sibly from Marlborough's days. As I could not take it away
with me, I gave it to Major Clarke, the G.S.O. II.

On October 7 the observers moved to some dugouts near Trescault, where
we remained two days. On October 8 I went on to Welsh Ridge, but
nothing much could be seen from there. The battle-field was strewn
with Germans who had fallen in the battle ten days before. On October
9 we had a long march which took all day. We went through Beaucamp and
then towards Masnieres, finally reaching the shattered village of
Crevecoeur. Next morning we moved on again to Esnes, where we had
billets in a nice farm-house.

At last we had reached the land of vegetables, and for the rest of the
campaign we had a plentiful supply. We had been very short of this
kind of food since May.

On October 11 we moved on again and got a billet in a small cottage in
Fontaine-au-Pire. Next day on again to the next town, Beauvois, which
was not at all badly smashed. We had billets in a couple of small
cottages off the main street and we were fairly comfortable here. The
plague of house-flies was very bad at this place; the whole place was
full of them.

The 42nd Division relieved the N.Z. Division on October 12 on a front
extending south of Solesmes and covering Briastre.

XXXVI

THE GERMANS' LAST STAND

On October 12 I went with Pte. Firth to a ridge south of Viesly to
look for an O.P., and selected a spot in the open, but near a sunk
road. However, the G.O.C. required a post to be held on the high
ground north of the village. This was only half a mile from the
enemy's front line and in full view of the enemy, so that I suspected
we should not be allowed to stop there very long. A regiment of
Hussars was attached to the Corps and stationed at Caudry.

It was arranged that an officer and six observers from this regiment
should work in conjunction with the Divisional observers. These
mounted men were particularly useful in getting messages back quickly
from the O.P. to a report centre, for during this open warfare it was
impossible to connect the observers by telephone to D.H.Q.

The first day at the O.P. north of Viesly passed quietly enough, and
Ptes. King and McGarrigle made a useful sketch of the view in front.
Next day, when I went up to the O.P. to make additions to the sketch,
conditions were not very good. Our only cover was a shallow trench
about one foot deep; and for an hour whilst I was trying to sketch
the details of