Dedicated To The Bravery And Loyalty Of The Men From The Tyneside Irish Brigade
The brigade
was brought up to war strength, and the equipment tables were completed by the 8th of
January 1916. All battalion advance parties were warned to be ready to go, and the first to leave was the party of the 26th Battalion on the 9th of January, making its way to Folkestone and taking with it all the battalion baggage and transport.
Those in command of the Tyneside Irish Battalions at the time of embarkation were as follows:
The 24th Battalion: Lieutenant-Colonel L . Meredith Howard, who had extensive service in the Boer War with the South African Forces and had joined the 3rd Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment; in 1914 he became Captain and Adjutant of the 15th Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment ( 1st Leeds ) prior to becoming Second in Command of the 24th Northumberland Fusiliers.
The 25th Battalion: Lieutenant-Colonel K . Beresford who was born in Limerick and was commissioned into the Royal Irish Rifles in 1883, serving for twenty eight years, before retirement in 1911.
The 26th Battalion: Lieutenant-Colonel M.E Richardson DSO, who joined the 20th Hussars in May 1900 and served during the Boer War. At the outset of the Great War he was serving with The Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry as Adjutant. Rejoining his regiment, he went to France in command of a squadron, serving at Mons, the Marne and the Aisne, being twice mentioned in Despatches.
The 27th Battalion: Lieutenant-Colonel G.R.V Steward DSO, who enlisted into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1899 and served during the South African War being present at the relief of Ladysmith. In 1914 he went to France with the 2nd Battalion of his Regiment, seeing action at Mons, the Marne, the Aisne and was awarded the DSO at Ypres, before being severely wounded at Festubert on 16th May 1915.
Command of the 103rd Tyneside Irish Brigade had passed to Brigadier-General N.J.G Cameron, late Cameron Highlanders, who had served with the Nile Expedition in 1898 being mentioned in Despatches. He served throughout the Boer War and was agin mentioned in Despatches before going to France in August 1914 where he was wounded at Aisne on 14th September 1914.
On the 11th of January 1916 the 24th and 25th Tyneside Irish travelled from Southampton to Le Havre. On the 10th of January the 26th and 27th travelled from Folkestone to Boulogne. On disembarkation, battalions went to rest camps near the port and remained there overnight. One can only imagine what some of these men felt like, when most of them had never been outside their home towns. There must have also been those who missed their loved ones and wondered if they would ever see them again.
After the night at the rest camps, the battalions marched at different times to the railhead, where they entrained for St Omer. They travelled in the famous cattle trucks bearing the sign ' 40 men or 8 horses ' On arrival at St Omer the Tyneside Irish Brigade was given instructions to move to Blendeques where on arrival they detrained and marched to billets in various villages. The 24th went to Esquerdes, the 25th A and B to Hallines, C and D to Wizernes, the 26th to Wizernes and the 27th to Quiestede. The Brigade set about getting into a routine and training was the order of the day with route marches, musketry and lots of inspections. Battalion specialists such as signallers, scouts, snipers and bombers all began intensive training, with men being sent on courses of instruction to the 23rd Divisional School.
The 25th Battalion: Lieutenant-Colonel K . Beresford who was born in Limerick and was commissioned into the Royal Irish Rifles in 1883, serving for twenty eight years, before retirement in 1911.
The 26th Battalion: Lieutenant-Colonel M.E Richardson DSO, who joined the 20th Hussars in May 1900 and served during the Boer War. At the outset of the Great War he was serving with The Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry as Adjutant. Rejoining his regiment, he went to France in command of a squadron, serving at Mons, the Marne and the Aisne, being twice mentioned in Despatches.
The 27th Battalion: Lieutenant-Colonel G.R.V Steward DSO, who enlisted into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1899 and served during the South African War being present at the relief of Ladysmith. In 1914 he went to France with the 2nd Battalion of his Regiment, seeing action at Mons, the Marne, the Aisne and was awarded the DSO at Ypres, before being severely wounded at Festubert on 16th May 1915.
Command of the 103rd Tyneside Irish Brigade had passed to Brigadier-General N.J.G Cameron, late Cameron Highlanders, who had served with the Nile Expedition in 1898 being mentioned in Despatches. He served throughout the Boer War and was agin mentioned in Despatches before going to France in August 1914 where he was wounded at Aisne on 14th September 1914.
On the 11th of January 1916 the 24th and 25th Tyneside Irish travelled from Southampton to Le Havre. On the 10th of January the 26th and 27th travelled from Folkestone to Boulogne. On disembarkation, battalions went to rest camps near the port and remained there overnight. One can only imagine what some of these men felt like, when most of them had never been outside their home towns. There must have also been those who missed their loved ones and wondered if they would ever see them again.
