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  • Wednesday 27th September 1916. Day 89

    Thiepval

    18th Div continued mopping up in Thiepval.10th Essex captured 50 yards of Bulgar Trench and by 11 am troops were digging in beyond the village.

    Mouquet Farm

    The Germans evacuated Zollern Redoubt on 34 Bde’s (11th Div) front. 8th Northumberland Fusiliers occupied it at dawn but was later withdrawn. 9th Lancashire Fusliers occupied Zollern Trench west of the redoubt, while 11th Manchester Regt did the same east of it and in touch with the Canadians. A 10am attack by the Manchesters was abandoned due to heavy MG fire from Stuff Redoubt and Hessian Trench.

    Similarly 32 Bde was detailed to attack with 9th West Yorks and 6th Green Howrads at 3pm. The attack was postponed but the West Yorks did not receive the message and attacked on time, gaining a hold in Stuff Redoubt. At 4pm the Green Howards advanced and captured Hessian Trench west of Stuff Redoubt.

    Courcelette

    2nd Canadian Div troops found the Germans withdrawing on their front. In the afternoon the 28th and 29th Bns sent patrols and occupied the North and South Practice Trenches. 31st Bn also advanced.

    1st Canadian Div had less luck with 14th Bn being driven out of Kenora Trench. It was later reoccupied and a counterattack driven off. The Canadians withdrew again after dark.

    Martinpuich

    1st Div captured most of Flers Switch in a frontal attack.

    50th Div set up posts between Crescent Alley and treet>Twenty-Sixth Avenuetreet>.

    23rd Div occupied treet>Twenty-Sixth Avenue southtreet> west of Spence Trench, linking with the Canadians on the treet>Bapaume Roadtreet>.

    Gueudecourt

    The New Zealand Div attacked with some success near Gueudecourt. 1st (Canterbury) Bn linked up with 1/8th Bn, The King’s Regt on the treet>Ligny Roadtreet>. 1st (Otago) Bn reached Factory Corner on the treet>Eaucourt L’Abbaye Roadtreet> but lost three companies doing so. The remaining company bombed up Goose Alley. The junction of Goose Alley and Gird Trench remained in German hands.
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    • Thursday 28th September 1916. Day 90

      Thiepval




      The area of the attack on Schwaben Redoubt. The view is looking north west from the Thiepval monument. Zollern Trench ran through the green field just north of Thiepval village. The British line on 28th September ran roughly along the line of Zollern Trench. The trenches and redoubts are marked in tehir approximate positions.

      At 1pm 18th Div began an assault on Schwaben Redoubt and surrounding defences. 7th Bn Queen’s Regt was tasked with taking the redoubt itself while 8th Suffolks on the right was to take the Midway Line and 8th Norfolks were the moppers up.

      The Suffolks moved quickly through Bulgar Trench but were held up in the assault on Midway Line. Nevertheless at 2.30pm they were almost in the eastern end of the Redoubt. The Queen’s meanwhile had lost their bearings but eventually reached the Redoubt where they occupied the south edge and linked with the Suffolks in Midway Line.

      54 Bde sent two companies of 7th Bedfords and a party of 1/5th West Yorks to assault the west face of the redoubt. They also occupied a trench running tate>north westtate> out of it. During the night these troops fought off a German bombing attack and were relieved by 7th Royal West Kents.

      Further east, 32 Bde (11th Div) was tasked with completing the capture of Stuff Redoubt. 8th Bn, Duke of Wellington’s Regt failed to make the start line and the attack was cancelled.

      Courcelette

      19th (Central Ontario) Bn formed a new line facing north east beyond the Practice Trenches at 7am. At the same time 26th (tate>New Brunswicktate>) Bn passed through 31st Bn positions and advanced astride Courcelette Trench. Coming under heavy fire from Regina Trench they stopped. Further attempts were made at 3 pm and 8.30pm with no success. 26th Bn took over 31st Bn positions.
      Last edited by Groundhog; 1 October 2006, 05:30.
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      • Friday 29th September 1916. Day 91

        6th Royal Berkshire Regt and 8th East Surreys relieved 8th Suffolks and 7th Queen’s respectively. At 6.30am 7th Royal West Kent Regt took over the line from 54 Bde from the west face of Schwaben Redoubt to the German front line. By 7.30am a bombing fight was raging at the redoubt lasting all day.

