and then, to everybody’s surprise, began to recover.  The greatest surprise of all was when this marvellous man refused to go to England, but preferred to remain in Hospital in France until fit enough to rejoin his own Battalion.  With the exception of Capt.  Moore, who was fortunately on leave at the time, “C” Company was wiped out and temporarily ceased to exist.  Twenty-four died from the poison, and in all sixty-two others of the Company went to Hospital.  Most of these found their way to England, though one or two, such as Serjt.  Needham and L/Cpl.  Tookey, both fighting men, preferred to remain and return to us.  “D” Company also had their losses, and Serjeant Sullivan and nine others were gassed, ten others wounded.  The rest of the Battalion escaped untouched.

The following night the 8th Sherwood Foresters came into the line, and we went back to Marqueffles Farm.  Our losses had been heavy and so far we had had practically no reinforcements, so had to reorganise our three remaining Companies with three platoons each instead of four.  We were also becoming short of officers, having lost eight and only received one reinforcement—­Lieut.  R.J.H.F.  Watherstone, who came to us from England.

We spent two days resting and cleaning ourselves, and trying to recover from the effects of the battle, before starting on any more serious work.  On the Sunday, at Church Parade, General Thwaites came and spoke to us, congratulating us once more on the 8th, and praising especially “C” Company for their bayonet work.  He was very angry indeed about the gas disaster and explained the cause.  It appeared that the Company carrying out the operation had never been informed of our occupation of the trenches on the slag heap, and that, when they said they were going to bombard the mine buildings, they meant the whole area, including these trenches, which they imagined were still held by the enemy.

The whole Division was now very weak, for the series of small battles during the past six weeks had been expensive.  However, the higher authorities considered we were still fit for battle and decided to give us one more show, before sending us to some quiet trenches to recuperate.  The objective this time was “Hill 65,” “Adjunct,” “Adjacent” and “Advance” trenches and the outskirts of the Cite du Moulin—­the last of the Cites outside Lens itself.  Three Battalions would attack, ourselves on the right, our 4th Battalion in the centre, and the 5th S. Staffordshires on the left.  Practice started at once over a flagged course, and our new Brigadier, General F.G.M.  Rowley, C.M.G., of the Middlesex Regiment, came to watch us at work.  Our formation differed slightly from that used in previous fights, for we gave great prominence to the “Moppers.”  Several times lately the leading waves of an assault had gone straight to their final objective, consolidated, and then found themselves cut off by parties of the enemy, over whom they had passed during the advance.  Now a line of “moppers” was detailed to follow ten yards behind each wave, with orders to mop up everything and leave no living Boche anywhere behind the assaulting troops.  In our case “D” Company (Shields) would mop up, “A” and “B” (Petch and Marriott) would make the attack, while two Companies of the 4th Lincolnshires were detailed to assist us with carrying parties.