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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Baird on Monday 03 February 14 10:12 GMT (UK)
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As my contribution to the 1914 centenary I have transcribed the Battalion War Diary of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders from the commencement of the War up to October 1916 . I have added all known casualties with Grave or panel references . I can forward info to anyone interested.
Baird
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well done you !
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Thank you Baird for your kind offer, I would be very interested, I have a Cpl John Ross in the 2nd battalion 4th div, he was a casualty but died October 1817 later than your list . Nikiitah.
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Hello Nikitah,
Corporal 241337 John Ross was killed 4th October 1917, the first day of what was called the 3rd Battle of Ypres.
There is a large entry in the diary as the 2nd were the assault battalion for the Division and suffered heavily that day. Total casualties for the month were 457.
I'll transcribe the diary entry and if you send me a pm with your e mail address I'll forward it when I've got it transcribed.
"Cuidich'n Righ"
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"The Battalion formed up for attack by zero -1 hour on correct alignment in touch with 1st Hampshire on right and R Dublin Fusiliers on left. Coys were closed up to total depth of 120 yards to get clear of EAGLE trench which would have broken formations. Two leading platoons of each assaulting coy carried trench boards in cue of difficulty being found in crossing water and marsh between starting point and KANGAROO trench and LAUDETBEEK. Platoons were to advance in succession under cover of the creeping barrage at correct distances of 100yards between platoons and 150 yards between coys with moppers coy HQs 50 yards in rear of the platoon of each coy.
At zero hour (6 am) leading platoons advanced into barrage, but found great difficulty in keeping alignment owin to water forcing them to follow best ground or the marsh. This caused confusion and resulted in formation of assaulting coys being lost, especially on left where the leading wave walked into our own barrage. KANGAROO trench was reached without coys, platoons being able to disentangle themselves enemy who showed resistance being bayonetted and remainder being passed back. A total of about 25 men were taken prisoner on the front up to KANGAROO trench, including several men were killed by enemy barrage fire on their way back. The left assaulting coy came into some resistance and did not take many prisoners. Coy SM Bain killing 15 enemy to his own bayonet. As the advance proceeded coys endeavoured to regain formation but this was found to be impossible owing to confusion and the excited condition of the men. Up to BEEK STREET trench casualties were not heavy, but from that point onwards machine gun fire was encountered, from left flank generally and this fire caused considerable casualties, both coy commanders and 6 of their platoon commanders of the two left coys being put out of action. Continuing their advance towards their objective, the left coy captured the fortified houses and the right coy advance over 19 Metre Hill. The left coys were unable to advance further, where the remaining men established themselves in shell holes. "
This is a summary of events.Let me know if you want anymore information.
Baird
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Corporal 241337 John Ross was killed 4th October 1917, the first day of what was called the 3rd Battle of Ypres.
It might have been the first day of the battle for the 2nd Seaforths, but 3rd Ypres started back in July. The 2nd Seaforths' division (4th Div) actually joined the battle a week earlier in the Battle of Polygon Wood, perhaps the Seaforths were in reserve in that offensive?
4 October saw the start of the Battle of Broodseinde (one of the sub-battles of 3rd Ypres) - there is a pretty good account at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Broodseinde
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Thank you so much Baird and newburychap, such a sad loss of life, do either of you know when they first embarked?.
Baird, is there anything else you think would be of interest? do you still want me to pm you?. many thanks, Nikitah
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If you check out his medal card at the national archives it should give you his date of entry into the war zone and which medals he was entitled
baird
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Baird, thank you. Nikitah.
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Hi Baird
I am trying to find info on 3 brothers who were in the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders .2 of which died .William Fraser 14/04/1884 and died 04/06/1916 in France.Hector Fraser born 20/11/1885 and died 14/05/1914 in France .and also his twin brother Alick (Alexander) Fraser who survived the war all three brothers born in Alness Ross and Cromarty .Any help is would be greatly appreciated
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Was William Fraser killed 4/6/1915?
Diary entry states;
4TH JUNE 1915;
LOCATION; TRENCHES N.W. OF WEILTJE.
Quiet day, fine, wind wrong way for Gas.
EAST LANCS relieved SOMERSETS after dark and took over trench line from ‘C’ Coy.
