The following was written by my father of his his experience of going over the top at the age of 19. We,the Royal Fusiliers, 4th Battalion, 3rd Division, commenced our attack on the 19th August 1918 at 5.30 a.m. from the village Ayette. It was a misty morning and so after a terrific barrage from our guns - all sizes we went over{the top} in the mist near fog. This was fortunate because as we came near the German wire some miles on we found uncut wire and we all went through an opening - if we could have been seen our casualties would have been terrific. Jerry was dug in along the Arras-Bapaume railway line - machine guns were resting on the railway lines - not to worry our tanks would see to them. Our tanks suffered considerably, both male and female and whippet tanks put out of action through direct hits on their caterpillars, just part of the action, some male tanks were hit by direct shellfire the crew killed by concussion. On August 20th the 2nd Division went rihjt through us and so in a day or so we returned to Ayette - to lick our wounds and to be made up for our losses - killed and wounded. What a bloody life. Pte W E H Vale 27232 4th Bn Royal Fusiliers, W Company, 4th Platoon. 3rd Division, 9th Brigade. On 6 June 1944 I landed on Sword Beach with the 3rd Division, 9th Brigade, and later took a commission in the Royal Fusiliers. J a Holder-Vale
No. I found the above written on the back of a wartime map of the area he wrote of. He was a captain in the Home Guard in WW2