Morning
On the night 13th/14th Feb the 10th Sherwoods relieved the 7th Lincolnshire Regt in trenches F29,30,31, 32. All four companies occupied frontline and support trenches and there was no Battalion reserve. On the right of the battalion were the Lancashire Fusiliers extending from New Years trench inclusive and on the left were the S Staffordshire Regt occupying from Trench F33 inclusive. The night was comparatively quiet and at 7.00am I visited the trenches.
At 8.30am the enemy commenced an intermittent bombardment with trench mortars, rifle grenades and some guns and in view of subsequent events this was apparently registering. This continued intermittently until 3:30pm when the enemy commenced a terrific bombardment on the frontline transport trenches.
Afternoon
At 3.40pm a message was received at the Bn HQ reporting heavy shelling in frontline and supports. This was repeated to the brigade and artillery offices who were at Bn HQ and as much retaliation was called for as could be obtained. Communication when the frontline was cut off very early but the shelling could be observed from HQ and constant messages were sent to the Bde HQ reporting that the shelling was still very heavy.
The retaliation commenced at about 4pm but was very inadequate and poor in comparison with that which was coming over and we had great difficulty in impressing the artillery with the seriousness of the situation. At the very height of the bombardment a message was received “Is that sufficient”.
The Company Commanders, although anticipating an attack, considered through information brought back to them by Officers patrols that it would be useless to send up any more men as the front trenches were battered to the ground and most of the original Garrison incapacitated.
Evening
At 5.40pm a mine appears to have been exploded in trench 31 add almost immediately the bombardment lifted and was directed to the reserve would. The Germans, preceded by a large number of bombers, who from some accounts were dressed in khaki with white bands on their right arms, jumped into our frontline trenches as the guns lifted I must have been well across No Man's Land before the bombardment lifted. Finding little or no resistance in the front lines the enemy continued to advance both overly open and down the communication trenches but were held up by our troops in the support trenches.
About this time (5.40pm) a messenger arrived at Bn HQ very exhausted and excited saying that the Germans while coming down the lane. This was confirmed almost immediately by others so it was decided to occupy an old trench running from just below Bn HQ across in the direction of Chester Farm and a messenger was sent to the detachment of the 7th Lincolnshire Regiment who were in Spoil Bank Dugouts informing them of the situation. The two companies were not under any command but at my invitation came up to reinforce the support lines.
I was then informed by the brigade that these two companies of the 7th Lincolnshire Regt and a company of 7th Border Regt will being placed under my command for a counter attack but I advised the Brigade to send the whole Border Regt (which was done) as I considered that the enemy had had too much time to consolidate for the counter attack to be successful with so small a force. To this they agreed and Lt Col Norrington arrived with the reminder of his battalion at about 10pm and took over command of the sector.
The counter attack was not successful. George was killed at some stage during these events.
