An Interlude.
The 42nd division added to its list of new experiences when it was
relieved at Nieuport, by a division of French troops. We afterwards
heard that they had demonstrated their capacity for common sense in
warfare by evacuating all the horrible ground in front of the Redan,
which we had clung to with characteristic British bull-dog tenacity.
Lt.-Col. Carr, D.S.O., having proceeded on leave, Major Allan commanded
the battalion during the succeeding days. It was found later, however,
that the C.O. would not return, having been placed on the sick list at
home. The division was destined for Bethune and it was a very pleasant
five days' march that took us to that area. On the first day, Nov. 16th,
passing through Leffinckoucke, near Dunkirk, we reached Teteghem, while
the next day took us to Esquelbec, just outside Wormhoudt. The following
two days required only short distances to the Hazebrouck district, but
the fifth day was longer, and, marching past the divisional commander in
Aire, we arrived at Mazinghem, a small village just off the main Lillers
road.
The battalion spent a few days here, and a really happy time it was. The
villagers had not become blasé to British soldiers, and they gave our
men a hearty welcome in their billets. It was with no small pride that
the curé, with whom the padre and myself were lucky enough to be
billeted, informed us that General Pètain had at one time spent many
happy days in his house, for his uncle had been the curé here. Whilst in
this village we received the news of the wonderful Cambrai attack by
General Byng, and we had a curious feeling that he had no right to do
that without asking the 42nd to help him, for we naturally possessed a
fatherly interest in Havrincourt and all its works. The first flush of
news gave us no details, and we were perplexed to know what had happened
to "Jerry's Wire" which we knew was formidable enough. Then the stories
of tanks upon tanks drifted through, and we began to understand it.
It was here that Lt.-Col. Bromfield, of the Leicestershire Regt. first
saw the 7th and assumed command. He was due for leave, however, and had
just emerged from a trying time at Paschendaele, so Major Allan was soon
left in charge once more. We did not remain long at Mazinghem for our
duty was to relieve the 25th division in the line at Givenchy, before La
Bassee. As everyone knows, this was one of the sectors of the original
British line so that everything connected with it was essentially
English. Since the fighting at Festubert in 1915 comparative peace had
reigned along this front and we were content to allow it to remain so
after our noisy experiences at Ypres and Nieuport.
Givenchy was once a mining village situated on a spur of the Aubers
Ridge, which, running west to east, looks down upon the flat ground,
stretching uninterruptedly northwards through Festubert, Neuve Chapelle
and Laventie towards Armentieres. Someone had facetiously suggested in
the trench diary (a beautifully bound document that had been handed down
from battalion to battalion from early days) that "Givenchy Church be
kept in a state of repair for the Huns to register on," and therein lies
an important fact. Had the church tower been standing, and one could
have got into it, a glorious view of a large part of Northern France
would have been obtained. Looking eastwards one saw La Bassee half
concealed by thick woods while to the northeast were the outskirts of
Lille. Southwards and south-west were the mining villages of the Lens
district with their huge conical fosses. In other words, Givenchy was an
important tactical point and the fiercest efforts of the Boche in 1914
had failed to move British troops from it, although at the end of the
fighting it lay in a very sharp salient, which was only straightened out
after Festubert in 1915.
Since those days typical old-fashioned trench warfare had prevailed.
There were wonderful ramifications of trenches, front line, duplicate
firing line, support trenches, reserve trenches, and numerous
communication saps, all built on the old style with numerous sandbags.
On the flat ground to the north it had been impossible to dig down for
defence, and both sides had built up earthworks on the somewhat marshy
ground, so that sandbags were again the most noticeable feature. Running
behind the breastworks in this portion was a convenient
trench-tramway--for rations, ammunition, etc. To the south of Givenchy
were the famous La Bassee Canal and the brickstacks.
When mankind started to fight each other under the earth, as well as on
it and above it, No Man's Land in front of Givenchy began to be really
churned up. Huge craters had been blown up by both sides in such numbers
that they formed the most distinctive feature of this part of the line.
