Bapaume and Peronne Fall

The situation this evening - the original front line is shown in black and the enemy gains in red

Sunday 24th March 1918

It has become clear tonight that the towns of Peronne and Bapaume have fallen to the German offensive. While serious, this may in the end help our cause. With each new town taken, each mile advanced the enemy resources become more stretched, their lines of communication and supply grow longer and more difficult to maintain. They will also have the difficult task of making any headway over the blasted desolation which is the old Somme battlefield, scoured by shell holes and lacking and roads or buildings.

A few moments conversation with the adjutant of 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment revealed that this morning they withdrew to a Royal Engineers dump north of Ytres, under heavy machine gun fire, and then on through Barastre, Beaulencourt to Bazentin-le-Petit and finally to Courcelette, on the old Somme battlefield.

The 2nd Battalion, meanwhile took up a position between the villages of Verlaines and Villette, south-west of Ham at one o'clock this morning, in support of 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, who were covering the withdrawal of 89th Brigade. Both their flanks were attacked by the enemy and forced the battalion to withdraw towards Esmery-Hallon. At this village they came under heavy machine gun fire from the right flank and they withdrew further to a canal. Their brigade, 90th, holds the west bank of this canal between Lannoy Farm Ridge and Buverchy Bridge

Meanwhile, 7th Battalion, according to their adjutant Captain Colley marched back to Caillouël in the early hours of this morning, taking up a position in a wood, north of the village, with B and D Companies in front and A Company in reserve. The French in front of the battalion were steadily pushed back by the enemy during the day. My conversation on the telephone with Captain Colley was cut shirt as deafening explosions were heard and he hastily abandoned the blower to see what was happening.

Yesterday the six platoons of details of the 7th Battalion were involved for a third day in fighting around Rouez Camp. We understand that they finally fell back on the village of Villequier-Aumont yesterday evening.

Finally, we have heard from 483rd Field Company, Royal Engineers. This unit is none other than our old friends, the Bedford based 1st East Anglian Field Company, Royal Engineers, attached to 2nd Division. Evidently they have been in the same area as 4th Bedfords. The commanding officer inforrmed me on the blower that they had been at Beaulencourt working on defences, but in the face of the enemy attack they moved back to the shattered remains of Longueval, where 1st Bedfords toiled for so long in 1916, and then to la Boisselle. He noted, laconically, that there was "great congestion at the crossroads". On reaching la Boisselle the engineers were ordered to dig in and hold a line between Ligny Thilloy and the devastation that was once High Wood. Work consisted of digging posts and marking the line with salved duckboards from the old Somme trenches. Sufficient infantry having been collected on this line, it is hoped that the sappers will be withdrawn at dawn to Miraumont whither the transport has already moved.

Sources: X550/3/wd; X550/5/3; X550/8/1; WW1/WD3

4th Battalion on the Move

Friday 14th December 1917

We have heard from the 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, that they are on the move. At the beginning of the month they were training at Houtkerque just on the French side of the border with Belgium west of Ypres. On the 6th they marched south to Godewaersvelde

On 9th they boarded trains for the journey to Miraumont in the northern part of the old Somme battlefield, marching via Ligny-Thilloy and le Transloy, skirting the wasteland of the battlefield itself, to Rocquigny. Yesterday they marched a few miles south-east to Étricourt-Manancourt where they will sleep under canvas tonight.

In two days time they expect to march north-east to Metz-en-Couture ending up on Highland Ridge near Villers-Plouich, ground won from the enemy during the Battle of Cambrai, on 16th of this month, ready to hold the front line over Christmas. They are all delighted.

Source: X550/5/3

Making and Breaking

Friday 2nd March 1917 from our correspondent in the field

The 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment are in tents and dug-outs at Saint-Pierre-Divion, on the River Ancre north of Thiepval. They are employed on road-making fatigues between the villages of Grandcourt and Miraumont. Meanwhile, as many officers and non-commissioned officers as possible are being sent forward to reconnoitre the front to see where the enemy are heading.

Here at the front there is considerable speculation following the American government making the text of the Zimmerman Telegram public. Given that the Kaiser has promised Mexico he will help fund a Mexican reconquest of the American states of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona it seems impossible for the Americans, much as they may wish to cling to their neutrality, to avoid joining the ourselves and our allies.

Source: X550/8/1

The Extent of the Retreat

Sunday 25th February 1917 from our correspondent in the field

Whilst the extent of the German retreat is, as yet, unclear, it seems not to be confined to the Somme area. The 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, are at Agny south of Arras. We have heard from the acting adjutant, Second Lieutenant G A Anstee this afternoon who told us: “Information has been received that we are pushing forward fast down south and that the enemy were abandoning their positions. The division on our right was given orders to send out strong patrols to see what was happening on their front. We also sent out patrols for the same object and have had no casualties.

The 4th Battalion, north of Grandcourt continued to patrol last night. At 9 pm all these patrols reached their respective objectives without opposition and touch was gained between them and communication established with 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers on their left. An hour later a further reconnaissance was made in the direction of a trench system which was subsequently occupied. Around midnight a patrol was sent into Miraumont and reported that the town had been evacuated by hostile troops. At 9 am this morning the Battalion is holding the line just west of Miraumont.

Sources: X550/3/WD; X550/5/3

More Work for the Royal Engineers

Friday 23rd February 1917 from our correspondent in the field

The adjutant of the 1st Field Company East Anglian Royal Engineers reports that they have taken over “intermediate work”. It turns out that this means the installation of a water supply system from a well in an old sugar beet factory of which there are a number on the Somme. They are also building of several messes on dug-outs south of Miraumont for the use of 2nd Divisional Headquarters.

They are also making a dug-out for the Royal Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters, fitting gas canisters in dugouts at Courcellette, erecting camouflage screens, constructing an office at Centre Way Dump, maintaining and repairing a duck board track to said dump and constructing a bomb store. Truly, there is no rest for the sapper.

We continue to hear rumours of German retreat. All our fingers are crossed(1).

Source: WW1/WD3

(1) The German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line began on the night of 22nd/23rd February. The Germans concealed it brilliantly and the allies were slow to follow-up.