Saturday October 12th, 1918
Again on the improve.
Battalion Re-united
Frank is still in hospital. Meanwhile the Battalion is rejoined by the B-teams which arrive from Moislains, headed by the Battalion Band (without Frank, clearly). It must have been stirring stuff. Their new billet, Reumont, obviously remains in the firing line and unfortunately there are four new casualties to add to the Battalion’s recent toll.
Le Cateau
Today, The Guardian newspaper reports on the progress made to October 11th, 1918 and maps the latest position:¹
In tomorrow’s Observer, there is jubilant reporting of the last week’s actions on the Western Front.
’To see how fully the prospect has been cleared in a few days, let us glance back at our review of the situation as it stood a week ago. We then said that just as the Eastern scene had been already transformed, the Western scene was on the eve of transformation. The change is already more rapid and drastic than we had ventured to expect. We showed that Cambrai must fall, and it has fallen. We anticipated the early deliverance of Rheims from the German artillery. That deliverance was already happening as we wrote the words.
We said that the Hindenburg system was doomed, in spite of the boasted method which had covered with wire and concrete a whole countryside forty miles deep. The Hindenburg system as an obstacle has ceased to exist. We pointed out last Sunday the significance of our approach to Le Cateau district, the focus of half a dozen railway connections – absolutely vital to the supply and manoeuvring power of the whole German centre.
But neither we nor anyone else imagined for a moment that the British Army before another week had passed, would have reached Le Cateau and beyond in less than three days of fighting.’ ²
Clearly expectations were rising on the home front, however German resistance on the ground continues and is not to be underestimated.
9th Battalion War Diary – 12th October 1918 – Reumont
The Battalion B Teams rejoined from Moislains at 10:00 hrs headed by the Battalion Band. During the afternoon Reumont was shelled with HE and Blue Cross. 1 OR killed and 3 OR wounded.
References & Further Reading
¹ Map from The Guardian newspaper, October 12th, 1918, page 7. Copyright @ 2018 Newspapers.com
² ‘Sweeping the Hindenburg Zone’, The Observer newspaper, October 13th, 1918, page 6