, so everything got muddy. Even dryer periods couldn't help drying the ground.

Do you have a photo of your great uncle for our project The Passchendaele Archives?

More info is here:

http://www.passchendaele.be/pa.html

Kind regards,

Jan

[MParnham]

Private 332800 (formerly 6059) George P Taylor (born Leeds, enrolled Doncaster according to SDIGW) is listed in the appendix to the recently published history of the 9th HLI "Come On Highlanders" by Alec Weir. Pages 237 to 244 of the book relate to what the 9th HLI were doing at the end of September 1917 - pitched in at one of the most intense 3rd Ypres efforts to push the Germans back just to the south of Polygon Wood (more or less at where the Hooge Crater cemetery now stands. Corporal John Hamilton of the 9th HLI was awarded a Victoria Cross for his part in this battle on 25/26 September 1917, and although he himself survived, the 9th HLI lost about 450, killed, wounded and missing. Those killed, including Private Taylor, are nearly all commemorated at Tyne Cot Memorial to the missing. Zillebeke.

Thank you - you have given me some excellent reference points - I hopefully can now track down a trench map.

Martin

[MParnham]

Hello Martin,

It was wet and cold most of the time... . Of course some stages were sunny and dry, but due to the heavy artillery bombardments all the creecks and streams where flooding the country, so everything got muddy. Even dryer periods couldn't help drying the ground.

Do you have a photo of your great uncle for our project The Passchendaele Archives?

More info is here:

http://www.passchendaele.be/pa.html

Kind regards,

Jan

Jan - I will be seeing my mother in a couple of weeks - I will get the photograph, scan it and send it to you with what details we know of his life and death. She will be very pleased that his sacrifice will not be forgotten. His death devastated the family; they could not understand why no body was found. I suspect like so many families back home the appaling reality and meyhem of Passendale was something they could just not imagine.

Martin

[greatspywar]

Hello Martin,

Could you email me at Archives@passchendaele.be or could you visit www.passchendaele.be and downmoad the guideline/checklist and form to fill in? I can email it to you as well.

I look forward hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Jan