BERTRAM HAROLD TAYLOR 

Bertram Harold's Story.

Rifleman Bertram Harold Taylor.

166^thBrigade, 55^thDivision, V11 Corps, 3^rdArmy

Son of Thomas, and Elizabeth Noon Taylor of 9 Moxley Road Higher Crumpsall Manchester.

Husband of Henrietta Taylor, of Fern Lea, Park Lane Poynton. He had 2 children Cyril, and George. Bertram's occupation was shown as a mercantile clerk. He had 4 Brothers Ambrose, Ebert, Percy, and Thomas.

Bertram was born in Polesworth in Warwickshire, but by 1901 he was living with his family in Broughton working as a stores man. Sometime later he obviously moved to Poynton.

Bertram has no known grave and is remembered on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Nord France, Panel 7.

The Cambrai memorial commemorates more than 7,000 servicemen of the United Kingdom and South Africa who died in the Battle of Cambrai in November and December 1917 and whose graves are not known. Sir Douglas Haig described the object of the Cambrai operations as the gaining of a 'local success by a sudden attack at a point where the enemy did not expect it' and to some extent, they succeeded. The proposed method of assault was new, with no preliminary artillery bombardment. Instead, tanks would be used to break through the German wire, with the infantry following under the cover of smoke barrages. The attack began early in the morning of 20 November 1917 and initial advances were remarkable. However, by 22 November, a halt was called for rest and reorganization, allowing the Germans to reinforce. From 23 to 28 November, the fighting was concentrated almost entirely around Bourlon Wood and by 29 November, it was clear that the Germans were ready for a major counter attack. During the fierce fighting of the next five days, much of the ground gained in the initial days of the attack was lost. For the Allies, the results of the battle were ultimately disappointing but valuable lessons were learnt about new strategies and tactical approaches to fighting. The Germans had also discovered that their fixed lines of defence, no matter how well prepared, were vulnerable. 

Cambrai

On the 30^thof September 1917, the Battalion were at Epehy south of Cambrai in Brigade reserve. For the month of October and the first few weeks of November, the battalion took up normal tours of duty in the line. On the 26^thof November, they took over the front from Banteux Ravine to Wood Road (Near the St Quintin canal) and was responsible for a sector of 2500 yards. By the 28^ththere was a sudden and marked increase in enemy activity with a lot of movement behind enemy lines. At midnight on the 29^thin anticipation of the inevitable German attack the order “Stand or fall at your posts” was given. The morning of the 30^thwas very foggy and the smoke and dust of the bursting shells made visibility extremely poor. At 7.00am a box barrage opened up which quickly broke up all communications and isolated the battalion from its H. Q. Along the whole front, low flying planes circled over the various command posts firing at any movement and dropping bombs. They succeeded in knocking out a number of machine guns which were the backbone of the defence. The enemy infantry broke through on the left and the battalion became surrounded. Isolated small groups of soldiers were fighting for their lives at close quarters. Fierce hand to hand fighting took place but one by one the centres of resistance were swamped by the enemy “Moppers up” . By 8.00am it was clear the enemy had broken through in large numbers and the battalion had been cut off. Those who were not dead or captured were formed up into a composite platoon and were thrown back into the line to try and stem the fast-flowing tide of the enemy advance. The Regiment lost 54 ORs K.I.A and 2 Officers.

The German counter attacks

The Division faced the enemy counter attack on 30 November, 1917; its effect was later examined by a Court of Enquiry, the front line defence apparently crumbling and allowing the enemy to have a "rapid and almost bewildering" advance. The Divisional history remarks that "only two of our men passed through the straggler posts"; this may be so. But hundreds of troops had fallen into enemy captivity. "Not a man returned" from the 1/5th Bn, the South Lancashire. The Division's reputation fell sharply in the eyes of the higher command. It was withdrawn from the area and sent to Bomy near Fruges for intensive training.

 Cheshire County Memorial Project would like to thank Phil Underwood for compiling this page on Bertram