Starting from Bourlon where Flirt II was abandoned on the 27/11/17 which is the end of our particular story. Then Havrincourt,Flesquires,Ribacourt, Villers Plouich, Gouzeaucourt, la Vacquerie, Bleak House, Bonavis & Pam Pam Farm, Le Quenet, Masnieres, Marcoing, site of Flot Farm and back to Cambrai.
In chronological order, from the Bovington Museum Vehicle Record;
Flirt II in1917 was the fourth tank of Number 1 section, 16th Company, Sixth (or F) Battalion. Both 16th and 18th Company detrained at the railhead known as New Heudicourt and advanced through Gouzeaucourt and crossed the Blue and Brown lines before returning to the Battalion Rallying Point near La Vacquuerie. The following day the surviving tanks were ordered to Marcoing, on the St Quentin Canal. F4 was late in starting due to a mechanical fault but got away in due course and appears to have crossed the canal before becoming involved in an incident near Flot Farm which resulted in the unditching of another tank. At the end of this day it again went back to the rallying point. Nothing more happened until the evening of the 26th when twenty tanks, including seventeen from F Battalion (one of which was Flirt II) were prepared for action against Bourlon Village on the following day. During that action F4 attempted to tow F13 ‘Falcon II’ but in doing so stripped some gears and was also disabled. With the enemy closing in the crew were forced to abandon the tank, taking their Lewis guns with them, and make their way on foot to the rallying point. During the subsequent fighting Flirt II received a considerable amount of damage, particularly on the left side in rear of the sponson. Even so it was earmarked to be towed away by its German captors. What became of it after that is unclear. Given the state of the hull and some of the gears it seems unlikely that it was restored to running order by the Germans and the chances are that it was cannibalised for spares to keep other tanks going. This tank was marked as Flirt II when it was displayed at the front of the Bovington Tank Museum but whether it was the real Flirt II is unclear, though it is difficult to know why it was given that name if it was not; nonetheless its identity remains open. (Source: Bovington Museum Vehicle Record
From the war diaries,
16 and 17
Companies were to assault the Blue Line, 16 Company on the Right, 17 on the
Left. Sections 1 to 6 deployed South of La Pave Road, sections 7 and 8 to the
North. 17 Company were to remain to cover the consolidation of the Blue Line,
16 Company were to re organise whilst the Brown Line was being captured then
send 12 tanks to the Bridge Head at Masnieres.
F4 (Flirt II) engaged enemy retiring along the communication trenches
then crossed the blue line and dispersed about 60 to 80 Germans hiding in a
trench. Silenced two MG on the Brown line, one of which caused casualties
in the tank with AP bullets. Tank rallied.
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| Detail from info board at Flesquires memorial - gives excellent simplified overview |
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| Road out of Gouzeaucourt towards Blue line |
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| Bleak House just beyond Blue Line |
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| View from Bleak House to Laleau wood(in distance on right at end of road!) near Bonavis. Between here and there, the Hindenburg line, 3 lines of trench systems, pillboxes and rows of barbed wire up to 100m deep. |
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| Looking back from Le Quenet, Bonavis on left and Pam Pam Farm on right |
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| Brown line |
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| View from Le Quenet down to Masnieres |
21st November 1917
F
Battalion, with 87thBrigade, 29th Division, III Corps
Marcoing
One
"F" battalion tank broke down and failed to attack (F4 Flirt II). The
remaining 9 “F” battalion tanks were joined by “A” Battalion tanks that had
also been ordered to Marcoing. All tanks
crossed over the Northern road bridge on the Lock East of Marcoing, the bridge
was still been cleared of mines by the RE. 4 tanks then turned Left and worked
the Wire towards Flot Farm, 5 and the 2 A battalion tanks turned right and
flattened the wire towards Rummilly. Tanks were fired on by many MGs with AP
ammo and some field guns. The infantry did not follow the tanks, possibly due
to a lack of definite orders, or possibly due to the heavy MG fire.
F4 broke down
prior to start, repaired and got into action at 1.30pm. Screened two tanks at
Flot farm, whilst one unditched the other. Destroyed a strong point in Railway
embankment with 6 pdr fire. Next shelled ridge in front and scattered many of
enemy, firing LG at them as they fled. Rallied at dusk.
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| Bridge & locks over Canal in Marcoing |
F4 Flirt II next in action 27th Nov 1917.
27 November 1917
Orders
To support infantry and secure a line North of
Bourlon Wood and village.
20 tanks attacked: 17 tanks from F battalion and 3
from C battalion.
Account of Operations
All tanks bar F12 which broke down on the way
forward, reached POA at 12.30 on 27th, thence led to starting points
by infantry. Enemy barrage caused 50% infantry casualties and hit and damaged F28
which was withdrawn. It rained all night thus rendering ground conditions bad.
The attack went in at 6.30am as planned, the infantry reached the centre of the
village but were forced back to their starting points.
F4 entered the village at 6.40am after
manoeuvring to avoid wounded infantrymen. The tank Ditched and broke down
whilst attempting to avoid (or trying to unditch) the ditched F13. F4
was Towed clear by F1 at 8.30, but its big ends were gone. The tank was
abandoned at 9.55am as the infantry retreated.
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| F4 Flirt II (the one head on in the pic) & F13 Falcon II (up against the wall of the well) abandoned on the South East outskirts of Bourlon village on 27th November 1917 during Battle of Cambrai (Source: Following the tanks (1999), Jean Liuc Gibot and Philippe Gorcznskiy) |
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| And same place today - thanks to Philippe for the idea, he does it better in his book |
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| Close up of memorial at the F4/F13 abandonment site |
