Capt.  Banwell now arrived with two platoons of “C” Company, and thinking it possible that the Companies on the right might not have got as far even as “D” Company, decided to protect the right flank from any possible counter-attack.  He sent off Serjt.  Tunks and No. 11 Platoon to prolong “D” Company’s line to the right; they did this and managed to advance a few yards further before being compelled to dig in and keep very flat by the enemy’s machine guns.  A few minutes later 2nd Lieut.  Griffiths followed with his platoon, to work Southwards into the woods to try and find the centre Company, or at least discover how they were situated.  They managed to advance about 400 yards before they too met with fierce opposition, and had three men cut off and captured by a strong party of Boche concealed in the undergrowth.  Eventually, unable to find any trace of “B” Company, 2nd Lieut.  Griffiths decided to “dig in” where he was, and by doing so extended “C” Company’s line still further to the right, bending back slightly to protect the flank.  At 8-0 a.m. the 1st Battalion on the left had reached the same line and were similarly held up.  Capt.  Banwell therefore reported to Headquarters that further advance without artillery support was impossible, and that “C” and “D” Companies were holding a line running Southwards for 400 yards from the group of houses, into the Bois de Riquerval, and would wait there for instructions.

Meanwhile the centre and right had fared even worse.  In the centre “B” Company, formed up originally in an isolated copse, moved forward at 5-15 a.m. in two parties towards the main part of the wood.  The left hand party under 2nd Lieut.  Argyle had plenty of cover for the first half-mile and pushed on rapidly, until, coming over a small crest into the open, they too met with heavy machine-gun fire.  After several ineffectual efforts to advance, they dug themselves in and remained there for the rest of the day, replying to the Boche fire with their Lewis Guns, but with no visible effect. (It was afterwards discovered that this party were less than 100 yards behind 2nd Lieut.  Griffiths’ platoon, unable to see each other owing to a “fold” in the ground.) The other half Company under 2nd Lieut.  Cosgrove started their advance across an absolutely open patch of ground, sloping gently downwards towards the centre of the woods.  They had gone a few yards when the daylight showed their position to the Boche, and for the next half-hour they suffered heavily.  Lying on the forward slope, with no cover, they saw 50 yards away on their right two small but deep trenches.  One man tried to run there and was hit a few yards from them; another had better luck and got there safely, through a perfect stream of bullets from three guns. 2nd Lieut.  Cosgrove himself was badly wounded and had to be carried out, so also was Serjt.  Muggleston.  The others, some crawling and some running, gradually collected in the two trenches and remained there for the rest of the day.