LE SARS—CAPPY
_September 1916 to March 1917_
We spent a week at Bus, before taking over trenches in front of
Beaumont-Hamel, The Battalion held these trenches for four days, without
any incident worthy of mention. The line here had not moved forward
during the Somme fighting, as the attack on July 1 had failed in that
sector, and no subsequent one had been delivered.
We had considered ourselves a little ill used in not being taken back
and given a proper rest, with the chance to refit after our recent
exertions, so our delight was great when, after spending a night or two
in Mailly-Maillet and a day in the Bois de Warnimont, we were moved back
to Beauval on September 11.
It was not the first time we had been in Beauval, and the Battalion was
becoming increasingly popular in that part of the town in which our
billets lay. As a billeting area, it was an ideally proportioned place,
holding without much difficulty an entire Brigade of Infantry. There
were good billets, good mess-rooms and a few shops, and the town lay
within easy reach of Doullens, where the shops were good. But the
training facilities were bad, as the land was a mass of crops, which we
had strict orders not to damage.
During the week we spent here, in addition to considerable drafts of
men, we received a reinforcement of no less than thirteen officers of
the Essex Regiment, who nearly all reported on the same day. The arrival
of all these officers, belonging to another regiment, was, it must be
admitted, something of a shock to us. The more credit to them then, when
within a very few days we realised we had struck oil and been sent a
most excellent batch of officers, many of whom afterwards greatly
distinguished themselves, both in and out of action.
After a week at Beauval, on September 19 the Battalion moved to
Berneuil, some nine miles distant, where the training area was decidedly
better, though the billets were not so good. Intensive training was the
order of the day, to such an extent indeed that many were only too glad
to be inoculated and get forty-eight hours off duty.
On September 30 a twenty-mile march took us to Coullemont, and, after
another move two days later to St. Amand, we found ourselves once again
in the Hébuterne trenches on October 5. They had changed but little,
though our disappointment was very great on finding that all the old
familiar names of trenches in the K sector had been scrapped and new
ones, all starting with the letter Y, substituted.
Rumour was rife that an attack was to be made on Gommecourt, and indeed
with excellent reason, for everything pointed to something of the kind
taking place at no very distant date. Orders for the attack soon made
their appearance, and on October 7 we were taken out of the line and
sent back to Souastre, about three miles behind, for a final “fatten
up.” Those who took part in that short march will not easily forget the
scene that the road presented. It was one endless stream of horse and
motor transport, moving up with every imaginable article on board. But,
after all this material had been brought up, and everything appeared to
be in readiness, the attack was postponed, and we were sent still
farther back to the village of Warlencourt. Here practice attacks of all
kinds were exercised until about the middle of the month, when the
Gommecourt attack was definitely given up and all orders cancelled.
This wandering about from place to place, spending a few days and
sometimes only a few hours in each, was becoming a little tiresome, and
we were not altogether sorry to find ourselves back in the line at the
beginning of November, having spent the remainder of October in
Warluzel, Talmas and La Houssoye. The part of the line to which we were
sent, namely Martinpuich and Le Sars, proved, however, anything but
pleasant; in fact, for a sector which was not taking part in active
operations, it was the most miserable one the Battalion ever occupied.
From all sides, our line was under the most complete observation by the
enemy—from Loupart Wood, Irles, the Butte de Warlencourt and other
places, and this observation extended several miles behind the line. The
trenches themselves were full of water and falling in; the ground all
round them was pitted with shell-holes, which also had filled with
water, whilst every track was deep in glutinous mud. Movement in the
dark was a nightmare, for it was impossible to struggle twenty yards
without falling into a shell-hole, getting soaked through and plastered
with mud. Ration-carrying parties, which had to manhandle the rations
for almost a mile over this kind of ground, had the most bitter
experiences; there were no landmarks, and men frequently lost themselves
for a whole night. To add to our difficulties, the enemy shelling,
particularly at night, was extremely heavy. His opportunities for
observation by day enabled him to mark down all the tracks which our
reliefs and carrying parties were in the habit of using by night, and to
shell them accordingly. He succeeded in making Le Sars quite
uninhabitable, by shelling it for the greater part of the day and night,
so that, as the place was of no tactical importance (the line running
some half-mile in front), it was left severely alone. Destremont Farm,
or rather the remains of it, which lay behind Le Sars, received the same
attention; but it contained two large cellars which no shells could
touch, and in these we quartered two platoons by day. This was the only
semblance of accommodation in the sector, and even Battalion
Headquarters had to be content with eight steps of a shaft of an
incomplete mined dugout, started by the Germans and consequently facing
the wrong way. These steps our Headquarters continued to occupy, for
lack of a “better ’ole,” even after a shell had landed in the entrance,
blocking it up, and imprisoning the Commanding Officer, the Adjutant and
Intelligence officers. Fortunately for them a meal happened to be long
overdue, and the batman who brought it discovered them in this plight.
