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

>during the recent fighting, and on the prisoners who were captured

clothing and equipment were brand new. They had a proud record extending

right through the War, and claimed they had never received a beating

from any British troops. (They were soon to meet their Waterloo.) The

126th brigade were detailed to deliver the first shock of assault. Their

objective included, after crossing the Selle River within point blank

range of the German M.G’s. and rifles, a deep Railway Cutting east of

the main Solesmes road, Belle Vue Farm, and the ground immediately

beyond the railway. The 127th brigade were to go through when these

positions had been made good and occupy the high ground overlooking

Marou, a small hamlet on the final objective, which was to be taken by

the 6th Manchesters.

 

The battle opened at dawn on October 21st, and after very heavy

fighting, in which one exceptionally large number of the enemy stood and

fought hand to hand and were killed with the bayonet; the 126th brigade

took all their objectives in splendid fashion. Then came the

Manchesters, the 6th on the left, the 5th on the right, and the 7th in

close support. The 6th advanced well, but the 5th quickly had trouble

being held up owing to the troops on their right not keeping up. The

enemy was fighting well, his infantry and machine gunners being

particularly stubborn and covering their retirement very skilfully.

Machine guns swept the advancing lines of the 5th, and the bare high

ground to be crossed left them very exposed to exceedingly heavy

enfilade fire. It was during this portion of the fight that Pte.

Wilkinson of the Wiganers obtained the V.C. for message carrying. Five

of his comrades had been killed within a few yards after starting on the

same mission. Wilkinson volunteered to be the sixth to make the attempt.

He was entrusted with the task and got through.

 

The 7th were now drawn into the battle, and “D” company advanced to form

a defensive flank for the right company of the 5th. With this help the

line was advanced, but it could not reach the final objective and so

link up with the 5th who had already reached and occupied Marou. “A”

company had advanced in support to the 6th and took up their allotted

positions, forming four defended localities in depth ready to make a

defensive flank if necessary. The 62nd division on the left had pushed

through Solesmes and had made good the high ground to the east of that

town, joining up with the 6th Manchesters. At 4.30 p.m. a further

barrage was put down for the 5th division and the 5th Manchesters to

continue the advance. The latter, however, were very weak, having

suffered heavy casualties, therefore “C” company of the 7th went forward

and advanced to occupy the final objectives. The enterprise was entirely

successful, and a machine gun nest, which had caused most of the trouble

on the right, was captured, the garrison surrendering as prisoners. A

dangerous counter-attack was repulsed by “C” and “D” companies and then

the line was secured, and junction made with the 5th in Marou. Enemy

artillery fire had been heavy during the day, and Battalion H.Q. in a

deep ravine suffered severely from large calibre shells, so that they

moved forward in the night to a healthier spot near the 6th H.Q. The

positions were maintained all next day until relieved by the 125th

brigade.

 

Luckily in this show our casualties were light, totalling a loss of

about 40 other ranks, very few being killed. The action of Capt. Baker

in forming the defensive flank for the 5th undoubtedly restored an

uncertain position, and materially assisted in the further advance. We

were all pleased when he was awarded the Military Cross for this and

general good work throughout the War with the 7th since June, 1915. The

pace and power of the attack can be gauged by the fact that six

battalions of the redoubtable Hun 25th division, in spite of their proud

record, were obliterated, and three days after the battle the division

was disbanded and absorbed in another. The destruction of this division

was an achievement of which the 42nd were justly proud. The motto of “Go

one better” had been “put over” the Boche in an unmistakable manner.

 

On October 23rd the division marched back to Beauvois again, the N.Z.

division having once more taken up the pursuit of the enemy, following

him vigorously to the vicinity of Le Quesnoy. The IVth corps were going

well, and all through these operations it was a noticeable feature in

the situation maps of the third army front published from time to time

that they always occupied the most advanced positions, and seemed to

perform the function of the spear head of the attacks.

 

MORMAL FOREST.

 

As the line of advance for the 42nd division lay through the huge Mormal

Forest, our training at Beauvois was largely in wood fighting. We were

making preparations for what was to prove the last battle of the War.

Col. Manger returned from leave and resumed command of the battalion,

while Major Rae remained on battle surplus where, unfortunately, his old

illness recurred and he had to go to hospital and eventually to England.

His excellent work with the 7th, however, had been recognised for he was

awarded the D.S.O. after the Armistice. Capt. Grey Burn, M.C., was

promoted to Major and became second in command of the 5th L.F’s. “B”

company being taken over by Capt. Branthwaite, a recently joined 2nd

line officer. Capt. D. Norbury, having returned from a tour of duty at

home, was made O.C. “A” company, while Capt. S. J. Wilson, M.C.,

commanded “C” company.

