The history of the Twentieth (Light) Division

by Valentine Erskine Inglefield

On the front of the 59th Brigade the 11th R.B. repulsed by a counter attack a German advance from the direction of Bouchoir.

The following was the situation at 6.30 P.M. The 60th Brigade held a line round the south and east of Arvillers. North-east of the village, on the main Roye—Amiens road, were elements of the 30th Division which had been driven out of Bouchoir. From this road to the left the 24th Division held a line which ran north-west and north of Bouchoir and then followed the road to Warvillers. The 59th Brigade was at Folies and the 61st at Beaufort. Hangest was held by the 61st Division and elements of the 30th, Le Quesnel by the 61st Division and the French.

At midnight the enemy made a local attack on Folies, but this was very effectively repulsed by the 11th K.R.R.C., who inflicted a number of casualties and captured a machine gun.

Before dawn on the 28th the 59th and 61st Brigades had been relieved by the 401st Regiment of the 133rd French Division. They marched along the main Roye—Amiens road to a wood south-east of Demuin, which they reached by mid-day. The relief of the 60th Brigade presented a good deal of difficulty, chiefly because the relieving troops belonged to two separate French formations. Before it could be completed, about 8.30 A.M. the enemy put down a heavy barrage, which he followed by an attack on the whole brigade front. After severe fighting, in which the enemy lost heavily, an advanced platoon of the 11th D.L.I. was driven in and the right flank of the battalion became exposed. A counter attack failed to restore the situation. The enemy then advanced on the front of the 6th K.S.L.I., and also worked round to the right of Arvillers. As it was evident that a serious attack was developing, Brig.-General Duncan ordered the brigade to withdraw. At this time the mixed troops on the right, who had occupied a ridge of great importance, and whose task was to hold on until the 60th Brigade began to leave the village, were seen to have fallen back. The position was then precarious. The enemy was only a few hundred yards away from the ridge, from which he could cut off the retreat of all troops from Arvillers. The situation was saved by the soldierly instincts and most gallant leading of Capt. Tait, the adjutant of the 12th R.B., who seeing what had happened, swung round a company of his battalion to the right, opened fire on the Germans at short range, and drove them off. At 11 A.M., under unusually heavy shell and machine-gun fire, the brigade withdrew in very good order, and at 3 P.M. rejoined the rest of the Division.

An A.D.S. of the 60th Field Ambulance under the commanding officer, Major R. V. C. Ash, had remained near Réthonvillers on the 25th until the enemy came within 500 yards. Having withdrawn from this position, Major Ash moved the whole field ambulance south to a village about a mile north-east of Roiglise. As the enemy was reported that evening to be advancing on both flanks, it was decided, after consultation with Divisional Headquarters, to retire through Roye to a point about two miles south-west of it on the Montdidier road. By the time this position was reached, about 3.20 A.M. on the 26th, information was received from the French that the enemy was on the point of entering Roye and that French troops were about to form a defensive line through the village in which the 60th Field Ambulance was established. No further information could be obtained. Major Ash continued to withdraw along the road towards Montdidier, stopping on the way to help the 53rd C.C.S. to evacuate its wounded, and collecting a large number of cases along the road. At Faverolles communication with the Division was obtained and the field ambulance marched north to rejoin, eventually arriving at Domart on the 28th.

It was then decided that the Divisional transport and two out of the three field ambulances should be sent back out of the way to Abbeville. The 60th and 62nd Field Ambulances accordingly moved back that day.

From this time until the 1st of April the only remaining field ambulance—the 61st—did great work. Except for a small detachment from the cavalry field ambulances there seemed to be no other medical units near. Wounded and sick from the whole Corps, from Army troops and cavalry, and from the French had to be dealt with. Every man was fed and dressed, had his case diagnosed, and was properly ticketed before being sent back.

The 92nd Field Artillery Brigade was last mentioned moving back to Roiglise on the 25th, under the orders of the 30th Division. A further retirement to Beauvraignes became necessary on the morning of the 26th; and that afternoon, covered by a section of D/148 Battery and one of

of the brigade withdrew to positions between Laboissière and Guerbigny and opened fire on Andechy.

At 10 A.M. on the morning of the 27th the brigade came under heavy shell-fire from the direction of Erches. Shortly afterwards the French were forced out of Laboissière and the brigade was compelled to fall back to positions south-west of Favorelles, covered by the fire of B/92. At this time orders were received for the brigade to rejoin the 20th Divisional Artillery, but as the French were being hard pressed it was decided to stop and fight with the French until all ammunition was expended.