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

The Enemy Presses On

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


Saturday 23rd March 1918

This evening the situation must be faced that the enemy gained a good deal more ground today, including the town of Ham. Their advance, as the sketch map above shows, has brought them close to the towns of Bapaume and Peronne. If they reach Bapaume they will be less than twelve miles from Albert, the hub around which the Battle of the Somme revolved in 1916.

The 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment began this battle near Cambrai. They have been falling back steadily, and without fuss, so that this evening they are at the village of Ytres, on the main road from Cambrai to Combles. They are in reserve, nevertheless, the enemy is not far away, as proved by the death of Lieutenant W S Davis from shellfire and the loss of Second Lieutenant M A Kruger. He came up with the rations and then could not be found, it is assumed that an advance party of Germans caught him alone and took him prisoner(1).

The 2nd Battalion spent the night at Verlaines, south-west of Ham. At five o'clock this morning they stood to on hearing rifle and machine gun fire near Ham. 89th Brigade of their division were holding the town, but were driven back. The battalion forms part of 90th Brigade and helped to cover the withdrawal of 89th Brigade. Fortunately the enemy seemed content with taking Ham(2), so 89th Brigade went forward again and took up positions just east of Verlaines, facing Ham. Sadly, some of the 2nd Bedfords were involved in the defence of the town and there have been casualties.

The 7th Battalion, further south, managed to retake the railway bridge at Montagne near Jussy last evening. However, at 7 a.m. the enemy attacked again and managed to cross the Crozat Canal in boats on either side of the bridge. At 10 a.m., their flanks having been thus turned, the Battalion fell back to a ridge in front of the village of Faillouël. By 4 p.m., however, this position had also become untenable because high ground on the battalion's left flank had been taken by the enemy. The order was therefore given to fall back to high ground just west of the village

Having spoken with the officers of our local battalions involved in this attack it is clear that things are still very confused on the ground, no one knowing for sure where the enemy are from one moment to the next. It is also clear, however, that all remain determined to put a stop to this onslaught and reverse it.

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

(1) Whatever happened, he seems to have survived the war.
(2) This may have been due to looting. There were accounts of German troops gorging themselves on food and guzzling wine when they took a substantial settlement. This meant no further advance that day. Such behaviour was not surprising - the blockade of Germany by the Royal Navy was causing food shortages among the civilian population of Germany and even the soldiers at the front were affected.