WAR SERVICES OF THE 62ND DIVISIONAL ARTILLERY. WAR SERVICES OF THE 62ND WEST RIDING DIVISIONAL ARTILLERY BY Colonel A. T. ANDERSON, C.M.G. (_C.R.H. 62nd Division, 1916-1919_), Author of "The Field Gunner's Catechism," "A Short History of Lucknow," With a Preface by Lieut.-General SIR W. P. BRAITHWAITE, K.C.B. W. HEFFER & SONS LTD. CAMBRIDGE 1920 TO THE MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN COMRADES. "_As fighters with unequal lance we met, Broken I lie, And yet, O Death, art thou the victor or am I?_" MARY BYRON. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE vii CHAPTER I. THE FIRST ADVANCE 1 CHAPTER II. JUNE TO OCTOBER 1917. TRENCH WARFARE 20 CHAPTER III. THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI 40 CHAPTER IV. THE GREAT GERMAN OFFENSIVE 56 CHAPTER V. WITH THE 5TH FRENCH ARMY 80 CHAPTER VI. THE FINAL TRIUMPH 92 CHAPTER VII. THE LAST PHASE 114 APPENDIX A. SUBSEQUENT SERVICES OF THE 311TH BRIGADE 120 APPENDIX B. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF OFFICERS 123 APPENDIX C. LIST OF OFFICERS AND MEN AWARDED DECORATIONS OR MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES 127 INDEX 137 PREFACE BY LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR WALTER BRAITHWAITE, K.C.B. Colonel Anderson has commenced his interesting record of the war services of the 62nd Divisional Artillery in January, 1917. He has, therefore, no word to say as to how the instrument he commanded so ably and with such distinction during two strenuous years of war came to attain the standard of excellence which the following pages attest. It was in February, 1916, that Brig.-General Anderson and Capt. Lindsell, then serving at the Front, were selected to take over the Command and Brigade-Majorship respectively of the 62nd Divisional Artillery. The Division was then at Salisbury Plain, and, without going into details, I would like to tender my tribute to the untiring devoted work accomplished by these two officers in training and fitting for war the Artillery of the Division I had the honour to command. They had their reward when the time came that the instrument they had created was put to the test of war. It never failed to respond to their touch. The proud record it established is the best testimony to their teaching and training. In the early part of 1917 I was asked to write a foreword for the Divisional Magazine, and in it I wrote that, given grit and discipline, there was nothing the Division could not accomplish. Grit the Yorkshireman has always possessed, discipline he learnt. I might have added a third desideratum--co-operation.