The Battle of Cambrai 1917
Talk by by Lt Col Geoffrey Vesey-Holt
In less that two years between January 1916 and November 1917 British tanks went from the first tank “Mother”, through their first modest support to the infantry at the Battle of Flers in September 1916, the disaster of Bullecourt in April 1917 and the mud of Flanders in the summer and autumn 1917 to, arguably, the first modern battle of history, the Battle of Cambrai.
Third Army, employing a combination of tanks, artillery, and infantry including six battalions of the KRRC and Rifle Brigade, with aircraft in support smashed their way through the formidable defences of the Hindenburg Line on the morning of 20th November 1917.
Geoffrey Vesey-Holt was a regular officer in the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) and a graduate of Durham University in Modern History and of the French Staff College. He served in 1 RTR and then specialised in the Weapons Acquisition Stream. He is currently working on the RTR’s commemorations of the 100th anniversary of World War 1.
Sourced from You Tube
Credited to William Wright