Meanwhile preparations for the attack were being pushed forward. Unfortunately, just at this time bad weather set in, and this, with the continued and heavy hostile shelling, in which gas shells were largely used, made the work extremely difficult. The trenches were deep in mud and water, and were constantly being blown in; some of the communication trenches were impassable, and all were in a very bad condition, so that it became a most difficult matter to bring up rations and ammunition and to effect reliefs in the front line. The state of the Carnoy-Montauban road was such that at one time, on the 29th, thirty-seven vehicles broke down and stuck in the mud. In addition to this, on the 25th the 11th R.B. lost about fifty men including their commanding officer, Lieut.-Colonel Harington, when the enemy attempted, without success, to enter their trenches, and the 12th K.R.R.C. had to repulse an attack which was made during a thunderstorm on the evening of the 29th against the right of the 60th Brigade line. After the thunderstorm, during which two of our observation balloons were struck by lightning and brought down, the trenches were in a worse state than ever. Moreover both No Man’s Land and the ground behind the trenches were covered with dead bodies which had been lying out for weeks, and the state of the whole line was foul. The men, too, were given little rest; on the night of the 28th/29th all available men of all three brigades were working in the forward area. These very severe conditions told on the health of the troops, who were becoming so exhausted that it seemed doubtful whether they would be fit for the severe fighting which the capture of Guillemont would probably involve. Brig.-General Shute was asked whether, in view of the weakness of his units and the great strain to which the men had been put, he thought his brigade could take part in the attack. All ranks were keen to go through with the job which they had been sent to do, and it was decided that the operations could be carried out if the whole brigade might first go for a day or two right out of the line to rest. This was granted. The attack, after being postponed to the 29th, and again to the 30th, owing to the weather and the state of the ground, had been finally put off to the 3rd of September. The 10th R.B. and the 10th K.R.R.C. had been relieved on the 29th by the 7th K.O.Y.L.I. and the 7th D.C.L.I., and on the 31st the rest of the 59th Brigade was relieved by the rest of the 61st in daylight and under a heavy gas bombardment. The 59th marched back tired out, having lost just 600 casualties, not counting sick, in the nine days it had held this line.