Chapter 23: La Boisselle 2 Feb - 18 March 1917

Gargoo named his house in Dandenong La Boisselle. Mum lived there as a baby and young child.

The 11th Battery of the 4th Australian Field Artillery made its Wagon Lines at La Boisselle between 3 February and 18 March 1917. The guns went into action in rear of Martinpuich. On 18 March they left La Boisselle and established Wagon Lines between Le Sars and Le Barque, at a place called “La Coupe Goule”, outside Bapaume.

Click for photo of wooden cross where la Boisselle once stood. 1917. [AWM H08771]

Percy's granddaughter, Sally, and great grandson, Ben at la Boisselle, May 2003

From October 1914 the front line stabilised in the sector of La Boisselle. The German and French lines faced each other here until the arrival of the British in July 1915. The British took the village on 2 July 1916 and occupied it until March 1918. They were then pushed out by the German offensive. The British recaptured it in August 1918.

Sally and Ben at the sign commemorating the British front line, La Boisselle. May 2003

La Boisselle was the scene of mine warfare undertaken by both the French and Germans from the beginning of 1915 and then by the British to open breaches in the enemy lines, for the offensive of 1 July 1916.
The Lochnagar Crater is the largest and best preserved of the mine craters in the British sector. It was created by the detonation of 27 tonnes of ammonal explosive. It is 100 metres in diameter and 30 metres deep. The detonation took place at 7.28am on 1 July 1916.

Lochnagar crater. May 2005
Aerial view of Lochnagar Crater

Chapter 24: The Somme Feb - March 1917

From 11th Battery, 4th F.A.B. Brief History 26 – 31 Jan Billeted at Rainneville 1 February Left Rainneville, arrived Bavelincourt – billeted 3 & 6 February Left Bavelincourt, arrived La Boisselle 3 February – 18 March Wagon lines at La Boisselle. Guns in action in rear of Martinpuich Photo of Australian artillery in action near Martinpuich. Feb 1917. [AWM E00238] Photo of Captain C E W Bean, the Australian Official Correspondent, watching the Australian advance through a telescope 27 Feb 1917.[AWM E00246] ”Left the position on Jany 19th 1917 and remained for six days at Buire-sur-Ancre and then moved to Rainneville where we were joined by part of the 19th battery to form a six gun battery. Leaving Rainneville on Feb 1st we went to Bavelincourt. The right section left there on the 3rd,and making wagon lines at La Boiselle, the guns went into action in rear of Martinpuich. The remainder of the battery followed on Feb 6th. While in this position a subgun moved into a forward gun pit on the Sars road and remained there until the other guns moved up to Eaucourt l’Abbaye on Feb 26th. Here we took part in the attack on Loupart (?) Wood and the neighbouring trench system, which being successful, moved forward to La Coupe Goule on March 14th. “ Martinpuich and Le Sars From Diary of Gunner Kenneth Sydney Day: 2/2/17 Went back into action once more at a place called Martinpuich, not very far to the right of Mouquet Farm, where the Aussies got pretty cut up a little while back. We are firing on a place called Le Sars, at a range of 5,000 yards. Our Battery has what is known as a Tank Gun; it is one of our 18 pounders, but it is put just behind the lines, in case of Tanks (German) attacking us. We sleep all day and work all night. Why this is so, is because we are on top of a rise to get a clear sweep at anything, and you can see the German trenches, so if we started firing in the day time, we would be getting nipped in the bud. The German line extends through Le Sars, Butte de Wattencourt and Beaulencourt on our sector only. 28/2/17 Germans retired back 2,000 yards to straighten out their line, to a place called Grevillers. 29/2/17 Moved our guns between Le Sars and Walencourt. There is one thing we notice, the Germans are very well equipped, every town that they are in, they build deep dug-outs; some go down as far as 40 to 50 feet, but it is very depressing to stay there long; in each of these they have special stoves supplied to them with coal, and a special top to the stove for fitting their mess tins, which I must say, is more then we get. We stayed in this position for a few weeks, having a few wounded every now and then. Photo of Butte de Walencourt, near Le Sars. 3 March 1917 [AWM E00339] Photo of A German dugout on the Butte de Warlencourt, near Le Sars [AWM E00340] "...throughout January and February 1917, overlooked the Australian lines. The Butte was daily made a target for our artillery fire, but without any apparent effect. On the German retirement at the end of February our troops advanced to this position across the valley in which lay Le Sars Station, where the earth, churned by shell fire and soaked with rain, had become a quagmire." Photo of Australian soldiers gathering coal left by German forces on the Bapaume road near the Butte de Warlencourt. 3 March 1917. [AWM E00364] [insert awm pic 3 march 1917 bapaume road from le sars Photo of "Australian transport returning along the Bapaume Road for supplies for the troops fighting beyond Bapaume. In the background are Le Sars Railway Station, the Quarry, and the Butte de Warlencourt (centre). " March 1917. [AWM E00432]

