The instant our attack started, the forward troops came under intense machine-gun fire from an almost invisible enemy who had taken refuge in their “pill boxes” during our bombardment, and were now posted in carefully chosen tactical positions. Simultaneously our supporting troops suffered heavy casualties from enemy artillery, while the ground to be traversed was a deep sea of mud, which drowned wounded men and clogged rifles and Lewis guns in the first few minutes, rendering them entirely useless. Consequently it was not long before the attack was brought to a complete standstill, and the very attenuated Battalions proceeded to consolidate as best they could on our side of the Paddebeeke.[8] On our right the Canadians continued to advance: being on higher and drier ground they were able to get on, so that presently there was a dangerous gap between their left and our right. This was closed by sending up the Shropshires from our Brigade reserve. On this day the Artists went into action about 500 strong and suffered 350 casualties, amongst those killed being Captains Bare, Chetwood and Gordon Williams, Lieuts. Haslam and Howe, and our splendid Padre, Capt. Harry Dickinson. The toll of deaths would have been still higher but for the untiring efforts of our M.O., Capt. Matthew, who for 72 hours hardly rested from the work of collecting and dressing the wounded.[9] The task set the Division appeared to be an impossible one, and no doubt would not have been attempted but for the urgent necessity of those tremendous attacks in this sector, which drew away all the enemy’s reserves from other points where it was of the utmost importance to prevent his attacking in force. It was not a case of lives being fruitlessly thrown away, but of sacrifices which enabled the whole Allied line to remain intact at a time when the Russian débacle was straining to the utmost our resources on the Western Front. The next day the remains of the Battalion moved out of the line to refit, and while at Eringhem received a special message of sympathy in respect of their losses, and congratulations on the part they had played in the battle, brought direct to them from Earl Haig. They learned also from the Canadians (who were loud in their praises of the way in which our men had pressed forward) that several Artists had succeeded in actually crossing the Paddebeeke before being killed. DECEMBER, 1917.