Each division in turn was brought out of the line for a day or two in order that the offensive might be carried on with renewed vigour. Refreshing and necessary as the respite undoubtedly was, the troops, stimulated by the victories of the past few days and by the prospect of still greater successes, were glad to resume their vocation of “learning Jerry” to make war. The 42nd Division relieved the 63rd on the night of August 27-28 on a line running north and south of the village of Le Barque, a short distance beyond Warlencourt, with the 126th Brigade now on the right and the 127th on the left, each brigade having a frontage of 1000 yards. The enemy held the village of Thilloy, about a thousand yards east of this line, and two attacks by the 63rd Division had failed to dislodge him. Patrols found the village and the brickfields to the north held in force, and preparations were made to turn these positions from north and south. In the early morning of the 29th the withdrawal of the enemy from Bapaume, less than a mile to the north-east of the left flank of the Division, was reported, and patrols of the 5th Manchesters, finding that Thilloy was being evacuated in consequence, pushed through the village. At 6.30 a.m. the 126th Brigade (with “A” and “D” Companies, M.G. Battalion) was ordered to take over the divisional front with two battalions in the front line, and advance on Riencourt-les-Bapaume, the 127th Brigade dropping back into close support. Strong fighting patrols followed up the retiring enemy, but there was to be no “set-piece” attack, except under preliminary bombardment and creeping barrage. The 8th Manchesters on the right came under sharp machine-gun fire from Riencourt in front and from Beaulencourt on their right flank, and were held up. By night-fall the leading companies of the 5th E. Lancs. on the left had crossed the Bapaume—Peronne road and made good the high ground by the reservoir half a mile north-west of Riencourt. A frontal attack on the village from the west by companies of the 8th Manchesters failed, in spite of the most gallant efforts of all ranks, long distance machine-gun fire from Beaulencourt taking them in the flank and rear, and causing heavy casualties.
In the early hours of the 30th August patrols of the 5th E. Lancs. engaged the enemy in the outskirts north of the village. The German positions were, however, very strongly held, and their numerous machine-guns excellently posted and handled, and little progress could be made. Prisoners taken later stated that orders had been given that Riencourt must be held at all costs. Captain Dick, with two platoons of “A” Company, worked his way down a trench leading south-east towards an enemy position, until he could get dead ground almost up to the position. Making good use of this, he rushed the ridge, and the enemy bolted, giving easy targets at short range. He then led his two platoons against another position with such speed that only three of his men could keep up, but they proved too much for the nerves of the Germans, who fired wildly and missed. Captain Dick killed the officer, his three men wounded others, and the hands of the remaining forty-five went up. For this he was awarded the D.S.O. The battalion dug in, and the artillery shelled the ridge immediately north of the village, but patrols sent out to discover the result of the bombardment reported that the enemy machine-gun positions were still held too strongly to give any chance of getting to close quarters.
Riencourt, August 30-31
In the afternoon the 10th Manchesters were ordered to move into position for a night attack upon Riencourt. Crossing the Bapaume—Peronne road they were heavily shelled, and an enemy observation plane kept in touch only a few hundred feet above them. Machine-gun bullets raised spurts and dust all around or glanced off the stones, and several road-mines exploded close to where they passed, sending up great columns of earth. It was Oldham Wakes Friday, and the men talked of bygone wakes and of the people at home, and made grim jests in contrasting past and present. “A” Company, on the left, worked round to the north-east and lay out in a fold of the ground until the barrage should lift. “D” Company, on the right, had to get through a lot of wire, and, being held up for a time, suffered rather severely. H.E. and shrapnel rained upon the German positions so thickly that it seemed as though they must be obliterated, but as soon as the two companies launched their attack, on the lifting of the barrage, they were met by a hail of shrapnel and machine-gun bullets. Bending their heads to the storm the first wave went steadily forward and at dusk forced their way into the village, where dumps of smoke-shells, trench-mortar shells and Very lights, left behind in the March retreat, exploded from time to time. Enemy infantry and machine-gunners fought courageously, taking up one position after another, as they were forced back. But the second wave pushed through the centre of the village, and getting on the flank killed or captured the crews of the machine-guns. As the Germans were bringing up considerable reinforcements from Villers-au-Flos, “C” Company was rushed forward, the three companies were linked up, and the enemy driven off with heavy loss. Soon after dawn “B” Company was moved up from reserve and the line advanced 300 yards on the left flank. The enemy brought up more machine-guns and even a light field-gun which fired at point-blank range, and made desperate efforts to recover the lost ground, but fighting patrols dealt with them, and Riencourt and its outskirts were finally won. Two field-guns were taken, and one of these was promptly turned against its former owners by gunners of the 210th Brigade. The capture of Riencourt was a brilliant affair, carried to a successful issue against great odds by the clever handling of the companies engaged and the dash and keenness of the infantry and machine-gunners. The Divisional Commander was prompt to show his appreciation in a telegram to the Battalion Commander. During the Riencourt operations there were numerous instances of individual daring, initiative, and resource. After the capture of the village, Captain J. A. C. Taylor, D.S.O., whose leadership of “A” Company, 10th Manchesters, contributed greatly to success, led a Lewis-gun section against the enemy on his flank, and drove them out of a trench and sunken road, killing a large number and capturing three prisoners and a machine-gun. After this he led an attack against a machine-gun post, which he captured. Lance-Sergeant H. Harrison, 8th Manchesters, on his own initiative went through an intense artillery barrage and heavy machine-gun fire in daylight and dressed the wounded who had been left behind close to the enemy’s position, when the 8th Manchesters were ordered to withdraw on the night of August 29-30. At night he returned with stretcher-bearers and collected all the wounded in the area. For this he was awarded a bar to the Military Medal which he had gained in March for a similar bit of work. A more humorous incident was that of the 10th Manchester stretcher-bearer who brought in a number of prisoners whom he had cowed with an empty beer-bottle—his only weapon. A group of about twenty Germans, who had been holding a post some distance east of the village, had evidently heard of the good times enjoyed by prisoners in England, so instead of retiring to fight again another day, they waited to be gathered in. Somehow they were ignored by mopping-up patrols, and were no doubt hurt by this lack of consideration. While debating on their next step a British contact ’plane appeared, and on its approach they waved handkerchiefs attached to rifles, and walked complacently into their cage.
