Events
as described above, however, had decided otherwise, for about 10 p.m. a
divisional staff officer arrived with orders to fall back to a line of
defence between Logeast Wood and Courcelles.
Casualties had been fairly heavy in this day's work. Capt. J. Baker and
2nd.-Lt. B. Taylor had gone down wounded, while Col. Bromfield, Capt.
Creagh and the M.O. had all been slightly wounded by a shell which
knocked in the entrance to the headquarter's dug-out. They remained at
duty, although the C.O. suffered considerably from an internal bruise in
the stomach which made it impossible for him to walk without assistance.
The arrangements for clearing the wounded became confused when
Gomiecourt was evacuated, for there the Advanced Dressing Station had
been established. Then it was that the Padre displayed his vigour,
courage and resource. He commandeered a hut close to Achiet and had a
large number of wounded from various battalions collected there.
Eventually he was able to get an ambulance which carried many of them
back to the Casualty Clearing Station, but this process suddenly
stopped. All sorts of conveyances were then seized and men were
gradually carried back. When the order to withdraw became known matters
were critical, but the Padre continued his labours. Difficulties were
not diminished when the Hun commenced to drop 5.9's near this spot.
Hoskyns was slightly wounded, but he was bound up and carried on his
self-appointed task until some time after the last of the brigade had
gone by, leaving him with no one in front but the Hun.
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