The British Campaign in France and Flanders—January to July, 1918Doyle, Arthur Conan
History
The British Campaign in France and Flanders—January to July, 1918
Doyle, Arthur Conan
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front
points the 57th and 58th Brigades were able to reorganise, the 15th
Warwicks and 9th Cheshires covering the respective fronts. On the
right the Twenty-eighth French Division had relieved the One hundred
and fifty-fourth, while the 4th Shropshires and 8th North Staffords,
both still intact, formed a link between the two Allies. Touch had
been lost on the left, and patrols were sent out to endeavour to
bridge the gap. At this period General Jeffreys of the Nineteenth
Division commanded the whole British line. A serious loss had been
caused by the wounding of General Glasgow, the experienced leader of
the 58th Brigade. General Heath of the 56th Brigade took over the
command of both units.
The Germans had reached their limit for the day, though some attempt
at an attack was made in the afternoon from the wood of Aulnay, which
was beaten back by the British fire. It was rumoured, however, that
on the left, outside the British area, he was making progress south
of Rohigny, which made General Jeffreys uneasy for his left wing. Up
to now the British had been under the general command of the Ninth
British Corps, but this was now withdrawn from the line, and the
Nineteenth Division passed to the Fifth French Corps under General
Pellé, an who left a most pleasant impression upon the {333} minds of
all who had to deal with him. On May 31 the front consisted of the
French Fortieth on the left, the French Twenty-eighth on the right,
and the British Nineteenth between them, the latter covering 12,000
yards. The weary men of the original divisions were drawn out into
reserve after as severe an ordeal as any have endured during the
whole war. The 74th Composite Brigade was also relieved. Some idea
of the losses on the day before may be gathered from the fact that
the two Welsh battalions were now formed into a single composite
company, which was added to the 9th Cheshires.
The morning of the 31st was occupied in a severe duel of artillery,
in which serious losses were sustained from the German fire, but upon
the other hand a threatened attack to the south-west of
Ville-en-Tardenois was dispersed by the British guns. About two
o'clock the enemy closed once more upon the left, striking hard at
the 6th Cheshires, who had been left behind in this quarter when the
rest of the 74th Composite Brigade had been relieved. The 10th
Warwicks were also attacked, and the whole wing was pushed back, the
enemy entering the village of Ville-en-Tardenois. The Warwicks
formed up again on high ground south-east of the village, the line
being continued by the remains of the 10th Worcesters and 8th
Gloucesters. Whilst the left wing was driven in, the right was also
fiercely attacked, the enemy swarming down in great numbers upon the
French, and the 9th Cheshires. The former were driven off the
Aubilly Ridge, and the latter had to give ground before the rush.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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