German resistance was slight, except at one post where the garrison held on until 8:00 a.m. 63rd Divisional Ammunition Column Royal Field Artillery, L/Cpl Bernard Timmins. 19th Btn. Herbert Sydney Smith. 1st Btn. John Stuart MacMurchie. Leonard Broadbelt. Cameron Highlanders, Pte. Two battalions attacked with a third battalion ready on the right flank to reinforce them or to co-operate with the 18th (Eastern) Division between the Ancre and the Miraumont road. Royal Irish Rifles, Pte. James Henry Fynn. (EF) • March 11: The Reprisals Order, in which Britain banned all 'neutral' parties from trading with Germany. [46], The advance was still conducted in waves behind a creeping barrage, to ensure that the infantry arrived simultaneously at German trenches but the waves were composed of skirmish lines and columns of sections, often advancing in artillery formation, to allow them to deploy quickly when German resistance was encountered. [52], The 18th (Eastern) Division surrounded and swiftly captured Irles on 10 March and the 7th and 46th divisions were ordered to occupy Bucquoy on 14 March, after air reconnaissance reported it almost empty. 10th/11th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, Pte John McKeever. 30th of March 1917 A Quiet Day. 1917 also saw the start of the Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres. 8th Btn. On the northern flank, two infantry companies, engineers and pioneers were placed to establish the defensive flank on the left. The attack was scheduled for 3:00 a.m. on the night of 4/5 February and the party moved forward to the Miraumont dugouts at 6:00 p.m. on 2 February. Day ordered his guncrews to open fire and a hail of shells struck the Leopard damaging a gun and setting fires. Associated articles(German retreat to the Hindenburg Line). 4th Battalion Essex Regiment, Pte. 5th Btn. Boy Telegraphist Henry Victor Arm. The apparent betrayal of the attack forewarned the German defenders, who were able to contain it and inflict considerable casualties. Tel. [20], The II Corps artillery began destructive and wire-cutting bombardments on 14 February, using ammunition with the new fuze 106 against the German wire, which proved effective, despite fog and mist making aiming and observation of the results difficult. Leinster Regiment, L/Cpl. King. D Coy. 28th Infantry Battalion, Pte. T. A. Beadle. Asturias was torpedoed by UC-66 on the 20th March 1917 with the loss of 35 crew members. 1st/7th Btn. Boy 1st Class Ardley. The British line was held by posts about 30 yd (27 m) apart during the day and on 29 November a German raid on one of the outposts failed. Richard Osmond. [25], The Germans in Boom Ravine were engaged from the flank and three machine-guns silenced before the advance in the centre could resume and parties found their way through the wire at Coffee Trench and captured it by 6:10 a.m. Boom Ravine held out until 7:45 a.m. and the advance resumed a long way behind the creeping barrage; the line outside Petit Miraumont was attacked. William Beers. Then it released four incendiary bombs over Hougham where the military had a post, these all fell in fields without causing any damage. A section of 8-inch howitzers was available for the bombardment of strong points and road junctions and the XIV Corps heavy batteries were able to neutralise German artillery during the attack. Royal Irish Rifles, Pte. Coy Royal Army Service Corps, Pte. Royal Irish Rifles, Ldg Seaman. On the right flank, the 99th Brigade on the right flank advanced towards the second objective, much hampered by the fog and mud. The division wore highland kilts, which left the top of the leg bare underneath and their boot edges chafed the skin and caused septic sores, until 6,000 pairs of trousers were issued. The effect of the failure on the right affected the operation further west by the 99th Brigade of the 2nd Division and the 54th and 53rd brigades of the 18th (Eastern) Division, which attacked the high ground from the right-hand of the two Courcelette–Miraumont roads to the Albert–Arras railway line in the Ancre valley. Barbed-wire was the most difficult obstruction to tackle and 1,800–2,400 yd (1.0–1.4 mi; 1.6–2.2 km) was the best range for cutting it with 18-pounder field guns (with regular calibration and stable gun platforms), conditions which were not always met. Hedley Alfred Bird. Operations began with an attack on 18 November, before the deterioration of the ground made operations impossible. Pallas Trench was occupied by moppers-up and the attacking troops reached the second objective at Fritz Trench on the right and Pallas Support Trench on the left. 13th (Forest of Dean Pioneers) Battalion Gloucester Regiment. In the evening another battalion continued the attack and the Germans counter-attacked all night and recaptured several posts near the river. Machine Gun Corps, Pte. France Sunday Night March 11th 1917 My Dear Mother Yrs. The success of the attack led to a set of the orders and instructions being sent to the US Command and Staff College to serve as models. 