Patrick PRIOR

HISTORY OF THE EAST LANCASHIRE REGIMENT IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 (Littlebury Bros. Ltd. 1936)

2nd Bn. East Lancashire Regiment

1916
The task set the 24th Brigade for July 7th was the capture of the village of Contalmaison, and at 4 p.m. on the 6th the battalion moved up to trenches. Lonely Copse was reached about 6:30 p.m.

The attack on Contalmaison, to be carried out by the 1st Worcestershire on the right, and the 2nd East Lancashire Regiment on the left, was timed to commence at 8:30 a.m., and at that hour the battalion moved forward. Shortly afterwards orders came to postpone the attack, as Pearl trench, from which the 1st Worcestershire was to advance, was still in the hands of the enemy; the battalion therefore had to be reassembled in its original position. By 10:15 a.m. the situation was clearer, and the two battalions advanced on Contalmaison . . . Some time between 11 a.m. and 12 noon Lieut.-Colonel Hill, when moving forward with ‘B’ Company, met Lieut.-Colonel Grogan (commanding 1st Worcestershire), and at the latter’s request placed ‘B’ Company at his disposal to assist the 1st Worcestershire to maintain its hold on Contalmaison . . .

In the meantime the remainder of the battalion had been held up south of Peake Wood by heavy machine-gun fire from that wood and Bailiff Wood. Artillery bombardment of these woods was asked for, but did not materialize; however, ‘B’ and part of ‘C’ Company worked round the east side of Peake Wood, and eventually got into touch with the 1st Worcestershire in the southern end of the village. At about 2:30 p.m. the brigades on the right and left of the 24th were driven back, with the result that Contal maison became untenable. Accordingly the 1st Worcestershire and the companies of the battalion that had reached Contalmaison were obliged to retire; the remainder of the battalion about Peake Wood was ordered to retire . . . By 4 p.m. the battalion, less two platoons which returned later, was assembled in or near Patch Alley.

The attack had failed, but failure under existing conditions was not to be wondered at. As previously stated, preliminary reconnaissance was impossible and the battalion was obliged to take up a position considerably in rear of that originally allotted to it. In addition, the ground over which the advance was made was a maze of old German trenches already full of men; and as a climax, a thunderstorm, accompanied by torrential rain, broke just as the advance began. Te result of this storm is thus described by an eye-witness: “The mud and filth in the trenches were indescribable; the trench along which we were moving was full of dead, both British and German, the wounded were propped against the parapets and I saw them slipping down into the slime – it was over our knees – and being choked in it.” . . .

Casualties during the period 6th to 12th amounted to: 2 officers killed and six wounded; 28 other ranks killed, 223 wounded, and 18 missing.

[Patrick Prior was killed in action on the 7th July.]