discovered a small disused trench running in front of “49” towards the crater.  Quickly organizing parties of men, he sent them along this cut, first to continue it up to the crater, then with sandbags for the defence of the “lip.”  He himself superintended the work inside the crater, where he had a miraculous escape from a trench mortar, which wounded all standing round him.  At the same time, R.S.M.  Small, finding a dazed man of “B” Company wandering near Battalion Headquarters, heard what had happened, and without waiting for further orders sent off every available man he could find with shovels and sandbags to assist Capt.  Griffiths.  Half an hour later, Capt.  Bland also arrived with two platoons of “C” Company, sent across from the left of our line, and by dawn with their help a trench had been cut through from “50” to “49.”  This, though not organized for defence, yet enabled one to pass through the damaged area.  At the same time the miners started to make a small tunnel into the bottom of the crater, so that it would no longer be necessary to climb over the lip to reach the bomb post which was built inside.

[Illustration:  The Water Tower and Railway Track, Vermelles.]

During the next day we were fortunately not much harassed by the enemy, and were consequently able to continue the repair work on “50.”  “B” Company had had 42 casualties from the mine itself, of whom eight were killed and seven, including Sergt.  Bunn, were missing, while in the rest of the Battalion about 30 men were wounded, mostly by trench mortars or rifle fire when digging out “50” trench.  At the time of the explosion the enemy had thrown several bombs at “A2,” and it was thought for a time that he intended making an attack here, but rapid fire was opened by the garrison, and nothing followed.  On the evening of the 24th we were due for relief, but, as “50” was still only partially cleared, and we had not yet traced all our missing, we stayed in for another 24 hours, during which time we thoroughly reorganized the sector, and were able to hand over a properly traversed fire trench to the Lincolnshires when they came in.  Before we left we found Sergt.  Bunn’s body; he had been buried at his post, and was still holding in his hand the flare pistol which he was going to fire when the mine exploded.  The men of the listening post were not found until some time later, for they had been thrown several hundred yards by the explosion.

On relief, we marched back to Ouderdom, taking with us the officers and men of the 17th Division, who had been attached for instruction during the last tour, and reached a bivouac field near the windmill at 4-30 a.m.  Here we stayed 24 hours, and then moved into the “E” huts—­an excellent camp, further E. along the Vlamertinghe road than that which we had previously occupied.  We were due to remain here for six days, and accordingly started our usual training in bomb and bayonet fighting.  Meanwhile, Lieut.  Moore and the Battalion Tunnellers