Читать книгу The War History of the 1st/ 4th Battalion, 1914-1918. The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment онлайн

70 страница из 81

The total casualties for the month were two Other Ranks killed, six wounded, and 26 sick, including four Officers.

On the afternoon of July 1st, the enemy shelled our reserve and support trenches and also the village of AGNY with 4.2’s, whilst late at night he opened fire on the front line with “whizzbangs” and 4.2’s, trench mortars, rifle grenades, and machine guns. He also sent up a large number of flares, but our artillery replied and activities ceased within an hour.

The following day Lieutenant-Colonel Hindle went to hospital, and Major Crump again assumed command of the Battalion. There was considerable enemy activity with artillery and trench mortars, whilst our aeroplanes were active. The trenches were damaged by enemy gunfire the following day, when Second Lieutenant Jump and three Other Ranks were wounded. The Battalion was relieved by the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers on the 4th, and went to billets at DAINEVILLE; Colonel Hindle returned the same day, but on the 7th he again had to go to hospital. On the 10th we practised over trenches similar to those we expected to attack. The attack was practised several times, and on the night of the 11th the Battalion relieved the 1/6th King’s Liverpools. Two nights later the Brigade made a demonstration, Second Lieutenant Saunders being in charge of a party which went over at midnight to bomb an enemy sap. Though they were unable to enter the sap, owing to wire being uncut, a number of bombs were thrown into it, and it was not until the party returned that the enemy replied with light machine gun and rifle fire.