1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment
It will be recalled from the final paragraph of Part 1, that the 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment spent most of the 28th March 1918, making ready to leave Belgium and take up new positions in France, west of Arras. The battle at the centre of this activity had been raging for a week with the Germany army still in the ascendancy. Such was their success, particularly in those sectors of the front held by General Sir Hubert Gough’s British Fifth Army that their commander became the first major casualty when he was relieved (‘Rested’ was the euphuism expressed by the senior officer sent by Sir Douglas Haig, the Commander-in-Chief in France, to inform Gough he no longer had the support of the army, or that of Lloyd George, the British prime minister of the day) of his command on the 28th, though he would remain in France for a further week, by which time The Kaiser’s Battle would be drawing to a close.
In retrospect, the dismissal of Gough was grossly unfair but in the turmoil generated by the swiftness of events a scapegoat had to be found and Gough, it has to be said, was not the most popular of commanders and, therefore, was an ideal candidate.
But, to return to the activities of the 1st Battalion, and again I must emphasise that I do not have any documentary evidence to show that Lance Corporal John Hall was involved in any of these movements for he may already have been wounded, the next forty-eight hours witnessed the main body of the battalion leaving Belgium and by the evening of the 30th had gathered in billets at Habarcq. Earlier in the day their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel T W Bulluck accompanied by his three company commanders, intelligence officer and signalling sergeant had reconnoitred the parts of the line which would be their home for the foreseeable future. In military terms, the area that the 1st Battalion would occupy was referred to as the PURPLE line. In their absence, the junior officers and senior non-commissioned officers organised the men in rapid firing practice. Thus, on the last day of the month, the diarist writes, ‘Marched to the PURPLE line – Route WANQUETIN – Q.10.a.5.O – BEAUMETZ – LES LOGES – RANSART – MONCHY – PURPLE lineF.14.a.3.7 – F.2.d.2.2. All coys in the line – relieved 11th East Lancs 92nd Inf Bde. Relief completed 1.10 a.m.’
From a study of a relatively modern map of the area, it would seem that the route taken was generally south from Habarcq to cross the main Doullens to Arras road at Beaumetz-les-Loges and then still on a southerly course enter the frontline near the village of Monchy-au-Bois.
Initially, there was little activity though on the 2nd of April, battalion headquarters staff moved to a new position identified as F.7.O.85.75, while the following day C Company was loaned to the 15th Highland Light Infantry attacking enemy positions near the village of Ayette, directly to the east of the battalion’s trenches. As a support company, casualties appear to have been light with three soldiers classified as wounded. However, I suspect Private Howard Frank Ridout was one of this trio for he is buried just behind the battalion’s front in Bienvillers Military Cemetery, his date of death being reported on the 3rd.
The day following, the 15th Highland Light Infantry passed through the battalion lines with the ‘1st’ moving into the trenches vacated by the Highlanders and with only a few minor adjustments to their front, this would be their area of occupation until the 14th when relief appeared in the form of the 5th/6th Royal Scots.
Twenty-four hours after taking up what was then regarded as routine trench duties, the German advance petered out; The Kaiser’s Battle was over and the British and French commanders took stock of a situation which in a little over a fortnight of fierce fighting had seen the German armies occupy over 1,000 square miles of ground which prior to the 21st of March had been the preserve of Tommy Atkins. Nevertheless, their units had been fought to a standstill at a cost to the British of 22,000 killed and 75,000 taken prisoner of war and 63,000 classified as wounded (and I am convinced Lance Corporal Hall was one of these awful statistics) while French and German losses in this period are calculated different to those of the British and, therefore, are difficult to ascertain.
For the 1st Battalion the eleven days that followed their entry into the line were taken up principally in securing their front from any further enemy assaults, wiring duties being a dominant feature for most of the time. This was hazardous work with enemy sniper fire being a constant threat and rarely a day passed without the diarist recording casualties: on the 4th he notes, ‘1 O.R. killed in action, 2 O.Rs wounded’, on the 5th, ‘1 O.R. killed, 3 O.Rs wounded’, though reflecting that much material was salvaged and in general it was a quiet day. For the 6th, he writes, ‘Wiring the front with German salvaged wire. C Company made Bath House and Pedicurium in AYETTE. 3 O.Rs killed, 7 O.Rs wounded.’
During the 7th and 8th a total of seven soldiers were wounded, while over the next three days during which the 1st Battalion was visited in the line by the local divisional commander (not named) at least another half-dozen or more became victims of enemy sniping. Then, on the 12th, Lieutenant-Colonel T W Bulluck was amongst the three fatalities recorded in the diary with nine others being reported as wounded. It is not said where the colonel fell but the entry for the 13th reads, ‘Battalion Headquarters moved to F.9.a.70.25’ thus suggesting the enemy had pinpointed its position and was able to bring down fire to good effect.
