This article concerns a tragic “friendly fire” incident that struck the 1/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment on 21 June 1917. The battalion was under command of the 138th (Lincoln and Leicester) Infantry Brigade of the 46th (North Midland) Division.
The division had moved into the coal mining and industrial area near the German-held city of Lens in April 1917 and would take part in some major offensive action in the area in August 1917. For the events of 21 June 1917, the area of relevance is the coal mine Fosse 3 bis de Liévin.
Location
Disaster strikes “C” Company
The published history of the battalion states,
“At dusk on the 21st we received a message, and at once warned all ranks, that the Special Brigade R.E. [the poison gas specialist unit of the Royal Engineers] were going to carry out a gas bombardment of the mine buildings of Fosse 3. Projectors would be fired by a Company operating with the Canadian Corps, from whose front the buildings could be best attacked. The wind was satisfactory, and the buildings were at least 150 yards away from our nearest trenches, so there seemed no need of any special precautions.”
The “projectors” mentioned in the narrative were a device known as a Livens Projector. This was a construction consisting of a number of short tubes that acted as mortars, simultaneously firing canisters of compressed poison gas. It was a devastating weapon.
The narrative continues, “C” Company, occupying Boot and Brick Trenches, heard the familiar explosion as the projectors went off, and waited to hear them fall in the buildings. Instead, they fell in our trenches, several hundred of them; in a few seconds, and before any warning could be shouted, the trenches were full of phosgene, the deadliest of all gasses.”
“Officers and men worked hard to rouse those resting, and, in particular, 2nd Lieut. Banwell taking no heed for his own safety, went everywhere, rousing, rescuing and helping the badly gassed. But it was too late, and all through the night and next morning casualties were being carried out to Liévin and down the line. 2nd Lieuts. Craggs and Macbeth both went to England, and, almost the last to leave the slagheap, 2nd Lieut. Banwell. His great strength had enabled him to survive longer than the others, but no constitution could stand all that phosgene, and during the morning he suddenly fainted, and had to be carried down. By the time he reached Liévin he was almost dead, and the Doctors held out no hope of his recovery. However, fed on oxygen and champagne he lasted a week, and then, to everybody’s surprise, began to recover. The greatest surprise of all was when this marvellous man refused to go to England, but preferred to remain in Hospital in France until fit enough to rejoin his own Battalion. With the exception of Capt. Moore, who was fortunately on leave at the time, “C” Company was wiped out and temporarily ceased to exist. Twenty-four died from the poison, and in all sixty-two others of the Company went to Hospital. Most of these found their way to England, though one or two, such as Serjt. Needham and L/Cpl. Tookey, both fighting men, preferred to remain and return to us. “D” Company also had their losses, and Serjeant Sullivan and nine others were gassed, ten others wounded. The rest of the Battalion escaped untouched.“
Godwin Edward Banwell survived the war, ending it as a Captain with a Military Cross and Bar, despite having been wounded five times. He was aged 19 on 21 July 1917.
The casualties
All at rank of Private unless stated.
Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery [12 men buried in Plot II row B]: Cpl 240497 Wilford Baum; L/Cpl 241397 Arthur Brooks DCM; 240760 John Benton; 240374 Arthur Carter; Sgt 240447 Ernest Foulds MM; 200737 William Gilbert; 241655 Horace Grewcock; 240689 Arthur Mason; 240977 George Pollard; 202277 Alfred Rourke; 242590 Arthur Stanyon; 241174 George Walker.
Loos British Cemetery [3 men buried in Plot XIX row A]: 241623 George Dakin; 241749 William Harris; 241486 Roland North. These men were reinterred in this cemetery, having been buried in Caldron Military Cemetery which was cleared after the war.
Fosse No. 10 Communal Cemetery Extension [2 men buried in adjacent graves in Plot I row D]: 241470 Arthur Hawkins; 202529 Albert Wain. Fosse 10 was the location of the relevant Main Dressing Station, and the men’s presence suggests they succumbed to the poison after being evacuated there.
Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery: 202322 George Miller. He was moved into this concentration cemetery when North Angres Cemetery was cleared after the war.
Chocques Military Cemetery: L/Cpl 240954 John Warrington.
Villers Station Cemetery, Villers-au-Bois: 242640 Charles Bradley.
Arras Memorial [1 man with no known grave]: 200785 Joseph Hurst. He was at first reported missing, but this was amended to killed by the War Office casualty list of 17 September 1917.
Who fired the deadly barrage?
The unit that fired into “C” Company’s position was “F” Special Company of the Royal Engineers.
The company’s diary for 21 June 1917 reads, “2.30am. 216 projectors fired against Fosse 3. Enemy shell fire previous and subsequent to zero [was] intense. [Electrical] Leads frequently cut. … Casualties nil. Wind SW by W. … Went round trenches held by 4th Canadian Division and 46th Division to investigate report that several drums had fallen short. Report forwarded.”
The war diary of the General Staff of 4th Canadian Division’s HQ reports that 216 canisters were fired “and it is believed with good results.”
I have yet to locate a copy of the report submitted by “F” Special Company as to why their firing was so badly off target. This summary, from the war diary of First Army’s HQ, holds a clue. It suggests that some of the Livens projectors may have been knocked out of position by enemy shelling.
There appears to have been no disciplinary action taken.
Visiting the location today
