To Fight Alongside Friends

by Gerry Harrison

  The ‘stunt’ comes off tonight and the team has left, cheered by the battalion and full of hope with our good wishes behind them.

  3rd June ’16

  I wrote the above about 8 p.m. It is now 10 a.m. of the 3rd. Last night was one of the most anxious most of us have ever spent. The first word came at 12 midnight, after the most terrific bombardment: ‘Most men returned, Lieutenants Oldham and Cansino wounded’. The next was half an hour later: ‘Sergeant Burchill killed, Oldham wounded, Street and Cansino and 14 men missing. Two prisoners.’xxiv

  Nothing else. We could get no word through. It was horrid. The poor boys up there dying and we down here helpless to do anything. Poor lads. Burchill had no right to be there but he went out getting the wounded in and was shot in the stomach doing it. Men say they would never have got in but for him. He was a gallant boy. So was Street. He was hit twice and got caught on the German wire. A sergeant tried to help him but was twice wounded in the attempt. ‘I’m done. Go back now, sergeant,’ said old ‘Stuggins’ [Street] – and that’s the last we’ve heard of him. He had killed two Germans with his revolver a few minutes previously, but they got him in the end.

  Oldham found the Bosche wire uncut and he pulled it apart with his own hands. He was hit in the shoulder and the leg but stuck it till weakness compelled him to go back. He helped a worse-wounded man along.

  Sgt Bradley was hit twice, killed a Bosche, bound up Burchill in No Man’s Land, came into our line with all his men to report and then went out again with a patrol to search for the missing.xxv

  One of the missing returned this morning. He had been lost in No Man’s Land. We are therefore six men and one officer (Cansino) unaccounted for. No one seems to know anything of poor Cansino. Dransfield, one of my men, captured three Germans, shot one who tried to escape but brought in the other two.xxvi He also helped Oldham over the last bit in.

  We have thirty men hit, two officers killed, one wounded and one missing. It is a heavy price, but no doubt it is the fortune of war. It has cast a shadow over us all. Poor foolish, gallant Burchill. He had no right there at all. He was out against orders. But he died like an officer should.

  3rd June ’16

  We are in the line again. But it is a sad incoming.

  Poor Street, Cansino and one other unidentified can be plainly seen tangled in a heap among the German wire, right under their parapet. A Bosche sentry is mounted over them and keeps popping his head up every now and then to have a look at them. I saw him first through the telescope and the sudden apparition of his great face caused me to think him a fiend of hell gloating over his victims.

  The poor fellows are quite dead. It is evident now that Cansino, hearing Street was in difficulties, went to help him and was killed in the attempt. It is one more case of the Supreme Sacrifice. The boy did well.xxvii

  It is pitiful to see them lying there but it is not possible for us to get them in, they lying too close to the enemy. No doubt he will save us the trouble tonight.

  Poor Street was a married man with three children and Cansino was also married. It is a sad business.

  Routine Orders by Brigadier No. 566 General J. R. Minshull-Ford,

  Special Commanding 91st Brigade Order – 3rd June 1916

  The Brigadier General Commanding wishes to express his admiration for the gallant manner in which the Officers, NCOs and men of the 22nd Battalion the Manchester Regiment, carried out their attack on BULGAR POINT last night.

  The task allotted to this party was carried out exactly as had been ordered. Considerable losses to the enemy were inflicted, and valuable information obtained.

  The Brigadier General Commanding deeply regrets the losses which the battalion suffered during the operation and is confident that when the day comes all ranks of the 22nd Battalion the Manchester Regiment will avenge their fallen comrades, and display the same courage and devotion to duty.

  (sgd) A. K. Grant, Major

  Brigade Major xxviii

  Chapter 11

  ‘The greatest battle in the world is on the eve of breaking’

  4–26 June 1916

  4th June ’16

  Today Greenleesi took me through his now completed Advanced Dressing Station at Minden Post. It is a splendid affair, twenty feet below ground, lofty, well-aired and lighted with acetylene lamps. It is painted white throughout, has accommodation for forty stretcher cases and is fitted with an operating room and every other necessity for speedily helping the wounded. The RAMC built it themselves and it is a job they may well be proud of.

