Monday October 7^th, 1918

Still very bad. Place crowded. Only just opened Field Ambulance.

Where is Frank?

Yesterday, Frank was sent to the 2/3rd East Lancs Field Ambulance (ELFA) for treatment.  He could be in a couple of places.  Three days ago the ELFA opened a hospital in a large Nissan Hut in Moislains to treat the sick of the 199th Infantry Brigade.  Yesterday, they opened a Walking Wounded Post, in the form of hospital marquees, for the 66th Division near Templeux-la-Fosse.  In theory, Frank could be in either of these spots, but I think the Nissan Hut is the most likely.

Today the ELFA have also sent eight stretcher bearers to the 9th Bn, Manchesters for ‘temporary duty‘, clearly in anticipation of battle.

Operation Order No 8

This order was issued today.  It provided details for the attack that will commence tomorrow and in which the 9th Bn will be engaged.  The full transcription of this Operation Order can be found here. The attack it outlines will become part of the offensive now known as the Second Battle of Cambrai (October 8th – 10th, 1918).

I haven’t been able to find the map to which the plans refer.  However it seems that the 199th is moving from Beaurevoir towards Serain (its Day 1 target), a distance of about 6 kms.  The American Corps’ target of Premont is about 2.5 kms south east of Serain. Both Serain and Premont are roughly 10 kms east of the mid-point between Cambrai and Saint Quentin.

This photograph was taken during the Battle of Cambrai. Troops of the 10th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, the Pioneers of the British 2nd Division, are building a pontoon across the canalized Scheldt river, 8 October 1918.* This was clearly a multi-faceted attack.

Reserves

One of the cardinal rules of warfare seems to be that you don’t commit all your men to each offensive from the get-go.  Consequently, item 8 of the Operation Order covers ‘Reserves’:

‘The 13^th (LHY) King’s Liverpool Regiment will be in reserve but until permission is given by the Division, they may not be used.  They will move in rear of the attacking battalions by the route detailed in para 6.’

B Team

On a similar vein, a Battalion would never plan to commit its complete force to a battle.  Consequently Operation Order No 7 of October 5th, 1918, specified that:

‘B teams of companies will remain in present camp under Major RML Scott MC, also the following Officers:- Capt FO Thorne MC, Capt JP Goldschmidt, Capt GT Newman (leave), Lt J Trevivian (course), 2Lt EF Laird, 2Lt H Smith, 2Lt E Lees, 2Lt C Groves (course). 2Lt PHH Davies (to return from destination after conducting party).’

Thanks to PhilipG of the Manchesters.org for the following insights:

‘I would suggest that “B teams” was a term used in respect of those officers and men who were to be “left out of battle”.   The purpose was to ensure that after a battle in which casualties could be heavy, there would be a nucleus of officers and men available to reconstruct the battalion following the arrival of the necessary reinforcements.’¹

Far from being second rate officers and men: ‘The aim would be to retain those with military skills and specializations so as to enable the battalion, when reinforcements later arrived, to be rapidly returned to its former efficiency.    Having also to consider the needs of the battalion going into action, the CO would have difficult decisions to make.’¹

Such decisions must have also resulted in very difficult conversations with those to be left behind.

9^th Battalion War Diary – 7^th October 1918 – Moislains to Templeux-la-Fosse

Battalion moved via Longavesnes and Ronsoy to Hindenburg Line and rested during night in chambers in Canal Tunnel east of Bony.  Operation Order No 8 (Appendix No 3) issued.

References & Further Reading

¹ B-teams thread on the Manchesters.org

* Q 11435, copyright Imperial War Museums