On March 30th we were relieved by the remnants of the North Stafford regiment of the Imperial Army who had been sent up from the Somme to hold the quieter positions up North after having experienced over a week of constant fighting and retreating before the onrush of German “traction engine” between Arras and Peronne. They arrived without Lewis guns or panniers and altogether were very short of gear and as we had two extra Lewis guns to spare we left them with them, receiving many thanks in return. That afternoon, we marched by companies back by the route we had come to Kortypip camp. There was an air of excitement everywhere and we soon learned that we would not be long before we would be proceeding south to the Somme to join the 3rd and 5th Divisions which by this time were already there helping to stem the German tide.
Accordingly, next morning, at an early hour, the battalion was fallen in and embussed, proceeding via Mt. Kemmel, Lochre, Meteren and Flêtre to the village of Strazelle a distance of quite thirty kilometres and there went into billets for the night. Next morning we were on the move again, marching three kilometres to a railway siding and there after a few hours spent in resting and waiting, finally loaded the battalion into the usual cattle trucks knows as a troop train, and proceeded en route to the Somme and the German “big push.” The train rumbled and jolted all that night and far into the next, passing through St. Omer, Calais, Boulogne, Etaples and Abbeville, the troops being so packed together that sleep or even rest was out of all question. About midnight, the train drew into the Railway Siding at Hangest-sur-Somme and in the pitch dark, the battalion disentrained and formed up in marching order. A guide was supplied to each company and B coy under Lt. Cameron* then set out to march to Vaulx-en Amienois via Picquigny, distant about 18 kilometres. We arrived at our destination at nearly 5 am tired out and hungry and after a scanty but hot meal of M & V ration lay our weary bodies down to rest in the huts of the camp. At 6.45 am we were again roused and partook of a rather light breakfast, being fallen in almost immediately afterwards in full marching order ready to proceed further. By 11.30 am the battalion arrived at Allanville with the intention of resting there for the day and night. However, the state of affairs in the firing line was so precarious that it was decided to send us further on at once in order to have us nearer the enemy before allowing us to rest. Within a very short time, whilst packs were dumped by the roadside and the men were put into fighting order, the Brigade Major (Major Macullum) had commandeered and mustered by various means in his power, some seventy motor lorries.
(P.S. (1957) Now Brig. Gen. C.E.Cameron M.C. and bar) Note: according to AWM records Lt Claude Ewen Cameron MC & bar RTA 19.2.19
These were lined up one behind the other in a long line by the roadside and without delay the companies were loaded into them by batches of 25 men and one officer per lorry. As each company was embussed the lorries containing them were despatched on their way. When B coy was loaded, our batch of lorries made off in the wake of the previous company, I myself being in the leading lorry. Passing through Amiens, we turned down the Albert Road towards Querieux which was reached about an hour later. However by some means or other, the company in front of us had got so far ahead that we lost touch with them, throwing the driver of the lorry I was it on his own guidance. Proceeding straight ahead along the Albert Road, we presently passed through La Houssoye and on a few kilometres further until presently I was surprised to hear a shell burst a little to the right but in the field we were passing. A little further on, two more shells fell rather close, whilst down in a valley nearby, a battery of British Artillery was firing. It did not take me long to understand that the driver had lost his way so that I tackled him with the question as to whether he was sure of the road. Receiving a negative reply, I ordered him to stop and consulted with the other officers as to what was best to do under the circumstances. Realising that we were evidently not intended to proceed the way we were going, we decided to turn back. After having safely turned the whole convoy round, we were just ready to proceed back to Querieux when a runner arrived on a motor cycle and we soon discovered that he had been detailed to ride after us and to guide us back to our right destination.
Within an hour, we were safely guided to the Village of Bussy les Daours where we rejoined the remainder of the Battalion which had been there for the past hour or so. Bussy les Daours had only been evacuated by the French civilians a few hours before and we found the houses in a state denoting a very hurried departure. Beds were unmade and tables were just as they had been left after the midday meal, whilst in some cases the kitchen stoves were still warm although not a civilian was to be seen anywhere. The whole population had simply obeyed the order of the Mayor and cleared out, taking just what could be easily carried or wheeled away, leaving their houses and property to the tender mercies of the Huns or British troops. We were not destined to remain long in Bussy les Daours however, and had scarcely been there two hours when orders arrived for us to move diagonally southward to the Village of Blangy-Tronville. Rumours also reached us that the Huns were attacking strongly, and were advancing rapidly, so that when, within half an hour, we moved out of the village, in drizzling rain, we were ready for almost anything to happen and would not have been greatly surprised if the Huns had suddenly swooped down upon us. Once out of the Village, we were soon tangled up in the disordered and confused transport, artillery, guns, etc. some going towards the enemy, some going to the rear, while some were moving across country to other positions where they were needed most. No one knew anything for certain. There were no A.S.C. dumps or ammunition dumps as they had all been captured. In fact, the British Army was fighting a retreat in what it “stood up in,” to use a common phrase.