Twenty-four hours later came the aforementioned relief with the diarist adding, ‘and withdrew into reserve with one Company in PURPLE line, one in PURPLE reserve, two at MONCHY in old German frontline. Lieut J R WALTON, 2Lieuts R E C GOFF, W K T BARRETT, F W PEDGRIFT, L DIGBY and Capt C G SKINNER M.O. 104 O.Rs diagnosed as gassed.’ Three days before John Hall died in a hospital near Rouen, his battalion moved back into the line, relieving the 15th Highland Light Infantry now occupying positions on the right flank of the brigade sector. Captain C F Jerrard and Lieutenant F C Zeederburg did not accompany the men for the day previous they had been admitted to hospital to be treated for the effects of gas. Within hours of getting back into the trenches, four were wounded and Private George Northcott from North Tawton in Devon died before midnight. The next day German artillery laid down a sustained barrage, wounding three more soldiers from the ‘1st’, though everything is reported as being ‘very quiet’ on the day that Lance Corporal John Hall lost his fight for life.
Note: By examining the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery reports for Bienvillers Military Cemetery, I have been able to identify the following as having been killed in action or dying as a result of wounds received during the battalion’s eleven days in the line:
| 5th April | 19622 Pte Frank Edward Golding | from Twyford near Winchester | |
| 22300 Pte A Lintott | from Elmstead near Godalming | ||
| 6th April | 203515 Pte James Henry Ellis | from Bethnal Green, London | |
| 18839 Pte Ernest Charles James, A Company | from West Lulworth | ||
| 7th April | 20364 Pte S V Butler | from North Woolwich, London | |
| 8th April | 10991 Sgt James Carter | from Glastonbury, Somerset | |
| 10th April | 19635 Pte E Chittenden | from Ware in Hertfordshire | |
| 17427 Pte William Frederick Stephens, C Company | |||
| 24910 Pte Ernest West | from Taunton, Somerset | ||
| 11th April | 22266 Pte J Chambersfrom Brigstone on the Isle of Wight | ||
| Lt Col Thomas William Bullock | from London | ||
| 12th April | 3/6626 Pte Ernest Bridle | from Poole, Dorset |
Although from London, Lieutenant-Colonel Bullock had married into a Dorset family as his wife, Millicent Mary Bullock, is shown as living at Rodwell, Weymouth.
In a footnote following my profile in respect of Lance Sergeant Jack Fitz-Roy Waters (August 2005) I remarked that the village curate, the Reverend A R Turing Bruce had written a book titled, Scourge of the Moors. From Andrew Perkis of Weymouth comes news that it was published by Sampson Low & Company, London 1923, and that a copy exists in the British Library, reference Shelf Mark 012807.a.35. request.
Another two months have gone by, and it is again time to be writing about the happenings in Woodcutts. As I write now, it is a lovely sunny afternoon on Sunday 9th. of March. As usual I am sitting at the kitchen table, next to the south facing window, through which a few minutes ago I could see a beautiful blue sky with a few white clouds moving leisurely across from west to east. Suddenly there was a downpour of rain, this was hard enough to send all the finches and tits feeding at the bird table, flying away to shelter, but it has gone as quickly as it came. Now I am waiting to see which species makes it back first.
While I am waiting, (a robin was first back but was only scavenging on the food that had fallen to the floor, followed quickly by a great tit, a blue tit, two more blue tits and a female greater spotted woodpecker and now a long tailed tit)……………….. If you are wondering why there was a pause, it was because I went to get my camera. Unfortunately it was to no avail; by the time I had returned the woodpecker was gone. However we do have some good ‘bird news’, Paul my next door neighbour told me yesterday that he was delighted that he had heard and seen song thrushes here recently, and that earlier in the day he had seen a mistle thrush collecting moss for nesting. A few minutes afterwards I saw a mistle thrush busily pulling dead grass out from under the hedge, then flying off with its beak crammed full, obviously to be used for nesting material.
We just have to hope that the remainder of March continues in the same vein as it has begun and that there will be plenty of vegetative and insect growth for any nesting early birds. Nature is not always as well synchronised as it could be, and global warming is reacted to in different ways by different wildlife species. For example the mistle thrush may want to get on to rearing its young, but at this time of year the berries that are its principle food for much of the time, simply aren’t available and the parents have to change to worms, which aren’t easily found on cold and frosty mornings. Global warming can equally bring many problems to wildlife as it does to us humans.
Before leaving the birds, I must mention the great acrobatics of the tiny long tailed tits at the bird table. They obviously love a diet of peanuts and can be seen in practically any position feeding away. For most of the year they survive on small invertebrates found in a variety of deciduous trees including oak, ash and spindle. If they nest early and there is no food at the bird table, they would have a serious lack of food in cold weather, and any offsprings would be in serious trouble.
Of course it is not only the animal life that is affected by temperature change. For example, the snowdrop flowers this year have been the most prolific and longest lasting that I can remember. The first few were out in flower just before the New Year; rather weak and spindly to start with, but soon to a wonderful show lasting until the first week of March. Daffodils and primroses are now taking over, and I did see a white violet in flower on February 19th Today March 12th I have been trying to photograph the huge numbers of white violets in flower, but I haven’t been able to manage one of sufficient quality for the Downsman.
