With a Royal Engineers Field Company in France and Italy: April 1915 to the Armistice

by V F Eberle

Overview

VF Eberle MC joined up on the outbreak of the war in No 2 Field Company Royal Engineers, 48th (South Midland) Division, the same company as his brother, who was a captain in it. He was commissioned before sailing for France at the end of March 1915 and remained with it for the rest of the war. In that time he saw action on the Somme and in the Advance to the Hindenburg Line before his Division took part for most of the Battle of Third Ypres (Passchendaele). Transferred to Italy at the end of 1917, he took part in the final stages of the war, including the Battle of Asiago.

Besides his eloquent description of the work of a field company RE, he spends some time in outlining his role in the development of the Bangalore Torpedo.

Based on his war time letters, diaries and records - which can now be consulted in the Imperial War Museum, it gives a detailed picture of the employment of a field company in war, both during periods of relative tranquility as well as during major offensives. There are relatively few memoirs of Royal Engineers' officers, especially of those in his position, so close to the line. The memoirs benefit from his key eye for observation and his skillful use of the material available to him, making this a fine addition to the literature of the Great War.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526751324
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	06/10/2020
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

VF Eberle was educated at Clifton College and Trinity College, Oxford, where he read English. A member of the Royal Engineer Volunteers whilst in the OTC at Clifton - and coming from an oil industry background, in which he was working in the family firm at the outbreak of the War - his choice of arm is perhaps not so surprising.

He was a keen sportsman, most notably rugby, and he retained close connections with both Bristol and Gloucestershire rugby clubs for the rest of his life.

Table of Contents

Preface v

1 Early Days August 1914-March 1915 1

2 Front-line Impressions ("Plugstreet") April 1915 7

3 "Plugstreet" Trenches April 1915 12

4 Carrying on ("Plugstreet") May 1915 23

5 Our New Sector ("Plugstreet") June 1915 32

6 We Move Southward (Loos) July 1915 42

7 Hebuterne and Warnimont Wood August 1915 49

8 Fonquevillers September-October 1915 56

9 Winter Trenches (Fonquevillers) November-December 1915 64

10 Offensive Preparations (Fonquevillers) January-March 1916 70

11 Bangalore Torpedoes (Fonquevillers) April 1916 76

12 Somme Battle Preparations (Hébuterne) May-June 1916 84

13 The Somme Battle (Ovillers) July-August 1916 89

14 Winter Discomforts (Mametz Wood, Bazentin) September-December 1916 101

15 The Germans Withdraw (Bazentin, Péronne) January-March 1917 109

16 Open Warfare (Ronnsoy, Lebucquière) April-June 1917 119

17 The Salient (Ypres) July 1917 123

18 Passchendaele Battles (Ypres) August-October 1917 128

19 Vimy-Journey to Italy October-November 1917 136

20 Winter in Italy December 1917-January 1918 142

21 On the Piave Front (the Montello) February-March 1918 149

22 War in the Mountains (Asiago Plateau) May 1918 153

23 The Carriola Front May-June 1918 159

24 The Austrians Attack (Asiago Plateau) 15th June 1918 162

25 Interludes from the Front (Granezza, Venice) July-October 1918 169

26 Our Last Battle (Asiago) 27th October-2nd November 1918 179

27 The White Flag (Val d'Assa) 3rd November 1918 184

28 Austrian Surrender (the Trentino) 4th November 1918 193

29 Finale (Northern Italy) November 1918-March 1919 200

30 Post-War Retrospection 206