1900.

1871. WIMBLEDON.Photo by J. H. Lile & Co.Sgt.-Major P. Kenny.Q.-M. F. J. Michôd.Major R. Mills.Capt. G. C. S. Lombard.Major J. P. Currie.Lt.-Col. Viscount Bury.

1871. WIMBLEDON.

1899. OLD DEER PARK, RICHMOND.Photo by W. S. Stuart.Major W. Danter.Capt. J. W. Smith-Neill,Major Lamb, Adjdt.Scots Guards.Lt.-Col. Tytheridge, V.D.Col. Earl of Abermarie.To face page 36.

1899. OLD DEER PARK, RICHMOND.

The officer was the Earl of Arran, afterwards commanding the Civil Service.

The City Imperial Volunteers returned home in November, and were given a tumultuous welcome as they marched through London on the afternoon of Saturday, the 21st November. The route was lined by all the Metropolitan Volunteer Battalions; and so enthusiastic was London to welcome its “heroes” that it was with the greatest difficulty that the route could be kept clear.

Unfortunately, Lord Albemarle had been attacked with fever at Cape Town and was unable to embark, thereby missing the welcome accorded to his Battalion.

The returned warriors of the Civil Service were entertained by the rest of the Regiment at a great banquet given in their honour in the King’s Hall, Holborn, on the 10th December.

In all 136 members of the Corps served in South Africa, principally in the Yeomanry. Of these five were killed or died in hospital.

Trooper A. E. Trembath (Imperial Yeomanry) earned the D.C.M., and was promoted to rank of Lieutenant for distinguished service in action.5

5Lieutenant Trembath was killed in 1915 whilst serving with the 1st Battalion in France.

As the country was denuded of troops in this year the Government decided to establish Emergency Camps of Militia and Volunteers during the summer months. Brigade Camps lasting for a month were formed, and each Corps was requested to keep fifty per cent. of its strength in attendance for the whole period.

The South London Brigade consisting of

2nd (South) Middlesex7th Middlesex (London Scottish)12th Middlesex (Civil Service)13th Middlesex (Queen’s Westminsters)20th Middlesex (Artists)

went into camp on Farnborough Common from the 7th July to the 7th August. The Civil Service was by far the strongest battalion in attendance, and at its Inspection held on Saturday, the 21st July, the Battalion, including one Company of the 25th (Bank of England), stood over 1,000 on parade.

Permission was obtained this year to increase the establishment of the Battalion by two Companies and the maximum strength to 1,000. The two new Companies were “F”Company, recruited from the clerical staff of the London County Council, and “I” Company, formed of cyclists.

On the 22nd January, 1901, Her Majesty Queen Victoria died. The Regiment was informed in due course that the King would honour it by continuing to retain the position of Honorary Colonel.

In April, 1901, the Regiment lost its Commanding Officer by the promotion of Lieutenant-Colonel the Earl of Albemarle to the command of the Norfolk Volunteer Infantry Brigade. Colonel Tytheridge, who had temporarily commanded during the absence of Lord Albemarle in South Africa, now succeeded to the command.

The experience of the South African war had forcibly impressed the country with the fact that in the Volunteer Force it possessed an asset deserving of greater encouragement and development than it had hitherto obtained. As a result of this feeling, the higher military authorities issued new and more stringent conditions of efficiency in an endeavour to bring the backward Corps up to the general level.

Regimental Camps of Instruction were now abolished and replaced by Brigade Camps. The Old Deer Park, Richmond, where the Battalion had encamped for nineteen years in succession (1880 to 1898) was to harbour it no more. Easter Manœuvres, Whitsuntide Marching Columns, Aldershot Provisional Battalions, Clacton Seaside Engineering Camps all dropped out; and energies were concentrated on securing a maximum muster at the Brigade Camp, where it was necessary to maintain an attendance of half the full strength (500) for the period of fourteen days in order to earn the War Office grant.

The position in which the Regiment might find itself in the event of a national emergency had long been a subject of uncertainty and doubt.

The Treasury had firmly expressed themselves on this point in a Minute issued in 1899 and published in Regimental Orders, as follows:—

“The Volunteer Force was primarily formed for Home Defence, and there seems special objections to a regiment like the Civil Service Rifles serving abroad. The men have their public duties to perform at home, and if they were sent abroad, untried men must be temporarily employed in their places for the performance of Civil Service professional work.”6

6There is no doubt that if it had not been for this attitude adopted by the Treasury and firmly maintained up to 1914, and the hampering effect it had upon Regimental authorities, the Civil Service would have been found in that fateful year among the first of the Territorial battalions on the field of war.

The Battalion, nevertheless, was selected as one of those to be placed in the “Field Army Brigades” which were formed under the new scheme of Home Defence. At first it was placed in the 24th (Volunteer) Brigade, consisting of 2nd (South) Middlesex, 12th Middlesex (Civil Service), 21st Middlesex, and 4th (Volunteer Battalion) Royal West Surrey Regiment.

Camp was formed this year at Jubilee Hill, Aldershot, under the Officer Commanding the District.

In 1903 Brigades were re-organised, and the Civil Service, with the Queen’s Westminsters, London Irish and 2nd London formed the 23rd Brigade under Colonel Jerrard. This officer held training camps as follows:

1903.—Shorncliffe.1904 and 1905.—Sway (New Forest).1906.—Shorncliffe.

About this time the Regiment effected certain changes in its uniform with the view of making it more suitable for work in the field. The helmet was altered to a shape which was perhaps less artistic, but gave greater comfort, and had not the disadvantage possessed by its predecessor of disabling the wearer from shooting when lying down. The tunic or jacket was made much looser and contained serviceable pockets. Puttees were adopted in lieu of gaiters, and enamelled belts were discarded in favour of dull black leather.

Altogether it now formed a very serviceable yet attractive uniform. Its invisibility at a distance was remarkable, and was the subject of frequent remark by distinguished foreign officers attending manœuvres.

Captain B. J. Majendie, King’s Royal Rifles, was appointed Adjutant in November, 1902,viceMajor Lamb, retired. Captain Majendie’s experiences in the South African war had been somewhat unique and unfortunate. Whilst accompanying a troop of cavalry sent out as a patrol from Ladysmith on the day that war was declared, the party were surrounded and captured by the enemy and held prisoners in Pretoria until that place was taken by General Roberts in the following year. Captain Majendie was the first Adjutant which the Corps had secured from the regular regiment of which it formed a Volunteer battalion; and by his efforts and instruction the Battalion became “riflemen,” and adopted rifle drill and customs. But the fact that officers were always trained at the Guards’ Schools of Instruction, where the drill of the rifleman is unknown, was a drawback to this arrangement.

