On the oceans, Germany’s strategy of the domination of sea passages by submarines had now resulted in the loss of some 200 vessels. The news on 6 April 1917 that the United States had declared war brought relief for the Allies, although it was not until 1918 that a substantial force of two million conscripts would arrive on the Western Front. Early 1917, however, would see the launch of the Allied Spring Offensive under the command of French General Nivelle.
BULLECOURT, APRIL
In France, the Australian divisions had continued to push forward towards the Hindenburg Line, clearing the sparsely occupied villages in their path. They were now positioned at the villages of Noreuil and Lagnicourt. The Spring Offensive was set to commence. On 9 April British and Canadian forces attacked to the north at Arras where tunnels and chambers had been dug by British and New Zealand tunnellers to allow the troops to approach the front unseen. The Allies suffered 150,000 casualties in their advance and held their newly won positions tenuously. The 4th and 12th brigades of the 4th Australian Division were to play a major role in maintaining pressure to the south. Their task was to attack the Hindenburg Line east of Bullecourt, a village embedded in the fortified German line. They soon discovered that the belts of German wire through which the Australians were to make their approach had not been cut by earlier artillery bombardments. The attack was briefly postponed until a tank officer suggested to the commander, General Gough, that his 12 tanks be used to spearhead the Australian approach, the tanks breaking through the defences and signalling once the way was clear for the advance. The Australians were sceptical. Victoria Cross winner Captain Albert Jacka, now an intelligence officer in the 14th Battalion, was sent out on patrol to assess the enemy positions. The Australian brigades were to attack towards a re-entrant, a hollow in the German line exposed to enemy fire from three sides. The line was heavily fortified. Jacka returned and argued vehemently against the action. Despite additional objections from Australian commanders Birdwood and Brudenell White, General Gough ordered that the attack proceed the following day.6
A blizzard descended on the front. The lumbering tanks, with their poor visibility and manoeuvrability, failed to reach the line in time for zero hour. As dawn was about to break the weary Australians, having lain in the driving snow through the pre-dawn hours, were ordered to withdraw. To their left, British forces entrusted with a frontal attack on the village had not been informed of the withdrawal. They attacked as planned and came under heavy artillery fire. The retreating Australians of the 48th Battalion were caught in the bombardment, suffering 21 casualties. Later that day, with the tanks now in position at the rear, Gough ordered that the attack proceed the following day in accordance with the original plan. There was one change: the infantry would not wait for a signal from the tanks. The troops were ordered to follow 15 minutes after the tanks moved forward. It was to prove a fateful decision.
At 3.00 am the next morning the men were sent out to lie on the snow and await the arrival of the tanks. Young Jack Price of Mologa went forward with the 46th Battalion and lay shivering as he anxiously counted the seconds to zero hour.
Only four of the 12 tanks arrived, but the attack proceeded regardless. The infantry reached the wire before the failing tanks and without artillery support. The Australians were forced to break through the barbed-wire fortifications to capture two lines of trenches. Machine-gun fire from three sides cut through the gallant men of the 4th Division as they desperately tried to cross the wire, hacking at it with their bayonets, clambering across the top and becoming hopelessly entangled. Eventually they succeeded, breaching that section of the Hindenburg Line without support, the survivors assaulting the German trenches. This was an unlikely feat given the formidable defences they confronted. Under fire from all directions, they held their position while sending repeated messages calling for more supplies and artillery support. Neither came. Observers reported that the tanks had advanced through Bullecourt and the Allied artillery refused to fire on the village for fear of striking its own forces. The reports were incorrect; the tanks lay burning on the battlefield.
Running out of bombs and ammunition and suffering severe losses, the Australians were driven back, trying desperately to bring in their wounded as they retreated. Most had to be left. The 48th Battalion was now hit by Allied artillery fire. The reality of the situation had been verified by front-line reports and the artillery, following orders, was firing on the retreating men of the 48th. It was a complete debacle.
