The Seventh Manchesters, S. J. Wilson [most important books to read TXT] 📗

made to co-operate in an attack which was to take

place along the whole army front. It was now clear that our higher

command were not disposed to allow the enemy to settle anywhere, if

possible. It promised to be ding-dong work amidst ever-changing scenes,

with the guns making the most of their opportunities and struggling over

the torn ground behind the infantry as best they might. But the supply

services experienced the biggest demand upon their wits and resources,

uprooted from their comfortable and secure villages and cast out upon

the shelterless land of the devastated area just like the infantry.

Their work was wonderful, however, and very rarely had Tommy occasion to

grouse about either the quality or the quantity of the food that was

served up to him under these trying conditions. It was common knowledge

that when the Boche had come over in March, he had not been so well

treated, and had been forced in the urgency of his plight to eat horses

and mules killed in the fighting.

 

It was evident that we had now got the full measure of our foes, and

were in the comfortable position of being able to give battle when and

where we pleased, and be practically confident of success. The front was

becoming shorter also, with the result that a divisional sector was

considerably smaller than formerly, and this entailed of course longer

periods out of the line for the soldier. Leave also continued to flow,

and proved an important factor in keeping up the morale of the troops.

How different from the old days, when we used to advertise our

intentions to the Hun when a stunt was impending by stopping leave in

the army concerned! Capt. Grey Burn, M.C., went to England for a month

on August 31st, and Lt. S. J. Wilson was put in command of “B” company

for the coming operations, while in the continued absence of Capt.

Palmer, Lt. Hammond was in charge of “C” company. Lt. Smithies, recently

joined from the second line, took over the duties of intelligence

officer. Col. Manger was required to temporarily command the 126th

brigade, and this left Major Rae in command of the battalion once more.

 

The next village in our line of advance, now practically due east, was

Villers-au-Flos, and this, with the high ground beyond it, was to be

taken in the first stride of the coming battle, a matter of 2,500 yards.

After this the L.F’s. would leap-frog through and exploit success as far

as possible. This time the 5th and 6th were detailed to execute the

first shock of the assault with the 7th in close support. As a matter of

fact “C” company were sent forward to act under the orders of the 5th in

view of the extra opposition which was expected on the right sector. On

the night of September 1st the remainder of the battalion, in order “B,”

“A,” “D,” companies moved up close to Riencourt, to occupy old, shallow

trenches, and await the needs of the brigade either during or after the

assault.

 

Soon after dawn the barrage opened, and simultaneously the Manchesters

advanced accompanied by a single tank. The New Zealanders were carrying

out a similar task on the left, while the 17th division had to get

through Beaulencourt and over a large stretch of bare country on the

right. The 6th Manchesters progressed in fine style, and everything went

according to plan. The enemy put up a stiff fight for it and hung on to

the last in the cunningly concealed machine gun posts. It was in this

part of the fighting that Lieut. Welch (a one-time 7th officer) with a

section of Stokes’ mortar men performed a gallant deed that earned for

him the D.S.O. The progress of events on the right, however, was not so

clear and straightforward. As was expected the 5th encountered strong

opposition, for they advanced along a double row of old German trenches

which contained a large number of dug-outs, and disconcerting masses of

wire at irregular intervals. It was thus difficult to maintain cohesion

in the attack, while every dug-out contained machine gun crews who had

been unharmed by the barrage, and who, owing to the delay in getting

ahead, had been able to come out and man their positions without

interruption. The 5th, therefore, lost heavily, particularly on their

right flank, and before very long “C” company of the 7th found

themselves in the front, almost isolated, and taking a stern part in the

assault.

 

They pushed on until all the enemy trenches had been cleared to the

south-east corner of Villers-au-Flos, and then stayed in order to get in

touch with the remnants of the 5th on their left, after which Lieut.

Hammond reported progress. In view of the danger from this flank, for we

were already well ahead of the troops on our right, “B” company was

ordered forward to protect the southern and eastern sides of Riencourt,

and so prevent any Hun attempt to get in behind our forward line. Later

it was found that the 5th positions required more strength, and “A”

company were sent up for that purpose, while Capt. Baker was ordered to

take his company to form a defensive flank behind the 6th, for the New

Zealanders were still echeloned to the rear. Evening of September 2nd

thus found the 6th at the tip of a sharp salient, and the enemy still

very active in front, with his shelling steadily increasing in

intensity. “B” company were thus ordered to continue the advance on the

right and attain the final objective, slow and complicated work for it

all took place in the dark. First the 1,500 yards from Riencourt to “C”

company had to be traversed, and from there it was another 1,000 yards

to the required position; meanwhile the enemy was continually shelling

with 5.9’s at important points and with whizz-bangs promiscuously.

Nothing was known of the enemy in front, and the situation on the right

was equally obscure. Patrols worked cautiously ahead however and

fortunately no opposition was encountered, so that the final objective

was made before dawn.

