6 Inniskillings, Beaurevoir

Arriving from Egypt at Marseilles on 1 June 1918, the 6th Inniskillings entrained on 2 June and arrived around 2300 hours on 6 June at Berguette, east of Boulogne, before marching to tented encampment at Le Pire (Lillers). On 17 June the Battalion marched on via various locations, engaging daily in training for the front, before arriving at Martin Eglise on 15 July. The months of July and August were spent in battalion, brigade and divisional-level training at Martin Eglise. Similar training was pursued in the next locations at Sus-St-Leger and Pierregot before moving up to the front as a battalion of 151 Brigade in the 50th (Northumbrian) Division.

On 1 October the 6th Inniskillings moved forward to dugouts near Epehy before its first action on the Western Front. The attack on the German defensive lines, known collectively by the Allies as the Hindenburg Line, had been launched on 29 September but had failed to smash right through the lines and beyond the final Beaurevoir Line. As the Inniskillings joined the action to break through the Hindenburg Line, battles had been raging for five days and gains had been made.

Battle of Beaurevoir

The 50th (Northumbrian) Division would attack on 3 October with 151 Brigade right, 149 Brigade left and 150 Brigade, with one battalion detached, held in reserve. The Australians were on the right. The 6th Inniskillings would advance on the right of 151 Brigade with the 4th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps and the 1st Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI). The 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers from 150 Brigade, located west of Mont St. Martin, stood ready to support 151 Brigade's advance. Prospect Hill, the Inniskillings' objective, was east of Gouy village on the north side of the road to Beaurevoir.

Zero Hour was 0605 hours and 151 Brigade advanced through the mist and, keeping up with the artillery barrage, began entering Le Catelet and Gouy around 0700 hours. Unfortunately, the Inniskillings began shifting off their line from Prospect Hill and moved left towards the enemy machine-gun positions engaging them from the directions of Gouy.

A further problem was the loss of contact with B Company after it had moved to deal with an enemy machine-gun position engaging the Australians to the right. They had in fact taken some 30 casualties in only five minutes from German artillery and machine-gun positions. A runner had arrived at around 1130 hours with a report from the Company Commander requesting support as he 'was left with only 70 Rifles'. Unfortunately, the runner could not remember what route he had taken and where the Company was. At 1840 hours Brigade would advise the Battalion that 'all trace of B Company has been lost'

A 1400 hours the Inniskillings received a message from Brigade HQ stating 'Situation at Gouy not clear, enemy believed counter-attacking at any moment. Hold out where you if possible will support you.' A somewhat confused period of positioning and repositioning followed as attempts to form a Main Line of Resistance were interrupted by detachments to form a defensive flank with forward posts being recalled, then pushed forward again. At 1855 hours the Companies were ordered to push posts further forward as enemy movement had been reported on the ridge forward of the hill, but it was 1 KOYLI that adjusted to arrive on the hill.

The Battalion was relieved by the Wiltshire Regiment at around 2130 hours. Casualties were 4 officers killed, 7 wounded with 30 other ranks killed, 186 wounded and 19 missing. Most of the casualties were from German machine-gun and artillery fire. The Inniskillings took some 150 prisoners, including one officer during the fighting near Beaurevoir, one of the battles for the Hindenburg Line.