The Seventeenth Highland Light Infantry (Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Battalion) Part 7

The Battalion moved into the line on the evening of December 1st in conjunction with the other Battalions of the Brigade--2nd K.O.Y.L.I.; 16th H.L.I.; 11th Border Regiment; and the 15th Lancas.h.i.+re Fusiliers (attached). The 16th Northumberland Fusiliers of the 96th Infantry Brigade were attached to the 97th Infantry Brigade as counter-attacking troops to be used in the event of a strong hostile counter-attack on the Brigade front. The frontage taken over by the Brigade was one of 1,850 yards approximately along the Pa.s.schendaele Ridge. There were two objectives to be taken, of which sections were detailed as the job of the 17th--a slice which included two formidable "pill-boxes" known as the "Vat and Veal Cottages."

The Battalion a.s.sembled on a frontage of 400 yards and at Zero Hour (1.55 a.m.) moved forward to the attack. Companies deployed from a two platoon frontage in snake formation--this method having been adopted owing to the sh.e.l.l torn nature of the ground--and advanced in four waves. "A" and "B" Companies were to capture the first objective, mopping up all occupied points in the way, including the two pill boxes, while "C" and "D" were to "leap-frog" through them, carry the next objective and consolidate.

The initial stages of the attack were successfully carried through, but the enemy--as was afterwards learned--knowing of what was on foot, waited in readiness. Suddenly he opened heavy machine gun fire upon the advancing Companies, inflicting heavy casualties which, in the dark and over the difficult ground, had the effect of splitting up the sections and creating some confusion. The officers and men of the Battalion gallantly pressed on against these odds, however, and succeeded in reaching their objective; but the enemy machine gun and rifle fire became so intense that their advanced positions were rendered humanly untenable. Our men, though forced to retire in places, established themselves in sh.e.l.l-hole posts, where an attempt was made to consolidate.

The artillery and machine gun barrage, though intense, had failed, owing to the enemy's fore-knowledge of the attack, to effect its purpose. His strong points were heavily garrisoned and wired and he was also found to be established in strong lines of trenches also effectively wired. The Battalion hung on all through that awful night in its isolated positions, for orders were received that the attack would be renewed in the morning, but these orders were afterwards cancelled.

From dawn onwards artillery fire slackened somewhat, but the enemy machine gunners and snipers kept up hara.s.sing fire from their well established posts against the men in their exposed and isolated posts.

It was obvious that a hostile counter-attack might be expected, and this took place about 4 p.m. on the afternoon of the 2nd, preceded by an intense artillery barrage. Owing to the terrible difficulties of their position, and the sweeping casualties inflicted, the line was forced back, but the actual enemy attack which followed his barrage was met by the rifle fire of the shattered 17th, and after the Bosches had approached within a certain distance of the posts, they broke and turned back in retreat.

[Ill.u.s.tration: TYPES OF SUPPORT LINE DUG-OUTS AND FIRST AID POST.

_To face page 68._]

Though the withdrawal of the Divisional line had been almost general, some of the Battalion posts were still hanging on to the advanced positions on the 3rd. Many wounded were lying out, suffering the most appalling rigours of war and the Battalion stretcher-bearers displayed great devotion to duty in ignoring the heavy fire while bringing them in to comparative shelter. The work at first was extremely dangerous, but later on in the day a lull occurred when it was possible to carry on this labour of mercy under less trying conditions. And it must be recorded, as far as this battle is concerned, that from this point onward the German reversed his frequent policy and shewed respect for the Red Cross Flag, only one instance of sniping taking place when one of the Battalion stretcher-bearers was shot dead while bending over a wounded comrade. Enemy stretcher-bearers were also at work and in some instances they reciprocated attentions given to their wounded, by dressing and carrying our casualties. In this way all the wounded were got in before the Brigade was relieved that night. The Battalion frontage was taken over by the 5/6th Royal Scots. The relief was successfully completed and the remnants of the Battalion reached "Hilltop Farm" in the early morning, entraining later for Hospital Camp in the Vlamertinghe area. The casualties were particularly heavy among Officers and N.C.O.s, and gives trenchant evidence of their self-sacrificing gallantry in seeking by utter disregard for danger to turn a forlorn hope into victory, and by personal example and incentive to make still richer the honourable traditions of the 17th in the face of such overwhelming odds, and amidst such overaweing devastation. In this action seven officers were killed and five wounded. Of other ranks 41 were killed, 130 wounded and 13 missing.

