Roynon - Massacre of the Innocents: the Crofton Diaries Ypres 1914-1915

M ASSACRE OF
THE I NNOCENTS

Sir Morgan Crofton, 2nd Life Guards, 1907.

M ASSACRE OF
THE I NNOCENTS

The Crofton Diaries, Y PRES
19141915

E DITED BY G AVIN R OYNON

F OREWORD BY

S IR M ARTIN G ILBERT

Front endpaper: Desolation of Ypres. (UPP, Paris) Back endpaper: Ypres receives the French Croix de Guerre, 28 January 1920. (Antony of Ypres)

First published in the United Kingdom in 2004 by Sutton Publishing Limited

The History Press
The Mill, Brimscombe Port
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This ebook edition first published in 2013

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Gavin Roynon, 2004, 2013

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EPUB ISBN 978 0 7524 9539 2

Original typesetting by The History Press

To my son Nicholas

who shares my love of history

and accompanied me

on my first visit to Ypres

CONTENTS

Sir Morgan Crofton leaves for the Front arrival at Le Havre continues via Rouen and Hazebrouck to Ypres rejoins severely depleted 2nd Life Guards put in command of Machine Gun Section plight of horses take-over from Somersets in the trenches hauling out the corpses death of Trooper Boyce Dick Deadeye wreckage of Zillebeke new billet in Girls School at Eecke ancient Cloth Hall at Ypres destroyed three prisoners court-martialled visit of HM The King and HRH The Prince of Wales.

classFrench 75mm field gun the best in Europe Archie Sinclair meets Churchill battle-cruisers lost at Coronel future of cavalry debated organises new billets at Staple with the Ancient Mariner another girls school commandeered nothing succeeds like excess visits Lt Col Trotter in hospital officer casualties news from the Eastern Front three days leave attends Hilaire Belloc lecture his third Christmas on active service receives presents from Princess Mary aeroplane raid on Cuxhaven New Years Eve banquet football against the Leicesters Auld Lang Syne bathing parade in the brewery institution of the Military Cross New Year greetings from Joffre.

Rides to Cassel, where Foch has his Headquarters censors mens letters experiments by French artillery effects of the blockade within Germany Court Repingtons article in The Times Russian victory and huge Turkish losses at Sarakamish resignation of Count Berchtold shooting pheasant unpopular with French outbreak of enteric new French uniforms returns to ruins of Ypres sees carnage at first hand wreckage of the Cathedral criticism of the Belgian authorities the British soldier as souvenir hunter sleeps in nuns dormitory direct hit on 1st Life Guards billet terror in the rue des Chiens a joke gets out of hand Gen Kavanaghs anger at surfeit of mail.

A few days leave Lt Xs nervous breakdown a gruesome crossing to Boulogne felt like death food crisis in Austria Asquiths response to German blockade Neuve Chapelle offensive nearly sensational a missed opportunity heavy casualties naval attack on the Dardanelles effectiveness of the Turkish floating mines Russians capture Przemysl the Bishop of London boosts morale the Prince of Wales and his bear-leader au revoir to Staple his new billet at Wallon-Cappel chez the Curs sister a most revolting creature of seventy summers visit to St Omer.

A general one of the culprits Neuve Chapelle more costly than Waterloo billets doux from the enemy trenches dbut of chemical warfare asphyxiating gas attack overwhelms the French Germans advance en masse aviators rescued after plane crash night march to Vlamertinghe brave little Belgium entirely wrong gallantry of the Canadians bad news from Russia the molten crucible of Ypres more heavy casualties at Frezenberg Ridge Italy declares war on Austria Asquith announces new Coalition Cabinet Churchill getting a danger to the State 9th Lancers lazy about gas respirators and pay penalty.

British losses in May good reading for the Germans would Douglas Haig make a better C-in-C? Ypres Salient murder pure and simple why preserve this muck heap? contrast with Nature how bird life must sneer worse than pagan barbarism our men pulverised sleek deadheads at GHQ drastic shortage of shells Cpl Wilkins hit by rifle grenade visit of Prince Arthur of Connaught arrival of Kitcheners Army more casualty lists off to England for four days leave visit to the War Office transfer to Windsor as instructor Centenary of Waterloo.

FOREWORD

N inety years have passed since the First World War began, amid an upsurge of confidence that it would be over within a few months over and victorious; a confidence felt by all the warring nations. The fascination with that war has never faded: a fascination derived from our ever-growing knowledge of the scale and nature of the conflict. The diaries of Sir Morgan Crofton are an important addition to the contemporary literature of the war years, presenting many facets of an officers experience and emotion.

Sir Morgan Crofton took part in the First Battle of Ypres, a nightmare of a battle in itself, and the prelude to more than three years of trench warfare in the Ypres Salient, the linchpin of the Western Front. His descriptions of what he saw and experienced are graphic and revealing: a powerful testimony to the endurance and perception of a professional soldier, who showed wisdom and sensitivity amid the pressures and turmoil of war. His diary entries are by turn laconic and outspoken. They give a remarkable picture of the rumours and expectations, the daily drudgery and wry humour, the burdens and terrors of trench warfare.

The diarist was well placed to record these scenes. Born in 1879, he entered the Army while Queen Victoria was still on the throne, being gazetted Second Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers in 1899. That same year he sailed to South Africa, where he was severely wounded during the campaign to relieve Ladysmith. For his war service in South Africa, he was awarded the Queens Medal with five clasps. Returning to Britain, he transferred first to the Irish Guards in 1901 and then to the 2nd Life Guards in 1903. In 1902 he had succeeded his brother as 6th Baronet of Mohill, Ireland, a title that goes back to 1801. A Captain in the 2nd Life Guards, he retired in early 1914 and went on the Reserve of Officers. He could look forward to living on his estates in Ireland. There, and in Hampshire where he had his other home, he was a Justice of the Peace. He could not know that his military career would resume so swiftly. When the First World War broke out in August 1914 he was thirty-four years old.

Soldiering was in the Crofton blood. Sir Morgans great-grandfather, also Sir Morgan (the 3rd Baronet), fought at the Battle of Trafalgar as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. The 3rd Baronets son, Sir Hugh Crofton, fought in the Crimea, first at the Battle of the Alma and then at Inkerman, where he was severely wounded. He was awarded the Legion of Honour and the Order of the Medjidie. Almost a century later, Sir Morgans eldest son, Major Morgan George Crofton, served with the 14th Army in Burma in the Second World War, and was twice mentioned in despatches; his youngest son, Edward Morgan Crofton, served for twenty-one years in the Coldstream Guards and his grandson, Henry Morgan Crofton, continues the family tradition as an officer in the same regiment.