6th Btn. MARCH 1917. The revival of the German Air Service and formation of the Luftstreitkräfte in October 1916, led in October to the British using wireless interception stations (Compass Stations) quickly to locate aircraft operating over the British front, as part of an integrated system. (see the next day for further details), L.35, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Herbert Ehrlich followed about 20 minutes behind L.39 travelling over Broadstairs, Kent taking a south-westerly course. The ship was then submerged to the main mast and all hands jumped overboard. Essex Regiment, L/Cpl. VC, MC 26th Btn. Seaman Robert John Anderson. The last part of Puisieux Trench was captured in the morning at 11:30 a.m. at a cost of 671 British casualties and 176 German prisoners taken. J. Kane. Stoker 1st Class Harry Archibald. Artillery formation covered a 100 yd (91 m) frontage and 30–50 yd (27–46 m) depth in a lozenge shape, the rifle section forward with the rifle bombers and bombing sections arranged behind on either side. Despite the disruption of these moves, minor operations continued, to deceive the Germans that the Battle of the Somme was resuming. 9th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, Pte. Robert Walter Park. Morale plummeted and moving about after dark led to working parties, runners, reliefs and ration parties getting lost and wandering around until exhausted. Weighing 101 lb (46 kg), needing four men to carry and considerable time to set up, the wireless proved of limited value. James Tierney. 41st Trench Mortar Battery Royal Field Artillery, Pte. 1st Btn. 10th/11th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, Lieutenant Corporal Thomas McDermott. Now well out to sea, the next wreck on our tour is the Copenhagen, a turbine steamer owned by the Great Eastern Railway Co when she was torpedoed and sunk by UC61 in 1917. The first wave moved towards the east side of the salient, then from there to the western face, as the second wave jumped over the trench and ran along the parados, until they saw Germans in the trench near the apex. 2nd/6th Btn. [9], After three weeks' work, positions in the front line had been improved and a frost hardened the ground, then a thaw made the ground worse than before. Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, L/Cpl. 7th Btn. The objective of the attack was to capture the north end of the spine to deny the Germans observation of the valley behind Bouchavesnes and the view towards Rancourt. 1st Bn. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. VC, MC. 7.25am. History of the Great War - Principal Events Timeline - 1917 Durham Light Infantry, Pte. [40], British attacks in January 1917, had taken place against exhausted German troops holding poor defensive positions left over from the fighting in 1916; some troops had low morale and showed an unusual willingness to surrender. Timeline - 1917. [36], German bombardments continued during the night of 4/5 March before a counter-attack on the British right flank, which captured a trench block and about 100 yd (91 m) of Fritz Trench to the north, before a local British attack recovered the lost ground. Ordinary Seaman James Robert Alexander. Shetland Sect. 1st Btn. Pte. [26], The sudden thaw, fog and unexpected darkness interfered with wire cutting, slowed the infantry, who fell behind the barrage. On 11 February 4:30 a.m., a German counter-attack recaptured part of the trench before being forced out. Thomas Boland. Alexander McLean Knox. At zero hour, four siege groups were to begin a bombardment of rear lines and machine-gun nests; four counter-battery groups were to neutralise German artillery within range of the attack. The occupation of Hill 130 would command the southern approach to Miraumont and Pys, exposing German artillery positions behind Serre to ground observation, while attacks on the north bank took ground overlooking Miraumont from the west, possibly inducing the Germans to withdraw voluntarily and uncover Serre. [58], Advances were delayed as roads were rebuilt and more pack transport was organised, to carry supplies forward for larger attacks on the German outpost villages. The vessel was torpedoed and sunk by UC61 in the North Sea in 1917 en route to the Hook of Holland. Until early January 1917, both sides were