Letters From the Trenches: A Soldier of the Great War (23 page)
Read Letters From the Trenches: A Soldier of the Great War Online
Authors: Bill Lamin
Tags: #World War I, #Autobiography, #Personal Memoirs
The men only had one day of rest, the war diary recording the next move: ‘18th The Battalion route marched 15 Kilometres: Men carried full marching order.’ Note the distance,
equivalent to about ten miles. Harry and his comrades would have been carrying well in excess of 65 pounds (30kg). This on the day after his letter to Jack had reported that the marching ‘as
just about knocked me out’. Tough times, but essential fitness training for the task ahead. Luckily, they were to get another rest on the following day: ‘19th Owing to exceptionally wet
weather, men were confined to billets for the day.’
After a few days of toing and froing, marching and shifting billets, on 26 October they arrived at billets at Catena, within a couple of miles of the front line on the Piave. Meanwhile, a few
miles away, units of the Italian Army were consolidating bridgeheads on the north bank of the river. The sounds of artillery action would have been clearly audible.
‘27th, 28th Battalion remained at C. BARCHESSE near CATENA under orders to move at half-an-hours notice,’ noted the war diary of the next two days. In practice, this meant that all
equipment would be packed, all kit assembled, ready to move. All the officers would have been briefed by the CO and they would have briefed their NCOs and men in turn. The officers had also been
sent to reconnoitre the front line at its nearest point, Palazzon.
The ‘Field Service Post Card’ Harry sent to Jack; the other side was used for the address.
Knowing that they would be in action soon, the men would be excited, if a little apprehensive. The last time the 9th Battalion had been involved in a significant advance was at Messines Ridge
over sixteen months ago, on a very different battlefield. Harry had the opportunity to fill in a ‘Field Service Post Card’, a preprinted card on which the sender deleted lines –
such as ‘I am quite well’ – that were not applicable and added his name and other details, and his signature, but no personal message. It was just enough to let Jack know that he
was, at that time, ‘alright’.
A couple of days later, Harry had a chance to write a letter, probably early that morning.
29/10/1918
32507/9th Y & Lancs., 12 Platoon, LGS/IEF
Dear Jack
Just a line to let you know that I am going on alright at present and hope to remain so. I have received your papers and was very pleased with them. They seem to be
getting on with the war now and I hope it will soon be over
[the Germany Army was being driven back all along the Western Front].
We have been in an Italian town for a day or two the
biggest we have been in yet. It is a bit more like war out here at present, but I hope it turns out a success, and the Austrians retire. I think they want peace bad. I hope you are both keeping
in good health and I hope the war is finished before it is time for me to have another leave
[in other words, in not much under a year].
Write as often as you can and let me know how you
are getting on.
With best Love to you both
Harry
Whether Harry has definite knowledge of the Austrians’ morale, whether he is drawing his own conclusions or whether the troops have been briefed in order to prepare them
for the attack, we can’t tell. That morning the battalion would have marched the few miles to the river in order to cross at its allotted time, nine o’clock. There is now a motorway
over the river close to their crossing point, but then a series of pontoon bridges would have been in place on the Piave, which was swollen from the recent rain. Vazzola (Vassola in the war diary)
lies about ten miles (16km) from the starting point. Another mile (1.6km) and they reached the Montecano River, where they encountered some enemy activity, catching up with the lead battalion,
which had been slowed by enemy action.
By the end of that first day their advance had reached Cimetta, about eleven miles (18km) from the start point. The front line had been pushed back seven and a half miles (12km) in a single day.
Harry’s battalion, heading east, passed about ten miles south of Vittorio Veneto, the town from which the battle was to get its name, and the objective that formed the key to General
Diaz’s plan. The battalion war diary adds a little detail to the description of the day’s events:
29th The Battalion crossed the PIAVE at 0900 hours and commenced the advance towards VASSOLA. On reaching the MONTICANO the Battalion moved forwards to support the 8th
Battalion Yorkshire Regiment who were held up by hostile shelling & M G fire. Later in the day the Battalion captured the village of CIMETTA and established a line of posts forward of the
CAMPO–CEVARO–BGO
[Borgo]
di SOPRA road
[today designated the SP15].
About 150 prisoners, 10 machine guns and 2 small field guns were captured. Our casualties numbered only 31.
All in all, a successful day – especially when compared with some of the advances on the Western Front in 1916 and 1917. The battalion had a good haul of prisoners and
equipment, suffering few casualties and making a considerable amount of ground.
