_Bad weather--Courcelles--trench labours--varied
moves--beginning of Spring Offensive--attack by the French--the
advance--Nesle--condition of inhabitants--great digging work at
Germaine._
The opening months of the New Year were months of battling not only
against a human enemy, but against the elements and the bad conditions
which they created. The winter of 1916 had been a severe one, and in
passing into 1917 it continued its course with unabated severity. The
Battalion left Rubempre on January 6th and partly by motor lorry and
partly in column of route proceeded to Courcelles where, on the
following day, they relieved the troops of the 3rd Division in the
trenches opposite Serre. The weather was bad, the enemy kept up brisk
attentions and the trenches were the worst which the Battalion had
ever been in. Most of them were absolutely impassable, being full of
water to a height of five feet, with the result that reliefs had for
the most part to be made outside the trenches. Owing to this condition
of matters, strict orders were issued for the prevention of "trench
feet," but notwithstanding every precaution, several cases occurred.
Heavy and continuous work was put in mending and bettering the
trenches, training the drafts which were arriving, performing tactical
exercises and battalion routine affairs. By this time several
ceremonies had taken place at which decorations were bestowed upon
N.C.O.s and men for bravery in the Field and gallantry in action.
Esprit de corps was stronger than ever, and the tediousness of trench
labours was relieved by the establishment of special strong posts, by
minor raids on the Bosche, and when out of the line by football and
such recreations as the circumstances permitted. This type of
campaigning was experienced during January and February at Courcelles,
Beaumont Hamel, Lyntham Camp, Mailly-Maillet, Bolton Camp,
Molliens-au-Bois (where on February 19th, 1917, Major F.R.F. Sworder,
Gordon Highlanders, assumed temporary command--Colonel Paul, after
being in hospital in France, having been sent to England where he was
appointed to a home unit), Camon, Wiencourt, Le Quesnel. And in March,
the approach of spring seemed to bring with it nothing but additional
storms of rain and snow, and the names of such points in the line as
Key Post and Kuropatkin will bring back memories of buttressing up
collapsed trenches and mending wire entanglements.
But the opening of the 1917 Spring Offensive soon gave a great fillip
to activities. The French attacked on March 16th and the 96th Brigade
attacked with it. The enemy was forced back so rapidly that by 2
o'clock on the day following the Allied artillery was out of range,
and the day after that again saw the whole Battalion hard at it
clearing wire from the road running through the enemy's old front
system, and setting out on the march, complete with transport, at 5 in
the morning. Arriving at Nesle on March 19th, the troops were given a
tremendous welcome by the French populace. It was discovered there
that the people were literally starving, because the Germans had
taken their rations for some days previously. A dam on the Somme burst
its banks and no advance was possible until this was repaired and new
roads made across the floods, but it was only a few days until once
more the troops were pushing on and the Commanding Officer and Company
Commanders of the 17th were making a reconnaissance of the new main
position at Germaine. The digging at Germaine on March 28th was one of
the heaviest day's work ever done by the Battalion. The job commenced
at night, after an 18 mile march in rain and finished in snow. The
digging was covered by the 16th H.L.I., who held the outpost line. The
newly dug trenches were shelled on the following forenoon.