Private 12818 Charles Henry KIRBY

26-9-1915: At 1.15pm the following message was received from Brigade Head Quarters. “BM 779 Your battalion will march today so as to reach  the fields west of Annequin and south of Le Bassee Road at 9am tomorrow to form part of a detached Brigade under Colonel Carter 1^st Kings Regt AAA”. Lt Colonel G.C. Lambton will be at the west end of Annequin by 6.15am where a motor car will meet him AAA. Detached Brigade when formed will be part of the 7^th Division. AAA

Telephone how can I help you as regards your transport arrangements, two signallers from each Oxfords & Queens will report to you before you march off to form part of Carters Detachment Signal Section. Your battalion bombers will be fully equipped with bombs and belts. On receipt of above message some delay was caused owing to it not being quite clear which day (26^th or 27^th) was meant. (The message was handed to Signallers by Brigade at 12.55am & received as stated at 1.15am). we were eventually informed that 26^th was meant.

At 2.26am the following was received from Brigade “BM 800 reference my BM 779 your battalion will march at once by Annequin Road in A.6.11.52 on Vermelles to where Vermelles Rad crosses Couronne.De.Bully. AAA. Acknowledge and report when you start. As square A6 was well in the enemys lines north of La Bassee further delay was caused by getting the correct map square.

Orders were immediately sent for our transport to rendezvous at the place stated. At 4.0am the Battalion started and arrived at the rendezvous at 6.30am. We were met by the Staff Captain of Carters force and directed to get what cover was available in the trenches round about. Cookers were sent for and tea served.

The O.C. 1^st K.R.R. Corps which had arrived before us was sent to us with all available information which was to the effect that Carters force was to attack the village Citie-St-Elie provided the situation on our left permitted.

About 8.00am the C.O. and Adjutant were ordered to Head Quarters 7^th Division for instructions. On arrival there plans had been altered and we were told that the Quarries were to be our objective. Coy Commanders were sent for to view the position and direction of attack, after which all returned to the rendezvous again.

About 11.0am the following message was received G 58 Carters force will at 3.30pm attack the Quarries from  approximately the line G.11.b.3.4 – G.5.d.1.2 the 9^th Division will assist this advance by a movement from Fosse 8 the details of which will be communicated later. AAA.

The attack will be preceeded by a bombardment of Heavy Artillery & Field artillery lasting one hour, the last 5 minutes of which will be intensive. AAA The 20^th Brigade will assist the attack by Bombing. AAA The 21^st Brigade will furnish and engineer party consisting of one section to assist in the consolidation of the Quarries when captured. AAA The heavy artillery will lift off at the hour. The Field Artillery will be detailed to continue firing till two minutes after the assault has be[en] launched when a barrage will be formed NE of the Quarries.

A supply of bomb were immediately sent for, a conference of all Officers was held and orders for the Battalion to be prepared to move at 1pm, at which hour the first Company moved. Five boxes of bombs per company were issued. The Battalion entered the communication  trench at North End of Vermelles and moved slowly as great difficulty was experienced in getting the boxes and bombs along the trench.

The C.O. called at Divisional Head Quarters on the way, and asked that the time of attack to be put off until 4.40pm, as it seemed impossible that the Battalion would be in position before that hour. This proved to be a very wise precaution as half way up the Communication trench one of our gas cylinders was discovered which commenced to leak just a B Company was in that vicinity and several men were effected and had to be got out of the trench, the remainder put on their smoke helmets until the affected part of the trench was passed.

About 4.15pm the Battalion had arrived in the old British Front Trench from whence the Companies advanced across the open in the order of attack:

Front Line:-

Two platoons D company on the right supported by their other two platoons

Two platoons C company on the left supported by their other two platoons

Second Line:-

Two platoons A company on the right supported by their other two platoons followed D Coy on the right

Two platoons B company on the right supported by their other two platoons followed C Coy on the left

These successive lines advanced magnificently at a steady double until the Front German Trench was reached, which was occupied by some men of the 9^th Norfolks, very few casualties occurred between the British and German trench. Almost without halting the German trench was leapt by the successive lines which still went bravely forward towards the trenches occupied by the enemy who had now opened rapid rifle and machine gun fire on the advancing lines and casualties were numerous but still the advance continued until an old German, half dug, trench was reached where the front line took what little cover the parapet afforded and opened fire on the German trench about 200 yards in front.

Beyond this it was found impossible to advance and as dusk fell the consolidation of this position was commenced and continued throughout the night, with the small entrenching tool carried as part of the equipment. The second line halted about 50 yards in rear of the Front Line and also commenced digging in.

As the front line advanced from the German front trench a bomb attack was organized to clear St. Elie Avenue which connected the trench occupied by the enemy with the front German Trench; the enemy were driven out of this Avenue as far as a point in the line with our advanced line where a double lock was made and fire steps constructed to form a defensive flank. Communication was then established with the Brigade.

Our losses were found to be severe, no less than 13 Officer being killed and wounded including the 2^nd in Command, all Company Commanders, the Machine Gun officer and Medical Officer and 3 out of the 4 Company Sergeant Majors and 300 other ranks. All the Officers of B Coy were wounded.

[The diary then lists all the Officer Casualties by name, along with the officers who were not casualties – they are not reproduced here]

Captain R.J. Steward, Chaplin to the Forces and attached to the Battalion was present during the operation and rendered valuable assistance in attending the wounded.

After dusk our stretcher bearers commenced searching for the wounded and continued through the night, Intermittent rifle and machine gun fire was kept up during the night and a section of the 2^nd Highland Field Company R.E. put a line of barbed wire in front of out trenches.

At 10pm the following message was received from Carters Brigade. “BM16. Following received from General Gough beings AAA Please express my pleasure with Colonel Carters Brigade for their gallant attack on the Quarries and convey my appreciation to them more especially the Worcesters and hope the will continue to maintain all they have won. AAA end.

The officer who guided the Battalion to the attack was wounded. It is thought his name was Villers and belonged to the Indian Army.