About 7 p.m. an Officers’ patrol went forward to reconnoitre KEIR FARM and discover whether it was held by the enemy. This patrol, however, did not succeed in its objective and lost its way, and the project had to be postponed till the following morning.
As soon as darkness allowed, an effort was made to examine our positions and to find out whether measures for defence were complete. They were found to be held by at least six Lewis guns, while there were in all four machine guns, two of which were German, and proved very useful against the enemy.
During the night patrols were sent out, and a further effort made to find the defences of KEIR FARM. KEIR FARM was not identified, and it was therefore assumed that it no longer existed as a concrete defence. No signs of the enemy were seen. The night passed without incident, though shelling on both sides was maintained fairly consistently.
Casualties:—
Officers:—
Killed—Captain F. W. S. Baker (Commanding B Company), Second Lieutenant A. B. Fergie.
Wounded—Captain R. H. Tautz, M.C. (Commanding C Company), Second Lieutenant E. G. Baker (Commanding A Company), Second Lieutenant A. P. Smith, Second Lieutenant H. Dance, Second Lieutenant J. Oldham, Second Lieutenant R. Grisedale, Second Lieutenant A. Martin, Second Lieutenant B. Myers, Second Lieutenant C. B. Holmes (died of wounds, 28th September, 1917).
Other Ranks:—Killed 23, Wounded 161, Missing 11; Total 195.
Four Other Ranks reinforcements from base.
The following notes by an Officer who was present are added to complete the account:—
At about 10 p.m. the Battalion began to arrive by Platoons, each Platoon coming up in silence, knowing we were close up to the enemy outposts, winding in single file over the uneven ground, being shown its tape, filing along it and lying down to wait for the dawn; the assembly was completed by 1 a.m.—the hour fixed, and apparently unknown to the enemy.
At this hour, to add to the discomfort, a steady drizzle set in, but a tot of rum was served out and most of the men were soon asleep, to be waked at dawn by the crash of our opening barrage.
Battalion Headquarters retired to CAPRICORN KEEP, while the Medical Officer and his men settled in POND GALLERIES. Both these blockhouses had been built of concrete by the Boche to shelter his reserves from our shelling in earlier days—during the days that followed they were severely tested, but never failed us.