Our Darkest Day

by Patrick Lindsay

  The Australian HQ either misunderstood the message or failed to realise the significance of the order to Elliott and did not forward it to him. The first message Elliott received of the changed plans was at 9.25 pm, when McCay forwarded Haking’s order:

  61st Division not attacking tonight. General Elliott may withdraw 59th Battalion and its reinforcements if he thinks attack is not likely to succeed.

  This was all very well, but by then, as Bean describes it, ‘one of the bravest and most hopeless assaults ever undertaken by the Australian Imperial Force’ was in full swing. Two companies of the 58th Battalion, commanded by 22-year-old Duntroon graduate, Major Arthur Hutchinson, were striding across the 400 metres of no-man’s land to their deaths. The son of a Tasmanian clergyman, Hutchinson had been promoted to Major only six weeks earlier. Bean called him ‘one of the finest type that his country produces’.

  Hutchinson had returned from Gallipoli as a well-respected and battle-hardened captain but it would be the first time in action for the vast majority of his men, as Bean noted:

  Before the actual order to advance, the men – as was often the case with Australians, especially when first in action – could be felt straining like greyhounds at the leash, and were not easily restrained from anticipating the word of command. On its being given, they went forward with splendid dash opposite the Sugar Loaf, carrying with them the survivors of the 59th, until, when they were two-thirds of the way across no-man’s land, there was opened from the salient a fire of machine-guns so severe that the line was shattered and the men dazed. The survivors obtained slight cover in a ditch. As they lay there, with the terrifying din of the machine-gun bullets cracking overhead, Hutchinson, apparently in an endeavour to lift the wave farther, went on himself alone, and fell riddled by bullets close to the German wire. The two companies of the 58th which made the attack were practically annihilated.

  In 1930 Elliott spoke of the event:

  A message was sent to me to stop Hutchinson’s attack, but this did not reach me till half an hour after he had gone forward with his two companies.

  He himself fell and most of his men were slaughtered. Proper liaison measures should have prevented this catastrophe.

  The 15th Brigade’s attack had failed totally and Elliott advised McCay accordingly. McCay passed the news on to Haking, then ordered Elliott to reorganise the defence of his original front line and to start work on a trench across no-man’s land aimed at connecting with the right flank of the neighbouring 14th Brigade. For the 15th, the attack had ended and the awful work of bringing in their wounded from no-man’s land now began.

  German dead in their front-line trenches after the battle at Fromelles. This is one of a series of photos taken by an unknown German officer and given to an Australian POW, Captain Charles Mills, by that officer after the Armistice. (AWM PHOTO A01559)

  Some time earlier, on the other side of the Australian advanced line, the Germans had mounted a strong counter-attack against the 32nd Battalion. The Australians called for artillery support but the inexperience of their gunners showed and the Australians found themselves peppered by drop-shorts. McCay was forced to order his artillery to lengthen its range, first by 200 yards and then, when the problem persisted, by 500 yards. Forsaken by their artillery, the 32nd called for reinforcements, ammunition, water and ‘sandbags in their thousands’. Through a series of outstanding individual acts of bravery and initiative, the Australians held off the first German counter-attack on their left flank. Captain Frank Krinks of the 30th Battalion arrived with a carrying party and, seeing how desperate the situation was, took a group of men to some shell holes near the German position and from there sniped heavily at them, relieving the pressure on the Australian defenders. Another officer from the 30th, Lieutenant Tom Barbour, organised his men to collect ammunition from the dead and wounded to create a much-needed alternative supply.

  Some relief came around 9.30 pm when reinforcements from the 55th Battalion arrived to join Colonel Cass. While they bolstered the Australian defence, they still didn’t solve the problem of the gaps in their line. Indeed, Cass still wasn’t aware that part of the 53rd Battalion had withdrawn, leaving a section of the trench to his right unmanned. Soon German counter-attackers entered this section and moved along it throwing grenades. Australian volunteers from Arblaster’s mob forward of the German front line circled behind the trench line and sheltered in bomb craters as they threw grenades at the Germans from their rear, prompting a fierce grenade fight. Eventually, the Australians ran out of grenades and moved back to their trenches.

