Divisional Artillery in the Salient—Reorganisation into six-gun Batteries—Move of Artillery to the Somme—Attack of Division on “Blue Line” facing Morval and Lesbœufs, 16th to 18th of September—Line near Gueudecourt—Attack on “Brown Line” overlooking Le Transloy, 7th October.
(Vide Map II.)
When the 20th Division moved out of the Ypres Salient in July 1916, the artillery remained in the line covering the infantry of the 6th Division. Soon afterwards the XIVth Corps went south, exchanging with the VIIIth, and the remaining divisions which had composed the XIVth Corps in the salient went with it, to reappear in the Hebuterne area on their way to the Somme. Thus on the 24th the Guards handed over to the 4th Division, and on the 31st the infantry of the 6th was relieved by the infantry of the 29th, on the front covered by the 20th Divisional Artillery.
All through August the guns on both sides were very active. Almost daily some part of our position in this sector was heavily shelled, and our batteries were occupied in retaliation, and in bringing under fire various points in and behind the German lines. On the 8th the enemy was particularly aggressive, and shelled nearly all the battery positions. That night, between 11 P.M. and midnight, he discharged gas on the front of the 29th Division, which was unfortunate in having a large number of casualties, though the 20th Divisional Artillery had none.
On the 1st of September the Divisional Artillery, while still in the line, was reorganised on the basis of six guns to each 18-pr. battery. The three howitzer batteries (the fourth, it will be remembered, had left the Division in August 1915) remained unaltered, with four guns each. This involved many changes; one battery in each brigade was broken up to provide the extra guns for those that remained; several others were re-numbered, and the 90th Brigade, which had no howitzer battery, disappeared. When the reorganisation was complete the Divisional Artillery, under Brig.-General Hotham, was composed as follows:—
On the 8th of September the 20th Divisional Artillery was relieved by that of the 4th Division, and started on a six days’ march southwards to the Somme. On the 13th it came again under the XIVth Corps, but it was not to cover the front of its own infantry until the end of the month.
After the operations at Guillemont the 20th Division went back for a short period of rest, during which time our hold on the main ridge was completed by the capture of Ginchy. We now enter upon the third phase of the battle, in which the British troops pushed down the far side of the ridge and also gained ground on the flanks of the attack. On the 15th of September and the following days an advance on the whole front of the Fourth Army brought the line on the right to within assaulting distance of Morval, Lesbœufs and Gueudecourt—the last of the enemy’s original defensive systems—and on the left as far as High Wood, Martinpuich and Courcelette. The attack was made by the XIVth Corps on the right, the XVth in the centre and the IIIrd on the left, and was the first occasion on which tanks came into action. In the XIVth Corps the 56th Division was on the right, the 6th in the centre, the Guards on the left, and the 20th in reserve.
The only unit of the 20th Division which fought on the first day of the battle was the 91st Field Artillery Brigade. On the 13th, as soon as the Divisional Artillery had come into the XIVth Corps area, Brig.-General Hotham was ordered to send one brigade to reinforce the 56th Divisional Artillery on the extreme right of the British line. Next day, accordingly, while the 92nd and 93rd Brigades went into camp in the Bois des Tailles, two miles south of Meaulte, the 91st Brigade, having marched already 35 miles, moved up ten miles further to positions between Bois Favière and Trônes Wood, where by 3 A.M. on the 15th all batteries were dug in and ready to open fire. By the time the teams had withdrawn to their wagon lines they had covered well over 50 miles. This was a very fine performance, reflecting the highest credit on the spirit of the men and the fitness of the horses. During the battle that day the brigade put down a defensive flank barrage on Combles to assist the attack of the 56th Division west of the village.
The headquarters of the 20th Division was at Forked Tree Camp, two miles south of Fricourt, and the 92nd and 93rd Field Artillery Brigades remained in the Bois des Tailles.
