D Company
D Coy: This Company arrived at Locre with the 176th Brigade at 6am on the 14th Inst. It was expected that the Brigade would be used to counter attack any portion of the line between Neuve Eglise and Meteren should the enemy gain a lodgement. Reconnaissance of the line particularly in the direction of Neuve Eglise was therefore made at once. One section was attached to each of the 2 Battalions detailed for the attack and the other 2 sections remained with the Battalion in support. Later orders were received that a defensive line was to be held through S.1,2&4 and this line was reconnoitered.
Finally at 7pm orders were received that the Brigade was to relieve th3 3 Brigades defending Bailleul and to hold the line from S.19. to S.25. Thirty machine guns were in this line belonging to 3 Coys and it was impossible to arrange a relief owing to lack of communication and the small number of guns at the disposal of the Coy Commander. Consequently the sections were moved into the line with the Battalions to which they were attached except for one section with the reserve battalion which was used to form a mobile reserve near Brigade Headquarters.
Contrary to expectations the 30 guns of the relieved Brigades were withdrawn from the Sector without any arrangements being made for their relief.
At 1 pm on the 15th the enemy put down a heavy barrage on Mont Le Lille and the left of the Brigade sector and at about 2pm information was received that the Brigade on the left were falling back under heavy pressure. The left of the 176th Brigade became involved in this attack about 2.30pm but the 4 machine guns on the left flank were able to pulverize the attack at short range and inflict very heavy casualties. As the withdrawal of the 177th Bde proceeded it became necessary to withdraw to the Railway line running through S21a. By this time 2 of the 4 guns had been knocked out but the remaining two guns were got into action on the Railway line and again inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.
On news of the withdrawal of the left Brigade being received the section in reserve was ordered to take up a position in S3d in order to cover the valley running North and South from Mont de Lille. These guns although the Officer and Section Sergeant were killed and the total strength reduced to 10 remained in action [for] five days. The whole enemy attack swept across their front and very heavy casualties were inflicted. Smaller targets were engaged on subsequent days and every day casualties were seen to be inflicted on the enemy.
Of the guns attached to the centre battalion two were destroyed by shell fire early in the action and the remaining two after engaging a few good targets and covering the withdrawal of the Infantry were ordered by the OC Battn to withdraw. The guns attached to the right Battalion, less one which was knocked out, remained in position until withdrawn by the OC Battalion on the night of 15/16th to conform with the general line.
C Company
C Coy: This Company also experienced difficulties owing to the short time allowed for the relief. The Coy arrived at Locre about midday on the 14th and at 5pm the Coy Commander received instructions to report to GOC 177th Brigade at S.4.d.2.3. On reporting it was explained to him that the Brigade would probably relief the Brigade in the line from S.18.b.99.80 to S.22.c.4.3 on the night of 15th/16th and he was ordered to make a reconnaissance. The reconnaissance showed that 25 guns of the 29th Battn were in the area and 10 guns of the 34th Battn. On returning to Brigade at 10pm the Coy Commander was informed that the relief would be carried out at once.
Guns where therefore attached to the Battalions in the same way as D Coy, 10 guns being attached to the left battalion and 6 to the right Battn. By dawn on the 15th the guns attached to the right Battn were in position. The guns attached to the left Battn were unable to get to the positions owing to daylight intervening and took up a position at Halls Farm S.23.a.8.6.
The 6 guns which were attached to the right Battn took up positions in S.22. They survived the initial barrage and dispersed large bodies of the enemy who were forming up on the road running through S.28.a and S.28.b. It is not clear what happened to the two guns which were on the forward slope of the hill at S.22.d.4.7 but they were heard firing for a long time.
The 2 guns at S.22.c.7.4 after half an hours continuous firing were destroyed by shell fire about 4pm. The 2 guns at S.22.b.1.7 found themselves isolated by 4pm, the infantry having withdrawn to the line of the Ravelsberg Road. Shortly afterwards they were heavily engaged by Machine Gun fire from the hills in S.21.d and S.18 central and the officers ordered a withdrawal in conformity with the general line. Fresh positions were taken up on the Ravelsberg Road about S.15.d and from here the enemy were engaged with good effect. Parties were dispersed on the hill in S.16.d and a further withdrawal of the Infantry was covered.
By 5pm [15th] our infantry had withdrawn to the neighbourhood of the Dranoutre-Meteren line and the guns which were in danger of being surrounded withdrew to a position in S.2.d which was occupied till the guns were relieved three days later. During this period they were able to break up a hostile attack by their fire.
