ANDREW THORNTON
ANDREW THORNTON
Staffordshire's Territorials and the Assault on the Hohenzollern Redoubt 13th October 1915
137 Brigade Operation Orders
OPERATION ORDERS No.21.
By
Brigadier-General E. Feetham, C.B., Commanding
137th Infantry Brigade
N.B. - NO ORDERS OR SKETCHES WHICH WOULD BE USEFUL TO THE ENEMY ARE TO BE TAKEN BEYOND BATTALION HEADQUARTERS.
Reference Map 1/40,000 (Combined Sheet) BETHUNE.
11-10-15
1. The Brigade will assemble in the trenches to-morrow.
2. The Brigaded Machine Guns under Capt CADDICK-ADAMS, 1/5th North Staffs Regt will march from from road junction K.5.a.79 VERQUIN at 10 a.m. via LA BOURSE AND SAILLY LA BOURSE to VERMELLES and will arrive at the entrance to GORDON ALLEY at 2.30 p.m. They will then proceed to their positions of Assembly.
Order of March:- 1/5th South Staffs Regt.
1/6th South Staffs Regt.
1/5th North Staffs Regt.
1/6th North Staffs Regt.
The empty limbered wagons will return at once to their transport lines after loading at VERMELLES.
Machine gun sections will draw their rations for the 13th and issue to the men as in para 5.
3. The 1/5th South Staffs Regt will march at such time as to be East and clear of the Cross Roads at SAILLY LA BOURSE at 3.30 p.m. This Battalion will draw rations as detailed in para 5, and halt for teas about L.4.c.90.
4. The Brigade (less 1/5th South Staffs Regt) with units attached, will march at 3.45 p.m. in the following order:-
Headquarters
1/6th South Staffs Regt.
100 Bombers 139th Brigade
1/2nd Field Coy R.E.
1/5th North Staffs Regt.
1/6th North Staffs Regt.
(Separate instructions will be issued to the O.C. 2 Section Divisional Cyclist Company).
Cookers will march with their Battalions.
Other first line transport will be marshalled in above order of march. That of the 1/5th North Staffs Regt. will not move on the road in front of the 1/6th North Staffs Regt. and that of the 1/6th South Staffs Regt. will remain north of VERQUIN until the 1/6th North Staffs Regt. reaches the Starting Point.
Starting Point - Road Junction S End of VERQUIN K.5a.69.
Dress Field Service Marching Order without packs. Each man will carry three sandbags and 200 rounds of ammunition. - N.C.O's and men of bombing parties 100 rounds of ammunition.
Battalions will halt to draw and issue rations and to have teas at about L.4.c.90.
5. Rations for the 13th
Rations for the 13th October will be drawn from the Supply Dump on the road side at L.4.c.9.0 and will be issued to the men. An extra ration of bacon will be issued to Units to-day and will be cooked and issued to the men to-morrow to provide supper on the night of Wednesday 13th October.
Rations for the 14th will be issued to Quartermasters or representatives at 6 a.m. on 13th inst, on track between G.8.a.87. and G.2.d. central. 1 carrying party of 1 Officer and 60 men from 139th Brigade per Battalion will be provided and 1 N.C.O. and 12 for 1/2nd Field Coy. R.E.
The 2 sections Cyclists will draw their own rations. Units will detail sufficient guides to conduct carrying parties to the Regimental Ration Dump to be selected in the trenches. Guides to be in place of issue at 6 a.m.
Both GORDONS ALLEY and BARTS ALLEY will be used for ration parties coming up. These rations will at once be issued to the men and carried in the advance.
WATER Men must be induced to use the water from the petrol tins keeping their water bottles filled for the advance. All empty petrol tins will be carried down by the ration carrying parties of the 139th Brigade.
Carrying parties to be west of Railway by 11.30 a.m. on 13th inst.
6. Battalions will pass the cross roads at L.18.c.10.7 at the following hours:-
1/5th South Staffs Regt. 5.30 p.m.
1/6th South Staffs Regt. ) 6.30 p.m.
100 Bombers 139th Bde. )
1/2nd Field Coy. R.E. )
1/5th North Staffs Regt. 7.30 p.m.
