The 8th Battalion would not have to wait terribly long to see their first action. This would be at the Battle of Loos, which occurred between 25th September and 15th October 1915. The battle was partly seen as a sideshow diversion to the larger French attack at the Third Battle of Artois. Some suspected the terrain of the battleground that had been chosen for the attack meant it was doomed to failure from the start. The flat land provided excellent firing positions for the defending Germans. Regardless, the attack was to continue. Amongst other distinctions, the Battle of Loos would be the first time that the British would use poison gas in military operations. However, as a result of communication mix-ups and less than ideal weather and wind conditions, this would ultimately cause greater problems than the intended advantage, including the disablement of their own troops in large numbers as the still wind simply didn’t carry the payload to the intended target of the German lines. As always, the customary artillery bombardment took place before the main infantry assault.

 

There were mixed results after the first days fighting. In particular, the attack at the southern end of the line saw impressive gains. Objectives such as the village of Loos, Hill 70 and further advances beyond these waypoints were made, although these gains would later be countered by lack of supplies and the cumbersome movement of reinforcement from the reserves. However, it would be the 20th Brigade and the 8th Devons that would bear the brunt of the fighting.

 

The objective for 7th Division was the town of Hulluch, which was beyond the German front line. From the start of the fighting, the battalions ‘on point’ for the 20th Brigade were the 2nd Gordons (formerly the 92nd Highlanders) and the 8th Devons. It would be the first time the 8th Devons would have seen this level of first hand fighting since their arrival in France. The attack was due to commence at 6.30am. Despite an automatic disadvantage of sections of wire being uncut by the earlier bombardment, they were able to make great progress. Within half an hour of the ‘off’ the 8th Devons had made it through the wire, cleared the frontline German trenches and were making gains in the support trenches beyond.   

 

The official account of the 8th Devons at the Battle of Loos continues the action:

 

“Despite the loss of most of their officers, these two units pressed on vigorously, capturing eight field guns and more prisoners; they were only checked when they reached the point where the Hulloch-Vermelles road crosses that from Lens to La Bassée. Here, well ahead of the troops on either flank and reduced to a mere handful, they came to a standstill. In support of them came up the 6th Gordons, a Territorial battalion from Banff and Donside, and some of the 9th Devons and 2nd Borderers. The bulk of the 9th Devons and Borderers halted at the gun positions where they dug in, linking up the emplacements into a continuous trench, hereafter known as Gun Trench. To this point, two battalions of the 21st Brigade, the 2nd Borderers and 2nd Wiltshires, made their way a little later.    

 

Some of the battalions had been terribly reduced. The loss in officers had been especially heavy; all but three officers of the 8th Devons fell before the front line was taken, and several other units had been little less fortunate. Moreover, the different brigades which had reached the German second line were not effectually linked up.”[1]       

 

By midday the 7th Division had reached the outskirts of Hulluch, although the momentum of the attack could not be capitalised on and they eventually ground to a halt when it was decided that further advances at this stage would be futile. They were ordered to consolidate their position.