The infantry of the 20th Division came into the fighting in the early hours of the 16th, when the 60th and 61st Brigades, having been placed under the orders of the G.O.C. Guards Division, moved forward, the 61st to the right of the Guards’ line opposite Lesbœufs, the 60th into reserve at Waterlot Farm.
The three infantry brigades of the 20th Division had not yet received reinforcements to replace the great losses of the Guillemont fight and were in consequence very weak; the 59th Brigade could put only 900 rifles in the line, and the other two brigades only 1100 and 1200, but they were still full of fight and confidence.
The first objective on this day was a “Blue Line” facing Morval and Lesbœufs and about 1200 yards west of these places. The second objective skirted Morval on the west and Lesbœufs on the east, ending at the cross-roads half way between Lesbœufs and Gueudecourt.
The 61st Brigade, under Brig.-General Banbury, was to attack on the right, the 3rd Guards Brigade on the left. On the left of the Guards was the XVth Corps.
The 61st Brigade was not in touch with any attacking troops on its right, as the 6th Division was still held up by the Quadrilateral—a well-sited and stubbornly defended fortification three-quarters of a mile east of Ginchy.
The 7th D.C.L.I. (Lieut.-Colonel J. G. T. Simcox, D.S.O.) were detailed to attack on the right of the line and the 7th Somerset L.I. (Major E. L. Lyon) on the left.
In support were the 7th K.O.Y.L.I. (Lieut.-Colonel B. B. Robinson), who had orders to watch particularly the exposed right flank. The 12th King’s (Lieut.-Colonel Vince) formed the reserve.
Owing to the late hour at which orders were received on the 15th the battalions of the 61st Brigade had not time to complete their assembly before dawn on the 16th. As a result they had to face heavy and very accurate machine-gun and minenwerfer fire, which caused many casualties before the advance began.
The 7th Somerset L.I. lost Major Lyon and all senior officers at this time. Second-Lieut T. G. Jenne commanded the battalion throughout the operation and was awarded the M.C.
Zero was at 9.25 A.M., when the assaulting troops advanced to within 70 yards of the barrage. As soon as the barrage lifted, they attacked the position. The D.C.L.I., under Captain Macmillan, the second in command, established themselves in the first objective, where they captured 100 prisoners and 2 minenwerfer. They found, however, that they were not in touch with the Somersets, though they met an isolated company of this battalion. Due largely to the splendid efforts of Lance-Cpl. R. V. E. Hill and Pte. C. Barrow, who both received the M.M. for their gallant action on this day, the Somersets gained the German line on a front of 150 yards, taking 50 prisoners and 2 machine guns. They held their position while they dug another trench just to the west of it; then having used all their own bombs and all that they had captured from the enemy, they had to fall back to the new trench.
The time laid down for the advance to the second objective was 10 A.M., but Captain Macmillan, 7th D.C.L.I., seeing that the attack on the left was not progressing, decided not to attempt any further advance. It appears that, owing to the late hour at which the orders were received and to the difficulty of effecting the necessary reliefs, the Guards were late in launching their attack, and then meeting with strong opposition were unable to make much progress.
The Somersets came under very heavy machine-gun fire, from which they suffered severely. As early as half-past ten they were reported to have only two junior officers left. In spite of running short of bombs and ammunition, they held on in the trench they had dug until they were relieved at night. The D.C.L.I., meanwhile, with a gap between them and the Somersets, were left with both flanks in the air. They too had lost heavily, and all battalion bombers had been wiped out by minenwerfer. The K.O.Y.L.I. came up and made their right flank secure, and when a counter attack developed on their left they borrowed two bombing sections from this battalion, and with their help drove the enemy back. At 10.45 A.M. the 12th King’s went up to reinforce the line under very heavy machine-gun fire from the front, right, and right rear. About 6 P.M. the 84th Field Company R.E. came up and constructed strong points on the flanks, and at dusk a platoon of the K.O.Y.L.I. with a Lewis gun and a bombing section dug in, with the assistance of a party of R.E. on the left of the D.C.L.I. During the operations Lieut.-Colonel B. B. Robinson, commanding the 7th K.O.Y.L.I., was wounded by a shell which hit the battalion headquarters, killing or wounding all officers there. At night all units of the brigade were relieved.
