1st Batt.
At the end of August the 3rd Guards Brigade went through a period of training which lasted until September 7; during this time it stayed in billets at Ville-sous-Corbie. Captain E. Sheppard joined the 1st Battalion Grenadiers on
September 3. On the 8th the Brigade moved up into the line and took over Ginchy, which had just been captured by the Sixteenth Division. The 4th Battalion Grenadiers and 1st Battalion Welsh Guards were placed in the front trenches, while the 1st Battalion Grenadiers and 2nd Battalion Scots Guards were in reserve.
The officers who went up with the 1st Battalion were:
| Lieut.-Colonel M. E. Makgill-Crichton-Maitland | Commanding Officer. |
| Capt. E. H. J. Duberly | Adjutant. |
| Lieut. R. P. le P. Trench, M.C. | Bombing Officer. |
| Lieut. A. V. L. Corry, M.C. | Lewis Gun Officer. |
| Capt. W. D. Drury-Lowe, D.S.O. | King’s Company. |
| Lieut. G. F. Pauling | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. B. G. Samuelson | ” ” |
| Capt. A. C. Graham | No. 2 Company. |
| Lieut. E. B. Shelley | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. E. G. L. King | ” ” |
| Capt. E. N. E. M. Vaughan | No. 3 Company. |
| 2nd Lieut. O. F. Stein | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. C. C. T. Sharp | ” ” |
| Capt. L. G. Fisher-Rowe | No. 4 Company. |
| 2nd Lieut. R. H. P. J. Stourton | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. W. H. Lovell | ” ” |
| 2nd Lieut. L. de J. Harvard | Sapping Platoon. |
The rest of the officers, as well as the Sergeant-Major, Senior Drill-Sergeant, and Company Sergeant-Majors, remained behind with the Transport.
Sept. 10-11.
At 3.30 A.M. on the 10th the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards reported that it had completed the relief of the 48th Brigade, and was digging in on a line 200 yards east of the south-east corner of Delville Wood to 100 yards north of
Ginchy on the Flers road, and 250 yards east of the Lesbœufs road. Its left was in touch with the 164th Brigade, but its right was in the air. Meanwhile the 4th Battalion Grenadiers was relieving the 47th Brigade between Guillemont and Leuze Wood. But although both these battalions were carrying out their orders correctly, there was a gap of at least 600 yards between them, owing doubtless to the fact that the troops they had to relieve were not quite in the positions they had been reported as occupying. The 47th Brigade had been held up by the Quadrilateral, while the 48th Brigade on its left had advanced some distance.
On learning this, Brigadier-General Corkran decided to employ some companies from the battalions in reserve to fill up the gap, and accordingly instructed Lieut.-Colonel Maitland to send one company to support the 4th Battalion Grenadiers and another company to the Welsh Guards. No. 2 Company, under Captain Graham, was despatched to Arrow Head Copse in support of the 4th Battalion Grenadiers on the right of the Brigade, and while going on ahead to find Lieut.-Colonel Lord Henry Seymour, Lieutenant E. King was hit by a rifle bullet in the leg, and Lieutenant E. B. Shelley and Lieutenant Llewellyn were wounded shortly afterwards. Captain Vaughan, with No. 3 Company, was instructed to place himself under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel W. Murray-Threipland, while the rest of the Battalion remained a little distance behind in case of emergency.