1.2F3rd Londons 3rd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment

1 1/3rd londons

1.1 malta 1914
1.2 meerut division
1.3 56th (1/1st london) division
1.4 gommecourt
1.5 somme
1.6 arras
1.7 ypres
1.8 cambrai
1.9 commanding officers

1/3rd londons
malta 1914

the 1/3rd bn disembarked in malta on 14 september , went mtarfa began guard duties training recruits in ranks. on 2 january 1915 1/3rd bn relieved 2/3rd bn (leaving obsolete rifles , equipment newcomers) , embarked marseilles in france.

meerut division

neuve chapelle

after re-equipping charger-loading long lee-enfield rifles , 1914 pattern equipment, 1/3rd londons joined ghq reserve @ saint-omer on 25 january further training , joined indian corps, being attached ferozepore brigade of 3rd (lahore) division on 10 february, transferring garhwal brigade of 7th (meerut) division week later.

at battle of neuve chapelle on 10 march gharwal bde assaulting formation of indian corps, attacking neuve chapelle village port arthur salient in south west 1/3rd londons under lt-col a.a. howell reserve battalion. leading battalions went through southern end of village , took brigade objective (the german second line trench), leaving short section of german front line in front of port arthur uncaptured. 2 companies of 1/3rd londons sent capture outpost. 4 platoons of 1/39th garhwal rifles made frontal attack @ 17.00. carried out great gallantry , @ first londoners suffered serious casualties, neared trench garrison of 80 men surrendered.

for battle of aubers ridge on 9 may, gharwal bde in divisional support , missed worst of carnage. opening of battle of festubert on 15 may gharwal bde put in night attack, surprise lost. 1/3rd londons in support, providing carrying parties, , once again missed worst of disastrous attack.

during battle of loos meerut division carried out subsidiary attack on 25 september near neuve chapelle, known action of pietre. gharwal bde held up, except 2/8th gurkha rifles, brigade reserves (including 1/3rd londons) unable exploit fleeting success because communication trenches front knee-deep in mud.

the indian corps transferred mesopotamia in november 1915, british battalions remained in france. 1/3rd londons temporarily transferred 139th (sherwood foresters) brigade, 46th (north midland) division, on 6 november , 142nd (6th london) brigade, 47th (2nd london) division, on 16 november.

56th (1/1st london) division

in february 1916 battalion returned 1st london division, being reformed in france 56th (1/1st london) division. battalion once more assigned 1st london brigade, numbered 167th (1st london) brigade, along 1/1st londons , 7th , 8th bns middlesex regiment.

after reformed division had shaken down, on 4 may 167th brigade took on part of line facing gommecourt salient, due attack in forthcoming battle of somme. on 5 may battalion received large draft of veterans of gallipoli , egypt 2/3rd bn being disbanded (see below). gommecourt sector static – division s first action on 18 may when 1/3rd bn beat off german raid – working parties of battalion required dig new communication trenches in preparation offensive, , these parties suffered trickle of casualties german artillery. working parties alternated periods holding frontline trenches , sending out night patrols. on night of 25/26 may, 167th bde dug new jumping-off trench half-way across no man s land. on following days , nights position enlarged , linked communication trenches. round of intense work in preparing trenches, roads , dumps in june left battalion exhausted , having suffered numerous casualties.

167th brigade held line in late june while rest of division practised assault make on z day (which delayed weather 1 july). on night of 29 june, 1/3rd bn sent out 20-man raiding party suspected machine gun post @ point 94, junction of 2 german trenches codenamed fir , firm . after crawling across 300 yards of no man s land through heaps of barbed wire, patrol surprised german working party , after violent fight returned prisoner. major f.d. sainsbury took on command of battalion in 30 june. , b companies moved reserve trenches, on morning of 1 july rest of 167th brigade withdrew while assaulting brigades took positions in new jumping-off trench.

gommecourt

1/3rd londons role in attack split. while 2 companies detailed fill gap 46th (north midland) division attacking on other side of gommecourt salient, , occupy reserve trenches, other 2 follow leading battalions , dig communication trenches across no man s land jumping-off trench german front line. guided sappers of 416th (edinburgh) field company, royal engineers, these 2 companies responsible digging c trench end of yellow street junction of fen , ferret trenches, , d trench z hedge point 94 @ junction of fir , firm . battalion had suffered enemy shellfire moved front, , started take casualties entered communication trenches. 3 times men of digging companies tried enter no man s land , begin task, each time men shot down within yards of own trenches , task suspended. no 15 platoon, in reserve in z hedge, wiped out salvo of german shells. meanwhile, german counter-barrage across no man s land , on own line meant in absence of communication trenches no got attacking battalions isolated in german lines. driven out or mopped end of afternoon. remainder of 1/3rd londons kept in reserve trenches; nevertheless, end of day battalion had suffered on 150 casualties.

british troops advancing during battle of ginchy

the gommecourt attack had been diversion , no further attack made in area. reduced battalions of 56th division had hold line until 20 august. after being relieved, 56th division moved southern somme sector, trained first tanks arrive in france.

somme

on 5 september 1916 56th division went line during battle of ginchy. 168th bde attacked before dawn partial success, lost direction, , relief later in day 167th bde caused problems. battle of flers–courcelette on 15 september, 167th bde attacked towards bouleaux wood 2 of new tanks in support. attack went in @ 06.20, 1 tank had broken down, while other hit field gun , set on fire after giving support. , because neighbouring troops caould not take flanking strongpoint known quadrilateral brigade s attack made little progress , attack called off in afternoon. same story when division made second attempt on 18 september, @ least quadrilateral fell. when division attacked again on 25 september (the battle of morval), german resistance began crumble, , midnight 167th bde in lower part of bouleaux wood , beyond derelict tank 15 september fighting.