reduced to surviving the rain, snow, fog, mud fields, waterlogged trenches and shell-holes. John Bolger. George Magness Boyle. A German counter-attack on the right at 10:30 a.m., recaptured a post and at 4:00 a.m., a second attack was stopped by artillery fire. Trench foot cases declined and small attacks became easier, although digging was almost impossible. ... Italy makes ten more attacks between 1915 and 1917 in the same place (The Second - Eleventh Battles of Isonzo) for no real gains. German reinforcements counter-attacked from Petit Miraumont and the railway bank to the west. At 5:15 p.m., five hundred 9.2-inch, two hundred 8-inch and two hundred and fifty 6-inch howitzer shells were fired at the post in fifteen minutes. Dundee. Pembroke, Pte. 2/5th Btn. March 1917 was a pivotal m0nth in the history of WWI. [4][b], An advance to close up to the Le Transloy–Loupart line (Riegel I Stellung), which ran from Essarts to Bucquoy, west of Achiet le Petit, Loupart Wood, south of Grévillers, west of Bapaume, Le Transloy to Sailly Saillisel, had been the first objective of British operations in the Ancre valley after the capture of Beaumont Hamel in late 1916. The battalion commander made a reconnaissance and chose the jumping-off position. HMS Pheasant, Pte. SS Copenhagen, 2570 grt, was built in 1907 by John Brown and Company at Clydebank as a replacement for the lost "Berlin" and was so successful that she was quickly followed by her sisters "Munich" [1908] and "St. Petersburg"[1910] on the Harwich, Hook of Holland service. 11th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, Pte. Four of the Zeppelins, L. 35, L. 39, L. 40 and L.41 were "R Class" with their engines removed to allow them to climb to greater heights. Arthur Edwin Baggs. The Duma was considered to be the Russian parliament. March 1917 saw major changes in Russia. [42], The second German withdrawal took place on 11 March, during a preparatory British bombardment; the British did not notice until the night of 12 March. The success covered the right flank of the 7th Division for the main attack next day against Munich Trench, from The Triangle to the Beaumont Hamel–Serre road and a smaller attack by the 11th (Northern) Division, against German defences east of Muck Trench. Pte. Doke claimed that three officers and 37 men had deserted in one day and on 10 January, fifteen more Germans deserted and it appeared that the division opposite was collapsing. Thomas Thurlow. 106 Fuze. January 11th: Saboteurs destroyed an ammunition plant in New Jersey. Frederick A. Smith. Edward Wolstencroft. Percy Herbert Cherry. Leading Seaman Richard Ahern. Seven prisoners were taken and the party of 36 lost three killed, seven wounded and three missing. No further bombs were dropped and passing over Ashford and Tenterden L.39 reached the coast at St. Leonard’s at about 23.40 hours. Norfolk, Gnr. 1st Btn. 4th Btn. 173 Brigade, D Bty. Pte. Seaman Henry Anderson. [31], A 400 yd (370 m) length of Stormy Trench was attacked by part of a battalion of the 2nd Australian Division late on 1 February, which took the left-hand section and bombed down it to take the rest, before being forced out by a German counter-attack at 4:00 a.m. The divisional boundary was west of the left-hand road from Courcelette to Miraumont, the 99th Brigade attacking on a 700 yd (640 m) front between the two sunken roads. East Yorkshire Regiment, Pte. Edward Sighe. Petty Officer 1st Class James Atcheson. Erik Sass is covering the events of the war exactly 100 years after they happened. Northern Rhodesia Rifles Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Pte. 3rd Btn. [2] The 1st Army held the Somme front from the River Somme north to Gommecourt and had a similar number of troops to the British opposite, with ten divisions in reserve. Dundee. George Hill. [18], An attack on Baillescourt Farm was brought forward to 7 February and the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division captured the farm; south of Grandcourt, part of Folly Trench was taken by the 18th (Eastern) Division. William James Martin. Hedley Alfred Bird. SS Alnwick Castle, L/Cpl. At 4:30 a.m. German artillery bombarded the British attack front, apparently alerted by a captured document and a deserter. 3rd Btn. Leicester Regiment, Pte. James O'Brien. Alfred John Clark. Remarkably, her hulk was repurchased by Royal Mail Line in 1920 and rebuilt as a Cruise Liner, renamed Arcadian, she operated Mediterranean and West Indies cruises until 1930, and was finally scrapped in 1933. Horatio Nelson Bolton. James Edward Tattersall Coupe. As Germany was suffering a naval blockade by Britain this became a serious issue. Thomas Chamberlin. Artillery support was similar to that of the 29th Division attack and the objective was gained quickly, with troops wearing sandbags over their boots to grip the ice. Completed in January 1917, German troops began shifting back to the new line in March. 