The Battle of the Somme

[Jim Roper]

My uncle Bill would have been sent to the Somme but he put a ten bob note in his pocket when he joined up and gave it to draft sergeant who was getting together a list of cavalry troopers to go to Egypt. Uncle Bill reckoned it was the best ten bob he ever spent in his life.

 

The Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry carried out the last cavalry charge by a single regiment from Britain, in the Western Desert in 1916. Uncle Bill was late getting there and it was all over when he arrived.

 

This might bore you:

 

Trooper Mark Ward wrote in his book, Dear Mother:

 

“He (Colonel Souter) told them (the Yeomen) how he wished he was back in India with some real soldiers, who were smart and efficient, not like the bunch of slack-twisted scroungers, the dregs of the Dorset farm-yards which he had the misfortune to command, and that nothing, no nothing, would restore their honour, unless they made a cavalry charge. They would make that charge and he would lead them and restore their tarnished reputation. All this was passed down to the rank and file through the N.C.O.s, with the addition of some choice adjectives.

 

However, by the next day he was his genial self again, but the idea of the charge was still in his mind.

 

The night before the battle he called us together, and gave a talk saying that given the opportunity he would lead us in a cavalry charge and finished with the remark; "There are over 200 of us and only 1500 of them with a few machine-guns, surely we can beat a bunch of scallywags like that".”

 

From the Dorset Yeomanry Records:

 

At dawn on February 26th the Dorsets were out reconnoitring, and found the low hills, from which the bivouac was shelled the previous evening, vacated. The Air Force, however, located the enemy in their old camp at Agagia. Leaving a small detachment to guard the bivouac, Lukin, at 9.30 a.m., set out. The Dorsets and two armoured cars were on the right, the Infantry and two armoured cars in the centre, the Bucks Squadron and two armoured cars on the left.

 

By 10.15 a.m. The Dorsets were in occupation of a hill 4,000 yards north of the enemy’s position, and the 3rd S.A. Infantry deployed for the attack over a front of 1,700 yards. Three-quarters of an hour later, as the attack developed, the enemy attempted an outflanking movement on Lukin’s right, which was promptly met by a company from the reserve. The firing line was now within 500 yards of the enemy’s position, the reserves were thrown into the fight, the Bucks Squadron was withdrawn from the left flank, and sent to support the Dorsets, and Lukin warned Souter to be ready for cavalry action. The enemy was evacuating his position, and the rest of the story may be told in the words of Colonel Souter’s report :-

“About 1 p.m. I received a message from the G.O.C. [Lukin] saying that he wished me to pursue and cut off the enemy, if possible. It was my intention to let the enemy get clear of the sandhills, where there might have been wire or trenches, and then to attack him in the open. I therefore pursued on a line parallel to, and about 1,000 yards west of, the line of retreat, attacking with dismounted fire whenever the horses wanted an easy. About 2 p.m. I saw for the first time the whole retreating force extend for about a mile, with a depth of 300 to 400 yards. In front were the camels and baggage, escorted by irregulars, with their proper fighting force (Mahafizia) and Maxims forming their rear and flank guards. I decided to attack mounted. About 3 p.m. I dismounted for the last time, to give my horses a breather, and to make a careful examination of the ground over which I was about to move. By this time the Dorset Regiment was complete, and as the squadron of the Bucks had gone on ahead, and could not be found, I attacked with the Dorsets alone. The attack was made in two lines, the horses galloping steadily, and well in hand. Three Maxims were brought into action against us. But the men were splendidly led by their squadron and troop leaders [“A” Squadron - Capt. G. Dammers ; “B” Squadron - Major Reeves ; “C” Squadron - Capt. R. Gordon], and their behaviour was admirable. About fifty yards from the position I gave the order to charge, and with one yell the Dorsets hurled themselves upon the enemy, who immediately broke. In the middle of the enemy’s lines my horse was killed under me, and, by a curious chance, his dying strides brought me to the ground within a few yards of the Senussi General, Gaafar Pasha.”

 

 

 

Lieut. J.H. Blaksley, in describing the day’s Proceedings, says :- “You must imagine a slightly undulating plain, of firm sand, with low tufts of scrub, six or eight inches high. In front of us were some low sandhills of broken country, and this was where the Senussi had made their camp. . . . By this time [3.30 p.m.] The Senussi must have been seven miles from the sandhills, where they were in the morning. . . We could hear nothing of our own guns, and three out of four of our armoured cars, which had done useful work in the morning, had by this time stuck in the sandhills. .

