Fusiliers. These - PDF document

10lst Fusiliers. These the 2nd Battalions Munster Fusiliers, in Although the headquarters were in their first years on p.m. retreat. Due to and the not receive I1 p.m. that night a.m. march on 26th, the Munsters reached the village where they 12.30 a.m., the road Etreux was reported to be p.m., orders were dispatched rearguard units to retire at once. This ...' g the :reux. spent lding er. were :ween mchy. what talion Le was .e had ~rders, vas to 2y m. As 1, past what e-guns inutes, shelter litches. :r from would lr more PS. ~ttalion ders to )ere the f 'home on the y, 1915, ln. And, tretched down :ier. nth, the !ly quiet ing the :k in the ~etween i1. While 3ghting ;ermans January, :hy, the ?t and, in tg which .eak from weeks of arch, the f ground he loss of D around 9 aid by ch army 5 men and itish army ;, Fusiliers on parade New (now Sarsfield) Barracks, Limerick. was a position behind the known as Auber's Ridge. The Munsters, were to attack from the trenches outside the the village on the trenches. In was a and the word 'Munster' Gleeson, his stole, U- shaped square. Gleeson, had survived in the shadows night began to stood bare-headed a general absolution priest. Then whole regiment Te Deurn. famous scene artist, Fortunino Matania, hung in many homes. The original was destroyed, a bombing (later Canon) Gleeson, served for donated the stole used He died a.m. opened fire on the German barrage'. Instead when the stopped, the moved across no-man's-land while the artillery was still firing The Munsters, a larger vill~tge of Lorgies. As the Munsters left the trenches at 5.30 a.m., Company, killing men. A also suffered heavy casualties machine-gun fire continued to advance to within the German trenches, where they laid waited for the artillery to a.m., right and battalions were held the intense companies got to the edge advance any what was Company cleared German trenches theirarea, and continued the advance. they reached the stream, some the men swim across barbed wire been staked across The survivors positions along the stream at the German tb were to open fire again. were now behind the German lines could not with the were captured, were by their killed instantly the trenches that morning. a.m., battalion was to retire. 11 a.m., returned to men out ordered, with what was ivort, but that failed. (After -the shrine at was bulldozed make way for a road. the land built wayside memorial chapel new road krmentiers. was discovered that the owner nearby cottage had the plaque that had been placed at to commemorate the ~unsters.) to drive the spring t~ The British generals were reluctant to launch soon after their spring but General was adamant that were to a front between the north and the town in the attack was set a.m. enough firepower to their whole front, it decided to use chlorine gas. Munsters were miles behind the front a.m. on the 25th, commanding the placed high hopes on the of the gas. At a.m., slight increase wind was felt and Haig gave the order to the wind was misleading there had been well-prepared ~lans to stop of the Haig was told too late. gas blew of were poisoned One source put the figure at casualties, I ' which included seven fatalities. the front, the gas into the German trenches. There can have been few among the infantry, were packed along th Fr. Francis Gleeson the Munster German machine-guns the assault A Company under a tried to barricade that separated both sides. Germans were beaten back by were waiting reserve. A week later, the Germans evacuated the position. In early manned the 12th, they moved what was to have been but, by 17th, they were on their way to the front again. (During interlude, a weapon had the tank). the Munsters took between Martinpuich they defended their trenches given their promised leave which Feuguiers, near the end was brought near Mametz a.m. until noon restoring communications rebuilding roads that had virtually duration, the six miles casualties. The total number casualties between Germans was estimated k Munsters were the front line between Eaucourt 1'Abbaye weather had been very the trenches were in terrible state. Heavy rain had countryside into the Munsters' when the were taking positions on the fire-step, they had to to the the trench with both until they were literally pulled out moment they trench to their every man soaked wet, caked in bitterly cold, time it through the on several occasions, a platoon their way along the the trench in full view the German being fired. mpn in the suffered from 'trench feet'. another raid was made on the German trenches. The had pounded away and, when fourteen Munsters went they found the Germans had gone that the came back their report, were asked to go the Germans had soldiers volunteered to go with One lieutenant killed. The Christmas period. finally arrived when the they were able to leave this terrible his position by General was seen as a his appointment was have serious consequences for French army, this time suffering from war-weariness. Nivelle attack the German front between Soissons came to his carrying out diversionary attack Arras. Meanwhile, the impending were straightening out their front line Somme front, they withdrew between thirty fifty miles. Germans retired, destroyed the towns such as Pkronne were devastated. were laid across roads. Thousands booby-traps were laid, some extremely ingenious. have