Loos help required

[Desmond7]

Evening - I've come across this newspaper account of a speech made by Maj. General Haldane to the 2nd Btn Royal Irish Rifles. The battalion are leaving his Division for another formation.

He praises the btn for their conduct in what I can only term a diversionary attack which was supposedly to draw enemy away from another sector of the line. Checked Long Long Trail and 'Loos' is the obvious overall action, but the excellent article is very much based on the actions at Loos itself. As I say the action described by General Haldane seems to be a relative side-issue. I'd love to know more. Anyone help me out with maps/pics etc?

Thanks again

Des

Army Corps Commander’s Praise

'Rifles make history'

THe following text is of Major General Haldane’s farewell to the 2nd Btn. Royal Irish Rifles on the occasion of their removal from his command:-

Reference is made in it to the recent advance and the part taken in it by the 2nd Rifles. It was during this glorious action that 2nd Lt. Gordon Caruth was killed and Lt. S. A. Bell was wounded.

General Haldane said: “I have just got the opportunity to say a few words to you before leaving. You are going to a more quiet part of the line and you will be under an Irish General there and perhaps he will understand you better than

I do.

“You have a splendid fighting record throughout the campaign, being complimented by Sir John French and General Smith Dorrien in corps orders. The fighting in this part of the line during the last few months has been very severe

and this battalion has made history.

“When the history of this campaign is written the name of the 2nd RIR will be written in large print. Your commanding officer, Colonel Weir, has been promoted to a brigade, due largely to the conduct of the battalion on 25th September. Your brigadier was ordered to hold the Germans in the Ypres Salient while the other coprs made the attack further south. You attacked the strongest position in the enemy’s line.

“We had not enough artillery ammunition in our line to give you more support. The result was that the Germans’ hidden machine guns and cleverly laid barbed wire traps were not demolished entirely. All the big gun ammunition was required further south.

“Your clever demonstration in front of this part of the line brought all the enemy’s reserves to this point, thereby facilitating the offensive towards Loos. In fact, the enemy were pepared to attack but were half an hour too late. On reading the rport, I found that the Royal Irish Rifles notwithstanding the enemy’s preparation, not only pierced the German lines but actually held their first line trenches for 24 hours, but on account of the corps on their flanks failing to achieve their object, the battalion was unfortunately obliged to retire to their own lines, having no one in support on their flanks.

“It was a splendid bit of work and proves that Irishmen will always get to the front no matter what obstacles are in their way. On that day you filled the German trenches with dead with that little weapon, the bayonet, which, when in an Irishman’s hand is filled with life itself.

“I am sorry to lose you but one has to bow to higher authority. I suppose you are sorry to say goodbye to this spot? (laughter) The heaviest fighting has always been here so if I ever find myself in difficulties I will always count on the

help of your battalion.”

In this fighting the 2nd Btn RIR lost 15 officers killed, wounded and missing with a large number of the men suffering similarly.

Ballymena Observer, October 15, 1915

[Desmond7]

I have now read all the way through Johnstone's 'Orange, Green and Khaki' for the Loos accounts and 2 RIR are not mentioned.

Does anyone have a history of 2RIR which contains description/explanation of this action?

Des

[Desmond7]

Loos was the main action - now I believe 2RIR are in Hooge diversionary attack?

Des - still hoping.

[jim_davies]

Hi Desmond,

Have you looked at this website:

http://members.tripod.com/rurmuseum/falls

About a quarter of the way down there's a section refering the the Loos fighting which begins:

"In these actions both the 1st and 2nd Battalions Royal Irish Rifles were engaged, the former comparatively near the main scene of action, at Bois Grenier, the latter on its old fighting-ground of Hooge and the Bellewaarde Lake. As we left the 2nd Battalion at Hooge, we may take its action first."

and continues with the 2 RIR involvement at during the Second Attack at Bellewarde.

Jim

[curranl]

Hi Des,

There is a good account of this action in Cyril Fall's "History of the first seven battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles". The scanner is dead at the moment, so I can't send it on to you, but could do it by fax or snail mail if you want to pm me. Scanner should be back next week, or someone else with a copy can do it for you. The account includes one map of the action.

Regards,

Liam.

[Desmond7]

Thanks to both -

Liam no hurry here, thanks for the scan offer.

Jim - cheers for that one. I was starting to chase my own tail on this one!

Des

[Jimmy Taylor]

Des,

I'm sending you an extract from the history of 2nd RIR that I hope to get published soon.

Jimmy.

[Desmond7]

Many thanks to Jim, Liam and Jimmy.

What the 'old contemptible battalions' went through in the early part of the war is incredible.

Like many people, I was most interested in the service/pals battalions when I started this project ... now I am equally fascinated by the 'regulars and reservists'!

Des