The whole of the ground across the ridge between the lines presented the
appearance of a model of the Alps on a rather large scale. These craters
had to be carefully represented on all trench maps, and they bore
distinctive names such as Warlington Crater and Red Dragon Crater. Both
sides had pushed forward saps as far as possible through this difficult
ground both for observation and sniping purposes. Great mine shafts
extended under No Man's Land, and the curious could go down these and
listen to the Huns knocking about and digging above.
The great advantage of the quiet nature of this front was the
possibility of daylight reliefs, so it was in the afternoon of November
27th that the 7th dribbled across "Westminster Bridge" over the canal,
and took over the support positions evacuated by the 1st battalion
Wiltshire Regt. in the vicinity of "Windy Corner." We were astonished to
find cottages and rows of houses, very little damaged, within 600 yards
of the front line, and we reposed comfortably on wire beds inside them
instead of in holes in the ground. In fact, across the canal, just
behind Harley Street, and at an equal distance from the front, there
still lived a Frenchman with his wife and kiddie, who dispensed eggs and
chips to hungry Tommies! Surely this must be a "bon front." I am afraid
things looked vastly different after the Hun attempt to smash through
the 55th division here in the following April. It was with the
probability of this attack in view that the 42nd division began to
stiffen the defences, and as well as holding the line we interested
ourselves in digging, concreting and wiring.
G.H.Q. were convinced that Germany would in the Spring make a supreme
effort to break up the Western Front before the American Army became an
effective force in the field. The offensive spirit was to be kept in our
pockets for a short time, and we were to turn our attention to the
defensive idea. They had also decided that a system of "defended
localities," skilfully sited and constructed, would be the most
effective method of breaking up the attacking hordes. That is, the
British front would consist of a series of posts, each self-contained,
but mutually supporting, that would act like a huge breakwater to the
Hun waves. In accordance with this general idea, the line near La Bassee
was reconstructed, and a good deal of hard work was put in during those
winter weeks. Later, when we heard how well the 55th division had
stopped the enemy in the localities that we had done so much to perfect,
we felt a good deal of pride and satisfaction that they had proved a
success, and complimentary messages were exchanged between Maj.-Gen.
Solly-Flood and Maj.-Gen. Jeudwine, commanding the 55th division. A
combination of the work and fighting qualities of Lancashire men had
been too much for the Hun.
It must not be imagined that it was all a bed of roses on this front,
for the enemy had his unpleasant moments, particularly at night. There
was a steady flow of irritating casualties, and when Corporal O'Connell
and Pte. Bowie of the regimental police were killed at headquarters one
night, we felt that old familiar faces might not be so permanent amongst
us as might be supposed. The cruel disruption of war was ever present.
Still we had the satisfaction of knowing that the Boche received as much
and more than he gave. The battalion snipers occasionally registered
hits, and in this type of warfare there was plenty "of good sport" to be
had owing to the short distance across No Man's Land and the large gaps
in the sides of the enemy trenches. Our gunners also indulged in sniping
with good results, and it was exciting to watch the rapidity of the
sequence of two or three grey figures jumping out of a trench and the
bang, bang, bang of an 18 pounder shell or two in their close vicinity.
But our excitement must have been as naught compared with that of the
aforesaid grey figures!
The reliefs in this "model sector" came round like clock-work. A
battalion did four days in the front line, four days in support, four
days in the line, and then four days in brigade reserve. After
thirty-two days of this the brigade went out for sixteen days in
divisional reserve. It was all so beautiful and soothing that it seemed
as though the problem of perpetual motion had been solved and the war
had come for an eternity. The enemy did the same thing, and we knew when
he did it. He left us alone on relief days and we returned the
compliment. Thus on December 9th we effected a peaceful passage into
brigade reserve at Gorre Chateau. In a noisy sector this chateau and all
the village in the vicinity would have been reduced to ruins, but here
the civilians had not been interrupted in their daily work, and the
chateau itself was a wonderful billet for troops, accommodating the
whole battalion comfortably. In fact, nearly twelve months later orderly
room received bills for the use of the electric light in the officers'
mess!
