ARTICLE: Don’t Forget the French! 1918

The 8th August 1918 is remembered as a black day for the German Army. The Battle of Amiens signified the beginning of the end, and the commencement of the Hundred Days advance to victory. It’s important to remember though, that this catastrophe was not a blow delivered exclusively by the British Army. The French were there too. The join between the two Allied forces was just south of the River Luce, not far from Villers Bretonneux, and here, one Cyril Falls was tasked with acting as a liaison officer between the two armies. Today, I’d like to share his diary of those momentous few days, because his account of going over the top in a touring car is utterly unique.

Falls is more famous for the writing about the war that he did later on, but an Ulster man, he was commissioned into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers during the conflict. He would served as a divisional staff officer before finding his way to the French, and in August 1918 his job, specifically was to facilitate smooth operations between the French (the end of their line was held by 42nd Division) and the Canadians next door:

August 6th.

…Tonight the crowd on the roads was extraordinary, so thick that I was afraid the traffic would be caught by morning light. At times the flood hardly seemed to move for half an hour at a stretch. Everything has been well managed, however, and kept quiet. The tanks do not really make very much noise, not half so much as the caterpillar tracks which haul the big guns.

So all the old tricks are coming out of the conjuror’s box. I have seen it too often before - on the Somme, at Messines, at Ypres, before Cambrai, to be fully confident of a great success on this occasion. But one thing is sure; if we take the knock this time, after Ludendorff has shown us how it is done, we may as well give up. On the whole I am hopeful.

(A later image of Cyril Falls, taken in 1940 (NPG/Wikipedia)

August 7th.

I have only just learnt that the attack is to be launched to-morrow. Divisional headquarters moved at an early hour to the command post to be used in the first stage, Saint-Cyr. It was a very quiet day and Fritz appears to have no suspicion that anything is wrong. I hear that he made a raid and captured some Australians in front of the Canadian lines, men who had been left in as outposts in case something of the sort happened. It is believed that they knew nothing of what was happening, probably not even that Canadians were behind them, but of this one cannot be certain…

August 8th.

It seemed that I had hardly gone to sleep when a French orderly came and shook my arm. I got up and went out, to find it was still dark and very foggy. We all had coffee and bread and butter, and the orderlies brought us piles of sandwiches for our luncheon and wine to put in our water-bottles. Then General Deville took up the telephone and asked to speak to the Corps Commander himself. It appears that this is a sort of ceremony with him before battle. We all stood round waiting patiently for some time. I expect old Toulorge was being hauled out of bed. Then Deville said solemnly: “My General, I have to report that my troops are in position. The assembly has passed off without a hitch. Ah, ça y est!” While he was still speaking there was an almighty crash. I looked at my watch and saw it was exactly 4.20. Zero! Now all our hopes were launched.