From the History of the 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment
THE RUSH DOWN THE VALLEY OF THE RIVER ANCRE,
23rd/24th AUG.,1918.
To follow the course of this attack it will be clearer to describe it in full as it was really a Brigade attack, and in passing the action of the Battalion will be treated in emphasis.
As soon as it was dusk the writer took scouts from the various Battalions down to the crossing places and took them over and indicated the point of assembly south of the Grand court Road, and opposite Beau-court. The scouts returned to guide their respective Battalions down to the marshes. Between 9 and 10 the quiet concentration commenced, and sinuously they threaded their way through the marshes and over the foot bridges, and as coolly as on parade formed up on the south side of the River Ancre. All Companies were in artillery formation.
The left attacking Battalion was the 1st E. York’s Regiment, with 'C' Company (Capt. Case) and 'D' Company (Lieut. Allen), in front, 'B' Company (Lieut. Constant) in support, and 'A' Company (Capt. Oughtred) in reserve; and the right attacking Battalion was the 9th K.O.Y.L.I., under Major Constantine. The Brigade Reserve was the 15th D.L.I., who formed up about 300 yards in rear of the front Battalions. Brigade H.Q. (G.O.C., Brigade Major, Intelligence Officer, and Gas Officer acting as Liaison Officer), moved between the front Battalions and the support. The concentration was completed about 11 p.m. An artillery barrage by the guns at our disposal had been arranged, but alterations in plan cancelled this. About the time of the attack, 11.30 p.m., a few shells were fired, but they did not have much effect. The Grandcourt Road was the guiding line for the left of the E. York Regiment, and from it the glint of the river could be seen. Flank patrols covered the space between; the right flank of the K.O.Y.L.I. was kept by compass bearing. The night was pitch black, and the march was nothing short of remarkable when it is realised that the ground was pitted with craters, gulleys and small ravines. The advance was in the face of the enemy, but no signs of his presence were obvious at first. After going about 500 yards the General, knowing that we were nearing the first objective gave the word for the charge. "Charge! Charge!" The shout was quickly taken up by everyone, and the Battalions vied with each other in the vigour of their shouting, and their rush to Battery Valley, the first objective. It was certainly a thrilling moment when the shouting from about two thousand throats echoed and re-echoed in the valley of the Ancre, which was little more than a mile wide, and the flanking heights were about 350 to 400 feet high. Battery Valley was taken with little difficulty, for the shouting had confused, rather than informed, the enemy. A few hand-to-hand encounters, and then the attacking Companies of the E. Yorkshire Regiment pushed forward in advance of this narrow valley (it was more like a sunken road), and re-organised for the next move.
Meanwhile the 9th K.O.Y.L.I. dealt with the dug-outs in the ravines running out of Battery Valley over the side of the hill, and then formed up for the next advance. The Support and Reserve Company 1st E, Yorkshire Regiment were sent to mop up the village of Grandcourt, which they quickly overran and shortly captured four field guns, 20 machine guns, and over 100 prisoners, About 1 a.m. a further advance was made by the remainder of the 1st E. Yorkshire Regiment and the 9th K.O.Y.L.I., and after advancing about three-quarters of a mile attacked across Boom Ravine, where little resistance was met.
During these advances Capt. Spicer (Brigade Major) acted in close liaison with the 1st E. Yorkshire Regiment, and the writer kept close touch with the 9th K.O.Y.L.I., and it was by having an officer from Brigade H.Q. with each Battalion that the advance could be made successfully, and the success exploited to the full. When the attackers were reorganising in front of Boom Ravine the writer returned to find the General, and was suspicious that he heard movements about the dug-outs as if they might still contain some of the enemy. However, he met the General, who was cheerful, and had been over to the; Durham's to bring them into closer support, when suddenly the General and the writer, together with their orderlies, were surrounded by a section of Germans. The situation was very awkward for a few moments, but after bluffing the German officer, who had got his men in firing position about us (we had revolvers, but not loaded), -is to our strength, he and his men surrendered. Having taken their arms and given the Germans in charge to one of the orderlies, we were surprised by a shower of Very lights from behind. Almost immediately we were fired on, the Brigadier, General A. J. McCulloch, was wounded in the thigh, and several of the Germans killed. It was only when the writer, recognising the voice of an officer of the D.L.I., shouted to them to cease firing, that the situation cleared. General McCulloch left instructions for the E. Yorkshire Regiment to fall into support and finish mopping up Grandcourt, and for the 15th D.L.I. to continue the advance on the left of the 9th K.O.Y.L.I., and push on to Hill 135. Colonel Holroyd-Smith, of the Durham's, took over command of the Brigade. As dawn was breaking on the morning of the 24th August, the Durham's and the 9th K.O.Y.L.I. advanced in small parties up the hill, but here it was evident that we; were up against resistance once more, but our task was accomplished. The enemy rearguards opened out an annihilating machine gun fire, and the Brigade was hurried into a position of all-round defence, for it was evident that the Brigade (or such portion as was on the hill—the 1st E. York shire Regiment were 1,600 yards behind) was surrounded, but intact, in the enemy position. The men held shell holes, and dare not stand up. The enemy made several small counter-attacks, but at great cost in lives to himself. The Leicester Brigade, which was keeping touch with the I7th Division on the right, was some distance to our right rear.
