operation 'legacy'

  The Friends Of The Suffolk Regiment
  • Introduction
  • History
    • Our Regimental 'Family'
  • Publications
  • Archives
    • Operation 'Legacy'
    • Friends News Archives
    • Battlefield Tours
  • Join Us
  • Friends News
  • Contact

"A Translucence All Of It's Own"

30/7/2018

 
Picture
For the men of 1st Suffolk, the middle months of 1918 in the mosquito-ridden swampland of the Struma valley in Macedonia.
For Victor Farmer, a young subaltern who had been commissioned into 1st Suffolk from the Artist's Rifles, he was soon to join his Platoon in the first of a series of raids into the enemy territory. Farmer was in a curious twist of coincidence, to command 12 Platoon, D Company, the same platoon that 35 years later, his son Robin would command in Malaya. 
For endless weeks, he was involved in raid after raid, across the swampland seldom coming into contact with the enemy, though encounters with the wild feral dogs living on the plains were commonplace. He recalled one of his early forays into the valley: "We had gone about two miles I saw my right hand man suddenly run in towards his next man; I ran across to him with the Corporal of the section and asked him what he had seen. He was too dumbfounded to say anything so the Corporal and I circled about in the long grass, but we saw nothing. There were numerous escaped dogs in the plain and I thought he had seen or heard one or more of these. I was afraid of being left behind in my post so that, after pausing for a few seconds, I gave the order to go on forward."
He continued: "Barry Higgins (the Company Commander) had a trench coat, a kind of belted raincoat, which was part of an officers kit in those days. His trench coat was barely khaki in colour, it was almost white and seemed to have a translucence all of its own. When the battalion assembled on the bank of the river for a raid, Barry Higgins, as we all did, wore his trench coat. It seemed to glow like a beacon in the bright starlight, and it seemed to us, would be seen for miles like a kind of beacon light."
When they returned to the Suffolk lines, it became known that two Bulgarian soldiers had surrendered to the Cheshires. "I heard, months later" wrote Farmer, "that the man who ran in from the extreme right had actually seen these men but had been too frightened to report them. He was very new and raw recruit to the Battalion and perhaps I, or my Sergeant, were at fault for placing him in this position. I did in fact, change him over immediately after the incident, putting a more seasoned man in his place. So, inspite of Barry Higgins bright and shining trench coat, we all arrived back safe and sound."


Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Welcome to our online 'chronicle' that charted the history of the many battalions of the Suffolk Regiment throughout their service during the Great War.
    This record is now closed, but we have retained all our original posts here for you to search through and in the fullness of time, we hope to add to it as and where new stories come to light.
    It was at times, a challenging but rewarding endeavour which has helped many people in their research of the Regiment.
    If you know the specific month of an action of the Regiment, you can search for it in the list below:


    Archives

    February 2025
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Introduction
  • History
    • Our Regimental 'Family'
  • Publications
  • Archives
    • Operation 'Legacy'
    • Friends News Archives
    • Battlefield Tours
  • Join Us
  • Friends News
  • Contact