Mobilisation The infantry battalions of the 2nd London Division had just reached Perham Down on Salisbury Plain for their annual training when war broke out on 4 August 1914. They immediately returned to their London HQs. 17th Londons mobilised at Tredegar Road under the command of Lt-Col J. Godding, CO since 19 March 1913. This process was completed by mid-August, and the London battalions marched to their war stations around
St Albans in
Hertfordshire, with 5th London Bde grouped round
Hatfield. Here the division formed part of
Third Army in
Central Force for home defence, and carried out its war training. The TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on 10 August 1914 TF units were invited to volunteer for overseas service and the majority did so. On 15 August, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Later the 2nd Line was prepared for overseas service and 3rd Line units were formed to train reinforcements.
1/17th Londons In October 1914 the 2nd London Division was selected to be sent to reinforce the
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the
Western Front, and it pushed on with organisation and training. On 2 March 1915 it was ordered to France and on 9–10 March 5th London Brigade embarked and landed at
Le Havre. It was sent to a concentration area at
Nord preparatory to joining
Second Army in the
Ypres Salient, but orders were changed and the rest of the division was diverted to
Béthune to reinforce
First Army after its losses in the
Battle of Neuve Chapelle. 5th London Bde was brought down from Cassel in London motor buses. Parties from each unit were attached to Regular units in the line, then whole battalions were attached to brigades of
2nd Division at
Givenchy for familiarisation in
Trench warfare. On 25 April the division took over its own section of the line, with 5th London Bde in the
Festubert sector. There was heavy fighting in the adjacent sector on 9 and 15–18 May (the
Battle of Aubers Ridge), but although some London units were used in support of the fighting formations, 1/17th Londons was not engaged. On arrival in France the 2nd London Division was generally referred to simply as 'The London Division' to distinguish it from the Regular 2nd Division, but on 15 May the division and its brigades were numbered, becoming
47th (2nd London) Division and
141st (5th London) Brigade respectively. The division's first attack was in the
Battle of Festubert from 24 to 27 May, but again 141st Bde was in support and not closely engaged. In early June, the division took over the
Vermelles sector, south of the
La Bassée Canal and opposite the mining town of
Loos.
Loos Loos had been selected for the BEF's Autumn offensive (the
Battle of Loos) and the summer was spent in preparation, including a long trench that 141st Bde began digging in
No man's land on 27 August. This was to be the jumping-off line for the attack, and was equipped with recesses for gas cylinders (the BEF was to use
chemical weapons for the first time); a second assembly trench was also dug behind. The battalions then underwent rehearsals for the roles they were to play in the attack. For the opening assault on 25 September, 1/17th Londons under Lt-Col Godding was in brigade reserve and was left in the original British front line while rest of the brigade advanced at 06.30 behind the gas cloud and smoke screen towards Loos. By 09.30 one company of 1/17th Bn had been sent up to reinforce 1/20th Bn in its attack on the Chalk Pit. At the end of the day the brigade had reached the mining spoilheap known as the Loos Crassier, but it was held by only two companies (one from 1/17th) and a platoon, and was unable to provide much flank protection for the neighbouring division which suffered heavy casualties. Two days later 141st Bde captured further German strongpoints, with 1/17th Bn supplying the '
bombers' who led the attack into the German trenches. After holding its positions, 141st Bde was relieved by 142nd Bde on the night of 28/29 September, but the following night 1/17th Bn went back into the line with 142nd Bde to relieve the
3rd Guards Bde on Hill 70. They were finally relieved by French troops and went into reserve. 141st Brigade was not called upon during the German counter-attacks on 8 October or the British attack on the
Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 October. 47th (2nd L) Division spent the next month holding and repairing the battered trenches at the head of the salient created by the Battle of Loos. It went into corps reserve on 15 November, but returned a month later, suffering a steady trickle of casualties to small arms, shellfire and
mining. The division took over the
Souchez sector on
Vimy Ridge on 16 March 1916. This sector had been quiet, but both sides commenced mining. On 26 April a German mine broke 141st Bde's front line, but rifle fire from 1/17th Londons helped to prevent the German attack and the defenders seized the crater and consolidated the far lip. Over following weeks 141st Bde had to provide large working parties for the
Royal Engineers' counter-mining. The Germans launched an attack on 21 May, isolating the division's forward trenches and crater positions with a
Box barrage and capturing most of them in the confusion; the division suffered additional casualties in counter-attacks trying to regain the lost positions. Afterwards the division was relieved in the line.
