Towards the end of July, as there was no sign of the long expected German attack, preparations were made for the coming winter.  Houses were reinforced, and had concrete houses built inside them, and some very comfortable Headquarters were built in this way.  Perhaps the best of these was the Battalion Headquarters of the Route A sector—­a cottage on the banks of the canal and screened from any observation by the woods.  It had its own bathing place (where Serjt.  Wilbur nearly got drowned) and its own private approach by the tow path—­incidentally, of course, its own mosquitoes, but one got used to them in time.

On the 13th of July we lost Captain Banwell, who went into hospital for a few weeks with his fifth wound—­an aeroplane bullet in the stomach.  It was not at all a slight wound, but he managed to persuade the Pernes Doctors that it was, and so contrived not to be evacuated beyond the C.C.S.  He eventually returned in August, and after a few days as A.D.C. to General Rowley, who was then Commanding the Division, went off on a month’s leave to get fit.

On the 6th of August the Staff had reason to believe that the Boche might be contemplating a withdrawal that morning, and we were asked to make sure that we could still get in touch with the enemy.  Accordingly, Lieut.  Pearson, Lance-Corporal “Anty” Carr and Pte.  Ferrin, all of “A” Company, crawled out at dawn towards the ruined houses and battery positions opposite Route A Keep.  It was the anniversary of Carr’s 1916 experience and before they went several of his friends jestingly warned him not to be captured this time.  The patrol crawled via several dykes and got close to the house without disturbing anyone, until, to get a better view Lieut.  Pearson knelt up to use glasses.  A machine gun then opened fire on them at close range, so they returned.  On the way back they were suddenly fired at by a post in their path—­the occupants must have been asleep on the way out.  Pte.  Ferrin was hit and died almost at once, but the others tried to bomb the enemy out, and, finding they could not, decided to lie still until evening.  However, the enemy proved more resolute than usual and soon surrounded and captured the whole party.  The fight was seen by several of the front line posts and also by a patrol of “D” Company under 2nd Lieut.  Christy.  This latter was quite unable to give any help as it was itself having very great difficulty in getting away from two large Boche patrols who were trying to cut it off.  A few days later, while we were in support at Le Quesnoy, the enemy started his withdrawal, and the Gorre-Essars front once more became a battle sector.

CHAPTER XV.

Gorre and Essars at war.

10th Aug., 1918. 12th Sept., 1918.