'CURRYING FAVOUR': 2ND ESSEX, SAILLY-SAILLISEL, DECEMBER 1916

Before I launch into this post, let me apologise first for the recent silence. Family matters, health issues and a number of other things kept me from adding anything to the Iron Time. But this drought-period is now over. I have several longer articles in the pipeline which still need some editing, but I guess it will all be back and running in a few days. 

For now let me share this amazing photo from the collection of my dear friend and colleague Arne Homann with you. Originally from the estate of Leutnant Berger of the 12th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment, the photo was taken on the morning of 13 December 1916 from the furthermost German positions west of Sailly-Saillisel at the Somme, and shows British soldiers, in the open, looking towards the German side - they seem quite relaxed, some appear to be smiling. An explanation of this unusual scene can be found in the war diaries of the Bavarian regiment in the Kriegsarchiv (war archive) in Munich, and has also found its way into the regimental history of KB.RIR 12.

‘During the night, a patrol found that a relief had taken place in the enemy trenches. This was true, for on the morning of the 13th Englishmen, with the metal letters ESSEX on their epaulettes, were detected moving freely and carelessly. They tried to curry favour by shouting and throwing tobacco and cigarettes. These attempts were rejected by the III Battalion. Apparently the English were not satisfied with the intended residence in water and dirt. They wanted to appear like a good man and comrade, as they always did when they were in a bad way. But they were even deeper in the mud than we were. Any response to these attempts at ingratiation, however, and we would have had to pay for it later with our blood, as soon as the Englishman was in better spirits.‘

Indeed, the 2nd Essex had relieved the men of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) on the night of 11 December and the positions it had inherited were absolutely abysmal. The war diary reports: ‘...relieved 2nd Duke of Wellingtons in the front line (...) Condition of the ground and trenches appalling. 2 officers and 44 O.R. got stuck in the mud during the relief (on top of ground).’ On the following day conditions had not improved: ‘Bttn. on s.[outh] edge of Saillisel. Weather very bad. All efforts concentrated on fighting the rain. No material available. Communication is impossible.’

In fact conditions were not a lot better on the side of the Bavarians: ‘Position building, not disturbed by the enemy, although this could not have been difficult, was on some days impossible due to the rain. One had to concentrate fully on clearing and desilting the trenches so that they would be passable. The heavy rains destroyed any visible progress. On such days, almost the entire front line was under water, knee-deep in places, as were the dugouts. The conditions in section n4 were particularly bad: the left third was completely impassable, the trench was full of water up to the edge, the hollow in front of it had turned into a lake, and the top frame of a part of the lower end dugouts protruded only a hand's breadth from the water. The great efforts of the long, arduous march to and from the position in the worst of conditions, the constant battle against water and mud in the position without any visible success, the poor accommodation conditions, which did not permit drying and cleaning of uniforms and underwear, massively sapped the strength of the men.’

Thus it is indeed likely that the men of the 2nd Essex had been driven out of the trenches by floods of mud and water…