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A special feature of the arrangements for the attack was the organisation of a divisional pack train for the transport of ammunition, food, water, and R.E. stores to the newly-captured areas. The company contributed a considerable number of drivers and mules under Lieut. J. M. Norton, to this train.

Pack mules were very successfully used independently by the company a little later for transport to forward jobs. Driver A. A. Paget received the M.M. for good work with the pack train, while 2nd Corpl. C. C. Jones and Lance-Corpl. W. W. Evans were similarly rewarded for devotion to duty with the sappers.

On 12th June the company moved to La Boudrelle, south of Steenwerck, a most delightful place after the battle area, but on the 15th started work on the so-called Black Line, south of the River Douve, in the vicinity of Grey Farm. On the 20th this work was handed over to the New Zealand Engineers, and the company marched on the 21st to Neuve Eglise .

After relief by the 9th Field Company, the company had a few days training at Neuve Eglise, and then marched to La Boudrelle for pontooning on the Lys. While at La Boudrelle a very successful sports meeting was held. The unit then returned to Neuve Eglise and took part in the Windmill battle of July 31st. The preparations for this will be remembered as a rush job at the eleventh hour. It was about this time that night bombing by enemy aircraft first became troublesome.

La Boudrelle was visited for the third time on the 15th, the division being in support, and work was started roofing in the big ammunition dump at La Creche, but before the task could be completed, the unit moved with the division to 2nd Army Training Area, south-west of St. Omer.

Divisional Headquarters was established at Fauquembergues, and the 11th Field Company in the little village of Recquebroeucq on the River Aa.

The visit to the training area was for the purpose of resting, training, and re-fitting, in preparation for more strenuous days to come; and lasted until September 25th. This was a very delightful period, the accommodation for all ranks being good, the country people very kindly, and the weather favourable. Opportunities for training were also good, and the unit was in a very good state when it started marching northward with the division on September 25th, to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres.

Before leaving the training area the company attended two noteworthy parades, one on the 19th September, when the Divisional Engineers assembled with full transport, and carried out evolutions under the C.R.E., and another on the 22nd, when the whole of the 3rd Division, less artillery and transport, was inspected by the Commander-in-Chief, F.-M. Sir Douglas Haig.

The night of the harvest moon at Poperinghe will always be remembered for a remarkable display of bombing by enemy aeroplanes. Uncomfortable as the situation was for troops crowded in tents, some amusement was to be derived from the efforts of certain machine guns, which, chattering hysterically whenever a Boche 'plane was caught in the beam of a searchlight, threw streams of tracer bullets at a target some thousands of yards out of range. No doubt it relieved the gunners' feelings.

The great British offensive in the Ypres salient, to which the capture of the Messines ridge had been a prelude, had opened on July 31st, when the 3rd Australian Division captured "The Windmill" on the extreme south flank of the battle. After some pauses and delays, it was now, in the late autumn of 1917, in full swing. A constant succession of heavy, but comparatively shallow pushes, it might almost be called the Battle of the Roads, so much did the impetus of the attack depend on the use of the highways converging on the ruined town, and so enormous and impressive was the congestion of road traffic. The great road from Poperinghe to Ypres was covered day and night with streams of everything on wheels or feet which went to make or help an army, all dribbling in clouds of dust and profanity through the bottle-neck at Vlamertinghe. On the enemy side of Ypres the road best known to the 3rd Division was that which led to Zonnebeke. Here the congestion of traffic was complicated by the insistent attentions of the enemy artillery, which periodically pitted the route with shell holes and left the roadside littered with dead horses and broken vehicles, and sometimes with more dreadful wreckage.

Besides the limbers taking ammunition to the nearer guns, ration limbers and wagons laden with Engineer stores, the forward road was thronged with pack animals, which in hundreds carried ammunition to the less accessible batteries. On the outward journey they were led by dogged men on foot; returning light with the men in the saddle, the cavalcade stood not upon the order of its going, and no matter the rank of the pedestrian, he unhesitatingly gave it the road. Particularly after the rain came was the road past Mill Cot to Kink Dump, Devils Crossing, and Zonnebeke, a place of evil memory.

