Source: File: Battle
of the Ancre. Prisoners taken in Beaumont Hamel by the 51st (Highland) Division,
13 November 1916.. See an original image at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Battle_of_the_Somme,_July-november_1916_Q4507.jpg>
[Accessed 19 November 2016]
i
From September's
push for Thiepval Ridge,
Emerged a new
allied fight in the battle
Of the Anrce
Heights - when summers path
Had led into inevitable
autumn weather.
The allied struggle
found Thiepval fortified
And determinedly
defended - organised
Issues and poor
weather conditions played
Badly against
General Joffre’s intentions.
Days fed into one
another to reach date
27 September -
after a night and morning
Of German
shelling, Canadian patrols made
Discovery;
Germans had made a withdrawal.
North east of
Courcelette, Canadian brigades
Moved on the
trenches of Dyke Road, to gain
Their set
objective -1st Canadians at Kenora
Trench, omly
forced back in fight for occupation.
6 p.m. on 27th, an
enemy bombing party failed
To retake Dyke
road trenches - another allied
Advance found
Zollern Redoubt fully devoid
Of Germans -
Canadian gains finally joined.
A postponed
advance led to orders for 3 p.m.
Still a further
delay gave no definite hour -
The south edge of
Stuff Redoubt was reached;
Again links formed
up by Brigades successes.
With Zollern and
Bulgaren trenches secured,
Into the early
hour of 28th September resumed
Advance via
Thiepval - 5.45 a.m. - then on hour
Of 11 a.m. the
area about Thiepval was gained.
ii
Over the last
official days of Thiepval's
Battle, the
fighting had intensified about
Redoubts of Stuff
and Schwaben - where
The British
objective had been reached.
Yet many stubborn,
dug-in Germans halted
British attempts
to completely clear out the
Redoubts;
although they captured a good
Section of the
Schwaben by 30 September.
Without any final
outcome a new chapter
Began; September
ended badly for Germany,
In the region
losing 135000 soldiers - with
Prisoners taken
by army reserves of 10,000.
The Somme push
from the summer was not
Yet over, with
another chapter about the river
Ancre - troops
were quickly gathered around
The northern bank,
as divisions converged.
This was in the
early days of October, when
Attacks were due
on 4th to last until the 12th -
Intent had been
to create a pocket by artillery
Hits about Irles,
Pys, Puisieux and Miraumont.
Slowness on the
Ancre's south bank sought
To gain Regina
trench - determined Germans
Held on; inclement
conditions made for delays
Both sides of the
river to be almost impossible.
Mid October's turbulent
conditions weighed
Down body and
spirit into a trial - any plan
That Haig had
made had become reliant
On pockets of environmental
improvements.
iii
A shorter,
sharper battle plan had emerged
By mid October,
when a previous operation
From September
was finally cancelled, for
Favour of a
converging attack of river Ancre.
With fourth army
failures and postponements
From dire weather,
plans were again revised.
Haig and Gough
desires different planned
Dates of attack,
settled to wait for fair weather.
A need was for
freedom of saturated ground.
With a conference
called, no firm dated could
Quite be agreed; Haig
and Foch 4 November,
Debated 4th army
plans at Querrieu chateau.
Further came
talks on 8 November at fifth army
Toutencourt
headquarters where Gough, with
Corps commanders,
proposed further attacks -
If the weather
remained dry on 13 November.
Three days before,
the time 5.45 a.m. was set
By Gough - Haig
looked over the plans to give
Agreement; depended
on weather if all went
Well, they would
push towards Irles and Pys.
Five divisions
would act alongside the river -
Gough's plan was
to shrink the enemy salient
Between Serre and
Thiepval; set out were
3 objectives, initially
from Beaucourt Station.
First to gain 800
yards over Beaumont to Redan
Ridge; secondly
1000 yards west of Beaucourt
Onwards to Star
wood - the third target to be
Puisieux road out
of Stuff trench and Schwaben.
iV
From redoubt to
line of Hansa, edging them
Out of defences
to secure Beaucourt road
Bridges, target
time 7.25 a.m. - a tactic was
Set to keep Germans
in their comfort zone.
Each morning, 30
minutes prior to dawn,
Heavy artillery
struck German frontline;
Hoping for the
enemy to be complacent,
So they would not
react to actual attacks.
Zero hour was set
for 5.45 a.m. followed
By specific timed
activity - 18 pounders
Would curtain
advance - six minutes later
This would creep
ahead over five minutes.
A barrage paused
on German reserve lines,
Then onwards -
giving 56 minutes to their
First objective -
also using a machine gun
Barrage against
their German equivalent.
Into the night of
11 November 1916, the rain
Ebbed away - a
full moon rose to shine
Over a battered
scape - as dawn came a mist
Manifested and general
visibility quickly fell.
The curtain of dense
fog helped the troops
Hiding their
advance - though many soldiers
Lost the course
of the barrage, further disabled
By heaving selves
through thick, glutinous mud.
6.15 a.m. 117
Brigade advanced from Mill
Road, working to
clear enemy dugouts along
The Ancre riverbank,
meeting with lost troops;
Together to
attack and take St Pierre Divion.
V
The 39th and
118th, unseen by Germans,
Advanced to Hansa
line 7.30 a.m. - while
Battalions North West
fought across to Mill
Trench, to reach
Beaucourt Mill by 10 a.m.
