Wednesday, 17 August 2016

Day Forty Eight on the Somme



Thursday 17th August 1916 From our Correspondent in the Field

We understand that the attacks carried out in the vicinity of Guillemont yesterday, by our 3rd Division and the French 153rd Division have unraveled overnight. The French were forced to give way by strong German counter-attacks and 3rd Division did not manage to hold the road from Guillemont to Hardecourt due to failures of attacks by other units of the same division on its flanks. The one bright spot is that a particularly troublesome enemy trench called Cochrane Alley, near Maltz Horn Farm, was taken yesterday and has been held.

Early this morning 1st Division was attacked by the enemy in a trench which it had secured to the west of High Wood. The enemy used flame-throwers, ghastly weapons men of the 1st Bedfords will remember from attacks they faced near Ypres in July last year. Unfortunately some of the trench was lost to the enemy.

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