War Services of the 62nd West Riding Divisional Artillery — Inside the Classic

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

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.

The event proved, however, that this virtue was not lacking. It is to these three great qualities I attribute the success of the Division. The Divisional Artillery knew that they existed for the purpose of helping the Infantry. The Infantry knew that they could depend on the Artillery in all circumstances and under all conditions.

There are many glorious episodes described in the following pages, many plain unvarnished tales of heroism, and much record of what, to the casual reader unacquainted with the conditions of life "out there," may appear to be commonplace drudgery.

All had their place in building up the reputation of the 62nd Divisional Artillery, and none were more important than others, or less.

The strain on the horses, the toil of the men in the never-ceasing "packing" of the ammunition to Miraumont, up the shell-swept road, past Shrapnel Corner, to the fire-desolated village, had its result and compensation in the advance to Bapaume and the capture of Achiet-le-Petit and Achiet-le-Grand.

The daily digging, the unceasing work on dug-outs and gun-positions in Ecoust, and in the Noreuil Valley, saved many a life and rendered possible the accurate service of the guns in the Battle of Bullecourt, and in the subsequent period of holding that much-strafed line.

The practice in driving and the training in open warfare found their consummation in that glorious advance of the batteries to Graincourt.

And then, after a year's hard work, came the first rest. In December, 1917, the gunners came out of the line for the first time, and hardly knew themselves!

January, 1918, saw the Division back in the line again in a comparatively peaceful sector with, however, as always, one bad spot--Bailleul, through which one never loitered.

But peaceful bits of the line were not the lot of the 62nd Divisional Artillery for long, and in March we were hurried down to Bucquoy. Here was no line, peaceful or otherwise, no prepared positions to take over, but the hurly-burly of battle, and positions to be chosen where they could be found. But what splendid targets!

After the battle came a period of holding the line again, in, I think, the most unpleasant sector we occupied, of which Essarts was the most unhealthy spot.

Then came a change. A quick train journey to the South and a rush into battle without time for proper reconnaissance, but with the willing and ready help of French and Italian comrades.

A quick change also to open warfare, and fighting in dense woods! But these variations affected not at all the Divisional Artillery except in so far as it stimulated the interest of officers and men.

The fighting in the Ardre Valley was indeed an experience we shall all look back upon with pride and with pleasure.

It was in the thick woods bordering the main road from Epernay to Rheims that the D.A.C. lost their show team of roans who fell victims to a bomb in that much bombed area. I can see now the distress on Fraser's face when he told me of the casualty. There were many other gallant four-footed friends who paid the toll of war there. If "the men both good and wise" are right we may yet hope "to give them joyous greeting when we pass the Golden Gate."

And so we come to the return journey, back again to the 4th Army Corps. I am glad to say my own especial pets, a very handsome pair of blacks in "A" Battery 310 Brigade, survived the bombs, and before long another battle and the beginning of the glorious end.

Indeed, had we but realised it at the time, the beginning had come, and we had participated in it, one of the only four British Divisions which had had the luck of that honour.

It was shortly after our return from Rheims that I left the 62nd Division for the 9th Army Corps, so I cannot speak from actual experience of the thrilling excitement and glorious successes which the Division achieved in the 2nd taking of Havrincourt, and in the other great battles which brought this long war to a triumphant conclusion. (I left just after the York and Lancasters made that thrilling bayonet charge in company with the King's Company of the Grenadier Guards on the heights near Mory.)

But the story of these culminating triumphs is told in the pages of this book, and it only remains for me to offer one or two remarks.

Three things, among others, seem to me to be especially worthy of note: the endurance of the personnel, the youth of the officers in command of batteries, the efficiency of the Territorial gunner and driver.

How often do we see the phrase, "The Infantry were withdrawn for a rest, the Artillery remaining, as usual, in the line covering the --th Division."

The periodical reliefs of Divisions hardly affected the gunner at all. It was a marvel to me how the various Divisional Artilleries managed to "stick it out." A day or two in the wagon lines now and then seemed all that was necessary to restore officers and men to full vigour and activity again. It was a triumph of endurance.

As the war progressed battery commanders became younger and younger. I remember once congratulating an officer on gaining command of a six-gun battery--he had just "put up" his crowns--and making some remark on his age, to be met with the retort, "I'm not so very young, Sir, I'm nearly 21."

I wonder what would have been thought of the prophet who, in 1913, had predicted that batteries would be commanded in the greatest of all wars by men of "nearly 21"!

I well remember, some years before the war, when the Territorial Force was first evolved, the utter scepticism expressed of the Territorial ever being able to be made into a gunner. Infantry yes, but gunners--! And a distinguished Colonel Commandant R.A., of the old school, told me, during 1916, that Territorial Force gunners might be all right during trench warfare, but that it was absurd to think that Territorial Force drivers would ever be able to bring the guns into position in a war of movement. The advance of the batteries to Graincourt at the Battle of Cambrai, the changes of position on the Ardre, and 100 other instances prove the fallacy of such gloomy prognostications.

Properly trained and instructed--and the 62nd Divisional Artillery was that--Territorial Force gunners and drivers proved themselves equal to all tasks set them. Higher praise it is impossible to bestow.