2nd Btn. On 16 March, the main German withdrawal to the Siegfriedstellung began. Attempts were made to enter 1st GARDE STELLUNG by PIONEER and SCHWEICKERT GRABEN both held up by trench blocks and matters were at a standstill until 4.30pm. By the start of 1917, the people of Russia were very angry. March 15, 1917 is the 74 th day of the year 1917 in the Gregorian calendar. Somerset Light Infantry, Pte. David James White Duncan. 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment, Sgt. The Battalion was under 4 hours notice to move. [47], The organisation of artillery was revised according to a War Office pamphlet of January 1917, "Artillery Notes No.4–Artillery in Offensive Operations", which put the artillery of each corps under one commander, established a Counter Bombardment Staff Officer, provided for the artillery of several divisions to be co-ordinated and laid down that artillery matters were to be considered from the beginning when planning an attack. [25], On the north bank, the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division attacked with a battalion of the 188th Brigade and two battalions of the 189th Brigade, to capture 700 yd (640 m) of the road north from Baillescourt Farm towards Puisieux, to gain observation over Miraumont and form a defensive flank on the left flank back to the existing front line. Marched from SAILLY DELL to BEAUQUENSE. The advance cost the British 382 casualties, the Germans suffered heavy casualties and 210 prisoners. MM. Leinster Regiment, Pte. World War I - World War I - The U.S. entry into the war: After the rupture of diplomatic relations with Germany on Feb. 3, 1917, events pushed the United States inexorably along the road to war. Durham Light Infantry, John Thomas Maulkerson. 2nd Btn. Rasputin was dead and Lenin was out of the country. During the day, the Germans nearby counter-attacked five times over open ground but they were easily visible from Fritz Trench and repulsed by small-arms fire. Arthur Hamilton. The larger howitzers were reserved for counter-battery fire against well-protected German artillery and the larger guns for long-range fire against targets like road junctions, bridges and headquarters. The Achilles hearing the sound of gunfire returned to the scene and opened fire on the raider as the Dundee withdrew. After the Battle of the Ancre (13–18 November 1916), British attacks on the Somme front stopped for the winter. [55] Gough ordered the attack on Croisilles to begin without delay but the advance was stopped by the Germans at a belt of uncut wire on the outskirts of the village. The BL 60-pounder gun was to be used for longer-range barrages and counter-battery fire, the 6-inch gun for counter-battery fire, neutralisation-fire and wire-cutting using the No. Leading Stoker Joseph Archer. March continued from BEAUQUENSE to FIENVILLERS. Frederick Rose. 16th Btn Middlesex Regiment, Pte. George William Ashman. Further deliberate attacks intended on Crest Trench were made impossible by a downpour which began on 20 February. Distant reconnaissance continued, despite the danger of interception by superior German aircraft, to observe the German fortification building behind the Somme and Arras fronts, which had been detected in November 1916. Milnes Scott. Edmund Nolan. Wearing the boots and standing for long periods made men's feet swell and walking became almost impossible. Davies Walter Livings. The bunker not noticed in the previous attack was empty but German artillery caused many casualties and then a British bombardment stopped a German counter-attack as it was forming up at 10:00 a.m.; the division was relieved on 20 January. [42] The retirement was conducted in a slow and deliberate manner, through a series of defensive lines over 25 mi (40 km) at the deepest point, behind rear-guards, local counter-attacks and the demolitions of the Alberich plan. Manchester Regiment, Pte. East Kent Regiment, Mjr. The 63rd (Royal Naval) Division suffered 549 casualties and the three divisions took 599 prisoners. HMS Campania, Gnr. World War I: 100 Years Later ... Russia’s February Revolution Was Led by Women on the March ... the most well-known event is the Bolshevik Revolution in November 1917 … The 99th Brigade reached the first objective and established a defensive flank against German counter-attacks but the 54th Brigade found uncut wire at Grandcourt Trench and lost the barrage while looking for gaps. Dundee. Engaged on Railway Construction work. William George Greig. A hundred and fifty 18-pounder field guns, forty-two 4.5-inch howitzers plus four field artillery and two howitzer batteries of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on the south bank, firing from thirty minutes after zero hour, to assist the 53rd Brigade, although the curve of the ground made aiming difficult. 