In 1902, Major and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel Danter, who had been appointed Major in 1897, resigned through bad health. The Battalion owed much to Colonel Danter for his hard and brilliant work for many years. To his energy and leadership in their early years may be mainly attributed the successes which the Regiment were now securing in its signalling section and in the School of Arms.

To the latter institution a word is now due. Ever since the Headquarters had been opened, the athletic youth of the public offices in London had been attracted to this excellent training school in their midst. During the winter months the building was thronged to overflowing on “School” nights with perspiring youth in flannels, as class after class followed each other in unceasing relays for hours. Organising, directing and instructing this untiring energy were Danter, Brett, W. H. D. Clarke, Whitehurst, Weeks, Bell, Kirkby and others, ably supported, of course, by the most skilled instructors that the Guards and Aldershot could supply.

The result had now become apparent in the wonderful series of successes the School achieved, not only in the Home District Tournaments, but at the Royal Military Tournaments in competition with the Navy and Army.

A list of winners of Challenge cups and championship and silver medallists is given in Appendix No. V.

In addition to these successes, the School of Arms obtained 39 second and 18 third prizes at the R.M. Tournament, and an even greater number of prizes at the competitions of the Metropolitan Territorial School of Arms Association.

The most successful period for the Regimental School was during the first decade of the present century, when those fine all-round athletes Hobbins, Marsh and Chalke were in the hey-day of their prowess, and Major Brett, the oldest man in the competitions of 1907, won the Officers’ Bayonet Challenge Cup.

In the previous year the Regimental Officers’ Team won the Inter-Regimental Bayonet Fighting Cup, beating the R.M.A., with its large complement of officers to select from, in the final. This was the only occasion on which the Cup was wrested from the Regulars or Navy.

The Light-Weight Tug-of-War Team in 1904 became the permanent possessors of the R.M.T. Cup, which they had won three times in four years.

In 1902 the Corps secured an honour for which it had striven for many years, and which, although as a rule honourablyplaced in the strenuous competition, it had never yet succeeded in obtaining. This was theDaily TelegraphCup for marching and shooting, competed for at the Home District Rifle Meeting by teams from most of the battalions of regulars and volunteers in the district. And now, under the leadership of Captain F. J. Brett, supported by Sergeant W. H. D. Clarke, it was won four years in succession, a feat never performed by any other battalion.

In 1904, Colonel Tytheridge resigned and the Earl of Arran, late Captain, Royal Horse Guards, was appointed Commanding Officer. Captain and Hon. Major E. Merrick and Captain R. G. Hayes were promoted Field Officers.

At the end of 1906 the Field Army Brigades were abolished, as preparations were then being made for a much greater call upon volunteers than that entailed by the existing scheme of Home Defence.

Troubled by the incessant cry for economy in military expenditure from their supporters on one side and the imminence of a European war with insufficient military strength on the other, the Government turned again to the Volunteer Force for aid.

The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act was passed in 1907, by which the Force might at once become an integral part of the Army on a threat of war.

The Brigade Camp of 1907 held at West Tarring, near Worthing, was therefore the last camp of the Civil Service Volunteers. Before the summer training camps of 1908 were formed, the Corps had been disbanded and re-enrolled, the grey uniform had been discarded, and a new khaki-clad battalion of Territorial soldiers of the King, 800 strong, stood ready to ask His Majesty to be again their Honorary Colonel. The request was granted, and theLondon Gazetteannounced that:

“His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to signify his royal pleasure that he will continue to remain Honorary Colonel of the Corps on its transfer to the Territorial Force.”

The transfer throughout the Force was not made without difficulty or without great effort on the part of its leaders. Much nervousness existed as to the liabilities to be incurred under the Act, the additional claim upon a man’s spare time, the suggested penalties in case of default, etc. The efforts of the leaders were not assisted by the singularly inept methods of the military authorities. The Act provided that the Volunteershould be re-attested on entering the new Force. The Attestation Form at first issued by the War Office contained a long list of questions to be answered by the recruit. Prominent across the face of the form was the statement:

“You are hereby warned that if it is found that you have given a false answer to the following questions you will be liable to imprisonment with hard labour.”

In this grateful and tactful manner it was proposed to greet the patriotic citizen on taking the first step towards his additional burden. But the protests of Volunteer Commanders were loud and the obnoxious form was quickly withdrawn.

The Battalion, under the title of the “15th (County of London) Battalion the London Regiment,” was placed in the 4th London Brigade of the 2nd London Division, the brigade being constituted as before (the old “Grey Brigade”), and still under the Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Scots Guards Regiment.

The first training camp of the Territorial Brigade was held at West Down, Salisbury Plain, from August 2nd to 16th, 1908, Colonel Inigo Jones, Scots Guards, in command. The Civil Service were by far the strongest battalion in the camp; the London Scottish and other corps having as yet been able to raise but a few companies for the new Force. This result had been achieved in spite of the fact that Treasury Regulations had been issued, regarding leave to be granted to Territorials in Government Departments for camp training, in which the conditions were much less generous than those formerly accorded to volunteers by Heads of Departments.

Fortunately, an officer of the Corps, Lieutenant F. H. D. Acland, having been elected M.P. for Richmond (Yorks), had been given the post of Parliamentary Secretary to the War Office. By his influence the Secretary of State for War, Mr. Haldane, commenced a tour of inspection of Territorials by visiting the camp at Salisbury Plain and lunching with the “Civil Service.” On his attention being drawn to the new leave conditions, Mr. Haldane was good enough to attend the Regimental Prize Distribution at the close of the year and publicly announced that more generous conditions should be issued.

In August, 1908, the Earl of Arran found himself compelled, with regret, to resign the command. Notwithstanding the fact that his former military experience had been entirely that of a cavalry officer, Lord Arran had, by his personal efforts, kept up the high standard of steadiness and efficiency in drill to whichthe Battalion had attained, and his popularity as a Commanding Officer had never been exceeded by any. It was with sorrow that every member of the Corps heard of his decision to resign.

The command was taken over temporarily for a few months by Major and Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel Merrick, who, then in his thirty-third year of service, declined to allow his name to be put forward for further promotion. In December, 1908, the regiment found in Major the Hon. C. S. H. D. Willoughby, late of the Scots Guards, a Commanding Officer admirably qualified to lead it through the period of preparation for more serious military work which was now before it as a battalion of the Territorial Force.