The casualties were heavy, but the brigade gained and held its objective. It was a particularly fine performance, and Brig.-General Banbury received high praise from the G.O.C. Guards Division for the success of the attack. With both flanks exposed the 61st Brigade had successfully stormed, under heavy artillery, rifle and machine-gun fire, a strong German position, and in spite of numerous counter attacks had succeeded in holding it until relieved.
Captain Macmillan, D.C.L.I., was awarded the D.S.O. for his gallant leadership on this occasion.
On the night of the 16th/17th the 20th Division, less the 61st Brigade, relieved the Guards in the left sector of the XIVth Corps front, with the headquarters at Bernafay Wood. The 60th Brigade, under Brig.-General Butler, took over the right of the line from the 61st, which moved back into Corps reserve at Carnoy, leaving the 84th Field Company at the disposal of the C.R.E.; the 59th, under Brig.-General Shute, took over the left of the line from the 3rd Guards Brigade. The Divisional reserve was formed by a brigade of the 5th Division at Waterlot Farm. On the right of the 20th was the 6th Division, and on the left the 21st Division of the XVth Corps. The front was covered by the Guards and two brigades of the 6th Divisional Artillery.
The relief of the Guards by the 59th Brigade was most arduous. The situation here was very obscure; the guides had great difficulty in finding their way, and the enemy was shelling the area with gas. The 11th R.B., for example, had to march for a considerable distance in gas masks, and took about five hours to get from Trônes Wood to the line.
The headquarters of these four battalions were in a ditch which the enemy shelled continuously on the 17th, and on which he obtained many direct hits.
During the day the enemy made several attempts to enter the trenches of the 60th Brigade. A determined bombing attack launched at 1.30 P.M. against the 12th K.R.R.C. was driven back with great loss after fighting lasting for an hour and a half. At the same time an attack was made against the 6th K.S.L.I. A party rushed the bombing post on the left of this battalion, while large numbers of men in small groups tried to come across the open from Lesbœufs. The latter were repulsed, and the N.C.O. in charge of the bombing post collected his men, who by out-throwing the Germans drove them back. Several other attempts were similarly defeated by the superior throwing of our bombers. The artillery opened fire, and accounted for many of the enemy. The casualties—due partly to these attacks and partly to hostile shelling—amounted to 3 officers and 35 other ranks in the 12th K.R.R.C., and 62 other ranks in the K.S.L.I.
On the same day three battalions of the 59th Brigade—the 11th R.B., the 10th R.B. and the 11th K.R.R.C.—were called upon to carry out a most difficult operation. The objective was some 800 yards of the Blue Line which still remained in the enemy’s hands. The battalions from the first were placed at a serious disadvantage, as the trenches they had taken over the night before ran almost at right angles to the enemy’s line; they were, in fact, old communication trenches. British troops were reported to be holding the Blue Line on each flank of the objective, but it was not discovered until too late that this information was incorrect. The brigade on the left of the 59th was therefore unable to give the expected assistance by bombing down the flank of the enemy’s line. Owing to the uncertainty of the situation and the difficulty of communicating with the front line, the companies did not receive their orders until a short time before the attack; one company of the 11th R.B. did not take part in the operation, as all runners sent to this company were hit before they could reach it. Moreover, owing to the little time available for the preparation of barrage tables and to the uncertainty of the ammunition supply, the artillery could not give the necessary support.