 

“During the day we had been firing at 900 or 1,000 yards : at 3.30 p.m. Our range was 1,200. The Dorsets were together except one troop. We probably numbered about 180. The Bucks Squadron was not with us. Then the led horses were whistled up ; we were ordered to ‘mount’ and ‘form line’. Then, and not till then, we knew what was coming. Imagine a perfectly flat plain of firm sand without a vestige of cover, and in front of us a slight ridge ; behind this and facing us were three machine-guns and at least 500 men with rifles. You might well think it madness to send 180 yeomen riding at this. The Senussi, too, are full of pluck and handy with their machine-guns and rifles, but they are not what we should call first-class shots, otherwise I do not see how we could have done it. We were spread out in two ranks, eight yards roughly between each man of the front rank and four yards between the second. This was how we galloped for well over half-a-mile straight into their fire. The amazing thing is that when we reached them not one in ten were down. At first they fired very fast and you saw the bullets knocking up the sand in front of you, as the machine-guns popped them out, but as we kept getting closer they began to lose their nerve (I expect) and forgot to lower their sights. Anyhow, the bullets began going over us, and we saw them firing wildly and begin to run ; but some of them - I expect the Turkish officers - kept the machine-guns playing on us. We were within 30 yards of the line when down came my mare. She was, I think, the nicest I have ever ridden - a well-known hunter in the Blackmore Vale - and in spite of want of food and water she was bounding along without the least sign of fear, as though she had left the stable. Down she fell, stone dead, fortunately, as I saw next morning, with a bullet straight through her heart. The line swept past me and I was almost alone, but the next moment I saw a spare horse. I snatched it and galloped on after my troop, but within 100 yards down he fell like the mare. Then I had a very narrow escape. The second horse was not quite dead, and was plunging ; it took a moment to get clear of him on the ground. I had hardly done so when I saw a Senussi aiming his rifle at about 20 yards. I at once let fly with my revolver and over he rolled, but still on the ground he tried to get a shot at me, so I sent another shot after the first and that settled him. There was no other horse to get and I was alone. Then a strange thing happened. Six or seven men had, I supposed, recognised me as an officer ; anyhow, they rushed up to me and, in abject terror, began begging me for their lives. I saw they were men of consequence, but that was all I knew ; the chief one was covered with blood, with a sword-thrust through his arm. I stood over them as best I could with my revolver, and signed to them that if they stopped their men from shooting at me I would not shoot them. A few seconds later I remember seeing a Senussi shooting one of our wounded (they always do that). He was 50 yards of and I let fly with my revolver, but missed. Meanwhile the wounded officer had literally knelt down and tried to kiss my hand, begging for his life. Just then I saw Colonel Souter, who (like myself) had had his horse shot, and who had been momentarily stunned in the fall, and at the same time I heard cries of ‘Gafaar!’, and saw a few Senussi running towards me. I fired off a few shots - I do not know whether I hit or not - and Colonel Souter then rushed up and put his revolver straight in Gafaar’s face - for the wounded officer was none other than he - and then began firing with me at the men who were coming on to rescue him. Gafaar was so terrified that he himself waved them back, and then with some difficulty Colonel Souter was able to get hold of a horse to put him on and send him off with some other officers, who were his staff, under an escort to the rear. It would be difficult to describe what was going on in the meantime just behind us - such a scene of terror as it is quite impossible to imagine. The Senussi were running in all directions, shrieking and yelling and throwing away their arms and belongings ; the Yeomen after them, sticking them through the backs and slashing right and left with their swords. The whole thing was a marvellous instance of the awful terror inspired by galloping horses and steel. Some stood their ground, and by dodging the swords, and shooting at two or three yards’ range first our horses and then our men, accounted for most of our casualties ; but it would be difficult to exaggerate their complete loss of morale as a fighting force. Had Gafaar or any one of his wretched staff - all Turkish officers, not Senussi - had an ounce of courage left they could have shot Colonel Souter and me ten times over, put their wounded general on to one of the camels, which were not fifty yards away, and taken him off. But they were half mad with fear ; the horses’ hooves had been too much for them. Nuri [Pasha] was ridden down, whether killed or wounded or only knocked over we do not know ; but they got him away on a camel. This was the end of the day ; the infantry were far behind ; the guns had gone home. In the charge the Squadron I belong to, ‘B’ Squadron, was on the right, and my troop on the extreme right of the whole line ; so it happened that we came in for it more heavily than the left. Of the four officers in the Squadron two were killed and one wounded, and I was the fourth. I led seventeen men, ‘being my troop’, into the charge, of whom eleven were killed and one got back wounded ; only five were untouched. I had a bullet through my field-glasses, and another through the pocket of my tunic ; so my tunic is quite a relic, with the bullet hole on one side and old Gafaar’s blood on the other! Altogether you will see I have a lot to be thankful for in getting through untouched. Colonel Souter has fought in India and during the war in France and Gallipoli, and said he had never been in such a tight corner before. It would be difficult to speak too highly of his leadership throughout the day ; he did the whole thing himself, and at one time in the charge he rode 300 yards in front of our lines to see exactly whether we were going straight. The next day he saw Gafaar : instead of being broken and in fear of his life, he was then polite but rather contemptuous. Of the charge he said : ‘c’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas selon les règles’ ; then he added :'No one but British cavalry would have done it.'

