The March to Le Quesnel--Defence of Le Quesnoy--Actions at Arvillers and Mezières--Retirement to the line of the Luce--Relief of the Division--Actions of the 91st Field Artillery Brigade under the French--Divisional Artillery at the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. We left the 20th Division on the evening of the 25th of March holding the line Cressy--Billancourt--Réthonvillers, with the 60th Brigade on the right, the 59th on the left, and Divisional Headquarters at Roye. By that time all local reserves on this part of the battle-front had been thrown into the fighting, but French forces were coming up in increasing numbers to reinforce the British line. On the 25th the French took over the whole of the front south of the Somme,[14] the 20th Division coming under the orders of the G.O.C. 133rd French Division. “The situation still remained critical, however, as every mile of the German advance added to the length of the front to be held, and while the exhaustion” of the British divisions “was hourly growing more acute, some days had yet to pass before the French could bring up troops in sufficient strength to arrest the enemy’s progress.”[14] The Division was under orders from XVIIIth Corps to conform with the retirement of the French towards Roye, should such retirement become necessary. On arrival at Roye the Division was to move north-west to Le Quesnel, covered by the 61st Brigade as a left flank guard. The 133rd French Division, which was to have relieved the 20th, had orders to retire during the night, and French and British troops were so mixed that a relief in the ordinary sense of the word would have been impossible. At an interview between Lieut.-Colonel Haskard, G.S.O.I. of the 20th Division, and the G.O.C. 133rd French Division, it was decided that the 20th should withdraw at midnight, at the same time as the French. The French Divisional Commander, however, said that he could give no orders as to the withdrawal of the 20th Division, as his line of retreat was towards the south. He had no objection to the 20th moving on Le Quesnel, although as the enemy was already in Liancourt he doubted if this could be done. It was obviously a difficult task, for it meant a flank march in the face of an advancing enemy who at the beginning was not more than four miles away, and who before the march was completed penetrated to within half a mile of the road on which the troops were moving. It is due to the exceptionally gallant action of the 61st Brigade that this operation was brought to a successful close.