254188 Pte. Richard Slade British Army 5th Btn. Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry from:Stoke Row, Oxon Richard Slade served with the 5th Btn, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry From his own words..
I arrived in France on the 20th of December 1916, after sailing from Southampton, stopping at Le Havre, then travelling up the river to Rouen, staying there for a fortnight doing drills on different parts of warfare. On leaving Rouen I joined the 5th Battalion Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry at a place called Dainville, on what was part of the front called G. Sector.
We were in and out of line until the 1st of February 1917, then going back to a place called Grand-Rullecourt for a month for a refresher, joining my Battalion again in March near Arras at a village called Rownville, that part of the front was called H. Sector, we stayed there until we made the first spring advance which was on Easter Monday 9th of April 1917 in the early morning, just after day break (Battle of Arras).
In the meantime we were digging assembly trenches, which were dug in no-mans land, making advances between Tolley and Burains with the tanks going over with us, taking what we named Redoufer not far off Telegraph Hill, it was said my Battalion alone took 800 prisoners from that particular place, we took our position fairly easy after which other Regiments passing through us making their advance good.
Then after about 3 days we got relieved for a short while for a rest. At times we were holding the line which our troops made good on the 10th of April 1917. We then made another attack on the 4th May in the early morning, just before light on the same front in a place called Wancourt. We drove the enemy from his front line, but we only held it for a few hours perhaps up to mid-day when we had to retire back to where we started (what was left of us!). With the help of the rest of our Brigade we held our line where we were.
Before we made the attack my Battalion, then in the evening received news from one of our Officers for every man for himself to get out of the line down under a bank in front of Wancourt, then from the bank when we got what we thought all of our men together, we were took to some trench for the rest of the night and part of the next day. Where our men were coming in 1 or 2 at the time and then from there we went back near Tolley for a few days getting, relived from that front altogether, for a rest and to get reinforcements up.
We were out there for nearly three months going in the line again at Ypres the beginning of August we were in there for 3 or 4 days, we then got relieved from the line going back to a place called the half way house which was a dug-out behind our reserves, we were there for 4 or 5 days and at night we sent out as working parties up to the line. We then went a little further back to a place called Dickiebusch for the night before making our way then to Messines Ridge, going what we might say straight in the line. We were round about that part for nearly a month , we were in and out of the line, when we were out we were working parties either at day or night.
After leaving Messines we again went back to Ypres, taking with us 3 days rations. We took our position on the left of the Menin Road, we were there 5 days coming from the left over to the right of the Menin Road (you will be familiar with this as the Battle of Passchendaele). I was there 2 days, when I got my Blighty! I got hit on the evening of the 22nd of Octobre 1917 about 6 o'clock, when out of the trench, I was in a dug out near by for the night.
Then when it was light the next morning I made tracks to our aid-post where I was dressed and sent on to the next dressing station near Ypres. Then from there I was took to the C.C.S, where I stayed for 2 days, then being sent to the 10th General Hospital Rouen. I stayed there until the 31st October coming across to Blighty that night landing at Southampton early morning on the 1st November, arriving at the 1st Southern General Hospital, Kings' Heath Section in Birmingham at 6pm.
I was discharged from there on the 27th of January 1918 for 10 days leave reporting back to Command Depot Tipperary, Ireland on the 6th of February 1918, got my T.M.B on the 27th of June 1918 BII, discharged from there on the 15th of July 1918 and reported to my reserve unit on the 16th of July 1918. I was then sent to Scotland on the 2nd September on farm work and came back to my Battalion on the 22nd of Novemeber 1918.
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