At 7-20 p.m. the rain stopped, the barrage started, and we went forward.  At the same time real and dummy gas attacks were made North of the Lievin-Lens road, and the enemy must have wondered very much where the main attack would be.  The result was satisfactory; we met no real barrage and no very heavy machine gun fire, though there was a considerable amount of scattered shooting of both kinds.  This did not delay our advance, though 2nd Lieut.  Dawes was wounded and had to leave his Company.  Our only difficulty was the mine building, through which “A” Company were supposed to advance; this was found to be impenetrable, and Captain Petch had to send half his Company through “B” Company’s frontage, and half through the 4th Leicestershires, so as to avoid it.  “Adjunct” and “Adjacent” trenches were reached practically without loss, but the enemy did not stay to receive us, and we found them empty.  At 7.40 p.m.  Yates, the “A” Company runner, reached headquarters with the news of the success of the battle.

“Adjacent” trench was organised as our new outpost line and several strong points were built along it.  We also secured the Western end of “Almanac,” a communication trench running N.E. alongside the railway.  Halfway up this trench a deserted Boche machine gun post would have provided us with an excellent forward post, but unfortunately it was in our defensive barrage line and we were not allowed to occupy it.  We had, therefore, to content ourselves with collecting the souvenirs, which included a telephone, and to come away.  We had several casualties while consolidating, and lost another officer, 2nd Lieut.  M.J.S.  Dyson, who was slightly wounded by a stray shell.  “B” Company lost Cpl.  Baker wounded, and L/Cpl.  Snow of “A” was also hit, in addition to two killed and twenty-five others wounded in the Battalion.  The scattered shelling became somewhat more concentrated after our arrival, but did not stop our consolidation, which went forward rapidly with only one pause.  About 8.0 p.m. there was a terrific rainstorm and everyone stopped work to put on waterproof sheets.  The enemy must have done the same, and it was curious to notice how the battle stopped while everybody sheltered, for while the rain lasted there was complete silence, and neither side fired a shot.

Our task the next morning was to discover how far the Boche had retired.  The Canadians South of the river had pushed on to the outskirts of Cite St. Antoine, almost in Lens itself, and, with “Hill 65” in our hands, the German positions in the Cite du Moulin were overlooked from everywhere.  Patrols were sent forward to investigate, and 2nd Lieut.  Brooke, with some of “D” Company, pushed forward up “Almanac” trench as far as the Arras road.  Here they caught sight of a Boche patrol, which promptly fled as fast as possible.  Except for this, the day passed quietly, as did the following morning.