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August 1918
4TH BATTALION BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT REPORT ON OPERATIONS
AUGUST 20th. - 28th, 1918 inclusive. Reference Sheets 57 D.
and 57 C.
1. On the night 20/21 Aug. 1918 the Battalion
marched from billets in SOUASTRE to LEEDS TRENCH in L.20 c.
and d. Considerable difficulty was experienced in reaching this
position in the FONQUEVILLERS [sic] - LA BRAYELLE FARM road
was blocked by lorries and a tank. All the Companies were in
LEEDS TRENCH by about 4.15 a.m.
2. The Battalion formed up on the East side of
LEEDS TRENCH in artillery formations A Coy. on the right, C
Coy. on the left. "B" Coy. in the centre, "D" Coy. in support
in rear of "B" Coy. The 7th. Bn. Royal Fusiliers were on the
left.
3. At 5.25 a.m. the Battalion commenced to move
forward behind the 189th Inf. Brigade. A thick fog hung over
the ground making it difficult to keep direction. The Battalion
marched in artillery formation North of BUCQUOY and South of
ABLAINZEVILLE [sic], passed over the enemy front line, and proceeded
in S.E. direction to leave LOGEAST WOOD on the North.
4. When the Battalion reached L.9.a., the enemy
put down a smoke screen which mingled with the fog and made
it impossible to see more than two or three yards ahead. The
Battalion became somewhat disorganised in consequence and touch
was lost for a time with the leading Brigade. Five tanks came
to their assistance and it was arranged that 2 tanks should
proceed on the south of the trench running through L.6.c., G.2.e.,
G.9 and 15, and 3 tanks on the north of the trench. two companies
of the Battalion followed the tanks in artillery formation on
the north side of the trench and two companies on the south
side, in each case one company being in front and one company
in support in rear. In this manner it was hoped to keep direction
as the trench led to about the centre of that part of the ACHIET-LE-GRAND
- MIRAUMONT railway, which formed the objective of the 189th
Brigade and from which the 4th Bedfords were to attack their
objective.
5. The Battalion proceeded in this manner dealing
with any small parties of the enemy who had been left by the
leading Brigade, and reached a line about G.2.d.2.3. to G.8.b.0.5.
Here it was found that the leading Brigades had not been able
owing to the fog to make good the ACHIET-LE-GRAND - MIRAUMONT
railway.
6. Orders were received that the 190th Brigade
would consolidate a line G.14.a.9.9., G.9.c.0.8., G.3.d.2.2.,
A.27.d.5.1. The 4th Bedfords consolidated a line from G.9.c.0.8
to G.3.d.2.2. - "A" Coy. on the right front, "C" Coy. on the
left front, "D" Coy. in support and "B" Coy. in reserve. The
Battalion passed the night in these positions.
7. At about 5.30 a.m. 22/8/18 about 100 enemy
were seen leaving huts at about G.9.b.0.8. advancing in a S.W.
direction to attack post at about G.9.a.6.2. They were observed
by "C" Coy. on the left, fired on and dispersed - 9 dead were
counted. At 6.50 a.m. a party of the enemy approached a post
at G.9.a.8.1. held by the right company ("A"). They also were
driven back. 2/Lieut. FLORY who was in charge of the post was
killed. Later in the day strong counter-attacks were made by
the enemy on the 7th R. Fus. but were repulsed.
8. On 23/8/18, the 37th Division passed through
the line we held to attack the ACHIET-LE-GRAND railway and to
take up a position East of BIHUCOURT. The 4th Bedfords were
then withdrawn in artillery formation to LEEDS TRENCH, which
was reached in the evening.
9. On 24/8/18, the Battalion marched in artillery
formation to assembly positions about G.21.b. Here the night
was spent. At 5 a.m. 25/8/18 the Battalion proceeded in artillery
formation: "D" Coy. on the right with "B" Coy. in support: "C"
Coy. on the left with "A" Coy. in support, behind the 1st. Artists
who followed the 189th Brigade. The 188th and 189th Brigades
were to take LA BARQUE and THILLOY and the 190th Brigade were
to pass through them to RIENCOURT. the companies were echeloned
in order to protect the right flank.
