‘July 1st. Battalion received orders about 8 a.m. to move to assembly-trenches in Thiepval Wood, and all had arrived there by noon. There was a good deal of shelling of the assembly-trenches while we were getting into them, and a good many casualties were caused, especially among the Lewis gun teams.’ The 1/5th York and Lancasters state: ‘June 30th. 11 p.m. Battalion clear of Warloy on road to assembly-trenches. ‘July 1st. 3-45 a.m. Whole Battalion in assembly-trenches, Aveluy Wood. —— 6-20 a.m. Intense bombardment commenced, and lasted for one hour.’ The 1/6th West Yorkshires write: ‘June 30th. Battalion marched to assembly-trenches in Aveluy Wood. ‘July 1st. 6-30 a.m. Heavy bombardment by our artillery of enemy trenches. Battalion moved across the River Ancre and took up a position in Thiepval Wood.’ The 1/4th West Ridings’ record runs: ‘Battalion moved from Senlis at 11-7 p.m. (30-6-16), marching to assembly-trenches in Aveluy Wood, arriving about 2 a.m. (1-7-16) under heavy shell-fire.’ We need not multiply this evidence. We should already be able to imagine the quick, dark scheme of concentration, so far as the 49th Division was concerned, in the first stage of the Allied programme for the relief of the pressure on Verdun. At this point we may look at the map (page 92). We spoke on a previous page[55] of the line drawn from Douai to Lens, working from east to west, on which a break-through by the French would have shaken the defences of Lille at the apex of a triangle formed with Lens and Douai at its bases. We are now to strike south of this line, and taking Douai as our apex to draw a second triangle with Arras and Bapaume at the lower angles (the further extension of this sketch is explained at page 124 below): [Illustration]