54-0 -O) -O) "CD CNJ "to m Presented to the UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY by the ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY 1980 I THE FIFTH DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Toronto http://www.archive.org/details/fifthdivisioningOOhuss Keesey, R.E. Xmas 1917. By Capt. THE FIFTH DIVISION IN THE ^i GREAT WAR BRIGADIER-GENERAL A. H. HUSSEY C.B., C.M.G. AND MAJOR D. S. INMAN WITH A FOREWORD BY FIELD.MARSHAL 4798 EARL HAIG OF BEMERSYDE K.T., G.G.B., K.C.I.E., G.C.V.O., C.B. Xon^on NISBET B GO. LTa_ «e=^:^^ 22 BERNERS STREET, W.I^C*-^^^ ^^"'^^^'^^ 'f^' .4- r-4 r% L1DRAR7 JAM First Published in igzi D TO THE MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN COMRADES PREFACE AT the Annual Dinner of the 5th Division held in London on 26th June 1920 the idea was mooted that the history of the Division should be written. Brigadier-General Hussey and Major Inman were asked if they would undertake the work. They have done so, with much diffidence—with what success must be left to the judgment of the reader. The Authors wish to apologise for any short- comings, mistakes, or omissions which may have occurred. The War Diaries for the first few months of the War are necessarily very meagre, and they have had to rely upon private diaries and accounts kindly lent by Officers, and books already published, for their information. As the War went on, the Official Diaries became much fuller, and the Authors have also drawn largely from their own personal recollections. They wish to express their thanks to Field-Marshal Earl Haig for having so kindly written a Foreword, to Major-General Romer for his help in the first two chapters, to Major-General Lord E. Gleichen for per- mission to make use of his book, to the Royal Air Force for permission to reproduce photographs taken by them, to Captain Keesey for the frontispiece, to Mrs, Edmond for the photograph of the Staf!, to the publishers, Messrs. Nisbet & Co., for the help they have given and the interest they have taken in the book, and viii PREFACE lastly to the many Officers who subscribed towards the expenses of publication. In conclusion, they wish to say what a pleasure it has been to them to have written the record of a Division, which not only has won such imperishable fame, but was also a very happy home to them during the greater part of the Great War. A. H. H. D. S. I. London, March 1921. FOREWORD FOR those who served in the 5th Division during the Great War this Foreword to their divisional history is not intended as an introduction, for they need none, but as a well-earned tribute paid to a very fine and gallant record. Those who did not serve in the Division will find in this book a full and varied account, covering the whole period from August 1914 to the suspension of hostilities in November 1918, and embracing almost all the greater episodes of the War on the British front in the West. The Division had its full share in the fighting during the opening months of the War, at Mons, Le Cateau, at the crossing of the Marne and the Aisne, and in the first battles in Flanders. The last battle of the War found it in the forefront of our advance, pressing on in pursuit of the retreating enemy East of the Sambre. In the interval between that early fighting and the final victory many a fine exploit had been set to the credit of the Division. In the Somme battle of 1916, the skilful and successful fighting about Falfemont Farm and Leuze Wood vies with the capture of Morval in its claim on our attention. In the Arras battle, 1917, the 13th Brigade of the 5th Division took part with the Canadians in the storming of the Vimy Ridge, and well upheld the honour of the Old. Country by the share it took in a brilliant Canadian achievement. X FOREWORD Later in the same year the Division once more found itself in the old Ypres battlefield. It had heavy fighting there, and was pulled out of the line early in November, only to be hurried ofi to Italy. It returned to France in April 1918 just in time to be sent straight into the Lys battle where, East of the Forest of Nieppe, it helped to stop definitely and permanently the German advance in that direction. Finally, when our turn came to attack again, the 5th Division fought right through the August battle of Bapaume, and was engaged with equal success in all our subsequent advance—until the Armistice. This