und the
battalion in a hollow west of Essarts. They were just preparing to
move. On reporting to Major McLeod, who was in temporary command of
the battalion, I was told to attach the observers to the H.Q. Company.

The battalion had already had a brush with the enemy. On the preceding
day, March 25, about midday they had advanced in artillery formation
from Logeast Wood towards Achiet-le-Grand.

Near that village they had come under direct fire from the enemy's
field artillery and they had been shelled also with 5.9-inch
howitzers. One company suffered rather severe casualties, but the
battalion succeeded in passing through the village and filling a gap
in the line. Later on in the day they had been relieved by the
neighbouring Brigade and received orders to fall back first to Logeast
Wood and later on to Ablainzevelle. The latter place they were ordered
to leave at 8 A.M. that morning. Eventually they reached the place
where I found them. The men were all in good spirits and evidently
pleased with their part in the rearguard action. Very soon after I
joined them the battalion was moved again, this time about a quarter
of a mile to the south across the Bucquoy-Bienvillers Road. Here we
waited till further orders should arrive, and meantime some hot soup
and rum were served out. Then we all lay down in the open, with
blankets it is true, but the air was so frosty that little sleep was
possible. About midnight we got orders to go to some trenches just
east of the village of Essarts. We marched forward to this place,
about a mile, without any interference from the enemy. H.Q. were
established in a small tin hut in the village. Although there were
still many trees about the place, all trace of the buildings had
disappeared except one or two cellars and some piles of rubbish. We
found our field batteries stationed quite close to us, to the west and
north of Essarts, and one in a small hollow to the east. These
batteries kept up a pretty constant fire during the night; but so far
the enemy did not reply. All our heavy guns seem to have been taken
away, except possibly one battery of 60-pounder guns near Hannescamps.

The two following days, March 27 and 28, were memorable for a
continuous series of attacks by the enemy along the whole of our
front.

On the morning of the 27th I went to the east side of the Essarts Wood
to note what was going on, and I sent a party of observers farther
north to the high ground at Le Quesn