With the 20th (Light) Division

The 20th (Light) Division, with our 11th and 12th Battalions, formed part of the Corps reserve of the XVIII Corps. At 1 p.m. on 21st March they moved to concentration areas, and manned the rear zone Vaux to Rumignon early on the 22nd. Having covered the retirement of the forward divisions, positions were held which checked the enemy's advance on the 23rd, and after several gallant attacks the Division continued to maintain the line of the River Somme until ordered to retire at 12.20 p.m. on the 24th. Retirement continued until the end of the month, owing to flanks being constantly turned, but cohesion was never lost and our battalions took part in many hard-fought and often successful actions. Both battalions lost their Commanding Officers, Lieutenant-Colonel G. K. Priaulx, D.S.O., 11th Battalion, killed, and Lieutenant-Colonel L. G. Moore, D.S.O., 12th Battalion, wounded and captured.

Losses of the two battalions.—Officers: killed 11, wounded 19, missing 6; other ranks: 885.

Our Other Battalions

The 17th Battalion were with the 29th Division in G.H.O. reserve on 21st March, but by the next day they were supporting the front-line battalions near Tincourt Wood. Retirement was soon commenced and continued in good order until 30th March. A breach always occurred somewhere and flanks were therefore exposed. Their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel A. P. H. Le Prevost, D.S.O., was wounded on the 27th, and his successor, Major E. Fairlie, was killed in a successful counter-attack on the 30th.

Losses.—Officers: killed 2, wounded 10, missing 1; other ranks,361.

The battle honours ST. QUENTIN; ROSIERES; AVRE; and BAPAUME, 1918, were granted to the Regiment in respect of the operations of the Fifth Army in March, 1918.

Arras 1918

The 1st Battalion were in the V Corps, Third Army. They had lost 320 men from mustard gas in their last tour of duty in the trenches. On the 22nd they were moved up in the Dessart Switch Line, but retirement began on the 23rd and continued until the 27th. During this time the Battalion usually acted on the initiative of its commander, keeping cohesion and stopping gaps as best they could. By the 27th they had reached the old British trenches near Beaumont Hamel. On the 28th they were reorganized as one company of a composite battalion formed from the 99th Brigade and after 1st April they took no further part in the battle.

Losses. Officers: killed 3, wounded 9, missing 1; other ranks: 475.