stress of battle. The change was greatly appreciated by the few officers who were able to avail themselves of it before a further advance put an end to the scheme.

Irles was captured by the 18th Division, supported by our artillery, on the 10th March, and on the 14th the enemy was driven out of Grevillers and Loupart Wood. A plan of attack on Achiet-le-Petit was now drawn up, to take place at dawn on the 18th. Our preliminary bombardment, however, which began on the 16th and went on through the night, was too much for the Boche, and on the morning of Saturday the 17th March our infantry patrols entered the village and found it unoccupied. News came through the day of further successes. Bapaume had fallen, and Bucquoy, Biefvillers and Bihucourt were all in our possession. Hopes ran high, and there was general excitement and delight. Once more the batteries were ordered to push on as quickly as possible, and they moved forward into positions close to Achiet-le-Petit. The 7th Division now passed through us, and for a short time the 62nd Division ceased to take an active part in the fighting, though still continuing to advance. Advanced guards occupied Courcelles and Gomiecourt on the 18th, and the Lucknow Cavalry Brigade pressed on further and hung on to the heels of the retreating enemy. On the 21st, D/312 advanced at dawn and joined the 7th Division advanced guard at Ervillers, to help them in an attack on Croisilles, which the Boche was still holding. On this occasion we had our first officer killed, Lieut. C. W. Pullan; a shell burst in the observation post near St. Leger, from which he was gallantly directing the fire of his battery. A/312 and C/312 went into action the same day between Ervillers and St. Leger, also with the 7th Division, while the 310th Brigade remained in positions of readiness near Logeast Wood.

The 311th Brigade was withdrawn from the line on the 22nd March, on being converted into an Army Brigade, and marched from Engelbelmer on the 24th, en route for an area in the North. It was with great regret that I said farewell to this most efficient brigade, which, under the able command of Lieut.-Colonel A. Gadie, had done consistently good service, and had always given evidence of the finest fighting spirit under the most trying conditions.

On the 27th March the 310th Brigade moved up into action in support of the 7th Division before Croisilles, and were followed four days later by B/312, so that all batteries were then again active.

On the 1st April, Divisional Headquarters moved to Achiet-le-Grand, and next day, to the accompaniment of a blizzard of snow, the 7th Division captured the villages of Croisilles and Ecoust, supported by the 62nd Divisional Artillery in addition to their own guns. In this fight Lieut. E. W. F. Jephson was awarded the Military Cross for the following act of gallantry:—

"On the 2nd April, 1917, during an attack on Ecoust, this officer was sent forward with an orderly to reconnoitre for an O.P. On his way forward two runners of the Gordon Highlanders were fired at by a German sniper in a post. One was shot dead. The other runner, Lieut. Jephson, and orderly procured bombs from some wounded men, and crept up to the post from behind some fallen trees, and bombed the sniper, severely wounding him. Lieut. Jephson then went on through Ecoust with the orderly, when he discovered sniping from his right rear. He then returned another way and saw three Germans running into a cellar, which he approached. After he had fired some revolver shots into the cellar, they came out when ordered. One of these prisoners was taken off as a guide to the infantry, the other two being brought back by Lieut. Jephson. He did good work at the O.P. previous to moving forward out of Ecoust."

The enemy was now firmly posted in his much advertised Hindenburg Line, and as he showed every intention of holding on to it after his long retreat, it became necessary to get all batteries forward to within about 2500 yards range, in order to start wire cutting. The Ecoust valley area was apportioned to my artillery, and the batteries began to occupy positions there on the 3rd April. This was a work of great difficulty and danger as the approaches were in view of the enemy, and the positions themselves were barely concealed. As the first section of B/312 were coming into action a shell completely knocked out one of the detachments, killing five men and wounding three.

On the 5th our infantry again went into the line, and I took over command of the artillery, which included, in addition to my own brigades, the 7th D.A., the 16th R.H.A. Brigade, and an Anzac Brigade. That afternoon a mine exploded in Mory, killing one and wounding two of my men, and also wounding some artillery mules. In the evening a similar mine went off in Ervillers with disastrous effect, killing five and wounding seven men of D/312. These mines, which we often met with later, were worked by a corrosive acid, acting on a wire holding a spring hammer; when the acid had eaten through the wire, which might be within a period ranging from a few hours to several weeks, according to the relative strengths of the acid and the wire, the hammer struck a detonator, and the mine exploded; a typically Hunnish method of warfare.

For the next few days guns were actively employed in wire cutting, and the enemy responded by a vigorous shelling of the valley. Capt. J. Willey and 14 men of B/310 were wounded on the 7th, and between the 6th and the 9th three other officers were hit, Major F. A. Arnold Forster, and Lieuts. P. K. B. Reynolds and H. C. Ashby. Five Military Medals were awarded for gallant work on these days.

On the 9th April the Third and First Armies on our left began a big forward movement, to be known as the Battle of Arras, and by the evening of the 13th they were in possession of the Vimy Ridge and the whole of the Wancourt branch of the Hindenburg Line, and had taken about 16,000 prisoners, together with a large number of guns and mortars. Our share in the operations was to make holding attacks and to keep as many of the enemy as possible glued to our front. One of the trench mortar batteries, V/62, was lent to the 51st Division, and took part in the capture of the Vimy Ridge. On the last day of the battle C/312 suffered heavily, losing the Sergeant-Major, three Sergeants, and four other ranks killed, eight men wounded and four guns knocked out.

Capt. G. L. C. Hudson was wounded on the 13th, and Lieut. K. B. Nicholson on the 14th; the latter officer was awarded the Military Cross for the following services:

"On the 13th April, 1917, Lieut. K. B. Nicholson entered a dug-out in which both a gas shell and a high explosive shell had burst, and bravely attempted to save the men inside. Later on in the day, though suffering from the effects of the gas, he went to the O.P. with the Battery Commander, and while under heavy shell fire volunteered to go back over the wire, thereby keeping up communication with the battery. The following day, while still suffering from the gas, he again repaired to the O.P. under heavy gas fire, remaining there until he was finally wounded in the head by a fragment of high explosive shell. By his actions on the days under review this gallant officer showed a fine example of devotion to duty."

Our casualties in the artillery up to this date amounted to 14 officers and about 150 other ranks.

My command was now largely increased, with a view to further operations, by the addition of the 11th and the 58th Divisional Artilleries, which went into action near St. Leger and Ecoust respectively. This brought the artillery with the 62nd Division to a strength of 180 18-pounder guns and 48 howitzers.

Early on the 15th the Huns made a