At 2.00 pm the bombardment ceased as German medical orderlies made their way onto the battlefield to assist the wounded, including the Australians who lay outside the defensive wire. Stretcher-bearers collected as many men as they could before the informal truce ended at 6.00 pm. Of the 3000 men of the 4th Brigade who had been caught in the maelstrom of enemy and friendly fire, 2339 were listed as casualties. The 12th Brigade lost 950 soldiers. Over 1000 men had been captured. Some 80% of the attacking force had been lost.7 The First Battle of Bullecourt had ended in disaster.
Among those killed in the battle had been Albert’s good friend Jack Price, who died on 11 April 1917.8 His grieving parents later received a letter which appeared in the Pyramid Hill Advertiser on 28 September 1917.9
… I feel it my duty to let you know how your son Jack lost his life. He had been wounded in the thigh and myself in the face and left fingers, on April 11th, at Bullecourt, when we both met, going back to the dressing station. I was hit a second time in the left arm, and indeed the chances are that I would have bled to death if it hadn’t been for Jack bandaging my arm for me. We both went further back and a whiz bang (shrapnel) landed alongside of me. I lay there for an hour and a half and as no help was in sight I decided to get up. I went to Jack to tell him I was going, but he had died. I can assure you he suffered very little pain. I could not see where he had been hit. It must have been in a vital part. I, myself, did not know that it has done any damage to me, except for being a bit shaky, until I arrived at the field ambulance, where two pieces of shrapnel were removed from behind my right knee, two from my left thigh, and one from my left shoulder. Jack went over in the same boat as I, in 3rd reinforcements to 46th Battalion. He went to C company and I to B. He died a brave soldier and I am sure a good son.
I am Yours faithfully
No. 1985 (Pte.) A.L. Rodger, B. Coy, 46th Battalion, A.I.F.
Home Address – Main Street, Bunyip, Vic
P.S. I arrived home last Tuesday.
Jack Price had just turned 19 when he was killed at Bullecourt.
It would be weeks before the Marlows discovered that their mate had been killed.
George was positioned to the south of Bullecourt where four battalions of the 1st Division, some 4000 soldiers, were spread along an 11-kilometre line in front of the nearby village of Lagnicourt. On 15 April a massive German force of 23 battalions attacked the 1st Division line. The Australians were driven from their advanced outposts, five guns were destroyed and the village of Lagnicourt captured, albeit only briefly. Within hours an Australian counter-attack had forced the enemy from their positions and the German troops retreated to the safety of the Hindenburg Line. While significantly outnumbered, the Australians had again achieved a singular victory. Courage, tenacity and the effective placement of skilled and deadly Lewis gun crews had seen the Australians prevail. The 1st Division lost 1010 men, 300 of whom were now prisoners. Germany had lost 2313, of whom 360 had been captured. 10
George wrote to his family at home just days prior to the Lagnicourt counter-attack and also briefly described his experience in a letter the following week. Having now served over 12 months on the Western Front, George rejected the suggestion that he should attempt to transfer to the 38th Battalion. Not only would he lose his promotion, he is adamant that families serving together increased the risk of multiple casualties.
He later jotted in his notebook:
April & May 1917
Heavy Fighting
Bullecourt
Lagni
court
France
April 12 1917
Dear Jim
… I had a couple of letters from Charlie yesterday, they are all well. Nearly all the chaps in Albert’s reinforcements have been sent over here and one told Al that they wouldn’t let Albert come away as he is too young, so he is lucky, I gave him some advice when I was over there, he said in his letters a few days ago that Harry Street was sent over here and said that Harry worries over going over here. Both Amos and Ewin were well when I last saw them. Harry Burrows, George Leed and Dave Kentish from Calival are in the same Battalion as Ewin. You remember the Jenners that used to play football with Macorna well there are two of them in the same unit as me now, Jim and Jack. I don’t know whether you remember them they have got fat, they used to be in the 7 Battalion. Charlie wrote to me asking if I would like to come in with them but I would rather stop where I am now it isn’t a wise thing for all of us to be together, and if I joined them I would lose the stripes. Well Jim we weren’t allowed to say anything in our letters about conscription, we certainly want the men. We have had a lot of snow this last few days also rain and has been very cold, we never had any snow this time last year. Well the fighting along here has been very successful lately, Fritz is getting a lively time of it … We are now in broken down houses that the Germans left in ruins as he went back, he even cut down the fruit trees and burnt chaff cutting and threshing machines that the French people left behind at the beginning of the war, they have been up to all sorts of tricks. Well I will now close hoping all are well as I am at present.