In the concluding paragraph of his book, Colonel Anderson writes of "the brotherhood of officers and men" and of "steadfast and loyal comradeship."

It was these virtues fostered and encouraged by men like the writer of this book, David Sherlock, Bedwell, Gadie, Woodcock, Lindsell, FitzGibbon, and many others, which enabled the 62nd Divisional Artillery to triumph over all obstacles, to achieve its deeds of valour, and to gain its brilliant successes for the glory of England and to the eternal honour of Yorkshiremen.

WALTER BRAITHWAITE, _Lieut.-General_.

(A former Commander of the 62nd (West Riding) Division, T.F.)

_February 7th, 1920._

"_Come, join in the only battle Wherein no man can fail, Where whoso fadeth and dieth Yet his deed shall still prevail._"

[Sidenote: Jan. 1917.]

On the 23rd December, 1916, the 62nd Division received orders to embark for France. The artillery, which was billeted in Northampton, was conveyed from Southampton to Havre on the 6th and 7th January, 1917, and thence railed to the concentration area at and around Wavans, near Auxi-le-Chateau. The weather was of the worst type that January can give, alternate frost and thaw and bitterly cold, and we began to experience at once the distressing conditions of mud and slush, which were to be so normal a feature in this and the two following winters in France and Belgium.

On the 17th January the 310th and 312th Brigades sent off one section per battery by motor lorry to be attached to the 19th Division, then in the firing line, for training preliminary to taking over finally their part of the line. It was a snowy, uncomfortable sort of day, and the lorries were, as so often happened, late in arriving, with the result that the detachments did not get started on their journey till about 3 p.m., and arrived at their destination after dark. Sections from the 311th Brigade followed the next day.

On the 23rd the Divisional Artillery marched to Auteuil and Amplieu, and remained in billets there for the next few days, the headquarters being at Bus-les-Artois. The first gunner casualty took place on the 24th, a gunner of the 312th Brigade being wounded on that day while attached to the 19th Division.

The next few days were spent by the Staffs of Headquarters and Brigades in inspecting the positions to be occupied by batteries in the neighbourhood of Courcelles, Mailly-mailly, Colincamps, and Engelbelmer, and in reconnoitring the observation posts on the high ground north of Beaumont Hamel. This village, like so many that we were now to become acquainted with, had been so thoroughly destroyed by shell fire, our own and that of the enemy, that one might easily have passed through it without realising that there had ever been a village there. All the ground in its neighbourhood was so deeply pitted with shell craters that it was almost impossible for a foot passenger even to find a pathway through them, there being rarely more than an inch or two of the original ground between each. The mud was, moreover, indescribable, and there was not only a risk of being badly bogged, but cases even occurred of men being engulphed and drowned in the viscous mud of a shell crater, and two of our artillery horses lost their lives in this way.

[Sidenote: Feb. 1917.]

On the night of the 1st February the 310th Brigade, and one battery of the 311th, went into action near Auchonvillers and Engelbelmer, and a few days later helped to support an attack by the 63rd Division, when the enemy was driven out of a part of the Pusieux trench and thereby forced to evacuate Grandcourt.

On the 10th the same batteries supported the 32nd Division in a successful assault on Ten Tree Alley; on this occasion we had the first casualty among our officers, Capt. H. C. Lasbrey being severely wounded.

The remainder of the batteries took over their positions in action from the 7th Division on the 11th and 12th February, as did our infantry during the following two days; and on the 15th I took over the artillery command. After a period of intense cold, during which the temperature fell below zero one night, a thaw set in this day, and the mud difficulty again became acute. Early on the 17th the 63rd Division on our immediate right attacked and captured the Swan trench north of Grandcourt, taking about 100 prisoners. The 311th Brigade did good work in this successful little operation, and I got a special message of thanks for their help from the G.O.C. 2nd Corps.

Arrangements were now in progress for a fresh attack, and, new positions having being selected on the western outskirts of Beaumont Hamel, the first sections of all the batteries moved into them on the 21st. The remainder was preparing to follow when, on the morning of Saturday, the 24th February, our patrols discovered that the enemy had vacated his line. The 5th Corps, to which we belonged, at once began a cautious advance, and on the 25th had occupied Serre and Miraumont, while the Division on our right pressed on into Pys. Strenuous efforts, which none who took part in them are likely to forget, were now made to push forward the guns, although the one road through Beaucourt to Miraumont was all but impassable. Officers and men worked with a will, and by the 28th all batteries were in action at the Bois d'Hollande and Baillescourt, while one section of the Ammunition Column was advanced to the neighbourhood of Hamel. Major R. C. Williams was wounded on this date, and had to leave us, a great loss to the Divisional Artillery.

[Sidenote: March 1917.]