After the night at the rest camps, the battalions marched at different times to the railhead, where they entrained for St Omer. They travelled in the famous cattle trucks bearing the sign ' 40 men or 8 horses ' On arrival at St Omer the Tyneside Irish Brigade was given instructions to move to Blendeques where on arrival they detrained and marched to billets in various villages. The 24th went to Esquerdes, the 25th A and B to Hallines, C and D to Wizernes, the 26th to Wizernes and the 27th to Quiestede. The Brigade set about getting into a routine and training was the order of the day with route marches, musketry and lots of inspections. Battalion specialists such as signallers, scouts, snipers and bombers all began intensive training, with men being sent on courses of instruction to the 23rd Divisional School.
first experience in the trenches
By the end of the first week of February the battalions were considered ready for the trenches, and were to be attached to other experienced units for instruction. The 24th was to be attached to 24 Brigade. This was a regular formation that had been transferred to the 23rd Division from the 8th Division. The Companies were alloted as follows: A company were attached to 1st Sherwood Foresters, B Company were attached to 2nd East Lancashire Regiment, C Company were attached to 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment and D Company to 1st Worcestershire Regiment.
C and D Companies moved off at 9.00am and marched to Rue Marie where they went into billets. A and B Companies did not move off until 4.30pm and went straight into the trenches. On the 12th A and Compaanies were relieved by C and D Companies. The next day the battalion had its first casualty when Lieutenant Short of C Company was wounded during a trench-mortar barrage. That night the two companies returned to billets.
On the 14th of the month the Battalion relieved the 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment, in the line, with A,B and C Companies in the line and D Company in support in the Bois Grenier line. The 25th Battalion was attached to 68 Brigade of the 23rd Division, with the companies attached to the various battalions of that Brigade.
During the occupation of the trenches by A and B Companies on the 12th of January, the enemy heavily shelled the Bois Grenier line, resulting in the death of 25/1102 private Joseph March of Teresa Street, in Blaydon, County Durham, and the wounding of 4 other men.
C and D Companies moved off at 9.00am and marched to Rue Marie where they went into billets. A and B Companies did not move off until 4.30pm and went straight into the trenches. On the 12th A and Compaanies were relieved by C and D Companies. The next day the battalion had its first casualty when Lieutenant Short of C Company was wounded during a trench-mortar barrage. That night the two companies returned to billets.
On the 14th of the month the Battalion relieved the 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment, in the line, with A,B and C Companies in the line and D Company in support in the Bois Grenier line. The 25th Battalion was attached to 68 Brigade of the 23rd Division, with the companies attached to the various battalions of that Brigade.
During the occupation of the trenches by A and B Companies on the 12th of January, the enemy heavily shelled the Bois Grenier line, resulting in the death of 25/1102 private Joseph March of Teresa Street, in Blaydon, County Durham, and the wounding of 4 other men.
Troops in the trenches, Bois Grenier sector. Above, an interesting study of life in the front line. One man looks over the trench with a trench periscope, whilst another on the firing step seems to be taking the risk of getting a bullet through his head. A Lewis gunner, waits eagerly to hear what is happening on the German side of No-Mans-Land. Right, Bois Grenier sector troops waiting in what appears to be a communication trench., possibly a working party. In the case of a lot of men from the Tyneside Irish it would have been mine shaft in exchange for trenches. Both were miserable places but knowing the Irish they would have just got on with it.
The 26th Battalion Tyneside Irish received its baptism of trench warfare under the guidance of the 2nd Rifle Brigade and the 2nd Lincolnshire Regiment of the 8th Division, with A and B Companies going into the trenches on the 10th of February. Two days later on the 12th, C and D Companies replaced the other two companies. It was about now that the 103 Light Trench Mortar Battery was formed, with the personnel found from all four battlaions of the Brigade and the War Diary of the 26th records that Second Lieutenant Brown and 12 other ranks were transferred to the new unit. The battery was commanded by Cpatain D H James from the 24th Battalion.
The Brigade Light Trench Mortar was not very popular with some of those who served in the front line. The unit would often set up in a bay immediately behind the front line and let ' Fritz ' have a few shells. The unit would then retire to safety but would leave the poor infantry in the line to receive the reply from the Germans.
On the 17th February the 26th took over the line as a battalion for the first time, relieving the 25th Battalion. Patrols were sent out to inspect the wire and work commenced repairing the damaged trenches. One officer would write home describing trench routine to his Fiancee, the officer was Lieutenant Lance Shackleton.
" The parapets which have been blown down have to be repaired. Just at dawn we stand-to again and we go round while rum is issued to everyone. After stand-down the bays are cleaned up and the men get breakfast. Then comes the foot inspection. The men romove their boots and socks and rub their feet with grease. Then their rifles are cleaned and inspected. This goes on for four days and then we wait for our relief to take over "
The Brigade Light Trench Mortar was not very popular with some of those who served in the front line. The unit would often set up in a bay immediately behind the front line and let ' Fritz ' have a few shells. The unit would then retire to safety but would leave the poor infantry in the line to receive the reply from the Germans.
On the 17th February the 26th took over the line as a battalion for the first time, relieving the 25th Battalion. Patrols were sent out to inspect the wire and work commenced repairing the damaged trenches. One officer would write home describing trench routine to his Fiancee, the officer was Lieutenant Lance Shackleton.
" The parapets which have been blown down have to be repaired. Just at dawn we stand-to again and we go round while rum is issued to everyone. After stand-down the bays are cleaned up and the men get breakfast. Then comes the foot inspection. The men romove their boots and socks and rub their feet with grease. Then their rifles are cleaned and inspected. This goes on for four days and then we wait for our relief to take over "
