with snipers and trench mortars—­in the centre thing’s were very quiet.  “C” Company (Hawley) and “B” Company (Tomson) were in Support in the old front line; Battalion Headquarters lived in Loisne Chateau, now “Railhead” for the light railway.  There was no front line in the old sense—­it was simply “outposts” as laid down in Field Service Regulations.  Very few of the Company Officers had had any previous experience of this work, but Colonel Wood soon put us straight, and organized things himself.  He was absolutely indefatigable and day and night was up in the line sighting good positions and studying the enemy.  The latter were distinctly alert as they showed by their behaviour on the 24th and 25th when we not only made no progress, but had several casualties.  First, on the extreme right, an “A” Company patrol tried to reconnoitre the Epinette East Post by night.  They were seen and fired at heavily and had to come back leaving one of their number dead behind them.  Soon afterwards, in an attempt to recover his body, Lance-Serjeant Clamp was himself hit and died a few hours later.  “A” Company could ill afford to lose this N.C.O., who had shown himself as gallant a leader in battle, as he was an efficient instructor on the Parade ground.  The following morning, accompanied by his runner, Lance-Corporal Collins, and the Adjutant, the Commanding Officer started on a tour round the outpost line.  He visited “A” Company’s posts and passed on to “D” Company.  On reaching the Rue du Bois he got on to the road, and, as it was misty, started to walk Westward along it.  Whether the little party was seen or not will never be known; what happened would seem to show that they were.  They had not gone seventy yards before a “whizz-bang” burst a few yards North of the road hitting a Stretcher Bearer.  Another followed, this time the burst was only a few yards behind the party.  The others escaped, but Colonel Wood was hit in the back of the head and was thrown stunned on to the road.  More shells followed, and the three lay in a ditch till it was over, and then made their way back to Battalion Headquarters.  The Colonel refused to be carried and walked all the way to the Aid Post, where the Doctor found that a shell splinter had grazed the back of his skull, and had only been prevented by the steel helmet from doing more damage.  The Colonel wished to remain with the Battalion, but the Medical Officer was obdurate, and he was finally evacuated, and a week later sent to England.  He had been in Command only a short time, but we had learnt in that time what a very gallant soldier he was, and how his one care was to make us the first Battalion in the Division.  His place was taken by Major J.L.  Griffiths who had been Second in Command since 1916, while Captain John Burnett took over the latter’s duties.