World War One - Part 3
Somme - Morval - Scarpe - Cambrai - Amiens - Pursuit to Mons - Arras - Fampoux
The Queen’s Bays had two days’ rest at Vlamertinghe, receiving reinforcements from base, including six young officers. On 16 May 1915 they were ordered back into line at Hooge, taking up positions just below Belwarde lake and to the left of Hooge Château. On the 21st they were relieved by the 4th Dragoon Guards after a quiet time, with only one casualty, Sergeant Petty. They returned to Vlamertinghe, only to be called out again on the 24th by a sudden crisis arising from a German gas attack, which had caused heavy casualties, enabling the enemy to advance on either side of Belwarde lake. On setting out they were joined by 2nd Lieutenants Biddulph, Etherington and Mitcherin. The Bays strengthened the line south of the lake through Zouave and Sanctuary Wood, beating off one attack and losing one killed and three wounded from shellfire.The regiment was relieved during the early morning of the 26th, when the exhausted men returned to their billets. At the end of the month they were moved back eighteen miles west of Ypres to Hardifort, near Cassel, where they remained until the latter end of September 1915, waiting to be used as cavalry in a ‘breakthrough’.
This prolonged period of inaction was spent in training, refitting and inspections. On 12 and 19 June 2nd Lieutenants Macnaughton, Whitmore-Smith and Gray joined.On 14 July a move was made to billets at Rubrouck, while various digging parties were provided for reserve trenches from time to time. On 23 September 1915 the whole of the 1st Cavalry Division was concentrated further south near Mametz, the Bays being billeted at Ecques, in preparation for a ‘breakthrough’ during the Battle of Loos. Again, the ‘gap’ never materialised but false alarms moved the Bays to Hesdigneul on the 26th, to Cauchy à la Tour on the 29th, and to Enquin les Mines on 6 October.On 20 October the regiment went into winter billets around Lottinghem, where lieutenant McGrath joined. There was a further move to new billets at Neuville near Montreuil on 11th November, where they remained until the end of March1916. During the whole of 1915 The Queen’s Bays had one officer killed and one wounded, 31 other ranks killed, 4 died of wounds, 57 wounded, and 2 missing; a total of 95 casualties.
The King’s Dragoon Guards, after their battle at Hooge in the early days of June 1915, remained in billets at Vlamertinghe, being shelled by long-range guns and receiving reinforcements of officers, Lieutenants Fox and Gladstone and 2nd Lieutenant Brown, and 36 NCOs and 13 horses. They heard that SSM Webb, Sergeant Stratford, Corporal Bramley and Troopers Habgood and Hill had all been awarded the Military Medal for their gallantry at Hooge Château. On 14 June the regiment moved back to their old billets at Rincq, where they stayed until 1 August 1915. During their time at Rincq, the KDG provided trench-digging parties and were joined by Lieutenant Card and 43 reinforcements. On 1 August they were on the move again, Captain Cooper rejoining from England. They arrived at Halloy les Pernois on the 6th, where another 23 men and 38 horses came up from base. On 23 August a dismounted party of 13 officers and 300 men took over trenches from the Inniskilling Dragoons at Authuille, a sector which included MacMahon’s Post and Mound Keep. Over the next few days much work was carried out improving the trenches, under a certain amount of intermittent shelling.The regiment remained in this quiet sector of the line until they were relieved by the 7th Dragoon Guards on 2 September. During this first spell in the Authuille trenches, from which they had an excellent view of Thiepval Château, Lance Corporal Barrett was the only casualty, being wounded in the arm by a stray bullet.
