Defence of Festubert

The Defence of Festubert was an engagement on the Western Front early in the First World War when Indian and British battalions of the 7th (Meerut) Division of the Indian Army defended the village of Festubert against a German attack from 23 to 24 November 1914. It was one of the first actions in the war in which an attack was made against a prepared defensive position. The British and Indian regiments that took part were awarded the battle honour Festubert 1914.

See also: Winter operations 1914–15
This article is about an engagement in 1914. For the British attack in spring 1915, see Battle of Festubert.
Defence of Festubert
Part of First World War

Defence of Festubert 23–24 November 1914
Date23–24 November 1914
Location
Festubert, France
50°32′39″N 02°44′15″E
Units involved
Infantry Regiment 112 7th (Meerut) Division
Festubert is located in France
Festubert
Festubert
Festubert, commune in the Pas-de-Calais department and Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France

Battle

23–24 November

The fighting around Ypres subsided in mutual exhaustion by 22 November and for about three weeks bad weather also inhibited operations apart from artillery-fire, bombing and sniping. At the end of the month the British made several night raids and on 23 November, the German Infantry Regiment 112 captured 800 yd (730 m) of trench east of Festubert in the Indian Corps area.[1] The Indians counter-attacked through the night and recovered the trenches. The Defence of Festubert was one of the first attacks on an organised trench system. Most notably a night attack also occurred, involving mainly the 129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis and the Mazhabi Sikhs of the 34th Royal Sikh Pioneers Regiment and the 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment. The battle was a costly British victory, the lost trench was recaptured but there were many casualties in the 129th Baluchis battalion and the 1st Manchesters.[2]

Order of battle

October 1914, 7th (Meerut) Division[lower-alpha 1]

GOC: Lieutenant-General C.A. Anderson
GSO1: Colonel Claud Jacob

Dehra Dun Brigade GOC: Brigadier-General C. E. Johnson

Garhwal Brigade GOC: Major-General Henry Keary

Bareilly Brigade GOC: Major-General F. Macbean

Divisional Mounted Troops

Divisional Artillery

  • IV Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (replaced V Brigade, transferred to 3rd (Lahore) Division 17 October 1914)
    • 7th, 14th and 66th Batteries, IV Brigade Ammunition Column
  • IX Brigade, RFA
    • 19th, 20th and 28th Batteries, IX Brigade Ammunition Column
  • XIII Brigade, RFA (replaced XI Brigade, transferred to 3rd (Lahore) Division 17 October 1914)
    • 2nd, 8th and 44th Batteries, XIII Brigade Ammunition Column
  • 110th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
    • Heavy Battery Ammunition Column
  • Meerut Divisional Ammunition Column

Engineers

Signals Service

  • Meerut Signal Company

Divisional Pioneers

Supply and Transport:

  • Meerut Divisional train

Medical Units:

  • 19th and 20th British Field Ambulances
  • 128th, 129th and 130th Indian Field Ambulances

Notes
  1. All data from Edmonds, Military Operations, 1914, Part II, 1925.[3]

Footnotes
  1. James 1990, p. 6.
  2. Edmonds & Wynne 1995, p. 4.
  3. Edmonds 1925, pp. 482–483.

References
  • Der Herbst-Feldzug 1914: Im Westen bis zum Stellungskrieg, im Osten bis zum Rückzug [The Autumn Campaign 1914: In the West until Position Warfare, in the East until the Retreat]. Der Weltkrieg 1914 bis 1918: Militärischen Operationen zu Lande. Vol. I (Die Digitale Landesbibliothek Oberösterreich ed.). Berlin: Mittler & Sohn. 2012 [1929]. OCLC 838299944. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  • Edmonds, J. E. (1925). Military Operations France and Belgium, 1914: Antwerp, La Bassée, Armentières, Messines and Ypres October–November 1914. History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Vol. II. London: Macmillan. OCLC 220044986.
  • Edmonds, J. E.; Wynne, G. C. (1995) [1927]. Military Operations France and Belgium, 1915: Winter 1914–15 Battle of Neuve Chapelle: Battles of Ypres. History of the Great War Based on Official Documents by Direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence. Vol. I (Imperial War Museum and Battery Press repr. ed.). London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-89839-218-7.
  • James, E. A. (1990) [1924]. A Record of the Battles and Engagements of the British Armies in France and Flanders 1914–1918 (London Stamp Exchange ed.). Aldershot: Gale & Polden. ISBN 0-948130-18-0.

Further reading
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