In the change from a unit of the loosely-organized mass of Infantry and Garrison Artillery which constituted the Volunteer Force, to that of a strictly regulated battalion of the new Territorial Army (with its Brigade and Divisional Staffs, its due proportion of Cavalry, Field Artillery and Transport) the Corps had been trimmed and shorn of many of its former privileged adjuncts. Its establishment of officers was considerably reduced, and with great regret it lost its Honorary Chaplain, the Rev. Canon Duckworth. Canon Duckworth had served the Corps loyally for 23 years. He took great pride in never being a “non-efficient,” was always on parade at the annual inspection, and wherever the regiment was encamped its Chaplain never failed to appear on the middle Sunday to conduct the service and preach his annual sermon.

The Battalion also lost its two bands, and its company of cyclists was abolished.

The drills and camp trainings required were not as extensive as those afforded by the Corps under Volunteer conditions; but this was amply compensated for by the benefit derived, especially by officers, from the training given by Brigade and Divisional Staffs.

Instructional tours, in which officers of Cavalry, Artillery, Infantry and Transport met, took place frequently to important military positions in the neighbourhood of London. In these the Division (minusthe men) would move by Manœuvre Orders duly issued by Divisional, Brigade and other Commanders of units, billet or bivouac on positions previously inspected and reported upon, throw out outposts, resume column of route, move on to the battle position and engage the enemy in the neighbourhood of Dunstable, Canterbury or other place selected. In its early days the 2nd London Division on these occasions had the advantage of the admirable instruction of Colonel Stanley Maude (afterwards General Sir Stanley Maude) as chief of the staff.

7From this point to the outbreak of war the annals are continued by Captain Bell, late Civil Service Rifles.

The commencement of the training year saw the duties of Adjutant taken over by Captain Fitzclarence of the Royal Fusiliers, an officer of wide experience and one who had had some previous knowledge of the working of a force recruited under the voluntary system. From his first appearance on parade his popularity was assured, and he ably seconded the efforts made by Colonel Willoughby to bring the regiment up to a high state of efficiency.

Training during the year followed the usual course. The Easter training was carried out at Windsor, and the Annual Training Camp at Minster-on-Sea was of an exceptionally interesting nature. In the opinion of many it represented the ideal camp training for the Territorial Force, consisting as it did of practical musketry and field manœuvres, winding up with an extensive trek through the pleasant lanes of northern Kent. A most enjoyable fortnight was spent, and the members of the Battalion returned at the end of it to their everyday avocations feeling satisfied that they had made some real progress towards fitting themselves to fulfil the duties for which the Territorial Force was intended. The Brigadier gave expression to his views on the following terms:

“The Brigadier wishes to thank all ranks of the Brigade for their loyal co-operation and unflagging zeal and keenness during the Annual Camp this year, more especially during the week’s bivouac and hard marching, which was a severe test to untrained troops and in which the Brigade acquitted itself to his entire satisfaction. He attributes this success in a great measure to the fine spirit and soldierlike pride which has ever distinguished the Grey Brigade, and has once again successfully brought it through a trying time. He hopes and thinks that, though the work has been hard, the results have been great, and that all ranks are more fitted to take their part in active service should the necessity arise.”

A Regimental Athletic Club was formed with the twofold object of securing the best possible representation in the Territorial Sports and Marathon Race held annually in June and of fostering athletics from a military standpoint throughout the Battalion. The Committee did valuable work, and as the result of its labours the Regimental Team was enabled to take a high place in the Marathon Race.

This year the Regiment had to mourn the loss of its Honorary Colonel, His Majesty King Edward VII. He had been associated with the regiment over the long period of fifty years.

Major R. B. Hughes, who had been Quartermaster to theBattalion since the early nineties, was compelled, much to his regret, to resign his appointment this year. The regiment felt at his departure a regret equal to his own. Quartermaster-Sergeant W. H. D. Clark succeeded him, and the ability and hard work which he put into the arrangements for the Annual Camp contributed in no small degree to the success of that outing.

The announcement that the Regiment had been honoured by the appointment of the Rev. Canon Herbert Hensley Henson, D. D., as its Chaplain was received with gratification by the Battalion. Canon Henson had been approached because his church—St. Margaret’s, Westminster—is regarded as the church of Parliament and the Civil Service.

The Easter Training this year took place at the Guards’ Depot at Caterham. The opportunity thus afforded to the officers and non-commissioned officers of the Battalion to see the course of instruction through which a recruit of the Regular Army had to pass was most valuable.

The Battalion was called on to furnish a number of detachments in connection with the Coronation festivities this year, and acquitted itself well throughout. The Major-General in command of the Division expressed his entire satisfaction with the way in which the various duties were performed. As the personal gift of His Majesty on the occasion of his coronation, the Coronation Medal was awarded to the Commanding Officer, the Officers Commanding the detachments, the Quartermaster, Regimental Sergeant-Major, the senior N.C.O. and senior Private.

Annual training in camp took place at Dover. The political situation at home and abroad was not all that might be desired, and amongst all ranks was the feeling that before the camp terminated the Battalion might be called on for more serious work than that usually carried out on these occasions. Not until the Battalion had entrained for return to London could it be said that the tension had relaxed. The Major-General in his remarks on the training said that he noticed with pleasure the very good work done by all units, work which showed a distinct advance on any previously performed. He referred to the satisfaction given him by the cheerful way in which hardships, which resulted from the unavoidable stoppage of railway transport, had been borne by all ranks.

The Regiment furnished a detachment consisting of 1 officer, 1 N.C.O. and 4 men to attend the investiture of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales at Carnarvon on July 13th, 1911.

The efforts put forth by the Regimental Sports Club in connection with the annual Marathon Race only just failed of success, the Battalion team finishing second.

This year saw the old pattern Slade-Wallis equipment replaced by the Mills web equipment. The change was much appreciated and every one felt that with the supply of the new pack and haversack it was no longer necessary to rely for essentials on the kit-bag, and that, as a consequence, the mobility of the Battalion was greatly increased.

A feature of the year was the Whitsuntide outing arranged at Bisley for the purpose of drill and musketry. The detachment was favoured by good weather and had the opportunity of firing under the most favourable conditions all the practices laid down for the annual course.

Colonel Willoughby, who had been in command of the Regiment since 1908, was appointed to the command of the 6th Infantry Brigade on May 14th, 1912, and was succeeded by Major R. G. Hayes. Colonel Willoughby during his period of command had endeared himself to all ranks, and the Regiment parted with him with sincere regret. He issued a Farewell Order in the following terms:

“In relinquishing his official connection with the Regiment, Colonel Willoughby desires to thank the Officers, N.C.O.’s and men for their loyal co-operation and constant support they have so freely rendered him throughout the period that it has been his privilege to command the Battalion.”

