THREE TIMES LUCKY

by JP.Lethbridge

Soon after the First World War broke out Charles Howe enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery and obtained a separation allowance for his wife and seven children. While still in Britain he became friendly with a young single woman May Mildred Cuffe.

He deserted and calling himself Charles Holmes enlisted in the Middlesex Regiment and got a fresh separation allowance for May Cuffe. Later he deserted again and calling himself Charles Warne joined the Royal Engineers getting another separation allowance for May Cuffe and a child. When asked for a marriage certificate May Cuffe and her bigamist boyfriend used one that actually belonged to one of Mary Cuffe's sisters.

Eventually the deception was discovered and May Cuffe was brought before Swansea Police Court on 23 August 1917. She was charged with obtaining thirteen pounds from His Majesty's Paymaster General by deception. This was then worth more than it is today,

I have been unable to discover what happened to the soldier who was presumably dealt with under military law but May Cuffe was convicted of obtaining money by deception. What sentence did the magistrates impose. Did they:

Send her to prison and if so for how long?

Fine her and if so by how much?

Give her a probation order?

Answer overleaf.

 

BRITISH ATTACK TACTICS (c cont'd)

by Bob Butcher

STEP BY STEP Harsh experience had shown that the artillery conquers and the infantry occupies' was not the answer. Undoubtedly the guns played an enormously important part and the role of the artillery was no longer restricted to cutting the enemy's wire and killing or shaking him but now included subduing his artillery (counter battery), keeping his head down (creeping barrages), isolating the front line from the rear and reinforcements and helping to consolidate. The infantry, too, were adopting rather more flexible tactics although a training publication reprinted in May 1917 still insisted that the infantry advanced in lines or waves and that the pace across no man's land must be moderate. Nevertheless it did require bodies of troops to be allocated specific objectives and the assaulting troops were divided into those making the final assault, mopping up parties and consolidating bodies.

An indication of improved British tactics can be gained by comparing the 3½ mile advance on a six mile front at a cost of 136,217 casualties in the first twenty-eight days of the Somme in 1916 with the two to five miles advance on a twenty mile front at a cost of 83„970 casualties in the comparable period at Arras in 1917. However the high command, intent on a breakthrough, set unrealistic objectives and ignored the inexorable rule of diminishing returns.

Although the high command set distant objectives to be captured virtually in one bound, some generals preferred 'bite and hold' tactics, that is, take a bite at the enemy positions, hold and consolidate it, let the enemy exhaust himself with counter attacks, and then take another carefully prepared bite, repeating until the final objective is taken. The opening phase of the Passchendaele offensive in 1917 under Fifth Army direction went for the distant objective and, although some success was achieved on the first day, it soon ground to halt. In the later phase, Second Army successfully employed “bite and hold” tactics, or “Step by Step” as they became known. In fact, three highly successful 'hammer blows' were made before the rains returned. Some historians have speculated that had it been possible to deliver several more such blows, the result may well have been decisive.

ALL ARMS ATTACKS - Initially tanks were allotted in small numbers to various formations to support the infantry. They were not always successful for they were vulnerable to artillery fire, were mechanically unreliable, were often too slow to keep up with the infantry, frequently became ditched in the cratered no man's land or bogged down in the mud. At Cambrai, however, improved models were successfully used en masse over good going and, moreover, the infantry supported the tanks and not vice versa. Special tactics were evolved for tank/infantry co-operation but were not used again. The next time that large numbers of tanks were used was at Amiens in August 1918 when they advanced in line with the infantry.

By the time of the Last Hundred Days, the British doctrine had developed into what one historian has described as the use of an integrated weapons system. The Royal Air Force gained control of the air, harassed the enemy's rear areas and photographed the battlefield. The Artillery dominated the enemy's guns, killed or shook his infantry by a short hurricane bombardment and then kept their heads down and helped consolidate the gains. The tanks crushed the barbed wire, dispensing with long wire cutting bombardments which churned up no man's land making it difficult for reinforcements to cross and also forfeited any chance of surprise. The allocation of tanks to various formations has been justified on the grounds that just a few tanks were good for British morale and bad for the enemy's, cut down casualties and speeded things up.

The infantry lines were composed of smaller units which got across no man's land as quickly as possible. Each platoon was allocated a specific target and if held up by isolated pockets of resistance, would use its Lewis gun and rifle grenade section to give covering fire while its other sections made a flanking attack sometimes with the help of a smoke screen created by smoke grenades. Meanwhile neighbouring units pushed on.

The immediate objective, which was now a realistic one, was not intended to be taken in one bound. Instead the leading wave of infantry would pause on reaching an intermediate line and be leap-frogged by another wave under a different commander. This was repeated as often as necessary in order to ensure that the troops making the final assault were relatively fresh.

Following troops advanced in small open groups in rushes and making use of the ground. Bodies of troops were detailed for mopping up, clearing trenches or consolidation. Machine guns, many of which had used overhead fire to support the assault, now came forward to help consolidate and the artillery and the Engineers, were able to get forward over the relatively uncratered ground. Preparation for the next step could then commence.

Some Engineers were well forward but much of their contribution had been in making logistical support possible. Such a battle made great demands not only on personnel but also required enormous quantities of shells and other stores. It can indeed be said that the very efficient Administrative Services such the Medical, Veterinary, Supply, Transport and Ordnance were a vital part of the integrated weapons system that made the BEF such a formidable fighting machine. Just as important, the High Command now recognised that a clean breakthrough was unlikely, certainly not in one bound, and set less ambitious objectives. Moreover, when the initial attack started to lose momentum, it was closed down and a fresh attack made at another point before the enemy could switch his reserves. The enemy was worn down by relentless pressure.

ANSWER: (a) She was sent to prison for one month. The magistrates said that the sentence might have been harsher but May was to some extent herself a victim.

BOOK OF THE MONTH: No 4, THE LAST ACT by Barrie Pitt_ A lucid account of the last days of the war, in other words how the Allies finally succeeded despite everything; Bob

 

 

The Bulletin of the Birmingham Branch of the WFA

Compiled by Bob Butcher

June 2006