The Cost of Victory: More Stories from the Hundred Days Offensive

This week, 105 years ago, the Allies launched the Hundred Days Offensive: a major campaign that finally achieved victory in the First World War. But, as ever, this came with a heavy price.

Here we share some more stories of the casualties of the Hundred Days Offensive.

The Hundred Days Offensive

The Hundred Days Offensive: A recap

Image: A British soldier sits on a Somme battlefield while a German shell explodes in the background during the Hundred Days Offensive (© IWM Q 6965)

Also known as the Advance to Victory, the Hundred Days Offensive spanned the period from 8 August 1918 to 11 November 1918.

The Offensive was essentially a series of advances and attacks across the Western Front made by the forces of the British Empire and their Allies of France, the United States, and Belgium.

From the Battle of Amiens that kicked off the campaign to its closing stages in Belgium, the Hundred Days Offensive pushed the Imperial German Army back to the battlefields of 1914.
 
By the time of the Armistice in November 1918, the German ability to fight had been broken.

Casualties on both sides were terrible. It’s estimated that the forces of the British Empire involved in the Advance to Victory took 412,000 casualties. This includes killed, captured, wounded, or missing men.

Of that total, 91,000 would lose their lives. They are today commemorated in Commonwealth War Graves cemeteries and memorials across France and Belgium.

Imperial German Army losses of the Hundred Days total more than a million men, including 100,000 killed, 686,000 wounded, and 386,000 captured.

The battlefields of World War One took a heavy toll on those who fought across them. The Advance to Victory, though successful, came at a terrible cost.

From the opening salvoes in 1914 to the guns falling silent on the Western Front in November 1918, over 730,000 Commonwealth soldiers had lost their lives.

Stories from the Hundred Days Offensive

In our previous blog on the Hundred Days Offensive, we looked at some of the personal casualty stories of those that fought in the various battles and attacks of the campaign. Here, we share some more.

Captain Keith Brown

Image: Captain Keith Brown (©  IWM HU 93348)

Captain Keith Brown was killed during the Advance to Victory on 22 September 1918.

Keith was a Londoner, the son of George Andrew Brown and A.A. Brown, growing up in Dulwich.

Keith signed up in 1914, joining the Queen’s Westminster Rifles on 6 August. By November of that year, Keith, and his comrades in the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) were involved in fierce fighting in France and Flanders.

After his time at the front, Keith returned to Sandhurst Military College in May 1915 and was gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant, becoming an officer on 20 October.

Keith subsequently joined the 2nd Battalion. His service took him to the infamous Battle of the Somme which began in July 1916. As was the case with many junior officers, Keith was badly wounded during the terrible fighting on the Somme. He was invalided back to the UK.

After recovering from his injuries, Keith re-joined his unit, this time with the 3rd Battalion of the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), returning to France in January 1917. By July, Keith had been transferred to 1st Battalion and promoted to the rank of full Lieutenant.

Despite recovering from his injuries, and serving with the British Army since 1914, Keith’s journey came to an end during the fighting of the Hundred Days Offensive in September 1918.

The “always bright and cheery” Lieutenant was promoted to Captain on 10 October 1918, nineteen days after his death.
  
Captain Keith Brown is buried at Five Points Cemetery, Lechelle.

Further tragedy would visit the Brown family during the Advance to Victory. Keith’s brother, Captain Clive Andrews Brown, died just over a month after Keith.

Chaplain 4th Class the Rev. Theodore Bayley Hardy VC

Image: Portrait of Chaplain 4th Class the Rev. Theodore Bayley Hardy by Howard Summerville, 1919 (Wikimedia Commons)

The fighting men of the British and Commonwealth Armies had their spiritual needs catered for alongside their physical and logistical requirements.

In the case of those of Christian faith, army Chaplains and Padres were on hand to attend to their charges in matters of religion.

In many cases, these men showed bravery above and beyond those of their armed comrades. Some even earned the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military honour. One such man was Chaplain 4^th Class the Rev. Theodore Bayley Hardy.

Theodore was the most decorated non-combatant of the First World War. He was born in Exeter in the South of England to parents George and Sarah Richards Hardy in October 1863.

During his life, Theodore taught as a schoolmaster at various institutions across the UK and was ordained as a priest in 1898.

When the First World War broke out in August 1918, Theodore was 51 years old. He volunteered immediately but was turned down, deemed too old for active service. By 1916, however, Theodore was accepted for army service as a Temporary Chaplain.

Theodore was attached to the 8^th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment. At the front, his bravery under fire and care for his men instigated a series of deeds that would see Theodore earn a series of medals and awards.

Theodore’s first commendation came in October 1917 when he earned the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). The priest was voluntarily part of several resucre parties to retrieve wounded and stranded men in No Man’s Land – all while nursing a broken wrist and under considerable German fire.

