Friday 13th April 1917
Sadly, the
attack by 9th (Scottish) Division yesterday evening against the village of
Roeux and its chemical works was a complete failure. Some of my colleagues from
newspapers “north of the Border” tell me that the men had suffered severely in
the last few days from manning the line in the freezing cold and that some of
them had to be hauled to their feet and rubbed down by comrades before they
could even move. Today their formation, XVII Corps, has taken no part in the
fighting.
Today’s
fighting has to devolve, once more, upon VI and VII Corps. On the VII Corps
front 21st Division was able to bomb a little way down the Hindenburg Line
towards Fontaine-les-Croisilles but was then told to desist and the other
operations by VI and VII Corps were cancelled due to difficulties in getting
fresh divisions to the front line to make the attacks, the roads in one part of
the area behind battlefield being choked with withdrawing cavalry.
The adjutant
of 1st Battalion has been in touch on the “blower”. The battalion, part of 5th
Division, has moved to the village of Villers-au-Bois and senior officers and
Company Sergeant Majors have been reconnoitering Vimy Ridge and
Givenchy-en-Gohelle.
Source: X550/2/5
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