, "but carried on
to a very advanced position, and, while encouraging his men, was shot
through the head." With him Sergeant-Major Preston, too, was killed.

Sergeant Howarth was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his
personal initiative in taking command of the Battalion when no officers
were to be found, and for the able way in which he executed his task;
and the D.C.M. was also awarded to Lance-Corporal Lawson.

Eleven Military Medals were awarded for deeds done that day: Sergeant
Baldwin, Sergeant Olive, Corporal Fox, Lance-Corporal Furnes, Sergeant
Hudson, and Privates Baron, Daynes, R. Turner, Rouse, Rodwell and
Fitzpatrick.

The casualties, as has already been pointed out, were tremendous. Five
hundred and ninety-three other ranks went into battle; four hundred and
seventy-three became casualties. It was a very tiny Battalion therefore
that went to rest, reorganize, and train at Le Poirier a few days later!

Gilbert Verity had expired shortly after his misfortune in Congreve
Walk. Douglas Bernard Priestly was shot through the head and killed
instantly almost as soon as he got over the top. The fate of the
Adjutant, Reggie Andrews, whom I last saw aimlessly wandering about the
battlefield shortly after we went over and who looked over his glasses
at me and inquired whether I had seen anything of Headquarters, has
already been recorded. And the Assistant-Adjutant met a similar fate:
Gratton was, first of all, wounded and he lay in a shell-hole; and while
he was in the shell-hole another shell came right into the hole and took
his head clean off. Joye remained with Colonel Best-Dunkley until quite
late in the day, when he got the 'Blighty' in the leg which was to send
him to join me at Worsley Hall. Captain Briggs, Telfer, and Young,
together with a large number of other ranks, were taken prisoners;
Briggs and Telfer were also wounded. West was badly wounded. Captain
Andrews, Captain Mordecai and Donald Allen were all wounded quite early
in the day. Out of nineteen combatant officers eighteen were casualties.
The non-combatants, Padre Newman and Dr. Adam came through this battle
safely, but they were both wounded at the Battle of Menin Road on
September 20! Newman got to England with his wound after that battle,
but he was very soon back with the Battalion again to play an even more
conspicuous part in the drama of the Great War.

It was a great day was the 31st of July. General Gough sent the
followin