Norman Ten Hundred A Record of the 1st (Service) Bn. Royal Guernsey Light Infantry   By: A. Stanley Blicq

by

A. STANLEY BLICQ.

A Record of the 1st (Service) Bn. Royal Guernsey Light Infantry

Guernsey: Printed at The Guernsey Press Co., Ltd., Smith Street and Le Marchant Street. 1920.

This modest work is dedicated to:

Mrs. P. EREAUX,

in appreciation of her genial personality, strong moral courage and unhesitating adherence to duty as she conceived it.

And also to:

GEORGE W. CLARKE, Esq.,

in memory of those Great Days when we marched the Long Trail together; shared the same sorrows, the same mirth; and now the same memories, far away, indistinct; laughter merged with the tears. A. STANLEY BLICQ. Guernsey, 1920.

NORMAN TEN HUNDRED.

A BATTALION OF THE OLDEST AND SMALLEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD.

Guernsey named Sarnia by the Romans one of the Channel Isles from out the sun swathed romance of whose shores rallied a fierce band of Norman warriors to the aid of their Duke, William of Normandy; afterwards the Conqueror, at Hastings, 1066. In reward for their valour William granted the Isles the independence they maintain to this day. From Guernsey something approaching 7,000 men have gone out into the Great Undertaking. The Norman Ten Hundred is the 1st Royal Guernsey Light Infantry offered by the States of Guernsey for active participation side by side with the Mother Country's troops in any of the fighting areas. The narrative is authentic.

CONTENTS

I SEPTEMBER OCTOBER, 1917 II SEPTEMBER OCTOBER, 1917 HENDECOURT III NOVEMBER, 1917 CAMBRAI REHEARSAL IV MOVING UP V NOVEMBER 20th, 1917 CAMBRAI OFFENSIVE THE ADVANCE VI MARCOING MASNIERES VII HOLDING THE LINE MASNIERES VIII NOVEMBER 30th DECEMBER 1st, 1917 GERMAN ONSLAUGHT IX DECEMBER JANUARY, 1918 HOUVIN X DECEMBER JANUARY, 1918 FLERS LE PARCQ VERCHOCQ XI DECEMBER JANUARY, 1918 LEULENE BRANDHOEK YPRES XII PASSCHENDAELE SECTOR XIII PASSCHENDAELE SECTOR POPERINGHE STEENVOORDE BRANDHOEK XIV MARCH APRIL, 1918 IN THE LINE XV APRIL 10 14, 1918 DOULIEU ESTAIRES

NORMAN

TEN HUNDRED

By A. Stanley Blicq

I

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER, 1917

Fed up! Every man of the Ten Hundred was fed up. Thirty six hours cooped in cattle trucks, thirty or forty in a truck and inhaling an atmosphere that would have disgusted a pig enough to feed anyone up.

The Belgian frontier was crossed at sunset and the fringe of war's devastation penetrated. Little interest or casual comment was aroused, although a reputable thirsty one remarked that he thought Jerry might have spared the village pub.

The long line of dirty trucks stopped with an abrupt jerk and noisy jarring of impact. Then it came! Grumbles ceased as if by common consent. There was something indefinable but pregnant, and in tense silence ears were strained intently. Was it only the rumble of a distant cart on hard cobbles or...? Faintly over the damp air came a long, insistent murmur. Hearts beat faster.... Guns!