The Fifth Leicestershire eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 383 pages of information about The Fifth Leicestershire.

The Fifth Leicestershire eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 383 pages of information about The Fifth Leicestershire.
into the woods, protected the left flank.  Cpl.  Thompson’s party were soon engaged.  They had pushed forward rapidly for about 50 yards when suddenly Pte.  Underwood, who was leading, jumped behind a tree and fired.  Nine Boches seemed to come out of the ground almost at our feet, and for a few minutes there was some lively fighting around the trees.  The Germans managed to kill Pte.  Blythe, a very old soldier of the Battalion, and then made off, leaving one wounded man behind them.  This little fight had given the alarm to the party in the Chateau, and though Cpl.  Thompson pushed forward with great courage it was too late to catch them, and we entered the house and grounds without further opposition.  The fall of the Chateau enabled the remainder of “A” Company to advance and occupy the edge of the wood, which they at once did, putting out several posts round the buildings.  The Adjutant’s party then returned to Battalion Headquarters which had been left very weak during the attack.  Soon afterwards, as the situation now seemed fairly satisfactory the wounded prisoner was sent down under the 4th Leic.  Lewis Gun Section, who were no longer required.

At 10-0 a.m. we were just considering the possibility of pushing forward still further when a sudden burst of machine gun fire, sweeping low over our positions, drove us to cover.  The French had apparently been counter-attacked out of Retheuil and Forte Farms and the Boche from these new positions overlooked us completely.  Under cover of this fire a strong hostile counter-attack was launched against the Chateau, and “A” Company were once more driven back to the road, leaving several men prisoners behind them.  But the road too was now overlooked and, though sunken, was no protection, so that, unable to stay in it, they moved to a small bank on the W. side of it and dug in there. 2nd Lieut.  Edwards was wounded and sent down, and the Company was commanded by 2nd Lieut.  Dennis.  At Headquarters, L/Cpl.  Exton, who had just arrived with a message from “B” Company, was killed and a stretcher-bearer badly wounded.  Capt.  Jack, the M.O. went off to tend the latter, and was himself badly hit in the body; another stretcher-bearer was hit trying to get to him, and for a short time he had to be left.  A few minutes later the enemy’s fire slackened; the M.O. was carried away, and, though he lived to reach the Ambulance, died there in the evening.  Captain Jack had been with us just a year, and we felt very keenly the loss of his cheerful presence at Battalion Headquarters, for he was one of those men who were never depressed, and even in the worst of places and at the worst of times used to keep us happy.

The Adjutant now went back again to the old Farm House to see if he could find out what had happened to the other two Companies.  The 4th Leicestershires had been relieved, and the 5th South Staffordshires had taken over the Farm and were now preparing to relieve us in the line if possible.  Captain Salter was there from Brigade Headquarters and undertook to send relief orders to the Left half Battalion, whose position was now known.

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The Fifth Leicestershire from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.