Whilst here Major Allan was sent to hospital, from which he was
eventually invalided to England, and did not return to the battalion
again. He had had a long, useful career with the 127th brigade since the
middle of 1915. Family affairs had caused the regretted departure of
Lt. G. W. Franklin, and his place at the head of the transport was taken
by Lt. Wilkinson, after a brief period of duty by Lt. C. R. Thorpe. Col.
Bromfield returned from leave just after we went into the line again at
Givenchy after the four days' rest. This spell in the line was marked
principally by cold, frosty weather and most of the battalion figured in
the trenches in wonderful fur coats popularly known as leather jerkins.
The Manchester brigade were fortunate again in being out in divisional
reserve for 'Xmas. Excellent fare was provided for the 7th in the shape
of turkeys, pork, 'Xmas pudding, extra vegetables, barrels of beer and
extra rum rations, so that hilarity was the order of the day. There
being a good deal of snow about at this time tactical exercises
frequently took the form of inter company snow-ball fights. To have
Major Hurst with us during this period previous to his departure on
Courts-martial work could not have been more opportune, for he had ever
been most energetic on the social side of the battalion. With
reminiscences of his impromptu concerts and lectures on Gallipoli and in
Egypt we knew we should not look in vain for something from him. His was
the master-mind behind this Yule-tide festivity, while a delightfully
funny sketch written by him in which Gwendoline de Vere of Greenheys
Lane figured prominently, gave the officers and sergeants of the 7th an
opportunity of displaying their dramatic skill. The inhabitants of
Bethune, where most of the brigade were in billets at this time, will
not easily forget the efforts of the 127th brigade to make the most of
its 'Xmas rest. The Boche made unpleasant contributions to the
proceedings by way of long range shelling by day and bombing by night,
but although the 8th and the civilians suffered somewhat by these
displays, the 7th escaped practically unhurt.
In the opening days of the New Year we returned to the line in the
Brickstacks sector south of the canal, and the heavy snow and frost
having been succeeded by a sudden thaw accompanied by rain, the
condition of the trenches in the low ground can be better imagined than
described. Leather jerkins were quickly supplemented by "boots, gum,
thigh," and the British soldier came to assume the appearance of a
Yarmouth fisherman. Runners, etc., arriving at company H.Q., would first
demand from the harbour master permission to navigate their course
through the troubled waters, while facetious notices indicated times
when pleasure boats could be taken out. This amphibious warfare was
extremely unpleasant, and it further delayed the work on the new
defensive positions. Captain Jimmy Baker and Lt. Jack Morten, whilst on
a midnight prowl in No Man's Land almost met with disaster, and the
performance came to an undignified close after they had extricated one
another from deep muddy water to make their way back to dock minus gum
boots. We knew that the Huns must be in a similar predicament, for their
ground was equally low, and we could only laugh when on one occasion
dawn revealed one or two of them jumping about in the open in attempts
to dry their clothes and to restore life to their numbed bodies. It
hardly seemed the game to fire upon them.
Kindness to a German is often misplaced, as we found when his
"travelling Circus" of heavy trench mortars arrived. Having
unobtrusively got these weapons into concentrated positions near his
support line he suddenly loosed them all off one afternoon at an
extremely annoying and rapid rate of fire, peppering all the trenches
that we had spent such time in getting into habitable condition. It was
a nerve-racking experience while it lasted but the 7th stuck to their
posts ready to meet any Hun attack should it develop. What the enemy had
really intended was never quite understood, but a small party of Boche
got across No Man's Land that night. One of "B" company's posts saw
them, however, and attacked them. One German got into our trench and
Pte. Saunderson chased him but failed to get him. Jerry, in his hurried
departure, left behind him his cap and one or two other articles and
these, together with a collection of battered trenches and a few slight
casualties, were the only souvenirs we got out of this "stunt," with the
exception of the M.M. awarded to Pte. Saunderson, for his plucky
conduct. The divisional commander was in the battalion area at the time,
and he afterwards sent us a congratulatory message on the steadiness of
the men, a compliment of which we were justly proud.
