Wednesday 2 August 2017

Third Day of the Third Battle of Ypres



Thursday 2nd August 1917

No further attacks have been made today as General Gough “shuffles his pack”, replacing some of the divisions which took part in the first day of the attack with newer, fresher units. So far six divisions have been replaced in the front line, including 30th Division. However, the adjutant of the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, suspects that this relief may be temporary as the battalion has been warned that they will have to carry out an attack in about two days’ time to take Glencorse Wood, which was to have fallen on 31st July but held out.

30th Division has been replaced in the front line by 18th (Eastern) Division. 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, is currently behind the lines at a place called Château Segard. They have been resting as much as possible as it seems that, for them, too, offensive operations will soon unfold. Consequently only scouts and runners have been sent forward during the day to reconnoitre the route up for pending operations. There has been rain again today, as there has been since the attack began and some of my colleagues of “The Staff” as correspondents have taken to calling ourselves are worried in case the ground gets too muddy for an advance. However, the rain yesterday and today has mean of the drizzling variety and seems unlikely to do too much damage to the ground and, despite the comparatively low temperature today, this is the beginning of August, still high summer, and we can surely expect some warm, drying weather soon.

Sources: X550/3/wd; X550/8/1

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