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Age-33

"The Elms", Kenton Lane, Wealdstone

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.

When the German attack was launched on 30th November, 1917, 12th Division were holding the line south of the Cambrai-Péronne road. 35 Brigade were on the right of the divisional front and their HQ at Villers-Guislaine had to be hastily evacuated and moved back to Gauche Wood to seek cover from air attacks. The 5th Royal Berkshire and 7th Norfolk battalions were in the front line, the 9th Essex battalion in a support position on Gonnelieu ridge and the 7th Suffolk in reserve in a nearby quarry. The 5th Royal Berkshire battalion were holding the spur above Banteux ravine and were forced back when attacked by infantry under the cover of trench mortars. Nevertheless they rallied and counter-attacked and the fighting swayed to and fro until around 10.30am when news arrived that Gonnelieu had fallen and with the risk of being surrounded they fell back on to 9th Essex. The position here was well held but by the early afternoon, as the enemy were getting round their flanks and threatening to cut them off, they moved back across the Cambrai road to La Vacquerie where they came under the command of 60 Brigade, 20th Division. Meanwhile 7th Norfolk in the Hindenburg support system to the left of 5th Royal Berks, came under a heavy and sustained attack from both the right flank and from the front. The battalion put up a good fight but were heavily outnumbered and only a few managed to escape and fall back on 9th Royal Fusiliers in Pelican Trench. The 7th Suffolk battalion suffered a similar fate when the enemy broke through on their right an attacked them from the rear. Again, only a few escaped the encirclement. One of the many casualties among 35 Brigade during the course of this fighting was Norman Davey of 9th Essex who was killed.