they would form the nucleus of a new unit. Choice
generally fell upon those who were considered due for a rest from the
line. When the necessary officers and men had been abstracted the
Company Commanders were Capt. Tinker, "A," Capt. Nidd, "B," 2nd-Lt.
Harland, "C," and Capt. J. Baker, "D." Headquarters comprised the C.O.,
Capt. J. R. Creagh, Adjutant; Lt. C. S. Wood, Signals; and Lt. S. J.
Wilson, I.O.; while Capt. Philp, the M.O., and Padre Hoskyns were in
confident control of aid post arrangements.

We had now become a part of the third army, and as such we were destined
to remain until the conclusion of the war. General Byng was not a
stranger to the 42nd, for it was as a part of his corps on Gallipoli
that they made their first fight against the Turk. As the reports have
it, "the situation was obscure" on this portion of the third army front.
As far as we were concerned the 40th division had experienced a very
severe handling but were still fighting gamely. They had recaptured Mory
twice and were now expected to be in possession of the greater part of
the village, while the Guards on their left were only yielding ground
inch by inch. What had happened to the right of this was not very clear.
The orders of the 127th brigade were to go up and relieve some fragments
of the 40th division in Mory on the night of the 24th, and when darkness
fell we set out with this object in view, but such plain,
straightforward work as that was not to be achieved in these queer days.
Events moved quickly and a change in the situation was an hourly
occurrence; it therefore devolved upon unit commanders, and as far as
possible commanders of higher formations to act with initiative and
resource.

[Illustration: ROUND ABOUT BAPAUME]

The head of the brigade column had reached Gomiecourt when word was
received that the enemy was attacking again, and there were vague
reports that Behagnies had either been captured or was being hard
pressed. It was considered inadvisable to continue the journey to Mory,
and more important to hold up this possible enveloping movement. We were
therefore deflected to the right, and then those things were done which
we used to practise on the desert, but never expected to put into use in
France. We moved across the open in artillery formation by battalions
and finally deployed into a defensive position. Meanwhile the guns
were hammering away at S.O.S. speed from their hastily improvised
positions either on o