There is a fine view of the River Somme and the marshes, including part of the battlefield of July 1, 1916. In the valley, walled in by high chalky cliffs, the Somme, bordered with high poplar-trees, follows its winding course among marshes and peat-bogs, intersected with patches of rushes and reed-grass. The half-hidden ruins of Frise are on the right. On the left fragments of walls are all that remain of Fargny Mill and the buildings which surrounded it. The French first line ran close by on July, 1, 1916 _(photo, p. 74)_. [Illustration: FARGNY MILL, JULY, 1916.] [Illustration: FARGNY MILL DAM AND THE "GENDARME'S HAT." _In 1919 the mill had disappeared._] Behind, the edge of a once wooded ravine, the chalky substratum of which, laid bare by shell-fire, was christened ="Gendarme's Hat"= by the Poilus, formed the Germans' first line. Further away, in the hollow of the valley, appear the ruins of =Curlu= village. _The road runs alongside the Somme. At the site of Fargny Mill go round the "Gendarme's Hat"_--from which the attack of July 1, 1916, debouched--_to reach =Curlu=_. Curlu had been transformed into a stronghold by the Germans. [Illustration: THE "GENDARME'S HAT," JULY, 1916.] Debouching from Fargny Mill, on the morning of July 1, a regiment of the French 20th Corps carried all the German advance-positions with great dash, notably the "Gendarme's Hat." However, at the outskirts of Curlu, further advance was stayed by machine-gun fire, making fresh artillery preparation necessary, which destroyed most of the houses. Rushing again to the assault in the evening, the French, in a few minutes, drove the Bavarians from all their positions, and the enemy's numerous attempts during the night and throughout the next day to regain a footing in the village broke down before the French barrage fire. [Illustration: CURLU CHURCH. _Fragment of 13th century wall--all that is left of the village._] The day after the capture of Curlu, the French resumed their advance, and soon reached the village of =Hem=, which they carried on July 5, after fierce fighting lasting the whole day. The road follows the line of the advance, from Fargny Mill to Hem. _At Curlu leave the church on the left._ Numerous shelters, graves and cemeteries are seen along the road, which passes near _=Hem-Monacu= (2 km. beyond Curlu)_; a few broken walls, 300 yards to the right of the road, are all that remain of the village _(photo below)_. [Illustration: HEM-MONACU. RUINS OF THE CHURCH.] [Illustration: CLERY CHURCH AND VILLAGE.] The French were held to the east of Hem _(see sketch-map, p. 71)_, by the strong defences around the village. These positions consisted of: a wood full of barbed-wire entanglements, situated to the north, near the station of the Albert-Péronne light railway; to the north-east, other strongly organised small woods and a quarry.