Chapter XV: Messines--7th June, 1917

The Regimental Diary gives a detailed description of the career of the Civil Service Rifles from the time of leaving Dominion Lines on the night of the 3rd of June to the return from the trenches after the battle:--

“Just before we started for the trenches at 10.0 p.m.,
the Bosche dropped a few big shells on the track near the
segregated area, so it was felt that as we had to pass this
point the war had started in earnest. Fortunately the whole
Battalion passed this area without mishap, and the journey to
the trenches was very quiet until we approached Café Belge,
when we received a message that the Bosche was shelling that
spot freely with gas shells. The information proved to be true,
and the Battalion had its first experience of a real gas shell
bombardment--happily without any casualties. We reached the
support positions--trenches in the vicinity of Swan Château
and Château Segard--without any further adventure, and after
relieving the Poplar and Stepney Rifles, spent a quiet night in
very crowded quarters.

“The Battalion spent three days in these trenches, and on the
whole they were very pleasant. The weather was good, and there
were practically no working parties, so the men got plenty of
time for rest. The time was spent in such final preparation for
the attack as issuing bombs, rifle grenades, ground flares,
picks, shovels and chewing gum (one stick between two) and
rations for ‘the day.’ The Company Commanders reconnoitred
the assembly positions on the morning of the 6th, and by that
afternoon everything was ready for the move up to the assembly
trenches. The whole Battalion was in excellent spirit and every
one was full of confidence. The men had taken a very keen
interest in the orders and every man knew the part he had to
play.

“We had a quiet move to the assembly trenches at night, and
although the tracks and back areas were receiving their usual
nightly ration of shells, there were no casualties.

“It was now known that the attack would be delivered at dawn,
and the few hours before zero were spent in comparative peace.
The trenches were those occupied by the Civil Service Rifles
on their last visit to the front line. ‘A’ Company was in the
old Lock House, near the Spoil Bank by the side of the Canal.
The remaining Companies were on their right in West Terrace and
Grenade Trench, in the order in which they were to attack. ‘D’
was on the right, ‘B’ next, ‘C’ next, and for the attack ‘A’
Company came out of the Lock House and formed the left flank.

“Zero for the great 2nd Army attack was at 3.10 a.m. on the 7th
of June, but our Battalion took no part in the first phase.
An hour before zero, all Company Commanders were to report to
Battalion Headquarters to be on the spot if anything went wrong
with the first phase. Battalion Headquarters was in a smelly,
wet dug-out in West Terrace. It had walls of brick and some
attempt at a concrete roof. The party assembled there consisted
of the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel H. Marshall
(Hampshire Regiment), the Adjutant, Captain W. E. Ind, M.C.,
and the four Company Commanders--‘A’ Company, Captain A. Bowers
Taylor (Manchester Regiment, attached); ‘B’ Company, Captain
G. C. Grimsdale; ‘C’ Company, Second-Lieutenant P. Davenport;
and ‘D’ Company, Second-Lieutenant G. Hasleham (Manchester
Regiment, attached). The Signals Officer, Second-Lieutenant
R. W. Illing and the Bombing Officer, Second-Lieutenant O. E.
Burden, also hovered about, and there was the usual ‘chorus’
generally found hanging round Battalion Headquarters--servants,
police, pioneers, signallers and runners. Wallis, the ‘head
waiter,’ moved about as unconcerned as ever, with sandwiches
and whisky and soda for the guests. The gathering reminded one
of Bairnsfather’s sketch, ‘An hour before going into trenches.’
Ind tried hard to keep the conversation going; Grimsdale, who
occupied one of the few seats, appeared somewhat subdued,
though he had a few knotty problems to put to the assembly.
Hasleham, who squatted tailor fashion on the floor, went to
sleep, while Bowers Taylor and Davenport spent the time trying
to follow his example--without much success.

“At 3.10 a.m. precisely, the floor, walls and ceiling began to
rock furiously, and we realised that the Australian tunnellers
in Marshall Walk had not boasted idly when they told us last
November that their mine under Hill 60 would one day stagger
humanity. A moment later, another big mine went up at St. Eloi,
and at the same time the most wonderful bombardment there has
ever been known was let loose. Big guns, howitzers and field
guns seemed to be firing from everywhere behind us, and one
could not help feeling overawed by the magnificence of our
artillery. The machine guns joined in the fun, and the whole
thing inspired every one with great confidence. No human beings
could possibly withstand such a bombardment. It was the noise
of the bombardment, so often described as drumfire, which was
mistaken afar off for the noise of the mines, and imaginative
journalists with a keen sense of hearing afterwards wrote tales
of how they had heard the mines in London. The mines actually
made comparatively little noise.

