All troops were in position as ordered with but trifling casualties and the night of 8th-9th May passed quietly. Our own wire had been cut and bridges laid as directed. The bombardment commenced punctually at 5 A.M. and the enemy’s wire was cut satisfactorily, but many of our rounds were reported as falling short. At the appointed hour, the battalions of the Dehra Dun Brigade, the 2/2nd Gurkhas, 1/4th Seaforths, 1st Seaforths (6th Jats and 1/9th Gurkhas in support) went over the top preparatory to the assault. Even with the certainty of being met by an inferno of fire within a few seconds, one young officer was heard to ask another if he knew the Report Centre of his Brigade, and on his replying that he was not sure, a laugh was raised by the questioner saying, “Why, you have often been there, it is 96 Piccadilly”; and in fact it was so, but situated for the time being in the Rue du Bois. The morning was bright, and from all appearances the Germans appeared quite unaware of our concentration and proposed attack. However, immediately the Infantry crossed over the parapet to form up preparatory to the assault, heavy machine-gun fire was opened on them from guns sited almost on the ground level. The enemy’s Infantry also manned the trenches. The 2nd Gurkhas as they started their rush met a terrific fire, and all the officers who had crossed the parapet were shot down. Lieut. Collins and Captain C. M. Mullaly were killed at this time, and Captain Kenneth Park, a nephew of mine, who had insisted on joining in the battle although in very poor health, was mortally wounded. The men from Nepal, notwithstanding every effort, were literally cut down and unable to advance beyond a ditch in their front. The 4th Seaforths and 1st Seaforths advanced with their usual bravery but met with the same fate and lay for hours under a leaden sheet, getting back as best they could after dark. In the 4th Seaforths, Lieutenants Tennant, Railton, and Bastian were killed. Notwithstanding the most gallant efforts to cross the fire-swept ground, by 6 A.M. it was definitely known our attack had failed to reach its first objective. One company 6th Jats, which had been directed between the left of First Corps and our right was practically annihilated, and Captain Dudley and Subadar Lekh Ram were killed. The hostile guns, which up to now had not done much firing, opened a searching and heavy fire on our trenches and the Rue du Bois, in consequence of which the Dehra Dun and Bareilly Brigades suffered numerous casualties; the 41st Dogras being particularly unfortunate in this respect.