Barton went to see what had happened. Some half-hour later, when the
Lincolnshire C.O. went to the scene of the disaster, he found the "Doc"
there by himself, digging out an injured man in the middle of the gap.
No British troops had yet arrived, and his nearest neighbours were the
Boche lobbing bombs from the other side of the new crater.

This latest blow shattered our front line so badly that it was quite
unfit to hand over to a new Division, taking over this part of the line
for the first time, and, as the Lincolnshires had not enough men to
repair it themselves, we had to help them. On the 21st, therefore, when
the rest of the Battalion was relieved by the Lancashire Fusiliers and
went back for the night to Camblain L'Abbé, "D" Company stayed behind
in the Talus till dusk and then went up to work, spending the night
under R.E. supervision, digging in the gap. A screen of bombers lay out
on the crater lip, while the rest worked, through mud, water and pouring
rain to try and produce some kind of fighting trench. As fast as they
dug, their new work collapsed, but at last a cut was made, and by
morning there was at least communication across the gap, though the
trench was terribly shallow and gave no real protection. The following
day, "D" Company on lorries, the rest of the Battalion by march route,
we moved through Cambligneul and Aubigny to Penin-Doffine, where we were
to billet for a rest. "B" and "C" Companies were with Brigade
Headquarters and the Lincolnshires in Penin. The Headquarters and "D"
Company had a large farm, and "A" Company billets in the hamlet of
Doffine.

Here we stayed for a week. A Staff ride under the Brigadier formed the
chief incident in our training, while our recreation was enlivened by an
excellent Battalion Sports Meeting. Great keenness was shown in every
event, and there were consequently some well-contested races:--"A" and