James HARTLEY (1)

THE WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT IN THE WAR 1914-1918, Vol. II, by Everard Wyrall

16th (Service) Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) (1st Bradford)

On the night of 26/02/17 the 16th W. Yorks marched into the Hebuterne front line sector. The Battalion had been detailed to carry out an attack on Rossignol Wood at 6.30 a.m. on 27/02/17. The attack was carried out on a 2 company front with the 2 remaining companies in support. The leading companies, as ordered, were clear of the line of posts which had been formed on the Gommecourt-Puisieux road by 6.30 a.m. The right company reached the southern edge of the wood and entered by the trenches. A desperate struggle now ensued. The wood was a maze of trenches, in fact a very strong system which stretched from Puisieux to Gommecourt. The trenches which the right company entered were subjected to very heavy enfilade machine-gun fire and very soon the whole of three platoons were killed or wounded. The fourth platoon, however, took cover in shell-holes just west of the wood and it remained there all day, rejoining its Battalion at night. The Company Commander and the Second-in Command were both missing, the platoon commanders were wounded, and one managed to crawl out of the wood when darkness had fallen and reported back to Battalion HQ at 10.00 p.m.

Meanwhile the left company had better luck. Having cleared the old German third line about 5.20 a.m., it deployed in No Man’s Land, and, preceded by scouts well in advance, reached the Puisieux-Gommecourt road without incurring heavy casualties. The Company Commander then sent out one platoon up towards Pioneer Graben to occupy the high ground in the neighbourhood. But on reaching the trench the platoon was counter-attacked and driven back towards the Crucifix. A bombing party was then sent forward and succeeded in killing one and wounding several of the Germans, driving the remainder back 150 yards. The bombers then established blocks in Moltke and Pioneer Graben and a bombing post at the junction of these two trenches. The remainder of he left company then advanced, several men entering Rossignol Wood, but the majority dug themselves in in Stump Alley and Pioneer Graben, south-west of the Crucifix. Two platoons from the reserve companies of the battalion were then sent forward and these assisted in consolidating the position won.

The left company was shelled all day (it had indeed been under fire continuously from about 6.00am) but gallantly held on to its position until relieved at night.

[James Hartley was killed on the 27th February 1917.]