een for a wife and
family in Germany he would have joined him. Later on one of the post
also came over. The Division opposite was a cavalry one and they were
poor fighters and were practically all captured later on.

On the 27th a general attack was made on the Canal du Nord and
continuing to the right of Bourlon Wood. In this attack our Brigade had
to clear up the Hindenburg front line between Moeuvres and the
Bapaume-Cambrai road. We were in reserve to the Brigade and for a change
were spectators of the battle, the only active operations falling to us
in the plan of battle being to rush two posts in a communication trench
just in front of our line when the barrage commenced. This was
successfully done and we remained in our old front line. Some tanks came
up over night and made good tracks through the dense wire in front of
us. As only a hurried reconnaissance had been made on the previous
afternoon it spoke much for their eye for country that they were led to
the exact spots arranged. The barrage opened just before daybreak and as
the light increased we saw that the tanks had got across the canal and
were labouring up the hill beyond, all very busy shooting and none
knocked out. As the result of this attack, Bourlon Wood was evacuated by
the enemy and positions established by our troops beyond and on both
flanks of the wood. Soon after daylight the stream of prisoners began to
pass through us and continued all day. It was a good sight to see them
being made to carry our wounded. They seemed very ready to volunteer,
though certainly for no philanthropic reasons. Unwounded prisoners were
not allowed to go back without assisting our casualties, hence the
volunteers.

After a successful battle one was always struck with the altered
conditions of the old front line. What one morning may have been a very
hot spot, in the afternoon becomes quiet and pleasant. No-Man's Land is
explored and the various problems about the enemy's posts and trenches
are solved. The enemy wire was extraordinary thick but the tank tracks
excellent. Here and there had been made tank traps--large pits with
vertical sides--but they had been avoided.

On the night after this battle we settled for a few days in our old
front line, to the left of the Cambrai-Bapaume road, not sleeping much
owing to the cold. Some salving was done round about Moeuvres. Meanwhile
other Divisions were continuing the advance and the outskirts of Cambrai
had been reached