        32 Bde made another attempt to clear Stuff Redoubt and Hessian Trench. Three companies of 6th Yorks & Lancs captured most of the trench but the attack on the redoubt failed.

        Courcelette

        2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles attacked and captured part of Hessian trench in conjunction with the attack of the Yorks & Lancs. The Germans recaptured part of this gain but were driven out in turn by Canadian bombers.

        In 23rd Div, a company of 8th Yorks & Lancs captured Destremont Farm.
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        • Saturday 30th September 1916. Day 92

          Thiepval

          A German attack at dawn drove the East Surreys from the southern face and the West Kents from the western face of Schwaben Redoubt. A hand to hand fight ensued during which the East Surreys re-took the lost ground. The Hun held onto the western face. At 4pm the East Surreys attacked and took the northern face of the redoubt while the West Kents and two platoons of 7th Buffs failed to retake the west face. At 9pm the Germans attacked again and drove the East Surreys back to the entrance to Stuff Trench.

          Meanwhile in Stuff Redoubt bombers from 32 Bde attacked at 4pm. 6th Yorks & Lancs moved west along Hessian Trench. 7th South Staffords bombed up Zollern Trench and along the German support trench. A mix of men from 9th West Yorks, 6th Green Howards and 8th Duke of Wellington’s Regt attacked from the south of the redoubt and took all but the north part of it.

          Flers

          1/18thLondon Regt and 2nd New Zealand Rifle Brigade forced the Germans back beyond Flers Switch and Flers Support.
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          • Sunday 1st October 1916. Day 93

            Today sees the commencement of the Battle of Transloy Ridge which lasted until October 18th and the Battle of the AncreHeights which went on to November 18th.



            Thiepval

            25th Div attacked Stuff Redoubt while 55 Bde of 18th Div was still fighting in Schwaben Redoubt.

            Courcelette

            Zero Hour was 3.15pm. In 3rd Canadian Div, 4th and 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles (8 Bde) attacked Regina Trench but were held up by shelling, MG fire and uncut barbed wire. A bombing fight lasting until 2am when the Canadians pulled back.

            2nd Canadian Div also attacked the length of Regina Trench in it’s sector. 18th (Western Ontario) and 20th (Central Ontario) Bns of 4 Bde advanced 400 yards and dug in. In 5 Bde 22nd (Canadien Francais) Bn lost heavily to shell and MG fire as it advanced. 25th (Nova Scotia Rifles) Bn took Kenora Trench and dug in there while 24th (Victoria Rifles) Bn entered Regina Trench. The 24th however found itself flanked by the Germans when 3rd Div withdrew. The Germans bombed down Regina Trench and at nightfall the Canadians held Kenora Trench only.

            Le Sars

            Located north east of Courcelette on the treet>Albert-Bapaume Roadtreet>.

            70 Bde of 23rd Div attacked in this area.

            11th Bn, Sherwood Foresters and 8th Bn, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry formed up in No Man’s Land and quickly took Flers Trench and Flers Support, linking up with 151 Bde (50th Div) on the right and the Canadians on the left. 9th Bn, Yorks & Lancs came up in support and attempted to get patrols into Le Sars but they were driven back by fire from the houses.

            151 Bde meanwhile attacked with 1/6th Bn, Durham Light Infantry and 1/5th Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers. The Durhams entered Flers Trench but were flanked on the right by the Germans. To make matters worse they lost their CO. 1/9th Bn, Durham Light Infantry came up in support and the two battalions secured Flers Trench under command of Lt Col Roland Bradford. Bradford was awarded a VC for his actions and went on to become the British Army's youngest General ever when promoted Brigadier in 1917 aged 25. He was KIA on 30 Nov 1917 at Cambrai. He and his brother George were the only brothers to win VCs in the Great War.

            The Fusiliers secured their area without this drama.

            Eaucourt L’Abbaye

            Located south east of Le Sars 141 Bde of 47th Div attacked here supported by two tanks.

            1/19th London Regt was held up by MG fire, sheltering in shell holes 50 yards from the German Line. The tanks worked along Flers Trench allowing the Londons to advance and link with the New Zealanders on the treet>Le Barque Roadtreet>. 1/20th London Regt waited for the tanks too and then swept through Eaucourt L’Abbaye and linked with 1/19th Bn. During this attack the tanks were ditched in Flers Trench and so 1/17th London did not have their support on the left flank. Held up by uncut wire and MG fire,a German counter attack drove them back.

