THE ITALIAN WINTER
Happy the Battalion which for a while at least in wartime has no
history. We had come to Italy expecting at once to be desperately
engaged against the victorious invaders. But the Italians, greatly to
their credit, had reorganised their broken forces, and, with their
left resting on the mountains, had repelled all attempts of the enemy
to cross the Piave, swollen with autumn rains. By the end of December
the British and French Armies were fully concentrated, and a period of
immobility set in, not to be broken for six months. The 48th Division,
which formed part of General Haking's 11th Corps, found itself
peacefully installed in Army Reserve. Under the clear Italian skies,
in the peaceful Venetian plain, moderately well housed and not
overworked, their lot was cast in a fair ground. The two halves of the
Battalion reunited on 4th December, and finally settled on the 15th
December at S. Croce Bigolina, where they remained six weeks. This
village is situated just east of the Brenta, about 20 miles north of
Padua, where G.H.Q. were established, and a similar distance south of
the foothills of the Trentino Alps, where the line ran through the
famous plateau of Asiago. Excursions to these hills in small parties
for the purpose of reconnaissance formed from time to time a diversion
from the ordinary routine of training.
Christmas was celebrated with great festivity. The officers had
supplemented the men's rations by a subscription, stores were
purchased in Vicenza and Padua, and a cheque of £50 was received from
the County Association for the same purpose. Dinners, concerts and
suppers were provided for the Companies; the officers were given free
use of the house of the Parish Priest, who was entertained by them as
the guest of the evening. It was the happiest Christmas which had been
spent overseas.
With the New Year winter set in with a hard, bright frost, so keen
that all the running streams were frozen. Visits of inspection were
paid by General Plumer, the popular Commander-in-Chief, and by General
Haking, whose kindliness and geniality in chatting to the men as
individuals was heartily welcomed. At this time also the gratifying
news was received that the commanding officer had been awarded the
C.M.G.
On the 24th January the Battalion left S. Croce amidst general regret.
The excellent priest, who had worked with all his will to promote good
relations, in a parting message to Colonel Clarke especially commended
the honourable and chivalrous relations which had existed between the
troops and the women of the neighbourhood. At Paviola, which was
reached after a weary march in a misty thaw over roads reduced to
quagmires, the Battalion split up again: B and D Companies, with
Headquarters remained in the same area, while Captain Challenor with
the remainder moved to the Convent di Praglia, south of Padua, in
order to supply working parties to the central school at G.H.Q. Here
they remained till the end of February, doing every kind of job, to
the complete satisfaction of those concerned. Some worked at the
quarries, some at a bayonet-fighting assault course, some at the
musketry school, others at the gas school; finding, however, time
between their labours to play a number of football matches with
neighbouring units.
By the end of the month all were again reunited; their long spell of
rest had come temporarily to an end, and on the 27th they took over
from the 2nd Queen's (7th Division) reserve lines on the Montello,
that well-known hill overlooking the right bank of the Piave, which
was one of the key-positions of the Italian line. The next fortnight
was spent in this area, about half in the front line. It was an
interesting though, fortunately, not a very dangerous experience, as
the losses amounted only to one killed and one wounded. The long hill,
which stretched for miles to the west of the river, was furrowed with
numbers of deep, narrow dells, in which the platoons were housed.
Along the foreshore was a series of disconnected posts, every second
of which was armed with a Lewis gun. The majority of these were held
only at night. They looked across the wide bed of the Piave, which,
like all capricious mountain streams, divided into three or four
channels, intersected by overgrown islands and beds of shingle, which
heavy rain, as in the June battles, would convert speedily into a
roaring torrent. The widest and deepest stream flowed on the enemies'
side. Their inactivity was very marked, scarcely a shot was fired
either by day or night, and except for the last day their artillery
gave few signs of life. As was proved time after time, the last thing
desired by the weary and disillusioned Austrian was to provoke the
British.
This interlude was the nearest approach to warfare encountered for
many weeks to come. On the night of the 14th March in intense darkness
the Italians relieved us without incident, and we turned our backs on
the Montello for good. The division now moved west for many days; some
short time was spent at Arsego, but it was not till 3rd April that the
Battalion settled down to a three weeks' sojourn at Valle, in the hill
country west of Vicenza. The great events, which were shaking the
Western Front to its foundations, found no echo here; two British
Divisions were, it is true, moved to France, but the 48th was not
among them. The Austrians as yet showed no signs of renewing their
attacks.
While the Battalion were at Valle they lost their Commanding Officer,
Lieut.-Colonel Clarke, who was appointed to command the newly-formed
Divisional Machine Gun Battalion. His departure was deeply regretted.
He had led the Battalion through all its serious fighting, and had
gained the complete confidence of all. He had kept a strict discipline
without worrying the men about trifles; they could all appreciate his
administrative ability, his grasp of detail and practical concern for
their comfort. We were fortunate in gaining as his successor Colonel
Lloyd Baker, of the Bucks Battalion, who had been well-known earlier
in the war as General McClintock's Staff Captain, and he brought to
his new duties all his characteristic kindness and tact.
Meanwhile the constant exercise in hill-climbing for men and pack
ponies, the schemes of attack and defence suggested that our next
destination would be northward in the mountains. Nor was expectation
falsified; for by the 23rd the Battalion had climbed up out of the
warm, showery spring of the valley, and billeted in Italian huts at
Granezza, about 4,500 feet above sea-level in storms of snow and hail.
They were in Brigade Reserve immediately behind the lines on the
Asiago plateau, which they were destined to guard until the advance to
final victory at the end of October.