Prelude to Attack
4am: Coys stood to arms, during the night the wind shifted to the SW
4.30m: A message was received stating that zero time which was originally fixed at 4.50am was changed to 5.50am. It rained at intervals during the night & continued drizzling until about 4.30am.
5.48am: A large mine was exploded in the enemy’s salient at M.30.a
5.50am: Intense artillery bombardment commenced. The enemy replied feebly. The support trenches were shelled fairly heavily.
5.59am: Our artillery lifted 500 yards to German second line and positions and Meerut Division on right left our parapet and prepared to assault.
6.00am: Assault of Meerut Division commenced
6.25am: Report received that Meerut Division had advanced as far as German 3rd line trenches.
7.30am: Orders were received for the battalion to advance and connect up with the left of Meerut Division. D Coy were ordered to move up to fire trench and prepare to assault, and B & C Cioys to Support. Ciys were to assault in lines of half companies. A Company were ordered to commence the Sap running out from our lines towards Point 76.
8.10am: Orders were sent to D Company to assault. Telephone communication was broken and the orders were sent by orderly.
8.25am: Orders for assault reached D Company & assault commenced.
8.45am: Battalion Head Quarters moved into the front line trenches and were established at the head of Chaplin Street communication trench.
The Attack
9.30am: D, C & B Coys were all across by 9.30am. All companies suffered very heavily while crossing No Mans Land from rifle and machine gun enfilade fire from the left. The attack was made between Points 76 and 61 but to the wesrt of these points, from about Point 55, the enemy were in full force and our artillery were apparently unable to silence them. This enfilade fire was at about 600 yards range.
Capt. Oldfield was killed in our fire trench while preparing to cross with his last platoon. Major Lott-Bower was wounded in the head by a piece of shrapnel in the German trenches soon after he got there.
9.45am: A Coy of 6th K.S.L.I arrived and relieved A Coy who were working in the Sap. Very little progress had been made in the Sap owing to the heavy enfilade fire to which they were subjected. It was practically impossible to work and the first two sections who commenced to work lost all their men except 2.
Meanwhile a Platoon of A coy under Lieut L.C.B Russell had got across to Point 76 where they commenced to Sap back towards our Saphead. This work however was also found to be impossible. The broke through the German parapet and got almost 6 or 8 yards out when all work was practically brought to a standstill owing to the heavy fire brought to bear on them from further down the enemy’s line.
10.15: A message was received from Capt Finch commanding D Coy that he had reached and was consolidating the German 3rd line. In the meantime A Coy having withdrawn from their work on the Sap were reforming behind the parapet and two platoons went over. These two platoons under 2nd Lieut Maltby were held up half way across and were unable to advance and lay down in the open in a ditch.
10.35am: A message was received from Capt Stollard, who had assumed Command of B Coy that the Division on his right were retiring and that his supply of bombs had entirely run out and that unless reinforcements came up and the machine guns on his left silenced, he would be forced to retire.
2nd Lieut C.L. Raymond Barker who volunteered to bring a similar message from D Coy was killed as he reached our parapet.
A company of 6th K.S.L.I under Major Welch arrived in the fire trench and prepared to assault when a message was received that the Germans were delivering a counter attack on the left. This was proved not to be the case but Indians of the Bareilly Brigade were seen streaming back over our parapet.
11.15am: Major Welch commenced the assault with his company. In the meanwhile B, C and D Coys who had penetrated to the 3rd German line & had almost reached the Moulin de Pietre and had gained touch with the Bareilly Brigade found themselves entirely unsupported. The Bareilly Brigade on their right had given way and left their right flank exposed. Their left flank had always been exposed and the supply of bombs for the Brigade Grenadier Company broke down and no bombs were available. The Germans then advanced in force, with a large supply of bombs & commenced to bomb inwards on each flank of our Companies.
Our artillery at this time were shelling the parapet of the trenches we had captured very heavily with shrapnel.
The Black Watch were still holding on but the Indians had completely given way and were retiring disorganized. Colonel Wanchope Commanding the 1st Black Watch met Lieut Stephen who had assumed command of C Coy and told him he was going to retire and advised him to do the same.
The Retirement
11.30am: Finding the situation hopeless and as he was losing many men Capt. Finch gave the order to retire. As he was coming in he met Major Welch of the K.S.L.I who was half way across with his Company and informed him of the facts. Capt. Holland commanding B Company held on a little longer but finally retired. The Germans were then in force only about 50 yards from the trenches he was holding.
All companies lost heavily in the retirement.
12.30pm: All companies were back in the firing line by 12.30pm. Here they were reorganised and led back to the Support Trenches.
The K.S.L.I and K.R.R.C holding the front line. Heavy rain began to fall.
1.30pm: The Battalion had reassembled in the Support trenches.
6pm: Orders were received from the Brigadier to evacuate the support trenches and move back to billets in the Rue de Paradis, Laventie
10pm: All Coys settled in billets.
The Casualties
During this action the battalion suffered the following casualties: Killed - Capt. W.J. Bonser; Capt. L.C.F Oldfield; 2nd Lieut C.L. Raymond Barker; 2nd Lieut A.G.N Denison (Bombing officer). Wounded Maj. R.E. Lott Bower, Capt. B.H. Hodgson (Signalling Officer); Lieut F. Harrison were wounded.
Other Ranks:- 43 killed; 213 wounded and 76 missing (all of them believed killed. Total 332.
Also killed in this action was Rifleman S/1557 Frederick Walter SLEATH who enlisted with Wilfred.