1/6th North Staffs Regt. 8.30 p.m.
and will proceed up BARTS ALLEY to their positions of Assembly. Guides, one per Company, will meet the Battalions at the Brewery.
7. Each Battalion will draw the following stores from the Divisional R.E. Dump at the Brewery VERMELLES as they pass through.
BOMBS - Each bomber of each bombing party - 10 MILLS Bombs
Each Carrier - 15 ? ?
Total 285 MILLS Bombs per carrying party.
The Bombers of the 139th Brigade will carry up 15 bombs.
WATER - Petrol Tins
Vermorel Sprayers and Syringes
Battalions will also carry with them:-
Sprayer Solution 16 tins )
Bombing Flags ) ) issued to-day
Very Lights ) )
8. The men will be cautioned that they must not show themselves or move about in the morning of the 13th as it is most important to keep the assembly of troops secret.
9. All 1st Line Transport will return to transport lines after the march. Baggage wagons will be loaded up and sent to the train with two men per battalion in charge. Blankets and packs will be stored at the Transport Lines.
10. An advance party of 1 Officer and 10 men per Battalion will report to a Divisional Staff Officer at the R.E. Park, the BREWERY, VERMELLES G.8a.21. at 3 p.m. to-morrow the 12th inst., in order that arrangements may be made for the quick issue of sprayers, grenades, carriers and petrol tins.
11. 2 S.A.A. wagons only per Battalion will accompany Battalions. They must be unloaded at Brigade Headquarters at G.3.c.5.3, thus forming a Brigade Ammunition Reserve.
12. Brigade Headquarters will be on west of railway line about G.3.c.5.3.
11-10-15 (Signed) R. ABADIE Major.
Brigade Major,
137th Infantry Bde.
Issued at 4 p.m. by D.R.
OPERATION ORDERS No.22.
By
Brigadier-General E. Feetham, C.B., Commanding
137th Infantry Brigade
11-10-15.
1. These orders are issued with reference to 46th Division Operation Order No. 20, 6 copies of which have been issued to each Battalion.
Map references are the same.
2. Paras.1, 2, 3, and 4 (i) require no amplification.
As regards 4 (ii) the Brigade will advance without checking on to the second objective: it will only cease its advance at the first objective if it is found impossible to reach the second. The advance will be in four lines:-
The 1/5 and 1/6 South Staffs. Regt. with their left directed on the centre of the DUMP will assault the right portion of the objective allotted to the Brigade; the 1/5 and 1/6 North Staffs. Regt. with their right directed on the centre of the DUMP will assault the left portion of the objective allotted to the Brigade.
The two companies of the 1/5 North Staffs. Regt. detailed for the first line will advance at 2.5 p.m. having previously, under cover of the bombardment, left their trench and passed through the remains of the wire in front of them; the two Companies of the 1/5 South Staffs. Regt. detailed for the first line will similarly get through the wire in front of their trench and advance through the wire in front of their trench and advance in line with the two companies of the 1/5 North Staffs. Regt. as they come level with them; the two Companies of the 1/5 South and 1/5 North Staffs. Regt. detailed for the second line will advance 50 paces in the rear of the first line.
The following bombing parties will follow the second line and will bomb trenches as follows, care being taken that any enemy secreted in dug-outs are bombed:-
I. 1/6 South Staffs. Regt. - SLAG ALLEY.
II. 1/6 South Staffs. Regt. - DUMP TRENCH from 5.A.6.O. in a
north-westerly direction.
III. 1/5 South Staffs. Regt. - FOSSE ALLEY to the south-east from G.5.c.39.
IV. 1/5 South Staffs. Regt. - Trench running to 3 CABARETS from G.5.c.39.
V. 1/6 North Staffs. Regt. - BIG WILLIE starting 2 p.m.
VI. 1/6 North Staffs. Regt. - Trench running north from 5.A.6.O.
VII. 1/5 North Staffs. Regt. - Dug-outs, if any, on the DUMP.
VIII. 1/5 North Staffs. Regt. - Trench running from G.5.a.53 to the PENTAGON.
Nos. VI and VIII Bombing parties will then bomb up trench running from PENTAGON to CORON DE PEKIN.
