On the 14th June a rather disturbing order came out, reducing our establishment of horses and mules; the first line wagons and all the ammunition wagons of the D.A.C. were henceforth to be drawn by four instead of six horses. No doubt this step was unavoidable owing to the shortage of animals, but it added enormously to the difficulties of ammunition supply for the rest of the war. On the 18th the 312th Brigade, which had been supporting the Division on our right for some time past, moved across to the neighbourhood of Foncquevillers and joined its own division again. In the _Gazette_ of the 3rd June, Lieut.-Colonel F. A. Woodcock and Major C. A. Eeles were awarded the D.S.O. Nine Military Medals were awarded during May and June (v. Appendix), and two Military Crosses--to Lieuts. H. O. Schofield on the 9th June and Harold Smith on the 23rd: "When a shell burst in a gun pit, set the camouflage on fire and damaged the gun, Lieut. Schofield, with a non-commissioned officer (Corpl. Edwin Burton, D.C.M.) rushed to the spot, and, despite continuous enemy shelling and the dangerously overheated condition of the ammunition, they removed the clinometer and a large number of rounds to a place of safety and put out the fire, thereby saving much ammunition." "During a destructive shoot on the battery, Lieut. H. Smith, with the assistance of a N.C.O., removed all dial sights from the guns, carrying them to a place of safety. Later, when the camouflage on the pit caught fire from a direct hit, he, with the help of two men, cleared the burning stuff away and removed ammunition whilst rounds were exploding and the battery was still under heavy fire. He eventually put out the fire, and thereby saved a gun from destruction." On the 25th June the Division withdrew from the line to go into G.H.Q. reserve, and the sorely tried batteries at last got a brief spell of peace, and went into rest billets in and about Orville, Amplier, and Sarton. CHAPTER V WITH THE 5TH FRENCH ARMY "_O torn out of thy trance, O deathless, O my France, O many wounded mother, O redeemed to reign._ _Out of the obscene eclipse Re-risen with burning lips, To witness for us if we looked for thee in vain._" SWINBURNE. [Sidenote: July 1918.] Comfortable billets and beautiful summer weather, with sports, entertainments given by the excellent "Pelican Troupe," and other distractions, contributed to make the rest a very pleasant one, but it was not to last long. On about the 12th July the Division was ordered to prepare for a move to an unknown destination, and on the 15th the artillery entrained and was taken south through Paris. That all units had made good use of their time in a peaceful area is proved by this letter, which the G.O.C. received from the General commanding the R.A. of the 4th Corps: "My dear General,--I saw your artillery entraining at two stations on the 15th. I saw portions of six batteries and the D.A.C.