The time had now arrived for us to leave our peaceful bivouacs and take a more active part in the war. The lengthened stay and the improvement in the weather had enabled us to make our temporary homes a little less primitive than when we took them over, and we were quite sorry to leave them. The surrounding country consisted of fine undulating downs, rolling in long sweeps for miles in every direction. The villages were mostly rustic and pretty, and the woods dotted about in all directions were showing the first signs of young spring green. May 6th proved fine and warm. The morning was busy with the final preparations for the line and in sorting out the party which formed the "lifeboat," which was destined for the Divisional Camp at Marieux. Strict instructions had been issued that the full 33⅓ per cent. were to be left out, and the party included Captains Eccles and Fell, Lieutenants James and Burton, 2nd-Lieutenants Carr and Upward, and eighty-two other ranks. These marched off at 2 p.m. Rear headquarters were also arranged for at Couin, and consisted of Major C. W. Wilson, the Adjutant (sick), and 2nd-Lieutenant Harris, who was in charge of the Brigade relay stretcher-bearers--also kept out of the line for use in the event of the "push." The battalion moved off at 3 p.m. to Souastre, where teas were served, and after dark the march into the line commenced. Souastre itself was fairly intact, though the Germans occasionally shelled it with a heavy gun, as certain houses mutely testified. After leaving Souastre the road proceeded almost straight into Fonquevillers, cutting right across open rolling country, and passing through most formidable lines of guns. Endless shell-holes in all directions, both on the road and on either side of it, revealed the fondness of the enemy for "crashing" this main approach to the line, a practice which our gunners had taught him to realize by bitter experience could be very effective. Just before reaching Fonquevillers the road entered a wood, and that point was particularly favoured by the attentions of the Germans.