Friday, 24 March 2017

Shell Craters and Barbed Wire


Saturday 24th March 1917 from our correspondent in the field

During the pursuit of the retreating Germans the East Anglian Royal Engineers have not been idle, as we heard on 13th March. They have been working in the vicinity of the village of Sapignies, north-west of Bapaume.

A tool cart and limber was sent to No 1 section at Sapignies via Bapaume. Then the Company (less one section detailed as an advanced guard) received orders to move to Sapignies as Royal Engineers of the main guard, formed by 6th Infantry Brigade, on 2nd Division advance.

The Company arrived (via Bapaume) at Sapignies and cleared roads around two mine craters, shown as red x's on the map above. They also removed the wire obstacles across the road marked by the blue cross. Their division was then relieved by 18th Division bringing them, once more, into close contact with 7th Bedfords, though whether old friends were able to spend time together is doubtful as everyone is working at high pressure to ensure that the German retreat is followed as closely as possible.

Source: WW2/WD3

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