About 10.30 a.m. Capt. Spicer, the Brigade Major, after an affair with a German sentry, managed to get away, passed Grandcourt and informed the 1st E. Yorkshire Regiment of the position, found a horse and rode to 21st Division Advanced H.Q. at Mailly-Maillet, where he explained the situation. The report was confirmed by aeroplane reconnaissance.
These 'planes dropped messages on our little hill promising speedy assistance. The Brigade was in a rough circle round the hill, but in no formation as regards units. The Brigade Major having got back, the remaining officers of Brigade H.Q. were the Gas Officer, who was with a Company of K.O.Y.L.I., and the writer, who had to get to earth with the Durham's when reconnoitering the final positions. During the enemy shelling early in the morning the Brigade suffered far more heavily than in the attack ; the East Yorkshire's, who were in support at Grandcourt received similar treatment, and 2nd Lieuts. H. W. Nicholls and H. Storch and 16 Other Ranks were killed. 2nd Lieut. C. Ullyott was killed earlier in the same operation (evening 23rd). There were 36 Other Ranks wounded and five missing. At noon on the 24th August there was a sudden quiet ; the sun had got up and was very hot, the mists had lifted from the river below and dissipated, and away to the north the advanced troops could be seen advancing on Miraumont. The writer stood up, and saw Major Greenwood, M.C, of the 9th K.O.Y.L.I., waiting about, and presently others did the same.... no firing from the front ... it was true the enemy rearguards had quietly moved back to Pys under the cover of their shelling. The officers of the Battalions H.Q. and Brigade H.Q. quickly organised the collection and evacuation of the wounded, arranged the defence of our position ready for further eventualities. Eventually the Leicester Brigade came up) on our right. Late in the afternoon the Lincoln (62nd) Brigade pushed through our position and advanced south of Pys, where they joined up with the 42nd Division. The 17th and 38th Divisions had made good the line further south, and so the difficult Thiepval Ridge was taken, and it was now possible to arrange for a definite advance. Then the writer was sent to H.Q. Lincoln (62nd) Brigade to follow the attack on Le Sars, Butte de Warlencourt, and Eaucourt I'Abbaye, in readiness for the next advance of the 64th Brigade. The 64th Brigade had some cause (or self-congratulation, having fought its own bridgehead positions, crossed the Ancre, and on a pitch dark night advanced from 21/2 to 3 miles to their allotted objective over craters and shell-hole country, and holding that objective in the face of determined outflanking enemy, until relieved some 15 hours afterwards. In spite of all, our casualties were light, and our success had been the key to the operations on either flank.
Although the writer was working with Brigade H.Q., he noticed on several occasions during the eventful night the excellent work done by C.S.M. (afterwards R.S.M.) T. Carney, D.C.M., who was afterwards awarded the M.C. for his gallantry. The afternoon of the 24th and the following night the 1st E. Yorkshire Regiment was withdrawn to Battery Valley for rest and reorganisation. Although the weather was very hot in the daytime the nights were very chilly, and it was difficult to keep warm, sleeping in rough shelters at night. On the 25th the Battalion moved forward to Hill 135, and later in the evening moved to a valley behind Le Sars. The Company Commanders were : 'A' Company, Capt. Oughtred, M.C; 'B' Company, Lieut. Constant; 'C Company, Capt. A. R. Case, M.C.; and. 'D' Company, Lieut. T. G. Allen. During the evening the rain poured down, and the shelter was scanty. Lieut Colonel du Moulin, M.C, called the Company Commanders together about midnight in a small hut which he. was using as a H.Q. Here he explained that Le Sars had been taken, and also the Butte de Warlencourt, and that the Battalion was to act as Brigade Support Battalion in an attack to Luisenhof Farm on the road between Ligny-Thilloy—Flers. The 62nd Brigade had advanced to Blue Cut, a road about 800 yards east of the Butte. (With thanks to Charles Dinsdale)
Trench maps for the Sars area here:
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=151272
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