Chapter I: Foreword

It was considered by the past and present members of the 4th Battalion, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), that some permanent record of the part taken by the Regiment in the European War should be compiled, and a War History Committee was formed in February 1920 to consider the preparation of such a record.

At the unanimous request of the Committee Captain F. Clive Grimwade undertook to write the Regiment's War History.

The Committee desire to express their keen appreciation of the manner in which he has overcome the difficulties of compiling such a History and of his devotion in carrying out this long and arduous work.

The Committee wish to express their thanks also to Lieut.-Col. Marchment, to Captains Boutall, Garratt, Croll and Hetley, and to other officers who have given Captain Grimwade valuable assistance; to the author's mother, Mrs Grimwade, for her assistance in arranging information as to officers' personal services and in correcting the drafts of the book; and to the Regiment's Honorary Colonel, Lord Marshall, for facilitating the publication of the book.

THE WAR HISTORY COMMITTEE,
4TH BATTALION, THE LONDON
REGIMENT (ROYAL FUSILIERS).

LESLIE T. BURNETT, LIEUT.-COL. (_Chairman_).
G. H. M. VINE, MAJOR (_retired_).
H. J. DUNCAN-TEAPE, MAJOR.
S. J. ELLIOTT, MAJOR.

_February 1922_

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. MOBILISATION--DEPARTURE OVERSEAS 1

II. THE 1/4TH BATTALION IN MALTA--FORMATION
OF THE 2/4TH BATTALION 8

III. THE 1/4TH BATTALION IN FRANCE--OPERATIONS
AT NEUVE CHAPELLE 18

IV. THE 1/4TH BATTALION IN THE SECOND BATTLE
OF YPRES, 1915 40

V. OPERATIONS DURING THE SUMMER OF 1915 58

VI. THE 1/4TH BATTALION IN THE 47TH DIVISION 73

VII. THE 2/4TH BATTALION IN MALTA, GALLIPOLI
PENINSULA AND SOUTHERN EGYPT 86

VIII. THE 3/4TH AND 4/4TH BATTALIONS AT HOME 115

IX. THE FORMATION OF THE 56TH DIVISION 132

X. THE 1/4TH BATTALION IN THE BATTLES OF
THE SOMME, 1916--I. THE ATTACK ON
GOMMECOURT 139

XI. THE 1/4TH BATTALION IN THE BATTLES OF
THE SOMME, 1916--II. THE BATTLES OF
SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 177

XII. THE 1/4TH BATTALION DURING THE WINTER
1916/17 217

XIII. THE 2/4TH BATTALION IN FRANCE--GERMAN
RETIREMENT FROM THE SOMME 236

XIV. THE 1/4TH BATTALION IN THE BATTLES OF
ARRAS, 1917 251

XV. THE 2/4TH BATTALION IN THE BATTLES FOR
BULLECOURT, 1917 273

XVI. THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES, 1917--I. THE
1/4 BATTALION ON THE MENIN ROAD. 294

XVII. THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES, 1917--II. THE
2/4 BATTALION ON THE NORTHERN RIDGES 306

XVIII. THE 1/4TH BATTALION IN THE BATTLE OF
CAMBRAI, 1917 325

XIX. THE 1/4TH BATTALION, WINTER 1917/18--THE
RESERVE BATTALION 1916/17 345

XX. THE 2/4TH BATTALION IN THE SECOND BATTLE
OF THE SOMME, 1918 359

XXI. THE 1/4TH BATTALION IN THE DEFENCE OF
ARRAS, 1918 392

XXII. THE 1/4TH AND 2/4TH BATTALIONS DURING THE
SUMMER MONTHS OF 1918--THE RESERVE
BATTALION, 1918 409

XXIII. THE FINAL ADVANCE--I. THE 2/4TH BATTALION
IN THE BATTLES OF AMIENS AND BAPAUME,
1918 428

XXIV. THE FINAL ADVANCE--II. THE 1/4TH BATTALION
IN THE BATTLE OF BAPAUME, 1918 460

XXV. THE FINAL ADVANCE--III. THE 1/4TH
BATTALION IN THE BATTLES OF CAMBRAI
AND THE SAMBRE, 1918 478

LIST OF APPENDICES

I. MALTA 508

II. HONOURS AND DECORATIONS 510

III. THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE 4TH LONDON
REGIMENT IN 1920 518

INDEX 521

ILLUSTRATIONS

YPRES CATHEDRAL _Frontispiece_

TO FACE PAGE

GHAIN TUFFIEHA CAMP--MELLEHA CAMP--SELMUN
PALACE 8

MELLEHA--THE GRAND HARBOUR, VALETTA 16

ST JEAN VILLAGE IN APRIL 1920 56

ROUGE CROIX, LA BASSÉE ROAD--THE DOLL'S HOUSE
(FEROZEPORE BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS), LA BASSÉE
ROAD 64

SIGNPOST LANE, NEUVE CHAPELLE--RUINED FARMHOUSE,
NEUVE CHAPELLE 232

INVERNESS COPSE 304

PASSCHENDAELE RIDGE 320

ARRAS CATHEDRAL 416

SKETCH MAPS

BY CAPTAIN F. CLIVE GRIMWADE

NO.

1. NEUVE CHAPELLE--RICHEBOURG L'AVOUÉ 32

2. THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES, 1915 48

3. GALLIPOLI PENINSULA--CAPE HELLES TRENCHES,
1915 96

4. THE ATTACK ON GOMMECOURT, 1ST JULY 1916 144

5. THE BATTLE OF GINCHY, SEPTEMBER 1916 192

6. THE BATTLE OF MORVAL, SEPTEMBER 1916 204

7. THE BATTLE OF THE LE TRANSLOY RIDGES, OCTOBER
1916 208

8. LAVENTIE, WINTER 1916/17 224

9. THE GERMAN RETIREMENT, FEBRUARY-MARCH 1917 240

10. CAVALRY FARM, MAY 1917 266

11. BULLECOURT, MAY-JUNE, 1917 288

12. THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES, 1917 (1/4TH
BATTALION) 296

13. THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES, 1917 (2/4TH
BATTALION) 312

14. THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI, 1917 336

15. THE RETREAT FROM LA FÈRE, MARCH 1918 368

16. THE DEFENCE OF ARRAS, MARCH 1918 400

17. THE BATTLE OF AMIENS, 1918 (2/4TH BATTALION)--THE
ACTION AT CHIPILLY RIDGE, 8TH-10TH
AUGUST 432

18. THE BATTLE OF BAPAUME, 1918 (2/4TH BATTALION) 448

19. THE BATTLE OF BAPAUME, 1918 (1/4TH BATTALION) 472

20. THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI, 1918--THE CANAL DU
NORD 488

21. THE BATTLE OF THE SAMBRE, 1918 496