On January 22nd we moved out to Le Preol into brigade reserve. The 7th
were particularly fortunate in coming out of the line at this time, for
we did not go in again before the whole division was relieved. After our
allotted period at Le Preol it was the brigade's turn for divisional
reserve, and this was accompanied by another move back to Hingette, near
Locon. One of our functions in this position was to back up the
Portuguese if they should be attacked, for they lay on the left of the
42nd. This entailed a careful reconnaissance of all the ground behind
their positions, and the siting and construction of defended localities
in that area. So the battalion found itself digging and wiring once more
in new soil.
The 55th division, having recovered from the severe handling they had
received in the enemy reply to "Cambrai," eventually took over the line,
and on February 12th the 7th marched back to Burbure, near Lillers. The
end of the 42nd's tour of duty in this sector had been marked the
previous night by a highly successful raid by the 9th Manchesters which
had taken the Boche completely by surprise, and had furnished quite a
number of prisoners and machine guns. The warning rumblings of the
German offensive storm now steadily increased to a marked degree. His
guns were growing in number, range and activity, and what had once been
peaceful back areas were steadily becoming more uncomfortable. This was
displayed all along the front, so that it was impossible to deduce from
that fact alone where his blow would fall. There was a good deal of
suspicion, however, about the Portuguese front, and the duties of the
42nd, as 1st Army reserve, were clear if the attack took place there.
Eventually the division, without having to move again, became G.H.Q.
reserve, which meant that we were liable to be sent to any part of the
British line when Germany commenced to strike. With the aid of motor
buses, parties of officers and men made reconnaissances of the defended
localities behind the Loos and Hulluch sector, so that by now we were
more or less conversant with the larger part of the 1st Army front. The
divisional commander lectured officers and N.C.O's. of all brigades
concerning the work of defence, and it was about this time that he
instituted the divisional motto:--"Go one better"--which was taken up
and acted upon with such popular enthusiasm by everyone connected with
the 42nd. In fact, if a coat of arms of the East Lancashire Division had
been designed in 1918, the following three features would have stood out
clearly:--
[Illustration]
During the month of February the drain upon the manpower of the British
Empire caused by the war made itself apparent. It was found to be
impossible to maintain in the field four battalions per brigade, and a
reduction to three was ordered. Then took place the solution of a most
confusing Chinese puzzle. Some battalions were broken up, and the
fragments sent to others either in the same division or in other
divisions, while in the case of many units, particularly territorials,
there was a transfer of a sort of cadre which was amplified to full
strength in its new division. The 42nd division lost the 6th L.F's., the
4th East Lancashires and the 9th Manchesters, and the 8th Manchesters
were transferred to the 126th brigade, which was now composed of 5th
East Lancs., the 8th and 10th Manchesters, while the 127th brigade was
left with the 5th, 6th and 7th Manchesters. A whole company of seven
officers and 200 men of the 2/10th Manchesters from the 66th division
came to wear the Fleur de Lys, and we were glad to welcome them as
comrades. In the heavy fighting that followed they proved themselves to
be good stuff of the regular Oldham type, while they themselves forgot
their natural initial heart burnings and grew proud of the Cap badge and
flashes that they had adopted.
Our period of rest was divided between Burbure and Busnes, and in both
places the mesdemoiselles and the estaminets were a source of real
delight to the men of the 7th. As might be expected, some good, solid
training was achieved, and this was interspersed by most enjoyable
football competitions and cross-country running. In fact, the middle of
March found the division extremely fit.