eft flank. Nothing could have been finer than
the steadiness with which line after line pushed on through the enemy's
bursting shrapnel, until each in turn was hidden from view in the
inferno of smoke and dust which screened the trenches.

Meanwhile the 5th A. & S.H. and the 7th H.L.I. were pressing forward on
our front and right respectively, but of their movements practically
nothing could be observed by us. "C" Company moved up into Trotman Road
as soon as the attack had passed clear of it and--as we learned by a
message from Major Downie received two hours later--half of "A" Company
had been advanced into Nelson Avenue in close support of the 6th H.L.I.

At 6.20 a message arrived from the Brigade that the 7th H.L.I. had
secured their objective and that we were to send fifty men with picks
and shovels to assist in consolidating their front line. These we
supplied from "D" Company in reserve, with instructions to get the tools
from "B" and "C" Companies as they passed through.

After 7 a further order was received to send at once a fatigue party of
twenty-five, with tools, to Brigade Headquarters at Port Arthur. Lieut.
J.F.C. Clark was despatched on this duty with the twenty-five men left
behind by "C" Company. A few minutes later another message arrived, with
instructions for "C" Company to move forward and support the 7th H.L.I.,
whose firing line required reinforcement. This was passed to Captain
Neilson. On taking his company forward he found the front trench already
so crowded that only a few of his men could be got into it, and he
withdrew the remainder again to the support trenches, leaving Captain
Brand with one platoon to assist the 7th.

Shortly after 7.30 an officer of the 6th H.L.I. brought a message from
the Brigade Major (Major E. Armstrong, H.L.I.) asking us to send a party
to take over a number of prisoners from the 7th H.L.I.

Sec.-Lieut. R.E. May was despatched on this duty with the twenty-five
men left at Headquarters by "B" Company. We never saw him again. With
the two or three leading men he got separated from the remainder of his
party in the confusion which prevailed after nightfall in the maze of
trenches in front. In his search for them he came upon a small trench
held by a mixed party of units of the 155th Brigade. A strong
counter-attack was developed against this trench. With the few men he
had he took an active part in driving back the enemy but was killed as
the attack was finally rep