The parties in the German trenches were trapped and by the Germans had recovered the second trench and established footings in the first trench. The 169th Brigade collected orderlies, clerks and servants to make a last attempt to get across to the British still holding out. VIII Corps had sent a message to Snow that another attack would be made after dark and with two fresh battalions of the 56th (1st London) Division and the 46th (North Midland) Division battalions remaining. Snow ordered both divisions to be ready to support the VIII Corps attack. The remaining troops in the German trenches had been compressed into part of Ferret Trench from the park. The wounded were evacuated and the last Lewis guns set up on the parapet and parados (a bank behind the trench protecting the occupants from fire from the rear) of the trench. German counter-attacks drove them into shell-holes near the German wire, where they held on until about and then retreated after using the last of their ammunition, losing many men in no man's land.