‘D’ Coy. relieved ‘B’ Coy. in trench round CROSSROADS FARM and ‘B’ and ‘C’ Coys. went into support at LA BRIQUE(C.26.d).
Some shelling during the day on either side of us. Our 6” guns shelled HAMPSHIRE FARM.
CASUALTIES; 1 KILLED; 1 WOUNDED.
Was Hector killed 14th September 1914?
14th. September;
About 4am the battalion reached LA MONTAGNE FARM North of BUCY-LE-LONG and proceeded to take up position from G to F (?) of LA MONTAGNE FARM between the RIFLE BRIGADE on our right and the HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT on our left (both of the 11th Brigade). The Royal Dublin Fusiliers took up position between the HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT and the SOMERSET LIGHT INFANTRY West of LA MONTAGNE FARM. The remainder of the Brigade was kept in reserve. The 12th Brigade was on the right of the RIFLE BRIGADE.
By the time it was light we had only had time to make a limited reconnaissance of the position and to put out two companies ( A and B) to form firing lines and supports and dig themselves in as well as possible with their entrenching implements.
As soon as it was light , intermittent artillery fire opened on us, at times getting quite heavy(shrapnel only) . This prevented us from doing much entrenching so that only rough shelter trenches were made. The supports of A and B companies were put along a sunken lane with reserves in the rear down the reverse slope of a hill in a wood. Later A company put its supports in a cave between the sunken road and the trenches. The latter was about 400 yards from the road on the top of a very rounded hill top. A very bad position with a very bad field of fire , but the best we could do.
About 9am Lieutenant Colonel SIR E.R. BRADFORD was killed instantaneously with a shrapnel shell.( buried in CROUY VAUXROT FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY, CROUY) He had been along to our right to speak to O.C. Rifle Brigade and they had gone out together to reconnoitre the enemys’ position together from the Rifle Brigades front trench. CAPTAIN C.I. STOCKWELL assumed command. ( KILLED 21ST OCTOBER 1914).
About 1130am a very heavy shrapnel fire was opened on our trenches followed by continuous machine gun fire. As it was thought that an infantry advance was being covered it was thought advisable to reinforce the front line. Accordingly 3 platoons of B and C coys. And the detachment of the Gordon Highlanders . This was accomplished with great steadiness and order under a very heavy fire which redoubled as the reinforcing platoons showed themselves advancing over the sky line.
The German main line trenches appeared to be about 1500 yards away and no attack was attempted by their infantry. We kept up a certain amount of fire on their front line. Their artillery seemed to be firing at a range of about 2000 to 2500 yards.
About 1pm the artillery fire weakened on our line, though a fairly heavy fire was kept up to our right, but was kept up intermittently till evening on our line. Quite quiet later.
Our casualties would have been much smaller had we had time to entrench our position. As it was the trenches we managed to dig gave very poor protection against shrapnel and the reinforcements in many cases had no cover at all. Owing to the intermittent fire all day we had no opportunity for making cover for the reinforcements
CAPTAIN P.G. ANSTRUTHER and LIEUT. W.E. MURRAY were wounded and killed respectively almost as soon as they got into the firing line. These two officers , with CAPTAIN D.G.METHVEN and LIEUT. A.N. WILLIAMSON were the officers who took up the reinforcements.
The officers and men killed in action were buried close to LA MONTAGNE FARM at 12.30 am
Hope this info is some help,
Baird
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Thank you for that yes William died 4th June 1915 not 1916
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Total casualties of Officers and men for 14th September was 70 killed or wounded.
Baird
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Thank a lot for your help on them it seem sad that william must have died on a day of little action.
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A lot of sniping going on at the time.
baird
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I'd be interested to know what the diary records for 13 October 1916.
The reason I ask is that it seems one Thomas Mair was killed on that date. He's remembered on the Portsoy war memorial in NE Scotland, and possibly on the Thiepval memorial. He is the namesake of my son, who is in Primary 4.
Although the Seaforths' Thomas doesn't seem to be a relative of ours, I'd be grateful if you could provide whatever extract you have so that I can fill in the picture a bit for my son!
Many thanks.
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Hello ,
I would be only too happy to forward the diary entry for the 13th, and any other battalion information you would like.
5 men from the Battalion are listed as having died that day, Private J Cave aged 21 from Ayr; Private Barclay Stewart aged 20, from Grantown on Spey;Private Thomas Mair; Private William Hay and Sergeant R. Robertson. Privates Hay and Mair have no known graves.
