front line and waited there for instructions.  Col.  Wilson decided to use one Company only, and at 2-0 p.m.  Capt.  Pierrepont moved his Headquarters into Andigny les Fermes and sent off a strong patrol under 2nd Lieut.  Davies towards Mennevret.  As the enemy was still holding the woods in considerable strength, and the first mile of the road was under direct observation, the patrol met with heavy machine-gun fire at once, and 2nd Lieut.  Davies returned for the time, preparing to make another attempt when the advance of the Divisions on our left had made it impossible for the Boche to remain in his positions near the E. edge of the village.  Half “A” Company had already been attached to the 4th Leicestershires for carrying work, so that we had now only “D” Company (Hawley) and the remainder of “A” Company with Battalion Headquarters.  No more orders came for us, and during the afternoon, as the sounds of war had become more and more distant, Cavalry and Whippets had disappeared Eastwards and there was nothing to do, we lay and basked in the sun, which was very hot and pleasant.

At 6-0 p.m., just as the Boche started to fire gas shells into the valley up which all troops had to pass to reach Andigny les Fermes, orders came that we should take over the Brigade front.  Accordingly, “A” and “D” Companies were sent to relieve the 4th Battalion on the right, “C” Company was made responsible for Andigny les Fermes, and the extreme left was held by “B” Company, whose duty it still was to find the French.  The relief in the village might have been a very lengthy and difficult proceeding had not Capt.  Nichols, of the Lincolnshires, taken great trouble to co-ordinate the work of all their three Companies, and so been able to hand over to Captain Banwell a single complete scheme of defence.  Our Headquarters moved into the sunken road between Regnicourt and Vaux Andigny.  It was a dark, foggy and bitterly cold night, and, experts as we had now become in the art of living in banks and sunken roads, still it was impossible to be comfortable, and German waterproof sheets spread over slots cut in the banks, failed most miserably to keep us warm.  Transport arrived before midnight and the drivers, as usual, saved us endless carrying parties by taking the limbers right up to Company Headquarters in the village.  They were unmolested by the enemy, and 2nd Lieut.  Davies, seeing this, made another attempt to reach Mennevret.  His patrol made much more progress, and was only held up at La Nation, a cross-roads a few hundred yards from his goal, but here he met with bombs and more machine guns and had once more to fall back.