Current Information:

Age-42

139, Elsenham Street, Southfields

With an end to the fighting on the Eastern Front after the Russian Revolution, Germany was able to bring its troops from there to France and launch a series of offensives in the Spring of 1918, designed to bring the war to a swift conclusion. Four times between March and July they attacked in strength and on each occasion they broke through the British and French lines and made spectacular gains but in each case they over extended themselves and without adequate supplies keeping up with their rapid advances, they could go no further.

The first of these attacks, Operation Michael, was made on 21st March by 63 specially trained divisions, attacking along a 60 mile front held by 26 British divisions, many of them in a weakened state At 4.40am the German artillery opened up with the most ferocious and concentrated bombardment of the war, the likes of which the British had never experienced before. The Forward Zone, consisting mainly of individual posts was blown away. Very few of the men there made it back. Many were killed and many more were taken prisoner. The Battle Zone was also battered as were the British guns, firing from positions just to the rear. Brigade and Divisional HQs were targeted as well and then, from out of the thick mist came the German storm troopers. Moving fast, they skirted round the few remaining strongholds and penetrated deep into the British lines, including those of the Battle Zone, causing the utmost confusion. There were many cases of heroic stands being made but the relentless pressure forced the British back everywhere and there then began a general retreat that went on for two weeks and which ceded to the Germans a huge amount of territory, including all of that that had been won at such great cost during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

By 27th March the British Fifth Army had been pushed back many miles and XIX Corps were holding a line from Rosières up to the River Somme, near Bray. Just to their south the Germans captured the town of Montdidier from French troops and then extended their attack to the north to take in the whole of XIX Corps. A severe and stubborn struggle took place throughout the rest of the day. 16th Division held the left of this line and when, under extreme pressure they gave way, 39th Division on their right had not only to deal with attacks on their front but also on their left flank. Support was needed urgently and 8th Division, further south in the line were ordered to provide this. 2nd Devon from 23 Brigade and the pioneers, 22nd Durham Light Infantry, were sent north to make a counter attack along with a composite battalion from 50th Division made up from engineers and details from 151 Brigade, including the 5th Durham Light Infantry battalion. About 2pm this force topped the ridge north-east of Harbonnières and came under machine-gun fire. Despite this they passed the thin line of 39th Division, drove the Germans back and established themselves in the line between 16th and 39th Divisions just in time to repel a further enemy counter attack. At some stage during the day Claude Harman was killed in action.