On October 4th the Battalion took over "Village Trench" in the Cambrin Sector (Maison Rouge), taking over the front line from the 11th Border Regiment. The next move saw the 17th leave Beuvry and proceeding to Labeauvriere on October 16th; to Hardinval, on the 19th; to Rubempré, on the 21st; to Bouzincourt, on the 23rd; back by Rubempré and on to Canaples on the 31st via Talmas and Navurs. This treking was done in weather that was oftener wet than dry, exceedingly cold at night, and the living was under canvas. At Val-de-Maison on November 1st, the unit moved to Vadencourt after a fortnight, and then into the Martinsart Valley on the 15th, where they were ordered to go into action at Beaumont-Hamel, for by this time several drafts had brought up the strength of the Battalion. BEAUMONT-HAMEL. _The attack--weather conditions--failure of artillery support--forlorn hope--break-down of assault--gallantry and sacrifice--casualties--Mailly-Maillet--Franqueville and Rubempré--Xmas 1916 and New Year--football and high spirits._ The attack which commenced at ten minutes past six on the morning on November 18th--a day of ice-covered slushiness--was held up owing to the insufficiency of the artillery barrage and the heavy enemy machine gun fire. At 7.42 a.m. the message came in to the Battalion from the right hand Company that the Company Commander was wounded and that a Sergeant and about ten men were holding the right flank. The jumping off trench known as New Munich Trench, was manned by the Battalion machine gunners with a view to concentrating some of the Companies in it back across "no man's land" to form a rallying point. At 8.30 a.m. the following message was received from 2nd Lieut. Macbeth of the right Company, "Am holding old front line with remainder of Battalion, and have established a bombing post on the right. There are only Lieut. Martin and myself in the trench." The left Company was also being hard pressed. It was reported by one of the Battalion officers that when the barrage opened a great number of shells fell just in front of New Munich Trench where the attacking companies were lying out, killing and wounding a large number of the Battalion. When the barrage lifted on to Munich Trench for the last four minutes, it was still short, and when the leading waves came up to about 50 or 60 yards from Munich Trench followed by the barrage, the Germans could be seen lying in the trench in force. When the barrage was on the Munich Trench, the enemy machine guns played on the attackers from both flanks all the time. The failure of the attack was due to the inefficiency of the British supporting barrage, together with the condition of the ground--thaw having set in and rain falling on the snow, making it exceedingly slippery--the targets the men formed against the snowy background, and the intense cold.