London Regiment (Post Office Rifles) 1st/8th Bn.

[smiths565]

Hello everybody,

I have researched a number of men from the 8th Bn. London Regiment (Post Office Rifles) who fell on the 7th October 1916. Could anybody give me details of the action they were involved in. I assume it was an attack on Warlencourt, the Butte de Warlencourt and Eaucourt-L'Abbaye.

Can anybody help

Thanks in advance

Robert.

[Greenwoodman]

The objective for the attack was the Grid Line, a trench system between Guedecourt and Warlencourt, and three Divisions were involved. POR objective was Diagonal Trench which lay below the Butte de Warlencourt. They went over the top at 1345 on the 7th. Creeping barrage was spluttery. Inexperience of new draft showed in a tendency to bunch, machine gun fire from the Butte stopped the advance in its tracks. Two thirds casualties. 40 killed, 160 wounded and 200 missing out of 650.

Taken from Charles Messenger's "Terriers in the Trenches - The History of the Post Office Rifles"

[jay dubaya]

Hi Robert, the following is taken from Westlake's 'Battalions on the Somme'

1/8th Battalion (Post Office Rifles). 140th Brigade, 47th (2nd London) Division:

To Albert (29/9), via Mametz Wood to forward area at Eaucourt l'Abbaye (4/10). Attack on Snag Trench in front of Butte de Warlencourt (7/10) - Lieutenant-Colonel A.D. Derviche-Jones noting in his history of the Battalion that 2 companies were almost completely wiped out - only 7 men survived. Casualties - 411. Via Mametz Wood to Albert (9/10). Entrained for Longpre (13/10) and from there transferred to the Ypres sector.

cheers, Jon

[Thiepval]

Thanks for this helpful information. My relative Charles Reside McKie died in this action and his name is on the Thiepval Memorial.

[Thiepval]

Thanks for this helpful information. My relative Charles Reside McKie died in this action and his name is on the Thiepval Memorial.