Taking part in
the forward force three tanks
Were to be involved,
to set off from Thiepval.
But with one
breaking down another found
Itself bogged; only
one made the German line.
There the tank had
tipped into a dug out, to be
Attacked at 7 a.m.
- a pigeon was released
To get help, but
for two hours none arrived.
Infantry appeared
9 a.m. and the enemy fled.
Amid the
divisions the 9th Royal Scots were
Held in reserve -
in keeping a diary Private
A. Macpherson had
witnessed the approach
Of those tanks
towards front on 12 November.
Near
Auchonvillers they heard sounds of an
Engine running -
odd reflective shapes lifted out
A trench, in its chinks
of armour light escaped.
Without any time
to stand and watch they left.
Waking from a few
compressed hours of sleep,
Private
Macpherson with his brigade, readied.
Being in position
before the time of 5 a.m. then
Under sudden
thunderous drumroll of gunnery.
Later he said, 'hard
to believe humans could live
Through such a
whirlwind of fire' - then a pensive
Wait, after columned
shapes of prisoners came,
Marched down
Mailly Maillet; a sign of success.
Vi
Beaumont Hamel stronghold
had been taken,
Only to be tempered
by failure - one division
Had not succeeded.
The Royal Scots brigade
Were ordered to
move out by that afternoon.
Private
Macpherson and others readied
Under greatcoats
and haversacks, to drag
Gun barrow
through Mailly Maillet - while
Over their heads German
shells whined.
From right of
Auchonvillers Macpherson saw
Further prisoners
- many dazed and fearful;
As one voice
called, 'Guerre fini pour moi!'
Their guards
searching them for souvenirs.
The reserves
orders were to leave the gun
Barrows and ammo -
with the battalion they
Moved along a
rail-line near Auchonvillers
Where tanks edged
outwards in snail pace.
Into slow hours
of night they paused by old
Trenches and fresh
shell holes - a salvo
Of shells aimed
at the batteries, prompted
The whole battalion
to get down to cover.
In seconds of
silence blurted megaphones
Ordering -
'Number... ready to fire... fire!'
A stereo of 'bang,
bang, bang' edging all
Along the line, to
shake bodies and souls.
Seeping cold,
edged into their fitful waiting
Game - someone
illegally lit a fire - almost
Immediately were
yelled orders, 'put it out!'
Soon they edged along
Tipperary Avenue.
Vii
Filing down the
communication trench was
Slowed by numbers
- each having to weave
About collapsed
walls left by tank tracks -
Briefly climbing
onto Auchonvillers road.
Then dropping
down into St Johns Road
Support trenches
- some confusion flowed
Between them - without
any officer present
The battalion
stretched out, down the road.
Then a thunderous
enemy bombardment.
The curse of
shells hit a point on the trench.
Shouts of
casualties were called out, a gun
Crew's lost
survivors turned, about to move.
Back down in the narrow
Tipperary trench, being
Shallow it lacked
total safety, as Hun appeared
To have it in
site - huddled down, they waited
For another
shells arrival, like an express train.
A roar over
hunched heads, tearing the ground
Throwing debris
over them - a torture of a few
Minutes between
each salvo - all expectant
Of death, sharing
out words of casualty names.
Waiting, damning
lack of orders - word of mouth
In Chinese
whispers to say, 'back to the trench
Opening' - they
edged down, fully knowing there
Was no authority
in the order but glad to be safe.
They followed steps
of companies to Auchonvillers,
Where police
guards stopped them to quiz, why
They were leaving
the line? But no one knew -
Came a random
officer - confusion still continued.
Viii
Companies for White
City? or for Auchonvillers?
Two were told to turn
back in advance - not
Attached to them the
Scots remained, to await
Correct orders -
they roosted on the duckboards.
Night passed long
and cold - cramp and dawn
Came. Combined
efforts utilised bits of wood
To make a fire. Boiled
water for tea and warmed
Tins of kippers
served all a satisfactory feast.
14 November
opened little better than the 13th -
A procession of souvenir
hunters passed on route
To Mailly Maillet
- the Scots advanced to Brooke
Street cutting
into St Johns road to see results.
The bombardment
of the last night very evident
In parapet damage
- they stepped over bodies
To be guided by a
runner sent by their officer;
Ordered down line
to man some battered dugout.
by Jamie Mann.
Source: File:
51st Highland Division. The Battle Of Ancre (Beaumont Hamel) November 1916.
Available at: <http://51hd.co.uk/history/battle_ancre_beaumont_hamel>
[Accessed 19 November 2016]
Source: File: Battle
of the Ancre. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ancre_Heights> [Accessed 19 November 2016]
Source: File: Battle
of the Ancre Heights. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ancre> [Accessed 19 November 2016]
Source: File: The
role of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division in the Battle of the Ancre, November
1916. Available at:
<http://www.ww1wargraves.co.uk/ww1_cemeteries/lt_colonel_tetley.asp>
[Accessed 19 November 2016]
Source: File:
51st Highland Division. Pte. MacPherson Account of 154 Brigade at Beaumont
Hamel 12-14 Nov 1916. Available at: <http://51hd.co.uk/accounts/pte_macpherson_beaumont_hamel>
[Accessed 19 November 2016]
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 19 November 2016).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Ancre
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