The Battalion was organised as far as possible in its depleted condition and work and training carried on until December 10th, when once more the unit moved up the line to Hilltop Farm, N.E. of Ypres.

During their stay here, Mr. Fred A. Farrell, the well-known Scottish artist, visited the 17th on a commission from the Corporation of Glasgow to execute drawings of the Glasgow Battalions and the places in which they were operating.

On December 13th they were back in the trenches. Hard winter weather had now set in, with fog, frost and water sogged ground. On the 20th the Battalion was relieved and, as far as weather is concerned, spent a typical Christmas Day when it came round, in Dambre Camp. Being in Corps Reserve, nothing in the nature of Christmas festivities could be permitted, but the gifts supplied by the Chamber of Commerce provided seasonable fare and brought a measure of good cheer.

After a series of alarms and stand-to's, a Divisional Relief was carried through, and on December 30th the Battalion trained to Audruicq and set out on an arduous route march for the villages of Landrethun and Yeuse, where the men were happily enabled to spend a night's rest in comfortable billets, "A," "B," "C," and Headquarters in the former village, and "D" in the latter.

The last day of the year which had probably been the hardest and, as far as campaigning is concerned, the most eventful in the history of the Battalion, was pa.s.sed amidst the peaceful surroundings of these villages untouched by war. The beginning of the year had seen the Battalion in the line in the Serre Sector, then had followed the memorable days of Beaumont Hamel, Honoroye, the battle of Savy and the taking of Fayet in the St. Quentin area, a well deserved period of rest at Canizy and thence by train and road into Belgium, being held in reserve for the Battle of Messines, three hard months spent in the line in the Nieuport Sector and the St. George's Sector, and then after a spell of rest--forward into Pa.s.schendaele.

THE DISBANDMENT.

_Hogmanay--with the II. Corps--the blow--new army establishment--Hospital Camp--disbandment--the pa.s.sing of the "17th."_

For some time rumours had been flitting about that certain Battalions were going to be disbanded in accordance with a programme of reorganised military establishments. Every New Army unit in the B.E.F.

had about this time qualms of fear that if rumours proved true the selection might fall on them. Esprit de corps was never stronger and the very thought of possible separations from brothers-in-arms, fell as a vague shadowy fear over the 17th because it looked very likely that the 17th, being the junior H.L.I. Battalion of the Division, would be the Divisional victim in any re-arrangement that might be carried out. But nothing definite was known, and the advent of New Year, 1918, brought with it a feeling of hope for the future.

The Battalion was still billeted in the peaceful villages of Landrethun and Yeuse. On the opening day of the year the ground was snow covered, rendering parades well nigh impossible, and so the men were at liberty. Preparations were eagerly pushed forward for a New Year Feast, and on the 3rd, in spite of provisioning difficulties, very complete arrangements had been successfully made considering the length of time available for providing the men with a seasonable repast on that evening. The Companies sat down to a feast of roast pork--which only a few hours before had been a live pig. There was soup, haggis, plum pudding, apple dumpling, cake, cigarettes, and copious supplies of beer. The Commanding Officer, accompanied by Major G.R.S. Paterson, and the Adjutant, visited each Company in turn to wish them the Compliments of the Season, and the night finished with song and story.

