Life under these conditions was very pleasant and the Battalion thoroughly enjoyed its stay in this part of the line. The only interruption beyond the casual shelling of our trenches and camps was the occasional visit of a flight of enemy aeroplanes which crossed over and dropped small bombs near our bivouacs. Usually they passed right over and made targets of the horse lines and dumps in rear of the Kolonovan Heights, and only when they were driven off by our anti-aircraft guns did they attempt to expend their efforts on our small hillside camps. Aerial activity on this front was very persistent, and practically every day our bombing planes sailed over and bombed the railways and dumps behind the Bulgar lines.
Occasionally a fight in the air took place, but the commoner sight was the repeated attacks of the enemy airmen on our observation balloon at Kolonova. On one or two occasions it was brought down in flames, but more often the attacker was driven off by our anti-aircraft guns, and on one occasion a direct hit by an “Archie” shell brought down the offending airman. The plane fell in flames near our battalion transport lines, and curiously when the wreck reached the ground the machine gun was still spitting out bullets and a few men of a neighbouring regiment were wounded by them.
The enemy infantry troubled us very little, and only an occasional cross fire between patrols made us aware of their presence, and fortunately they made no endeavours to reach the Battalion front; although at Bowls Barrow, a few hundred yards on our right, they made a determined raid on the 1st of April on a British post and inflicted casualties.
About the middle of April, however, our artillery became extremely active, and on the 20th the “Nose” and “P” ridge were heavily bombarded. This was the opening of an offensive on our part which was undertaken with a view of capturing the whole of “P” ridge. The bombardment was continued for three whole days with the intention of cutting the fields of wire which protected the Bulgar positions and to destroy his forward entrenchments. On the 23rd of April the volume of artillery increased considerably and continued until the night of the 24th, when the 2/20th Battalion of the London Regiment raided the stronghold of the “Nose.” Under cover of this heavy bombardment the Blackheath Battalion approached the enemy wire, and although our artillery had damaged it considerably, it still formed a great obstacle to the raiders. Heavy machine-gun fire was encountered, and the front slopes of the “Nose” were heavily barraged by the enemy, who also used strong search-lights from the crest of the “Nose” which swept the forward part of the position. Only a few gallant fellows ever reached the Bulgar trenches and the casualties were very heavy. For several nights afterwards search parties were out bringing in wounded. For the actual raid there was little direct success, but it served its purpose and acted as feint attack which drew a great deal of the enemy’s artillery fire, and thereby assisted the main attack which commenced that same night on the “P” ridge. This was successful, and Pip 4 and Pip 5 were captured after heavy fighting. The Battalion actually took no part in this general offensive, and fortunately the enemy’s artillery was so deeply engaged in combating the two serious attacks on their lines at the “Nose” and on “P” ridge that most of us were able to look from our trenches and watch the pyrotechnic display on either side. There can be no doubt that the British suffered heavy casualties in the minor attacks and counter-attacks which followed this initial success on the “P” ridge, but any attack on such strongholds as the “Pips” must of necessity be at great expense. The battle raged for about four days, but gradually subsided, and on the 27th of April the Battalion was taken out of the line and marched back to Tetre Verte, just over the ridge of the Kolonovan Heights, “D” Company remaining at Mektoub in immediate reserve to the London Scottish, who were holding the line east of Bekerli. Of all the camps in the Salonican area Mektoub was undoubtedly the safest, as it lay behind the cover of the hill, and consisted of tiers of dug-outs built into the very steep side of the hill. While out of the line the Battalion found fatigues even harder than in the line, for as far back as Tetre Verte one could wander about unobserved by the enemy, and, therefore, people who were seen very little in the front line were now very much in evidence.
On the eighth of May the line from the village of Krastali to Waggon Hill was slightly advanced in order to straighten the line which had been pushed forward by the partial success of the forward movement on the “P” ridge. Of course, this operation amounted to “peaceful penetration,” and no attack was necessary. The actual advance was made by the London Scottish and the Westminsters on that part of the line north-east of the Bekerli village, and was of course continued towards Krastali by the division on their right. Only “D” Company from Mektoub was engaged in this operation, having been brought up in support of the London Scottish as far as Piton 5, in rear of Middle Hill, and not to be mistaken for Pip 5 on the “P” ridge. On the 179th Brigade front the movement was performed without obstruction by the enemy, though further north-west near the village of Krastali strong opposition was met by the Division advancing from the Whaleback, and heavy artillery support had to be given to assist this section of the advance. Unfortunately one of the supporting batteries was firing from the dip in rear of Piton 5 and inflicted several casualties on “D” Company owing to their shells bursting at the muzzle of the guns. Lieutenant Miles and Private Cutchee were badly wounded, while Lieutenant F. W. Lewis and Lieutenant Martin received minor wounds and remained on duty.
The original line ran from Bekerli village north-west along the forward slopes of Mamelon Vert, Bastion Hill, Piton 6, Hill 275, Scratchbury Hill, Bowls Barrow, along Whaleback to Horse Shoe Hill, but after the advance the new line ran through Pitons 1, 2, 3 and 4, Basin Hill, Single Tree Hill, Tomato Hill over Krastali Nullah forward of Whaleback, and on the Pip ridge. After the night’s operation on the 8th, “D” Company returned to Mektoub under the cover of a heavy fog, the rest of the Battalion having remained at Tetre Verte during the advance.
The next night, the 9th of May, “D” Company left Mektoub as local reserve for the Westminsters, who pushed forward on to Goldies Hill, thus forming a salient in our new line between Basin Hill and Tomato Hill. The taking of Goldies by the Westminsters was resented by the Bulgar, who made a strong attack on the position with the assistance of a heavy artillery preparation. However, the Queen’s Westminsters held on and drove off the attack after heavy local fighting. On the 10th the Battalion moved from Tetre Verte and took over the new line from the London Scottish and also Goldies from the Westminsters.
Rough Sketch Map shewing the Advance in May 1917 on the Doiran-Vardar front.
The advance was comparatively a bloodless victory as far as the 179th Brigade was concerned, nevertheless it was of great importance on our front. From the new line the Selemli-Dautli plain was now under our direct observation from Pitons 3 and 4, Basin Hill, Goldies, and these hills therefore became positions from which an attack on the Selemli Fords could be attempted. Furthermore, it denied the Bulgar of the freedom of manœuvre over the captured part of “No Man’s Land,” while facing north from Goldies and Tomato Hill we were in closer touch with the enemy’s advanced posts near Devedzili on the slopes of White Scar and Flat Iron Hills. It had been impossible for the British forces to push forward before as we had only captured Pips 4 and 5 on the “P” ridge a few days previously. The capture of these two pips enabled our men to occupy more advanced positions without being under the direct observation of the Bulgar. The enemy resented very much the aggression on our part, and constantly shelled the newly-taken hills.