A circular tour beginning at: Cité Madagascar
Coordinates: 50°30 02.48” N – 2°46 44.8” E
Suitable for:
Distance: 7.8km/4.8 miles
Grade: Easy
Maps: IGN Série Bleue 2405 E – Lens
General description and context: This route looks in more detail at the action which began on 25 September 1915 and took place south and east of the Hohenzollern Redoubt. The route, which includes the ground on which six Victoria Crosses were won, passes through the ground allocated to the 9th (Scottish) Division and the 7th Division before briefly visiting the 1st Divisional area south of the present-day D39 Vermelles–Hulluch road. Here our route follows the line of attack followed by the battalions of 2 Brigade on 25 September 1915 between Northern Sap Trench and the Lone Tree. This was a vital spot in the northern attack and the failure to take the Lone Tree trenches until the afternoon of the first day of the offensive undoubtedly impacted on the whole battle. British troops on either flank were unable to advance until the position had been captured. The 1st Division in this sector was reinforced by two Territorial Force battalions – 1/14 London Regiment and 1/9 King’s (Liverpool) Regiment – of the independent ‘Green’s Force’ under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Green; these units were positioned near le Rutoire Farm prior to their attack.
Moving north again, back towards the D39, we cross the line of attack made by 1 Brigade on the German front line just east of Bois Carre and La Haie before returning to the 7th Division attack on the Quarries. The 7th Division’s objectives included the trench systems around Hulluch Quarries, Cité St-Elie and Haisnes, as well as enfilading the north and south faces of the Hohenzollern Redoubt which lay outside its own divisional area. The line of attack taken by the 7th Division involved 22 Brigade advancing on the left – east of the Hohenzollern Redoubt – and 20 Brigade taking the right half of the division’s frontage; the dividing line between the two brigades being the Fosse Way communication trench in the British lines and The Slit, a German strongpoint just to the west of the Hulluch Quarries. 21 Brigade was kept in reserve near the Vermelles–La Bassée railway line.
By 8am the leading battalions of 20 Brigade had passed through the German front line and pressed on until they reached the crossroads south of the Cité St-Elie on what is now the D943. Here they halted and consolidated. On the 22 Brigade front the advance was held up by uncut wire which had been hidden from view by the long grass. The leading battalions suffered badly from machine-gun fire directed from the German strongpoint at the Pope’s Nose and The Slit before capturing the Hulluch Quarries. Their advance faltered at Cité Trench where they came under fire from Cité St-Elie on their front and Haisnes to the north. At 11.30am the leading units of 21 Brigade began their assault on the German second-line trenches. As they advanced over the open ground their numbers were significantly reduced by German machine-gun fire but, pushing on, the leading elements of the brigade were finally held up at the Quarries. At 11pm the German 2nd Guard Division broke through the British line near the junction between the 9th (Scottish) Division and 22 Brigade and, despite heavy fighting, the Quarries were eventually lost in the German onslaught.
By the morning of 26 September 1915 the 7th Division had been pushed back onto a line running east of the Quarries where they were relieved by elements of the 24th Division. The arrival of 9/Norfolks was the first unsuccessful attempt to retake the Quarries. The second attack involved 9/Suffolks and was again unsuccessful but marked by the death of Major General Sir Thompson Capper, commanding the 7th Division, who was personally directing the advance. Fighting continued in this sector almost continually up until the beginning of October with the new British line being consolidated along Gun Trench and Stone Alley west of the Quarries. For these modest gains the division had lost heavily. Not only had they sustained over 5,500 casualties – and of these over 200 officers and men were killed or missing – but in addition to the divisional commander, five battalion commanders had also been killed in action.
Directions to start: Approach Cité Madagascar from the direction of Vermelles along the Rue Voltaire which turns into the Rue de Vermelles. As you pass the right-hand turn leading down to Quarry Cemetery you will see a group of residential buildings ahead on the right, slow down here and take the next turning on the right. This is the Rue de Dunkerque which runs along the southwestern edge of the Cité Madagascar. Keep bearing right until you reach a crossroads, turn left into the Rue de Douai and park.
Route description: From your vehicle head back to the crossroads 
and turn left along a minor road – Chemin du Rutoire – running past farm buildings on your right. The track soon degrades into a farm track and passes the Parc Germinal on the left. This communal park has been built on the former site of The Dump – the rising ground to the rear is quite marked. As the track bends round to the right the Double Crassier comes into view in the distance. Note the fence posts on the right are probably remnants of the former railway line that ran from the Fosse 8 mine complex to join the main Vermelles–La Bassée line.
Just before you reach the junction of tracks, stop 
. The junction marks the spot where Big Willie Trench crossed the ground in front of you. Across to the right you can see the Hohenzollern Redoubt marked by the sprawl of trees and bushes directly beneath the electricity lines whilst over to the left is Haisnes. Ahead of you the large post-war spoil heap masks the view across to Cité St-Elie. Now turn right to cross what was no-man’s-land on 25 September and consider for a moment the openness of the ground, so vulnerable to German observation from the Hohenzollern Redoubt and The Dump. See the trench map in Route 9.
Continue along the track for 200m to cross the British front line at Gordon Post and thence down to the junction 
with the D39. Until recently there was a shrine called Chapel Notre Dame de Consolation marked on contemporary maps on the westerly point of this junction. The shrine gave its name to Chapel Post and to the communication trench – Chapel Alley – that ran along the D39. The junction marks the position of the Village Line, a third-line trench that was dug in 1916 and ran across to the Vermelles–La Bassée railway line where it crossed at Bart’s Post (see Route 9). The shrine was demolished in a traffic incident and at the time of writing had not been rebuilt.
At the junction cross straight over and continue towards le Rutoire Farm which you can see ahead of you to the left of the road. Take the next turning on the left 
and after 100m stop. The track is now heading southeast back towards the German front line of 25 September 1915. In just under a kilometre you will cross what was then the British front line. From this point you will be able to see the Hohenzollern Redoubt across to your left and the ground around The Dump and the former Fosse 8 mining complex. Over your shoulder, across to the right, are the buildings of le Rutoire Farm. The farm 
played host to the headquarters of 2 and 3 Infantry Brigades whilst the cellar was used as an advanced dressing station by the RAMC. The concrete observation tower which is in the farm grounds was built in 1916. Permission must be sought from the owner to visit. Further along the track the Loos Memorial at Dud Corner comes into view on the skyline on the right, whilst to the left the three CWGC Cemeteries at St Mary’s ADS, Bois-Carre and Ninth Avenue are visible. Continue to the single cherry tree which stands on the edge of the track on the left.