comparatively good time and suffered very few casualties, whilst No. 5
Platoon, under Lieut. A.B. Hare, had none at all, and reached Zonnebeke
Crossing in safety. The remaining Companies got the full effect of the
barrage, which included gas shells, and lost direction towards the left.
Capt. W.H.D. Devey, commanding C Company, was wounded, Capt. J. Monkhouse
killed, and 2nd Lieut. H.H. Nicholson wounded. As a result of the loss of
direction a gap was formed, and A Company were pushed forward to fill it.
In spite of heavy casualties the line was maintained, and continued to
advance, firing all the time on the enemy, who could be seen from the new
positions. It was not till they had advanced a considerable distance that
the officers and men found that there was another line of British troops
ahead of them, holding out in shell-holes, on hillsides, etc.

When this was discovered, Lieut. T.B. Heslop, with No. 11 Platoon and
part of No. 9 Platoon, joined the London Rifle Brigade; 2nd Lieut. R.V.
Hare, with No. 10 Platoon, joined a Battalion of the Shropshire Light
Infantry, and 2nd Lieut. G. Angus, with the remainder of No. 9 Platoon,
took up a position in support on the hill. By this time A and D Companies
were in the forward positions. As already described, A Company had moved
up to fill the gap between B and C Companies, and D Company had also
moved to the assistance of C Company. As a result, the men of all
Companies were mixed together, and it is difficult to say how they were
distributed, but A Company seem to have been in two parts, one with D
Company and one next to B Company. The former passed over Hill 37 and
eventually joined the London Rifle Brigade in some ditches which formed
the front line. There they suffered many casualties. Amongst others,
Major S.E. Badcock and 2nd Lieut. Kynoch were killed and Capt. F. Walton
and 2nd Lieut. G. Kirkhouse were wounded. As soon as the advance had
commenced, the Adjutant, Capt. J.W. Jeffreys, had galloped through the
barrage to find Zonnebeke crossing. Having shown it to the Company on the