Chapter 1. Amiens. War Memoirs 1917-1919

In the early evening of August 7th, 1918, Captain Bion, DSO, had been ordered to rest before the battle, since he had been at work from early dawn after several days of prolonged preparation of his tanks for action. He lay down on a rug on the grass of a high plateau overlooking the valley of the River Luce. Before him was a screen of trees of the wood in which the tanks of his battalion were concealed from enemy observation. The green leaves hung heavily in the hot evening air, their colour touched with bronze in the rays of the declining sun. He was twenty years old, and he commanded a section of the 3rd Company of the 5th Tank Battalion. Sharing the rug with him was 2nd Lieutenant Asser, aged eighteen, just newly joined with the battalion. The time was approximately 14.00 hours. The battalion was due to take up its positions for action, commencing the march-to-battle positions at 18.00 hours. The 3rd Company was to lead the battalion, and Bion's section was the last one in the order of route. He and his companion composed themselves for sleep.

The move to the forward area had commenced four days previously, when the battalion, lying some twenty miles behind the front line already prepared, had been ordered forward to entrain and then proceed to Amiens where they were to start the forward move in their vehicles. The journey, which had to be performed in the utmost secrecy, had been extremely arduous. The first stages of the approach to the entraining-point had been over untouched country, which was therefore particularly likely to take the imprint of the tank tracks. So it had been necessary, in addition to the usual ardours of an approach march, for parties with brooms to cover up the tracks, so that they

would not be visible to the enemy aerial photographers. This burdensome task had employed at least half of each tank crew. Every forward move, including the journeys by train, had to be performed after night had fallen. The days were accordingly spent in greas