  The Germans had cut into the Australian right flank, although again because of the lack of communications, Cass was not aware of it. Eventually, around 10.10 pm, Lieutenant Colonel David McConaghy, CO of the 55th Battalion, checked out the position and found it in enemy hands. He arranged for his men to pull down sandbags from the parapets to form ‘bomb blocks’ along the trench and protected them with snipers and bombers – a lesson from Gallipoli that temporarily secured the situation by around 11 pm.

  The situation improved in the 14th Brigade’s area when their engineers broke through to them with their communications trench. It had been a prodigious feat under the most hazardous conditions and allowed a reasonable flow of supplies in relative safety. But, further to the left, the 8th Brigade’s situation was deteriorating. All the carrying parties had remained with the defenders after making the dangerous trip across no-man’s land, cutting short the flow of ammunition and supplies. By just after 10 pm, the 30th Battalion’s CO, Lieutenant Colonel James Clark, reported that he had sent off the last of his carriers and that none had returned. So, while the 14th’s supplies were still trickling through, those to the 8th had virtually dried up.

  In addition, the conditions in the trenches began to worsen as the level of water seeping through them rose after the Laies stream became blocked and damaged by the constant shelling. Some later claimed that they believed the Germans were to blame and that they had some special system of damming the water. The mud and the water made life in the trenches miserable and some men who were hit almost drowned as they pitched into the pools of sludge and had to be pulled out by their mates. The conditions also began to affect their weapons. Many began hoarding rifles taken from the dead and wounded in case their own weapons misfired. And as darkness fell the scene took on a ghostly atmosphere as visibility was confined to eerie snapshots provided by shell flashes, incendiary bombs and the occasional flare.

  Back at McCay’s HQ, confusion reigned as conflicting messages revealed that the artillery had believed that Delangré Farm, a German stronghold on the Australian left, had been captured by the Australians. The artillery had consequently withheld fire from this target. McCay immediately ordered them to shell it heavily, which they did but with little success.

  A 1918 view of no-man’s land at Fromelles, from the north-eastern corner of the Sugar Loaf looking towards the line from which the 15th Brigade attacked. The vast field of fire available to the German machine-gunners from the Sugar Loaf is clearly evident. (AWM PHOTO E04030)

  By midnight the overall situation along the Australian advanced line was perilous. The two main groups, the 54th Battalion on the right and the 31st and 32nd Battalions on the left, had taken positions in the German support trenches in the area behind the old German front line. The gap between the two groups was where there had been a previous gap in the original German support system.

  This Digger was killed in the second German line at Fromelles. The photo was taken the morning after the battle by a German officer and given to an Australian POW, Captain Charles Mills, after the Armistice. (AWM PHOTO A01566)

  Haking’s order, that the attacking force leap-frog over the old German front line without garrisoning it, was now to prove a fatal mistake. His assumption that the attackers could simply move the sandbags from one side of the German trenches to the other to create protection was another serious error. When the Diggers tried to move the bags they generall
y fell apart because they were so rotten with age and water damage. And their attempts to make more sandbags were largely negated by the impossibly glutinous Flanders clay that clung like cement to their shovels. At one point Toll’s men resorted to stacking German dead to plug one gap in their defensive wall.

  About 11.40 pm, the Germans counter-attacked again, putting extreme pressure on the Australian right flank, which by this time was held by about 200 men. For the first time, Cass discovered that he had no support to his right and was thus completely exposed there. Then the defenders realised that some of them were being shot from behind as the Germans began to encircle them. The enemy was seen moving down its old front-line trenches, between the advanced Australians and their lines.