“We had three hours to wait before our time came to jump off,
so we tried to see what was going on in front, where the
7th and 8th Battalions were attacking the White Château and
neighbouring trenches. Little could be seen, however, beyond a
big cloud of dust and here and there a tank toiling over the
shell holes. The Bosche, apparently, had no guns to spare for
us, as he left us entirely alone, and at 5.15 a.m. we moved up
to our jumping off trenches undisturbed.

“The Adjutant, who for many weeks had worked on this scheme
harder than the producer of plays ever worked on a great
masterpiece, came up to see us off, and as the situation was so
quiet we were able to form up in waves outside our jumping-off
trenches. Our new padré, too, came along to wish the ‘dear
lads’ the best of luck, and to distribute a large quantity
of cigarettes. A staunch friend to the troops at all times,
the Rev. Ernest Beattie was surely the most cheery padré a
Battalion could have had. It did one good to see his genial
smile whenever he came round the line.

“The first wave consisted of one platoon of each Company, ‘A’
on the left under Sergeant Steele, then ‘C’ (Second-Lieutenant
Stoneman), ‘B’ (Sergeant G. T. Bachell), and ‘D’
(Second-Lieutenant G. T. Mellett). An additional platoon of ‘B’
under Second-Lieutenant Temple was attached to this wave which,
under the command of the Officer Commanding ‘C’ Company, moved
off at 6.25 a.m. The Battalion scouts, who had previously gone
forward to reconnoitre, had just returned and reported that all
had gone well with the Post Office Rifles, who were holding all
their objectives, and that the stream beyond, which we had to
cross, was practically dry and offered no obstacle.

“The first wave had a good start, and in a line of sections in
single file went unhindered through the three objectives held
by the Post Office Rifles and across the aforesaid stream in
the White Château grounds, until it opened out to two lines
in extended order and halted under the barrage in a hollow
in front of the first objective, Oak Crescent, a trench just
south of the White Château stables. The first wave of the 6th
Battalion, who were attacking the stables on our left, moved
off at the same time. While waiting for the barrage to lift, we
suffered a few casualties.

“The scene in the hollow while waiting for the barrage to
lift was a truly remarkable one. The inevitable mixing up of
waves had occurred, and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th waves, who were
following the first at five minute intervals, here became
merged into one mass, and the scene looked like the field for
a big cross-country race. The mix-up had occurred owing to the
men crossing the rough ground much more quickly than had been
expected. In the background a tank was slowly making its way
across the line of our advance to assist the 6th Battalion at
the stables if necessary. A small crowd gathered round it and
watched it with interest. What was most extraordinary was the
very slight enemy fire, and men were able to sort themselves
out more or less with ease.

“When the barrage lifted, the first wave went forward to
assault Oak Crescent, but the difficulty was not so much to
capture it as to recognise it, for our guns had done their work
so well that it was hard to find the place where the trench
had been--and there was no trace of a Bosche either alive or
dead. The second wave, consisting of one platoon of ‘C’ Company
under Sergeant Glass, and one platoon of ‘D’ Company with
Company Headquarters, arrived to ‘mop up’ the trench, but as
they could not find any trench to mop up, they devoted their
time to trying to dig one instead. About this time the Officer
Commanding ‘A’ Company, Captain A. Bowers Taylor, was killed,
and the Officer Commanding ‘D’ Company, Second-Lieutenant
Hasleham, was wounded, and in addition the Battalion suffered
its most serious loss since leaving England. Lieutenant Ind,
who, in his eagerness to see that everything went well, had
followed the Battalion up to the hollow ground before the
first objective, was hit in the head by a piece of shell, and,
although he was taken down immediately, he was so badly wounded
that he died the same evening without recovering consciousness
in No. 10 Casualty Clearing Station, near Poperinghe. So the
Civil Service Rifles lost the finest Territorial soldier who
ever served with them. Fortunately the news did not get round
for some time, but it had a somewhat depressing effect when it
became known, for needless to say, Lieutenant Ind was loved by
every officer, N.C.O. and man in the Battalion. No man could
have worked harder for the welfare of a Battalion than he did,
nor could anyone be more fearless and unselfish than he was. He
had been with the 1st Civil Service Rifles continuously since
the Foreign Service Battalion was formed, and throughout he had
devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Regiment, whose members
he was ever ready to help in any way he possibly could. He
was a magnificent soldier, a thorough gentleman, and an ideal
friend, and his loss has left a gap in the Battalion which can
never be adequately filled. He had been looked upon for so long
as so essential a part of the Battalion that his many friends
found it difficult to realise that he had been killed.

