y
competent authorities. Useful disposition maps, and intelligence
reports, to say nothing of piles of letters and post-cards were thus
sent up for inspection, while during the next few days when visiting the
area occupied by "D" company one was greeted by the unwonted scent of
cigar smoke, for the Hun was ever a connoisseur on cheap cigars.

Heavy rain during the following days converting our new trenches into a
quagmire, the necessity for digging and cleaning up became all the more
urgent, although it entailed a heavy strain upon the men under most
uncomfortable conditions. As "B," "C" and "D" companies had each "had a
stunt" and covered themselves with glory, it now remained for "A"
company to do likewise. Their turn came on the night of July 27th, when
it was decided to push forward and occupy Cetorix Trench, about 300
yards beyond the Triangle, and so make our position even more secure.
Unfortunately there was very heavy rain in the early evening, but the
party went out, and after a serious dispute with the enemy, in which
2nd-Lt. Goodier, M.C., was wounded again, gained their objective. What
was supposed to be a trench, however, was found to be a sunken road,
frightfully shell-pitted, and in a most appalling condition of mud and
water. It was not considered worth holding and the whole party was
wisely withdrawn.

The La Signy Farm fighting was not yet over, for on the morning of
August 3rd, while "B" company were in the front line, the enemy put down
a heavy barrage on all our positions, particularly on the Triangle.
Then, just as dawn broke, a party of about forty Huns rapidly started
across No Man's Land, but the 7th were too much for them. They stuck to
their posts and rapidly emptied Lewis guns and rifles amongst them, and
when they were sufficiently close greeted them also with bombs. The
Boche became disorganised and scattered, some groping about for gaps in
our hastily constructed wire, but it was a hopeless business and the
remaining plucky ones cleared off in disgust. Then Lt. Pell-Ilderton
followed out with a small party, and finding a couple of dead brought
them in. The Huns had carefully removed all evidences of identification
before the venture, but one man had a black and white cockade in his
cap, which proved him to be a Prussian. As the previous division was
known to be Wurtemburger, we immediately notified this fact to H.Q.
Further proof was afforded by a slightly wounded Boche who, having
appar