and "Down" communication trenches--Barts Alley, Central, Water and Left
Boyaus. These were simply cut into the chalk and had not been boarded,
so, with the slightest rain, became hopelessly slippery, while to make
walking worse a drain generally ran down the centre of the trench, too
narrow to walk in and too broad to allow one to walk with one foot each
side. From the front line we were able to see the edge of the Redoubt,
Mad Point, and the mine with its buildings and Slag-heap. The last
dominated everything, and could be seen from everywhere. It was not very
encouraging to see the numbers of our dead from the previous two
attacks, still lying out in No Man's Land, whence it had not yet been
possible to carry them in. The party reached home soon after 5 p.m., and
a few minutes later a heavy bombardment in the direction of Vermelles
was followed by an order to "stand to," which we did until midnight,
when all was quiet again, and we were allowed to go to bed.

The following day the remainder of the officers and a party of selected
N.C.O.'s went again to the line to reconnoitre. While they were away we
heard the meaning of the previous night's noise. The Boche had attacked
our posts in "Big Willie" held by a Battalion of the Coldstream Guards,
and after a long fight had been driven back with heavy losses, leaving
many dead behind them. Both sides had used no other weapon than the
bomb, and our success was attributed to our new Mills grenade, which
could be thrown further and was easier to handle than the German stick
bomb, and the Coldstreams were said to have thrown more than 5,000 of
these during the fight. This little encounter had two results. First, it
definitely postponed our attack to the 13th; secondly, it brought the
Mills grenade into so much prominence that we were ordered to practise
with that and that only, and to ensure that during the next three days
every man threw them frequently. At the same time we were definitely
promised that no other grenade would be issued during our coming battle.