            Flers

            2 New Zealand Bde attacked north of Flers. 2nd Canterbury Bn captured the junction of Gird Trench and Goose Alley and the eastern section of Circus Trench. 2nd Otago Bn captured a strongpoint called The Circus. Reaching the Le Barque road they were reinforced by 2nd Wellington Bn and linked with the Londoners of 47th Div. The New Zealand attack was supported by 30 oil projectors of Special Bde, Royal Engineers in 12th Div which enveloped the German lines in flames prior to Zero Hour.
            Last edited by Groundhog; 1 October 2006, 19:40.
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            • Monday 2nd October 1916. Day 94

              Thiepval

              55 Bde barely fought off a German attack in Schwaben Redoubt at dawn.

              Le Sars

              1/6th and 1/9th Durhams were holding on in Flers Support despite the failure of 47th Div on their right.

              Eaucourt L’Abbaye

              At dawn 1/23rd Bn, London Regt launched an unsuccessful dawn attack to try and capture 1/17th London’s objectives.
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              • Tuesday 3rd October 1916. Day 95

                Le Sars

                69 Bde relieved 70 Bde and attempted to bomb up Flers Support beyond the treet>Bapaume Roadtreet>.

                Eaucourt L’Abbaye

                Patrols of 1/18th Bn, London Regt, which had relieved 1/17th London, reported few Germans in Flers Trench in their area. In the afternoon they advanced and occupied positions north west of the village.
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                • Wednesday 4th October 1916. Day 96

                  Thiepval

                  The fighting continued indecisively at Schwaben Redoubt.

                  Le Sars

                  23rd Div made an unsuccessful attempt on Flers Support at Dusk while 47th Div completed the occupation of Flers Trench in it’s sector.

                  Flers

                  41st Div relieved the New Zealand Div.
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                  • Thursday 5th October 1916. Day 97

                    Thiepval

                    A bombing attack by 8th Norfolks in Schwaben Redoubt bogged down in the mud.

                    Eaucourt L’Abbaye

                    The division pushed it’s front line forward as far as the mill north west of the village.
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                    • Friday 6th October 1916. Day 98

                      Thiepval

                      39th Div relieved 18th Div.

                      Le Sars

                      A company of 11th Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers (68 Bde, 23rd Div) occupied The Tangle for a short time but was forced to withdraw.
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                      • Saturday 7th October 1916. Day 99

                        Thiepval

                        A German flamethrower attack on 39th Div in Schwaben Redoubt was repulsed by 16th and 17th Bns of The Sherwood Foresters.

                        Le Sars

                        Zero Hour was 1.45pm. 12th Bn, Durham Light Infantry, supported by a tank, entered The Tangle. The tank turned left onto the treet>Eaucourt L’Abbaye-Le Sars Roadtreet> where it was immediately destroyed by a shell. The infantry bogged down here under MG fire from Le Sars. They dug in on the road while 9th Bn Green Howards and 13th Bn, Durham Light Infantry entered Le Sars and cleared the village by 2.30pm. Meanwhile in the same brigade, 11th Bn, West Yorkshire Regt attacked Flers Support twenty minutes after Zero. They were unable to make any headway until supported by 10th Bn, Duke of Wellington’s Regt. By nightfall 69 Bde held both Flers Trench and Flers support as well as Le Sars.

                        In conjunction with the 23rd Div assault on Le Sars, 140 Bde of 47th Div made an attempt on the Butte de Warlencourt, an ancient burial mound east of Le Sars which was heavily fortified by the Germans.

                        1/8th Bn, London Regt led the assault but was halted by MG fire. 1/7th and 1/15th Bns, London Regt came up in support with no more success.

                        Eaucourt L’Abbaye

                        41stDiv attacked Bayonet Trench and Gird Trench. 124 Bde attacked Bayonet Trench with 26th and 32nd Bns, Royal Fusiliers. Running into MG fire these two battalions were forced to dig in half way to the objective. They were reinforced at nightfall by 21st Bn, King’s Royal Rifle Corps and 10th Bn, the Queen’s Regt. The apparent strength of the attack is misleading. All remnants of the four battalions gave the brigade a strength of one battalion.

