Chemin des Dames.
3. About May 10, the division went back into line east of Allment on the Chemin des Dames.
4. It was sent to rest in July in the vicinity of Mons en Laonnois, Coucy les Eppes, Parfondru.
5. At the beginning of August, it came back to the Chemin des Dames (vicinity of Ailles), where, on October 15, the 9th Company of the 158th Infantry Regiment was reduced to 50 men, including officers (letter). Following the French offensive upon La Malmaison, the 50th Division retired on November 1, to the north of the Ailette toward Neuville (outside of Chamouille) and was still occupying this sector in December.
RECRUITING.
Upon its formation the division was composed of Westphalian troops. The recruiting is still almost exclusively Westphalian.
VALUE—1917 ESTIMATE.
Since the battle of Vaux in June, 1916, the division likes to consider itself a shock division.
Its prolonged stay on the Ailette front (August to December) seems to mean that it had to be put at rest for a fairly long time before being engaged in an active sector.
It must be regarded as a good division, capable of putting up a vigorous defense (December).