vrijdag - 07/09/1917

1. het kasteel van meneer Behaeghel in Loker

 Zie hier

2. 3 burgers gedood

We konden de namen van deze drie burgers niet terugvinden.

3. in de namiddag passeren 16 tanks.

“Donderdag 6 September: (..) We zien een aantal tanks terug keeren. Zou het offensief afgeloopen zijn?”(bron: Baert, o.c.)

4. Een kleine vooruitgang ten noorden van Frezenberg

Dit was een aanval van de 42nd Division op 6 september 1917 die in officiële nomenclatuur geen vermelding verdiende.

Attack on Beck, Borry and Iberian Farms on 6th September 1917.

The 125^th Bde of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division attacked on 6/9/1917.

1^st/5^th & 1^st/6^th Bns Lancashire Fusiliers in the attack with 1^st/8^th in support and 1^st/7^th in reserve.

Casualties:

1^St/5^th Bn:          91

1^st/6^th Bn:          123

1^st/8^th Bn:          18

1^st/7^th Bn:          3

125^th Coy. MGC   9

TOTAL:             244

War diary (6/9) … A temporary footing was obtained in the Beck House defences at about D19 a.30.14 to D19 d.36.86 with few casualties, resulting in the capture of 1 officer and 29 O.R. of the Beck House garrison, but the majority of the troops attacking Iberian only got to within 75-100 yards of the objective, the reminder to a fold iun the ground about D19 central.

The attack on Borry Farm was held up by Machine Gun and Rifle fire and only succeeded in going forward a short distance, that did not reach any part of the objective.

A counter-attack was delivered by the enemy at about 10.30 am  from the North against Beck House placed the Germans once more in possession of the Borry Defences, having either killed or captured all our force with the exception of two wounded men who returned. The hostile counter-attack seemed to have been carried out by 3 companies.

Pigeons were largely used and were eminently satisfactory. Some of the messages received are attached, likewise aeroplane messages. Low flying enemy aeroplanes were constantly over our attacking troops.

War diary (7/9) Our front line back in the positions occupied before yesterday’s attack except for a gain of 150 yards in depth running down to nothing towards N.W. on a 300 yards front.

Foto 1: Britse loopgravenkaart met aanduiding van de ‘vergeten’ aanval van 6 september 1917

Foto 2: De omgeving van Borry Farm, 1917