Читать книгу The War History of the 1st/ 4th Battalion, 1914-1918 - Anonymous - Страница 7

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The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment has a peculiar history, being descended from the old 47th, the Lanarkshire[A] Regiment, and the 81st, the Loyal Lincoln Volunteers.

In 1881, when these two Regiments were at their Depot at Preston, it was found convenient to amalgamate them, and they became the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the North Lancashire Regiment. The Lincolnshire men were not pleased at having to drop the epithet “Loyal” (conferred on them[B] in memory of an occasion during the Peninsular War when, on volunteers being told to step one pace forward, the entire Battalion moved forward one pace), and they placed their views before the War Office, with the result that the new formation was allowed to retain the epithet, and it became the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. This little outline of its history explains why the 1st Battalion’s March-past is “My love is like a red, red rose,” generally known as the “Red Rose,” and the 2nd Battalion’s “The Lincolnshire Poacher.”

A Volunteer Rifle Corps was formed in Preston in 1859 as a consequence of the talked-of possibilities of a French invasion. This Corps continued in existence as a Volunteer Corps until the territorialisation of Regiments about the year 1878, when it became a Volunteer Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment; later, on the formation of the Territorial Force it became the 4th (T.) Battalion of the same Regiment.

This Territorial Battalion succeeded to the traditions of the amalgamated units, and strove as best it might to emulate its Regular Battalions, but the Territorial scheme did not produce the full complement of officers and men, and it should be realised that those who served in it prior to the war did so in the face of a certain amount of ridicule, gave up nearly the whole of their spare time to camps and drills, and in most cases were seriously out of pocket over the whole business.

With the exception of a Company which was sent to South Africa to reinforce the Regular Battalion, the unit had not seen active service prior to August, 1914, but those who then belonged to it were keen, and had, in the face of discouragements, done their level best to master their job.

The beginning of August, 1914, found the Battalion, under strength in officers and men, in camp at Kirkby Lonsdale. When war was declared on the 4th of August, and the Territorial Force was embodied, the 4th were hurriedly recalled, and took up their quarters in the Public Hall, Preston. Within two or three days they had recruited to strength in all ranks, and had volunteered, practically to a man, for service abroad. Photographs of the original roll signed on that occasion will be found immediately preceding Chapter I.

That first fortnight in the Public Hall will never be forgotten by any of those who went through it. The Companies lived, ate, and slept on the floor, or on the benches in the gallery; the officers slept on the floor of one of the crush-rooms, and the whole business was a bit of a nightmare, but we were firmly under the impression at that time that any day might bring orders to go abroad, and we were kept fully equipped and issued with ammunition according to the mobilisation scale then in force.

On the 8th August, the Battalion paraded in the Market Square, Preston, and the colours were handed over to the Mayor for safe custody, no one at that time foreseeing that they would remain there for just on five years. A photograph of the colours appears as a frontispiece to this book: in the fulness of time, no doubt, the battle honours earned by the Battalion in the Great War will be embroidered upon them.

On the 22nd August, we moved down to Swindon, where the Battalion remained for nearly three months, billeted in schools, training, and generally improving discipline, but it was very difficult to get much real work done, as detachments were sent off to guard the main line of the Great Western Railway. These detachments, on the whole, had a pretty good time, as they were stationed at various places along the Thames Valley and the local people took a great interest in them, and were most hospitable. They learnt a good deal, especially in getting used to night sentry work, but no one was sorry when in November they were recalled and the Battalion moved as a whole to Sevenoaks.

Here we were allotted good training grounds and serious training was possible. Though the nature of the billets, mostly empty houses, threw us much on our own resources, it had the advantage that we began to learn to make ourselves comfortable under any circumstances.

We spent Christmas here, and had a very elaborate Christmas dinner, followed by a really good concert, in a large marquee provided by the generosity of one of the inhabitants. We found many hospitable folk at Sevenoaks, and made many friends.

The two King’s Own Battalions and the 5th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment were also billeted at the same place, and there was a good deal of unavoidable overcrowding. Up to this time we had been the only 4th Battalion, but in November, 1914, an order was issued that 2nd Line Territorial Battalions should be formed, for Home Service only, to find drafts for the 1st Line Battalions, and we took the title 1/4th, to distinguish ourselves from the 2/4th, then in process of formation at Blackpool. The latter was later on—early in 1916—sent overseas, and served in France and Belgium in the 57th Division.

About February, 1915, the 1/4th, which had previously been worked on the eight-company organisation, with a Captain, two Subalterns, and a Colour-Sergeant to each Company, was reorganised in accordance with a War Office Order on the four company system. This system had been in operation in the Regular Army for some time prior to the war; why it had not previously been applied to the Territorial Force we never knew, and only surmised that it had been on its trial until the change was actually made.

February, 1915, will always be regarded as the turning point in our history. Major Hindle, then Junior Major, was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel and given command of the unit. A severe process of weeding out started, coupled with vigorous inoculation and vaccination, and we commenced to train in accordance with the new War Office syllabus of training. We trained very hard, but everybody was becoming restive. It is not too much to say that we had daily been expecting to be sent abroad ever since the previous August, and by this time we were beginning to think that we should never go. In consequence there was much muttering, which was not allayed when we saw the 1/5th Loyal North Lancashires hand in their blankets one morning, and parade for France.

In March, 1915, we were suddenly moved to Oxted, where we were billeted in empty houses. There we began to dig, and completed, to the satisfaction of those who were in charge, a section of the London Defences running over the Downs. This was excellent experience, as there was every kind of soil to be contended with—clay, chalk, sand, and a sort of conglomerate, composed of what seemed to be melted flints, which blunted any pick in about five minutes. Here we first came into contact with elements of Kitchener’s Army, which were engaged on similar work.

In April, 1915, it was suddenly made known that at last we really were going to France, and we were moved to Bedford, where we joined the 51st Highland Division. The ten days at Bedford were spent in completely re-equipping the Battalion and transport, and in bayonet fighting and route marching, our last route march before crossing to France being one of 18 miles in full pack.

The Lancashire men and the Highlanders fought like anything when they first met, and a keen rivalry sprang up between them, which only became friendly when one evening a fight took place between one of our fellows and one of the Highlanders. It was reported amongst us that our man had won. Probably a similar report was current amongst the Highlanders with regard to their champion! Whatever the truth was, from that day we settled down together and became the best of friends.

It has been impossible to devote very much space to these early days in England. Everyone was as keen as mustard, and we had the advantage of having, besides our Regular Adjutant Captain Norman (Royal Welsh Fusiliers), and Sergeant-Major Farnworth (of the 1st Battalion), a number of senior Officers who had made soldiering their hobby for years and passed the examinations necessary to attain their rank. The Warrant Officers and many of the Non-Commissioned Officers were also thoroughly trained. The disadvantages under which we laboured were that, being a Territorial unit, our equipment had not been up to date, and we were not, at first at any rate, taken in hand and pushed on as the newly-formed Kitchener’s Army were; but there is no doubt that at Bedford, when at last we were under orders for overseas, we held our heads high, and in all the glory of a new issue of equipment and clothes were on the whole a pretty smart and likely looking lot. It is most unfortunate that the only photographs taken of Companies at Bedford are not now available, the films having been destroyed by fire. Two Officers and a number of men had been left at Oxted, and one can never forget the pitiful disappointment shown on their faces as we marched away, leaving them behind. Some of them afterwards came to us as reinforcements.

Elliott & Fry.

OFFICERS GROUP.

Bedford, 1915.