  We had an accident this morning. One of our trench mortar bombs exploded in the gun and set off eighty others in the ammunition dug-out. It has blown a hole 15 feet deep and about 15 yards across. One man was buried and three others wounded. Considering the largeness of the explosion, a light total indeed.

  During the evening a lot of heavy stuff dropped in the line, completely filling up one end of Lancaster Street East and part of the fire trench. In all four men were killed and three injured and these again by being buried.

  No doubt we are being retaliated on for our raid the night before last.

  Walking round this morning I was struck by the two distinct types of trench we own, they are the clay and the chalk ones. The clay are always deep – one feels very safe in them – but they hold the wet and cave in badly when shelled. The chalk ones keep dry but they have an uncomfortable habit of getting shallower day by day. The reason is that the sides crumble and fall in. This is trodden down and so gradually fills up the trench. They detonate shells much more quickly than the clay, however, and do not succumb to the explosion to anything like the same extent.

  On the whole I think I prefer chalk trenches.

  5th June ’16

  A patrol brought in a funny thing tonight. It had crawled over to the Bosche wire and found, about ten yards out from this, a row of papers – about five yards between each paper – like this:

  All the papers were folded the same way and all pointed to Fritz’s wire. They were quite new and freshly folded though they bore the date Dec 14th, 1915.

  They were all copies of the Gazette des Ardennes, the sheet in which Fritz endeavours to curry favour with the French inhabitants of the occupied territory. As yet we do not understand it. One of the prisoners taken the other night has now been examined. He is a Silesian Pole, 37 years old, has only come from the recruit depot at a fortnight or so ago and had only been in the trenches eight days. It seems to me he got out of the war very lightly. He says rations are ample, a direct contradiction of the evidence of our last prisoner.ii

  One never knows what to believe with these fellows.

  6th June ’16

  In [trench] 66 Street there is a tiny little nook carved in the wall. In this is a clip of five rounds and over the top, engraved in chalk, the notice, ‘Do not touch. Brigade S. A. A. [Small Arms Ammunition] reserve’.iii

  We have been shelled on and off all day yet we have only had three casualties. Narrow escapes however have been plenty but, once over, these are rather nice. They give people interesting conversational items, with which to inflict their friends at a later date. Fritz made good practice on us, knocking in the front line in six places, the supports and communication trenches in four and breaking two dug-outs. We are, however, well traversed now and the line should stand as good a pounding as any. A propos of this is a little artillery story. Our ammunition, be it whispered, is not all that it should be. Sometimes it does not go off, at others it goes off when it shouldn’t and often it only half explodes. After we had been shelled one day C Company, who had suffered somewhat and were correspondingly annoyed, asked for ‘retaliation’ of all guns. This was promised and the men told. They immediately sought points of vantage and at last our guns commenced. They put over twelve, eight of which were ‘duds’.

  The men immediately commenced to sing ‘Thank God we have a Navy’.

  Townsend, in a thoughtless moment, retailed this to the battery commander at mess on
e night. There is now a certain frigidity between them.

  7th June ’16

  The naval battle now seems clear and apparently we have done all right. It is an awful pity the Fleet could not get up in time. I bet poor Jellicoe is sick about it.iv

  And now comes news of the loss of Kitchener.v What rough luck on him to end up so, the victim of a stinking submarine. It is a great pity. But the country is fortunate in that he was spared to it until his work was done. I wonder who will get his job. I do not envy him it. It is not easy to succeed a great man, at least I should not think so.

  It has rained like the deuce tonight and Bunting and I got quite wet on our tour of duty. The sentries, however, were all quite happy and the line quiet.

