section in its correct place. The dew had fallen very thickly and the
long grass and corn were wringing wet; consequently we all got our feet
and legs soaked. Then dummy ammunition was distributed. At about 2 a.m.
we had permission to lie down where we were and get some sleep if we
could! I lay down in the dirt at the roadside and had an hour or two's
sleep. At about 3.30, when it was becoming light, I was awakened, my
teeth chattering horribly, hearing the Brigadier-General strafing
somebody! General Stockwell and his Staff seemed to be walking up and
down all night. I saw them just before I went to sleep, and the first
object which I saw on opening my eyes again was General Stockwell. I
hear that poor Best-Dunkley got it hot again from the Brigadier about
something during the night! The fiery young General seemed to be on the
war-path.

"At 5.15 we had breakfast, cooked in the travelling cook-waggons. We
had to keep going up and down the line most of the time, explaining the
scheme to the section commanders. Then Colonel Best-Dunkley went along
the line asking questions. The first section commander he dropped on was
poor Topping, who had only been put on the particular job last night; he
had been somewhere else yesterday when it was all explained. The Colonel
asked him what was the interval between his section and the section on
his right; he did not know! 'You see, your section commanders don't know
their orders,' blinked the Colonel.

"7th and 8th platoons were merged into one under Giffin. I commanded the
left wing, consisting of the sections of Lance-Corporal Topping and
Lance-Corporal Heap. We were the fourth wave, supporting the two
platoons of Gratton and Allen who were in the third wave. The idea was
that another brigade had taken all the strong points, and our brigade
had to push forward past them and penetrate the enemy's lines to a
certain distance, consolidate, and repel counter-attacks. The other
brigades were supposed to have gone over the top at dawn. So we went
over at 7 a.m. We went forward very nicely, under cover of a 'creeping
barrage' which was represented by drums rumbling and flags waving. At
the little village of (Noir Carme) Giffin went to the right, and I took
Topping's and Heap's sections through the village and round to a field
the other side where I turned half-left and awaited Giffin's arrival on
the right. When he came up we all advanced to our final objective which
was in advance of