dy to go forward on the morrow, to
Liverpool Trench. We reached Liverpool Trench, the assembly trench from
which we were to go over the top on the morrow, about 11 p.m.... D and B
Companies were in Liverpool Trench, and C and A Companies in Congreve
Walk--the other side of Garden Street. It was a dull, cloudy night. The
guns were continually booming. Our howitzers were flinging gas-shells on
to every known German battery throughout the night. The enemy replied by
shelling Liverpool Trench and Congreve Walk--especially the latter. One
shell burst right in the trench, took one of Verity's legs almost clean
off, and killed his servant Butterworth. The shells were bursting all
night. All our trenches were simply packed with troops ready to go over
the top at Zero. Lewis's 166 Brigade filled the trenches in front of us.
The 55th Division occupied a front from the west of Wieltje to Warwick
Farm. Half of this frontage was occupied by Lewis's 166 Brigade on the
left, and Boyd-Moss's 165 Brigade occupied the other half on the right.
Stockwell's 164 Brigade occupied the whole frontage in rear with the
object of passing through the front brigades and penetrating into the
enemy's positions. The 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers were the left front
battalion of the 164 Brigade. Colonel Hindle's 1/4th North Lancashires
were on the right. We were supported by the Liverpool Irish as 'moppers
up'; and the North Lancs. were supported by the 1/4th King's Own Royal
Lancaster Regiment in the same way. In our battalion, D Company,
commanded by Captain Bodington, were on the left front. On their right
were C Company, commanded by Captain Mordecai. In rear of D Company were
B Company commanded by Second-Lieutenant Talbot Dickinson, M.C.; and on
our right were A Company commanded by Captain Briggs. The front
companies comprised the first two waves; the rear companies the third
and fourth waves. The first wave of D Company contained Beesley's
platoon on the left; and behind Beesley's platoon was that of Telfer.
Then came Sergeant Brogden's platoon of B Company, with Allen on his
right. My platoon occupied the whole Company front behind Brogden and
Allen. My orders were to advance to the 'Green Line,' and when I got
there I was to take Lance-Corporal Tipping's rifle section and four
Lewis Gunners on to reinforce Allen at Aviatick Farm where he was to dig
a strong point in front of the front-line when the Gravenstafel Ridge
was reached. Two of my sections