Saturday 14 July 2018

What Being In Support Can Mean


Sunday 14th July 1918

The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment are still behind the lines, training, though they are also in support which means they can be called on at short notice to help stem any German attack. It also means that they can have to find working parties to do necessary labour behind the front line. 

This has been the case today. Some of the men have been undertaking work for the Royal Engineers (never numerous to carry out the work allotted to them themselves). Others have been digging communication trenches up to the front line, thus strengthening the defences by deepening them and making it easier to get to any spot attacked whilst under cover. It was the lack of such defences in any depth which largely accounted for the German successes in March and April and High Command seem to have vowed to learn the lessons.

Source: X550/2/5

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