Wednesday September 25th, 1918
Route march – 17 miles or 22kms. Very tired. Rained hard. Wet through.
Route March
Both the diaries agree that the battalion went on a route march today but disagree on the distance covered.
9th Scottish Division
While the South African Infantry Brigade has just left the 9th Scottish Division, General Jack has just joined the Division to recreate and lead the 28th Brigade.
With the South African’s departure, the 28th, together with the 26th and 27th Brigades now make up the 9th Scottish. The 28th will comprise 2/Royal Scots Fusiliers, 9/Cameronians and 10/Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. However the 10/Argyll haven’t yet joined and the Brigade has been ‘lent’ the 1/Royal Newfoundland Regiment. It is with this formation that General Jack is currently preparing for battle against the German Army at Ypres.
Preparation for Battle
According to General Jack, the orders for battle have been ‘drafted by Higher Command with infinite care and clarity. … General Tudor calls to ask if the orders are quite understood, and if there are any questions regarding them. He and his staff take no end of trouble; it is a pleasure to serve under him. On his departure I ride round the camps to ensure that our orders are clear to units…‘¹
One of his motives for this rigorous planning is made clear in his diary the following day. ‘Failure may follow the best laid plans, carried out by the finest troops, because after all, one can only guess the enemy’s strength and what he will do, the weather and other factors. But the risks of failure, or even of unduly long casualty lists, are tremendously increased by unsound or incomplete plans; by troops not thoroughly thoroughly knowing their role, or being insufficiently rested before action; by slack discipline, shortage of training or poor leading.‘²
A further motive is revealed on September 25th, when the Brigade is in position on the front. General Jack has been here before. ‘How familiar the place-names of today were 14 months ago: the Menin and Lille Gates, Bellewaarde and Westhoek Ridges, Zonnebeke Redoubt. We shall presently assault the identical positions then attacked by the 8th Division, containing the 2/West Yorks under my command. The bones of most of my officers and many of the other ranks lie between here and Zonnebeke. I hope the 28th Brigade will have better luck…. All is ready for the battle; we can think of nothing left to chance…’³
The photograph was taken on October 1st 1918 during the Fifth Battle of Ypres. It is of the Royal Artillery limbers and pack mules on the Menin Road at Hooge.* It shows the terrible destruction of the landscape after years of heavy fighting.
The 66th Brigade Scheme
The tactics and strategies about to be used by the 9th, are those that will be practiced in the 66th’s Brigade Scheme (a sort of ‘war game’) starting tomorrow.
9th Battalion War Diary – 25th September 1918 – Manin
Brigade Route March. All men in marching order, and all transport loaded and present. Length of route about 11 miles.
References & Further Reading
¹ ‘General Jack’s Diary, War on the Western Front 1914-1918’ edited by John Terraine, Cassell, 2003, originally published 1964, (September 19th, 1918, page 266)
² ibid, September 20th, 1918, page 266
³ ibid, September 25th, 1918, page 269
* Q 11796, copyright Imperial War Museums