_The attack--weather conditions--failure of artillery
support--forlorn hope--break-down of assault--gallantry and
sacrifice--casualties--Mailly-Maillet--Franqueville and
Rubempre--Xmas 1916 and New Year--football and high spirits._
The attack which commenced at ten minutes past six on the morning on
November 18th--a day of ice-covered slushiness--was held up owing to
the insufficiency of the artillery barrage and the heavy enemy machine
gun fire. At 7.42 a.m. the message came in to the Battalion from the
right hand Company that the Company Commander was wounded and that a
Sergeant and about ten men were holding the right flank. The jumping
off trench known as New Munich Trench, was manned by the Battalion
machine gunners with a view to concentrating some of the Companies in
it back across "no man's land" to form a rallying point. At 8.30 a.m.
the following message was received from 2nd Lieut. Macbeth of the
right Company, "Am holding old front line with remainder of Battalion,
and have established a bombing post on the right. There are only
Lieut. Martin and myself in the trench." The left Company was also
being hard pressed. It was reported by one of the Battalion officers
that when the barrage opened a great number of shells fell just in
front of New Munich Trench where the attacking companies were lying
out, killing and wounding a large number of the Battalion. When the
barrage lifted on to Munich Trench for the last four minutes, it was
still short, and when the leading waves came up to about 50 or 60
yards from Munich Trench followed by the barrage, the Germans could be
seen lying in the trench in force. When the barrage was on the Munich
Trench, the enemy machine guns played on the attackers from both
flanks all the time. The failure of the attack was due to the
inefficiency of the British supporting barrage, together with the
condition of the ground--thaw having set in and rain falling on the
snow, making it exceedingly slippery--the targets the men formed
against the snowy background, and the intense cold.
Describing the attack one of the members of the Battalion writes:--"The
preliminary bombardment opened with its awful messages of destruction,
and the rapid reply of the enemy's artillery indicated ominously that
our intentions were not unknown to him. When our barrage lifted, and
the first wave of our men attempted to go forward, their dark forms
showed up against the snow. They were met by machine gun fire, by rapid
fire from the enemy trenches, and by snipers in skilfully chosen holes.
Our bombardment had failed. It was impossible to get to close quarters
with the enemy--hopeless to advance--dangerous to retire. Many of our
men were killed in the attack, others in the attempt to carry in the
wounded. Many remained all day in exposed positions, beside their
wounded comrades, in hope of rescuing them when darkness fell. Beaumont
Hamel will not be remembered by us as bearing any resemblance to the
official description. We look back upon it now, from the personal point
of view, as a touchstone of the individual soul, as a prominent
landmark in the vast monotony of death and horror--a chapter of
inspiring deeds. It represents to us the heroism of a forlorn hope,
the glory of unselfish sacrifice, the success of failure." 'Tis too
easy to despond "while the tired waves" visibly gain no "painful inch,"
hard to believe that "far back through creeks and inlets making, comes
silent, flooding in, the main."
On the 19th the Battalion was relieved and returned to Mailly-Maillet
where billets were taken over, and when the 17th rested and licked its
wounds--well over 300 of "Glasgow's Own" had either been killed or
wounded in that day's fighting. On the 21st of November General Gough,
G.O.C. Fifth Army, inspected and congratulated the Battalion, and
spoke to many of the N.C.O.s and men individually. During December the
unit carried on training at Franqueville and Rubempre, and that the
spirit of the men was not broken by the severity of their recent
experiences is shown by the number of football matches played during
the period. On Christmas Day, 1916, the officers beat the sergeants at
Rugby by 11 points to 0; in the afternoon "B" Company beat
Headquarters at Association by 4 goals to 0; and in the evening the
Battalion held a cheery concert. The Christmas Dinners were reserved
for the 30th, and on Hogmanay the New Year was welcomed with a
concert. General Gough attended Battalion Church Parade on the first
Sunday of the New Year.