27th
March 1918
When
dawn broke the 149th Bde occupied a line from Rosieres
(excl) with men of the 5th DLI in support.
The
enemy attacked the Rosieres line at about 8am. On
the left and in the centre they were driven off,
but on the right a Labour Coy fell
back until a counter attack restored the situation.
Meanwhile
the 50th Divn had
practically been reduced to the 149th Bde which was
holding four thousand yards of line between the 66th
and 8th Divns.
The retirements north of it had led to a warning
order for a withdrawal being issued, but this had
been misinterpreted by the Bns in the line, which
at about 1pm began to fall back,
abandoning Vauvillers near the junction with the
66th Divn. The
position at Vauvillers was held until noon, at which
time they withdrew because the troops on both flanks
had retired.
At 12
noon an attack developed along the whole
of the front line held by the 8th, 50th, 66th and 39th
Divns. The 66th Divn
retired at 1pm, followed by the
5th Bn NF at 2pm.
The
8th Divn, which had at once formed a defensive flank,
attacked on the right while on the left the 7th (Pioneer)
Bn DLI and 22nd Entrenching Bn,
with some 66th Divn reserves, went forward.
About 3pm,
these troops, well supported by artillery, were under
way, and struck the enemy, who was advancing in eight
or ten waves. They drove the foremost waves back
and re-established the 50th Divn line, recapturing
Vauvilliers.
At 3pm Brigadier-General
Riddell lead the Bde in the counterattack by all
available troops, including details from Bde HQ,
which drove the enemy back from Harbonniers over
our old line except that we did not retake Vauvillers
although the 4th Bn held the western half of the
village. Very heavy losses were inflicted on the
enemy and two machine guns and 50 prisoners taken.
The
success was only temporary, for the Germans attacked
once more and, when the defenders ammunition began
to run short, broke in south of the village and enfiladed
the line, causing another retirement.
7pm the
line withdrew to the light railway between Rosieres
station and crossroads half mile east.
They
were halted on the light railway that ran diagonally
behind the position. The enemy was already taking
advantage of the gap that had been left, consequently
a counterattack was organised from both flanks.
So
by the evening the counterattacking troops and the
50th Divn were back again on the light railway east
of Harbonnieres.
At 8pm the
enemy made another determined attack, advancing in
no less than twelve waves, but was repulsed again.
That
night (27th-28th) the allied line, south of the Somme,
ran from Mesnil-St-Georges (west of Montdidier) to
Hamel via Boussicourt, Arvillers, Warvillers, Rosieres
and Harbonnieres.
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NStorey 2004 |
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