June opened somewhat noisily in comparison with the peace and quiet of the last few days of May. The enemy celebrated the "glorious First of June" by attempting to raid a post of the 2/7th K.L.R., the attempt being preceded by a violent barrage on a broad front, and resulting in the capture by the 2/7th K.L.R. of one prisoner, who was understood to make some very disparaging comments on the officers who were to have accompanied the raiding party. The failure of the enterprise was evidently vexatious to the Germans, who shelled the whole sector vigorously all that day, and early the next morning treated us to two hours' solid gas shelling. The small box-respirator, admirable as it is as a protection, is not an ideal form of headgear, and two hours' continual gassing is apt to provoke considerable resentment on the part of the wearer. Luckily, the storm ceased at 4.20 a.m., when a local relief of 95 men by a party of 121 from Marieux had been arranged for, and was in fact achieved without loss, though at 5.40 a.m. a good number of 4·2's were flung on to Rum Trench. That afternoon 25 more men arrived from the rear, reinforcements from the Base, and were posted to the various companies. The night of June 3rd our artillery put down a heavy barrage for a raid by the 1/5th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, but at the eleventh hour the raid itself was postponed till the next night. The enemy took little notice of it, probably imagining that it was retaliation for the previous day's "strafe." Later in the day, however, he shelled Battalion Headquarters with more zeal than was pleasant. On June 5th and 6th more small reliefs of men were effected, and Captain Eccles came up from rear headquarters and relieved Major Wilson, who went back to Couin for a rest; while Colonel Fletcher proceeded to England for fourteen days' leave as a last effort to recover his former vitality. On June 7th we were relieved by the 1/5th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, and divided our forces. "C" Company with "D" Company's Lewis guns and Headquarters moved to Chateau de la Haie, where Major Charles Wilson resumed command. "A," "B," and "D" Companies, with Headquarters and Lewis guns, occupied Beer Trench and the defences of Fonquevillers, under the command of Captain Eccles. We remained doing working parties and some musketry and bathing till June 9th, when we were relieved by the 8th K.L.R. and withdrew to Couin, which we reached at 7.15 p.m. After a short three days' rest in Couin Wood, we found ourselves once more in the line, this time as left battalion of left brigade, the sector being north-east of Gommecourt, the original sector first occupied by the battalion. "D" Company, who were to carry out a raid in the immediate future, were left out for training, and "B" Company, 8th K.L.R., were attached in their place. The dispositions in the line were "C," "B," "A" in the front line, with "B" Company, 8th K.L.R., in reserve.