Identifier: 24thoxfordshire00roseuoft (find matches)
Title: The story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Year: 1920 (1920s)
Authors: Rose, G K
Subjects: Great Britain. Army Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories Great Britain
Publisher: Oxford : B. H. Blackwell
Contributing Library: McMaster University

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cer, before he went into the line showed that he was made of the right stuff; he was commander of No. 16 Platoon. Dawson-Smith, Copinger, Gascoyne, and Hill were other new arrivals in my company. The N.C.O.s on whom I most relied were Sergeants Palmer, Leatherbarrow, and Sloper, but the real backbone of the Company were the gallant and determined section leaders whom I had chosen for promotion from the ranks. Of my runners and signallers I was especially proud, and at Company Headquarters there was, of course, the redoubtable Sergeant-Major Brooks, who besides being a great fighter possessed also high organising powers. My total strength on reaching Poperinghe was over 200, which shows that at this time the Battalion was well found in men. It was known nevertheless that some reduction from this maximum fighting force was to take place. One hundred men of the Battalion, including specialists like Lewis gunners, signallers and runners, were henceforward left out of the line whenever the Battalion went
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THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES, AUGUST, IQI / . H9 forward to take part in an attack. They were so left in order that, if the casualties were very high,some nucleus of veteran soldiers would still remain around whom the new Battalion could be built. A like rule applied to officers. A month ago the Colonel had decided which of these should not take part in the first Ypres attack. Brown and myself stayed out of the line, and in our stead Callender and Scott respectively commanded A and D Companies. Our stay near Poperinghe was short. Attention was devoted to the final organisation of platoons and sections and to the problem of what kit to carry in the attack and how best to carry it. Varied experiments were made to see whether a pack or haversack was better and which way uppermost as hovel should be slung. Supply of ammunition for the Lewis guns raised many questions for debate. When all the sections—the Lewis-gunners, bombers, rifle-grenadiers, and riflemen—were finally complete, a new drain was made

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