4th Territorial Battalion

12 - 24 Feb 1916

12th Feb 1916

That night the Bn relieved the 9th Bn DLI in the Sanctuary Wood trenches. Relief went quite quietly.At 8am on the 13th the enemy began shelling Hooge Ridge, just to the left of the Bn. The bombardment continued all day with the Germans firing an estimated six thousand shells. Sanctuary Wood was on the receiving end of some of them and a few fusiliers from the 4th Bn wounded. The night passed off fairly quietly.During the morning of the 14th there was only little activity. In the afternoon the enemy shelled Hooge Ridge again and late in the afternoon attacked opposite the Rifle Bde positions but were beaten back. A good amount of stuff was thrown over the 4th Bn trenches, killing four men and wounding about 13 or 14. On the right flank, opposite the 17th Divn, the enemy in the afternoon bombarded very heavily and attacked taking a few of our trenches. Our Bn transport was shelled while returning through Kruisstraat, one Cpl was killed and two men wounded. Just before 3.30pm on the 14th the enemy opened up with a heavy bombardment on the Hooge trenches, held by the 24th Divn, on the immediate left flank of the 50th Divn. At 3.30pm shelling of trenches 37, 38 and 39 (opposite Hill 60 and astride the railway) and the area to the rear held by the 150th Bde. The 149th Bde had the 7th Bn on the right and the 4th on the left, the 6th Bn in close support and the 5th in Bde reserve.The 149th Bde, however, seem to escape the very heavy bombardment to which units on their right and left were subjected; ''The whole of the day the trenches immediately to our right and left came in for a very heavy and, at times, intense bombardment, and it was apparent that the enemy intended to put in an attack at some point or other''. All the approaches up from Kruistraat were shelled with 'whizz-bangs' and HE, and the Bde Office at Zillebeke dugouts was blown in and a good deal of material destroyed.The bombardment continued until 5pm.

15th Feb 1916

The night was disturbed and at 4.30am a counterattack was made on the lost trenches but failed. The whole of the day was rather disturbed; the enemy shelled Hooge Ridge and round about, but nothing further happened. On the 14th there was an attack on the left flank, during which some of the enemys’ bombers were opposite our trenches, but they were spotted and dispersed. During the night two rifles, two grenades and the belongings of one of them who was shot were safely recovered to the trenches. The information gained turned out to be of great value to GHQ. At 8pm anotherr counterattack was made on the lost trenches and met with partial success.

16th Feb 1916

The whole of the day was quiet on both sides. In the evening the Bn was relieved from the front line by the 6th Bn and moved into close support redoubts. HQ went to Maple Copse. Capt JR Robb and 2nd Lt Scaife returned from leave and no officers being due, all leave went to men.

17th - 20th Feb

Maple Copse

Nothing much to record during these four days. The Bn supplied seven working parties, each night and lay in support during the daytime. On the night of the 20th we came up to trenches again and took over from the 6th Bn. Owing to the low strength of the Bn, the 7th Bn take control of the right hand trench, relieving the pressure greatly.

21st Feb 1916

In trenches at Sanctuary WoodA good deal of snow on the ground, but artillery less active on both sides

22nd - 24th Feb 1916

All these three days passed quietly, and there were no casualties

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Mount Sorrel

24 - 27 Mar 1916

The night of the 24th Bn moved forward into the trenches at Mount Sorrel, between Hill 60 and Sanctuary Wood. This was a short and a quiet tour for the 4th Bn, because on the 27th they were relieved by the 5th Bn and proceeded to the support lines near Square Wood.

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Square Wood

28th - 29th Mar 1916

Once again the Bn had an uneventful tour, with only two men wounded. The Bn was relieved by the 16th Bn Canadians on the night of the 29th and proceeded to Canada Huts.

30th - 31st Mar 1916

The Bn prepared to march to a new sector.The relief of the 149th Bde by the Canadians was completed by 11.45pm

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Armagh Wood

19th Mar 1916

The Bn moved into the support lines at at H.30.a, Blaue Pourt Farm and Armagh Wood. Except one NCO wounded and Sgt Maj Sharp killed (see burial book) these were three quiet days. On the night of 21st and 22nd the Bn was relieved by the 4th Bn East Yorkshires and moved back to Dickebusch Huts. This was a difficult relief due to traffic congestion.

Usual refitting, reclothing and Coy parades. On the 23rd Gen Sir Douglas Haig came and inspected the Bn; it was a wet day and he only saw the men in their huts. A concert was held the same night in the YMCA hut, which went off successfully. The 50th Divn relieved the 3rd Divn in a sector running from the Ypres-Comines Canal at The Bluff to Trench '34', the 50th Divn front being held once more by two Bdes and extending from the Bluff to Trench 'A.3'.

25th - 27th Mar 1916

On the night of 24th, the Bn went up to the trenches at Mount Sorrel, between Hill 60 and Sanctuary Wood. The next two days were quiet, however, on the 26th Canadian officers, from the Bn due to relieve the 4th Bn, visited the trenches. On the 27th the Bn was relieved by the 5th Bn and proceeded to close support positions, with the Bn HQ at Square Wood.

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Sanctuary, Square & Armagh Wood - Locations

Armagh Wood - East south east of Ypres

Blaue Pourt Farm - East south east of Ypres

Canada Huts - Hutted encampment.

Dickebusch Huts - 4.5km south west of Ypres.

H3 -

H30a -

Hill 60 - Spoil heap from railway cutting, 4km south east of Ypres

Hooggraaf -

Kemmel - Town 8.5km south west of Ypres.

Kruistraat -

Mount Sorrel (Hill 59) - 4km east south east of Ypres and north of Hill 60. On the front line at the southern tip of Armagh Wood.

Sanctuary Wood - East south east of Ypres.

Square Wood - East southeast of Ypres.

The Bluff -North of Hill 60.

Trench A3 -

Trench 34 -

Westoutre - 9km south west of Ypres

© Copyright NStorey 2004

Sanctuary, Square & Armagh Wood - Military Units

17th Division - Comprised of the 50th, 51st and 52nd Bdes

1st Canadian Division - Comprised of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Canadian Bdes.