July

SOUASTRE

OPERATION ORDERS by Lt. Col. J.H. Thursfield, Comdg. 1/6^th Battn. South Staffordshire Regiment, of operations on 1^st July 1916.

1. The Battalion will attack the enemy’s position in front and rear of Gommecourt Wood on the 29^th instant at an hour to be notified later, in accordance with 137^th Infantry Brigade Operation Orders No.63, 137^th Infantry Brigade Instructions and Appendicies ‘A’ to ‘Q’ copies of which have already been issued.

The front of the Battalion prior to the attack will be from

1. Gommecourt Road inclusive to Leicester Street exclusive on the left, at a point in the British front line at E.28.a.5.3.
2. The Battalion will be distributed prior to the assault in the advanced trench, present front line, the retrenchment and Watling Street in the following order:-

‘C’ Coy. From Gommecourt Road on the right to C.T. ‘A’ inclusive.

‘A’ Coy. from C.T. ‘A’ exclusive to C.T. ‘A1’ inclusive.

‘B’ Coy from C.T. ‘A1’ exclusive to Sap No.1 inclusive.

‘D’ Coy. from Sap No.1 exclusive to C.T. ‘B1’ inclusive.

Company Commanders will dispose their men in the available

trenches on their respective fronts in such a manner that the

succeeding waves can follow one another at not more than one

minutes interval.

1. All ranks will push forward to the final objective without delay when the assault is commenced, with the exception of one Platoon of ‘A’ Company and one Platoon of ‘D’ Coy. who will consolidate strong points Nos. 2 & 3.
2. The left flank will direct, keeping in touch with the 1/6^th North Staffs Regt. Throughout the forward movement.
3. Artillery lifts opposite the front of the 137^th Infantry Brigade from zero ‘hour of attack’ will be as follows:-

Hrs. mins.

Off the enemy’s front line ZERO

Off the enemy’s second line 3

Off the enemy’s third line

(W. edge of Wood) 8

Off the E. edge of Wood 15

Off the Sunken Road 20

Off Oxus trench 25

Off Fill trench 30

The time of ‘zero’ (hour of attack) will be issued to all concerned.

1. The four Lewis Guns detailed to advance with the second and third waves will protect the advance on the right flank and establish themselves in positions N. of the Gommecourt Road at E.28.c.85.35, E.28.d.0.2., E.28.d.2.3 and E28.d.5.25

They will remain in such positions until the arrival of the troops specially allocated for the defence of this flank, after which they will rejoin their Companies.

1. The trained Bombers will remain with their Companies, and will advance with the assaulting waves, but will be so disposed that they may be readily formed into bombing parties to deal with the enemy’s C.T.s in case the general advance is delayed. They will carry a supply of bombs but will be equipt as other ranks with the exception of the additional S.A.A.
2. All Company runners will make themselves aquainted with the position of Battalion Headquarters both before and after the advance.

Four scouts per Company will be detailed to advance at ‘zero’

1. minus five minutes in order to locate the best routes through the enemy’s wire, where they will remain until the arrival of the fourth wave. The scouts will be warned of the action of our artillery, trench mortars, and machine guns.
2. The Battalion will parade in Fighting Order at an hour to be notified tomorrow.
3. All ranks are reminded that it is of the utmost importance to keep touch with the troops, whether of their own or other units, on their right and left and to render mutual support whenever circumstances require it.

OPERATIONS 1^st July 1916.

The 137^th Infantry Brigade having been ordered to attack GOMMECOURT WOOD and VILLAGE, the Battalion took up their position in our old front line trenches between the FONQUEVILLERS –GOMMECOURT ROAD and Leicester Street (E.28.a.5.3.) at 1 a.m. on 1^st July.

The attack was ordered to commence at 7.30 a.m. in four waves – the Companies advancing by Platoons in depth at a distance of 80 yards – in conjunction with the 1/6^th Battn. North Staffordshire Regiment and two Battalions of the 139^th Infantry Brigade on our left. The assault was preceded by an intense bombardment of the supporting artillery commencing at 6.25 a.m. and was also covered by a smoke barrage which opened five minutes before the attack was launched. During the course of this bombardment the enemy replied vigorously with Howitzers and Field Guns unpon our front line and communication trenches and at intervals he directed short burst of machine gun fire on our parapet and exists from the direction of our front and right front.

At 7.30 a.m. the four platoons of our leading wave having moved out to the new front line, under cover of the smoke advanced to the assault of the enemy’s position and were followed by the succeeding waves. The fourth wave was delayed for about five minutes by the casualties which blocked the communication trenches leading to the front line and by the heavy load which they were carrying.

The disposition of the Companies from right to left was ‘C’ ‘A’ ‘B’ ‘D’ and of these the only Company which was able to penetrate the enemy’s line in any strength was ‘D’ Company on the left, who found that the wire was well cut on their frontage: three platoons of this Company obtained a footing in the front line and some men are reported to have gone further but they were outnumbered and accounted for by the enemy. The remaining three Companies on the right ‘B’ ‘A’ & ‘C’ were held up by the enemy’s wire which had not been so well cut, and although small parties had been able to enter the enemy’s line they could not obtain a permanent footing there.

Eighty men returned within an hour to our front line where they remained until noon, when they were ordered to occupy our supports, and they were subsequently withdrawn from the trenches.

Casualties were 239 out of a fighting strength of 523.

The Battalion was then relieved by 1/5^th Leicester Regt. And marched to ST. AMAND.

Quiet day.

Quiet day.

The Battalion was relieved in the trenches by the 1/5^th South Staffs. Regt. And proceeded into Brigade Reserve at BERLES-AU-BOIS.

In Brigade Reserve. Inspection of Battn. By G.O.C. 46^th Division.

In Divisional Reserve.

J. W. Thursfield 
Lieut. Colonel,
Commanding 1/6^th Battn. South Staffordshire Regiment.

CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 1916:-

OFFICERS
Killed:
2/Lieut. R. Page.
Wounded:
Capt. A.R.A. Dickens
Capt. J.P. Magrane,
Lieut. S.H. Evans, Lieut. G.N. Adams
2/Lieut W.G. Davies
2/Lieut. D.H. Robinson
2/Lieut. J.E.T. Sutcliffe
2/Lieut. H.J. Lewis.
Wounded (At Duty):
Capt. & Adjutant R.C. Piper
2/Lieut. J.G. Gribben,
Missing:
Lieut. R.S. Jeffcock
2/Lieut. W.R. Johnson
2/Lieut. T.A. Dickinson
Wounded and Missing:
Captain C.W. Evans
Lieut. A.D. Harley
2/Lieut. A.E. Flaxman.
OTHER RANKS
Killed 20
Wounded 143
Wounded (Accidentally) 1
Wounded (At Duty) 13
Missing 54
Wounded & Missing 14
Died of Wounds 7