Information taken from  the 7th Battalion South Staffordshire War Diary.

SAILLY-EN-OSTREVENT was bombarded by our heavy guns at 12.0 noon and again at 10.50 p.m. for ¼ hour each time.

At 12.30 p.m. Lieut. E.V. WHITE and 202192 Pte. SHARMAN F.A. “C” Coy. left our lines to ascertain whether the enemy were holding SAILLY-EN-OSTREVENT.

He was seen to enter the village at J.27.c.2/6. Shortly afterwards rifle shots were heard though nothing could be seen. Lieut WHITE and Pte. SHARMAN failed to return. On a close scrutiny being made with glasses a Machine Gun was seen to be firing from about the point where Lieut WHITE entered the village. It is believed that this Machine Gun is a concrete emplacement. Lieut. WHITE was aware that the village was to be bombarded again at 10.50 p.m. Patrols were sent both by day and by night as near as possible to the place at which he was last seen but no trace of him or Pte. SHARMAN could be found.