ion on General E.
Ironside (now General Sir E. Ironside, who earned fame in Russia)
taking over the Brigade.

It only remains to add that the gas casualties from March 12 onwards
amounted to 11 officers and 240 other ranks, while the casualties in
action from the 22nd to the 31st were:

Officers killed 1
" wounded 2
" wounded and missing 1
" missing 10
Other ranks killed 15
" wounded 59
" wounded and missing 6
" missing 210

During the early part of April the Battalion was busy in moving, being
in turn in Hedeauville, Beauval, Houvin, Houvigneul, Ivergny,
Coullemont, La Cauchie, and on the 14th relieved the 1st Coldstream
Guards in Brigade Reserve in front of Blaireville. Two days later it
was in the front line, right sub-sector, in front of Adinfer, doing
alternate front line and support duty until the end of the month.

It was not until May 12 that the Battalion marched back to billets at
Berles au Bois, where training was carried on until June 7. On that
date it relieved the 1st Grenadier Guards in the Ayette left
sub-sector. Relieved on the night of June 10-11, it marched back to
reserve position near Monchy au Bois, going into the line again in the
Ayette sector on the night of 13th-14th.

During the night of June 24-25 "A" Company carried out a raid on the
enemy front line, and at 2 a.m. on the 26th "B" Company also carried
out a similar operation. July came round, and on the night of the
22nd-23rd the Battalion supplied a flanking party to a raid carried
out by the 1st Royal Berks. On the 30th the Battalion was in the
Ayette right sub-sector, but on August 5 and August 6 there was a
reorganization of the Brigade front, and it went into support.

Then came the British advance, and on the night of August 20-21 the
Battalion moved up for an attack by the 3rd Army. Leading off in a
dense fog, the 23rd Royal Fusiliers went over the top at Ayette,
capturing Aerodrome Trench, and so clearing the way for other troops
to leap-frog over them and capture Courcelles.

Moving forward again in its turn, two companies of the Battalion,
under Major W.B. Cluff, captured Behagnies. On the night of August
23-24, being relieved by the Loyal North Lancs, the Battalion moved
back to bivouac near Courcelles, where it remained until September 2.
Moving for