A further loss to the Battalion was that of Major F. J. Brett, who resigned on April 27th, 1912. “Freddie’s” honours and achievements in the world of sport would fill a book by themselves. He was the life and soul of the Regimental School of Arms and his successes in bayonet fighting, fencing, etc., will long be remembered. His success in winning, in the year 1907, at the age of forty-six, the individual Bayonet Fighting Competition at the Royal Military Tournament is one which it can safely be said will never be equalled.

The practice of having the Easter training at the Guards Depot at Caterham had now become established, and the welcome which was always given the detachment there made the outing one to be looked forward to. The annual training in camp took place this year at Frith Hill, Aldershot, and was notable for the inclement weather experienced. The incessant rain may, however, have been a blessing in disguise, inasmuch as it prevented the rations being smothered with the black sandpeculiar to this locality. Despite the unpleasant conditions, the troops kept remarkably free from illness. A feature of the training was Brigade movements in close formation, and it was a matter of no little astonishment to all ranks to see how easily and without confusion large bodies of well-organised and disciplined troops could be moved over rough and uneven ground. On the return of the Battalion from camp, the following extract from a War Office letter was published in Regimental Orders:

“The Army Council have expressed their appreciation and that of the Secretary of State for War for the excellent spirit which was shown by the Territorial troops in camp this year. The weather has been most inclement and the soldierly spirit in which the troops bore their discomforts was most praiseworthy.”

A review of the London District Territorial Troops by His Majesty the King took place in Hyde Park on July 5th, 1913. The Battalion was well represented.

The annual camp was held this year at Abergavenny in South Wales. The Battalion had never before been called on to proceed so far afield for its training, and the visit to Wales was looked forward to with eager anticipation. The Brigade arrived at Abergavenny on Sunday, July 27th, and soon got to work on the programme laid down. The first week was devoted to section, company and battalion training, and on the Monday in the second week all surplus canvas was struck and a week’s trek commenced. The first day’s march brought the Battalion via Crickhowell to Glanusk Park, where a bivouac was formed. Many members of the Battalion were glad of the opportunity thus afforded to renew acquaintance with Lord Glanusk, an acquaintance first formed while he was Adjutant of the City Imperial Volunteers and maintained during his tenure of command of the Guards Depot at Caterham. On the following day the march was resumed, and the Battalion reached “The Forest,” via Tretower and Cwm-du. Wednesday saw the Battalionen routefor Tal-y-maes, encountering on its way an opposing force at the Pass of Rhin Truman. The pass was forced and the troops eventually reached their camp at Tal-y-maes, situated amongst some of the finest scenery in Wales. There Battalion and Brigade manœuvres were carried out for a couple of days, after which the return to Abergavenny was commenced and the old quarters reached at the end of the week. The Brigade returned to London on Sunday, August 10th, well satisfied that the military authorities had succeeded in combining an enjoyable holiday with a considerable amount ofmilitary training. A tribute to the popularity of the conception can be found in the fact that out of a battalion 779 strong, 735 attended the camp.

All other events of the year 1914 were dwarfed by the outbreak of the war with the Central Powers and the embodiment of the Territorial Force. As every one recollects, the call was sudden. The Battalion was carrying out the programme laid down for its peace training, and had actually arrived at Perham Down Camp, Salisbury Plain, for its annual camp training. Its stay there was but short—in fact, only a matter of hours—and it found itself back in London within twenty-four hours of having left it. The mobilization arrangements which had not long before been tested under the supervision of the Brigadier worked well, and a time of busy preparation set in.8At the outset the Battalion received with astonishment the news that the Government had decided that members of the Civil Service called up on embodiment would not be allowed their civil pay, and would have to depend entirely on their Army pay of their rank plus the usual allowances. It was felt that a decision such as this would interfere greatly with the efforts made to fill up the gaps in the Regiment, and would make difficult the provision of the necessary reserve of men. Representations were at once made to the Prime Minister, Captain Parish, the Adjutant, even going so far as to interview him on the subject before he had breakfasted on the morning following the announcement. The Prime Minister agreed to have the matter further considered, and the result was so far satisfactory that the flow of recruits continued.

8“We went to Somerset House and dismissed, but assembled again on the Tuesday, and on Wednesday we were mobilised. The battalion of 800 odd were accommodated in the corridors of Somerset House, and we fed à la picnic in the square.”—Extract from letter dated Feb. 5th, 1915.—Ed.

The Battalion commenced its move to its war station in the neighbourhood of Watford on August 11th, bivouacked at Edgware for the night, and continued the march the following day. The troops stood the trying march well. The Battalion took up its quarters in and around the village of Bedmond and remained there until early in November, when it moved into billets in the town of Watford. A number of changes in personnel took place. Colonel the Earl of Arran, a former Commanding Officer of the Regiment, was given command of the Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Hayes being appointed to the command of the second line. The news of Lord Arran’s appointment was received with great gratification, and every one present on parade in the little park at Bedmond on the day on which he joined theBattalion will remember the stirring and inspiring words in which he addressed them, winding up his remarks by stating in a very determined way that, “We have a long way to go, but we are going to get there.” To the great regret of the whole Battalion Lord Arran was obliged later on to relinquish the command to rejoin his old regiment, the Royal Horse Guards. His place was taken by Colonel Renny, late of the Indian Army, and under him the Battalion moved to France on March 17th, 1915.

PART TWO

9Appointed 2nd Lieut., 11th June, 1915; to France, December 24th, 1915; acting Captain, 1917; Adjutant, 27th June, 1917.—Editor.

A few words on the manner in which the story of the 1st Battalion was written will not be out of place, and may help to explain the delay in producing the book and the obvious errors of omission which have been committed.

When the Battalion went to France two diaries were kept at headquarters—the War Diary, in which were recorded all the military exploits of the Battalion, and the Regimental Diary, which contained all the “personal gossip” in the Regiment, as well as accounts of tours in the front line. This Regimental Diary was started by Capt. Parish, who was then Adjutant, with the idea that it should be printed and published at the end of the war. But owing to frequent changes in the personnel of Battalion Headquarters, the book was not kept up to date, and there are, in consequence, several big gaps in its pages. It was finally closed early in 1918, when Colonel Segrave decided that as the keeping of two diaries entailed a certain amount of duplication of work, the War Diary should, in future, be a complete record of the history of the Battalion. From that time, therefore, the War Diary contained every item of interest to the Battalion, including such details as the names of the members of football teams and the artistes at Battalion concerts.