From 3 to 12 September the KDG were in billets at Halloy les Pernois, providing working parties. They were joined by 2nd Lieutenant Langford. On the 12th, 14 Officers and 240 men went back to the Authuille trenches, where over the next two days they were subjected to a certain amount of shelling, mortaring and rifle grenades, with one man, Trooper Grandison, being wounded in the leg. They were relieved by infantry on the 16th and returned to their billets, moving to Autheux on the 23rd, where the regiment remained until 13 October. They then moved to Bernaville, where they stayed until 22 October. During this period they were joined by Captian Alexander, who had to be evacuated two days later, having been accidentally shot. Lieutenant Colonel Bell Smyth was promoted, Major Williams taking over command of the regiment. Another move to Molliens Vidame took place on 23 October and Captain Longworth, Lieutenant Sprot, 2nd Lieutenants Adair, Moreton and Parker arrived from base.RSM Brewer was commissioned and posted to ‘C’ Squadron.November saw two more moves to new billets, on 18 November to Longpré, and on 16 December to Quesnoy Le Montant. The year ended with The King’s Dragoon Guards having moved thirty-five times, and with a strength of 30 officers and 592 other ranks, of whom 100 were dismounted reinforcements. Christmas Day saw Major Hunt rejoin the regiment as second in command. The KDG stayed at Quesnoy Le Montant until 26 March 1916, and were joined on 3 February by Captain Alexander and 2nd Lieutenants Peacock, Ward and Tiarks. They then moved to new billets at Gueschart, and whilst there the award of the Military Cross to Sergeant Major R. Holmes was announced.Another change of billets took place on 10 May 1916, when the regiment moved to Sericourt; where on 24 May Lieutenant Colonel Wickham assumed command.The London Gazette of 15 June announced that Colonel Hulton, Major Langton and 2 Lieutenant Farthing had been mentioned in despatches for their services. The regiment moved again on 1 July, this time to Frohen le Grand, from where, on 19 July, a party of 8 officers and 300 other ranks went into support trenches at Neuville St Vaast, under Captains Wienholt and Alexander. On 30 July the detachment returned to the regiment, having had three men wounded.
A reinforced squadron of the KDG, under command of Major Spurrier, was inspected by King George V on 10 August 1916 at Wavrans. The reminder of the regiment moved to new billets at Humbercourt during August, and to Canchy in September, where various working and tunnelling parties, as well as sniping detachments, were provided for the front-line infantry.On 25 September, while at Morlancourt Camp, the KDG were ordered to be at Forty-five minutes’ notice for mounted action. On the 26 the regiment moved to the area of Mametz on the Somme battlefield and set up headquarters in Trones Wood, sending out patrols.One man was severely wounded and later died; his horse was also killed. The breakthrough never materialised, and after a number of marches and counter-marches the KDG returned to billets at Machy.At the end of September the regiment moved into winter billets at Miannay, again providing 8 officers and 270 other ranks for a Pioneer Battalion, which was formed from the Lucknow Brigade. During October 2nd Lieutenants Dick, Peacock and Ward joined the regiment.
A number of KDG attached to other regiments distinguished themselves so: 2nd Lieutenant Percival, recently commissioned, was awarded the DCM, 2nd Lieutenant Alford the Military Cross, and Sergeants Ford and Darden the Meritorious Service Medal.Lieutenant Farthing was killed in action serving with the East Lancashire Regiment. On 1 December the Pioneer Battalion came under heavy shellfire, which killed two KDG and wounded two more. 2nd Lieutenants Parker and Bogle- Smith joined at Miannay and three men of the Machine Gun Squadron were awarded the Military Medal, Sergeants Corley, and Troopers Vance and McIntosh. On 28 December another burst of shellfire killed one man and wounded two others.So ended another year of comparative inaction for the cavalry, but of twenty-five moves for the KDG.
The Queen’s Bays, also in billets during the early part of the year, moved on 26 March 1916 from Neuville to Montcavrel, where they stayed until 23 June 1916. But during the winter dismounted detachments of the Bays did tours of trench duty on the old Loos battleground, opposite the Hohenzollern Redout.Captain Kingstone described the scene:
The trench system was very complicated, and the whole of the area which we took over was overlooked by German observation posts on the big slag heap at Fosse 8. Nothing very startling happened during the first part of our time there, but there was always a good deal of bombing and patrol fighting going on at night. We lost a good number of men. When visiting in the summer of 1925, I found that there were at least twelve of our men buried there, together with four or five graves of unknown men of the Bays.
At the end of June 1916 the 1 Cavalry Division was moved up behind the Somme in the expectation that there would be a breakthrough, and after four days’ marching the Bays arrived at Querrieu, where they were concentrated with the rest of the division in readiness for the opening of the Somme offensive on 1 July. These hopes were to be dashed, and the Bays, together with the rest of the cavalry, moved in and around Querrieu for the whole of July, until on 9 August they were withdrawn to the north west of Amiens, still waiting hopefully for the breakthrough.
