Service and Sacrifice
At the outbreak of the great European War in August 1914, the 2nd Battalion was stationed in Malta, but was brought home with all reasonable despatch and joined the 23rd Infantry Brigade of the 8th Division in the newly-formed IVth Army Corps. By November 5th the Division had landed in France, and only nine days later the Battalion was in the trenches to the south-west of Messines, there relieving the 156th French Regiment of the line. The great battles with which the war had opened were all past, and the winter was one of trench warfare, of rain, frost and snow, of hardship and suffering of all kinds, of death in many terrible forms – all of which were borne not only with an admirable fortitude but with actual cheerfulness. The winter of inactivity was followed by the spring offensive, when the IVth Army Corps attacked the German positions at Neuve Chapelle, a name to be remembered with pride by all ranks and generations of the Scottish Rifles for all time. The task set the troops was a most formidable one, for the enemy trenches were protected by barbed-wire entanglements, covered by well-placed machine guns, while great guns in the rear commanded all the lines of approach.
The attack was preceded by a tremendous bombardment from the British artillery, which made great gaps in the wire – except on the left, where, screened by the lie of the ground, it remained untouched.
It was against this untouched portion of the German defences that the attack of the 2nd Scottish Rifles was directed, and their experience was a terrible one; in the first gallant rush nearly every officer, including their commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Bliss, was killed or wounded, and more than half the Battalion fell. But there was no pause, the rest went on, and, reaching the wire, hacked a way through, the ground being strewn with the bodies of the gallant stormers. The survivors. led by Captain Ferrers and by Lieutenant Bibby, forced their way through all obstacles under a withering fire and reached the German trenches, clearing them of their defenders with bullet, bomb, bayonet and butt. This success was only gained at a terrible cost, and when relieved, three days later, there remained, after Major Carter-Campbell had been wounded a second time, one officer, Second-Lieutenant Somerville, a youngster of two months standing, with Sergeant-Major Chalmers and no more than 150 of the 900 other ranks who had gone into action.
Speaking in Glasgow after the war of the Battalion’s services and sacrifices on this day, Major-General Sir F. Davies, who commanded the Division, at the battle, said :
“There is another regiment I should like to refer to – the 2nd Battalion of the old 90th Greybreeks,; with hardly a man with less than five years’ service they went into action 900 strong, 30 officers lay dead or wounded between the trenches, and when the German trenches were rushed only two officers of the Battalion were standing up, and one of those was wounded. That made no difference; the men fought on just the same, and for two days the Battalion, or what was left of it, was commanded by the only surviving officer, a young second-lieutenant of the Special Reserve. Every man in that action fought as if he were an officer himself. I saw them when they came out of action, and asked them if they had had enough. They said ‘No, we are quite willing to go in again.’ That was the class of man the West of Scotland produced in the war.”
An equally fine tribute was paid the Battalion by Sir John French, commanding the British Armies in the Western front, when, after Neuve Chapelle, he visited those of the Scottish Rifles who were left and said to them :
“I come here as Commander-in-Chief of this Army to express to you my heartiest gratitude for the splendid part which you took at the Battle of Neuve
I know what awful losses you suffered, I know the gallantry Chapelle. you displayed on that occasion has never been surpassed by a British soldier. You came up against the enemy’s wire, and although the artillery was unable to get at it, you showed the utmost bravery and gallantry. I deeply regret the terrible losses you suffered on that occasion. No less than 22 officers were killed or wounded; the officer commanding your splendid Battalion, Colonel Bliss, being included amongst the losses. Everyone in the Regiment will deeply regret this loss. I do not mean to say it was too much – I want you all to realise that. I am sure your officers will always lead you on, it may be to die, but follow them right gallantly, I know you will.
I am sure at the same time you will all feel what your officers have done for you, leading as they have done; but still at the same time the officers on their part felt they had splendid and gallant men who would follow them anywhere and had every confidence in them. That is one great thing, the mutual confidence which exists between leaders and men.
* I cannot say more. I feel deeply what you have done for us with your courage and your gallantry. I am certain one of your old officers Marshal Sir Evelyn Wood, will be proud of the work you have done. You have many noble honours on your Colours; ; none are finer than that of Neuve Chapelle which will soon be added to them.”
With the arrival of strong drafts from home the depleted ranks were for soon filled, and in welcoming a reinforcement to the Battalion of 5 officers and 500 other ranks, the Brigadier, General Pinney, spoke as follows:
“ You will know you are coming to a fine fighting Regiment. I also wish you to know what they did in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. In face of heavy fire your Regiment, led by Colonel Bliss and his officers charged right through the German wire over the first enemy trench and into the second . Colonel Bliss, with more than 20 officers and 30 sergeants were casualties at a very early moment. Our loss in Colonel Bliss is a very severe one. because we all loved him and he is a very heavy loss to the whole army. In spite of their heavy losses the remains of the Battalion went on, fighting and getting forward just as they had done when their officers were with them. They continued to fight right in the front of the battle till its close. On the fifth day they were brought out of action by a second-lieutenant and the sergeant-major. Your Regiment’s fighting in this action was a glorious feat of arms, and I congratulate you and envy you in joining such a fine fighting regiment.”
The splendid reputation thus won by the Battalion in this first great battle of the war was maintained and added to in all those which followed. By May 1st the Scottish Rifles had regained something of their former numbers, and were engaged in the fortnight’s fighting at Richebourg- Festubert which cost the Battalion 12 officers and 156 non-commissioned officers and men.
From: A Short History of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) by Col., H.C. Wylly, CB, 1924, pp 28-30.