With these two books, therefore, I began in the winter of 1919 to collect material for a history. A committee was formed, on which I tried to get a representative of each Company and Specialist Section, and here I should like to acknowledge my indebtedness to these gentlemen, each one of whom has taken an active interest in the preparation of the book:—R. H. Burden, D.C.M., R. G. Callingham, S. L. Clements, E. Cooke, D.C.M., C. Ibbett, M.M., F. A. Lewis, M.M., R. H. Maddocks, F. C. Robertson, D.C.M., G. M. Sladden and R. C. Sugars, D.C.M.

In addition C.S.M. T. P. Brett, M.C., and Sergeant C. M. A. Tucker were kind enough to place at my disposal a book of notes, letters, and extracts from private diaries which they had collected, dealing with the first year of the career of the Battalion in France. Sergeant Tucker has been most energeticthroughout in his efforts to collect further material and to improve the crude story which I presented to the committee.

The story was written in instalments and so read to the committee, who criticised it and amended it, and it was then typed by Sergeant Tucker. The typed copy was then circulated among different members of the committee, who suggested further amendments, and the result is now presented to the Regiment as a simple record of the outstanding features of life in the 1st Civil Service Rifles in France.

I am fully conscious that there are grave omissions, notably in respect to paragraphs of appreciation of individuals. There are many more members deserving of special mention than appear in these pages, but I have included all who were brought to my notice and who, in my opinion, played a prominent part in the success of the Battalion. At the same time there are some whom I have missed, and to avoid doing these an injustice it was at one time suggested that all references to individuals should be cut out, but there are some who played such a big part in our history that no story of the Battalion would be nearly complete without mention of them.

As to the literary style and arrangement of the book, I am told by one of my critics that it is dull and lifeless, and that the descriptions of battles are not sufficiently picturesque. My only reply is that I have aimed at an accurate description rather than at a highly coloured style, and I hope my critics will bear in mind that, prior to this effort, I have never attempted anything more ambitious in the literary line than a love letter.

In addition to members of the committee the following members of the Regiment have very kindly written contributions:—G. C. G. Andrews, C. E. Bassett, E. De Ath, C. N. Burdock, C. Manthorpe, L. C. Morris, M.C., V. Stewart, J. H. Swain, and W. G. Skillern. To these gentlemen I should like to express my grateful appreciation.

February, 1921.Paul Davenport.

At the annual dinner in London on St. Patrick’s Day the survivors of those who constituted the original 1st Battalion of the Civil Service Rifles commemorate the historic day on which the Regiment first sent a Battalion on active service—the 17th of March, 1915.

It was hardly realised when that Battalion went to France that it would soon become the highest of distinctions in the Regiment to be described as a “17th of March man,” but this distinction is fully recognised now, and he is a much envied man who has the right to attend the Annual Commemoration Dinner.10

10This dinner was instituted on the 17th March, 1916, in the Reserve Battalion Camp at Hazeley Down, Winchester, where already a number of the originals who had been wounded, had returned. To Captain G. C. Grimsdale fell the honour of taking the chair at the first of these functions, which it was decided should be held annually so long as any “17th of March men” should live to attend them.

There were about 1,100 all ranks who, after eagerly awaiting, during seven long months of training, the summons to join the B. E. F. in France, achieved their ambition on St. Patrick’s Day, 1915, and entrained at Watford in the early hours of the morning. Throughout their stay in Watford, where they had been billeted since November, 1914, they had received the warmest hospitality, and it is not surprising, therefore, that their pride in going to the front was tinged with regret at leaving such good friends.

After a roundabout journey, Southampton was reached at 11.0 a.m., and the Battalion had to confine itself for the rest of the day to a few hundred yards of quay, impatiently awaiting embarkation, which was not carried out till dusk. Four boats were used—theBalmoral,City of Chester,JupiterandMunich—boats used in the piping times of peace for pleasure trips along the coast. There were no bands playing, no cheering crowds, but just three or four bored officials, embarkation officers, and dock policemen. Thus the 1st Civil Service Rifles,11under the command of Lieut. Colonel A. M. Renny, left England, havingon board the four boats thirty officers, 1,046 other ranks, and 78 horses.

11See Appendix for list of officers.

In addition, Captain H. B. Farquhar had taken a small advance party some days earlier.

On the whole the Civil Service Rifles were not favourably impressed with Havre where the battalion disembarked at about 9.0 a.m. on the 18th of March, the chief disappointment, perhaps, being that there were little or no signs of the Great War. No welcoming crowds of pretty French girls were there to meet them, and almost unnoticed they marched through the town and up the hill which led to the camp above Harfleur. Here the troops, perspiring after the steep climb, in what they thought was full marching order, learnt that there were many more things for the unfortunate Infantry soldier to carry in France. Winter clothing was issued, and although it was very welcome on that bitterly cold afternoon, the weight of it made everyone look forward with more than usual keenness to the coming of Spring.

A bitterly cold night was spent in the tents, and at 3.0 p.m. on the following day, the Battalion made its first acquaintance with the troop trains of the B. E. F.—the men’s compartments of which bore the now familiar legend:—

Lieutenant A. Roberts and fifty-nine other ranks had to be left behind as a first reinforcement—an arrangement made by a thoughtful G. H. Q. to ensure that the whole of the Civil Service Rifles should not be wiped out in their first battle.

After a most wearisome journey, lasting twenty-four hours, the Battalion detrained at the little station of Berguette.

The march from Berguette to the billets in the village of Cauchy a la Tour was an ordeal never to be forgotten by those who suffered it. Fifteen miles on pavè roads, in full marching order with a blanket in addition, tested to the uttermost men who were already fatigued by the extreme discomfort of the cattle train. But Cauchy was reached, without loss, at midnight, and to the consternation of all ranks, no trace could be found of the billeting party or of the billets. This was indeed a bitter blow to the exhausted troops, who settled down in the main street, and began to wonder whether they had to march still further, for there were no signs of life in Cauchy. The situation was eventually saved by waking up M. le Maire, on whom, it is said, Lieutenant Carlisle so successfully tried his French that billets were found after the Battalion had been waiting in the road for two hours. Some say the straw was clean, others say it was otherwise, but it mattered little thatnight. Any place was good enough, provided the troops could be left to sleep in peace.

It is believed that after the billeting party had left Havre, the destination of the 47th Division was changed, and the Civil Service Rifles were already at St. Omer before any message reached the billeting party, who did not arrive at Cauchy until about twenty-four hours after the Battalion was billeted.

