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Born-Hackney

Bouchoir New 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.

32nd Division was attached to the Canadian Corps which, on 8th August, 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. To begin with 32nd Division was in reserve but on 10th August they were brought into the action when at 8am they passed through the line already reached and attacked the line of the railway that ran from Roye, through Hattencourt to Hallu.

At 9.30am on 11th August the 1st Dorsetshire and 5/6th Royal Scots battalions of 14 Brigade and the 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry battalion of 97 Brigade attacked towards the villages of Damery, Parvillers and La Chavatte. Things did not go well. On their right French troops had attacked earlier in the day but had failed to gain Z Wood which meant that the right flank of the British attack met enfilade fire from there as they moved forward but of greater significance was the covering barrage provided by the artillery which fell 500 yards rather than 300 hundred yards in front of the starting line, leaving many enemy machine-guns and trench mortars untouched. The progress of the attack was also impeded by a 50 feet deep, waist high belt of wire. The 4th battalion of the Tank Corps sent eight tanks to assist the attack but they arrived late but three were  immediately put out of action, three were ditched in the old defence system and the other two were unable to make any impact and soon returned to their starting point. As the  infantry advanced they came under very heavy fire but they continued moving forward. By 11am, 1st Dorset had got within 100 yards of Damery but  5/6th Royal Scots could make no progress towards Parvillers and 2nd Yorkshire Light Infantry were only  able to advance 200 yards towards La Chavatte. They were all relieved by Canadian troops that evening. Among the many casualties that resulted from this failed attack was Frederick Hogan of 1st Dorset who was killed in action.