 

As daylight broke on the 3rd Sept. it was found that the next village,

Barastre, had been rapidly evacuated by the enemy who had left a

quantity of material behind him. Although the men were dog-tired “B”

company sent out a large fighting patrol to try to get in touch with

him, but they traversed well beyond Bus, the next village, and returned

according to orders without seeing him. Meanwhile a squadron of cavalry

(Scots Greys) had been ordered up, and they preceded the advance of the

125th brigade who by this time were marching through in accordance with

previous plans. They encountered Hun rearguards near Ytres, but the

attack was resumed at once, and in the course of the next two days the

enemy was pressed back into the Hindenburg system in the vicinity of

Havrincourt.

 

The Manchesters had now the opportunity of seeing how great an

organisation must follow in the wake of advancing infantry. First came

the field guns, drawn by teams of mules, followed by the 6-in.

howitzers, bouncing along in jolly fashion over the uneven roads behind

motor lorries containing their ammunition. Then the observation balloons

appeared, still observing, at a height of about 100 feet, being pulled

steadily by motor conveyances. Intermingled amongst these were staff

cars, ambulances, motor lorries for all purposes, infantry transport,

D.A.C. waggons and various other impedimenta of a moving army. Most of

these people took up their abode around Barastre, occupying old British

huts, or erecting tents and bivouac sheets, so that ground which twelve

hours previously had been Hun land, gingerly approached by us, had

become a huge camp seething with an active soldier population of

Britishers.

 

On September 6th the division came out for a long-delayed rest, and

marched back to Warlencourt in Corps reserve. A few tents were provided,

but only a small portion of the battalion could be accommodated in them,

so it was necessary to dig in once more. There was quite a quantity of

material about, however, and it did not take us long to make ourselves

weather-proof and more or less comfortable. Fortunately, the Huns had

not had time to destroy the two wells in the village, although the

explosive charges had been laid, so that water did not prove the

difficulty it might otherwise have done. A special order of the day from

the brigadier admirably epitomised our feelings of satisfaction with our

work in the war up to this date, so it would be as well to quote it at

length:—

 

MANCHESTERS,

 

You have added a new anniversary to those which your gallantry has

already made famous. On 4th June, 1915, in Gallipoli, you forced

your way like a spearhead into and through line upon line of

Turkish trenches. On 25th March, 1918, at Achiet and Bucquoy, you

stemmed and stopped the onrush of the tide of Huns that was to have

found its way to the Coast.

 

Yesterday, after three months of unbroken fighting in trenches and

in the open, and in face of stubborn resistance by Huns more than

equal in numbers, you stormed and took Villers-au-Flos with the

utmost dash and determination; a feat which would have been notable

if performed by battalions at full strength and fresh from a period

of rest.

 

When Manchester hears of this new proof of your prowess, she may

well be as proud of her sons as I am of commanding such soldiers.

 

ANTHONY HENLEY, Brig.-Gen.,

Commanding 127th Inf. Brigade.

3rd September, 1918.

 

The fortnight at Warlencourt was spent in refitting, and intensive

training in attack. One day was occupied by a demonstration of an

assault by a company, using live ammunition. This was carried out by “D”

company in the presence of the corps commander and large numbers of

officers and N.C.O’s. of the division, and was followed by educational

criticism by the General.

 

THE HINDENBURG LINE.

 

It was obvious that all this had a specific purpose, and we were not

left long to wonder what the purpose was. A tremendous battle was

brewing, and rumours placed its magnitude at from three army fronts to

the whole allied front. Anyhow, the chief thing that concerned us was

that the 42nd was to take part in the cracking of the hardest nut in the

German defence, namely, the Hindenburg system. The enemy had had three

weeks in which to consolidate his already perfected ramification of

trenches and dug-outs, and there was no doubt as to their determination

to definitely stop the British advance there. If this failed they had

lost the War.

 

On September 22nd the division marched up, and took over the front from

the 37th division, the 125th brigade occupying the forward positions

just east of Havrincourt Wood. The 7th found themselves out in reserve

just north of the Canal du Nord behind Hermies, and it was pleasing to

see the old haunts again. Men thought grimly of the experiences we had

been through since those happy days more than a year ago, and these

sights served to call up the memory of many a pal who had since made the

big sacrifice. And now, perhaps, we should get an opportunity of seeing

those mysterious lands beyond Flesquieres, Marcoing and so on, that we

had gazed upon so long. As far as possible training was continued and a

certain amount of company re-organisation took place. Owing to the

weakness of companies they had been reduced to three platoons, some of

these being much below strength. Reinforcements had been expected, but

they did not materialise to an appreciable extent. However, the

exigencies of the task in hand demanded that the four platoon formation

should be adopted in spite of the small numbers.