In the meantime I can tell you the Battalion were in trenches immediately to the East and North East of the village of Lesbeoufs, in France.
Can you e mail me at
bairdferguson1@hotmail.com
and I shall forward the information
best regards,
Baird Ferguson
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OCTOBER 13TH 1916;
A dull day. We heard that we would either relieve the IRISH FUSILIERS in the trenches at night or , as the Colonel suggested, make a surprise night attack on DEWDROP TRENCH, one of the German strongpoints that had held up more than one attack. The C.O. was therefore asked to reconnoitre the ground in view of this attack. He went out with the two Coy officers who were present, the Scout Officers and a few of the more intelligent scouts, and after looking at the ground from a point of vantage, he decided that DEWDROP TRENCH could be taken by a surprise if the attack was made from a line to the N.E. of LESBEOUFS. The lie of the ground between DEWDROP TRENCH and this line would help the attack enormously and the Colonel was fully convinced that it would be a success.
However we received orders at 5.30pm to relieve the IRISH FUSILIERS in the trenches. The other two companies came up from GUILLEMONT and the battalion relieved the FUSILIERS.
The battalion front stretched from T4.b.5.9. to T4.d.9.7.
Two companies in the front line and two in support. ‘A’ Company were in BURNABY TRENCH. ‘C’ Company in FOGGY TRENCH. ‘D’ Company in left support in THISTLE TRENCH. ‘B’ Company in right support in SHAMROCK TRENCH.
The trenches were in a very bad state, no cover for any kind for officers or men, and the trenches had been very badly blown in. The night was somewhat lively during the relief but quietened down afterwards.
The 2ND ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS relieved the 1st ROYAL WARWICKS on our right. Our battalion H.Q. was in OX TRENCH, behind of the hill W. of LESBEOUFS, about T9.b.5.31/2.
CASUALTIES FOR 13TH;
2 MEN KILLED; 5 MEN WOUNDED, 3 D.O.W..
Baird
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Many thanks for that, and the further info by email - it really is hugely appreciated. :)
None of my family seem to know much about Pte Thomas Mair, but should I discover anything I'll be sure to let you know!
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I realise I've come late to the party, but I wonder if you are able to find anything on George/Robert ROY.
This is taken from the Morayshire Roll of Honour
"ROY, Robert George. No 17910, Sgt., 2nd Seaforths; born at Parish of Drainie, 15 Sept 1880; Joined at Glasgow, 4th August 1914.; served in France and Salonica; six times wounded; awarded M.M. Son of George Roy, 259b High St, Elgin. Occupation; dock labourer."
but I can find no further military information. His parents were George ROY & Mary GORDON, married November 27 1886.
I see you are interested in the K Class submarines, my grandfather's brother, James McLennan, was a stoker on the K3. Having read the "K Boats: Steam-Powered Submarines in World War I" by Don Everitt I think he could be excused just about everything.
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Sergeant 17910, Robert George Dunbar Roy . Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) has a Medal Card on the National Archives Medal Card site. Looks as though he survived the war as no one of that name listed on the CWGC website as far as I can see
Baird
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Thankyou for that, it seems the https://archive.org/details/morayshirerollof1921mora (https://archive.org/details/morayshirerollof1921mora) has combined his RH number (17910) with the Seaforth regiment.
I don't know where the 'Dunbar' comes into it.
And here I was casting aspersions and thinking he may have had an 'imagination' like his nephew (my grandfather, whose stories were not always grounded in fact)
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If you check his Medal Card for about £3GBP you may find when he was awarded his M.M..
Point of interest, I haven't read the K Class book but my grandfathers brother served on K10 and K11 but thereafter stayed on surface ships . You should also be able to download your submariner relatives' service record from the National Archives otherwise contact HMS Dolphin, the submarine museum.
Good luck,
Baird
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Thanks for all the information, I have found his medal card-no MM mentioned. Ah well, just keep looking.
Over the years we have been able to get our submariners service record and some photos.
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As my contribution to the 1914 centenary I have transcribed the Battalion War Diary of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders from the commencement of the War up to October 1916 . I have added all known casualties with Grave or panel references . I can forward info to anyone interested.
Baird
Hi Baird
Any chance of a copy of this for my Research?
