Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
The War Diary for today records. EPEHY. 6.30am. Intense bombardment of FRONT LINE for over an hour, which extended to CLOSE SUPPORT LINE. 8.30am. Troubled by snipers in rear of YELLOW LINE. During the night 21st/22nd Two Field Companies of ROYAL ENGINEERS came up and were under our orders. One Company from the Reserve Brigade and three Vickers guns were also to have come under our orders, but failed to do so on account of being unable to get through hostile barrage. 8.40am. About this time Lieutenant Colonel W. N. STEWART D.S.O. was killed, being shot through the head by a sniper, death being instantaneous. Command of the Battalion being taken by Major J. C. BURDETT. 8.50am. Enemy reported to be massing in front of YELLOW LINE, patrols being within 100 yards of our line. 9.00am. Enemy attempted to bomb down COMMUNICATION TRENCH leading to our FRONT LINE, but were knocked out by a Lewis gun. 9.30am. Enemy worked round both flanks and we were surrounded. 11.00am. A rearguard action was fought to the BROWN LINE forming a defensive flank on the EPEHY-SAULCOURT ROAD, gaining touch with the 8th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. Enemy now advancing in extended order, wave after wave towards the BROWN LINE. Two tanks checked the enemy advance temporarily. 12.30pm. Enemy in EPEHY-SAULCOURT ROAD. Orders to withdraw to AERODROME-LONGAVESNES, 7th and 8th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. withdrawing north of EPEHY-SAULCOURT ROAD through BROWN LINE. Arrived LONGAVESNES about 3.00pm. We came under heavy artillery and intense machine gun fire from CAPRON COPSE and SAULCOURT during withdrawal. LONGAVESNES being shelled, orders were received to withdraw to AIZECOURT-LE-HAUT, where deficiencies of small arms ammunition etc. were made up.