THE FIGHTING TERRITORIALS |V2''.''3"°6'4^" LONDON u (ROYAL FUSILIERS) CAST IRON SIXTH raONDON (POPLAR fi-STEPNEY) LONDON IRISH(I8^- LONDON) 19^" LONDON (S-PANCRAS) 2O'"L0ND0N{BLACKHEATH6'W0OLWICH) FIRST SURREY Rl F LES (2 r LONDON) QUEENS (22^°LONDONl fQUEEN'$(24^'^LONDOI»^ ARTISTS'(2B^aONDON) [NNS OFCOmHOTC i/NET^ — — THE FIGHTING TERRITORIALS Vol. I. By PERCY HURD This volume records the gallant doings in Flanders of the following Regiments : H.A.C. Kensingtons L.R.B. London Scottish Shiny Seventh Civil Service Rifles P.O. Rifles ' Queen's Westminsters Queen Victoria's Old Loyals Rangers &c. " ' I commend The Fighting Territorials ' to eJl those who like tales of stirring deeds. It certainly ought to be in the hands of every recruit joining the London battalions. I have read it from the first to the last page with keen interest and many a thrill." Editor, 71ie Resriment. " Publtshed at the Offices of Country Lifer Ltd., 20, Tavistock St., Covent Garden, W.C. 7/- net, post free 1/4 Presented to the LIBRARY o/r/ie UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO IN IIEMORY OF MAY V. LABRIE Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/fightingterritor02hurduoft THE FIGHTING TERRITORIALS-II COUNTRY Uffi r? THE FIGHTING TERRITORIALS BT PERCY KURD VOL. II LONDON: PUBLISHED AT THE OFFICES OF "COUNTRY LIFE," 20, TAVISTOCK STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C, AND BY GEORGE NEWNES, LTD., 8-11. SOUTHAMPTON STREET, STRAND, W.C. SONS NEW YORK : CHARLES SCRIBNER'S FEB 1 6 1994 l^SiTY Of lOt^ CONTENTS PA0B8 Introduction 7 1ST London (Royal Fusiliers) . 11, 117 2ND „ „ „ .... 19. 118 3RD „ „ „ .... 28, 119 4TH „ „ „ .... 38, 120 Cast Iron Sixth 45, 121 17TH London (Poplar and Stepney) . 52, 122, 136 London Irish (i8th London) . 60, 123, 136 19TH London (St. Pancras). 71, 124, 136 20TH London (Blackheath and Woolwich) 80, 125, 136 The First Surrey Rifles (21ST London) . 90, 126 Queen's (22ND London) 98, 128 Queen's (24TH London) ..... loi, 129 Artists (28th London) 108, 131 Inns of Court O.T.C 114 War Distinctions 117 Appendix—London Territorials in 'the Battle of Loos 134 NOTE As this book was passing through the press a first official record of the fighting of the London Territorial regiments round Loos in September 1915 was published (May 20, 1916). This record appears in the Appendix on page 134. THE FIGHTING TERRITORIALS VOL. II INTRODUCTION The Battle of Loos has been declared on competent authority to be '* by far the greatest battle ever fought in ' British history. ' It lacked some of the dramatic features of earlier engagements, such as the second battle of Ypres, and it failed of its full purpose by reason of the late arrival of reserves from the New Army, the 24th and 21st Divisions. But no one, least of all the enemy, questions the conspicuous dash and valour of the 150,000 infantry engaged, and it is our especial pride in the following narrative to record the part taken by the London Terri- torials. The 47th (London) Division was on the right of the gallant 15th Division, while the ist Division was on its left, the three divisions forming the 4th Corps to which the main attack was allotted. By all accounts, official and journalistic, the 47th Division even added to the renown which the London Territorials won in earlier phases of the present war. Had adequate support been forthcoming to take over their winnings, there would probably not be a German soldier in Loos or Lille to-day, and the end of the German possession of Northern France and Belgium would have been brought within reasonable distance. As it is, we have the satisfaction of knowing that London Territorial troops took their full share in sweeping through the lines and taking guns and prisoners from the army which had been the conquerors of three 8 Introduction great wars, the army of the hitherto invincible Prussian war machine. In an earher volume were recorded the doings of eleven London Territorial units; the H.A.C., the London Rifle Brigade, the ''Shiny Seventh," the P.O. Rifles, Queen Victoria's Rifles, Rangers, Kensingtons, London Scottish, Civil Service Rifles, Queen's Westminsters, and "Old Loyals." The tale of the London Regiment is continued in the present volume, covering the salient doings of the other London Territorial regiments. The narrative includes many stirring incidents of war in addition to the Battle of Loos. There is, for instance, the charge of the 3rd Londons at Neuve Chapelle. We see how, leaping over the slain strewn about the fields, they made a great bayonet charge, being cheered as the}' went by the Regular troops who witnessed their gallantry. The Germans fell before them, and as