Work and training was resumed again in earnest the next day as far as the weather conditions would permit. On the 9th of January the Battalion moved off, embussing for the forward area to operate on the II. Corps Line. After a cold journey in a heavy snowstorm, they arrived at Murat Camp late at night and came under the command of the 35th Division. They found the camp in very bad order and set about putting it right, meanwhile working parties were carrying on under the C.R.E. of the Division. Splendid work was carried out by the Battalion during this period, despite snowstorms and blizzards, and high praise was given to the unit by the Corps Commander. All the Royal Engineer Officers connected with the work declared they had never had better nor keener infantry parties.

On the 16th Major Morton a.s.sumed command of the Battalion during the absence of Lieut.-Colonel Inglis on leave; and on the 18th Major Morton was ordered to hospital and Major Paterson took over.

_The Battalion Intelligence News Sheet_, inaugurated to keep all ranks fully informed of the princ.i.p.al events of the day as regards the war, was circulated, but it could not hope to oust _The Outpost_ as the real news vehicle of the 17th.

On the 25th of January the Battalion left Murat Camp for a camp near Woeston and came under the command of the 1st Division, and on the 27th the Battalion relieved the 10th Gloucesters in reserve in the Het Sas Sector, and carried on improving the line until the 31st of January--when the blow fell and hopes were dashed to the ground. While in Brigade Support at Houthust Forest Sector, Major Paterson was sent for by Brigadier-General C.A. Blacklock, who informed him that the re-organisation of the Army necessitated the disbanding of an H.L.I.

Battalion in the 32nd Division. The Battalion selected was the junior one, the 17th. General Blacklock expressed in very generous terms his admiration for the Battalion, and for all that it had done, and expressed his sorrow and regret that so fine a unit had to be broken up, and the officers, non-com. officers and men serving in it would be drafted to other H.L.I. Battalions, which would necessitate, in many cases, the breaking up of what had been very long friends.h.i.+ps.

Early in January, 1918, it had been decided by the War Office to adopt the three Battalion per Brigade system throughout the British Army, and this resulted in the disbandment of many Battalions which had seen much service abroad, and had won a name for themselves in France.

Perhaps the chief Battalion in the whole army to be disbanded was the 17th Service Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry, and the disbandment of this Battalion came as a bitter blow, not only to those who were serving in the Battalion at that time, but also to those who had served in it at some time or other in the past and possibly to those who were looking forward to serving with it in the future.

Needless to say all ranks of the Battalion were deeply disappointed at the Commander-in-Chief's decision, which was received as a calamity.

The highest traditions of the Battalion had been maintained throughout, and the esprit de corps and good comrades.h.i.+p of all ranks made the news almost unbearable.

As soon as the official notification arrived the Battalion was relieved by the First Battalion, the Dorset Regiment, and was withdrawn to Hospital Camp near Woesten where the disbanding was to be carried out. From then onwards an enormous amount of work fell on everybody, especially on the Adjutant, Captain Dunsmuir, M.C., who was responsible for compiling the rolls of the different drafts, which were to proceed to the various H.L.I. Battalions in France, comprising the 10/11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 18th Battalions.

On the 11th of February the first draft, consisting of about seven officers and 200 other ranks marched out of camp to the tune of the pipes en route for the railway station at Boesinghe, where it entrained and proceeded to join the 10/11th Battalion H.L.I. Although there was much cheering as the train steamed away, yet there were many men with sad hearts at leaving the Battalion they had served in from the beginning, which had become their home in the Army.

For the next few days that followed, similar drafts were sent off until the strength of the Battalion was reduced to the establishment for Headquarters with Transport. For about a week this small unit carried on, until the Transport section, under the Transport Officer, Lieut. Smith, was detached, and was attached to the Division where it remained for some time until it was sent to the base for drafting. All that remained now was the Headquarters establishment, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Inglis, D.S.O., who had returned from leave, and this establishment was sent to take over another camp which was to be run as a Divisional Reception Camp for men returning to their units from leave. About a week later orders were received that some of the H.Q.

personnel were to be drafted away, and on the next day a draft of about thirty men under R.S.M. Burns proceeded to join the 13th Entrenching Battalion. A few days later all that was left of the Battalion under Captain Dunsmuir, M.C., was drafted to the same Battalion, and Lieut.-Colonel Inglis, D.S.O., and Major Morton, who was again with the Battalion, were ordered to report to Divisional Headquarters.

