Rifle Wood

[Cam_s]

Hello,

Last April I had the Chance to visit Rifle and Morieul Wood. This is where the Canadian Cavalry Brigade Halted the German advance around Amiens in late March 1918. I was there with my regiment as part of a Battlefield tour and since my unit was in the battle, we also put up a monument the year before. There was one VC awarded here to Lt. Flowerdew of the LdSH. I am not with the LdSH.

Unfortunatly the land is privatly owned and the farmer who owns it has decided to start filling in the Cratters and trench lines. He was an extremely nice man and along with some local historians, we went walking through Rifle Wood.

Anyways Here are some pictures of what it looks like today. I am sorry for the qaulity but I just bought the Camera for the trip and I really did not know how to use it. Also I took them way to big so the won't fit into the normal formatting style of this page.

The First pic is of the wood from the allied point of view. I am standing along an old road that we put the monument on.

Next pic is of the monument.

Here is a pic of a Tunnell to a German Dugout. I crawled down the tunnel (5m long) but I was to afraid to go in the room at the bottom because it was only 24 inches tall and it did not appear to be to stable.

Now that I have these three done, Of course, all of the others are to big for me to load. I have no picture resizing program so if someone could help me out, I have some great pics of the craters and how the Farmer is filling them in. Just send me your email address and I will mail the pics today.

Sorry about leaving this half finished.

Cam

[burlington]

Cam

nice pics.

Get a copy of the FinePix viewer; it will do anything you want in terms of resizing etc. Order from http://www.fujifilmmall.com/product.asp?sku=2424509

Alternatively any image editing programme including Gimp2 (yes, that is its name) which is freeware.

Martin

[Papineau]

When you say he is filling in the trenches and shell holes within the wood, why is he doing that - especially after a visit from a group like yours? It doesn't seem to make sense in the wood; unless he intends to build something there?

[Cam_s]

When you say he is filling in the trenches and shell holes within the wood, why is he doing that - especially after a visit from a group like yours? It doesn't seem to make sense in the wood; unless he intends to build something there?

I will see tonight when I have more time about resizing some pics. Th farmer says that he needs the land for farming. It is about 2 km square so it is a nice chunk of land. It shows it perfectly in the pics I have but I can't post them.

Cam

[6th Shropshires]

Hi

I am also interested in Rifle wood and would have liked to have visited it. There was much desprate fighting between Rifle Wood and Moreuil Wood. If anyone is interested in this fighting and the part played by the 20th Division and other British units, also not to forget the French units involved, read on, (I have no doubt I have missed out much information, sorry or that but if anyone can add info. I for one would be very interested).

The 6/K.S.L.I. march to Rifle Wood, after it had fort a rear guard action at Arvillers on the 28th March. It spent the night in the wood. Next day it took part in counter-attacks on Mezieres as reserve to the rest of the 60th Brigade, after recapturing the village the Bridage were unable to hold it, the line fell back to the Demuim-Moreuil road. The 60th Brigade were on the right and incontact with French units in the North-east corner of Moreuil Wood, with the 59th Brigade and remnants of 50th Division were in the centre covering Rifle Wood with its flank on the Roye-Amiens road, and the 61st Brigade continued the line to the river Luce. The French were driven out of Moreuil Wood at 5 p.m., so the 6/K.S.L.I., who were in support had to form a defensive flank from the right of the 12/R.B. back to the bridgehead at Thennes. The French regained Moreuil Wood during the night but lost it again in early hours of 30th. The 20th Division held out during the morning, while 2nd Cavaly Division retook Moreuil Wood, with the support of 8th Division. But at 2 p.m. the 60th and 59th Brigades were forced back losing Rifle & Little woods, but the K.S.L.I. remained in their positions. A counter-attack by 12/R.B., 12/K.R.R.C., elements of the 50th Division and French troops regained the woods, only for the Germans to retaken them at about 4 p.m. The 20th Division recovered them again at 7 p.m.

