Review of 'The 62nd Division in the 2nd Battle of the Marne' by Tim Lynch (January 2018)

The army of 1918, which was involved in the battles of middle and late 1918, was mainly a conscript army. Over 2½ million young men were conscripted under the Military Service Act of January 1916, a number greater than the regular soldiers and the volunteers added together. These young men underwent training both in the UK and in France before they were allocated to their battalions. Despite all the comments made after the war about the poor quality & training of conscripts, these young men were the backbone of the army which defeated the German Army in 1918.

In 1917 the Russian government requested an armistice, which resulted in the Treat of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918). As a result, General Ludendorff could move German troops to the Western Front where the German Army would then have a numerical superiority over the Allies (this was before the American Army was built up). The resulting four attacks became known as the ‘German Spring Offensive’, the first attack (on Amiens) was in March and the last in July.

Each attack was designed to break the line and force a major withdrawal. Despite the initial losses to the BEF and French armies, followed by managed retreats, no breakthrough took place. In each case (except on the Marne) each offensive resulted in a new salient as the German troops were worn out, their supply lines became more erratic and the Allied response hardened. In May, Marshall Ferdinand Foch was appointed Generalissimo, the supreme commander of the BEF (under Field Marshal Haig), the ten French armies (under General Pétain) and the American army (under General Pershing). This led to efficient British – French co-operation with the movement of troops from one ally to aid another, as well as having one QMG to supervise logistics and the control of movement by rail and by road.

The attack on the Aisne (27 May –6 June, 1918) resulted in the formation of new salient 40 miles wide and 15 miles deep taking the German army within 35 miles of Paris. The attack on the Marne (15 – 18 July, 1918) was a two-pronged attack, one east of Reims, the other to the west. The eastern attack was held within hours but the western attack experienced a little more success, penetrating about 4 miles on a nine-mile front. A previously planned counter-attack then took place as four French Armies attacked with support from the BEF, American troops and Italian troops. This offensive involved XXII Corps of the BEF, which comprised 62nd Division and 51st Division.

This counterattack, known as the Battle of the Tardenois, involved British troops advancing into the Bois de Reims and passing through the Italian troops (who had taken heavy casualties) so as to secure positions in the Ardre valley. In the early morning of 27th July, a brigade from 62nd Division advanced along the south side of the Ardre along side two brigades from the 51st Division. As the opposing German troops had pulled back, this advance went forward slowly and unopposed. The attack on the 28th July was more difficult, troops advancing into machine gun fire (not all wooded areas had been cleared) took heavy casualties. 

The 8th West Yorks (Leeds Rifles), attacked without a barrage and advanced on the ridge between Bligny and the Montagne de Bligny in the early morning. They took their objective with an unexpected charge, displacing the German troops on the summit. This action earned the 8th West Yorks the Croix de Guerre. The position was consolidated and the expected German counter attacks were fought off. In August the 62nd division returned to Third Army where they were involved in the counteroffensives known as the ‘Last Hundred Days’. 

Report by Peter Palmer