These three battalions, then, on leaving their trenches had to swing round on a forward slope. As soon as they showed themselves, the enemy, obviously ready for the attack, put down an extremely quick and accurate barrage, and met the assaulting line with a hail of bullets. Although nearly all the most advanced troops became casualties, some of the 11th K.R.R.C. fought their way forward to the objective, and Captain O. R. Ord, with a few riflemen of the 10th R.B., reached the enemy wire, where they were all killed in making a gallant attempt to get through. Most of the troops, coming under overwhelming machine-gun fire from the front and flanks, were unable to make much progress. In the end all three battalions had to retire to their original line with very heavy losses.
Captain Johnson, medical officer to the 10th R.B., was awarded the M.C. for attending the wounded for many hours after he had been severely wounded himself.
This attack resulted in the only failure sustained by the Division during the battle of the Somme.
On the 18th the 6th Division made another attack on the Quadrilateral and succeeded in breaking down the very determined resistance of the defenders and in capturing the position. A patrol of the 12th R.B. under Lieut. Breckon and 2nd Lieut. Ruddle was sent out to assist on the left flank of the attack, and was most successful. About 300 yards from the 12th R.B. trenches was the head of the valley which runs north from Combles. Here the patrol cut off several parties of the enemy as they retired from their trenches, and captured a machine gun and 26 prisoners (one party alone, under Cpl. Chitty, took 14 of them), besides accounting for some 50 more who tried to get away down the valley. One of the 12th R.B. bombing sections, which had been lent to the 12th K.R.R.C., was at this time holding an advanced bombing post. A man of this section, Rifleman Yates, went out by himself against a party of Germans who had been seen collecting for a counter attack behind a barricade in their trench. Bombing the Germans as he went he inflicted considerable loss upon them and broke up the attack. In the meantime a bombing attack had been made against the 6th K.S.L.I., and had been defeated.
The 7th K.O.Y.L.I. were moved up in the early hours of the 19th to the support of the 59th Brigade. They arrived at their position forty minutes after dawn, having suffered 60 casualties in passing through a very heavy barrage and in advancing across ground swept by machine-gun fire. Here they remained till they were relieved on the 21st, having lost 30 more men on the 20th from enemy shelling. The 12th King’s also came up on the 19th to reinforce the 59th Brigade, and the 10th and 11th R.B. were withdrawn from the line.
Between the 17th and the 21st, when the Division was relieved, the nights were largely spent in digging a new line of trenches. The battalions of both brigades, the 84th Field Company R.E. and the 11th D.L.I., were employed on this work, which was carried through in spite of bad weather and a good deal of hostile fire.
Meanwhile the 92nd and 93rd Field Artillery Brigades had taken their part in the operations. The 93rd moved to Guillemont on the 19th, coming under the Guards Divisional Artillery, and the 92nd came into action on the 20th in support of the 18th Infantry Brigade of the 6th Division. The 91st Field Artillery Brigade remained with the 56th Division, which was working towards Combles. All three brigades were engaged in a general attack which was made on the 25th of September. In this action Morval and Lesbœufs were taken; Combles was practically surrounded, and was entered by British and French troops simultaneously on the 26th, when Gueudecourt also fell. This success was then extended to the left flank by the capture on the 27th of Thiepval.
After a few days’ rest in the neighbourhood of Treux the Division again moved forward on the 26th into the line near Morval, only to be relieved next day by the 2nd French Division, which took over that part of the line in preparation for an attack on Sailly-Saillisel. The 20th then took over from the 21st Division of the XVth Corps a line extending from the cross-roads half-way between Gueudecourt and Lesbœufs to a point 250 yards east of Gueudecourt.
All these constant changes of headquarters meant necessarily very hard work for all the personnel of the Signal Service, made more difficult by the continual rain and appalling mud. In spite of these difficulties, communications were most successfully maintained throughout this period.
