Diary of service on the Western Front, 1914-1915, World War One

Smith, William Douglas

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Volume

Title:: Diary of service on the Western Front, 1914-1915, World War One

Collection:: SMITH, Maj Gen Sir William Douglas (1865-1939)

Archive reference:: SMITH, WD 2/2

Catalogue record URL (AtoM):: https://archives.kingscollections.org/index.php/smith-wd-2-2

Level of description:: Item

Date of material:: 31 Oct 1914 - 22 Apr 1915

Creator:: Smith, William Douglas

Source collection title:: SMITH, Major General Sir William Douglas (1865-1939)

Extent:: 1 volume

Description (scope):: Manuscript copy diary relating to Smith’s command of 9 Infantry Brigade in 3 Division, 2 Corps, British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front, 31 Oct 1914 – 22 Apr 1915, including: the First Battle of Ypres, Nov 1914, with the loss of many named officers serving under Smith; a visit to the troops by King George V, 3 Dec 1914; the waterlogged state of trenches near Kemmel, Belgium, Dec 1914; a demonstration of grenade throwing, 20 Dec 1914, and thoughts on the difficulty of deploying hand grenades from trenches; reference to a meeting of British and German troops on Christmas Day, 25 1914, and Smith's disapproval; initiatives to improve conditions in trenches, Jan 1915; demonstration of a mortar to be used from a trench, 16 Jan 1915; the execution of two deserters, 6 Feb 1915; the deployment of miners from Britain to undermine German trenches, 19-24 Feb 1915; a German counter-attack, 11 Mar 1915, Battle of Neuve Chapelle, with heavy Allied casualties; details of material used to improve trenches, 25 Mar 1915; frequent criticism of British press coverage of the war, Apr 1915. Also inserted items, including: press cuttings chiefly relating to Smith’s promotions; account of 1 Royal Scots Fusiliers’ operations at Jemappes, 23 Aug 1914, by Captain Thomas Balfour Traill; a detailed account by Smith of 9 Infantry Brigade operations during early Nov 1914, First Battle of Ypres; sketch maps and accounts relating to 9 Infantry Brigade operations, Nov 1914; a letter from Clara Barton, mother of Lieutenant Harold William Ferguson Barton (died 18 Oct 1914), quoting a letter from a German officer praising her son’s bravery; illustrated manuscript poem, ‘New Year’s Eve in the Trenches’, possibly by Major Athol [Athel, Atholl] Murray Hay Forbes, [1914]; letters of praise about 9 Infantry Brigade from Field Marshal Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer, Commander of 5 Corps, and Lieutenant General Sir Charles Fergusson, Commander of 2 Corps, Feb 1915; programme for a concert by personnel of 9 Infantry Brigade, 9 Mar 1915.

Copyright:: Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied from open material for research purposes only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, via the Archives.; King's College London Archives

Full text

2 The enemy showed no sign of their presence during the night, and just before dawn on 23rd the company stood to arms. When it got broad daylight and patrols north of the bridge had reported the neighbourhood quite clear, the men were turned on to improving the defences. A farm house E some 100 yards east of the main position was loopholed. At about 9am the alarm was given by the patrols and a few isolated shots began to come over from the enemy's side of the canal. All the defences were at once occupied and the fire was returned, but only a few hostile scouts were observed in the wood north of the bridge. Shortly afterwards, heavy firing was heard on the right and left, and the enemy began to shell the railway station some distance away on our right rear. This continued for at least an hour without any attack being developed on our bridge. A platoon from the reserve under Lieutenant Pollock was sent into the farm house E but this officer was ordered to evacuate the buildings in the event of hostile artillery fire being directed on them. This platoon had a very good field of fire and about the same time as it took up its position in the farm, the enemy were seen advancing in some strength towards some factory buildings about 300 yards north east of the bridge. Lieutenant Pollock's platoon evidently caused some losses among them, as shortly afterwards his farm was shelled by the enemy and he sent a verbal message to say that he was beginning to lose men from their shell fire and was withdrawing his platoon from the farm and lining the ditch immediately in front of him. The other reserve platoon lined the ditch on the left of the main position.

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