Berkshire and The War: the "Reading Standard" pictorial record. Volume 3. Introduction [2]

night they were in action, and within a week of reaching France the Battery were in the British attack at Messines and took part in the great battles of Ypres and Passchendaele. The casualties were heavy, the brigade losing a quarter of its number within a month of landing. Further good work was done at Nieuport when the Germans made a determined attempt to reach Dunkirk.

Berkshire Yeomanry.
The gallant deeds of the Berkshire Yeomanry in Gallipoli have been described in the earlier volumes of this work. The details left behind in Egypt were formed into a composite regiment under Major J. T. Wigan, and were detailed to take part in the operations in Western Egypt. The troops trekked along the coast for four days to Matruh, and on December 11th, 1915, went into action. A squadron under Major E. D . Foster charged and met with heavy losses. On its return the composite regiment met the survivors from Gallipoli. The Berks Yeomanry were reorganised and then took part in the Western Desert Campaign, which ended in the capture of Sollum . A writer in "Blackwood's," describing the operations, says :
On February 28th Barini was occupied, where the troops remained till March 8th while stores were accumulated and preparations for advance on Sollum were made. Some officers and men were tempted to bath in a small cove. Lieut. P. H. Berry R. A. M. C., medical officer of the Berks Yeomanry had bathed and was walking away when he heard a shout for help from the water. Without a moment's hesitation he dived into the water and was not seen again. His body was found some hours later. The man he was trying to save was drowned too."

The Yeomanry covered about 550 miles, and there were only three losses, two of whom were those related above. On their return they were stationed in the Nile Valley for a time, and later went on to the east of Suez , and took part in the capture of Nekel. As a part of the Yeomanry Mounted Division they received orders to proceed to Palestine, trekking by way of Ismalia and Kantara to Rafa. On March 26 and April 17-19, 1917, they took part in attacks on Gaza. In the latter action, the regiment unfortunately lost Major P. M. Wroughton, killed by a shell. Colonel Wigan, and Major Pugh were wounded. Lieut.-Colonel A. M. Pirie, D.S.O. 21st Lancers, tok over the command, and Major Sir Ralph Gore was appointed second in command. Colonel Wigan was appointed brigadier-general in July. Throughout the summer, up till the advance on Jerusalem in October, the regiment was engaged in patrol work on the exposed flank.

Royal Engineers.
Three companies were raised by the Mayor of Reading (Mr. L. Sutton, J.P.) at Wantage Hall. These were the 32nd and 35th Signal Companies and the 237th Field Company. In the period under review their history is as follows :-
32nd Company . - The 32nd Division, of w hich this Company was a unit, took part on July 1st, 1916, in the Somme offensive. The objective was Thiepval, an immensely strong place, and the division lost 10,000 men, the 32nd Company having four killed. After two months a move, was made to Givenchy. Early in 1917 the division marched up to the coast- sector at Nieuport, and on July 10th was involved in the big German attack in the attempt to take Dunkirk and Calais. Owing to the gallant resistance the German attack failed. Lce.-Corpl. Godden, of Reading, won the Military Medal for maintaining communications across a bridge on the Yser Canal. From here the Company was drafted to Ypres, in the Passchendaele sector.

35t h C o m p a n y :- This Company went to France on January 29th, 1916, their first sphere of action being at Merville, early in March. In July the Company was engaged in the Battle of the Somme. At the end of August a move was made to Arras. March, 1917, was spent in following up the Germans from Chambres to near St. Quentin, and in September the Company went north via Peronne. In October the Company participated in the closing stages of the battle around Passchendale and Houthoulst Forest.

237th Field Company : - This Company sailed with the 41st Division to France on May 5th, 1916. With in ten days of landing the Company were at Ploegstert. Early in September the Company moved into the Somme area, near Montauban, and on the 15th w ent "over the top" with the 41st Division, resulting in the capture of Flers. The Company were in another attack on
October 8th. A week later the division moved north and took over the line at Dickebusch, Ypres, and here remained throughout the winter of 1916-17 and the following summer. They were in the thick of the battles in front of Ypres, including the mine attack on Messines. Heavy casualties were sustained in the fighting of September 20th near Tower Hamlets, and then the division moved up to the coast near Nieuport. Then came the Italian collapse, and on November 13th the 41st Division was rushed to Italy, landing on November 18th at Mantova,
after an interesting journey through the South of France, the Riviera and North Italy.

At home the principal business was the recruiting and training of the large body of men necessary to carry on the war on the numerous fronts, and the manufacture of the vast quantities of munitions demanded by the Navy and troops in the field in the execution of their duties. In these direction Berkshire rose to the occasion. The various war societies, such as the War Hospitals Supplies Depot, the Care and Comforts Committee, the Berkshire Regiment Cigarette Fund, the National Egg Fund, were well supported. The County Borough became an important centre for the training of officers of the Royal Flying Corps, and there was also a Pioneer Depot. The 30th Battalion Middlesex Regiment was billeted in Reading. Early in 1917 the effect of the U-boat warfare upon food supplies became unpleasantly evident, a potato shortage becoming acute, queues being frequent. The rationing system of fats and sugar also came into operation. But with all this personal discomfort there was no slackening
of the will to beat the Germans, and the entry of A merica into the war gave additional confidence that the struggle could end in only one way - the downfall of Prussianism and the establishment of a permanent peace.

The Care and Comforts Committee provided many river trips for the wounded. The above is a photograph of one of the outings.