The new sector was held for the first week by one brigade—the 61st—which went in on the night of the 29th/30th. The 60th Brigade was in support near Trônes Wood, the 59th remaining at Carnoy in reserve, and Divisional Headquarters returned to Bernafay Wood. Here also the headquarters of the Divisional Artillery was established on the 29th, when Brig.-General Hotham look command of the artillery covering the 20th Division, composed of his own three brigades and certain others which varied for the first few days, but which after the 4th of October consisted of the Guards Divisional Artillery and the 24th Field Artillery Brigade of the 6th Division.
The batteries were in a valley about 800 yards north-east of Delville Wood, known from its map reference as Toc 7 Valley. It was a most unpleasant place. Within a length of a mile all the guns of the whole of the artillery covering the 20th Division were crowded together, being in many places only ten yards apart. The gun-pits were very rough at first, consisting of a sandbag parapet with a tarpaulin or matting over the gun. The men lived in slits in the ground, with a sheet of corrugated iron over the top and a great deal of water at the bottom. The Germans knew well enough that our guns were concentrated in this valley—the only place in the neighbourhood that gave any flash cover—and shelled the positions continually. There was great difficulty at this time in getting up ammunition, all of which had to come by night over the exposed ridge east of Delville Wood. Owing to wet weather and the many shell craters the ground was so bad that it was impossible to get wagons up to the gun positions. After a few days it was arranged that all ammunition should be brought up by pack; and this became the regular way of supplying the guns as long as they remained in this valley.
It will be seen from the map that the line which the Division held ran north-west and south-east. It lay in low ground, facing a ridge beyond which were the villages of Le Transloy and Beaulencourt. The object of the operations which followed—the last fighting to be demanded of the Division for some time—was to gain possession of the crest of this ridge and bring under observation the country on its north-east side.
As a preparatory measure, advantage was taken of operations which were being carried out on the left on the 1st of October to advance the line of the 61st Brigade. It was desired to get a good jumping-off place from which to assault the enemy’s position on the crest of the ridge, and also to observe where his barrages were placed and where they might be expected in the course of the attack. At 3.15 P.M. on the 1st of October the 7th Somerset L.I. on the right and the 7th D.C.L.I. on the left pushed forward small parties at an interval of 150 yards under an intense artillery barrage. They gained ground to an average depth of 400 yards and established strong points within 200 yards of the German trenches. While they were digging in on what was dead ground from the enemy’s trench the Germans made several counter attacks. As soon as they appeared over the top our men downed tools and drove them back with rifle fire, “standing in the open.” After dark, and during the next night, these strong points were connected by the 84th Field Company R.E. and the 11th D.L.I. into a continuous line. The position of the enemy’s barrage was observed, and this was of great assistance in the attack on the 7th of October, when troops were kept away from the dangerous areas and many casualties thereby saved. The whole operation was carried out well and in a very determined manner, but not without considerable loss.
On the night of the 3rd/4th the 60th Brigade came up into the line and took over the right sub-sector from the 61st Brigade; the latter continued to hold the left sub-sector, so that there were then two brigades holding the Divisional front.
The attack was put off for two days—that is, until the 7th—owing to a break in the weather. Between the 3rd and 6th the preparations were completed. Further supplies of bombs and ammunition were brought up, communications were improved, and assembly trenches dug with the help of the R.E. field companies and the 11th D.L.I. Most of the troops detailed to make the assault moved back for two days’ rest, but by the 7th all had taken up their places in readiness for the attack. The 60th Brigade was on the right, with the 6th Oxford and Bucks L.I. and the 12th R.B. in the front line, the 12th K.R.R.C. in support, and the 6th K.S.L.I. in reserve. The 61st Brigade was on the left, with the 7th K.O.Y.L.I. (in touch with the 12th R.B.) and the 12th King’s in front, each supported by two companies of the 7th Somerset L.I. The 7th D.C.L.I. were in reserve. The 59th Brigade was in Divisional reserve west of Trônes Wood. On the right of the 20th Division the 56th Division, also belonging to the XIVth Corps, carried on the line, and on the left the 12th Division of the XVth Corps. The strength of the brigades was as follows:—
| 59th Brigade | 2075 |
| 60th Brigade | 2087 |
| 61st Brigade | 2317 |
| 6479 |
The object of the operation was to establish a position on the top of the ridge overlooking Le Transloy and Beaulencourt, which might serve as a line of departure for a further advance against these places. With this end in view the attack was made along the whole front of the Fourth Army, the objective being a “Brown Line” which was taken to be the crest of the ridge. For the 20th Division the first objective was Rainbow Trench, on the near side of the crest; the second objective, which included Cloudy Trench, was about 1200 yards of the Brown Line facing the original Divisional front. The direction of the advance, therefore, was north-east.
