2/KRRC Battalion War Diary. Position of the 2nd Infantry Brigade at the end of the first day of the Battle of Loos, 25/09/1915
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2/KRRC Battalion War Diary. Position of the 2nd Infantry Brigade at the end of the first day of the Battle of Loos, 25/09/1915
BATTLE OF AUBERS
At 5.30am on 09/05/1915 Pte George Short, G/1173 and men of 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment advanced from this position, to the right of the Cinder Track, towards the German front line, approximately 200 yards distant. Enfiladed by machine gun fire from their left and facing uncut barbed wire defences, the battalion took heavy casualties.
Supporting the 2/RSR, a sister battalion the 1/5th RSR also advanced with the last elements of 2/RSR to leave their front line trenches and were similarly pinned down, all advance halting by 6am.
The men were unable to withdraw and took cover where they could, George and his pals scraping depressions in the earth with their entrenching tools. George was to lie under fire in the middle of no mans land (the middle of the green field) for twelve and a half hours until darkness finally fell and he was able to retrace the short distance to the British Front Line.
The 2/RSR reported casualties of 14 officers and 548 other ranks out of approximately 800 who had advanced (273 killed in action).
BATTLE OF THE BOAR'S HEAD
Just over a year later, at 3.05am on 30/06/1916, it was the turn of 11th 12th and 13th Battalions, Royal Sussex Regiment to attack a German position called the Boar's Head which had formed to the left of the Cinder Track since the attack of 09/05/1915. The attack was conceived as a Brigade size action to act as a diversion to the main attack that was being launched by the British Army further to the south on the Somme.
The German front line had been pushed back a little, and the front line that 2 & 1/5th RSR had attacked in 1915 was now the British front line. Once again success was thwarted by the strengthened German defences, and the three Sussex "Southdowns" Battalions suffered 366 killed and over 1000 wounded or taken prisoner.
BATTLE OF AUBERS
At 5.30am on 09/05/1915 Pte George Short, G/1173 and men of 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment advanced from this position, to the right of the Cinder Track, towards the German front line, approximately 200 yards distant. Enfiladed by machine gun fire from their left and facing uncut barbed wire defences, the battalion took heavy casualties.
Supporting the 2/RSR, a sister battalion the 1/5th RSR also advanced with the last elements of 2/RSR to leave their front line trenches and were similarly pinned down, all advance halting by 6am.
The men were unable to withdraw and took cover where they could, George and his pals scraping depressions in the earth with their entrenching tools. George was to lie under fire in the middle of no mans land (the middle of the green field) for twelve and a half hours until darkness finally fell and he was able to retrace the short distance to the British Front Line.
The 2/RSR reported casualties of 14 officers and 548 other ranks out of approximately 800 who had advanced (273 killed in action).
BATTLE OF THE BOAR'S HEAD
Just over a year later, at 3.05am on 30/06/1916, it was the turn of 11th 12th and 13th Battalions, Royal Sussex Regiment to attack a German position called the Boar's Head which had formed to the left of the Cinder Track since the attack of 09/05/1915. The attack was conceived as a Brigade size action to act as a diversion to the main attack that was being launched by the British Army further to the south on the Somme.
The German front line had been pushed back a little, and the front line that 2 & 1/5th RSR had attacked in 1915 was now the British front line. Once again success was thwarted by the strengthened German defences, and the three Sussex "Southdowns" Battalions suffered 366 killed and over 1000 wounded or taken prisoner.
Battalion War Diary plan of the 1/5th Battalion RSR attack in support of the advance of 2/RSR on 09/05/1915. The Machine gun positions that enfiladed the Sussex men are marked on and to the left of the Cinder Track.
BATTLE OF AUBERS
At 5.30am on 09/05/1915 Pte George Short, G/1173 and men of 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment advanced from this position, to the right of the Cinder Track, towards the German front line, approximately 200 yards distant. Enfiladed by machine gun fire from their left and facing uncut barbed wire defences, the battalion took heavy casualties.
Supporting the 2/RSR, a sister battalion the 1/5th RSR also advanced with the last elements of 2/RSR to leave their front line trenches and were similarly pinned down, all advance halting by 6am.
The men were unable to withdraw and took cover where they could, George and his pals scraping depressions in the earth with their entrenching tools. George was to lie under fire in the middle of no mans land (the middle of the green field) for twelve and a half hours until darkness finally fell and he was able to retrace the short distance to the British Front Line.
The 2/RSR reported casualties of 14 officers and 548 other ranks out of approximately 800 who had advanced (273 killed in action).
BATTLE OF THE BOAR'S HEAD
Just over a year later, at 3.05am on 30/06/1916, it was the turn of 11th 12th and 13th Battalions, Royal Sussex Regiment to attack a German position called the Boar's Head which had formed to the left of the Cinder Track since the attack of 09/05/1915. The attack was conceived as a Brigade size action to act as a diversion to the main attack that was being launched by the British Army further to the south on the Somme.
