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Wilson, S. J.

"The Seventh Manchesters July 1916 to March 1919"

Their turn came on the night of July 27th, when
it was decided to push forward and occupy Cetorix Trench, about 300
yards beyond the Triangle, and so make our position even more secure.
Unfortunately there was very heavy rain in the early evening, but the
party went out, and after a serious dispute with the enemy, in which
2nd-Lt. Goodier, M.C., was wounded again, gained their objective. What
was supposed to be a trench, however, was found to be a sunken road,
frightfully shell-pitted, and in a most appalling condition of mud and
water. It was not considered worth holding and the whole party was
wisely withdrawn.
The La Signy Farm fighting was not yet over, for on the morning of
August 3rd, while "B" company were in the front line, the enemy put down
a heavy barrage on all our positions, particularly on the Triangle.
Then, just as dawn broke, a party of about forty Huns rapidly started
across No Man's Land, but the 7th were too much for them. They stuck to
their posts and rapidly emptied Lewis guns and rifles amongst them, and
when they were sufficiently close greeted them also with bombs. The
Boche became disorganised and scattered, some groping about for gaps in
our hastily constructed wire, but it was a hopeless business and the
remaining plucky ones cleared off in disgust. Then Lt. Pell-Ilderton
followed out with a small party, and finding a couple of dead brought
them in. The Huns had carefully removed all evidences of identification
before the venture, but one man had a black and white cockade in his
cap, which proved him to be a Prussian.


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