[A Short History of the 6th Division by Edward Lear]@TWC D-Link book
A Short History of the 6th Division

CHAPTER IX
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GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 1918 After a month's rest in the Basseux area, during the first few days of which the 16th and 18th Infantry Brigades were placed at the disposal of the 3rd Division to relieve two of their brigades on the Bullecourt front, the Division moved up, commencing on the 17th January to relieve the 51st Division in the front line between Hermies and Boursies.

A month later it side-stepped northwards, relieving the 25th Division in the Lagnicourt sector.

The period up to the 21st March was one of steady work on defences, but without special incident, except a gas-shell attack on the 71st Brigade, which caused a certain amount of casualties.
During this period Infantry Brigades were reduced to three battalions each--the 9th Suffolk Regiment, 8th Bedford Regiment, and 14th Durham Light Infantry being disbanded between 1st and 16th February.

Shortly afterwards the three Machine-gun Companies and the Divisional Machine-gun Company were organized into the 6th Machine-gun Battalion, under the command of Lt.-Col.

Rosher, D.S.O., late commanding 14th D.L.I.
Some description of the ground and defensive organization of the Division will not be out of place here.


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