The Attack - A Company
Right Company (A COY)
No 1 Platoon under 2/Lieut W Shadbolt got to Vale House with only a few casualties & consolidated the flanks.
No 2 Platoon passed through No 1 has some severe fighting around Winzig took prisoners and consolidated.
No 3 & 4 Platoons came through No 1 & 2 but the New Zealanders (1 Auckland Bn) lost direction and pushed our men over to the left. No 3 platoon under 2/Lieut A.F. Foreman got on to the high ground around D.2 central & consolidated with the 1/6th R. War R. on the left and the New Zealanders on the right, he had about 10 men remaining. No 4 Platoon after casualties from M.G. fire on the left reached D.2.c.7.1 and dug in.
About zero + 50 minutes heavy shelling of Vale House commenced almost wiping out No 1 Platoon, wounding the Platoon commander & killing or wounding all of the forward HQ which had just moved up there. (Capt Holt, 2/Lt Mincher and 2/Lt Shadbolt wounded)
The Attack - B Company
Left Front Company (B COY)
As soon as the leading platoons commenced moving forward heavy M.G. fire was opened from the front about D.2.c.1.4 – D.2.c.5.5 in all about 5 (light pattern) M.G’s and many snipers. These places were eventually cleaned up but the Coy was only about 30 strong, Lt C.E. Carrington with about 10 men worked across to D.2 central & consolidated there. The remainder of the Coy consolidated in the positions they had taken.
The Attack - C Company
Right Support Company (C COY)
Moved up at zero + 20 minutes & some of the leading men became somewhat involved in the fighting round Winzig. The pressure from the New Zealanders on the right pushed the Coy over & 2/Lt Hale with No 9 Platoon got to about D.2 central & consolidated just in rear of the New Zealanders. No 10 & 11 lost direction & I found them about 9.15am about D.2.c.3.3 & sent them off in the direction of their objectives D.3.c.0.6 and D.3.c.2.8 but apparently they crossed the Strombeek about D.2.c.1.6 & working to the left consolidated behind the New Zealanders about D.2.b.2.1
The Attack - D Company
Left Support Company (D COY)
Moved up at zero + 20 minutes & soon lost all its Officers and 3 Platoon Sergeants from shell fire & snipers who still held out about D.2.c.5.3. The remains of 2 platoons I found about D.2.d.14 where they were dug in close to the 2 M.G’s of A Section (Lt Whyle) the other two platoons were in shell holes when I arrived about 9.30am & I ordered CSM Scott to dig in along the line of the Strombeek about D.2.c.5.5.
About 100 prisoners were taken (wounded and unwounded) by the Battalion. During the day Lt C.E. Carrington was ordered to withdraw and form a Support Coy about Albatross Farm. Also in the afternoon the New Zealanders moved to the right, thereby leaving about 30 men of the 1/5 R.War.R under 2/Lt F.W.Hale & 2/Lt A.F. Foreman between D.2 central & Wellington Farm. This thinning out was very necessary as there were too many men in the area & it was being heavily shelled.
