More Enemy Movements

Saturday 1st December 1917

The German offensive at Cambrai has been rolling on today but, just like the day after the British attack on 20th November, the steam seems to have gone out of it as our men’s resistance stiffened after the initial surprise. At two o’clock this morning the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, was ordered to withdraw from the line it had formed yesterday and return to Dead Man’s Corner. During this move all was quiet and the Battalion arrived about six o’clock without suffering any casualties and dug in as shown on the map above.

This position was held until the afternoon when orders were issued to withdraw to Lincoln Avenue prior to a move early tomorrow morning to assist in the defence of Highland Ridge against attacks from the east. The front line companies began their withdrawal at 5 p.m.

In Palestine yesterday the 1st/5th Bedfords were again attacked at Beit Nabala. A party of about fifty Turks attacked with bombs. This attack did not quite reach the Bedfords’ position and the fire of Lewis guns caused the immediate retirement of the enemy to lower slopes of the hill. A small counter-attack was launched by the Yellow Devils without loss of time and the enemy retired precipitately. As a final gesture of farewell the Battalion requested and received a barrage from 4.5 inch howitzers on the spot from which it was thought that the enemy had come. Lieutenant H W Cronin was seriously wounded during this attack(1).

Sources: X550/6/8; X550/9/1

(1) He died of his wounds the following day and is buried in Gaza War Cemetery.

Attacks at Cambrai and in Palestine

Friday 30th November 1917

Here at Cambrai the enemy have launched a surprise attack of their own, just as it seemed the year would end with our forces digging in to consolidate the gains they have recently made. The attack has covered the same area as the initial British attack, all the way from Bourlon Wood in the north to Honnecourt in the south. At times during the day it seemed as if the enemy might carry all before him and he has managed to advance nearly three miles in places. But Tommy Atkins is never as dangerous as when his back is against the wall and our men have fought with terrific spirit once the initial surprise was past.

Still, it must be admitted that the enemy have regained a good deal of the ground they lost ten days ago. Strangely enough it was the scene of the bloodiest and most frustrating fighting for our men, around Bourlon Wood, which has also seen the most successful defence against the German attack.

The adjutant of the 8th Bedfords, which began the day in Villers-Plouich has been able to let us know that they were called upon to go to the assistance of the right flank of 29th Division. They advanced to Dead Man’s Corner at 11.30 a.m. under light shell-fire. They were then ordered to move further forward and form a defensive line on Highland Ridge (the rough position shown in pink on the map above) covering the line from Beaucamp to Villers-Plouich. They were all in position by 2 p.m. and now wait to see whether the enemy puts in an appearance.

Yesterday in Palestine the 1st/5th Bedfords were also under attack. Just after midday the Turks began to shell their positions on Zeify Hill near Beit Nabala. This continued intermittently throughout the day. As the adjutant drily described it in his wire: “at same time the enemy infantry showed a disposition to attempt to gain ground”. They were fired on from Zeify Hill as they advanced on 10th Battalion, London Regiment, at Deir Tuweif. They were stopped about nine hundred yards from the Londoners’ position.

After dark, about 6 p.m. the Turks attempted a surprise attack with about a company of men on Zeify Hill, which they have clearly identified as the key to making any advance in the area. They managed to capture one of the Bedfords’ machine-guns but an immediate counter-attack organised by Captain F B Hobbs drove them out again at bayonet point, though they did bear their prize with them, much to the chagrin of Captain Hobbs and his men. The Turks left behind were counted as nine dead (including two Austrians(1)) and three prisoners. It was some emollient to losing the machine-gun that thirteen enemy rifles were captured. There were numerous dead Turks in front of the Bedfords’ position, most of which could not be collected for burial. The Bedfords have lost one officer and two other ranks killed and eight other ranks wounded.

Sources: X550/6/8; X550/9/1

(1) Probably from the German Asia Corps, part of the Turkish 7th Army.

The Turks Try to Advance Again

Thursday 29th November 1917

Yesterday the 1st/5th Bedfords in Palestine again observed an effort by the Turks to get forward. The Bedfords again opened fire on them from Zeify Hill and from Beit Nabala which put paid to the enemy’s efforts. The Bedfords have established a small sniping outpost three hundred yards forward of their front line on Zeify Hill to further harass the enemy.

Source: X550/6/8

A Turkish Attack

Wednesday 28th November 1917

More news has reached us today from the 1st/5th Battalion in Palestine. Yesterday morning, about 2.30 a.m. an Arab gave himself up to C Company. He had useful news as to the disposition of the Turks.

An exciting day then developed as the Turks chose to attack the 54th Division of which the Bedfords form a part. About 8.15 around 150 Turks were seen by the Bedfords on Zeify Hill near Beit Nabala to advance down a wadi between that hill and a village called Deir Tuweif(1), held by 10th Battalion, London Regiment. The Bedfords duly opened fire at just under a mile range and scattered them with some loss. The Turks then went to ground and, as the adjutant described it, a sniping contest then took place.

At 10.30 the Bedfords pushed a strong patrol forward to a water cistern on a hill where an advanced post was established consisting to two Lewis guns and a section(2) of riflemen. At 3 o’clock last afternoon the Turks were once more on the move - estimated as about a battalion in strength, with transport. They moved east and about fifteen minutes later encountered the Bedfords’ advanced post at what they called Cistern Hill. Again fire was opened at just under a mile range by the section of men and two parties of Lewis gunners at the post. A good number of casualties were inflicted, especially on the transport and clearly the enemy had no idea that our men were there. The odds were about forty to one in the Turks’ favour, however, and once they recovered their composure they advanced in open order on the advanced post, which was evacuated when the Turks were about three hundred yards away. The Turks duly occupied the post and the hill, but the day has seen many casualties inflicted on them for the loss of two of the Bedfords’ officers, Captain Franklin MC and Lieutenant Pinchin, who have died of wounds. Attacks on the rest of the division have also been repulsed.

Here at Cambrai the offensive has ended after nine days. The units involved in the frustrating fight for Bourlon Wood have been ordered to dig in and prepare for any German counter-attack.

Source: X550/6/8

(1) These two villages were destroyed in the fighting between Arabs and Israelis in 1948. Beit Nabala is now occupied by the Israeli village of Beit Nehemia near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.

(2) A section would have consisted of about 8 to 10 men