_Photo by The Chesterfield Studios Co., Chesterfield._

CAPTAIN W. E. IND, M.C.

Adjutant 1st Batt., 15th March, 1916, till his death in Action,
7th June, 1917.

_To face page 142._
]

“By a strange coincidence, Lieutenant-Colonel H. H. Kemble,
M.C., the Commanding Officer of the 23rd London Regiment (who,
as Captain Kemble, had been Ind’s Company Commander in the
Civil Service Rifles during their first six months in France)
was mortally wounded almost at the same time as his old
friend, and died the same night in the same ward. These two
old comrades were buried side by side in the Military Cemetery
just south of Poperinghe between the railway and the road to
Westoutre.

“Lieutenant-Colonel Kemble’s death was lamented by all who knew
him in the Civil Service Rifles, where he was so well known and
respected as a very gallant Company Commander.

“But although, as has been stated, the loss of Lieutenant Ind
had a somewhat depressing effect, it did not interfere with the
attack, and the third wave, consisting of one platoon of ‘A’
Company (Second-Lieutenant G. W. Ackworth), one of ‘C’ Company
(Second-Lieutenant T. Woods), one of ‘B’ (Second-Lieutenant
Samuel) and one of ‘D’ (Second-Lieutenant Margrett), under the
Officer Commanding ‘B’ Company, moved through the line of what
was once Oak Crescent, and took their objective, Oblong Trench,
with little opposition.

“The fourth wave, also consisting of a platoon from
each Company (‘A,’ Second-Lieutenant L. C. Morris, ‘B,’
Second-Lieutenant C. Stevenson, ‘C,’ Second-Lieutenant C. V.
Marchant, and ‘D,’ Second-Lieutenant Moran), now moved through
Oak Crescent and amalgamated with the first wave. The two
together then moved forward, with an additional platoon of ‘A’
Company (Second-Lieutenant A. Wilson) on the left, and captured
the final objective, Oblong Reserve, where a few tired and
frightened Germans readily gave themselves up.

“About 200 yards beyond the final objective was a ruined
building, known as Delbske Farm, surrounded by a trench.
The instructions were that a patrol was to be pushed out to
the farm, which, if not held strongly, was to be rushed and
captured. A kind of scramble was accordingly made for the farm
by a party consisting of ‘C’ Company Headquarters, and Nos. 9
and 11 Platoons, with Sergeant Steele’s platoon of ‘A’ Company
and any odd men of other Companies who happened to be handy.
The farm and trench were taken with little opposition, and
about thirty prisoners came pouring out of the building anxious
to be shown the way ‘home.’

“In every case throughout the day the objective had been
captured with ease. There were very few Bosches to be found,
and these immediately gave themselves up without a struggle
when we entered their trenches. Indeed, the only infantry
action took place after the trench at Delbske Farm had been
taken, when patrols, going out to right and left, were subject
to rifle fire from Bosche patrols, who later in the morning
seemed to have recovered from their fright sufficiently to
inflict a few casualties on the occupants of the trench outside
the farm. It was here that Sergeant Steele and Corporal
Freeman, of ‘A’ Company, after doing sterling work on patrol,
were shot through the head and killed instantly.

“Late in the afternoon the Bosche began shelling heavily, but
although our aeroplanes twice reported him to be massing for
counter-attack, he was effectively dispersed by our artillery
and did not even leave his trenches.

“The night was fairly quiet except for some desultory shelling;
but the troops were all very tired after their efforts of the
past 24 hours, and it came as a very pleasant surprise when
early on the morning of the 8th, the 2nd Leinsters arrived
and relieved us. The four Companies moved back to Ecluse
Trench--a support trench running south from the canal about
half a mile behind our original assembly positions. It was
quite a comfortable place and the weather was fine and warm.
The tired troops were therefore able to enjoy a solid day’s
sleep, undisturbed by shells. They were all very proud of their
victory, and when they were not sleeping they were all talking
at once, comparing souvenirs and recounting their various
experiences.”

* * * * *

So ended the first phase of the capture of the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge. It had been a wonderful demonstration of the power of artillery supported by a thorough aeroplane reconnaissance. From the point of view of the infantry it had been a “walk over,” at least so far as the Civil Service Rifles were concerned. Tales were told of hand-to-hand struggles in the vicinity of the White Château, but the German troops opposed to the Civil Service Rifles evidently knew whom they had to deal with and they wisely refrained from indulging in any fighting. The casualties, happily, were few, and the victory, considering the number of objectives and the extent of ground covered, was undoubtedly a cheap one. It was illustrated very clearly, however, how impossible it is, when advancing over a wide area of rough ground, to arrive at the distant objective in anything like the waves laid down in the training pamphlets.