At 11.30 on the morning of the 7th a German aeroplane flew low over the lines. In spite of the men lying quite still the observer probably noticed the concentration of the troops, for the German guns, which had been quiet up till then, opened a heavy fire on and behind the assembly trenches, causing a certain number of casualties in the Oxford and Bucks L.I.
The formation of the ground hid the opposing trenches from view—a factor of great importance, for it made the task of cutting the enemy wire a most difficult one for the artillery. The only point from which a little wire could be seen was close behind our front trenches. The F.O.O.’s and signallers had therefore to lay out and maintain very long telephone wires over fire-swept ground, which owing to the heavy rain of the last few days was little better than a morass. These difficulties were nevertheless overcome and the wire cutting was steadily carried out.
On the morning of the 7th patrols found that there was still wire in front of the German lines, so the guns again opened fire on it.
At zero—1.45 P.M.—the stationary barrage was put down, and at 1.47 it began to creep forward. In these two minutes three Stokes mortars with the 60th Brigade (the fourth had just been buried by a shell) fired 180 rounds on the German front line. The assaulting battalions moved forward close under the barrage with two companies in front and two in support, and with each company in two lines, thus forming four waves. With the fourth wave of each battalion were four machine guns from the 60th and 61st M.G. Companies.
The lending companies, advancing, according to a report from an officer in an observation post, “as though on Salisbury Plain,” came under heavy fire as soon as they reached the crest of the slope, which was about twenty yards short of the enemy wire. Some of the wire was still standing, at least on the front of the 60th Brigade, and for a short time held up the first two waves. The casualties here were heavy. Of the five company officers in the two leading companies of the 12th R.B., four were killed between this point and the wire, and one was severely wounded; of the rank and file about half were casualties. The 6th Oxford and Bucks L.I. suffered almost as much. Many of their losses were caused by a machine gun in a sap close to the wire. The third and fourth waves were following close behind, and as they came up they carried the first and second waves with them and together they captured Rainbow Trench. The 61st Brigade had less trouble with the enemy’s wire, but suffered from very severe rifle and machine-gun fire from the left flank, where a heavy barrage had prevented the 12th Division from reaching its objective. As the troops came up to Rainbow Trench the enemy surrendered in large numbers. At one point in the attack of the 61st Brigade the two opposing lines were seen to meet; then there was a moment’s pause, followed by the advance of our line and the return of a large number of prisoners. On the left of this brigade more resistance was met and a hand-to-hand fight ensued before the Germans—or such of them as were able to get away—were driven out of the position.
On the capture of the objective the first and second waves entered and held the trench, while the third and fourth formed up beyond it ready for the next advance.
When, at 2.5 P.M., the barrage again began to creep forward the attack was continued in three waves, the third being composed of the original first and second, less some machine guns and a few parties of men left behind to form posts in Rainbow Trench. The losses in this advance were comparatively slight, although the Germans, for the most part, remained in the position throwing bombs until the attacking lines were close upon them. Many of the enemy were killed at the second objective, which was captured about 2.15 P.M. Cloudy Trench was found to be little more than a line of disturbed earth, and all along the line the troops had to dig themselves in.
