2 Company 26 September 1917

The Tanks at 3^rd Ypres. 26^th September 1917

2 Company, A Battalion, with 1^st Australian Division, ANZAC Corps, 2^nd Army^(S35)

2 Company had 2 tanks in action on 26^th September 1917 ^(W1a):

8 Section - Capt Fitzmaurice. ^(W1a)

A38, 2522, "Andromeda", Lt Flanegan LC

A39, 2843, "Auldreekie II", 2Lt McLean HC

Notes

Wireless tank was to be marked with a Blue and White signal mark and the Corps number. ^(W2bAus)

Orders ^(W1a)

To establish a wireless station at the South West corner of Glencourse Wood at Zero +2/1/2 hours ^(W2bAus)

A39 was to act as a Wireless Tank. A38 was to accompany her as a convoy tank. They were to proceed to J8d.95.55 and establish a wireless station, once the wireless station was established A38 was to return. ^(W1a)

Account of Operations^(W1a)

After being subject to accurate, apparently aimed, shellfire and becoming a little lost the Wireless Station was eventually established at 10am, at J9c.2.3, 100yds SE of the proper objective. The wireless Officer from I ANZAC Corps joined the tanks. A38 was sent back, A39 was camouflaged and remained on station for 24 hours, successfully returning to I23a.6.6 at 10am on the 27^th.

Note: The author believes photograph AWM E03932 shows 2843 in action https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E03932/ . The Photograph is normally captioned as being taken on the 20th September but the devastated wood is clearly to the tank's rear (it is unlikely the stretcher bearers visible in the photograph would have been carrying wounded towards the Germans) , Glencourse Wood would have been to the wireless tank's front on the 20th September. Thus the Photograph was probably taken on the 27th September 1917.

Summery

Total Fighting Tanks: 2

Failed to Start: 0

Engaged enemy: 2

Ditched / Broke Down: 0

Hit and Knocked out: 0

Rallied: 2

Note: Both tanks were fighting tanks, both also successfully carried out their orders thus are counted as “engaging enemy.”

Aftermath

2522 – In action again at Cambrai with crew A12 ^(W1a)

2843 - In action again at Cambrai with crew A22 ^(W1a)

Sources

W1a – Appendixes to War Diary No1 / A Battalion Tank Corps / A Coy HBMGC 1916 – 1919 in PRO WO 95/109

W2bAus - 2 Australian Brigade War Diary. Appendix. Downloaded from AWM.

S35 – Passchendaele, The day by day account (1995) Chris MacArthy

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