Earlier still, my sister told me of celandines in flower on the 26th January in Westbury. This of course made me go out to see if I could find some, which of course I did on the south facing bank at the end of the lane on the same day. I have seen hawthorn in leaf from 7th February, and since that time I have watched it’s buds bursting everywhere I’ve been. Elder tree have also been in leaf in sheltered spots since the middle of February. A very early year for many insects too, including several species of bumble bees and ladybirds.
Talking about ladybirds reminds me that Hilary Clinton is actively pursuing the U.S. presidency nomination. I suppose if she fails in her bid she could be coming to Woodcutts to lie low for a while. We are used to anticipating the arrival of past celebrities here. Although he never came, Al Gore would have loved it here, from the environmental point of view. Lionel Blair when he gave up the prime minister’s job was rumoured to be moving here, but there was too much of a song and dance about it and he never came. When Capability Brown retires there will definitely be a place here for him, as there are numerous gardens he could improve on. Let’s hope he is good at budgeting for gardens, as they are only very small compared with the area of the whole country.
Meanwhile life goes on here at Woodcutts, and it leaves us wondering what the next world shattering event will be. If the late Laird of Woodcutts had lived to see alpacas grazing where he would have grazed sheep, he would have been completely mystified and I can’t imagine what he would have said. Possibly it would have been something that I would not be able to express here. While Mrs. Win Kirby would be similarly flummoxed, to see so many grazing the land which she knew as Between Gates, when she wheeled her wheelbarrow up to the bus stop, in readiness to wheel her shopping home. As for what George Tozer would have thought, I just can’t start to imagine. It would have been something very encouraging, as he in his day was a very progressive farmer and would have been ready with help and advice.
Now all three of the above have passed on, and the neighbourhood is that much poorer because of it. How can Meg (Madge) and I, as the oldest citizens of ‘down the lane Woodcutts’ hope to take their places here, Between them they had some two hundred and seventy years experience of the countryside. For two of us to emulate them, we would each have to live to be one hundred and thirty five each.
That is enough of reminiscing, now to a much shorter lived mammal, the rabbit. This species makes up for its short lifetime by breeding prolifically here in Woodcutts. How tame they are and how tolerant of human presence they have become. They really do appreciate this ‘human presence’ as is shown by the grazed headlands of winter cereals and oil seed rape. It is a complicated world and we are making it much more complex, as we change our environment at a much faster rate than normal evolution can contend with. We must all become more aware of what is happening, and take steps to change our lifestyles.
While you are sorting it out, I must say goodbye for now, as supper is ready.
God bless you all, and thank you for reading this article.
Three surgeons are discussing their favourite patients. The first says, “I like accountants because when you open them up everything inside is numbered”. The second says, “I prefer electricians. Inside everything is colour-coded”. The third says, “MPs are the easiest to operate on. There are no guts, no heart, no backbone and the head and backside are interchangeable”.
A man goes into a pub and sees a load of people in the back bar holding a bicycle in the air. He asks the barman what they’re up to. The barman replies, “Them. Oh they’re just holding a raleigh”.
Pace of life’s just too hot - Quick Slow Down
Don’t worry if you feel you cannot keep up with the speed of modern living - the pace of life really is getting faster. We are even walking faster than ever; the speed at which we stride has soared by 10% since 1994 to almost 3.5mph. Men are now 25% faster on their feet than women. The average Brit walks 60ft in 12.5secs.
Experts reckon the demands of modern life, longer working hours, the growth in technology and fast food mean we have simply forgotten how to take things easy. We are all trying to achieve more and becoming increasingly impatient with even minor delays. Time pressures mean we are constantly checking our watches and walking out on long queues.
The internet and mobile phones mean we can access information and talk to people wherever we are in the world. Even so, we still feel the need to get from A to B faster. People living in cities live life in the fast lanes. Cities also have more smokers and heart disease. As people get more stressed and hurried they spend less time with friends. “They also don’t have time to exercise. They eat poorly and drink and smoke more.”
So SLOW DOWN (Take time to read the book)
So are you going too fast?
Five or more ‘yes’ answers mean you should take your foot off the accelerator… or risk health problems.
Two packets of crisps were walking along the road. A passing car stopped and the driver asked if they would like a lift. “No thanks,” said the crisps. “We’re walkers.”
I went to the bakers. Two pies for £1.50. “How much for one?” I asked. “A pound,” said the baker. “Well I’ll have the other one then.”
When a man steals your wife there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.
I woke early one morning. The earth lay cool and still,
When suddenly a tiny bird perched on my window sill.
He sang a song so lovely, so carefree and so gay,
He sang of far off places, of laughter and of fun.
It seemed his very chirping brought up the morning sun.
I stirred beneath the covers, then crept slowly out of bed,
With the sound still ringing in my head, he deserved to be fed.