The whole British Army seemed on the move, and the roads were packed with transport. There were field artillery drawn by teams of mules, 6-inch howitzers bouncing along behind motor-lorries, dumps in process of removal, tanks, busses, field-kitchens, cable-wagons, observation-balloons attached to motor-cars with the observer at a height of 100 feet, and every variety of vehicle hastening in the wake of the retreating foe. The railways had been entirely destroyed, and much damage had been done to the roads, especially at the cross-roads. The traffic was constantly checked, or if possible diverted, while huge craters were filled in, but all difficulties were overcome, and the transport, and supply services got through Barastre without a halt, and at 1 p.m. the village of Bus, three miles beyond Villers-au-Flos, was entered. By 6 p.m. Ytres, the day’s final objective, had been gained, and now the Division was on familiar ground. On the left touch had been maintained throughout with the New Zealanders, who had made equally rapid progress, but the division on the right had met with greater opposition, and was 1000 yards behind. [Illustration: RIENCOURT-LES-BAPAUME.] [Illustration: VILLERS-AU-FLOS.] [Illustration: TRESCAULT ROAD, LEADING THROUGH HAVRINCOURT WOOD.] [Illustration: A SLEEPER TRACK THROUGH HAVRINCOURT WOOD.] [Illustration: TRESCAULT WATER POINT.] [Sidenote: _Bus, Ytres, Neuville-Bourjonval_] With Metz-en-Couture as the objective the advance was resumed at 7 a.m. on September 4, the 5th L.F. leading. The night had been remarkable for the intensity of the enemy’s gas bombardment, and this continued throughout the day. Ytres, Bus, and indeed most of the positions in the divisional area were drenched with gas, and box-respirators had to be worn for hours at a time. In addition to the bombardment the troops were bombed by successive flights of enemy aircraft. Fighting patrols crossed the Canal du Nord without much opposition, but considerable resistance was met with at Neuville-Bourjonval, and the advance-guard was checked in the outskirts of this village. The division on the right had been held up at the Canal, which they could not cross, and until they could accomplish this it would be useless to incur heavy losses in capturing the village while the Division’s right flank was in the air. In the evening four strong patrols were sent out under a barrage to make good the village and the trench system beyond, and the two northern patrols penetrated the enemy’s trenches and took prisoners. On the morning of the 5th the village was cleared, but the enemy still held a trench system to the east. This was attacked in the afternoon by a company of the 7th L.F., in conjunction with an attack on the left by the New Zealand Division, and all guns of “B” Company, M.G. Battalion, assisted in placing a box-barrage round the objective. The attack was brilliantly successful, the trench system being captured and more than 100 prisoners