The strain and exhaustion of the Battalion, especially when holding the
front line, were extreme, and the greatest difficulties were experienced
by company commanders, struggling to make out written reports at night
and endeavouring to prevent the appearance of “trench-foot” in their
companies.
[Illustration:
FRONT LINE COY. H.Q., LE SARS.
]
Reliefs varied, but on the average the Battalion were in the habit of
doing three days in the front trenches, three days in support trenches
and three days “at rest.” Rest, so called, but which one never found.
The camps lay round Contalmaison, and most unpleasant they were. The
enemy knew their location exactly, and shot at them with unerring
precision, usually having his greatest “hate” between midnight and 2
a.m., when a little sleep was helping us to forget, temporarily, the
vileness of it all. A camp of huts known as Acid Drop Camp used to catch
the worst of the shelling, and two huts received direct hits at night
whilst we were in occupation. In the other camps we were under canvas,
chilled to the marrow in cold November nights.
During the periods spent “at rest,” working parties were practically
continuous; as many as 200 men had often to be found by day and the same
number (if our strength allowed it) by night. Casualties were abnormally
heavy, considering the fact that no active operations were undertaken,
but the Battalion dealt most successfully with the trench-foot problem,
having only one case up to the end of December.
Our transport in this area was quartered close to Bécourt, which lay
some three miles behind Contalmaison, amongst a mass of old disused
trenches, surrounded by a sea of mud. The conditions under which the
transport lived, consequently, were miserable in the extreme, and it was
due largely to the never-failing energy of the transport officer,
Captain J. B. Hill, who organised the erection of standings for the
horses and shelters for the men, that living was made possible.
At this time there had been no leave open for some four months, so that
the survivors of the Somme fighting were getting pretty well worn out,
but after six weeks in the sector, the Division was relieved, and moved
back to Bécourt, where a fortnight, including Christmas Day, was spent.
Officers and men alike were determined to enjoy themselves thoroughly on
this day, despite the very unfavourable conditions, and it speaks highly
of the Quartermaster’s branch that every man had a good whack of turkey
with chestnut stuffing and vegetables.
On December 28 the Battalion moved about six miles west to the village
of Bresle, where the Brigade was inspected on January 6, 1917, by
Lieutenant-General Pulteney, commanding the IIIrd Corps.
A further move to Heilly took place on January 9, where we entrained at
3.30 a.m. for Oisemont, arriving there at 12 noon. Here we were billeted
in two small country villages, half a mile apart, A and B Companies
being in Forceville, and Battalion Headquarters, C and D Companies, and
the transport in Neuville. For three weeks most valuable training was
carried out, and sports and games greatly encouraged. In the latter the
Battalion distinguished itself by winning the Brigade football
competition, the Brigade cross-country steeplechase, and the majority of
events in the boxing competition. The weather was good during the whole
of this time, though a certain amount of snow fell.
On January 29 the Battalion entrained at Oisemont, preparatory to taking
over a new area from the French south of the Somme. The detrainment was
carried out at Cerisy, after nearly twelve hours’ travelling in icy cold
trucks. After spending three days at Hamel, we marched on February 2 to
Cappy, taking over what was known as Camp 56, on the Cappy-Eclusier
road, from a reserve battalion of the French. The few days we had here
were occupied in reconnoitring the new forward area, and vainly
endeavouring to extract a little heat from the French stoves which had
been left in the huts.
