_The taking of Savy--casualties--patrolling--capture of
Fayet--congratulatory messages--strenuous
days--Canizy--competitions with the French--work and
sport--Hangard--leaving the Fourth Army--Farewell message from
General Rawlinson._
The Battalion moved off from Germaine at midnight on April 1st, 1917,
and proceeded by Companies at 200 yard intervals cross country to
Fluquieres. Arriving there they passed through the village, a pile of
smouldering ruins, and on the main St. Quentin road and about half a
mile along it they reached Roupy with its destroyed cross-roads and
proceeded towards a point near Savy where the Battalion deployed, and
attacking at 5 a.m. moved forward, overcame the opposition and took
Savy. In the village the Bosche put up a desperate stand and some
fierce fighting took place before they were pushed beyond the railway
bank north of the village. Most of the fighting took place in the
neighbourhood of an orchard at the southern end of the village, and
here the 11th Border Regiment joined forces in helping to drive out
the stubborn enemy. Once through the village serious destruction was
caused by heavy machine gun fire from an enemy strong point in a mine
crater. With the aid of two Lewis guns, the crater was soon in the
hands of the 17th and a heavy fire directed on the retreating enemy.
Thereafter the Battalion started to dig in (about 6.30 a.m.), and soon
consolidated their gains, although subject to strong artillery,
machine gun and sniping fire. In the afternoon a further attack was
made by the 96th Brigade, and before evening Bois-de-Savy was in their
hands. The Battalion was relieved in the evening and moved off to take
up quarters in dug-outs on the Fluquieres-Douchy Road, but the place
had been so badly knocked about that a large portion of the unit
bivouacked.
The total casualties in this day's fighting was 103, 31 of whom were
killed. During the following week the Battalion suffered from the
severe winter conditions, coupled with incessant shelling and had much
to do strengthening their positions. On the 9th some magnificent
patrolling was done, for which the Battalion was deservedly
congratulated. In the afternoon of that day four patrols set out to
gain information of Fayet and the ground between Francilly and St.
Quentin. One patrol went to the ridge overlooking St. Quentin, one
went into a German trench near Fayet, one went within 300 yards of
Fayet, and the fourth reconnoitred the southern approaches of the
village--and much valuable information was accordingly gained.
On the 12th April, Major Lumsden, V.C., D.S.O., who was in temporary
command of the Battalion, relinquished that post, to take up duty as
Brigadier-General of the 14th Infantry Brigade--which this very
distinguished officer commanded until he was killed--and Captain
Morton assumed command of the Battalion, with Captain Paterson, M.C.,
as second in command.
While at Holnon on the 13th, "C" and "D" Companies were sent forward
in support of the 2nd K.O.Y.L.I., who were attacking Fayet. This
attack was carried out in conjunction with one being made by the
French, who were endeavouring to take St. Quentin. "B" Company joined
the others in the front line, and later the Battalion took over a
sector of the front line. After consolidating here, congratulatory
messages were received from Brigadier-General Blacklock, General Shute
and General Rawlinson.
The road from Nesle to St. Quentin is a long and cruel one, but in
these early days of 1917, it was to the 17th H.L.I. the pathway to
glory. They were sweeping onwards in the track of the retreating
enemy, with the glow of victory to strengthen their hearts and the
blessings of a delivered people in their ears. The echoing trumpets of
romance called to them from the Cathedral City, and their blood
stirred to the call. These were the impressions that led them, in
common with the rest of the Division, to surmount appalling obstacles,
natural and devilish. They soaked in the snow, and froze in the keen
blast; they starved and toiled on the way, but "stuck it," and their
reward was the fall of Savy village. There was fighting all along the
50 mile front just then, and Savy did not loom very large in the
chronicles of the time, but those who took part in its capture, and in
the taking of the wood a mile beyond, knew that they had achieved the
heroic. There was no resting; Francilly and Holnon were the next to
fall, and the men were within sight of the spires of St. Quentin. They
lived for some days in earth holes, and the weather flayed them
unmercifully. Then one dark morning, the 13th of April, they assembled
silently and lay down in the field, whilst dawn broke with singing of
birds, and the shriek and whistle of the barrage. The Division was
attacking Fayet, the enemy's last stronghold beyond the city. Before
they went over, grey and green coated figures were being brought down.