Somme valley, October 1916. (IWM Q1561) The BEF was now preparing for its summer 'Big Push' (the
Battle of the Somme). 47th (2nd L) Division was posted back to the
Angres sector, which was quiet, but where it carried out numerous
raids to distract German attention from the Somme. The division's units were brought up to strength with drafts of reinforcements, and on 1 August it began marching south to join in the offensive. First it carried out intensive training, then from 1 September 141st Bde began rehearsing across a flagged course representing the ground to be attacked. Between 10 and 12 September it moved into position in
High Wood. 47th (2nd L) Division's objective was to capture the remainder of the wood in conjunction with the tank attack at
Flers–Courcelette. At 06.30 on 15 September 1/17th Londons attacked as the right hand battalion of 141st Bde. The four tanks allotted to the division could make no headway through the broken tree stumps, and 1/17th had a desperate fight for every inch of their advance. When the second wave advanced later in the morning five battalions were engaged in the wood. At 11.00 a second artillery bombardment of the wood was arranged and this in conjunction with the divisional trench mortars succeeded in demoralising the German defenders, who began to surrender. High Wood was reported clear of the enemy by 13.00, and operations on either flank had gone well, but 141st Bde was so disorganised from heavy casualties, particularly among officers, that in the afternoon it was temporarily formed into a composite battalion under Lt-Col Norman of the 1/17th. The night was spent in consolidating the captured ground, which the division held until it was relieved on 19 September. The next phase of the offensive was the
Battle of the Transloy Ridges. 141st Brigade went back into the line before dawn on 29 September, and attacked towards
Eaucourt L'Abbaye on 1 October, with 1/17th Londons on the left. The battalion ran into uncut
barbed wire; a few men got through into the German line but were bombed out again. The brigade completed the
Capture of Eaucourt l'Abbaye on 3 October, and was relieved next day, while the rest of the division carried out
Attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt on 7–8 October. It then left the Somme sector for rest and reorganisation.
Messines 47th (2nd L) Division moved into the
Hill 60 sector of the Ypres Salient in October 1916 and took part in regular raids and crater fighting for a number of months. By early May 1917 preparations were in hand for the forthcoming
Battle of Messines. In the weeks leading up to the battle, 141st Bde held the divisional front and carried out preparations for the attacks, including digging new trenches and establishing ration and ammunition dumps. For the attack on 7 June, 1/17th Londons were attached to 140th Bde, and rehearsed the attack behind the lines at
Steenvoorde. The attack was heralded at Zero hour (03.10) on 7 June by the explosion of 19 huge
mines, including a pair under Hill 60 and the 'Caterpillar'. The wide German front trench system at Hill 60 was so smashed up by the explosions that 140th Bde was able to cross it in 15 minutes, close behind the
creeping barrage, and the demoralised defenders surrendered readily. There was harder fighting at the second objective, the 'White Chateau', and it took three attacks to gain a lodgement in the ruins. The survivors of the garrison surrendered at 07.50 after being shelled by trench mortars. 141st Brigade took over holding the new line two days later, until the division was relieved n 13 June. 141st Brigade returned to hold the same line from 3/4 to 25 July. 47th (2nd L) Division was not directly involved in the
Third Ypres Offensive that followed, being in reserve during the
Battle of Pilckem Ridge (31 July–2 August) but spending two periods holding the line (18 August–2 September and 8–17 September), described as 'among the most unpleasant in its experience'. It then took over the line in the quiet
Gavrelle–
Oppy sector, which was defended by a series of defended localities rather than continuous trench lines.
