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memoir · by a contemporary
Adventures of a Despatch Rider
William Henry Lowe Watson (1891–1932)
Named on the pages for Third Battle of the Aisne, Battle of Cantigny.
draft Matched to the battles automatically; not yet reviewed.
Passages that name the battles; the whole book is at Project Gutenberg.
27 May – 6 June 1918
Third Battle of the Aisne
CHAPTER VI.
The Battle of the Aisne had begun.
CHAPTER VII.
I'm going to start by giving you an account of what we thought of the military situation during the great marches and the battle of the Aisne--for my own use. What happened we shall be able to look up afterwards in some lumbersome old history, should we forget, but, unless I get down quickly what we thought, it will disappear in after-knowledge.
CHAPTER VII.
Well, the two brigades attacked, and attacked with artillery support, but they could not advance. That was the first phase. Then orders came that we were to act on the defensive, and finally of our three brigades, one was on the right, one across the river, and one in a second line of trenches on the southern bank of the river acted as divisional reserve. That for us was the battle of the Aisne. It was hard fighting all through.[13]
CHAPTER VII.
I did not hear what really happened at the bridge that night until I published my paper, "The Battle of the Aisne," in the May 'Blackwood.' Here is the story as I had it from the officer principally concerned:--
28–31 May 1918
Battle of Cantigny
CHAPTER VI.
The Battle of the Aisne had begun.
CHAPTER VII.
I'm going to start by giving you an account of what we thought of the military situation during the great marches and the battle of the Aisne--for my own use. What happened we shall be able to look up afterwards in some lumbersome old history, should we forget, but, unless I get down quickly what we thought, it will disappear in after-knowledge.
CHAPTER VII.
Well, the two brigades attacked, and attacked with artillery support, but they could not advance. That was the first phase. Then orders came that we were to act on the defensive, and finally of our three brigades, one was on the right, one across the river, and one in a second line of trenches on the southern bank of the river acted as divisional reserve. That for us was the battle of the Aisne. It was hard fighting all through.[13]
CHAPTER VII.
I did not hear what really happened at the bridge that night until I published my paper, "The Battle of the Aisne," in the May 'Blackwood.' Here is the story as I had it from the officer principally concerned:--
Public domain. Text from Project Gutenberg.