The Huns were having it all their own way, while the British were straining every nerve to bring them to a halt, if only for a day or two to enable some sort of order to be made out of the state of chaos that existed. The troops were tired out, the men being scarcely able to drag one leg after the other, loaded down as they were with so much extra gear, ammunition, etc., added to want of rest and shortage of food. After six hours of struggling through the mud and chaos of traffic on the roads, we at last entered the village of Blangy-Tronville well after midnight and soon discovered that, owing to the crowded state of the place, no billets were to be had where the men could obtain a spell.
However, by dint of much persuasion on the part of Capt. Jones we at last were able to obtain a barn half full of hay, on the outskirts of the village, which although much too small to comfortably hold the 150 odd men of “B” coy was the only place available. Into this barn officers and men together lay themselves down on the hay, tired, wet and hungry and soon all were in a dead sleep. Altogether we had marched 36 miles and covered another 250 miles by various means of transport and had only had in all about eight hours sleep in a total of four days travelling under the worst possible conditions imaginable. At dawn we were aroused, given breakfast of bully and biscuits and fallen in to proceed nearer to the line. After going about two kilometres we were halted and then sent back to where we had started out from.
We were able to lay about for the remainder of the day but at dusk we formed up again on the roadside and presently moved off in the direction of Hangard. After passing Gentelles, we halted in a sunken road whilst some batteries of mobile artillery poured a deluge of 18 pounders into the enemy who had only half an hour before made an attack, capturing the portion of the line that we were intended to relieve. At the end of about forty minutes of incessant bombardment, the firing ceased and the battalion, under Major McDonald D.S.O. made ready to proceed. It was now quite dark which made it difficult for platoon leaders to keep touch, marching as we were in platoons at intervals of 50 yards. When we had by this means covered another kilometre or so, we found ourselves in another sunken road at the Battalion Headquarters of the English regiment we were to relieve. Owing to the attack which had just taken place on this sector, the English Colonel in charge was in ignorance of how his line was situated. He did not know for certain where his men were or whether they had regained the ground they had been driven from.
All he could say was that his men were supposed to be holding scattered posts somewhere due East and between Hangard Wood and the village of Hangard. There were no guides to take us in and the information we had to act on was of the very scantiest. Major McDonald therefore called all the Battalion officers together in the sunken road and instruct Company Commanders to get their companies into positions by platoons, under the platoon commanders. We platoon commanders therefore set out with our platoons in the darkness making our way as near as we could judge by means of our scanty information, in the direction of where the line should be.
After straggling along for half an hour I was fortunate enough to meet a wounded “Tommy” making his way out, who directed me towards a burning haystack where he said I would probably find an officer and a few men in a shallow sunken road. When we came to the vicinity of this burning stack, I ordered the men to lie down under the shelter of an embankment and set out with a corporal to reconnoitre . Presently, I was challenged in English and discovered that I had found the post I was in search of. The English officer in charge gave me as much information as he was able to and advised me to make my way over the area between the burning stack towards the village which could be indistinctly made out in the darkness about 400 yards to the right. This did with the corporal for company, and found that the space was quite unoccupied and finally arriving, after being forced to lie down several times, owing to enemy machine gun fire, at a post held by a section of French troops. By means of an interpreter I explained who I was to the French Officer in Charge and arranged to bring my platoon in and dig in on his immediate left.
I then made my way back to my platoon and making a slight detour, soon had the men in position and instructed them to dig themselves in, into “two man posts” taking their line on the burning haystack. Leaving the platoon in charge of Sgt. “Tassy” Cunningham, I then made my way back to try and find out where Capt. Morgan-Jones had established his headquarters and to report to him what I had done in getting my platoon into the line. About 200 yards back I was halted and very nearly was shot by a man of No. 4 platoon before I could explain who I was. After an explanation, Lt. Winkworth moved his platoon forward in line with No. 8 platoon. A little further back I also came across No. 6 platoon digging in under Lt. Smith, well to the rear of where he should have been. On explaining to him his mistake, he also took his men forward and dug in on the left of Lt. Winkworth. On enquiring the whereabouts of No. 7 platoon, I was told that they had walked right into a German post, half of them being killed, wounded or captured, whilst the rest for want of a leader had scattered or joined the other platoons, whilst their leader Sgt. Brennan N.M. had been killed outright.
