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Description: | British officer served with D Coy Heavy Branch, Machine Gun Corps on Western Front, 1916; present during first tank attack at Flers, 15/9/1916
REEL 1 Recollections of attack as officer commanding tank D9 with D Coy, Heavy Branch, Machine Gun Corps in Flers sector, Somme area, France, 15/9/1916: preliminary barrage; plan for Mark IV Tanks D9, D14 and D17 to make straight for Flers; effects of barrage; prior reconnaissance of ground conditions; ditching of D14 commanded by Lieutenant Court in crossing trench; ditching whilst attempting to unditch D14; successful advance of D17 commanded by Lieutenant Stuart Hastie as first tank to enter Flers; failed attempt to dig out D9 and D14; successful advance of D17 into Flers. Recollections of attack in D9 on Gueudecourt, 16/9/1916: cancellation of attack and reactions of Australian troops to presence of attacks; orders for D9 and D14 to attack unsupported; drinking rum; running over corpses whilst passing over through Flers; effects of German fire on emerging from Flers; change of driver; view of explosion of D14; firing machine guns in enfilade on German troops in 'T' Trench; death of port machine gunners from German fire penetrating; increasing German shellfire and explosion after direct hit; using morphia on wounded crew member and situation sheltering in shell hole under German machine gun fire; advance of infantry to 'T' Trench; rescue by infantry and reception on subsequent visit to surviving crew member in hospital. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | BBC | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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recording
British officer served with Machine…
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