The runners did splendid work; a few were killed as they made their way over the shell-tossed ground—the wonder is that any escaped.
For five days the Battalion remained in those shell holes, beating off one counter-attack after another with the help of our gunners, who were truly magnificent. At first it was impossible to reorganise properly owing to the mixing of Battalions, but ultimately a definite frontage was allotted to us by Brigade, and that night we sorted ourselves out from the King’s Own and Companies were picked out and given a definite bit of line—A and B in front, C and D in close support. At the same time the line was advanced considerably, especially on the right, the posts on HILL 37 having been taken by the right Brigade.
Getting rations up to the line was a terrible business—runners and guides kept losing their way, and more than one party nearly entered Hun territory; but guide wires were laid to Companies, the C.Q.M.S.’s did their work splendidly, and the men were fed and kept going.
About 25th September we were relieved by the 59th Division, a genial lot—full strength—who seemed to expect to find trenches and dugouts! Thanks to the tapes and wires which had been laid, relief was quick, and we all dribbled back to ST. JEAN, where Companies assembled by the cookers and had hot tea and rum served out. They were actually singing—the revulsion, I suppose.
After a lot of delay we got into trucks on the DECAUVILLE railway (a metre gauge affair). The Commanding Officer was balanced on the back of the little engine, and as we started, some wit shouted out, “Don’t move, sir! You might upset her!”
Additional light is thrown on the course of the battle by the Platoon narratives:—
Lieutenant E. G. Baker, Commanding A Company, was hit in the head during the advance. No. 1 Platoon Commander, Lieutenant Smith, was badly wounded in the thigh before the first strong point was reached. Private Wyre fired some rifle grenades into it, after which the Platoon rushed it with men of other units, and bombed and bayonetted the enemy out. Sergeant Beaumont then led them towards SCHULER GALLERIES, when he was shot through the head about 50 yards behind the Red Line. About 16 men under Private Wyre found their way to the Red Line; others, with an Officer of the King’s Own, went forward on the left. He said he would take them to the Yellow Line, but was killed by a sniper. They were willing to go on, but had no leader till Sergeant Knowles of No. 3 came up and took a small party out under heavy cross-machine gun fire to the domed strong point on the road.
No. 2 got on all right till Lieutenant Dance was hit in the arm. They took a small strong point on the right with others helping, and also helped to take AISNE FARM, where one Hun Officer and eight men were taken.
Sergeant Knowles took eight men to the left to take the strong point in the road, but there were about 30 enemy in a trench in front of it, and he was compelled to fall back again for lack of support. Two sections helped to take the strong point in front of LOOS.
Captain Baker, Commanding B Company, was wounded at 6 30 a.m., but continued to advance; he was killed at 7 a.m. at a strong point about 150 yards to the right of LOOS. At this same point five out of the Lewis gun team of seven were put out of action (one killed and four wounded). Sergeant-Major Roberts bombed the strong point.