The two Companies of the 1/6 South and 1/6 North Staffs. Regt. detailed for the third line will follow the second line at 200 paces distance, and will carry up shovels, picks, and sandbags; the shovels, picks and sandbags are being arranged in loads, and must be drawn from the Brigade R.E. Dump early on the morning of the 13th; loose shovels and picks are also being placed in the Assembly trenches of the Brigade, and will send up parties with wire, pickets, and sandbags for the consolidation of the line forming the objective of the Brigade. All Officers must take compass bearings of the line of their advance in case the DUMP should be obscured by smoke at the moment of their advance.
3. Reference para 6, the allotment of communication trenches comes into force after the relief is complete on the night 12th/13th.
4. Reference para. C and Appendix "C", the Brigade R.E. Trench Dump is about G.10.b.49 not G.10.b.89; additional wire-cutters can be drawn there.
5. Reference Appendix "B", para 1, Officers Commanding Battalions will arrange for orders to light up the smoke arrangements to be conveyed to the men of the Guards in charge of them by their own Battalion Officers; the smoke will not be made if the wind is unfavourable.
Reference para. 2 of Appendix "B", the Officers of the 139th Brigade in charge of the 139th Brigade Bombers will arrange for parties of bombers to carry up the fumite and lachrymatory grenades, if they are received, behind the third line, and for them to be thrown as necessary during the consolidation. Two 4" Mortars will also be available for this purpose, the personnel being found by R.A.
6. All S.A.A. boxes in the Assembly trenches must be placed in conspicuous positions near, but not actually in the communications trenches.
7. The 6th Bn. Sherwood Foresters will come under the command of the G.O.C. 137th Brigade at 12 noon on the 13th inst. The Battalion will be located in the following trenches:-
1) Trench from JUNCTION KEEP to CENTRAL KEEP exclusive.
2) The trench from G.9.b.82 to G.9.b.79.
3) The trench from G.10.a.79. to G.4.c.23.
The O.C. No. 2 Section 46th Divisional Signal Coy. will arrange for telephonic communication with headquarters, 137th Infantry Brigade.
8. One section of 1/2nd Field Coy. R.E. will follow the third line of the Right Attack, and one section the third line of the Left Attack. Their first duty will be to block trenches leading to the enemy after they have been cleared by the bombers, and secondly, to assist in the consolidation of the position by wiring.
9. The Brigade Machine Gun Officer will arrange to send up eight machine guns to cover the consolidation of the line forming the objective; they will follow the third line and take advantage of the enemy's trenches where necessary and possible; the remaining eight guns will remain with fourth line, until required elsewhere.
10. The position of Brigade Headquarters will be at G.3.c.5.3. and Officers commanding Battalions will make every endeavour to get reports sent back by telephone or runners, who should be lightly equipped; the extreme importance of timing messages must not be forgotten.
R. ABADIE, Major
Brigade Major,
137th Infantry Bde.
OPERATION ORDER No. 23
By
Brigadier-General E. Feetham, C.B., Commanding
137th Infantry Brigade.
1. With reference to para. 2 Operation Order No. 22, the advance of the first line of the Brigade will be postponed 5 minutes, the two companies of the 1/5th North Staffs. Regt. will advance at 2.5 p.m. and the two companies of the 1/5th South Staffs. Regt. will advance as the two companies of the 1/5th North Staffs. Regt, come level with them.
The postponement does not apply to the Brigades on the right and left or to the 5th Bombing Party.
The objective of the 5th Bombing Party will be the trench running from G.5.c.1.10. to G.4.b.6.0. starting at 2 p.m.; they will then work up SOUTH FACE and must take up their position on the left of the two advanced companies of the 1/5th South Staffs. Regt. to-night; a bombing party of the 138th Brigade has also been detailed to work up the SOUTH FACE. The undermentioned bombing party will also be formed.
1/6th South Staffs. Regt. to work up and block a new enemy trench running from G.5.b.5.8 towards A.30.c.7.8.
Bombing Parties, 5 spare carriers with each party, will carry three shovels and two picks.
12-10-15.
R. ABADIE, Major .
Brigade Major, 137th Infantry Brigade.
Issued at 9 a.m. by D.R.
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January, 2000.
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