The following officers of the 2nd Battalion took part in the attack on the 25th:
Lieut.-Colonel C. R. C. de Crespigny, D.S.O. Commanding Officer. Capt. the Hon. W. R. Bailey Adjutant. Lieut. M. A. Knatchbull-Hugessen Lewis Gun Officer. Lieut. A. F. Irvine No. 1 Company. 2nd Lieut. G. A. Arbuthnot ” ” Capt. A. K. S. Cunninghame No. 2 Company. Lieut. H. G. Wiggins ” ” 2nd Lieut. F. H. G. Layland-Barratt ” ” Capt. W. H. Beaumont-Nesbitt No. 3 Company. Lieut. A. McW. Lawson-Johnston ” ” Capt. G. C. FitzH. Harcourt-Vernon No. 4 Company. Lieutenant the Hon. W. A. D. Parnell ” ” Lieut. R. B. B. Wright ” ” Capt. J. Andrews, R.A.M.C. Medical Officer.
The remainder of the officers remained with the transport.
Late on the night of the 24th the Brigade was informed that zero hour would be 12.35 P.M. the next day. The 2nd Battalion Grenadiers moved up that night from Bernafay Wood to relieve the 2nd Battalion Coldstream in the trenches preparatory to the attack, with its right on the Ginchy――Lesbœufs road. On arrival at the assembly trench No. 1 Company was placed on the right and No. 2 on the left, with No. 3 and No. 4 in support. The trenches were so narrow that the men were unable to sit or lie down, and had to remain standing all the next morning, shoulder to shoulder.
Punctually at 12.35 P.M. the attack was launched, and immediately the creeping barrage was put down by our artillery with great accuracy 200 yards in front of the attacking force. The necessity of getting men across No Man’s Land as promptly as possible after zero had been found from experience to be of paramount importance, and the Grenadier and Irish Guards therefore did not hesitate for a moment, but dashed forward in two waves. The enemy must have had some very accurate information about our intentions, for the attackers had hardly left their trench (it was three-quarters of a minute after zero) when they put down a heavy barrage on our front trenches, as well as on the support and communication trenches.
The leading wave of men was able to get close up under our creeping barrage, and the Irish Guards found no difficulty in capturing the first objective at the point of the bayonet. The 2nd Battalion Grenadiers would have had an equally simple task but for the fact that the wire in front of them, which was in standing crops and therefore hidden, had been very little damaged by our artillery fire. There seemed no possibility of getting through it, with the Germans so close, and for the moment the whole advance of the Grenadiers was held up.