The Battalion trained, somewhat impatiently, for three whole weeks at Cauchy a la Tour. The troops, it must be admitted, were bored with it, as would appear from the following description in a letter home:—

“The village is in the middle of a flat colliery district. The northern horizon is filled with great hills of slag from the mines—like Egyptian pyramids, whence comes an eternal shrill whistle. The well in the market square from which we draw our water is 100 feet deep, and it is difficult to get near the bucket for the crush of civilians and khaki. The women are mostly fat and sans corsets. They sell French papers and herald their approach with a toot of a horn. Mud carts are drawn by dogs. Horses can be seen working treadmills. The constant stream of motor lorries bringing food stores to the front passes along the highway. We hear the distant boom of big guns—a famous part of the firing line is 18 miles away. But the preponderant thought with us all is ‘Where is this bloody war?’”

On the 22nd of March, the Battalion was inspected by Field-Marshal Sir John French, accompanied by General Sir Douglas Haig and General Sir Chas. Munro. The Commander-in-Chief’s remark “The men are splendid” was afterwards reproduced in large type on the Civil Service Recruiting Posters in London underneath a photograph of Sergeant G. L. Eager, looking very much at home in a trench.

The first Civil Service Rifles Sports Meeting in France took place in a small rough field in Cauchy a la Tour, on the afternoon of the 28th March. The following account of it is taken from the Regimental Diary:—

“The events included 500 yards—winner, Private L. P. Winter, of ‘D’ Company; 250 yards (Sergeants)—Sergeant Rathbone (a dark horse) ‘thrown in’ with 20 yards start; 250 yards (officers)—Captain and Adjutant F. W. Parish 1st, Captain W. F. K. Newson 2nd; Second Lieutenant Benké 3rd. Inter-Company tug-of-war—‘A’ Company beat ‘B’ Company on the third pull. Officers three-legged race—Second Lieutenants Benké and Stevens easy winners. Lieutenants Chalmers and Carlisle next. Inter-Company team race (1 officer, 20 other ranks)—‘B’ Company 1st, ‘D’ Company 2nd. Inspection of Officers’ chargers and also of transport horses for best turnout; two races of 250 yards for ‘visitors’—the small boys of the village who also participated in scrambles for small change. Obstacle race, where one obstacle proved too much for allbut six starters—Lance-Corporal Cocky Oliver 1st; Lance-Corporal H. Battersby 2nd; Lance-Corporal W. J. Irving 3rd. The Commanding Officer afterwards distributed prizes to the winners. Much amusement caused by their nature. We had broken away from the salad bowl, tea spoon and tobacco cabinets, etc. and substituted packets of chocolate, tinned fruit, tins of sardines, box of candles (though Cauchy is illuminated throughout by electricity), and, for officers, tins of dubbin and bully beef tin openers.“

It may, perhaps, be remarked that all the winners at this Sports Meeting mentioned in the Regimental Diary have survived the war—with the sad exception of Lieutenant R. Chalmers.

The only other incident of note during the training at Cauchy was the visit to the Division of the Bishop of London, who, according to the Regimental Diary, was touring the back areas. His Lordship preached to the 140th Brigade on the 29th of March, but the only comment that can be found is that “We had to wear our heavy packs and were kept waiting for some time.”

On the last day at Cauchy, the 6th of April, news was received of the first death in the Battalion on active service. Private W. E. Little of “D” Company, who had left the Battalion on the 4th, suffering from cerebro spinal meningitis, having died in hospital at St. Omer. Thus the 17th of March men had already lost one man before they reached the firing line.

On the 7th of April the Battalion left for Bethune and the forward area. The villagers gave the men a very hearty send-off, for the Civil Service Rifles had thoroughly captured the hearts of all at Cauchy, who had done their best to fête their heroes overnight.

After sleepy Cauchy, Bethune was voted top hole. The shops in the old town were quite Parisian, and every one indulged in dainty but unsatisfying gateaux and steaming bowls of hot chocolate. For thebon viveursthere were excellent dinners in the ancient Hotel du Nord; for the artistic the delicate traceries in the fine old church.

Bethune already showed some scars of the war, and the building in which the Battalion was housed, Le College des Jeunes Filles, had lost most of its windows, but otherwise it made a comfortable billet. Here Lieutenant A. Roberts arrived with thirty other ranks from the Base—evidently O.C. Reinforcements thought it was high time the Civil Service Rifles suffered some casualties. On the following day the Civil Service Rifles made its first acquaintance with the trenches. “A” and “B” Companies were detailed for working parties in support trenches, while to “D” Company fell the honour of being the first Civil Service Rifle Company to go into the front line. It was the good fortune of the Battalion to be initiated in the mysteries of trench warfare by the 4th (Guards) Brigade, and the arrangement was that each Company should go in for twenty-four hours “under instruction” before the battalion held a section of the line alone. “D” Company accordingly joined the 2nd Coldstream and survived their twenty-four hours without loss, but the first battle casualties in the Battalion were suffered by “B” Company, who, with “A” Company, were returning from their working party at Cuinchy, when Privates W. Bartram and H. H. Russell were wounded by a rifle bullet, which passed through the thigh of one man and hit the calf of the other. It is said that the wounded men were deeply concerned on two accounts—they had seen no Germans either alive or dead, and it was pay day and they had not drawn their pay!

There is no doubt that this first visit to the front line was productive of a sense of disappointment. War had, till then, been regarded as a glorious thing, a thing of bugles and flashing bayonets, of courage in hand-to-hand encounters, and above all, of excitement. But this first experience showed it to be a thing of drab monotony, of dull routine, of the avoidance of being killed, of an invisible enemy. And so the letters of these days, which were to have been of enthralling interest, were, instead, just catalogues of the minor duties and details of trench life. Among them, however, is one that cannot but prove of subtle humour to the infantryman of later years—1916 and onwards. An extract is here reproduced.

“You should see the R.E. out in front mending the barbed wire—and when a flare goes up, dropping instantly and looking like sandbags, to be up and working like mad as soon as darkness ensues again—cool beggars they are—odd bullets flying all the time.”

On the other hand, R. W. Softly’s account of the first journey up to the line would not make the soldier of 1918 envy the man of 1915:—

“‘B’ Company had come provided with all kinds of supplies—firewood in abundance—and tied on to most of the packs was a ‘grand pain.’ Though man may live on bread alone I defy him to live solely on Army biscuit. We certainly thought we had reached the limit as beasts of burden, but as we waited at the first communication trench, some Guardsmen passed by. Instead of our modest bundles of firewood, they carried enormous tree branches. Half of them possessed frying pans or braziers, and many of them carried a pair of rubber trench boots so hung round the neck that it looked as if they were carrying on their shoulders a limp individual whose head and trunk were missing. When I add that they also carried picks and shovels, you will understand if we were inclined to regard them as a race of supermen as they filed past us in the setting sun.”

