were united to form "X" Company, while "B" and "D" Companies formed "Y"
Company. This scheme was adopted so that the original companies and
platoons would not sink their identities in that of a sister company. This
re-organisation was completed, equipment made up, and all necessary stores
given out within twenty-four hours, and the Battalion was again ready for
action. The bivouac area was vacated at 4 p.m. on the 1st September, and
the Battalion went to the Hindenburg Line, where a few hours were spent.
It left the Hindenburg Line about 10-30 p.m. for Hendicourt. An
unfortunate circumstance, however, had taken place. The intelligence
section, which was to act as guides to take the companies to Hendicourt,
was annihilated by a shell, and as a consequence it was very difficult to
get there to time in view of the lack of guides. The Battalion was piloted
by the Adjutant over numerous broken-in trenches, while enemy aeroplanes
were disseminating bombs quite liberally.

Hendicourt was reached fifteen minutes before zero, which was at 5 a.m.
One company was then ordered to advance in the direction of Riencourt, the
fringe of which village it reached by advancing over the open under cover
of the barrage and, incidentally, encountering the German barrage.

On this day the famous Drocourt-Quéant Switch, the last and perhaps the
strongest line of resistance of the enemy, was completely broken. Months
had been spent on its preparation and in making concrete machine gun
emplacements and belts of barbed wire, and its fall in one day was
remarkable.

Later in the day the companies went forward over the ground captured by
the other units in the Brigade, and one or two patrols were sent out. The
following evening the Battalion was withdrawn to a bivouac area outside
Croisilles, which vicinity was shelled by a 350 m.m. Krupp gun. The