Loos
13th October 1915
Once again General Haig had decided to use a gas cloud and in accordance with his orders just over 3,000 cylinders were brought up to the front. Ten were used for each emplacement, but during the battle only 1,100 were actually discharged. Although the wind was favourable the discharge of gas and smoke at 1300 hours only served to alert the Germans that the infantry assault was imminent.
At 1350 hours the gas was switched off though the accompanying smoke screen was continued until Zero Hour ten minutes later.
Along the Lens – La Bassée Road, 1st Division were to capture a new German trench that had been dug along its length between the Loos – Hulluch Road and Hulluch village.
The five battalions of 1st Brigade went over the top at 1400 hours and all went well until they reached the German wire. The bombardment had succeeded in cutting less than a handful of narrow gaps in the wire and even though soldiers attempted to cut their way through with wire cutters they were under a constant stream of fire from both their front and from both flanks.
Once again the attacking units ran out of enough grenades to subdue the German bombing parties and the assault petered out with the British being forced back to their own front line.
The Quarries
In XI Corps area the 12th (Eastern) Division used two Brigades in an attempt to take the Quarries back by an attack from the south and west.
Major General Frederick Wing, commanding 12th Division, had been killed on the 2nd October 1915 near Quality Street on the Béthune Road. He was the third Divisional commander to be killed during the battle. He is buried in Noeux les Mines Communal Cemetery.
The 7th Bn East Surrey Regiment (37th Brigade) swiftly over ran Gun Trench but the 6th Bn The Buffs on their left who had to traverse a greater distance towards the corner of the Quarries were beaten back. No gas had been used here and the British artillery had not shelled the Buffs’ objective (The Official History suggests that this was because the gunners were not sure where it was).
Directly in front of the Quarries the 35th Brigade employed the 7th Bn Norfolk Regiment and the 7th Bn Suffolk Regiment to attack the German position. A smoke screen laid down before Zero proved to be inadequate and the preparations and assault were visible to the Germans at the Dump on the left.
Apart from a section of trench known as The Hairpin on the north-western corner of the Quarries which was taken by the Suffolks, the attack was thrown back by the defenders.
One of those who fell and whose body was never recovered was the war poet Charles Sorley. Robert Graves, described him as: one of the three poets of importance killed during the war (together with Wilfred Owen and Isaac Rosenberg).
When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead
…Say only this, “They are dead.” Then add thereto,
“Yet many a better one has died before.”
Then, scanning all the o’ercrowded mass, should you
Perceive one face that you loved heretofore,
It is a spook. None wears the face you knew.
Great death has made all his for evermore.
Charles Sorley is commemorated on the Loos Memorial.
Wilfred Owen is buried at Ors;
Isaac Rosenberg is buried at St Laurent-Blangy;