On the 18th October, Mostyn Williams records that he has been selected as one of 20 to enter enemy trenches. Four days later, the party have reached their destination and carry out their task. In an unusually long diary entry, Williams records his experiences.
Everything soaking wet, cleared up during day, artillery bombards all day, flank guard parties move out at 7.30, storming & bombing parties at 8p.m, speech by Maj. Hopkins, passed through the wire at 9.30 & moved up ravine towards the Dorsale, hear flanking parties encountering enemy patrols, got to a position about 50 yards from enemy trenches, under extremely heavy machine gun, rifle, bomb & artillery fire, signal given for artillery to lift to barrage at 2a.m, we rush trenches but were greatly demoralised by enemy throwing out fire bombs, saw one man in flames, horrible! We got into trenches & bombing party rushed half right to dugouts, Lt. Phillips shot in leg, but limped along bravely in lead, we bomb pit & shot a number of enemy as they scurried away. Found no.5 dugout for which I was detailed, failed to find chimney, but on going to front of dugout found open door with wire netting, light inside & 4 Germans sitting inside, got 3 bombs inside & then waited with rifle at entrance, one crawled out & I shot him & just then had to leave trenches, we retired to our position carrying wounded & escorting prisoners, found Sailor Grey with shell wound in leg & carried him back to Batt. H.Q. at A.10, walked back to bivouac in orchard near Bujalca arrived deadbeat about 5.30a.m in morning of 23rd. Hear Stan Jones was killed, many other casualties, very glad to be back. To hot tea, bacon, rum etc. Divisional General personally thanks & congratulates us on our success, our casualties were 2 killed & 18 wounded, took 23 prisoners, had a good free issue of beer.