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South Wales
Borderers
REGIMENT’S NOBLE RECORD
CHINA, GALLIPOLI, EGYPT AND
BELGIUM FRONT.
All the world knows of the valuable work done by
the 2nd South Wales Borderers at the taking of Tsing-Tan (China), and
of their splendid sacrifices in Gallipoli. What is not so well known is the part
the battalion afterwards played in France, the necessity of keeping the enemy in
ignorance as much as possible having prevented the public identification of
units till long after any particular event.
Col. J. Young, D.S.O., the present commandant of the 24th
Regimental Area with headquarters at. Brecon. was the senior major of the
battalion in China, and took over the command in Gallipoli when Col, Casson was
made a brigadier-general. His official term of command of the battalion does not
expire until November next, but after leading his men in … for a
considerable part of 1916 the state of his health made it necessary that he
should be transferred to home service, and he handed over -the command to
Acting-Col. Geoffrey Raikes, who had already led the 2nd in one
important engagement whilst his superior officer was on sick leave.
After the evacuation of Gallipoli the 2nd South
Wales Borders spent about two months digging out entrenchment in the Suez Canal.
In April, 1916, they were sent with the rest of the famous 29th Division to
France. They were put in the line opposite Beaumont, Hamel and when the great
battle of the Somme opened at -the beginning of July attacked on the Anere and
they lost very heavily, both in officers and men coming out only about 150
strong. The battalion proved its courage and endurance by heavy losses on
numerous occasions in France and was on several times practically reformed.
After the July offensive the remnants were sent to Ypres to
‘lick their wounds’ and whilst, in August, had their first taste of gas.
Monotony on the Ypres sector was prevented by frequent raids. On October7 the 2nd
went back to the Somme area. Marching up to the trenches from
Fricourt through Bernapy woods at night they had to struggle through an
appalling sea of mud, which made trench and shell holes veritable death traps.
Many men got stuck and had to be left, direction was lost and when dawn broke
the line had not been reached. The Bosche caught them under heavy barrage
and the casualties were serious, mud and the evening being responsible for the
fact that only a small proportion of the total marching strength got into line.
This was near Guedecourt and Guedecourt Wood and thereabouts. One
battalion stayed until the next year, Col Young bidding them goodbye in the
November.
In January 1917 the 2nd battalion had a very
successful raid bringing back a good many prisoners. Two young officers
won the M.C. for it, but both were killed afterwards. At the beginning of
April the battalion was transferred to Arras and on the 23rd went into the
attack there. Again, they were faced with desperate situation. Objectives on
either side of them were not being reached, they were left with exposed flanks
and lost nine officers (eight killed) and over 250 men. The Worcesters, on
their right suffered even more. Going back to Ypres the battalion. … with
the Guards on July 31, when the latter made their attack but here the casualties
were comparatively light.
Save for constant raids, things were now quieter for several
months but in November the men of 2nd battalion were in the thick of fighting
again. At the taking of Llangemarck, losing seven officers including the
adjutant and two company commanders and a great many men. The Borderers
did a fine lot of work here. Reaching there objective with a dash and
consolidating the way for the French on their left, who could not get through
until this was done. The battalion afterwards had a creditable part in the
Passchendaele show.
A DESPERATE STAND
April, 1918, brought the 2nd into the hottest of
water again. The Germans had begun their great offensive: there was weak place
at Armentieres (Neuf Berquin) and the ever-enduring Borderers were rushed down,
straight from 30 days duty in the northern line. They went into their new
position on the evening of the 10th, and were fighting hard to hold back the
Germans at the most important point (new defenses were being prepared behind)
until the night of April 11-12. They did what was asked of them, but
practically the whole of battalion became casualties. Col. Raikes was left
with 76 men and not one officer- excepting the padre, who got out with a wounded
officer on his back- 21 officers and 4000 men being ‘put out’. Still the 2nd
carried on. The Colonel got a few men from other units and made up a
scratch team and the 2nd South Wales ….
No more in the cutting. Date and source unknown
My father Dr had John Lewis, was captured at Armentieres and
was taken as a prisoner of war. I understand the Portuguese broken
ranks and fled.. My father's regiment the South Wales Borderers were going on
leave but were rushed in to plug the gap. From his account nearly
the whole regiment was wiped out. My father was taken prisoner and
spent the rest of the war at the camp at Graudenz .The men were starving and
were driven to even eat rats. When my father returned home he weighed a
mere 6 stone.
See also the heroic story of
Dr Raymond Jones who was killed in the battle
of the Somme, 1916.
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