1916:22nd/23rd July - Battalion Ward Diary

Lieutenant-Colonel Micklem’s report to Brigade is included in the Battalion War Diary:- 

H.Q. 144th Infantry Brigade.

Information collected from the men who came in night 23rd/24th July after attack 22nd/23rd July.

The men all state that the attacking party started off all right in its proper waves. When they approached the German parapet they found good wire and were held up by very heavy M.G. fire. 2.Lt. CORBETT and most of the leading wave were killed. The 2nd and 3rd wave came up under 2.Lt. BALDERSTONE who was killed. Major COATES commanding the assaulting troops then came up and was killed as was 2.Lt. DILLON who came up with the next waves. Three other officers just behind were wounded and this accounted for all of the officers. The result of these waves coming up in turn was an irregular line of about 40 men with one Lewis Gun dug in about 20 yards from the German parapet. They were under a very heavy fire from M.Gs and were unable to send back information about their situation. They had been ordered before starting to hang on to every foot of ground gained and to dig in and wait for a subsequent attack if they failed top penetrate the German line. Acting on this order they worked joining up and improving shell holes till daylight when they found that the least movement drew heavy fire. They were shelled and sniped all day and withdrew with some casualties at dark July 23rd. A L/Cpl in charge of a Lewis Gun who was dug in about 40 yards west of Point 40 (this is where he thinks he was) states that the wire was strong all along this part of the German line. He states that a M.G. was in action directly to his front and just to the right of that an English Lewis Gun. Just to the right of him was an unoccupied German listening post which seemed to be connected to the German line by a mine gallery. He states that he saw a large number of Germans who offered good targets but as all his ammunition drums but 4 had been buried he decided to keep his ammunition for defence in case he was rushed. He made these observations in daylight and can probably be relied on.

There seems little doubt that on the left a small party got into the German trenches. Four men have come back who tell roughly the same story. It seems that a party of 7 or 8 men got into the trench and engaged the enemy. They threw bombs and used their bayonets. After a time five of them were captured and disarmed but the enemy neglected to search their pockets for bombs. A large party of the enemy collected round them and seemed in a very excited state. A shell burst near and in the confusion two of them got bombs from their pockets, threw them and scattered the enemy. Four of the party (one wounded) then escaped and joined the remainder of their Company who were in shell holes on the edge of the German wire. They all state that the enemy trench was strongly held, and that they accounted for several of the enemy.