 

The battalion marched out on the evening of November 3rd to take part in

the work of exploiting success after the N.Z. division had smashed the

enemy line. The attack commenced on the morning of November 4th, and

after fierce fighting, and only after the garrison had been completely

surrounded, Le Quesnoy was captured. The “Diggers” followed up

vigorously and chased the Huns through a large part of Mormal Forest.

Meanwhile our job was to “keep closed up” as far as possible and be

ready to continue the pursuit, with the 126th leading and the 127th in

support. The first night was spent at Viesly, and the second at Pont �

Pierre, just south of Salesches. The next day the weather completely

broke down, and we moved forward in pouring rain, over the recently

captured ground, arriving late at night in a thoroughly soaked condition

at the tiny village of Herbignies on the western edge of the Forest.

Here we found most of the civilians had remained through the fighting,

and they told excited stories of the happenings. Small children toddled

about the houses while Boche shells were still bursting not very many

hundred yards away. It seemed a most extraordinary situation after the

loneliness of war as we had always known it. These things had been the

monopoly of the soldiers, but here were women and children trespassing

upon our preserves. It helped us to realise the true tragedy of War.

 

That night the 126th brigade took over the front, a sketchy business in

view of the position, and the N.Z’s. marched back. One of the officers,

during the day, had called out to us in characteristic Colonial fashion,

“Well, boys, are you going up to finish it?” whereupon one of the men

replied with Lancashire directness, “Ay, we started it, so we may as

well finish it.” There was a good deal of peace-talk flying about.

German prisoners had admitted that they could not go on much longer,

while rumours about conferences were very prevalent. Still, until we got

orders to stop fighting, this job had to continue, and that was the

chief consideration for us, although the order to cease fire would have

been keenly appreciated.

 

Early morning found us on trek in a steady downpour of rain which made

our already wet clothes more and more sodden. In this doleful fashion we

splashed along over the muddy forest tracks to get close to the East

Lancs. who were carrying out an attack. The 8th Manchesters had a

particularly stern time, encountering nests of machine guns which had

not been cleared from their exposed flanks, so that they lost very

heavily. Nevertheless, the attack was eventually pushed home, and the

Huns were dislodged. Subsequent events revealed that from this moment

the German retirement became a scurry of a disorganised rabble. The

roads were blocked by their hurrying transport, and personnel simply

made the best use of their legs, scampering across country where it was

impossible to march on the roads. The civilians told us that utter

confusion reigned everywhere. Our foremost troops undoubtedly met

determined resistance from the machine gunners, but they were probably

blissfully ignorant of what was taking place behind them.

 

As far as the 7th was concerned November 6th was one of the most

miserable and trying days ever experienced. In the middle of the morning

we arrived at our position, where we stayed during the whole of the day

in a bitterly cold rain with no possibility of shelter. When it was

ascertained that the enemy had been dislodged we made a few fires and

tried to restore life to our numbed bodies. The divisional commander,

having seen our condition, and realising that very few in the brigade

would be fit for fighting after two such days, ordered up the 125th

brigade, who had had an opportunity of getting dry and warm. We marched

joyfully back in the middle of the night to Le Carnoy and there spent

two days in billets.

 

The advance of the 42nd was now rapid. Hautmont, a fairly large

manufacturing town, was captured after street fighting, and by the

evening of November 9th an outpost line had been established south-east

of Maubeuge. The 7th meanwhile had marched up through the forest and

were billeted in the small village of Vieux Mesnil. Here we received

official orders to stand fast on the morning of November 11th. At 11

a.m. the battalion paraded outside the church and there the bugles

sounded “Cease fire” for the first and last time during the War. The men

took the news very quietly. We were too close to actual events to give

ourselves over to the mad demonstrations of joy such as took place in

spots more remote. At the same time everyone experienced a curious

feeling of calm satisfaction that an unpleasant task had been

accomplished. The 42nd division had taken part in two great drives, the

clearing of the Turk from British territory in 1916 and the clearing of

the Hun from allied territory in 1918.

 

CHAPTER XI.

 

Aftermath and Home.

 

The division concentrated at Hautmont, and on November 14th the 7th

marched into this town, and there occupied billets close to the Square.

We now had an opportunity of realising the manner in which the Hun had

delivered his last expiring kicks. Delay action mines had been placed

under the railway at various points, and although one of the terms of

the Armistice demanded that they should be indicated and removed, many

were too near the time for explosion to allow of their being touched. As

a result the railhead could not proceed beyond Caudry for some time, and

it was necessary to convey supplies over a considerable distance by

road. As arrangements had also to be made to feed the civilians, and

repatriated prisoners of war, who now began to stream across the

frontiers in an appallingly emaciated condition, some idea will be

gained of the difficulty of keeping the troops sufficiently rationed.

The men of the 7th, however, realised this and took a common sense view

of the matter.

 

In the second week