8th Bn East Surrey Regt

[mutley]

Can any pal tell me where the 8th East Surreys were serving at the start of January 1918, in particular the 8th of the month as I am researching a chap who was killed in action on that day. Many thanks in advance.

Mutley

[Frajohn]

Mutley

From the Reginental History;

at 3 p.m., the Battalion reached Privett Camp by 4 p.m., where it remained until, on the last day of the year, it moved to Boesinghe, and soon after midday took up its quarters in H Camp.

The Honours Gazette of the 1st January, 1918, notified that Temporary Lieut.-Colonel A. P. B. Irwin had received a Brevet-Majority, and the award of the Military Cross to Lieut. N. A. Pease and Company Sergt.-Major C. Estall, who had distinguished themselves in action during 1917.

On the 2nd January the Battalion became Brigade Support, being posted at Abri Wood, and on the 6th moved forward into the front line, taking over the left sub-sector of the Divisional front, with Battalion Headquarters at Pascal Farm. On the 8th the enemy's position at Turenne Crossing was raided by a party under the command of 2nd Lieut. B. G. Scrase which consisted of fifteen selected N.C.O.'s and men of D Company. Another party of twenty-five other ranks, under 2nd Lieut. A. W. Braid, acted in support. Both parties moved off at 4.40 a.m. and, having advanced a considerable distance along the Ypres¬Thourout railway embankment, reached the point from which the attack was made, supported by a detachment of Stokes mortars. When some 30 yards from the enemy post at the crossing, 2nd Lieut. Scrase found masses of wire still uncut and was unable to get through. As the enemy were pouring a withering machine¬

gun fire on his party he decided to abandon the attempt and skilfully withdrew his men.

The enemy official report of this raid is interesting.

German Wireless Report. Army Group Crown Prince Rupprecht" Under

cover of heavy fire, British reconnaissance detachments advanced towards the South border of Houthulst Forest. Some companies made an attack on the Boesinghe-Staden railway. The enemy was unable to reach our lines at any point and sustained heavy casualties under our fire."

In spite of the apparent failure of the raid, the report was well received at

Headquarters, and the following awards were made:¬

Military Cross: 2nd Lieut. B. G. Scrase.

Military Medal: Sergt. J. J. Giles; Sergt. F. Kitch; Cpl. F. W. Greenland;

Lce.-Cpl. A. V. Armour.

At about 7 a.m. a heavy fall of snow made conditions exceedingly unpleasant. Taking advantage of this, the enemy attacked the Battalion's posts as dusk came on. Clad in white smocks, about 200 Germans advanced against the left of the Battalion at about 4.45 p.m., but, chiefly owing to the well-directed rifle and Lewis-gun fire of the garrisons, they failed to reach our posts. For some con¬siderable time the hostile artillery barrage was very heavy, although in response

to the S.O.S. signal the British artillery replied with their usual vigour. By 6 p.m. the situation was again normal. The casualties during the day were sur¬prisingly light, viz. 4 other ranks killed, 2 "missing, believed killed," and 10 wounded.

After a quiet day on the 9th the enemy artillery became very active on the following day, during which'the Battalion, relieved by the 6th Battn. North¬ampton Regt., returned to its old quarters in H Camp, after what was declared to have been" the most trying tour that the Battalion had experienced, on

account of the severe weather." H Camp was the Battalion's home for the next

seven days.

At noon on the 18th January the Battalion again moved forward to Abri

Wood, where for three days it continued the improvement of the camp and the

supply ofR.E. "duties," going into the line in relief of the 7th Battn. "Queen's"

on the evening of the 21st. For several days considerable efforts were made to

repair the ravages of the weather on the sector. Much new wire was put up,

duck-board tracks laid and camouflaged, while patrols were frequently sent out

along the roads leading to Turenne Crossing.

On the night of the 24th the Battalion bid farewell to the sector and, as

afterwards turned out, its final farewell to the Ypres salient. Moving back to

H Camp, where a stay of a week was made, it entrained on 31st January for the

Herzeele area, the transport proceeding thither by march route.

Herzeele remained the Battalion's training ground for some days, during

which time a draft of 6 officers and 146 other ranks, under the command of

Captain J. A. Halford, reported from the 7th Battalion, which unit, having

gallantly upheld the traditions of the Regiment during two and a half years of

active service, had just been disbanded as the result of the new organization of

brigades on a three-battalion basis.

At 10 a.m. on the 8th February the Battalion entrained at Herzeele and,

after a most interesting journey southwards through Arras, Miraumont and

Albert, arrived at Noyon in the early hours of the following morning. The

Division, now part of the Fifth Army, was being put into the line opposite

La Fere (some fifteen miles south of St. Quentin), which had quite recently been

taken over from the French. Some divisions had already arrived in the area;

and everyone looked forward to a more pleasant existence in country as yet hardly

touched by war in comparison with the battered and waterlogged desolation of

the northern portion of the Y pres salient.

After a halt of two days at Pontoise, the Battalion moved forward to two

villages, Autreville and Pierremande, on the south bank of the River Oise, near

near the western edge of the Foret de Coucy (see map opposite page 126).

Accommodation was provided for A and C Companies in the former village, and

at first also for Battalion Headquarters, but tyvo days later these moved to

Pierremande to join the other companies. Until the 15th the Battalion was

allowed to continue the programme of training already begun at Herzeele, and

the recently joined drafts rapidly assimilated themselves into the Battalion.

A programme of work was then received from the Brigade, under which

working parties were provided for digging and wiring extensive new fortifica¬

tions in the Caillette and Barisis Hill sectors and the Bernagousse strong-point,

into which A Company eventually moved.

On the 24th, however, the Battalion (less A and C Companies, who moved

to Sinceny) relieved the 2/4th Battn. London Regt. in the Buttes de Rouy, only

to be itself relieved on the following day by another unit of the 58th Division.

On the completion of this second relief the Battalion moved by lorries via Chauny

Regards

John

[mutley]

John

Brilliant! Thanks for the detailed reply, I guess my man was either killed in the initial raid on Turene Crossing or the subsequent German attack. He was a LCpl who was originally a Royal Warwick but then at some stage moved over to the East Surreys. He has no known grave and is commemorated at Tyne Cot.

Thanks again for your help

Mutley