On 6 September they were moved forward to the Carnoy valley, bivouacking and seeing tanks for the first time. On 15 September the Bays were ordered forward, and ‘A’ Squadron under Major Pinching, MC, advanced into a valley south west of Leuze wood. The ground, after the battle, was a wilderness, and two patrols under 2nd Lieutenants Yeatherd and Macnaughten were sent on to maintain contact with the infantry. Yeatherd’s patrol came under heavy fire as it advanced dismounted, every member being wounded, and Yeatherd himself missing. One of the wounded died the next day and Yeatherd’s body was discovered a week later. Major Pinching was also wounded during this action.
The Bays continued to wait around Carnoy until on 17 September they were withdrawn into billets near Daours, moving again on 23 September to Blangy sur Turnoise. October saw two more moves to Auchy les Hesdin and then to Bonieville, where it rained continually, reducing the area to a sea of mud, with the horses left out in the open. On 9 November a welcome move took place back to winter billets in the area of Montcavrel, where the Bays remained until the beginning of April 1917. The regiment’s casualties during 1916 had been 2 officers killed and 2 wounded, 17 other ranks killed, 35 wounded and 3 missing.
In January 1917 a Pioneer Battalion was formed from the 1st Cavalry Brigade, with the Bays contributing 6 officers and 225 other ranks, with Major Pinching commanding the battalion. The Bays company, under Captain Kingstone, had the task of improving the railway line from St Pol to Arras. On a foggy January morning they suddenly saw a German aeroplane flying very low, then landing in a field not far away.While the pilot remained in his cockpit, the observer climbed out and walked to examine a signpost on the nearby road. The Bays were unarmed, but dashed with their picks and shovels towards to now-running observer.The pilot opened fire with his machine gun- the shots went high - as the observer reached the plane and started to climb in. At that moment the pilot accelerated, throwing off his observer, who was duly captured, while the plane roared off into the fog.Captain Kingstone commented: ‘The observer was not a bad little chap’.During February Lieutenant Colonel Lawson fell sick and Major Pinching returned from the Pioneer Battalion to assume command of the Bays, also hearing that he had been awarded the Croix do Guerre, and Sergeant Parker the Médaille Militaire.
Lieutenant Colonel Lawson rejoined on 7 April, as the regiment was concentrating with the rest of the 1st Cavalry Division in an open field at Agnières near Arras, before moving round on 10 April to Fampoux, to be ready to exploit a successful attack made by the 4th Infantry Division.‘This was the worst night that we ever spent during the war. There was a foot of snow on the ground, and we had no cover or shelter of any description’. On 11 April the Bays were ordered to advance through Fampoux to seize Greenland Hill beyond the village, and then to exploit north eastwards. As the leading troop reached Fampoux, the German shellfire increased, especially around the crossroads in the centre of the village, through which they had to pass.Lieutenant Grant and a trumpeter were wounded, and Captain Kingstone ordered his, the leading squadron, to take cover while a patrol of 2 Lieutenant Quested and six men galloped forward to find out what was happening.As the patrol advanced they came under heavy shell and machine gun fire which killed or wounded all seven horses, with the men, now dismounted, taking what cover they could and eventually making their way back at dusk under cover of a snowstorm.It now transpired that the infantry had been pinned down, and the attack which the Bays were meant to exploit had never taken place.
Kingstone now had to extract his squadron:
The shelling gradually diminished and by 5.30 p.m. the regiment was withdrawn, returning on the 12 to its billets at Agnières. The casualties had been heavy: Lieutenant Grant and 2 Lieutenants Quested, Ascoli and Beddington had been wounded, 4 other ranks had been killed and 18 wounded; of the horses 14 were killed, 6 were wounded and 3 died of exposure.On 13 April 2 Lieutenant Walker and two other ranks were wounded while on a digging party on Vimy Ridge.