Their brilliant success in this and other night attacks led the 10th Manchesters to adopt the nickname of “The Night-jars.” The Divisional Commander’s predilection for night attacks was completely vindicated on each such occasion, and casualties were much fewer than would have been the case in daylight attacks, even under the best artillery barrage. But thoroughly trained, confident, and trustworthy troops are necessary for success in night attacks, and the General’s confidence in his officers and men was always justified.
The 8th Manchesters and the 5th E. Lancs. were relieved during the night of the 30th-31st by the 127th Brigade, and they went into Divisional Reserve at Pys, the 125th Brigade becoming support brigade in Thilloy. The relief by the 6th Manchesters was carried out under difficult circumstances, as the battle raged inside and around Riencourt, and the position was obscure. The battalion to be relieved could not supply guides, so Lieut.-Colonel T. Batherwick, M.C., commanding the 6th Manchesters, made an exhaustive personal reconnaissance amid heavy bursts of shell and machine-gun fire, and returned to lead in two companies. He then made a second personal reconnaissance under similar conditions before taking in the remainder of the battalion. For this and for his part in the success at Miraumont the D.S.O. was awarded. After the relief of the two battalions had been completed the 10th Manchesters remained for a day or two in the front line, attached to the 127th Brigade. After the capture of Riencourt there was no further fighting of any importance on August 31, the rest of the day being spent in consolidating the positions taken up around the village.
Villers-au-Flos, September 2
On September 1 the 127th Brigade, by pushing out to the left, got into touch with the New Zealanders on the high ground north-east of Riencourt. The situation was unsatisfactory on the right, as this flank was much exposed to the enemy in Beaulencourt, which still held out against the 5th Corps. The next objective was Villers-au-Flos, about a mile south-east of Riencourt, and the attack on this thickly-wooded and strongly-held position was made by the 5th Manchesters on the right and the 6th Manchesters on the left at 5.15 a.m. on September 2, after eight minutes’ bombardment. The two battalions and a company of the 7th Manchesters attached to the 5th went forward in fine style in the face of a very stiff resistance, under a creeping barrage which lifted 100 yards every three minutes. Very stiff fighting took place the moment the advance began, for the barrage, though heavy and accurate, was not sufficient to overcome opposition, and the infantry had to provide additional covering-fire to enable detachments to advance without losing the barrage. The accuracy and quickness of fire of the Stokes gunners attached to each of the leading battalions destroyed a machine-gun nest and two German trench-mortars which had caused numerous casualties. On the left good progress was made, but on the right the 5th Manchesters had a harder task, their right flank being swept by the fire of a number of machine-gun posts, but this was overcome by a noteworthy instance of co-operation. An aviator, seeing that the infantry were in difficulties, flew over the German posts and attacked them with machine-gun fire, and at the same time a battery of 18-pounders was withdrawn from the barrage and switched on the machine-gun nests, while trench-mortars, machine-guns and neighbouring infantry, on their own initiative, brought their full available volume of fire to bear. This proved too much for the Germans, a number of whom surrendered, and the 5th and 7th Manchesters went forward. Stiff fighting continued, for the enemy made skilful use of the cover of ruined houses, hedges, and bushes, but once at close quarters the Manchesters made short work of the Germans, who suffered heavily. The Stokes gunners, after using up all their bombs, fixed bayonets and joined heartily in the hand-to-hand fighting. They were gallantly led by Lieutenant R. H. Welch, commanding the 127th Light T.M. Battery, who was awarded the D.S.O. Light carriages had been improvised for the 6-inch mortars, and these vied with the Stokes mortars in close support of the infantry. They had to be man-handled across rough ground, but in spite of the weight of mortars and heavy ammunition they were brought into action in forward positions in astonishingly quick time. Two fighting tanks had been detailed to take part in the attack. One broke down, but the other passed through the village with the infantry and gave very valuable assistance by destroying machine-gun posts. A supply tank delivered small-arm ammunition and drinking water close behind the front line. Before noon Villers-au-Flos had been thoroughly mopped up, and the 127th Brigade was consolidating its new positions beyond the village. Three hundred prisoners, a battery of 77 mm. guns, eighteen machine-guns and much material had been captured, and the enemy’s loss in killed and wounded was very great.
In a Special Order of the Day Brigadier-General Henley congratulated the 127th Brigade on “adding a new anniversary to those which your gallantry has already made famous.... Yesterday, after three months of unbroken fighting in trenches and in the open, and in face of stubborn resistance by Huns more than equal in numbers, you stormed and took Villers-au-Flos with the utmost dash and determination—a feat which would have been notable if performed by battalions at full strength and fresh from a period of rest. When Manchester hears of this new proof of your prowess, she may well be as proud of her sons as I am of commanding such soldiers.”