Picture of dawn attack at Loos 25 Sept 1915

[Simonwpb]

My grandfather was shot in the head (wounded) on Sept 25th 1915 when the 2/KRRC went over the top at Loos.

I found an astonishing action picture online showing a soldier disappearing into the poison gas on that same fateful day at Loos. (Link below) This was the first time that the British used poison gas, and it did not go well. Although only a grainy amateur photo, it is not like any other trench war pictures I have seen before. Would you consider this a rare image or are there other action shots showing poison gas in action?

- Simon

PS Caption says the picture was taken from the London Rifle Brigade trench.

PPS There is one more image in the IWM collection of a shot from 13 Oct 15 "British attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt by the 46th (North Midland) Division, Territorial Force. Photograph shows a cloud of smoke and gas in the centre and on the left."

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/dbtw-wpd/...mp;FG=0&QS=

[Robert Dunlop]

Simon, I recall an interesting discussion about this photograph perhaps two years ago. The Forum debated whether the picture could have been taken at the time of Loos. IIRC, the concern centred around whether the central figure was wearing a steel helment, which would have dated the photograph as later than Loos. Might be worth doing a search on Loos. Irrespective, it certainly gives a feel for what it must have been like for those units where the gas/smoke actually moved towards the Germans.

Robert

[n cherry]

I've got my concerns over this not about the photo as such but the usual caption.....I seem to recall in various books including the somewhat flawed Warner book as it being the London Rifle Brigade at Loos 25th September.....well they weren't part of the I and IV Corps who fought at Loos on 25th September.....from memory they were north of the La Bassee Canal and part of a competlly seperate attack but I might be wrong.

IMHO they weren't as such at 'Loos'.....

Sorry forgot to add....

2nd KRRC quite happily agree at Loos in the northern part of the battlefield from memory....

[Simonwpb]

I will have to dig deeper for the old thread on the IWM photo. To be honest I cannot tell what the soldier has on his head. My research led me to believe that at least the KRRC riflemen attacked wearing gas masks. Re-reading the War Diary they were wearing "smoke helmets" so this could add to the confusion.

6:00 am

The wind changed all the gas blew back especially on to B Coy. All ranks had smoke helmets on (old pattern ordered to be used) Consequently part of B Coy were gassed. not all very bad but it put them out of action. Reported to Bde. Ordered to attack 6:34 am, Wind got better at 6:20 am and gas turned on again.

6:34 am

Battn got out and moved forward to the assault. Battn HQ with the Battn. Could see nothing for smoke and gas between the hills. Very difficult to find direction. Most people choking. On reaching the wire it was discovered that it was not cut, being low and wide.

The Warner book 2000 edition makes the mistake of putting a picture on the cover with soldiers wearing helmets, although the credit is titled In the Trenches, Loos 1915

P.S. 1st Division was in front of Lone Tree. 2/KRRC was the right flank by the northern sap.

- Simon

[Simonwpb]

PS. Forgot to add thanks for Most Unfavourable Ground

[truthergw]

The effect of the gas at Loos was different in different parts of the line. The 2nd KRRC were one of the units affected by a change of wind direction. They also suffered from the wire in their sector being uncut. Gas was a secret at Loos. The word was not used and several other words used in its place. Special Companies of RE actually operated the equipment and the word accessory was used to refer to it. This possibly explains why men were described as wearing smoke helmets. Confusingly, there was not enough gas so it was supplemented by using smoke candles . The result was a cloud of mixed gas and smoke. No mention in Official History of 1 KRRC, only 2 Btn.

[n cherry]

Simon,

Thanks for your kind words....was told yesterday by someone looking for a copy of MuG that it was on the amazon used section starting at £50.....I have one copy left if anyone needs a Christmas present!

[Simonwpb]

Came across a soldier's description of the use of smoke helmets at Loos on 25th September... chilling stuff

We were in reserve trenches on September 24th, and on the night of that same day we went up to the firing-line.

It was a miserable night, with drizzling rain all the time. We started at ten o'clock, creeping and crawling through a long communication trench. We did not finish this advance job till two o'clock next morning, and then we sat in the trench and waited for the dawn to break. It was a solemn business, squatting there in the cold drizzle, talking in low tones, and wondering which of us would go down.

It was a lovely morn that broke, and glad we were to see it. Then, at about a quarter past five, the band began to play. And what a time it was, to be sure ! It was a terrible bombardment, with the whole countryside shaking and shivering with the crashing of the guns, and your head felt like bursting with the din.

We had to stand this horrible racket for some time. I don't know how long, but it seemed a fair stretch; then the word came to mount the parapet of the trench. It was a high parapet, and ladders were needed to get over it. There were plenty of ladders to each parapet, and as the order was one man to a ladder, no time was lost in getting out of the trench and on to the open ground over which the advance was made to the German trenches. The men of our battalion had their smoke-helmets on, and they looked like devils. And that was a proper thing to look, for they went straight into a hellish fire—no other word will describe the storm of shells and bullets that met them. It seemed impossible for any one to live in it, yet our men went forward, and being a stretcher-bearer I had a wonderful view of them.

This is from In the Line of Battle: Soldiers' Stories of the War edited by Walter Wood published in 1916

A STRETCHER-BEARER AT Loos . . . .page 196

PRIVATE HAROLD EDWARDS, D.C.M., 1st Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment

[Peter Beckett]

This is a picture of a smoke helmet (on the left) and the later tube helmet, both early designs for gas

Peter