At the height of the March Offensive, as the 7th Battalion fought desperately to fend off the enemy around Albert, an order was received that men could now wear chevrons on the lower right sleeve to signify their length of service.
For those who have been ‘Out since Mons’ a red chevron was worn for service in 1914, followed by a blue chevron for each year of service overseas thereafter.
They were not however free as Signaller Sydney Fuller notes in his diary: “Got some new clothing from stores, and “put up” three blue chevrons. These cost 5d. Each.” Fuller who had joined up in 1914, arrived in France in 1915 with the 8th Battalion, thus earning three chevrons.

As the Kaiserschlacht continued, it was now the time for the 7th Battalion to join the fight. To the southwest, behind the town of Albert on the Somme battlefields, the Battalion, now came into the battle.
On 26th March they were rushed forward to form a defensive line to the east of Albert. By mid-morning the Germans looked set to advance and take their positions. They could be seen swarming down the western slopes of Tara Hill and the CO decided that a general retirement should be made. Within the space of an hour, the Germans had bypassed the town to the south and were now being stopped by 'A' Company on the west of the town along the Amiens Road. 'B' Company on their left, close to the railway station reported that the enemy were coming on in heavy waves, and that their position was becoming precarious. With their Lewis gun teams out of action, the German snipers caused terrible casualties. The situation was ‘obscure’ but by 6.00pm, it was clear that the Germans had by now obtained a strong footing to the north and had enveloped the town. A large attack around 6.00pm pushed 'C' Company back some 200 yards, where they dug in along the railway. Though as darkness descended the enemies fire rescinded, it was clear that at first light another large-scale attack would be launched upon them.  They readied themselves.
In an attempt to stem the tide, a counter-attack was launched on their old positions in darkness at 11.00pm. They were successful in regaining their old ground, but it left a dangerous salient for them to occupy. Enemy patrols throughout the night were repulsed and at first light a large-scale attack was made by the 9th Division on the Battalion's right.​ The line held...temporarily.
By the March Offensive, good long standing NCOs with previous experience were few in number. Four years of war had robbed the Army of its old campaigners and Third Ypres took what was left. By early 1918, very few were left. In 7th Suffolk, the Kaiserschlacht robbed the Regiment of a great NCO. On the 27th March 1918, Company Sergeant Major William Bates.
Born in Enfield, Middlesex, No. 5373, Private William Bates enlisted into the Suffolk Regiment in August 1899 and within months, saw himself leaving for service with the 1st Battalion in South Africa during the Boer War. His terms of service ended in 1911 and William left the Army at the rank of Corporal.
In 1914, he re-enlisted at Hertford and was immediately given back his old number and shipped off to Shorncliffe at Folkestone, to start training recruits in the newly formed 7th Battalion. Going with the Battalion to France in 1915, when he was by then a Sergeant, he went all through until he was killed on 27th March 1918 fighting a desperate rear guard action behind the town of Albert. 250 men were killed, wounded or missing.
In the photograph above, the small child in the front is William's youngest child, Herbert. His grandson recalled in 2017 that “I remember as a small child a pocket watch pinned to my grandad’s wall (Herbert) which was William’s. It was broken and was never repaired. The time it stopped was apparently the time he was killed.”
William was most probably buried, but his grave was almost certainly lost in a subsequent action. The fact that his youngest child had his pocket watch, infers that his personal effects were sent home to his family.

With grateful thanks to the Ipswich War Memorial and Cenotaph website for the above information on William.

