es of heavy calibre shells. Here and there, as his guns went
searching across the town, a house crumbled under with a grinding,
spluttering crash. Hun aeroplanes, also, made an unpleasant announcement
of their presence above Marcoing, directing their artillery fire upon a
number of points.

Our Brigade Headquarters were situated, of all unhealthy spots, in a
house the last of a row culminating at a four-cross-road. Phew--and he
dropped one on it and got five of us. Wilshire (Royal Fusiliers) came in
for a fearful gash, ten or twelve inches long and three wide, right
across the spine. Conscious, but paralysed, he looked round on us with a
piteous, hopeless appeal for succour in his eyes and made wild,
inarticulate sounds for water. One of the signals (R.E.) fell face
downward on the floor in a widening pool of his own blood, one part of
his face blown away. Poor laddies, full of youth, vim, life--cursed
artillery from your far-off safety! Aye, hands clench; if ever OUR
chance comes....

He played on Marcoing throughout the night, inflicted a few light
casualties on the Normans, deprived a few more house of rafters, and
ploughed an occasional portion of the road.

One wondered grimly on looking up at a thin slate roof what protection
it would form against a "heavy," and into how many unrecognisable
fragments your person would be dispersed should he land one direct on
you. Close your eyes and sleep; then if he does plump one in, you won't
worry much about it.

We seemed to have no 'planes of our own to interfere with Fritz's
evening gambols, nor were there any Archie guns in the sector to give
the Hun aviators something with which to amuse themselves.

Coloured cavarly had ridden in, out and around Marcoing throughout the
day, but apparently were not going through. The advance was ended and
there was every indication of establishing this new line for the quieter
period of winter.

The Normans, with the 80th Brigade, moved in the evening dusk out from
Marcoing to Masnieres--a town that constituted almost the apex of the
salient formed by the drive.

A strange march, although a mere couple of miles or so, in that
throughout the entire line of companies there could be sensed some
indefinable presentiment of a something to be feared. High above the
direct line of march could be discerned the black puffs of enemy timed
shrapnel bursting in the air. And you had to pass through it--it was
inconceivable that everyone coul