2company20september1917

2 Company 20 September 1917

The Tanks at 3^rd Ypres. 20^th September 1917

2 Company, A Battalion, with 1^st Australian and 41^st Divisions, ANZAC and X Corps, 2^nd Army

2 Company had 4 tanks in action on 20^th September 1917 ^(W22):

8 Section - Capt Skelding J. ^(W1)

4 female tanks.

Possibly:

A38, 2519, “Amy”,

A39, 2691, “Anne”

Both of which were in action with 8 Section on 31^st July and successfully rallied

A26, 2687, “Adventuress”,

See note below

A27, 2681, “Aberdonia”,

Which is the only other 2^nd Company female which wasn’t knocked out on 31^st July. It may not have rallied however.

Note

in Jean-Luc Gibot and Phillippe Gorczynski (1999) Following the Tanks, Cambrai;

“Amy” and “Anne” are not listed, “Anne II” is listed which implies “Anne” had been lost at 3rd Ypres.

“Adventuress” is listed, though it was supposedly knocked out by 3 shell hits on 31st July according to the sources (see 31^st July narrative), presumably she was salvaged and repaired; this may have happened before September 20^th.

The tanks used in this operation may equally have been other repaired 2 Company females, females from another company or battalion or replacement tanks.

Orders ^(W22)

The tanks were to operate as radio tanks. Two female tanks were to operate with each division, one was to carry the wireless equipment, the other acting as a convoy. All the tanks were to have a Blue and White signal flag painted onto the sides.

The tanks were not to proceed to within 500yds of the front line before Zero hour.

The tanks working with ANZAC Corps were to establish a signal station at the SW corner of Glencourse wood one and a half hours after zero.

The tanks working with X Corps were to establish a signal station at the West Edge of Clonmel Copse one and a half hours after zero.

Two wireless operators were provide for each tank, 2Lt J Evans being attached to the section as Wireless Officer

Account of Operations

One of the tanks operating with ANZAC Corps was destroyed as soon as it arrived ^(S39.p94). The other successfully remained on station at Glencourse Wood for 24 hours ^(H1) A photograph in the Australian Archives shows a tank with its radio mast erected apparently near Hooge (AWM E03932). The Photograph clearly illustrates that these were Mark IV fighting tanks (i.e. armed tanks), not converted MK I or II dedicated Wireless tanks (such as those that C and F Battalion attempted to use on July 31^st.)

Note: The author believes this phototgraph may have been mis captioned as the wood is clearly to the tank's rear, it should be to its front on the 20th September. Thus the Photograph was probably taken on the 27th September 1917, see narrative for 26th September for more information.

The author has found no record relating to the tanks operating with X Corps.

Aftermath

Sources

W1 - War Diary No1 / A Battalion Tank Corps / A Coy HBMGC 1916 – 1919 Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum

H1 - War History of 1^st Tank Battalion. Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum

W22 – War Diary 2nd Tank Brigade– Relevant Appendix: order dated 16^th September, copy in second Tank brigades War Diary PRO WO

S39 - Martin Matrix Evans (2005) Passchendaele. The Hollow Victory

The photograph (AWM E03932) is discussed on Landships.com: http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=63528&p=3&topicID=7119188

3rd Ypres Narratives - By date

3rd Ypres narratives - By Unit