(P.S. It has been stated to me by Sgt. Jack Tarrant that Sgt. Brennan survived the war and was seen in 1935 in Sydney attending an Anzac Parade. W.H.E.) Note: No Sgt N.M. Brennan was KIA 6.4.1918
After searching for the best part of two hours in the young crop, I at last came across Capt. Morgan-Jones in a little copse where he had established “B” coy headquarters about 1,000 yards back from our outpost line. I remained with him for about an hour, obtaining other information as to the whereabouts of the other companies and then returned to my own platoon, which by this time had dug in sufficiently, through solid chalk, to give themselves enough cover to see them through the daylight hours of the succeeding days. Hearing the cries of a wounded man in front of the post, I went out on my hands and knees and finally got him to the dressing station in rear.
The 6th North Hants. regiment, whom we had relieved had been constantly fighting and retreating for the past ten days and by this time were reduced to a pitiable state. Only about 600 men remained out of a whole Brigade, whilst the position which we had relieved had been attacked earlier in the afternoon, a Major and the R.S.M. being amongst the dead, lying about around our posts. Over 150 of our men had taken over from two officers and 12 men who, poor beggars, were in a state bordering on collapse so that they literally flew towards the rear on being relieved, as fast as their weary legs would carry them.
On our left we had “A” Company with their left flank resting on Hangard Wood. On our right, we joined the 141st French infantry regiment who had been through the terrific fighting of Verdun and had a great reputation as defensive troops. About the first thing they asked me was, what we intended to do in the event of our being attacked? On being told that we were Australians and did not run as soon as the enemy attacked, they seemed very pleased and said “Bon!” or “Très bon Australie” and so on.
The first day in, I was forced to take shelter in a huge shell hole on a road about 50 yards behind my platoon and remained in it, curled up like a periwinkle in a shell with 5.9’s falling all round me, some coming very close indeed. In fact, one came so close that it partly blew the earth of the shell crater I was in, on top of me, a small piece of shell hitting my elbow and touching the nerve. The shell fell so close to me, that my platoon sergeant, Sgt. Tonkies concluded that I must certainly be killed or badly wounded and took the risk of crawling out to investigate my position, receiving nothing for his kind thoughts for my welfare, but an order to go back and look after his men and himself, as I was all right. At nightfall, for which I had been longing all day, I made my way back to Company headquarters to report and then went on to the dressing station in the pouring rain to have my elbow dressed, as the arm had swelled up a good deal and the cut was much inflamed. I then returned to Company Headquarters and was informed that “B” coy was to make an attack on the company front at dawn. Receiving the necessary instructions as to the part No. 8 platoon was to take in the attack, made my way back to the platoon and told them to be ready to attack at dawn, and settled down to await the dawn. However, before daylight came, I received further instructions to the effect that the attack was cancelled and that instead of “B” coy being the attackers, it had been decided to make the attack on Hangard Wood on the left half of the Battalion front next morning.
All that day, we lay in our posts whilst hundreds of 5.9’s fell all around us. At about 5 pm the Huns put down a “box barrage” on us and the Village of Hangard, 300 yards to the right. Expecting to be attacked we “stood to” but escaped with a fright as the Huns confined their efforts to the Village itself and ended in driving the French from it and establishing their line on our side of the Village. The French instantly counter-attacked and within ten minutes had re-established their line in its old positions, killing many of the enemy and taking over fifty prisoners.
When darkness came, our rations arrived, including a rather liberal rum issue, which I issued at once for fear something would happen to the rum jar, the rum having the effect of cheering the men up considerably. At dawn of the next day, a fairly heavy barrage was put down on Hangard Wood to our left and “C” coy of the 20th Btn together with “A” coy of the 19th Btn vigorously attacked the Hun positions in the Wood. Owing to the enemy being in greater strength than was anticipated, the initial attack turned out a failure and it was found necessary to send “D” coy under Lt. Burdus to the support of the other companies. By the aid of “D” coy a slight advance was made which enabled the remnants of “A” coy of the 19th and “C” coy of 20th to get back to the cover of the newly captured positions. Lt. Burdus was eventually awarded the D.S.O. for his gallant work in saving the situation whilst Capt. Storkey of “A” coy of the 19th received the coveted V.C. for capturing almost single handed over 80 German prisoners at great risk to his own life. However, it is doubtful whether the gallant attempt produced any material advantage as the 20th lost over 100 men, including some invaluable N.C.O.’s and officers, whilst the 19th also suffered heavily and the territory which was gained as a result of the attack not being of very great value either. After holding the line in this fashion for three days, we were glad to be at last relieved at nightfall by the 36th Btn, A.I.F. We literally crawled back to the Village of Boves being so fatigued after our terrible trial of endurance during the past week that the men were incapable of walking more than a kilometre at a time without having to throw themselves down by the roadside to rest. By degrees we made our way back to Boves and occupied a row of houses on the western side of the town, the other companies of the Battalion occupying other houses on our left.
