ed me not to question them as to details of the
raid, as some very dirty work took place across the way! I expect it
did from the look in their eye and the happy way they handled their
clubs.

"A great entente cordiale existed between my Battery and the Regiment
and this was referred to by Major-General Budworth, C.R.A., 4th Army,
at the Conference at Flixecourt before July 1st, 1916. All the gunners
at the gun position, then in the Orchard of Martinsart, sent in a
signed petition to be allowed to have the honour of going over the top
with the 17th in their next raid. The 17th returned the compliment by
Major W. Paul and about 20 raiders coming up to the guns from Rest
billets and carrying ammunition for us all night while we were
covering another regiment's raid. I got Major Paul on the firing seat
of one of the guns and some of the men at other guns. They did a lot
of firing but did not enjoy it. They all preferred the Infantry!

"The 17th were badly cut up on 1st July, 1916, and my men were much
concerned about them. We were all greatly relieved to hear that both
Col. Morton and Major Paul were not among the casualties. Some of the
Officers will doubtless remember a cheery Entente Dinner at
Bouzincourt--Cocktails by our Adjutant, Lobsters and Rouen Ducks are
still fresh in my memory. The Division moved up north to the Hulluch
Sector after the Somme July Battle. We were put to another Division
for a short time, and then our own Infantry turned up. It was cheery
meeting our old friends again, but many familiar names and faces were,
sad to say, missing.

"We had a very safe and nice gun position on a peninsula in a marsh at
Annieguin. This we made into a very smart and show position--lots of
"spit and polish." We had many visitors from the 17th and a lot of
their men used to come and bathe with ours. We fixed up a regular
bathing pool with springboard complete. All this was under cover of
trees and shrubs and quite out of sight of the Hun. I remember two of
the H.L.I. being pulled from or being stabbed in, a sap in No Man's
Land near the famous Brickstacks. We all wanted to have a Raid at once
in revenge. I forget whether it came off. Shooting here was difficult,
as the trenches were so close together, and very difficult to observe
fire. Very different was the supply of ammunition in mid and late 1916
to early in the year. It was a horrible feeling for a Battery when
asked to shoot and help the poor old Infantry, to