d occupied Niger and Nepal trenches, which were some
distance behind the front line, and Z Company were sent to dig a trench a
little further forward near Wancourt cemetery. Here they remained for the
day. At night detailed orders were received for an attack at dawn, the
Battalion's frontage being near Wancourt Tower.

At 1 a.m. on the 14th April the men moved to the assembly position in the
dry bed of the Cojeul River, with the 8th Battalion in support and 5th
Border Regiment in reserve, the 9th Battalion being already in a line
just south of Guemappe. The original orders had now been considerably
altered, and zero hour arrived before fresh orders had been circulated to
the Companies. The result was that at 4.30 a.m., after moving in file
from the assembly position to a bank, some 200 yards in front, the
Battalion advanced under a barrage in four waves of Companies, W being
front and Z in rear, with no orders except a rough indication of the
direction.

As they advanced they were met by very heavy machine-gun fire from the
front and from Guemappe in their left rear. W and X Companies reached the
ridge 500 yards from the starting point, and passing down the other side,
were not seen again during the day. Y and Z Companies also reached the
ridge, but could get no further. Later they were joined by the 8th
Battalion, which was also held up.

The fighting then died down, but apart from one brief message from X
Company no trace could be found of the two front Companies, and the
casualties in the remaining two were very heavy. To add to the confusion,
the 56th Division on the right had lost direction, and men of the London
Regiment were everywhere mixed with those of the 50th Division.

At dusk orders were received that the line on the ridge would be taken
over by the London Rifle Brigade. As soon as the light permitted search
was made for W and X Companies. Eventually the remnants consisting of 4
officers and about 20 men were discovered. Having reached a small system
of trenches, they had organised their defence and successfully beaten off
determined attempts to surround them. About 80 men were finally assembled
after the relief, and more joined the Battalion during the next few days,
but the casualties amounted to over 200, or more than 50 per cent, of the
total fighting strength. The officers killed were Capt. Brock, Lieut.
Richardson, and 2nd Lieuts. Greener, Payne and Newton, whilst many were
wounded. Capts. R.S. Jo