The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-04-02

officers OF the division reconnoitercd
tne lcrdeghcn switch line, south of
SASci, hnd completed plans were form
u!ated lor hrt occupation of this line
| by forced marches in case of cmcrg-
cncy.
Before the completion of it's train
, ing period the division was transfers.
ed to the Second British Corps, Sec
ond Army, in the lpres sector to be
IN close support in case of the cx-
pcctcd German offensive. This divs-
ion, the first to enter the kingdom,
marched into Belgium on July 4 with
division headquarters at Walton to be
, IN close support Of the Thirty-third
and Forty ninth British Divisions, and
was employed in completing the con-
struct:on of the East and West Pop
eringhc defense systems Immediately
IN the rear Of these two divisions. An
immense amount of trench and wire
construction was done. Complete plans
and orders were issued for the o,cu-
patton Of the East and West Popcr-
nGhc systems by the Thirtieth Di-
vls on IN the event Of German at
tack anil a forced withdrawal of the
British divisions in the front. The
division received training in the front
lirt with the Thirty third ana Forty
ninth Divisions, first as individuals,
the" b" p!atoons, and lastly by entire
BAIT tAlions.
On August II, 1913, the division
took over the entire sector occupied
by the Thirty-third British Division
SiNticth Brigade being in the front
line, Fifty-ninth Brigade in support.
This was known as the Canal sector
ana extended from the southern out-
skirts Of lprcs to the vicinity Of
NoormcZccle, a distance of 2,lOO
meters.
Eirs! Offensive
On August 81 and September the
division engaged in an offensive in
conjun>t;on with the Fourteenth Brit
i&h Dh iSion on the left and Twenty
seventh Division on the right The
IEirt'cth Division captured all its OBJ
l"rtlvcS, including Lock No. 8, Lank-
hot Farm and the city of Voormcz"ele,
auVan"lnG 300 yards, capturing Is
prisoners, two machine guns and 35
rl.'c5. AS q result Of this advance the
TWO llJn'rcd AMI Thirty sixth Divi-
SION, which was considered an averng"
German division, was identified. Dur
ING the sig weeks previous to this ad-
"an"". many attempts had been made
bY thr British and our own troops to
identify this German division
On September As t;lc division was
Withdrawn from the Canal sector and
placed in British G.. II. Q. reserve with
division headquarters at Rorllcco Jrt,
France While in this area the entire
Cl"lSlon was trained in attacking in
coNjUn"tion with British tanks.
On September y the division was
again moved farther soUth with divi-
son headquarters at iIcriSsarc, and
on September % was moved go the
British fourtn Army with division
headquarters at Bois de Ruirc, near
llncourt, taking over front iinc Soc
tor from the First AGstrali9n D,yi-
sion, on tn" night Of the 23rd -24Lh.
bindenburg Line.
On September % this division with
IN" TWcnty-Scvcnth American Divi-
son on the ltf and the Forty-siyth
british Division on the right, assault
90 the hindcnburg line. The IIinhcn-
burg me at this point curves in front
OF the Tunnel Of st. Quentin. This
was considered imprcgnablc by the
Germans for the following reasons:
me iindcnburG line CURING west of
the tunnel consisted OF three main
trench systems protected by vast
iic!ds OF heavy barbcd wire cntanglc-
mcntS skillfully placed: this wire vas
very heavy and had been DAMAGED
very little ny artillery fire. Tho domi
mating ground enabled them to brine
devastating machine gun fire on ali
approaches. The lines had been
strengthened with concrete machinc
On emplaccmcnts. Is contained st
,hiS UOint q large number of duon,t,