MARCH, 1918
The Diary of am Officer of the 20th Battalion,
D.L.I.
IÓ4
THE YPRES TIMES
The battles of the Somme, Ypres, Cambrai and others all helped to break the
morale of the German Army. To break their morale called for desperate effort.
I think that everyone of us who opposed the Germans will admit that they had the
hardest, most dangerous, and most unpleasant army in the world to fight. They
were too good soldiers to be out-manoeuvred, and there was only one way of beating
them in the long run, and it could never have been accomplished without breaking
the morale of the German Army and the German Nation.
I would like to make a few remarks about the March, 1918, battle and German
attack. The troops of the 5th Army behaved throughout in the most magnificent
manner, and the stories that were very, very rife about them were falsehoods.
I think that as history has come to light, all these stories have been completely
wiped out. By far the greatest weight of the hostile attack fell on the men of the
5th Armyand yet armies on their flank fell back farther and faster than they did,
thus adding enormously to their difficulties. I do not believe that there has been
any retreat fought under such strenuous circumstances, or conducted by the
personnel in the battle line with a greater or more noble record than was displayed
by the men of that Army. The point we ought to remember is that the battle from
its very first inception was one not of position; and not a battle to hold the line. It
was a long rearguard action.
Prior to the attack, it was well recognized that we would be left to fight a
lone hand, lose ground, and delay the enemy as much as we could. We knew the
German offensive was to take place on the 21st, and I was not in the least surprised
when awakened at about 4.30 a.m. by the most infernal din that I had heard for a
long time. Although it was known the attack was coming, we were not certain
what the nature of attack would be, but before 12 o'clock the whole of my front
was engaged and practically overwhelmed. I then knew that there was only one
form of tactical handling that could meet the situation, and that was rearguard
action. By 12 o'clock I had sent instructions to the four Corps Commanders to
say that the 5th Army were to hold their positions as long as possible without being
decisively overwhelmed, and that the general conduct was to be that of rearguard.
I would like to emphasise that before we had finished the fight the result was
decisive. The Germans meant to make that fight decisive, and break through.
Every single prisoner had said, "If we do not win, it is our last effort; we are
done." Like every gambler who puts down all his moneyif that is lost, he is
lost. The Germans knew it was their last throw by the end of the eighth or ninth
daythey knew they had lost it. By that time, exhausted as we were, we had in
front of us an enemy who was completely and decisively stopped and beaten.
By Harold Goodley, M.C.
March 8th.France again What a change from the almost delightful war conditions on the
Piave River in Italy. Life was very easy there my Battalion only suffered the loss of three killed
and six wounded in four months' warfare. Doullens is a dull spot to detrain at, after such a feast of
scenery obtained free of all cost, by way of a ride along the Italian and French Riviera coasts.
March 10th.Now in hard training to prepare for the coming Great Enemy Offensive. Brigades
have been reduced from four Battalions to three we are feeling the shortage of man power.
