to Lucheux, and by the time they returned to trenches on the 30th they were all very tired.  However, every man knew exactly what to do, where to go and when; the most minute details had been worked out, and even individuals as well as sections and platoons had been given definite tasks, so there was every prospect of a successful fight the next day.  It was true the wire was in several places uncut, but still there were plenty of gaps, and this should be no obstacle.

Soon after midnight 30th June/1st July all the attacking troops were in position, and we moved up to Midland Trench, an assembly trench running North and South about 700 yards West of Foncquevillers Church.  “A” Company (Ward Jackson) and “D” Company (Tomson) were in cellars and dug-outs in the village, since they would be wanted first.  There were many communication trenches along the front, up which we should advance, for at the last moment all were made “up” trenches until after the attack; originally some were “up” and some “down.”  This eleventh hour alteration caused considerable confusion later.  Meanwhile, throughout the night our gunners fired continuously on the Boche trenches, villages, and particularly roads and railways, for we wished, if possible, to stop all rations and ammunition from the Gommecourt garrison.

Dawn came at last—­a fine day.  At 6-24 our barrage started, far more intense than anything we had used during the previous days, so that the Boche may have guessed what was going to happen.  Smoke shells were mixed with the H.E., and at 7-30 a smoke trench mortar screen was put down, and the Infantry advanced.  Four waves crossed No Man’s Land, and then the smoke blew away and the whole of our attack was revealed.  On the right the Staffords, passing the Sucrerie, found the German wire still strong, and had to struggle through where they could, only to find many enemy with their machine guns undamaged by our bombardment.  On the left the 5th and 7th Sherwood Foresters entered the Wood and pressed on, leaving the first enemy lines to the rear waves.  But the smoke had gone and these rear waves had no protection.  As the fifth line left our trenches it was met with machine gun fire from the North, from the “Z” and from the front line, over which the Sherwood Foresters had passed.  None the less the wave struggled on, until artillery was added to machine guns, field guns from Monchy enfiladed No Man’s Land, every German battery sent its shells into the carrying parties, and the attack was stopped.  The two leading Staffordshire Battalions, except for a few who reached the enemy’s lines, were held up on his wire or near the Sucrerie, where many fell.  The two leading Sherwood Foresters had crossed No Man’s Land almost unscathed, had entered the German lines complete, and were never seen again.  Commanding Officers, Battalion Headquarters and their Companies were lost.  The other four Battalions, after losing their leading wave, remained in our front trenches and sent back messages for more smoke, while here and there gallant efforts were made by platoons and sections to take help into the wood.