For three weeks the company, working from Ypres, was continuously employed in the battle area in the divisional sector north of the Zonnebeke Railway. The 3rd Australian Division delivered a very successful attack on October 4th, when the Broodseinde Ridge was captured. When it was relieved by the 66th Division, the company remained in the area working with this division until after its attack of October 9th. The 3rd Division then returned to the line and advanced again on October 12th.

Early in the month the weather broke and torrents of rain converted the shell-torn earth into a dreadful quagmire. Tracks across the wilderness of mud and shell holes had to be reconnoitred, marked out and duckboarded wherever possible; roads patched up to carry the guns. The tracks were all marked by distinctive letters or names; two well-remembered ones were Jack and Jill. Strange materials were used for road making; the dead body of a mule or two might be seen tumbled into a shell hole and covered with the smashed up remains of some vehicle. Piles of shells were known to be used in emergency to hurriedly fill a hole in some urgently required roadway. Causeways were built for mules and men across the bog which marked the original course of the Zonnebeke stream, and many concrete dugouts repaired and made habitable. On all these arduous tasks the company was engaged and suffered a steady drain of casualties.

Under these conditions the possession of ample comforts funds, supplied chiefly by friends in Australia, contributed considerably to the comfort and efficiency of the unit, as it rendered possible the supply of hot drinks and food at all hours to the different parties, and of emergency chocolate rations to parties on exposed work.

Worthy of special note during this period was the work done by Lieut. J. M. Norton and a small party of surveyors in laying down an elaborate system of jumping-off tapes for the attack of October 4th, and a similar task carried out by Lieut. S. W. Matters previous to the attack of October 9th. On the 4th, Lieut. H. St. A. Murray and a party of sappers and attached infantry pushed forward on the top of the Broodseinde Ridge immediately behind the attacking infantry, and dug and wired a number of strong points. The transport, both pack and wheeled, carried out very difficult and dangerous tasks under Captain O. B. Williams and Lieut. W. H. Thomas, M.C., and the work of the surveyors was also particularly arduous and valuable. Lieut. H. St. A. Murray received the Military Cross, 2nd Corpl. C. P. Atkins the Meritorious Service Medal, and 2nd Corpl. A. M. Stewart, 2nd Corpl. J. J. Mace, Lance-Corpl. W. G. Toft, Driver A. H. Furniss, and Sapper F. G. Bugden, the Military Medal.

On being relieved in Ypres by the 12th Canadian Field Company Engineers, the company moved on the 22nd of October back to Recquebroeucq , and rested and re-fitted until 12th November, 1917, when the division once more went into the line, in Flanders, re-visiting one of its old haunts in the Le Touquet--Pont Rouge and Warneton sectors, taking over from the 8th British Division.

The 11th Field Company A.E. was placed in reserve, took over a camp near Wulverghem , and commenced work on pipe burying, artillery positions, drainage, and the like. Regular winter warfare conditions commenced, and much useful work was effected.

While the company was in Wulverghem Camp several daylight bombing raids by enemy aeroplanes in force took place, and on one occasion the company suffered the loss of Corpl. Gray, killed, and C.-S.-M. Brander seriously wounded.

As usual, there was no lack of work for the sappers. The trench system required a great deal of development, particularly with a view to a step by step defence in depth, and a number of dugout jobs were taken over from the 38th Division. Lys river bridges again came under the company's care, but on a stretch of the river a little south of the crossings familiar during the previous winter. Charges had to be overhauled, leads repaired and tested, magazines rebuilt.

The billets were comfortable, but, as usual, throughout the cold weather, the fuel supply was a "burning" problem. In the jute factory it was not incapable of solution, as alongside the boiler house there were a large number of coal heaps. These were watched over by the factory caretaker and liberally placarded with notices, "Not to be touched," but if each sapper in a section moving from cookhouse to billets casually picked up a lump of coal, the section stove need never go cold.

A holiday from the line work was granted on Christmas Day, and full advantage was taken of it for seasonable feasting. The officers and sergeants, who attended first their section dinners, and afterwards the meals in their own messes, had rather a trying day.

