Wednesday 1st
August 1917
After a
successful commencement of the new offensive around Ypres yesterday, today has
largely been a day of consolidation. We have been told that this is deliberate.
The General Officer Commanding, General Gough, probably wants to make sure that
all the units for the next stage of the attack are ready, in place and prepared
before the next attack. This applies particularly to the artillery, which needs
to register on new targets and, in some places, needs to be brought forward
because the front line has gone forward so far.
Today has
been another wet day, though decidedly cooler than yesterday, a whole ten
degrees according to a fellow correspondent I overheard muttering about it
after looking at a thermometer(1). The main action saw a determined German
counter-attack against 15th (Scottish) and 8th Divisions, at their boundary,
west of Glencorse Wood about 3.30 this afternoon. 15th Division was successful
in beating off the attack on their front but 8th Division were pushed back.
However, a counter-attack by the Royal Scots Fusiliers and Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders has, we understand almost restored the situation(2). The
Australians were also on the receiving end of a counter-attack down near
Warneton this morning, around dawn, and beat it off comfortably.
None of the
battalions of the Bedfordshire Regiment have so far been involved in this
offensive. However, 2nd Battalion, part of 30th Division, is at Stirling Caste,
just behind the new front line. Early this morning the commanding officer,
Lieutenant-Colonel Bunbury, carried out a personal reconnaissance to determine
where exactly his men were, after the confusion of yesterday when the division
as a whole was unable to achieve its objectives and when a hastily called-upon
attack by the Bedfords was, just as hastily, cancelled. Just because they are
not in the front line does not mean, however, that the Battalion is safe from
harm, so close are they to it. During the day enemy shell fire has killed five
other ranks as well as Second Lieutenant
C H Shaw.
Source: X550/3/wd
(1) The
highest temperature had been 69°F on 31st July (20.5°C), it was 59° on 1st
August (15°C).
(2) By 9 pm the German gains had been neutralised.