Bourlon Wood In November the division carried out a long roundabout march to the
Cambrai sector where the BEF's
Third Army had recently carried out as successful attack with tanks (the
Battle of Cambrai). On 28/29 November 47th (2nd L) Division was put in to defend the recently captured Bourlon Wood but the Germans launched a counterattack on 30 November. 1/17th Londons was the support battalion to 141st Bde in the wood itself and the brigade had suffered badly from gas shelling during the previous 24 hours. The attack followed a heavy bombardment with high explosive and
Mustard gas on the brigade's inadequate trenches. 1/17th Londons were called upon about 11.30 to check one enemy advance, 'which it did by good shooting'. The attacks on Bourlon Wood were driven back, but the Germans broke through a neighbouring formation, threatening the whole Bourlon salient. During the night of 4/5 December the division withdrew to the old
Hindenburg Line defences that had been captured on the first day of the battle. 47th (2nd L) Division spent the winter in rest and reorganisation, 141st Bde billeted round
Bouzincourt. By early 1918 the BEF was suffering a manpower crisis, and infantry brigades were reduced from four to three battalions each. As part of this reorganisation in 47th (2nd L) Division, 1/17th Londons moved from 141st to
140th (4th London) Brigade alongside the
15th (Civil Service Rifles) and
21st (First Surrey Rifles) Bns.
Spring Offensive When the
German Spring Offensive opened on 21 March, 47th (2nd L) Division had just relieved another formation in the line and was holding the right flank of Third Army. The main blow fell on
Fifth Army to the south, but the Londoners were heavily bombarded, particularly with mustard gas, and later in the day the Germans attacked behind a smoke screen with little success. However, Fifth Army was collapsing and 47th (2nd L) Division, with its flank open, was obliged to fall back on successive lines of half-dug trenches. The retirement, with rearguards contesting the German advance throughout, went on for six days and casualties were heavy. The Germans attempted to renew the offensive on 5 April. By now 47th (2nd L) Division had reorganised. Although 140th Bde was holding the front line, 1/17th Londons were with 141st Bde in divisional reserve at
Senlis, which came under heavy bombardment. Fighting went on all day, with reserves fed in progressively until the whole division was in the line. The Germans made some gains, and renewed the attack next day, but the line held. 47th Division was relieved on the night of 6/7 April.
Hundred Days Offensive 47th (2nd L) Division now had three quiet months, resting and then holding a quiet sector of the line, which gave the battalions time to absorb the hundreds of 18-year-old recruits they were sent to fill up their ranks. Many of the men were also incapacitated for some by the
Spanish flu epidemic. The Allied
Hundred Days Offensive was launched on 8 August at the
Battle of Amiens, and 47th (2nd L) Division joined this on 22 August. 140th Brigade was in reserve, ready to exploit any advance, but the attacking brigades were held up short of the 'Green Line' objective. Leading a follow-up night attack on 23/24 August, 1/17th Londons had little difficulty in securing the Green Line, and in fact went beyond it in the confusion of trenches. Although tired, 140th Bde now passed to the temporary command of
58th (2/1st London) Division in a further dawn advance on 25 August in which it captured many prisoners. On 30 August 47th (2nd L) Division passed through
12th (Eastern) Division to continue the pursuit of the retreating enemy. On 2 September 1/17th Londons were in the leading wave advancing towards St Pierre Vaast Wood. It came under artillery and machine gun fire, but although it had no covering barrage the battalion reached and occupied a German trench overlooking