The town of Armenti?res was much changed since the previous visit. With the exception of a few caretakers, all the inhabitants had gone, and dreadful tales were told of their experiences when the Boche shelled the place heavily with high explosive and gas about the time of the Messines Battle.

The stay in this sector was quite short, the 57th Division relieving the 3rd Australian Division on 3rd January, 1918, the 11th Field Company, A.E., returning to Mahutonga Camp.

The 3rd Australian Division was now due for its turn in the training area and was relieved by the 2nd Australian Division on March 3rd.

The 5th Field Company took over Weka Lines and the sector from the 11th, which moved by train and road for dismounted personnel and transport respectively, to Bainghem-le-Comte, about 14 miles from Boulogne.

THE DEFENCE OF AMIENS.

The month of March, 1918, found the 3rd Australian Division enjoying a well-earned rest in billets between St. Omer and Boulogne. Every division considers its every rest well earned, but after the long winter in the line on the Belgian border with even its turn in reserve broken by an excursion to the old trenches south of Armenti?res, the 3rd had settled down with a particularly comfortable feeling of conscious rectitude.

The 11th Field Company had reached its obscure little village of Bainghem-le-Comte on March 6th, and by the middle of the month was comfortable, judging comfort by the standard of soldiers in the field, to whom a rude bunk of saplings in a reasonably weatherproof barn, with a tin can stove, represent the best which can be hoped for. Spring came early; on southward hillsides the sun shone warm at noon, and not even a bomb disturbed either work or play.

Then came the German offensive, of which the first hint was the ugly throbbing of distant heavy gunfire. At short notice the division commenced to move, and the dismounted portion of the company entrained on the 22nd at Lottingen and Desvres, while the transport under Lieut. Rutledge took to the road.

In the strenuous pilgrimage of the next few days, the first stage was towards the north; detraining at Caestre the company marched to Eecke . Then on the 24th the direction was reversed, and by march and motor 'bus it moved to Wardrecques, east of St. Omer. Meanwhile the transport had moved to Esquerdes, and thence to Renescure, and on the 24th rejoined the company, and the whole proceeded to a thorough overhaul of all stores and equipment, and the rigorous discarding of all non-essentials.

The news from the battle area in the south came through in brief outline in rare newspapers and much more vividly by word of mouth, in startling rumours; but all of it was serious. Nevertheless the general feeling was one of relief, almost of elation; the long-talked enemy blow had fallen and we were to help the counter-stroke which all were convinced must sooner or later be delivered. The war-like activity in all this familiar region behind the Flanders front was sufficiently exhilarating in itself. In addition to the 3rd Australian, the New Zealand and the 4th Australian Divisions were on the move. Battalions marched and counter-marched across the country with bands playing in the thin sunshine, and the pav? roads literally swayed under the torrent of motor lorries and 'buses. Such animation in the war country is always accompanied by one or other of the twin banes of the foot soldier, mud or dust; on this occasion cold clouds of the latter added to the joys of "full marching order with blankets."

Very early in the cold and frosty morning of the 26th the company moved again, all tuned up in readiness for that open warfare which we were expected to experience. As throughout the whole move it came under the orders of the 11th Brigade Group, and was commanded by Capt. O. B. Williams, the O.C., Major R. J. Donaldson being acting C.R.E.

After something more than the usual delays, entrainment took place at Arques, including transport, about three p.m. Detrainment was at Doullens, and took place at 12.30 next morning, after several hours in the train waiting just outside the station, while Boche planes energetically bombed the neighbourhood. From Doullens the company marched at once some six miles to Thievres, where the sappers were picked up by motor 'buses and taken to Franvillers, between Amiens and Albert, debussing at 7 a.m. The long wait at Arques, and again at Doullens, the toilsome march to Thievres, and the bitterly cold 'bus ride , all combined with the absence of hot food and drink to make the journey one of the most arduous in the history of the unit.