So long as the frost lasted the trenches in this area were excellent,
probably the best we had yet seen, but with the thaw, which made its
appearance towards the end of February, their condition became very bad.
The greatest possible precautions had once more to be taken to prevent
“trench-foot.” Arrangements were made for washing every man’s feet in a
special solution before the Battalion went into the line, and when in
the line, for rubbing the feet and supplying every man with a dry pair
of socks every twenty-four hours. Annoying as these precautions were to
carry out at the time, it must be said that the result fully justified
them, for we had only one further case of trench-foot during the
remainder of the winter, whereas many battalions suffered severely from
this disease.
The trenches held by the Division crossed the river Somme and faced
Péronne, half of the little village of Biaches being just included in
our line. The sector was a quiet one, and the only missile used by the
enemy which caused us any great inconvenience when we first took over,
was one known as a “blue pigeon.” It was a particularly effective form
of mortar, which made a sort of shrill whistle as it proceeded through
the air and caused us a considerable number of casualties.
Duration of tours in the trenches here was irregular, and the varying
portions of the line held by the Battalion are well illustrated by the
different elements of the whole of the 143rd Brigade to whom we handed
over when we were relieved on February 9.
Two left platoons on the Somme handed over to 1/8th Battalion Royal
Warwickshire Regiment;
Two right platoons on the Somme to 1/7th Battalion Royal Warwickshire
Regiment;
Garrison of Tr. Iglau and Battalion Headquarters to 1/5th Battalion
Royal Warwickshire Regiment;
Two platoons in Tr. Désirée to 1/6th Battalion Royal Warwickshire
Regiment.
This relief occupied the whole night and did not proceed too smoothly,
with the result that it was an irritated Commanding Officer who ordered
Battalion Headquarters to move off just as daylight was appearing.
Towards the middle of February the Brigade took over the right of the
Divisional line, north-east of the village of Barleux, which lay just
inside the German lines. During the month that the Battalion took turns
with the 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment in holding these
trenches, patrolling was very active, especially when it became known
that the enemy was evacuating his trenches farther north and effecting
an organised retreat to some line in rear. Shelling was heavy on both
sides, and on March 10 occurred one of the most unlucky events that had
yet befallen us. About 4 a.m. on this date, a gas shell, fired from a
German _Minenwerfer_, landed and exploded inside the entrance of the A
Company Headquarters’ dugout. There were at the time inside the dugout
three officers (Captain J. D. B. Warwick, 2/Lieutenant S. Wiseman,
2/Lieutenant R. B. Cooper-Smith), C.S.M. Watts, two corporals, five
orderlies, three signallers and four batmen. The first impression of
those inside (presumably caused by the flash of the shell) appears to
have been that the dugout was on fire, and a large dose of poison was
inhaled before they adjusted their box respirators, while those who were
asleep were killed without waking. Captain Warwick and 2/Lieutenant
Wiseman, believing that a gas attack was taking place, together with
their orderlies attempted to reach the front line, but the latter died
just as he reached his platoon and the former not long after. The fate
of the remaining occupants of the dugout was no less tragic, for, in
spite of the utmost efforts to save them, the majority died within an
hour of the bursting of the shell, and all were dead within six hours.
This sad event cannot be passed by without an allusion to No. 2535
Private Harry Topple, who was the company signaller on duty in the
dugout at the time when the shell burst. Being under the impression that
a gas attack was taking place, he refused to leave his post, and
continued to endeavour to obtain communication with Battalion
Headquarters, until forcibly dragged away by a rescue party half an hour
later. He died in the trenches near the dugout about 7 a.m. the same
day. By remaining at his post, this very gallant man undoubtedly
sacrificed his own life in the hope of saving others.
Two days after this D Company were severely shelled in Flaucourt, which
was the position of the reserve company, and suffered a number of
casualties.
Our rest billets were usually Camp 56 at Cappy; this occasioned a long
and weary march, usually taking place in the middle of the night, after
a six days’ tour in the line with a very inadequate ration of sleep. It
was in this camp that we received news—about March 17—that patrols sent
out by the Brigades holding the line had reported the enemy trenches
opposite to be unoccupied. The retirement on our front had begun.