  The general told me this morning that we will be relieved tomorrow, go to Grovetown for a few days and then back near Amiens for at least a fortnight’s rest. Cheer – O! It is good news. But alas, to temper it, comes word that leave is cut down to 7 days and an officer can only go every eight days instead of every fourth. This is just putrid and most awfully rough on the poor beggars who have had no leave at all yet. Personally it jumps me from June 18th to July 16th in one swoop. It is simply rotten. I had so counted on seeing you two on the 19th. However, one must not grouse.

  The battalion has received the following from the corps and the division today:

  7th Division

  The Corps Commander will be glad if you will be kind enough to convey the Brigadier-General Minshull-Ford and all concerned his appreciation of the forethought and skill displayed in the preparations for the raid on BULGAR POINT in the night of 2/3rd June, and of the determined and soldier-like manner in which it was carried out by the officers, NCOs and men of the 22nd Battalion Manchester Regiment.

  The fact that the air photo does not reveal the existence of the trench described as R.S.vi in the report is most unfortunate. Had it not been for this, the raid would have been conducted with but little loss.

  The Corps Commander sympathises with the 22nd Manchesters on the loss of the gallant officers and men.

  J. R. Major

  HQ XV Corps for Brigadier-General General Staff

  5.6.16

  91st Infantry Brigade

  The Divisional Commander has directed me to request that you will add to the above remarks of the Corps Commander an expression of his own appreciation of the fine conduct of the officers, NCOs, and men of the 22nd Manchester Regiment.

  C. Bonham-Carter, Lt Colonel

  HQ 7th Division, General Staff, 7th Division,

  6.6.16

  They are good letters and we value them highly. Only one point can be quibbled. It was not the trench R. S. which caused our losses but the complete failure of our artillery to cut the German wire at the right place.

  8th June ’16

  We have come out today again and are now in Grovetown once more all among the mud and the wet and the rain.

  However we have word that we are going out for a rest so any little inconvenience like that fades into insignificance. The CO goes on leave tomorrow and I am to be left in charge of the battalion until he returns or until one of the majors comes back.vii

  It is rather a responsibility and I trust I may be given strength to rise to it successfully.

  Word has just come in that we move tomorrow to the Bois des Tailles. It is good news. If only we have it fine we shall have a happy time there.

  9th June ’16

  We have moved. The men are all in little canvas shelters on the ground and the officers in tents. I, now being a ‘bleed’,viii have one to myself, one in which Bunting, rising to the occasion, has erected various tables and seats and wash-stands. They are contrived out of biscuit boxes and odd stakes but they do well and give an air of comfort.

  The colonel has gone, excited as a schoolboy and I am left. Word has come that Major Allfrey will not come back so I am indeed in charge.ix It is a big thing at 27, but, so long as nothing very unforeseen arises, I think I will manage all right.

  I feel very sorry for Major Allfrey. It will, I think, be a blow to him but I am afraid, kind, good-hearted man though he was, he was little help to the CO or to the battalion. In his place I trust we may get a real, live, energetic soldier, one upon whose judgement we may rely and who will be a help all round.

  10th June ’16

  After orders this morning we went up to the Intermediate Line and settled dispositions in this for the four companies. It rained like the deuce and rather caught some of us out, Don Murray, Bland and myself being soaked to the skin.

  On the way back Fritz shelled the Happy Valley fairly heavily and we had perforce to walk along at a respectful distance and watch it. It was a fine sight but rather too dangerous to be absolutely enjoyable. He did good shooting, but then he always does. His gunners must be clever fellows. He also shells our wood with heavies – six- or eight-inch stuff. He did so this morning but fortunately hit no one. The fact that he does, however, renders the present not quite such a place of rest as one might desire.

  Tomorrow, though, we move further on and, I trust, into a haven a little less liable to have large, hot, noisy missiles dropped upon it.

