17th Londons at High Wood.

[Guest Russell.Gore@crawley.gov.uk]

Anyone out there have any info regarding 17th Londons Attack at High Wood on 15.09.16 ?,i have been researching into this matter for a number of years and now seem to have run out of avenues of research,War Diary very Brief,and there does not seem to be a lot of further mentions about the Battalion other than Terry Normans Book,any help on this matter would be very welcome.

Russell.

[Robert Dunlop]

Russell

I see what you mean. I am sure you will know this but the British Official History only mentions the 1/18th in the OOB:-

"In the first stage of the advance the 1/15th London had to clear the enemy from High Wood in conjunction on its left with the 1/17th London of the 141st Brigade which allotted the first objective to this battalion and the 1/18th London. The 1/20th and 1/19th London were then to go straight through."

The only descriptions of the infantry fighting in the Wood are:

"The infantry assault in the wood was checked by machine-gun fire almost at the outset, and no progress could be made in spite of the reckless bravery of officers and men. Whilst a confused struggle continued and losses grew heavy, part of the 1/8th London and the 1/20th and 1/19th London, advancing to attack the second objective at 7.20 am, began to crowd forward into the wood and join in the fight. After Lieut Colonel A P Hamilton, 1/19th London, had been mortally wounded in directing a fresh assault, Br-General McDouall decided to ask for a special bombardment of the wood. Strenuous efforts were made to reorganize the press of troops in readiness for another effort."

and:

"At 11.40 am, after the 140th Trench Mortar Battery had fired 750 Stokes mortar shells into High Wood - a hurricane bombardment which only occupied 15 minutes - the Germans began to surrender to bombing parties of the Londoners which worked forward round the flanks. Several hundred prisoners were collected, and six machine guns and two 10.5 cm howitzers were captured when resistance came to an end. The survivors of the 141st Brigade, scattered in trenches and shell-holes, were then reorganized as a composite battalion to hold the first objective. So High Wood, which had defied every British effort since the 14th July, fell at last to the 47th Division... The German batteries were shelling the captured ground with great fury, placing barrages on all approaches to the new forward positions."

Robert

[Charles Fair]

Russell - you have probably seen these already, but have you looked at:

1. the war diaries of 141 Bde, 47 Div HQ, 47 Div Artillery, 141 Bde Trench Mortar Battery etc. These may give some additional clues.

2. papers in the IWM, Liddle Collection in Leeds UL

3. Maude's history of the 47th Div

4. Trevor Pigeon's 'The Tanks at Flers' includes a detailed account of the use of tanks at High Wood

Unfortunately the war diaries of the battalions of 141 Bde are pretty thin because of the high number of officer casualties. I'm researching the 19th Londons who lost their CO and all 4 company commanders that day. There does seem to be a shortage of accounts from 47 Div men for that day.

Terry Norman's is still IMHO the best account so far produced of 47 Div at High Wood.

There are at least a couple of other members of the forum who are researching the 17th Londons who are bound to see this thread. I also know that there is book on the 1/17th due out in the next few months.

Charles