Sunday 21st May 1916

Billets at Sains-en-Gohelle (Coron Fosse 10)

On a beautiful morning the artillery activity of the previous day increased even further; again there was intense shelling of British positions south of Souchez (held by 47^th Division) but there was also a considerable bombardment against the Angres sector. The Battalion War Diary account of the shelling: “Beautiful day. About 11am the enemy commenced a heavy bombardment on our front line trenches which extended to the whole of the front visible to the eye. This continued until the early afternoon, after which he lengthened his range and rained shells of heavy calibre on the supports, and roads leading to the trenches, and also within the vicinity of our batteries”. The Brigade War Diary noted that a part of the front line was, “considerably damaged, the front trenches being blown in in three places and a dugout destroyed, but, compared with the amount of ammunition expended, no great damage was done”.

From mid-afternoon the barrage against 47^th Division, and also against the extreme right of 23^rd Division’s front (held by 68^th Brigade), where it met 47^th Division, just south of Souchez, became even more intense and was accompanied by the use of gas shells; this was again noted in the War Diary, “ At 4.50pm we received advice from the 68th Bde that the enemy was sending gas over to our lines, this was accompanied by a torrent of shells from the enemy which were principally composed of what is known as tear shells”.

There was also a marked degree of counter-battery fire from the Germans and the impact on an artillery battery located close to the Battalion billets was noted, “The enemy got very near to a number of our batteries but the damage done generally is not obtainable. A battery of R.G.A. which was in action played a very important part in the days proceedings. This battery was subjected to such a hail of shells for 5 to 6 hours which can only be explained by the word terrific. Needless to say the men of this battery stuck to their guns in the good old fashioned way, and when the enemy thought he had succeeded in silencing them they roared forth again and again. This battery continued the fight throughout the night and the enemy gave it up as a hopeless case about 11pm”.

Around 6pm shelling of 68^th Brigade subsided but the bombardment of 47^th Division continued unabated until, at 7.45pm, the Germans launched an infantry assault against the British lines in the Berthonval sector, near Neuville-Saint-Vaast, around the area generally notorious as ‘The Labyrinth’. The British defences in this area were known to be vulnerable on account of the desperately difficult conditions and the central section was quickly overrun; as a result it was necessary to withdraw from adjacent positions both left and right. There was no assault against 23^rd Division.

J.B. Priestley, in a letter home to his family, painted a more graphic picture of events,

“The village we were in last Sunday was shelled with armour-piercing Jack Johnsons, but we had only one man killed, though there were many civilians killed and wounded. It was a ghastly day. All the roads leading to the trenches were shelled too, and there were mules and limbers going up in the air. They sent every kind of shell over – gas shells (it was quaint to see the French children with gas helmets on), tear shells (everybody’s eyes were watering and sore), incendiary shells, shrapnel, and last but not least, the enormous Johnsons. I tried to imagine Saltburn Place (Priestley’ home in Bradford) being shelled in a similar manner, but it was too horrible to think about. They crash through houses and roads and steel girders like paper. And the concussion! Our heavy batteries, just near, were thundering in response, and our stretcher bearers had to keep dashing down to the gun pits to bring out the wounded, poor maimed creatures – burnt, twisted, torn and many of them dazed beyond immediate recovery with the sheer noise”.

Lt. Dick Bolton (see 15^th May), writing many years later, recalled that, “The barrages laid down by both sides for several nights in succession made the hilltop look like a volcano on eruption.

Pte. John Smith (13487) (see 20^th May), who had been wounded in the German shelling the previous day, died of his wounds at 22^nd Casualty Clearing Station, Lapugnoy; he would be buried the following day at Bruay Communal Cemetery Extension. 2Lt. Harry Harris (see 20^th May), to whom Smith had been officer’s servant, would write to Smith’s parents, telling them, “I have always found him a most cheerful and reliable lad and I have lost in him a good soldier”.

L.Cpl. Harry Holmes (see 24^th April) was promoted Acting Corporal.