patrols had failed to gain touch with anybody except scattered parties of French infantry. It was also reported that the enemy was working his way through the Bois de l’Hôpital. At 12.30 P.M. the enemy was known to be across the canal south-west of Libermont. At 1 P.M. French infantry began to take up an outpost line south-west of Ercheu, and to dig in along the railway further to the rear, in front of Ognolles. The position of B/92 and D/92 was becoming critical, as the ground on their right flank not only commanded their positions, but with its scattered copses, orchards and straggling hedgerows gave excellent cover to small parties of the enemy and machine guns which might now be momentarily expected. Libermont, too, had been turned, and French infantry, after putting up a most gallant defence, began to retire. Both batteries were then ordered to withdraw to Ognolles, leaving one gun of B/92 and three howitzers of D/92 in close support to oppose any machine guns which might try to establish themselves on the slight ridge which commanded Ercheu from the south. These guns dispersed the first machine-gun detachment which appeared and, firing at close range, most successfully held the enemy at bay until the remainder of the brigade had withdrawn and the enemy, working through the enclosed country further south, had completely turned the position. They then rejoined the rest of the brigade, which at dusk moved to Roiglise. We must now go back to the 61st Brigade and the 91st Field Artillery Brigade, which we left on the 21st of March near St Simon and Tugny under the 36th Division, and follow the actions of these troops until on the 25th the 61st Brigade returned to the Division and the 91st Field Artillery Brigade came under the French. By dark on the 21st of March the 61st Brigade was east of the St Quentin Canal, covering the perimeter of the St Simon and Tugny bridge-heads, the 7th D.C.L.I. (Lieut.-Colonel Burges-Short) on the right, east of Avesne (one mile east of St Simon), the 12th King’s (Lieut.-Colonel Vince) on the left as far as Pont de Tugny. The 7th Somerset L.I. (Lieut.-Colonel Troyte-Bullock) were in reserve on a line north-east of St Simon. The German advance on this day forced the 36th Division to retire during the night to the line Tugny--Happencourt--Fontaine. The 61st Brigade covered this retirement, and at 11.30 P.M. received orders from the 36th Division to withdraw to the west bank of the canal. By the morning of the 22nd the Somersets had taken up a position on the south-west bank of the St Quentin Canal from a point about one and a half miles north-west of Jussy to the canal junction west of St Simon. On their right the only troops of the 14th Division whom they met were odd patrols. The 12th King’s continued the line northwards to a point half a mile north-east of Tugny, where they joined the right of the 36th Division and gained touch also with the 60th Brigade. These two battalions thus held a front of 6000 yards.