the position of the Regimental Aid Post and Battalion Headquarters.  The latter’s flag was already becoming famous; it was the one with which “A” Company had tried to signal from Pontruet.  A few yards short of the summit of the Ridge we halted and lay down again while the 5th Lincolnshires did their advance.  While we were here, the Tanks came up, and so excellent had been the liaison, that from the Tank which stopped behind “A” and “C” Companies stepped the officer with whom they had arranged details the day before.

At about 1 o’clock we moved on again—­our centre through Magny la Fosse and our Flank Companies on each side of it.  The fight in Bellenglise seemed to be over, and for the moment things were very quiet.  Swarms of prisoners, waving their arms, were seen coming from various trenches and the village; no one was looking after them, we were all much too keen on getting forward.  Here and there, when a few Boches showed signs of getting into a trench instead of keeping to the open, some soldier would administer a friendly jab with the bayonet to show them what was expected of them.  The Tanks came along behind us, meaning to form up in Magny woods, and wait there till we went on.  As the Lincolnshires got their objective without trouble, we moved close up to them and once more lay down to wait for 1-40 p.m., the time for our own barrage and advance.

Unfortunately, though screened from the East, the corner of Magny Woods, was visible from the South.  Across the Canal on the high ground, some German gunner must have seen the Tanks assembling, and, finding no attack was coming his way, started to shoot at point blank range at our right flank.  The right and centre became very unpleasant, and there was a veritable barrage round “A” Company.  Through it, very hot and very angry at being shelled, suddenly appeared Padre Buck, a heavy pack of food on his back, and behind him the Regimental Serjeant-Major and the missing Headquarters.  He had found them near Ascension Farm and knowing enough of the plan of attack, had “sweated” them along as hard as he could.  It is impossible to imagine what we should have done without runners, signallers or batmen, to say nothing of the food.  As we were now only 600 yards from our final objective the Padre and Captain Jack went off to find a Regimental Aid Post and finally settled in a small dug-out in a sunken road just outside the village.

At 1-40 p.m. our barrage started and our advance began; our shelling was slightly ragged in one or two places, but for the most part it was very accurate—­wonderfully so, as guns were firing at extreme range.  On the right “A” Company working along, and on both sides of an old trench, reached their objective without difficulty except for the shelling which, aimed at the Tanks, was falling all round the Company.  Captain Petch, after L/Cpl.  Downs and others had removed some twenty-one Boches from a hole under the road, made his Headquarters there, went round his