On the 19th, at 7 a.m., the Battalion passed through the outpost line held by the King’s Own on the LAMARQ RIVER, and advanced—A and C Companies in front and B and D in support. The enemy resistance was practically nil, and the villages of CYSOING, BOURGHELLES and WANNEHAIN and ESPLECHIN were captured. At night we took up outpost positions, with B and D Companies along the line of resistance, on the high ground east of WANNEHAIN; A Company found the outposts to the east. One Other Rank was wounded.
On the 20th, the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers marched through our outpost lines and we moved into Brigade reserve. One Other Rank was wounded.
On the 21st, in the afternoon, we moved into billets at FROIDMONT. At 2 a.m. on the 22nd, we relieved the 1/4th King’s Own in the outpost line—C Company on the right, D on the left, A and B Companies in support. We attempted to advance, but were unable to do so owing to heavy machine gun and artillery fire, five Other Ranks being killed, 14 wounded, and one missing. Our daylight patrols found the enemy was holding a strong line with many machine guns. At the time of relief it was understood that the enemy had been cleared out of the wood in O 33 b and d, but when the Officer Commanding D Company (Captain Montague Smith) attempted to enter the wood he was met by strong machine gun fire.
The Officer Commanding D Company planned two attacks on the wood, but the enemy were so strong as to make these unsuccessful. Artillery assistance was asked for, and at 4 30 p.m., under an artillery barrage, D Company attacked and was completely successful in capturing the wood, taking 18 prisoners and four machine guns. Outposts were pushed up in front of the wood, and at dusk the Company was relieved by B Company (Captain R. H. Smith, M.C.).
At 2 a.m. on the 23rd, we drove off an enemy counter-attack, but at 4 30 a.m. a strong counter-attack delivered from the flank with the strength of about two Companies forced our posts to withdraw from the wood. There was a thick fog at the time of the attack, and, communications having broken down, no assistance was forthcoming from our artillery. The Officer Commanding B Company, however, immediately organised Company Headquarters and a Platoon of A Company and delivered a quick counter-attack, which, whilst it was not successful in regaining the wood, effectually managed to establish us some little distance our side of the wood. We were relieved by the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers about midnight. Second Lieutenants Chambers and Blount and 33 Other Ranks were missing, one Other Rank killed, and 25 Other Ranks wounded. We moved into billets at FROIDMONT, where Battalion Headquarters had to change their location, being shelled with mustard gas. Seven Other Ranks were wounded.
On the 25th, we relieved the 1/4th King’s Own in the main line of resistance, Battalion Headquarters being at FERME DU BARON, C Company on the right, D Company in the centre, A Company on the left, and B Company in support. Lieutenant King rejoined us here. The next two days were occupied in working parties.
On the 28th, we were relieved by the 1/7th King’s Liverpool Regiment, and moved to billets at WANNEHAIN, where we bathed and rested. Two Officers and 59 Other Ranks had gone sick during the month. A Divisional Paper Chase was attended by the mounted Officers on the 1st November.
On the 9th, the enemy having retired further, we moved on to ESPLECHIN, and on the 10th to BARRY, marching to VILLIERS ST. AMAND on the 11th.
The Armistice at 11 o’clock on that day put a stop to further operations. Whilst nobody could be sorry that the War had come to an end, it was annoying to be stopped when we had at last really got going and the fox was in sight.