10. The Battalion proceeded round the South side
of LOUPART WOOD and reached the main BAPAUME-ALBERT Road at
about M.12.a. The 188th and 189th Brigades had penetrated into
LA BARQUE but were held up by M.G. fire. Meanwhile the right
flank was exposed and as M.G. fire was coming from that direction,
it was decided to form a defensive flank facing S.W. along the
line roughly M.12.d.7.7. to M.5.d.7.5. The 1st Artists Rifles
held the line from M.12. central to the main road, and the 7th
R. Fus. prolonged the line in a North Westerly direction. In
the evening attacks were made on the 188th and 189th Brigades,
but were repulsed, and the dispositions of the 4th Bedfords
remained unchanged. The night was spent in this position.
11. On 26/8/18 the 188th and 189th Brigades attacked
THILLOY and LIGNY THILLOY from the sunken road called RED CUT
running north and south through N.1.a. and c. and N.7.a. The
4th Bedfords formed up in artillery formation 700 yards behind
them ready to follow them. The attacking troops were unable
to get forward and the night was spent in these positions
12. At 11 a.m. on 27/8/18, 4th Bedfords assembled
in RED CUT to attack THILLOY and LIGNY THILLOY. The 7th R. Fus.
were on the left, the boundary running along line from N.1.c.2.3.
parallel to grid to N.2.c.3.3. Boundary on south was grid running
through N.7.8. and 9. D.Coy. was on the right, "B" Coy. in centre,
and "C" Coy. on left each with 3 platoons in front line and
1 in reserve. "A" Coy. in reserve behind "B" Coy.
13. The barrage started at 11 a.m. and lifted
forward at 11.3 moving back at the rate of 100 yards every 3
mins. Shells fell into the assembly positions which were thought
to come from our own guns firing short. On leaving the sunken
road heavy M.G. fire was encountered from the front and the
left and especially from the right flank. It had been arranged
that 21st. Division would attack on our right, but their attack
was cancelled at the last moment and our right flank was thus
exposed to extremely heavy M.G. fire from the high ground in
M.7.d., M.8.c. and further south.
14. The line was held up and the positions occupied
were then roughly a line from about N.1.e.8.2. - N.7.a.9.4.
- N.7.a.4.0. No further advance was possible as M.G. fire from
THILLOY and the ridges on the right was so heavy. Snipers were
very active and claimed many victims.
15. At 6 p.m. after 1 hours bombardment by heavy
artillery and preceded by an 18 poundered [sic] barrage the
advance was continued again. Just previous to zero one of our
heavy shells fell in the midst of the centre Coy. and did much
damage. Some of "C" Coy. on the left entered THILLOY and went
right through, with their right on the cross roads at about
N.2.e.8.0. The left of the centre company was met again by very
heavy M.G. fire from the right and was unable to make much progress
and the right company was unable to advance at all owing to
the same reason. The enemy had a perfect defensive position
which commanded the approach from in front and on the right
flank.
16. As regards those elements of the left company
which passed through THILLOY, the situation is difficult to
ascertain. No Officer by this time appears to have been left
with the company. The enemy appear to have been surrounding
them on the right flank and eventually they withdrew through
the village, and back to the sunken road from which the attack
had started.
17. Owing to the formation of the ground the
only possible defensive line was then the sunken road RED CUT,
with posts pushed out to the edge of LA BARQUE. The line joined
up with the 7th R. Fus. on the left. The Battalion was in this
position when it was relieved during the night by the 8th Manchester
Regt. and withdrew to MIRAUMONT.
18. I attribute the failure of the attack to the
fact that the right flank was exposed as the Division on our
right did not advance. It is possible that the first attack
would have been held up in any case from M.G. fire from THILLOY,
but I feel certain that if other troops had been pressing on
our right and so engaging the M.Gs. on the ridges in M.7.d.
and neighbourhood, my right company would have been able to
get forward at the second attempt. If the request for tanks
to co-operate had been granted the task would have been easy
and could have been accomplished by one Battn instead of two.
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