Field Service Regulations.
1. The Move.
The month of March, 1918, found the 3rd Australian Division enjoying a well-earned rest in billets between St. Omer and Boulogne. Every division considers its every rest well earned, but after the long winter in the line on the Belgian border with even its turn in reserve broken by an excursion to the old trenches south of Armentières, the 3rd had settled down with a particularly comfortable feeling of conscious rectitude.
The 11th Field Company had reached its obscure little village of Bainghem-le-Comte on March 6th, and by the middle of the month was comfortable, judging comfort by the standard of soldiers in the field, to whom a rude bunk of saplings in a reasonably weatherproof barn, with a tin can stove, represent the best which can be hoped for. Spring came early; on southward hillsides the sun shone warm at noon, and not even a bomb disturbed either work or play.
Then came the German offensive, of which the first hint was the ugly throbbing of distant heavy gunfire. At short notice the division commenced to move, and the dismounted portion of the company entrained on the 22nd at Lottingen and Desvres, while the transport under Lieut. Rutledge took to the road.
In the strenuous pilgrimage of the next few days, the first stage was towards the north; detraining at Caestre (north of Hazebrouck) the company marched to Eecke (night of 22nd-23rd). Then on the 24th the direction was reversed, and by march and motor ’bus it moved to Wardrecques, east of St. Omer. Meanwhile the transport had moved to Esquerdes, and thence to Renescure, and on the 24th rejoined the company, and the whole proceeded to a thorough overhaul of all stores and equipment, and the rigorous discarding of all non-essentials.
The news from the battle area in the south came through in brief outline in rare newspapers and much more vividly by word
of mouth, in startling rumours; but all of it was serious. Nevertheless the general feeling was one of relief, almost of elation; the long-talked enemy blow had fallen and we were to help the counter-stroke which all were convinced must sooner or later be delivered. The war-like activity in all this familiar region behind the Flanders front was sufficiently exhilarating in itself. In addition to the 3rd Australian, the New Zealand and the 4th Australian Divisions were on the move. Battalions marched and counter-marched across the country with bands playing in the thin sunshine, and the pavé roads literally swayed under the torrent of motor lorries and ’buses. Such animation in the war country is always accompanied by one or other of the twin banes of the foot soldier, mud or dust; on this occasion cold clouds of the latter added to the joys of “full marching order with blankets.”
Very early in the cold and frosty morning of the 26th the company moved again, all tuned up in readiness for that open warfare which we were expected to experience. As throughout the whole move it came under the orders of the 11th Brigade Group, and was commanded by Capt. O. B. Williams, the O.C., Major R. J. Donaldson being acting C.R.E.
After something more than the usual delays, entrainment took place at Arques, including transport, about three p.m. Detrainment was at Doullens, and took place at 12.30 next morning, after several hours in the train waiting just outside the station, while Boche planes energetically bombed the neighbourhood. From Doullens the company marched at once some six miles to Thievres, where the sappers were picked up by motor ’buses and taken to Franvillers, between Amiens and Albert, debussing at 7 a.m. The long wait at Arques, and again at Doullens, the toilsome march to Thievres, and the bitterly cold ’bus ride (for the morning of March 27th deserves to be remembered for its searching wind alone), all combined with the absence of hot food and drink to make the journey one of the most arduous in the history of the unit.