Meanwhile a critical situation had developed on the right. At 8 A.M. the enemy, advancing from Ham, forced our troops out of Canizy and back to the railway. Lieut.-Colonel Moore, commanding the 12th K.R.R.C., immediately led “B” and “D” Companies of his battalion forward to counter attack. It was a great charge, and the bayonet was used with wonderful effect, but when it was over, Lieut.-Colonel Moore was missing. The Germans were driven back into the village, but later they came on again in greater numbers than before, and under very strong pressure the right of the 12th K.R.R.C. swung back to the railway again. In the course of this fighting our aeroplanes gave invaluable help. At one time, when “C” Company of the 12th K.R.R.C. was holding on to its position with great difficulty under heavy trench mortar fire, they nose-dived to a height of 200 feet and dropped bomb after bomb on to the German trench mortars until they put them completely out of action. At 9.30 A.M. Major Massie, commanding the 83rd Field Company R.E., with about thirty of his men, reported to Brig.-General Duncan, who ordered him to take up a position south of Canizy on the main Ham road. Moving forward behind cyclist scouts and an advanced guard Major Massie took up the allotted position, keeping one section in reserve. He collected a considerable number of stragglers of various units and took them under his command. He was in touch with the 12th K.R.R.C. on his left, but had no troops on his right. During the morning, repeated attempts of the enemy to advance were held up by the rifle fire of this party, with the help of one Lewis gun of the 30th Division. At 1.15 P.M. the pressure on the right increased, and half an hour later the reserve section was sent up to reinforce this flank with about thirty men of other divisions and some two or three hundred rounds of ammunition which had been collected. By 3 P.M. the right flank was being very heavily pressed and ammunition was running out, and at 3.30 the enemy made a heavy and determined attack against the whole company front. The losses from enfilade machine-gun fire were severe, but although the right was forced back the company held on until the troops on the left had retired. Then, having made a very gallant stand, Major Massie gradually withdrew his party while heavily engaged with the enemy, and eventually reported to the 60th Brigade at 7 o’clock that evening. By 1.20 P.M. the 30th Division had been forced back to the line of the Libermont Canal, leaving the right flank of the 60th Brigade exposed. At Pargny the enemy had increased the gap between the 20th and the 8th Divisions, while he maintained great pressure along the whole Divisional front. There was no course, then, but to fall back to the line Buverchy--Mesnil-St Nicaise.