been a warning to Nivelle ignore it. entered the on the side. The captured a known as cWnry-Eidge. similar conditions, on The men, that, this would the deciding were cut in their the Munster fortnight later a grinding mutinies were beginning to break out in the French army. Regiments refused others said would defend trenches but would not red flags were also In Paris were strikes General Petain was made shortly afterwards was asked to resign. Petain visited front lines restored morale men more leave (one continuous action soldiers' wives there were consequences. Although General demoted, those who had refused to slaughtered in German line were executed. One source gives more were marched to a quiet annihilated by their leaders were banished to colonies. Especially disruptive units sent to daagerous In January, Munster Fusiliers marched south, across posi?ion not far from the village Barleux. They remained in this area until St. Patrick's the German army had evacuated its positions the town new line defence which the Hindenburg Line. The work in the Peronne area restoring communications which been destroyed by retiring Germans. the Munsters became victims of the numerous booby-traps that had planted. On won three Munsters moved to near the Nieuport. About twenty miles below the opening shots had is officially known as t$ battle that to culminate in the and mud Munsters were front line 4 July, there they German artillery shells huts and killing seven Regimental Sergeant-Major danger, supervised remaining soldiers. Battalion returned ro the front their own Donovan Munsters who, in August, hidden in he escaped 19 July, special training camp, Clipon it was here that Battalion went into training amphibious landing behind the 1st Division German submarine which were that time causing serious losses to Allied take place about two the opening General Haig's General Haig believed he could a successful the war driving the German ground over city only because systems. The Passchendaele was composed it again uh- -- oi fields. When it rained water heavy artillery men, formed to stand the strain, rushed ishly spread towards the already swollen towards the private named artillery opened Donovan brought him precarious drainage Lawrence cemetery, it was stars and wards. This a.m. was finally into the a.m. and, after having something overdue sleep, but short-lived. At am., be evacuated, was expected that Germans would together and took up a schools' perdnnel, tunneling companies, troops companies, until the morning A major was expected that the fusiliers, two front line German bombardment 9.00 a.m. and, an hour later, their infantry advanced to attack Carey's Force. In heavy rain, caked in mud the day, the the St. Munsters were taken out fighting force, there were that fusiliers would be disbanded. was given {he 2nd. This long non-commissioned ranks American Army, until the overseas service bodily into and special before they could be sent the front line. l line. This Champagne. the (Blucher) began at 1 a.m. on the morning of 27 May. By the 30th, attack also lost its Chdteau- Thlerry. July, the counter- August, after I German line l front of Amiens began to crumble. More gams initiative was now in territorial gains I German spring/summer been lost. after many train to Grouches, where the next Bulgaria, an Austria/Hungary Munsters were in the 150th Brigade. 3 October, the 151st nearby village La Pannerie. At 2 a.m. next day, La through the German- heid Catelet. These villages " were to be used as a jumping-off point position in support of a group know; through; the beat-,-- for an attack on the Germans' new line of the village. only on 5.10 am. .L General Haig's words, Carey's Le was composed of 'details, stragglers, hard-pressed units on their left. At the Catelet. The battalion immediately Munsters, Aldershot, the village Juifs. The that morning at 6 a.m. the village Noyelle; 7th Wiltshires Fusiliers were in support. Outside the bridge was down and the Germans, hidden in houses on on it. While the Munsters houses; while another party surrounded the village. As German field-gun the road, across the stream. the Munsters Wiltshires arrived. Later on Remy was taken. Through- out the day on 7th, shelling continued a.m. 8th. On the morning 9th, fusiliers marched arrived there at p.m. whistling the 'Marseillaise', as they marched into the also on that the Great they were the pursuit part in e sent out to all which stated that hostilities would cease 11 a.m. That night, each side treated other to fantastic fireworks flares, signal-lights The next million problems who had had killed, would now be returning During the appropriate name would have been theranks the 2nd and out were classed prior to their disbandment in served in Egypt the survivors home to other parts they got a reception. They nationalist movement, led by Sinn Fkin, was in the ascendant. Although hardly expected a hero's welcome, they had fought at least, worthy McGance, by A. Barrie-Star, by H.S. The Story Bois and No. 59,1982. Old Contemptible Co., 1967. Clark, Day on Middlebrook, Penguin Orbis Publishing Ltd., 1985. History of the 20th Century, Nos. 19 and 21 (Purnell), A Higher Jeremy Paxman, Chatto & Windus, Goodbye to by Robert the First Wovld War, by B. Liddel Hart, Pan Velvet Glove, Flanders Fields, Books, 1966. War Bison Books C~m~a:~, The History the Great War, Barrie Pitt,