Read Ebook: The 116th Battalion in France by Allen E P S

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The reports from all parts of the line fulfilled the highest expectations, and the prisoners' cages were crowded beyond capacity, but for the next few days there was to be no rest for anyone until our new line had been so firmly established as to admit of no possibility for a successful counter-attack by the Bosch.

The following day the Battalion furnished parties to assist in the general work of consolidation, and at about 5 o'clock in the evening, orders were received for us to take over the front line from the 8th Brigade, composed of the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Battalions, C.M.R. It looked as if we might get into some of the fighting after all, and with very mixed feelings the inevitable advance party, consisting of 1 officer and 1 N.C.O. from each Company and H.Q., started out in the direction of a certain map location called "Spandau Haus" where the C.M.R. Battalions had established their headquarters. The line of march brought us through territory already well known--Berthonval Farm, La Targette Corners, Goodman Tunnel, Chassery Crater, etc., and further on, through territory fresh with the smell of the Bosch.

During the next ten days the whole Battalion was engaged in the reconstruction of the Lens-Arras road, between Th?lus and Vimy, which had been rendered practically impassable by the recent barrages. This work was both laborious and nerve-racking. Fritz was quite aware that the road was one of our only lines of communication, having used it himself, and consequently he was not going to let us put it into good condition for nothing. Every variety of "hate," large and small, and generally in series of four, was thrown at that road blocked with mule transport, guns, ambulances, and working parties ? and it is the most extraordinary thing that the work of reconstruction progressed as favorably as it did, and that there were not more casualties.

During this period opportunities were afforded us for looking over the Corps front from the top of the ridge, and for admiring the recent work of our own artillery on the German defences. Whilst reconnoitring the forward positions Lt. W. K. Kift and Lt. H. L. Major both received wounds from which they afterwards died. The laborious work of road-making with its daily toll of casualties continued, until one day, a note from Battalion Headquarters announced that we would not become a fighting unit as heretofore decided, but that we would be made into a pioneer battalion and be attached permanently to the 8th Brigade. All this in the interest of the Corps, etc., etc., etc. We were still "chewing the rag" over this latest development when along came the Colonel himself to announce that all previous orders regarding pioneer battalions had been cancelled, and that it had been definitely decided for us to take over the 60th Battalion. In order to do this with the least confusion possible, we were to be moved back to the Berthonval Farm area, where Fritz's shells were not likely to disturb us, all of which prophecies excepting the one concerning the shells came true.

UMPTY UMPS.

The successful capture of Vimy Ridge ended another chapter in the annals of the Canadian Corps which was soon to be regarded as second to none on the Western front. It also witnessed the birth of a new battalion, whose fame up to the present, had not extended beyond the borders of the County of Ontario, but whose ideals, if lived up to, would make it second to none in the gallant Corps to which it now belonged.

The recent successes had not been achieved without heavy casualties, and when these casualties were made good by reinforcements it was quite evident that the other Battalions in our Division were not greatly superior to our own in the way of old and experienced soldiers. Their Headquarters were, of course, composed of men who had seen considerable fighting, but otherwise from now on we were all more or less on an equal footing.

The months of May and June slipped away, with nothing more important being allotted to us than taking over a line of trenches and holding them; in fact, the usual trench routine with working parties mixed in. As a special treat one night we were allowed to dig a jumping-off trench for another Battalion, who were conducting a raid in our Sector; but anything in the nature of real fighting was considered beyond us for the present, although there was a certain amount going on practically all the time, the Bosch being pushed gently but firmly away from the Ridge as far as Avion and M?ricourt--a distance of four miles.

In these minor operations, as they were called, the 116th was either detailed as the supporting Battalion or else the reserve Battalion for the Brigade, and as the Bosch showed very little inclination to remain in his then exposed positions, the result was that by the middle of July the "Umpty Umps" had not been actually engaged in any action of a direct nature whatsoever. In spite of this, our casualties had been quite heavy, indicating that the main line of resistance is not always the healthiest place to occupy during an engagement; in fact, with the exception of Major Currie, "C" Company, not one of our original Company Commanders remained. During one of these tours in the line one of our companies came across a memorial to the 60th Battalion erected by some of their men close to the Village of Vimy. The memorial was in the shape of a cross with the inscription "In memory of the 60th Battalion. 1915--Raised by Patriotism. 1917--Killed by Politics." A reflection perhaps not entirely without foundation.

On the 5th of July the 9th Brigade was withdrawn to Divisional reserve at Chateau de la Haie--meaning that for a week at least we would have no working parties, also that we would all get an opportunity of having a real live shower bath and a change of underclothes, which in most cases was an urgent necessity.

