The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment 3rd July 1916

3^rd July 1916 –

1st Battalion – A quiet morning. “Minnie” very active in right & left company frontages in afternoon & evening.

Casualties 4 killed, 2 wounded.

At 10.30 pm were relieved by 1^st Middlesex & proceeded to billets in LE QUESNOY.

2nd Battalion – QUEEN’S NULLAH.

8 am Division on our left attacked FRICOURT Village, wood & area West of latter including RAILWAY ALLEY, SHELTER WOOD & THE POODLES –

2 pm During the above operations our m,guns & Lewis guns successfully delt with various units of the enemy who exposed themselves in moving to SHELTER WOOD from RAILWAY ALLEY & THE POODLES & vice versa – range verified from 1100 to 1500 yards & on one occasion our m,gun near QUEEN’S NULLAH wiped out a party of about 40 Germans who were trying to reinforce near SHELTER WOOD in X.28.a.10.95 – Again from CLIFF TRENCH our Lewis guns dropped from 40 to 50 of the enemy who were trying to retire from BOTTOM WOOD to QUADRANGLE COPSE.

Rations received each night; cookers brought up to MAMETZ – stores of S.A.A. – Bombs – R.E. stores - & water in petrol tins established at Bn, Hd Qrs.

8 pm One 77mm gun brought in behind WHITE TRENCH – The other gun could not be moved owing to one of its wheels being damaged.

A patrol under A/C.S.M. Whitney brought back samples of clothing found in large stores in embankment close to & S of MAMETZ WOOD – (large artillery shelters containing ammunition clothing & food) –

2/4^th Battalion –

1/5^th Battalion – Hutments. A start was made at last with the building of the officers huts. Owing to the poor quality of reeds now obtainable they are to be built with flat roofs & upright down the middle

1/6^th Battalion – Received final orders at 1 am with reference to attack The Battalion attacked the German trenches at 3.15 am “B” Coy (Right Coy).

At 3.15 am 1^st Platoon closely followed by 2^nd 3^rd & 4^th advanced. 1^st Platoon got to enemy parapet where the officer in charge was killed and the majority of the men hit by M.G. & rifle fire, the bombers knocked out an enemy M.G. in an advanced sap. 2^nd Platoon got to enemy wire & were stopped by M.G. & rifle fire. 3^rd Platoon were stopped behind the second, 4^th Platoon got about half way across but lost heavily & concluded it was useless to advance further.

“C” Coy (Left Coy)

1^st Platoon went too much to their left, only about 8 getting to the German wire the bombers getting into the trench with the R.W. Kent Regt who were on the left, 2^nd Platoon caught up 1^st with about 5 men the remainder being hit by M.G. fire, the Lewis Gun also entered enemy trench with R.W. Kent Regt and was captured. 3^rd Platoon suffered heavily & were stopped by fire, 4^th seeing things hopeless & losing heavily also stopped, the Company Commander being wounded.

“A” Coy (Left Rear) Coy

Followed “C” Coy over the top but went more to the right. 1^st Platoon got up to German wire but had to stop owing to its not being sufficiently cut & suffered heavily, 2^nd & 3^rd Platoons followed & suffered from M.G. & rifle fire. The Company Commander is still missing. 4^th Platoon owing to the trench being blocked did not arrive till late & were ordered not to advance.

D Coy (Right Rear) Coy.

Seeing the hopelessness of further attack, this company was stopped advancing but in consequence of orders received at 4.30 am stating “Suffolk’s on our right have got in AAA endeavour to push on and support them” they were launched about 4.35 am supported by the “Buffs”, but they immediately came under by M.G. fire & did not get far. All the officers were killed or wounded.

The attack failed for the following reasons :-

The enemy M.G. whose fire completely swept the ground.

The enemy wire was insufficiently cut.

The short time to arrange the attack & not knowing the ground or being able to see the enemy trenches from our parapet, consequent loss of direction.

The enemy trenches were thick with Germans, so the bombardment cannot have been very successful.

Casualties

KILLED

Lt C.W.Fitch

2/Lt C.S.Hall.

WOUNDED

Captain C.H.R.Butler.

Lieut R.E.Johnson.

2/Lt T.L.Ormerod.

2/Lt F.W.Elliot.

MISSING

Captain E.Wright (Killed).

Captain R.B.Rutherford. (Killed).

Lieut M.G.L.Wallich.

2/Lt A.D.W.Ward. (since rejoined).

Total 10 out of 18

N.C.O’s and men

23 Killed 154 Wounded

117 Missing

Total 294.

During the morning after the attack the enemy shelled the front line & support trenches with H.E. & shrapnel. The Battalion was relieved by 7^th East Surrey Regt & went back to DONNET POST & RIBBLE ST. Relief complete at 4 pm.

7^th Battalion – Page Missing

8^th Battalion – 3^rd – 7^th July The Bn remained at LOCRE and provided working parties of 450 each evening.

10^th Battalion – Trenches

11^th Battalion – LE BIZET.

10 pm The Battalion relieved 10^th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment in the front line trenches. No alterations in previous dispositions.

5 pm A reinforcement from the 8^th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers arrived and were taken on the strength of the battalion.This draft consisted of 58 men.