During the morning the enemy forced the passage of the canal at Jussy, on the front of the 14th Division. This completely turned the flank of the three companies of the 7th Somerset L.I. on the canal bank. “A” Company was in reserve and was then the only company in touch with battalion headquarters, which had moved back, by order of the Brigade Commander, to the railway west of Annois, so as to be in more direct communication with Brigade Headquarters at Eaucourt. “A” Company endeavoured to form a defensive flank between battalion headquarters and the companies on the canal, but owing to the fog and marshy ground this was found to be impossible.
The three companies on the canal were eventually surrounded, but they fought on until all ammunition and bombs were spent before the survivors fell into the hands of the enemy. Battalion headquarters and “A” Company fell back fighting, with both flanks turned, and joined the headquarters and one company of the 7th D.C.L.I., who by this time were on the railway embankment south of Ollezy. During this fighting, Lieut.-Colonel Troyte-Bullock, their commanding officer, had been badly wounded.
At the time when the enemy broke through at Jussy the 7th D.C.L.I. were disposed as follows: one company, with the attached company of the 12th King’s, was holding the Somme Canal north of Ollezy; one company was east of Ollezy, supporting the left company of the Somersets; one company and battalion headquarters were on the railway embankment south of Ollezy; the company which had returned from fighting with the 14th Division was posted south-east of Ollezy, south of the railway.
Shortly after mid-day Lieut.-Colonel Troyte-Bullock arrived at the headquarters of the 7th D.C.L.I. Although he was very exhausted as the result of his severe wound, he managed to give Lieut.-Colonel Burges-Short most valuable information. The attack on the 7th D.C.L.I. developed in great strength against the company east of Ollezy, but was repulsed about 6 P.M., largely by enfilade fire from the company south of the railway. On the evening of the 23rd, owing to the enemy’s advance at Annois and to the retirement of the 36th Division from the canal to a position north of Eaucourt, Lieut.-Colonel Burges-Short withdrew the forward companies of the 7th D.C.L.I. and the attached company of the 12th King’s to the railway embankment.
The front then held extended from the stream running north from Cugny to the Eaucourt—Ollezy road. The remnants of the 7th Somerset L.I., about 120 men, were disposed between Eaucourt and the railway facing north-west.
All batteries of the 91st Brigade barraged the canal bank during the morning, and later, when the attack on Brouchy developed, were ordered back, A/91 to a position one mile south-east of Brouchy, C/91 to north of Beaumont, and D/173 to Villeselve, where the headquarters of the 61st Brigade and of the 91st Field Artillery Brigade were then established. The 232nd (Heavy) Battery was transferred at this period to another command.
Soon after 6 P.M. the enemy took Brouchy, forcing back the troops of the 36th Division on to the gun position of A/91 Battery south-east of the village, where the gunners helped the worn-out infantry to dig trenches alongside the guns.
At the same time the position about Eaucourt was obscure. It was decided that Brouchy should be retaken by the 36th Division, and that the 61st Brigade should clear up the situation at Eaucourt. The attack on Brouchy did not take place, but about 11 P.M. 100 men of the 284th A.T. Company R.E., under Lieut. Jones (7th Somerset L.I.), the intelligence officer of the 61st Brigade, and 2nd Lieut. Arnold (12th King’s), the brigade gas officer, advanced to Eaucourt. The party consolidated a position on the north side of the village, joining up with the D.C.L.I. on the railway.
The 62nd Field Ambulance had been established at Dury on the 21st. On the morning of the 22nd, leaving squads of bearers in Dury and Ollezy, and sending a party to Eaucourt to form an A.D.S., the unit moved back to Brouchy. From the A.D.S. at Eaucourt the only way to get the wounded to Brouchy was by horse ambulance over high ground and across open country. Time after time this journey was made under shell-fire in full view of the enemy.
The bearers who had been left at Dury were cut off on the morning of the 23rd on the far side of the canal. By that time the bridges had been blown up and all crossing points were being shelled by our guns, so that with no way of escape left open the party fell into the enemy’s hands. The field ambulance moved back from Brouchy to Guiscard and in the evening opened an A.D.S. at Villeselve.