2.2F6th Battalion City of London Rifles

1 2/6th battalion

1.1 bullecourt
1.2 menin road
1.3 villers-bretonneux
1.4 amiens

2/6th battalion

the 2/6th battalion formed @ farringdon road after 1/6th bn marched away in august 1914. regimental staff overwhelmed recruits, 1100 being attested immediately. in october 1914 london tf association rented large country house, mount felix @ walton-on-thames, accommodate battalion , provide training facilities. 2/6th bn assigned 2/2nd london brigade (later 174th (2/2nd london) brigade) in 2/1st london division, numbered 58th (2/1st london) division in august 1915. brigade concentrated in sussex in november 1914, first @ burgess hill, later @ crowborough. in may , june 1915 whole division concentrated in east anglia.

initially, 2/6th bn s role provide reinforcements 1/6th bn, , sent large drafts senior battalion in february (just before 1/6th went overseas), august , september 1915 (after battle of loos). after that, practice stopped 58th division prepared overseas service, , duty of providing reinforcements fell on 3/6th bn.

in july 1916, 58th division left coastal defence role , concentrated @ sutton veny final training on salisbury plain before embarkation western front. battalion disembarked @ le havre on 25 january 1917 , went quiet sections of line near arras familiarise trench warfare. in march advanced follow german retirement hindenburg line.

bullecourt

the battalion s first offensive operation on 20 may 1917, when joined in battle of bullecourt. 6 weeks village had been attacked british, australian , new zealand troops, , in hands 17 may. 2/6th londons entered ruined village following day , task capture bovis trench beyond village. , b companies made attack behind barrage, other 2 companies protecting flanks. attackers not recognise shelled-out trench objective, went 200 yards beyond , tried dig in. having lost direction, gap had opened between them , c company on left flank, enemy parties infiltrated. attackers had suffered badly german defensive barrage, , battalion reduced small parties, forced german counter-attack. failure cost newly arrived battalion half strength in officers , men. unable make major effort several months, although did support attack on hindenburg line north of bullecourt 173 brigade of 58th division on 15 june. 58th division withdrawn quiet area.

menin road

on 20 september 1917 2/6th bn (codenamed unbolt ) took part in 58th division s successful attack @ st julien during battle of menin road ridge. task leap-frog through 2/8th , 2/5th bns making initial attacks, , turn right attack german lines in flank support of tanks. objectives taken, numerous prisoners, , relatively few casualties german defensive barrage. battalion consolidated gains, messages sent dog , carrier-pigeon brought down supporting artillery fire on german troops seen attempting form counter-attacks.

on 30 october, canadian corps captured passchendaele village, company of 2/6th made diversionary attack in conjunction 2/8th londons. although company took objective, 2/8th stopped impassable mud. battalion spent rest of year providing labour royal engineers consolidating positions won during ypres offensive. left salient in january 1918.

when 1/6th bn disbanded in february 1918 (see above), 2/6th bn absorbed many of officers , men, , henceforth designated 6th bn (the 3/6th having been redesignated 6th reserve bn in 1916).

villers-bretonneux

during february , march battalion occupied positions in coucy forest both sides occupied no more line of outposts. when german spring offensive opened on 25 march battalion south of river oise , not attacked, of 58th division north of river driven back. battalion fell on 26 march, leaving fighting patrol in forest, , set posts guard crossings on oise , st quentin canal until bridges blown. separated rest of british fifth army, 58th division came under french command. since germans did not cross river, 6th battalion reoccupied coucy forest until relieved french troops on 1 april. moved villers-bretonneux, through 5th army retreating. battalion resting in town when german bombardment fell on 4 april , moved out later in day support australian troops attempting hold gap in line. advancing section rushes, 6th londons , 36th australians turned enemy advance, , dug in overnight in front of town. high-water mark of german operation michael offensive.

john singer sargent s painting gassed, in imperial war museum

after being relieved line, battalion sleeping in open on night of 16/17 april when subjected gas shelling. large number of casualties caused mustard gas, of them temporarily blinded, had led away in single file dressing stations. reduced battalion not directly engaged when reassembled 58th division helped beat off next phase of german spring offensive on 24–26 april (the second battle of villers-bretonneux).

after rest , reorganisation, 6th bn spent next few months in reserve or holding line. during july introduced 132nd infantry regiment these duties.

amiens

the 58th division took part in battle of amiens on 8 august 1918, 6th bn having objective of taking malard wood , adjacent quarry. rather attack frontally, plan envelop wood, morning mist made direction-keeping difficult , wood taken mix of different battalions, including supports. following day battalion ordered continue attack on chipilly ridge 3 tanks in support. again there confusion, 6th londons collected disorientated troops , took objective. battle resounding success, battalion suffered casualties of 12 officers , 308 other ranks on 2 days. despite losses, 6th bn attacked again on 27 , 28 august @ maricourt, after took part in becoming war of movement against german rearguards. when battalion taken out of line, total casualties between 8 august , 11 september amounted 28 officers , 638 other ranks.

when unit returned action in october, pursuing @ 10 miles day, skirmishing rearguards , raiding parties, , suffering occasional gas attacks. on 27 october battalion reached rongy, began practise in moat of chateau assault crossing of river escaut. in event, german infantry retreated before crossing on 8 november, , battalion crossed plank bridge no opposition except steady shellfire caused few casualties. when armistice came effect on 11 november, battalion route marching in pursuit , meeting no opposition.

the 6th londons settled winter quarters in belgian town of péruwelz. in april 1919 joined british army of rhine occupying rhineland. august, of men had been demobilised, , cadre returned england.