The Ypres Times.
59
Throughout the night a small but steady stream of casualties from shelling, both from
the 98th and 10th Brigade fronts, passed through this officer's R.A.P. and kept him busy.
At about 4.45 a.m. on 25th, an intense hostile barrage suddenly opened over the
front line held by the Middlesex Regiment and by the Regiments north and south of it,
and also on an area extending west of that line almost as far back as Clapham Junction.
This barrage was certainly heavier than any experienced by the Regiment during the
whole of the Somme fighting in 1916, or subsequently in the last four months of the War,
and continued with slightly varying intensity until x a.m. on the 26tha matter of over
19 hours.
All communications were instantly severed and within a few minutes S.O.S. rockets
could be seen going up from the front line battalion.
All companies at once stood to.
It may be remembered at this juncture that the companies were disposed in shell
holes and disused fragments of trench in a roughly rectangular area, as described above,
with A Company (Capt. E. A. MacEwen) and C Company (Lieut. J. M. Taylor)
in front, B Company (Capt. D. Ross) and D Company (Capt. J. O. MacMillan,
M.C.) in reserve beside Battalion H.Q. The Battalion was commanded by Bt.-Lieut.-
Colonel L. L- Wheatley, C.M.G., D.S.O., who subsequently commanded the 1st Brigade in
the 1st Division.
At about 6.30 a.m. casualties from the front line passing through the R.A.P. reported
that a heavy German attack had developed and that one front line had been driven in
about 250 yards.
Owing to the dust and the shelling, it was for a long time impossible to ascertain
what had happened exactly, but a message was sent to the O.C., 1st Middlesex Regiment,
placing C Company at his disposal for immediate support, while one platoon under
2nd Lieut. Dunley was despatched to maintain touch on the left with the 15th Australian
Brigade in Polygon Wood this it succeeded in doing, establishing itself near Black Watch
Corner, where it remained until relieved next day, although at times the enemy were
far in the rear of it.
At about 8.45 a.m. the Commanding Officer and Adjutant of the 1st Middlesex
Regiment succeeded in getting over to Col. Wheatley's H.Q., and confirmed the report
that the enemy had gained a footing in the Brigade front line. This information was
passed on to the H.Q, of the Brigade and A and B Companies were warned to
stand-by to counter-attack.
At 12.45 p.m. orders were received from 98th Infantry Brigade to the effect that
the 1st Middlesex would counter-attack at 2 p.m., &nd that the 2nd Argyll and Suther
land Highlanders would co-operate. "A" and C Companies were accordingly ordered
to attack from the position in which they were and B Company to move up and
occupy the line they were then holding, when the-attack commenced.
Two Vickers machine guns arrived at this juncture with orders to accompany the
attackers and were sent on to take up positions in A Company's area from where
the> could cover the attack.
The following is the paragraph in Col. Wheatley's subsequent report, which briefly
describes the ensuing action
Owing to the difficulty of communication it was not till about 1.45 p.m. that the
O.C s Aand C Companies received their final instructions. They were then
in line about 700 yards behind our supposed front line.
"The Company Commander's orders for the attack were very difficult to communicate
owii g to the intense barrage on the trenches, and Capt. MacEwen's advance was delayed
until the protective barrage had completely ceased. He advanced, however, with great
gallantry, accompanied by C Company (less one platoon), through the intense German
barrage which had been opened in reply to ours, came into line with the elements of the
B
