At 4.25Am on Aug 15, 1917, the 5th and 10th Battalions kicked off on the right and the 16th on the left of the 10th. The 5th and 10th took all their objectives but the 7th and 8th were held up at the chalk pit and the day ended with the objectives still untaken. I went up to Cameron Sap (a forward dugout) with Major Lefebvre. We got our bombs and supplies up to Cameron Sap along the tunnel which was cut thro the chalk. The tunnel was narrow and low and had about 3 or 4 inches of water in it, so that it was a hard job getting supplies up by this route.

On the morning of Aug 16 Templeman and I went up to the Red Line which was the objective set for the 10th. Things were as quiet as the grave, like a morning after the storm but it was only a lull. We found many of our men dead or wounded. Brigade ordered the 10th to attack again. There was a feeling that it was suicide to go forward with so few men. The companies were reduced to nearly one quarter strength but when the order was issued the men went forward and at 4 PM they had taken the chalk pit which the 8th should have taken. The Germans counterattacked but our men held on, tho there were rumors brought back to us by wounded that the 5th were being driven back.

The O.C. sent up word that I was to go up and see how things were and report. It wasn't a pleasant prospect. Pitch dark, trenches blown in, not knowing where our men were, heavy shelling.

During the night the 4th Batt. took over in the Red and Green lines and our men came back. On Aug 17 we were relieved by a company of the 1st Batt. and reported back to Headquarters. The Germans laid down a heavy gas barrage and we wore our helmets for 3 hours. Finally at 3.30 we left by way of the salient tunnel thro the Loos slag heap. The road out led thro Loos which was very low lying. I told the men to leave their mouth pieces in their mouth no matter what happened but if they couldn't see to take off the eye pieces as a last resort. We started out but found the going very bad thro broken iron, wire, etc. and men were being cut because they couldn't see, so we took off our eye pieces and got thro the gas. As we were clearing the town the Germans started to shell and shelled us all the way to Fosse 2 where we found tents behind a slag heap N.W. of Loos.

During the 18th Aug the 4th Batt. fought off a strong German counter attack or we would probably had to go back in. One of the officers had to go back to help bury the dead. My eyes were starting to hurt because of the gas but after a few days they cleaned up and I was none the worse for wear. Some of the men who came out with me went to Hospital and I was called on the carpet because of it. Being gassed was considered carelessness.