lligence officer.

I spoke afterwards to this prisoner, a dark pale-faced infantry man
with staring eyes. His English was fair, although he told me he had
only visited England once, for a fortnight--in London and Manchester.
He had been a telephone manufacturer's employee.

"You were in Combles when you were captured?" I asked.

"Yes."

"How long had you been in the line?"

"Four days; we went down to Combles yesterday morning."

"Did your rations get up last night?" I proceeded, thinking of our
all-night burst of fire on enemy cross-roads and approaches.

"We took ours with us, but none came for the others there. They had had
nothing for two days."

The marching away of the prisoners prevented further questions. Soon
the Divisional Commander with his attendant staff came up, and a
conference in the brigadier's headquarters was commenced. After half
an hour the G.O.C. came out. His demeanour betokened satisfaction. The
manner in which he turned to speak parting words to the brigadier
indicated further activities. A captain of the West ----s, who had been
in reserve, turned from watching him, and said to me, "I expect we
shall be performing this afternoon." Soon the phrase, "exploiting
initial success," ran from tongue to tongue.

This was the message that at noon I telephoned to our adjutant:--

7th ----s and East ----s will push forward fighting patrols to
exploit success in an easterly and north-easterly direction into
St Pierre Vaast Wood, and along the road to S----. Patrols will
not penetrate into squares X 120 and Z 130, as --th Division
will continue its advance in Y 140, a and c, under a barrage
very shortly.

Artillery have been given tasks of harassing fire east of St
Pierre Vaast Wood, and will not fire west of line eastern edge
of this wood to A 210, b 05.

Patrols must be pushed out without delay, as it is the intention
of the Divisional Commander to exploit initial success with
another brigade to-day.

"That's the stuff to give 'em," chortled the Brigade signalling
officer, who had been whipping round similar messages to various units.

More prisoners kept coming in; the brigade-major's telephone rang
furiously; a heavily-moustached infantry signaller, with a bar to his
Military Medal, just back from the eastern side of Combles, was telling
his pals how an officer and himself had stalked a Hun sniper. "He was
in a hole behind some trees," he