The town of Boves is situated on the Somme, south east of Amiens, being quite a large and thriving business town. At this time, however, like the rest of the surrounding towns and villages it was practically deserted by the French population, they having fled on the approach of the German troops. We found things much as the civilians had left them. In an estaminet in the next street to the one we were billeted in, the troops quickly found several casks of red wine, on which they proceeded to get drunk. It was therefore decided to destroy the wine and it was not long before the gutters were running a banker as cask after cask was emptied into the street, much to the disgust of the men as they sullenly stood by and watched, what was regarded by them as a shameful waste. The houses were full of beautiful old furniture worth any amount of money and pianos could have been had for the carrying away of them whilst motor oars only required benzine to move them also. However, so soon as it was discovered that the enemy had been brought to a standstill the military police were brought into use to prevent any unnecessary looting or the destruction of property.
The first day was spent in getting some well earned rest after a hot bath and a change of underclothes so that we just lay about resting and only coming out to get our meals. When night time came, Lt. J. Smith and I were ordered to report to Brigade Headquarters at Gentelles without delay. Accordingly, we procured horses and rode the intervening four kilometres to the Headquarters where we were instructed to proceed to Hangard and there reconnoitre the ground on the enemy side of the village where the cemetery was situated, in order to gain the knowledge of a suitable forming up position for an attack on a wood opposite. To do this it was necessary to travel via the village of Domart, just behind Hangard, which was occupied by the French 1hth regiment. Arrived at Domart, we reported to the French Brigadier and obtained a guide to take us to the Commandant in Hangard. At Hangard, we reported to the Commandant at a Chateau and found him in an underground cellar like place, approached by a tunnel descending downwards into the foundations of the building and well out of reach of any shell.
Here we stated our errand and obtained another guide. We then threaded our way through the ruins of the village, passing numerous dead Germans, each of which was viciously kicked and spat upon by our French guide, until we came at last to a barricade on a road leading into the Village. A French Captain then procured an escort of about six infantrymen and a sergeant for us and we sallied forth out in front of the posts to spy out the land. As day was dawning, we were not long in finding out what was necessary for our purpose and as it did not appear safe to dally about in No Mans Land longer than was necessary, we did not remain there more than about five minutes, much to the relief of our escort whom I do not think relished their job at all.
Having performed our duty, Smith and I returned to our horses, returning to Boves as fast as they would carry us. All day long the Germans shelled our billets, sending shell after shell into “C” coy billets and causing many casualties and driving the men into the streets where they remained until other houses were found which were out of the tracks of the shells. Any spare time we had in Boves was spent mostly in bombing fish in the Somme canal which we fried in fat procured from the Company cook and found very good eating. After an all-too-short respite of four days, but which made new men of us, we set out on our return to the firing line. During the first two kilometres towards Domart, we practically ran the gauntlet of the shellfire on the road we were using but luckily reached the outskirts of the village without accident. We were marching along in platoons at 50 yards interval but just as No. 8 was entering Domart a couple of salvos of 5.9 were sent into the place which burst in the houses all round the platoon, causing the men to scatter in all directions and wounding two men.
When the men were at last collected again, we made a slight detour passing through the French reserve trenches and finally coming to a sunken road, up which we turned, arriving at the Headquarters of the 18th Btn about 7 pm and there went into reserve to that Battalion. All that night, parties worked on defensive positions in the immediate neighbourhood under the supervision of Capt. Barlow, the Officer in Charge, of Works. Towards morning the Huns began a bombardment of the French positions to our right and also including the place we were in, making it necessary for the troops to constantly wear their respirators. Despite all precautions, numerous casualties occurred and by the time the bombardment ceased, some hundreds of French and Australians had been evacuated to the rear to be treated for the effects of the gas.
The gas used, being the one known as mustard gas on account of its smell, had the effect of raising huge, angry, watery blisters on any part of the body touched by it, causing great pain to the unfortunate victim. If taken into the lungs, it generally meant a long term in hospital and possibly resulted in consumption setting in. After two days spent at this place in reserve, we moved up on the night of April 16th to take over from the 18th Btn which was then holding our old positions around Hangard on the left of the French.
