Meanwhile the 10th Manchesters had achieved fame by their defence of Ervillers, and Oldham folk will always regard with pride the distinction their men earned here. Eight separate determined attacks upon the battalion had been made by superior numbers, but the 10th, assisted by a company of machine-gunners which had been pushed up to cover their left flank, had repulsed them all, losing good men, but inflicting far greater loss upon the enemy. For this day’s work the 10th Manchesters had the honour to be one of the very few battalions mentioned individually in Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch. But, owing to the withdrawal to the Courcelles line of a brigade of the division on their left, they were forced to withdraw from the village about 9.30 p.m., and take up a position 1000 yards east of Gomiecourt. The Divisional Artillery, which had arrived about noon, and had immediately come into action, now covered the divisional front, some of the batteries being within 800 yards of the front line, and Battery D/211 had every gun knocked out. About 10 p.m. (March 25), the 125th Brigade, which had dug in on the ridge between Gomiecourt and the Ervillers—Behagnies road, with the 7th L.F. on the right, the 5th on the left, and the 8th in support, was again heavily attacked. Lieut.-Colonel Holberton, with his habitual disregard of personal safety, walked along the line encouraging and heartening his men, and was shot through the head and killed instantly. Colonel Holberton, who went out with the Division in September 1914 as Adjutant of the 6th Manchesters, was a fine soldier and cheery, gallant comrade, whose death was deplored by all ranks throughout the Division. [Sidenote: _March 25-26_]