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Born-Islington

The Battle of Cambrai

This was a major British offensive on the Western Front that was launched on 20th November, 1917 and lasted through to the beginning of December. As the name suggests it was an attack towards the city of Cambrai and the important German railhead there, which it was hoped would be captured. The battle was notable for two things: the massed use of tanks for the first time and the success of the first day’s fighting when the formidable Hindenburg Line was breached and gains of five miles were made in places. In celebration the church bells throughout Britain were rung. However this success was short lived. The tanks were not reliable and the German defence stiffened as the fighting progressed and when they counter attacked in force on 30th November, the British came under so much pressure that they were forced to withdraw from many of the positions they had captured earlier on. Both sides suffered around 45,000 casualties during the course of the fighting.

The initial success at Cambrai was short-lived. German resistance stiffened as fresh troops were rushed to the battlefield to help stem the allied advance, the threat from the tanks diminished as many of them broke down and on 30th November came a major offensive by the enemy. 47th Division had moved into the front line in and around Bourlon Wood in the northern part of the battlefield during the night of 28th-29th November with 141 Brigade on the right and 140 Brigade on the left. When the attack was launched on 30th November, 140 Brigade were holding the ridge to the west of Bourlon Wood and took the full force of the German attack. At 8.30am, the 17th London battalion, of 141  Brigade, came under an intense artillery barrage which continued for the rest of the day. At 11.30am the enemy attacked with some success to the right and left of 141 Brigade but 17th London were able to hold up the enemy advance on their section of the front and were not unduly troubled. Nevertheless the battalion suffered nearly 100 casualties during the course of the day of whom 16 were killed or missing. One of these was James Hiam.