During the 2nd of December the enemy confined his attacks to the La Vacquerie front, where he was repulsed three times by the 183rd Brigade. North-east of the village, after heavy shelling, he launched a bombing attack on the 10th and 11th R.B. under cover of heavy machine-gun fire, and gained a footing in the trench. Counter attacks were organised at once. Twice the trench was almost cleared, but eventually the supply of bombs gave out and a part of the line had to be withdrawn to the sunken road. “B” and “D” Companies of the 11th D.L.I. were sent from the 61st Brigade to reinforce the 11th R.B., and a new line on the slope just north-west of the road was established and held.
On the night of the 2nd/3rd the 59th and 61st Brigades were relieved, and on the morning of the 3rd the front was handed over to the 61st Division. Divisional Headquarters moved to Sorel, with the three brigades about Villers Plouich, Sorel and Fins.
The relief of the Divisional Artillery was out of the question, and the 91st Brigade remained for another fortnight in action north of Beaucamp. On the 3rd of December the enemy renewed his attack and succeeded in entering La Vacquerie and completed his capture of Gonnelieu. At Masnières and Marcoing he was again repulsed, but the line there was very exposed, and at night all troops who remained east of the canal were moved back to positions west of it.
Local attacks during the next few days gained little ground, and it was evident that the enemy was becoming exhausted. His success along the Bonavis Ridge, however, had left the divisions further north holding a dangerous salient, and made it necessary to withdraw that flank to the high ground at Flesquieres.[12] This was completed by the 7th, when our positions were finally established along the line shown in Map III.
The Headquarters of the Divisional Artillery was relieved on the 14th, and two days later the 91st Brigade pulled out of action.
Chapter X
THE MENIN ROAD SECTOR
12th December 1917 to 20th February 1918
Relief of 30th Division by 20th Division in the Menin Road Sector—Importance of this Line—Reorganisation of the Division—Move of the Division to the Fifth Army area south of the Somme.
(Vide [Map I.])
After the battle of Cambrai the Division went back into Corps reserve for a few days, and then moved north again into the area of the Fourth Army (General Sir H. S. Rawlinson). By the 12th of December units were concentrated some twenty to twenty-five miles south-west of Ypres, with Divisional Headquarters at Blaringhem. The Divisional Artillery, after a most trying march over roads coated with ice, arrived in this area on the 24th, when the Divisional Artillery Headquarters was opened at Robecq and the batteries went into billets in the neighbourhood of Haverskerque. On the 7th of January 1918 the 20th Division, less the artillery, relieved the 30th Division in the left sector of the IXth Corps front (Lieut.-General Sir A. Hamilton Gordon).
The front line, 2700 yards in length, ran north-east and south-west for about an equal distance on either side of the Menin road, which it crossed north-west of Gheluvelt. The position lay on the forward slopes of the long ridge which overlooks Ypres from the south and east. From the high ground about Clapham Junction several marshy streams flow south and east, cutting the slopes of the ridge into a succession of spurs, on one of which the village of Gheluvelt stands.