brief summary of a splendid tale of achieve- ment gives but an inadequate idea of the courage and devotion displayed through four and a half years of war. A more detailed account will be found in the pages of this book ; but the full story can only be understood by those who know from their own experience what it was our troops were called upon to do, and the spirit in which they accomplished their task. It is with that knowledge, and in the sense of gratitude which springs from it, that I have written this Foreword. l^jjSA\)J^^^H^ - \m December 1920. — CONTENTS I. MoNs Le Catbau and the Retreat 1 II. The Aisne and La Bass^e Front 22 TTI. November 1914 to March 1915 44 '« IV. Hill 60," Ypres . 59 V. The Bray Front and Arras 82 VI. The Somme— 1916 107 VII. The B^thune Front . 135 VIII. ViMY Ridge . 151 IX. Third Battle op Ypres 174 X. Italy . 191 XI. ForAt de Nieppe 208 XII. Final Operations 229 Conclusion 259 Appendix I. Order of Battle 262 „ II. Composition of Staff 266 Indkx .... 269 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Christmas, 1917 . Frontispiece FACINO PAOB The Staff of the 5th Division, August 1914 . 16 Lieut. -Gen. Sik Charles Fergusson, Bart., K.C.B, K.C.M.G., etc 32 Lieut. -Gbn. Sir T. L. Morland, K.C.B., D.S.O. 70 Lille Gate, Ypres ..... 78 Maj.-Gen Sir C. T. M'M. Kavanagh, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., etc 90 Hotel de Ville, Arras .... 104 Maj.-Gen. Sir K. B. Stephens, K.C.B., C.M.G. 126 A SoMME Cemetery ..... 134 Oppy Wood ...... 164 POLDERHOEK ChATEAU (BeFORE) 1 182 (After) Polderhoek Chateau j AsiAGo Plateau ..... 194 Bridge on River Piave .... 204 Lord Rawlinson's Chateau .... 220 Attack of 28th June 1918 .... 228 Gouzeaucourt ..... 240 Maj.-Gen. J. Ponsonby, C.B., C.M.G., etc. 254 MAPS NO. FACINO PAOK 1. MONS .... 2 2. Le Gateau 10 3. The Aisne . 26 4. La Bassee Front 34 5. Mbssines Front . 44 6. Ypres .... 58 7. "Hill 60" 60 8. Bray Front, 1915 82 9. Arras Front 96 10. The Somme, 1916 108 11. Falfemont and Morval 118 12. ViMY Front 150 13. La Coulotte 158 14. PiAVE Front 190 15. Bois DE Dieppe . 208 16. Attack op 28th June 1918 224 AT END OF BOOK 1. General Map op Western Front 2. Final Operations . CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS OF THE FIFTH DIVISION 1014 Aug. 16 . Diviwion landed in France. >> 23 . Battle of Mons. 11 24 and 25 . Retreat from Mons. » 26 . Battle of Le Gateau. >> 27 to Sept. 3 Retreat from Le Gateau to Tournan Area. Sept. 5 . Advance commenced. »» 6 to 9 Battle of the Marne. >> 13 to Oct. 2 Battle of the Aisne. Oct. 12 to 30 Fighting on La Bassee Front. Nov. 1 to 29 Messines. Ypres. »> 30 to March 1915 Wulverghem Front. 1915 April 17 . Gapture of Hill 60. » 22 to May 24 Second Battle of Ypres, and Hill 60 Operations May 1X) July . Ypres Front. Aug. to Feb. 1916 Bray Front. 1916 March to July Arras Front. July 19 . Into Line —Battle of the Somme. » 27 . Capture of Longueval by 15th Brigade. » 30 . Attack North of Longueval by 13th Brigade. Aug. 2 to 23 Rest. Belloy-St. Leonard Area. » 26 . Lito Line, Maltz Horn Ridge. Sept. 3 . Attack on Falfemont Farm. » 5 . Gapture of Falfemont Farm and Leuze Wood. » 25 . Gapture of Morval. Oct. to March 1917 Bethune Front. 1917 April 9 Capture of Vimy Ridge. » 23 Operations near La Coulotte. xvi CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS 1917 (continued) May 3 Into Line, Oppy-Fresnoy Front. Operations at Fresnoy. 5» 8 June 28 Capture of German Line, Oppy Wood. Sept. 7 to 29 . Rest. Le Cauroy and Eperlecques Areas. Oct. 1 Into Line, Ypres Front. n 4 Advance along Reutelbeek. First Attack Polderhoek. >» 9 on » 26 Second Attack on Polderhoek. Nov. 6 Third Attack on Polderhoek. » 11 to 24 . Rest. Westoutre and Nielles Areas. Entrained for Italy. »> 27 to Dec. 12 1918 Dec. 1917 to Jan. 1918 Area North of Padua. Jan. to March 18 . In Line on River Piave. March 19 to 26 To Area East of Vicenza. April 1 to 5 . Entrained for France. » 8 to 10 Lucheux Area. » 12 Took up Line East of Foret de Nieppe. j> 12 to 14 . German Advance repulsed. June 28 Capture of Line on the Plate Becque. Aug. 8 To Compagne Area. Frevent j> 13 To Area. » 19 To Ai-ea East of Doullens. of )> 21 Commencement Great Advance. Capture of Achiet-Le Petit. » 23 to 24 . Capture of Irles, and Loupart Wood. » 26 Capture of Beugnatre. n 30 Advance continued to West of Beugny. Sept. 3 Capture of Beugny and advance to East of Velu.