15th Scottish Div. - 50th Northumbrian

[Guest Juice]

Dear members,

Anyone aware of written descriptions (war diary, books, etc) of the capture of Martinpuich, September 15-16 1916 by the 15th Scottish Division as well as the attack by the 50th-Northumbrian around High Wood (if my information is correct )?

Any available digitally?

Regards,

Juice

[sandyford]

Juice

Not quite what you want but this is from the War Diary of the 6th Batt. Nbd. Fus. (50th Div.) There are about 30 pages of messages, instructions for this month. and the casualty list occupies 5 pages, most of the casualties being on the 15th Sept.

The action is covered in the 50th Divisional History - Everard Wyrall.

Kate

[sandyford]

While I was scanning the above extract for you I thought you might also like to see the following desperate message from 2nd Lt. Blyth Brooke, 13th Sept. 1916

And the answer 'Hold on.'

Kate

[Guest Juice]

Kate,

Thank you kindly.

Was that message actually typed in the trench or was it typed for regimental records aftwerward?

I cannot help but to imagine that poor 2nd Lieutenant typing a message while under shelling in a half-destroyed trench with dead comrades all around. It would have required quite a sense of coolness under pressure! No offense to the fellow, but it is almost a "Monty Python" scene...

Juice

[sandyford]

Juice

I don't know exactly the procedure about the messages.

There are pages of them in just this one month in the 6th Northumberland Fusiliers War Diary. But - I think that message is a superb because the feelings of the, no doubt very young, man come through so clearly. He probably thought, 'They didn't cover this in Officer Training Corps.'

And then just to be told 'Hold on.'

I wonder if the messages were sent by a field telephone/telegraph and taken down at Headquarters - or worse still, a runner!.

Perhaps we should ask about messages in a separate thread.

Kate