It was during this period that the Brigade Commander announced his intention of formally inspecting us, and at the completion of his inspection, having congratulated us on our good appearance and also our general behaviour since joining his Brigade, he pointed out that although we had shown extraordinary ability at baseball and other sports, having lately won the Brigade Championship, much to the discomfiture of the older Battalions, we had not so far proved our ability in the noblest sport of all, namely, that of "strafing the Hun." Proceeding, he indicated that we would be given every opportunity to do this during the next tour of the Brigade in the line. This announcement was greeted by "prolonged cheering," for there was nothing to our minds so alluring as the anticipation of getting to grips with an enemy who had inflicted casualties amongst us, and upon whom we had had no opportunity for retaliation.

Having no scheme of our own, it was evidently the duty of Divisional or Brigade H.Q. to devise some scheme for us, and this they were not long in doing, for on the 12th of July--four days after the visit of the Brigadier--we received orders that instead of proceeding up the line with the rest of the Brigade we would occupy Comak Camp in the neighborhood of Berthonval Farm and there carry out practices over taped trenches for a raid, the details of which would be disclosed to us later.

THE RAID.

Just to the south of the Village of Avion there is situated a colliery called Foss? 4, with its necessary attendant, a large and ugly slag heap, shaped like a truncated cone. If our front line, at that time, might be considered as a line running due east and west and just to the south of Avion, then Foss? 4 was almost entirely within the German lines, with just the southern fringe of the slag heap extending into "No Man's Land."

The German front line, so far as this account is concerned, extended round the base of the slag heap and then south-east, where it joined a system of trenches known as the M?ricourt Maze at about two hundred and fifty yards distance.

About 300 yards behind the German front line and running parallel to it was a railway embankment, scarcely less than 24 feet in height; and about midway between the German lines and our own and parallel to our line was a road . Scatter around a few rows of ruined houses, a garden fence, and a couple of brick piles and you will have what the 3rd Divisional Staff considered to be an ideal location for a raid.

The slag heap was reported to be a veritable nest of machine guns, and trench mortars; the railway embankment was believed to be fairly honeycombed with dug-outs, but all that was actually and really known was that the German front line was strongly barricaded and full of Germans, and that Quebec Road was partly sunken and full of wire. The place and opportunity having therefore been supplied it remained for us to fix the time and arrange the details.

Immediately upon arrival at Comak Camp a stretch of ground was selected for practice, and the Engineers who started at once to work on the taped trenches, made such good progress that the following morning everything was in readiness for our first trial. In the meantime a plan of attack was formulated, of which the following is a brief r?sum?: "A" Company would capture and hold the German front line looking after any machine guns and trench mortar posts found on the slag heap, together with all dug-outs in the neighborhood.

"B" Company on the left, and "C" Company on the right would pass through "A" Company continuing on to the railway embankment, which they would proceed to capture, destroying all dug-outs and M.G. emplacements. Upon a given signal from Battalion Headquarters raiding Companies would retire, protected by covering parties left along the railway embankment and communication trenches, "A" Company to remain in Metal Trench until all of "B" and "C" Companies had withdrawn. The most unpleasant job of all, perhaps, that of holding the Battalion front during the raid, was assigned to "D" Company .

The attack was to be carried out at night and under cover of an artillery and M.G. Barrage.

For the next few days the one topic of conversation was the raid, and at least two practices a day were carried out over the taped trenches, until we considered ourselves perfect enough to invite the Divisional and Brigade Commanders to attend our final practice before going into the line. This they did and pronounced themselves well satisfied.

During these preparations our Commanding Officer, Col. S. Sharpe, was untiring in his energies towards overcoming the numerous difficulties that so frequently presented themselves, and he personally led a reconnoitring party into Avion in broad daylight, which enabled us to overlook the territory to be raided from the second story of a ruined house.

On the 18th of July we received orders to move into the line and to take over the trenches occupied by the 5th C.M.R. At dusk that evening the Battalion assembled, and after wishing God-speed to Major Cameron, our Second in Command, who was leaving that night for Canada, a most stirring and eloquent address was made by Col. Sharpe; so that when we moved off by Companies in the direction of Vimy Ridge, to the strains of "John Peel," the regimental march, there was scarcely a more confident lot of men in the whole Allied Army.

