Fact Sheet No. B13
World War 1 - 6th (Pioneer) Battalion South Wales Borderers

Summary of Service

6th (Service) Battalion was formed at Brecon on 29th September 1914 and moved to Codford, Wiltshire as part of 76th Brigade, 25th Division. December 1914: Moved to Bournemouth in billets. February 1915: Became Pioneer Battalion of 25th Division. April 1915: Moved to Hursley Park, Winchester. May 1915: Moved to Tourney Barracks Aldershot, Hampshire. 25th September 1915: Landed at Havre, France. 2nd July 1918: Transferred from 25th Division to 30th Division as Pioneers. 11th November 1918: Pioneer Battalion 30th Division in Belgium. October 1919: Battalion disbanded.

Raised in South Wales in September, 1914, the Sixth (Service) Battalion went to France a year later as the Pioneer Battalion of the 25th Division, and spent the winter in the Armentières sector doing heavy work in flooded trenches.

In the spring of 1916 the Battalion was in the line at Vimy and Neuville St. Vaast, where two companies did fine work consolidating the craters of mines blown under the German line. They were persistently shelled, and at times had to break off their work to repel an attack, but eventually handed over a thoroughly well-organised position to the relieving infantry. This exploit was rewarded with two MCs, and five MMs.

In the great Battle of the Somme in the Summer of 1916 the battalion was continuously employed. On one occasion they carried out a magnificent piece of Pioneer work by digging 700 yards of communication trench from one captured trench to another (the Regina Trench) under heavy shell fire. Only good discipline and a fine spirit could have accomplished this task, and the battalion was deservedly complimented upon it.

Their next major engagement was at Messines in July, 1917. Throughout April and May they were hard at work preparing for the battle, making communication trenches, tramways and roads, and building a bridge for tanks over the River Douve. In the attack on 7th June, in which the 5th Battalion in the 19th Division also took part, the 25th Division captured all their objectives. By the evening, two companies of the 6th had constructed 400 yards of trench tramway through the captured area, and two others had opened a road to within 300 yards of Messines, all in spite of continued hostile shelling and machine gun fire. By 15th June, when they were relieved, they had suffered over 100 casualties.

Moved further north for the Third Battle of Ypres the 25th Division early in August relieved the 8th Division after the latter had been held up in its attack on the Westhoek Ridge. The combination of bombardment and rain had reduced the trenches to a fearful state, the mud thigh deep in places and movement impossible. Added to this the working parties were shelled by artillery and machine-gunned by aircraft. Eventually, on 10th August 1916, the 25th Division took the ridge, B Company of the 6th doing splendid work in consolidation. Its runner was conspicuous for his gallantry. Though hit in one eye, besides being three times buried when taking a message back, he persisted in duly delivering it before getting his wounds attended to.

The winter of 1917 was spent in digging reserve lines and in March 1918, the 6th, like the 5th Battalion, found itself in the British Third Army, bearing the weight of the northern part of the great German drive on Amiens. This meant six days of hard digging and stubborn fighting, in which the high qualities of the battalion were magnificently displayed. Moved up to the north after this trying experience the 6th, with the 5th and 2nd Battalions, met the full force of the new German offensive on the Lys, by which they sought to exploit the limited success gained in the drive on Amiens. On the 10th April, the battalion lost 80 killed and too wounded in a most gallant attack on Ploegsteert village. The attack failed, but the Germans were temporarily checked. One CSM took command when both leading company commanders were wounded, handling his men admirably and carrying his company commander back to safety. He was awarded the DCM. Heavy fighting continued daily and by 15th April, when it was withdrawn, the 6th had suffered over 400 casualties in constant rearguard actions. Like the 5th Battalion it had shown that it could fight as well as dig and uphold the old traditions of the Twenty-Fourth.
With the 5th Battalion, the 6th shared the Battle Honour of 'Aisne, 1918'. Here the wearied Battalion had to undergo the pressure of another attack, and displayed in meeting it the same sterling qualities which had carried it through the Battle of the Lys. It cost it 250 casualties.

This was its last taste of infantry fighting. In the subsequent advance to victory in the summer and autumn of 1918 it was fully employed in repairing the communications, often in most difficult conditions and under heavy fire. The battalion was finally disbanded in the autumn of 1919.

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