When the battle began in the early hours of 13 November, platoons from the 1st RMLI crawled across no-man's land towards the German line.

German artillery-fire and machine-gun fire was so effective that all company commanding officers of the 1st RMLI were killed before reaching the first objective.

[2][4][5] The German trenches had been severely damaged by the British bombardment, the attackers lost direction and leap-frogging broke down.

The Nelson, Hawke and Howe battalions had suffered many casualties; Lieutenant-Colonel Burge of the Nelson Battalion was killed whilst attacking a fortified section of the Dotted Green Line and Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson was severely wounded attacking the same objective.

[2][6][7][8] On the north bank of the Ancre, the 63rd Division attacked on 17 February, with the 188th Brigade and two battalions of the 189th Brigade, to capture 700 yards (640 m) of the road north from Baillescourt Farm towards Puisieux, to gain observation over Miraumont and form a defensive flank on the left, back to the existing front line.

The creeping barrage moved at 100 yards (91 m) in four minutes, slower than the rate on the south bank and the Germans in a small number of strong-points were quickly overcome.

The centre of the attack was held up on the road between Bray Farm and the village of Wallemolen and the troops dug-in near Source Trench.

In April 1919, the 188th Brigade, along with the remainder of the 63rd Division, was demobilised and its sub-units consequently disbanded, other than 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment which was transferred to the British Army of the Rhine.

[1][2] Before the end of the Siege of Antwerp in 1914, Colonel David Mercer CB RM took command of the 1st Royal Naval Brigade.

[16][17][18][19][20] Although supporting troops of the Royal Naval Division were wearing the anchor divisional sign, in a variety of combinations of colours, it was not worn by the infantry.