King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

First World War

Battle of Givenchy

Text of a Special Supplementary Despatch, April 1918.

The 55th Division at Givenchy

Headquarters (France)
Monday 1.15pm

On the morning of the German Attack on April 9th, 1918, the 55th (West Lancashire) Division (Territorial) was holding a front of about 6,000 yards, extending from La Bassee Canal to just south of Richebourg L’Avoue where its line joined that held by the Portuguese. The enemy’s attack on the Southern portion of this front was delivered by all three regiments of the 4th Ersatz Division, which was well up to strength. A captured Divisional Order issued by the General Staff of this German Division, dated April 6th, 1918, shows that its objectives were “the ground and the British positions in the triangle formed by Givenchy-Festubert-Gorre.”

The following passages from this captured order are of special interest:-

“In our attack our three regiments will be opposed by at most six companies in front and at most two reserve battalions in Festubert and Givenchy. One battalion in Divisional Reserve is South of la Bassee Canal in Le Preol. It will be prevented by our powerful artillery fire from taking part in the fight for Festubert and Givenchy. The troops are elements of the English 55th Division, which, after being engaged on the Somme, has suffered heavy losses in Flanders and at Cambrai, and was described by prisoners in March, 1198, as a division fit to hold a quiet sector, that is below the average quality.”

The order containing the passages quoted above was distributed among all Officers and under Officers of the 4th Ersatz Division down to Platoon Commanders, presumably with a view to encouraging the troops prior to their attack, and in the belief that the opposition met with would not be very serious. If this was his expectation the enemy was most signally disappointed.

Throughout the early part of the morning of April 9th the 55th Division beat off all attacks in its forward zone, and maintained its line intact. Later, when the German Infantry had broken through the Portuguese positions on its left, the division formed a defensive flank facing North-east on the line Givenchy-Festubert to the neighbourhood of Le Touret. This line it maintained practically unchanged until relief, through six days of almost continual fighting, in the course of which it beat off repeated German attacks, with the heaviest losses to the enemy, and took nearly 1,000 prisoners.

At one time, on the first day of his attack, the enemy’s troops forced their way into Givenchy and Festubert. Both villages were shortly afterwards regained by the 55th Division as the result of a highly successful counter attack, in which several hundred Germans were captured. All further attempts on the part of the enemy to carry these positions broke down before the resolute defence of the 55th Division. Though he succeeded on April 11th in entering a post North of Festubert, he was thrown out again by a counter attack, and on the night of April 12th the 55th Division improved its position in this neighbourhood, capturing a German post, taking several prisoners.

Next day, during the afternoon, the enemy heavily bombarded the whole front held by the division between Gorre and the Lawe Canal, and subsequently attacked in strength. He was once more repulsed with heavy losses by the most gallant and successful defence of a division, which he had been pleased to describe as consisting of second-class troops.
 

Press Communique, 15 Apr 1918 – The 55th Division at Givenchy, 9 Apr 1918 to 14 Apr 1918.
Accession Number: KO2956/34