The Queens Bays were moved on 16 April from the wretched area of Agnières to better billets at Hesdin, where on 20 April they heard the sad news that Major Pinching had died from the effects of an operation in London. The Bays remained at Hesdin until 14 May, when they were moved to new billets at Marles les Mines to the west of Lens, staying there until 4 June 1917. During June there were further moves to billets at Nedon, Nedonchelle and Busnettes, when on 9 July the Bays left Busnettes for billets at Le Sart, where they stayed until 29 July 1917.
The King’s Dragoon Guards started 1917 in billets at Minnay, where during January they heard that Temporary Lieutenant Colonel Wickham had been appointed a brevet lieutenant colonel had been mentioned in despatches, as had RSM Burdett.SSM Webb, transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, had been awarded the Military Cross, and Sergeant Stratford the Military Medal.At the end of February a move was made to new billets at Talmas, and then on 17 March the KDG moved up as the Germans retired from the Thiepval-Gommecourt position to the Hindenburg line, one KDG being captured during this operation.Over the next few days they followed up the German withdrawal in operations around Mory, eventually taking up positions facing the Hindenburg Line. While maintaining contact with the enemy two men were killed and six wounded, one of whom later died of his wounded; thirteen horses were killed or died of exposure in the very severe weather. On 28 March 1917 the regiment was relieved by the 17th Lancers and went into billets at Aveluy.
The KDG stayed at Aveluy until 16 May 1917 when there followed a series of moves, until 3 June they took over the trenches at Hargicourt. After a quiet start the Germans, from 6 June, shelled and mortared heavily each day, with the result that over the next four days one man was killed and nine were wounded, of whom three died of their wounds. Active patrolling took place, and on 12 and 14 June the Germans attacked the 29th Lancers on the left of the KDG.Both attacks, which came from the direction of Cologne Farm, were driven off with the help of supporting fire from the KDG. On 16 June the regiment was relieved by the Inniskilling Dragoons, but not before another man was wounded by mortar fire. The KDG then rested for the 16th at Jeancourt, moving back into trenches at Hargicourt that night, when they had the Canadian Dragoons on their right and the 36th Jacob’s Horse on their left.During the next four days the trenches were shelled and subjected to machine gun fire, and a small German bombing party was driven off.The regiment was relieved by the Jodhpur Lancers, moving to take over the front-line posts of the Inniskillings. This spell of duty was subject to the usual shelling and machine gun fire, and one man was killed. The KDG supported the 2nd Lancers and Central India Horse in bombing raids on Cologne Farm before being relieved on 29 June, marching to billets at Hamelet and moving again on 5 July to Le Mesnil.
On 7 August the KDG were back in the line, taking over trenches from the Lancashire Fusiliers at Epehy. On 9 August heavy shelling resulted in ‘B’ Squadron losing a sergeant killed and seven men wounded.The KDG patrolled actively, and during one such patrol Sergeant Woolsey was wounded. On 18 and 19 August Bird Post was mortared and shelled. Some Sixty-gas shells fell around the position but to no effect, as the wind was in the wrong direction. The regiment was relieved by the Manchester Regiment on the 19th, marching back to Le Mesnil and then taking over trenches from the Northumberland Fusiliers at Le Vergier on the 20th and 22nd. A fighting patrol on the night of the 23rd, commanded by Lieutenant Muir, encountered and attacked a strong enemy patrol, capturing three Germans and routing the rest, but losing one man killed and one wounded. For this action Lieutenant Muir was awarded the Military Cross. On the 27th a KDG standing patrol at Ascension Wood was attacked with bombs by an enemy patrol, which was driven off, and three nights later a German surrendered to this post. Lieutenant Moreton proved a very successful patrol leader, being awarded the Military Cross for his leadership during this period. The KDG were relieved by the 17th Lancers on 3 September.
The regiment was back in the trenches at Vadencourt on 13 September 1917, taking over from the 2nd Lancers.Lieutenant Brown led a reconnaissance patrol of thirty-nine men on 20 September and encountered an enemy patrol of the same strength near the German front-line wire. When the Germans were ten yards off, Brown led a charge which captured three of the enemy, wounded eight others, and put the remainder to flight. The KDG suffered two men slightly wounded. Lieutenant Brown was awarded the Military Cross for this engagement.On 30 September the Rifle Brigade relieved the regiment, who returned to Le Mesnil.