Chapter 32: The Somme April to October 1918

April to October 1918 After leaving Flanders on 8 April, 1918, the 4th Australian Field Artillery Brigade returned once more to the Somme. Gargoo was transferred to the Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery (RBAA) on May 1, 1918. He arrived at the Heytesbury (near Warminster, Wiltshire) camp on 6 May 1918 and remained there until embarking for Australia on 2 February 1919. However, the Second Division 4th Artillery Brigade remained very active, taking part in the major battles from May to October as the allies advanced on the Hindenburg Line. These battles are covered in following chapters - Le Hamel, Villers-Bretonneux, Mont St Quentin and Peronne. 8 April 1918 2am left Vieux Berquin, entrained at Strazeele Railway station, arrived St Roch Rway Stn (outside Amiens), disentrained then by road to Villiers Bocage, arrived same day. 9/10 April Left Villers Bocage, arrived in Querrieu (?) (outside Frechencourt) 10 April – 14 July Quarry. Guns in action near Bresle (May 14) Photo of Field Artillery Brigade soldiers camouflaging blast marks scorched on the grass by an 18 pounder gun. Bresle, 21 April 1918 )church spire in background) [AWM E04783] 1 May GARGOO TO RBAA 7 May Wagon Lines shifted back to Frechencourt 14 July Left Bresle, Wagon Line to Glisy, guns to near White Castle (Villers Bretonneux) Watercolour sketch by Louis McCubbin of horse lines at Glisy. 1918 [AWM ART03074] "Watercolour sketch depicting a view of horse lines and tents for stores and men near Glisy with observation balloons visible in the skyline. AIF Headquarters were located at Glisy during 1918. Louis McCubbin enlisted with the 14th Battalion AIF in 1916, serving in France from November 1917 with the 10th Field Ambulance. He undertook a camoflage course and was appointed as an Official War Artist working as Officer in Charge of Camouflage for 3rd Division AIF in 1918. His appointment was terminated in 1920, in which year he returned to Australia and joined the staff of the Australian War Memorial to paint backgrounds for dioramas and to perform a variety of other duties. McCubbin remained in the position until 1930." Photo of dugouts for horses, Glisy [AWM P00098.004]

4 August Guns taken out of action 5 August Guns recalibrated 6 August Guns in position Villers Bretonneux [See Chapter 33] 8 August Advance commenced. Limbers and wagons went forward to old gun positions, the limbers going from there taking guns forward and the wagons following later. In the afternoon the guns took up position on the NE side of Bayonvillers with the wagon lines about 400 yds in the rear, on the outskirts of the village 10 August Moved forward the gun pits being between Harbonniers and Rosiers and the wagon lines in a sunken road south of Harbonnieres 20 August The guns moved across to Vauvillers 28 August Advance to Maricourt 29 August Guns into action near Clery. Supported attack on Mont St Quentin [See Chapter 35] 04 September Moved back to Cappy. Rested til 12 September. Artillery positions held. 12 September Wagon Lines established at Buire. 18 September Attack on Hindenburg Line defences. Successful. Battery moved forward to valley in front of Templeux. Wagon Lines to Roisel. 27 September Again moved forward to Harpicourt 28-30 September Took part in attack on Hindenburg Line covering 30th Division American troops 1 October Guns moved forward to Bellicourt and kept advancing 11 November Moving through Peronne and received news of the Armistice being signed.