We reached Liverpool Trench, the assembly trench from
which we were to go over the top on the morrow, about 11 p.m.... D and B
Companies were in Liverpool Trench, and C and A Companies in Congreve
Walk--the other side of Garden Street. It was a dull, cloudy night. The
guns were continually booming. Our howitzers were flinging gas-shells on
to every known German battery throughout the night. The enemy replied by
shelling Liverpool Trench and Congreve Walk--especially the latter. One
shell burst right in the trench, took one of Verity's legs almost clean
off, and killed his servant Butterworth. The shells were bursting all
night. All our trenches were simply packed with troops ready to go over
the top at Zero. Lewis's 166 Brigade filled the trenches in front of us.
The 55th Division occupied a front from the west of Wieltje to Warwick
Farm. Half of this frontage was occupied by Lewis's 166 Brigade on the
left, and Boyd-Moss's 165 Brigade occupied the other half on the right.
Stockwell's 164 Brigade occupied the whole frontage in rear with the
object of passing through the front brigades and penetrating into the
enemy's positions. The 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers were the left front
battalion of the 164 Brigade. Colonel Hindle's 1/4th North Lancashires
were on the right.
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