10th Btn. Royal Sussex Regiment, Capt. 20th Service Btn King's Liverpool Regt, Sgt. Robert Bloomfield. L.39, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Robert Koch first appeared over Margate at 22.20 hours but thick cloud made identification of targets impossible. Following a south-westerly course across Kent to the Sussex coast, the first bomb was dropped at 22.50 on Hode Farm near Bekesbourne, where it caused minor damage to two cottages. 8th (Service) Btn. 1st Btn. 7th Btn. Siege groups II, XXV, XXXVI and XL were heavy artillery groups with ten 6-inch howitzer, five 8-inch howitzer, two 9.2-inch howitzer batteries and two. 24th March 1917 - Hq, A and C Companies joined by B and D Companies from Authie and the Battalion marches to Orville. 1/5th Btn King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), Master. The 91st Brigade lost 262 casualties and the 137th Brigade 312 casualties, the Germans withdrew two days later. 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment. Royal Fusliliers, Sjt. The 5th Australian Division advance to the Hindenburg Line, 17 March – 6 April 1917. North Staffordshire Regiment, Sgt.Maj. Foyle. Royal Irish Rifles, Sgt. William Carter. SS Craigendoran, Pte. Leicestershire Regiment, Pte. Norfolk Regiment, Pte. The Hindenburg Line was unfinished on the Fifth Army front and a rapid advance through the German rearguards in the outpost villages, might make a British attack possible before the Germans were able to make the line "impregnable". Quartermasters improvised large numbers of extra cookers, so that the troops in the line could eat hot food when they pleased but the improvements made little difference to sickness. 9th Battalion Essex Regiment, L/Sgt. 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment. Paragon. Several Germans were killed as they retreated by the raiders and more men in four dugouts were killed with hand-grenades when they refused to surrender. Robert Allen. It was slightly warmer, making movement relatively easy for the battalions 97th Brigade, which attacked on a front of 1,100 yd (1,000 m). V Corps took over from XIII Corps, with the 32nd and 19th (Western) divisions by 11 January, with II Corps on the south bank facing north, with the 2nd and 18th (Eastern) divisions. German aircraft were most active on the Arras front to the north of the Somme, where Jasta 11 was based. The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, Pte. On the north bank, the Germans still held most of the Beaumont-Hamel spur, beyond which to the north were the original front line defences, running west of Serre and then northwards to Gommecourt and Monchy-au-Bois. Archibald Bisset Smith. Over the winter, the Fifth Army submitted plans to General Headquarters (GHQ), which were settled in mid-February, after Joffre was replaced by General Robert Nivelle and the changes of strategy caused by the French decision to fight a decisive battle on the Aisne. 7th Btn. Ground had been gained on a 5,000 yd (2.8 mi; 4.6 km) front south of the Ancre and positions improved on Redan Ridge on the north bank. II Corps planned to attack on 17 February with the 2nd, 18th (Eastern) and 63rd (Royal Naval) divisions, on a 3,000 yd (1.7 mi; 2.7 km) front. Royal Fusiliers, Pte. William Chapman. Counter-battery fire began on all German batteries in range at 11:03 a.m. and seven heavy artillery groups bombarded Grandcourt, Baillescourt Farm, Beauregard Dovecote and German trench lines. 14th Btn. The 51st (Highland) Division stores obtained enough gumboots for an infantry brigade but many were lost in the mud as men struggled to get free. 8th Btn. 2nd Btn. Royal Field Artillery, L/Cpl. A retirement could disrupt the British offensive at Arras and Franco-British planning gained urgency as a German withdrawal became likely in February and March, according to the results of air reconnaissance, agent reports and gleanings from prisoners. No man's land was not wired on this part of the front and British and German troops blundered into the wrong positions, Germans being taken prisoner on six occasions. 1st Btn. Whole Battalion working on the broad gauge railway between the SUCRERIE and SERRE. enlistment, award of a medal or death, please use this form: Add a story. 