THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES—VIMY
_September to Mid-November 1917_
In our joy to be rid of the Ypres area, we began at once to entertain
hopes of never seeing it again. Vain hopes, for we were back again in
under a month.
The first fortnight of our rest and preparations for future offensives
was spent in camp close to St. Janster-Biezen. This was not sufficiently
far behind the line to be entirely clear of the war, for enemy bombing
planes paid us a most unwelcome visit every night that the weather was
fine, and the Division suffered quite a number of casualties through
them.
Leave reopened at once in a very fairly generous way, and everything
that could be effected to make life more possible was done. Training was
more important than anything, but this was completed in four and a half
hours in the morning, and the afternoon and evening were given up to
games. On one of these afternoons a number of officers and men of our
2nd line Battalion visited us, this being the first occasion on which
the two Battalions had had any good opportunity of seeing each other
since our second line came out.
Before we moved from this camp no fewer than thirteen officers had
joined the Battalion as reinforcements, from the 1st Battalion Artists
Rifles.
Our next move was carried out by train on September 16, the Battalion
entraining at Abeele and detraining at Audruicq (north-west of St.
Omer), whence a twelve-mile march brought us to Licques. Here the
billets were excellent, as they had not been used as such before; and
with the country and weather perfect, the rest promised to be all that
one could desire. The training area included an excellent field-firing
range, and in a company competition held throughout the Division C
Company succeeded in gaining second place. A most successful Brigade
horse show was also held on September 23, and the Battalion carried off
more than its fair share of prizes.
The days in fact went all too quickly, and it was with feelings of
genuine regret that we left the place at two o’clock on the morning of
September 27, and, entraining at Audruicq, found ourselves at our old
friend the canal bank on the same afternoon. Here we stayed for three
days in reserve to the remainder of the Brigade, which had taken over
the old divisional front close to St. Julien.
On our taking over the line from the 1/4th Battalion Oxford and Bucks
Light Infantry on the night of September 30–October 1, it appeared that
an appreciable though not very large advance had been made in our
absence. The farms which we had seen so often on the map, but which
wanted so much taking, namely, Hubner, Genoa, Von Tirpitz and the
others, were at last ours, and the front line now ran along Cemetery
Trench just in front of Quebec, and thence due south. The enemy shelling
was as heavy as ever, especially at night, when the whole front area as
far back as the Steenbeek became most “unhealthy.” The ground at this
time was not quite at its worst, but this was sure to be the case when
no attack was in progress. It was only necessary for the 1/6th and 1/7th
Battalions Royal Warwickshire Regiment to march up and relieve us, with
a view to attacking the following morning, for the rain to come down in
torrents. The Battalion was ordered to leave one company in the line to
act as an outpost company during the forming up and first phase of the
attack to be made by the Royal Warwicks, the remainder of the Battalion
moving back to a camp about half a mile behind the canal bank.
The objectives of this attack were: 1st—Tweed House, York and Winchester
Farms, and Albatross Farm; 2nd—County cross-roads, Vacher Farm and Burns
House (Map No. 3).
Divisions on the right and left were co-operating, and zero was fixed
for 6 a.m., October 4.
The whole of the first objective was gained by 8.30 a.m. The second
objective, excepting Vacher Farm and Burns House, was captured by 10.30
a.m. Three officers and about 320 other ranks belonging to the 369th,
370th and 371st German Infantry Regiments were taken prisoners, and two
anti-tank guns and numerous machine guns captured.
The attack in fact was successful, and, provided that we could be spared
a little fine weather, there appeared reasonable prospects of our being
able to make some substantial progress. On the 5th, however, it rained
off and on all day; on the 6th it came down in torrents without ceasing;
and on the 7th, when we were moved back to Dambre Camp, there were
frequent heavy showers. We had not been two hours in this camp before we
were warned to get ready to leave again for the line in relief of the
6th and 7th Royal Warwicks, who were dead-beat, soaked to the skin and
plastered from head to foot in mud. Sorry as we were for those in the
line, we were none too well pleased at the prospect of going in again
ourselves, especially as we had been marching hard in the opposite
direction within the last two hours. Our feelings, however, were
distinctly appeased on finding that we were to have a fleet of motor
buses to take us up. These took us as far as Wieltje, where we debussed,
proceeding by platoons up to the line via St. Julien. The relief was
much complicated by the extreme darkness of the night and the
indescribable condition of the forward area; in fact it was not until 2
a.m. that the relief was complete.
The Battalion dispositions then were (Map No. 3):
Battalion Headquarters—Hubner Farm.
C Company (front line)—Terrier Farm, County cross-roads, Cemetery.
B Company (front line)—Cemetery, Trench 400 yards east of Winchester
Farm.
D Company (support)—In front of Tweed House.
A Company (support)—By York Farm.
The 11th Division were on the left, and the 1/4th Royal Berks on the
right.
Shelling throughout the night was heavy, and towards dawn the rain once
again came down in great lumps. About 4 p.m. the Battalion received
notice that it would be relieved during the evening by the 1/4th
Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment on the left and the 1/6th Battalion
of the same regiment on the right, and that these two battalions in
conjunction with other Divisions on their flanks would attack at dawn.
