or five days, training being
continued. Their services were not required in the line, however, and
they marched back to Laherliere. Here a long stay was expected, but the
following day the journey was resumed to Souastre, where the Battalion
spent perhaps the most enjoyable month in its history. The men were
accommodated in a hut camp built round a large parade and sports ground.
As a result of easy training, plenty of recreation and fine weather, the
_moral_ of the men reached a very high level.

_Second Phase._

On the 15th June the Battalion returned to hold the line which it had
helped to gain in April. Leaving Souastre, it marched to support at a
camp near Henin-sur-Cojeul. There was practically no accommodation here
and ground sheets had to be used as shelters. The following day it
relieved the 10th Battalion Essex Regiment in the front line, just south
of the Cojeul River Valley, opposite Cherisy. After four days in this
sector it went out to Divisional reserve near Boisleux-au-Mont, where, on
the 27th June, it was visited by Col. the Hon. W.L. Vane, the Honorary
Colonel of the Battalion. A regular system of reliefs, which lasted for
three months, now commenced. Under this system the Battalion had two
periods of four days in the front line and one in support at Henin or
Neuville Vitasse, followed by eight days in reserve in camp near
Mercatel. The weather was good on the whole, and the trenches in
excellent condition. The enemy was only moderately active and there were
very few casualties. One of the Battalion areas in this sector was the
bank from which the attack started on the 14th April, and whilst there a
cross was erected to the memory of those who fell on that day.

As a result of their long stay here, the men became very familiar with
the whole area, and their experiences in the communication trenches,
Foster Avenue, Shikar Lane, Kestrel Avenue, Avenue Trench and others were
talked of for long after. Neither did they forget Lone Sap, from which
the enemy captured two of their comrades, Cable Trench, which was raided
by a party under 2nd Lieut. B.R. Leatherbarrow, Concrete Trench, the
Hindenburg Line, the caves in Marliere Village, which on one occasion
produced some interesting souvenirs left by the Boches, and many other
localities.

Apart from minor raids and counter-raids, the only outstanding incident
was the double raid of the 15th September. This operation was carried out
by the 9th Durham Lig