The loss of mates

"Started and it was like hell. Easily the heaviest I have seen since the Somme. The boys went as far as the second line and gave him a good thrashing. We took about 45 prisoners and killed a few hundred. 55 out of 153 from our company were wounded, killed or missing. It was cruel to see the boys coming out wounded, some of them very bad. I saw over 100 wounded men, I tell you there was some blood flying about."

"You have no idea of the pluck of most of them. I got a bit of a knock when one of our first men to come out told me four of the boys that I have been with during training etc and with on the Somme were killed. They were all very decent sorts, and were joking with me just before going into our front trench."

"The Captain (Stewart Hewett) had his right hand badly shattered and will lose his hands and part of his arm. He was only a young chap but a terribly decent sort. "