Moislains. Here it found not only that the enemy held the village, but also parts of the same trench and even positions in the rear. Although their fire stopped enemy movement across the open, there was a shortage of grenades and the German bombing attacks up the trench were only halted with difficulty and caused serious losses until 141st Bde's reserve battalion mopped up the German parties. 140th Brigade, now down to about 700 men (less than the full strength of a battalion) was withdrawn to rest near
Maurepas, later going back by motor bus to
Heilly. After a period of rest, 47th (2nd L) Division was preparing for a move to the
Italian Front when it was instead ordered to take part in the final operations on the Western Front. On 1 October elements of the division hurried forward to keep in touch with the retreating Germans until on 4 October it reached a firm German defence line on the
Armentières–
Wavrin railway embankment covering the approaches to
Lille. The advance was resumed on 16 October, and on 28 October the division accompanied Third Army's commander,
Sir William Birdwood on his ceremonial entry into Lille. 140th Brigade resumed its place in the line on 31 October and took up positions along the
River Schelde. One night a party of Germans attacked a post held by 1/17th Londons, but the following night they were driven out of the house they occupied. 1/17th Londons suffered the division's last casualties on 8 November. Hearing that
Tournai on the other side of the river was unoccupied, the Divisional Engineers threw footbridges across on 9 November; 1/17th made its way across them and after wading though marshes set up a bridgehead. The
Armistice with Germany on 11 November found the battalion helping to administer the liberated city. Over the following days the division was engaged in repairing the Tournai–
Ath railway, then marched back to the
Cysoing area. At the end of the November it moved back to winter quarters at Béthune to await
demobilisation. The first parties left for home at the beginning of January 1919 and by 28 March all the units had been reduced to
cadre strength. The cadres began moving back to the UK in May to be demobilised, the infantry cadres going to
Felixstowe, where the 1/17th Londons completed its demobilisation on 30 June 1919.
Commanding officers The following officers commanded 1/17th Londons during the war: • Lt-Col J. Godding to October 1915 • Lt-Col E.H. Norman,
DSO, to February 1917 • Maj F.R. Grimwood, DSO, to May 1917 • Lt-Col W.H. Hughes,
MC, to February 1918 • Lt-Col F.W. Parish, DSO, MC, to July 1918 • Lt-Col H.S. Kaye, DSO, MC, to demobilisation
2/17th Londons . The 2nd Line battalion was formed on 31 August 1914. At first the recruits lived at home and trained at Tredegar Road in civilian dress, later in a mixture of available clothing. In January 1915 it joined
2/5th London Brigade in
2/2nd London Division at
Reigate in
Surrey (these formations were numbered 180th Bde and 60th Division respectively in August) and some old
.256-in Japanese Ariska rifles arrived for training, which was carried out on
Epsom Downs. In March the division's units supplied large drafts of reinforcements to their 1st Line units before the latter went to France, and a vigorous recruiting campaign was held to replenish the ranks. 2/2nd London Division then moved to the St Albans area, replacing the 1st Line. In May the 2/17th Londons moved to
Bishop's Stortford. The division continued to send drafts to the battalions serving with the 47th (2nd L) Division. In August the men who had volunteered for home service only, or were unfit for overseas service, were sent to 107th Provisional Battalion (
see below) and replaced by drafts from the 3rd Line battalions, which later took over the role of finding drafts for the 1st Line. In mid-November the Japanese rifles were handed in and the men received
.303-inch Lee-Enfield service rifles. In January 1916 the division became part of the Emergency Reserve and moved to
Sutton Veny to complete its battle training on
Salisbury Plain.
