On Good Friday the enemy endeavoured to improve his advantage
to the south of the Somme, developing heavy attacks on our right flank round Demuin, in the valley of the Luce stream, and Mezieres, on the Roye-Amiens road. We lost MeziOres, but held Demuin against repeated assaults. Last Saturday the whole battle-front as far as the Scarpe flared up again. Once more the enemy tried to break our line between the Somme and Arras by sheer weight of numbers, and once more he was foiled. On the sector north of the river alone his casualties ran into thousands. After his attacks had ceased, the New Zealanders made a little attack near Serre, in which they cleared a wood, taking two hundred and thirty prisoners and no fewer than one hundred and nine machine-guns. South of the Somme the enemy was firmly held. Our troops were pushed out of Demuin, but regained it by a swift counter-attack.
