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Official History of the Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. in the Great War 1914-1918

Ordered South

Ordered South.

On March 21st the New Zealand Division, then in XXII. Corps reserve, received orders to be prepared to move south as G.H.Q. Reserve. On the 23rd orders were issued for the Division to commence entraining at Hopoutre, Godewaers-velde, Caestre, and Cassel, to detrain at St. Pol, Frevent, and Petit Houvin, and then to concentrate in the Third Army page 276 area at Le Cauroy, 12 miles east of Arras, and to come under the command of the XVII. Corps. Early on the morning of the 22nd the Regiment left Moulle, and returned in motor lorries to its former areas, the 1st Battalion to Caestre, and the 2nd Battalion to Hondeghem. Shortages in ammunition and equipment were at once made up, and final preparations completed for the move. On the 24th the original movement order was cancelled and the Division was diverted to the Fifth Army area. This involved detraining at Corbie, Edge-hill, and Mericourt, and concentrating in the Bray area, under the command of the VII. Corps, but still in G.H.Q. Reserve. The 1st Battalion, commanded by Major J. Hargest, M.C., entrained with first line transport at Caestre at 11 p.m. on the 24th; the 2nd Battalion, commanded by Lieut. Colonel D. Colquhoun, D.S.O., after marching from Hondeghem, entrained at the same point by 3.30 a.m. on the 25th. Departure was made immediately entraining was completed.

The fluctuations of battle and the ever-changing situation necessitated fresh orders, and at 1 a.m. on the 25th the detraining stations were altered to Hangest, Ally, and St. Rock, in consequence of the railway to Amiens being damaged; and the concentration area to Mericourt l'Abbe, Morlancourt, and Dernancourt. Packs and blankets were to be left at or near the detraining stations under a guard; ammunition was to be brought up to 220 rounds per man; and that for Lewis and Vickers guns up to the maximum carrying capacity of the limber teams. The Regiment detrained at Hangest after a cramped and cold journey of 16 hours. The 1st Battalion formed up on the road, and after marching as far as Picquigny all surplus gear was dumped. The Battalion moved forward again in battle order of dress in the direction of Amiens, and when darkness set in, halted and slept in abandoned motor-lorries drawn up on the roadside. The 2nd Battalion, also in fighting order, moved out of Hangest at 8 p.m., and bivouacked for the night near Brielly, with the sky for a covering.

At a late hour on the night of the 25th further orders were received that the Division was to march by the Hedauville-Mailly Maillet-Puisieux Road, and fill the gap between Hamel and Puisieux-au-Mont, the Division to come under the IV. Corps of the Third Army. Orders were accordingly page 277 at once issued to direct all troops and transport of the Division to Hedauville, which was to be the new concentration area.

The Regiment was on the move again early on the morning of the 26th, and before midday passed through the outskirts of Amiens, headed by its Regimental Bands. The sweeping and destructive nature of the German advance and the startling depths to which it had penetrated, had some time since become tragically evident. Throughout the previous night there had been a constant stream of motor-lorries and ambulances speeding westward with refugees and wounded men; and on this day the roads were choked with the swell of guns and transport, the stragglers of broken regiments, peasants with their primitive wagons conveying a few cherished effects and their sobbing women; others, old men and women and children, struggling woefully along on foot, anon glancing back in terror at their burning homes and the smashing of high-explosive and incendiary shells among the ruins—a human stream driven to none knew where by the fury and the ruthlessness of war.

The 1st Battalion, continuing its march through Pont-Noyelles and Franvillers, reached the area of Hedauville at 8 p.m., and awaiting battle instructions, bivouacked in the open without covering through a bitterly cold night. The Battalion had accomplished the gallant performance of a 27 miles forced march without a single man falling out, which must stand as a record for the Division. The 2nd Battalion, after reaching Pont-Noyelles, completed the journey to Hedauville by motor lorries, and was also compelled to pass the greater part of the night lying in the open fields. At 11.30 p.m. orders were received to be in readiness to move at 1 a.m. on the 27th.

New Zealand Divisional Headquarters had opened at Hedauville at 1.30 a.m. on the 26th. At 2 a.m. a conference was held and a plan for an attack on Serre decided upon.

The 1st Battalion of the 3rd Brigade was to move at 8 a.m., and take up an outpost position on the Englebelmer-Auchonvillers Ridge, and secure the right flank of the main advance of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades, which were to bridge the gap between the left of the 12th Division at Hamel and the right of the 62nd Division at Puisieux-au-page 278Mont. The objective of the 2nd Brigade extended from Hamel, inclusive, where touch was to be gained with the 12th Division, northwards through "Y" Ravine to a point about 1,000 yards north-east of Beaumont-Hamel, That of the 1st Brigade was firstly a prolongation of that line due north for a distance of 1,000 yards; and secondly a line extending from in rear of the first line north-west to Serre where it was to be further extended to get into touch with the 62nd Division at Puisieux-au-Mont. In the event of the enemy being met in greatly superior numbers, his advance was to be checked, and the Brigades concerned were to manoeuvre so as to gain and hold the line Colincamps-Hebuterne. To assist in this movement the 3rd (Rifle) Brigade was to be prepared to occupy a line in continuation of that held by its 1st Battalion on the Englebelmer Auchonvillers Ridge. The definitely affirmed principle on which these operations were based was that whatever the development of the enemy offensive, the New Zealand Division was to set itself as an impassable barrier to the German onslaught. How valiantly and with what splendid determination it gave effect to that principle will be realised in the course of the succeeding passages.

