11th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers (2nd Gwent)

The 2nd Gwent Battalion was a Welsh 'Pals battalion' formed as part of 'Kitchener's Army' during World War I. Raised by local initiative in Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire, it became the 11th (Service) Battalion of the local regiment, the South Wales Borderers ('11th SWB'). It served in 38th (Welsh) Division and led the division's costly attack on Mametz Wood during the Battle of the Somme. The battalion continued to serve on the Western Front, including the Third Battle of Ypres. It was disbanded early in 1918, but many of its personnel remained together for a few weeks in a composite battalion that saw action at the Battle of Estaires in April 1918.

Recruitment

On 6 August 1914, less than 48 hours after Britain's declaration of war, Parliament sanctioned an increase of 500,000 men for the Regular British Army, and the newly appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward to form the 1st New Army ('K1'). A flood of volunteers poured into the recruiting offices across the country and were formed into 'Service' battalions of the county regiments and the 'first hundred thousand' were enlisted within days. This group of six divisions with supporting arms became known as Kitchener's First New Army, or 'K1'. K2, K3 and K4 followed shortly afterwards.War Office Instructions No 32 (6 August) and No 37 (7 August).Becke, Pt 3a, pp. 2 & 8.

However, these were soon joined by groups of men from particular localities or backgrounds who wished to serve together. Starting from London and Liverpool, the phenomenon of 'Pals battalions' quickly spread across the country, as local recruiting committees offered complete units to the War Office (WO). One such organisation was the 'Welsh National Executive Committee' (WNEC). On 28 September 1914 David Lloyd George addressed a meeting of representatives from all over Wales, at which the committee was formed to seek permission to form a complete Welsh Army Corps of two divisions. The WO accepted the WNEC's proposal on 10 October and enrolment began. The '1st Gwent' battalion began recruiting in November at Brecon, the regimental depot of the South Wales Borderers (SWB), and the 2nd Gwent on 5 December, when Major Herbert Porter, a retired officer of the Indian Army, was appointed as commanding officer (CO) of the 2nd Gwent with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. By then the SWB had already raised six service battalions for K1–K4, and volunteers were becoming harder to obtain. When the 2nd Gwent, now the 11th (Service) Battalion, SWB, moved to Old Colwyn on 9 January 1915 it was still only 100 strong. Recruiting continued in Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire, and particularly at Pengam, and it began to pick up, 180 men coming in on 19 January, allowing B Company to be formed. The battalion also obtained 100 Welsh recruits from Liverpool.Frederick, p. 294.James, p. 69.South Wales Borderers at Long, Long Trail.Atkinson, pp. 69–71Munby, pp. 1, 4.Renshaw, pp. 47–8.London Gazette, 15 January 1915.

Training The rush of Kitchener recruits had overwhelmed the Army's ability to absorb them, so the Pals Battalions of the Fifth New Army, 'K5' were left for some time in the hands of the recruiting committees. Until khaki cloth could be supplied, most of the men recruited by the WNEC were clothed in the grey Welsh cloth known as Brethyn Llwyd. At Old Colwyn the 11th SWB joined 130th (3rd Welsh) Brigade of 43rd Division (1st Division, Welsh Army Corps), serving alongside 17th (S) Bn, Royal Welsh Fusiliers (2nd North Welsh) (17th RWF), 10th (S) Bn, SWB (1st Gwent), and 16th (S) Bn, Welsh Regiment (Cardiff City). In April 1915 the Fourth New Army (K4) was converted into reserve units for K1–K3, and the K5 formations took over their numbers: thus 130th Bde became 115th Bde in 38th (Welsh) Division on 29 April; at the same time the over-ambitious plan for a complete Welsh Army Corps was abandoned. By now the 11th SWB had completed its fourth company and had obtained a number of former Regular Army men to serve as warrant officers. Battalion training and selection of specialists such as signallers was proceeding well. But with units scattered across North Wales there was no opportunity for divisional training. However, in the summer the division began to concentrate around Winchester, with 11th SWB joining at Hazeley Down in August. The division trained for open warfare on the Hampshire downland, leaving trench warfare to be learned when the troops reached the Western Front. It was not until November that enough rifles arrived for all the men to undertake their musketry course.Atkinson, pp. 175–8.Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 81–8; Appendix 2.Munby, p. xv.Munby, pp. 5, 11–3.38th Division at Long, Long Trail.War Office Instruction No 96 of 10 April 1915.

38th (W) Division was now warned for service on the Western Front. Lt-Col Porter was not fit for overseas service and was transferred to command the 14th (Reserve) Bn SWB. He was replaced as CO by Major J.R. Gaussen, from 3rd Skinner's Horse of the Indian Army. On 3 December 11 SWB left Hazeley Down for Southampton and crossed to Le Havre that night, landing the following day. It then went by train to join the divisional concentration at Aire on 6 December and marched to its training area at Witternesse.Munby, p. 14.

