The next big phase of the Third Battle of Ypres took place on 4th October, 1917, in the shape of a wide attack which made the most progress near Broodseinde, whence it took its name. Towards the extreme left of the frontage of attack, the 9th Battalion (Major 9th Bn. J. Milnes) took part in what was destined to be its last fight, though it did not know it at the time. After its action near Langemarck on 16th August it had spent the rest of the month in finding working parties in the forward area. September began unluckily, for at 4.30 a.m. on the 4th a German aeroplane, perhaps returning from a raid with some spare bombs and seeing the glow of the fires with which breakfasts were being cooked for an early start, dropped six bombs in the battalion's lines, killed 16 men and wounded 71. The month was devoted to very thorough training in an area behind the line. Detailed rehearsals of the forthcoming operations were performed on a training ground on which the battlefield had been laid out to scale, conspicuous features being labelled with their names. Plans were formed and practised for the assault and capture of all known German strong points in the line of attack. Sand models of the terrain were also made and inspected by all ranks, who became act-perfect in their parts. On 1st October the battalion moved forward to Dirty Bucket Camp, Brandhoek. Next day battalion headquarters, "W" and "X" Companies advanced to the canal bank north of Ypres, "Y" Company going to Murat Shelters near Brielen. During the night of 2nd/3rd October, "W" and "X" Companies relieved the 9th West Yorkshire Regiment and the 6th York and Lancaster Regiment in the line south-west of Poelcappelle, with "Y" Company in support at Maison Bulgare (St-Julien), just east of the Hanebeek stream. Battalion headquarters went to Bulow Farm, south-east of Langemarck, and "Z" Company stepped up to Murat Shelters (Langamark).
The front line at this time was about five hundred yards farther forward than when the 9th Battalion left it on 17th August. The final objective for the attack on 4th October was a line running south-south-east from Poelcappelle, the 9th Battalion's left boundary being at Gloster Farm, five hundred yards from the outskirts of the village, and its right at Terrier Farm, giving it a frontage of four hundred and fifty yards. Its first objective—the "Dotted Red Line"—was a road turning south-east from the St.Julien-Poelcappelle road about seven hundred yards from the latter village and the same distance from the starting line.
Late on 2nd October the forming-up lines were marked out with string about one hundred yards east of the Stroombeek stream and the same distance behind the front line, and were reconnoitred by the company commanders, who also looked over the ground of which they already knew the features so well. The following day was quiet, except for frequent shelling of the back areas. Shortly after dusk Second-Lieutenant C. H. Brewer, with Serjeant J. Blackledge and the battalion scouts, replaced the strings at the forming-up places by white tape and marked the boundary between the leading companies in the same way. Patrols were sent out by the forward companies to prevent the enemy observing that anything out of the ordinary was happening near the front line. One such patrol met a German patrol, of which they killed three men and took one prisoner. The plan for the attack was for "X" Company (Lieutenant J. C. B. Harris) on the right and "W" Company (Lieutenant C. F. Melling, M.C.) on the left to carry out the assault, with "Y" Company (Captain A. Parke) in support and "Z" (Captain A. B. Rowlerson) in reserve. Specific platoons and sections were detailed to capture all known strong points.
"W" and "X" Companies began at 3.15 a.m. to evacuate their front line in order to take their places on the forming-up tapes, leaving only a small covering party in each post which was in turn withdrawn a quarter of an hour before zero. By 4.45 a.m. the whole battalion was in position without incident, except in the case of "Z" Company, one of whose platoons lost a large proportion of its strength through one shell which landed in its midst on the way up from the canal. The troops, once in position, lay hidden in shell holes until zero. At 5.30 a.m. the Germans sent over a light barrage. Most of it fell behind the assembly positions and did no harm, though shortly before zero Parke and Second-Lieutenant T. Harper were wounded, but remained on duty and led their men to the attack. Zero was at 6 a.m., when the creeping barrage opened satisfactorily except for a few shells which fell short. Four trench-mortars did very useful work on various points and dealt successfully with numbers of Germans in shell holes. The answering barrage from the enemy's guns was not slow in coming, both sides of the Stroombeek receiving attention. But the majority of the battalion's casualties were due to machine-gun fire. The medical officer (Captain R. H. Spittal) and the chaplain (Reverend S. F. Clarke) were killed shortly after zero.
