Oct. 7-13.
On October 7 the 2nd Battalion with the remainder of the 1st Guards Brigade reached Charterhouse Camp between the Yser Canal and Elverdinghe. The afternoon was spent in distributing fighting stores to the companies who were to undertake the attack.
The following officers took part in these operations:
| Lieut.-Colonel G. E. C. Rasch, D.S.O. | Commanding Officer. |
| Capt. G. C. FitzH. Harcourt-Vernon, D.S.O. | Second in Command. |
| Lieut. F. A. M. Browning | Acting Adjutant. |
| Lieut. J. C. Cornforth | No. 1 Company. |
| 2nd Lieut. S. H. Pearson | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. H. D. Stratford | ” ” |
| Capt. Sir A. L. M. Napier, Bart.[2] | No. 2 Company. |
| Lieut. the Hon. F. H. Manners | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. H. B. G. Morgan | ” ” |
| Capt. C. N. Newton, M.C. | No. 3 Company. |
| Lieut. A. W. Acland | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. H. White | ” ” |
| Lieut. G. R. Westmacott | No. 4 Company. |
| Lieut. R. A. W. Bicknell | ” ” |
| Lieut. J. Tabor | ” ” |
| Capt. J. A. Andrews, M.C., R.A.M.C. | Medical Officer. |
Nos. 1 and 2 Companies took up their battle positions on the night of the 7th, but the relief
was long and troublesome owing to the sodden and shattered state of the ground, and the night was cold and windy. On the following day Nos. 3 and 4 Companies came up into their places behind Nos. 1 and 2. The day was fine until 4 P.M., when a steady rain commenced, which increased to a downpour, and continued until early the next morning. It was a miserable night for the men who were going to attack the next morning, and well calculated to depress the spirits of the boldest. Rum and rations were sent up in addition to hot tea, and everything possible was done to make the position bearable.
The condition of the Broembeek, which ran parallel to our front line, was a matter for great anxiety. During the past week patrols had reported it to be impassable at various places, and it was feared that the recent rains had converted it into a serious obstacle. Both companies sent out patrols to reconnoitre it during the night without very reassuring results, although Lieutenant the Hon. F. Manners found one or two points at which he was able to wade across. Mats and light bridges were carried to the front companies to be used by the leading waves of the attack.
The 2nd Battalion was on the right of the Guards Division, with the 2nd Battalion Coldstream on its left, and the 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment on its right. Nos. 1 and 2 Companies were to capture the first objective, and Nos. 3 and 4 were then to pass through and secure the second objective. The capture of the third objective was allotted to the 1st Battalion
Irish Guards, which was to pass through the Battalion after the second objective had been taken. The line of advance of the 1st Guards Brigade was parallel to and 300 yards from the Staden—Langemarck railway.
There was no preliminary bombardment, but at zero hour, 5.20 A.M., an intense barrage from 18-pounder guns and Stokes mortars dropped on and beyond the Broembeek. It was considered of the first importance that the effects of the barrage should not be lost by delay in crossing the stream, but in the half light its exact line was not easy to determine, and some casualties were caused by men pressing too close to it. The stream proved far easier to cross than was anticipated, and fallen trees, planks, and duckboards were of great assistance. The German Division who held this part of the line appears to have been taken by surprise, for it made a very poor resistance, and in places where the crossing was difficult, the curious sight of Germans holding out their hands to help our men out of the mud could be seen. Its line was held by a series of posts, mostly converted shell-holes. In spite of the line of advance being oblique to the trench from which they started, No. 1 Company under Lieutenant Cornforth, and No. 2 Company under Captain Sir A. Napier, managed to keep the direction, and the advance continued unchecked. Minor adjustments were necessary from time to time with the Battalion on the right, which at one time lost direction, and swerved too far to the left, but the first objective was gained and consolidated without any great opposition or serious loss. No. 3 Company under