In the Journey’s End dugout on Tuesday 19 March, Trotter talks to Osborne about how quiet it was on duty the previous night – ‘Too damn quiet’, he says. ‘You can bet your boots the Boche is up to something. The big attack soon, I reckon. I don’t like it, Uncle.’

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In the real world the day was also very quiet. The Diary for 72 Brigade recorded a ‘very fine and quiet day’, although British artillery ‘opened very heavy fire on enemy front trenches from 5:00am until dawn’. The 8th West Kents were in the front line on the Brigade’s left sub-sector, with the 1st North Staffords (the Diary of which reports the day as ‘quiet and uneventful’) on the left. The East Surreys were still in reserve, a couple of miles back at Vermand, and busily engaged in training (‘especially Gas Drill’).

The Allies were confident that the Germans would shortly mount a major offensive, since they had been transferring significant reinforcements form the Eastern Front, following the collapse of the Russians in the wake of the October revolution (and their confirmed withdrawal with the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in early March). The exact focus of the likely offensive was still unclear, which increased nervousness along the line.

In anticipation of the attack, the Allies, learning from German strategy the previous year, had planned to defend in depth. As Michael Lucas writes:

‘The Forward Zone was to be based on the existing front-line system. Behind it was to be the Battle Zone, usually 1 to 2 miles to the rear, and at least 2,000 to 3,000 yards in depth. Finally there was to be the Rear Zone, 4 to 8 miles behind the Battle Zone…The Forward Zone was to be held in reasonable strength so that if the enemy could be stopped, he could be delayed and punished severely before reaching the Battle Zone…If all else failed, the enemy was to be stopped by the Rear Zone (Green line).’

If the attack came on the stretch of country patrolled by 72 Brigade, much would depend on the strength of the different zones, and the layout of outposts and redoubts within it.

[Next post: 20 March]