The first objective—the "Dotted Red Line"—was successfully captured, but not without some losses. Two company commanders had been wounded, Parke and Melling, the former for the second time that day ; and Harper, who had also been wounded, was killed. As Parke came past battalion headquarters on his way to hospital, the Commanding Officer, Major J. Milnes, came out to ask him for information as to the progress of the attack, and was himself badly hit. Nevertheless he insisted on carrying on until the final objective was taken, when he handed over command to the adjutant, Lieutenant G. H. Pemberton.
While the troops waited on the "Dotted Red Line" for the barrage to move forward towards the final objective, the enemy were seen massing near Terrier Farm as if for a counter-attack. But they dispersed as soon as the barrage approached them ; and the second stage of the advance was carried out in perfect order and with little opposition, thanks to the help of four tanks, except at Gloster Farm. Here the Germans put up resistance, but when a trench mortar had been sent for and brought into action against them they were soon ejected. Nine machine guns and a considerable number of prisoners were taken during this phase and many German dead were seen on the captured ground.
By about 12 noon the final objective was in British hands. But ten officers, including the commanding officer, the signalling officer and all four company commanders, had become casualties. Brewer, the intelligence officer, going forward at 11 a.m. to find a place for battalion headquarters near the "Dotted Red Line," disappeared completely and it had to be presumed that he was the victim of a direct hit by a German shell. The task of consolidation was begun at once. "W" and "X" Companies each dug themselves in in a line of shell holes about eighty yards in front of the objective, and gradually linked them up to form posts. In rear of this line, "Y" Company made another line of posts, while "Z" dug yet a third in rear again. Pemberton, now in command, moved his headquarters to within three hundred yards of the front line and was active in personally supervising the work of consolidation. Once again the tanks helped, by bringing up Lewis guns and ammunition to the forward positions. Patrols were sent" forward under cover of a protective barrage in order to clear the ground in front of the new posts. They had orders to occupy Beek Houses, about three hundred yards beyond the objective. But though these appeared to be empty when they advanced, they were unable to reach them owing to the barrage ; and when the latter lifted, the place was seen to have been reoccupied by the Germans in such strength as to make its seizure by patrols out of the question.
The new line was twice counter-attacked during the day. At 4.30 p.m. the Germans advanced against both its flanks. But thanks to the hard work put in by "W" and "X" Companies, tired though they were, as soon as they had reached their objective, the attackers were driven off. A second attack, delivered against the battalion on the left and the left flank of "W" Company, met with the same fate. The night passed in comparative quiet. Early next morning, Captain J. F. T. Ward-McQuaid, who had just returned from a course at the Senior Officers' School at Aldershot, came up from the transport lines and took over the command from Pemberton who, although a Sandhurst cadet twelve months before, had shown the greatest initiative, gallantry and organizing ability in an emergency. This very able young officer was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Captain A. Parke received the Military Cross, as did the transport officer, Lieutenant H. Pollitt, who brought the rations forward each night and, on one occasion when the ration party was dispersed by enemy fire, personally superintended the delivery of food to each company. Bars to the Military Medal were awarded to Serjeant J. Blackledge, Serjeant G. F. Stacey and Private F. Radford; while the Medal itself was received by Serjeants J. A. Smithson, J. Sockett and H. Wood, Lance-Serjeant G. Jeffs, Corporal J. Phillingham, and Privates R. Ashworth, T. W. Briggs, J. Feeney, J. Gardiner, W. Hammond, W. IUingworth, F. Liddiard, M. Lyons, H. G. Macklen, T. Morgan, A. Rennison, C. Tandy and W. S. Worthington. The casualties had been 4 officers and 15 other ranks killed, 8 officers and 140 other ranks wounded, and 1 officer and 53 men missing. Most of the latter proved to have been wounded and evacuated to hospital through the aid posts of other units.
During the night of 5th/6th October the battalion was relieved by the 5th Dorsetshire Regiment. Pemberton went out under heavy fire to the advanced posts and helped to collect the men and to withdraw them in safety. Few casualties were suffered as the unit made its way to brigade reserve west of the Steenbeek.
Bron: The history of the Lancashire Fusiliers 1914-1918 Vol.II; door Latter J.