On 1 October 1917 The King’s Dragoon Guards received orders to be prepared to move back to India. During their time in France through 1917, they had moved twenty-two times, with nine spells of duty in the trenches, each of which averaged ten days.On 7 October the regiment entrained at Péronne with 31 officers and 566 other ranks and 585 horses, arriving at Marseilles on the 10th, and embarking on the M.V. Minnetonka and Bohemian on 15 and 26 October 1917. The King’s Dragoon Guards disembarked at Bombay on 20 November 1917 and were stationed at Meerut.
At the end of July 1917 The Queen’s Bays moved up to Dickebusch for another great offensive, which was expected to turn the German flank and clear the Belgian coast. Once again their waiting was to end in disappointment, and on 2 August the cavalry were withdrawn back into billets at Munc Nierlet, then to Isques and Audisque south of Boulogne, where they stayed until 5 October. By 12 October they were back in their old billets at Hesdigneul until on 11 November the cavalry was brought forward in readiness for the battle of Cambrai. Five days’ marching found the Bays in a camp at Buire, and on the 21st they were bivouacked ready to exploit the advance of the tanks and infantry. By 11a.m. the Bays were at Bois des Neuf as the tanks attacked and captured Cantainge, whereupon ‘A’ and ‘C’ Squadrons moved across the open ground clearing Cantaigne and taking 100 prisoners.‘B’ Squadron secured the left flank, forcing 300 of the enemy to the west of Cantaing to retire. All three squadrons then consolidated in front of Cantaing.The Bays were relieved on the 22nd, returning to billets at Metz, having had 3 officers wounded, 1 man killed and 20 wounded. Lieutenant Barnard received the Military Cross for his conduct at Cambrai, and Sergeants Ballard and Evans, Corporals Tennant and Allanson, and Trooper Magner all received the Military Medal.
Whilst at Metz the Bays supplied a company of men for a 1st Cavalry Brigade infantry battalion, and in very cold and wet weather held a section of the line on the Bapaume-Cambrai road, having ten men wounded. On 26 November the Bays moved to billets at Cappy.From 2 to 4 December the ‘infantry’ company did another spell in the trenches near Vaucellette Farm, having three men wounded. The regiment remained at Cappy until 22 December, moving to Buire, where on the 23rd they were bombed by German aircraft, with the loss of 11 horses killed and 22 wounded. During 1917 The Queen’s Bays had had 8 officers wounded, 4 other ranks killed, 58 wounded and 1 missing.
On 15 January 1918 the Bays were back in the trenches, holding a line of posts in front of Vadencourt, where they remained until the 26th.There was a certain amount of shelling, with the Bays patrolling actively, but the front was quiet and no casualties were suffered. The regiment remained at Buire from 26 January to 15 February 1918, when the ‘infantry’ company went back into the trenches at Vadencourt. They patrolled regularly without encountering the enemy.There was little shelling, but much aerial activity. The Bays were relieved on 5 March and went into reserve at Vendelles, where they prepared for a raid on the German front line to secure prisoners before handing over the sector to an infantry division.
German March Offensive Advance to Mons
After the raid on Eleven Trees, The Queen’s Bays remained at Burie and Brie until the commencement of the German offensive, which opened with tremendous force against General Gough’s weak 5th Army early on the morning of the 21 March 1918. The night of the 20th/21st was very quiet; a dense fog that covered the whole front persisted until the afternoon, which greatly assisted the new German tactic of infiltrating storm troop units to push on as far as they were able, leaving strong points behind to be mopped up later. The German bombardment opened at 4.30 a.m., drenching the battle zone with shellfire and with long-range artillery searching out the advanced zone to a depth of twenty miles behind the front line. The infantry assault was not launched until 8 a.m., but by 1 p.m. on the 21st the Bays were moved up a position of readiness at Bernes.A dismounted party, under Captain Barnard, MC, was sent to the assistance of the 24th Division, taking up a position east of Vendelles, where it came under heavy and continuous shellfire. On the morning of the 22nd the dismounted party became engaged with the German advance, until at 12 p.m. all the cavalry dismounted parties were ordered to rejoin their regiments, but not before Lieutenants Waddell had been killed, Lieutenants Gordon and Mitton wounded, and four other ranks killed, thirty wounded and one missing.