The relief of the right by the 1/6th Gloucesters was a comparatively
easy matter, as trench boards had been laid almost up to the front. The
relief of the left was a very different affair, and turned out to be a
perfect nightmare. No trench boards had been laid in that direction from
Hubner, and the road shown as leading past Quebec Farm and Tweed House
had long ceased to exist and had become amalgamated with the general
quagmire which swamped the whole area. Tweed and Quebec existed as spots
on the map, but were not there to be identified on the ground.
As we had only been in the area some twenty hours, during the greater
part of which time it had been light and no movement had consequently
been possible, guides who could really find their way without landmarks,
in pitch darkness and with the rain teeming down, were very scarce. One
had, however, been found for each platoon of the 1/4th Gloucesters, and
some idea of the conditions will be obtained when it is said that this
number proved wholly insufficient. It was impossible to walk twelve
yards without either falling into a shell-hole or getting stuck fast in
the mud, so that touch was constantly being lost between one man and the
next. By 3 a.m. a few incomplete platoons of the 4th Gloucestershire
Regiment had reached their assembly positions, many more were lost, and
some had, after being lost, found their way back to Hubner and were
wanting fresh guides. Nevertheless by zero we just succeeded in getting
the majority of that Battalion to its positions, and this was largely
due to the untiring efforts of two of our runners, by name L/Cpl. H. E.
Collins and Pte. W. W. Cattell.
By zero the Battalion, with the exception of an outpost company (which
had been left in the line to cover the forming up of the attacking
Battalion), was concentrated round Cheddar Villa in divisional reserve.
Zero was at 5.20 a.m., October 9. Although the rain ceased just before
this time, the condition of the ground was such as to render the chances
of a successful attack exceedingly small, if not quite impossible, but
the progress actually made was considerably greater than expected,
though casualties were heavy.
On the evening of October 10, the Division was relieved in the line by
the 9th Division, and the Battalion left the Ypres battle area for good,
being carried back to Dambre Camp from Wieltje in motor lorries. On
leaving the Ypres sector the Divisional Commander received the following
message from General Gough, commanding the Fifth Army:
“The 48th Division have taken part in much hard fighting during the past
two months, including five general engagements. Their spirit and
determination on all occasions have been admirable, and temporary
setbacks have in no way affected their _moral_. I am very sorry to bid
good-bye to such a dependable division and feel sure that the future
holds many further successes for them.”
After a twenty-four hours’ halt at Dambre Camp and forty-eight hours at
St. Jans-ter-Biezen, the Battalion entrained at Hopoutre on the evening
of October 14, and proceeded by rail to Ligny-St. Flochiel, just east of
St. Pol. Breakfasts were eaten here before we started on a long march to
Mesnil-Bouché; after three days there we moved to Villers-au-Bois, where
the remainder of the month was spent.
The Division had now come under the orders of the Vth Corps, taking the
place of the 2nd Canadian Division. As usual on our arrival in a new
area, statements of impending operations were prevalent, and it was now
freely rumoured that the corps was to take Lens before Christmas.
Nothing tangible, however, pointed to any such offensive, and when, on
November 1, the Battalion went into the line in front of Vimy, it became
clear that we had taken over some very good and reasonably quiet
trenches. Our chief occupation in this part of the line was preparing
trenches for the coming winter. That we were successful in this respect
is proved by the following message, received by the Division after its
withdrawal from the line in the middle of November, on relief again by
the 2nd Canadian Division:
“On my own behalf and on behalf of the troops under my command, I would
be glad if you would cause to be conveyed to the G.O.C. 48th Division,
an appreciation of the excellent work carried out in this area by the
troops under his command during the period between 18th October and 18th
November. The erection of the four Battalion camps in Neuville-St. Vaast
has been so exceptionally well carried out that the G.O.C. 2nd Canadian
Division reports that his troops have never been housed in greater
comfort. The amount of work in the forward area, and the thoroughness
with which it has been carried out, bear testimony to the unremitting
labour and zeal of all concerned.
“(_Sd._) A. W. CURRIE, _Lieutenant-General_
“_Cdg. Canadian Corps._”
When the 48th Division took over the Vimy sector, everything seemed to
point to our settling down there for the winter; consequently, it was
with considerable surprise, not unmixed with regret, that we heard we
were to be withdrawn.
Speculation of the wildest sort was rife as to our destination. Every
sphere of operations, from Russia to German East Africa, was suggested.
But the bulk of opinion, fully conscious of the gravity of the situation
in Italy, inclined to consider this as our probable destination,
although a good many believed a move to the Cambrai area more probable,
as whispers of an impending offensive in that neighbourhood were
beginning to reach us.
The situation, however, did not remain doubtful very long. When the
Division reached the Aubigny area (November 14), where we were given a
fortnight to refit, the fact that we were intended for Italy had become
fairly common knowledge. The news, on the whole, was welcomed. That life
on the Western front was thoroughly unpleasant and precarious we knew;
but Italy, despite the long months’ disasters, only seemed to call up
visions of sunshine, blue skies, and a general atmosphere of _dolce far
niente_.