THE YPRES TIMES
105
Etreux. 27th, August, 1914.
The retreat from Mons was in progress and those who were in it know all they want
to know.
On this fateful day, the Royal Munster Fusiliers with the 118 Bty. R.F.A. attached
had been given the task of rearguard duties. The odds were somewhat similar to
those at Elouges already described.
It is now known that opposed to them were -
1 Sqn. Cavalry.
4 Btys. Field Artillery.
9 Bns. Infantry.
from 8 a.m. till 9-30 p.m. the Royal Munster Fusiliers fought for their lives, and
only when completely surrounded, with but one unwounded officer remaining and a
handful of men left, were they forced to surrender.
No finer display of gallantry or devotion to duty was seen during the whole war.
Cambrai and the attack on Fontaine Notre Dame.
Here we come to a different period of the War.
Long years had been spent in a stalemate position, but now we come to the era of
the tank and the means of overcoming the German barbed wire.
The British attack in Nov., 1917 was planned to take place in the Cambrai area,
because the ground there was favourable for the employment of tanks which were to play
an important part in the enterprise, and facilities existed for the concealment of the
necessary preparations for the attack.
It had been planned months beforehand, but the decision to put the plan into exe
cution at this particular date was influenced by the necessity of helping Italy after her
Caporetto disaster.
It was continued for the same cause after the initial success had ended.
The attack on the village of Fontaine Notre Dame and Bourlon Wood formed an
isolated action in the battle as a whole and the main object in studying the action was
to impress on the young officer, some of the many difficulties entailed in wood and vil
lage fighting.
Against a determined enemy there is no harder task to perform; it demands the
greatest courage and determination from all ranks, and above all, leadership of the
highest order. None of these qualities were lacking in this instance, success was
complete but temporary.
Casualties were very severe and as fortune would have it, the Germans had already
planned to carry out an attack at the same place but we had forestalled him, his attacking
troops were therefore available for an immediate counter-attack.
Gouzeaucourt. Nov. 30th.
Our initial success at Cambrai and later the German counter-offensive on the salient
thus made is too well known to repeat the story.
So swift and complete indeed was the German advance that at one stage the position
of the Third Army was seriously endangered.
No military record of the battle would be complete, however, without a mention
of the magnificent resistance of the 47th, 2nd, and 56th Divisions on the northern flank
of the salient. They held their ground against the repeated attacks of seven German
divisions. On the southern side certain British divisions were holding dangerously
extended lines and here it was that the German thrust became the serious danger,
having broken through to a considerable depth.
Again we wish to take this opportunity of thanking Captain de Trafford and the
staff of the Ypres League for their courtesy and much appreciated assistance in
making our tours as comfortable as continental travel knows how.
One of the Party.
