Wood, and there they remained until the situation became once more quiet.  Finally, at midnight, we moved into our Brigade Support positions, Headquarters and “B” Company in Railway Dug-outs, “C” Company in Deeping Dug-outs near the Lake, and the others in Kruisstraat bivouacs.  Even now we were not allowed to live in peace, for the following morning, at 11.0 a.m., the enemy bombarded Railway Dug-outs for two hours, firing 90 8” shells, and (so says the War Diary) “plenty of shrapnel.”  No one was hit, though Col.  Jones’ dug-out and the Orderly Room were destroyed, and the bomb store, which was hit and set on fire, was only saved from destruction by the efforts of C.S.M.  Lovett, who with Pte.  Love and one or two others, fetched water from the pond and put out the fire.  From 6.30 to 7.30 p.m. the dug-outs were again bombarded and a few more destroyed, so that we were not sorry when, on the 1st October the Wiltshire Regiment came to relieve us, and we marched back to bivouacs at Ouderdom.

On the 2nd, after a farewell address to the officers by the Corps Commander, the Battalion marched during the morning to Abeele, where at 3.30 p.m. we entrained for the South and said good-bye to the “Salient” for ever.  We were not sorry to go, even though there were rumours of a coming battle, and our future destination was unknown.

CHAPTER IV.

“Hohenzollern.”

1st Oct., 1915. 15th Oct., 1915.

We journeyed southwards in three parts.  Battalion Headquarters and the four Companies went first, reached Fouquereuil Station near Bethune after a six hours’ run, and marched at once to Bellerive near Gonnehem.  Here, at noon the following day—­the 3rd October—­they were joined by Lieut.  Wollaston with the machine guns and ammunition limbers which had entrained at Godewaersvelde and travelled all night, and at 4.30 p.m., by Capt.  John Burnett with the rest of the Transport.  The latter had come by road, spending one night in bivouacs at Vieux Berquin on the way.  This move brought us into the First Army under Sir Douglas Haig, who took an early opportunity of being introduced to all Commanding Officers and Adjutants in the Division, coming to Brigade Headquarters at Gonnehem on the afternoon of the 3rd, where Col.  Jones and Lieut.  G.W.  Allen went to a conference.  Lieut.  Allen had become Adjutant when Capt.  Griffiths was wounded, and Capt.  Langdale was wanted for command of “B” Company.  Our other Company Commanders remained unchanged except that Major Bland returned from England and took charge of “D.”