Whose Name We Share

19 1918 Once again, the troops prepared for another harsh winter. In the opening months of 1918 all was quiet. There was little to no fighting between both sides to be seen, all felt the depths of yet another winter. For this period, everyone just tried to survive. The relative silence on both sides, however, would eventually be broken in February, just when all on the line could look forward to Mother Nature easing her icy grip on the battlefield. The enemy opened up with constant shelling and non-stop gassing. Phasgenel, Mustard Oil and Sneezing Stuff. Both sides hadn’t made much progress for a few months and the opening move for the Germans was to snuff the Brigade with gasses. On one occasion they even used cyanide gas. The Allies as a whole, Britain, France, America and Australia, would begin the 100 days offensive on the Hindenburg Line on the 8 th August 1918. A 56 hour bombardment involving 1,637 guns preluded the attack and the Allies would breach the Hindenburg Line on the 29 th September. Lead by Australian troops, the Allies would push through to Bellicourt, supported by Artillery, tanks and aircraft. Due to the scale of the battle, the infantry didn’t require a lot of artillery and as such the 103 rd Battery wouldn’t play a very big part in the battle. The war ended the following month, just a few weeks after the victory of breaching the Hindenburg line. After the armistice was signed the 103 rd Battery would move to Dinant, Belgium, where they would prepare for all their guns and equipment to be handed back over to the Army Ordnance Department of the British Army. They wouldn’t leave until the 24 th February 1919 and by this stage there were so few of them left they would be attached to the 101 st Battery for the journey home. They would soon face the process of demobilisation. Whilst the honour roll may not reflect a number of deaths large enough to constitute a Battery being demobilised, one must appreciate the horrid conditions experienced throughout the war in its entirety. Freezing cold winter months, disease, the threat of injury. The Battery lost most members through constant repatriation and although the war in Europe was over, there was one more battle to face for those who had been repatriated. Dealing with the Repatriation Department.