7th November 1914
Diary extract from the 2nd Battalion, The Queens– Royal West Surrey Regiment
The attack was timed for 6.15am. There was a heavy mist and
it was only just becoming day light… the Queens forming the first two lines.
They advanced over the rise in the ground and a heavy machine gun fire was
opened by the Germans. The second line came up with the first and together the
charge was made. It was completely successful and the enemy got out of their
trenches and ran away. The advance continued and the trench D was taken but
could not be hold owing to enfilade fire. During the charge Capt. Roberts was
hit when he had led his men almost up to the German position. Lt. Lang Browne
& Lt Collis were also wounded & taken prisoner. Lt. Haigh was killed
and Lt. Pascoe wounded, Sgt. Major Lucas was also killed.
Three machine guns were taken in the German trench… There
was considerable rifle fire all day and the enemy also fired many high
explosives, percussion & shrapnel, but did no damage…
The losses of the Regiment had been heavy but the enemy were
driven from the footing they had secured and time was given for the French
reinforcements to come up.
Casualties on 7th Nov
Killed -14 - Officers 2, Other ranks 12
Wounded – 64 - Officers 5, Other ranks 59
Missing 19
Total Casualties - 97
Although the Battalion remained in the field for the
following day, the 7th November saw their last action in the Firstbattle of Ypres.
Serving with the 2nd Battalion was Private John
Joseph Graffham (my Great Grand Uncle in law). John was born in 1891 in Dorking, Surrey, the son of Peter and Sarah Graffham; he had 3 brothers and 3 sisters.
He married Daisy Denman in 1911 in Reigate, Surrey and their first son Albert
had been born earlier in 1914.
The 2nd Battalion had been stationed in South
Africa at the outbreak of war, recalled to England in September and finally
arriving in Zeebrugge on the 4th October. They had been in contact
with the enemy almost immediately upon arrival, retiring, holding lines,
supporting the Belgium and French armies and other units of the BEF.
John
Graffham’s Battalion had been involved in fierce fighting continually from 15th
October onwards, Casualties were high - 18 Killed, 123 wounded and 37 missing
on the 21st. 16 killed on the 24th. 9 Casualties on the
26th , 12 on the 27th, 13 on the 28th, 92 on
the 29th, 90 on the 30th, 99 on the 31st, 24
between the 1st & 3rd Nov and a further 30 casualties on the 5th.
The Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment as a whole recorded
457 fatalities (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) from 4th Oct to the 8th November
1914 highlighting the heavy fighting and huge losses of Britain's professional army in 1914. The 2nd Battalion itself had suffered 676 casualties since landing in Zeebrugge in October.
As the open war of movement stagnated into
fixed trench warfare all along the Western front, new replacements appeared in the ranks and John Graffham had undergone a baptism of fire.
Tony