This latest blow shattered our front line so badly that it was quite unfit to hand over to a new Division, taking over this part of the line for the first time, and, as the Lincolnshires had not enough men to repair it themselves, we had to help them.  On the 21st, therefore, when the rest of the Battalion was relieved by the Lancashire Fusiliers and went back for the night to Camblain L’Abbe, “D” Company stayed behind in the Talus till dusk and then went up to work, spending the night under R.E. supervision, digging in the gap.  A screen of bombers lay out on the crater lip, while the rest worked, through mud, water and pouring rain to try and produce some kind of fighting trench.  As fast as they dug, their new work collapsed, but at last a cut was made, and by morning there was at least communication across the gap, though the trench was terribly shallow and gave no real protection.  The following day, “D” Company on lorries, the rest of the Battalion by march route, we moved through Cambligneul and Aubigny to Penin-Doffine, where we were to billet for a rest.  “B” and “C” Companies were with Brigade Headquarters and the Lincolnshires in Penin.  The Headquarters and “D” Company had a large farm, and “A” Company billets in the hamlet of Doffine.

Here we stayed for a week.  A Staff ride under the Brigadier formed the chief incident in our training, while our recreation was enlivened by an excellent Battalion Sports Meeting.  Great keenness was shown in every event, and there were consequently some well-contested races:—­“A” and “C” Companies divided the prizes between them.  “A” Company won the long-distance bomb-throwing, tug-of-war, relay and stretcher-bearer races, “C” the accurate bomb-throwing, 1/4-mile, sack and three-legged races.  Brigade Headquarters came to watch, bringing their band with them, and the General gave away the prizes at the end of the day.  The weather was good and we all spent a very pleasant afternoon.

The 27th April brought us orders to return again to the line, this time to work with the Tunnellers, French and English, in the neighbourhood of Neuville St. Vaast.  The following day the C.O. and most of the Company Officers went to Mont St. Eloi to reconnoitre, returning in the evening.  While getting into a car in St. Eloi Colonel Jones was slightly wounded in the left hand by a six-inch shell, which burst alongside the car.  He was sent to Hospital, but returned to us ten days later.  On the 29th we moved into Neuville St. Vaast, living in tunnels and dug-outs, and provided large working parties in the mines.  Tactically we were at the disposal of the 25th Division, to whom we lent one or two Lewis Gun teams.  The work consisted almost entirely of clearing sandbags from the mine-shafts and distributing them along our trenches, as far as possible out of sight.  It was hard and dangerous work, as was proved by an accident which happened on the 7th May, the night before we were relieved.  The enemy blew a counter-mine close to one of the saps where “D” Company were working, burying the French miners, and completely destroying the whole sap.  Two of the four men at work were never seen again; the other two, bruised and shaken, managed to crawl half-naked out of the wreckage.