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The Wellington Regiment (NZEF) 1914 - 1919

Chapter XXXIV

page 231

Chapter XXXIV.

Back to the Salient-Polygon Wood—Butte de Polygon —Micmac Camp—In the Line—Heavy Shelling —2nd Battalion starts Burying Cable-Canal Bank —Belgian Chateau.

It was clear we were soon to turn our faces eastward. Billetting parties were sent forward and the heavy transport started the long trek back to Ypres by road. The 3rd Battalion was the first to move. On the 12th November, an early start was made, the 3rd Battalion marching out from Bouvelinghem at 6 o'clock in the morning and proceeding to Wizernes, a distance of fourteen miles. There it entrained during the afternoon and arrived at Hopoutre at about 7 o'clock at night, then marching some ten miles to "A" Camp, Chateau Segard area. On the following day, the 3rd Battalion moved up to Zillebeke Bund, and relieved 8th Battalion Leicester Regiment in brigade reserve. Owing to limited accommodation, companies were taken in 100 strong, the remainder being left in the brigade details camp. On the afternoon of the next day, the 3rd Battalion relieved 7th Battalion Leicester Regiment in Butte de Polygon sector.

Nor were our other battalions to be long in following, for, on the 15th November, both 1st and 2nd Battalions in full marching order marched to Wizernes to entrain there for Hopoutre. The cookers had gone on ahead and a hot meal was provided at Wizernes. Both battalions entrained at 3 p.m. and hot tea and biscuits were provided for everyone by the Y.M.C.A. We reached Hopoutre at about 7.30 p.m., and were met there by our billetting parties. At Hopoutre siding, the Y.M.C.A. was again ready with hot cocoa and biscuits, which were greatly appreciated. We then formed up in a small field close by and moved off for Micmac Camp, a dis-page 232tance of some seven miles, which, marching in the dark, took us some three hours to reach, and there settled down in tents.

The 3rd Battalion had been having a fairly quiet time in the line. The weather was fine, and the battalion was busily employed improving its sector. On the night of the 18th November, however, an enemy party, numbering about ten, rushed one of Ruahine Company's advanced Lewis gun posts consisting of five men. Four of our men were wounded, and our gun captured, while one German was killed. At mid-day on the 21st, the Butte area was shelled with mustard gas and Capt. F. S. Varnham, Lieut. Walker, and Lieut. E. Edwards and a number of others were slightly affected and had to be sent to hospital the following day. That night, the 3rd Battalion was relieved by 3rd Otagn and moved back to Tillebeke Bund. On the night of the 25th, the 3rd Battalion relieved the 7th Battalion West Riding Regiment in Dead Mule Dugouts, there to remain tor the next few days, employed, during the mornings, carrying R.E. material and ammunition to the front line dump, and, in the afternoons, on salvage. Here we were under constant shell-fire both by day and by night, yet our casualties were comparatively slight. On the morning of the 30th November, the 3rd Battalion was relieved by the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade, and moved out to Howe Camp, via Ypres Moat baths.

Meantime, the 1st and 2nd Battalions were both at Micmac Camp. The 1st Battalion remained there until the 26th, when it relieved the 2nd Battalion and part of the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade, in the line near Polygon De Zonnebeek, and came under the command of the 4th Brigade Commander. The battalion marched to Ouderdom, and proceeded from there by light railway to Birr Cross Roads, where it waited several hours. The cookers were brought up to this point and a meal was had. The relief was then made under cover of darkness, the battalion moving by the Menin Road to Clapham Junction, and thence by track into the trenches, not, however, without incurring some casualties. The 1st Battalion's spell in line was not to be a particularly happy one, for, during the period from 27th to 30th November, a programme of inten-page 233sive bombardment of the enemy's positions was carried out twice daily by our artillery with particular attention to Polderhoek Chateau, and the enemy did not neglect to retaliate. On the 28th, and again on the 30th November, our artillery put down an intensive bombardment in the form of a barrage on the Chateau and neighbourhood for more than an hour, and on the 30th, shortly alter seven o'clock in the morning, an intensive bombardment was put down on the enemy positions in front of the 1st Battalion's left company. During this latter bombardment, the left company was withdrawn, returning to the front line at its conclusion. The enemy retaliation was very heavy. For hours at a time, the enemy subjected our trenches to an intense bombardment. Practically the whole of the line on our left front was blown in and some casualties sustained. The conditions were very difficult indeed, as our line on the left consisted of an untraversed continuous trench and on the right we had only small unconnected posts. Luckily, only a little rain fell. Rations were, as a rule, brought by limber to Clapham Junction and thence carried; but, on some nights, owing to shell-fire, the rations could not be brought by limber further than Hooge. No cooking was possible, and consequently, cold meat was brought up and cold tea in petrol tins. Ration carrying was now very heavy work. Here, during four days, while merely holding the line, the 1st Battalion had ten killed, three officers and thirty-two men wounded, and one missing. Such was the toll of shell- fire.

The 2nd Battalion remained at Micmac Camp for over a week. From Micmac Camp, Lieutenant T. L. R. King, M.C., left us on transfer to the Divisional Signallers. A very efficient officer, he had been signal officer to the battalion since June, 1916, and had become very popular.

The 1st Battalion had temporarily gone under the command of the 4th Brigade; but the rest of the First Brigade now became Corps troops for work, and 2nd Wellington was allotted the task of burying cable. Every morning the 2nd Battalion would supply a party of 10 officers and not less than 400 men. The party would leave camp before 6 o'clock in page 234the morning, march to Ouderdom, and go up from there on the light railway to Birr Cross Roads. There the party would start work under the direction of the Corps Signals officer. The work consisted of digging a trench six feet deep, laying a cable in it, and filling up the trench again. Enemy shelling frequently necessitated the temporary withdrawal of parties from dangerous places. Work was usually finished by one o'clock, and we were back in camp as a rule by 4 p.m. When we first took up the work, the cables were being laid near Hooge, but gradually the work took us further afield. It was then clear that Micmac Camp was too far away from the work, for it was taking us three hours to reach the job, and three hours to get back to camp, while hardly more than three hours' actual digging was done. Accordingly, on the 26th, all those engaged on the work moved to the Canal Bank, where they were accommodated in dag-outs, cellars and shelters. The rest of the battalion (battalion headquarters, school, and details) moved to Hoograaf, going into huts there. Captain W. H. McLean, M.C., was placed in command of the Canal Bank party. Cable burying proceeded apace, although more than once work had to be abandoned on account of the enemy's heavy and continuous shelling. The billets of the Canal Bank working party received some attention from the enemy guns. The working party was not to remain there for long, however, for, on the 29th, it moved to the vicinity of Belgian Chateau, going into huts and tents there.