and finally finished the war as Commanding Officer of the 8th
Manchesters, leading back the cadre of that battalion to Ardwick Green
in March, 1919. He is unreservedly one of the officers whom the Fleur de
Lys are proud to claim.

Sgt. McHugh and Ptes. McLean and Braithwaite received Military Medals on
this occasion, and they also were glad to know that they opened the long
list of decorations that the battalion was to obtain in France.

I have spent some little time on this "Wigan Copse" raid because it is
an important event in the history of the battalion. The 7th Manchesters
never looked back after that show, and they held up their heads in the
proud consciousness that they had attempted a good thing and had
achieved it. It gave them confidence--for there was a reputation to live
up to, and all felt that they could not possibly fail once a job was
begun. And so it was. Nothing the battalion ever touched in future went
wrong, and there has been no incident in the war which the 7th need look
back upon with remorse or regret.

Another important event in our life at Havrincourt was the digging of a
new front line about 500 yards in advance of the old one along almost
the whole of the divisional front. The 5th, being the collier battalion,
achieved their part of the business on the Slag Heap, while the 7th and
6th worked on their right. The first night was a great success, there
was not a whisper of protest from the Boche, and we had cut through an
almost continuous line, adequately protected by concertina barbed wire,
and particularly strengthened at various points where posts had to be
held during the next day. The enemy must have rubbed his eyes rather
vigorously next morning when he saw what had been accomplished during
one night. However, he soon began to register on the new trench, and