Private 24547 Percy William Alfred PERKINS

Boesinghe – 30/7/17: At 9.30pm on the 30^th the Battalion moved off to go the assembly area. Major G.G.C. Rush DSO remained in command of the details of which there were approximately 40 a Company.

5pm: Administrative details completed

9.30pm: The Bn (less No 4 Coy under Lt. Heasman details for Brigade carrying parties) marched off from No 10 Bivouac Forest area moving by Infantry Track II and Railway St. (picketed by Bn Police).

Midnight: Battalion rendezvoused S.W of Pills Dump where Battalion had hot tea and rum.

Boesinghe – 31/7/17 - 12.40am: An advanced Bn Headquarters party together with Platoon markers moved off under 2/Lt L. Halbech & the assembly area in open between Waalkranz -  Rotherham Railway St and X Line. Disposition of Companies in Assembly area.

No 1 Coy: No 2 Pn. No 1 Pn. No 6 Pn. No 5 Pn                  
No 1 Coy: No 4 Pn. No 3 Pn. No 8 Pn. No 7 Pn

No 3 Coy: No 9 Pn. No 10 Pn. No 11 Pn. No 12 Pn.

As soon as the markers were in position 1st Bn advanced party moved forward crossing the Canal just at zero hour and joined the 4th Wave of Scots Guards.

1.15am: Bn recommended march to assembly area.

3.30am: Bn in position. Bn H.Q. in X line. No shelling at all up to this time.

3.50am: Zero. Slight German shelling but on trenches & not in assembly area.

5am: No 1 Coy moved off followed by No 2 and No 3, all were in artillery formation. Bn H.Q. moved at same time from X line.

5.30am: All the Battalion crossed the Canal. The crossing took place S. of Railway Bridge.

5.40am: The Battn pushed on towards the Blue line & 1st casualties were incurred S.E. Artillery Wood.

5.50am: No 2 Coy disengaged & came up on left of No 1 Coy. Bn H.Q. established at Pallisade Farm. Heavy Machine Gun fire from about Tambour House about 20 casualties but was silenced by Lewis Gun fire and No 1 Coy.

6am: Nos 1 & 2 Companies guiding a few Scots Guardsmen in JR this front available for the capture of the Black Line deployed into two waves. No 3 was in support in artillery formation. The Battalion then moved forward close up to the barrage & captured the Black Line halting at right angles to Staden Railway and 50 yard NW of Wood Howe.

6.40am: A party of Scots Guards under Capt Bradshaw moved up between 1st & 2nd waves and No 3 Coy. This party then went through our line & halted 50 yds in advance of it. Bn HQ established with 1^st Battalion Coldstream Guards at C1.b.6.7. Aeroplanes ground sheets were put out & we communicated our position to our Contact aeroplanes by means of the large flapper. Machine Gun fire from the railway dealt with by No 1 Coy and indirect M/Gun fire from about the Steenbeek.

7am: Coys were reformed in preparation for advance to Green Line.

7.14am: The advance commenced. There was considerable amount of opposition here from concrete block houses along the Railway in the 38th Divisional Area. This necessitated the extension of No 1 Coy to the right and reinforcing of the 2nd Wave. The right of the Battn began to check but reinforcements from No 3 Company carried the line forward. At the same time No 2 Company captured a Block house on the left containing 4 Machine Guns, 3 officers, and 50 O.R. This was just short of the Green Line. No 2 Coy also assisted No 1 Coy with covering fire (rapid Lewis Gun).

7.55am: The Green Line was captured and consolidation commenced. No 2 Coy here got in touch with 1st Battn Coldstream Guards on the left. Vulcan Crossing was captured by No 1 and 3 Companies. Covering fire from No 1 Company which was brought to bear on enemy’s Machine Gun at about U.27.c&d central which enabled 38th Division to continue their advance to the Green Line where they commenced to dig in and to a position when they were in touch with No 1 Company.

Two (2) platoons No 3 Coy assisted No 1 Coy to dig in. The remainder of No 3 dug a support line about 300 yards in rear of Green Line. The Germans put down their heavy barrage on road (Vulcan Crossing - Kortekeer cabin). Battalion Headquarters established at C.2.a.8.9.

1 Platoon 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards assisted No 3 Coy to capture a M/Gun post on right of Railway.

8am: Covering patrols (2 Lewis Guns from each front Company) went out up to the barrage.

8.40am: 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards commenced moving through. The 3^rd Battalion held their lines as above until after dusk when No 1 Company came back and dug a line running on the left of Grand Barriere House. No 2 Company continued to hold the Green Dotted Line, No 3 Company the Support Line, and No 4 Company the Blue Line.

Exceptionally heavy rain fell all the evening & all night, at 10 p.m. Lt M. Dugmore brought up Pack animals as far as Grand Barriere House with water, ammunition and rum which was issued to companies on arrival.

Boesinghe – 1/8/17 - 12.40am: Bn HQ moved into Grand Barriere House. There was a good deal of shelling and Machine Gun fire all day. The Battalion was relieved immediately after dark by the 1^st Bn Irish Guards and marched back to Bivouac No 1 in the Forrest area.

Total casualties in the battle = 26 killed, 113 wounded and 12 missing. 2/Lt B.J. Dunlop & Captain G.W. East R.A.M.C. killed.

Bivouac No 1 in the Forrest Area – 2/8/17: The Battalion rested.