The rain continued for the next three days, making any movement most difficult. On the 4th the weather cleared and aeroplanes could go up, an opportunity of which the Germans took full advantage, for they shelled the wagon lines heavily that night, causing many casualties among the men and horses. The C.R.A. took over command of the Right Artillery on the 5th, and the Left Group (91st, 92nd and 93rd Brigades) came under Lieut.-Colonel Ricardo. The next day the 20th Division relieved the 38th, with headquarters at Dragon Camp, about three miles east of Elverdinghe, the 61st Brigade taking over the outpost line. On the 7th of August Major-General Matheson went to hospital, suffering from gas poisoning. Two days later Major-General Douglas Smith returned to the Division and took command. At the same time Brig.-General Browell, the C.R.A., was invalided home. He was succeeded on the 10th by Brig.-General H. W. A. Christie, C.M.G. The 61st Brigade was relieved that night by the 59th. The task before the Division was to capture Langemarck. The line held, on taking over the right sector of the XIVth Corps front, extended for 1000 yards along the west bank of the Steenbeek, with the left flank resting on the Ypres-Staden railway. As a preliminary operation it was necessary to gain command of the Steenbeek valley in order to obtain ground on the far side of the stream, where the leading waves might form up for the attack. It was originally intended to do this by peaceful penetration. This was a very difficult matter, not only because the stream and the marshy ground on each side of it formed a serious obstacle, but also because the enemy, profiting by a week of bad weather which had prevented any advance on our part, had thoroughly organised his defences on the east bank. Major J. W. Massie, 83rd Field Company R.E., made a remarkably fine reconnaissance of the Steenbeek along the whole Divisional front--work which was particularly valuable, as previous reports had been misleading. The 29th Division on the left and the 11th Division on the right had already established a line of posts on the far side. On the front of the 20th Division there was a very strong work at Au Bon Gite, 300 yards beyond the east bank on the Langemarck road. This was an extremely well fortified place, containing many concrete shelters. There were many other concrete blockhouses at intervals on both sides of the stream, commanding all approaches, but Au Bon Gite was the key to the enemy’s defences in this sector.