british troops @ morval 25 september 1916

in october 167th bde occupied line of linked-up outposts in sea of mud, , planned attack on 5 october. went in on 7 october (the battle of le transloy) , 167th bde on left successful, in follow-up attack @ 15.30 on 8 october, 1/3rd londons failed make appreciable advance against machine gun fire. division relieved following night.

there followed months of light training , line-holding in neuve chapelle sector while units of 56th division rebuilt. despite further casualties while holding line , raiding enemy, 1/3rd londons attained strength of 1100 ranks when returned active operations in march 1917.

arras

in march 1917 56th division preparing attack part of forthcoming battle of arras when patrols discovered germans in front had disappeared – beginning of retreat hindenburg line. @ arras retreat minor, attack went in on schedule on 9 april, old german communication trenches. 167th brigade attacked 1/3rd londons , 8th middlesex leading, objective being neuville-vitasse. 1/3rd londons progressed well, 2 tanks working battalion dealing strongpoint @ neuville mill, , reached objective 10.00. despite delays, follow-up troops in main hindenburg line defences end of 10 april.

the arras offensive renewed on 3 may , went badly 56th division, 1/3rd londons not in leading waves. followed small-scale fighting until division relieved on 20 may.

ypres

in august 1917, 56th division moved ypres salient take part in second phase of third ypres offensive (the battle of langemarck, 16 august). offensive bogged down in mud. 167th brigade found marsh blocking advance, had avoided, leaving gap 169th bde on right. when 167th bde ran second marsh held up, under flanking fire gap, , subjected counter-attack. prevented making progress, brigade withdrew more favourable position in afternoon, having gained 400 yards.

cambrai

the casualties ypres fighting not replaced, , whole division numerically weak, 56th division sent quiet sector. given task of making demonstration dummy tanks , figures on flank of great tank attack opened battle of cambrai on 20 november. demonstration succeeded in attracting german defensive fire. on 23 november division joined in fighting round tadpole copse , in hindenburg line trenches lasted 3 days. in 30 november germans began major counter-attack recaptured ground,. night 1/3rd londons relieved battered 1/2nd londons, , fighting continued next day until german advance held. division relieved , sent quieter sector on 3 december. @ end of battle 1/3rd 850 ranks 1 of stronger battalions in battered division.

due manpower shortages bef disbanded 1 in 4 of infantry battalions in february 1918. 1/3rd londons selected disbandment 167th bde. supplied drafts each of remaining battalions in brigade, , remainder went reinforce new 2/3rd londons in 58th division. henceforward 2/3rd referred 3rd londons (see below).

commanding officers

1/3rd battalion london regiment commanded following officers:

lt-col a.a. howell, appointed 8 march 1910; became brig-gen commanding 1st london (reserve) bde in 1916
lt-col f.d. samuel, dso, td, june september 1916 , march 1917 march 1918, when 1/3rd , 2/3rd bns merged, after went palestine command 40th bn royal fusiliers
lt-col a.e. maitland, dso, mc, (essex regiment) until march 1917, when transferred 1/4th bn




^ cite error: named reference traillond invoked never defined (see page).
^ cite error: named reference warpathlond invoked never defined (see page).
^ grey, pp. 9–13, 18.
^ grimwade, pp. 8–14, 18.
^ overseas garrisons @ regimental warpath
^ cite error: named reference becke56 invoked never defined (see page).
^ grey, pp. 18–22.
^ grimwade, pp. 18–22.
^ perry, pp. 85–6.
^ 7 indian division @ regimental warpath
^ macdonald, p. 53.
^ edmond & wynne, vol 1, pp. 89–113.
^ neuve chapelle @ long, long trail.
^ neuve chapelle @ wwi battlefields.
^ aubers @ long, long trail.
^ edmonds, 1915, vol ii, pp. 21–5, 28–9.
^ festurbert @ long, long trail.
^ edmonds, 1915, vol ii, pp. 56–8.
^ edmonds, 1915, vol ii, pp. 259–61.
^ loos @ long, long trail.
^ cite error: named reference trail56 invoked never defined (see page).
^ macdonald, pp. 56–9.
^ ward, pp. 3–9.
^ ward, pp. 18–23.
^ macdonald, pp. 69–83, 88–92, 97–107, 121.
^ macdonald, pp. 155, 221, 230.
^ ward, p. 36.
^ macdonald, pp. 240–2.
^ edmonds, 1916, vol i, pp. 457, 462.
^ macdonald, pp. 299–302, 363, 384–5, 435.
^ ward, pp. 36–47.
^ grimwade, pp. 179–80.
^ ward, pp. 49–51.
^ ward, pp. 58–66.
^ ward, pp. 70–5.
^ ward, pp. 76–81.
^ ward, pp. 82–7.
^ ward, pp. 101–13.
^ ward, pp. 114–25.
^ ward, pp. 132–8.
^ ward, pp. 154–61.
^ ward, pp. 167–8.
^ ward, pp. 173–5.
^ cooper, pp. 184, 193.
^ ward, pp. 188–209.
^ grey, p. 279.
^ grimwade, p. 352.
^ ward, pp. 214–5.
^ cite error: named reference list invoked never defined (see page).
^ ward, appendix.
^ grimwade, p. 355.
^ macdonald, p. 242fn.
^ grimwade, p. 253.