The British Campaign in France and Flanders, 1916Doyle, Arthur Conan
History
The British Campaign in France and Flanders, 1916
Doyle, Arthur Conan
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front
A strong point had been erected at
the far end of the trench, and the Germans as they rushed away from
the danger ran into a deadly machine-gun fire. The upshot was that a
great number were killed, while 8 officers and 362 men were taken,
with a loss to the attackers of 5 wounded. To add to the quaintness
of the operation, an aeroplane flew low over the trench during its
progress, helping with its bombs to make the victory complete. The
result was far more than the capture of the trench, for the 64th
Brigade, led by the Durhams, at once swept forward and captured their
objective, while the 110th Brigade upon the left reached Guedecourt
under happier auspices and remained in possession of the village.
Although the Gird line had been pierced at this point, it was held in
its western length, and this was attacked upon September 27 by the
New Zealanders and the Fifty-fifth Lancashire Territorial Division,
both of which gained their objectives, so that the whole end of this
great trench system from a point north of Flers passed definitely
into the British possession.
On October 1 there was a fresh general advance which led to no great
change in this part of the line, save that both the New Zealanders
and the Twenty-first Division improved their position, the latter
getting as far as Bayonet Trench. Shortly afterwards the New
Zealanders were drawn out, having been 23 consecutive days in the
line, and earned themselves a great reputation. "The division has
won universal confidence and admiration," said Sir Douglas Haig. "No
praise can be too high for such troops."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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