Current Information:

Born-Camberwell

With an end to the fighting on the Eastern Front after the Russian Revolution, Germany was able to bring its troops from there to France and launch a series of offensives in the Spring of 1918, designed to bring the war to a swift conclusion. Four times between March and July they attacked in strength and on each occasion they broke through the British and French lines and made spectacular gains but in each case they over extended themselves and without adequate supplies keeping up with their rapid advances, they could go no further.

The first of these attacks, Operation Michael, was made on 21st March by 63 specially trained divisions, attacking along a 60 mile front held by 26 British divisions, many of them in a weakened state At 4.40am the German artillery opened up with the most ferocious and concentrated bombardment of the war, the likes of which the British had never experienced before. The Forward Zone, consisting mainly of individual posts was blown away. Very few of the men there made it back. Many were killed and many more were taken prisoner. The Battle Zone was also battered as were the British guns, firing from positions just to the rear. Brigade and Divisional HQs were targeted as well and then, from out of the thick mist came the German storm troopers. Moving fast, they skirted round the few remaining strongholds and penetrated deep into the British lines, including those of the Battle Zone, causing the utmost confusion. There were many cases of heroic stands being made but the relentless pressure forced the British back everywhere and there then began a general retreat that went on for two weeks and which ceded to the Germans a huge amount of territory, including all of that that had been won at such great cost during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

20th Division were not in the front line when the Germans attacked on 21st March. They had moved south from Ypres to the southern part of the Somme front near St Quentin in February and were in XVIII Corps reserve that day with orders to move forward to man the rear zone defences between the Somme and the Omignon from St Simon to Trefcon. On 21st March the 12th Rifle Brigade battalion of 60 Brigade moved to Fluquières and at 11pm took up position at northern edge of the village where they sustained thirty casualties from the German shelling. Here on the next day 60 Brigade were heavily attacked and forced back from their positions  during which two companies of 12th Rifle Brigade were almost surrounded and had to to fight their way clear. That evening 12th Rifle Brigade fell back to Aubigny, making a stand at Mill Wood en route where they inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. On the morning of 23rd March the battalion fell back towards Ham, fighting a rear guard action as they did so. At Ham they crossed the canal and took up a position on the canal bank to the south of Voyennes where they were heavily shelled. Early on 24 March the Germans made several attempts to cross the bridge at Offoy and at first were driven back by the fire of 12th Rifle Brigade and 12th King’s Royal Rifle Corps. But eventually they were in danger of being outflanked making their position precarious so there was a withdrawal to Quiquery where 12th Rifle Brigade took up position with two companies along the canal bank on the right of the Voyennes-Lannguevoisin road and two companies on the left of the road in front of the railway. On the following day the Germans attacked the front held by 20th Division north of Quiquery but were repelled. Later 12th Rifle Brigade were hit by a heavy artillery bombardment and suffered many casualties both from that and from the British reply. At 5pm they moved back back to Réthon-Villers and established a line from there stretching towards Billancourt, behind some French outposts before moving to Roye around midnight. There was some relief for what was left of the battalion on 26th March when they found billets first at Quesnel and then at Arvillers but the following morning they were heavily shelled after which they sent two companies forward in support. 60 Brigade were relieved by French troops on the following day, 28th March but at 8.30am, while the relief was in progress, the enemy attacked. Their first efforts were repulsed but troops on the right began falling back towards Hangest and in response, C Company swung round and open rapid fire on the flank of the advancing Germans which allowed 12th Rifle Brigade to fall back on Fresnoy. Here, 60 Brigade re-organised and marched back to Rifle Wood, 2000 yards south-west of Démuin and just south of the Amiens-Roye road. 29th March saw them involved in a fierce struggle around Mézières-en-Santerre and that night they moved to a position along the Moreuil-Démuin road. During the morning of 30th March 12th Rifle Brigade  fell back as the enemy penetrated Cavalry Wood but later they returned to occupy the eastern portion of Rifle Wood and on the next day, when the Germans attacked in the afternoon, the battalion withdrew to the bridgehead at Thennes. Finally on 1st April 20th Division were withdrawn from the line and the battle and collected north-west of Domart. Since 21st March, 12th Rifle Brigade had suffered over 450 casualties. One of these was Ernest Bolton who was killed in action on 30th March.