The battalion remained in its present position till October 4th. Our habitation consisted of the remnants of old enemy trenches and shell-holes in an open field. To the west of this, at a distance of some 200 yards from the nearest "bivvies," was a line of six 6-inch howitzers, which was continued by six 60-pounders. These two batteries were almost continuously in action, and were frequently engaged in firing salvos for barrages, and the effects of their presence had to be experienced to be properly appreciated. Except for these--and it is a very big exception--we were quiet enough. On October 1st some shells fell among our most eastern "bivvies" and wounded three men. Apart from this we were not troubled; but the hum of aeroplanes filled the air all night, while the detonations from bombs were sufficiently close to remind one of the unpleasant possibility of our turn coming next. The weather was fine and mild, but beyond cleaning up and repairing the damage of war very little training was attempted, except some useful demonstrations of the best method of coping with hostile machine guns. On October 1st 2nd-Lieutenant Simpson and a draft of sixty men arrived, which was a welcome reinforcement. The Adjutant had also returned from the United Kingdom and resumed his duties, Captain Bowring departing shortly after to England for a well-earned leave. Rear headquarters and the transport remained in the field on the north side of the Cambrai--Bapaume road close up to the south-west edge of Bourlon Wood, where they had moved on the evening of September 29th. Bourlon Wood showed little signs outwardly of the hurricane fire to which it had been treated both in 1917 and again recently. It covers a large area, but is chiefly composed of small bushy trees with but few of the large and stately boles which show the effect of shell fire so markedly. Inside the wood the scent of gas was still fairly strong; while derelict tanks and endless fragments of foreign and British equipment served to show what hard fighting had taken place in its green glades. Forward of Fontaine the country to our immediate front was far less bold in its hills and valleys than the ground that we had traversed. It still consisted of rolling downs, but the slopes were gradual and less pronounced; and whole areas, especially in the vicinity of the canal, were dead flat right up to Cambrai itself, of which one could obtain a good view from the high ground on which Bourlon Wood itself stands. Columns of smoke could be seen rising from the town, and not infrequent explosions showed that the enemy was preparing for his departure.