An important event was the taking-over by the whole Battalion, on the 13th of April, of a sector of the line—the real thing at last! Here, indeed, was an event to set the many scribes of the Battalion busy. Of all the experiences of the war, probably none made such a vivid and lasting impression on all ranks in the Regiment, and certainly none was more fully written up by the members as this first tour in the firing line of a Battalion of the Civil Service Rifles. In the light of after events in the war, it was a very quiet and peaceful tour, and probably much the same as the initial experience of many other Battalions, but it was none the less the realisation of all that these men had been training for since the outbreak of war, so it is small wonder that no detail was omitted, so far as the censorship regulations allowed, from the hundreds of descriptive letterssent home at this time. Probably all of them described how the Battalion paraded in Bethune (the names of places are included here, though they were doubtless suitably disguised in those letters home) in full marching order, wearing greatcoats, on the afternoon of April 13th, 1915, and marched via the village of Beuvry to the La Bassée Canal, the latter part of the march being by platoons at 100 yards distance. Here was the old familiar “artillery formation” in real life at last!

Even the landmarks along the side of the Canal received their share of attention, and mention is made of the two pontoon bridges, between which at one point the stiff hind legs of a horse stuck out of the water, of the broken telegraph wires along the Canal bank, and of the ruined buildings just short of Windy Corner, where the mile-long, narrow, winding, brick-paved communication trenches were entered. These had homely names—“Cheyne Walk,” “Battersea Road,” “City Road,” and the dug-outs had such names as “St. Albans Villa,” “Le Petit Riche,” “Funland,” and so on.

Of the many trying journeys of an infantry battalion, none is worse than the “hesitation march” along a communication trench. The floor of the trench is uneven and is full of holes, there are numerous obstructions across the top, causing the weary soldier to go down almost on all fours; there are numerous momentary halts for no apparent reason, and whenever the party does seem to get moving, sure enough the cry will come along, “lost touch in rear.” A few muttered curses as the troops sink down on the bottom of the trench to await the word “all up in rear” when another start is made. It is now found that they have lost touch in front, and the leading men are going “all out” to catch up.

The communication trench leading to the front line at Givenchy was apparently no exception to the rule, as will be gathered from the following account:

“It takes half an hour to trudge up to the firing line, and, if in rear of the platoon, it is exceedingly difficult to keep in touch. No matter how desperately you strive to catch up, the pack of the man in front is always just on the point of disappearing round the corner. Stray shots whizz past from time to time....”

The perspiring troops, having negotiated the communication trench, arrived at last in the front line at Givenchy, and the Battalion relieved the 1st Herts Regiment in the sector known officially as B1, but better known as the Duck’s Bill.

The frontage held was about 400 yards, and the front line was about half a mile in front of Battalion Headquarters and the Battalion Reserve.

Two Companies, “B” and “D,” occupied the front line,and “A” and “C” were in reserve in the ruined houses of Givenchy on both sides of the canal. The village post office was used as Battalion Headquarters with the Signal Station in the cellar.

The tour was a distinctly peaceful and uneventful one, which later on would scarcely have been mentioned in a letter home, but the regimental diary describes it in detail and tells how, after a quiet day, things livened up at night and in the reserve billets “a curious sound is heard every few seconds—smack, smack, as bullets spend themselves on the walls around. These are probably fired by the Germans at our fellows in the trenches, and, going high, hit the houses at a height of perhaps ten feet from the ground. Others, however, are probably fired from fixed rifles at gaps where we are supposed to pass frequently—along the bridge and other places, and a lucky shot might catch one of us. At nine o’clock we are startled by a tremendous explosion. It is one of our big guns, nicknamed ‘Little Willie,’ on a railway mounting. It moves along the railway by the canal, and after firing four or five rounds it wisely goes home.”

The Companies changed round on the second day, and in the evening of the third day the Battalion was relieved by the 1st Herts Regiment, and returned to the college at Bethune. The troops now felt they were real soldiers, though doubtless some were surprised to find that they could spend three days in the line without seeing a German. The only unpleasant feature in an otherwise very satisfactory forty-eight hours in the line was the casualty just before the relief to Private R. Pulman, of “D” Company, who was badly wounded in the head by a bullet. Private Pulman died in hospital in Bethune the following day, and his platoon attended the funeral.

The only other casualties were also in “D” Company—Sergeant G. F. Anderson and Private I. Spielman—both wounded.

The novelty of front line trenches had not yet worn off, and having had a not unpleasant taste of trench life, the troops were quite keen to go in again. So it is recorded that “We had heard a rumour that after doing our forty-eight hours in the trenches we were to return to Cauchy, so we are now pleased when we hear that we are to go again to the trenches to-day (the 19th of April)”.

The second trip to the line was very much like the first one, but on the first morning the Battalion lost one who for many years had served with great distinction. Private A. E. Snellgrove, of “B” Company, who was killed outright by a bullet through the head, had been a crack shot in the Regiment as long ago as the Volunteer days. Although he had left the Regiment some time before the war, he was one of the first mento rejoin in August, 1914. A quiet, modest and unassuming fellow, Private Snellgrove had many friends in the Regiment, to whom his death came as a great shock. He was buried in the Guards’ Cemetery at Givenchy.

The Battalion was holding a section of the line immediately north of the previous sector, and the area now held included what was known as the “Keep” at Givenchy. This was an old farm building with a courtyard in which the Guards had made a flower bed, which they called St. James’s Park. Here were regimental badges of various Guards Regiments worked in box or privet hedging. Not to be outdone, the Civil Service Rifles planted their crest in privet hedging alongside the others.

Two days in this sector, one day’s respite in billets at Le Preol, and then two more days in the former sector B1, brought to a close the first experience of the 140th Infantry Brigade in holding the front line, for on the 24th of April the Brigade was relieved and the Civil Service Rifles marched via Beuvry, Bethune and Chocques to rest billets at the village of La Beuvrière—a village a little larger than Cauchy and a little more pleasantly situated.

The village lay between two well-wooded uplands. Companies were billeted in small farms by the side of main roads and the men slept warmly on straw of suspicious character. As often as not there was a pigsty next door. Battalion Headquarters was in a house in the square next the grey old monastery—then used as a hospital. The parade ground was down the hill over the railway, bounded on one side by a swift-flowing brook good for a dip after a game of football. A favourite morning’s training was to steer a way by compass through the thick undergrowth of a wood, six square miles in area, to the east of the village.

