Sirmooree Summer 2015

2/2GR were ordered to prepare to attack the Bois de Biez the next

morning, having already held it and been ordered to withdraw. However

the accompanying troops of 8

Division failed to appear and the attack was

postponed until the afternoon . By this time the Germans had heavily

reinforced the Bois de Biez and 2/2GR in their exposed position on the Des

Layes stream started to take casualties. In the event the attack never went

in although 2/2GR had lost 19 killed and 41 wounded with 27 missing. The

Germans counter attacked in large numbers but failed to take back Neuve

Chapelle. Over 2,000 bodies were counted in front of The Meerut Division.

Thus ended the battle of Neuve Chapelle, which had taken the village and

advanced the front a thousand yards over a two mile stretch. After a war

of retreat and defence the British Army had at last gone onto the offensive

and congratulatory telegrams flowed in. The Indian Corps, which had been

involved throughout, suffered over 4,000 casualties.

The Germans now started to use gas and since at this stage there were no

gas masks the Gurkhas tied white cloths saturated in bicarbonate of soda

round their faces. A new offensive between Givenchy and Neuve Chapelle

was ordered which came to be known as the battle of Festubert. Taking

part in this attack were 2/2GR, two battalions of Seaforths , elements of

the Welsh Regiment and the 6

Jats. On 9 May 1915 at 0536, after a terrific

artillery bombardment, the attack went in. The German machine guns had

not been silenced by the artillery bombardment and all battalions

sustained heavy casualties. The attack ground to a halt. Total 2/2GR

casualties were 25 killed including four British officers, 62 wounded and 6

missing. Some ground was gained but none of the main objectives were

achieved.

This was the last major battle in France in which 2/2GR were involved.

Kitchener’s new army was now entering the fray and it was felt the Indian

Corps would be better employed in the fighting in Mesopotamia against

the Turks where the Indian Army formed the bulk of the British forces. On

9 November 1915 2/2GR left Marseilles for the Suez canal area to fend off

any Turkish attempt to cut it. They left behind the graves of 16 British

officers, 10 Gurkha officers and 161 GORs with 313 wounded and 109

missing of whom one was a British officer.

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