2. Up the Valley of the Somme.
The breaking of the German line on the 8th August marked the end of the old “sit down” trench warfare, and to no one did this represent a bigger change than to the sappers. Instead of settling down for a month or more at a time in a camp or bivouac, with a regular programme of work, a system for the supply of engineer stores, and no sign or hope of an end to the proceedings, the Company now commenced to experience conditions approximating to those of open warfare, with troubles and discomforts all compensated for by victory, and at least a hope of peace to come. That Company Headquarters was established in twenty different places in the ensuing two months gives only a partial indication of the migrations of the sappers, as sections developed a habit of moving independently, each complete with its own transport, and the Company was rarely united.
Work naturally changed; bridges, water supply, roads and signboards became most important; trenches and wire were rarely thought of; dugouts were searched for booby traps, cleaned and repaired, instead of new ones being started. During the period of most rapid advance the Division gained little advantage from some of the Sappers’ labour, but such people as the heavy artillery and transport units following behind were not inappreciative, particularly of signboards and water supply arrangements. On the 9th of August Company Headquarters and 3 and 4 Sections moved to a bivouac near Bois de Hamel, and on the 10th to a large dug-out
and bivouac near Bouzencourt—a camp generally known as “Pip 4 Ack” from its map location, where the horse lines were also established. In the meanwhile Nos. 1 and 2 sections had been living and working in the newly captured area, complete with section transport, and late in the evening of the 10th they were ordered to accompany the 10th Brigade in a night operation along the main road which runs east through Lamotte-en-Santerre. The operation did not develop, and the sappers were not required, so the two sections went into bivouac in a deep valley just south of the main road and north of Harbonnieres. They suffered no casualties at this stage, but are not likely to forget the bombing along the road on the night of the 10th/11th.
On the 11th the remainder of the Company moved to a valley South of Morcourt on the Somme and relieved the 12th Field Coy., but were in turn relieved by the 93rd Company, R.E. the following night, and returned to P.4.a. Short as the time was in this area No. 3 section built a new Battn. Headquarters and an R.A.P.; No. 4 section investigated and improved a considerable number of wells.
Both the vicinity of the Coy. camp near Morcourt, and the valley near Harbonnieres occupied by 1 and 2 sections, had been largely used by the Germans for battery positions and living accommodation, and it was very interesting to study their methods so soon after their very hurried departure. They had done very little work near their front line, but the numerous dugouts started in their gun zone, and excavated stables in course of construction, seemed to indicate an intention to organise an elaborate system of defences. The impression thus formed was confirmed afterwards by the enormous amounts of engineer materials in their main dumps.
Sappers were pleased to find that the German dugouts, and much of his other work, were inferior to our own, both in design and execution. All sorts of interesting souvenirs were discovered while exploring the dugouts and camps, a number being dispatched to the Australian War Museum. Similarly, a large number of maps were collected and forwarded to the General Staff. Horses enjoyed extra rations of Boche fodder, and some of the men drew clean underclothing and new boots from a Boche Quartermaster’s store—in the absence of the Quartermaster. A number of wagons were collected and loaded with Engineer materials, thus forming a “Dump on German wheels,” in readiness for another advance, but were handed over to the 93rd Field Company.
On the night of the 12th/13th, some wandering tanks took shelter in the gully occupied by 1 and 2 sections, and were apparently marked down by a Boche plane, which showered bombs on the camp. Driver W. Thomas, who was noted for his pride in his two horses, and who used to remark frequently that wherever his team went, he went also, was saying good-night to his charges
when a bomb fell alongside and killed the man and both his horses.
The whole Company concentrated at P.4.a on the 13th, and refitted, bathed, and dug bomb pits for the horses until the 19th, when work was started fixng up accommodation for Divisional Headquarters in the well-remembered Shrapnel Gully near Sailly-le-Sec. On the 20th the Division went into the line North of the Somme, and Coy. Headquarters and Nos. 2 and 3 sections moved to Mallard Wood, N.W. of Chipilly. The Division attacked at dawn on the 22nd, forming a flank for operations to the North; on the 23rd it captured La Neuville near Bray, and on the 24th Bray itself fell to the 10th Brigade.