saw for the first time Bernafay and Trones Woods, which then had achieved
great notoriety. To the neighbourhood of these woods the Battalion sent
forward night working parties. Only with the greatest difficulty did these
parties get to their rendezvous, and little work was done on account of
the intensity of the enemy shell fire.

In the evening of the 3rd August the Battalion paraded and marched towards
the fighting, leaving behind a small percentage to form a nucleus should
all its fighting personnel perish. The march was wearying. The enemy guns
were active, the weather hot, and packs heavy. After a long trudge the
Briqueterie was reached, a dangerous and dreaded spot, for it was
periodically swept with shell fire. At last the companies got to their
allotted stations in the reserve trenches. Many had not yet experienced
the terrors of heavy shell fire, which by its very nature was intended to
produce an unnerving effect. The next day started fairly quietly. On the
right the men could see what was known as Death Valley. This was rightly
so called. Being obscured from the enemy's view, it was a covered means of
approach to the infantry positions in front, and afforded at the same time
cover for the guns. On this account it was never free from shell fire, and
was littered with corpses of men and horses.

In the afternoon the Battalion had to take over the front line in the
neighbourhood of Arrow Head Copse in front of Guillemont. Passing along
Death Valley the Battalion got caught in heavy shell fire, and sixty
casualties took place almost immediately. It required a stout heart to
march cheerfully forward when seeing one's companions who had gone a
little in front coming back on stretchers, or lying dead alongside the
path.

When the two leading companies arrived at Arrow Head Copse they manned