The 1st 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 Glamorgan, it became the 10th (Service) Battalion of the local regiment, the South Wales Borderers ('10th SWB'). It served in 38th (Welsh) Division and took part in 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 and the final Hundred Days Offensive.

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. 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 in 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), which soon constituted the Fifth New Army (K5). 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 WNEC was formed to seek permission to form a complete Welsh Army Corps of two divisions. The WO accepted the proposal on 10 October and enrolment began. The '1st Gwent' battalion began recruiting at Ebbw Vale and Cwm, then at Abercarn, Abertillery, Crumlin, Newport, Pontnewydd and Tredegar, many of the men being coal miners and iron workers. Sir Hamar Greenwood, MP, a political associate of Lloyd George and a former officer in the 4th (Royal Montgomeryshire Militia) Battalion, South Wales Borderers, was appointed the unit's first commanding officer (CO) with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. His second-in-command was Major W.H. Pitten, formerly of the Welsh Divisional Army Service Corps of the Territorial Force (TF) and a coopted member of the Monmouthshire TF Association.Frederick, pp. 293–4.James, p. 69.South Wales Borderers at Long, Long Trail.Atkinson, pp. 69–71Munby, pp. 1, 4.Renshaw, pp. 47–8.SWB at COs of World War I.

The recruits were assembled at the regimental depot of the South Wales Borderers (SWB) at Brecon, and by 4 December the 1st Gwent, now the 10th (Service) Battalion, SWB, was 320 strong. By the end of 1914 when it went to Colwyn Bay for training it was already 600 strong and batches of recruits continued to come in. By March 1915 it was well over its establishment strength and was able to form 'E' Company as a depot and draft-finding company. At Colwyn Bay the battalion 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), 11th (S) Bn, SWB (2nd 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 scaled back to this single division.Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 81–8; Appendix 2.Munby, pp. xv, 5.38th Division at Long, Long Trail.War Office Instruction No 96 of 10 April 1915.

Training The rush of Kitchener recruits had overwhelmed the Army's ability to absorb them, so the Pals battalions of 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. 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 Hursley Park in July, later moving to Hazeley Down Camp. The division trained for open warfare on the Hampshire downland, leaving trench warfare to be learned when the troops reached the theatre of war. It was not until November that enough rifles arrived for all the men to undertake their musketry course. 38th (W) Division was now warned for service on the Western Front. On 3 December 10th SWB under Lt-Col Greenwood 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 Quernes.Atkinson, pp. 175–8.Munby, pp. 11–4.

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 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 after 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 Quernes, 10th SWB was ordered up with the rest of 38th (W) Division to Saint-Venant, where it was in reserve for XI Corps. 10th SWB was billeted at Robecq and parties were attached to the Guards Division for their introduction to the front line. The battalion suffered its first casualties: two men wounded. It completed its training at Robecq and from mid-January 1916 it began a long sequence of tours of duty in the trenches between the La Bassée Canal and Fauquissart, 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. 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, 10th SWB's casualties amounted to 2 officers and 37 other ranks (ORs) killed, 2 officers and 106 ORs wounded.Atkinson, pp. 228–30.Munby, p. 15. Lt-Col Greenwood left the battalion in April, being recalled to London to a post at the WO where he later served under Lloyd George. Lieutenant-Col Sidney Wilkinson, DSO, of the West Yorkshire Regiment was transferred from command of the divisional pioneers, 19th Welch Regiment, to take over 10th SWB.

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 38th (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 10th SWB in reserve in Montauban Alley. After the initial attack was held up by machine gun fire, another attempt was ordered for 11.15 after a half-hour bombardment of the eastern edge of the wood by heavy artillery. Brigadier-General H.J. Evans of 115th Bde summoned Lt-Col Wilkinson and ordered him to send up two companies of 10th SWB, supported by the other two. Wilkinson was ordered to press home the attack 'with vigour'. Heavy rain set in, and 10th SWB's progress to the front line was slow. It eventually attacked, with Wilkinson personally leading the second wave, but gained nothing, the Hammerhead remaining out of reach. Wilkinson fell wounded. A third attack at 15.15 after a fresh artillery bombardment achieved nothing. 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. 10th SWB's casualties had been relatively low: 2 ORs killed and about 30 wounded, but Lt-Col Wilkinson died of his wounds. The second-in-command, Maj Charles Harvey, was promoted to take over the command from him.Atkinson, pp. 242–4.Miles, 1916, Vol II, pp. 1–4, 31–2, Sketch 8.Renshaw, pp. 44–5, 58–68, 169, Map 9.