Sunday November 10th, 1918
Training & the Church. Town ruined. Went to Encores but could not get in. Orders for moving up to (left blank).
[This was scored out on Saturday’s diary – entry for Sunday read: Should have been Saturday’s diary.]
Engaging the Enemy
The 9th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment is in action today against the retreating and yet still aggressive German Army. The Battalion’s War Diary contains an account of the 9th’s operation, summarized below. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a copy of the map (Number 57) that was used. This means that co-ordinates that were referenced are meaningless. Instead I have relied on place names.
The map should be read left to right, black lines show the progress of the Battalion. The key stages are numbered in red ink and described below. Significant enemy positions are indicated by dotted lines and blue lines are used to show the direction of the Battalion’s movement when its end position is unclear.
November 10th, 1918
1. ‘The Battalion left Bas Lieu for Sars Poteries at 08:00 hrs and went into billets in the latter place.
2. ‘After the midday meal, orders were received at 13:00 hrs to move to Solre Le Chateau … From there it went forward toward Renlies, starting off at about 15.00 hrs.’
3. ‘C Coy went by Clairfayts, and from there along the road running NE to Moulard.’
4. ’B Coy went via Beaurieux alone road running E to Moulard.‘ Meanwhile, Battalion HQ, A & D Coys moved to Clairfayts and then to Chant des Oiseaux where they remained overnight.
5. B & C Coys met enemy resistance along the west side of Moulard, near the Belgium border.
6. At 16:35 hrs a message was received stating that from a RAF report, the road from Eppe Sauvage due S of Sivry to Trieu Bouchaux, NE of Sauvage, was full of enemy transport and guns, and had been bombed and fired on by our planes.
7. Orders were given for B and C Coys to endeavour to overcome enemy resistance at W side of Sivry, and if possible to secure eastern and south eastern exits in order that A Coy might be pushed through to Trieu Bouchaux, to cut off enemy transport.
November 11th, 1918
B & C Coys spent the night trying to round up enemy machine guns. At 3am on November 11th, ‘a patrol of C Coy threw a bomb at the enemy machine gun at the crossroads … and wounded one of the enemy – the enemy then left their gun’. However, the order for A Coy to try to cut the enemy off at Trieu Bouchaux was cancelled.
‘Before dawn the enemy machine guns on the whole Battalion front became silent, and patrols soon discovered that they were gone. The advance was continued at 07:00 hrs with the 18th Kings (Liverpool) Regt on our right.’
8. ’The Battalion was ordered to proceed through Sivry to Sivry Station, with right flank guard via Vieux Sart and Sautin, thence to Renlies. A Coy formed the advanced guard and D Coy the right flank guard. B & C Coys remained in their positions at the western end of Moulard until Sivry had been made good by advance guard.
The Battalion moved forward as ordered and the Coys moved along their routes without opposition until they were well beyond Sivry. A Coy was held up on reaching the crest … where fire was opened on it by machine guns and artillery which were not definitely located. D Coy reached Vieux Sart without opposition.’
9. ‘B & C Coy with Bn HQ in billets in Sivry.‘
9th Battalion War Diary – 10th November 1918 – Bas Lieu
Battalion moved to Sars Poteries. Description of operations 10th-11th is attached (Appendix No 5).
References & Further Reading