  German soldiers reoccupy their second line on the morning of 20 July 1916 after driving out the Australian attackers during the previous night. Another photo later given to Australian POW, Captain Charles Mills. (AWM PHOTO A01562)

  Arblaster’s mob now came under attack and was soon completely cut off. Realising their only chance of salvation was to turn and charge the Germans in their front line, the young leader distributed all the grenades and led his men over the top. As soon as they cleared their cover, they were caught in a terrific hail of machine-gun fire and the gallant Arblaster fell, mortally wounded. The survivors crawled back to their original haven and waited.

  Cass now knew the situation was critical, as his message back at 3.45 am indicated:

  Position very serious. 53rd now retiring. Enemy behind them and in their old front line … and within 100 yards of my right.

  Indeed, the 53rd was now withdrawing across no-man’s land under heavy fire and the communications trench supplying Cass was under immediate threat from the rapidly advancing enemy. An old bushie from Wagga, Sergeant Frank Stringer, rose to the occasion. He jumped up on the parapet and inspired his badly shaken comrades with a withering display of rifle shooting, sending the enemy scattering. Many of his men joined him on the parapet and drove the Germans back hurling their grenades ‘like cricketers throwing at a wicket’.

  But it was only a temporary reprieve and at 4.20 am the ever-cool Cass despatched the following:

  Position almost desperate. Have got 55th and a few of the 54th together and have temporarily checked enemy. But do get our guns to work at once, please. The 53rd have lost confidence temporarily and will not willingly stand their ground. Some appear to be breaking across no-man’s land. If they give way to my right rear, I must withdraw or be surrounded.

  Luckily, a group then appeared from the Australian lines with a substantial supply of grenades and they attacked the advancing Germans.

  As Bean wrote:

  there followed a Herculean bomb-fight, in which they beat down the Bavarian attack and for the time being thoroughly subdued the enemy in his old front line.

  One witness claimed there were up to twelve grenades in the air at any given time during this furious exchange, and Bean reports that one Bavarian bomber later told the Crown Prince of Germany that he had personally thrown more than 500.

  Despite this setback the Germans continued to infiltrate behind the Australian advanced line and started firing on them from their largely unprotected rear.

  At the other end of the Australian advanced line, the German reserves that had been gathering at Delangré Farm now launched themselves on the Australian left flank. Captain Charles Mills of the 31st Battalion was wounded and taken prisoner when he was suddenly surrounded and Lieutenant Eric Chinner, after some gallant defensive work, was mortally wounded after he heroically smothered a grenade that he dropped when he was hit in the act of throwing it. Under the overwhelming pressure of the encircling counter-attack, the Australians holding the area near the Kastenweg were forced back. This left the neighbouring 32nd Battalion surrounded. Like Arblaster’s men on the other flank, the 32nd had no option but to turn and charge through the encirclement. Around 150 of these men tried to break out, through a terrifying cross-fire – from the front, side and rear – across no-man’s land aiming for the Australian lines. Only a handful made it to the relative safety of the partly finished communication trench that their engineers had built during the night three-parts of the way to the old German front line.

  Many smaller groups of the Australians had not received the order to withdraw and they were quickly overwhelmed and either shot or taken prisoner.

  In one remarkable attempt to reach safety, a group of eleven men of the 8th Brigade, under the leadership of Captain Frank Krinks, decided to make a run for it as a group, vowing to stay and help any of their number who found trouble. Having decided to leave their weapons and rely on a surprise dash to safety, they struck trouble in the second German trench when two of them were captured. But, as they had promised, the others turned on the captors and frightened the stunned Germans into releasing them. They then bolted into no-man’s land. Krinks and three companions eventually reached safety in the front of the British trenches. But, as Bean noted, there was a tragic sequel:

  The 30th Battalion was immediately after the fight sent to reserve, but Krinks and his three companions returned to the trenches as soon as it was dusk, and, taking a stretcher, went out into no-man’s land to find their [wounded] comrades. In this they succeeded, and were bringing in Wells on a stretcher when a sentry of their own brigade, catching sight of their figures, fired, killing Wishart and Watts with a single shot.

