This is the story of the last year of WW1 and the daily life and battles of the 6th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment. They fought numerous and often bloody actions and suffered the highest casualties of any year of the war. Of the 44 Officers and 757 Other Ranks killed during the entire war, 17 Officers and 359 Other Ranks were killed between January and November 1918.
Their first major action was the German Spring Offensive, which they fought resolutely, against overwhelming numbers of enemy troops and artillery. Five days of determined rear-guard fighting was halted just West of the River Ancre, 20 miles behind the original front line. There they consolidated and actively fought skirmishes on the front line culminating in the attack on Y Ravine at Beaumont Hamel in June. In August, the final push saw them attack Thiepval Ridge, Pozieres, Flers, Gauche Wood and on to Cambrai. The final major battle was at Neuvilly which lasted 10 days with the loss of 6 Officers and 81 Other Ranks. But the very last fight was in the Mormal Forest near Locquignol on 4th November 1918.
Whilst the brave men of the 6th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment are no longer with us, their experiences are captured on the pages of the war diaries, personal diaries and in the orders and operational reports; their hand-written notes still legible on the ‘dog-eared’ trench maps. This is their story, in their words.
Their first major action was the German Spring Offensive, which they fought resolutely, against overwhelming numbers of enemy troops and artillery. Five days of determined rear-guard fighting was halted just West of the River Ancre, 20 miles behind the original front line. There they consolidated and actively fought skirmishes on the front line culminating in the attack on Y Ravine at Beaumont Hamel in June. In August, the final push saw them attack Thiepval Ridge, Pozieres, Flers, Gauche Wood and on to Cambrai. The final major battle was at Neuvilly which lasted 10 days with the loss of 6 Officers and 81 Other Ranks. But the very last fight was in the Mormal Forest near Locquignol on 4th November 1918.
Whilst the brave men of the 6th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment are no longer with us, their experiences are captured on the pages of the war diaries, personal diaries and in the orders and operational reports; their hand-written notes still legible on the ‘dog-eared’ trench maps. This is their story, in their words.
My 18 year old Grandfather Herman Alfred Pike was a soldier in the 6th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment in 1918. This is a story of the exploits of his Battalion based upon his Service Record, Battalion War Diaries and Regimental documents. Between his arrival in Rouen, France on the 8th April 1918 to the last battle in the Mormal Forest on the 4th November 1918, he was involved in may bloody battles; 'Y' Ravine, Thiepval Ridge, Flers, Gauche Wood, Battle of the Selle and Battle of the Sambre. The book title is very appropriate to what he must have experienced. He was shot in the head on the 4th November, one week before the end of hostilities; but he survived. He was one of the lucky ones.
He received bullet fragments to his forehead, above the right eye, his nose and his right hand. To become fragmented, the bullet must have ricocheted and broken up. It may have struck a tree or stacked timber that he was taking cover behind or, if he was aiming his rifle, struck the breech. Given the nature of his wounds, this possibly occurred between 3 pm and 5 pm when the Dorsets were advancing towards Route de la Flaquette, North of Locquignol, where sniper, rifle and MG fire was reported to be heavy.
His first point of treatment was the Regimental Aid Post, located as close as possible to the front line of fighting, either as walking wounded or by stretcher. There, he would have been given an assessment and initial treatment by the Battalion Medical Officer. From there, the scheduled evacuation route to the Advanced Dressing Station at Englefontaine was down Rue Saint Hubert. Then he was taken by the 52nd Field Ambulance down the Le Cateau road to the Main Dressing Station located at the village of Forest and finally to 38 Casualty Clearing Station at Awoingt, just East of Cambrai. The Casualty Clearing Station was around the Chateau Noche, which itself was used as a hospital.
He received bullet fragments to his forehead, above the right eye, his nose and his right hand. To become fragmented, the bullet must have ricocheted and broken up. It may have struck a tree or stacked timber that he was taking cover behind or, if he was aiming his rifle, struck the breech. Given the nature of his wounds, this possibly occurred between 3 pm and 5 pm when the Dorsets were advancing towards Route de la Flaquette, North of Locquignol, where sniper, rifle and MG fire was reported to be heavy.
His first point of treatment was the Regimental Aid Post, located as close as possible to the front line of fighting, either as walking wounded or by stretcher. There, he would have been given an assessment and initial treatment by the Battalion Medical Officer. From there, the scheduled evacuation route to the Advanced Dressing Station at Englefontaine was down Rue Saint Hubert. Then he was taken by the 52nd Field Ambulance down the Le Cateau road to the Main Dressing Station located at the village of Forest and finally to 38 Casualty Clearing Station at Awoingt, just East of Cambrai. The Casualty Clearing Station was around the Chateau Noche, which itself was used as a hospital.
Whilst recently researching the WW1 diary of the 6th Dorsetshire Regiment I was amazed to find a document mentioning my Grandfather, 20652 Private Herman Alfred Pike. He had been responsible for delivering two prisoners to the Brigade Prisoners Cage as the attached Prisoner Receipt shows. His Battalion captured the stronghold of Quentin Redoubt near Gouzeaucourt, taking many prisoners. This is the only document pertaining to my Grandfather's war that I've found. Sergeant J.G. Andrews who signed for them was part of the Mounted Military Police, responsible for prisoner interrogation.