March 2006

 

 

 

A TALL STORY

by J.P. Lethbridge

The following case was heard at the Warwickshire Conscription Appeals Tribunal, sitting in Birmingham on 7 February 1918. The Chairman of the Tribunal was Sir Michael Lakin.

A nineteen year old boy had been passed as fit for garrison duty. He appealed against this decision on medical grounds explaining that he was six feet, three inches tall with his boots off. He had outgrown his strength, had curvature of the spine and had to wear special braces with steel pads to keep himself up. The boy had developed this condition comparatively recently hence the army's suspicion.

The army doctor who had passed the boy as fit for garrison duty had advised him to stand on his left toes. However the teenager pointed out to the tribunal 'I cannot stand on my left toes all day'. He would have been quite willing to join up earlier when he was in full health but he had been under age. By 1918 he was of military age but his parents were strongly against him joining the army because of his poor health. What decision did the tribunal come to? Did it:

Accept the boy's medical evidence at face value? (b) Ask for further evidence? (c) Reject the boy's claim outright? Answer overleaf.

 

'THEY DIDN'T STOP RUNNING UNTIL THEY GOT TO CALAIS'

 by Bob Butcher

We know that Haig was right in believing that the German Spring Offensive aimed at destroying the British Army and that Ludendorff meant to seek a decision in Flanders. The attacks farther south were intended to tie down reserves.

The crucial attack came on 9 April and fell on' Britain's Oldest Ally', the Portuguese who broke. The British Tommy reckoned that they ran all the way to Calais but although this was a gross exaggeration, they certainly fell back in some disorder and opened up a dangerous gap in the British line. One has only to look at the map to see how a fairly short advance would endanger the British L of C and bases. Critical as this was, there was also a danger that the shoulders of the newly ­created salient could crumble and the Allied line rolled up. Fortunately the British divisions on either side of the Portuguese held firm. Moreover the possibility of the Portuguese giving way had not been ignored and various plans made to meet it.

The 55th Division to the south (the Portuguese right) and the 40th and 34th to the north, were able to throw out defensive flanks while cyclists and Yeomanry formed a thin line in the path of the enemy and put up a stubborn resistance. Elements of the reserve divisions, the 50th and 51 st, were also in position by the end of the day. The situation was still critical, however, and much fierce fighting was necessary before this latest German advance was fought to a standstill. (Haig issued his 'Backs to the Wall' message on the 11th.)

It is worth looking at the divisions who met the initial blast, beginning with the Portuguese Corps of two infantry divisions which had held the line in Flanders during the previous autumn and winter. The sector was water logged and had therefore been thought to be safe, but had now dried out. The divisions consisted mainly of peasant conscripts whose health and morale suffered from the contrast between their warm homeland and the Flanders winter. Their morale and strength were so low that as a preliminary to withdrawing the whole corps, one division made up a brigade which was left in the line while the rest of it was withdrawn. Thus at the crucial time a four brigade division was holding a corps front with three under strength brigades in the line and one in reserve. It was attacked by four strong divisions following a massive bombardment.

In fairness it must be said that the German official history records that a number of isolated units put up a stiff fight before being overwhelmed. Some groups of the fleeing troops also rallied round British units and fought well. Moreover the Portuguese were holding what, under the new and imperfectly understood defensive scheme, was the forward zone not intended to be the main line of resistance This would be garrisoned by a British division.

The West Lancashire Territorial Division had been temporarily dispersed at the beginning of the war and its individual battalions sent to France as reinforcements. It had been re-formed as the 55th (West Lancashire) Division in France early in 1916 when all its by now well experienced battalions rejoined it. The 55th inflicted heavy losses on the enemy and what ground it was initially forced to yield was soon recovered by well rehearsed counter attacks. Its positions were mainly company strong points sited and wired for all round defence, each being manned by three garrison platoons and one counter attack platoon. It had several advantages for after distinguishing itself in the second stage of the Battle of Cambrai the previous year it had been rested and then moved to its present position several months before the storm broke. It spent that time improving the already strong defences and erecting fresh barbed wire to channel attackers into fire traps. It constantly practised the rapid manning of fire positions and rehearsed counter attacks so that when the blow fell every man was familiar with the ground, knew just what to do and was well trained in the use of the rifle, something which did not apply in all divisions.

The 40th and 34th were less fortunate for they had been transferred north from the Somme to recover so that they were under strength and had not been in position long enough to get to know the ground well and to improve its defences. Both lost ground but managed to throw out a defensive flank.

The 34th New Army Division had been formed in 1915, one complete brigade having recruited in the Tyneside area. It arrived in France in time to take part on the first day of the Somme. In May 1918 it was reduced to cadre but subsequently re-formed with fresh battalions and was in continuous action from July until the Armistice. The 40th was another New Army division which began life 1915. Initially one brigade consisted of 'bantams' but these were subsequently replaced by men of normal height. It took part in the latter stages of the Somme. It was reduced to cadre in May 1918 but later re-formed and returned to the line in September.

The divisions held in reserve, the 50th (Northumbrian) and 51st (Highland) had been withdrawn from the line after being heavily engaged in the March fighting and had only just arrived in Flanders. On the way they had received large drafts of replacements but were still under strength. The 50th was in almost continuous action from Second Ypres on. After suffering heavy casualties in March it was sent to Flanders to recover but was again heavily involved in the German offensive following which it was sent south to recuperate in a supposedly quiet sector under French command and was again shattered in yet another phase of the German offensive. It was temporarily disbanded but re-formed in time to take part in the 'Last Hundred Days'.

ANSWER (b) Sir Michael granted the youth another medical examination and recommended that he get a specialists report. In theory someone with such a health defect might be able to cope with some army jobs but any soldier might have to take up arms on occasion. However the army distrusted civilian doctors especially GPs and regarded sick notes with suspicion.

BOOK OF The MONTH: List No169 THE SOMME by General Anthony Farrar-Hockley. Probably the best overall account of the 1916 battle. (I served under him when he was a major so I'm a bit biased, but it's a good book): Bob.

 

 

 

 

 

The Bulletin of the Birmingham Branch of the WFA

Compiled by Bob Butcher