he operations of the 41st Division on our right.

The situation created by the enemy's attack on Ridgewood on the 28th
May had never been satisfactorily restored, in spite of repeated
attempts on the part of the 46th (French) Division. The 6th Division
took over with the determination to put this right on the first
opportunity, profiting by the lessons learnt in the successive attacks
made by the French Chasseurs, which their Division had placed most
unreservedly at our disposal. After careful reconnaissance the 18th
Infantry Brigade, assisted by two companies of the 1st Middlesex
Regiment of the 33rd Division, attacked the enemy at 6 a.m. on the
14th July. The attack delivered by the 1st West Yorkshire Regiment and
the 2nd D.L.I. and the two above-mentioned companies was a complete
success. The enemy, taken entirely by surprise, only offered any
resistance in one or two isolated cases, and the dash and prompt
initiative of the attacking troops soon dealt with these. All
objectives were gained, Ridgewood and Elzenwalle retaken, and 7
officers, 341 other ranks, 25 machine-guns, and 3 trench-mortars
captured at small cost to the attackers. Large quantities of
trench-mortar ammunition, found dumped close up to the front line,
demonstrated the correctness of the view that the enemy had in
contemplation a resumption of his offensive on this front. For
this the Division received congratulations from the Commander-in-Chief,
the G.O.C., Second Army (General Sir Herbert Plumer), and G.O.C., XIX
Corps.

The raid of the 1st The Buffs was carried out on the 2nd August. The
objective was the Brasserie and neighbouring farms. The raid, which
was by day and on a fairly extensive scale, was very successful.

On the 8th August the 41st Division carried out a small operation, in
co-operation with which the 18th Infantry Brigade undertook two minor
operations. That by a company of the 1st West Yorkshire Regiment on
the Vierstraat Road was unsuccessful, through no fault of the
attacking infantry, who were held up by machine-guns sited so far
forward that they had escaped our barrage. On the right a company of
the 2nd D.L.I., operating in direct touch with the left of the 41st
Division, was completely successful in carrying out its task. In
connection with operations on this front the Division sustained a
severe loss in Major R. W. Barnett, K.R.R., G.S.O.2, who was killed by
a sniper while reconnoitring on 12th August.

During July and