 

Describing the action in a letter to General Peyton, Colonel Souter estimated that the charge had resulted in between 200 and 300 of the enemy being sabred. Gafaar himself said he thought about 300. He adds:-

“Gafaar was not ‘dazed’, he was in a state of pitiable howling funk, and so were his staff, who ought to have shot us. . . . After Newbold and his machine-gun men came up I ordered Gafaar to mount , but he and his staff were always looking back, obviously hoping help would come, and he said he couldn’t ride on account of his wound. Newbold and I personally mounted him and got him away. . . . Where all officers did so well, I think it fairest that my three squadron leaders, who did every thing I asked of them all day, and then led their squadrons so magnificently to the charge, should get the greater praise. Major Reeves, perhaps the best of them and my right-hand man, is dead. There remains Captain Gordon and Captain Dammers, both Dorset men, who have lived in Dorset for generations. It was a Dorset Yeomanry charge.”

The day cost the Dorsets some gallant lives. Major V.C.M. Reeves and Lieutenant J.C. Bengough, Gloucester Yeomanry (A.D.C. to General Peyton and attached to the regiment), fell in the preliminary Gallop ; 2nd Lieutenants C.H. Paulet, E. Middleton and C.B. Hope got through the enemy column and fell behind it ; twenty seven other ranks also fell. Major J.B.H. Gooden and 2nd lieut. O.C. Bryson and 24 other ranks were wounded. Eighty five horses were killed or missing. Such was the price paid by Dorset Yeomen for a feat of arm, which rang through the Empire and the fame of which should live in Dorset hearts and in cavalry annals for all time.

 

 

General Peyton in a letter describes aptly the effect the charge had on further operations :- “That charge, following the brilliant Infantry attack by the South African Infantry Brigade, settled the small campaign, and although we did not reap its fruits until some three weeks later, it was the battle of Agagia, in which the Dorset Yeomanry took so leading a part, which really sealed the fate of the combined Turks and Senussi who had contemplated an attack on Egypt and had for some months held a large British force in check. . . . For Dorsetshire, August 21st, 1915, and February 26th, 1916, should be anniversaries to remember in connection with their County Yeomanry. A more gallant and splendid lot of officers and men I can never hope to have under my command.”

 

"UNPARALLELED BRAVERY."

In the official communiqué in Cairo on February 28th, relating to the fight at Agagia, mention was made of "the brilliant and effective charge of the Dorset Yeomanry."

The following supplementary details are now to hand.

The British force which left Matru on the morning of February 20th had a long and trying march across the desert sands for five days before they were enabled to engage the enemy. It was in the morning of February 26th that they set out from Unreilah to attack him. The position of the enemy was, as already stated, a strong one. Nuri Bey had assembled his followers on a dominating ridge at Agagia, about 15 miles south-west of Barani. Somewhat in front of the main body Gaafar Pasha had established his machine-gunners. He had plenty of time to examine the ground and choose the most suitable and screened position for the three machine-guns which he had ready to meet the onslaught of the British. But he had never bargained for one thing - the "madness," as he termed it, of our Yeomanry. "never did I calculate," he said, "that your Yeomanry would do such an unwarlike thing as to charge my machine-guns. It was magnificent, but it was not war".

The Dorsets, well opened out, swept across the open towards Gaafer Pasha and his machine-guns. Concentrated fire was immediately brought to bear on the advancing troops, and Gaafer waited calmly to see them melt away and waver and retreat. But not so, the Dorsets. On they came like the wind, as if such a thing as a machine-gun did not exist. Men were falling, it is true, but not a head looked to the right or left to take stock of the loss. Nearer and nearer they came, and, as he spurred on his gunners, Gaafer stood amazed at the intrepidity of these British Yeomen. On they swept like an irresistible force, while the machine-guns ticked out their deadly missiles; but the enemies fire was becoming unsteady as the courage of the gunners ebbed before such fearless bravery. Still Gaafer Pasha looked for a waver in the British ranks, but in vain. The fire of his gunners became more and more unsteady as the Yeomanry got closer and closer. Then their hands seemed to become paralysed, and like a cyclone the Dorsets swept over them, and in the next minute Gaafer, with a sword cut across his arm, lay on the ground with his followers dead and wounded beside him.

It was a great charge, in the words of the Arab commander himself it was "Bravery unparalleled". "It was not war", he said, "but it was immense. In theory it should have failed; in practice it succeeded, and I am today a prisoner. Nobody in the world could stand against such an onslaught; against men who evinced such scant regard for death."

 

 

 

MAJOR V.C. REEVES was killed in the charge.

 

This was written in his memory.

___________

 

“That Knightly Spirit Still Lives On”

___________

The sun beats down on rock and sand,

The lizards dart from stone to stone,

The heat-haze flickers far inland,

To where he lies - but not alone.

 

The desert of her space unfold

In one lone spot his broken frame ;

But all her vastness scarcely holds

The rising floodtide of his fame.

 

The laughter in those eyes is spent ;

That wisdom, early won, is gone ;

But in our memories, unbent,

That knightly spirit still lives on.

 

UNJEILA,

March 6th, 1916.

[smudgertoo]

does anyone know what the Scottish lament was called that the music is from ? my grandfather was from Oban and an accomplished piper, this is one of the tunes that he used too play and even then at the age of 6/7 it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.