CHAPTERXVIII

chapterxviii

theleforthepozieresridgeandhighwoodlastedfromthebeginningofaugustuntilthemiddleofseptember—sixweeksoffightingasdesperateasanyinthehistoryoftheworlduntilthattime.theaustraliansdealtwithpozieresitself,workingroundmoquetfarm,wherethegermansrefusedtoberoutedfromtheirtunnels,anduptothewindmillonthehighgroundofpozieres,forwhichtherewasunceasingslaughteronbothsidesbecausethegermanscounter-attackedagainandagain,andwavesofmensurgedupandfellaroundthatmoundofforsakenbrick,whichisawasareddishconethroughflameandsmoke.

thoseaustralianswhomihadseenarriveinfrancehadprovedtheirquality.theyhadcomebelievingthatnothingcouldbeworsethantheirordealinthedardanelles.nowtheyknewthatpoziereswasthelastwordinfrightfulness.theintensityoftheshell-fireunderwhichtheylayshookthem,ifitdidnotkillthem.manyoftheirwoundedtoldmethatithadbrokentheirnerve.theywouldneverfightagainwithoutasenseofhorror.

“ourmenaremorehighlystrungthantheenglish,”saidoneaustralianofficer,andiwasastonishedtohearthesewords,becausethoseaustraliansseemedtomewithoutnerves,andastoughasgristleintheirfiber.

theyfoughtstubbornly,grimly,ingroundsoravagedwithfirethattheearthwasfinelypowdered.theystormedthepozieresridgeyardbyyard,andhelditscrestundersweepingbarrageswhichtoreuptheirtrenchesassoonastheyweredugandburiedandmangledtheirlivingflesh.insixweekstheysufferedtwentythousandcasualties,andpozieresnowisanaustraliangraveyard,andthememorialthatstandsthereistotheghostsofthatsplendidyouthwhichfellinheapsaboutthatplateauandtheslopesbelow.manyenglishboysofthesussex,westkents,surrey,andwarwickregiments,inthe18thdivision,diedattheirside,notlesspatientinsacrifice,notlikingitbetter.manyscotsofthe15thand9thdivisions,manynew-zealanders,manylondonmenofthe47thand56thdivisions,fell,killedorwounded,totherightofthem,onthewaytomartinpuich,andeaucourtl'abbayeandflers,fromhighwoodandlongueval,andbazentin.the3ddivisionofyorkshiresandnorthumberlandfusiliers,royalscotsandgordons,wereearningthatnameoftheirondivision,andnotbyanyeasyheroism.everydivisioninthebritisharmytookitsturnintheblood-bathofthesommeandwasdulyblooded,atacostof25percent.andsometimes50percent.oftheirfightingstrength.thecanadianstookuptheleatcourceletteandcaptureditinafierceandbloodybattle.theaustraliansworkedupontherightofthealbert-bapaumeroadtothilloyandlignythilloy.onthefarleftthefortressofthiepvalhadfallenatlastafterrepeatedandfrightfulassaults,whichiwatchedfromditchescloseenoughtoseeourinfantry—wiltshiresandworcestersofthe25thdivision—trudgingthroughinfernalfire.andthenatlast,afterfivemonthsofsuperhumaneffort,enormoussacrifice,mass-heroism,desperatewill-power,andthetenacityofeachindividualhumanantinthiswildant-heap,thegermanlinesweresmashed,theaustralianssurgedintobapaume,andtheenemy,strickenbytheprolongedfuryofourattack,fellbackinafarandwideretreatacrossacountrywhichhelaidwaste,totheshelterofhishindenburgline,frombullecourttost.-quentin.