Meanwhile the main body of the regiment had been ordered back to Estrée-en-Chaussée and then to Athies. At 11 pm they were ordered to cover the crossings over the Somme between Brie and St Christ. The Bays were again withdrawn throughout the 23rd and 24th, when at night German aeroplanes bombed the horse lines, killing one man and wounding six.At 4.30 a.m.On the 25th a dismounted party under Lieutenant Todd was moved up to Montauban in support of a rapidly changing and fluid defence. Major Rome of the 11th Hussars took over command of the 1st Dismounted Brigade form Lieutenant Colonel Lawson of the Bays, who assumed command of the 1st Dismounted Division. Throughout the 25th the 1st Dismounted Division was heavily attacked, at the same time being subjected to intense shelling and machine gun fire.Every attack was beaten off, but Lieutenant Todd was wounded, six other ranks were killed and twenty-four wounded.German pressure meant that part of the line of the Somme had to be given up, and at midnight the Bays formed the rearguard, withdrawing for seven miles on the 26th to Ville sur Ancre.
Early on the morning of 27 March the Bays took up position on the Ancre at Mericourt, filling a gap in the line. They came under more shelling and had three men wounded.Late on the 27th the regiment was moved to Sailly le Sec, crossing the Somme to fill another gap in the line at Bouzencourt. By now the rapid German advance was threatening Albert, and to the north and south the Ancre had been crossed. The main southern thrust was directed towards Amines, with the object of dividing the French and British armies. General Gough, commanding the hard-pressed 5th Army, organised a scratch force of reinforcements, made up of stragglers, the staff of a machine gun school, clerks, labour corps and tunnelling companies, plus some Canadian and American engineers, all under the command of Brigadier General Carey and known as Carey’s Force. On 28 March the Bays’ positions at Bouzencourt were strengthened by the addition of members of the motley Carey’s Force, whom the Bays proceeded to organise, while enemy artillery and snipers remained active all day. Throughout the 29th the Bays held the Bouzencourt position, sending a squadron under Captain Sutherland to the east of Hamel Village.Lieutenant Colonel Lawson, Bays, resumed command of the 1st Dismounted Brigade, establishing his headquarters at Hamel. During the 29th desultory shelling wounded Lieutenant Benham and three other ranks.
On 30 March the Germans made a determined effort to break the improvised line, cobbled together to defend Amiens. At 10.30 a.m. they began a fierce bombardment of the whole of the front held by the 1st Cavalry Brigade, concentrating on the village of Hamel. At 12.30 p.m. the infantry assault commenced, with the German storm troops attacking in waves.Each successive assault was repulsed and in front of Captain Single’s squadron alone sixty-seven dead Germans were counted. Captain Single, MC, was commanding ‘B’ Squadron, together with detachments of Carey’s Force, and as the German attack closed in on the position, some of the latter began to show signs of wavering.Single jumped up onto the parapet, encouraging them, successfully, to stand fast; but at the same time he fell, mortally wounded. At once he called out to Captain Sackville-West, who was near him, ‘For God’s sake, don’t let these men go back.’He then propped himself up and went on exhorting the waverers.West wanted to bring assistance, but Single told him, ‘Old boy, you are being attacked now, and I won’t have myself on your hands.Now you must get off and stop them.’ A prisoner captured during this attack revealed that the enemy had been ordered to capture Hamel at all costs, but by 4 p.m. the assault had failed all along the line of the 1st Cavalry Brigade.Single was evacuated to a casualty clearing station, but died of his wounds during the night. That day, in addition to Single, Lieutenant Paul was wounded, and seven other ranks were killed with twenty-three wounded, and two men posted as missing.