At the time the second objective was occupied the position of the flanks was a very dangerous one. The battalions in support had moved forward as the attack progressed, and had kept in touch with the leading units, but the divisions on the right and left had not captured their objectives, and so both flanks were in the air and under enfilade fire. Defensive flanks had therefore to be thrown back, leaving the Division occupying a pronounced salient. The heavy casualties in the Oxford and Bucks L.I. and the 12th R.B. have been mentioned; in the 61st Brigade also the leading battalions had suffered severely, especially in officers. The 12th King’s had only Capt. Milligan up in the second objective; the front line of the K.O.Y.L.I. was commanded by Lieut. Wright. Both these officers found their flank exposed, as there was a gap of three to four hundred yards between the two brigades, and they showed great initiative and judgment in siting their trenches and organising their defences so as to deal with any counter attacks that might develop. The situation on the left was especially difficult, as the troops were under a perfect hail of machine-gun and rifle fire, and casualties were becoming serious. The Somersets were called on for assistance and sent up two platoons under Sgt. W. E. Parker to strengthen the left flank, and a company to fill up the gap between the two brigades.
The enemy made several counter attacks in the course of the day, but all failed. Sgt. Parker was awarded the M.M. for his gallantry and good leadership in beating off one of these attacks. At 4 P.M. a company of the D.C.L.I. was sent as a further reinforcement to the left flank, arriving just in time to help to drive back a counter attack at this point. A working party of 200 men of the 11th R.B. came up to finish a communication trench in the 61st Brigade area, and to act as reinforcements if necessary. The 83rd and 84th Field Companies R.E. and 200 men of the 6th K.S.L.I. assisted the front line troops to consolidate their positions during the night; in spite of considerable casualties from the enemy’s heavy shell-fire this work was successfully completed. Behind the line a section of the 96th Field Company and three companies of the 11th D.L.I. dug a communication trench for the use of both brigades.
At 9 P.M. Brig.-General Banbury ordered Major Simcox, commanding the 7th D.C.L.I., to go forward with the rest of his battalion and take over and reorganise the front line system.
The casualties were 626 in the 60th Brigade, 469 in the 61st and 17 in the 59th. 192 prisoners, including five officers, and four machine guns and two mortars were taken.
The casualties of the last month are evidence in themselves of the enormous work thrown upon the R.A.M.C. and the regimental stretcher-bearers. It is difficult to praise too highly the unselfish and unobtrusive work of these men.
The state of the trenches and the conditions under which the battle was fought made the task of supplying and replenishing the various wants of the Division a most difficult one. Major J. M’Gown, the D.A.D.O.S., and the supply officers nevertheless overcame all difficulties and earned the deep gratitude of all ranks.
The 60th and 61st Brigades held the positions they had won on the 7th until the night of the 8th/9th of October, when the 20th Division was relieved by the 6th and moved back to the neighbourhood of Treux for a well-earned rest.
Here on the 13th the Corps Commander, Lord Cavan, inspected each of the three brigades in turn on a ceremonial parade, and addressed the troops.
“I have come here to-day,” he said, “to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the magnificent work you have done for the Army and for the Corps. The capture of Guillemont was chiefly due to you” (the 59th Brigade). He praised all brigades for the part they had taken in the Somme battle, and referred to the vigorous action by which the 60th had assisted the 6th Division in its successful attack on the Quadrilateral. After congratulating the 61st Brigade on the part it had taken in the capture of Guillemont, he said: “The Brigade was attached to the Guards Division from the 15th to the 17th of September and attacked on the 16th, when it gained the whole of its objectives, in spite of the fact that the units attacking on the two flanks were held up.” “On October the 7th the Brigade attacked with the 60th Brigade and once more gained the whole of its objectives.” He said how pleased he was with the extremely smart and soldier-like manner in which the troops had turned out on parade, and added: “I have asked the Army Commander and the Commander-in-Chief not to take away the 20th Division if they can help it, and they have promised to do their best. I would not lose the 20th Division for crowns and crowns.”