Towards the end of the month the crops began to get very high, and by the first week in June hardly a day passed without some daylight patrol taking advantage of them.  Captain Banwell first made the experiment.  Accompanied by his runner, Smiles, he visited the “crashed” aeroplane just N. of the Rue du Bois and found a most elaborate German night post in a tree, with wires to machine gun posts.  His example was followed on the 9th of June by 2nd Lieut.  Cole, who went out one morning with Lance-Corporal Thurman and a party from “D” Company.  They crawled through some wire and found themselves close to a German shell-hole post. 2nd Lieut.  Cole himself reconnoitred this post, and finding the sentry dozing called up his Corporal.  The latter hit the sentry on the head with his rifle “to attract his attention” (so read the patrol report), and leaning over the hole whispered “Ici yer ——­er.”  The Boche, however, was too frightened to “ici” and looked like giving the alarm, so 2nd Lieut.  Cole jumped down and fired his revolver to hurry him along.  This caused a considerable disturbance.  Two German Machine Gun posts only a few yards away joined in the fight and for a moment things looked bad for the patrol.  The latter, finding they could not get a prisoner, made a note of his Regiment, shot him, and made off under a heavy fire from the machine gun posts.  They all got away safely.  The Corps Commander described 2nd Lieut.  Cole’s work as “a very fine piece of patrol work, and called for courage, initiative and cunning of a high degree.”  Ten days later—­on the 10th of June—­the enemy suddenly shelled the “Tuning Fork Switch” trench, and this very gallant young officer was badly wounded in the arm.  He was taken down to the Casualty Clearing Station at once, but in spite of all the Doctors’ efforts, blood poisoning set in, and on the 29th Lieut.  Maurice Cole died.  The same evening he was awarded the Military Cross for his patrol fight.  He lies now in Pernes cemetery.  No officer was ever more loved by his men, and justly so, for he was not only their leader in danger, but their first friend in difficulty.  In the Mess “Bill” Cole was as popular as in the field.  Patrolling was not confined to these two Companies, and many officers and men spent quite a large proportion of their time crawling through the corn.  Chief among these were 2nd Lieuts.  Asher, Argyle, Boarland, Christy, Davies, Serjeants T. Marston, M.M., Haines, Foster, M.S.M., P. Bowler, T. Tunks, T. Needham, Clamp and others.

With the hot weather the La Bassee Canal became a very useful asset, and not only were there constant bathing parties, but it was actually possible at the end of July to hold a swimming gala in the “Brewery Reach.”  There were several well contested races and diving competitions, uninterrupted by hostile aircraft, and a very pleasant afternoon (considering the Boche were less than a mile away) was spent in this way.  The chief race was won by Signaller Stanton.