In March and April 1917, the battalion saw action in the advance following the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. 61st (2nd SM) Division moved to Ypres in July, and was put in as a fresh formation at the end of the Battle of Langemarck ("see above") on 22 August. It made little progress then, or on 27 August or 10 September, suffering many casualties. After the Ypres offensive ended, 61st (2nd SM) Division moved south to relieve British formations exhausted by German counter-attacks after the Battle of Cambrai. Early on 2 December the Germans began attacking one of 2/6th Gloucesters' positions, twice taking it and then losing it to a counter-attack before finally securing it at 06.30 when the Gloucesters' supply of bombs ran out. Then after a heavy barrage the Germans attacked the battalion on a wide front at 14.00, forcing it back , despite counter-attacks. The acting CO, Maj William Ruthven of the East Yorkshire Regiment, who had only taken over on 21 November, was captured and died of his wounds. At dawn on 3 December the enemy continued the attack under an intense barrage; the battalion held on, but the nearby village of La Vacquerie was taken and the brigade was pushed back to the slopes of Welsh Ridge. The battalion had lost five officers and 168 other ranks killed or missing, and 12 officers and 140 other ranks wounded. After the terrible casualties of 1917, the BEF was suffering a manpower crisis, and had to begin disbanding units to keep the others up to strength. 183rd Brigade was broken up, and 2/6th Gloucesters was disbanded on 20 February 1918. The men were drafted to the 2/5th Gloucesters in 61st (SM) Division, with the surplus going to 24th Entrenching Battalion, which carried out labour duties until the men were required as reinforcement drafts. There are various estimates of the battalion's dead during its service, ranging from 296 to at least 329. The 3rd Line battalions of the Gloucesters formed at their depots during 1915: Lt-Col Woodcock (the 6th Gloucesters' prewar CO) who had been left in the UK when 1/5th Bn went overseas, was appointed to command the new battalion on 10 April. The 3rd Line battalions then moved to Weston-super-Mare. On 8 April 1916 they were redesignated Reserve Battalions, and on 1 September at Ludgershall the 4th (City of Bristol) Reserve Bn absorbed the former 3/6th Bn.