The following is an extract from the official diary, a document which deals only with the plainest facts, related in the simplest language. There is never any exaggeration in the official diaries: “The Germans now occupied the woods behind D.5, a movement which made D.4 quite untenable; they were held up, however, by a small party of Buffs under 2nd Lieut. Backhouse and a company of Royal Fusiliers under Captain Ford, who gallantly held on to the new support trench despite fearsome enfilade fire from heavy howitzers and other artillery. Captain Houblon and Lieut. Sharp and remainder of D Company who were still holding D.4, were now being enfiladed by Germans from D.5 and taken in reverse from the wood. Captain Houblon, therefore, was compelled to retire along the trench line, a movement which was carried out steadily. The Germans were still pressing forward and soon occupied a portion of the new support trench where it joined D.4. Our men and the enemy were now only a few yards apart, unfortunately the enemy were in greater numbers and a far stronger situation. Many of the enemy were shot, especially when they filed out of the wood in front of D.5. In the retirement we also lost heavily.
“The two last men in D.4 were Company Sergt.-Major Port and No. 7852 Pte. F. Campbell, both of C Company. These two bravely kept the enemy off while the others got away, and were able eventually both to follow under very heavy fire.
“Lieut. Sharp was wounded, but was able, with the survivors of Captain Houblon’s party, to reach D.3 and later D.1, held by Captain Barnard with A Company. When the musketry and machine-gun fire opened in the wood, Major Power instantly decided to send up the support company to the ridge south-west of the wood with the object of checking the enemy’s advance and of reinforcing Captain Ford’s company of Fusiliers in the new support trench. The exact situation at the time was unknown. On the way up Major Power was wounded in the chest.”
From about 3.45 p.m. to 6 p.m. the enemy plastered, bombarded and searched the ridge with a storm of artillery fire, but the Royal Fusiliers and a few of the 2nd East Yorkshire stood their ground and the enemy showed no inclination to advance from the wood. Any moment our people hoped to hear our artillery open, but hoped in vain. If only our guns could have got on to the wood, the enemy must have suffered heavily. As it was the contest was an unequal one. It was our infantry alone against the enemy’s infantry in force and a most powerful combination of the enemy’s artillery. Fortunately for us the attack of the enemy’s infantry lacked push and determination. Things quieted down towards dusk, the enemy contenting himself with remaining where he was, enabling our retirement, which was ordered for the night 3rd/4th May, to be carried out quite steadily with a minimum of loss, all wounded men, spare ammunition and tools being brought away. The remnants of the battalion moved back to bivouacs in a wood near Poperinghe on the 4th of the month, where it was congratulated by General Plumer on the excellent work it had done and where it remained till the 8th. There is no doubt that the Buffs had been fortunate in having in Major Power a worthy successor to their late colonel. That officer was, however, now on the sick list from a severe wound in the chest, and the command had fallen to Captain Jackson, who held it for a few days until the arrival of a very senior captain, Worthington, who was given the temporary rank of lieut-colonel.
The total casualties from 22nd April to 4th May were:—
Officers killed 6:
Colonel A. D. Geddes, Captain J. McB. Ronald, Lieuts. E. H. U. Buttanshaw and W. G. Jackson, 2nd Lieuts. C. W. Laing and P. T. Featherstonhaugh-Frampton.
Officers wounded 9:
Major R. E. Power, Lieuts. A. D. Wilkins, J. B. Sharp and D. V. Thomas, 2nd Lieuts. L. M. S. Essell, E. B. Backhouse, R. M. Watson, G. Seath and S. Rivers.