Marking Time

A7V Captured by the New Zealand Division [from Wikipedia]

Saturday 31st August 1918

Early this morning 42nd Division finally succeeded in taking the remains of the village of Riencourt. The enemy has finally put in a counter-attack against the all-conquering New Zealand Division. They even employed four of their lumbering tanks in the operation but it failed and two of these monsters have been captured by the triumphant Kiwis.

South of this 38th (Welsh) and 18th (Eastern) Divisions have made no set piece attacks today but German positions at Morval and Combles have been systematically bombarded to weaken the defences. That does not mean that the infantry has been idle. 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, for example have pushed forward a series of posts north-east of Combles as shown on the map below. The adjutant reckoned that during the month of August the battalion has captured one German officer and seventy-one other ranks as prisoners-of-war

Source: X550/3/wd

More Success for the New Zealanders

Friday 30th August 1918

With Bapaume taken the New Zealand Division was today given the task of taking two villages to the east of the town - Bancourt and, to the north-east of that place, Fremicourt. The villages have duly fallen and the line taken some two thousand yards forward. Sadly, 42nd Division have been unable to take the village of Riencourt. 

Similarly, 38th (Welsh) Division have been unable to take Morval, mainly owing to the strength of the enemy's artillery barrage on any attempt to get forward. The same artillery has rendered impossible the 18th Division's attempts to make any serious advance though a little ground has been made. 

2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment had been ordered to take a sunken lane north of Combles and the attempt was duly made. However, they could get no further than another sunken lane a little way to the west - both shown on the map below. Sadly some nine other ranks have been killed, five are missing and thirty two have been killed. Amongst officers Captain P J Reiss has been wounded and 2nd Lieutenant A D Greenwood has been killed.

Source: X550/3/wd

Roll of Honour - 30th August 1918

Bapaume Falls

Thursday 29th August 1918

Another great leap forward has taken place on the Somme today. 18th (Eastern) Division began its advance this morning at Trones Wood at first light, sweeping through the familiar village of Guillemont an hour later and at Leuze Wood about nine this morning. This evening sees them north, west and south of Combles, though the village itself yet holds out. 

2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, then part of 30th Division lost many men at Guillemont in 1916 so it must have been with great pleasure that this morning they advanced through its few remains without a scratch, following 38th (Welsh) Division. The battalion assisted in the capture of Leuze Wood, and the high ground to the north of it, which gave it little trouble due to the speed and momentum of the advance. Then, as the adjutant informed me a few moments ago: "Our advance was held by strong machine gun fire from the enemy in position along the spur running from Morval southwards towards Combles. the battalion then dug-in as shown on the map above. Altogether four other ranks were killed and thirty-four wounded in today's action.

As already related the Welshmen of 38th Division also advanced today, beginning at Longueval captured the shattered remains of the village of Ginchy and this evening have swept on to take the hamlet of Lesboeufs.

Meanwhile, in the north, the enemy must have evacuated Bapaume as today the New Zealand Division was able to enter the deserted ruins with no finger lifted against it. Similarly 42nd Division took the now empty Thilloy and Ligny-Thilloy. Thus it has taken a mere eight days to advance from Albert to take Bapaume, in 1916 a battle of 144 days brought the army no closer to Bapaume than a few miles to the west. Nothing can so starkly underline the greatly increased efficiency of our own armies and the greatly decreased ability of the enemy to resist.

Source: X550/3/wd

Roll of Honour - 29th August 1918

Longueval Falls

Wednesday 28th August 1918

For the last two days 12th (Eastern) Division has seen hard fighting in a area made infamous at the end of July 1916 - Hardecourt and Maltz Horn Farm south of Guillemont. Today their efforts have been crowned with the capture of Hardecourt. This evening we have heard the good news that with great dash the Welshmen of 38th Division have cleared not only the mess that is Delville Wood but the pathetic ruins of what was once the village of Longueval, a place which took two months to capture in 1916.

In the north the twin villages of Thilloy and Ligny-Thilloy have been heavily bombarded all day. 42nd Division has been brought in to replace 63rd (Royal Naval) Division and the 4th Bedfords have gone to rest up at Miraumont. The 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 5th Division is now in the vicinity of Bapaume though not in action. A group of 62 reinforcements joined the battalion today.

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/5/3

Roll of Honour - 28th August 1918