May 1916 ... To the Western Front
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In mid-May the Division was moved to France where it would become part of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front. The Howe Battalion embarked on HMT Briton on the seventh and disembarked in Marseilles five days later. Once in France the Division was moved northwards by train where it was cheered by crowds at each of the stations it passed through. The Division was put into a concentration area near Aberville where stores and equipment were issued.
Plans existed for two units of the battalions. In May, for a short period of time, there was both a 1st and 2nd Hood, under the command of Temp. Cmmdr. Feyburg and Lieut.-Cmmdr. Asquith respectively. However, the plans were abandoned as there were insufficient officers and ranks to fully man the extra battalions and the Division was reorganised by the addition of four army battalions, although these would not be immediately available. On the June 19th the Division was renamed the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division and the brigades reorganised: |
HMT Briton
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| 188th Brigade |
189th Brigade |
190th Brigade |
| 1st Royal Marines |
Drake |
1st Honourable Artillery Company |
| 2nd Royal Marines |
Hawke |
4th Bedfordshire Fusiliers |
| Anson |
Hood |
7th Royal Fusiliers |
| Howe |
Nelson |
10th Royal Dublin Fusiliers |
The Division was given a khaki uniform bearing naval insignia, which the men wore with pride, as well as army ones.
In July, the 223rd, 315th and 317th brigades of the Royal Field Artillery were attached, this being the first time the RND had been equipped with Divisional artillery. The 14th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, was also aquired to undertake the role of the Division's pioneers.
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The Division was moved north of Arras, in the vicinity of the IVth Corps line, for training as the fighting to be expected on the Western Front would be entirely different to that the Division had experienced in Gallipoli. During this period all the units were attached to the 47th Division for preliminary tours of duty in the trenches. On the twenty-sixth Thomas is recorded with an I.C.T. leg injury. I.C.T. can be either Injury to Connective Tissue or Inflammation of Connective Tissue and both were very common amongst the men in the trenches. Thomas rejoined his unit on July 5th.
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Advanced Field Dressing Station, Bully Grenay | | IWM Cat Ref: Q 14729 |
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The Division completed its training and moved into the trenches in front of Bully Grenay on the seventeenth taking over the line at Angres-Souchez from the 47th Division. On the twenty-ninth the 63rd Divisional Artillery entered the line.
This was known as a quiet sector with occasional gas and artillery exchanges being an irritation rather than a major problem. On August 10th the 1st RMLI and Howe battalions relieved the 2nd RMLI and Anson in the line and there was a German artillery barrage to which the British retaliated. The following day it is recorded that there was trench mortar activity on both sides and Thomas sustained his first wound, a shell shrapnel injury to the left side of his chest, and was admitted to the Division's 1st Field Ambulance advanced field dressing station. The following day he was received by the 6th Casualty Clearing Station at Bruay-la-Buissiere. Thomas remained at the CCS until the twenty-fifth when he was sent for duty at a convalescent billet. On the thirtieth the 190th Brigade was finally able to join up with the Division.
On September 10th the Anson Battalion undertook a successful raid with the purpose of discovering the movements of the enemy to the main Somme battlefield. Six days later the Division was relieved in the line by the 37th Division and moved back to the IVth Corps training area before resting in the villages of Artois towards the end of the month. |
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