It was now established that the Boche was holding the line Bucquoy--Achiet-le-Petit--Loupart, and it became necessary to advance the guns to closer range. Positions were accordingly reconnoitred in and around Miraumont, and every endeavour was made to occupy them as quickly as possible. By the 3rd of March most of the batteries were in their new positions, and the front infantry line on that date ran along the dry ditch from the East of Pusieux to the railway line about a mile N.E. of Miraumont. During the next week the forward move was completed in the face of indescribable difficulties. On the 3rd March, Lieut. H. A. Sabelli, and on the 5th Lieut. E. W. Jephson, were wounded, and two more officers were hit on the 6th, Lieuts. R. Holburn and J. MacIlroy. Major Swain had a fortunate escape; when his battery got into Miraumont he took up his quarters in a German dug-out, which boasted the luxury of a fireplace. His servant was about to light a fire, when Swain told him that he needn't bother about it that night. Next morning the man was laying the fire when he noticed a bit of wire; closer investigation showed a length of quick-match fastened to the wire and leading to a hole under the dug-out, in which was packed sufficient explosive to have blown the whole place sky-high. On the 5th, Divisional Headquarters moved to Engelsart, a hutted camp between Engelbelmer and Martinsart.

Miraumont was a particularly dangerous and unpleasant spot; the Bosche kept it continually under shell-fire, and also bespattered freely the one road which formed our communication with it. This road ran for over half-a-mile in full view of the enemy, and was in such a shocking state of disrepair that all ammunition had to be brought up on pack saddles, each horse or mule carrying eight rounds. The country on each side was such a slough of despond that it was generally impossible for pack animals to leave the road, and as all movements had to take place at night, the ammunition supply was a very serious problem. At least 4000 rounds were required for daily consumption, and I find in my diary that 1600 horse loads were sent up on the night of the 4th, in batches of 25 animals at ten minutes interval, and that only one man was hit in the process, although the road was constantly under fire. There was very little rest for any of the drivers, whether of the D.A.C. or of the batteries, and their zeal, endurance, and good temper were beyond all praise.

Just before the road enters Miraumont a sunken road runs to the left, honeycombed with dug-outs and occupied by one of our Infantry Brigade Headquarters; and on the right a steep path leads down into the valley. Here the three Colonels have their precarious shelters; sometimes things may be quiet for a short breathing space--more often they are just the reverse. On the 11th, all through the afternoon, and right on through the night, shells were exploding in this part of the valley on an average of one every two minutes. Not much damage was done, but the strain of it may be imagined on the nerves of those who have to live there without any adequate cover. The village is utterly destroyed, but has not disappeared. Walls and ruins still stand, sometimes as high as ten feet or so, and the streets are distinguishable. But it is not good to linger in them. Almost unceasingly in one part or another of the skeleton village shells scream and crash, raking the streets with bullets and splinters, and hurling bricks and beams in every direction. Here are to be found Swain's, Foot's, Bigg's, Arnold Forster's, Hudson's, and Robinson's batteries, the others being outside in the scarcely less dangerous outskirts of the village.

During the fighting in Miraumont, the losses in the Artillery amounted to 6 officers (Capt. F. H. Seeman gassed, in addition to those already mentioned) and about 70 other ranks, while a great many horses and mules were killed; nine guns were knocked out by Artillery fire. The strain on officers and men was very great; and although the latter were able to get some slight respite from danger, though not from hard work, by taking an occasional spell at the wagon lines, it was difficult to give any relief to the officers. I therefore started an experiment which was a great success for the short time in which it was possible for it to remain in operation. One of the less ruined houses in Mailly-mailly was commandeered and roughly fitted up as a rest house in charge of one of the trench mortar officers, the mortars not yet having been brought into action. It was arranged that three officers at a time should be accommodated here for a clear three days and nights, during which they would have nothing to do but take it easy and recoup themselves, away from the noise and stress of battle. The change was greatly appreciated by the few officers who were able to avail themselves of it before a further advance put an end to the scheme.

Irles was captured by the 18th Division, supported by our artillery, on the 10th March, and on the 14th the enemy was driven out of Grevillers and Loupart Wood. A plan of attack on Achiet-le-Petit was now drawn up, to take place at dawn on the 18th. Our preliminary bombardment, however, which began on the 16th and went on through the night, was too much for the Boche, and on the morning of Saturday the 17th March our infantry patrols entered the village and found it unoccupied. News came through the day of further successes. Bapaume had fallen, and Bucquoy, Biefvillers and Bihucourt were all in our possession. Hopes ran high, and there was general excitement and delight. Once more the batteries were ordered to push on as quickly as possible, and they moved forward into positions close to Achiet-le-Petit. The 7th Division now passed through us, and for a short time the 62nd Division ceased to take an active part in the fighting, though still continuing to advance. Advanced guards occupied Courcelles and Gomiecourt on the 18th, and the Lucknow Cavalry Brigade pressed on further and hung on to the heels of the retreating enemy. On the 21st, D/312 advanced at dawn and joined the 7th Division advanced guard at Ervillers, to help them in an attack on Croisilles, which the Boche was still holding. On this occasion we had our first officer killed, Lieut. C. W. Pullan; a shell burst in the observation post near St. Leger, from which he was gallantly directing the fire of his battery. A/312 and C/312 went into action the same day between Ervillers and St. Leger, also with the 7th Division, while the 310th Brigade remained in positions of readiness near Logeast Wood.