After a night in bivouacs, preparations were made to go over the ground prior to an attack on GUILLEMONT on the 8th. The Battalion returned to the line that night and assembled in trenches east and west of the road which ran south from the east corner of TRONES WOOD, C Company being detailed to consolidate the right of the enemy line and D Company the left on the west side of GUILLEMONT. A and B Companies acted in conjunction with the 1/4th Royal Lancasters and the 1/8th Liverpool Regiments respectively. The attack was not a success. The right was held up from the start by the switch line which had been reported by our patrol on the 6th, such report having been either overlooked or ignored, and the men had to fall back to the original line, though the 1/8th Liverpools went through the village on the left, and D Company of our Battalion commenced to consolidate, but were driven off by the enemy coming behind them and cutting them off from the Liverpools.
Considerable confusion was caused owing to the mist and the employment by the enemy of smoke bombs, the four platoons in reserve not being called upon for this reason, though all their officers were killed and they suffered many other casualties. The operation was a costly one. Nine Other Ranks were killed, 97 wounded, and 107 reported missing; whilst of the Officers, Captain E. M. Rennard and Captain H. Lindsay were killed, Second Lieutenants O. H. Ducksbury and J. H. Holden missing (afterwards found to be prisoners of war), and Lieutenants De Blaby and A. T. D. Evans and Second Lieutenants E. L. Fairclough and T. A. Bigger wounded. Lieutenant De Blaby died the following day.
On the 9th of August the remnant of the Battalion was relieved by one Company of the 1/5th South Lancashires and marched to bivouacs, where Lieutenant-Colonel Hindle again took over command.
Three days after coming out of the line a large permanent working party of 150 men, under Major Parker, proceeded to the trenches to the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers, who were also detailed for the same work, and on the 14th August Major Parker was wounded. The Brigade subsequently left the area. The Battalion which had been strengthened by drafts of 100 men from the Manchesters and one Officer and 110 Other Ranks from the East Lancashire Regiment, entraining at MERICOURT and detraining at ABBEVILLE, marched to billets in SAIGNEVILLE, via CAMBRON and GOUY. Here training proceeded on the usual lines, whilst a lecture was given to the Officers and N.C.O.’s of the Brigade by Major-General H. S. Jeudwine. The General used the tail of a cart as a platform—without warning it tipped up and sent him sprawling in the road. This was too much for the gravity of the troops—and of the General himself. No one laughed more heartily than he did as he picked himself up and resumed the thread of the lecture—this time from the ground level.
Battalion sports were held whilst the unit was at rest, and in the closing days of the month the Battalion returned by train to MERICOURT, marching to a camping ground at MILLENCOURT, whence Captain L. Duckworth went to hospital, whilst the Battalion again moved a short distance to another area, where all ranks were accommodated in tents. The total casualties for the month were 13 Officers and 289 Other Ranks. After a couple of days’ “rest” at MILLENCOURT, the Battalion was sent for instructional purposes to take over the left of an old Corps line trench running between the ALBERT—AMIENS road and the ALBERT—MILLENCOURT road. On relieving the 8th King’s Liverpool Regiment in the Corps line, the Battalion spent the night rehearsing the numerous phases of trench warfare, one Company building a “strong point.” The following day this was repeated, and some of the time was spent in wiring and patrolling. The Battalion was relieved by the 1/8th (Irish) King’s Liverpool Regiment on the night of September 3rd. Three days later the Battalion moved from MILLENCOURT to a camping ground near FRICOURT, where it was joined by Captain S. B. Donald, of the 5th East Kents (Buffs), and Captain C. B. Bolingbroke, of the 1/6th Norfolks. Orders to go into the trenches were received the following day, and the Battalion marched to MONTAUBAN where it was met by guides of the 8th Devons. The sector taken over by the Brigade extended from the eastern edge of DELVILLE WOOD in the direction of GINCHY, the 1/4th Loyal North Lancashires being in the front line alongside the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers, and the remainder of the Brigade in support. Captain C. H. Cockrill reported for duty from the 1/6th Norfolks on the 8th, on which day we had four killed and 19 wounded.
The DELVILLE WOOD battle started on the 9th September. The British artillery were in action all day, and at 4 p.m. the barrage started; at 4 45 the Division on our left attacked. Our objective was to capture HOP ALLEY with B and C Companies, whilst the Lancashire Fusiliers were to go over with us and take ALE ALLEY. At 5 25 the Battalion went over and the first objective—HOP ALLEY—was gained, but the second wave did not succeed in reaching ALE ALLEY, and as HOP ALLEY had become untenable under intense machine gun barrage and gunfire, the remnant of B and C Companies withdrew and fell back to their original line. Supporting Companies from the 1/8th King’s Liverpool Regiment and 1/4th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment were sent up to strengthen the lines, whilst working parties consolidated the position. Sergeant H. Farnworth was awarded the D.C.M. for work in this attack.
The casualties were heavy; amongst the 24 killed were Second Lieutenants W. E. Pyke and E. F. Falby, whilst, in addition to 125 men, Captains Donald and Bolingbroke, Lieutenant H. W. Strong, and Second Lieutenants W. V. Gray, P. Pollard, F. R. Vipond, C. H. Forshaw, and W. H. Berry were wounded. Under the heading of missing were the names of 79 of the rank and file. As the result of these heavy losses the Battalion was withdrawn from the front line to the supports and rested for the day. In the afternoon we stood-to in view of a possible attack by the enemy. Though remaining in support, the Battalion was moved 1,000 yards nearer the front line for the remainder of its stay until the 41st Brigade came up as relief on September 12th, when we marched to bivouacs near FRICOURT.
The customary routine was followed during the “rest,” during which a move was made to BUIRE. Brigadier-General Edwards handed over the Brigade to Brigadier-General C. I. Stockwell, who was quickly dubbed “Strafing Jimmy.” He was a good soldier, and his methods, though often resented by individuals, were effective. He continued to command the 164th Brigade till the Armistice.