oners were brought back, but from the
nature of the operation to bring back even two was no small achievement.
A line was organised as before the assault and at 8 p.m. the line was
retired two hundred yards to conform with the line formed on our right.
This line consisted mainly of odd shell holes and ditches, a most
uncomfortable place, but suitable for meeting the heavy bombardment put
down by the enemy between 8 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. and at 4 a.m. next
morning. The enemy appeared to be well shaken as our defensive patrols
observed no signs of activity in front of his line.

In this operation Sec.-Lieut. E.D. Turner was killed. Lieut. A.H.
Malcolm died of wounds, Lieut.-Colonel J.B. Neilson, D.S.O., Captain
L.H. Watson, Sec.-Lieut. E.T. Williamson, Sec.-Lieut. C.M. Sanderson,
Lieut. J. Girvan, and Lieut. G.S. Barr were wounded, and Captain R.M.
Miller, Lieut. J.W. Parr (wounded), and Sec.-Lieut. J. M'Kie were
captured. In other ranks 13 were killed, 162 wounded.

On the morning of the 25th Major Brand arrived and took over command,
the Battalion lying in the dispositions of the previous night. All
movement was open to direct machine-gun fire, and this, mixed with
desultory shelling and a very hot day, was very trying. Low flying enemy
planes repeatedly had a good look at us, and at night we were glad to
get an order to withdraw to Brigade reserve in a convenient sunken road
leading from Henin to St. Leger, "A" and "B" Companies under Captain
Fyfe holding Henin Hill on our right until withdrawn at 3 a.m. on the
26th.

Lying in this road gave the companies a chance to pull themselves
together, as reorganisation would have been impossible in the exposed
place we had just left. Here we had a good example of the effect of one
gas shell. Lieut. Cumming and some scouts had been out all day
reconnoitring Henin Hill and reporting on the enemies' dispositions. A
patrol consisting of a small platoon was sent to relieve him. One shell
gassed the whole platoon, but fortunately not badly, still they were
utterly unfit for further work and were evacuated.

Going back to the attack on the 24th, Lieut. J.W. Parr was one of the
officers who got into the Hindenburg Line. After the decision to
withdraw and having seen his few men start for our line he started to
make a bolt himself but got hit in the ankle, tumbling into a shell hole
on the top of a German who surrendered to him. A conversation was
carried on in French, and the German w