Monday 13th September 1915

Bivouac south of Erquinghem.

A clear and bright day.

Lt. Dick Bolton (see 9^th September) noted that, “a German aeroplane appeared high above much to everyone’s surprise and great was the excitement when one of ours engaged and shot him down”.

The incident was recorded at much greater length in a letter written to his mother by Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 10^th September),

“About 8am a Hun saw fit to fly over our field, an ‘Albatross’ I think. ‘Archie’ (this was the nickname for a British anti-aircraft gun located close to the Battalion) started firing as a matter of course, but did not get within ½ a mile or so. Then one of our machines seemed to spring out of the earth and engaged the Hun at about 3,000 ft I should say. The Hun turned to fly back to his own lines, but Archie proceeded to put up a curtain of shrapnel between the Hun and safety, so the Hun turned to fight. Immediately over our field and quite low by now the 2 machines opened fire on each other with machine guns. Gradually they rose higher and higher, quite exciting and thrilling. Archie meanwhile kept up the curtain business in great style. He must have fired 40 or 50 rounds. Suddenly the Hun turned on his right wing and began to come down in a sharp right spiral. Our man (rumour has it he was a Frenchman) immediately darted away to the left. He had evidently had enough and was taking no risks of further shots from the dying Hun. The observer, it turned out after, was killed in the air, and the petrol tank pierced. While the Hun was coming down, our man made great circles over him, ready to go for him again, if he managed to prevent himself from coming down. As soon as the machine got near the earth it is said that the Hun fired at a certain Battalion about ½ a mile from us, and behind some trees. Personally I don’t believe he did. However, as soon as the Hun reached ground, he was filled up with lead. This Battalion was returning from a long early morning route march, when all ranks are thoroughly bad-tempered. If he did not fire on the Battalion (and I don’t see how possibly he could have) it seems rather like murder to fill him up instead of making him a prisoner, but everybody who has been out here more than 2 or 3 weeks is extraordinarily callous about life. No doubt we shall be the same. Both Huns were wearing the Iron Cross. All through the fight one knew that if the Hun got back to his lines we should be crumped out of existence in about 10 minutes as he had obviously spotted us, and was going back to tell his guns”.

Pte. Harry Waller (see 29^th September 1914) also commented on the incident in a letter home to his parents, “I saw a fine sight … it was a duel in the air between a Taube and a French aeroplane, both armed with machine guns. The Frenchman shot the German’s gunner and riddled his petrol tank, forcing him to descend in our lines. He opened fire on a British battalion, wounding some, and they shot him. Our side are certainly top dogs in the air. Every time a German aeroplane appears it is chased off, either by guns or by our planes, whilst our airmen are going backwards and forwards over the German lines all day. The Germans fire at them, but I have not seen them hit one yet”.

A letter which would be published in The Brighouse Echo also described the downing of the German aircraft, “One of the Brighouse Boys” who is with the 10^th Service Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment (which includes several Brighouse national reserves) in Belgium write to say he is in the best of health and continuing say, ‘We have got behind the firing line now, somewhere in Belgium. We have got close up to some of our big guns and when they go off the sound is deafening. Two companies of our Battalion went into the trenches last night (13^th September) for 24 hours. We see plenty of aeroplanes around here now and the German gunners try to bring them down. They have fired incessantly during the last few days but have failed so far. Yesterday there was a German airman brought down by our machine guns just behind where we are billeted. He was killed and his machine wrecked. We are still billeted in farm buildings and are getting some good food. On our march last Sunday we went through a town and it was heart-rending to see the number of families in mourning for their lost ones. It grieves one to the heart to hear what the Germans have done in Belgium”.

The incident was also referred to in the War Diary of 1^st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: “German aeroplane descended near Steenwerck and occupants gallantly opened fire on a Company of 80^th Brigade, hoping to start engine again – the Company returned fire and killed both pilot and observer – machine hardly damaged”.

The programme of instruction in trench warfare which had been issued the previous day began to be put in place. At 9am Lt. Col. Bartholomew (CO), Major Buchanan (2IC), Capt. Bathurst (Adjutant), the Company Commanders (including Maj. Hildyard, commanding Tunstill’s Company) and Capt. Harrison, the Machine Gun Officer (see 27^th August), reported to HQ 1^st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in trenches south-east of Bois Grenier for their introduction to trench warfare.

At 11am officers and sergeants of the Battalion reported to HQ 2^nd Gloucesters at La Rolanderie Farm for their instruction in the reserve billets; whilst some officers and sergeants of the Gloucesters reported to HQ 10DWR to instruct corporals and men of the Battalion in their routines whilst in reserve.

At 6pm, C and D Companies moved into the front line trenches east of Bois Grenier for their instruction from 1^st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The War Diary entry noted that, “the instruction consisted of the officers, NCO’s and men performing the same duties as the instructor”. Meanwhile, A (Tunstill’s Men) and B Companies remained in tents south of Erquinghem.