evening closed in they dug themselves in on the new lines they had won. *' As time goes on," said Sir John French of the Territorials after the fight, " I am still further impressed with their value; Several battaUons were engaged in the most critical moments of the heavy fighting, and they acquitted themselves with the utmost credit." In the hard fighting at Ypres the 4th Londons—most of them Hoxton men—were prominent in support of the 2nd Army, which was being sorely pressed. After a forced march of a score of miles they entrenched them- selves during the night, and the following day, under a heavy bombardment, at close range, carried out their attack as if on parade. On these and other occasions the London Territorials proved themselves as brave as they are capable, and in the less dramatic but not less essential work of keeping the line of trenches they have shown that they are the equals of the men of the Regular Army—and what higher praise than that could any troops desire ? "I — Introduction 9 would," said a General Officer of wide experience, " ask them to go anywhere and trust them to get there." Yet only a few months ago these young men were the clerks and warehousemen of London Town. With a pubHc spirit which has yet to receive its full record of recognition, many of them had for years devoted leisure hours to such military tasks as the Territorial force was permitted to undertake. But for their devotion to this pubUc duty the fate of England would have been grave indeed in the days which succeeded the retreat from Mons and preceded the creation of the New Army. They filled the gap and held the line. They were the men who before the war wore their black coats and white collars, and divided their lives between quiet suburban homes and offices and shops of the Metropolis, without a thought that all this was but a prelude to participation in the world's direst melodrama of blood and death. Very many of them, as Mr. Philip Gibbs has said in his war correspondence from the Flanders front •' pushed through the swing-doors into Government offices and did a few hours of leisurely and futile work about elementary schools and Board of Trade returns and had games of dominoes on tea-shop tables and discussed books and plays and the ideals of human progress and the suffragette problem and the Territorial system, till suddenly everything broke and England called upon her men of fighting age, and there happened—this ! '"Do you think fellows of your kind—men who have done clerical work—can stick it out as well as mechanics and agricultural labourers and men of outdoor hfe not requiring much head work.' " ' It looks hke it,' said one of them simply. ' The Londoners did all right at Loos. On the whole our nerves are steady enough under bombardment, though we don't like it any better than other people. Pride helps—London Pride." There are many well-to-do men in the ranks. The other day, Mr. Gibbs narrates, a private soldier, acting as orderly, waited upon an officer who had been his solicitor and had been glad to get his business. In some of the 10 Introduction battalions university men march shoulder to shoulder with actors, music-hall singers, commercial travellers, and shop assistants. All the types of London life are here in the ranks, and it is " London pride " that makes them good fighting men, quick to learn, and cool in action. The task of a recorder of regimental doings while the war is still in progress becomes increasingly difficult by reason of necessary military restrictions and the large scope of the operations of modern conflict. Nothing in the way of war history can be attempted now. But what could be gathered from the headquarters of each unit and from actual combatants is here set down in a spirit of sincere admiration and a renewed faith in the high qualities of the London man. The writer's personal association with two Territorial units prompted this effort, and added to its pleasure. Again cordial thanks are tendered to many enthu- siastic friends and members of the London Territorial Force, and also to Mr. A. B. Tucker for his aid in the arduous task of gathering authentic information from so many widely scattered sources. Percy Hurd. May 191 6. THE 1ST LONDON (ROYAL FUSILIERS) Three hundred years ago and more. Through our old London's spreading din Came Bugler Duty, dressed for war. And blew a citizen's " Fall in." The workman laid his tools aside. And rolled his crumpled shirt-sleeves down, *' I'll do my httle share," he cried, "To guard the King and keep the town." And thus they made a Fusilier Of horny-handed Dick and Ben, And ever since that ancient year We've 'Usted London's working men.