I remain
Your Affectionate Bro
George
Infantry soldiers were sceptical of the value of tanks on the battlefield and openly derided them. A newspaper article with the attention-grabbing header ‘Those Wonderful Tanks’ was carefully clipped and, despite its size, has survived the years among the collection of letters. It appeared in The Argus on 8 September 1917:
The accomplishments of the tanks are facetiously described by a private of the Bedforshire Regiment in a letter to his fiancée:-
“They can do up prisoners in bundles in straw binders, and, in addition, have an adaptation of a printing machine, which enable them to catch the Huns, fold, count, and deliver them in quires, every thirteenth man being thrown out a little further than the others.
“The tanks can truss refractory prisoners like fowls prepared for cooking, while their equipment renders it possible for them to charge into a crowd of Huns, and by shooting out spokes like porcupine quills carry out an opponent on each. Though ‘stuck up’, the prisoners are, needless to say, by no means proud of their position.
‘They can chew up barbed wire, and turn it into munitions. As they run they slash their tails, and clear away trees, houses, howitzers, and anything else in the vicinity. They turn over on their backs, and catch live shells in their caterpillar feet, and they can easily be adapted as submarines; in fact, most of them crossed the channel in this guise.
“they loop the loop, travel forwards, sideways, and backwards, not only with equal speed, but at the same time. They spin round like a top, only far more quickly dig themselves in, bury themselves, scoop out a tunnel, and come out again 10 miles away in half an hour.”
While at this point of the war the tank was much maligned, improvements to its design and employment over the coming months would see this monster of the industrial age become a valuable weapon of war.
Despite earlier thoughts of bringing the family together, both Allan and George now understood the nature of warfare on the Western Front. Sons, friends and neighbours were often together in the same battalion, frequently the same company, as was to be the case with Allan, Charlie, Percy and Albert — together in battle, together in support. One shell could destroy them all. George and Allan were steadfast in their decision that George should remain with the 1st Division.
France
3.4.17
Dear Jim
… Every letter I get you all say I must be sick and why don’t I tell you so. Well I have never had a days sickness since being over here. I never felt better in my life. Every letter I get from anybody they say I hope you are quite well again after your mumps and I have never had mumps in my life. Percy was isolated for about 2 months but he never had them. If a man gets mumps and he sleeps next to you well then you are isolated for mumps because they are contagious. If any friends do not know what isolation is please explain to them. Auntie Florrie says in her letter to Percy that she hopes we are better again and we were never sick. There is no need for any body to worry over me. I am always right. Yes Jim I suppose you are glad the harvest is over. We are going back to the trenches in a few days. Geordie is fighting a long way away from us so we cant see him. Mum says she would like us all to be together. Yes that is very nice in one way but Jim there is another way to look at it. It is the biggest mistake out because if a shell came it gets the lot of you. I used to think the same as mum but now I don’t … I remain
Your loving brother
Allan
George also wrote to the family at home:
France
April 26/1917
Dear Mother, Father & Bro,
… We are in the line again, we get plenty of it too, Al’s division seems to be having a good spell out so they say in their letters, I cant make it out, we have been fighting so long and never once have had a spell like them, and have held the worst part of the line of the whole British front through the winter in the bargain, anyway I feel just as fit as ever and have only been away from my unit once and that was on leave. Well where we are now is well into country what the enemy held a little while back they [Germans] have suffered heavy losses here, they attacked one morning with massed troops and were driven back with 1200 dead left behind, this was only a matter of a few hours fighting, I don’t see how it can last much longer. I saw Ewin a couple of days ago he was quite well also young Charlie Wales he is back in the battalion again. Dave Fyffe is in England swinging it he hasn’t heard a shot fired yet. Allan said in one of his letters that Frank Dee is wounded and that he saw Dave Glass’s grave. I haven’t seen Amos for a good while the last time I inquired for him he had gone away to some school and I don’t know if he is back yet. This letter I am sending in a green envelope it doesn’t be censored here but might be at the base, let me know if you have ever got any letters with green envelopes. I wouldn’t mind helping to eat some of those tomatoes and water melons, such a lot of the men here break out in scabies it is for the want of fruit and vegetables, I havent had them yet, Jim said in his letter that he hoped I went to see Auntie Lee well I never had time and they live a long way from England [London] it took a good deal of my time going to see Albert and Paynes. The chats [lice] as we call them are just as bad as ever I have only been free of them once and that was when I was in England. Well I must now close with love from
George
The green envelopes mentioned by George were issued by the army and were printed with a statement that restricted their contents:
Correspondence in this envelope need not be censored regimentally. The contents are liable to examination at the Base. The following Certificate must be signed by the writer:
I certify on my honour that the contents of this envelope refer to nothing but private and family matters.