Vimy On 24 April 60th (2/2nd L) Division was ordered to prepare for a move to France, and 180th Bde landed at Le Havre on 23–24 June. After concentrating, the division moved to Vimy Ridge, where first small parties, then companies and finally whole battalions went into the line for familiarisation alongside the experienced
51st (Highland) Division. 60th (2/2nd L) Division took over the line from 51st (H) Division on the night of 13 July. Over succeeding weeks the 2/17th alternated in the L1 sector of the line, in support and in reserve with the
2/19th Londons.The 60th Division adopted coloured flashes painted on each side of the steel helmet to aid recognition: 180th Bde used a triangle, which was black in the case of the 2/17th Bn. During the summer the brigade was engaged in occasional crater-fighting and trench-raiding. 2/17th Londons carried out a raid on the night of 12/13 August, bombing four dugouts and killing numerous Germans, but were unable to secure a prisoner.
Salonika After five months in the line, 60th (2/2nd L) Division had expected to be joining the Somme Offensive, but on 1 November it was ordered to prepare to move to the
Macedonian front. The units were brought up to strength by drafts from England and went by train to
Marseille where they embarked for
Salonika, The division assembled in camps there in the first half of December, then the brigades were sent up to the line independently. 180th Brigade was sent in two columns starting on 17 and 18 December to the area round Lake Ardzan for employment on the
XII Corps defence line between the rivers
Vardar and Spanc. The battalions and companies were spread along the line, with the 2/17th near Snevce by February 1917, constructing and repairing entrenchments, drainage works and roadmaking. The Bulgarians were quiet in this sector, apart from regular air attacks on the brigade and battalion HQs. During March 60th (2/2nd L) Division moved into the line west of
Lake Doiran in preparation for the forthcoming Allied offensive in this sector (the
Battle of Doiran 24–5 April and 8–9 May). 180th Brigade was engaged, but 2/17th Londons were mainly in support. The brigade was withdrawn between 26 and 28 May and concentrated to take over a new sector, but on 1 June its orders were changed as the 60th (2/2nd L) Division moved down to Salonika and embarked for
Egypt. Disembarking at
Alexandria, the division completed its concentration at Moascar on 4 July. It was then sent up to the front line in
Palestine to join the
Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) preparing for the forthcoming
Third Battle of Gaza. When the brigades were not in the line during the summer months they carried out thorough training.
Gaza On 31 October the battalion was with 180th Bde in divisional reserve for the opening
Battle of Beersheba, but the initial attack was so successful that the brigade never came into action. It then followed up through the night with 2/17th Londons in the lead. 180th Brigade led 60th (2/2nd L) Division on towards El Muweileh, where it concentrated on the night of 5/6 November for an attack on the Kauwukah trench system (the
Battle of Hareira and Sheria). When the assault went in, 2/17th Londons were in brigade reserve. The attack was a success and 180th Bde then pushed on to take the viaduct over the Wadi es Sheria and the water supplies that night. This was delayed because ammunition dumps in the town were exploding and the fires silhouetted the attackers. Lieutenant-Col Dear of the 2/17th agreed with his fellow commanding officers to make the attack when the explosions ended; it went in at 05.30 next morning, the 2/17th charging in silence across the wadi, then rushing four machine guns posted on a mound beyond. The Turks put up a determined resistance, but the position was quickly taken and 180th Bde pushed its line forwards and drove off a counter-attack at 09.30. The pursuit through the
Judaean Hills saw the 60th (2/2nd L) Division advancing by separate brigade groups in support of the
Desert Mounted Corps, 180th Bde moving with the main body through Zuheilikah. It had a short rest at
Huj, then followed the advance of the EEF towards Jerusalem, going into the line at
Nebi Samwil on 25 November. This position had been captured after heavy fighting by British and Indian troops. 2/17th Londons were posted in Nebi Samwil itself. On 27 November the Turks opened a heavy bombardment on the mosque that crowned the hill, which was held by 2/19th Londons. This was followed by wave after wave of attacks, but the garrison, supported by the rest of the brigade, drove them all back. Turkish bombardment of the position continued for several days.
