The 116th Battalion in France

by E. P. S. Allen

August 8th.

On the 6th July, after an unusually long rest from the line, the 116th Battalion relieved the P.P.C.L.I. in the Neuville Vitasse sector, situated about three miles south of Arras. The accommodation here was very poor, and considerable time was spent in building shelters.

Several important reconnaissances were made on this front, during which we lost Lt. S. D. Woodruff, killed; and 10 other ranks, wounded.

After spending 17 days in this area we were finally relieved by the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion and moved back in reserve once more.

On the evening of August 5th, at Boves Wood, the battalion was resting in bivouacs, after a series of long night marches from rear areas, which were conducted with so much secrecy as to almost warrant the suggestion that we were being transferred to the Italian, or some other far distant front. Only recently a printed order entitled “Keep Your Mouth Shut,” which dealt with the advisability of strict silence concerning all movements of troops or operations of a military nature, had been pasted in the pay book of every man in the Corps; so that whenever anyone on the line of march was overcurious about our destination there was always the simple answer, “Remember your pay book.”

That we were still in France was evident, and that we were likely to remain there, if not permanently, at least for the next few weeks, was made known that evening at a Company Commanders’ meeting, during which the C.O. announced the joyful news that the battalion would shortly be engaged in operations of a more comprehensive nature than night marching. There was evidently some method in our madness, and everyone was all attention, particularly since Company Commanders’ meetings had lately been showing signs of monotony.

Very little was known, except that a battle of great importance was imminent, that Australian, British and French troops would likely be engaged, and that there would be scarcely any time for final preparations, which we had always been accustomed to in the past. The German grand offensive, which began in March, had only partially succeeded, although the battles of the Somme, Messines and Passchendaele had been neutralized by their recent gains.

The importance of carrying out, to the fullest extent, the training in open warfare which we had experienced during the summer, was particularly impressed.

The attack by our battalion was to be carried out on a frontage of one thousand yards, starting from the village of Hourges, and although a definite final objective was suggested, entailing an advance of some five thousand yards, there was nothing to prevent us from following through to twice or three times that distance, providing the circumstances proved favorable.

The general scheme for the battalion was as follows:—“A” Company (Capt. Ritchie) would attack on the right, going through to what was known as the Bade trench system, which they were to capture and consolidate. “C” Company (Capt. Sutton) would follow “A” Company, and working round the high ground on the left flank, would drive for the enemy defences north of Hammon Wood, thence push from the north edge of the Wood to the left of our final objective, and deal with certain enemy batteries presumed to be there. “D” Company (Capt. Baird) would follow “C” Company and, passing through “A” Company, would work around the northern slope of high ground and push for the eastern side of Hammon Wood. “B” Company (Capt. Preston) was to follow in reserve until the Bade system had been captured, when it would follow “D” Company and mop up Hammon Wood, “A” Company then coming into battalion reserve.