Diary of Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott, November 1916 - March 1918 part 8

29^th July 1917. Sunday Very heavy Rain this
morning. Brigade Head Quarters are to
leave at 8 pm from Belle Eglise a
siding near Acheux or Lealvilliers for Steenbecque
Station our first detraining station last
year in France but we are being Billetted
not in that village again but in Sercus
some three miles or more away to which
we march. Accommodation for the
men is likely to be very scarce, as
I hear great numbers of Troops are being
accumulated for the offensive in
Belgium in those districts.
30^th July Arrived Steenbecque Stn at 3.45 am
& went to a Comfortable Chateau near
Wallon Cappell on the road to Cassell.
31^st July Remainder Last of Brigade arrived at 
at 8.15 am. Genl Hobbs visited B.H.Q.
No training. Held  Conference of Bn Cmdrs
at 5pm
1^st Aug. Rained most of day. Troops carried
out long marches. Brigade Staff
reconnoitred for Tactical Scheme
Hazebrouk shelled. 
2^nd Aug. Brigade Route March rained
heavily. Issued Genl official ideas
for Scheme tomorrow
 

Aug^st 3. Rained Heavily. Carried out
Tactical Exercise. Coy Route
marches.
Aug. 4 Dull & cloudy. Brigade Route March
Attended conference with Brigadier
Div Commander on shortage of Technical
Stores.
" 5^th Church Parade. Weather fine.
" 6^th Brigade Route March.
" 7^th Briga Scheme repeated with
Platoon & Section Commanders. Godfrey up to
-8^th lack.
"8^th  Brigade Route March. Hazebrouk
9^th  shelled. Great excitement. People
leaving. Platoon Training, Reconnaissance
for Tactical Exercise. Fine day.
10^th Carried out Tactical Exercise
Fine clear day. Hazebrok again
shelled. Many people leaving with
bedding & clothing. Very frightened.
11^th. Training. Slight rain.
12^th Church Parade Slight Rain.
13^th Scheme with troops. worked fairly well
14^th. Had conference of Bn Commanders on
the scheme & outlined work for men here 
15^th Reconnoitred ground for new Scheme

16^th Brigade Route March. Genl Hobbs satisfied
with condition of Troops & stated he would
arrange a march past for Corps Commanders
to see
17^th Further development of exercise
on scheme of the 15^th met with Platoon
& Section Commanders present. Very fine day
18^th Brigade Route March. Capt Legge
rejoined. German Aeroplanes over 
again. Practically every night now.
19^th Sunday. Church Parade. Genl Birdwood
present presented medals. German
Aeroplanes again over in the night.
20^th Monday. Brigade Route March
during which 58^th & 59^th Bn & M.G. Coy &
L.T.M.B. were seen by Genl Birdwood
who expressed himself satisfied with
condition of men. In the 60^th I noticed
sufficient attention not paid to fitting
of packs. Very fine day tending to warm
Conference with Genl Hobbs in afternoon and lecture by Genl Harrington at Div H.Q.
21^st Very fine day. Platoon Training.
22^nd Very fine day. Hazebrouk shelled again
Genl Godley inspected part of Division
men looked well. our 59^th Bn & M.G.
Coy took part with Transport. In
evening Aeroplanes over. Our A. A.
Guns fired heavily & fragments fell all
around the Billet.

23^rd Showery. Cancelled proposed night march
in consequence of the weather - the men having
no change of clothing. Went to 2^nd Anzac
H.Q. with Genl Tivey & Genl Bruche &
had dinner with Genl Godley.
24^th Fine day. - getting windy & cold in the
evening. Platoon Training. [[See?]] from Col Layh
stating that he had been given another
five months H.S. at Depot.
25^th Saturday.
26^th Church Parade. Received notice of Review
by Field M. Sir D. Haig on Wednesday.
27^th Very Stormy & Blusterous. Trees
uprooted.
28^th Preparing for Review. Went out with officers to
ground. Young Edwards called after I had gone to bed
29^th Review. Showery. Went off all right
Genl Haig seemed satisfied 
30^th Dull & cloudy but mild in
temperature During past week
we have had a number of complaints
from inhabitants of petty thefts of
vegetables & fruit from gardens
& once of faggots from a heap at the
edge of a road. These are all very
difficult to deal with on account of the different
units all adjacent to the locality & susceptibility of
 the []???]].
 