Moreuil wood again changed hands several times during the night and early morning of the 31st. By mid day a heavy German barrage was falling, the K.S.L.I. concentrated at Brigade H.Q. The 8th Division were driven out of Moreuil Wood, the 12/R.B. & 12/K.R.R.C. were then attacked from the flank and rear. The 5th Lancers gallop up to help and took up positions north-west Moreuil Wood, the 6/K.S.L.I. & 11/D.L.I. were also placed on the left of the Lancers. These troops stopped the Germans on their front but the rest of the 60th & 59th Brigade had its flank turned and it pivoted its line back to run along the Roye-Amiens road. This movement left the 6/K.S.L.I. with both flanks in the air (not sure were 11/D.L.I. where). By 4 p.m. the whole of the 20th Division (excluding the 6/K.S.L.I. & 11/D.L.I.) had been forced back to a line near the river Luce. Meanwhile the 8th Division had pushed the Germans on its front back to the north-wse corner of Moreuil Wood. Dismounted cavalry started to fill the gaps in the line, Cam this may have included your lads. At 8 p.m. the 6/K.S.L.I. (120 strong) & 11/D.L.I. were placed under orders of the cavalry. On the morning of 1st April the Cavalry supported by the 59th Brigade attacked and re-occupied Rifle Wood. What was left of the 20th Division were finaly relieved from the line after none stop fighting since the 22nd March.

Annette

[Cam_s]

Hello,

I have read through your post. Hers is the info on My Regiments participation. i am in the Fort Garry Horse and this info is from our regimantal Website. It may be a little partiotic but thats what the game is about.

"The battles of Moreuil and Rifle Wood took place during the German offensive which began March 21, 1918. During the initial retirement of the British forces the Fort Garry Horse and the rest of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade were tasked to cover the withdrawal of the British 54th Infantry Brigade. During the action, "A" and "B" Squadron were sent up to rescue a Squadron of Lord Strathcona's Horse about to be surrounded by the enemy. In doing so "A" Squadron itself was surrounded but managed to hold off the enemy with rifle fire and a single machine gun until a party of French Infantry was organized to drive the enemy back.

From the 22nd to the 26th of March the Regiment was tasked to provide mounted and dismounted detachments to plug gaps and relieve the hard-pressed British Infantry. One dismounted patrol of 13 men on a reconnaissance mission became entangled with the enemy and was cut off from the rest of the Regiment for 4 days.

On March 30th, The Canadian Cavalry Brigade was ordered to attack Moreuil Wood, an important high feature overlooking Amiens and the main railway line to Paris. The attack was led by the Royal Canadian Dragoons supported by the Strathcona's and the Garrys. The enemy was finally driven out of the woods, and despite severe losses and in the face of repeated counterattacks the wood was held by the Brigade until relieved by Infantry in the evening. Lt. Gordon Flowerdew of the Strathconas was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in this action.

On the Morning of April 1st the Brigade was ordered to carry out a dismounted attack on Rifle Wood just North-East of Moreuil. The Fort Garry Horse detachment of 176 men led the Canadian Cavalry Brigade into the heavily defended wood. Losses were again heavy but the attack was successful. 121 prisoners and 13 machine guns were captured and turned against the enemy. The successful attacks on Moreuil and Rifle woods were credited with stopping the German advance on Amiens and saving the city."

Hope this Helps,

Cam

[spike10764]

Alternatively any image editing programme including Gimp2 (yes, that is its name) which is freeware.

Cam,

Maybe a freeware batch photo converter would be better for sets of pictures (lets you convert many pictures to a set size at once). Can't think of the name of the one I use offhand(I'm at work), but I'll let you know tomorrow.

[spike10764]

It's UniDream Power Batch Link to Download Site.

Works fine for converting lots of pictures at large size-to say 640 x 480,leaving the originals as they were, can also rename them if required. It can be a little overwhelming on start up but perservere and it is a useful tool.

[pilot]

Hello

I know this place and the owner very well. Each year I'm use to guide some FGH and QOHH visitors inside with the owner agreement. Notice that the main dugout didn't exist on april 1st 1918, it was included in the main germain defence line taken on august 8th. The owner is afraid about security because he will be reponsible of any individual dammage. For example it is very difficult to avoid that somebody during a visit go inside, I saw this case many time in this place. In France the entrance in a private property, especially woods, are very difficult and I prefer to be allowed to continue to visit this wood with my friends rather that to open a conflict with the owner.

Marc Pilot

Luce / Maple Leaf Association Chairman

Santerre 14-18 historian

(some pictures about the monument in our site : http://chez.com/santerre1418)

Local contact of the FGH

Honorary member of the QOOH

best regards

[neutrino]

On a slight tangent this page gives some info on Lt Flowerdew: