and that this was only a temporary check, for all night long the sky Eastwards was lit up with enormous flashes, as dumps, railways, cross-roads and bridges were blown up.  This demolition was one of the most remarkable features of the Boche retreat, for hardly a road junction in the country was left untouched, while Railways were so cunningly mined that every single line had to be relaid.  The consequent delay to our communications was appalling, and though, thanks to the Engineers and Pioneers, our 1st line Transport always reached us by the evening, and field batteries advanced almost as quickly as we did, yet our heavy Artillery was days behind us, and there was always a shortage of ammunition.

As ordered, the Scots Greys’ patrols rode through our lines at dawn the next day, November 8th, and found the enemy’s machine guns still very active in the same positions.  The barrage was therefore arranged, and, covered by these very few shells, “A” and “B” Companies pushed forward, only to find that the Boche took as little notice of the barrage as he did of our rifle fire.  On the left, as before, the attack was soon held up, this time with considerable loss to us, for the Boche allowed “A” Company to come close to his guns before opening fire.  When he did, 2nd Lieut.  Coleman and ten men were wounded and three men killed, and though the others made a most gallant attempt to rush the enemy with the bayonet, they were held up by hedges, and compelled to dig in once more and wait.  On the right, however, we had better fortune. 2nd Lieut.  Davies and the leading platoon of “B” Company reached the Avesnes main road, and in spite of very heavy machine gun fire managed one by one to make their way across.  Once on the far side, this Platoon Commander, ably helped by L/Cpl.  Sharpe, Pte.  Beaver and others, soon worked his way from house to house until at 11-0 a.m. the Boche, finding we had a firm hold on the main road, withdrew all his guns.  While this took place, Colonel Jerram from Divisional Headquarters visited us, bringing the news that the German envoys asking for an Armistice had been taken through the French lines.

As soon as they found the Germans had gone, the leading Companies pushed rapidly forward, with orders to establish an outpost line along the Zorees-Semeries road as soon as possible, in which position we were told we would be relieved by the 137th Brigade.  At the same time, “D” Company moved into the houses on the Avesnes road near where they had captured and lost their battery, and “C” Company occupied the farm house which had held them up so long, being welcomed with coffee and cognac by the inhabitants, who had remained in the cellar.  A troop of Scots Greys was also attached to us to act as mounted orderlies, a task which up to the present had been very efficiently performed by our grooms—­Huntington, Dennis, Rogers and others.  At dusk, as the leading Companies were within a few hundred yards of the Zorees