The Germans in early 1917 were slowly withdrawing back to strong defensive position to the Hindenburg line. 4 & 3 Battalions part of the 1st Brigade (1 ,2, 3 & 4 Bns) positioned in last day of February 1917, two miles South of Bapaume on both sides of the Albert –Bapaume-Roman Road. No trenches at this stage, muddy shell craters were turned into posts, some 100 – 150 yards apart, later to be joined into trenches. CEW Bean Official History Vol. IV (p105)
Enemy Raid on Le Barque On the morning of 2nd March 1917 at 0730 under cover of a heavy fog, these posts were penetrated by a strong force of German Raiding Parties, (1 of 80 and 3 of 30) and had got as far as Coy Headquarters of the 4th Bn, the two sentries on duty gave the alarm, and were KIA. In all reports to brigade, 4th and 3rd Bn. men were killed in this raid, one Sgt, two L/Cpls. & a private.
We can place where the NCOs were killed by Red Cross reports, and where later buried. Pte.Thomas Kitchen, no Red Cross report, but I do have a map reference of where he was intially buried, this was within 50 yards of 4th Bn Coy Headquarters. He must have been one the sentries outside Coy (Joint ?) HQ.
The recently digitised Brigade Diaries available on line at the AWM has helped me further in my research. I have another mystery to unsolve in that one other 3rd Bn.Pte was KIA that day according to the Honour Roll, but not mentioned in Lt.Col Moores reports to Brigade. Both his reports before noon and after dusk on the 2nd again only mentioned the original 4 KIA. This is also confirmed in a daily strength report sent to Brigade on the 3rd. March 1917, of 4 OR KIA. All 4 men KIA in this attack, are officially mentioned as KIA 1/3/1917. It appears one clerk in 3rd Bn has hand written the date down as 1/3/1917 on individual reports back at Battalion Headquarters. These were not entered until, 8/3/1917. Another clerk in the field diary at 3rd Bn has clearly written down, no casualties 1st March and confirms that 4 OR KIA 2/3/1917. I was succesful in submitting a report to Office of Australian War Graves to have the dates rectified in the Roll of Honour AWM, CWGC and on their Headstones.