Jerusalem During the night of 7/8 December the 60th (2/2nd L) Division concentrated for the
attack on Jerusalem. After a difficult approach march 180th Bde was in position on the
Kustal ridge ready to make its assault at 05.15. Advancing in the centre of the brigade through the mist, 2/17th Londons surprised a Turkish outpost and took its first objective by 06.30. The neighbouring 2/19th had been held up, resulting in 2/17th being counter-attacked in flank, but this was beaten off. The battalion's
enfilade fire then assisted 2/19th onto its objective. Further advance was held up by machine gun fire from a hill south of
Lifta. The Brigadier came forward to confer with Lt-Col Dear and arranged a brigade attack with howitzer support for 15.45, in which two companies of the 2/17th took part. They worked round the left of the Turkish position, which was then carried at the point of the bayonet. The Turks retired hastily into Jerusalem. The division consolidated its position while the artillery struggled up behind. Next morning it resumed its advance. Approaching Shafat 180th Bde came under machine gun fire from the flank of 2/17th Londons; the brigade worked round the flank then a company of the 2/17th charged frontally with the bayonet and cleared the position. The following morning, the Turks had retreated. A patrol of 2/19th Londons found Jerusalem abandoned and were offered the keys of the city. On 11 December
General Allenby made a ceremonial entry into Jerusalem, where 180th Bde went into billets. The Turkish counter-attack down the
Nablus road against Jerusalem began on 27 December. This had been expected and 2/17th Londons in Jerusalem were at 10 minutes' notice to march out. When 180th Bde came up from the city to relieve the
179th (2/4th London) Brigade, which had beaten off the initial attacks, it went straight over to the offensive. It had to descend a bare slope and then scale the precipitous hill of Shabb Sala, south of
Bire. Having completed this it advanced through the night across rough country. With Jerusalem safe, the EEF ended operations on 30 December.
Jordan Valley Apart from constructing defences, the 60th (2/2nd L) Division carried out aggressive patrolling in the early weeks of 1918, with a company of 2/17th Londons carrying out a dawn raid on the village of
Mukhmas on 13 January. In February the EEF began preparations for the
Capture of Jericho. On 19 February 60th (2/2nd L) Division was tasked with descending down the Jericho road in brigade columns, with 180th Bde in the centre, 2/17th Londons in brigade reserve. The brigade quickly took the summit of Arak Ibraim, but it took three assaults to capture the next ridge. Meanwhile, 2/17th pushed patrols down the road to secure a line to begin the attack on Talat-ed-Dumm. This was captured next day, and on the morning 21 February the division advanced on its objectives without opposition, the Turks having evacuated Jericho. 180th Brigade spent early March on the heights above the
Jordan Valley. 60th (2/2nd L) Division now formed the infantry portion of "Shea's Group' for the
First Trans-Jordan Raid. 2/17th and 2/19th Londons were to make assault crossing at midnight on 21/22 March 1918 (the
Battle of Hijla). However, 2/17th's attack at
Ghoraniyeh using
punts and then swimmers failed, and the only bridgehead was made by 2/19th Bn at Hijla, where they were hauled across on rafts. The Turks opened fire on the rafts at daybreak, but the engineers completed the first pontoon bridge by 08.00. Shea's Force then began its advance towards
Amman during the afternoon. At midnight on 22/23 March 180th Bde, with 2/17th Londons in reserve, attacked the foothills in front and expanded the bridgehead. On 24 March the brigade became the reserve in the bridgehead, covering the pontoon bridge at Ghoraniyeh, while the rest of the division joined the
attack on Amman. This began on 28 March but was held up, so 2/17th Londons were ordered up in support. A last attack was made on the Citadel on 30 March, with one company of the 2/17th (the last reserve) sent in to help the 2/18th Londons. This also failed, and with Turkish forces threatening the flanks Shea's Force began withdrawing on 31 March, the infantry covered by 2/17th Londons. This withdrawal was completed by 2 April, leaving the defended bridgehead in place on the east bank of the Jordan. A
Second Trans-Jordan Raid began on the night of 29/30 April. 180th Brigade had concentrated under cover of the riverside jungle the night before, and launched their attack out of the bridgehead at 02.00, a company of 2/17th acting as right flank guard. The attackers reached the foothills by dawn, but ran into serious resistance and were held up. 2/17th Londons attempted to filter reinforcements across the open ground, but few were able to get across. The advanced companies remained pinned down all day until they were relieved by the rest of 2/17th after dark. A second attack was launched on 2 May, with one-and-a-half companies of 2/17th operating on each flank of the brigade. The northern half of the brigade captured the
sangars at the top of the ridge, but was then driven off. The southern half was held up before reaching the crest and a number of men were captured when the Turks worked round its flank. The raid was called off next day. By 4 May the whole of 60th (2/2nd L) Division had been withdrawn west of the Jordan. It then went into Corps Reserve near Jerusalem.
