Reconnaissances started at once, and on the 8th Col.  Jones and all Company Commanders and 2nds in Command went by motor ’bus to Vermelles, and reconnoitred our trenches, held at the time by the Guards Division.  Our first three lines, where the assembly would take place the night before the battle, were all carefully reconnoitred as well as the “Up” and “Down” communication trenches—­Barts Alley, Central, Water and Left Boyaus.  These were simply cut into the chalk and had not been boarded, so, with the slightest rain, became hopelessly slippery, while to make walking worse a drain generally ran down the centre of the trench, too narrow to walk in and too broad to allow one to walk with one foot each side.  From the front line we were able to see the edge of the Redoubt, Mad Point, and the mine with its buildings and Slag-heap.  The last dominated everything, and could be seen from everywhere.  It was not very encouraging to see the numbers of our dead from the previous two attacks, still lying out in No Man’s Land, whence it had not yet been possible to carry them in.  The party reached home soon after 5 p.m., and a few minutes later a heavy bombardment in the direction of Vermelles was followed by an order to “stand to,” which we did until midnight, when all was quiet again, and we were allowed to go to bed.

The following day the remainder of the officers and a party of selected N.C.O.’s went again to the line to reconnoitre.  While they were away we heard the meaning of the previous night’s noise.  The Boche had attacked our posts in “Big Willie” held by a Battalion of the Coldstream Guards, and after a long fight had been driven back with heavy losses, leaving many dead behind them.  Both sides had used no other weapon than the bomb, and our success was attributed to our new Mills grenade, which could be thrown further and was easier to handle than the German stick bomb, and the Coldstreams were said to have thrown more than 5,000 of these during the fight.  This little encounter had two results.  First, it definitely postponed our attack to the 13th; secondly, it brought the Mills grenade into so much prominence that we were ordered to practise with that and that only, and to ensure that during the next three days every man threw them frequently.  At the same time we were definitely promised that no other grenade would be issued during our coming battle.

As it was not intended that we should go into trenches until the night before the assault, only very few of the N.C.O.’s and none of the men would have any opportunity of previously studying the ground.  In order, therefore, that all might be made familiar with the general appearance and proportionate distances of the various objectives, a small scale model of the Redoubt and Fosse 8 was built opposite Divisional Headquarters at Gosnay, and Sunday afternoon was spent in studying this and explaining full details to all concerned.  In the evening the Corps Commander,