April 10, 1917

April 10th. The enemy line having been taken Aid Post advanced from Fenchy Chapelle with the battalion to a line from Les Fosse Farm northwards towards Monchy, during the advance we suffered casualties from shell fire and bearer squad carried back one stretcher case. Aid Post was established in cellar in Les Fosse Farm in front line and A.D.S. informed of our position. During night a number of wounded including eight stretcher cases were treated.

[Description of the initial advance from Feuchy Chapel to Monchy:

The brigade’s action was such as could not, for smoothness and promptitude, have been excelled on manoeuvres. The 8/East Lancashire and 6/Bedfordshire were away over Chapel Hill in artillery formation before the enemy could bring down a barrage to check them. Eight guns of the 112th Machine Gun Company hastily installed of Chapel and Orange Hills at once began to barrage Guemappe and Monchy over their heads. 1.]

[Veteran Thomas Heap of the 8th East Lancs remembered the attack many years later:

When we went over, one of my pals who was a verteran and had been over before said he was scared stiff and did not think he was coming back. He didn’t! He was by my side when he was machine gunned, he just gasped and dropped. I stayed with him to make him comfortable. He died and I had to carry on. By the time we dug in again we had fewer than twenty men and all the officers and NCOs were casualties. 2.]

1. Nicholson, L. & Macmullen, H.T., History of the East Lancashire Regiment in the First World War 1914-18 p.221-2 (Littlebury Press:1936)

2. Barker, S. & Boardman, C., Lancashire’s Forgotten Heroes p.112 (The History Press: 2008)