The Story of the 9th Kings in France | Page 7

the grey light of the morning on the 25th September the British guns
opened with a furious fire after many days of artillery preparation. The
great battle had begun. For some time, and according to orders, the
Battalion remained in its position. It was not to advance before 8-0 a.m.
At this time the men left the assembly trench to move over the open to
the front line. The enemy machine gunners had the range, and several
were wounded almost on leaving the trench. The advance was made by
sectional rushes, each section seeking what cover there was. Those who
were wounded while actually advancing in many cases received slight
wounds, but those that were hit while lying down were generally killed,
as the bullets struck them in the head or traversed the vital organs for
the length of the body. It required a courageous heart to advance seeing
one's comrades thus desperately wounded or lying dead. The shell fire
was not heavy, and few casualties were attributable to it.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ramsay led the attack in person, and he was easily
recognisable by the wand which he carried. One of the Battalion
machine guns was pushed forward about 2-0 p.m. and under the
covering fire it afforded the advance was continued. The advance had
been slow and losses were severe, but at 3-30 p.m. the men had
succeeded in establishing themselves in one line about a hundred yards
from the German trenches. A few minutes afterwards the Germans
surrendered, and between three and four hundred prisoners were taken.

They chiefly belonged to the 59th and 157th Infantry Regiments. A
harvest of souvenirs was reaped by the men, many of whom secured the
then coveted Pickelhaube helmet. The prisoners were sent to the rear,
and the Battalion continued the advance and ultimately established a
line on the Lens-Hulluch Road. It is to be observed that the Battalion
was the only one that got its field kitchens up to the village of Loos on
the first day of the battle. At 4-0 a.m. next morning the Battalion was
withdrawn to the old British line. Later in the day it moved forward to
the old German trench system as reserve in the continued operations,
sustaining several gas and shell casualties. On the 28th September the
Battalion moved back to Mazingarbe, as the men thought, for a rest.
They were soon disappointed. At 7 p.m. on the same day orders were
received to take up a position at the Slag Heap or Fosse at Loos, known
as London Bridge. At 9-0 p.m. the Battalion left its billets in a deluge
of rain and marched back to the line in splendid spirits in spite of the
fatigue resulting from the recent fighting. It was relieved from the
trenches on the 30th September, and after one night spent in the ruined
houses of Loos went to Noeux-les-Mines for a few days to re-organise
and re-equip.
On the 7th October the Battalion returned to the front line which was
alongside the Lens-Hulluch Road to the north of Loos. The trench had
evidently once been the ditch on the side of the road. It was very
shallow, and it was decided to deepen it the next night as the men were
too tired after their long march. This was a good resolution, but it was
not carried out. The enemy commenced next morning about half-past
ten with heavy shell fire. In the afternoon it became intense and an
attack seemed imminent. There was no shelter in the shallow trench, as
there had not been sufficient time to make any dugouts. The men could
do nothing but wait. Minutes seemed hours. The shelling appeared
endless. So terrific was the enemy fire that it was doubted by the
artillery observers in rear whether any of the front line garrison was left
alive. All who might be lucky enough to escape physical destruction
would at any rate be morally broken. The Germans who had
concentrated in the Bois Hugo attacked about 4-30 p.m. They were
repulsed by rifle and machine gun fire, and it is gratifying to know that
two of the Battalion machine guns caught the enemy in enfilade and

executed great havoc. So exhausted were the men that the Battalion
was relieved that night and taken to the neighbourhood of Le Rutoire
Farm.
Acquitting themselves with a noble fortitude, the stretcher
bearers--whose task was, perhaps, the worst of all--remained and toiled
all night in evacuating the trenches of the wounded. To stretcher
bearers fall the most trying duties in war, but in accounts of battles little
mention is made of their efforts. While the fight is on they share all the
dangers of the private soldier, and often they have to remain when the
others are relieved to finish their duty.