Robert arrived in France on 12th May 1915.
[THE BATTLE of CAMBRAI, 20th NOVEMBER 1917]
(The World’s First Major Tank Battle)
ON 20th NOVEMBER 1917, THE BRITISH THIRD ARMY LAUNCHED AN ATTACK TOWARDS CAMBRAI. THE METHOD OF ASSAULT WAS TOTALLY NEW TO WARFARE AS THE ATTACK WAS PROSECUTED WITHOUT ANY PRELIMINARY ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT.
INSTEAD, A LARGE NUMBER OF TANKS WERE USED IN SIGNIFICANT FORCE, WITH THE INFANTRY ADVANCING BEHIND WHILE USING THE TANKS & SMOKE BARRAGES FOR COVER.
Sir Douglas Haig described the object of the Cambrai operations as the gaining of:
‘a local success by a sudden attack at a point where the enemy did not expect it' and to some extent they succeeded. The proposed method of assault was new, with no preliminary artillery bombardment. Instead, tanks would be used to break through the German wire, with the infantry following under the cover of smoke barrages.
[TANKS BEING ASSEMBLED PRIOR TO THE ATTACK] The attack began early in the morning of 20th November 1917, and initial advances were remarkable. Right at the start of the battle, 1/4th Seaforths had attacked the German positions at the village of Fontaine-Notre-Dame. Robert Whyte was killed during this very first attack.
The village was finally taken by 4th Bn on 21st November and they defended this position until being pushed out again my a large German counter attack on 22nd November.
[A DISABLED TANK STUCK IN A DEEP TRENCH] However, by 22nd November, a halt was called for rest and reorganisation which allowed the Germans to reinforce. From 23rd to 28th November, the fighting was concentrated almost entirely around Bourlon Wood and by 29th November, it was clear that the Germans were ready for a major counter-attack. During the fierce fighting of the next five days, much of the ground gained in the initial days of the attack was lost.
For the Allies, the results of the battle were ultimately disappointing but valuable lessons were learnt about the brand new Tank assisted strategies and fresh tactical approaches to fighting were developed. The Germans had also discovered that their fixed lines of defence, no matter how well prepared and defended, were now immediately vulnerable to Tanks.
At the end of the battle on 6th December 1917, losses to both sides were great. However, the Allies learned valuable lessons about new strategies and tactical approaches to fighting.
Robert Whyte’s body was lost without trace and he has no known grave.
He is commemorated with eternal honour on the Cambrai memorial, Louverval, along with
7119 fellow Allied soldiers lost in November & December 1917 who also have no known grave.
The chateau at Louverval, was taken by the 56th Australian Infantry Battalion at dawn on 2nd April 1917. The hamlet stayed in Allied hands until the 51st (Highland) Division was driven from it on 21st March 1918 during Operation Michael, the great German spring advance, but it was yet again retaken by the Allies in September 1918.
The Cambrai memorial holds the names of seven recipients of the Victoria Cross.
This is an outstanding casualty trio & plaque to a brave Scotsman who was sadly lost on one of the most historically important days of the Great War. After this game changing battle which employed Tanks en-masse for the first time in history, mechanised warfare was never the same again. Yet again Great Britain had led the world in technological development.
Medals are EF with their original ribbons, Plaque is attractive GVF, and lightly polished. Complete with a SEAFORTHS collar dog and an original and classic uniformed sepia-tone studio photograph of the very young looking recipient, probably taken to show off his first appearance in uniform as was the fashion of the time.
A RARE & SUPERB “FIRST TANK BATTLE” CASUALTY GROUP, FIT FOR THE FINEST COLLECTION OF SCOTS AWARDS.
£995