The German front line had been pushed back a little, and the front line that 2 & 1/5th RSR had attacked in 1915 was now the British front line. Once again success was thwarted by the strengthened German defences, and the three Sussex "Southdowns" Battalions suffered 366 killed and over 1000 wounded or taken prisoner.
See maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15.54266307218...
Looking back to the 9th May 1915 British Front Line fromthe German Front Line.
BATTLE OF AUBERS
At 5.30am on 09/05/1915 Pte George Short, G/1173 and men of 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment advanced from this position, to the right of the Cinder Track, towards the German front line, approximately 200 yards distant. Enfiladed by machine gun fire from their left and facing uncut barbed wire defences, the battalion took heavy casualties.
Supporting the 2/RSR, a sister battalion the 1/5th RSR also advanced with the last elements of 2/RSR to leave their front line trenches and were similarly pinned down, all advance halting by 6am.
The men were unable to withdraw and took cover where they could, George and his pals scraping depressions in the earth with their entrenching tools. George was to lie under fire in the middle of no mans land (the middle of the green field) for twelve and a half hours until darkness finally fell and he was able to retrace the short distance to the British Front Line.
The 2/RSR reported casualties of 14 officers and 548 other ranks out of approximately 800 who had advanced (273 killed in action).
BATTLE OF THE BOAR'S HEAD
Just over a year later, at 3.05am on 30/06/1916, it was the turn of 11th 12th and 13th Battalions, Royal Sussex Regiment to attack a German position called the Boar's Head which had formed to the left of the Cinder Track since the attack of 09/05/1915. The attack was conceived as a Brigade size action to act as a diversion to the main attack that was being launched by the British Army further to the south on the Somme.
The German front line had been pushed back a little, and the front line that 2 & 1/5th RSR had attacked in 1915 was now the British front line. Once again success was thwarted by the strengthened German defences, and the three Sussex "Southdowns" Battalions suffered 366 killed and over 1000 wounded or taken prisoner.
Standing on the 9th May 1915 British Front Line
BATTLE OF AUBERS
At 5.30am on 09/05/1915 Pte George Short, G/1173 and men of 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment advanced from this position, to the right of the Cinder Track, towards the German front line, approximately 200 yards distant. Enfiladed by machine gun fire from their left and facing uncut barbed wire defences, the battalion took heavy casualties.
Supporting the 2/RSR, a sister battalion the 1/5th RSR also advanced with the last elements of 2/RSR to leave their front line trenches and were similarly pinned down, all advance halting by 6am.
The men were unable to withdraw and took cover where they could, George and his pals scraping depressions in the earth with their entrenching tools. George was to lie under fire in the middle of no mans land (the middle of the green field) for twelve and a half hours until darkness finally fell and he was able to retrace the short distance to the British Front Line.
The 2/RSR reported casualties of 14 officers and 548 other ranks out of approximately 800 who had advanced (273 killed in action).
BATTLE OF THE BOAR'S HEAD
Just over a year later, at 3.05am on 30/06/1916, it was the turn of 11th 12th and 13th Battalions, Royal Sussex Regiment to attack a German position called the Boar's Head which had formed to the left of the Cinder Track since the attack of 09/05/1915. The attack was conceived as a Brigade size action to act as a diversion to the main attack that was being launched by the British Army further to the south on the Somme.
The German front line had been pushed back a little, and the front line that 2 & 1/5th RSR had attacked in 1915 was now the British front line. Once again success was thwarted by the strengthened German defences, and the three Sussex "Southdowns" Battalions suffered 366 killed and over 1000 wounded or taken prisoner.
BATTLE OF AUBERS
At 5.30am on 09/05/1915 Pte George Short, G/1173 and men of 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment advanced from this position, to the right of the Cinder Track, towards the German front line, approximately 200 yards distant. Enfiladed by machine gun fire from their left and facing uncut barbed wire defences, the battalion took heavy casualties.
Supporting the 2/RSR, a sister battalion the 1/5th RSR also advanced with the last elements of 2/RSR to leave their front line trenches and were similarly pinned down, all advance halting by 6am.
The men were unable to withdraw and took cover where they could, George and his pals scraping depressions in the earth with their entrenching tools. George was to lie under fire in the middle of no mans land (the middle of the green field) for twelve and a half hours until darkness finally fell and he was able to retrace the short distance to the British Front Line.
The 2/RSR reported casualties of 14 officers and 548 other ranks out of approximately 800 who had advanced (273 killed in action).
BATTLE OF THE BOAR'S HEAD
Just over a year later, at 3.05am on 30/06/1916, it was the turn of 11th 12th and 13th Battalions, Royal Sussex Regiment to attack a German position called the Boar's Head which had formed to the left of the Cinder Track since the attack of 09/05/1915. The attack was conceived as a Brigade size action to act as a diversion to the main attack that was being launched by the British Army further to the south on the Somme.
The German front line had been pushed back a little, and the front line that 2 & 1/5th RSR had attacked in 1915 was now the British front line. Once again success was thwarted by the strengthened German defences, and the three Sussex "Southdowns" Battalions suffered 366 killed and over 1000 wounded or taken prisoner.