All that remained now of the 17th Battalion Highland Light Infantry was the name, but that name will always remain in the minds of those who served in the Battalion, and the mere mention of it brings back happy memories of days spent both at home and abroad to those who knew it.

As William Glennie of "A" Company, writes:--"That the good old Battalion would end, we all expected, as the happy sequence of completed duty, and somehow we all imagined we would be there. In our ideal picture of the scene, George Square was clearly outlined; somehow we fancied old Hughie would order 'Officers, fall out please,'

and while the ranks took the rhythmical right turn, the 'Faither'

would step forward from the right of 'C' Company, give his characteristic red army salute, shake his cane and rap out 'Quick time off the parade ground' in his best Troon parade style. But we forgot the war, as too often in our ideal outlook we did.

"'Fall out ... the 17th Highland Light Infantry....' That was at No. 6 Camp, Calais, in the chill dusk of 6th February, 1918. Back from Blighty leave, as the news spread, we took it philosophically--the old Battalion had been disbanded, and scattered to various sister battalions. Here we were, practically all the originals to the number of about 50, the sole remnants of 26 months of war, welcomed back to France for the second time, but not to the Seventeenth; orphans to be adopted by strange parents.

"'Quick march.' The party swung slowly down the rough track between the huts. It was one of those innumerable hutted campments behind Poperinghe. At the junction of the road stood Colonel Inglis, Majors Morton and Paterson, Captain Dunsmuir and R.S.M. Kelly. It all seemed so usual, save that there was more handshaking and waving of bonnets.

'Cheerio, old chap--best of luck.' Gone, those pals of three years in camp, trench, billet and sh.e.l.l hole; but we never knew how great a part of our life they had become. Then in the look in each other's eyes, in the huskiness of the voice, rather than in the ill-concealed tear, came the full realisation of the undying spirit of our old Chamber of Commerce Battalion, and the certainty that the death of the Battalion had bequeathed to us the LIVING SOUL OF THE SEVENTEENTH."

III.--AN ODD MUSTER.

THE SPIRIT OF THE BATTALION.

A corporate body is always a great mystery. Before very long it always develops a spirit which is something more than the sum of the individual spirits which compose it. And no man can quite say how it comes into existence. It may be a greater spirit than that of any individual. Sometimes it is not so great as that of its members.

And Battalions are no exception to this rule. Each brings forth a spirit, and by that spirit the members are henceforth profoundly influenced. It is not the spirit of the Colonel, or of any particular member. It is the spirit of the Battalion, something compounded by the subtle alchemies of the spiritual world out of the individual souls of officers and privates alike.

Of the spirit of the 17th H.L.I. it may at once be said that the outstanding characteristic was high-hearted youth. Most of the members of the Battalion were young, but the Battalion itself had the qualities of youth more truly than any of them. It was essentially gay. It did its work to the accompaniment of a fine hilarity. It could laugh even on the eve of battle. It could even be uproarious and exuberant as only the really young can.

And yet it was very efficient youth. To a man these soldiers took their work seriously, and because they brought to it a fine quality of intelligence, the Battalion rose to efficiency with astonis.h.i.+ng rapidity. Many men read eagerly in text books about training and tactics and so forth, and the Battalion from end to end was intolerant of slovenliness. If it resembled a young man, it was a young man who meant business.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Major The Rev. A. HERBERT GRAY.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHURCH PARADE--PREES HEATH CAMP.

_To face page 76._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: VARIOUS PHASES OF BATTALION TRAINING _To face page 77._]