Source: File: "Gibraltar"
bunker, Pozières, in late August. A fatigue party laden with sandbags heads for
the fighting at Mouquet Farm. See an
original image at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pozières#/media/File:Gibraltar_bunker_Pozieres_(AWM_EZ0098).jpg> [Accessed 24 July 2016]
Amid
the failed objectives of 1 July 1916,
Stood
the small French village of Pozieres -
Not yet to be forgotten - delayed
Full-on attacks would resurge by mid month.
Situated
on another Somme ridge, this
Village
lay on the road between Bapaume
And
Albert - houses clustered about one
Long
straight road with a lone windmill.
Once
a Roman way was deserted
In
the presence of armies, that made
This
their demarcation - here atop
Rolling
ground lay the highest point.
This
was where Pozieres windmill that
Caught high winds, to become Hill 60;
Just the slightest point of height could
Provide
the advantage for artillery fire.
The German
line had sliced the Somme
From
Longueval, Bazentin Le Petite,
Over
that ridge and behind Pozieres -
Intentions
were for British to move east.
With
this, Thiepval and Pozieres would
Prove
too much for Germans to hold -
With
focus on grounds between those
Communes
of Ginchy and Guillemonth.
Along
with High and Delville woods
An
increased pressure would allow
A
gain of Pozieres - by steady steps,
The
fourth army made initial advance.
Over
five days, 13 to 17 July, no gain
Was
made, only high casualties, during
This
the work of artillery pounded
The
deserted French village into ruins.
Two
attempts to take Pozieres trench
In a
system from west to south failed -
While
east attempts up the Old Geman
Lines
also failed; a rethink was needed.
Decisions
could have no hesitations,
General
Rawlinson would send
Six
divisions from south and north,
Down Guillemont and Albert road.
Initially
scheduled for day 18 July,
Postponement
took this to evening
Of
22 July, by two Generals situations;
Gough
reserves, Walkers Australians.
In
position of holding the road since
Before
July, Lt General Gough known
As a
'thruster,' told M-General Walker
To
attack Pozieres during coming night.
Leading
the Australians after Gallipoli,
Walker
locked horns - that his attack
Would
happen only after preparations -
So a
launch set in hours from 22-23 July.
Three
stages to happen in half hours -
Minutes
of the clock, to see 1st divisions
Of
Australians form south, while from
West,
South Midland division would move.
Pozieres
took another bombardment,
To
include tear and phosgene gas -
German
117th Infantry shells beat time,
As
Australian brigades made preparations.
1st
and 3rds behind artillery wall edged
Into
No Mans land - as the shield lifted,
They
rushed outwards to gain Pozieres
Trench
in the south - onto a second stage.
Australians
crept out through remnants
Of
back gardens, to join with stage three
Down
into Albert Road - while garrisons
Of
Germans then moved east and north.
With
matching moves and gains, words
On white
paper set out a night attack -
Despite
confusion over beaten ground,
German
resistance came from old line.
An 18-year-old
officer, Ian Fraser arrived
From
Sandhurst to Somme, in admittance
Of
fear from his age in leading others - his
Terror
brewed in bombardment not to fail.
Then
they moved with intermittent fear
Between
bursts, as they were forced
To
crawl under snipers fire - on northside
Of
Pozieres Fraser led a bomb attack.
At some random
point, a German rifle
Shot - intentional
of specific target or
Not, knocked Fraser to the ground;
A bullet had
passed through his head.
The small missile
did its deed that
Destroyed both eyes - others acted
To dress him -
Fraser even chatted
With his
commander as they walked.
Later he recalled
how he was laid
On a market type barrow,
wheeled
Along for apparent miles down a shell
Damaged road - none
of which he saw.
Some doctor gave
him an injection, to
Write an
indelible cross upon his fore-
Head. quizzed why? 'Oh just a sign that
You had anti-tetanus' - he lay still, blind.
You had anti-tetanus' - he lay still, blind.
A Chaplain of the
Gloucesters, Dominic
Devas, appropriately
at Crucifix Corner
Dressing station, saw tremendous howls
Of bombardment
puckering night into light.
Devas assisted
through the dark hours
As wounded gathered under the crucifix
Arms, until a
fresh summer morning broke -
At Aveluy he gave mass to passing soldiers.
Das Blockhaus to be known as Gibraltar,
At Aveluy he gave mass to passing soldiers.
Das Blockhaus to be known as Gibraltar,
Was a bunker on the western side, which
Australians reached - lying thick with dead
Of the enemy, as wounded still piled up.
On the ground of
the windmill lay concrete
Gibraltar, which
found had new purpose
As HQ for 7th and
8th Australians - amid
The first, Private
Bourke stepped inside.
Cake boxes
lay in a corner, with an address
Written by a
child - while evidence of a coat
Bloodied with
shrapnel of a German wearer;
Saddened Bourke
dwelt on the child's gifts.
By this date 23 July, Australian prospectors
Out on the road
captured various Germans,
As some kind of
hold was made on Pozieres -
The only gain on
that date of German focus.
With all
communication process hampered,
Only by the early
morning of 24 July, gave
Realization that Pozieres
was captured -
Attacks elsewhere
faded, looking to Pozieres.
Continual but not
intense, IV German corps
rearmed their guns, targeting head on Sausage
Valley towards
Casualty Corner - thereafter
Called Dead Mans
Road - for counter attacks.
By Jamie Mann.
Richardson, M., 2015. Eyewitness On The Somme 1916. Pen and Sword Books. Ch. 3
Source: File: Battle
of Pozières. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pozières>
[Accessed 19 July 2016]
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 19 July 2016).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1 Pozieres
