The newly appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward.

[20] From 30 December to 25 January 1916 the division trained round Busnes, then returned to the Béthune sector, where the battalions began rotating between front line and reserve trenches at Festubert and Givenchy.

Another mine was blown at Cat Street in front of the brigade, which gained its initial objective ('Beaumont Trench', the Green Line) and captured large numbers of prisoners, unlike 6th Bde, which was held up by fog and mud.

During the initial attack casualties had been light, but then the enemy reacted with machine gun fire, snipers, and bombing parties, inflicting heavy losses on 5th Bde; 17th RF lost 187 men.

[16][17][38][39][40] Shortly after the action at Miraumont, while 5th Bde was preparing to renew the attack, the Germans began retreating to their Hindenburg Line defences (Operation Alberich).

The pursuit having been brought to a halt, it became clear that a set-piece attack was necessary to take Grévillers Trench, and it would be some time before the artillery could move up over the roads destroyed by the retreating enemy.

It led with 2nd OBLI and 2nd HLI, with 17th RF in close support with orders to provide carrying parties and 'moppers-up' to clear the trenches and dugouts behind the attacking battalions.

By the time it reached the wire the enemy's machine guns were firing at the leading battalions, and their defensive artillery and mortar barrage came down on the following troops.

It could not advance beyond that because of heavy enfilade fire from Oppy Wood and village, so B Company of 17th RF formed a defensive flank for the brigade on that side.

The brigade got into its objective, Fresnoy Trench and began bombing along it, but once again a neighbouring formation failed in a direct attack on Oppy, leaving the Composite Bde's flank open.

The rearguard platoon in the saphead under Capt Walter Stone held up the whole German advance for some time while the rest of the battalion reorganised its line some 500 yards (460 m) back.

[16][17][53][54][55][56][57][58] In the following days the exposed Bourlon Salient, including the line that 2nd Division had defended, was evacuated as Third Army fell back to stronger positions.

The battalion was in constant contact with the enemy and there were bombing engagements and shelling all day, but the battle had finally ended, with 2nd Division holding the main line of resistance that Third Army would retain through the winter.

The following night a 12-man party from 17th RF with artillery and mortar support raided the lines opposite 'Anchor Sap' where much enemy movement had been observed.

The Germans were already in Bus, and by the end of 23 March 2 and 63rd (Royal Naval) Divisions were squeezed into a small square salient round Bertincourt with gaps on either flank, while many of the men were still suffering from the effects of gas.

Finding that the Red Line only existed on maps, they continued on, Padre Gibson of 17th RF carrying a wounded man on his shoulders, until about 15.00 they reached the Bapaume–Péronne road.

However, the enemy were in Combles and V Corps ordered a further retirement, so 2nd Division sent its two brigades (now only about 1000 strong in total) back to the Ligny-Thilloy–Eaucourt L'Abbaye line, leaving a rearguard on the road.

On 25 March they met the advancing Germans with rifle and machine gun fire, but Grévillers and Bihucourt to the north fell, and 2nd Division was out of touch with its neighbours to the south.

The day after its arrival 6th Bde was raided up a sunken road leading across No man's land, and 1st King's was heavily attacked, being replaced by 17th RF that evening.

Regular raiding by both sides continued over the following months, with 2nd Division taking a spell out of the line in the second half of June to train recently arrived US troops.

On the night of 28/29 June young soldiers of 17th RF carried out a raid under cover of a barrage by the divisional artillery: the enemy had evacuated their positions, but the officers were impressed with how well the replacements performed their tasks.

Companies of 17th RF were deployed to safeguard the open left flank, where the Guards Division was held up, and the battalion captured five German field guns.

While 6th and 99th Bdes were withdrawn that night, 5th Bde captured Béhagnies and Sapignies (its original objectives for 23 August) in a surprise attack early next morning, completing the division's tasks.

[16][17][76][77][78][79] With the return of semi-mobile warfare, Maj-Gen Cecil Pereira commanding 2nd Division now arranged that each battalion would have at least a battery of the divisional field artillery attached to it with a liaison officer who could call down fire support if the infantry met opposition.

At first the adjutant could not find the leading companies of 17th RF to deliver the orders, but they followed up at 14.30, sustaining a few casualties from shellfire, until they were held up by machine gun fire from Boursies.

It went back up to Demicourt and Doignies on 26 September to prepare for the Battle of the Canal du Nord, part of a coordinated series of attacks all along the Western Front by the Allies.

By 10.45 17th RF with the brigade trench mortar battery (6th TMB) and a section of 5th Field Company had closed up to the canal at Lock 7 (where it fought the previous December).

[16][91] After the Armistice 2nd Division was selected to be part of the Army of Occupation, and 6th Bde Group closed up to Bermeries–Mecquignies before beginning its advance to the Rhine by marching to Maubeuge on 18 November.

In 1942 the division moved to the Hampshire & Dorset District, where as well as carrying out intensive training 17th RF was given a counter-attack role in the defence of Gosport and Lee-on-Solent airfields.

[3][95][96] The cap badge of the Royal Fusiliers was a 'grenade' with the Tudor rose surrounded by a garter with the motto 'Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense' superimposed on the 'bomb' of the grenade.