The afternoon of the 30th, however, was far from quiet, and for several hours our new line was heavily shelled.  In addition to the usual field batteries, there was one heavy gun which fired continuously on “A” Company’s lines, obtaining a direct hit on Company Headquarters.  Capt.  Petch and 2nd Lieut.  Campbell were both buried but not seriously hurt.  Serjt.  Ault, the acting Serjeant-Major, Wheeldon and Stevenson, the two runners, all three old soldiers of exceptional ability, were killed.  Raven, another runner, was wounded, Downs had already been hit, and was again severely shaken, but both these stayed at duty, while they helped Lilley and Balderstone, who pluckily came along, to dig out those who were buried.  In all twenty-eight were wounded, making our casualties for the battle three officers and ninety other ranks.  That night the 4th Lincolnshires relieved us, and we went into Brigade reserve, two Companies in Cite des Garennes, the other in Lievin.

A few hours after relieving us the Lincolnshires made another attack, but failed to gain much ground, and met with considerable opposition from the neighbourhood of the Arras road.  Their casualties were consequently heavy, and they asked to be relieved again the following night, so we were ordered to go up once more and take over their new line.  Guides were to have met us at the “Broken bridge” near “Adjacent” trench, but only those for “A” and “B” Companies arrived, and for several hours Captain Shields waited with “D” Company, not knowing where to take his men.  Apparently there had been some further operations, and the Lincolnshires had been shelled, in any case no guides appeared, and it was nearly dawn.  At last, Capt.  Shields, knowing that in a few minutes he would not have time to reach the front line, even if guides did arrive, gave the order to “about turn,” and marched back.  This caused considerable discussion at Battalion Headquarters, and Brigade finally decided that Col.  Trimble should take over the line with two companies of the 4th Lincolnshires in front in the outpost line, two of our Companies in “Acorn” and “Adjunct,” and one Company of ours under the slag-heap.  We were all well dug in, and consequently did not lose very heavily when the following day, the 2nd of July, we were shelled continuously for several hours.  Our telephone lines were almost all cut, so that messages had to be sent by the runners, whose task was far from pleasant on these occasions.  Throughout these two months of fighting in Lens the runners, both Battalion and Company, had proved themselves to be very fine soldiers.  We relied on them almost entirely in battle, for telephone wires never lasted long, and pigeons, once released, did not return.  But the runners never failed, and what is more were always cheerful.  Cheerfully they crawled along some exposed street, or dodged round houses in the Cite St. Pierre, cheerfully they faced “Assign” trench and Lievin corner, and equally cheerfully they crossed the slag-heap, often having to go actually through a barrage to reach their destination.  Grogan, Collins, Sullivan, Raven, Kilcoyne and others, always ready and always willing, they would work till they dropped, and the Battalion owes much to their courage and endurance.