Lieut.-Colonel Maclean left the K.O.S.B. in October 1917, and was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel Smyth, who returned to France at the end of September.
[105] The 18th Division, for example, after holding the Villers-Guislain-Gonnelieu sector for fourteen days was relieved on the 3rd March by the 107th Division, a prisoner from which said that his division had undergone intensive training for an attack and break through.
[106] The northern attack was entrusted to the 17th Army, the southern to the 2nd and 18th Armies.
[107] For a clear, full, and concise account of the boundary question between the Fifth and Third Armies, see article in the April (1920) number of the National Review, entitled, the “Epic of the Ninth Division,” by W. S. Sparrow.
[108] “After being captured at La Motte, near Corbie, I was taken to the German Battalion H.Q. for examination by an intelligence officer. In the course of this examination the officer asked me if I knew the Ninth Division; he said that the fight it put up was considered one of the best on the whole front, and particularly the last stand of the South African Brigade at (I think) Moislains, which, he said, was magnificent. Both men and officers fought to the last against overwhelming odds, the brigadier himself being taken, firing a machine-gun whilst his brigade major was killed beside him.
“After this conversation I was sent to Le Cateau, and on the way many German officers spoke to me and all mentioned the splendid fight put up by the South Africans.
“On reaching Le Cateau, I met two officers (British), who said that whilst their party was being marched to this place, they were stopped by the Kaiser, who asked if anyone present belonged to the Ninth Division. The Kaiser then said that had all divisions fought as well as the Ninth Division he would have had no more troops to carry on his attack with.”
[109] W. S. Sparrow in “The Epic of the Ninth Division.”
[110] “Great gallantry has been shown by the troops engaged in the fighting in this area and to the south of it. The Nineteenth and Ninth Divisions have distinguished themselves by the valour of their defence.”
(Extract from Communiqué published by the Press on the 25th March.)