There were many other grey and green figures grotesquely contorted in
the brown ribbed fields, and those of them who had escaped from the
inferno fought it out intermittently, in the woods beyond the village.
But their sniping was braved for a few days more, and then one night
they staggered weakly back through nightmare villages to Germaine for
rest.
After resting at Germaine the Battalion set off on the 19th for Canizy
which was reached by evening. They found this village emptied of the
native populace and saw that the Germans had been carrying out their
usual work of destruction in the same wanton and deliberate scale as
in nearly every village in the regained area. A more cheerful memory
of this devastated village is that while here the Battalion got its
new bugle band. While stationed there the Battalion marched over to
Ham where a football match was to be played. Their march into the
town caused great interest, and they passed through a long line of
French soldiers and civilians who lined the roads. On their approach
along the main street, the square seemed totally blocked with a mass
of French soldiers, and a company of infantry stood at the "present"
as a Guard of Honour as they marched past the Town Hall, while the
French band rendered our National Anthem. After the Battalion team had
won their match by 6 goals to 1 against the 121st Infantry Regiment
and a scratch team had played a drawn game against the 408th Regiment,
the French band played the men out of the village. But the French were
not allowed to have all their own way of it with the music, for the
Battalion Pipe Band played to them and was received with much favour.
The regiment was in highest spirits, battle scarred and with a
glorious record of great achievements established. The Battalion
remained at rest in the village of Canizy until May 15th--that is,
they trained hard and played hard, went marches and were inspected,
performed innumerable fatigues and parades and carried out generally
that never ending programme of activities which always makes a soldier
smile at the mention of the word "rest!" The men played some of their
keenest and most memorable games of soccer here, and one of the
principle pastimes engaged in by the officers was hunting, until this
was forbidden by G.H.Q. The country, being entirely uncultivated made
ideal going. Major Campbell, in charge of Physical Training, G.H.Q.,
was with the 17th for some time, and put extra life into sport and
training.
On the 15th the Battalion moved off to Curchy, via Voyennes and Nesle,
and on the succeeding day to Rosieres and so on to Hangard on the
18th, where the "resting" was carried on until the end of the month,
when they proceeded to Villers-Bretonneux. Of the villages in the
regained area little or no description in the normal sense is possible
beyond the fact that while some semblance of streets could be traced
in some of them, the majority of them were simply masses of masonry
debris literally peppered with shell craters. But it was noticeable in
such villages as Nesle that the civilians showed a very marked
physical improvement as the result of better feeding and life under
British occupation. While at Hangard, Battalion Headquarters occupied
Hangard Chateau--one of the finest chateaux in France. (It was
demolished during the 1918 German offensive.) The Brigade concentrated
at Villers-Bretonneux prior to entraining for the Second Army.
But before leaving the Fourth Army, to which the 17th had given such
brilliant service, the following message was transmitted to the
Battalion as one of the Divisional units concerned:--
"FOURTH ARMY, NO. G.S.702.
"32ND DIVISION.
"As the Division will shortly be leaving the Fourth Army I
desire to express to all ranks my warm thanks for the excellent
services they have performed whilst under my command. The
gallantry and dash displayed by the Division during the advance
in March and April, especially in the actions resulting in the
capture of Savy, Bois de Savy, Francilly, Holnon, Selency, Fayet
and Cepy Farm, reflect the highest credit on all concerned.
"The skilful leadership of all ranks, coupled with the close
co-operation between Artillery, Infantry and Aircraft, was a
feature in these operations deserving the highest praise, and I
heartily congratulate the Division on the successes they have
achieved.
"I much regret that the Division is now leaving the Fourth Army,
but I shall hope that at some future date I may again have the
good fortune to find them under my command.
"(Signed) H. RAWLINSON, _General,
Commanding Fourth Army._
"H.Q., FOURTH ARMY,
"_22nd May, 1917._"