This was followed by a Military Cross (MC) in December 1917. His MC Citation reads:

“Rev, Theodore Bayley Hardy, D.S.O., A., Chapln.'s Dept. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in tending the wounded. The ground on which he worked was constantly shelled and the casualties were heavy. He continually assisted in finding and carrying wounded and in guiding stretcher bearers to the aid post.” – London Gazette, April 23 1918

In July 1918, Theodre once again showed immense courage under fire while tending to the wounded, this time earning the Victoria Cross for his gallantry. His VC citation, as published in the 9^th July Edition of the London Gazette reads:

“For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on many occasions. Although over 50 years of age, he has, by his fearlessness, devotion to men of his battalion, and quiet unobtrusive manner, won the respect and admiration of the whole division.

His marvellous energy and endurance would be remarkable even in a very much younger man, and his valour and devotion are exemplified in the following incidents: An infantry patrol had gone out to attack a previously located enemy post in the ruins of a village, the Reverend Theodore Bailey Hardy (C.F.) being then at company headquarters.

Hearing firing, he followed the patrol, and about four hundred yards beyond our front line of posts found an officer of the patrol dangerously wounded. He remained with the officer until he was able to get assistance to bring him in.

During this time there was a great deal of firing, and an enemy patrol actually penetrated between the spot at which the officer was lying and our front line and captured three of our men.

On a second occasion when an enemy shell exploded in the middle of one of our posts, the Reverend T. B. Hardy at once made his way to the spot, despite the shell and trench mortar fire which was going on at the time, and set to work to extricate the buried men. He succeeded in getting out one man who had been completely buried.

He then set to work to extricate a second man, who was found to be dead. During the whole of the time that he was digging out the men this chaplain was in great danger, not only from shell fire, but also because of the dangerous condition of the wall of the building which had been hit by the shell which buried the men.

On a third occasion he displayed the greatest devotion to duty when our infantry, after a successful attack, were gradually forced back to their starting trench. After it was believed that all our men had withdrawn from the wood, Chaplain Hardy came out of it, and on reaching an advanced post asked the men to help him to get in a wounded man.

Accompanied by a serjeant he made his way to the spot where the man lay, within ten yards of a pill-box which had been captured in the morning, but was subsequently re-captured and occupied by the enemy.

The wounded man was too weak to stand, but between them the chaplain and the serjeant eventually succeeded in getting him to our lines.

Throughout the day the enemy's artillery, machine-gun and trench mortar fire was continuous, and caused many casualties.

Notwithstanding, this very gallant chaplain was seen moving quietly amongst the men and tending the wounded, absolutely regardless of his personal safety.”

Theodore continued to throw himself into harm’s way. In October 1918, as British forces continued to push the Imperial Germany Army back, Theodore went out on patrol again but was fatally wounded.

Theodore died in Rouen on 18 October 1918, just two days before his 55^th birthday.

Theodore is buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension. His headstone bears the personal inscription, chosen by his family:

“LOVE NEVER FAILETH”

Lieutenant Wallace Algie

Image: Lieutenant Wallace Algie (Wikimedia Commons)

Canada’s Hundred Days is something we will explore in the future but many Canadian soldiers pulled off incredible acts of bravery during the Advance to Victory.

One such soldier was Lieutenant Wallace Algie of Alton, Ontario.

Wallace enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in April 1916, following the footsteps of one of his brothers. 

With the 20th Battalion, Wallace joined the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade. He took part in battles such as the Battle of Hill 70 and operations around Lens in France.

Flash forward to 11 October 1918. The Hundred Days Offensive is in full swing and the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade is supporting the 6th in an attack on the village of Iwuy, northeast of Cambrai.

Wallace become aware that German soldiers were bringing more machine guns to the village and was determined to stop them. Machine guns were incredibly deadly and could cut down attacking infantry in swathes.

To counter the threat, Wallace led a group of volunteers forward and captured two of the guns, which were then used by the Canadian patrol during its patrol.

Wallace’s actions secured the east end of Iwuy, clearing the way for further Canadian attacks in the village.

While leading his men back to their starting positions, Wallace was struck by enemy fire and killed. The First World War and the Hundred Days Offensive would end just one month later.

Wallace’s body was recovered and he is buried alongside his comrades at Niagara Cemetery at Iwuy.

His quick thinking and leadership helped pave the way for the eventual capture of Iwuy by the Canadian infantry. For his selfless bravery, Wallace was awarded the Victoria Cross, the citation for which was published in the 28 January 1919 edition of the London Gazette.

Wallace’s VC citation reads:

“For most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice on the 11th October, 1918, north-east of Cambrai, when with attacking troops which came under heavy enfilade machine-gun fire from a neighbouring village. 

Rushing forward with nine volunteers, he shot the crew of an enemy machine gun, and, turning it on the enemy, enabled his party to reach the village. 

He then rushed another machine gun, killed the crew, captured an officer and 10 enemy, and thereby cleared the end of the village.
 
Lt. Algie, having established his party, went back for reinforcements, but was killed when leading them forward. His valour and personal initiative in the face of intense fire saved many lives and enabled the position to be held.”

Discover more stories with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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