Many Thanks
Matthew
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Hello Matthew,
it runs to 48 Mb or 255 pages . That is only August 1914 to October 1916.
I can forward the originals if that is of any use?
Baird
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Matthew is John Maguire still involved with your project? Perhaps I can get it to him on a memory stick and he can download it. Tell him I'm Stephen McGinlays uncle.
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Hi Baird
John is not currently directly involved, He did sterling work walking to France with his cousin Jimmy Higgins. Jimmy is still involved though. What I was looking for was info on what the 2nd Batt where up to in the period, we have lots of Seaforths soldiers and two that died one 1917 and one 1918 that where in the 2 Batt. As part of the Neilston project I wanted background history to attach to the lads records, so we did not just end up with a memorial with names on it and no living history.
any help would be great
Cheers Matt
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Hello,
I'm doing a bit of research into my wife's relatives after watching Testament of Youth. Three brothers from Forres, all served in the Seaforths. It seems one, John, may have survived. He served in the 1/6, service number 273249.
William (6188) was in the 5th and is buried in Mailly Wood Cemetery. We are going to divert our route home on our way back from Italy (via Austria and Germany) at the end of May so we can visit his grave. My wife had tears in her eyes when I told her I had found the grave of her dad's uncle.
The real purpose of my message is the final brother, James. He served in the 2nd, service number 21370. From what I can establish he died on the 28th of March 1918 and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial. The Morrayshire Roll of Honour states he was buried between the villages of Maricourt and Montauban. I cannot see any CWGC grave sites between those two villages although there is one immediately north of Montauban. That is, Bernafay Wood. If he is buried there, I fear that, since he is recorded at Arras, he is in a grave marked as "A soldier of the Great War" and that he was reburied there from his original grave between the two villages. Some of the graves there are reburials because some original graves were destroyed by shellfire, perhaps graves between the villages? The area was in allied hands until the end of March 1918 and since James died on the 28th of March 1918, there is a good chance he died here or hereabouts.
Anyway, I was wondering if you could give me any information that is in the war diary for the 28th of March 1918. There was an entry in that of the 5th for the day William died, not that he was mentioned but it gave an idea of the circumstances of the day. It may be that I could get some details from the diary of the 2nd.
Hope you can help.
Thanks, Ranald.
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Hello Ranald I do have the diary entry for that day but I have not transcribed it as yet.
I shall do that and forward it to you on Saturday. Quick glance ( it is quite a long entry) shows the battalion were in the area of the Reoux Chemical Works at Arras on that date.
I'll get back to you .
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2/Batt. SH were occupying Crete, Cordite, Cycle & Corfu trenches when the Germans attacked on the 28th.
These are their dispositions during the day.
The nearest cemetery is Brown Copse at Roeux a few miles E. of Arras.
50°18'09.2"N 2°53'03.3"E
This link is a side by map:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01jlk/
Mount Pleasant Wood which was in the middle of these trenches is still there & can be accessed by a farm track.
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Many thanks. I had read that they were near Arras but what puzzles me is why the Morayshire Roll of Honour would say he was burried close to Montauban. Could he have been on an attachment? Perhaps that's an unanswerable question given the passage of time and the fact that so many service records were lost in the blitz.
I'm looking forward to read the diary entry though.
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Thanks Jim. Really interesting and, since I am a planner (cue chorus of yawns), I love looking at maps.
As I said, the Morayshire Roll of Honour (http://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/1002/3362/100233623.23.pdf) has James Mclennan buried between Montauban and Maricourt. This puzzles me. I know it is the right Mclennan (not MacLennan as CWGC has his brother William) since all the details in the ROH are directly related to those of my wife's gran. Could it be the ROH was wrong with the location? There is a difference with William's service number (2313) and that held by the CWGC (6188) but then, they have misspelled his surname.
Ranald
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He held both service numbers but just the last one is entered on CWGC.
2313 may be a pre-war number.
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I think the Montauban referred to is Fresnes-les-Montauban which is about 5 mls. from where he was.
I've amended the above map slightly as I found another trench.
This map shows what happened during the day. When you get the transcription you'll get a better idea but the outline is that they risked being cut off from their Bde. as the Germans had got into Lancer trench in their rear late morning & had to withdraw to Pudding trench N. of Fampoux. Shortly after 1 Coy. was sent up to the railway to support the Bde's. flank.