The troops now felt quite familiar with the trenches, and were glad to have an opportunity of talking over their experiences in the comparative comfort of the estaminets. As there had been no further casualties there was a fairly cheerful atmosphere to greet the remainder of the first reinforcement—twenty-eight N.C.O.’s and men who joined from Havre on the 27th of April. The Battalion had, however, lost a good many men through sickness—an outbreak of measles being the chief cause. Already two officers, Lieutenants Radice and Benké, had returned to England through sickness, and, in addition, 2nd Lieutenant F. J. Smith, “A” Company, was so badly injured in a football match at La Beuvrière on the 2nd of May against the Post Office Rifles, that he had to return to England. The loss of Frank Smith was keenly felt in the Battalion, of which he had been a member since 1906. As a sergeant in “B” Company he was very popular, both with his brother N.C.O.’sand with the men. He was a thorough sportsman in every way, and his appointment to a commission in the Regiment only about a month before was very popular with all ranks.

It was while at La Beuvrière that the Battalion received for each Company a travelling kitchen. Hitherto cooking had been done in the camp kettle, or “dixie,” and there had been very little variety in the meals. After a long march, there was always a tedious waiting for meals, but the “Company Cooker” was to revolutionise that, for dinners could be cooked on the march—and what is more, they were. So the infantryman salutes the inventor of the “Company Cooker.”

After nearly a fortnight’s rest the Division went back to war, and the Civil Service Rifles, pausing for one night in very dirty reserve billets at the village of Gorre, found themselves on the 9th of May on the fringe, as it were, of the battle of Festubert, where they were holding the intermediate line of breastworks, behind the 6th London Regiment.

Although Festubert was not a battle of such magnitude as the operations of 1916 and later, it was an event of no small importance at the time. The first attack was delivered on the 9th of May with the object, ultimately, of gaining the Aubers Ridge—which dominates Lille and La Bassée. The battle went on intermittently for some days and in the end was not successful.

But although the Battalion held a kind of “watching brief” during this battle, recollections of Festubert are not by any means pleasant. The ground was so marshy that it was impossible to dig trenches, and the line hereabouts was held by a series of sandbagged barricades, approached by two roads (Willow Road and Yellow Road) devoid of any kind of cover. Having negotiated these roads, the men of the front line of barricades were little, if any, better off than those in support at the so-called Welsh Chapel, while the Reserve Company “billets” between Welsh Chapel and Le Plantin could not be called healthy.

It was at Festubert that the Battalion first became acquainted with the realities of war, and although the men were employed practically throughout in holding the line, burying the dead, and on working and carrying parties, with a little patrol work thrown in, there were many gallant deeds done, and at the same time many gallant fellows were lost.

The most vivid impression of Festubert is associated with the enormous number of dead, who were not only lying about the ground, but in some places actually formed the barricades. It was often necessary for the members of burying parties to wear the primitive gas masks, and it was here that “Paddy” Brett, the C.S.M. of “D” Company, a man in his forty-third year, smoked for the first time in his life.

The actual number of dead buried by the Civil Service Rifles in this area is not known, but a very reasonable estimate puts it at 350 in three days.

The survivors of “B” Company, in particular, have most unpleasant recollections of the night when they had to crawl over piles of corpses in order to go forward to occupy an advanced position.

Among other incidents of Festubert, mention should be made of the scouting and patrolling done almost nightly by 2nd Lieutenants W. E. Ind and F. F. Trembath, Sergeant B. K. Ware, Lance-Corporal G. C. G. Andrews, and Privates R. W. Kelley and T. Taylor. The work of patrolling No Man’s Land was not at this time so simple and commonplace as it became later on, and the patrolling done by these men is mentioned specially, not because it was the first time it had been done in the Battalion, but because more than at any other time it was done in earnest, and was productive of really useful information.

But although the first day of the battle was uneventful so far as the Civil Service Rifles were concerned, it must not be imagined that no fighting at all was done at Festubert. For it was here that the first decorations for gallantry in the field were awarded to men of the Battalion. On the night of the 25th of May, eight bombers were sent to the assistance of the Post Office Rifles in an attempt to clear a trench. After a stubborn fight the position was captured, but of the eight bombers only four returned alive, and two of these were wounded. The excellent work of these four was recognised by the award to each of them of the D.C.M. These were thus the first members of the Regiment to receive decorations in this war:—

Private W. H. Brantom, “B” Co.Private H. Harris, “A” Co.Private S. Lawrence, “C” Co.Private S. W. Mills, “A” Co.

The four who were killed were Privates W. S. Curtis, “B” Company; A. J. F. Tracey, “D” Company; P. A. L. Madell, “D” Company; and A. N. Sharp, “C” Company.

On the same night Lieutenant R. Chalmers, known affectionately as “Cissie,” was in charge of a working party of “B” Company digging in No Man’s Land, when he had occasion to take out a small patrol. He came across a party of bombers of the Post Office Rifles who were short of bayonet men. Without a moment’s hesitation, Lieutenant Chalmers picked up a rifle and bayonet from a man who had become a casualty, and joining the bombers, rallied them on the parapet to resist an enemy “rush.” He was soon in the thick of the fight and, while gallantly leading this party of strangers, he received two bullet wounds which afterwards proved fatal. Like the unselfish fellow he had always been, he ordered the stretcher-bearersto attend to the other wounded first. When he himself was afterwards carried back, he died in hospital at the village of Chocques.

It is difficult indeed to do justice to Lieutenant Chalmers. He had only just joined the Regiment when war broke out, but from the first he proved himself a real enthusiast, thoroughly unselfish, and ever ready to volunteer for any work—however unpleasant. He became a great favourite with the N.C.O.’s and men who served under him, and his death was keenly felt by his many friends in the Regiment. He had already been commended by the Commanding Officer for good work in the front line on three occasions, and his behaviour at the time when he was mortally wounded was typical of one of the bravest fellows any Battalion could wish for.

The 25th of May was indeed a bad day for the Battalion for, in addition to Lieutenant Chalmers and the bombers before mentioned, many of the stalwarts were killed or wounded on that day. Captain A. E. Trembath,12O.C. “C” Company, who had served with great distinction in the South African War, was killed in helping one of his wounded officers (Lieutenant F. C. Olliff). It was an unfortunate affair for “C” Company, who also lost old friends in Lance-Sergeant J. Smith (killed) and Lieutenant A. C. Bull (wounded) at the same time. “C” Company having already lost more than their share of old stagers in this area could ill afford to lose any of these, and another who had had long service in the Company was Lance-Corporal Battersby—well known for his football and long distance running—who was so severely wounded on the 17th of May that he lost an eye.

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