Wednesday 8th
August 1917
Last night
7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment took their place in the front line at a
place called Clapham Junction on the Menin Road. Today all ranks have been
carefully instructed in the ground to be attacked and peculiar features and
land marks were pointed out to them. All were subsequently examined to
ascertain whether they had thoroughly grasped the situation. Enemy strong
points and wired areas were pointed out and noted.
Before the
first day of the Battle of the Somme detailed training over a facsimile of the
ground was undertaken for weeks. At Chérisy in May this year no time was
allowed for any reconnaissance and the attack was made only with reference to
maps. The Somme attack was a success, that at Chérisy a failure. The
preparations today are an attempt to learn the lesson of Chérisy and to impart
as much information on the ground to be attacked as possible in the short time
available.
As I write
this report a heavy storm has blown up and intense rain is falling (so much for
summer). This can only make the ground become exceedingly heavy and very muddy.
This may lead to a postponement of the battalion’s attack.
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