but, finding none, threw their bombs and returned, guided to our lines by rockets and lanterns.  Six men were missing.  A curious thing happened when our search party, under L/Cpl.  Archer, went out to look for them.  A German machine gun, hearing the movement, opened fire, and, at the same moment, our “Flying Pig”—­240 mm. trench mortar—­which had jammed during the barrage, suddenly went off and dropped its shell exactly on the gun team.  The following night Cobley’s body, one of the raiders, was found in a shell-hole, and soon afterwards two others, Worth and Sommers, returned to our lines, having been lost the previous night.  Barkby was found dead a day later, and Duckett’s body was buried by a patrol which found it during the following tour.  The sixth was Private “Arty” Carr, who returned unhurt at 11-0 p.m. on the 8th, after three days.  During the raid he had left his party, and, while they worked to the left, looking for a gap, had gone to the right, where, outside the raid area, he found the wire thin.  He had entered the German lines, had some exciting times with a post which he bombed, and then tried to get out, only to find that he had moved away from his original gap, and was now confronted by some very strong wire.  He did not get through until dawn on the 6th, so then lay in a shell hole until dark, when he started to return.  Tired and somewhat exhausted, he lost his way in the waste of shell holes and mortar craters round the Monchy Salient, and did not finally find our lines until the 8th.

[Illustration:  General map to illustrate chapters VII, VIII &.  IX.]

Our total casualties were three killed and one officer and 15 wounded.  To these must be added Captain Barton, who had a most unfortunate accident.  Always wanting to be “up and doing,” he watched the raid and helped the wounded, standing on our front line parapet, but, turning to re-enter the trench, slipped and bayonetted himself in the thigh.  It was not a very serious wound, but would not heal, and he had to be sent to England.  With him we lost another valuable officer, 2nd Lieut.  Williams, who, while acting as bomb instructor at Brigade Headquarters, met with an accident, and was wounded in the head.  Not long afterwards, Serjt.  Goodman, our chief N.C.O.  Instructor, who was wounded, and lost one of his legs and part of an arm as the result of a bombing accident at the Divisional School.  During this first month our casualties, “holding the line,” were very slight, though we lost three good N.C.O.’s through shell fire.  Serjt.  Shreeves, of “C” Company, died of wounds, Cpl.  Ambrose, of “B” Company, was killed outright near Hannescamps, and later Serjt.  W. Gartshore, of “C” Company.