Western Front crest, worn as a formation sign by 30th Division. Following the BEF's losses during the German Spring Offensive of March 1918, the EEF was obliged to send reinforcements to the Western Front. Most of 60th (2/2nd L) Division's infantry battalions were sent, the 2/17th Londons travelling via
Taranto in Italy on 22 June. On 30 June at Ouest Mont, near
Éperlecques, it joined
89th Brigade in
30th Division, which was being reformed mainly with units from Palestine. 30th Division was assigned to
Second Army on the Flanders front. By the time the reformed division was ready for action the Final Allied Advance had begun, and Second Army was cautiously following a deliberate German retirement. On 1 September 89th Bde carried out a small operation by itself to capture Neuve Eglise. Second Army began a major offensive (the
Fifth Battle of Ypres) on 28 September. 30th Division was ordered to watch for opportunities, and it sent patrols forward. At 16.40 it was ordered to advance and complete the capture of that day's third objective. The brigades attacked at 18.30 and gained a little ground, slowed up more by broken terrain and oncoming darkness than by enemy opposition. Starting early next morning 89th Bde cleared the Messines–
Wytschaete Ridge, and made rapid progress towards the Comines Canal, which it reached easily. 89th Brigade was in reserve when 30th Division attacked again at the
Battle of Courtrai on 14 October. The division pushed patrols forward to the
River Lys on 15 October and crossed next day. It continued its advance over the following days, using small advance guards with 89th Bde further back in support. On 21 October patrols from the brigade took over the lead as the division approached the
River Schelde and occupied its west bank. Second Army prepared an assault crossing of the Schelde timed for 11 November, but the enemy began withdrawing on 8 November and next day 89th Bde forced a crossing of the river at
Avelgem. It advanced rapidly through Ansercoeuil to reach
Renaix that night. The line was pushed forwards next day, and the division occupied
Ellezelles, confronting the German rearguards at
Flobecq, east of Renaix. On the morning of 11 November the
7th Dragoon Guards passed through the infantry, and advanced rapidly with the leading infantry of 89th Bde to reach a line from Ghoy to La Livarde, north west of
Lessines when the Armistice came into force at 11.00. Afterwards 30th Division moved back to the west and by 4 December was billeted in
Renescure until the end of the month when its units moved to the base ports of
Dunkirk,
Calais,
Boulogne and
Étaples for duties there. In February demobilisation began. The
Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. The Provisional Brigades thus became anomalous, and their units became numbered battalions of their parent units. On 1 January 1917 107th Provisional Bn absorbed
105th Provisional Bn (the former home service men of the
11th (Finsbury Rifles),
13th (Kensington),
15th (London Scottish) and
16th (Queen's Westminsters) Bns, London Regiment) to become
31st (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment, in
226th Mixed Bde, attached to
71st Division from 13 April 1917. By May 1917 the battalion was at
St Osyth in Essex. Part of the role of the former provisional units was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas, and as men were drafted the 31st Londons was run down, and it was disbanded on 7 September 1917. ==Interwar period==