_A British double O.P. between Bethune and La Bassée. The buildings which once concealed it lie round it in a heap, but the towers have still some substance._] [Illustration: _PLATE XXVII._ MERVILLE. _The farthest west point reached in the Lys Salient during the German advance in April, 1918. The town was practically destroyed by our shell-fire during the German occupation._] [Illustration: _PLATE XXVIII._ ESTAIRES. _Like Merville, which lies four miles west of it, Estaires was terribly damaged by our shelling during its occupation by the Germans from April to August, 1918._] [Illustration: _PLATE XXIX._ BAILLEUL. _Not to be confused with the village of the same name north of Arras, close to the Vimy Ridge. It was thoroughly ruined by the fighting in both directions during 1918._] [Illustration: _PLATE XXX._ ARMENTIÈRES. _In 1919 very little had been done by way of reconstruction in Armentières, but a year later the western half of the town had been largely rebuilt, although the other half was still in the condition shown in the photograph._] [Illustration: _PLATE XXXI._ KEMMEL HILL. _This photograph was taken from a distance of three miles, from which, however, the hill looks hardly as bold as it does from the higher part of the Menin Road. Its summit is about 350 feet higher than Ypres, which it entirely commands._] [Illustration: _PLATE XXXII._ KEMMEL HILL. _The upper part of the hill itself, which was once largely covered with trees of which only the stems remain. It was captured, after an heroic French defence, in April, 1918, and held until the final retreat of the Germans began four months afterwards._] [Illustration: _PLATE XXXIII._ "PLUG STREET" WOOD. _Ploegsteert will probably be "Plug Street" for all time in this country. Many trees are still standing in the wood. The turning to the left is the road to Messines._] [Illustration: _PLATE XXXIV._ A CEMETERY AT "PLUG STREET." _A Royal Berks Military Cemetery at the north-east corner of "Plug Street" Wood._] [Illustration: _PLATE XXXV._ BETHUNE. _The lighter-coloured masonry halfway up the fine old tower shows where houses were standing built closely round it. Their debris has been entirely cleared away and the Grande Place is as tidy as it is, unhappily, empty._] V.--BETHUNE, LA BASSÉE, AND LOOS (PLATES 35 TO 42.)