No. 8 was sent to a post near the cemetery in front of Hangard formed what is known as an “All Nations Post”, that is, our post was fitted in between two French posts and was supposed by this means to make a more cohesive junction between the two armies. I therefore at this place had the distinction of having charge of the extreme right post on the British portion of the whole western front. Here we were in a most dangerous but peculiar position. It was dangerous, because if the enemy wanted to attack the village, which he had been in the habit of doing every three or four days, he had to pass right over it and generally paid a good deal of attention to it beforehand with his 5.9 shells. I was in a peculiar position because I was mixed up with Frenchmen whose methods I did not understand and formed part of their line, whilst taking my orders from my own battalion and not from the French.
Two days before, the 18th Btn had attacked from the Post and had been unsuccessful and had left many dead and much ammunition lying about the position. We therefore filled in time in collecting the boxes of bombs and S.A.A. and buried some of the dead. We also collected two German light machine guns, which ultimately found* their way into the Australian War Museum.
(P.S.One of these machine M.G. found its way to a place called Dalmorton on the Grafton Road between Glen Innes and Grafton. I saw it!. H.W.E. 1925)
At dusk of the second day in, the Huns attempted a raid on a smaller post of my platoon which had been placed to the left of the main post at about 200 yards distant. After crawling up to it, the Huns suddenly jumped into the post in an endeavour to surprise the men in charge. In this they were not successful however, and the miniature raid resulted in two Germans being killed whilst the leader, a Sergeant, was captured though desperately wounded, the capture being regarded by those in authority as very valuable on account of the means it afforded of identifying what enemy troops were opposite us. The Corporal, Cpl. Mudford, was awarded the M.M. at a later date for his coolness and courage during the affair. That night I was glad to receive instructions from Lt. Cameron, to withdraw my platoon to a copse some distance back and after a good deal of haggling with the French Company Commander, who objected to my leaving, I finally withdrew. In our new position, we were far from comfortable as the place seemed to be the especial target for the enemy guns. Not having much else to do, as I lay on my back at the bottom of my little trench, I counted the shells as they came over and burst around me. In about three hours, I counted 400 shells which burst within a radius of 200 yards of our positions none of which caused any casualties however.
The same night we were relieved by the 36th Btn during the twilight and marched past Cachy to Gentelles Wood where the battalion bivouacked in the drizzling rain for the night. Altogether we had spent a very nervy couple of weeks around Hangard. We constituted what was practically a thin khaki line between the Huns and Amiens when the position along the whole front was very precarious. Had our line broken, there was very little to stop the enemy from going as far as he pleased, and I honestly believe that it was only the “Bluff” attacks we had made along the whole Australian front at the time which had made the enemy think twice before he attacked us, he thinking, I imagine that we must have been much stronger than we really were. We had no definite trench system and had to feel our way into position whenever we made a relief and if we had been forced out of our posts, we would have had to fight from whatever natural cover was available.
Moreover we had very little support from our artillery, which troubled us as a good deal whenever it fired, by short range burst caused by incorrect ranges being given to the gun layers. The operations being of a semi-open nature, we were able to witness many new sights. For instance, we had seen mobile artillery gallop into action, fire a few shots, and gallop off to another position. Also we saw the results of a cavalry charge around Domart. Dozens of horses and riders lay about where they had been killed by machine gun fire in an endeavour to force the enemy cavalry from the field.
Near Hangard was a herd of cows which grazed on the young crop quite unconcerned as the shells burst around them. Now and then one would be killed, which would be skinned and cut up by the troops, so soon as nightfall came, to supply fresh steaks to the always hungry troops.
These and other sights certainly made the present state of affairs interesting but we were all heartily pleased, notwithstanding, to leave Hangard behind and to proceed to another part of the line where things were more quiet. After spending the night at Gentelles Wood, the battalion marched across country via Glesy to the Village of Bavlincourt where we remained in reserve for the succeeding four days. Our first duty was to ride away to inspect the subsidiary line or the line of defence in the event of an enemy breakthrough and which it was always necessary to become acquainted with at the earliest possible opportunity.
Here also, we were inspected by General Birdwood after Church parade, and were able to partially refit the company with lost gear, clothing etc. Whilst at Bavlincourt, several officers and Sergeants, including myself were officially thanked through routine orders by the C.O., Col.Bennett, D.S.O., C.M.G. for good work done whilst in the line at Hangard.