The Brigade took over the left sector of the Divisional front and we
were allotted the left sub-sector, our right and left boundaries being
the two Boyaus "Internationale" and "Ersatz." The whole relief was to be
kept as secret as possible, and all reconnoitering and advance parties
were given French helmets to wear in the line, so that the Boche might
have no idea what was going to happen. It was a little disconcerting,
therefore, when a French listening post, two days before the relief,
reported that a Boche had suddenly looked into their post, and after
saying "Les Anglais n'sont pas encore donc arrivés," equally suddenly
disappeared. In spite of this we were not disturbed during the relief
and by 10-30 p.m. on the 9th had taken the place of the 68th Regiment,
who marched out at one end of the trench as we appeared at the other,
having told us that we had come to a very quiet sector. The trenches
were in fair condition, though very dirty, and we had a quiet night so
began to hope that the sector might not be too terrible after all. The
next day the French left the area, leaving behind them two companies of
Engineers to carry on the mining operations on the Divisional front. In
handing over their posts the French had said nothing about their
countrymen whom they were leaving in the mines, and during the first
night several of them, coming up from below and talking a strange
language, narrowly escaped being killed for Boche.

The enemy opposite us were very quiet, and obviously knowing of the
relief, were waiting to see what we should do. With the French there is
no doubt that they had had a tacit understanding not to wage a vigorous
war, though, while seeming inactive, they had all the time been
undermining the French trenches. With us they were uncertain what to do,
so for 24 hours did nothing except fire a few rifle shots, one of which
came through the parapet and killed C.S.M. E. Thompson, of "B" Company.