lie a little west of the road
between Bucquoy and Ayette. While I was here I saw some of our
infantry marching along this road out of Bucquoy and forming a line
along it. One of them asked me where they could get in touch with our
troops on the left. Though I had been told to expect them east of
Logeast Wood they had in fact fallen back during the night and were
even now about to leave Ablainzevelle. The troops I saw on the road
were in fact taking up a line of resistance, for they were the British
front line. After this I decided that Dierville Farm could be held as
an O.P. for the time being; and so sending my two observers on, I
returned to Bienvillers to get a little much needed rest. As I went
back there was still no shelling and no sound of rifle fire. Yet it
afterwards transpired that the enemy had already pushed his outposts
forward into Ablainzevelle and west of Logeast Wood. Surely it was on
this part of the front one of the most silent advances made in the
war. When they returned my observers reported all quiet at Dierville
Farm, but the two observers that relieved them at 10 A.M. found the
enemy guns more active. After midday a number of shells were sent into
the village of Bucquoy and not far from the farm.

When I got back the roads through Bienvillers became more crowded than
ever with horse transport, and many guns were being moved on the road
from Monchy-au-Bois. The sides of the road, too, became crowded with
infantry, who were apparently awaiting orders to move forward. In
spite of the congestion on the roads the enemy made only one attempt
that day to harass them. A 10-inch shell from a long-range gun fell in
an open field about 100 yards short of Bienvillers Church, but it did
no damage except to the field. The stream of traffic through the
village continued without ceasing all that day. At 4 P.M. I received
orders from the Division to join the 7th N.F. near Essarts and to come
under the command of the O.C. 7th N.F. It was found impossible to make
any direct use of the observers at the time owing to the
disorganisation and uncertainty that prevailed; so they were added
temporarily as a reinforcement to the battalion. It was indeed a
crisis in the fate of the right wing of the Third Army, though at the
time we did not realise it. At 6 p.m. the observers left Bienvillers
and went forward along the road to Hannescamps, meeting many wounded
on the road and a few other parties of troops returning. We fo