THE BEF AT THE END OF THE YEAR

5. 1918 By Bob Butcher

Commanders and Principal Staff Officers CinC FM Sir D Haig

CGS Lt Gen HA Lawrence

AG Lt Gen GH Fowke

QMG Lt Gen Travers E Clarke

 

First Army

GOC     General Sir HS Home

MGGS Maj Gen WH Anderson

DA&QMG Maj Gen AW Peck

 

Second Army

GOC     General Sir HCO Plumer MGGS Maj Gen JSJ Percy DA&QMG Maj Gen M Chichester

 

Third Army

GOC     General Sir JHG Byng

MGGS Maj Gen R Vaughan

DA&QMG Maj Gen AF Sillen

 

Fourth Army

GOC     Gen Sir HS Rawlinson

MGGS Maj Gen AA Montgomery

DA&QMG Maj Gen HC Holman

But see note to Second Army

 

Fifth Army

GOC     Gen Sir WR Birdwood

MGGS   Maj Gen CBB White

DA&QMG Maj Gen PO Hambro

 

 

Composition at 31 December

GHQ and GHQ Troops

Five armies

Sixteen British corps

One Australian corps

One Canadian corps

One Portuguese corps

One British cavalry corps

Fifty-one British infantry divisions

Five Australian infantry divisions

Four Canadian infantry divisions

One New Zealand infantry division

Two Portuguese infantry divisions

Three British cavalry divisions

L of C and L of C troops

Line held

4 February: SW corner Houlhurst Forest-Barsis-St Gobain Railway (123 miles)

2 April   SW corner Houlthurst Forest -Hangard (102 miles)

9 Aprl   As above (105 miles)

17 April           Junction with Belgians-Ypres-Staden Railway- Hangard (101 miles)

21 May  Junction with Belgians(Kitchener Wood)-to Monument (88 miles)

22 July  Junction with Belgians (Belleworde Beek east of Ypres)-Monument (93 miles) 11 August Junction with Belgians-Ameins-Roye Road (101 miles)

28 August Junction with Belgians --lihu north of Libons (90 miles)

18 SeptemberJunction with Belgians--Holnon (83 miles)

16 October Junction with Belgians (Harlebeke)--Andgny (93 miles)

11 NovemberJunctio with Belgians (West of Schendelbeke) -SW of Mont Bliart (64 miles)

Note: April and May figures approximate only.

 

Strength

Estimated minimum (January) 1,828,616

Estimated maximum (September) 1,916,464

Average daily ration strength 1,989,374627 (inc 117,848 followers or labour)

Note: About 150,00 all ranks had been transferred to the newly-formed RAF in April

 

Casualties for the year

Total: 2,060,254 made up as follows

Battle 876,250 (K 80,476; DoW 46,084;

Missing or PoW 171,288;

Wounded 578,402)

Non-battle 1,184004 (Died of disease or injury 14,420; sick or injured 1,169,584).

 

Battles

The first part of the year was dominated by the GEERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVES. THE FIRST BATTLES OF THE SOMME 1918 (21 March--5 April) comprised ST QUENTIN (21-23 March), SOMME CROSSINGS (24-25 March) BAPAUME (24-25 March), ROSIERES 26 -27 March), ARRAS (28 March), AVRE (4 April), VILLERS BRETONEUUX (24-25 April --the first tank v tank battle) and HAMEL (4 Juy).

The next offensive was in FLANDERS (9-29 April) and the BATTLES OF THE LYS (9-29 April) included ESTAIRES (9-11 April), MESSINES (10-11 April), HAZEBROUCK (12-15 April), BAILEUX (13-15 April), first KEMMEL (17-19 April), BETHUNE (18 April), GIVENCHY (18 April), second KEMMEL (25-26 April), SCHERPENBERG (29 April), LA BECUE (28 June) and ME I EREN (19 July).

Prior to the German OFFENSIVE IN CHAMPAGNE (27 May-6 June) a British corps of five battle-worn divisions was placed under French command supposedly for rest in a quiet area

It was, however involved in the battle of THE AISNE (27 May-6 June).

In all these offensives the Germans were eventually fought to a standstill but they can be regarded as tactical successes for them as the Allies had been forced back considerable distances. However, the Germans' overall strategic position was worse than before and they suffered enormous csuafties so that the offensives can be considered as strategic failures for them.

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It was soon time for the Allies to go over to the offensive. THE ADVANCE TO VICTORY opened with the French counter attack in CHAMPAGNE (20 July-2 August). The British took part in two BATTLES OF THE MARNE under French command--SOISSONS AND THE OURCO (23 July-2 August) and TARDENOUS (20 -31 July). THE ADVANCE IN PICARDY (8 August-3 September) included the Battles of AMIENS (8-11 August) -'A black day for the Geman Army', SOMME (21 August -3 September), ALBERT (21-23 August) and BAPAUME (31 August -3 September) including the capture of CHUIGNES and MONT ST QUENTIN AND THE OCCUPATION OF PERONNE. Meanwhile the ADVANCE IN FLANDERS (18 August-6 September) included an action at OUTTERSTEENE RIDGE (18 August).

The Allies were now approaching the formidable task of the BREAKING OF THE HINDENBURG LINE (26 August-12 October). THE BATTLES OF ARRAS (26 August-3 September) included the SCARPE (26-30 August) and DROCOURT-QUEANT (2-3 September). These were followed by the BATTLES OF THE HINDENBURG LINE proper (12 September- 9 October) including HAVRINCOURT (12 September), EPEHY (18 September), CANAL DU NORD (27 September-1 October), ST QUENTIN CANAL-probabaly the British Army's greatest feat of the war-(29 September-2 October), BEAUREVOIR (3-5 October), CAMBRAI (8-9 October) followed by the PURSUIT TO THE SELLE (9-12 October).

 

In the FINAL OFFENSIVE:

-in FLANDERS (28 September-11 November) there took place the Battles of YPRES (28 September-2 October) and COURTRAI (14--19 October) with actions at OOTEGHEM and TIEGHAM (31 October).

-in ARTOIS (2 October -11 November) the fighting included the capture of DOUAI (17 October).

- in PICARDY (17 October- 11 November) there were the Battles of THE SELLE (17-25 October), VALENCIENNES (1-2 November), the SAMBRE (4 November) including the passage of the SAMBRE-OISE CANAL, the capture of LE QUESNOY and the passage of the GRANDE HONELLE (5-7 November). With the capture of MONS (11 November) the Army was back where it had started the war four bloody years before

NOTHING CHANGES

by J.P L ethbridge

During the First World War large numbers of married women worked in Britain's factories and child care arrangements had to be made. Sometimes they broke down and a woman had to give priority to her children rather than her work.

On 2 July 1918 the Birmingham Post reported that a woman had been sacked for taking time off work to look after her sick baby. She complained to Birmingham Munitions Tribunal chaired by Birmingham University's Professor Tillyard, who said that We rather approve of mothers taking care of their babies.' He awarded her one pound thirteen shillings and six pence compensation against the firm—about two hundred pounds in our terms.

Of course there was a war on but perhaps the good professor was far sighted. After all if a baby survived he or she would live to be of conscription age in the Second World War.

The Bulletin of the Birmingham Branch of the WFA

Compiled by Bob Butcher

March 2008