October 1916
October 1916
October 1916
Following their involvement in the Battles of Morval and Theipval D Battalion withdrawn to The Loop on the 29th September, they handed all their salved and derelict tanks over to 711 ASC. (2).
Some tanks must have stayed at the Green Dump as on 1st October D8 (720) Lt HGF Brown and D16 (538) Lt WJ Wakeley (Wd) assisted 1/19th and 1/20th Londoners (III Corps, 1st Division, 47 Brigade) in capturing Flers trench by Harcourt Abbey; unfortunately both then ditched in the Flers Line and were captured by a German counterattack . (2).
Also on the 1st Oct C Company’s War Diary records the following tanks as being in their tank Park at The Loop - 705, 740, 741, 746, 760, 722, 523 and 544. 544 is the only tank that was not part of C Companies original complement and may be indicated by mistake, the author meaning 554. (2).
On the 2nd Lt Blumel’s tank returned from Albert. (C2 - 522). This appears to be the only survivor from the seven tanks dispatched to Albert with No.1 Section. (2).
C Company received reinforcements on the 5th October when 5 new tanks arrived from Le Harve. These must have been old training tanks as the author inserts a question mark after the word “new” (2). This means C Company should now have a total of 14 tanks in their Park.
On the 6th October D company moved to new Tankodrome at Acheux, here they joined a section of B Company that had been drafted across to D as reinforcements and sent ahead to establish the new Tankodrome on the 30th September. A detachment consisting of Lt Head, Hastie and Pearsall were left at Green Dump under command of Capt Inglis. (recorded in D Companies War Diary on 17 Nov 1916). (2). Presumably three tanks were also left behind: certainly D2 (539), and two other unidentifiable tanks (possibly D18 (743) and D19 (753)).
On the 7th D2 (539) (possibly commanded by Lt Head), supported the 12th Durham LI (23 Div) as they captured the Tangle. It was then hit by a shell and destroyed. (2).
On the 10th Oct C Company detrained 11 tanks from The Loop at Acheux, unfortunately two tanks were burnt out after detraining (2)
C Company also acquired three former D Company tanks around this time: 511, 528 and 744; presumably transferred from 711 ASC. This gives C Company a total of at least 15 tanks at this date; possibly 16 or 17 if the two burnt out tanks were also former D Company or reserve machines.
On the 16th October C Company’s war diary states a total of 16 tanks will be committed to action. (2) Presumably as per. 23rd October below.
On the 18th Oct: 2 tanks ordered to assist 30 Divisions, 21 Brigade attack NW of Flers, initially both broke down in Flers. Later they were repaired; one couldn’t negotiate the mud, the other got as far as Gird Trench which it sat astride clearing it of Germans; unfortunately Infantry now too exhausted to capitalise on tanks success
Unfortunately there is no evidence for this attack in either C or D Company's War Diaries. They were probably the other two tanks from D company’s detachment. Possibly D18 (743) and D19 (753)
On the 21st October C Company received 6 new tanks (2), probably Including 766, 772 and 561. These three tanks were probably completed after the September 1st three week break in production that occurred to allow spare parts to be manufactured. This raises C Company’s tank total to 21 tanks.
C Companies War Diary for 22 / 23rd October list’s the following tanks as being employed in the forthcoming action: 549, 521, 511, 528, 523, 514, 524, 522, 507, 561, 758, 744, 706, 766, 710 and 772.
And states the following Tanks are with XIV, III and II Corps under the command of Capt Inglis: 505, 533, 554, 703, 705, 722, 740, 741, 746 and 760 (2).
Further Appendix 12 to C Company’s War Diary gives the following more detailed deployment: (2).
XIII Corps – Capt Walker
561 Capt Bennewith
772 Capt Lord Rodney
3rd Div – Capt Clively
A - 758 Lt Hallack
549 Lt Atherton
B - 511 Lt Clarke – formally D25
521 Lt Mills
C - 744 Lt Reardon – formally D20
528 Lt Groves - formally D23
D - 523 Lt Lambert – C20
514 Lt Williamson
2nd Div Capt Hiscocks
E - 706 Lt Arnaud
524 Lt Murphy
F - 766 Lt Thompson
522 Lt Ambrose – C2
G - 710 Lt Bates
505 Lt Elliot – C24
Note: 505 is listed as being with Inglis, and 507 is listed as being employed so 505 may have been mistakenly included here
Despite the best laid plans none of these vehicles apparently made it into action in October (1)(2).
On 23rd October two female tanks were destroyed by shellfire on the Albert Bapaume Road (S2. photos)
Phtographed whilst derelict:
IWM Q 11619: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205247196
References
1. General Historical Information: Chris McCarthy. (1998) The Somme. The Day by Day Account. Brockhampton Press.
2. D and C Companies Respective War Diaries. Transcripts obtained from Bovington Tank Museam.
3. Tank Numbers and names: Pidgeon, Trevor (1995) The Tanks at Flers
4. Fletcher, David (2004). British Mark I Tank. Osprey, Oxford Pg. 24