But the scenes on the road that bleak March morning were enough to stir the thinnest blood. The pitiful flight of a civilian population before an advancing enemy has often been described; it is enough to say that to all ranks first came a full understanding of war and a common anger against the enemy. Also there came no little pride of country, so extreme was the relief with which the people welcomed the arrival of "les Australiens."

A halt at Franvillers allowed of the preparation of welcome food, and even more welcome hot drink. Meanwhile, the transport, after a cold and foodless all night march, arrived and established itself in a little wood west of the village. Early in the afternoon Company Headquarters and 1, 3, and 4 sections moved on again a short distance to Heilly, on the river Ancre, and chose billets among the deserted houses.

The 3rd Australian Division had now arrived in the Somme country and there was much satisfaction in the knowledge. Just as in Australia no miner can claim to have travelled unless he has been to Moonta, so no good Australian knew anything of war until he had been "on the Somme." The sapper's eye saw other causes for satisfaction; the steep dry banks invited the dugout builder, and the streams wanting bridges, and the bridges wanting demolition charges, spoke of real engineering work to be done.

The Officers of the Company at this time were as follows:-Major R. J. Donaldson was in command, but for a few days more was acting C.R.E. vice Lieut.-Col. T. R. Williams, D.S.O., on leave. Capt. O. B. Williams was second in command. Capt. G. L. A. Thirkell had charge of No. 1 section, Lt. S. W. Matters No. 2, Lt. W. H. Thomas, M.C., No. 3, while Lt. R. W. Lahey was painfully hurrying from leave in the South of France to resume command of No. 4. Lt. R. G. Rutledge was in charge of the transport. The company was at full strength and still had nearly one half of its original members. G. Brodie was C.S.M., H. G. Whitrow C.Q.M.S. ; and W. Russel, mounted Sergeant.

The task ahead was enormous. A new defensive system had to be established, and there were no R.E. dumps of tools and material, very few maps available, very little information of any kind. Reconnaissance for tools and material, of bridges and streams and water supply, was thus of the highest importance, and was put in hand early. Other work, more important than trench digging, soon developed for the sappers. The map will show how important in this sector were the river-crossings, and accommodation for various commands was urgently required.

The bridges in Corbie, La Neuville, and Bonnay had been roughly prepared for demolition, chiefly by the 173rd Tunnelling Coy., R.E., and the 1st Field Squadron, R.E., but a great deal of work was called for, both to ensure certainty and completion of destruction in case of necessity, and reasonable safety under normal conditions. This work was put in hand, No. 2 section first moving to Bonnay and starting it, the remainder of the company also proceeding there for convenience of control on the evening of the 29th. On the 30th, No. 3 section moved to Corbie and took over the Corbie, La Neuville group of bridges. It was on this day that the enemy attacked our line from the direction of Sailly Laurette, but was beaten off with heavy loss. While the attack was on Capt. O. B. Williams with a small party was engaged in an examination of the steel bridge over the Somme at Bouzencourt, near Sailly-le-Sec. The vicinity of the bridge came under heavy shell fire, and as the party approached it one shell hit and detonated a demolition charge which was on the bridge, blowing down the towers of the lifting span, but not destroying the bridge. For his work in connection with this reconnaissance Corpl. Johns received the Military Medal.

Under the conditions of modern warfare, reasonably secure accommodation for the Headquarters of Brigades and Battalions is of great importance, and in particular these centres required to be able to maintain their signal connections and carry on their work at night without exposed lights to attract enemy aircraft. In the chalk country deep dugouts provide the best accommodation, and the company was soon busy on a number of these, in "Shrapnel Gully," in the banks south of Marrett Wood, at 11th Brigade Headquarters, in the wood near the gravel pits north of Corbie, and in a number of other spots. At first the lack of suitable material, and to some extent the inexperience of the men at this work, were handicaps, but they were neutralised by sheer hard work.

Before the programme could be more than started, another aspect of the bridge question demanded attention. The available crossings over the Ancre were few and well known, and would certainly be heavily shelled in the event of a Boche attack. To ensure the supply of ammunition to the guns east of the river, emergency crossings were obviously needed, and were reconnoitred and put in hand. A crossing north of Bonnay, with two trestle bridges over the main streams of the Ancre, a number of culverts, and a long length of rough corduroy, was started by the 11th Field Company on April 3rd and finished on the 5th.