13th (Reserve) Battalion In July 1915 the depot ('E') companies of the 10th and 11th SWB moved to Coed Coch Camp near St Asaph to form 13th (Reserve) Battalion, SWB, as a local reserve battalion with the role of training reinforcements for the two service battalions. It was commanded by Lt-Col W.H. Pitten, previously second-in-command of 10th SWB. In September it moved to Kinmel Park Camp near Rhyl, where it joined 13th Reserve Brigade. It sent its first drafts overseas to the 10th and 11th SWB in January 1916 and continued to do so regularly, such that it did not complete its own fourth company until June, when the Derby Scheme brought in a surge in recruits. Previously, many of the recruits sent to the battalion were classed as labourers and were transferred to works battalions of the King's (Liverpool Regiment) and the Cheshire Regiment or to munitions work, 13th SWB forming its own Works Company to handle them. In May Lt-Col Pitten was replaced by Lt-Col J.A.F. Field from the Cheshire Regiment. On 1 September 1916 the Local Reserve battalions were transferred to the Training Reserve (TR) and 13th (R) Bn SWB became 59th Training Reserve Battalion, though the training staff retained their SWB cap badges. On 4 July 1917 it was redesignated 213th (Infantry) Battalion, TR, and on 1 November it was transferred to become 51st (Graduated ) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment in 194th (2/1st South Scottish) Brigade of 65th (2nd Lowland) Division at Curragh Camp in Ireland. It remained at the Curragh when 65th Division was disbanded in March 1918. After the Armistice with Germany it was converted into a service battalion on 6 February 1919 and was then absorbed into 1/4th Bn, Cheshire Regiment, on 28 March 1919.Atkinson, pp. 231–2.Training Reserve at Long, Long Trail.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 63–5.James, p. 66.

Service After two weeks at Witternesse, 11th SWB was ordered up with the rest of 38th (W) Division to Saint-Venant, where it was in reserve for XI Corps. 11th SWB was attached to 57th Bde of 19th (Western) Division for its introduction to the front line. From mid-January 1916 the battalion began a long sequence of tours of duty in the trenches between the La Bassée Canal and Fouquissart, at Festubert in February and March, or at Givenchy in April, alternating with spells in brigade or divisional reserve. The Festubert area was badly flooded and the line consisted of detached posts or 'islands', while Givenchy was more dangerous because the drier ground made mine warfare possible, and the enemy could fire a mine at any time. During this spell Lt-Col Gaussen acted as brigade commander. In May the battalion was in the Moated Grange sector just north of Neuve-Chapelle, where patrol actions in No man's land were common. During this period of trench warfare, 11th SWB's casualties amounted to 1 officer and 9 other ranks (ORs) killed, 6 officers and 87 ORs wounded.Atkinson, pp. 228–30.Munby, p. 15.

At this time the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was preparing for that summer's 'Big Push' on the Western Front (the Battle of the Somme). In June 38 (W) Division was withdrawn from the line and sent to a training area around Tincques and Villers-Brûlin. At the end of the month it began a long and tiring march south and on 3 July it arrived at Buire-sur-l'Ancre in XVII Corps' reserve.Miles, 1916, Vol II, p. 17.Munby, pp. 16–7.

Mametz Wood The Somme Offensive had begun on 1 July with a disastrous attack across a wide front. 38th (W) Division had been warned to accompany the cavalry in exploiting a breakthrough towards Bapaume. There was no breakthrough: instead the division was switched to the Mametz sector, where there had been some success. On 5 July it took over the front line and prepared to capture Mametz Wood. The initial attack on the south-east corner, the 'Hammerhead', was assigned to 115th Bde, which was to advance on 7 July across the valley on a frontage of two battalions, with 11th SWB on the left starting from Caterpillar Wood and Marlborough Copse and 16th Welsh on the right from the ridge above the valley. A French artillery groupe bombarded Mametz Wood with gas shell at 05.30, followed by the main British artillery bombardment at 08.00. The infantry advanced at 08.30. It was too windy to fire a smokescreen, but the brigade machine guns and trench mortars supported the movement. However, the troops ran into machine gun fire not only from the Hammerhead in front, but also in enfilade from two small woods, Flatiron Copse and Sabot Copse, further up the valley to the right, which should have been screened by smoke. After the initial attack was held up, two further attempts were made at 11.15 and 15.15 after fresh artillery bombardments and supported by 10th SWB. None of the infantry could get within of the Hammerhead, and were lying out in the valley under fire, tired out and wet through from the rain. 115th Brigade was not reorganised in time to take part in another attack by the neighbouring division at 20.00, and it was eventually ordered to withdraw to bivouacs. 11th SWB had suffered casualties of 13 officers and 177 ORs.Atkinson, pp. 242–4.Miles, 1916, Vol II, pp. 1–4, 31–2, Sketch 8.Renshaw, pp. 44–5, 58–68, Map 9.