out, and who has just come back here again.
He was wounded out here in January in this unit) and Walsh and I sat and
had a chat with them there. These trenches are very pretty--the parapet
and parados covered with grass and flowers. In fact they seem to have
become natural features in the geography of the district.

"We returned via New John Street to our Company Headquarters in Bilge
Trench for dinner. At 9.30 I went with Captain Blamey for a stroll up
Durham Trench, Armitage Trench and Hopkins Trench, out into no man's
land. Blamey was not sure of the geography of this particular part and
wanted to have a look round; so I went with him. Then Beesley got his
patrol out again. Blamey and I then supervised a working party in Durham
Trench.

"July 5th.

"All was moderately quiet until 1.50 a.m. Then we heard rifle shots, and
more rifle shots, ringing out in no man's land; and at 2 a regular
set-to began. The Cheshires on our immediate left were making a raid
with an artillery barrage. It was quite a set-to. Beesley got back in
time. He, Telfer, and I watched it all from the parapet of Durham
Trench. The enemy were too preoccupied to trouble to shoot us! This went
on for about half an hour. Then the enemy retaliated in a furious manner
with his artillery. We made for Wieltje dug-out and were only just in
time. Shells were falling everywhere in a continual succession. It was a
terrific bombardment; it was the biggest row I have heard since the
Battle of Messines! After a few minutes we went and sat in C Company
dug-out in the Estaminet. Captain Andrews was there too. Who should walk
in but Gaulter, of Hut 5 at Gailes! He is in the 1/4th King's Own in our
Brigade. I had a talk with him. We returned about 4 a.m. to Bilge
Trench; and Andrews went back to Potijze.

"When we got back to Bilge Trench we found that there had been two or
three casualties, and one dug-out totally demolished. Colonel
Best-Dunkley came on the scene, and started strafing one or two people
about something. He stayed and had a cup of tea in our mess. He asked me
whether I could tell him what were the six infantry regiments, including
the Lancashire Fusiliers, which took part in the Battle of Minden! I
confessed that I did not know. 'That's very feeble for a historian like
you,' he said, with a blink. As a matter of fact, he could not think of
all the names himself; he knew of about four.[4]

"The Colonel departed about 5 a.m. I then came on duty a