Early evening they withdrew to S. of the river.
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2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders 28th March 1918
17th March In the field
Church Parade.
18th March 1918;
Received orders that the Division would relieve the Guards Division on the night of the 19th/ 20th .
C.O. and Company commanders went up to the line to reconnoitre .
19th March 1918;
The battalion relieved the 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh Guards in support in Roeux sector, Battalion H.Q. in railway cutting in A23. A and D Companies occupied Coral and Cordite, North of the river and came under the orders of the Duke of Wellingtons Regiment. C Company occupied Lance Lane and B Company Feuchy Caves.
Relief was carried out without incident and was completed by 12:15 a.m.
20th March 1918;
Quiet day . Trenches in good order.
21st March 1918;
Good deal of hostile shelling on our front, Roeux, Fampoux, Feuchy heavily gas shelled. All companies had to put on gas respirators. Shelling chiefly directed against our gun positions. Enemy great offensive started to the South. Arras shelled.
22nd March 1918;
Quiet Day. During night 15th Division were withdrawn behind Monchy. B Company moved up from Feuchy to 3rd line system.
23rd March 1918;
Germans occupied Monchy. C Company dug new trench from Lancer Lane to Lagoon to protect our right flank. B Company brought up from 3rd line system to Lancer Lane.
24th March 1918;
Quiet day on our front. New trench completed and occupied by C Company who also had one platoon in shell holes in front in close contact with the Germans.
25th March 1918;
The Battalion relieved the Duke of Wellingtons in the front line North of the River. A left front Company; B centre front Company; D right front Company; C in support in Cordite, Coral and Cycle . Battalion H.Q. in Crete. One company of Dukes , left in support under Battalion orders in Coral. Relief successfully carried out.
26th March 1918 ;
Quiet day. The company of Duke of Wellingtons in support were withdrawn South of the river.
27th March 1918;
Early in the morning the enemy put down a heavy barrage on our front line, and at about 6a.m. an S.O.S. went up from the left front company, later from battalion on our left. A party of about 30 Germans attempted to raid opposite our left front company but were driven off.
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Ranald can you text your e mail address to 07901575092 please as the transcript for the 28th exceeds the allowed limit to post on here. I can then send it as a word document.
Cuidich'n Righ
Baird
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Ranald,
I have tried to send it to you as a PM let me know if you receive it ok.
Baird
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You may be interested in this.
Cujo=Cusp.
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Is this now concluded ?
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Do you know anything of such material for the 7th Battalion? Thomas Robertson Dalziel was with the 2nd Battalion in 1941 but was sent as Instructor to the 7th, promoted to Sgt Major and sent to the Front in April 1915. He was killed in action on 15th November 1915, at Ypres.
Would the latter be recorded in the material you have?
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Hello & welcome
You need to start a new topic as this is someone else's post.
Just click on the link & new topic & we'll see you there.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/world-war-one/
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Thank you for your welcome and suggestion that I start are new thread (which I may well do) but I thought I was on topic in response to the original post: "As my contribution to the 1914 centenary I have transcribed the Battalion War Diary of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders from the commencement of the War up to October 1916 . I have added all known casualties with Grave or panel references . I can forward info to anyone interested. Baird"
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Sorry Stroller, the 2nd were in the front line opposite Serre on that date.
Baird
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Many thanks. Worth a try :)
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The 7th. of which he was an NCO of A Coy. were in the trenches opposite Hill 60 on that date.
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Thanks Jim
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Hill 60 1915
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Thanks.
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Jim,
sorry for not replying, I haven't been keeping too good an eye on my emails. Many thanks for your help. I suppose it is as concluded as anything can be. I hope to be able to find out some other bits and bobs but, who knows if there is anything else out there? Again, thank you.
Ranald
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Thanks Baird. As I said to Jim, I have not been keeping an eye on my emails so missed the notification of this. Yes, I got the PM with the diary extract. You are a star.
I was out on site with one of my soon to be waxwork colleagues. He was telling me, out of nowhere, he is going to go to Arras because his GG grandfather died there. I said nothing and then he said that from his research, he established that he was killed in an attack on a chemical works. I said "it wasn't Roeux, was it?". I think you know what the answer was!
He wasn't in the Seaforths but was in the Cameronians. Nevertheless, such a small world.