18th Btn. On 22/23 February, the Germans withdrew another 3 mi (4.8 km) on a 15 mi (24 km) front. These joined hands but could make little progress S.E. [38][f] During the winter on the Somme 1916–1917, the new organisation proved effective. Martin Maloney. Captain Selwyn Day of the Dundee dispatched a launch containing a boarding party with an officer and five men to investigate the mysterious ship. 9th (Service) Battaliion Norfolk Regiment, 2nd Lt. George Henry Gameson. Foyle. [41] The withdrawal caused some surprise to the British, despite the interception of wireless messages from 20 to 21 February. 20th (1st Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, Pte. Thomas Pearce. German artillery-fire continued all day and at 7:30 p.m., German infantry seen massing on the right flank were dispersed by SOS artillery and machine-gun barrages before they could attack; German bombardments continued on 6 March, before slowly diminishing. The Asturias was built in 1907 for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. and went into service on the Southampton - Buenos Aires run. [37], The Royal Flying Corps undertook a considerable tactical reorganisation after the battle of the Somme, according to the principles incorporated in documents published between November 1916 and April 1917. DSO MiD. The March intake included 40 men from the Central Training School via 7 Infantry Base Depot at Harfleur. 26th Battalion. Identifying the course of the front line or relating it to the map was impossible, as was the reconstruction of the front line, because trenches collapsed as soon as they were dug. SS Joshua Nicholson, Pte. MM. Henry Farries. German troops overrun by the attack were captured or killed by mopping-up parties following the advanced troops. Working parties and training. Cheshire Regiment, Rflmn. John Joseph Reed. The Brigadier 33rd Brigade wishes to express to all ranks his appreciation of the work done by this unit. The division had only just been relieved from the line on the north bank, after the Battle of the Ancre (13–18 November 1916) with very little time for rest. [49], A barrage drill was devised, to prevent the opponent from manning his parapets and installing machine-guns, in time to meet the assault. 18th Infantry Battalion, Pte. The right flank was held by IV Corps up to the north side of the Ancre river, with the XIII Corps on the north bank up to the boundary with the Third Army. On March 1, the U.S. State Department published the note and America was galvanized against Germany once and for all. There are 291 days remaining until the end of this year. On the 53rd Brigade front, Grandcourt Trench was captured quickly but the advance was held up at Coffee Trench by more uncut wire. British attacks on the Fourth Army front ceased until the end of the month. 18th Btn. B Coy. H.M.S. The failure to maintain the defensive flank on the right left the Germans free to rake the brigade with machine-gun fire, causing more casualties. James Durrand. German troops emerged from cover and engaged the British infantry, holding them up on the right. 22nd Btn. Edward Balmer. Thomas Boyne. The operation cost the British 1,137 casualties, 217 German prisoners and seven machine-guns were captured and "exceedingly heavy" German casualties inflicted, according to surveys of the vicinity after the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line (Siegfriedstellung). The attack had the support of creeping and standing barrages from ninety-six 18-pounder field guns, extended on either side by the neighbouring divisions and sixteen 4.5-inch howitzers, two 6-inch and one 9.2-inch howitzer batteries. Stoker 2nd Class James Arnold. James Brady. Trenches resembling the target were found and used for five day and night rehearsals. Thomas Owen Thomas. Heavily outgunned Captain Hans von Laffert, the raider's commander, had no option but to proceed as directed. H.M.S. Resting, total casualties for the week 13 killed, 2 died of wounds, and 28 wounded. 2nd Btn. Edward Arthur Merchant. The rest of the 18-pounders fired standing barrages on each line of trenches until the creeping barrage arrived, then lifted with it. L/Cpls HUTCHINSON LASKEY and FRAZER and Pte VOCKUICH awarded MILITARY MEDAL. William Herbert Ashcroft. Casualties in the period January to March had been fairly light. H.M. Drifter Campania II. Mignonette. Russell Elsden Miller. The 53rd Brigade on the left flank had a wider front, much of which was also exposed to fire from the positions on the north bank due to be attacked by the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division and was to consolidate on the second objective. The British command was reluctant to risk unsupported forces against a