| Regiment | 1st Royal Berkshire |
|---|---|
| Location | Belgium, GHELUVELT |
| Entry | At 11 am A & B Coys under Major Finch were sent off as divn reserve. They moved to the SW corner of the POLYGONE wood. The Kings also moved here as reserve. During the day GHELUVELT had been reoccupied by the WORCESTERS and one other battn. About 4PM A & B Coys were ordered to drive out some Germans who had broken through again behind the WORCESTERS past the SW corner of GHELUVELT. B Coy (Capt Lucas) advanced as firing line. A Coy (Lt Woods) in support. The advance was made under heavy shell fire. About 200yds from the YPRES - GHELUVELT road the leading troops came under a heavy rifle fire from the direction of GHELUVELT. B Coy rushed the road. A strong force of Germans were then found to be holding the far side of the road behind the small embankment some 15yds away. It was now dark. B Coy held this line till they were ordered to withdraw at midnight. A continuous fire was kept up by both sides until 11.30pm when the Germans withdrew. A Coy prolonged the line of B Coy to the right, their right resting on the barrier across the road. As there were no Germans in front of their immediate right, two platoons were sent across the road in the dark to turn the German left. These platoons under Lt Woods could not make much headway owing to a dense spinney in their front and so shortly returned to their original line, having accounted for one German officer who's body they found in the wood. It is impossible to say what other damage they did. At midnight the order was received to withdraw to their original position in reserve. En route the companies collected a number of rifles and sets of equipment which had been left in the trenches which had been vacated during the day. It was subsequently discovered that the Worcesters had withdrawn from GHELUVELT just about the time that our attack developed, which explained why our efforts to gain touch with them during the night had been fruitless. Serg Maj VESEY, Coy Serg Maj CRUISE, Qtr Mst Serg KNOTT receive commissions. |
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