CHAPTER X
ENTR’ACTE
(April 9—August 20, 1918)
The Division remained for a week in the Pas—Henu—Couin—Vauchelles area, a period sufficient to enable it to get rid of the clay and mud spread thickly over equipment, clothing, and person, and of the stubble that was beginning to camouflage faces; also to wipe off some of the arrears of sleep and to carry out the necessary reorganization and re-equipment. Signs of the need for sleep and rest were very plain. “Their eyes,” said a Battalion Commander, “seemed to be falling out of their sockets with the strain. But there was a splendid smile on all the tired faces, a smile of confidence and victory.” They had been put to the hardest of all tests as regards courage, endurance, physical fitness, and soldierly efficiency, and had emerged with flying colours. They knew now that they were better soldiers than the enemy.
Brigade groups were inspected in turn by the Divisional Commander, who told them that he was proud to command them, and explained to them what they had done, what was then happening, and what might be expected to happen. So far as the Division was concerned the German offensive had been utterly broken; they had not surrendered an inch of ground until ordered to do so. At Ervillers and Sapignies the attack had rebounded off them, and had flowed round their flanks. And when, at Bucquoy, the attack had been renewed they had again beaten it, and it had flowed round their right flank past Rossignol Wood to Hébuterne. He was confident that the Division would once more demonstrate its ability to “go one better” than any German division or divisions that might come up against it. During the week considerable reinforcements arrived from England, mainly composed of young soldiers without previous experience, and these were absorbed into the various units.
Gommecourt—Hébuterne
On April 15 the Division returned to the front line a few miles west of the positions held at the end of the first week of the German offensive, relieving the 37th Division in the Centre Sector (Gommecourt—Hébuterne) of the 4th Corps front. Gommecourt, now a name only—for the Hun had demolished it so ruthlessly that in 1917 the French Government had decided to preserve the scarred site as a national monument—lies three miles west of Bucquoy, and must not be confounded with Gomiecourt, a village nearly five miles east of Bucquoy, now occupied by the enemy. The relief was accomplished at midnight, enemy shelling having caused a few casualties as the troops passed through Fonquevillers. D.H.Q. was opened at Couin Château, and the Reception Camp in the woods east of Marieux. On the right the New Zealand Division held the high ground above Colincamps, and the 62nd Division was on the left, in the 42nd Division’s old line, Bucquoy—Ayette. The positions taken over had been the German trenches when No Man’s Land lay between Fonquevillers and Gommecourt Wood in June 1916. The old front lines of the enemy, which now formed our reserve lines, consisted of well-revetted deep trenches with eighteen inches of mud on the old duck-boards. But his reserve lines, now forming our front line from Rossignol Wood to a point 500 yards east of Biez Wood, were shallow trenches, lacking in revetment, fire-steps, barbed wire defences, and anything in the shape of localities or strong points. Work was concentrated on these deficiencies, and the old German light railway from Gommecourt Park to Biez Wood was soon put into working order. It carried many loads of water, rations, and R.E. material nightly. There were several tunnelled dugouts in the sector, those stretching from back to front of Gommecourt Wood being a fine example of German thoroughness. The cellars under the ruins of Fonquevillers church were cleared and made gas proof, and they proved valuable later.
FONQUEVILLERS CHURCH. THE CAVE UNDER THE CHURCH WAS FOR A SHORT TIME USED AS BRIGADE HQRS.
FONQUEVILLERS—SOUASTRE FORK, THE SCENE OF MUCH SHELLING AT NIGHT.