At about 9.30 p.m., on the 22nd July, a start was made to assemble the raiding Companies behind Quebec Road, which was the jumping-off position for the raid. Each man was equipped with an electric torch-light for use in the German lines, and a large white patch was sewn on the front of everybody's box respirator, which was thought to be a good means of identification in the dark. About midnight, therefore, the platoons were being led quietly and stealthily into position. Suddenly the bells in the German trenches, not a hundred yards from the right flank, began to ring; gas fumes were rapidly making their way over our positions. It was difficult to tell whether the gas was merely lachrymatory or poisonous, and at the first indication every officer and man had slipped on his gas helmet.

It is hard enough to find your way about in the dark under ordinary conditions, but with a gas helmet on it is absolutely impossible, and in less time than it takes to tell, the greatest confusion arose, and the success of the whole operation hung in the balance. A desperate situation confronted the Battalion; in a little while our artillery barrage would open, and its programme would be carried out while our men were stumbling blindly through the gas fumes, and in due course the enemy artillery would open up in retaliation, and our men, helpless with their gas helmets on, would be wiped out without a chance for their lives. For about thirty minutes the situation was critical and fraught with the greatest difficulties; the darkness, the gas, the fumes, the irregularities of the ground, wire entanglements, ruins, shell holes, all combined to make the assembling of our companies slow and difficult.

Chances had to be taken, and gas helmets were removed, the mouthpiece alone being used, and in this manner, our eyes streaming with tears and nerves strung to the highest pitch, we eventually reached our positions around the Quebec Road about five minutes before zero hour.

Exactly on the stroke of one the barrage opened, falling like a hailstorm on the German front line, which was lit up along its entire length by the bursting shells. It was certainly an unmerciful pounding and seemed to fill us with an ardent desire to get over there, and like Julius Caesar, "negotium finire."

As already anticipated, our greatest trouble was to be from the flanks, and during the final stages of the attack, in which "B" and "C" Companies rushed the embankment, capturing many prisoners, some enemy machine guns came into action and inflicted heavy casualties on us. In spite of this, everything seemed to be happening just in the way we had practised it at Berthonval Farm, even the special carrying parties that were to bring up trench mats for crossing the wire believed to exist around the embankment, arrived, and were much disappointed when they were told they would not be needed. Also the signallers specially attached to Companies for communication with Battalion Headquarters came through, but were unable to use their lamps on account of the smoke and gas.

Considerable trouble was experienced with refractory prisoners, and the evacuation of our casualties was a matter of the greatest difficulty, since by the time "B" and "C" Companies had reached the embankment all sense of direction was lost on account of the darkness and gas fumes, which were now blowing back over the German lines.

The work of destruction completed, the two Companies, "B" and "C", withdrew as best they could, covered by sections, one from each platoon, acting as a rear-guard.

Observation posts were left on the Railway Embankment at each flank with supporting posts behind them, "A" Company remaining in Metal Trench until "B" and "C" Companies had completed their withdrawal. The observation posts were chiefly organized by Lt. Lennox of "B" Company and Lt. Neil of "C" Company, who were in command of the flank platoons.

"D" Company had detailed parties under Lt. Weber and Lt. Lick, which were to relieve at daybreak the posts left respectively by "B" and "C" Companies. Lt. Lick was, however, killed by a shell near Metal Trench, and his sergeant and corporal wounded. Lt. Weber went up on the left and reached Metal Trench, but at 4.45 a.m. the Germans had counter-attacked in force and our posts withdrew fighting as ordered. When it was learned that Lt. Neil and Lt. Lick were killed and that Lt. Lennox and Lt. Weber were missing a party was sent up Meander Trench to assist the posts. This party got out between Metal Trench and the Railway Embankment just as the Germans began to swarm over it, and also attack from the flank. Our party was obliged to withdraw, taking the balance of the men on the posts with it. Stiff fighting took place all the way back, and many of the enemy were killed.

In such an operation it would be very difficult and most unfair to mention the work of any one particular platoon, section, or man, since all we had planned to do was done, and this in the face of many serious handicaps. The care of our wounded was now the first consideration, and Capt. Moore, with his staff, who had established an advance Regimental Aid Post at the junction of the Lens-Arras Railway and the Avion Road, were busy until daylight, when a German observation balloon caught sight of them, and they were forced by heavy shell fire to retire to a more protected position.

And so it was only through the co-operation and courage of all ranks that we had at last won the right to our place in the 9th Brigade and the Canadian Corps. Let it be said that this was only one of a great many successful raids carried out by Canadian troops, and which made them famous on all the Western front.

It might be of interest to compare the two communiqu?s published shortly afterwards:

GERMAN--Strong enemy thrusts in the neighborhood of Avion easily repulsed with heavy casualties.