German counter-attack and the evidence from the Fifth Army front, that hasty attacks became impractical once the Germans had begun the main retirement (16–20 March), led to a steady pursuit instead. Two battalions took over the front posts, with two more back towards Ovillers and La Boisselle, with the 15th (Scottish) Division on the right and the 18th (Eastern) Division on the left. [43], The British Official History and numerous other publications distinguish between local withdrawals, forced on the German 1st Army by British attacks on the Ancre in the new year against determined opposition and the main German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line (Siegfriedstellung) which was mainly protected by rear-guards, other historians treat them as part of the same operation. To 66th Division for defence purposes and at 6 hours notice to move Germans retaliated on 12 February when. 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Is March 2, 1917 is the 74 th day of the Somme.. 8Th Battalion, C Company, XII Platoon Manchester Regiment, L/Cpl Bernard Timmins Beaucourt–Puisieux., which had gained 100 yd ( 91 m ) further on, but details are not as... The evening of 5 January 11th 1917 my Dear Mother Yrs Infantry and artillery-fire Pte McKeever! Died of exposure a wooden bridge over the River Somme at Brie, near Peronne, March 1917 -,. Supplies had to return due to engine fault and did not participate in part! Is established Kemmel including branch lines effects of inoculations was almost impossible, instead the troops were chewing... For five day and night rehearsals and ready for its next great endeavour, the fell!, award of a mile away 70 men raided the area between posts 9 and 10 and seven. Recorded as clearly as the Norwegian freighter Rena Norge on its mission to disrupt shipping... And SERRE, the last German strong point being captured at 10:50 a.m night recaptured. Were found and used for five day and night rehearsals Hook of Holland is a non profit organisation run volunteers... He bomb was dropped on Britton FARM at Ickham a few miles east of Canterbury, without causing any.... The material did as much damage as the earlier Candas to Acheux operations active the... Two battalions advanced on a 15 mi ( 24 km ) front, grandcourt Trench captured. Of WWI 1st to 4th March - Orders received late at night that more... Bombs were dropped between Waltham and Sole Street without causing damage to Hospital and one soldier died of exposure for... As preparations to attack were being made week 13 killed, 2 died of exposure over Ashford Tenterden! Operations ( Map ) at 6 hours notice to move to Orville Hospital ship forward, the! Hours, with 200 shells per gun per day for further details ) in daylight suicidal SUCRERIE. During the winter chewing gum to stop them coughing, a slight mist aided concealment and a hail of struck. Battalion Training in BETHUNE while attached to 66th Division for defence purposes and at 6 hours notice to.... The left at the north Sea in 1917 en route to the west troops emerged from cover engaged. A Hospital ship or Ambulance Transport the next day, continued the route towards the front line near Peronne March... Periods made men 's feet swell and walking became almost impossible Norfolk Regiment, engine Room Artificer Wilson. Kept up all night and recaptured several posts near the River were very angry wounds opened 8:00 a.m and.. The Central Training School via 7 Infantry Base Depot at Harfleur ROSSIGNOL FARM five German Navy Zeppelins course. Highlanders, Pte John McKeever erik Sass is covering the events of Master! Battalion guarding the left at the same time also succeeded realizing HE was about be... Also known as the Third Battle of Ypres School via 7 Infantry Base Depot Harfleur... Southampton - Buenos Aires run 24 hours ' rest before and after each period the... 2/4Th Battalion K Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Pte Henry Thomas.! January, the area between posts 9 and 10 and took seven prisoners were taken Whitby... And three missing active on the 22nd March released four incendiary bombs over Hougham where the held! To express to all ranks his appreciation of the month conditions were better, although covered. Except at one post where the garrison held on until 8:00 a.m for EUSTON DUMP for work on broad railway! For further details ) supplies had to return due to engine fault did! All hands jumped overboard Ickham a few miles east of Canterbury, without causing any damage given chewing gum stop! Man 's land being searched loss of L. 21 and L.34 in November 1916 ), British on. The Battalion on the Somme 38 ] [ f ] during the day, continued the route towards front!