  Troops are moving up again in numbers. This district is fast filling to its utmost capacity. It makes one think that the push is near. I trust it is and, also, that the army is not weakening the Ypres salient in our favour. That, it seems to me, is one of the chief dangers in this type of warfare.x

  11th June ’16

  We have moved and are now installed in decent huts in the west end of the Bois [des Tailles]. They are long, low, peak-roofed hutments daubed all over with fantastic, variegated colourings. The camp looks for all the world like the ‘whares’ of a Movie.xi They are dropped down anywhere among the trees.

  It would be an ideal existence but for the rain. That has come again and persistently. It is a great pity since it absolutely spoils our stay, putting us ankle-deep in mud. Tawney, the Doc, Maiden and I mess in the one hut. I sleep in one of my very own being still a bit of a ‘bleed’. That honour will I am afraid be but short-lived now.xii It is however very enjoyable while it lasts and I make the most of it.

  We have got out a Programme of Work – the usual Round, Game One – but see no hope of adhering to it, working parties absolutely bleeding us for men. However, these are urgently necessary and are not so bad whilst the weather holds. When it is bad, though, as it is now, they are hard indeed on the men who get muddy and wet to their middles with no chance of drying off.

  12th June ’16

  A tour round this morning on the old gee [Marcel, May’s horse] to look at the country allotted to us for manoeuvres, provided, that is, we ever get any men to manoeuvre with. It is a decent piece of ground laden with clover and dog-daisies and sweet-smelling grasses but oh, so wet. The rain pours persistently. And the working parties go on.

  Tonight we hear that a new Second-in-Command has been detailed to us. Captain Davidson of the 2nd Warwicks is the man. We do not know him but we have all heard of his regiment and we trust he will turn out to be a good soldier and an experienced one. If he is we can do with him. We all now anxiously await his advent which, I expect, will take place tomorrow.

  The officers are all pretty sick about it. They want me to have the job. It is good of them but, personally, I am glad that things should be as they are. I can do with a deal more experience before taking on such a job. At any rate I feel that I could much better fill such a post after being through one general action.

  I trust Davidson may have seen Loos.

  13th June ’16

  Over to the division today in the pouring rain to see Colonel Bonham-Carter and Major Websterxiii about their working parties. They were very nice and went fully into the question and for the first time for weeks we have got down to really satisfactory arrangements.

  We are all very pleased about it. A business-like understanding is what we have all been wanting.

  The colonel told me that all work was most urgent.
That everything was to be pushed to the utmost, the C-in-C being anxious to have all ready for the push at the earliest date possible.

  Lloyd was told a good tale at the brigade yesterday about one Parker,xiv an old 21st captain who has dropped into a Staff job although he has never yet been in the trenches. His case is one of the minor scandals of the Army.

  It was the night the Borders were so badly strafed. The Staff were sitting on tenterhooks listening to the bombardment when Parker came into the room and up to Grant and said: ‘The Borders haven’t sent in their daily Summary Report.’ ‘Good God, man,’ said Grant, ‘They’re being blown to hell.’ ‘Yes, I know,’ persisted the stickler, ‘But the Report should have been in by six and the bombardment didn’t start till 6.20.’

  Thank heaven that some of our Staff know from personal experience what it is like to have hot iron flying about their ears.

  Every man has been detailed now for one party or the other and every subaltern also. This means that the captains are the only people about – and they are at a loose end. The subalterns who are in [from the line] the day time are in bed, they having been up all night. This afternoon was typical. I went into the hut which B and D share. Roy Mellor was awake and I sat on his bed yarning. Then Cowan woke up and Tom Worthington and Murray and we started the gramophone. It was like some scene from the backwoods, everybody lolling about on old valises in the low wooden hut lit only by a single candle. Outside it rained persistently. We played The Gondoliers, The Little Green Gown, Ailsa Mine, The Perfect Day and all the old songs, till we made ourselves thoroughly sentimental and home-sick. I am afraid we are a pretty soft-hearted lot and I begin to understand why sailors are notoriously so.