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Pte. Gabriel Baird Carmichael
British Army 2nd Btn. Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
from:Polmont
(d.25th Oct 1918)
Excerpt from A&SH War Diary sent to me by their office:
The 2nd Battalion moved to billets in Troisvilles on the 21st. On the 22nd the battalion moved off and relieved the battalions holding the outpost line east of Montay on the Le Selle River. 23rd 33rd Division attacked in conjuction with the remainder of the 3rd army and 2 corps 4th army at 2am. The 2nd Battalion objective was the fourth line of enemy trenches The battalion assembled and moved off behind the Middlesex. Very heavy shelling was encountered by the companies as they moved to the assembly area and many casualties were incurred and owing to the confusion certain platoons of A, C and D companies were very late in arriving at the assembly area. The companies moved at intervals in a north easterly direction and south of the main Forest Englefontaine road. The advance of the 2nd Bn started at 5am. B company who were leading lost their direction shortly after this and moved to far to the right but attacked the front line where they were successful but incurred many casualties and no touch was regained with this company until 2pm. A company on the left, C company on the right and D in support moved on astride Forest-Englefontaine road in the rear of the 4th kings until the general line was reached and the 4th Kings were held up and started to dig in. Various attempts by the Kings to advance proved ineffectual. However pressure from the attack on the left allowed the Kings to eventually push on to the 2nd objective of Calevaux and then the 3rd objective at Vert Baudet. It was reported at 12.30 that these objectives had been taken. C company having first ascertained the the 4th Kings were not in their objective as they had claimed were ordered to move up to the line with A company, closely supported by D company and were told to capture the 3rd objective then move on and take the 4th one. At 3.30pm the commander of C company reported that this had been done without enemy opposition. At 5pm the battalion continued to advance but were held up with the Cameronians by heavy machine gun fire from an enemy line running north west and south east through Paul Jacques Farm. Touch was also established with B company. As night grew darker A and C companies gradually dribbled their men across the road and at 7.30pm captured the farm, by an enveloping movement, together with a few prisoners. An outpost line was established consisting of A C and D companies, all in line 100 yards short of their final objective which was found to consist of a continuous belt of barbed wire protecting numerous machine gun posts. These three companies then numbered 35 to 40 rifles apiece. At 9pm it was found that the 18thy division had come to about Bousies Wood Farm, B company consisting of 3 officers and 25 men were withdrawn into battalion reserve at Battalion headquarters. At midnight orders were received that the attack would resume. The 2nd battalion continued to fight on and together with other units successfully took the objective. The casualties for the action were 32 killed and 125 wounded and 6 missing.