Easter Sunday, 31 March, was a comparatively quiet day, but snipers wounded five men.Colonel Lawson was now holding the line with the three dismounted cavalry regiments of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, reinforced by some 300 odds and ends from Carey’s Force. The next day, 1 April, was also quiet, with only slight shelling during the afternoon; but, even so, five men were wounded and German snipers were again very active, killing Lieutenant Barclay. That night a reconnaissance patrol of ‘C’ Squadron, led by Captain Sutherland, surprised and rushed a German post, killing the garrison and bringing back a prisoner of the 228th Infantry and three light machine guns. On 2 April the 300 men of Carey’s Force were withdrawn when the 18th and 19th Hussars took over their positions. At dusk on 3 April a raiding party of two Bays officers and twenty men set out to surprise a German machine gun post, but an enemy listening post gave the alarm and the raiders had to return under heavy machine gun fire. That night the Bays were relieved by infantry, and after a march of eight miles Bivouacked at Bussy les Daours. The regiment had been fourteen days and nights countering the German offensive, and had lost over 25% of its effective strength: 2 officers had been killed and 6 wounded, while 20 other ranks had lost their lives, 111 had been wounded, and 3 had been posted as missing. The Queen’s Bays were not to see action again until the final victorious advance began on 8 August 1918.On 17 April Lieutenant Colonel Lawson was promoted to command the 2nd Cavalry Brigade; he had commanded the Bays in the field since 1 April 1915, and Lieutenant Colonel Ing, DSO, took over from him. During May the regiment was in billets at Estrée Blanche and Ray sur Authie, where it stayed until 17 July, when it moved to Authieule, setting out from there on 5 August to move up to the front.
During 5, 6 and 7 August the Bays marched to their rendezvous just behind the front line, ready to follow up the offensive to be launched by seven British, Canadian and Australian infantry divisions supported by 400 tanks. The artillery barrage opened at 4.20 a.m. on 8 August 1918 with the Bays moving forward from Longueau just outside Amiens and sheltering by 5.20 a.m. in some woods to the west of Villers Brettonneux. The regiment was scheduled to follow up the advance of a Canadian and an Australian infantry division and to keep in touch with the advancing troops. Mounted patrols were sent forward, two from ‘A’ Squadron under Lieutenant Solaini and Sergeant Mann, and two from ‘B’ Squadron under Lieutenant Cockrill and Sergeant Ford. By 6.20 a.m. the Canadians were across the St Quentin road and at 7.40 a.m. ‘B’ Squadron on the left under Captain Magnay and ‘A’ Squadron on the right under Captain Barnard advanced along the line of the Amiens-Péronne-St Quentin road.
‘A’ Squadron with ‘C’ in support followed up the attack on Harbonniéres, capturing two trench mortars and some thirty prisoners. On coming over a ridge the squadron was fired upon, whereupon two troops charged the German position, killing twenty of the enemy and capturing twenty-six prisoners and two machine guns. The squadron rallied in the valley south of Harbonniéres, coming upon a party of the enemy and cutting down seven and capturing two, as well as a machine gun and a Lewis gun.At 9.30 a.m. ‘A’ Squadron advanced again, only to be met by heavy machine gun fire. It was forced to retire back to the cover of the valley, but Lieutenant Solaini’s troop on the right caught another German party, killing ten of them and capturing nine others, together with a waggon and eight horses. A second attempt to advance behind Whippet tanks was equally unsuccessful, with Captain Barnard and Lieutenants Solaini and Thomlinson being wounded and again the squadron sought the cover of the valley.
Lieutenant Hannan now took over command of ‘A’ Squadron, holding the line of the railway and engaging the retreating Germans with rifle and Hotchkiss fire. Two waggons coming up the road were captured along with an officer, twelve of the enemy with the waggons being killed.‘C’ Squadron now came forward in support, galloping over the crest south of Harbonnières and taking up a dismounted position on the flank of the advance, where they captured a lorry full of officers’ kit trying to escape from Harbonnières. By 10 a.m. the Australian infantry had cleared the Germans out of Harbonnières, but as the enemy seemed to be massing for a counter-attack, the Bays remained dismounted in support of the Australians. The counter-attack did not develop but any attempt to advance was met by heavy fire, until the Germans eventually fell back to the east of their old trench line. The Bays then occupied the abandoned trenches in support of the Australians until 3.30 p.m. when they were withdrawn to Guillaucourt.
