At dusk on August 1st, 1918 the 20th received orders to take over the section of the front line astride the main Villers Bretoneaux Road. Accordingly, each company, with its extra, platoon of “Yanks” who had been detailed to their respective posts in the line as is always usual in changing over, fell in and so soon as it was dark enough, set out in battle order to take over from the troops who were holding the front line. Darkness came ere we were through the ruins of the village and our guide was hard put to it to make out the track which led over old disused trenches, down shell-holed roads, past abandoned aircraft hangars and so on through the darkness, stumbling over barbed wire, bad duckboards, shell holes full of water, etc.etc. until at last we reached the trench containing our future company headquarters.

Here, we were halted in the shelter of the trench, with shells wining and screaming overhead and falling occasionally too close to be pleasant until the guides from the posts we were to occupy in the front line, at last put in an appearance. In the meantime our Yanks were greatly awed and interested in the methodical way in which the relief was being carried out and expressed themselves in hushed whispers, expressing astonishment that we should know where we were going and admiring the brilliancy of the flares as they were fired at intervals from the German lines When the guides had taken the leadership of the various “posts” of men that they represented, we again got on the move, No. 5 eventually holding the right hand position under Lt. Jim Smith, with No. 8 and the American platoon on the left under me as patrol officer. No. 6 platoon was in support in rear at Company headquarters with No. 7 platoon holding the extreme left of the company front next to the Yanks.

The first night passed quietly enough so far as we were concerned, but a heavy artillery bombardment took place on the right of our sector which proved very interesting to the inexperienced Yanks who could not see the sense or reasoning in sitting down in a trench with the enemy doing likewise in another trench two hundred yards in front, they considering that war should be one continual hand to hand encounter! At dawn, the Germans put down a very heavy bombardment on that portion of the front held by our battalion and for half an hour shells burst merrily just in front and to the rear, whilst several fell right in our trench. Everyone was ordered to “Stand to” as a raid was expected, but after waiting in anticipation with arms ready and peering through the shell-smoke and gloom of the dawn for the best part of an hour, the barrage, both ours and theirs subsided and the smoke cleared, leaving us a clear view, so that we were enabled to stand down and look about us in order to find out what damage had been done.

I discovered that the “Yanks” had behaved splendidly and were eager for fight but had unfortunately lost one man killed. No. 8 had not had a casualty and the only casualty in No. 5 platoon was my friend and brother officer Lt. Jim Smith. His wound was a very grave one and in order to try to save his life, the stretcher bearers decided to try the expedient of carrying him out over land without using the trench. To do this, it was necessary to get out of our trench holding up a white flag on the end of a stick. This was a very risky and unusual method of evacuating a wounded man and was rarely permitted by the Germans who more often than not were wont to fire on our stretcher bearers when opportunity offered. However, on this occasion the German infantry in front honoured our white flag and very soon Lt. Smith was on his way to the aid post in rear, carried by four brave and true stretcher bearers, whilst the fate of the party was watched by friend and foe alike, who shouted greetings to each other as the stretcher party made its way overland to the rear.

As soon as the party was out of sight and there was no further reason for this impromptu amnesty, one of our men fired a grenade somewhere in the vicinity of a German post just opposite in order to impute that there was to be a continuance of the war under the old rules and things went on as usual. Shortly after it began to rain with the result that by nightfall our trenches became quagmires, with slush on the bottom to the depth of over a foot, while the sides of the trenches kept slipping down to add to the mud and slush and general discomfort.

That night after we had received our rations and rum issue I took out a small patrol composed of myself, a Yank corporal and a private from No. 8 platoon. We made our way from one end of our company front to the other, worming our way over shell holes barbed wire and other obstacles, pausing to listen and rest as occasion demanded, until we had satisfied ourselves that the enemy were up to no mischief or were not anticipating any raid on our lines. Whenever I chanced to look behind during our “crab crawl” across the 500 yards of our company front, I could see the outline of our Yank corporal’s features, as he followed in my track, looking very fierce indeed with his trench knife in his teeth and his automatic pistol held in his right hand, looking very well prepared for any emergency.

When we were finished our patrol, we returned to our own trench by a post held by No. 5 platoon, giving the necessary password before being allowed to enter our own lines. For the remainder of the night everyone kept a sharp lookout and most of the time was spent by the garrison in building firesteps, cleaning bombs, draining the trench, etc. until at dawn, the whole company “stood to” in anticipation of a raid.

