MENDING THE LINE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1835, 4 June 1918, Page 1

MENDING THE LINE.

• LABOUR CORPS’ STAND. HOW AMIENS WAS SAVED. The following narrative by Mr Hamilton Eyfe refers to the feats of General Sandeman-Carey’s improvised force in stopping a. gap in the British line at a critical moment. The story begins on (he sixth day of the battle, Tuesday, March 2(5) h. After, the Germans had entered Albert on the north of the Somme and Roye on the south, and were advancing rapidly along the river itself, there was a perilously weak sectot in our front. This sector began at the river near Sailly-Lau-rette and extended south-westerly down to about the little stream called the Luce.. It was urgent that it should be strengthened, but I believe there was a difficulty in finding troops immediately available for the purpose.

There was no lime to lose. If we had not been so strong in the air that wo kept the German aeroplanes from scouting over our lines and discovering our weak spot, the enemy might have linen pouring through already. Next day he would certainly push forward patrols to test, our strength, would find a chance to gel through, ami would at once take advantage of it. At 2 a.m. orders were given for creating a composite force and employing it to strengthen the lino running through Hume to the wood of Hungard until the French relief appeared. This could not be expected for at least three days, probably more, and the troops to be sent would of necessity be a scratch lot. But they were Englishmen, and they would be (old bow much depended upon them. There was no doubt in anybody's mind that they would hold on grimly so long as breath remained in their bodies. First it was necessary to appoint a commander. lie must he a man of energy, initiative, rapid decision; also one who would give the men confidence in his leadership. These qualities were found in an artillery general, and the emergency unit was named after him. A FORCE CONSTITUTED. Before daylight, the rounding-up of men for the new force had begun. The labour battalions in the neighbourhood were called upon, and in every case responded with alacrity. There was an infantry training school at baud. This furnished a respectable contingent both of officers ami men, electricians and signallers, Royal Engineer;! Held companies, and a. party of United (Stales engineers. .Men engaged in all the various jobs which have lo be done behind the lines were quickly made up into companies and battalions.

By noon they were ready io march, and at, two o’clock in the afternoon they had already started digging scratch positions for themselves, machine-gun emplacements, and so forth. 1 should have mentioned that some fifty troopers from a. cavalry regiment were a Hot led to the Force, which henceforward is spell, with a capital F, and that it was given some guns, hut these guns it had to yield up again immediately. There was even greater need of them elsewhere. It was not until it had been in the Held for some little time that the Force was able lo get artillery. As soon as they had ii: they certainly used it to good advantage. To that I can hear witness from seeing the batteries at work, hut in the beginning it was the men who held (be enemy back with their bodies and with the line British spirit of them, and under their active commander secured the situation so far as this particular peril was concerned. But for them (he enemy might have pushed through into Amiens. BENT, BUT NOT BROKEN. The attacks upon this part of the front were frequent: and vigorous, but the scratch battalions fought stubbornly, and though they had to yield some ground they made the enemy pay dearly for it. Nor was anything gained by the Germans in the way of territory in spite of their efforts. Onee our men were in a hard place. The large forces pressed them hack so that their line bent south-westward of‘Viller.s-B.re-tonneus, eight and three-quarter

inilos east of Amiens. Not being seasoned troops —most of them, indeed, not having had any experience of: this kind before —they eonld not have been severely blamed if they had broken under the lierce pressure. They did nothing of the sort. They did begin to fall back, butfighting all the time, and, luckily, at this critical moment other British troops, cavalry and infantry, were sent to help them. Thus 1 lie line was restored.

.1 chanced upon the Force after it had been “sticking it” for four days. The men were in good heart; (he batteries were pounding the Germans most ‘effectively on the skyline; stretcher-bearers could be seen at their devoted work somewhere about the battlefield. Their general was riding round looking for himself to see how things were going and encouraging his men. All

his improvised staff arrangements were working admirably. A very cafiable young man whom I had known before in the more ornamenlal capacity of A.D.C. got the chance of his life, and seemed to be making good use of it. The Force was then looking for relief. Not long after I bat relief came, and with it the necessity of keeping (lie Force logo I. her passed. The battalions hastily scraped up and thrown together had proved that the eonlulenee placed in them was justified. They broke up again and dissolved into the former elements. But the record of their pluck and resolution must not be lost.