The 10 guns attached to the left Battalion were in positions in S.23.a&b and at Halls Farm. These guns played a prominent part in defeating a heavy frontal attack which was launched on this sector about 3.30pm. The hostile waves were enfiladed at close range and in several cases annihilated and for 2 hours were held in check. During this time an unsuccessful counter attack was delivered against the enemy’s position at Crucifix Corner and after the failure of this attack the enemy advanced rapidly and almost encircled the position.
The situation was also rendered critical by the fact that the enemy had sent over an aeroplane which besides engaging with machine gun fire dropped lights on the position so enabling the hostile artillery to draw back and intensify their barrage. All available belt fillers were collected and turned into Infantry and a great effort, unfortunately unsuccessful, was made to save the left flank. Belt boxes were now running short and the Enemy having achieved success on the left were threatening the rear. A withdrawal was decided upon which, though carried out in an orderly fashion proved costly, 3 guns and 30 men being lost. The surviving teams took up a position about S.8.a and a further effort was made to defend the left flank. This was successful for only a short time as belt boxes were not available in sufficient quantities and a further withdrawal took place to S.2.d.55 where the guns remained in action until relieved three days later.
B Company
B Coy: This Coy took up 16 positions in the Dranoutre-Meteren line which ran approximately through S.8.b, S.2.a, S.4 and S.5. Guns were in position by the morning of the 15th and were not involved in the battle which took place that day.
About 9.30am on the 16th the enemy resumed the attack and directed a heavy barrage onto the area of the guns positions in S.4 & 5 by means if low flying aeroplanes. One gun was destroyed during this bombardment.
The enemy also attempted a strong attack from the asylum but were beaten off by the Infantry of the 34th Division. This Coy had not many opportunities to inflict casualties on the enemy though they were subjected to a heavy strain being 6 days in the line under very heavy artillery fire.
A Company
B Coy: This Coy had not moved with the Battalion to Ypres and had been attached to the 178th Brigade for some days and on the 12th April moved with that brigade to the Kemmel area where they remained until the 13th inst. On the 13th the situation round Neuve Eglise being rather obscure one section of 4 guns were attached to and moved off with the 7th Sherwood Foresters who were detailed to clear up the situation. Neuve Eglise was found to be in the hands of a Battalion of the Yorks and Lancs and the section remained in reserve about the railway in T2 & 3 with the 7th Sherwood Foresters.
During the morning the remaining three sections took up Reserve Positions on Mont Kemmel, the company commander forming his HQ with 178th Brigade HQ at N.26.b.6.1. The line from T.10.c.0.7 to T.11.a.0.0 was held by the 5th Sherwood Foresters and four guns were sent up about 1pm to support this battalion. Positions were taken up about T.10.c.5.0 and T.10.c.0.7. The remaining two sections on Mont Kemmel were placed to protect the reserve line running along Regent Street through Lindenhoek and in front of Mont Kemmel that line being occupied by 6th Sherwood Foresters.
Until the afternoon of the 14th inst no enemy action developed but about 5pm after a heavy bombardment Neuve Eglise was occupied by the enemy. During this time the enemy shell fire was heavy on all the forward system. Owing to the fall of Neuve Eglise it was decided to fall back on a line running through T.2.c & , T.3.c&d, T.4 to Durham Road. At 12.30am 14/15th April 4 guns moved to a line W.33.c.30, 8.0, 42 80 to cover the valley in T2d and T3c, two guns remained in T.6.c.1.9 and 2 near Gable Farm in T.4.b where they moved to on night of 13/14th.
At dawn on the morning of the 15th owing to the left flank of the Brigade being exposed two guns under Lieut Day moved up and kept the gap under fire until closed by our infantry, unfortunately during this operation Lieut Day was killed. Later is was decided to withdraw to the Regent Street – Kemmel line the withdrawal being successfully carried out on the night of 15th/16th assisted by covering fire of reserve machine guns.
On the 16th at 3.30pm orders were received that the French with the 9th Division would attack Wytchaete and Spanbrokenmolen at 6pm. This attack was assisted by a 10 gun machine gun barrage from T.3.c to T.3.d in which 10,000 rounds were fired.
On the morning of the 17th the enemy attempted a frontal attack on Kemmel Hill but completely broke down under the fire of the Infantry and Machine Guns.
In spite of the intense enemy shelling, harassing fire on the enemy was kept up all day and many good targets were obtained by the guns. During the day 2 guns were put out of action by shell fire but a gun of another unit was found and put into action.
All roads and valleys likely to be used by the enemy were harassed continually during the night of the 17th/18th. The company were relieved by the French on the night of 18/19th.