However, nothing occurred except that there was a good deal of machine gun fire and a smart exchange of artillery salvos and dawn came without untoward incident. At 10 pm after another quiet day, we were relieved by 23rd Btn and our mixed company returned, via Villers Bretoneaux and Abbey Wood to the Sydney System of trenches on the outskirts of Blangy-Tronville, the battalion headquarters being situated in that Village.

Since our box containing our mess gear had unfortunately been blown up during our term in the line, it was necessary to endeavour to procure some more knives, forks, enamel plates etc. so for this reason I being mess secretary for the Company Officers Mess, made a trip back to the nucleus camp at La Motte and there procured a fresh supply.

For three days the battalion occupied the Sydney System of trenches, resting and sleeping by day and journeying to the neighbourhood of the front line at night where further trench digging for cable laying was still being carried out. On these occasions the “Yanks” also accompanied our men and it must be said in fairness to them, that they had stood up to the trying experiences of the past week very well indeed. They had had the experience of front line work under muddy conditions, had shivered under a heavy bombardment and had gone without food and rest, bearing it just like old soldiers would have done.

During the past few days, the areas immediately behind the front line had developed such a busy appearance that it was quite obvious to an experienced observer that preparations were in progress for operations of an extremely large and important nature. After the French had launched their great counter-offensive of 1918, it was decided that the British should launch a similar attack in the area in front of Amiens.

The Australian Corps within the past five months, during the defence of Amiens had been operating under all Australian organisation commanded by Sir John Monash. This had had the effect of enabling the Australian troops to put into practice the natural resourcefulness, initiative and ability to create means for gaining their goal, which to a great extent, had been withheld whilst acting as division under the command of British Corps Commanders, who never could and never did understand Australian troops and their capabilities. As a result, the Australian Corps was the only corps on the British Front which for the past five months or more had performed any action of an attacking or offensive nature. Elsewhere, the Army had been in a state of defence. Commencing with the Battle of Hamel, the Australian Corpse demonstrated the immense possibilities of combining the use of Artillery, Infantry, Tanks and Airforce etc. in a new fashion devised by the Australian General Staff. The final results of several minor operations, following on the huge success of the Battle of Hamel was that the British Army General Staff were at last induced to try an offensive on a grand scale, with the strategical organisation invented by the Australian General Staff under General Monash.

The decision to launch this grand offensive before Amiens was strictly kept secret by the leaders of the various Corps involved until it was found necessary to acquaint the Divisional Commanders who were even then not allowed to take their subordinates in to their confidence until a later date, when their services were required. Then and not until then did subordinate commanders know anything of what was afoot and it was not until two days before the actual date of the offensive that we platoon commanders knew of the forthcoming offensive. All night long, the main roads from Amiens to the various points behind the firing line were choked with traffic of all descriptions. Artillery of all calibres going to positions in readiness, waggons and limbers, carrying shells, trench mortars, bombs, flares, picks and shovels, petrol cans full of water, food, benzine for the tanks, barbed wire and piquets for wiring purposes, small arms ammunition for the gunners, etc.etc. followed each other in an endless stream, from rail head to dumps, in secret positions immediately behind the lines. As the day drew nearer, troops who were to be in the offensive arrived.

Brigade after Brigade arrived until every trench system behind the entire front was filled with men in waiting. Tanks and whippets began to take up positions in thickets and copses where they could be handy to the line and were yet securely hid from the view of aeroplanes. Guns were literally buried or dug in – in pits behind the support line of trenches, which position would give them a greater range when operations commenced.

Previous to all this, all guns had been uniformly tested. at ranges behind the lines and all the attackers who were to be first over the “top” were taken by motor lorry to a tank school at Vaulx-en Amienois where they were given a demonstration of the methods of working in co-operation with tanks in action and were instructed in the various signals, formations, etc. to be used in action and were generally encouraged to become on familiar terms with tank crews and tank methods. For three days before the offensive, aeroplanes flew overhead to observe for movement within our own lines which was prohibited, all men being compelled as far as possible to keep under cover.

Enemy aeroplanes were immediately chased from the skies, it being absolutely important that the attack, when launched, should be of a surprising nature. Nothing was left to chance and the preparations of all troops concerned was a masterpiece of thorough organisation.