The history of the Twentieth (Light) Division

by Valentine Erskine Inglefield

The position of B/92 and D/92 was becoming critical, as the ground on their right flank not only commanded their positions, but with its scattered copses, orchards and straggling hedgerows gave excellent cover to small parties of the enemy and machine guns which might now be momentarily expected. Libermont, too, had been turned, and French infantry, after putting up a most gallant defence, began to retire.

Both batteries were then ordered to withdraw to Ognolles, leaving one gun of B/92 and three howitzers of D/92 in close support to oppose any machine guns which might try to establish themselves on the slight ridge which commanded Ercheu from the south.

These guns dispersed the first machine-gun detachment which appeared and, firing at close range, most successfully held the enemy at bay until the remainder of the brigade had withdrawn and the enemy, working through the enclosed country further south, had completely turned the position. They then rejoined the rest of the brigade, which at dusk moved to Roiglise.

We must now go back to the 61st Brigade and the 91st Field Artillery Brigade, which we left on the 21st of March near St Simon and Tugny under the 36th Division, and follow the actions of these troops until on the 25th the 61st Brigade returned to the Division and the 91st Field Artillery Brigade came under the French. By dark on the 21st of March the 61st Brigade was east of the St Quentin Canal, covering the perimeter of the St Simon and Tugny bridge-heads, the 7th D.C.L.I. (Lieut.-Colonel Burges-Short) on the right, east of Avesne (one mile east of St Simon), the 12th King’s (Lieut.-Colonel Vince) on the left as far as Pont de Tugny. The 7th Somerset L.I. (Lieut.-Colonel Troyte-Bullock) were in reserve on a line north-east of St Simon. The German advance on this day forced the 36th Division to retire during the night to the line Tugny—Happencourt—Fontaine. The 61st Brigade covered this retirement, and at 11.30 P.M. received orders from the 36th Division to withdraw to the west bank of the canal. By the morning of the 22nd the Somersets had taken up a position on the south-west bank of the St Quentin Canal from a point about one and a half miles north-west of Jussy to the canal junction west of St Simon. On their right the only troops of the 14th Division whom they met were odd patrols. The 12th King’s continued the line northwards to a point half a mile north-east of Tugny, where they joined the right of the 36th Division and gained touch also with the 60th Brigade. These two battalions thus held a front of 6000 yards.

From mid-day on the 22nd the 7th D.C.L.I. (less one company) held the south bank of the Somme Canal from the left of the Somersets at the canal junction to half a mile west of the Dury—Ollezy road. They were in touch on their left with a brigade of the 36th Division. By 11 P.M. this division had another brigade at Cugny and another at Brouchy. One company of the D.C.L.I. had been sent shortly before mid-day to fill the gap between the right of the 7th Somerset L.I. and the 14th Division. This company got into touch with the 6th Somerset L.I. (14th Division) and helped to stem the heavy attacks on Jussy before rejoining the battalion on the morning of the 23rd.

“C” Company, 20th Machine Gun Battalion, was distributed so as to cover the front of the 7th Somerset L.I. and the 7th D.C.L.I., and “D” Company 11th D.L.I., under the 12th King’s, dug trenches near Dury and Tugny. The 61st T.M.B. and Brigade Headquarters were at Ollezy.

The retirement on the 21st necessitated a reorganisation of the artillery covering the 36th Division. Three groups were formed. The Right Group under Lieut.-Colonel Erskine, consisting of A/91 and C/91 Batteries and the 232nd Heavy Battery, was detailed to cover the 61st Brigade. B/91 was attached to the Centre Group, under Lieut.-Colonel Potter, and D/91 to the Left Group, under Lieut.-Colonel Eley, both covering the 36th Division. On the night 21st/22nd Lieut.-Colonel Erskine established his headquarters at Ollezy, and placed his batteries west and north-west of the village to cover the crossings near St Simon.

During the 22nd the 61st Brigade maintained its position along the canal. Enemy patrols crossed near Artemps in the morning and entered St Simon at 1.40 P.M., when the Somersets came under gun and trench mortar fire. During the evening the 91st Field Artillery Brigade, now reinforced by D/173 (Howitzer) Battery, was withdrawn to positions near Eaucourt, where the crossings of the canal could be as easily covered while the guns were less exposed.

That night a company of the 12th King’s was driven out of Tugny, and soon afterwards, owing to the retirement of the 36th Division, the battalion, with “D” Company 11th D.L.I., fell back through the 7th D.C.L.I. to the railway, leaving one company to reinforce the D.C.L.I. at the Ollezy—Dury crossing.

At 7.45 A.M. on the 23rd the 12th King’s were sent back to positions guarding Cugny. At 11.30 A.M. came the serious news that the Germans were advancing on both flanks. On the right they were reported to be approaching Cugny from the east, on the left they had broken through at Ham and were advancing south on Brouchy. Here they were held up by the 36th Division, which formed a defensive flank on the line Brouchy—Golancourt, and also sent up troops to fill the gap between that line and the left of the 61st Brigade on the Somme Canal. Near Cugny a company of the 12th King’s, supported by three platoons of the 11th D.L.I., beat off an attack and drove the enemy back into the woods east of the village. The remaining platoon of the 11th D.L.I. was last seen advancing to support another company of the 12th King’s. During this fighting, Lieut.-Colonel Vince, commanding the 12th King’s, was killed.