                        122 Bde was in similar straits attacking Gird Trench with 15th Hampshire Regt, 11th Royal West Kents, 12th East Surreys and 18th King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Despite the use of burning oil on the Germans, little progress was made.

                        Gueudecourt

                        12th Div attacked Bayonet Trench and Rainbow Trench in this area. Despite a German MG barrage on the front line at Zero Hour, 8th and 9th Bns, Royal Fusiliers and 6th Buffs made it to their objectives. Later they were forced back.

                        South of Gueudecourt 20th Div had more success taking Rainbow trench with 6th Bn, Oxs & Bucks Light Infantry and 12th Rifle Brigade. They then advanced and took Misty Trench. 7th Bn, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and 12th Bn, King’s Regt occupied Rainbow Trench and took the sout eastern end of Cloudy Trench, forming a new British frontline which was renamed Shine Trench. It ran from Cloudy Trench west to the treet>Beaulencourt Roadtreet>. A German attack was fought off at 5pm.

                        Lesboeufs

                        56th Div attacked at 1.45pm in conjunction with the French on their right. 168 Bde found it difficult to maintain contactwith the French who were attacking east while the British were advancing north. The London Scottish took some gun pits and the southern end of Hazy Trench. 1/4th and 1/12th Bns, the London Regt were stopped by MG fire. At nightfall London Scottish withdrew after fighting off a counter attack.

                        In 167 Bde, 1/1st London Regt mostly failed in an assault on Spectrum Trench although their bombers entered the trench and linked with 1/7th Middlesex. They then took the southern section of Rainbow Trench.
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                        • Sunday 8th October 1916. Day 100

                          Courcelette

                          Zero Hour was 4.50am. 1st Canadian Div, attacked in cold, heavy rain with 1 and 3 Bde. 3rd (Toronto) and 4th Bns (1 Bde) advanced and captured the Le Sars line from treet>Dyke Roadtreet> to 400 yards beyond the Quadrilateral. At 1.20pm a German counterattack was driven back but the Canadians withdrew to the assault trenches at dusk. 3 Bde attacked Regina Trench with 13th(Royal Highlanders) and 16th (Canadian Scottish) Bns. The 13th were stopped by barbed wire and withdrew. The 16th entered Regina Trench but withdrew with 3rd Bn.

                          3rd Canadian Div also attacked Regina Trench with 7 and 9 Bdes. 43rd (Cameron Highlanders) and 58th Bns of 9 Bde entered Regina Trench but were forced back. In 7 Bde 49th (Edmonton) Bn and the Royal Canadian Regt entered Kenora Trench but were driven out.

                          Le Sars

                          Two Companies of 8th Yorks & Lancs (70Bde, 23rd Div) cleared the Flers Trenches and established a post overlooking the Quarry on the Pys road, half a mile tate>north westtate> of Le Sars. The Quadrilateral meanwhile had been abandoned by the Germans.

                          Eaucourt L’Abbaye

                          1/21st and 1/22nd Bns, London Regt (142 Bde, 47th Div) unsuccessfully attacked Snag Trench. 1/22nd Bn did manage to establish posts on the Eaucourt L’Abbaye to Warlencourt road, linking with 23rd Div.

                          Lesboeufs

                          At 3.30pm 56th Div attacked Hazy Trench, Dewdrop Trench and Spectrum Trench with the London Rifle Brigade, 1/9th Bn, London Regt and 1/3rd Bn, London Regt respectively. All units withdrew to the start line at nightfall. The Germans pushed forward and retook Rainy Trench.
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                          • Monday 9th October 1916. Day 101

                            Thiepval

                            Stuff Redoubt was overrun and captured by 10th Bn, Cheshire Regt (7 Bde, 25th Div) at 12.30pm. Two German attacks were repulsed in the evening.

                            39th Div had less luck in Schwaben Redoubt. An attack at 4.30am by 16th Bn, Sherwood Foresters failed to secure the north face of the redoubt.
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                            • Tuesday 10th October 1916. Day 102

                              Courcelette

                              In the Canadian Corps 4th Div relieved 3rd Div.
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                              • My apologies for the gap in posts. I was away for the weekend.

                                Wednesday 11th October 1916. Day 103

                                Thiepval

                                8th Bn, Loyal North Lancashire Regt had relieved the Cheshires in Stuff Redoubt. During the day the North Lancs drove off numerous German attacks.
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