ve it alone.

About October 3 the 5th N.F., commanded by Lieut.-Col. N.I. Wright
attacked the Flers Line, and took two trenches. Before this attack
started a huge howitzer was brought up and placed on the west side of
Mametz Wood. And during the one and a half hours preceding the attack,
it fired sixty 15-inch shells into Le Sars, of which only two failed
to burst. On October 5 the 50th Division was relieved, and B.H.Q.
moved back to a doctor's house in Albert. That night General Ovens
gave a dinner to the officers of the Staff at a restaurant in the
town, where a good repast was served by some French civilians. Next
day we moved farther back to Millencourt, and we were billeted in a
nice house.

FOOTNOTES:

[11] The two other Company Commanders of the 7th N.F., Capt. V.
Merivale, M.C., and Capt. E.F. Clennell, M.C., got safely through the
action.

[12] At this place I first had the opportunity of speaking to our
Divisional Commander, Major-General Sir P.S. Wilkinson, K.C.M.G.,
C.B., who was beloved by every one in the Division.

XVI

MILLENCOURT

I went off to Millencourt, on October 6, in front of the rest of
Brigade in order to look for a bombing ground. I found one all right,
but I cannot say that it was altogether safe or in very good
condition. The firing-trench was a square emplacement cut into the
ground and there was no easy exit in case of trouble; also our
predecessors there obviously had had an accident on the spot, for I
found a box of Mills grenades lying there, half buried, two or three
of the grenades exploded and the rest more or less damaged and in a
dangerous condition. However, the mess was cleared up at last, and I
had to make the best of the place, such as it was. I had now only
Sergt. P. Flannigan to help me, but Lieut.-Col. Scott Jackson, D.S.O.,
my colonel, kindly allowed L.-Sergt. Piercy of the 7th N.F. to come
and assist in the training at the Brigade Bombing School. After the
heavy fighting the Brigade was supplied with large drafts of new men.
They came chiefly from the Fen country and were only partially
trained. I found them far more difficult to instruct in bombing than
the Northumberland miners. I had between forty and fifty of these men
each day, and they had to throw two live grenades before they left.
One exciting event happened during this training. One of the drafts
was about to throw his grenade, when he dropped it and of course it
started to burn. With great qui