R.
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You may be interested in this.
Cujo=Cusp.
Too right! Thank you again. You guys are amazing. Hats off to you.
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Yrs Ranald a small world indeed.
My wife had a relative killed at Reoux Chemical Works serving with 5th Gordons in May 1917.
Baird
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Yrs Ranald a small world indeed.
My wife had a relative killed at Reoux Chemical Works serving with 5th Gordons in May 1917.
Baird
Good grief! Goes to show that 6 degrees of separation is sometimes a long chain! Just read my earlier post. "waxwork colleague"? That should be "ex-work"! :o
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My father-in-law, Harry Luccock, served 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. I have a postcard he sent to his parents on 28th March 1919, on which he ha written 'the anniversary of 1918 and to remind me and you of who brought me through that day'
The 28th March 1918 was clearly of some significance, and I wonder if anyone can help with some detail. Thank you. Gorbet
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9th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, 9th (Scottish) Division.
9th Battalion formed at Fort George in October 1914 and attached to the new 9th Scottish Division of Kitcheners “First New Army”. In November 1914 it moved to Aldershot and early in 1915 became the divisional pioneer batt. This was an extra batt, not forming part of a brigade, normally used for such tasks as digging trenches and gun pits, building huts and maintaining roads, although being fully trained as infantry and able to fight in that capacity as required.
The battalion went to France on 10th May 1915 with the Division, and remained there for the rest of the war.
Approximate order of engagements for the 9th Batt. Seaforths (Pioneers)
(Extracts from “The Seaforth Highlanders” edited by Col. J.M. Sym 1962)
25/9/1915- Battle of Loos. Trench digging. Won praise for linking up newly won trenches under fire, and in taking up arms to repel enemy.
14/7/1916- Battle of the Somme. Hard and continuous fighting around Longueval and Delville wood. Several attacks carried out, much progress made. (See detailed breakdown)
9/4/1917 Battle of Arras. Abandoned tools to repel enemy counter-attack.
1/6/1917 In conjunction with a night attack by another batt. the 9th entrenched a new area under heavy fire, suffering severe casualties.
Oct 1917 Battle of Ypres. (First Passchendaele). Took part in the battle but rain and shell-fire had by this time destroyed the terrain so little progress was made.
11/3/1918 Batt. returned to the line
21/3/1918 Battle of St. Quentin. In Divisional reserve. Enemy attacked at 9am. Heavy fighting.
23/3/1918 Situation critical, patrols report enemy massing for attack. Batt. holding St. Pierre Vaast wood.
24/3/1918 Vast hordes of Germans attack. They were mown down. Batt. suffered heavy casualties. After leaving the wood batt. was observed and subject to heavy machine-gun fire. Batt. fought rearguard action through Rancourt and Combles. Acted as cover for Div. Artillery firing over open sights. Enemy slaughter terrific. Eventually took up position in front of Hardicourt for a prolonged stand. Retreat via Trones Wood, Maricourt and Bray, and on evening of the 25th to Etinhem. At midnight orders to hold line Meaulte-Albert. Stern fighting, ammunition now scarce. Withdraw to railway embankment between Albert-Dernacourt. Severe losses inflicted on enemy.
25/3/1918 Quiet night but heavy shelling at 7am. Then machine-gun fire and infantry attacks all day. Hand to hand combat. Relieved by Australians at nightfall. Marched to Henencourt via Lavieville. Batt. strength on 21/3/1918 was 881. On 27/3/1918 163 answered roll call. Most casualties on railway embankment and from own artillery fire. From the great war Forum
2nd Battalion where at Arras
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What he is talking about is the German Spring Offensive which started on the 21st. March 1918.
The 2nd. Batt. Seaforths were in their front line trench when the Germans attacked following an artillery bombardment which lasted several hours.
On the 28th. 2/Seaforths were East of Arras at Fampoux. They were in the front line support trench when the Germans attacked following a bombardment.
This map square H 19:
http://maps.nls.uk/view/101465059
The Germans had forced the British army back & took the forward trenches (shaded red).
2/Seaforths took up new positions in Cordite, Cycle & Corfu trenches (blue). The Germans had got to Coral trench (red) so within a few feet of each other.
Later they withdrew again to the West side of Fampoux as the Germans had broken through again on the flank risking the Batt. being cut off.
Scary stuff.