1^st Sept
2^nd Sept. Sunday Reconnaissance of Ground
for Scheme with 57^th & 59^th. Delightful weather. Edwards called
3^rd Sept. Delightful weather. Scheme without
Troops to try & understand enemys new methods. [*Visited the Colonel at his Billett & had good venison*]
Col Peck attended conference
4^th Spt Repeated exercise with 58^th & 60^th as above
we are to do a rehearsal with Troops on
Thursday & on Friday repeat. Genl Plumer will be present
5^th Sept. Glorious bright weather. Heavy
Bombardment in distance early this
morning. About 10' o clock last night
which was bright moonlight enemy
planes over.
6^th Sept. Practiced Field day. 60th lost direction
& had to repeat. Otherwise worked well.
7^th Friday. - At request of Army Commander
Postponed our Field day until tomorrow.
8^th Sept. Saturday. Had Field day. Very Successful
Genl Plumer attended. Foggy in morning
got brighter later on
9^th Sept Sunday. Fine day. Enemy dropped
bomb killed some of 57^th Horses.
10 Sept. Fine day. Brigade Route March about
14 miles very successful.
 

11^th Sept. Very fine pleasant day. Slight mist. Platoon
training Carried on. [[Kurt?]] came back yesterday.
12^th Sept. Wednesday. Fine day.
13^th Sept Thursday. Practiced new Form of attack with
success. Genl Hobbs attended seemed satisfied
14^th Sept. Friday. Fine day. Platoon training. Demonstration of
destruction of Steel door by T.M. Bombs by Engineers in afternoon
15^th Sept Saturday. Attended demonstration by 8^th Inf Bde L.T.MB
firing with Slings. Attended Transport Parade in afternoon. Talked severely to 60^th
16^th Sept. Sunday. We move tomorrow morning to
Steenvorde about 14 miles march leaving
about 8 am. Church parade this morning.
Lecture to all officers at 3p.m.
17^th Sept. Marched at 8.30am to Steenvorde
where we camped for the night. Bde H.Q. in
the Village troops in Farms & Bivouacs
in the neighbourhood as far forward as
the Belgian Border. Had comfortable Billets
(J.M.O.) Genl Hobbs & Staff saw us off seemed pleased
18^th Sept. marched 8.30 am, passed along what is called
The Frontier Road (paved main Road) which runs
along the Frontier for several miles in the vicinity
of Abēle which we passed through. Then
we passed into Holland Belgium to
Reninghelst -  thence a couple of miles
Northwesterly to what is called [[?Hernined]] Camp.
 

Lt. Col Peck G.S.O.1 was at Starting point. 59^th
had no severe cases of sore feet from march yesterday
although they had several miles over hard
road. Reports from other Bn Commanders
indicate practically no one fell out on the
march either today or yesterday. Some
of the men's feet are rather tender. Had
conference with Bn Commanders this afternoon.
Inspected model of country over which we
propose to attack. The country around
Very pleasant. Tobacco is apparantly grown
as I saw the leaves drying outside many
farmhouses. Quantities of Hops are
also grown. Saw some of old 7^th on Road.
19^th Sept. morning dull but later got
Very clear & warm inclining to
sultry. Genl Hobbs called & warned
us to be ready to march on 1 hours
notice. Later Intelligence officer
sent forward to 1^st Div H.Q at
Dickebosche who returned with
the news that probably during the
night we should be required to
move to a position of Assembly.
which was on a forward slope of a
Hill just on rear of the Gen Positions
& without cover of any kind

This seems to me a tempting of
Providence. However what must be
will be! & there is no getting away
from it. Genl Hobbs & Lt Col Peck
are to call in later & see me on
the Subject- - - -
Genl Hobbs has just called. We will not
be required to move if at all until 7.30
a.m. tomorrow morning, if zero hour is
fixed at 5.30 am & two hours after zero
if that is altered subsequently.
Capt Legge is transferred to 14 Brigade
as B.M. Vice Dickenson who goes to
4^th Div.
20^th Sept. Drizzling rain falling. No orders to
move. News came through of our first objectives
being taken later of part of our second being
secured. Also signs of a Counter Attack
developing, but so far no conf tidings
of the balance of the 2^nd objective allotted
to 2^nd Brigade being taken. It is now 2.15 pm
& the 3^rd objective is due to be taken
about this time. So it looks at least
doubtful if we have had a full success.
It is now bright & rather sultry with
scattered clouds. It will probably
rain pretty heavily tonight as it did

for some time last night.- Capt Keen
our Brigade Bomb officer who was on leave in London
came back today. He says my brother Jack came
over with him & is looking well. Lt Forrest
57 Bn who was up near Divisional H.Q.
this morning states that he saw about
400 Bosche Prisoners moving along the road
escorted by parties of our Light Horse whilst
a large number of others were grouped
about the Corps Cage. A good number of
our wounded men coming back.
The Shelling was not at that time very
heavy
21^st Sept. Went up to Division last night
All accounts agree that attack was a very
great success all objectives & more
taken considerable number of prisoners
estimated 700 taken by 1^st Div alone
at least including 1 Lieut Col. Reports
indicate also that Enemys moral
broken & that his men are giving
themselves up - coming in to surrender
from far in advance of our objective.
Our losses believed not to be heavy. Some
guns & a considerable quantity of Machine
guns etc have been captured. 2^nd
Brigade did well particularly 8^th  Bn
 