  Elsewhere, pockets of Diggers on the Australian advanced left flank continued fighting for some hours until, one by one, they were captured or killed. The gallant Cass and his band were still holding on by their fingernails on the right flank when Haking finally decided to abandon the attack completely. By the time the order to withdraw reached Cass about 6.30 am, his men had already told him that the 8th Brigade had gone. Bean captured the mood:

  The retirement of the 8th Brigade, however, had been seen from parts of the line, and had cast a marked shadow over the spirits of the remaining troops. Probably failure had really been inevitable ever since the repulse at the Sugar Loaf, but it was not until this moment that, for most of those engaged, the operation took on a hopeless aspect.

  Cass knew his position was untenable even though his men had just managed to withstand yet another surging counter-attack. He was not surprised to receive this order from his brigade commander, Colonel Harold Pope:

  One of the heroes of the Fromelles battle, Lieutenant Colonel Walter Cass (right), at Gallipoli with Padre Dexter of the 1st Division AIF. Cass led the 54th Battalion at Fromelles with distinction, setting up a field HQ behind the German lines and achieving his pre-battle objective. One of the last to leave, he made it back safely to his lines but never fully recovered from the ordeal. Cass was invalided back to England and never saw action again. (AWM PHOTO J02530)

  Be prepared to withdraw on the order being given. The old German line will be held to the end. Make arrangements to dribble men in very small parties back through sap [a communication trench] across no-man’s land to our front line. Make no move until I send the word ‘withdraw’.

  Colonel Cass ordered his machine-gunners back one at a time and assigned the courageous Captain Norm Gibbins and 55 men to act as a rearguard to try to protect their withdrawal. Sadly, as so often happens in the confusion of battle, communications broke down. Cass did not receive the order to withdraw until 7.50 am, although it had reached 14th Brigade HQ by 6.30 am and the forward report-centre by 7.30 am, well after the covering artillery barrage started at 5.40 am. This unaccounted delay contributed greatly to the massive casualties suffered by Cass’ men when they eventually tried to fight their way back to their own lines.

  By that stage, Bob Chapman and Norman Gibbins were the only officers left of B Company of the 55th Battalion. Chapman later wrote in his diary:

  coming through the dusk on our left we saw Germans. Our machine guns opened fire. But word came from the right that they were our men. During the night some of our own men had been found stripped of their
clothing and apparently spies were sending false messages. However, although we accounted for a good many, the enemy got in on our left. Then came the sound of bombing. We were being driven in on either flank … As they came our artillery put a couple of shots over, and the 31st Battalion, thinking our own artillery was shelling them, in a body left the trench and retired to our own lines. I got to the tail end just in time to get them back again but the majority left.

  Capt Gibbins came along then and we both went round the trench and found it all clear. The men were then extended on the left again – but still the bombers came.

  ‘Get as many bombs as you can – and come with me’ said Gib. So I got all the bombs I could – called to some men to follow. Gib led the way on the outside of the parapet. We shifted those bombers – but poor old Gib got a wound in the head and had to retire. Robinson turned back to our own trench to get reinforcements – but they would not come. I took charge of the bombing party and as the Boche had dropped bombs for the present and taken to rifle fire we had to take shelter in the trench. We waited there for perhaps a quarter of an hour ready to bomb Fritz should he come again. But the order came to retire …

  I borrowed a rifle from one of the troops passing and sniped at Fritz till he got up to me with his bombs. It was then time to go so I had to. My return is a bit blurred. I remember picking my way through barbed wire with rifles cracking around me. At one place the grass in front of me was shaking and quivering. I looked at it for a second and realised that a machine gun was playing through there – so I jumped and hurried on. I got in all right and as the trench was becoming too crowded I sent what 55th men I could back into the support. As soon as the enemy saw our men making use of the gap they opened fire with high explosives. ‘Crack-crack’ came whistling over our heads but we leaned against the parapet and were comparatively safe.