Here were conditions ideal for a model attack--excellent artillery support, well-trained men, every one of whom was keen and clearly understood the scheme which had been so thoroughly rehearsed, and a very weak opposition, and yet the attack became little more than a scramble after the first objective was passed. At the same time the troops had taken and held all the objectives allotted to them, and there was a feeling of satisfaction among the members of the Civil Service Rifles that the Battalion had done all that it was asked to do in what was, so far, the greatest British victory of the war.

After two days’ rest in Ecluse Trench a return was made to the front line, and the 6th Battalion were relieved on the 10th of June in a trench known as Opal Reserve--on the left of Oblong Reserve, familiar to the Civil Service Rifles as one of their objectives on the 7th. Battalion Headquarters was in what was left of the White Château itself.

Although only two days were spent here it was a much more trying experience than the battle had been, and the casualties suffered were considerably more than the average for merely holding the line. The Bosche had now reorganised his artillery, and he was using it to some purpose on the White Château and its grounds. The first taste of the trouble was given to No. 9 platoon of “C” Company on their way to the front line. Starting out with about twenty men under Second Lieutenant Stoneman, only nine reached the front line in Opal Reserve, four having been killed, and seven wounded.

The front line trench, which was mostly mud, was held by “B” and “C” Companies, “A” and “D” being in reserve in a series of German “pill box” shelters. Second Lieutenant L. L. Burtt was now in command of “B” Company, and it is said he spent the time in being pulled out of the mud by his Sergeant-Major (R. H. Burden), and in turn pulling him out. There was no shelter of any kind for either of the front line Companies, but “C” Company Headquarters occupied a niche cut out of the wall of the trench, and there the Company Commander sat with an officer on each side of him, like statues in the walls of a cathedral.

The time here was spent in clearing the trench of the ever-falling debris, dodging shells, and digging a jumping-off trench for the 41st Division, who were shortly to continue the advance. For this purpose they relieved the 47th Division on the night of the 12th of June, and the Civil Service Rifles gladly handed over their strip of mud to the 18th Battalion K.R.R., and made their way out to Chippewa Camp, near Reninghelst, where they arrived at about 6.0 a.m. on the 13th of June, so tired that they didn’t care a fig who held the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge.

* * * * *

In accordance with the usual practice after a big battle, the Division went right back for rest and reorganisation, and after two days’ marching the Civil Service Rifles, on the 16th of June, reached the village of Ebblinghem, between Hazebrouck and St. Omer.

The twelve days spent in this village were chiefly devoted to preparing for an inspection by the Divisional Commander, and training for the Divisional Water Carnival at Blaringhem. An al fresco concert in “D” Company’s billet on the 23rd of June threatened to fall flat, but the arrival, at a gallop, of a limber with a large barrel of beer on board set things moving, and the concert finished very well.

The Divisional Water Carnival was held in the canal at Blaringhem on the 26th, and the crowd of visitors made one think of a Town Regatta on the Thames, the fair sex being well represented. The weather was gloriously fine, and the comic events were well to the fore in the programme. The Battalion carried off its fair share of the honours, the chief success being that of the R.Q.M.S., W. B. Hart, who built the winning boat in the odd craft race, cleverly rowed by R. D. Tidmarsh, who won an easy victory by a distance. A small lottery was arranged for the visitors, and Mdlle. Victoria, the fair damsel at the Civil Service Rifles Headquarters billet, won the first prize. This brought to a close the holiday at Ebblinghem, for the march back to the war was begun on the morning of the 28th, and, after staying one night at Meteren and one night at Voormezeele, the month of July found the Civil Service Rifles in support in what had been the German front line immediately south of the Canal.

The weather was bad, the trenches were in a perfectly rotten state of repair, and the men had no protection against persistent shelling. Three very unlucky days were spent here, during which time the losses from shell fire amounted to about forty all ranks, and on the night of the 3rd of July, after being relieved by Companies from the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Battalions, a weary and somewhat fed up Battalion made its way to Murrumbidgee Camp--a hutted camp near the village of La Clytte.

The chief attraction here was a bathing pond which, although somewhat “soupy,” was well patronised by the troops.

(_Portrait by Gabell._)

FRANCIS WOODBINE PARISH, 1915

Captain, King’s Royal Rifle Corps; Adjutant, Prince of Wales’s Own Civil Service Rifles.

His wound, sustained in action on the Western front, was a contributory cause of his death in 1921.

_To face page 147._]