2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment

The German Offensives of 1918 in Champagne.

The Battle Of The Aisne, 1918: 27th May-6th June. (See also the War Diary report here)

The German offensives on the Somme and in the Lys Valley were over, but there was a prevailing opinion among the British General Staff that before the enemy resumed his main offensive on the Arras-Amiens-Montdidier front, the attack on the northern flank of the Allied line in Flanders would be followed by a similar attack on the southern flank.

Such was the case, for at the end of May, the Germans launched a violent surprise attack on the Allied line on the Aisne front in which certain British divisions which had been sent there to rest were involved.

Marshal Foch, who had concentrated certain French divisions behind Amiens, had requested Sir Douglas Haig to replace them by sending British divisions to take their place on the Asine front, then a quiet part of the line. The British divisions sent were some of those which had gone through very heavy fighting on the Somme or Lys. They were the 8th, 21st, 25th and 50th Divisions, subsequently reinforced by the 19th Division. They formed the IXth Corps under Lieut.-General Sir A. Hamilton Gordon, and were to join the Sixth French Army. The despatches record that "the 8th Division (Major-General W. C. G. Heneker) had been involved south of the Somme in some of the heaviest fighting of the year and had behaved with distinguished gallantry. All these Divisions had but lately been filled up with young drafts and, despite their high spirits and gallant record, were in no condition to take part in major operations until they had had several weeks’ rest."

The story of the 2nd Middlesex in the operations on the Somme is typical of the fighting prowess of the 8th Division which, though almost wiped out again and again, emerged with its spirit undimmed.

The 2nd Middlesex, with other units of the 23rd Brigade, arrived at Fere-en-Tardenois at 8.30 p.m. on the 4th May, and in a thunderstorm marched to billets at Dravegny, which village was not, however, reached until 5 a.m. on the 5th.

Training was carried out untd the 10th when the Battalion began to move forward to the lines in a series of route-marches. On the 10th the Middlesex: reached Breuil-sur-Vesle, on the 12th Ventelay. On the latter date, in very wet weather, the 23rd Brigade relieved the 217th Regiment of French Infantry in the left sub-sector of the 8th Divisional front, the right flank of which rested on the Aisne River, north-east of Berry-au-Bac, and the left north-east of La Ville and west of Juvincourt, the latter village being in the German lines.

The 2nd Middlesex, however, did not go into the front line, but were in reserve in Guyencourt. Here they stayed until the 20th, engaged in ordinary training. Their Diary records that Albuhera Day was spent in skill-at-arms competitions.

From the battle-scarred Somme battlefields the Division had come to a quiet and peaceful country. The weather was glorious, the Champagne country looking at its best. The depressing monotony of Flanders and the awful wreckage of the Picardy landscapes, with their blasted woods and ruined villages, had no counterpart in this fair country to which the tired and worn-out 8th Division had come. Only occasionally a shell would break the stillness of the perfect weather and the shell burst re-echo in the sleeping hills. And but for the front line trenches, dug in chalk, and the shell-holes and ground, honeycombed with dug-outs, one would hardly have known that the holocaust of war had passed that way. That such a quiet spot could exist along the Allied line seemed impossible.

On the 20th the Battalion moved up to the support line at Bois des Boches where they remained until the 27th, upon which date the Germans launched their great attack. For this quiet part of the line had been but a snare and a delusion. The Germans had fixed upon this peaceful part of the line on which to launch their great attack, just as we had selected the Cambrai front in November, 1917, where we knew battle-worn German divisions were resting.

On the 26th greatly increased movement behind the enemy’s front line suggested an attack by the enemy. Two prisoners captured by the French on the previous night, had definitely stated that the enemy intended launching a great attack on the 27th May. At 6 p.m. all battle stations were occupied and the guns carried out a counter-preparation bombardment. But throughout the evening the eneiny artillery was silent.