‘B’ Squadron on the left also had an exciting day. Lieutenant Cockrill’s patrol somehow managed to get through the German rearguard and entered Bayonvillers, where they found the village full of startled Germans. As the patrol came into action a British armoured car entered the village from the Amiens road, and both mistook each other for enemies. Cockrill extricated his men form the confusion and pushed forwards towards Framerville. The rest of the squadron had been delayed by the number of field telephone wires lying hidden in the grass, but Captain Magnay pushed on through the infantry until the squadron came under heavy machine gun and rifle fire on reaching the line of the railway, suffering several casualties. The squadron dismounted and as they engaged the enemy, who were falling back, Lieutenant Carabine dashed out under heavy fire to bring in a wounded man. Once the Australians had cleared Bayonvillers, the squadron rejoined the rest of the regiment at Guillaucourt. Meanwhile Lieutenant Cockril had come across a supply train hit by shells and captured its crew of three, one of whom was naked and badly burned. Liuetenant Cockril’s patrol then linked up with the other patrol under Sergeant Ford, and they both entered Farmerville, only to be fired on by two armoured cars (almost certainly British) which killed a horse and wounded one man. The combined patrols then withdrew, under heavy fire, rejoining ‘B’ Squadron at 12.15 p.m., having taken two officers and seventy-seven Germans prisoner in their foray. Ludendorff was to write in his memoirs after the war, ‘The 8th August, 1918 was a black day for the German arms.’
The night of 8/9 August at Guillaucourt was spent under long-range shellfire, but without any casualties. The nest few days, until the battle was broken off on 12 August, were spent moving up behind the infantry waiting for the chance to exploit any success. On the 9th The Bays were bombed by German aircraft, sustaining some casualties, and on the 10th the regiment was strafed on the march, suffering nine men and some horses wounded. On 11 August the Bays were withdrawn to Longueau, near Amiens, where they remained until the 19th, when the 1st Cavalry Division was moved around to support a new offensive by General Byng’s Third Army north west of Bapaume. The new offensive opened on 21 August with the Bays in reserve.They suffered some casualties from shellfire while watering their horses in Foncquevillers, and then moved back to billets at Authieule. Over the next few days the regiment remained in support, waiting for a chance to operate and having one casualty by shellfire.The Bays stayed at Authieule, and then Bebreuve, until 31 August. On the 28th they heard that Lieutenant Colonel Ing had been awarded a bar to his DSO and that Captain Magnay and Lieutenants Cockrill and Solaini had won the Military Cross.Sergeants Spain and Ford and Corporal Bodman received the DCM, and sergeant Elliott had a bar to his MM. Fifteen other Military Medals were also awarded.On 11 September the regiment heard that Lieutenant Carabine had won the Military Cross.
Throughout September 1918 The Queen’s Bays were kept in reserve, until in October they came forward to follow up the advance. On 8 October the 1st Cavalry Brigade was operating in support of an American corps advancing over the Le Chateau heights, when ‘C’ Squadron was sent forward to keep in touch with the 11th Hussars. As it reached the outskirts of Prémont, it came under heavy shellfire, having one man killed and five wounded. The following day the regiment found itself neat Le Chateau, when Captain Misa was wounded while on liaison duty.The advance continued on 10 October, but from the 11th the Bays remained at Maretz until the 25, when they moved to Lesdain until 7 November. From the 7 to the 11 they marched through Cambrai, Auchy, Peruwelz to Basècles, fourteen miles from Mons. At 7 a.m. on 11 November 1918 The Queen’s Bays advanced through a line of Allied infantry north west of Herchies.Shortly after 10 a.m. a patrol from ‘C’ Squadron came in contact with an Uhlan patrol two miles east of Montigny le Lens, and another patrol from ‘B’ Squadron encountered some more Uhlans at Mansnuy St Pierre. Twelve prisoners were taken, without any Bays casualties. At 11 a.m. the order came to stand fast, and the sound of firing coming from the direction of Mons ceased.The war was over.
On 1 December The Queen’s Bays crossed the border into Germany as the leading regiment of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, to be a part of the outpost line on the Rhine. On 17 December they moved into winter quarters at Elsdorf, some twenty miles west of Cologne.