BRITISH--Early this morning our troops carried out a minor enterprise S.E. of Avion. The first objective was easily captured, but heavy fighting ensued at the railway embankment. After a severe struggle the whole of the German garrison was either killed or captured and all their dug-outs were destroyed--about fifty--sixty Germans are reported to have been taken. Our total casualties are believed to be about the same as the number of German prisoners. The enemy's losses were heavy.

HILL SEVENTY.

Every little while, but generally at intervals of about four months, it fell to the lot of each division to be withdrawn entirely from the line for the purpose of rest and reorganization.

After a long tour of trench duty, during which life at its best is merely an existence, it can be readily appreciated that these periods of rest were greatly looked forward to by all ranks.

Each Corps had a specified rest area, generally from 12 to 14 miles behind the line, and when a division came out, a village in that area was allotted to each battalion or sometimes one village to two battalions. There were, of course, the good villages and the bad villages, and for about a week before going out there was always a good deal of speculation as to which village the battalion would go to. At the beginning of August, the 3rd Canadian Division was withdrawn from the line, and it fell to our lot to get the Village of Auchel, conceded by many to be the Queen of billets in the Corps area; but unfortunately for us we did not arrive there until about the 15th of the month, being held up at Camblain L'Abb?e on account of manoeuvres. Open fighting had suddenly become all the rage, probably in anticipation of the drive the following August, and our whole division took part in extensive practices. At about this time No. 1 Platoon under Lt. Ott, distinguished itself in a Corps rifle competition, held at Ferfay, winning first place in the Division and only losing first place in the Corps through a technicality.

At the completion of the manoeuvres we moved to Auchel and for a week lived like human beings again, almost forgetting that there was a war going on, and we had just begun to settle down to a gay village life when we were rushed unceremoniously to the north of Lens to relieve certain units of the 2nd Canadian Division, who were engaged in a scrap which was afterwards known as the Battle of Hill Seventy. And so, on August 20th, amid the cries of "Bonne chance" from our friends in Auchel, we marched away with considerable reluctance, arriving the same evening at Gouy Servins, which was a reminder of the early days of the Battalion in France. Even then some of us had marched in high spirits from Auchel to Gouy Servins on a first visit to the trenches; and Gouy Servins at that time was everything that the first part of its name would imply. To-day however, in the middle of an almost perfect summer, so far as weather was concerned, the roads were hard and dusty and the enthusiasm to reach the front line perhaps not quite so apparent.

Having rested over-night, the march was continued, until about noon we reached Sains-en-Gohelle, another curiously descriptive name, but more commonly known as Foss? 10, which forms part of a chain of mining villages in the neighborhood of Lens.

Things seemed to be quite lively around these parts and high-velocity shells were dropping almost too close to make a quiet meal possible. Foss? 10 was really a staging camp to the front line, and there was naturally considerable confusion due to the relief that was in progress between the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divisions.

Before very long orders were received that the 116th Battalion would relieve the 27th Battalion that night. A reconnoitring party consisting of the C.O., the company commanders of "A" and "D" Companies who were to take over the front line, the scout officer and the M.O. set off early in the afternoon, as it was fully realized that a ticklish relief was in store for us.

From information received it was understood that the 2nd Division had attacked at daybreak and had made splendid progress, but that owing to the difficulties of communication, due to intense artillery fire, the situation, and in particular the line established by the 27th Battalion, was decidedly obscure.

It was whilst this party was making its way forward to the village of Cit? St. Pierre that Captain James Moore, our gallant and popular M.O., and two of the chief members of his staff were severely wounded.

During the remainder of the day and early part of the night the Bosch artillery was more than usually aggressive, in retaliation no doubt for their recent losses, in fact the R.S.M. of the 27th Battalion remarked that the artillery concentration on such a small frontage was heavier than our troops had experienced at any time during the Somme offensive, an interesting comparison although not entirely appreciated by us at that time.

Under such conditions the details of the relief are best left to the imagination. To cut a horrible nightmare short it may be said that towards 3 a.m. the following morning a line was established by our men in badly demolished trenches and shell holes running through a portion of the ruined Cit? St. Elizabeth to the outskirts of the City of Lens proper. Our final dispositions were in the front line right sector "D" Company , left sector "A" Company . In close support "C" Company , in reserve "B" Company . The support and reserve companies both occupied whatever ruins or cellars they could find.

This was a truly delightful awakening after our recent rest in billets!

The enemy was either very nervous or else he suspected that a relief was in progress, for during the next forty-eight hours, we were treated to every variety of explosive, both large and high.

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