The captured Germans had stated that the enemy’s bombardment would open at 2 a.m. on the 27th and punctually at that hour there was a terrific roar. "Within a second a thousand guns roared out their iron hurricane. The night was rent with sheets of flame. The earth shuddered under the avalanche of missiles … leapt skyward in dust and tumult. Even above the din screamed the fierce crescendo of approaching shells, ear-splitting crashes as they burst …All the time the dull thud, thud, thud of detonations and drum fire. Inferno raged and whirled round the Bois des Buttes (23rd Brigade Headquarters). The dug-outs rocked . . . timbers started. . . Men rushed for shelter, seizing kits, weapons, gas masks, message pads as they dived for safety. It was a descent into hell."

Such is the description of what that terrific bombardment was like by an officer present. (Capt. Rogerson, 2nd West Yorks Regt., of the 23rd Brigade Staff.)

The 25th Brigade was holding the right sub-sector of the divisional front, the 24th the centre and the 23rd the left, when the storm broke. The 2nd Middlesex were in the battle zone in front of Ville au Bois, supporting the 2nd West Yorkshires who held the front line.

For three hours this savage bombardment went on and then, between 4 and 5 a.m., the enemy’s infantry advanced to the attack. They broke through the line on either flank of the Division and gradually overwhelmed the troops of the 8th Division holding the front and support lines.

Of what happened to the 2nd Middlesex there is little record. The Battalion Diary has only the following entry: "Enemy bombardment commenced at 1 a.m. and continued till 5 a.m. (At) 4.35 a.m. a message received from O.C., ‘B’ Company (Captain del Court) stating that all was well. 4.45 a.m. O.C. ‘B’ Company reports to Battalion Headquarters that he has been overwhelmed by the enemy who are now close to Battalion Headquarters. C.O. sends Captain E. C. Lawson to Brigade Headquarters with message explaining the situation. As only Captain Lawson, 2/Lieut. J. J. Carter and twenty-one other ranks got out of the line it is impossible to record what became of the Company Commanders and other officers and men of the Battalion. Captain Lawson, 2/Lieut. Carter and twenty-one other ranks were detailed for guard on the three bridges crossing the Canal and Aisne, south of Pontavert, till they were prepared by the Royal Engineers for blowing up. This party then retired to Roucy and took up a defensive position till forced to retire on Montigny."

(Albert Allen to whom this site is dedicated was taken prisoner along with most of the battalion during the early hours of 27th May 1918. His father received this letter more than a month later. Albert survived the war.)

Fighting desperately, as they did on the Somme in March, the remnants of the Division fell back, contesting every bit of ground while there were men to hold on. On the 28th Major Drew rejoined the survivors of the 2nd Middlesex. On the 29th and 30th 2/Lieuts. Mahany aad Polhill, with personnel of Lewis-gun and Gas School, rejoined with sixty other ranks and ten other ranks from Corps Signalling Schools. These officers and 2/Lieut. Carter and seventy other ranks were sent as details to the forward area, the drummers and pipers also going.

But on the night 29th/30th the 56th Brigade of the 19th Division had arrived to relieve the remnants of the 23rd Brigade, elements of the latter collecting at Nanteuil.

By the 31st of May the Allied line had been stabilized and on the 1st of June ran from north of Rheims, in a south-westerly direction through Coulommes, Bligny to Dormans, thence along the Aisne to Château Thierry, from which place it curved again in a north-westerly and northerly direction to west of Soissons. Thus the enemy had made a deep pocket in the French and British line. Again he had gained ground which was to be a danger to him.

Practically the whole of the 2nd Battalion was lost in the Battle of the Aisne, and so great were the casualties that the 23rd Brigade was only able to form one composite company, consisting of 250 rifles, of which number there were only ninety-two other ranks belongong to the Middlesex.

On the 2nd June this composite company moved to Etrechy, elements of the Brigade troops being still in the line. On the 9th a move was made to Broussy le Grand, and on the 12th the Brigade entrained at Fere-en-Champenoise with Lieut.-Colonel E. E. F. Baker (commanding 2nd Middlesex) in temporary command. Hangest was reached on the 15th where, on detrainment, all units marched to the Heucourt area, the Middlesex billeting in that village and in Croquison.

By the end of June the 8th Division, with most of its units brought up to something near strength again, was in training in the Gamaches-St. Valery area, the 2nd Middlesex being billeted at Hebecourt.