On the evening of the 5th a sudden demand was made for a crossing south of Bonnay. All ordinary working parties were already employed, but a hasty gathering up was made of all batmen, cooks, a few spare drivers, the O.C.'s groom, and so on, and with this party, Lt. Matters threw a three-bay pontoon bridge and a two-bay Weldon trestle bridge across the two main streams, in pitch darkness. The bridges were in use by midnight, and the men concerned were more than a little proud to be the first to put the company's bridging gear to real use.

Meanwhile the enemy had pressed forward on the south side of the Somme, and was reported to be very close to the steel bridge at Bouzencourt already mentioned. It was decided that the bridge should be destroyed and this was done early in the morning of the 6th by a party from No. 1 section, under Capt. Thirkell and Sergt. Oliver, assisted by C.S.M. Brodie. The main span of the bridge was cut and dropped into the canal. Sergt. Oliver received the Military Medal.

Sketches of this bridge and of the bridges over the Ancre, of panoramas from O.P.'s, and other features of interest, were made by Spr. Vasco, of the unit, well known as a caricaturist, and were used to illustrate the war diary. Unfortunately, Spr. Vasco died of disease in England before the end of the summer.

The war at this stage was not without its compensations. After the plains of Flanders the broad views from the downs were refreshing, and it was interesting to be able so frequently to see your enemy in the open. Billeting in the deserted villages was good, and the abandoned live stock of the country-side added variety to the menu. No. 3 section kept a poultry farm at their billet in Corbie and paid tribute to Company Headquarters in the produce thereof. They were also in the possession of a cow tended by "Bluey" Graham, the section Q.M. More than one revolution occurred in No. 3 after that time, and several Q.M.'s were deposed, but Graham can still claim to be the only section Q.M. who ever kept a vache. Unfortunately, while leading it along the road by a string one day he met a member of the French Mission....

On the 8th April No. 1 section moved into a rough bivouac in a chalk quarry overlooking the Somme, in order to be nearer their work. The 2nd Australian Tunnelling Coy. took charge of the various bridges on the 18th, thus releasing Nos. 2 and 3 sections, and next day No. 2 joined No. 1 in their riverside quarry. With more men available, the dugout industry increased apace.

Meanwhile the difficulty of supplying the industry with timber had become acute. Salvage operations in Corbie and neighbouring villages had yielded small supplies, and corps managed to send a little from time to time, but the demand increased much faster than the supply. Two or three Queensland bushmen from No. 4 section were early set to work with pitsaws in one of the woods, and helped appreciably, but the problem was not solved until a steam saw milling plant was "souvenired" from Corbie, repaired, and erected on the banks of the Ancre near Bonnay.

This developed into quite a prosperous, if entirely unofficial concern, and large quantities of sawn timber were produced from the plantations along the river.

On the 24th the enemy delivered his attack on Villers-Brettoneux, and the 3rd Divisional sector was heavily shelled. Company Headquarters and 3 and 4 sections were shelled out of Bonnay, losing several horses, but otherwise escaping without serious loss, but 1 and 2 sections in their quarry position were less fortunate, both Lieut. Matters and Lieut. Melbourne being wounded rather badly, and several men gassed. Driver J. H. Cannell subsequently received the Military Medal for rescuing a badly wounded man in Bonnay under very trying circumstances.

After this experience an open-air life seemed preferable to the somewhat damaged billets in Bonnay, so a camp was established in an open valley just west of Heilly. The first site chosen was rather unfortunate, as within a day or two a battery of 8in. hows. planted themselves alongside, and a move of three or four hundred yards along the valley had to be made to avoid these noisy neighbours.

A new Brigade Headquarters being called for in Heilly, it was decided to burrow into a huge old retaining wall which ran round part of the Chateau grounds. The sappers were not without hope of finding buried treasure--preferably in the shape of a well-stocked and forgotten wine cellar--behind this mysterious old wall, but all they found was loose and treacherous filling, making the work slow and arduous.

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