At 8.30 a.m. the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Brigade moved forward from Hedauville, and at 10 a.m. reported Englebelmer and Auchonvillers to be occupied by various British troops. An hour later contact was made with the enemy 500 yards east of Auchonvillers, where German patrols were engaged and driven in. The left flank of the advanced guard encountered the enemy in considerable strength at the sunken road south of the Sugar Factory; and although the right and centre platoons of the left outpost company succeeded in establishing posts after slight opposition, fighting continued on the left. At 11.45 a.m. the left platoon became hotly engaged with superior numbers of the enemy, some 300 of whom had taken up a position extending from Euston Corner on the left, past the Sugar Factory, to Kilometre Lane on the right, with additional troops advancing along the Serre Road. The villages of Martinsart and Mesnil were found to be occupied by troops of the 12th Division; while troops of the 17th Division held the Auchonvillers-Hamel Road near the latter village.

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By 12 noon on the 26th five infantry battalions and two machine gun companies had assembled at Hedauville. The motor-lorry arrangements had proved inadequate throughout; and as with the 1st Battalion of Otago, several units had to march the whole distance from the detraining station. The result was that the concentration of the Division was greatly impeded; and units had to be sent into action irrespective of the Brigade to which they belonged. At 12 noon the 2nd Brigade, less two battalions, followed by the 1st Brigade, less three battalions, and the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd (Rifle) Brigade, moved forward from Hedauville through Mailly Maillet, and proceeded to put into execution the plan of attack above referred to.

Further enemy penetrations necessitated slight alterations in the original plans; but the attack was not launched on the left until 4.30 p.m. Fourteen whippet tanks, which had reached the vicinity of Colincamps on the previous night, successfully operated on this flank. On the right the attack reached its objective, but on the left it was held up by heavy machine gun fire from the ridge overlooking Colin-camps. There was also a gap between the left flank and the right of the 4th Australian Brigade, which on the evening of the 26th had been ordered to fill the breach between Colincamps and Hebuterne to the north. A total of 50 prisoners and 16 machine guns were captured during the operation; our casualties amounted to 150, of which the majority were walking cases. The night was spent in consolidating the ground gained and in maintaining touch with the enemy.

By 6.30 p.m. on the 26th further battalions of the Division had arrived at Hedauville after stiff marching. Orders were now given for troops to move at 1 a.m. on the 27th, to close the gap along the Sugar Factory-Hebuterne Road, and connect with the Australians, attached to the 62nd Division, at Hebuterne. Accordingly, at one o'clock on the morning of the 27th the 3rd (Rifle) Brigade, less three battalions, with the 2nd Battalions of Otago and Wellington, and one Machine Gun Company, moved out from Hedauville, Otago troops leading. This force proceeded through Mailly Maillet to Colincamps, where the 2nd Battalion of Otago Regiment put out a screen covering the eastern side of Colin-page 280camps and the remainder of the Brigade. At dawn the 2nd Battalion of Wellington on the right and the 3rd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade on the left moved forward to close the breach referred to between the 1st New Zealand Infantry Brigade at about Euston Corner and the 4th Australian Brigade at Hebuterne.

Opposition from enemy machine guns was immediately met with; though there was no shell fire. On the left the advance was rapidly pushed home, the objective reached at 6.30 a.m., and touch gained with the Australians on the outskirts of Hebuterne. On the right, however, heavy machine gun fire was again met with from the ridge in front of La Signy Farm and overlooking Colincamps; but the centre being unable to advance further, dug in on a line 300 yards west of the Sugar Factory-Hebuterne Road. In the course of these operations 42 prisoners were captured. During the day the enemy delivered four successive attacks against the line at various points. Three of these were effectively driven off, though not without difficulty; and the fourth, the last of the day, necessitated a slight retraction immediately north of Euston Corner. There was considerable movement of hostile troops across the Divisional front; and it being fully expected, that the enemy would renew his attacks in the morning, orders were issued for preparations to meet such a contingency.

On the afternoon of the 27th four 18-pounder batteries and one 4.5in. howitzer battery of the New Zealand Divisional Artillery had arrived in the area, and after concentrating at Hedauville moved into position near Mailly Maillet.

The 2nd Battalion of the Regiment, having effected its purpose in the attack launched on the morning of the 27th was during the evening withdrawn from the front of Colincamps, and occupied the newly-constructed Purple Line in rear in a series of posts, with Battalion Headquarters in the orchard near Courcelles.