The plan was that the 74th Division should attack from trenches immediately south of Moislains Wood and, after capturing and mopping up Moislains, should take the village of Nurlu. The 140th Brigade was to follow them closely, the Civil Service on the left, the Poplar and Stepneys on the right, and the East Surreys in support. After crossing the Canal du Nord east of Moislains, the 140th Brigade was to wheel left, forming a defensive flank on the high ground to the north of Monastir trench, where they were to join up with the 142nd Brigade, who were to capture this trench. The order from left to right on the defensive flank was First Surreys, Civil Service, Poplar and Stepneys. The 140th Brigade was to follow the 229th, who would also prolong the defensive flank, facing north as far as Nurlu.
The Battalion was in position at 3.0 a.m. and zero was at 5.30 a.m., but, in order to get well up behind the 229th Brigade “A” and “B” Companies led off at 5.0 a.m. with “C” and “D” in support and Headquarters bringing up the rear.
The 140th Brigade was to pass Moislains on the south, and the formation of the defensive flank therefore presupposed the capture by the 74th Division of that village.
From the outset the Brigade came under heavy shell and machine gun fire, and as it moved down the slopes to the south west of Moislains, under still heavier machine-gun fire directed from the village and from both flanks.
The casualties caused by this fire were enormous, amounting to more than half the strength of the Battalion, but the men went forward without any hesitation, and, as Colonel Feilding said afterwards, as though they were beating up partridges. The behaviour of the Civil Service under this sweeping fire was commented on by the Commanding Officers of other units present, who said they had never seen anything like it. The determination of all ranks was ultimately rewarded when they succeeded in establishing themselves in Moislains trench, with details of the First Surreys on the left, the Poplar and Stepneys on the right, and an officer and about a dozen other ranks of the North Devon Yeomanry.
The garrison of Moislains trench now had to fight hard to hold the position, for the enemy were occupying the same trench to the left and Quarry trench in the left rear, while they could clearly be seen moving in Moislains a quarter of a mile in front, and assembling in the village and around the huts immediately south of it.
Simultaneous counter-attacks were, in fact, developed on the left rear and on the right front, while the enemy at the same time attempted to bomb up the trench on the left.
Both parapet and parados were manned, and the attacks across the open were beaten off, but the bombing attacks continued all day, and, owing to scarcity of bombs, were with difficulty held up.
It was at once obvious that there were no British troops in front of the 140th Brigade, though elements of the 74th Division could be seen in the distance on the right, on a level with Moislains trench. In the face of the very heavy flank and frontal machine-gun fire, of the heavy casualties incurred and of the fact that one flank at least was “in the air,” it did not seem practicable to Colonel Feilding or to Colonel Dawes, commanding the First Surreys, for their Battalions to assume the rôle allotted to the 74th Division, and to attempt, without a barrage, to capture the village, which, as a result of the failure, or absence, of that Division, was still strongly held by the enemy.
