[Illustration:  Diagram (not to scale) to illustrate positions of Companies at 5.14 A.M.  Sept 24th 1918 during attack on Pontruet.]

In the centre there was more fighting, and while L/Cpls.  Downs and Starbuck and Pte.  Meakin led their parties through with tremendous dash, one Lewis Gun section under Dakin, a “No. 1” Lewis Gunner, found itself held up by a strong German post.  The “No. 2” was killed, and Dakin himself was shot through both thighs almost at once, so that there was no one left to work the gun.  However, Hyden, an untrained soldier, came forward and fired the gun, while Dakin, bleeding freely and with both thighs broken, lay beside him and corrected stoppages, until he succumbed to his injuries.

The Company’s heaviest losses were on the Southern or upper side of the village.  For, in the S.W. corner, the Germans had two lengths of well defended trench, supported by a block house, and against these 2nd.  Lieuts.  Aster and Quint and Corporal Tyers led their men.  The two officers were killed almost together at the second trench, but the Corporal broke clean through, only to be shot through the head when almost outside the village.  Seven others of this same gallant party were killed at this corner, and the remainder, unable to deal with the blockhouse, fought their way through to the main part of the Company.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Battalion had been far less fortunate, and, with no road to guide them, had been baffled by the fog. 2nd Lieut.  Lewin and Serjt.  Harrison with a small party of “B” Company crossed the valley and, turning right, followed No. 1 Platoon into the Southern half of the village.  They were too small a body to clear the blockhouse corner, and first Serjt.  Harrison, then 2nd Lieut.  Levin were killed as they gallantly tried to get forward.  Two others of their men were hit, and the rest were scattered.

One platoon of “B” Company remained intact. 2nd Lieut.  Cosgrove, finding he could not keep direction and advance at the required pace, dropped behind.  Stopping every few yards to take a compass bearing, this officer finally brought his platoon to its allotted turning point and entered the village.  Following the lower road, the platoon split into two halves and “mopped up” anything left by “A” Company, making sure that the whole of this side of the village was absolutely clear of the enemy. 2nd Lieut.  Cosgrove with his two sections joined Lieut.  Brodribb outside the village.  Corporal Barber with his Lewis gun section took up a position inside near the Cemetery.

The rest of “B” Company and the left half Battalion fared badly.  Forgan’s trench, supposed to be held by a few odd posts, was strongly manned from end to end.  It was wired in front and lateral belts had been placed at frequent intervals across it.  It would have been a stiff task for a Company to take it with a direct frontal attack; to “work up” it was impossible.  None the less, “D” Company (Brooke) did their