On the 27th the Guards Division, which had relieved the 51st, again entered the much fought-for village, but it was partly commanded by the Bourlon ridge and could not be held.
The 51st were not in the line on the 30th when the German counter-offensive took place. See 47th, 55th and 56th Divisions.
In the Cambrai battle the casualties of the Division were 1570. They took 2690 unwounded prisoners.
The great German offensive of March 1918 is dealt with in the despatch of 20th July, 1918. The 51st Division were then in the IV. Corps, Third Army, and were holding front line positions near Hermies, west of the Flesquières salient. On their right was the 17th Division of the V. Corps and on their left, about Lagnicourt, the 6th Division of the IV. Corps; see map opposite p. 186 of Messrs. Dent’s edition of the Despatches.
In paragraph 16 Sir Douglas Haig, dealing with the 21st March, said: “On the Third Army front our line in the Flesquières salient had not been heavily attacked and was substantially intact. Beyond this sector fierce fighting took place around Demicourt and Doignies, and north of the village of Baumetz-lez-Cambrai. In this area the 51st Division, under the command of Major-General G. T. C. Carter-Campbell, was heavily engaged, but from noon onwards practically no progress was made by the enemy.”
In his telegraphic despatch of 22nd March, after referring to the exceptional gallantry of the 24th and 3rd Divisions, Sir Douglas Haig said: “A very gallant fight was made by the 51st Division also, in the neighbourhood of the Bapaume-Cambrai road, against repeated attacks.”
In paragraph 21 of the written despatch, dealing with the 22nd March, Sir Douglas Haig said: “In the neighbourhood of Baumetz the enemy continued his assaults with great determination, but was held by the 51st Division and a brigade of the 25th Division until the evening. Our troops were then withdrawn, under orders, to positions south of the village.”
The fighting between 21st and 23rd March is now the Battle of St. Quentin, and that on 24th-25th March, the First Battle of Bapaume.
During the next few days the 51st Division fought many critical rearguard actions. It was thereafter taken out of the line. Its total losses since the morning of the 21st were over 4900.
About 1st April the Division entrained for the Béthune area and it was hoped that things would be quieter there; that hope was quickly to be blasted.