not serious, and he and C.S.M.  Cooper were soon hard at work straightening out the Company.  This Warrant Officer and C.S.M.  Smith of “A” Company were admirable; it was largely due to them that both Companies, badly shaken after their gruelling, were within a few hours once more fit for anything.  Our shortage of officers was likely to continue, for our only “battle detail,” Major Burnett, had just gone to England, to the Senior Officers’ School at Aldershot.  Our casualties during the afternoon included one who could ill be spared.  A direct hit with a shell on “C” Company Headquarters wounded C.S.M.  Angrave in the back.  He died a few days later.  One of the original Territorials, he had served with us the whole time, and even four years of France had failed to lessen his devotion to “C” Company.

[Illustration:  Company Headquarters, Loisne, 1918.]

[Illustration:  The Bathing Pool, Gorre Brewery, 1918.]

Soon after 3-0 p.m.  General Campbell himself rode up to Battalion Headquarters and after explaining the situation, pointed out the importance of holding a little group of trenches on some high ground three-quarters of a mile E. of Preselles.  Accordingly “B” Company (Hawley), now only 25 strong, were sent there with two Lewis Guns; at the same time some of the Monmouthshires were sent to help him.  Meanwhile, all the afternoon and evening, the enemy kept making small attacks on Mannequin Ridge and towards Sequehart; several of these were broken up by Artillery fire, and after his first efforts he had no further successes.  Our Cavalry, having arrived too late in the morning to pass through when the enemy was really disorganized, waited all day in the valley behind Preselles, and after losing several men and horses in the shelling, had once more to withdraw at dusk.  Their horses were sent back, but as many men as could be spared were sent up dismounted, with rifles and bayonets, to help hold the “Fonsomme Line” in case of strong enemy counter attacks.  They did not move up until dark and, of course, could not find the “Fonsomme Line,” any more than we could in the morning, so started to dig where they could.  Fortunately the Commanding Officer, going round the line, found them, and, sending one party up to help “B” Company, who were now alone, he and Captain Banwell guided the rest across the valley, where they could find some cover on the hill side.  Had they been allowed to remain where they had started to dig, they would probably have suffered very heavily in the morning from the Ridge opposite, whence the enemy would have had a beautiful view of them.