Early this morning Bosche Planes came over
dropping bombs & our Lewis guns opened
fire on them. No damage done on either
side as far as I can learn. Very
fine bright morning. We are to be prepared
to move up beyond Dickeborche to Chateau
Segard this afternoon.
22^nd We remained in Camp until 3.45pm
when we started to move forward
to the Chateau Segard Area between
Dickeborche & YPRES. & arrangements
made for the 58^th Battalion to take
over part of the line on the right of  of the Dug out
extending from Black Watch Corner
or rather the SW corner of Polygon Wood
near Black Watch Corner & thence
extending northwards 450 yards.
23.  During the morning I had gone
forward to Dickebushe [[Stats/Staff?]] area &
had a conversation with Brig Genl
Henry Bennett of the 3^rd Brigade &
received for persual a copy of his
Orders. This was of very great
assistance to me as I was able to
go through it with my Bn Commander
although Divisional Orders were
not received until just before

23^rd. Sent forward the B. M & Intelligence
Officer to Hooge where the Brigade HQ.
were to be established during the Action.
A huge mine crater here had had
inclined shafts run down from it
all round & a very large dug
out constructed. It was very wet
& dreadfully overcrowded by the number
of Headquarters established in it.
The 58^th Bn moved up during the
afternoon & evening & took over as
ordered.
[*Hooge Crater*] 24^th Battns moved up into lines as
directed without casualties. Ge H.Q moved
to the Crater.
25^th Enemy counterattacked very
heavily early in the morning on the
58^th Bn front & on the division on
our right. With the assistance of our
L.T.M.B under Lt Gamble we
repulsed the enemy with heavy loss
& they had to dig in. Unfortunately
however the Middlesex Bn on
our right was broken by the
assault & retired for about
half a mile. I sent up a 
Coy of the 60^th & later the 

remainder of the 60^th & finally
the 57^th Battalion & the Div
on the right sent up the Argyle 
& Sutherland Highlanders who
however were not able to regain the
line the Middlesex had lost
It became necessary to echelon our
line to the right to connect up
with them. This was done
despite heavy casualties &
a line was dug & consolidated
making all secure.
This was accomplished later
in the afternoon. I was then
ordered about 6 pm to prepare
to carry out the original attack
using 59^th Bn who had not
been engaged to take the new
line & two Battns of the 8^th
Brigade who not one of whose
officers & men had ever been
near the line or had any
orders about it. However
by the splendid work of Col
Norman Marshall & his Staff
& Col Hearst assembly tapes
were laid out with tapes

right back to Clapham
junction & the latter were
picketed by men of the 57^th all
the way. at 50 yards intervals.
I had a conference with the
8^th Brigade officers about 1 am &
issued them their orders. &
supplies. .This latter was a
source of very great anxiety
to me as all our Dumps were
blown up in the course of the
fighting on the 25^th & more
had to be rushed up at the
last moment.
26^th However by Zero hour
every man was in his
position with Carrying parties
etc available. The assualt
was duly made in a foggy
morning & the Red line seized 
& consolidated & this then mopped 
up. Col Mason moved up
& became busy reorganizing
Heavy loss of Officers made
this difficult. -The Barrage
recommenced & the 29^th & 31^st
Bns of Tiveys Brigade moved out

under it. It was The mist
lifted & it become Bright &
it was seen that the British
had not come in on our right
The 31^st Bn instead therefor of going
on under the Barrage as it should
have done withdrew behind the
59^th & sent 2 Coys to the right
to face the enemy massing for
counter attack in their direction
The 29^th [[red?]] this & also
withdrew. Hearing this I
sent the most peremptory
messaged to the front ordering
their Battalions to put in a tall
[[crate??]] & threatening to supercede
their Commanders unless it were
done. The 59^th accordingly
moved out & quickly got their
objective. The 31^st found their
way barred by machine gun fire
from the flank at an emminence 
which was known as Cameron’s
House although house had long
since been blown to bits & the only 
thing remaining was a concrete
[[redoubt?]]. The Royal Welsh Br [[flanking?]] it