The British Campaign in France and Flanders—July to November, 1918Doyle, Arthur Conan
History
The British Campaign in France and Flanders—July to November, 1918
Doyle, Arthur Conan
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Western Front
The Eighth Division, reconstituted under its veteran commander,
General Heneker, after its murderous and heroic experience upon the
Aisne, was the right-hand unit of Hunter-Weston's Eighth Corps, which
was the next unit of the First Army. The front of this Corps was
formed by the Twentieth Division in the north and the Eighth in the
south, and its rôle at this period was to stand fast, but by a
succession of well-conducted enterprises the Eighth Division was
continually encroaching upon the German lines. Presently, as will be
seen, when the line was advanced on the south, the Eighth Corps was
unleashed and sprang forward in combination with the general advance
on either flank. On its left, and following its general movements,
was Holland's First Corps, which was allotted, after September 20, to
the Fifth Army, so that instead of being Horne's northern unit it
became the southern Corps of Birdwood.
[Sidenote: August 27, 28.]
On August 27 the Canadians went forward once more, the 9th Brigade on
the left near the river, while the 4th and 5th were on the right.
Again there was a day of steady advance, which was rather a slow
pursuit than a battle. In the evening the line ran east of Cherisy,
but west of Pelves and Haucourt. In the north the Fifty-first
Division attacked Greenland Hill, which was a most important piece of
high {142} ground--so important that it may be said to be the point
on which the whole great advance to the Canal du Nord pivoted. The
attack was delivered with great spirit by the 7th Gordons and 6th
Black Watch of the 153rd Brigade, but they were unable to get the
summit; while the 6th Seaforths to the south of them were also held
up by machine-gun fire. Some advance was made, however, by the 154th
Brigade, which had now come in on the north of the line. That night
the 25th Brigade of the Eighth Division took over this northern
section.
August 28 saw the Canadians still continuing their slow but
inexorable advance. On that morning their 7th Brigade took Pelves
and Boiry. There were two strong counter-attacks upon the Second
Canadian Division in the evening near Artillery Hill, and for a time
the front line was pushed back, but it soon recovered and held firm.
There was quiet now on the Canadian front, but on August 29 the 154th
Brigade of the Highland Division made a fresh attack upon Greenland
Hill, which was captured by the 4th Gordons and 7th Argyll and
Sutherlands with only slight losses. This important success caused
the evacuation by the enemy of several positions commanded by the
hill, especially Delbar Wood. This capture screened the left flank
of the Canadians and drew from their General a generous message of
thanks, in which he said, "That your division after its continuous
fighting for the last year was able to take and keep the strong
position of Greenland Hill, testifies to the fact that the fighting
qualities of the Fifty-first are second to none in the Allied armies."
[Sidenote: August 30.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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