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Born-Whetstone

Fouquescourt British Cemetery, France

After having been on the defensive since March 1918, by August of that year the Allies were ready to move to the attack and on 8th August, The Battle of Amiens began, a battle that marked the beginning of what came to be known as the Hundred Day Offensive that culminated in the collapse of the German army and the end of the war. British, Australian and Canadian troops attacked on a wide front that stretched about eighteen miles from Morlancourt, north of the River Somme to the Amiens-Roye road while the French launched their own offensive to the south in the Battle of Montdidier. At 4.20am  on 8th August, aided by early morning mist and backed by 900 guns, 600 tanks and 2000 aircraft the assault was unleashed on the unsuspecting Germans many of whom surrendered straight away. Their resistance stiffened as the day progressed but despite this the Allied forces advanced about 7 miles by nightfall, in some cases further, but far less spectacular gains were made over the next three days until the battle ended on 11th August. Losses had been enormous on both sides. British, Australian and Canadian casualties amounted to 19,000 but the Germans lost 26,000, including 12,000 taken prisoner, an awful blow that prompted Ludendorff, the German supremo, to call it the ‘Black Day’ of the German Army.

On 8th August, the Canadian Corps attacked on the right of the British front with the dividing line between them and  French troops on their right, being the long, straight Amiens to Roye road. Their attack was very successful and over the next two days significant advances were made. The 32nd Division were in reserve during these two days but on 10th August they moved forward from their mass bivouac west of Beaucourt to join in the action. Before this advance was made, and  while still six miles behind the front line, they had been subjected to aerial bombing by the German air force and it is likely that it was  this that was the cause of the deaths of at least eight members of the Royal Army Service Corps, attached to the 32nd Division train. One of these casualties was John Cook.