801 MT COY ASC
August 1918 to October 1918
Army Service Corps roadside dump near Salonika
August 1918 was fairly uneventful for the 801st; two men were admitted to hospital. A Douglas motor cycle was exchanged for a Triumph motor cycle from the B.M.T.D. one man (a fitter) reported for a trade test and three drivers reported from the B.M.T.D.
At the beginning of September there was still nothing in the diary to suggest that a major offensive was imminent; the lorries were out and about, vehicles came in for repair and Major Holland returned from leave.
Then on the 12th September orders came through to move camp to Gramatna; after nearly two years supporting XVIth Corps in the Struma valley the company was on the move to the Doiran sector. The Decauville tractors and detail were handed over to 781 M.T. Coy and the move began.
On the 14th September while the move was taking place the autumn offensive started in the Moglena mountains near Monastir. The move was completed on the 18th the day the second battle of Doiran started, it had taken five days and the company was criticised for taking too long over the move despite having two of their lorries commandeered by Corps HQ.
Although the second battle of Dorain was a qualified failure, Serbian and French success in the west forced the Bulgarians to withdraw from Dorain for fear of being cut off. On the 23rd September the Derbyshire Yeomanry moved through the abandoned Bulgarian trenches and the 801st were ordered to move to Vergetor, this time the move was completed in a day.
As the Derbyshire Yeomanry pushed on through the Kosturino pass followed closely by the Greek Infantry, the 801st were on the move again, through Causica, Karasouli, Machucovo, the old front line, Bogorodica and on to Bogdanci, where they reported to Corps HQ and received orders to move to Cestovo and make camp.
The company was immediately put to work moving water and petrol from a Bulgarian store found at Cestovo, but the rapid pursuit of the Bulgarians meant they were soon on the move again through the Kosturino pass to Strumica, where on the 30th September, the day the armistice was signed, they set up camp.
At the beginning of October supply lines from Salonika were stretched and spares were in short supply, in addition influenza hit the company with several men put in an isolation tent. On the 5th October 2 FWD lorries with 4 drivers reported for duty and were immediately put to use on the run back through the Kosturino pass to the supply dump at Cestovo, but then 3 lorries were detached to 26th Division and two to the new Corps HQ near Petric hampering the companies effectiveness.
After 15 days at Strumica orders come through to move camp to So Vrac on the river Bistrica a tributary of the Struma, whilst there one of the companies lorries was dispatched to CHQ to convey personnel and stores to Sofia. On the 20th October the CO set off through the Rupel pass and along the Seres road to the base depot at Kalamaria, leaving Captain Hocken in charge, in search of missing lorries and spares. Having found the 3 missing lorries being used by 778th Company doing base detail, the CO returned to So Vrac where the company remained into November.
Restored FWD Lorry.