For 12th Battalion, the situation became worse in the hours that unfolded.
​March 23rd saw a day of continual attacks by the enemy and his ferocious artillery. By mid afternoon, the Second-in-Command, seeing that the situation was hopeless, made a calculated decision to retire to the high ground behind them and dig a new defensive line.
The following day, the 24th, was much the same. "Night 23rd-24th comparatively quiet" wrote the 2.I.C., "enemy shelled our positions and sprayed us with MGs all day". The Germans had all the newly dug trenches and roads pretty well taped. All day the shrapnel rained down and at times, touch with the flanks was lost. As the darkness came again, the situation was very precarious and not at all secure.
"S.O.S. sent up on our left flanks and very heavy artillery and MG barrages open ed by both sides. Enemy attacked on wide front on our left - Mory to Ervillers, and drove troops on our left through our position. We faced left and opened LG and rifle fire and held up the advance for some considerable time. He was too strong for us however and we retired on Mory Ervillers road and again held him up. Our casualties were very heavy and the enemy in greatly superior numbers, and under heavy fire we took up position on front of the Ervilliers Bemagnies road which we held during the remainder of the night"
By now the Battalion was becoming exhausted, yet gallantly they were doing all they could to stem the time. The following day was much the same as the Germans still came on and still, caused great casualties, yet there seemed to be no end in their offensive.
"Enemy clearly seen digging MG positions" wrote a report for the 25th March, "and snipers did good execution. Movement of enemy considerable all morning". By 3.00pm, having finished erecting and fortifying their new positions opposite, the enemy attacked again. "Enemy attacked in force on wide front but did not reach our trench. He passed through on our right and 4 Bde (Brigade) Guards retired living our left flank open".
Quickly, what troops that could be spared, rushed to hold the left flank and with half from the remnants of two battalions of the Middlesex and the East Surrey's, the line was held just as another attack looked imminent. By 8.00pm, they were evacuated.
The first four days of the Kaiserschlact had scythed the Battalion of its ranks. The footnote to the battle reports of the action, scribbled on the squared notepaper of the field service pocket book, noted soberly of the loss; "22 Regimental officers and the MO went into the fight and only the MO and 1 Regimental officer returned to duty. The others all killed, wounded or missing".

The Kaiserschlacht took the life of the commander of the 12th Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Theodore Eardley-Wilmott.
Educated at Tonbridge, Eardley-Wilmot graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1899 and was gazetted into the 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Two years later he went upon secondment to the 39th Garhwal Rifles, then stationed in Chitral and temporarily joined the India Army.
A student at the School of Musketry at Pachmarhi, in 1908 he was promoted Captain and married Mildred Clare in India. Re-joining the British in 1910, he obtained a position in the 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment and joined them at Aldershot in 1911. Transferring to their 3rd Battalion in 1912, he remained at the Depot in Pontefract until 1915 when after much protestation, he was allowed to serve overseas on active service.
Severely wounded at Ypres on 23rd April 1915 when serving with 1st York and Lancs, after convalescence and promotion, he accepted command of the 12th Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment. Awarded a DSO in 1916, he was Mentioned-in-Dispatches for his Battalion’s part in the capture of Bourlon Wood in November 1917.
On 22nd March as the German March Offensive, bore its full force upon the Battalion’s position, Eardley-Willmot went forward as his school magazine reported: “Colonel Eardley-Wilmot left Battalion H.Q. at Morthomme about 6 a.m. on March 22nd to go round the front line, and since the Battalion had been unable during the night to get into touch with the 13th Yorkshires on its left, decided to clear the situation up himself. With this object, he went forward from the front line, bearing to the left, taking an officer, a corporal and three men with him, and giving orders for a Platoon to follow him. There was a heavy mist at the time, and he evidently walked directly on to a party of the enemy who had crept up under cover of darkness. This party opened fire with a machine gun. The other officer was killed at once, the Colonel fell immediately afterwards, and two of the men were wounded. The Corporal and the remaining man dragged the Colonel back to a shallow trench, remaining with him several minutes, and only leaving him to warn the Platoon Commander of the presence and position of the enemy. The enemy advanced, and it was impossible to bring the Colonel back, though several attempts were made and considerable casualties incurred thereby. The Corporal had no doubt that the Colonel was killed, as he was hit in the chest, and never spoke or moved afterwards. With this characteristic act of devotion to duty ended the career of a born soldier. His whole heart was in his profession, and he possessed in a high degree the qualities of courage, coolness and confidence, together with the determination and power of quick decision essential in meeting sudden emergencies. He had been recommended for the command of a brigade, and, had he lived, was doubtless destined to rise high. He had no illusions. He hoped, but hardly expected, to return, and was content to die in a great cause". ​