lus personnel was left
while the fighting men left for Bellacourt. The next day the Battalion
left and, passing _en route_ Ficheux and Blaireville, the villages in
front of which it had spent so many weary months in 1916, arrived at
Mercatel.

On the 27th August the Battalion proceeded, dressed in fighting order, to
the Hindenburg Line, _via_ Henin, and took over trenches in V. 7.c. On the
28th a warning order was received at 6 a.m. that the Battalion would
attack that day. Operation orders followed later. The two leading
companies were to assemble at Humber Redoubt and Mole Lane, and the other
two companies in the rear. The first objective assigned to the Battalion
was Hoop Lane and the second the village of Riencourt. Flanks were given
and zero was fixed for 12-30 p.m.

It was fortunate that a warning order had been given as otherwise the
companies would not have been in position in time. At 12-30 p.m. the
barrage came down and the men commenced to move forward. The going at
first was not easy, owing to the wire and numerous shell holes. Shortly
after zero the contact aeroplane unfortunately received a direct hit by a
shell and crashed to earth. Very heavy machine gun fire was directed
against the leading companies from Copse Trench, which brought about many
casualties. Fag Alley was reached and in its vicinity several machine guns
were captured, and the teams either killed or taken prisoners. From this
point to the first objective the resistance was not so strong, and on
reaching it red flares were lit.

About 1-50 p.m. the Battalion continued the advance from the first
objective, and swung left in the direction of the village of Hendicourt.
The resistance became stronger. The enemy was using his machine guns
boldly. Some of these were outflanked and captured with a few light
minenwerfers. About fifty prisoners, chiefly belonging to the 121st and
the 180th Infantry Regiments of the 26th Reserve Division were taken,
along with a few Uhlans. Eventually the fringe of Hendicourt was reached,
and several men entered the village. As it was reported that there were no
British troops on either side of the village it was decided on the spot to
withdraw to Cemetery Avenue temporarily. "D" Company was endeavouring to
get round the north side of the village but was held up by heavy machine
gun fire from Crow's Nest. Owing to this machine gun fire and to the fact
that the left flank of the Battalion was in the air, and that the