John Elson Carpenter: Background to final three days

Extract from The Somerset Light Infantry 1914-1919. The History of the Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert’s) 1914-1919 by Edward Wyrall regarding the 7th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infanty: 

"21^st March 1918

All day long on the 20^th the 7^th Somersets stood to at Curchy, though the Battalion was not called upon to move. About 3pm on the 21^st, however, after the German offensive had begun, the 61^st Brigade (20^th Division) was ordered to occupy battle positions across the angle formed by the Crozat Canal and the Somme, north-east of St. Simon. Lorries carried the Somerset men from Curchy and the Battalion arrived at St. Simon just as it was getting dusk. The Companies were got into position and began to dig themselves in, the lines having previously been wired and spitlocked, but orders were received for the Brigade to withdraw to the western side of the Canal. The 7^th Somersets were then given a sector from the junction of the Canal and River along the former towards Jussy, where Colonel Troyte-Bullock was told he would obtain touch with troops to his right. “As a matter of fact” (said the C.O. of the Battalion) “the only the troops we ever did get in touch with in that direction were the Huns on the morning of the 23^rd.

22^nd March 1918

In pitch darkness, intensified by thick fog, the Battalion managed to get into position before dawn on 22^nd. Two Companies had dug themselves in on the Canal bank, and the other two Companies with Battalion Headquarters were in the support behind the belt of wooden marsh which extended along the western side of the Canal. Sappers had prepared the bridges at St. Simon for demolition and the C.O., 7^th Somersets, was ordered to blow them up as soon as he thought necessary.

The 22^nd March was quiet so far as the Somerset men were concerned and the Battalion, working hard throughout the day to improve its position, was only subjected to promiscuous hostile shelling. As to what was happening east of the Canal the Battalion had no information, but it is practically certain that there were no British troops in front of the 7^th Somersets; they were now in the front line.

23^rd March 1918

At dawn on the 23^rd the two Companies on the Canal bank reported the presence of German patrols in St. Simon, and that hostile cavalry were advancing on the Canal. The charges beneath the bridges were then fired and they went up with a roar. As soon as the sun rose the fog became worse and now it was possible to see only just across the Canal. About 8am Battalion Headquarters were ordered back to Annois in order to be in close touch with the Brigade.

On reaching the railway Battalion Headquarters came in touch with some men of the 14^th Division, who said that the charges beneath the bridge at Jussy had failed to explode and that the Germans were across and were even then coming down the railway. There was little time to lose and Battalion Headquarters took up a position astride the railway along a narrow sunken cart track which had some boggy ground in front. The only Company of the Battalion then in touch with Battalion Headquarters was A (Captain McMurtrie), which was ordered to form a defensive flank from Headquarters to the three Companies along the Canal bank. But the marshy ground effectively prevented this order being carried out, though A Company managed to keep in touch with Headquarters.

The end came quickly. Rifle and machine-gun fire had suddenly become intense and casualties were heavy. The Acting Adjutant (Lieut. SG Berry) fell dead; Lieut-Colonel Troyte-Bullock was severely wounded, whereupon Captain McMurtrie took command of Battalion Headquarters as well as the survivors of his own Company. The three Companies on the Canal bank were completely cut off and surrounded and, fighting all the way, Captain McMurtrie and his party fell back on to the 7^th D.C.L.I, who had taken up position some 2,000 yards west of Annois, north and south of the railway. From this position, however, it was evident a further retirement would have to be made, for by 6pm the enemy had captured Eaucourt and Brouchy, both in rear of the 7^th D.C.L.I. But counter-attacks were organised and as the 61^st Brigade had no reserves left, 100 men of the 284^th Army Troops Coy. R.E. were collected by 11pm and lent to the Brigade, they were commanded by Lieut Jones, 7^th S.L.I., Brigade Intelligence Officer. This little party recaptured Eaucourt, though Lieut Jones was wounded."

Taken from History of the 20th Division, Chapter 11, p240, ‘German Offensive on Somme’: “Many soldiers of the 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry were trapped by the Germans on the SW bank of the St. Quentin canal, between Jussy and St Simon, on 23rd March 1918. The Germans were pushing the British army westwards towards Amiens and on 23rd March, they burst across the canal at Jussy, at the junction of the 20th and 14th Divisions and came up behind the Somersets, isolating them from the 7th battalion headquarters, which fell back towards Annois. Of the four Companies of the Somersets, three were stranded by the canal and one escaped to Annois. The three companies on the canal were eventually surrounded, but they fought on until all ammunition and bombs were spent before the survivors fell into the hands of the enemy."