rigade. A few days later, during
which time Lt.-Col. Darlington of the 5th assumed command, the new
brigadier arrived--General Henley, D.S.O.--and we were fortunate to keep
him as our Commander until the end of the war. The brilliant record of
the 127th brigade in France is testimony to his qualities as a leader,
and it was not very long before every man and officer in the Manchesters
was proud of him. General Ormsby always remained, however, as a tender
memory to those who had served under him.

Villers Faucon, which had been the rear H.Q. and transport lines was
invaded by battalion H.Q. and two companies when the battalion moved
back into reserve, but we did not stay long here, because the 126th
brigade required assistance in the completion of their trench system in
front of Templeux, and to do this we had to move into the quarries in
that district. The other two companies carried out similar work in the
vicinity of Lempire and Ronssoy. There was very little of interest
during the succeeding days after which the brigade moved out to Roisel
prior to accompanying the division to the Havrincourt sector of the
front.

HAVRINCOURT.

At the end of May the battalion marched out with the remainder of the
brigade from Roisel and in one day reached their destination behind the
Havrincourt Wood sector. We there remained for a short period in the
region of Ytres and Fins. Little time was lost in the necessary
preliminaries and we relieved a battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's L.I.
of the 21st division in support in the wood. "D" company were early
unfortunate and suffered a number of casualties from heavy shelling on
the shallow trenches which they manned near the western edge of the
Wood. The enemy had noted the continued movement in this vicinity, and
suddenly decided to pay attention to it in the usual manner. This spot
was always remembered afterwards as "Where 'D' Company were shelled."

Conditions at Havrincourt were rather different from those at Epehy,
although the same characteristics due to recent consolidation still
prevailed. It was more interesting, however, and in many senses more
"livable," a word of deep meaning on the Western front! In the British
lines--the canal, the slag-heap (or more correctly slag-heaps) and the
wood dominated all other landmarks. The canal, a portion of the Canal du
Nord, was in course of construction at the outbreak of war, and its
deep, well-laid bed is one of the engineering wonde