All letters sent from the front were first read by an officer of the unit and censored if any of the contents were believed likely to betray the unit’s location or contained other sensitive information. Sending a letter in an official green envelope and signing the declaration ensured that personal information would not be read by other members of the unit. Green envelopes were randomly opened at the base to ensure that soldiers were complying; there were penalties for those who did not and consequences varied according to the significance of the breach. Green envelopes were highly valued. The brothers often sent their letters home together in one very bulky green envelope.
The 38th Battalion had
marched from its rest camp at Moringhem on 5 April in a tedious journey plagued by snow drifts, wind and driving sleet. Allan, in charge of a Lewis gun team, suffered in the harsh conditions. The hand carts on which the guns and ammunition were transported frequently stuck fast in the heavy snow. A 60-kilometre journey over two days laden with heavy packs and little rest left the Victorian boys exhausted, their feet blistered and bleeding as they reached Armentieres.11
France
7-4-17
My Dear Mum & Dad
… We have just come back from over a 40 mile march which took us 2 days. We all feel well on it too but a terrible lot of the boys are down to it with their feet. I had another letter from Albert yesterday. He is well and enjoying himself. Geordie too is splendid … it is a lovely day today and we are having a rest. We are going back to the trenches in a few days. I always have to go to the trenches a day before the rest of my team as I have to take up a position. I have been promoted to a Lance Corporal and am in charge of a Lewis Gun section. Charlie & Percy are in my section. Some of the boys have just come from the cemetery and they told me that Dave Glass’s grave is there. I used to see Dave a good deal …
Like Allan, Charlie wrote to tell his family of the death of Dave Glass:
Somewhere in France
7 April 1917
Dear Mother, Father & Jim,
… I am in the Lewis gun section with Al and Percy my address will be 2123 Pte C.E.M. “D” Company machine Gun Section “_” Battalion A.I.F Abroad the reinforcements mail takes longer to get to us than the old battalion. Al and Percy got a lot of letters, you seem to think that Al has been sick, well he has had splendid health since he has been over here and he has not had a day’s sickness in France, you must remember that we cannot always write and then the letters go astray. He wrote to Auntie Ettie the same time as you and she got her letter but yours has unfortunately been mislaid if he had been sick he or Percy would have told you. Percy did not get to the trenches with him as he was isolated, one of his mates got the mumps and as he slept next to him he was isolated so that was why he did not go in with Al. Percy and I went into the trenches for our first time together and Al did not go in that time but was away on special training for a raid which was successful and all the local boys got on alright. So Dave Glass [was] killed some of the boys came across a grave with Sergeant D. Glass and with the battalions number and he is in our division so we reckon it was him, it is hard luck for his wife, I got the Pyramid paper that Jim sent also got a Bendigonian that was sent to Albert but it was an old one, we are still out of the trenches and got a day off today, tomorrow is Easter Sunday and I hope you have got duck for dinner as we will be having “something” like that here.
ANZAC Sons Page 35