foot or so in
depth, sufficient to appear on air photos and so inserted on our maps of
the enemy's trenches. They had a hard time patrolling to send back
correct dispositions; they were more or less in the air. In addition to
the work on hand "D" Company received orders to make an attack along a
trench to their right; this, however, was cancelled, as we got word that
the 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers would relieve us on the night of the
5/6th. This relief was completed by 2.30 on the morning of the 6th and
we marched back to the area recently left by us near the Canal du Nord.
As we crossed the bridge of the St. Quentin Canal not a shot was fired
at us, a very remarkable thing, as intermittent shelling there had been
going on all night. A few high velocity shells chased us through
Cantaing, and then no interruption to a weary march finishing for the
different companies at various hours after daybreak. The spell in the
line at Cambrai was very short but as breezy a 24 hours as one could
want, considering there was no special battle on.

We were now sent away from the battle area for a rest and on the 8th
October arrived at Lignereuil, where we remained for ten days. Here for
some unaccountable reason we had a first class chateau to ourselves. The
estaminet attached sold very bad red wine at twelve francs a bottle.
Only troops just out of the line would have bought it. Lignereuil lies
near Avesne le Compte in very pretty country, and we were much the
better of the rest in a place not churned up with shell holes.

On 19th October we moved back to our old quarters in Mont St. Eloy,
finding there no trace of our previous labours at improvement; beds and
tables all gone west. The next day the march to Henin Lietard was most
interesting, though the rain fell in torrents. Our route was by Neuville
St. Vaast, Vimy Ridge, Willerval, through the area we had been in for
some months; now the ridge was miles behind the line. The roads leading
up to the old enemy line were execrable. After getting about four miles
behind the old line the villages were not so shattered and at Henin
Lietard some houses were almost intact; the coal mines, however, had
been ruined, and into some canals had been turned. Booby traps were
numerous, and special companies were hunting for them. Their presence
gave us confidence in living in the houses chosen for billets; but a few
days later, we afterwards heard, a number of these were blown up by
mines with de