German attack on Vimy Ridge, 21 May 1916
In 1932, Edmonds recorded 1,344 German casualties; 615 men in the attack and 729 during British counter-attacks. British casualties in the 47th Division from 22 to 24 May were 1,571, 2nd Division casualties were 267 and the 7th Brigade (25th Division) had 637 casualties, a total of 2,475. In 1936, the official historians of "Der Weltkrieg", the German official history, recorded that 300 British prisoners had been taken.
20th Battalion, London Regiment (Blackheath and Woolwich)
Vimy Ridge craters: Aggressive patrolling of the craters facing Vimy Ridge was instituted by 180 Bde. Over succeeding weeks the 2/20th Bn alternated with the 2/18th Londons for eight-day spells in the line. The 60th Division adopted coloured flashes painted on each side of the new steel helmets to aid recognition: 180 Bde adopted a triangle, which was vermilion in the case of the 2/20th Bn. On 11 September the battalion carried out a pre-dawn raid on the German lines. By the time the division left the line in late October 1916, the 2/20th had suffered casualties of 3 officers and 48 men killed or died of wounds, and 5 officers and 187 men wounded.