Despite the threat of a counter-attack, the next day was quieter:
British infantrymen with captured Austro-Hungarian troops, at least one of whom looks extremely pleased to be out of the fighting. The 9th York and Lancasters took more than
500 prisoners during the final actions of the Italian campaign.
30th The objective for the Battalion was SACILE. On reaching the ORSAGO–SACILE road at point 47, information was received from the cavalry who were then in SACILE that
the enemy had counter-attacked and were advancing towards ORSAGO. This Battalion held the Western bank of the river MESCHIO astride the main road, and the bridge-head at point K65. As the enemy
counter- attack did not develop, the Battalion took up a defensive position for the night, manning the western side of the river on the southern side of the ORSAGO–SACILE road. Patrols were
sent out towards SACILE during the night.
7 prisoners, 2 small field guns and 8 machine guns were captured. There were no casualties in the Battalion during the day.
The Orsago-Sacile road is today designated the SS13. If the battalion had proceeded on the same course, it would have met this road about two miles (3km) to the west of their
objective, Sacile. The River Meschio enables us, for once, to pinpoint accurately the battalion’s position for the night.
31st At 10.00 hours the Battalion advanced towards SACILE. By 12.30 hours we had established a line along the western bank of the LIVENZA but were unable to cross to the
eastern side as the bridge had been destroyed and enemy machine-guns in the church steeple, also snipers in houses, kept up incessant fire. After a bombardment of houses etc. by 6” Newton
Mortars, Stokes Mortars
[respectively, 6–inch medium and 3-inch trench mortars]
and Machine Guns, the section of 18 pounders
[field guns]
obtained three hits on the church
steeple, and no further trouble was caused by hostile machine guns. The pioneers then prepared a bridge over which Companies crossed the LIVENZA – almost in darkness, and by 19.00 hours
our objective had been gained: an outpost line was immediately established on the whole front, touch being obtained on either front.
It had been another successful day. The remaining resistance in Sacile had been overcome. The River Livenza is quite substantial there, and was in flood, flowing either side of
the two islands on which the main part of the town stands. It would have proved a significant obstacle once the bridge had been blown. Maintaining ‘touch’ is an important military
principle: in action, it is essential that each unit links up with the units on each of its flanks so that there is a continuous defensive line.
The 9th Battalion ended the month well, having taken the objectives set for it. The summary by the CO (Lieutenant-Colonel Rumbold, who has clearly returned from having been temporarily in
command of a brigade) is statistically impressive:
Total Number of Prisoners captured during operations | 298 |
Wounded & Sick Prisoners in Hospitals | 239 |
Grand Total | 537 |
Total of Field Guns captured | 42 |
Total of Machine captured | 53 |
Total of Trench Mortars captured | 44 |
Total of Rifles captured | 3000 |
Total number of casualties:– | |
Killed | 8 |
Wounded | 33 |
During this month, the health of the Battalion was good, prevailing deseases being:– I.C.T.
(Signed) S D Rumbold
Lieutenant-Colonel
Commanding 9th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment
A casualty list of eight killed and thirty-three wounded was a modest price to pay in the light of what the battalion had achieved, especially by the standards of that war. Except, of course,
that casualties are not ciphers, but lives ended or, very often, ruined, leaving loved ones to mourn or grieve.
On the following day the positions were consolidated beyond Sacile, and the enemy simply melted away.
As November opened, the success of the offensive was all too apparent, although the war diary entries are brief and businesslike:
1st
[November]
The Battalion occupied a line of posts in the N.E. outskirts of SACILE. The Austrians were reported to be retiring across the TAGLIAMENTO
[a
river some twenty miles (32km) to the east].
2nd The battalion moved by march route to RORAI near PORCIA arriving in billets at 1730 hrs.
The march on 2 November was around five miles (8km) to the west, following the enemy. And then, on the 3rd, the atmosphere changed completely. Clearly, the intelligence reports
about the enemy retiring had been confirmed. On that Sunday, it appears that the war has been forgotten, as the deliberations among the high commands and governments of all the combatants filter
down to battalion level:
3rd Church Services were held in the morning. Football was played in the afternoon.
4th The armistice with Austria came into force at 15.00 hrs. Billets and environs were improved. A Battalion Concert was held in the evening.
And with that understated, typically undramatic entry, the war diary of the 9th (Service) Battalion, the York and Lancaster Regiment, recorded the end of all fighting on the
Italian Front.
That day, Harry wrote to Jack, evidently unaware of the armistice. He gives a good description of the recent successful action, reflecting accurately the accounts in the war diary.
