Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
The War Diary for today records that the Battalion were in the Dranoutre sector. At 12.45am Brigade Operational Order number 298 receieved cancelling number 297 and stating that the Battalion was to move into the support holding line between S.18.b. 9.4 and T.8.c. 2.9. At S.18.b. 9.4 support line joined the front line, 103rd Infantry Brigade holding front line on right, 2nd Sherwood Foresters on left. Line of trenches through wood about 200 yards in rear of line allotted was to be occupied if considered advisable by the Commanding Officer. At 1.00am Officer’s Commanding Company’s assembled at Battalion HQ’s and orders issued verbally, it was decided provisionally, to occupy the trenches. At 1.45am Officers Commanding Company’s left Battalion HQ’s. At 2.00am Machine Gun Officer of the 25th Division reported that he had six Machine Guns, three to be placed at our disposal, three for 2nd Sherwood Foresters. Instructions issued to him to rendevous at T.7.a 9.6 and await orders. At 3.15am Battalion HQ’s moved forward, all Company’s having gone. At 4.30am Battalion HQ’s established at S.12.d. 75.65. Disposition of Battalion as follows:- A Company on right 2 platoons S.18.b 80.40 to T.7.c. 47.20. Support platoon S.18.b 70.50 to S.18.b. 40.40. Reserve platoon S.18.b. 70.50 to S.18.b. 70.70. Company HQ’s S.18.b. 70.55. B Company right centre, Strong Point in wood S.12.d. C Company left centre T.7.a. 40.05 to T.7.a. 60.40. D Company left company 2 platoons T.7.d. 1.8 to T.7.d. 40.95, 1 platoon T.7.b. 4.3 to T.7.b. 6.5. Company HQ’s and Support Platoon T.7.c. 4.5 to T.7.c. 55.70. A Company in trench with 103rd Infantry Brigade, D Company in trench with 2nd Sherwood Foresters. At 5.00am information received that we held Neuve Eglise and troops were believed to be east of the village. At 10.00am orders received that no troops of 71st Infantry Brigade were to be east of line laid down in Operational Order 298. At 10.30am Brigadier General Commanding and -?- called in at Battalion HQ’s. At 10.45am telephone advice received from Brigade to the effect that T.14.a. was held by 75th Infantry Brigade and our troops were believed to be in Westhof Farm T.19.a. Was it possible for us to support 75th Infantry Brigade and clear the high ground in their neighbourhood. This information not considered reliable as right Company front was being swept by Machine Gun bullets coming from direction of T.13.b. At 10.45am a patrol was sent out under Lieutenant Stimson to ascertain position in Neuve Eglise. At 12.00am the Officer Commanding the patrol reported that he had seen the Officer Commanding the 2nd Worcestershire Regiment who stated that Neuve Eglise had been cleared of the enemy by a counter attack, and 50 men of the Highland Light Infantry were sweeping forward from the left flank to complete the clearance of the ridge. Reinforcements were urgently required to occupy high ground about T.14.b. central, which would secure the village to us. At 12.05pm The Officer Commanding A Company reports (timed 11.45am) Officer Commanding 9th Northumberalnd Fusiliers on his right proposed to move forward at night to command forward slopes of high ground round Crucifix Crossroads. His line then to read as follows:- S.18.d. 80.90 to S.18.d. 50.20 from at S.18.c 90.10 just inside Waterloo Road. He wished for A Company to provide standing patrol at about T.13.a. 50.00. Officer Commanding A Company asked if C and D Company’s will move forward and occupy track on his left. He reports enemy digging in on ridge at about T.13.b. 50.40. Enemy attempted to advance over this ridge during the morning but retired on being fired at. 9th Norfolk Regiment arrived during the night and went into Brigade Reserve at Dranoutre. They were ordered to move one company to Crucifix Corner to support 9th Northumberland Fusiliers 3 company’s to S.12.a. and S.12.c. to reinforce Mont du Lille position, when situation was uncertain, at 3.30pm 2 platoons sent out on our left under 2nd Lieutenant D. A. Sims. Returned reporting that enemy held ridge west of Neuve Eglise. At 4.00pm a heavy bombardment of our positions commenced. Enemy seen advancing down slopes of ridge west of Neuve Eglise. S.O.S. sent up and artillery responded, but the barrage was too close to our lines and no means were available of notifying our artillery to this effect. Enemy attacked in small numbers opposite our front. Chiefly engaged in bringing up Machine Guns. Enemy worked down to low ground in T.14.a. just clear of our barrage which was still falling more or less uselessly. He did not approach close to our position, a line of rifle pits held by troops of other units between our right company and right centre company was evacuated under the heavy shell fire but the Battalion front remained intact. Shelling gradually died down about 7 o clock and the situation became normal again. At 11.00pm Brigade Operational Order number 299 received advising that 1 Company 9th Norfolk Regiment would be allocated to the Battalion and would relieve troops of 75th Infantry Brigade. After relief the line held by the Brigade would become the front line. The disposition being:- Regiments to the left 1 Company 9th Norfolk Regiment, 1st Leicestershire Regiment, 2nd Sherwood Foresters, 2 Company’s of 9th Norfolk Regiment being reserve for counter attack purposes. Casualties, other ranks A Company 3 killed, 9 wounded, 1 misssing, B Company 3 killed, 14 wounded, C Company 1 killed, 2 wounded. D Company 4 wounded, 2 missing.