Military History

Bernard is listed as being killed in action on 30th November 1917 during the Battle of Cambrai. However he was originally reported as missing and his family wrote to the Red Cross who replied on 5 April 1918 that he was not recorded as a POW. The 2nd Battalion war diary for the 30th November is transcribed below.

Marcoing, France 1917 – Nov 29th to 30th: During the night the Battn was billeted in cellars in Marcoing which was subjected to heavy shell fire during the night, of which a large proportion were gas shells.

At about 10.30am a message was received from Brigade that the Battalion was to move out at once and assemble in the area G.25 to S of Masnieres-Marcoing Road in order to support right of 86th Brigade. Companies were immediately given orders to move to the assembly position and I moved off at once with my Adjutant, so as to get the Coys into their proper positions. On my way through Marcoing I met the Brigadier who told me that the enemy were advancing on Marcoing and that the Battalion was to seize the high ground S of it. This was a difficult operation now at the Coys were on their way to their assembly positions and Marcoing was being heavily shelled with the result that the Coys were picking their way through it.

I proceeded as quickly as possible to the road junction at L.23.c.0.2 and stopped X, Y & W Coys and ordered them to attack towards the high ground S of Marcoing as the enemy were now quite close to the village. Z Coy had proceeded to the SE and attacked through Marcoing Copse. The other 3 Coys deployed and attacked and drove the enemy back and occupied the trenches in L.22.d.

The enemy were now holding the high ground about L.34.d so orders were given that the Coys were to attack that place which they did successfully in conjunction with troops of nearly every Regiment in the Brigade. In the attack about 2 officers and 50 prisoners were taken and the enemy were driven back, but heavy M.G. fire was encountered. We then occupied a line from L.34.d – L.35.a – L.29.d.

At about 1.30pm orders were received that the line was to be held by the Worcesters on the right, Essex centre, Newfoundlands on left and Hampshires in reserve about the Sunken Road about L.34.b. The Coys of the Battn were by now mixed up with all the other troops so it was some time before they could be collected together in the Sunken Road.

At dusk the Coys were ordered to consolidate a reserve line from L.34.b.8.4 – L.35.a.1.7 – L.29.c.5.0 – L.29.c.3.0. W on left, Y on the centre, Z on right, X Coy one platoon on W of Sunken Road about L.34.b.8.4 & 2 platoons in trench about L.28.d.9.9. During the night the consolidations were carried out with very little interruption except for occasional bursts of Machine Gun fire.

Z Coy who had proceeded to the SE attacked just on the S side of Marcoing Copse and established themselves in G.25.d after a lot of fighting.

The casualties [killed, wounded & missing] during this attack were 3 Officers and 120 other ranks.