At 9 o’clock on the night of the 30th the 4th Battalion left Forest Bivouac Area, and marched via Artillery Track 12, Bridge Street, and Clarges
Street through Boesinghe to its forming-up areas, which it reached without suffering any casualties. By 1.20 A.M. all companies were reported to be in their places. No. 1 under Lieut. Pixley and No. 4 under Captain Paton, with two mopping-up platoons from No. 2 Company, were in the front trench, with the rest of the Battalion some distance in rear. The 4th Battalion was to follow the 1st Battalion until the first two objectives, the Blue and Black lines, had been secured. It was then to pass through that Battalion, and attack the Green line. After this had been taken the 1st Guards Brigade would pass through and go on to the Dotted line over the Steenbeek River.
The following officers took part in the attack:
| Lieut.-Colonel Viscount Gort, D.S.O., M.C. , M.C. | Commanding Officer. |
| Capt. C. R. Gerard | Adjutant. |
| Lieut. J. B. M. Burke | Intelligence Officer. |
| Lieut. I. H. Ingleby | Act.-Quartermaster. |
| 2nd Lieut. N. A. Pearce | Transport Officer. |
| Lieut. J. N. F. Pixley | No. 1 Company. |
| 2nd Lieut. G. R. Green | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. E. H. Tuckwell | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. J. M. Chitty | ” ” |
| Capt. the Hon. F. E. Needham | No. 2 Company. |
| Lieut. R. G. West | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. H. W. Windeler | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. F. R. Oliver | ” ” |
| Capt. C. H. Greville | No. 3 Company. |
| Lieut. R. Farquhar, M.C. | ” ” |
| Lieut. C. S. Nash | ” ” |
| Capt. G. H. T. Paton, M.C. | No. 4 Company. |
| 2nd Lieut. B. J. Hubbard | ” ” |
| Lieut. C. E. Irby | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. J. J. M. Veitch | ” ” |
| Capt. N. Grellier, M.C., R.A.M.C. | Medical Officer. |
At 3.50 A.M. the barrage began, and the noise was terrific. The whole sky blazed, and it seemed as if every gun that had ever been made was firing. Nos. 1 and 4 Companies, followed by the Battalion Forward Command Party and the moppers-up, crossed the Canal, moving in artillery formation. The left of No. 4 Company was heavily shelled as it crossed, and two platoons became rather scattered and lost direction. Second Lieutenant Hubbard with great coolness succeeded in rallying them and bringing them back to their correct position. There was at the time a considerable amount of machine-gun fire from Crapouillot Wood, and in the terrific noise and semi-darkness it was not easy to keep the platoons together. During the first stages of the advance both companies found it difficult to recognise landmarks, and compass bearings had to be used. There was a marked tendency to mistake Artillery Wood for Wood 15, which in the circumstances was hardly to be wondered at. Some loss of direction was inevitable, and at one time Grenadier, Irish, and Scots Guards seemed inextricably mixed south of Artillery Wood. But the private soldier of to-day is extremely intelligent, and if he can only see his officer he will disentangle himself, and get into his right place. Captain Pixley soon managed to re-form his Company, and take it on in the right direction, while the companies and platoons from the other Battalions sorted themselves out in an incredibly short time. No. 4 Company had also lost direction, and had come in for very heavy
shelling, but Captain Paton was able by the aid of his compass to bring it back to the correct line of advance. A 5·9 shell fell right among the Battalion Forward Command Party, wounding many men and throwing it into great confusion. Lieutenant J. B. Burke quickly reorganised the party with the few remaining men, and was able to maintain the chain of communications.
When the Black line was reached, the 4th Battalion deployed into line. The hostile shelling had completely died down, and except for some machine-gun fire from the direction of Abri Wood the deployment was not interfered with. A smoke barrage proved most effective, and completely covered the Battalion as it deployed. The 1st Battalion had succeeded in capturing the Blue and Black lines in accordance with the scheduled time, and the advance on the Green line now commenced. On the right of the 4th Battalion was the 1st Battalion Coldstream, and on the left the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards. No. 1 Company was delayed for a short time by the water surrounding Lapin Farm, but managed to catch up the barrage again before entering Abri Wood. The creeping barrage was perfect, and gave the men great confidence. On the left of the 3rd Guards Brigade the 101st French Regiment had been held up by machine-guns, with the result that the left flank of the Brigade was in the air. The 2nd Battalion Scots Guards had to throw back a defensive flank, so as to keep touch with its neighbours.
There was a considerable amount of machine-gun
fire from “pill-boxes” in Abri Wood, and also enfilade fire from the right, but the advance was not delayed on this account. The “pill-boxes” were rapidly surrounded, and the occupants of dug-outs immediately emerged and surrendered; only in a few cases was it necessary to bomb them. Three trench mortars were captured in a position near Abri Farm, and the whole attack was most successful.
As soon as the Green line was secured, consolidation was begun. The front occupied by the Battalion extended from Captain’s Farm to Fourche Farm, with strong points at both these places, and a support line consisting of fortified shell-holes fifty yards in rear. Machine-guns, Stokes mortars, and Lewis guns were brought up and posted at different points in the front line. No. 3 Company of the 1st Battalion, which had been placed under Lord Gort’s orders, dug a large cruciform post in rear of the support trench, and by 2 P.M. the whole of the defences were complete and efficiently wired.