Late in 1917, the British Army launched a revolutionary offensive at Cambrai, using massed formations of tanks to smash through the barbed wire of the Hindenburg Line. The initial assault was a stunning success, with Monmouthshire men advancing to consolidate newly captured trenches and repair infrastructure.
However, the triumph was short-lived. Within days, a massive German counter-offensive utilizing elite stormtrooper tactics pushed the British back into a desperate defensive scramble amidst sudden, chaotic enemy saliencies. ► Read more...
The bitter frost and brutal fighting turned the battlefield into a lethal proving ground. Amidst this ferocious back-and-forth struggle that defined the end of the year, Oakdale soldiers like Lance Corporal Ernest Havard and Pte. Frank Shaw made the ultimate sacrifice.