meet Colonel Jones, who advised them to try going over the top, and
actually gave them their direction by the stars. So accurate were his
instructions that the party arrived exactly at the Redoubt--incidentally
at a moment when the Germans were launching a counter attack over the
open. Such an attack might well have been disastrous, but the Boche,
seeing the Sherwood Foresters and over-estimating their strength,
retired hurriedly. By dawn the Sherwood Foresters had taken over the
whole Redoubt, though many of our "A" and "B" Companies were not
relieved and stayed there until the following night. Our task now was
the defence of the original British front line, for which Colonel Jones
was made responsible, and which we garrisoned with "C" (Farmer) right,
"D" (Williams) centre, and "A" and "B" (Tomson) left. Major Toller,
several times knocked down by shells and suffering from concussion,
Lieut. Wollaston wounded, and 2nd Lieut. Wynne gassed, had all been sent
down, and 2nd Lieut. Williams followed some hours later. Our only other
officer, Lieut. R. Ward Jackson, was in charge of the Grenadiers, and
spent his time in the Redoubt organizing bomb attacks and posts and
trench blocks, himself throwing many bombs, and in a very quiet way
doing a very great deal.

Twice during the night General Kemp visited the line, and went round the
Redoubt before it was handed over to the Sherwood Foresters. He wanted
very much to do more for the wounded, but the Stretcher Bearers were
worked out, and though volunteers worked hard and rescued many, there
were still numbers who had to be left until the following night. Rations
were brought by the Company Q.M. Serjeants under Capt. Worley to the
Quarry--a few hundred yards behind the left of our old front line--and
waited there until parties could be sent for them, a matter of several
hours. However, they were distributed at dawn, when they were very
welcome, for many had been nearly twenty-four hours without food. 2nd