Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/273/1 - 1918 - 1937 - Part 13

HISTORICAL NOTES. Glasgow re Villers-Bretonneux. (1928)
(1928)
When the 13th Brigade was called in to assist in the
recapture of Villers-Bretonneux on 24 April 1918, General
Henneker proposed to Glasgow that the attack should be made
from Cachy northwards. Glasgow would not look at this plan,
as it would involve advancing with his right flank exposed and
enfiladed. He insisted that the attack must be made eastward
with his flanks covered. The left flank could be protected
by dropping a certain number of troops to deal with Bois
Bois l'Abbe as the attack swept past it. This method was
eventually used. Henneker was in telephonic communication
with Butler (III Corps) during this interview. Henneker
commanded the English division which had been driven back.
(Elliott has been constantly claiming that his brigade
had the heaviest task at Villers-Bretonneux. Glasgow
deliberately refrains from any public controversy, as he
believes - and rightly - that his own brigade had much the
harder task and one which was made more difficult by the
fact that Elliott's brigade started an hour later than his-)
[*(and controversy would extend to a wrangle over this?)*]

[*H N*]
Glasgow.
V. Bret- Ap 24-5/ Glasgow saw Henniker, who had and asked for
Situation. Henniker said when last news
came his men were "here" or "there", "but
of course / sitn is changing all / time".
Glasgow recognised tt H. didn't know
where his men were & said "All right, Genl -
no matter - I'll go up & see for myself."
He went across to the rly arch behind
in rear of Bois l'Abbé & found 3 bdiers
there - two quite done & useless, the third
an older man with more grip. But while
he ws there a staff officer - a younger man -
came in, with sweat dripping wringing the sweat from his forehead
as he took of his tin hat. Glasgow
said he ws / man he wanted & took him
aside.
"Have you been up there?" "Yes"
This trench "are your men in you holding
the Cachy Switch?" "Yes _^with a number of machine guns",
"Are you sure theyre in it - have
you been there?"
"Yes"
"Will they hold". Yes I think feel sure they'll hold"
"Well how about this trench thro / wood -
are you there"
"Yes there are a lot of men in

2.
in it." "Will they hold?" "Yes, I'm sure
they will".
"Well, you get some one through to them
& tell them to hang on whatever they do -
there'll of be troops _^up with them in two hours
time."
→

Glasgow went back & told Hamilton
how he meant to attack.
H. "But you can't do that - the Corps
says the attack is to be made from
Cachy."
G. said he didnt care if the Almighty
said it had to be made from Cachy, he
wdn't do it that way.
"Why not"
"Because of your own teaching" --
(My notes are correct as to this).

↑ On the way back Glasgow after Xing the
main road came up to a lit rise, &
there was his brigade coming on, with
their tin hats over one ear (just as
I saw them). He thought "Poor chaps,
they're in for a tougher time than they
realise."

Diagram - see original document
 

3.
As G. was leaving he said - "How Now about
the time, Sir; you must
co-ordinate that."
"Well, when would you propose to do it?"
L "10. 30."
"Oh that won't do. Can you do it at 8."
Glasgow said he couldn't - it would be
too light.
H referred to Corps who proposed 8.
G. refused. Corps suggested 8.30.
"No." "9?" "No."
Eventually Corps suggested 10. G. said
he would meet their view & do it
at 10.
He then went to Blangy
Tronville & for the first time saw
Elliott.
Elliott proposed to send the 57 (?British)
Bn into _^attached to him round the S of V/B to
enter it from that side.
G. pointed out tt they wd run
into the Northampton & his 51st Bn.
G. suggested that Elliott shd put the
57 behind the _^rt flank of 15 Bde, &
let it mop up V/B from the rear &
& this was the eventual arrangement.

[*H.N.*]
Villers Bret. Ap 25. 1918. Re origin of operation.
Glasgow: In morning of Ap 24 Glasgow &
Morrell his Bde major went ahead to Glisy, H.Q. of
Maj. Gen. Henniker. Henniker saw them & G. asked
him for information. H. said: "We have troops
through the wood here - & here - & others in Cachy
Switch here . . .  but of course the situation changes
from minute to minute, & I cannot be sure
of it." Glasgow considered this information too
vague & said. "Oh I can easily find out about
that, Sir. I'll go up there myself & come back &
see you." G. knew that he was to attack South
of the town & Elliott N. of it. He wanted to be
certain that his brigade, if it formed up for
attack South of the Wood, would be protected
by troops said to be holding the Cachy Switch.
He went up with Morrell, &
found Bde Hqrs under the rly bridge
South of the Roman road, west of Bois
l'Abbé. Three brigadiers were there, but
they seemed vague as to the situation, &
one, Haig, an elderly man, had clearly
been overtaxed - the situation was beyond
his grasp at that stage. While G. was
there, however, there came in a young
British staff officer, red in face
& bathed in perspiration,

2
but perfectly collected & competent. Glasgow
said: "You may be able to tell me. I want
to know if there are troops in this,
Cachy Switch, south of the wood."
"Yes, that's well held," said the S.O.
"Can I be certain of it?" "Yes."
"Well tell them to hold on at all costs,
They'll be perfectly all right, there
will be plenty of troops behind them."
Glasgow then went back to
Glisy & saw Heniker & asked
what the 13th Bde & Elliott would be wanted
to do.
Heniker said to explained that he
wanted them to form up south
of the wood & attack it
& the village from the South.
"We can't do it that way,"
Glasgow said
Heniker mentioned something
about the Corps Commander

3
have given orders for it.
"I can't help who has ordered it;"
said G, you will have to tell us what you want
us to get, but you will have to let
us get it in our own way."
Heniker asked what was the
objection.
G. said that it was against all
the teachings of the British army to attack
across the Enemy’s front - they would
get hell from the right. What he
would do would be to attack Eastward
South of the wood.
This was settled & Glasgow was
leaving when he asked - "What about
the time?"
"I want you to do it at 8 o'clock"
said Heniker,
"It cant be done," said G.; "You We
will do it for you at 10.30."
Again Heniker mentioned the
Corps Commander.
"If it was the Almighty that

4

gave the order we couldn't do it in
daylight," said Glasgow. "Here is your
artillery mostly largely out of action & the
enemy with all his guns in position."
Henniker said that the other
troops would all be ready.
"Well - we'll meet you & make
it 10 o'clock said Glasgow - &
so it was settled. Actually the 13^th
Bde were / only troops ready at
10 o'clock.
[Two British battalions were
to attack the wood at the same
time thus.
Diagram - see original document 
The Southern - the
Northants - tried to carry it out but
Colonel & Adjt were both killed - it
was no fault of theirs that it did not
succeed.]
Glasgow later after leaving Henniker
went on & met his bde just Xing the
Somme by the Engineers bridge at Blangy
Tronville. They were looking full of
confidence - helmets cocked, cigarettes in

5
mouths. He ordered them to extend while
Xing the Somme flats. They dropped the
49 Bn there; the other they three went
on to their forming up position.
Glasgow now for the first
time saw Elliott, & asked him how
he was going to carry out his
part in the show. Elliott had a
plan of his own. He was going
to put two battalions in north
of V/B, & send the other round the
wood to the South of the town to
join them E of V.B.
Diagram - see original document
But the two British
battalions were already to attack
the wood & Elliott's ^southern battalion would
be moving across the front of both of
them. Glasgow urged him not to do this
but to keep the third battalion to
mop up V/B from the east after the