Sergeant Pitcher, of No. 6, with five men, assisted in the attack on the strong points at LOOS and was severely wounded. Second Lieutenant Fazackerley, during the pause in the barrage, advanced with Lance-Corporal Clayton and four men to a point on a ridge to find a possible position for Lewis gun. Here they were subject to intense enfilade machine gun fire from the right flank in the direction of GALLIPOLI, which made it impossible to advance further until the right flank had advanced.
Second Lieutenant Martin, Commanding No. 11, was badly wounded immediately after zero, and Sergeant Murphy assumed command. This Platoon assisted in the capture of AISNE HOUSE; at least 20 Germans were taken there.
In No. 10 Lance-Corporal Charnley was wounded immediately after zero, and during the pause Mr. Myers and one or two others were sniped, and when they moved forward again only one bomber remained.
In No. 9, at nightfall, Mr. Fergie, Mr. Holmes, and two Sergeants went forward to reconnoitre a forward position. The two Officers were struck by a shell and were both very badly wounded. Lance-Corporal Anderton took over command. Private Pendlebury was wounded on the afternoon of the 23rd for the third time. C Company Commander (Captain Tautz) was wounded at the first pause.
No. 13, owing to the darkness, got mixed up with the 1/4th King’s Own on the left flank, and helped the Lancashire Fusiliers to carry SCHULER GALLERIES.
D Company Headquarters Lewis gun team, when near GALLIPOLI, was shot down by machine gun fire, but Corporal Prescott retrieved the gun. Visual communication with the Battalion forward signalling post was opened from behind a dugout at D 13 b 1 0 by Private Roocroft, Company Signaller, and Private Parkinson, of B Company, and was maintained by shutter and lamp until the night of the 21st. On the morning of the 21st, Corporal Prescott and Private Goodwin, Company Runner, went forward of the line and shot some enemy snipers who had been annoying the troops in the line. On the evening of the 23rd, during an intensely heavy bombardment, Corporal Prescott volunteered and kept observation all the time, though wounded in the shoulder by shrapnel, and refused to go to the aid post until the troops were relieved.
No. 14 attacked the strong point at D 13 d 2 6 in conjunction with a party of the 1/4th King’s Own, then Second Lieutenant Holden and the remaining men of his party moved to attack GALLIPOLI, which was holding up the advance. This fight lasted about an hour.
On the 21st September, Second Lieutenant Holden, who was patrolling to KEIR FARM, was writing a message to send by pigeon when he was killed. There were four other casualties, and the pigeons were killed.
No. 15. At 10 a.m. on 21st September, Second Lieutenant Pruden took a small patrol to KEIR FARM. During the night an advanced post held by Lance-Corporal Gorton and five men with two Lewis guns was buried. One gun was in action again immediately, and the other after six hours.