Friday 7th
July 1916 From our Correspondent in the
Field
As the 7th
Bedfords withdraw from this battle, now in its seventh day, the adjutant has
passed on the congratulatory telegrams received in the wake of the successful
attack on 1st July. General Rawlinson, commander-in-chief of 4th Army wrote, on
2nd July: "please convey to 18th Division my best congratulations and
thanks for their dashing attack yesterday. They have done excellent work and I
desire to thank them most heartily." The commander of XIII Corps, General
Sir Walter Norris Congreve wrote: “please convey to all units my intense
appreciation of their splendid fighting which has attained all asked for from
them and resulted in heavy losses to the enemy, nearly 1,000 prisoners have
already passed through the cage”. And the commander of 18th Division, Sir Ivor
Maxse wrote simply: “well done; it's what I expected; now hold on to what you
have gained so splendidly”.
Today 17th
Division made a determined attack on the area south of the village of Contalmaison
this morning. They began at 2 am but their attack failed due to strong defence
and uncut wire. The Germans then counter-attacked but were defeated by 7 am.
Another attack was then made by 17th Division but this, too, was defeated.
23rd
Division, next-door to 17th, also made an attack this morning, with the aim of
taking the village of Contalmaison itself. Despite furious machine-gun fire
they entered the village as far as the church, but suppoting attacks failed
and, with ammunition running out, the gallant men of 23rd Division were forced
to abandon the village. This ended what has been a frustrating day, like so
many in this war.
Source: X550/8/1
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